“If someone were told he had a year to get as good at either Russian or Hebrew as possible, and would lose a fingernail for every mistake he made during a three-minute test of his competence, only the masochist would choose Russian – unless he already happened to speak a language related to it.”–John McWhorter, … More Quote of the Day
“Believing, incorrectly, that you’ve done something healthy by taking a vitamin pill makes you more likely to take genuine, concrete, real-world risks with your health. It’s a chilling thought, but ideas aren’t without impact, and every time we humour a harmless myth – that vitamin pills are healthy, that some fashionable berry prevents cancer – … More Quote of the Day
Commas or Semicolons Deciding whether to use a comma or a semicolon can be very stressful. You can reduce the stress by learning how to punctuate compound sentences and series. Look at these sentences: Colbart hates grammar. He often skips grammar class. Both are independent clauses. They’re called independent clauses because they can stand on … More Commas and Semicolons
”I am fully aware of the many deficiencies of conventional medicine, including the perverting influence of commercial forces and the lack of good evidence to support many common practices and therapies. Also, many Canadians are obviously not satisfied with their interactions with conventional practitioners – which, it seems, are too brief, mechanical and impersonal. These … More Quote of the Day
“Science arouses a soaring sense of wonder. But so does pseudoscience. Sparse and poor popularizations of science abandon ecological niches that pseudoscience promptly fills. If it were widely understood that claims to knowledge require adequate evidence before they can be accepted, there would be no room for pseudoscience. But a kind of Gresham’s Law prevails … More Quote of the Day
“I think the worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades.” — Demetri Martin
Subjunctive Mood Choose the correct word: 1. If I (was/were) you, I wouldn’t bury that cat until it’s dead. 2 I wish I (was/were) rich. 3 If she (was/were) in town, we didn’t see her. 4 It is essential that she (is/be) on time. I move that the project (is/be) terminated. Answers: 1. were 2. … More Subjunctive
“You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.”–Albert Camus
Economy of language is usually preferable to verbosity, but sometimes more words are better. When we were visiting friends recently, our host, disputing something his wife said, replied, “What you say flows from the bull’s anus.” It was refreshing alternative to the retort “That’s bull shit” and made everybody, including his wife, chuckle. Maybe refreshing … More Sometimes More Words Are Better
“The lure of imaginary totality is momentarily frozen before the dialectic of desire hastens on within symbolic chains.” — Fred Botting, Making Monstrous: Frankenstein, Criticism, Theory, (Manchester University Press, 1991) Third Place Winner, Bad Writing Contest, 1997 http://denisdutton.com/bad_writing.htm
No Harm Spilt 