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From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: What's up with this?
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 08:54:12 -0700
Just a little note here:

Since I was editor of my tiny HS newspaper, I have learned to look for
errors in copy. As a note to pseudo-journalists out there, proof your
posts to avoid little errors and ambiguities like this one:

On Tue, 19 May 1998, Brian Angliss wrote:

> +++++ Begin News Clip +++++
>
> This is Nikki Citizen reporting from Bellevue High School where Mr.
> David Kotter, distinguished advanced English and History teacher was
> found murdered this afternoon by a student of his. The student, coming
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now, reading the rest of the article makes this clear, but the other
interpretation is what I first came away with: Mr. Kotter was found to be
murdered. He was murdered by a student of his. Just putting a period
after afternoon, and starting the next with: "A student...." would have
been clearer.

I've seen similar things like this before where a little ambiguity goes a
long way towards making a post surreally funny at best, and murkily
unclear at worst, both here and in the papers. (Heck, The Tonight Show
has turned the search for them into a national pasttime.) Just a little
something to be careful of.

--Catch you later

Jeff

P.S. Did the student bear any resemblance to a young John Travolta?

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