Comments for Manage By Walking Around

Comment on Where Did Ice Cream Come From? by Loralee Hamilton

Loralee Hamilton — Mon, 11 May 2026 01:36:49 +0000

Nice article, Jonathan. I enjoyed reading it since I, too, have a weakness for this sweet indulgence. It brought back fond memories of hand churned ice cream in the wooden bucket as a kid, and fighting for the paddle when it was done. Can’t beat homemade ice cream on a hot summer day!

Comment on The 3 Laws of Probability Everyone Should Know by Laws of Probability - Keep Pedaling Us

Laws of Probability - Keep Pedaling Us — Wed, 06 May 2026 22:37:27 +0000

[…] I learned these from The Drunkards Walk, but they are also discussed here https://jonathanbecher.com/2017/06/25/the-3-laws-of-probability-everyone-should-know/ […]

Comment on Songs With The Best Opening Lines by Scott Leatherman

Scott Leatherman — Sun, 03 May 2026 21:06:47 +0000

I wanted to participate in this with modern songs, but nothing comes to mind that really feels of my generation, which probably says more about me than the music. I’m as old as dirt.

My instincts go back to The Doors with “Break on Through” — “The day destroys the night…” — and Golden Earring with “Radar Love” — “I’ve been driving all night, my hands wet on the wheel…”. Although, to be fair, there’s some murmuring before those lines start, which most people overlook, so I suspect that’s why they don’t always make the internet’s lists.

It’s also hard to separate emotion from this. Some of my favorite songs aren’t nearly as poetic as the opening of Sympathy for the Devil, but something like “Cocaine Country Dancing” is a straight banger. It sets a vibe just as effectively, if not more, than some of the more celebrated openings.

Comment on Looks Can Be Deceiving: 10 Sentences with Heteronyms by Brent & Ryan

Brent & Ryan — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:23:17 +0000

In reply to Sean B Murray. That’s how we found this blog! How many does does it take to screw in a light bulb in winter? (The number is higher the number they are!)

Comment on Songs With The Best Opening Lines by Brad

Brad — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:35:41 +0000

While it’s always hard to argue against The Stones, your 68 song should be All Along the Watchtower:

“There must be some way outta here, said the joker to the thief.”

Willing to change your mind on that one too, Jonathan?

Comment on Asking For Independent Advice by Songs With The Best Opening Lines - Manage By Walking Around

Songs With The Best Opening Lines - Manage By Walking Around — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:01:53 +0000

[…] objective right answer. Establish the ground rules (e.g., what does ‘best’ mean), authentically solicit input from those who might have different opinions, and be willing to change your mind over […]

Comment on The Best Songs For Halloween by Songs With The Best Opening Lines - Manage By Walking Around

Songs With The Best Opening Lines - Manage By Walking Around — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:01:30 +0000

[…] most of our adult lives, a good friend and I have debated “best of” lists. Whether it’s the best songs to play on Halloween or the greatest movie quotes, we seemingly never get tired of revisiting previous lists and […]

Comment on Looks Can Be Deceiving: 10 Sentences with Heteronyms by Sean B Murray

Sean B Murray — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:24:03 +0000

Congratulations, Jonathan. Your heteronymn insights earned you a huge nod in the NY Times. The Sunday ACROSTIC featured you and your words

Comment on Does Spelling Matter? by SCOTT N LEATHERMAN

SCOTT N LEATHERMAN — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:23:54 +0000

In the world of AI production, technology has cleaned up many of my simple grammar mistakes. I remember, back in the day, correcting the typos in Hasso’s blog, and he got mad at me. It removed his authentic voice without changing the words or tone. I now allow for small grammar mistakes and subtle “poetic license” to prevent my content from being viewed as AI mass production, but that also requires the readers to be paying attention.

Comment on Does Spelling Matter? by KH

KH — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:14:32 +0000

Probably a personal matter. But I notice when I get a job application and the candidate has spelling errors in the letter or CV, I immediately think “doesn’t care about quality, doesn’t take this serious enough”, so probably for me it matters a lot. (and of course, being German, I ALWAYS go for the British spelling 🙂 )