Grammar and The Golden Compass
Today's projects - finish the blurb for The Ank of Isis, so it can go into the back of CROWN, do an interview I have the questions for for weeks, and study. I also finished SORCERER the other day. I'm not totally happy with it, but I'm doing a quick read through to make sure the plot lines up, before I put it away for a bit.
As planned, I started studying for my Praxis exam yesterday. This week's subject is English. I have no problem with the Lit stuff - identifying theme, types of poetry, rhyme schemes, etc.. The grammar stuff is where I get all hung up. I was never good at it in school, ever. I KNOW when things aren't written properly, I do understand subject-verb agreement, but the independent clause/dependent clause, dangling modifier, naming of the verb tenses thing gets me all jammed up.
But I have found a savior. No, not Eats, Shoots and Leaves, although a lovely book. The Perdue University OWL (online writing lab) has printable documents about any grammar rule you can think of! So I printed up a bunch of subjects I know I need work on and went to work.
I still don't have all the verb tenses down. But I'm getting there. By the end of the week I'll be a grammar genius.
Oh, and I defintely have enough credits to qualify to take the Middle School Science exam in March. I looked at my transcripts last night and realized that at least three of the courses I took were Labs - meaning they were FOUR credit courses. So I shouldn't have to have any other courses audited by the county.
***
The Golden Compass comes out in theaters on Friday. I want to see it, despite
rm 's less than stellar review. Part of the reason is I haven't yet read the books (I know...bad, bad Fantasy author!) so I have no expectations going in. But that's not what I'm blogging about here.
The Catholic Church doesn't want people to see it. They think it will steer children toward atheism, much the same way some people thought Harry Potter would steer children towards witchcraft.
I have a HUGE problem with this. I'm not big on organized religion, mainly because I think it's overly oppressive, rigid and controlling. I have no problem with the issue of faith. People should have faith, and there's a difference (IMO) between being religious and being spiritual. Most of the 'religious' people I've run across were all about showing to the world how much they had invested in their religion, often trying to beat YOU over the head with it too, while the most spritual people are often the most introspective.
Anyway, my problem with this is my problem with religion - the church has put all its faith in God, and none in its own people. Telling people what movie they can't see, what books they shouldn't read, like they're some sort of idiots who need the church to tell them what to think??? It's horribly demeaning and says a lot about how the church feels about their people.
Because you know none of the people who have called for the boycotts have read the books or seen the movie. Just like none of the people who called for the banning of Harry Potter ever even cracked the spine of a copy of The Sorcerer's Stone. They only know what they've been told. That's called an uninformed opinon, and it usually doesn't hold much water with those who are informed.
Let the people make up their own minds.
Or is it fear? Is the church afraid that their people are so weak in their faith that a MOVIE is going to change their ideals? If so, then who didn't do their job? Why can't people go and see the movie (or read the book) and then have a discussion about the themes and how they are affected by them, if at all? Is it easier for them just to say 'no, you shouldn't'? That's lazy, if you ask me.
Use your brains for something other than to hold up your cranial bones, people. Don't be sheep. You can still have faith and think for yourselves, you know.
****
Happy Chanukah to all my Jewish friends! Have some latke's for me!
Oh, and good news! The release date for THE ANKH OF ISIS had been moved up from October to July! Hopefully by that time I can get MIRROR done.
As planned, I started studying for my Praxis exam yesterday. This week's subject is English. I have no problem with the Lit stuff - identifying theme, types of poetry, rhyme schemes, etc.. The grammar stuff is where I get all hung up. I was never good at it in school, ever. I KNOW when things aren't written properly, I do understand subject-verb agreement, but the independent clause/dependent clause, dangling modifier, naming of the verb tenses thing gets me all jammed up.
But I have found a savior. No, not Eats, Shoots and Leaves, although a lovely book. The Perdue University OWL (online writing lab) has printable documents about any grammar rule you can think of! So I printed up a bunch of subjects I know I need work on and went to work.
I still don't have all the verb tenses down. But I'm getting there. By the end of the week I'll be a grammar genius.
Oh, and I defintely have enough credits to qualify to take the Middle School Science exam in March. I looked at my transcripts last night and realized that at least three of the courses I took were Labs - meaning they were FOUR credit courses. So I shouldn't have to have any other courses audited by the county.
***
The Golden Compass comes out in theaters on Friday. I want to see it, despite
rm 's less than stellar review. Part of the reason is I haven't yet read the books (I know...bad, bad Fantasy author!) so I have no expectations going in. But that's not what I'm blogging about here.
The Catholic Church doesn't want people to see it. They think it will steer children toward atheism, much the same way some people thought Harry Potter would steer children towards witchcraft.
I have a HUGE problem with this. I'm not big on organized religion, mainly because I think it's overly oppressive, rigid and controlling. I have no problem with the issue of faith. People should have faith, and there's a difference (IMO) between being religious and being spiritual. Most of the 'religious' people I've run across were all about showing to the world how much they had invested in their religion, often trying to beat YOU over the head with it too, while the most spritual people are often the most introspective.
Anyway, my problem with this is my problem with religion - the church has put all its faith in God, and none in its own people. Telling people what movie they can't see, what books they shouldn't read, like they're some sort of idiots who need the church to tell them what to think??? It's horribly demeaning and says a lot about how the church feels about their people.
Because you know none of the people who have called for the boycotts have read the books or seen the movie. Just like none of the people who called for the banning of Harry Potter ever even cracked the spine of a copy of The Sorcerer's Stone. They only know what they've been told. That's called an uninformed opinon, and it usually doesn't hold much water with those who are informed.
Let the people make up their own minds.
Or is it fear? Is the church afraid that their people are so weak in their faith that a MOVIE is going to change their ideals? If so, then who didn't do their job? Why can't people go and see the movie (or read the book) and then have a discussion about the themes and how they are affected by them, if at all? Is it easier for them just to say 'no, you shouldn't'? That's lazy, if you ask me.
Use your brains for something other than to hold up your cranial bones, people. Don't be sheep. You can still have faith and think for yourselves, you know.
****
Happy Chanukah to all my Jewish friends! Have some latke's for me!
Oh, and good news! The release date for THE ANKH OF ISIS had been moved up from October to July! Hopefully by that time I can get MIRROR done.