Quote of the Day
October 23, 2015
“If there is a god maybe it rewards those who don’t believe on the basis of insufficient evidence–and punishes those who do.” ― Peter Boghossian
Author: Alan Rutkowski
The Great Conspiracy
October 23, 2015
I am not generally given to conspiracy theories, but the current state of the Republican Party cries out for an explanation, and it’s hard to come up with one that doesn’t involve some sort of conspiracy. How can you explain the odd behaviour of the following four GOP presidential candidates? Donald Trump, the front-runner, insults … More The Great Conspiracy
Quote of the Day
October 22, 2015
“In grammar, as in war, there is strength in numbers.” ― Martin Worthington, Principles of Akkadian Textual Criticism
The Detox Myth
October 22, 2015
We were flying back to Victoria from New York. While we were waiting to board the plane at JFK, our name was called to come up to the departure gate desk. I was hoping we had been bumped up to business class, but, alas, the young woman at the desk just wanted to check our … More The Detox Myth
Quote of the Day
October 21, 2015
“Nationalism does nothing but teach you to hate people you never met, and to take pride in accomplishments you had no part in.” ― Doug Stanhope
Commas and Semicolons
October 21, 2015
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 their own as … More Commas and Semicolons
Quote of the Day
October 20, 2015
“In all territories of thought which science or philosophy can lay claim to, including those upon which literature has also a proper claim, no one who has something original or important to say will willingly run the risk of being misunderstood; people who write obscurely are either unskilled in writing or up to mischief.”–Peter Medawar
How Do You Dot the “i” in Pseudoscience?
October 19, 2015
Many years ago I always signed my name Alan D. Rutkowski. Then I read an article, probably in Reader’s Digest, about handwriting analysis that claimed signatures reveal fundamental personality traits. If I signed my name A. Donald Rutkowski, it would indicate that I was pretentious and hungry for recognition. If I signed it A. Rutkowski, … More How Do You Dot the “i” in Pseudoscience?
Quote of the Day
October 19, 2015
“Roughly speaking, I think it’s accurate to say that a corporate elite of managers and owners governs the economy and the political system as well, at least in very large measure. The people, so-called, do exercise an occasional choice among those who Marx once called “the rival factions and adventurers of the ruling class.” –Noam … More Quote of the Day
Cutting Words
October 18, 2015
Revise these sentences to make them less wordy and compare your revisions with mine. Sylvia very hurriedly scribbled her name, address, and phone number on the back of a greasy napkin. Susan’s stylish jeans, made of leather, were too warm for our climate. She got red at my words, which were spoken in a moment … More Cutting Words
No Harm Spilt 