Derailment
A Train Of Thought That Jumped The Track

The original meaning of the word nightmare referred to the feeling of suffocation caused by an evil spirit. I like etymology, especially the way it illuminates changes in meaning over time. Americans are suffocating under the weight of endless "security" measures with no end in sight. Will we ever again be able to keep our shoes on at the airport? Will we one day have to be screened in the nude before taking any public transportation? Where does it end?

Maybe it will end if we stop our worst-case thinking. It's a reflex when we think about security, especially for those in positions of authority who are thinking about their accountability should "the worst" happen. That's how we end up with rule after rule, weaving a blanket of "protection" that suffocates the liberty it is meant to safeguard. That's my nightmare scenario.

I love the Fail Blog, as my wife can attest. I particularly like the grammar- and spelling-related entries, like this one. I'd also add one of my own pet peeves, apostrophes for noun plurals. This goes far beyond the classic "it's/its" that many people get wrong. I'm talking about using apostrophes to make all kinds of other things plural, like Oreo's or Wednesday's. Where do people get this idea? I never saw it when I was in high school (at least, as far as I can remember.) I first heard of it during a news writing course in college and ever since I notice it everywhere.

Ed Felten's latest post on his "Freedom to Tinker" blog, entitled What's the Cyber in Cyber-Security?, looks at the roots of the prefix "cyber" that has become ubiquitous in the public mind. I love finding out the origins of terms that we all take for granted and about which we don't usually think in depth. Thanks, Ed.

I consider myself a pretty good speller. I recognize that not everyone puts the same degree of emphasis on correct spelling as I do. Nevertheless, I think that if you're going to write something that will be viewed or used by the public, then you should make sure it's correct. This applies especially to program code. Read on for some fun.

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