BTW, Bill D. ( and others),
It's not just dyslexia that leads to errors. I, for example, am very good at spelling, but when I am not paying attention, I often make errors (like the "past," "passed" thing), because I tend to be an auditory processor.

If and when I proofread, I usually catch the mistake -- but not always. I once put together an Irish-American sing-along book for my retirement home clients and included the song "Cockles and Muscles!" It is not that I did not know the difference, but I probably proofread it by hearing the words as I read them, more than by seeing how they were spelled. I did not see that error until a couple of years later, when one of the residents pointed it out to me -- at which point it was perfectly obvious to me, and I felt very silly! I relate this tale partly to emphasize that wishing our country's language skills were not deteriorating does not imply snobbery. We all make mistakes unless we proofread and sometimes even when we do. It is the unwillingness to improve that troubles me. Also, the unwillingness to proofread even when doing something like posting a song on the net.

Genie