Mike's Hippo-poem finds a good home

An idea that has been buzzing around Mike's head for some time has finally been put to good use. His comic verse 'Hippoparadox' has been included in TwitterTitters a marvellous collection of comic writing that has been bundled together to raise money for Comic Relief. The book creators, Linda Jones and Louise Bolotin, used the crowd sourcing power of twitter to invite submissions. it was only a matter of time before news reached Mike, a self-confessed twitterholic.

The book is available now both as a download and as a printed copy. All proceeds (less the small cost of production and postage) go to raise more funds for Comic Relief. Please do buy a copy. It will make Mike's day and probably make yours as well.

And should never be used to start a sentence.

But is an equally bad beginning.

Both these statements express widely held views. But, are they true?

Rather than give a simple 'Yes' or 'No' answer to this most frequent of FAQs, writer Mike Reed has pulled together a panel of expert witnesses to answer the question. Testimonials from Kingsley Amis (The Kings English - 1997),Wilson Follett (Modern American Usage - 1966), and a host of others, all confirm And can be an appropriate and useful start to a sentence. And but is just as valid as an opening word.

The whole thing is packaged in a very clever folding mechanism that reveals page after hidden page of new quotations, adding considerably to the impact of the wisdom within.