Grammar Captive

During a solar eclipse the sun (solar) is eclipsed by the moon (lunar). In other words, the moon eclipses the sun.

Three forms and three uses of the same word.

1) NOUN (eclipse)
In the phrase “solar eclipse” it is the name (noun) of an activity that can occur at any time. In this case it is the activity of obscuring or hiding from view.

2) VERB (eclipse)

a) ACTIVE VOICE (The 3rd person singular form of the verb “eclipse” used in the present tense):

In the clause “the moon eclipses the sun” the word eclipse tells what the moon does at the time that it happens.

b) PASSIVE VOICE (The past participle of the verb “eclipse” used to complete the passive voice of the verb eclipse in 3rd person singular of the present tense):

In the clause “the sun is eclipsed by the moon” the word eclipse tells what happens to the sun at the time that it happens.

Are you watching the eclipse now? Do not be eclipsed by the above grammar. It is simpler than you think, but more difficult than you believe.

And, let not the synonyms think and believe fool you into believing that they are very different in this context.

Roddy

p.s.  Solar is an adjective form of sun, and lunar is a adjective form of moon.

In order to produce an outstanding user experience Grammar Captive must incorporate a PHP session variable on its podcast webpage.  As this is a new adventure some additional time is required.

In the meantime, work has already begun on the Grammar Captive introductory podcasts.

Roddy

This was not the time to do it, but it had to be done. Grammar Captive is now resident at Galvanize in Pioneer Square. Galvanize is an IT training center and host for young software entrepreneurs. It is located in Seattle’s charming old town not far from Seattle’s international and financial districts. After a full three weeks of struggle with no or only an unsecure and unreliable internet connection Grammar Captive now has both. Accordingly, the iTunes podcast feed has finally been completed, and Grammar Captive is able to generate automatically a new XML-RSS feed with each new podcast for both iTunes and other podcast hosts. Hooray, hooray.
Next up is a podcast webpage devoted to Grammar Captives upcoming weekly podcasts and completion and automation of Seven Gates, Grammar Captive’s weekly newsletter.
Roddy

Although at a great address SURF Incubator has proven unacceptable for further development.  Grammar Captive has moved a little further south to the Impact Hub where there is more technical expertise better suited for website development.

As soon as the Grammar Captive website has been updated, I will let you know more.  The daily time schedule remains the same, even though the dates are no longer appropriate.  Hopefully this problem will be fixed very soon.

Roddy

As predicted, adding new channel elements has proven easy. Adding new subelements to the item elements is only slightly more difficult and moving forward at good speed.

One more thing needs to be accomplished before returning to the automation of the Seven Gates newsletter, however:  a Grammar Captive podcast landing page — a place to go once the newsletter has been received and interested in the current week’s podcast has been generated.

I am building a funnel, but it is not out of the box.  It may succeed right away; it may require further adjustment.  Certainly it will not have been copied once complete.  In any case, it will be custom Grammar Captive.

Roddy

I was beginning to think that it would never happen, but yesterday evening, just before leaving the office, there it was — my first automatically created podcast feed.

Although there were only seven variables in my test feed, adding the rest should be a piece of cake in comparison.

After three different PHP libraries I finally discovered one that not only services ATOM, RFD, and RSS2 feeds, but one that is rock solid in design, very flexible in application, and actually works.

Best wishes to Anis Uddin Ahmad and Michael Bremmer for making FeedWriter what it is!

Roddy

Selection of the appropriate software for the creation of an automated RSS feed for Grammar Captive’s podcast series and Seven Gates — Grammar Captive’s weekly newsletter — has proven problematic.

Although an important lesson has been learned and much accomplished in regard to the manipulation of Grammar Captive’s database, the first selected piece of software has been abandoned and replaced.

This delay, although most unfortunate, will lead to greater and more reliable flexibility than was previously expected.  Grammar Captive continues to move ahead.

Roddy

The English language has become the world’s premier lingua franca. There are a variety of reasons for its dominance; foremost among these are political and economic.

During the course of World Wars I and II the British empire changed hands. Where before the British pound had reigned, today it is the US dollar. This was not the way intended by America’s founding fathers, and the world should be loathe to follow in America’s footsteps. For, as a nation the American people have abandoned the principles set forth by their founding fathers.

Look not to America for world leadership, look to its founding documents and the writings of those who founded America. For therein lies the notion of political and economic liberty and the essence of good government to the extent that any government cans be considered little more than the necessary evil understood by America’s founding fathers.

Happy July 4th!
Roddy

My very best to the Muslim world, especially my Arab friends.
May your holiday celebration bring you joy. And, may your family prosper.

That peace and free markets reign!

Roddy

The technical integration of Grammar Captive’s new introductory video has been realized and work on the automated generation of Grammar Captive’s RSS feed has begun.

In order to see the new video simply click on the “captive” on Grammar Captive’s landing page at www.grammarcaptive.com.  Many thanks to Richard Wu at Precarious Heights for his superb cinematic creation and promotional effort on behalf of Grammar Captive.

Roddy