Continuing Ken Lammers' concerns with how to distinguish restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses, I have a little bit to add to what I said earlier. I've checked several more writing handbooks, including the Harbrace College Handbook, the Little, Brown Handbook, the St. Martin's Handbook, and The Careful Writer. (My editions are not as current as those to which I've linked.) … [Read more...] about More on Restrictive Clauses
Smooth Criminal?
How come all the Google AdSense ads on my About Me page are for criminal defense attorneys? That can't be good. … [Read more...] about Smooth Criminal?
The Pain of Taxation
I just sent $865.96 of my hard-earned money to the United States Government. Then I sent $246.60 to the State of Illinois. I feel pretty stupid about it, but it has to be done. In fact, it has to be done several times a year. I incorporated my software consulting business a few years ago, so I have to pay my own payroll taxes. It works like this: I do the work. People pay … [Read more...] about The Pain of Taxation
The Google Cathedral
I think I'm just a little creeped out at the thought of Google having a soul of its own. … [Read more...] about The Google Cathedral
Restricting Clause
Ken Lammers needs an English language expert for an appeal he's writing. The argument is about the meaning of a statute, so I imagine this problem could have been avoided if the Virginia legislature had worded their law a little more carefully. Instead, someone's freedom may depend on how restrictive clauses are supposed to be introduced in sentences. Update: I did a little … [Read more...] about Restricting Clause