June 2009 Archives

I’d like to start out by saying that I am not railing against the British government in particular here, just government in general.  Sometimes their decisions make no sense to me.  Sometimes even their choice of what to debate leaves me scratching my head in wonder. That is most definitely the case with a story that I read from AP News via Excite.com.

LONDON (AP) - It's a spelling mantra that generations of schoolchildren have learned - "i before e, except after c."

But new British government guidance tells teachers not to pass on the rule to students, because there are too many exceptions.

The "Support For Spelling" document, which is being sent to thousands of primary schools, says the rule "is not worth teaching" because it doesn't account for words like 'sufficient,"veil' and 'their.'

Jack Bovill of the Spelling Society, which advocates simplified spelling, said Saturday he agreed with the decision.

But supporters say the ditty has value because it is one of the few language rules that most people remember.

(The image did NOT accompany the original news article)

There are a few thoughts that reading this article elicited.

1. How long did any government agency spend debating this topic?
2. How did it become even remotely worth anyone’s time?
3. Are they going to take away my “Righty Tighty – Lefty Loosey” next?

I’ll wrap up with a few other waste of time rulings governments have foisted on us.

(From loonylaws.com)

1. In Los Angeles, you cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time. (Robert Pelton)
2. Redwood City has outlawed the frying of gravy.
3. In Blythe, CA, a person must own two cows in order to legally wear cowboy boots in public.
4. In Canada, any debt higher than 25 cents cannot be paid in pennies.
5. In Nova Scotia, you may not water your lawn when it’s raining.
6. In Denmark, it is illegal to start a car if there is someone under it.
7. In France, it is illegal to call a pig Napoleon ( I wonder if Orwell was cited for this offense?)
8. In the UK, it is illegal to drive a car without sitting in the front seat.
9. In Israel, it is illegal to pick one’s nose on the Sabbath.
10. Again, in Israel, no person is allowed to dress or undress with the light switched on.