palordrolap

The vowel sound rule (or a related one) is also used for which vowel sound goes at the end of the definite article “the”, that is, the sound the ‘e’ makes.

Usually the last vowel sound of “the” is a schwa, arguably the most common vowel sound in English, but before another vowel sound, it becomes “ee”, or what other European languages might write “i”.

There might even be an intrusive y (or j as used in Norse and Germanic languages) depending on the speaker. i.e. “The apple” may well be pronounced “thi(y)apple”, and a fellow native speaker wouldn’t notice. “The ball” has the usual schwa. As does “the usual schwa” for that matter.

Sound it out. The first sound is a vowel sound so “an elephant”.

I don’t get these often, but when I do, trying to point my toes at my chin often helps. Very occasionally that doesn’t feel right and I know to point my toes the other way before I pay for making that choice.

If the bedclothes are tight or heavy and I’m under them, they can be used to hold the foot in place until the moment passes. Or until I have to get out of bed to writhe around or try something, anything else.

I don’t remember the last time the toe pointing thing didn’t work though. Maybe I just don’t get really bad ones.

Eye of newt is mustard seed. If it doesn’t matter if it’s already cooked, they might have a seeded bread that has it in. They probably don’t, but hey, expect nothing and ask anyway.

Dukat would be proud that the humans in an alternate timeline, where he’s fictional, went and named something after him for all his great deeds.

And then he’d find out why we’re really naming it after him and he’d try every underhanded trick in the book and a handful of new ones in order to find a way into our universe to show us how great he really is.

A disturbing number of people think that computers are magic* and therefore whatever comes out of them is automatically not only correct, but the best possible form of correct.

And if they pay money for access to something that runs on a computer, most of them will double down on that belief until it ruins them.

* or logical, or mathematical or some other grand attribute. “Infallible” is a good one.

And you’ll get people in high sales and marketing places who know it’s a fallacy, successfully con others with it, but also fall victim to it when it comes from outside their sphere of influence.

Humans™: We’re really not all that far from flinging our faeces at each other.

Ratio’d

Well, they won’t last as long as a necklace, but tomorrow’s breakfast will be delicious.

Just because these AIs are trustworthy doesn’t mean that the next ones will be. It’s always nice to be sure that what is being said is what is claimed to be being said.

A similar situation is when governments not on friendly terms, who each have a different language, each bring their own bilingual translator to the negotiating table, for each to be sure the other translator isn’t hiding something, or misunderstanding something.

It’s unlikely that a single translator would be underhanded (or misunderstood) like that, but everyone feels happier knowing that it’s even less likely with the extra safeguard.

So we’re led to believe.

It would nice to be sure though, wouldn’t it?