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Author Archive | weeklyrob
Unseen Fairy Silk
When I was a kid, I saw a commercial for a little worm thing that moved as if by magic. They weren’t pretending that it was alive or something. They presented it as a great trick. The commercial said, “are there strings? I don’t see any!” My little self took that to mean that there […]
Speaking of He or She
“A person shooting a moose should make sure that their gun has more than one round in it.” “A person” is singular, but “their” is plural. Honestly? I don’t mind. English speakers have been doing the “they” trick for a long time, and complaining about it is actually the more recent development. But it is […]
So Aggravating
I only use the word aggravate to mean “make worse.” When I hear people use it to mean “annoy,” I always, always, always, notice it and make a small mental translation. But, although this is true, I want you to know that I’m not “correcting.” I’m “translating.” That’s because I know that aggravate has been […]
Ecstasy and the UK
I listen to the very well-done and amusing Science Weekly podcast from the Guardian (and you should too: Subscribe here). Recently, they discussed the following: The UK will not reclassify the drug ecstasy from “class A” (heroin, crack) to “class B” (amphetamines and such), even though the government’s own Advisory Council on the Misuse of […]
Guilt-Inducing Sign
Seen on the train in Melbourne, Australia. They could have said “passengers” instead of “passenger.” The sign would have worked just fine that way, while avoiding the awkwardness of the verb-subject disagreement. But I don’t really mind. We don’t have a good way to say he-or-she, so I’m ok with “they.” I do present heorshe […]
Kayaking to Oz
A couple of friends from Australia visited for the weekend, and we all had a grand ol’ time. Today, out of idle curiosity, I asked my iPhone for directions from my house to theirs, in Brisbane, Australia. The directions send me to Seattle for some reason, then tell me to kayak across the Pacific to […]
Creationist Timing
Lying back in the chair, with a mouth full of dental equipment, I tried to read my book. The dental assistant asked what I was reading; showing her the cover, I said the name of the book as best as I could. “Why Evolution is True.” She laughed a little too loudly, then said to […]
The News
My aunt sent me this link to the Newseum, an interactive view of the latest newspaper front pages from around the world. Hover to see the image to the right (helpful, if you’re looking for a particular language), then click to see the full view. It’s only the front page, as I mentioned, but you […]
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