With the highly charged election nearly behind us (as soon as Donald Trump is willing to admit defeat and behave like a grown-up) it might be easy to forget that we are living in times where what is true and what is false is being made more difficult to discern. The current President of the United States routinely makes false statements. This has become so common, in fact, that we have started to become inured to it. Of course, politicians…
Long ago, a good friend of mine told me about some softwares he had bought. You cannot say “softwares” I told him, it’s “pieces of software”, or some other construct. He did not believe me, but I was right, though in those pre-internet days, it was difficult to prove. More recently, I edited the Pound Sterling page on Wikipedia because it said “There is a variety of theories”. Again, ‘variety’ is uncountable, so the correct version of the verb “to…
I want to ask you for a favor. Next month – November 2020 – is a month of great importance for the United States, but also for the world. This is not a political post, although I have my own views, and will give them away, below. I want to ask you for a simple favor no matter who you vote for. The ask If you see anything amazing on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, or Instagram do not share it until…
It is currently half time in the Six Nations rugby game between Italy and Ireland. The game is being played eight months late because of the reason. My wife is American and so is not familiar with rugby (or, if I am honest, particular interested in spectator sports), so I sometimes find myself explaining things. Today she asked why the players in rugby are so much better behaved than in Association Football (aka soccer). The reason, in my opinion, is…
The New Hampshire Human Trafficking Task Force, along with a lot of other prominent organizations, have co-written and co-signed an important letter in the struggle, at this election cycle, for truth. Read the letter here
I may be unusual, but I often think about how language changes naturally and unnaturally. Sometimes, it evolves, and sometimes it changes by the actions of individuals with powerful ideas. The above could be written: I may bee unushual, but I often þink abowt how langwidj chanjiz naturaly and unnaturaly. Sumtymz, it evolvez, and sumtymz it chanjez by the akshun ov individualz wiþ powerful ideaz. þis may bee mor difficult to reed, but þat myt bee a result of familiarity…
I am addicted to caffeine. A lot of people say that, but I want to explain what it really means, and how I came to avoid caffeine altogether. Over the long weekend that just passed in the US, my wife and I went glamping. Glamping means multiple different things to different people. But on this occasion, it meant a wood-framed, canvas-walled building with an internal bathroom, two bedrooms and a kitchenette. It’s camping without the inconvenience of traipsing to the…
Correction (November 14, 2022): It has now been established that ‘Sans Forgetica’ does not aid recall (Source), so please know that what was written below is now not supported by the evidence. In an earlier post, I described how the font, Lexend Deca, was designed to make it easier to read some material. Since that post, this entire website has utilized that font (so long as your browser and operating system support WOFF files) and this post has hard-coded adherence…
This is not a political blog, but there are some truths that are self-evident or exposed by scientific research. With that in mind, here are some thoughts about how the United States Constitution needs to be changed. The bold green text could be inserted, with amendment, into a new constitution. The text below that green text explains the reasoning. Minority protection All persons are born with equal opportunity, and should retain equality of opportunity as far as nature allows. The…