Speaking of inertia and horses' asses reminds me of the Legislature. I am occasionally asked why such-and-such a stupid law is on the books, and the answer often is, because they haven't changed it yet. Jury members get $5 a day because that was real money a century ago, the basis for our property law is still the feudal system, and today's judicial opinions still refer to the magna charta.
I once read, though, one good argument in support of the apparent capriciousness of English spelling. The author asserted that the preservation of old spellings, although obsolete in terms of current pronunciation of the words, allowed contemporary readers to comprehend ancient text, even though the readers probably could not understand the words if spoken as they were when written. Hence, I can read certain Middle English ditties, but couldn't understand them if recited.
Small compensation for sweating through English spelling, but better than nothing ...
