Musings from Brian J. Noggle
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
 
Privacy Advocates Cringe Silently
The splash screen for the new Netscape 8.1 browser:

Netscape 8.1 Splash Screen


Logging in? I just started the freaking browser. Is this browser communicating with its mother ship every time I open it?

Yes.

The better to serve me, no doubt.


- posted by Brian J. @ 8:54 PM   2 comments
Sunday, March 26, 2006
 
Grammar Quiz
Hello, readers, it's time for today's Grammar Stumper. See if you can spot what's wrong with this sentence:
    Honey, I can't wait until you give birth to our child, because it will be your turn to clean the cat litter for nine months.
That's right, it has a hanging independent clause. Unlike a hanging participle, which merits no sanction other than mockery and perhaps correction, the hanging independent clause is a complete sentence appended to another with a conjunction and that is sometimes punishable by hanging.

Gentle reader, to best avoid the hanging dependent clause and the hanging that might ensue, one should simply discard the dangerous part of the compound sentence:
    Honey, I can't wait until you give birth to our child.
See how that simple truncation turns you from grammar goofball to grammar, and sometimes familial, hero.


- posted by Brian J. @ 10:14 PM   0 comments
To say Noggle, one first must be able to say the "Nah."