So okay, one thing that drives me nuts is rampant misuse of apostrophes.

As in: you’re when it should be your, it’s when it should be its, basically when people just throw in an apostrophe because they’re not sure how to spell it and they think an apostrophe will throw the K9 unit of spellcheckers off the scent, OR because they can’t differentiate between a contraction (two words put together with the left out letters represented by an apostrophe) and a possessive pronoun.

Now, I have a little bit of tolerance for people in their personal communications like emails or blogs or whatever. I still think they should try to learn the difference, but hey, it’s on them if they don’t.

Nowhere do I find this more offensive than in commercial areas. Like advertising. I should NEVER see something spelled wrong on TV, on signs, things like that. If you’re going to shell out a ton of money for advertising, for God’s sake hire someone who can help you look just a little bit less like a jackass who can’t tell that “you’re” doesn’t mean “something that belongs to you”. PLUS! The people who put together those advertisements make a hell of a lot more money than I do, WITH college educations, mind you, and I am seriously affronted that they can’t pick the right word to use. I’ve seen the your/you’re misuse on a news program, for crying out loud.

You all know about my dearly beloved blogging bar, correct?

So then, how disappointing is this:

<<You’ll have to imagine a picture of PVDD in front of my beloved City Lights window, showing off a huge poster declaring “Showcase You’re Talent!” Regrettably, I can’t seem to find the photo.>>

I mean, really, people. (And, isn’t he devilishy handsome?)

The beauty of it was, there was a whole bank of windows, and there were three or four of these posters, misspellings and all, posted all along the row of windows. It was like a Public Service Announcement courtesy of the pompous manager of the bar (whom we’ll call Oswald Cobblepot) letting all and sundry know, “I’M A JACKASS! And I can’t spell. Or select the correct word for what I’m trying to say. Basically I really don’t know how to write in the language I’ve spoken my entire life.”

Disappointing. Poor Oswald.

Please, PLEASE, people. Do yourself a favor and remember: you’re with the apostrophe is short for the words YOU ARE. Your (with no apostrophe) means “belonging to you“. Seriously, if you can keep them straight and use apostrophes appropriately, you will be increasing your written communication skills by at least 1000%.

That is all.