Even More Dumb Signs

I get that not everyone is a grammar geek like me. Most people don't get excited about editing and correcting grammar mistakes (although I just don't understand why not). But if you're a company, with a public image, and your main focus is to promote your business, gain customers, and MAKE MONEY, wouldn't it make sense that you'd make a concerted effort to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your signs? The following photos just make me shake my head....and seriously consider NOT shopping there.

I found this one on the front doors of a Belk department store in GA, right around Mother's Day (and anyway, shouldn't it be Mothers' Day? More than one mother celebrates on that special Sunday every May, right?). But I digress....Selfs? Really? No. The plural form of the word self is not selfs. That's NOT EVEN A WORD. Even my built-in spell check tells me so, with its angry, red squiggly line underneath. But my inner first grader told me so first, which is why I snapped the photo on my way into the store. I'm not going to tell you what the word should be. If you've made it past first grade too, you should already know it.

I'm disappointed in you, Target. We had such a great relationship for so long. But I just don't know if I can take this kind of thing. It's not me; it's you. The word women is already plural. You don't add an s to make it...more plural. Maybe they were going for possessive here? As in Women's Section? If so, then the apostrophe is missing. Either way, it's still WRONG.

I didn't take a very good photo of this one; the flash ended up putting a glare right where the problem is. No, people; apostrophes don't make things plural. (You will hear/read me say this many times.) Sheesh. By the way, I found this beauty in one of those junk touristy shops in downtown Gatlinburg, TN. You know the ones. I won't even comment on the significance of getting a tattoo "just like in the movies." Makes me shudder.

I'm not sure what rosted strips are, but they're cheap! Now, I would give The Colonel the benefit of the doubt if there was a space between the o and the s in rosted, indicating that high winds or some other act of God had blown away the missing a. But no, this was not God's fault. We just have stupid people at this KFC. This one was in Nashville, TN, right near the international airport. Great. So we can prove to the world they were right about us Southerners all along.

So tell me this...if an apostrophe and an s make a video, cassette, or a CD plural, why aren't they also needed for returns and exchanges? If video's, cassette's and CD's (oh, excuse me--C.D.'S), then why not return's and exchange's too? Apostrophes don't make things plural, folks!! (There it is again!) I don't even remember where I took this photo. By the date stamped on it though, you can tell I've been collecting these for a long time. It's, like, one of my favorite hobbies...next to riding roller coasters.

I know you're just dying to see more of these gems, aren't you? Don't worry, I have plenty more to share. Stay tuned....

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Book Review

This is the story of Nick and Amy Dunne, how they met, their courtship, and marriage. It's their 5th anniversary and Nick comes home to find Amy missing, with signs of a struggle in their living room. Amy is gone. As her husband, Nick of course becomes the prime suspect in Amy's disappearance. As the investigation unfolds, so does the story of their marriage together...a dying, dysfunctional marriage. Or is it?

Wow. How do I even review this book? For one, the writing is brilliant. Sharp, perfectly paced, dark wit, twisty. Very twisty. Does the author have some sort of degree or background in psychology? I wouldn't be surprised. At first, with the switching back and forth between the narratives of Amy and Nick, I couldn't remember if the author was a man or a woman. You truly cannot tell; she does them both so well. Or, at least, she does Nick as well as what I THINK a man's thoughts would be. I'm not a man so I don't really know. Anyway, it's good. 

It's definitely a psychological thriller, and the people are seriously messed up. The story messes with you, it gets in your head. I certainly won't be forgetting this one anytime soon. But it didn't mess with me in a way that I feel I needed to take a shower immediately after reading it. That was a nice change. Usually books like this creep me out, make me feel uneasy, like I need to watch The Marx Brothers or listen to Disney music or play with a puppy after reading it (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo did that to me). I loved the way Flynn messed with my loyalties throughout. At first I felt bad for Amy. Then I sympathized with Nick. I flip-flopped like this until the end, and I really had no idea how it would end or even how I wanted it to end. All I knew was that these people's lives would never be the same - how would they recover from it? - and it was all just so sad. 

I was disappointed in the ending. I really thought it would have ended stronger, differently. It was kind of a let-down, actually. I felt like the whole story was paced so well, until the last 50 pages or so. At that point it seemed rushed, too fast, with a lot of things left out. But I wasn't completely dissatisfied. It still gets 5-stars from me.

It's so nice to read a book that's just a self-complete story, not part of a trilogy or more. You pick up a book, you read it, it's a good story, the end. Excellently written, in a nice, one-book package. How refreshing! Are they going to make a movie of this one? I wouldn't be surprised. It would make an excellent movie. Probably one I couldn't bear to watch. (Note: I just checked - Reese Witherspoon's production company has picked up the rights to this one, with suggestions that Reese would star as Amy. That would be perfect.)

I'm definitely interested in reading more by Gillian Flynn.

Get the book from Amazon.com. 
Read about the author, Gillian Flynn, on Goodreads.com.