I'm a grammar snob.  This is no secret.  I'm a bit on the pedantic side when it comes to the written word.  I'm by no means perfect, but I do have a minimum set of standards when it comes to punctuation, capitol letters, ****nyms, and basic spelling.

So it goes without saying that a large number of people on the Internet infuriate me.  Native English speakers.  People whom their respective educational systems and parents have failed.  I am most infuriated by the people who simply do not care.  They actually get defensive about their illiteracy.  Like it's this trivial, excusable thing.  Grown adults who couldn't tell you the difference between there, their, and they're or spell the word restaurant.  My ten-year-old nephew can write better prose than these people.  

What has been sending me over the edge lately is a great majority of expectant mothers on a number of pregnancy message boards I frequent.  These are the people who are going to be raising the next generation.  These people's kids are going to inherit this brave new world.  These people cannot string a coherent sentence to save their lives.  And in the meantime all across this country the number of kids graduating -- graduating -- from high school who can't even read at a fifth grade level is rising.  And for those millions of kids who don't even make it out of high school… who knows.  

These people are breeding.  They couldn't care less if their kids can write a high school-level essay.  As long as young Bryttny and Hunter pass those standardized tests and win that soccer/football/gymnastics match, then by God they're doing just fine.  And one day when their barely-English resumes are launched into the circular file faster than the HR person can laugh at them, they can always stay at home and take care of mommy in between their shifts at the local laundromat.

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

(Blessings in the new year)

Some fabulous coworkers decided to throw me and my boss (technically my boss' boss, but whatever) a joint baby shower.  His wife and I got pregnant at almost exactly the same time.  So the invitation goes out to the entire office that is worded in a very confusing way:

"Come help celebrate [PPC] and [boss]'s soon to arrive babies"

We both knew the second we saw it that people were going to start making assumptions.  I started getting weird looks in the hallways.  I could tell that people were whispering.  A few brave souls came up and asked us to clarify or emailed to ask, but I know there are still a large number of confused people around the office.

I'm going to make a sign for my cube with a picture of Husband and a large arrow that says, "THIS IS MY HUSBAND WITH WHOM I AM HAVING A BABY."

Oh, the horror.

I received a package today from my cousin in South Korea. I've been expecting a DVD but had no idea what to expect. I'm trying very hard to learn Korean by sort of immersing myself every day with podcasts, Rosetta Stone software, online flashcards, you name it. When my cousin found out that I'm trying to learn he immediately asked for my address.

Anyway, he sent me a DVD of a South Korean kids show called (okay, here's where my Hangul reading skills get tested) "ong an gul i ya angu." (?) It's hard to read because the letters are all jumbled together. It features a guy in a strange felt tamborine hat, cape, plaid cargo shorts, and skate shoes (he's usually in a big computer thing), an adorable little girl in pigtails, and a tiger whose markings are made of Hangul characters. Oh yeah, and a squid named Pupi/Bubi. It came with a little workbook/sticker book.

I watched about 30 minutes of it tonight and I do think it's going to help me. It's always good to hear native speakers speaking natively.

It's from an iPod commercial but I like it.  It was in my head ALL DAMN DAY.  Behold: the earworm!