The little “Quote of the Day” gadget in my Google Desktop sidebar threw up this classic today — and I thought “how appropriate” given the current state of Irish politics.
The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’, meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’, meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’
Larry Hardiman
Now, can anyone think of an Irish politician who might fit the definition… hmmm?
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Published in the WOW! supplement of the Evening Echo 05/03/2008
Are you sitting comfortably? No, really, you might not be able to take the shock of this bombshell…. Ready…? OK, drum roll please….
More play makes children happier and more contented.
Apparently, after much deliberation, experts have come to a conclusion that every four-year-old in the country instinctively knows. Namely that play is a very, very good thing – and more play is even better.
In a new publication called “Inspiring Play” the Irish Pre-school and Playgroups Association is encouraging parents, carers, policy makers and teachers to reflect on how play contributes to a child’s sense of wellbeing, identity and belonging, and to explore practical ways of creating time and space for children to play more.
my latest tweets!
Pedants unite in praise of the semicolon
I spotted this over on Maryrose Lyons’s Brightspark blog; it’s an article on the New York Times website highlighting use of the much neglected semicolon. The New York City Transit public service placard, which extols the virtues of not leaving your newspaper behind when get off the trains, says simply:
It’s great to see the rarely used little punctuation mark getting such a prominent airing, though I doubt the exposure will trigger an explosion in usage among New York commuters, more’s the pity.
I was amused to see that the article had been amended. It seems the New York Times originally left out the crucial comma (shock, horror) in the punctuation of the book title “Eats, shoots & leaves” by self-proclaimed punctuation pedant Lynn Truss.
Just goes to show, punctuation is something even the best in the business can (and do) get wrong.
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