Today at work I stumbled across this convenient rule of interpretation in the Texas Tax Code:

§ 101.005. GRAMMATICAL ERRORS: PUNCTUATION.
  (a) A grammatical error does not vitiate a law, and when a sentence or clause is without meaning, words and clauses may be transposed to determine the intended meaning.
  (b) The punctuation of a sentence does not control or affect the intention of the legislature in the enactment of this title.

No need to bother learning to write clearly, dear legislators. Just throw in whatever punctuation tickles your fancy, and we’ll divine your true intent. Swirl some tea leaves around or something.

While waiting in line at the UH Pharmacy, I noticed this handy tip on a pamphlet about preventing the spread of H1N1:

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you sneeze or use an alcohol-based sanitizer.

I spent the better part of a minute trying to remember if I’d heard anywhere that Purell was helping to spread swine flu.