Grammar Nazi

Because it's a cat it's less offensive. I shit you not.

Because it’s a cat it’s less offensive. I shit you not.

Facebook can get away with anything it posts unless it’s really crude like a pantiless crotchshot, which it could if no one reported it. I am sure a lot of straight men would dig it. I almost said something else, but I would have made not only the image I chose offensive, but then the following words could have really thrown you into a tizzyfit. *** that shit up. See? This is before coffee, mind you. I am lucky I caught that at all. So I didn’t make this image, I collect memes and if they don’t have the credit on the image, that is their fucking bad, not mine.  I have never read the ToS or P&P on FB, but in my mind of complete common sense, anything posted on Facebook is fair game. It’s the cesspool of image thievery so it would be really dumb to post shit you think is safe from being taken. I also have enough common sense to not claim anything as my own because seriously, that’s dumbshit.  Ever checked out Google Image search? Click the camera icon in the search bar and you can upload or drag and drop or image link to find where else on this beautiful web your image is used. It’s fucking fantastical.

That all aside now, I believe grammar is important as much as mathematics and other academic studies. I am not nor do I think I will ever have perfect grammar, after all Crank Masta G has pointed out to me where I can learn the proper use of who or whom. I still don’t understand it and it was elementary level teaching. I do better when I have a live person showing me how something works versus trying to learn it myself. It’s a little funny because before she pointed it out to me ( I was using whom for everything ), I had stolen a book from the library and specifically looked up when to use who and whom and you know what? This textbook said that it has become so blurred that it doesn’t matter which you use, but if you start the article out with one continue using that one to be more cohesive. I reworded that, it was put much simpler, but this is me we are reading. Then it said when in doubt, go with formality meaning use whom.

Over the years the difference between who and whom has blurred. That sentence annoys me to no end. Next they are going to say your and you’re are blurred and to make the article less confusing, use your. People will get YOUR meaning on which one YOU’RE using based on the context of your sentence.

Do people notice the inflection between the two when the words are spoken? Your rhymes with Door. Your door is open. You can say the previous out loud to make sure I am correct. You’re rhymes with lure (give or take on your accent). Say it: You’re going to hand me that lure. That is one way to figure the difference if your primary way of learning is auditory. Or even secondary. Or even an ape. Apes are quick learners, no doubt.

I don’t understand articles and ENGLISH TEACHERS (they taught regular, that was the year I wanted to do less work and I regretted that. Honors was full so I couldn’t switch, and I was not teacher’s pet that year) that do not feel that spelling and grammar are important. Aren’t you curious why great literature is not younger than 50 (guessing, no research done on my part there) years old. The schools are still teaching the same literary works that my mother AND my mother’s mother were taught.

It greatly appalls me that education is becoming more and more slack. You have people believing that fundamental education is not important. I don’t understand why knowing

(x^2 – 16)(x – 3)^2 + 9x^2 = 0

is more important than being able to properly communicate through reading and writing. It’s laziness on everyone’s behalf.

On mathematics, my mother was livid when she saw I was learning simple math by using what they called “manipulatives” that I called “blocks”. Apparently when my mother went to school they used flash cards and taught the whole reason behind why the answer was what it was. Why did my school system do this? So they wouldn’t have to hold so many kids back. Little Tommy can’t figure out 2 + 3 equals so we may as well make teaching easier so we don’t have to put more effort in on teaching Little Tommy.

Simplifying the education one ascertains in childhood to college is not a good idea in support for the economy; local, national or global. Yes, you can blame the banks, Wall Street, BP oil, and/or giving-millions-to-other-nations-who(m?)-hate-our-guts-but-continue holding-their-hands-out for the U.S. economy being piss poor. But don’t forget to look at education. Don’t fail to see the dummies that are coming out of our school systems.

Obv. before 9/11, but still a valid truth.

Obv. before 9/11, but still a valid truth.

So for you people out their questioning the importance of grammar and spelling, they are fundamental to continuing education. Just as important as knowing 2+3 in order to know  (x^2 – 16)(x – 3)^2 + 9x^2 = 0.

Yes, janitor and trash pick-up jobs and all other jobs that do not require extensive spelling and grammar knowledge are important. I am not saying they aren’t. I am saying that Scientists, Writers, Educators, etc. who know the importance of fundamental education are extremely important. And to come out with a Teaching, English, or Journalism degree and say to a classroom full of high school kids that spelling is not important is absurd.

Also and lastly, you can learn spelling and basic grammar just by one simple thing, reading. Not reading on Facebook or personal blogs, but articles, magazines, books, and even newspapers/sites.

What I Never Knew About Myself*

Something happened that began the night before last night, but I don’t want to blog here about it because I am saving it for a Guest Blog post that Rara has invited me to do. I see that shocked look on your face, I know. I am gobsmacked myself — an A-List blogger wants this D-List blogger to whip something out to be featured on her blog!? Is she nuts?? Did she just discover the crazy effects Ganja has on ideas? I don’t know. Or she could just really like me. I am gearing more toward the Ganja.

I didn’t write yesterday because of the thing occurring and I know I needed to put something in today because I am compulsive when it comes to blogging. I miss a day and I feel deflated. So I was pleased when I came about today’s Daily Post Prompt:

Describe your last attempt to learn something that did not come easily to you.

There are some things that I don’t think apply to this because they will always be things I am learning. Like having a stable relationship, boundaries between people, anything with human behavior is off-limits to this. That’s under the category of always being a learning process. It’s not anything set in stone.

Sheldon Cooper

That being said, it doesn’t leave me with much else. I am not saying I am so intelligent that I am a freaking genius and people should bask in my glory, but I could possibly say that if I was without a filter and a little lot bit neurotic like that of Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. Things come naturally easy for me. The way God chose to balance my quick learning skill was to make it so it would be extremely hard for me to have a direct route to utilize it. That and the gift of bipolar disorder. He made me indecisive, self-conscious and moody. Damn him. Oh, don’t worry. He and I are [likethis]. We go way back. Focus on your own relation/non-relationship with him, please.

It started when I was in Preschool. I was naturally shy, but when we were learning and doing work, no other person but Miss Star existed in that room. My eyes, attention, ears were all focused on her. My hand was the first to go up when she asked us a question. I was a perfect really good student. That took me into Kindergarten and there was where I was taken out of the class one day and they tested me without my knowledge. A couple of days later I was given an envelope to take home to my mom. I cried all the way home on the bus, I was certain that I was in grave trouble. I gave it to my mom (I was never a rule breaker, tell me I had to do something, I did it) and she read it in front of me and started laughing. I looked at her like she was fucking nuts. She got down to my level and said, “Sarah, you’re not in trouble. This is a letter to tell me they want to challenge you more.” [insert my bizarre look here] “They want to put you in gifted.” And then she went on to explain what all that meant. In Virginia, back in whatever year I was in Kindergarten, they did it like this. I would start with my regular class in the morning and then I would be called out of the classroom to go to another room. We would do work and then play and then for reading they would take us 1 by 1 and I would read to a teacher. I was reading chapter books in Kindergarten, 4th and 5th grade level.

I am not going to say every class I had in my academic career was easy-peasy, but I maintained honor roll and Principal’s list in Virginia, and then held A’s-B’s through my schooling here in Florida. Which to tell you the truth, Florida schools suck. I’m not blaming the teachers, but the school board and the curriculum is crap.

I am intelligent, but my decision-making skills and my self-disciplinary skills are quite lacking. I almost graduated high school early in my junior year, but dropped out of that program because it was boring. There was no class structure, it was sitting in front of a computer (think old computer with those big bulky horrible resolution monitors) working at your own pace and logging your own hours. That gave me too much freedom. So what did I do? I dropped out in my senior year of high school only needing 2 credits to graduate. That’s 2 classes. That means I was in school until 11 in the morning, the rest of my day was free.

I went to community college the following fall based off a diploma neither I or they knew was fake. I was making A’s in all of my classes and I dropped out because it felt like “the 13th grade”. Had I finished that semester, I would have been grandfathered in meaning I could continue taking my college courses and obtaining those credits, I would just need to get my GED before I received my AA (not to be confused with alc-anon, I’m talking Associate of Arts degree).

The only time I carry discipline is when it comes to work. I will stick with a job no matter how miserable I can get. Doing so has given me a lot of accomplishments. I can work with anybody; no matter how cranky, crazy, idiotic they are. I excel in customer service, you can rip my head off and shove it up my ass, but you’re damn well going to leave with a smile on your face and come back tomorrow. I have a customer service award to prove it and a numerous amount of customer calls with my name on them, and I had regulars. Yes, as a pharmacy technician, I had people who would only come in when I was working. I also trained my fellow coworker so well that she gained her own following and took my lead position when I left. Out of everything I accomplished and experienced, that was my proudest moment. Even if I had only accomplished that and hadn’t received the award, I’d have felt successful.

I also passed my National Certification test the first attempt without having studied. I was for sure I was going to fail, especially when I was being asked the hospital formulas and equations, hospital pharmacy is quite a bit different from retail.

With all this gloating said, I haven’t come by anything that was difficult for me to learn. I was born to learn. I didn’t know this about myself until now.

____________________________________

*And you learned how self-involved I can truly be. If you actually made it through this post. Kudos!

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