Hello:
On Mon, 7 May 2001 09:22:15 -0700, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Hi Guys!
> Was in the process of re-organizing my Junque box/room and ran across a "I
love
> DOS" bumber sticker. Never stuck and in excellent condition.
> Anyone interested? If so email me direct.
I once had a very nice blue baseball cap that said in very fine white
embroidered lettering:
C:/DOS
C:/DOS/RUN
RUN/DOS/RUN
It was a very nice hat, except for the slashes being slanted the wrong way.
Obviously none of the designers nor the manufacturers and garment workers,
nor the distributors of this otherwise very fine article of apparel had ever
used DOS!
The worst spelling error I have ever in seen in my life involved the actual
"final" publication of a US Geological Survey 7.5" quadrangle map of the city
of Pittsburg, PA. Out of a scheduled run of about several thousand copies,
only about a doaen copies actually rolled off the presses before the error
was finally noticed by the press operator's assistant. He immediately
stopped the presses and reported the problem to his supervisor. Of all
those who periodically reviewed and checked this map while it was being
produced, the press operator's assistant was the least educated involved in
the production of the map. The press operator's assistant showed the map to
his supervisor and asked "Is that how you spell 'Pittsburg'?" Across the
very center of the map in Times Roman Font with black letters about an inch
high was the word "PITTTSBURG" [sic.]! All of my fellow employees thought it
was quite amazing how all the reviewers and checkers and editors had done
such a fine job at flagging and correcting all of the little nitpicking
technical errors prior to publication. No one could understand how they
could have possibly missed the quite monstrous mistake that was glaring right
at them all the time as they spent weeks of review at their drafting tables
with their magnifying glasses and micrometers. I know that at least 20 or so
college-educated people must have very carefully reviewed this map before it
was ever approved for "final" publication. All of the tiny little miniscule
errors were caught, but the big one got away from them somehow.
The above story is true. This actually happened. I and several of my
co-workers whom I could name have actually seen a "final" published edition
of the PITTTSBURG map. The error was corrected and a new "final" press run
was ordered. I don't suppose that USGS would officially admit to the public
that such a mistake actually happened, and I don't think they would ever
release one of the very rare PITTTSBURG maps to the public. They might have
shredded and burned them all by now for all I know. It would be altogether
too embarrassing to this highly prestigious government agency if one of
these maps ever got out to the public.
I hope our Spelling and Grammar Sheriff is watching. In order for her to
secure a conviction for a violation citation against a federal agency she
would need only to subpoena witnesses into a US federal district court and
request to conduct an official hearing on the matter. I hope she will not
find herself confronted by any obstructionists and coverers-up. Hold on to
your hard hats! The steel workers will be marching on Washington to protest
the government's ignorance on how to spell the name of their fair city.
All the best,
Sam Heywood
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