The apology

There was a quote in my column Tuesday that belonged to DaveBarry, to whom proper credits were not given. I didn’t knowwho Dave Barry was until now. His quote goes, “Withoutquestion, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer.Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but thewheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”

Mr. Barry, my sincerest apologies. I hadn’t a clue thatwas yours. That was something I heard quoted at a bar, and after acouple of drinks, something like that tends to stick. Had I knownthat this was the actual work of a credible author and not adrunkard, I would have given all due credits. I’ve quotednumerous people in past articles, and I have always given themtheir proper credits, from Drew Carey to my cousin Davey. I have noreason to and no intention of plagiarizing the work of others, sothis was an honest-to-goodness mistake.

In all seriousness, plagiarism is a big deal. Myself, a writerand author-hopeful, I understand the gravity of the matter.Therefore, it is with utmost respect and sincerity that I, again,apologize for my careless blunder. I’m an idiot.

But I’m human.

A mistake-making human.

Plagiarism- don’t do it. And should you unknowingly do so,be the bigger man and apologize. Restore that credibility andapologize.