I finished my third manga!

I just finished my third Japanese manga: Young Shima Kousaku (ヤング島耕作), which is a prequel of the Kacho Shima Kousaku (課長島耕作) series.

This one was almost 200 pages. It had lots of drama: office politics, blackmail, romance, cheating, and lots more! That's why I really like these: they're not fantasy but crazy dramas based on real-world work annoyances.

The other two mangas I read were over 200 pages, so I feel quite a sense of accomplishment. The first one I read was this:

And the second one I read was this:

It's difficult to read mangas because sometimes I can't figure out the colloquial phrases, so I'm wondering if I should take a break and read more straightforward Japanese texts to give my mind a rest :D

Bad typos won't help this biz

I clicked on this internet ad to see what it was all about, and couldn't believe the glaring typos for a service that is language and writing-oriented. We all make mistakes, even after we proofread something a few times. But these show an ignorance that I doubt will help that business.

One typo is the first sentence: "How do one knows..." That's just bad English. They should get a grammar book or at least have someone who knows English to proofread their copy. Another one I noticed was the comma splice in the last sentence.

Some people use comma splices if they want to be extra-casual, but that intentional use comes from stylistic choices, not uninformed ones.

I wonder if other people have noticed these typos and if they will affect this business. I know it didn't impress me. Additionally, it's not just a bad reflection on just this business, but on the one that used it. Should they have corrected his testimonial? I think yes, because they offer writing services, so they should have applied their skills to what he wrote. He is, after all, a happy customer.

Jeweler or Jeweller?

I was puzzled when I saw this sign because I thought the "correct" spelling is "jeweler". I put "correct" in quotes because Merriam-Webster lists two spellings. I suspected that it's a British spelling, so I did a search online, and found a number of sites with it, including the British Jewellers Association.

As I'm typing this, Blogger is pointing out that "jeweller" is a misspelling, and word processing programs agree. I wonder if they do the same with "jeweler" over there.

I'm back! This is what I've been working on...

Happy new year! I think this is the longest I've gone without posting on this blog, but at the end of 2011, I got more radio work (which receded this week), and in addition to that, I was doing my paid writing and teaching gigs, so it didn't leave me much time.

What I've been doing since I've posted here is planning and promoting a free talk about how to create a podcast. Here's the info:

How to Create a Podcast
Saturday, January 28
3-4 PM
Cost: free
Sulzer Regional Library
Community Meeting Room (on the first floor, just inside the entrance)
4455 N. Lincoln Avenue in Chicago (just north of Montrose)

You will learn the basics of creating a podcast: the tools you need, where you can post it online, and tips on creating and promoting content. There will be time for questions and discussion. After you attend, you will be emailed a free PDF with more detailed information about podcasting.

If you have any questions, you can post something here or email me (info AT metrolingua.com).

Actually, I was interviewed about it on Rick Kogan's show this past Sunday (he's the successful media guy who was kind enough to allow me to quote him in the masthead of this blog). Rick Kogan is the best! I'll be doing a blog post about him soon.