The problem with being consistent is that there are lots of ways to be consistent, and they're all inconsistent with each other.
A good messenger expects to get shot.
When in doubt, parenthesize. At the very least it will let some poor schmuck bounce on the % key in vi.
Information wants to be useful.
Must be a different Larry Wall. There are at least 137 of us in the U.S.
It is easier to port a shell than a shell script.