Recent Posts
Teaching Astronomy to Children
Within New Zealand, June provides the perfect opportunity for astronomers to get out into the community and spark the astronomy bug in children. Not only are we currently in winter, experiencing sunset really early — 6pm in some parts of the country and earlier in the far south — but it is also the Maori New Year, or Matariki as it is called, a time of the year that is marked by the dawn rising of the Pleiades Cluster.
Every year, I get asked by at least one of the local scout groups to introduce the kids to some of the concepts behind astronomy. This month’s show of Conversations in Science was all about some of the tactics that I use to explain eclipses, seasons, and our place in the galaxy.
Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far?
The idea of political correctness (PC as many have come to abbreviate it) is not anything new. The civil rights movements in the 1960s and 1970s were all about trying to remove the gender and racial bias that is inherent in our society. From these tough times came some positive actions — things that I and my children can benefit from — but with the push for acceptance and tolerance, has today’s society taken it too far?
My baby is 12. Where did the time go?
Exactly 12 years ago today, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Unlike my first child, she was on time. Well, sort-of. My midwife was concerned about the increasing protein counts in my urine, showing signs that my kidneys were shutting down. I was referred to the maternity unit at the hospital. The specialist on call gave me two options: they induce me, so I could give birth that day; or they admit me and we can wait for labour to start on its own. Umm… Such a silly question to ask a pregnant woman who was so over this thing called pregnancy. Eight hours later, my daughter was […]
Scientists and the Pursuit of Knowledge
Well, the latest episode of Conversations in Science has now aired, and it was LIVE. OMG, I can’t believe I even agreed to doing that. I felt like I was constantly rambling — but what’s done is done. This month’s topic: The Science March, Scientist and the True Pursuit of Knowledge.
What have I done? (Cover reveal)
It has been a long time in the works, but finally it’s happening. Check out the new cover for “Hidden Traps: A Writer’s Guide to Protecting Your Online Platform” by Judy L Mohr, to be released August 1st, 2017.
Aspiring Writer: The Sequel
In a post last year, I spoke about the term aspiring writer and how it’s a term that I dislike. Back then, I had this wonderful circular argument about how if you write, then you are a writer — no aspiring about it. Regardless, I still see an insane number of people who insist on calling themselves aspiring writers.
Back when that original post first came out, someone had commented on one of my Facebook discussion groups that the term writer referred to a person who was paid to write.
To be fair, the term applies to people who want to make a career out of writing. Writer is a professional term.
You have no idea how much my skin crawls at this concept. Clearly, my arguments using the definitions in Merrian-Webster were insufficient to get my point across. Perhaps the Oxford English Dictionary might sway the ideas. So here goes.