Dicaprio warns Zan Efron; Twlight; Hugh School Musical

click images to enlarge

-- Yahoo! Canada homepage and Yahoo! Canada Lifestyle on March 31, 2009

Just after midnight last night I signed out of my Yahoo! email account and was subjected to the top image. Dicaprio instead of DiCaprio? Zan instead of Zac (as you can see later in the same image)? A missing i in Twilight? Do monkeys work the overnight shift at Yahoo!? No, monkeys wouldn't churn out this crap, they'd throw it. How does Yahoo! manage to post three blatant errors simultaneously on their front page? Okay, *two* blatant errors - Dicaprio not so much with the blatantness. I figure clicking through to the lead article may net me another error or two, and I was right. Take a look at the bottom image; it seems our good friend Zan Efron starred in a series of "Hugh School Musical" films. Yup, those "High School Musical" films that you have probably heard of starred some other guy.

For the record, by today at noon Zan was Zac and Twilight had its i. However, Dicaprio remains, along with "Hugh School Musical".

Gassandra Hotel

-- "Shooting (local news in brief)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 30, 2009

There is no Gassandra Hotel in Vancouver. There is, however, a Cassandra Hotel which was recently the site of a shooting.

looks stunning in a pink numbe

-- "Tweets from 24hoursVan... (rockin' the junos)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 30, 2009

Is a numbe a new fashion term that I am ignorant of, or did the writer leave an r off the end?

made completely for recycled materials

-- "Recycled (local news briefs)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 30, 2009

Yes, because my empty drink bottles and flattened cardboard boxes have been complaining every single frickin' day about having nothing to wear and it's getting so very annoying. I think the writer meant to write from instead of for.

better way to describe something then by showing it

-- "Keep it all together" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 30, 2009

What better way to garner credibility than by using the correct word?

MEETING & BANQUET FACILTIES

-- Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, USA, on March 26, 2009

Either no one proofread this sign before installation or at least one person proofread this sign and it was still installed. Which is worse? If the sign was proofread, either the error wasn't spotted or it was decided to be too expensive to get a correct sign. "We'll just put this one up - people will be too drunk to notice." At least two other similar signs in the area had the correct spelling of facilities.

a sneak peak of clips

-- "Marshalling Pride (Central Park)" in The Vancouver Courier on March 27, 2009

Week after week I find writing that is weak. It'd be sweet - and a neat feat - to see peek instead of peak after sneak.

teachers' pull support; Steven Lewis' AIDS charity; supports condom for preventing; Calgary Catholic Teachers Association; the teacher's orgnaization

-- "Calgary teachers pull support for AIDS fundraiser" on Sympatico / MSN News on March 28, 2009

The top image is a headline link from the Sympatico / MSN homepage; the apostrophe should not be there. The bottom two images are from the article. In the subheadline, it's Steven Lewis, yet later you can see it's Stephen Lewis. The latter is correct. Does the foundation support just one condom or should there be an s at the end of condom? Probably the latter. The subheadline has an apostrophe after Teachers in the association's name, but later it's absent. The apostrophe should be there. Then the association becomes teacher's orgnaization. Seriously? First there's the transposed n and a, but also the apostrophe is misplaced; why would the writer think that Teachers' Association could also be written as teacher's organization?

The Pink Panter 2, featuring Martin as inspector Clouseau

-- "Reel trivia starring... Steve Martin" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 27, 2009

Dictionary.com's first entry for panter is a noun: "one who pants". A strategically placed (or even correctly placed) h would make the movie title correct. The word inspector - because it's identifying Clouseau - should be capitalized

but its acts like; Thunderbird Arena tonight when the puck drops tonight

-- "All Junos, all the time" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 27, 2009

Firstly, its should be it's. Secondly, from the Department of Redundancy Department, only one tonight is needed.

its never been easier

-- Lens & Shutter Cameras advertisement in Vancouver 24 hours on March 26, 2009

It's necessary to put an apostrophe in its.

Jack tries to relieve his childhood

-- "30 Rock (on the tube)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 26, 2009

See Jack run. See Jack climb a tree. See Jack play jacks. See Jack struggle to spell relive during the 1969 National Spelling Bee. (The winning word that year: interlocutory)

pull out all teh stops

-- Vancouver Canucks homepage on March 27, 2009

...while we push out all of our competent writers and proofreaders.

Ilja Bryzgalov's angry Coyotes

-- Vancouver Canucks homepage on March 23, 2009

The French il y a translates to there is or there are. Put those letters together to form Ilya and there is the correct spelling of Bryzgalov's first name.

going back to it's roots

-- "Teahouse tales (local news briefs)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 24, 2009

Going back to it is roots? Umm, no. Interestingly, it's correct as its later in the very same sentence.

"Sometimes I get sad, but the negative experiences are gifts too, and like John said, 'Take a sad song and make it better.'

-- "John and Yoko's Bed-In remembered" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 24, 2009

The article's closing sentence is missing a closing quotation mark. It should be at the very end.

a few weeks later then their 2008 arrival

-- "Bird flew (Central Park)" in The Vancouver Courier on March 20, 2009

Learn the Difference Between Than and Then.

Jerome Iginla

-- "Getting the brush off in 'our time to shine'" in The Vancouver Courier on March 18, 2009

Hockey player Jarome Iginla gets the brush off in the form of misspelling his name.

MAKE A DIFFERNCE

-- Shaw bill on March 19, 2009

What a difference one letter makes. Take a word, then take away one letter, then take the whole word away because it's no longer a word.

was very moving,"Shriver said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America. "He expressed; can be seem as humiliating

click image to enlarge

-- "Obama apologizes for quip about Special Olympics on Leno show" on Yahoo! Canada News on March 20, 2009

There needs to be a space between the first closing quotation mark and Shriver. Good Morning America should be italicized, with the opening quotation mark (missing its closing) omitted. It seems seem should be seen. I wonder if pointing out these errors is humiliating for the writer?

legenday Garry Monahan; teh famous trivia

click image to enlarge

-- Vancouver Canucks homepage on March 20, 2009

The word legendary is missing its r, and the is scrambled

Eight of us were stuck for 50 minutes between G and floor 2," a friends reported

-- "Party at my place" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 20, 2009

The closing quotation mark requires an opening quotation mark.

It's exciting to be on this team while its announced

-- "'Caps pumped about MLS entry" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 19, 2009

Two it's and one its. Change one to make three. My vote for team name: Whitecaps FC.

Bobb also extended

-- "Ghalib told to stay away (people in the news)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 19, 2009

What about Bobb? Who is Bobb? I assume it's the judge, but does the judge go by just one name? I doubt it.

Dwayne Wade

-- ESPN's Streak for the Cash on March 17, 2009

It looks correct above, but his first name is actually Dwyane.

evoluton views not relevent

-- Sympatico / MSN News homepage (news.sympatico.msn.ca) on March 17, 2009

Are spelling skills relevant when you're a professional writer?

British Columbia Teacher's Federation; Langzinger

-- "Three-peat (local news briefs)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 18, 2009

The misplaced apostrophe from yesterday is misplaced again in this new blurb. The apostrophe goes after the s. And, g whiz, after first period Lanzinger gained a letter. Better check to see if anyone is missing a letter. For those who may think that the apostrophe could go either before or after, or even be omitted altogether, here's a screen capture from the BCTF homepage:

STEVE BERNIER gets run over Stars' Stephane Robidas

-- "Canucks double up on Dallas" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 18, 2009

Why did by go bye-bye? Or maybe it was never after over. Sounds cool: never after over. I'm currently watching Federer.

Dawn the apron

-- "Don't trip" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 18, 2009

This is the second time this week that 24 hours has used the word dawn when don is obviously the appropriate - and correct - word. What gives?

"Cryer is clearly homophobic, says Helen Kennedy

-- "Fire Cryer: gay and lesbian groups" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 18, 2009

While we're at it, let's fire this story's writer (and proofreader, if applicable) and hire some professionals who know that an opening quotation mark eventually requires a closing quotation mark. Sometimes it's dozens of words later, while other times - as above - it's just four words later.

a patient 4-2 winover the Dallas Stars

-- Vancouver 24 hours homepage (vancouver.24hrs.ca) on March 18, 2009

You won't win over many readers with obvious errors on your homepage. Not once, but twice; at the top of the page with the headlines of top stories, and at the bottom of the page with the headlines of sports stories.

doesn't sugar-coat; when the get involved

-- "Spotlight on gangs" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 18, 2009

I'm not going to sugarcoat it: your punctuation and spelling skills suck. Where are your paper's proofreaders? The quality of the writing improves when they get involved. (If you do have proofreaders regularly involved, get new ones; I'm available. If you don't have proofreaders regularly involved, get some; I'm available.)

it's proximity to Victoria, Whistler, to the Okanagan," Pierce said

-- "Carnival Cruise pullout to cost Vancouver $18 million" on Sympatico / MSN News (news.sympatico.msn.ca) on March 17, 2009

The word it's should be its, and Steve Pearce's last name is correctly written the first three times it appears in the article before magically becoming Pierce the final three times.

Should the courts seize gangster's assets

-- "Online poll" on Vancouver 24 hours online (vancouver.24hrs.ca) on March 17, 2009

Usually the errors found in the print version are correct online. Here we have a rare example of the opposite. The top image is of the print version, with the bottom image showing the online image. The poll question always relates to a story found in the paper, and because the story is about more than one gangster, the apostrophe needs to be after the s.

defensemen Taylor Ellington

-- "Ellington inks ('nuck talk)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 17, 2009

When writing about one blueliner, use defenseman. For two or more blueliners, use defensemen. I have already seen this error in 24 hours three times (one; two; three) and Sports Illustrated once. Interestingly, in all three previous 24 hours misspellings, a c was used instead of an s. Both are correct, but I'm under the impression that most publications strive for consistency.

B.C. Teacher's Federation

-- "BCTF drops out (local news briefs)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 17, 2009

The errors I regularly find in 24 hours no longer surprise me. No doubt many of its writers and editors were educated in British Columbia; how can anyone be expected to spell correctly and use proper grammar when there is just one teacher for the hundreds of thousands of students in the entire province? Oh wait, I just did five seconds of google-based research and the apostrophe belongs after the s. There is at least two teachers after all. So what's your excuse now, 24 hours?

to aid merchants effected by Canada Line construction

click image to enlarge

-- "MLAs called to court" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 17 , 2009

The misspelling of effected affected me.

Hallgarth's finals days

-- "Woman's death not gang related" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 17, 2009

The final sentence in this article contains a word that has an extra s. If Hallgarth were a student and had several end of semester finals to write on one day, then finals day might be correct, but the article is about Hallgarth's death and the writer should have written final days.

after a man was been shot

-- "Gun victim won't talk" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 16, 2009

Either change was to has, or, preferably, get rid of been.

is the winner of at Red Bull Paper Wings Canadian Final

-- "Flying paper planes (Canada)" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 16, 2009

I'd say that the best thing to do would be to change at to the. What's your call?

got her back in the grove and eager to dawn a Felion uniform

-- "Felions ready to roar" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 16, 2009

Was the writer distracted by the scantily-clad Felions? I'd almost accept that as a valid excuse for the horrid errors on display. Writing grove instead of groove and dawn instead of don are two errors that a professional should never make - especially a professional writer.

braved sn ow and wind

-- "'Stop the war on the poor': Protesters" in Vancouver 24 hours on March 16, 2009

How does that happen? Subheadline of the top story on the front page, no less.

get rid of all the knicks and cuts

-- Yahoo! Canada homepage on March 15, 2009

Ooh, ooh - can I pick what Knicks to get rid of? Let's see... Eddy Curry, gone. Nate Robinson, see ya. Quentin Richar-- what? You meant nicks? Oh. Well, why don't you just write what you mean?