An ode to "e"

W* rar*ly notic* how d*p*nd*nt w* ar* | Marvin Olasky

This is an issue with stories about aids, stem-cell research, and other sad developments, so I'll end it on a lighter note with this news item: The Olasky family's new dog is an amazingly smart pooch. Although only a 6-month-old puppy, Pok*y (can you think of why I am using an ast*risk?) is so bright as to know which of our 26 units of writing (a, b, c, d, f, and so on) is most popular. On a Saturday morning in August I sat happily, typing a WORLD column. Quickly Pok*y sprang onto my laptop, and his paw nails caught under three typing spots: "d," "5," and a unit that for now must go without naming. My blood ran cold as all three sprang off. I was able to fix "d" and "5," but I could not put back that one which is most important in daily communication.