Signs like this make us worry (Photo by Sean Graham) Like so many things in life we dont always appreciate punctuation until its gone Today is National Punctuation Day, beloved of teachers, editors, and amateur nit-pickers with red pens and digital cameras. Why should punctuation get its own day? Many among us believe that proper punctuation is endangered. Some blame the Internet (no, "I can has cheezburger?" isn't grammatically correct); others suggest txt msgs or a failing educational system should take the fall. More pessimistic grammarians see English in a downward spiral of laziness and disuse, slowly breaking down our ability to communicate intelligently, ultimately leaving humankind in a bleak dystopia of monosyllabic caveman grunts and primitive glyphs scratched into the dirt. (Sounds like someone could benefit from better anxiety meds.) We're all occasionally guilty of grammatical mistakes and typos, but only the stickliest of sticklers would fault someone for the occasional error (or made-up word). The real problem is an epidemic of wanton disregard for the value of grammar, punctuation, and clear communication. Far too many sign-makers just don't seem to care if potential customers can understand what they're selling. Too many ads and corporate emails risk losing potential investors who may decide they can't trust their business to a company that doesn't know their "there" from their "they're." If you're a confused or lazy writer who can't be bothered to remember the difference between "its" (something that belongs to "it") and "it's" (a contraction of "it is"), please do your part to celebrate National Punctuation Day today. Turn on the spellcheck before sending that email. Put down those extraneous quotation marks on signs (they're not supposed to be used for "emphasis," we promise). Fight the urge to add apostrophes to plural nouns (we know you want to call them "DVD's" and "pizza's," but we swear they're really "DVDs" and "pizzas"). If for today only, do your part to make a grammar nerd happy. Suggested Sites... National Punctuation Day - get out your red pen and celebrate with us! Gallery of "Misused" Quotation Marks - what are they really trying to "say"? The Apostrophe Protection Society - please dont make these mistakes'. The "Blog" of "Unncessary" Quotation Marks - they really "hate" signs with "bad" punctuation. Apostrophe Abuse - share your own apostrophe horror stories'.

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