The great thing about the way the Internet is structured is that you don't have to remember the number to a web site*. Instead, you remember the website's name. There is, however, an unfortunate thing that happens when you try to announce a web site address on the radio, or give it over the telephone, or what have you.

(*This number is called an IP addrss. Many web sites actually won't work right if you use their number. For an example, here's a link to this site by its number. It has to do with the fact that one machine may server multiple web sites and won't know which one you want if you use the number.)

I listen to our local NPR station quite frequently, despite how they run their pledge drives. Naturally, like most NPR stations, they do underwriting (e.g. this program is brought to you by . . . ). In the underwriting, they often include web site names. The problem is, I have no bloody clue how to spell some of these.

There is, for instance, a theatre/arts centre named something like mah-HEY-we. I have no idea how to spell it, and hence, I can't go to mah-HEY-we-dot-org. I tried a few spellings this morning, but none of them worked. There is also a local yoga centre called ker-PAH-loo. I have no way to know how to spell that, either.

It is entirely likely that once I see these spelled, I'll want to kick myself for it being so bloody obvious, but without that clue in the first place . . . I got nothing.

One thing that I did find amusing, though, was this: The radio station also runs an initiative called WAMC Student Town Meetings, where high-school students and younger get a chance to practice civics. After all, they don't teach civics in school anymore. I find it amusing to hear the station manager, Dr. Alan Chartock, announcing the URL as "W-A-M-C Student Town Meetingzzzzzzzuh dot org" to make sure that people know there is an 's' on the end of Meetings. It works, though. Unlike these certain underwriters, I can bring that site up on the first try.