Can't forget America's Past-Time!

Baseball is one of my favorite sports! :) As well as something I love about America.

I love America

America The Beautiful Reading Assignment

Chelsi, you were so right when you stated that this reading assignment would be a good one. I totally loved the information presented in this book. It was awesome to read an objective piece or writing that both criticized and praised America and its citizens. One of my favorite quotes was "terrorism it the weapon of the weak." I believe that to be 100 percent true. I also feel bad for those who are of the Muslim faith that have to deal with bad reminders of what others supposedly of their faith, have done. I know some Muslim people and they are kind to a fault and ultimately have very pure and high moral standards that I respect very much. I am so grateful for those who have given their lives so that I might have my freedom to do as I please. As said in this article, Americans have the freedom to do both good and bad. As a result it will bring out the worst in some but also the best in others. I choose to focus on the parts that are the best. May America always be filled with a majority of the best, this is what is meant by America is the best nation. No where else are such great opportunities available. We may not be perfect, but America is definitely worth fighting for!!

Grammar Post: Abr. Rls.

When reading articles in magazines and newspapers I have come across some abbreviations that have me perplexed. I wonder to myself "what does that mean? Should I know that?" As a result I chose to do my final grammar post about abbrevaitions and their correct use in acedemic writing.

Here are a few rules one should take into account when writing:

1- Am I writing about a subject that my audience will be well informed about?

2- Is it proffesional to abbreviate this word?

If the answer to these questions seems unclear to you, always error on the side of caution.

For more detailed and absolute rules I found a website that contained some great information. Click here for further info. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/abbreviations.htm

Here are is a short list of a few DON'T ABBREVIATE:
1. Words such as through (thru), night (nite).
2. Days of the week or months of the year (in the normal flow of text).
3. Words at the beginning of a sentence.
4. States' names such as Mass. (for Massachusetts) or Conn. (for Connecticut).

5. Courses such as econ (for economics) or poli sci (for political science).

Affirmative Action Research

Website Sources

*ONE
*TWO
*THREE
*FOUR
*FIVE

Prompt: 50 Research Questions about Equality in the USA

50 Questions about Equality

1-What percentage of Americans feel equal to all other American Citizen's?
2-When did the Founding Father's feel that they were no longer equal in the eye's of their government?
3- What action is appropriate when dealing with prejudice?
4-What different prejudices exist?
5-Who are the most persecuted in America?
6-Are biological factors the only distinction in prejudice?
7-Can there be a positive factor in prejudice?
8-Does prejudice serve a social significance to society?
9-Is it possible to have complete equality?
10-What lessons can we take from the Founding Fathers about the importance of equality?
11-Does the United States Government provide equality as a civil liberty guaranteed to all?
12-What responses to prejudice have been the most effective?
13-Which US President has focused the most of civil equality?
14-What leaders have made a difference in social prejudice?
15-Is equal opportunity a problem in college?
16-Is the United States prosecute discrimination?
17-What criminal charges are applied to employers who discriminate?
18-Is discrimination of those with mental challenges justified?
19-Is discrimination justified in situations where a person has committed a horrible crime?
20-Can people be subconsciously racist?
21-Is sexism discrimination a problem in the workforce?
22-Does access to scarce resources apply to the categorizing of people into groups?
23-Are there unreasonable expectations placed on the government to fix prejudices that exist?
24-Is there a statistical problem of racism in the Southern states currently?
25-Is there religious prejudice in the work force?
26-In times of terror and war are there certain discriminatory processes that should be taken?27-Why are colleges asked to meet a quota of certain ethnicity's in their acceptance process?
28-Has a country or city ever established complete equality?
29-Is equality a priority for American Citizens?
30-Is the USA the best example of striving for equality?
31-Is there a relationship between music and discrimination?
32-What role does the media play in inequality?
33-What group of people are mainly the prosecutors?
34-Does pride drive a separation between categories of people?
35-Is there more than one definition of discrimination?
36-What is the universally accepted definition of equality?
37-Do religious beliefs produce discrimination?
38-Does the media accurately portray the equality state of America?
39-Are there programs to help those rehabilitate from a prejudicial problem?
40-Can people who are prejudice be rehabilitated?
41-Can the media change the accepted norms of a society?
42-What characteristics have proven effective in the fight against prejudice and discrimination?
43-What leaders of forgien nations have sought for national equality?
44-Are there places of refuge available for those be persecuted in America?
45-As Americans do we feel responsible to fight inequality in other Nations?
46-Should Americans fight inequality in other Nations when our own still needs work?
47-Does military service change the perspective of equality?
48-Can a nonviolent approach to discrimination be a lasting solve?
49-How does one make restitution for prejudice in the past?
50-Are their biological differences between ethnicity's as a whole?

Grammar: The Affect Effect

To this day I have to pause and sort out in my mind the difference between affect and effect. As with any of the other common mistakes people make when writing, it’s taking that moment to get it right that makes the difference. Although it is a problem supposedly only seen in 3rd grade spelling tests, many writers still struggle with the misuse of these word.

“Affect” is a verb which is means "to have an influence on."
An example of the correct usage is:
“Your ability to communicate clearly will affect your income immensely.”
It can also be used as a noun when describing a person.
The example of these type of sentences are common, such as:
"The woman took the news of her husband's sudden death with little affect."

“Effect” is a noun, and is defined as a “result or consequence”; it is often indicated in a sentence by its use with "a or an" as in “The effect of a parent’s low income on a child’s future is well documented.”

By thinking in terms of “the effect,” you can usually sort out which is which. Remembering the definition of the words alone can solve the problem indefinitely.
For more info please click HERE

Breather Essay Topic

Poem by Joyce Brown(16 year old Freedom School teacher/studentMcComb, Mississippi, 1964
THE HOUSE OF LIBERTY
I come not for fortune, nor for fame,I seek not to add glory to an unknown name, I did not come under the shadow of night, I came by day to fight for what's right, I shan't let fear, my monstrous foe, Conquer my soul with threat and woe, Here I have come and here I will stay,And no amount of fear my determination can sway.
I asked for your churches, and you turned me down, But I'll do my work if I have to do it on the ground, You will not speak for fear of being heard, So you crawl in your shell and say, "Do not disturb," You think because you've turned me away, You've protected yourself for another day.
But tomorrow surely will come, And your enemy will still be there with the rising sun, He'll be there tomorrow as all tomorrows in the past, And he'll follow you into the future if you let him pass.
You've turned me down to humor him, Ah! Your fate is sad and grim, For even though your help I ask, Even without it, I'll finish my task.
In a bombed house I have to teach school Because I believe all men should live by the Golden Rule. To a bombed house your children must come, Because of your fear of a bomb.
And because you've let your fear conquer your soul, In this bombed house these minds I must try to mold. I must try to teach them to stand tall and be a man, When you their parents have cowered down and refused to take a stand.

Reading Prompt: Economic Class and The Media

I really enjoyed the reading assignment for this week. As I began reading "Serving In Florida" and found it to be very interesting. I enjoyed the personal insight she was able to offer to her audience. In comparison to the other reading assignment written by Diana Kendall, it was much more relatable to the reader.

The purpose of Ehrenreich's experiment and the document in which she summarized her experience, was to shine light on the reality of the working class in America. The personal tone and voice she added to her work communicated effectively the hardships she faced while working at the run down restaurant which was a "step down on the economic ladder." She added detail that applied to the human senses in order to give the reader a first hand account of how bad the situation was. I appreciated the point she made to show how hard working some people are. Just because some may work at a lower status economically, doesn't mean their job is any easier or that they are lazy.

The second assigned essay was slightly less exciting to read, but Kendall does make some valid points as to the media and the effect it has on society. Kendall makes the point that "the media does not simply mirror society, it shapes it." However wrong I may believe the media is, I must admit that it does have an affect on they way different classes of people are perceived. Whether watching dumb reality TV shows or the skewed news, the entertainment and media available to those in our Nation is disturbing and should be monitored. One must have perspective and critically approach issues when dealing with the media.

Grammar: Passive Voice

On my last assignment a comment was made to me about the use of passive voice. In order to improve my writing I decided to do some research about the subject of passive voice and provide some hints as to stearing away from this mistake.

Step 1: What is passive voice?
Passive voice is defined as a grammatical error pertaining to clarity. That is, there are times when using the passive voice can prevent a reader from understanding what you mean.

Step 2: Identifiying passive voice.
In order to fix this common mistake, one must know how to find it in writing. A common formula to use is: a "to be" verb + passive participle= passive voice
"To be" verbs are words such as "has, had, have, be, been, become, may, might, must, etc."
Now, it is important that when looking for passive voice that one follows the given formula exactly. For instance in the sentence "John is a good student." the word "is" might be a red flag for passive voice, but without the passive participle it is mearly expressing Johns status.
Passive participles are words that end (mostly) with "ed" or are expressed in the past.

Step 3: Fix the mistake.
Once one identifies the problem "voice" the correction process is really simple.
a. Find the verb in the sentence.
b. Ask yourself who or what is performing the action. When you do this, you are identifying the actor in the sentence. Keep in mind that some passive voice sentences omit the real actor, thus one lacks clarity. The actor may need to be incorperated in the sentence.
c.Construct the sentence so the actor performs the action. The key here is to make the action take place in the "now" or present time.

This is an issue that I continually struggle with and hopefully this quick post can help those out there suffering like me. :) For more info please click HERE

Grammar: Among vs Between

I was reading The Spectrum Newspaper a few months ago and found that in the headline there was a common grammar mistake that definitely should have been caught with editing. For this week I decided to post the rule and hopefully remind those out there that there is a rule when using the words among and between. One would think that they are interchangeable, but in reality they are separate.

The word "Among" should be used when discussing or comparing three or more ob ejects.
An example would be:
"She had to choose among grape, cherry, and lime."
Most commonly it is misused to compare two objects.

On the other hand, the word "between" should be utilized when comparing any two objects. It will commonly be associated with words such as two, twice, and twin.
An example would be:
"We shuttled between New York and Washington DC."
Another more common sense rule to be paired with the word "between" is the fact that it should be followed by the word "and." Often times the a mistake will happen when the word "to" follows and this is wrong grammatically.
The follow example illustrates this:
"We shuttled between New York to Washington DC."
The only instance the word "to" should be used is when it is preceded by the word "from."

Just a good little note to remember when doing academic writing. It will add to authority of your work if you use correct grammar. For more info click here:)

Writing Prompt: Must Everything Be a Debate?

This week's assignment was quite an interesting read that I enjoyed. I never got into debate in high school, but I have been exposed to in through leadership conferences and youth government trainings. I will never forget a debate I witnessed between two girls about college acceptance and quotas that must be met for different ethnicities. Their polite debate soon escalated to a full out brawl with yelling and crying. I know this may seem like a strong, exaggerated example of what can happen in heated argument, but after reading through Tannen's article about debate i feel that she was making a profound point that applies to this story. When people only allow themselves to see their own situation, they miss out on many other perspectives. These two girls were so set in their ways they didn't stop to think of the other persons situation. Debate can bring many good points, but there must be some compromise on both parts if debate is going to be beneficial to anyone. I like the idea of being able to share one's opinion, but there is a point when one must listen to anther's. I like the part in this essay where Tennan talks about looking at things through not only two cultural perspectives, but through many. This is the point I derived from this essay. She is clearly a gifted academic writer.

Grammar: Numbers, Dollar Signs, and Percentages

I currently work for an Investment Advisory Firm here in St. George. I am the receptionist and I am often called upon to type and mail letters, or proofread things before they enter the mail to our clients. Recently my company sent out a quarterly newsletter about the Economy and everyone in the office was asked to participate and help correct. In the midst of our work, a few of my co-workers asked the question about when it was appropriate to use number, a dollar sign, or a percent sign verse spelling the out. After doing some research I now know the correct answer and will gladly share my spoils with you.

Using numbers is a pretty common and not so complex rule which most people understand on the surface.
1. Spell out the numbers one through ten. Use numeric digits for 11 and higher.
This is easy to do, but sometimes harder to remember. Make sure to reread your drafts carefully to avoid making mistakes in the future.

Expressions about money and percent usually appear in academic writing as statistics or resources. By applying the number rule to money.... add the dollar sign ($) and comma if the amount is greater than 10.
2. Use dollar signs and commas where appropriate.
The percent sign follows the same rule. If the number is greater than 10 add the percent sign (%) otherwise, it is correct to spell out "percent."
3. Use the percent symbol when using numeric digits.

If you need more clearity on the rules or just want to see examples click here.

Writing Prompt: Rhetoric

The rhetoric used in writing is key to the interpretation and voice of a writer. This week I have been asked to look at two separate pieces of writing and determine the components of rhetoric that contribute to both. Rhetoric is the concepts in which a writer can relate to and arouse the audience. By appealing to the credibility of the facts which is known as "Ethos", the emotion of human life related to the word "Pathos", and lastly appealing to logical thinking which is referred to as "Logos."

In an excerpt of writing from John Gatto entitled Against School, John begins by catching the readers attention with a Pathos effect. He talks about being a school teacher for 30 years, which is also an Ethos rhetoric, and noticing that students often become board in school. Almost every person can relate to being board in school setting. Whether in an actual class room, listening to mom and dad give lectures, this educational point appeals to every reader. Continuing John applies a Logos rhetoric by going over his ideas and trying to persuade the audience to question their thoughts about schooling and the need for the public education system which America has built. He uses simple, yet strong language throughout this document to invoke thought.

The next piece of writing I will analyze was written by Mike Rose. After reading the whole article, it was apparent to me that Rose chose to use great detail and appeal to the writers senses through Pathos rhetoric. It was amazing to me how Rose explained his situation well enough to keep me interested, make me feel anger at those who treated him badly, and yet want to be observant like him. I also found a few hints of Logos in Mike's writing. He was able to logically explain about his situation as a student and I could relate to the thought of "Why work hard in a class that didn't grab my fancy?" Overall the rhetoric used in this writing made it both an enjoyable and a learning experience.

Grammar: Exclaim Through Exclamation Marks!!!!!!!!

I blame this common grammar error on the causual conversations one can have via texting, Email and instant messaging. Thinking back to early elementary years, exclamation marks were the coolest thing. It was a rare and great opportunity when one had something to exclaim to the world. Now, as people have more outlets for expression, exclamation marks are used and abused. For this weeks grammar "spot light" I wanted to cover the actual appropriate use of an exclamation mark.

Rule 1: Don't use an exclamation mark unless it's absolutely necessary.
It is advised that one not use an exclamation mark in formal acedemic writing. The follow example shows how inappropraite a simple puncuation can be in ones writing.
"In 1848, gold was discovered in California!"
Avoid this altogether if you would like to be taken seriously in your writing.

Rule 2: Use an exclamation mark after an exclamation, especially after one beginning with "what" or "how."
It is proper to use exclaimation marks after statements not sentences. As the follow example shows, exclaimation marks can add needed enthusiams to a statement such as in novels or narrative writing.
"What a lovely view you have here!"

These are just a few simple guidelines that will help to recover the significance of the exclamation! :) For more info click here.

Michael Moore: The Real Idiot

Wow. I am grateful for the warning I received before reading an article written by Michael Moore entitled "Idiot Nation." Normally I am very tolerant of others' ideas but, after reading Moore's writing, I feel like hitting something! Moore's style is meant to be offensive and controversial I understand this and hate to admit it had an affect on me.

Moore writes with a sarcasm and voice I have not previously seen. He somehow believes that he, on his own, is an authority on every subject. There were no references or given sources included in this work, just his opinion alone. I find this very interesting and the root of the disagreement and controversy involved in his writing.


Another point to recognize in Moore's writing, is the fact that he is full of criticism and no solutions. He rags on the education system, politicians, and other influential people, from the comfort of chair, pen and paper. He pretends to understand situations he has no experience with. For example, Michael Moore will never have the responsibility of being President of the United States of America. Thus he will never comprehend the reasoning behind certain critical decisions made by previous presidents. On a personal note, I appreciate former President George W. Bush. He is an honorable man that lead this country well and the way that Michael Moore portrays him, is inaccurate and ultimately wrong.

I would only ever recommend this article to a person needing a rise in blood pressure because the only positive that I received from this reading was added color to my face. :)

Grammar: Subject-Verb Disagreement

I love living in Utah. It is a wonderful place full of good people. One of the draw backs however is the way that people talk. Not that I don't love a little country flair, but sometimes I find,in my writing, that my subject-verb structure is not correct. I am not sure if it is the fact that I have "Utah ear" or that I just never grasped the concept when I was younger, but I could definitely use some improvement in my "subject-verb relationships."

There are two types of disagreements between subjects and verbs. The first one is obvious and is mainly avoidable. This error is based on the rule that verbs must agree with subjects in number. A poor example of this would be the common "it don't" phrase. The problem here is that "it" is singular and "don't" is plural.

The more complex form of disagreement occurs when a noun interferes between the subject and the verb in pronunciation. This mistake is not often apparent to writers or readers unless they are searching for this specific error. An example of correctly following this rule is the following sentence:
"Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, presents a formidable opponent on the basketball court."

Don't get confused. If you follow these simple rules even living in Utah can't stop you from having subject-verb agreements.For a list of other rules and hints please click here.

i.e. vs e.g.

When I was in sixth grade I was taken back by the idea that the abbreviation "i. e." could go before a word and mean "for example", or at least so I was taught. Often times, since receiving this knowledge, I have used the abbreviation "i.e." when taking notes for other classes. By using "i.e." I would save myself the nano second of writing out the long word "example." That was until last week when my Biology teacher pointed out to me that "i.e." doesn't really mean "for example." As a result I thought I would share my new found knowledge with you.

The "i.e." is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase id estis which can replace the words "that is" in one's writing. It is related to the use of "AKA" in more casual documents.

Using this abbreviation is simple, for example:

"Last month we celebrated the birth of Jesus, i.e. ,Christmas."

Note that there must always be a comma after the abbreviation.

To express the words "for example" one could use the correct abbreviation of "e.g." This is short for another Latin phrase which is exempli gratia. To use these letters as a symbol follow this given example:

"I like many of the ladies on the Food Network (e.g., Rachael Ray, Giada DeLaurentiis, etc.)"

The same rule about the comma after the abbreviation applies here.

For more information about the use of i.e. and e.g. please click here:)

What About the 19050's?

This week we have been asked to review two seperate essays focused on the 1950's and the role of the family in that time period. As I wrote in my previous post for last week, history fascinates me and I love to think about what has happen in order for life to exist as I know it. The essays Looking for Work by Gary Soto and What We Really Miss About the 1950's by Stephanie Coontz gave great insight to the "everyday life" of Americans in the 1950's.

Of the two essays I read, Looking for Work was the msot interesting. By including references to the media and using unformal, common language, Gary Soto allows the story to connect well with the audience. Many Americans can relate to drinking "Kool-Aid" and the desire to have money of their own. Ultimately I think that the message one can recieve from Gary Soto's writing is that culture and environment do influence our way of thinking and acting whether for good or bad. For example, when the teacher in this story refers to some children in her class "differently", these students begin to think that they are different and not in a positive way. Because of how they were treated as children, they may have lower ambitions or goals. Although there were many good morals promoted by people in the 1950's there were some actions that were completely wrong. The shining point in this story however was the determination expressed by Gary as a young boy. As children life is so full of opportunity and because Gary decided at a young age to have a great work ethic, and drive he has become a well respected, educated man.

Although I said I enjoyed the first essay better, does not mean that Coontz's more researched based paper did not give me some ideas to ponder. I liked the fact that What We Really Miss About The 1950's held theries that could be proven and backed up with scientific evidence. It is allowed me as a reader to trust the information I was being represented with. The most enphiseed point of this essay was the fact that simplicity is what most American are missing in their lives and the 1950's are a symbol of a less complex time in our history as a people. As the song says "All I want to do, is have some fun." Life is built around this idea that everything we do is to allow us to have more joy in our life. We go to school so we can get a good job, so we can provide for ourselves and our loved ones, so that we can enjoy time together. This was the most interesting part of the essay for me. The fact that in Coontz's mind, the 1950's may not have perfect, but they held an important, sought-after dream for most Americans.

Unitl Thursday at 6:00,

Maddi

Grammar: When, Where and Why To Use a Colon

Many times in my writing I have wondered when it is appropriate to use a colon in a sentence. In my personal reading I have seen colons used and wondered "Can you do that?" So for my "grammar spotlight" this week I wanted to do some research about colons and try to expand my punctuation knowledge.

A colon is most commonly used in writing to express or list items or objects. For example...

"For the over night activity this weekend you will need to bring personal items: a sleeping bag, a towel, sun screen, and insect repellent."

This puncuation allows for organized easy to read lists that can be detailed. The one rule however is to make sure that the colon is preceeded by a complete sentence.

The most beneficial rule for colons however, is using it to direct attention or introduce a quote. When using a quotation that is more than three lines long, it is correct to put add a blank line before and after the quote. By incorperating a colon into the quote introduction t will alow for neat sentence fluency.

There are more rules for colons, and iIf you would like to access more information please click here.

Political Cartoons

These are my two political cartoons. :)

Grammar: Disruptive Modifiers

Growing up my Dad would continually ask me how much I loved him. I would make up things like "more than all the stars in the sky" or "so much times infinity." By doing this I was began to "modify" the ways of expressing love for my Dad. Often times a writer will want to add life and emphasis to a piece of writing however, if modifiers are added incorrectly the idea of writing may be lost. There are a few simple ways to avoid writing interference and allow for voice and personality to be apparent in one's writing.
1- Read your writing out loud. Often times it helps to read to another person what you have written and see if you can find any in perfections.

2- When adding a limiting modifier such as "only" or "just" input them in front of the subject you would like to add to. This will , in most cases, help avoid any awkward word choice.
Disruptive

3- Ask for help. Let others read your writing and except input or opinion about changes that could be made.

Ultimately enjoy adding modifiers to writing. They can help brighten up your work and when done correctly express your point.

If you would like more information click .... here! :)

Writing Prompt:America, God Shed His Grace On Thee

The following is a response for my English 2010 class. I am commenting on what it means to be an American citizen. As well as my thoughts on if the Rereading America text will challenge my current opinions.

For me, being an American is both a privelege and an honor. I love the patriotic feeling I get when I read historical fiction books. I know, call me wierd but, I like to read about the American fore fathers and all those who sacrificed so I can have the life I enjoy today. America is centered around the fact that all humans have the right to life, liberty and happiness. This is the land of oppurtinity for any person to follow their dream and have joy in the journey.

Rereading America seems to be a book that will allow me to see different points of view on subjects that are, to me, black and white. I highly doubt that anything this book or any person says will influence or change my opinion about the country that I love, or what it means to be a part of it. Although I understand that America is not complete perfection, I hold strong to the morals and beleifs by which it was founded. I believe it to be the best place on Earth to live beccause any person has the opportunity to obtain and education, have a family, worship thier father in heaven and have all the happiness the world can offer.