Quote Originally Posted by Throbert McGee View Post
Perhaps the only thing I would change is to replace щ with a completely different letter that does not resemble ш -- maybe using $ or ç, for example. So щи да каша пища наша would instead be spelled $и да каша пи$а наша or çи да каша пиçа наша. This would make it easier for me, as a foreigner, to remember when to use the hard "sh" and when to use the soft "shch".
According to the common spelling logic in Russian soft and hard sounds are spelled by the same letter, sounds become soft when their letters are followed by е, ю, я, ё, и, ь. So, we can dispose of щ completely.
Here is the acoustic way of spelling: Ши да каша пишя наша. Слышыш?

I can't tell much difference between и, й and unstressed ое and ой so I'd make them all one letter.
No, you did not train your ear properly yet. Vowel always makes a syllable. и is a syllable, й is not. ое is two syllables, ой is one. Even when the syllable is not pronounced clearly, it is received by the mind of native speaker. You can try to read Russian classical poetry paying special attention to meter. Meter is very important even in normal speech although it is irregular. Even the wisest phrase can not become catchy without proper rhythmic metrics in Russian.

I'd get rid of ъ too.
Yep, it can be replaced by й. Подйезд, отйявленный.