Here Be Dragons

2007-04-12

It's vs Its

I'v been told in my comments that It's is a contraction of "it is" and Its is a possesive form signifying "belonging to". Now see that is exactly what confused me because if I was going to say Diane's house (house belonging to Diane) I would use an apostrophe "S" to signify posession. *That's* what screwed me up. I was always sure of the contraction but was unsure of the possesive form of "It". Thanks and don't be surprised if I ask again a year from now. It's a weakness of mine that seems to not stay taught.

The autobiography of Malcom X is 100's of pages (466 to be exact) of small print. I read fast and I read for an hour on the train this morning and I'm only on page 38. The train trip home last night only gave me the Foreword and the Introduction. It will be awhile before I finish this book but so far it's been incredible. Before the age of 6 his father was killed by the northern version of the Klu Klux Klan and he'd been burned out of a house by the southern KKK.

His father followed a man named Garvey that was a black seperatist way back before the depression. Malcom himself was objectified and isolated until he expected it from white society and saw it where it didn't exist but truthfully, most of the time he was right. He grew up dirt poor and by the time he was 13 he was placed in foster care and his mother had a mental breakdown and was hopitalized for many, many years.

He spent his youth as minority and didn't feel like part of a black community until his first visit to Roxbury in Massachusetts at 14 to visit a half sister. It was a revelation to see someone who was black and proud of it instead of whipped into submission or to see such a large thriving community where he could actively participate without problems.

Right now he is 14 and has expressed the desire, to an advisor, to be a lawyer. He was told that goal was unrealistic for a black and he was advised to be a carpenter. At this point he experiences an emotional change and withdraws. I get the rest on the way home tonight.

Fred and I made it to the gym last night and I over ate at a Japanese Steak House afterwards. I had to to keep my carb to protein ration correct .. yeah right!

Well, back to school!

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