tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73961031731762956982024-03-14T07:28:14.246-04:00When Write Is WrongMisspellings, fact errors and typos: An editor's look at the not-so-fine printOwenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.comBlogger576125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-38858281791966836842021-07-24T11:57:00.000-04:002021-07-24T11:57:02.646-04:00Awkward!<p> Well, that's <i>embarrassing</i>. Actually, it's not.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B7dgPcBISJ2cAxIbCXx4YZKdNSI-QniclOGwmgU3AGDs7nNQ-AZ3H1rvYBu8U8hoNk4h7w7660yS2RvRaSYkiB_3DLyZdi7yBV8zAFfhDiz-UGniQ5zeREpDwkszmr5-yrI14Rlaook/s644/Screen+Shot+2021-07-24+at+11.16.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="644" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B7dgPcBISJ2cAxIbCXx4YZKdNSI-QniclOGwmgU3AGDs7nNQ-AZ3H1rvYBu8U8hoNk4h7w7660yS2RvRaSYkiB_3DLyZdi7yBV8zAFfhDiz-UGniQ5zeREpDwkszmr5-yrI14Rlaook/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-07-24+at+11.16.49+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-81617135962327057422018-03-23T08:00:00.000-04:002018-03-23T10:20:20.213-04:00Let's Get TechnicalDisco. Tech.<br />
<br />
I'm not trying to spell the nightclub for dancing. (That's discotheque, by the way.) I'm naming two things that are dead. Disco died <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-fEtF9NKfc">July 12, 1979</a></b>. Tech died March 22, 2018.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS2aqCjiFYQA5EFsegoCsplmMEbi6QfIjXd7zjyAsVloxgtd7Mv6EMcSWfTIByIVnzln5qJ8ktzgLkJLJ1FxM3ijHwj2_b4o6RSo7zYY6pnyMWuzKTkQBuYGgDv-ROsuV8zYMi-1bLSs/s1600/IMG_0666+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS2aqCjiFYQA5EFsegoCsplmMEbi6QfIjXd7zjyAsVloxgtd7Mv6EMcSWfTIByIVnzln5qJ8ktzgLkJLJ1FxM3ijHwj2_b4o6RSo7zYY6pnyMWuzKTkQBuYGgDv-ROsuV8zYMi-1bLSs/s400/IMG_0666+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm no soothsayer, but I am certain taking down Texas A&M will be impossible. Why? Purdue plays Texas Tech tonight.Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-1536971339414925622018-03-19T08:00:00.000-04:002018-03-19T08:00:28.542-04:00You're Full of PooNo way! Could it be? Is it so?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zr1O5HVY1kq7gY-NpaA-VZYh42-flLQI_Pfgdu0rFbpPBlTERTy53kBNZu8fq9DszY4VHEkp42hJAyMlQX6TXkR24neL5QD5YnG6les-jHTUXTqwbZ5LotdlbsdXFZEt1oJqtWO_c5g/s1600/IMG_0637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zr1O5HVY1kq7gY-NpaA-VZYh42-flLQI_Pfgdu0rFbpPBlTERTy53kBNZu8fq9DszY4VHEkp42hJAyMlQX6TXkR24neL5QD5YnG6les-jHTUXTqwbZ5LotdlbsdXFZEt1oJqtWO_c5g/s400/IMG_0637.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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No, that's not <i>possible</i>.<br />
<br />Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-9014556101137828882018-03-12T08:00:00.000-04:002018-03-12T08:00:03.986-04:00You're Out!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQySF_IQL9El_Z1tD6EzHLNpMFG51b213hC_mjgp1YIYmb1wjb2yRlcA1orWadS7r9FdLf2Njl0Eui1KF47aGm9_200g7JQMtCK0HyC6ITbNLRCJ8Q1zs4kIITrr7kSigBdXhcMUMkj0/s1600/IMG_4017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQySF_IQL9El_Z1tD6EzHLNpMFG51b213hC_mjgp1YIYmb1wjb2yRlcA1orWadS7r9FdLf2Njl0Eui1KF47aGm9_200g7JQMtCK0HyC6ITbNLRCJ8Q1zs4kIITrr7kSigBdXhcMUMkj0/s1600/IMG_4017.JPG" width="320" /></a>This article is making me uncomfortable. I’m talking
middle-seat, no-legroom, crying-infant-on-board uncomfortable. I count [<i>Owen begins his LeBron James impression</i>]
not one, not two, not three… Actually, it is three. I count three glaring
errors in the span of a few paragraphs. The mistakes are popping up faster than
the titular animals in a Whac-A-Mole machine.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Strike one:</b> If you’re going to spell <i>the</i> wrong, do what the rest of us do and type <i>teh</i>. Don’t commit mayhem by committing to three successive letters
in the bowels of <i>mayhem</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Strike two:</b> An <i>s</i>
should be beside the <i>point</i> — and
that’s important. This writer’s <i>point</i>
is not well taken.<br />
<br />
<b>Strike three:</b> I’m unable to vouch for <i>voach</i>, which can’t hack it as a <i>coach</i>.
Take a seat, <i>voach</i>, on a couch or in
a coach. I’m casting <i>coach</i>. I don’t
want to see a <i>v</i> where a <i>c</i> should be, or cive versa. Er, vice versa.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-7730854066941224962018-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:002018-03-05T08:00:39.255-05:00A Pro- LapseIt's worth noting that a word in this 2015 Fodor's travel guide section is misspelled, and that in a country where tea is key — be it Earl Grey in the afternoon or a cup of Twinings with a biscuit — the <i>t</i> is key. That letter's shift has Fodor's, like cured leaves, in hot water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMIfupJKsT7hX8IuKlZHBvFMypAxcalYyUWqpmdKUzhJNMKQAnipKDFoX2J4vngkFRg9pqEKOX2FdH6CadLAUK8VBvUq0bWS7-a0SY8v1nueKVW0ZezC9_CUK8BZfVk-dlWHrkBJfkLc/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMIfupJKsT7hX8IuKlZHBvFMypAxcalYyUWqpmdKUzhJNMKQAnipKDFoX2J4vngkFRg9pqEKOX2FdH6CadLAUK8VBvUq0bWS7-a0SY8v1nueKVW0ZezC9_CUK8BZfVk-dlWHrkBJfkLc/s400/IMG_0527.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
If <i>prtoecting</i> isn't your cup of tea, try <i>protecting</i>. It's good for you.<br />
<br />Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-61605473005296553802017-12-04T08:00:00.000-05:002017-12-04T08:00:00.921-05:00A Mere Я Image<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXTWqzn8IRarNFhe1ATekDkQhpYkiYENs-FEfq8U0LpuQaIoHVBWRQNXuPcPgDNDGpc_mYJ-XtXlqiUVrS9AFLnhnpSrNI0KsF4sqza6UYEzHYjJmLmB8Cva_a9VjGvZanZcCQcMpbz4/s1600/robbins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXTWqzn8IRarNFhe1ATekDkQhpYkiYENs-FEfq8U0LpuQaIoHVBWRQNXuPcPgDNDGpc_mYJ-XtXlqiUVrS9AFLnhnpSrNI0KsF4sqza6UYEzHYjJmLmB8Cva_a9VjGvZanZcCQcMpbz4/s400/robbins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Fred Robbins is a former NFL defensive tackle who spent six
seasons with the New York Giants. In a Dec. 4, 2005, game against the Dallas
Cowboys, Robbins registered five tackles — and did his best impression of a
Toys <span style="color: #1a1a1a;">Я Us kid.</span><br />
<br />
Here’s the scoop: I derived enjoyment from this uniform
mess, and today I’m going to bask in Robbins’ backward glancing blow. Let us
press forward.<br />
<br />
Sew what? Is that an <i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Я</span></i><span style="color: #1a1a1a;"> stitched on Robbins’ uniform?
</span>Is <i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Я</span></i><span style="color: #1a1a1a;"> in the English alphabet? No. I know the alphabet backward and
forward.</span><br />
<br />
That <i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Я</span></i><span style="color: #1a1a1a;"> is a mirror image of <i>R</i>, of course — a reflection of
considerable oversight.</span><br />
<i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Я</span></i><span style="color: #1a1a1a;">? You serious?</span>Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-61178219462976604232017-11-13T08:00:00.000-05:002017-11-13T08:00:14.326-05:00Col?mbiaI always hesitate when spelling South Carolina’s capital or
the South American country bordering Panama. Is it Columbia or Colombia?<br />
<br />
The U.S. city is spelled with a <i>u</i>. <i>Columbia</i> is a poetic, 18th-century
term used for the United States and is <a href="http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/politics/columbia-calls1.jpg" target="_blank"><b>depicted as a female</b></a>. Though the term fell out of favor as the personification of the United
States, it pops up across the country today, from the nation’s capital to a
river in the Pacific Northwest, from an Ivy League school in New York to a film
studio in California. Heck, it is even part of the nomenclature of a recording
label, a line of sportswear and a space shuttle. <i>Columbia</i> is a New Latin term, based on the surname of an explorer
who sailed the ocean blue in 1492. It means “Land of Columbus.”<br />
<br />
The country famous for its coffee is spelled with an <i>o</i>. Colombia also derives its name from
Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer. In Spanish, however, his name is
Cristóbal Colón.<br />
<br />
Both the city and the country germinated from the surname of
the same person, but the city is spelled using the root of his anglicized name
(Columbus) rather than its Spanish counterpart (Colón).<br />
<br />
In short, sometimes it is spelled <i>Columbia</i>, and sometimes it is spelled <i>Colombia</i>. Never, however, is it spelled <i>Cloumbia</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUerghQH7hlmmdITLKpx0BIrrVVWM2myqF5OR7M4-quaDqovIOGYqY-khU2WoCMvarLbtcb6_CQ_aSQbPPaWDXIrh8VLGrDtqgIjmsUgKPj165SufYtdJDFJTbr-pI6QvjGm6Fpt2wcM/s1600/IMG_4455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUerghQH7hlmmdITLKpx0BIrrVVWM2myqF5OR7M4-quaDqovIOGYqY-khU2WoCMvarLbtcb6_CQ_aSQbPPaWDXIrh8VLGrDtqgIjmsUgKPj165SufYtdJDFJTbr-pI6QvjGm6Fpt2wcM/s1600/IMG_4455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-90393278687197261992017-11-06T08:00:00.000-05:002017-11-06T08:00:09.689-05:00Cleaning Up a Major Oil SpellWe drill for it. We fill our cars with it. We distill it in
a, um, crude manner. We install filters for it. We mull over building pipelines
to carry it. We call it black gold, informally. We spill it. In a nutshell, we
do all sorts of –<i>ll</i> things to it. No
bull. Oh, I forgot one: We misspell it. You know what <i>it</i> is.<br />
<br />
Take dead organisms and add heat, pressure and time — lots
of time — and you’ve got oil. Sometimes, however, you come across a sorry substitute.
When that happens — every 3,000 miles, three months or four letters — you
should change your oil.<br />
<br />
That headline opener petro-fies me. The writer made like a
large storage container for viscous liquid derived from petroleum and tanked.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj169n0pHY86AJQD-GeTBU4PBjocR1szJtp3jKkEASjqaVLe7MJ_eDbHo0NIIq2INigsen3KmxGD1efGNO9oIOuHYsvQHLdIzA0UVapSpdRWyW6slx27pQ6UrYaMWaIikx3jf00qU26UEg/s1600/IMG_5648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj169n0pHY86AJQD-GeTBU4PBjocR1szJtp3jKkEASjqaVLe7MJ_eDbHo0NIIq2INigsen3KmxGD1efGNO9oIOuHYsvQHLdIzA0UVapSpdRWyW6slx27pQ6UrYaMWaIikx3jf00qU26UEg/s1600/IMG_5648.JPG" width="400" /></a>It is my understanding that one should not rig <i>oil</i> with a fourth letter.<br />
<br />
An initial <i>l</i>, like
water, is vital for <i>life</i>, forms <i>lakes</i> and can be found in <i>glaciers</i>, but a second <i>l</i>, like water, doesn’t mix with <i>oil</i>.<br />
<br />
Including two wasn’t a slick idea. I’m agitated. I’ll calm
down, I’m sure, when <i>oil</i> is said and
done.<br />
<br />
So let’s get it done. Try removing the last letter.<br />
<br />
Yes!<br />
<br />
We’ve struck <i>oil</i>.<br />
<br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-7201813118093286212017-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-31T10:11:50.892-04:00Masquerading as a WordBe yourself.<br />
<br />
Screw that.<br />
<br />
That advice, banal as it may be, is worth following 364 days of the year. But not today. Not on All Hallows' Eve. Put on (or take off) whatever you want, to be whoever (or whatever) you want to be. The possibilities are endless. Well, almost.<br />
<br />
At the risk of upsetting the sensibilities of anyone in today's easily offended climate, I'd like to count down a half dozen costumes that need to be deep-sixed. Let's make like thin ice supporting a polar bear and get cracking.<br />
<br />
6. THE "HI, I'M XXX" STICKER<br />
This may have been clever the first time it was implemented (was that by Jim Halpert on <i>The Office</i>?), but no longer. It's lazy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW9gNDnCQF0bFcXPbvFxJtZMwBtBLe0yVHmKNRkSPiDqGlNQuyhw4Qohhw6Ycz4Cq_ACs_M-PhLxq_HXE6Ythm5ySFQEkxi-2lIdYywl4NXgb_NGxxVCm5K_VpIXGxd9ysNvMWH5mWuQ/s1600/vlcsnap-3227145.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="853" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW9gNDnCQF0bFcXPbvFxJtZMwBtBLe0yVHmKNRkSPiDqGlNQuyhw4Qohhw6Ycz4Cq_ACs_M-PhLxq_HXE6Ythm5ySFQEkxi-2lIdYywl4NXgb_NGxxVCm5K_VpIXGxd9ysNvMWH5mWuQ/s320/vlcsnap-3227145.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
5. THE GHOST<br />
Avoid the white bed sheet with two eyeholes, which is as basic as basic gets. It's the costume equivalent of a college course called Introduction to Introductions. I'd love to see a ghost — just not <i>this</i> ghost.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4Lj21LLp94BJODQoYUevGD2T1ewAc9A5oSy6lgHWDn_slO4wc5kIy5H2s2ho6G8fcFMRCbUcDKSkQBR-MptH2Ma8nmY8fnJ1dbxC6NT0Tri7PTNCkQA99q2bOcPOawSvW6EJqhJa4sI/s1600/charliebrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4Lj21LLp94BJODQoYUevGD2T1ewAc9A5oSy6lgHWDn_slO4wc5kIy5H2s2ho6G8fcFMRCbUcDKSkQBR-MptH2Ma8nmY8fnJ1dbxC6NT0Tri7PTNCkQA99q2bOcPOawSvW6EJqhJa4sI/s320/charliebrown.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<br />
4. THE REAL DEAL<br />
Don't dress as you do in real life. If you're a surgeon, don't wear scrubs to the Halloween party. If you're a member of the Queen's Guard, forgo the red tunic and bearskin hat. If you're Aaron Judge, don't wear a Yankees uniform. You get the idea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRm8h4KYyjMcNVC0Xvf7vTIvKZeDUv11iO8l1p-0WFua2Aau2Eykg35NML5rdn2qyOEouowYSX0kFCTNAELxDKLxeqULDc6jXmvmmJ1NsiRCab3KsmTRp1FchU31hve2qHDB6u1jKuIw/s1600/judge_bomb_yankees.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="873" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRm8h4KYyjMcNVC0Xvf7vTIvKZeDUv11iO8l1p-0WFua2Aau2Eykg35NML5rdn2qyOEouowYSX0kFCTNAELxDKLxeqULDc6jXmvmmJ1NsiRCab3KsmTRp1FchU31hve2qHDB6u1jKuIw/s320/judge_bomb_yankees.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Getty Images</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
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3. THE OUTDATED REFERENCE<br />
Don't paint <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0k7rKsCiLg">"SOY BOMB"</a></b> on your chest and attempt strange, robotic gyrations while the music plays.<span style="font-family: "cambria";"> </span>Don't walk around holding a bottle with "TIGER BLOOD" scribbled across a strip of masking tape. Don't wear a tux and pair it with a paper bag on your head that reads "I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHAWqkdncbrB4ys5YsvBG_lUtQ1lhtioTRnUxIEfAGt69HAidiM10WeBTbi1Uyowv8GMNE0BDUeU17Oq6Q6CnFhWmlQ-BWKefcF-Awf1g0fRJehZ_9Bx5XWSxvB6ni6ltxEbS5hXVBDU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-10-30+at+10.37.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="1320" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHAWqkdncbrB4ys5YsvBG_lUtQ1lhtioTRnUxIEfAGt69HAidiM10WeBTbi1Uyowv8GMNE0BDUeU17Oq6Q6CnFhWmlQ-BWKefcF-Awf1g0fRJehZ_9Bx5XWSxvB6ni6ltxEbS5hXVBDU/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-10-30+at+10.37.53+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Axel Schmidt/AP</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
2. THE YELLOW SHIRT<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you wear a yellow shirt, you're wearing ... a yellow shirt. It's not a costume. Don't claim to be a lemon. This same principle applies to purple shirts and grapes, green shirts and limes, and so on.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-x-y32qUoS3tGivuxZKZ9fRikTKdxVitHhHG8aN364KJyiIJZO6ojEo277m-Jfoz4V08nq1I11_MIGOz53i_Yw0Fp8dLuYarGovgm8hpcInb74NDm8fAyQz-GgakQsQAo69Zp3BS0yRY/s1600/vlcsnap-3232610.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="853" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-x-y32qUoS3tGivuxZKZ9fRikTKdxVitHhHG8aN364KJyiIJZO6ojEo277m-Jfoz4V08nq1I11_MIGOz53i_Yw0Fp8dLuYarGovgm8hpcInb74NDm8fAyQz-GgakQsQAo69Zp3BS0yRY/s320/vlcsnap-3232610.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
1. THE MISSPELLING<br />
Pay no attention to the dog with the leafy hat and natty bow tie. Zero in on the penultimate line. That's where an error made like a ghost and manifested. <i>T</i> comes right before <i>U</i> in the alphabet — and in the word glaringly misspelled here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbnDBarwWdpNkd600DTKA7g58qZ_kLMxIJMMRo6agKjMRyRLgnY-kRa1mpEeF8nbnFs31mGPo4R7mYQFtUB4tfCEHPQorwhs8EgAglsf3owXJAbJyYoho0WqoVgr-2ThbUXYXOO9EXH0/s1600/IMG_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1392" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbnDBarwWdpNkd600DTKA7g58qZ_kLMxIJMMRo6agKjMRyRLgnY-kRa1mpEeF8nbnFs31mGPo4R7mYQFtUB4tfCEHPQorwhs8EgAglsf3owXJAbJyYoho0WqoVgr-2ThbUXYXOO9EXH0/s320/IMG_0107.JPG" width="278" /></a></div>
<br />
Too bad, on this day of dress-up, the writer couldn't mask his <i>costumes</i>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">H<span style="color: orange;">A</span>P<span style="color: orange;">P</span>Y <span style="color: orange;">H</span>A<span style="color: orange;">L</span>L<span style="color: orange;">O</span>W<span style="color: orange;">E</span>E<span style="color: orange;">N</span>!</span></b></div>
Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-22104571879520011632017-10-30T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-30T18:16:09.443-04:00Going to Seed<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ay, <i>e</i>, I owe you.</span></b><br />
<br />
Yesterday I intercepted that phonetically mellifluous message,
composed by the letter <i>a</i>. The vowels <i>a</i> and <i>e</i>, separated by only three consonants, are worlds apart, despite
their shared interests in arts and entertainment.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A</i> resides in <i>Malibu</i>, in a<i> mansion</i>. <i>E</i> lives in <i>Detroit</i>, in a <i>hovel</i>.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A</i> is in a
gassed-up <i>Bugatti</i>. <i>E</i> drives around in a <i>Gremlin</i> that’s usually running on E.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A</i> is rolling in <i>cash</i>. <i>E</i> is in <i>debt</i>.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A</i> is always in <i>class</i>. <i>E</i> is in <i>detention</i> — twice. (Which may explain
why <i>a</i> always gets better grades.)<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A</i> attends every <i>party</i>. <i>E</i> sits at <i>home</i>.<br />
<br />
Neither <i>a</i> nor <i>e</i> got the girl though. I did. Enough
about me. I mean, enough about <i>i</i>.<br />
<br />
While “Mullen” over the <i>Sporting
News</i> blurb below, I discovered something awful — and it’s not <i>awful</i>. It’s awfully close to <i>awful</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUK8kxPmhs0O77-kLQqJfXqG9iUA7R84TnTdBsqgjtB06e32_Ks-Wp20xx59uFyHowj21F08hZUeHb9a89uJZgtLQ4E-4eh6Tm9oDzFTUKdSzY56rQEPjMN__jNUH4WVEQ7dHlRThIkCI/s1600/IMG_3480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUK8kxPmhs0O77-kLQqJfXqG9iUA7R84TnTdBsqgjtB06e32_Ks-Wp20xx59uFyHowj21F08hZUeHb9a89uJZgtLQ4E-4eh6Tm9oDzFTUKdSzY56rQEPjMN__jNUH4WVEQ7dHlRThIkCI/s1600/IMG_3480.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This nonsensical sentence is full of beans. Well, my bean
counter registers one. It should read zero. Unfortunately, <i>bean</i> sprouts where <i>been</i>
belongs.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-61858161540456701052017-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-25T08:00:00.137-04:00It's Happening AgainIt appears the message relayed in <b><a href="http://whenwriteiswrong.blogspot.com/2017/10/dream-on.html">Monday's post</a></b> didn't reach everyone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9c8HPFfnevxB-8T1VeypvNppD_aryv_ZwzB1nPYW7CnM6iQK5Sw06TGPIi1_a-LD93mYOf8xov1AhY8bdLCTjyzCO2HKYtplyS1-ckk6oKlDEcihKFLkZkbx7Qnb9OUbWIlAAFygqtI/s1600/IMG_9995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9c8HPFfnevxB-8T1VeypvNppD_aryv_ZwzB1nPYW7CnM6iQK5Sw06TGPIi1_a-LD93mYOf8xov1AhY8bdLCTjyzCO2HKYtplyS1-ckk6oKlDEcihKFLkZkbx7Qnb9OUbWIlAAFygqtI/s400/IMG_9995.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Item No. 1 on today's pre-<i>launch</i> checklist: Change <i>it's</i> to <i>its</i>. We need the possessive form of the pronoun <i>it</i>, not the contraction of <i>it is</i>.<br />
<br />
Why does this error happen so often? Its frequency is alarming. It's not OK.Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-68013530470968703072017-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:002017-10-23T08:00:12.856-04:00Dream On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBiisDqqmubpIwQtFChKyGoz0pEvbikcpW9MPuUiRISL05z8h_WVBgXWXHxjKjAQII2GPwYYuPfZpsbztyeI92aqXdRQuDYV5p-8hTL3OPlTT5oSDVKcClpBcWqMXIxeSA9plVG5IvTc/s1600/IMG_9991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBiisDqqmubpIwQtFChKyGoz0pEvbikcpW9MPuUiRISL05z8h_WVBgXWXHxjKjAQII2GPwYYuPfZpsbztyeI92aqXdRQuDYV5p-8hTL3OPlTT5oSDVKcClpBcWqMXIxeSA9plVG5IvTc/s400/IMG_9991.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It's supposed to be <i>its</i>.<br />
<br />
It's not.<br />
<br />
Its problem is the apostrophe.<br />
<br />
It's got to go.Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-18799920564112326482017-10-16T08:00:00.001-04:002017-10-16T08:00:00.202-04:00Springing Into ActionActions speak louder than words. We all know that. But what
if your <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ACTION</span></b> has too many words? You’re
going to hear about it — deafeningly and resoundingly.<br />
<br />
Follow <i>Sports
Illustrated</i>’s course of <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ACTION</span></b>. When
you near the finish line, you’re going to trip over something. Someone, it
seems, wanted a bigger piece of the action. Figures. (Action … figures. Get it?
I’m toying with you.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnClOPIBv2mO3QBQoHP0U1V8ac5ER46tQ8EvZ4Of0wVubRXmO9ceGGqi5jSC5m7K2A0bNyE2k0FjGorkqciacaE16jiVqNwfsBbcEXf96qZwWW6E5Zdw-S9qUcDDMwhkKHqfEhNUdmeQ/s1600/IMG_3905+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnClOPIBv2mO3QBQoHP0U1V8ac5ER46tQ8EvZ4Of0wVubRXmO9ceGGqi5jSC5m7K2A0bNyE2k0FjGorkqciacaE16jiVqNwfsBbcEXf96qZwWW6E5Zdw-S9qUcDDMwhkKHqfEhNUdmeQ/s400/IMG_3905+copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We’ve got dupes. Oops.<i>
The</i> exists in duplicate. I don’t react well to that. A “the the” belongs in <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ACTION</span></b> as much as MetLife Stadium — home of the <u>New York</u> Giants — belongs
in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It’s time to take action against a word called
into <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ACTION</span></b> twice.<br />
<br />
With a simple extraction, we can fix this <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ACTION</span></b> infraction and put <i>the</i> out of action. Such a simple,
elegant, poetic solution, huh?<br />
<br />
I await your stunned reaction.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ACTION</span></b> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Sports Illustrated</i> writes a fantasy
football sentence, throws in the same word back-to-back and leads editor to
point out the repetition.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ê</span><!--EndFragment-->
</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">REACTION</span></b> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
editor isn’t Shakespeare, and the “the the” theme has been broached before,
<a href="http://whenwriteiswrong.blogspot.com/2012/03/caught-in-the-act.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> and <a href="http://whenwriteiswrong.blogspot.com/2012/09/repeat-offenders.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. Move along.</span>Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-65327995933463404512017-10-09T08:00:00.001-04:002017-10-09T08:00:08.470-04:00Time to Have "the" Talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4yVZ3jvdyyHCSQfIVuUX6MKTCjeqwP9_fGdq94Ge3qFHroerh0GZxS129ivylnn0DLeHjp0HqKUAJH8F4mTDyvKjL4OjlZzs_SnkSWm-40wL1_ru-m1Wc145VdRCYa06ZNCxTF7Qfxo/s1600/IMG_4805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4yVZ3jvdyyHCSQfIVuUX6MKTCjeqwP9_fGdq94Ge3qFHroerh0GZxS129ivylnn0DLeHjp0HqKUAJH8F4mTDyvKjL4OjlZzs_SnkSWm-40wL1_ru-m1Wc145VdRCYa06ZNCxTF7Qfxo/s1600/IMG_4805.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The “State-by-State” news brief pictured at right was in the
<i>USA Today</i>. Note I didn’t refer to the
newspaper as <i>The USA Today</i>. For some
papers, <i>the</i> is part of the official name,
and in those instances, it must be capitalized and italicized. Otherwise it
needs to be lowercased (unless it starts a sentence, of course) and set in a regular,
or roman, font, if included at all.<br />
<br />
The <i>USA Today</i>
blurb mentions my local paper, to which I subscribe. That paper is the <i>Connecticut Post</i>. There is no <i>the</i> in its official name. Need proof? See
below. Note the lack of <i>the</i>.<br />
<br />
When I was in college, the local paper did have <i>the</i> in its name. I subscribed,
therefore, to <i>The Gainesville Sun</i>,
not the <i>Gainesville Sun</i>. Need proof? See
below. Note the inclusion of <i>the</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3X1eBGWA-gUlJtzzKhspRTZRQcHMy-n03RsLtmwQAQyk8zTFkpX2d7c4lCIJXVjz2zKsp8ssH4_O6KhLdzhHVRZlo1JmWS15fgqUHmH1mAKY-nKHm95NHnggrluEw6Wttrq0pNegz8uw/s1600/ct+post+and+gville+sun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3X1eBGWA-gUlJtzzKhspRTZRQcHMy-n03RsLtmwQAQyk8zTFkpX2d7c4lCIJXVjz2zKsp8ssH4_O6KhLdzhHVRZlo1JmWS15fgqUHmH1mAKY-nKHm95NHnggrluEw6Wttrq0pNegz8uw/s1600/ct+post+and+gville+sun.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Sometimes <i>the</i> is
right, then wrong, then right again. In the spring of 2014, a British daily founded
in 1754 restored <i>the</i> after going
nearly half a century without it. <i>The
Yorkshire Post</i> dropped its article opener in 1968, only to witness the
return of <i>the</i> following a 46-year
hiatus. Why the change? As new editor Jeremy Clifford told Johnston Press:<br />
<br />
“We are <b><i>THE</i></b> newspaper campaigning for
Yorkshire. We set the agenda, identify the issues that concern the people of
this region and ensure Yorkshire’s voice is heard. … Reintroducing <i>the</i> cements our position of being <b><i>THE</i></b>
best place for news, sport, entertainment, culture, analysis, debate and
campaigning. Those three letters set the standard by which we will continue to
be <b><i>THE</i></b>
national newspaper for Yorkshire.”<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The</i>. We give that ubiquitous
function word little thought. Its official inclusion (or omission) may seem inconsequential,
but accuracy is important. Do you read the <i>New
York Post</i> or <i>The New York Times</i>,
the <i>Los Angeles Times</i> or <i>The Washington Post</i>, the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> or <i>The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</i>?<br />
<br />
See the difference?<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The</i> makes a
difference, and not only on a newspaper’s nameplate. Consider other mediums.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Movies</b><br />
<i>The Changeling</i>
came out in 1980, but <i>Changeling</i>
didn’t hit theaters for another 28 years. <i>Evil
Dead</i> premiered 32 years after <i>The
Evil Dead</i> made its 1981 debut. A whopping 64 years separate <i>The Killers</i> (1946) and <i>Killers</i> (2010). <i>Deep Blue Sea</i>, a 1999 action movie about scientists battling sharks
at a remote research facility, and <i>The
Deep Blue Sea</i>, a 1955 British drama about infidelity, are oceans apart.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXpWu2cAK6ILiJdbMW2LXx_fkSbPg_BxGoOVdZ5ERDzRuMQG-TmfMiB9pQINuRDkBmWms4yJe5WDqe9xY2Xrr8NHbG5VIXfs7xhpV4twdV1z0EABHw8nO9ZhoAr2-H4RUNg8PvklkRMc/s1600/deep+blue+sea.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXpWu2cAK6ILiJdbMW2LXx_fkSbPg_BxGoOVdZ5ERDzRuMQG-TmfMiB9pQINuRDkBmWms4yJe5WDqe9xY2Xrr8NHbG5VIXfs7xhpV4twdV1z0EABHw8nO9ZhoAr2-H4RUNg8PvklkRMc/s1600/deep+blue+sea.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Television</b><br />
<i>The Twilight Zone</i>
ran on CBS for five seasons, from 1959 to 1964, near the end of television’s
“Golden Age.” No, wait. <i>Twilight Zone</i>
aired during those five gold-specked seasons. No, no, wait. The truth is, <i>The Twilight Zone</i> ran for the first
three seasons before crossing over into the <i>Twilight
Zone</i>. For reasons as undefined as, yes, a twilight zone, the Rod Serling
series dropped <i>the</i> when the fourth
season began as a midseason replacement in January 1963 for <i>Fair Exchange</i>, the very show that had
replaced <i>The Twilight Zone</i> on CBS’
1962 fall schedule after the anthology series failed to secure a sponsor for a
fourth season.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4y26yM09-D4X5Q3OqU5o1U7F8jPk0fiP7563I-iQnu2-rEcQWAgDESV7ES4FumE4129WNegQ77ABbtWPy4S7Xii7yHFYZz9dKwvFGV2Ye4o1m5wXmpKd7gg8EvbhjWDejqEMWU-xmGc/s1600/twilight+zone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4y26yM09-D4X5Q3OqU5o1U7F8jPk0fiP7563I-iQnu2-rEcQWAgDESV7ES4FumE4129WNegQ77ABbtWPy4S7Xii7yHFYZz9dKwvFGV2Ye4o1m5wXmpKd7gg8EvbhjWDejqEMWU-xmGc/s1600/twilight+zone.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
That <i>Twilight Zone</i>
trim may have been the first example of television losing <i>the</i>, but it wasn’t the only one.<br />
<span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1c1c1c;">Discovery
Channel, home to Shark Week, took a bite out of its name in 1995. Back then,
the cable station was known as The Discovery Channel. The head honchos,
however, figured that dropping </span><i style="color: #1c1c1c;">the</i><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">
from the network’s name would help the company’s expansion as a multiplatform
brand.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinptp16dQoAk_NnVaiYNI2MIToRZpEybegiEDdPKXqG1ZWQccEh_rX8_TYZQBMJQa7TQ9pCFN-UdVUkuR0MIvxp4ToEhyJ2v5WZ059P7LWSZM4XqWAjpif8lWUmhMAHibhvERaGif02Ac/s1600/discover+channel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinptp16dQoAk_NnVaiYNI2MIToRZpEybegiEDdPKXqG1ZWQccEh_rX8_TYZQBMJQa7TQ9pCFN-UdVUkuR0MIvxp4ToEhyJ2v5WZ059P7LWSZM4XqWAjpif8lWUmhMAHibhvERaGif02Ac/s1600/discover+channel.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On March 20, 2008, The History Channel was history. In hopes
of eroding its image as a stuffy network offering nothing more than World War
II documentaries, the cable channel dropped <i>the</i>
and <i>channel</i> from its name. According
to executive vice president Nancy Dubuc, this, ahem, historic change was part
of a multimedia rebranding effort. “We really look at this as more of an
evolution,” Dubuc said. “People refer to us as History, and the listings refer
to us as History, and everybody refers to us as History. So we really just
wanted to keep the name in step where we were as a brand. And we really do see
the brand as all things history, and this evolution embraces that.”<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWGTFsHGRDwtUZ0cVlFB_5yS9R8cbJwrsROFgEGInTmkuYcmZrP8ZPUojm8O7zB4FJRprphTlRQrzg4U4RaTlYBMEYqKTPxH3oPjPiB8vWqFk0JGxe_jU6Ql5EdA413Bu53H0aUl-DRQ/s1600/history+channel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWGTFsHGRDwtUZ0cVlFB_5yS9R8cbJwrsROFgEGInTmkuYcmZrP8ZPUojm8O7zB4FJRprphTlRQrzg4U4RaTlYBMEYqKTPxH3oPjPiB8vWqFk0JGxe_jU6Ql5EdA413Bu53H0aUl-DRQ/s1600/history+channel.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Internet</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaunRPOLivFLLRGopwJgLmTpw-UZBBzJGW-t9ukq_uMSvT_qnzconierQLuykQ-UBKDd_fhXkjASKuIAKZsON82XPYVfxsBJAgdI3qpVbg3fXQlpmMlhyZjRnq7bYTTEhhrAbOITnR-xo/s1600/facebook-original-homepage-464x180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaunRPOLivFLLRGopwJgLmTpw-UZBBzJGW-t9ukq_uMSvT_qnzconierQLuykQ-UBKDd_fhXkjASKuIAKZsON82XPYVfxsBJAgdI3qpVbg3fXQlpmMlhyZjRnq7bYTTEhhrAbOITnR-xo/s1600/facebook-original-homepage-464x180.jpg" width="320" /></a>What popular website was launched in a Harvard dorm in 2004?
Did you guess Facebook? You’re wrong, technically. When Mark Zuckerberg’s
social networking site began, it was called Thefacebook, and it remained that
way for a year, until the company purchased the domain name facebook.com for a
cool $200,000 and dropped its first three letters. My guess is that the world’s largest social network wanted to be known as
Facebook all along, but a bit of domain squatting prevented it. If you believe
what you see at the movies, Napster co-founder Sean Parker spurred the change.
At the end of his first meeting with Zuckerberg, Parker, played by Justin
Timberlake in <i>The Social Network</i>, offered
the following advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noGmNcDhFbc"><b>“Drop the <i>the</i>. Just Facebook. It’s cleaner.”</b></a><br />
<br />
Parker may have considered <i>the</i> a dirty word, so to speak, but its level of impurity must be
measured on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes that definite article definitely should
be dropped; sometimes it’s a keeper.<br />
<br />
That’s <i>the</i> truth.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-30570406837647746252017-10-02T08:00:00.001-04:002017-10-02T08:00:05.671-04:00The Reconstitution ERALook at the bottom of the leaderboard — at the end of an
ERA, if you will.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M6AookADjdno6QVN3aUKfYIux-if4jnn_bxnIdfnaBtHCS9ZB-7hHrJqjVuSkzvhsSgl0xOaLIb8pkbjKQvM7Ewv0VJejlgYiiltY62wE9x4uyr2jj6Jf7kz5MtkRf7EAFf3DTJ4A9M/s1600/IMG_5014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M6AookADjdno6QVN3aUKfYIux-if4jnn_bxnIdfnaBtHCS9ZB-7hHrJqjVuSkzvhsSgl0xOaLIb8pkbjKQvM7Ewv0VJejlgYiiltY62wE9x4uyr2jj6Jf7kz5MtkRf7EAFf3DTJ4A9M/s1600/IMG_5014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a rundown of Major League Baseball’s earned run average
leaders, Oakland’s Lester is in a sixth-place tie with … Oakland’s Lester. This list, it seems, is made of poly-Lester. Like an inconsiderate
parker, the pitcher is taking up two spots.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We could do nothing about this ERA error, and hope one <i>Lester</i> festers, but why not be
proactive? We can pitch <i>Lester</i>. Let’s
make like many of the pitcher’s initial offerings to a batter: Strike one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But which <i>Lester</i>
is the lesser of two evils? In terms of rank, there is an A-Lester and a
B-Lester. The A-Lester must be a bigger name, even though both have six
letters. So, let’s get rid of the less popular B-Lester.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And don’t even think about adding a C-Lester and a D-Lester.
The last thing we need is mo’ Lesters. (Groan!)</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-80484674677613406492017-03-10T08:00:00.000-05:002017-03-10T08:00:29.012-05:00Woo Pig Screwy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSzWL9rEhibfYB7E59UIVkMEHzTJHyJftdtLdY4orAKhknjhZ-zfJnVAPTNSHAtxnQwC6q0J-g8AIVt-XGsWEesq5IBg7obO_KlXYjHigr_PtpH5vFI0agcVmvhQgJA6rB1U3EFVngOU/s1600/IMG_9213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSzWL9rEhibfYB7E59UIVkMEHzTJHyJftdtLdY4orAKhknjhZ-zfJnVAPTNSHAtxnQwC6q0J-g8AIVt-XGsWEesq5IBg7obO_KlXYjHigr_PtpH5vFI0agcVmvhQgJA6rB1U3EFVngOU/s400/IMG_9213.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Those odds are … odd. Why did the writer "pig out" and list the Razorbacks twice? Is Arkansas a sure thing to make the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament, or will it likely make it? We'll find out in two days. That is a lock.Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-49976085115538956882017-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:002017-01-30T08:00:21.313-05:00And DOh, crackers!<br />
<br />
Gosh dang it!<br />
<br />
I can't stand any errors.<br />
<br />
Can you spot the one in this <i>Modern Family</i> summary? I did. Adam Devine<b>*</b> would too, I bet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR6cCZGcENUfHNI4H0Sfh09TRJ26kSeD61zt5eNf1SNkU_RLPwMiOVtwIXhlupnR7orfO5iVqIDLomRKLlOwO4Qj268xO4eTp0erkZTwm1OzB8q0ZbhPdP1Njh_vVuCBxSUt0T3ehVqo/s1600/IMG_9048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR6cCZGcENUfHNI4H0Sfh09TRJ26kSeD61zt5eNf1SNkU_RLPwMiOVtwIXhlupnR7orfO5iVqIDLomRKLlOwO4Qj268xO4eTp0erkZTwm1OzB8q0ZbhPdP1Njh_vVuCBxSUt0T3ehVqo/s400/IMG_9048.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Get rid of <i>Any</i>. I want <i>Andy</i>. I love normal Andy. Tomato-soup-and-grilled-cheese Andy. Still-in-bed-by-11 Andy. Uses-the-word-<i>tummy</i> Andy.<br />
<br />
I can't stand <i>Any</i> errors.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>*</b> Adam Devine played Andy on <i>Modern Family</i>. He was the manny, not the Manny. Turns out, spelling <i>and</i> capitalization are important.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKJErAAupUJutVO2IJenIps84cpp5lODAFzEryfEHK_yEHHfHFsKUCN2HI_VQc7A7BOfcfghBEtibGpud3_ZrNIhJLYLbV4RupAc24QtsPCRDU1TiPt1-0GhdHOaISM38ufVGQSc7KoQ/s1600/You_deserve_better.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKJErAAupUJutVO2IJenIps84cpp5lODAFzEryfEHK_yEHHfHFsKUCN2HI_VQc7A7BOfcfghBEtibGpud3_ZrNIhJLYLbV4RupAc24QtsPCRDU1TiPt1-0GhdHOaISM38ufVGQSc7KoQ/s320/You_deserve_better.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-45965183105687245972017-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:002017-01-23T08:00:14.847-05:00A Miss. SpellingToward the end of the 2016 disaster movie <i>Deepwater Horizon</i>, Felicia Williams (Kate Hudson) tries to get information about a fire on the offshore drilling rig where her husband is working. She has the news on, and things don't look good — for Felicia or the film's graphics department.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOGrDIQymzqCQ7Q-YgsEpn_2SEIxVvNZkm7mjOePVEZ4FxkhUnw_rizH5Sjt66-pgtqykd8oCLmZKf1hxV2NxluaD-KTU_6xMYQ1qLykhkps2gyVlE2LXcKE89MerNlY9baCvyKvGK9Q/s1600/Deepwater+Horizon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOGrDIQymzqCQ7Q-YgsEpn_2SEIxVvNZkm7mjOePVEZ4FxkhUnw_rizH5Sjt66-pgtqykd8oCLmZKf1hxV2NxluaD-KTU_6xMYQ1qLykhkps2gyVlE2LXcKE89MerNlY9baCvyKvGK9Q/s400/Deepwater+Horizon.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Deepwater Horizon</i> nailed <i>Louisiana</i> and <i>Texas</i> and almost went a stately three for three. Consider it a near Miss.<br />
<br />
Anyone who has seen the premiere episode of the fourth season of <i>Good Times</i> ("The Big Move: Part 1") knows that the Magnolia State is missing a "crooked letter."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxUowRavm29YPMXz52E2-xMDhMduT_ydjOJ__eXe3UMcZq6aBnnmee2-wSTrdZmUSdwSHIjtvf5gIpRhSSnyA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<i>Deepwater Horizon</i>'s Miss. take was a mistake, though it failed to match the depths BP reached when the company neglected to test the integrity of the cement at the rig's well. Nor did the proxy <i>Mississippi</i> reach the levels of ineptitude and irony attained by the headline below, which made the Internet rounds years ago. I'm literate, but I can't read that headline ... without laughing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxYm3IC6TjrztRC4hDjZPdBDJ8uM1QCMa-MzjjcNAkxExTK0QZ4cXSnMZ6Cv6njBMO8fnIcqCzHhGsOPFarlsBVHlYoUvaQyYCo37zOU-W09pAas3u270lXCscNHSpeJaD80V7mnqKfU/s1600/Q2KPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxYm3IC6TjrztRC4hDjZPdBDJ8uM1QCMa-MzjjcNAkxExTK0QZ4cXSnMZ6Cv6njBMO8fnIcqCzHhGsOPFarlsBVHlYoUvaQyYCo37zOU-W09pAas3u270lXCscNHSpeJaD80V7mnqKfU/s320/Q2KPR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This isn't the first time something has been amiss in <i>Mississippi</i>, and it won't be the last. Still, my advice to the <i>Deepwater Horizon</i> producers is to bury that footage so it's never found. Do it now. I'll give you, oh, 20 seconds to hide it, and I won't look.<br />
<br />
One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi...Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-31365055308645339792017-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:002017-01-18T08:00:02.470-05:00A Shutout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IDHWpf_o0HyjUg5Doi9EFJHsLlbPTjkenORIXY4pLZCZR80R0pj0V5hwpDxtmhJxnD_wm0xYbK0eXxvUJR9tSD5NyCH1FW1UTf9L4ht7qHbmVu1hftFrreLaY_YUEUpE5zu7Ew-NarY/s1600/IMG_9044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IDHWpf_o0HyjUg5Doi9EFJHsLlbPTjkenORIXY4pLZCZR80R0pj0V5hwpDxtmhJxnD_wm0xYbK0eXxvUJR9tSD5NyCH1FW1UTf9L4ht7qHbmVu1hftFrreLaY_YUEUpE5zu7Ew-NarY/s400/IMG_9044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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While watching the second half of Saturday's Kansas-Oklahoma State basketball game, I discovered that ESPN2's telecast got shut out. That's what happens when you have zero <i>points</i>. You can't win that way. Flip-flop the <i>i</i> and the <i>o</i>, ESPN2. Oh, and while you're at it, make sure <i>teams</i> has an apostrophe, because it's possessive. Score!Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-79510218325313446982017-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:002017-01-11T08:00:27.724-05:00Sacking the Rookie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzMHsf9rIWu_6eVAw9hR4bzdtsw9EMEQ9jDfH0RcAyWVmAIiljmALcGvbB5S-UzG7yAaLvcgccRwZTdiO2hxwlYCcbjFSPDrfh2PQKWcKdw7B-Cg9JrKUXiZDQW015e5NarypC8mI4qU/s1600/IMG_9022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzMHsf9rIWu_6eVAw9hR4bzdtsw9EMEQ9jDfH0RcAyWVmAIiljmALcGvbB5S-UzG7yAaLvcgccRwZTdiO2hxwlYCcbjFSPDrfh2PQKWcKdw7B-Cg9JrKUXiZDQW015e5NarypC8mI4qU/s400/IMG_9022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
So let me get this straight: In the 50 Super Bowls that have been played, no starting quarterbacks have a win? <i>Au contraire!</i> A starting quarterback has won every Super Bowl.<b>*</b> (A starting quarterback has also lost every Super Bowl, but I digress.) Even when a team wins a Super Bowl in spite of its starting quarterback (See: John Elway, Super Bowl XXXII; Peyton Manning, Super Bowl 50), the starting QB "wins" the Super Bowl.<br />
<br />
Dak Prescott is aiming to become the 51st starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl but the first to do so <i>as a rookie</i>. Will he? No, says this Cowboys fan. But he's trying. The caption writer was trying, too. Sometimes trying isn't enough.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>*</b> If you want to get technical, starting quarterbacks have won 49 of the NFL's 50 annual championship games. In Super Bowl V, Baltimore Colts QB Johnny Unitas suffered bruised ribs and had to be taken out late in the first half, with his team trailing the Dallas Cowboys 13-6. In stepped Earl Morrall, who led the Colts to a touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter in Baltimore's 16-13 victory.</span>Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-66672680223357684742017-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:002017-01-02T08:00:15.406-05:00Tech No Bowl<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">0-1</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>USA Today</i>'s accuracy record in bowl blurbs after listing West Virginia as the winner of the Belk Bowl.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIksLhBiQGg1CEtgACYXUr2fdHXa-8syiidChYmnJi8FzIOHCJSrJw9UiWxm35mRNsccgKRFxaLVdbMmY0jyhI3ffAV70bW7d9hcmbiklOrAXcL95zDHLMQLhBZrzLAFBywuxnmWMw490/s1600/IMG_8996+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIksLhBiQGg1CEtgACYXUr2fdHXa-8syiidChYmnJi8FzIOHCJSrJw9UiWxm35mRNsccgKRFxaLVdbMmY0jyhI3ffAV70bW7d9hcmbiklOrAXcL95zDHLMQLhBZrzLAFBywuxnmWMw490/s400/IMG_8996+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This "Magic Number" needs Tech support, because that bowl's a crock. When Arkansas blew a 24-0 halftime lead in Charlotte on Dec. 29, it did so against a school with <i>Virginia</i> in its name — but not West Virginia. The Razorbacks lost to Virginia Tech. West Virginia played the day before, losing to Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.<br />
<br />
Yes, Virginia, as sure as there is a Santa Claus, there is a difference between West Virginia and Virginia Tech.<br />
<br />
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<br />Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-9286483983578498672016-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:002016-12-23T08:00:29.759-05:00Give Each Other SpaceAm I in the mall parking lot the week before Christmas? Am I one of the last passengers on a December flight, trying to put my carry-on in an overhead bin? It must be one or the other, because I can't find a space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUCkxOnZdt4-4gnAo2eu-B0fssKTi42Box6puyUAIw1Du9IslgRmZxj3NUzddAgllwAglzTV5meA1bOfR1AwqBRAozy8eKObU5gSezrYHlw18tMIDQul-A0Hsfvnu1aIhFAY7s3tQ5Ek/s1600/IMG_6741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUCkxOnZdt4-4gnAo2eu-B0fssKTi42Box6puyUAIw1Du9IslgRmZxj3NUzddAgllwAglzTV5meA1bOfR1AwqBRAozy8eKObU5gSezrYHlw18tMIDQul-A0Hsfvnu1aIhFAY7s3tQ5Ek/s400/IMG_6741.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
A couple of words in the <i>Flight Before Christmas</i> TV listing above are cramped tighter than airline seats in coach.<br />
<br />
The blurb, like made-for-TV Christmas movie veteran Lacey Chabert and I, was made for "each other."<br />
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Have a <span style="color: red;">holly</span>, <span style="color: #38761d;">jolly</span> Christmas, readers, and when you're filling out your holiday cards or wish lists, remember to put a space between eachword. <i>Dammit!</i><br />
<br />
P.S. Is the blurb technically correct? Can a plane strand people? People can strand people. Bad weather, like the snowstorm in <i>The Flight Before Christmas</i>, can strand people. High tide can strand people. A dead car battery can strand people. A lost passport can strand people. A plane crash can strand people. But a plane? That doesn't fly with me.Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-86405431356177103112016-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:002016-11-24T11:39:34.008-05:00In? One R. And Out? The OtherI'm going to say something that my mom, a home-shopping addict, never would: I'm not buying that, QVC.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGUzgtSx2ZnwJw6qRZYHP7L6BeAuX9APdkJHNwJpyS8lcD87XMQzuwVf5RbCkjSF2S04jb4_okZQpn9SjkGPkyuCWef-yD_VzuU0ScDEOvwiCI3cBFW9UA9k1IdCBpicQtz2TtUJf8P4/s1600/Earings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGUzgtSx2ZnwJw6qRZYHP7L6BeAuX9APdkJHNwJpyS8lcD87XMQzuwVf5RbCkjSF2S04jb4_okZQpn9SjkGPkyuCWef-yD_VzuU0ScDEOvwiCI3cBFW9UA9k1IdCBpicQtz2TtUJf8P4/s400/Earings.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm not buying what host Kristen Wiig and Cecily Strong were selling in their "QVC Auditions" sketch on last week's episode of <i>Saturday Night Live</i>. I prefer the variant spelling, <i>pendant</i>, but that's not the basis for my frugality. Neither is the missing hyphen in <i>money-back</i>. Are our ladies in red selling nautical ropes used to fasten a corner of a sail to the yard? No? Then don't dangle <i>earings</i> in front of us. Repair your broken jewelry.<br />
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<i>Earings</i> is to <i>earrings</i> what cubic zirconia is to diamonds. They're similar, but not the same.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">What do I have in common with a small, button-like earring mounted on a metal post? Not much. Only one of us is a stud.</span><br />
<br />Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-62885486712368495382016-11-21T08:00:00.000-05:002016-11-21T08:00:28.264-05:00Place Your BettsAh, the Redskins. No team nickname in professional sports
evokes stronger opinions. Some find it honorable; others consider it offensive.
Is it right? Is it wrong? That’s debatable.<br />
<br />
Ah, Betts. No player surname in professional sports is much
easier to spell. Is it right? Is it wrong? There’s no debate — it’s right. Except when it isn’t.<br />
<br />
Ladell Betts, a former running back, played eight seasons for
the Washington Redskins. During a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens
in his final season with Washington, Betts sported a jersey that really, well,
gets under my skin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90h-NQXk9WPDyIeHxBiwnpB_mCpBBT052cRNDvnnBloj_dpWQNuqrrjIBY8cGzyzWpTCL58yfdO7ymO9nnGcvSg79B_AbBQGDfXNzYCec6qLppv6BEGisJb5lTaT-dJyBXwSvDjusa-k/s1600/ladellbettisfinal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90h-NQXk9WPDyIeHxBiwnpB_mCpBBT052cRNDvnnBloj_dpWQNuqrrjIBY8cGzyzWpTCL58yfdO7ymO9nnGcvSg79B_AbBQGDfXNzYCec6qLppv6BEGisJb5lTaT-dJyBXwSvDjusa-k/s320/ladellbettisfinal.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On Aug. 13, 2009 — less than four months after another
D.C.-based team suffered a uniform breakdown, which <a href="http://whenwriteiswrong.blogspot.com/2012/04/uniform-mess.html" target="_blank"><b>I blogged about here</b></a> — someone confused Betts with a
different running back, Jerome “the Bus” Bettis.<br />
<br />
You missed the Bus, Redskins; Bettis, a six-time Pro Bowler
with the Pittsburgh Steelers, retired following the 2005 season.<br />
<br />
So, lose an <i>I</i>.
That’ll bring out the <i>BETTS</i> in Ladell.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396103173176295698.post-76204267707372086262016-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:002016-11-14T08:00:30.903-05:00Playing Hooky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJDkvlU1uetSSiwirgfYxEswHSioWgaYcWtFliWJzcdeaFE5i55PEPzxAsfJy9Bw2uGNnP2vBbCpxInEbppXN8GEXvq4YDIKEhGMmPvKWAOrMJqbzoEmU4oK8X0lkDI0_IsIKgf1Xk8s/s1600/IMG_8342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJDkvlU1uetSSiwirgfYxEswHSioWgaYcWtFliWJzcdeaFE5i55PEPzxAsfJy9Bw2uGNnP2vBbCpxInEbppXN8GEXvq4YDIKEhGMmPvKWAOrMJqbzoEmU4oK8X0lkDI0_IsIKgf1Xk8s/s400/IMG_8342.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Time for roll call.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
S? <i>Here.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
C? <i>Present.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
H? <i>Uh-huh.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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O? [Raises hand.]</div>
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<br /></div>
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O? <i>Here.</i></div>
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L? … L? … L? … L?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Where’s L?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Maybe he’s sick. After all, my best friend’s sister’s
boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s
going with the girl who saw L pass out at 31 Flavors last night.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Illness plays no part in L’s absence, in my estimation. I
have a few theories about why that consonant, whose presence is as expected as “Have
a great summer!” comments in your yearbook, is missing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. A child wrote the caption. I know lots of children dream
of making school shorter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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2. The L wanted to be like Katy Perry, Al Pacino, Quentin
Tarantino, Mark Zuckerberg and Charles Dickens, among others. They all dropped
out of school. Some withdraw to support their family. Others do so to pursue
Hollywood careers. Bullying, poor grades and an unexpected pregnancy are other
reasons. Perhaps an expectant L was having a little l. Maybe L hoped to follow
in the footsteps of his counterparts in the third and fourth positions on the
famous sign overlooking Los Angeles.</div>
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<br /></div>
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3. An editor was careless.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Whatever the reason, my advice to the alphabet’s 12th letter
remains the same: Finish <i>school</i>.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66vsJsolabHWNMFIy7Y-rGnXUoPjYlrJ60GrB68npuU21uT6Wql7VMhhvF1c0v0bwm0R0spBjm1RJVw-o5BXYHUn-KdjZSPkZO8tgYZVt83AFEdgiYFVBXGrprC0Z2znVlQPloLRlW4w/s1600/roll_call_226365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66vsJsolabHWNMFIy7Y-rGnXUoPjYlrJ60GrB68npuU21uT6Wql7VMhhvF1c0v0bwm0R0spBjm1RJVw-o5BXYHUn-KdjZSPkZO8tgYZVt83AFEdgiYFVBXGrprC0Z2znVlQPloLRlW4w/s320/roll_call_226365.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><b><a href="http://mitrafarmand.com/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mitra Farmand</span></a></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Owenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03450382853813148886noreply@blogger.com0