Point of clarification on my blog

Writing for a primarily America audience from Canada sometimes poses a few unique challenges. They aren't the types of challenges those in America might expect.  Canadians have access to ABC, NBC and CBS and most to Fox as well.  We have access to many cable channels such as CNN and MSNBC as well, although those are typically optional and require extra fees.  So it's not a matter of access to what is going on in America in an up-to-date way.  As a matter of fact I'm listening to a Rush Limbaugh commercial break on WBEN 930 AM as I write this, so our listening and view can come to us without the overlay of a Canadian filter.

The problems are typically more subtle.  Canada is of course still part of the British Commonwealth - at least nominally.  One result of that is spelling (not pronunciation).  I am keenly aware of most of the variances between English and American spellings ever since my perfect spelling test run in Grade 6 died in week 24 with the spelling of 'favor' instead of 'favour'.  My only mistake that entire year, and one I did not repeat later in the same test with 'labour'. I try to remember my audience when writing here and consequently use American spelling and switch back to Canadian spelling for work and for personal emails etc.  But I'm not above occasionally having spelling errors slip through and I'm sure at some point they have.

This video points out some of the common differences and is an interesting, albeit brief watch. I thought I'd share in case you see any errors in my spelling in the future or in past posts.  As a proper Canadian, I apologize.  Feel free to comment in the comments section and if I see the error, I'm happy to correct it.

I wasn't aware of the British double L in words like fuelling rather than fueling. I've seen both but typically defaulted to the American spelling thanks to devices like Spell Check, which typical software packages include, and are mostly of American origin.

One last note: I find it particularly irksome that Microsoft Office or Windows 8.1 or some other sort of IP policing recognizes my geographic location and changes my keyboard to Canadian English with French options included.  I have to keep an eye out because it can seemingly change mid-sentence or at least vary by window.  So when I'm writing the word it's, it will sometimes come out as itès.  Seriously annoying.