MikeL

Don't expect too much, C J.

I use Open Office Writer, but keep the file I receive from C J in Word format. As I read and find an obvious error, I just type over the incorrect word. The Open Office editor strikes through the word I am changing and inserts the correct word underlined, so it's easy for C J to see what I've changed. He can then decide to make the change in his master copy or not. I can also insert comments in the margin if I have a question or suggestion for C J to consider. After the first reading, I run the Open Office spellcheck and consider each "error" it identifies. The majority of these are proper names or words that are not in the spellcheck's dictionary. I will ignore proper names, add words to the dictionary, or change any misspelled word it finds. Probably 99% of spellcheck's "errors" are not errors at all. Then I read the chapter a second time. It always surprises me how many things I find to change the second time...sometimes nearly as many as the first time. When that is done, I e-mail the annotated Word document back to C J. Then I wait like everyone else.

Spellcheck programs catch about 10% of the errors that I find. All the homophones in English evade the best spellcheck. Reading slowly and deliberately are the only approach that works for me.

Yeah...but did you cheat?

OK. Cheating isn't what it used to be. These days, anyone can use the internet to find anything even if they don't know what it is they are looking for. I guess more generous clues might forestall cheating, but where's the fun in that? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sir Genille Cave-Browne-Cave, 12th Baronet (1869–1929) was a bartender and a cowboy in the western US before he sailed back to England in May 1908 to claim his title and lands in Leicester, including a Norman castle. The Cowboy Baronet, who had been a champion steer roper in the US, returned to Denver in August of that year to claim his bride, a former maid. Despite his wealth, he traveled in steerage to avoid notice. An article from the New York Times on May 12, 1908 may be of interest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OK. Paya says Red_A was close (even though he didn't name the person). So he is next to challenge us.

I don't know who's in the know. I read through a chapter twice, then return a marked-up copy to C J. I don't know who does what else when. C J has a number of people proofreading. I assume some are faster than I, some slower. The final editing is done by Emoe. C J reviews the comments of each team member. Does he send it to one person at a time? Does he send it to everyone at the same time? If C J is waiting for someone to finish, even he doesn't know when.

Around here, signs like that get blasted by shotguns in the middle of the night.

NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)

Beats me. I can say that the clues I have given are 100% true and each is fully responsive to questions asked by participants. They are not misleading. They are not out and out giveaways, but they are not misleading. I would never cackle at your pain. I'm not sure what Google cheating is. I don't know how you can possibly cheat on this one. Please PM me, Paya.

Ayurvedic (Pertaining to or characteristic of traditional Hindu alternative medicine, involving balancing three bodily humors of wind, bile, and phlegm)

Horneytown, North Carolina

It's not the Duke. Blue Dog

Emma...The Paperless Future http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RRDSj62tlvQ

Angels Camp, CA/USA

At my age, I can't get too concerned. Any other comment from me is likely to be considered political.

True, it's a cow.

Impressive tricks by a Russian bear... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jmB3KecuS9s

Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky

Some "personalities" do just what you say. They reveal some sordid aspect of their lives, then become indignant when a reporter inquires or writes about it...even to the point of filing a lawsuit. So they seek an outrageous solution to their outrageous conduct.

Ouzinkie, AK/USA The Nativity of Our Lord Russian Orthodox Church in Ouzinkie

Indialantic, FL/USA

Nick is right. In fact, after years of proofreading, it becomes virtually impossible to read for pleasure. Even a practiced speed reader slows down considerably and stumbles over every typo and grammatical error in a story.