grammer #3

my last grammer post was on comma's, so i decided to move on to semicolons/punctuations.i've seen them things i have read, but never found out why.

Use a semicolon in place of a period to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out.

Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas.

Use the semicolon between two sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction when one or more commas appear in the first sentence.

grammer # 2

i have always questioned myself on when and where to put a comma. i looked up the rule and found almost a thousand rules! so i learned a few that can help me:

Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the word and can be inserted between them.

Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt sentence flow.

Use a comma when beginning sentences with introductory words such as well, now, or yes or

Use commas surrounding words such as therefore and however when they are used as interrupters.

killer culture

after reading this essay, i found myself thinking more about the examples stated in the text than any other essay so far. it was weird! michael moore's " idiot nation" reminded me of david kupelian's " killer culture". they were both talking about todays culture, but i'm talking about the overwhelming rhetoric i felt from each piece. both authors made their opinions very clear in a aggressive way! i actually enjoyed the essay, and found the information interesting. do i necessarily agree with everything? no. i thought david kupelian touched base on "both side's of the coin". however he came across as a pissed off dad venting his frustration on todays youth. and had me thinking about how his relationship with his son is off the record. as i sayed earlier, the information was interesting, but also a bit scary! some of the examples of activities others are engaging in, make we want to lock my daughter and son in their rooms and ever let them have the opportunity to stumble on any of those situations. obviously an exaggeration on my part, although you cant help but wonder where are country is headed knowing these terrible things are all around us!

I just wanna be average

Mike Rose does a great job of descriptive writing in this essay. However, a little hard for me to read. I like when the story moves along a bit more. i felt like i was reading in slow motion. The comparison between " Against School " and " I just wanna be average " was pretty interesting. I took it as John Taylor Gatto was saying that everyone involved is at fault. As Mike Rose, in a nut shell said, that we are a country of average people and tickled to death about it.

Against school

after reading the piece, i found myself think about both sides. i think it is pretty easy for everyone to relate to the idea of school being a bit boring. however, it seems school is designed to teach us work ethic, finishing assignments on time, and working with others. so, it is preparing us for the workforce. I thought the piece was pretty easy to read, and full of creative thinking on how things could change. i think the 12 years we are in school can teach us some work ethic in the real world. although, it would be nice if they could focus on challenging kids to really think and create ideas. kids are the future you know.

idiot nation

reading " idiot nation " i thought it was pretty funny. i can see how it could be pretty controversial. however, i looked at the peice as one man's point of view. some of the statistics were pretty interesting and alarming. although, i don't think a persons should be considered stupid by not knowing a question. there is a big difference between being stupid and ignorant. i did find it a good read though, and it was nice to read something by an author I'm familiar with. I've never seen that side of him before.

What we really missed about the 1950's

i thought the results of the survey were interesting. The poll taken by the " Kinght Ridder " in 1996, found most people would choose the 50's as the best time for kids to grow up. I would have to agree. on the surface, i think of " leave it to beaver". The world moving slower, less temptation's for kids and a greater family bond. after reading " what we really missed about the 1950's " by Stephanie Coontz, i found myself focusing on all the hidden issues. like the government and media Strong hold they had over the population. it seemed to me that it all appeared to be a cover up of the 20's and 30's. after WWII and the great depression, there was a rebuilding period taking place that was going to take some time. so political cosmetic surgery took place. for instance, lets make everything look good at first glance to hide the ugly issues. as stated in the piece by stephanie coonze there was minority's in poverty and receiving little help. as the white suburbia were able to purchase homes with one days salary. racism and socialism were very real and hidden during the decade. families were bred with the idea, men work, women take care of the home, and the kids were taught, that's the way it is. jobs were booming, and young adults really didn't have to exceed. someone who didn't graduate high school could find a career making good money and support his wife and 2.5 kids. i believe the strong hold the government and media had in the 50's, played a big part in the rebellion the kids had in the 60's and the poverty numbers rising in the 70's. some of the issues covered up and made pretty in the 50's revealed themselves in later decades.

Grammer post - anyway or any way

I have always questioned certain words when writing. For example, who or whom, or any way or anyway, etc. i decided to look up anyway or any way. I found several examples on different use for it. I found out that the compound word for anyway is an adverb meaning " regardless " . when using any way, it's simply the word way modified by the word any. It means : any manner " or " any method ". Example: " We are going to do it anyway! ( regardless )
Example: " I don't know any way to fix it. ( any manner or method)

I found this information at: http://www.ask.com/ - http://englishplus.com/grammar/

A little about me

My name is Kyle Valley. I'm originally from San Diego California. I grew up surfing, playing baseball and football. For me, San Diego is a perfect place to live. Not to hot, not to cold. One of my favorite things about San Diego is the mixture of people who live there. When you walk down the street you are surrounded by people from every walk of life.
After high school, i received a full scholarship to Fresno State University for baseball. I also played football while i was there. Half way through my sophomore year i left school and signed with the Colorado Rockies minor league baseball team. It didn't work out as planed. During spring training i was called up for a couple weeks to play with the major league Rockies. Three games in i tore my rotator cuff for the second time. haven't played since.
Now a days, i love spending time with my little girl Teagan and my boy Austin. I moved to Utah because my mom lives here and i wanted to be closer to family. besides loving my kids to death, i love music. I play the guitar and piano. I'm going to school to finish up the EMT program and ultimately become a fireman.