Every time I see a grammatical argument like this, my first thought is that parentheses, or another way to precisely denote grouping and logical association, would instantly obviate the practice being discussed.
Rendering it devoid of all ambiguity and shade in such a fashion would make it easier for computers to parse, but the expense would be losing most poetry and literature.
Furthermore, look to the Lojban community for examples of poetry and literature in a truly unambiguous language (a far cry from the English suggested by saulrh).
She invited several people: her father, a tuba player; her uncle, who played the guitar; and her boyfriend, a drifting wastrel of a youth generally despised by the rest of the family.