Among other things

Correct spelling has always been important to me. I would win classroom spelling bees, but that was years before competitive spelling contests were held in county, state and national bees where winners can win cash, bonds, scholarships, all-expense paid trips and national notoriety. Doggone it.

Anyway, there may be a nefarious plot afoot that would undermine the importance of spelling. Read the following and see if you agree:

"I cdnuol't blveiee taht I cluod aulacity uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearchr at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is that the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.

"Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mind deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig, huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt."

Well, could you read it? I could.

My thanks to Dave Marshall, who shared it with folks in Svend Larsen's Norwegian language class.

I don't think the rule would apply to the Norwegian language. Or would it? I'm having a tough enough time as it is without trying to apply it.

Speaking of Norwegians, I discovered there's a town named Fugleberg in Norway, above the Arctic Circle. Pretty cool, eh? Translated into English the name means "bird mountain."

I know, a lot of you think I'm for the birds. I guess that confirms it.

Just a late note regarding spelling: My granddaughter Claire, daughter of Lance and Ruth Hinther of Missoula, placed in a three-way tie for third place in the state spelling bee Saturday in Billings.