From Death Masks of the Famous, by R.J. Evans, on Socyberty:

“One of the most acclaimed composers of all time, Beethoven is justly famous for composing much of his work after he became completely deaf.  This condition led him on many occasions to commit suicide but it wasn’t that which killed him.”

I guess the old saying is true: you can’t keep a good composer down.

From “Apollo 13: a triumph over adversity,” by Patrick West, Spiked Online, October 17, 2008:

“There is something enduring about the tale of Apollo 13, the third lunar landing mission that failed to make it to the moon in April 1970.”

Well, you know what they say: fourth time’s a charm.

From “McCain’s paths to the White House,” by John Zogby, on BBC News:

“Florida is more unique, with a mix of deep South culture, Hispanic and African-American minorities, retirees and young transplants seeking opportunity and sunshine.”

“More unique?” isn’t that like saying “more pregnant?”

From “Is Mike Myers’ new film asking for trouble?,” CNN.com, via AP:

“In the context of Sacha Baron Cohen’s uncomfortable in-character interactions with unwitting Americans, Mike Myers’ parody of another cultural minority in the U.S. — as the oversexed, overly ambitious, American-born spiritual leader in the summer comedy “The Love Guru” — would hardly seem cause for complaint.”

Until the Oversexed and Overly-Ambitious American-Born Spiritual Leaders Anti-Defamation League got wind of it and called a press conference.

From “Nokia gives mobile application developers their big break,” by Tom Krazit, in the One More Thing blog on CNET, March 21, 2008:

Without further adieu, the winners:

The award goes to yeu, and yeu, and yeu-uuu . . .

From “Counterknowledge: when fiction masquerades as fact,” sp!ked Review of Books, February 15, 2008:

“Your fellow guests tuck hungrily into a menu of conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, junk history and (above all) quack medicine.”

Hopefully, the menu they’re eating has pictures, at least.

From “Reading has gone to the dogs,” Baltimore Examiner, Weekend Edition, January 19-20, 12 [not available online as of this writing]:

“Since February 2007, Karma Dogs has participated in HEARTS, a reading program in which kids are paired with canines to better increase their vocabulary and reading skills. The dogs appear weekly at a designated Baltimore County library.”

A solecism is a ungrammatical combination of words or a verbal blunder. On the Active Voice blog, “Solecism” is a semi-irregular feature wherein I showcase sentences that need the services of a keen-eyed editor — or that just make me smile.

Our inaugural entry is the opening sentence of the article, “Why do critics still sneer at sci-fi?,” by Sam Jordison, on yesterday’s Guardian Unlimited Arts Blog:

“The annual Hugo Awards for science fiction and fantasy have been running uninterrupted (with the exception of a brief hiatus in 1954) since 1953. “