To be completely honest i dont ever use hyphens in my writing. The number one reason for that is, i havent found a good reason for them. As i looked around i found a couple good rules of thumb.
1. Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun:

a one-way street
chocolate-covered peanuts
well-known author

However, when compound modifiers come after a noun, they are not hyphenated:

The peanuts were chocolate covered.
The author was well known.

2. Use a hyphen with compound numbers:

forty-six
sixty-three
Our much-loved teacher was sixty-three years old.

3. Use a hyphen to avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters:

re-sign a petition (vs. resign from a job)
semi-independent (but semiconscious)
shell-like (but childlike)

4. Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex- (meaning former), self-, all-; with the suffix -elect; between a prefix and a capitalized word; and with figures or letters:

ex-husband
self-assured
mid-September
all-inclusive
mayor-elect
anti-American
T-shirt
pre-Civil War
mid-1980s

5. Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line if necessary, and make the break only between syllables:

pref-er-ence
sell-ing
in-di-vid-u-al-ist

For line breaks, divide already hyphenated words only at the hyphen:

mass-produced
self-conscious

For line breaks in words ending in -ing, if a single final consonant in the root word is doubled before the suffix, hyphenate between the consonants; otherwise, hyphenate at the suffix itself:

plan-ning
run-ning
driv-ing
call-ing

Never put the first or last letter of a word at the end or beginning of a line, and don't put two-letter suffixes at the beginning of a new line:

lovely (Do not separate to leave ly beginning a new line.)
eval-u-ate (Separate only on either side of the u; do not leave the initial e- at the end of a line.)

Who knew how bad it could be.

This was an essay for the books. I was told before reading this essay that i might be offended of or bugged by this essay. The truth is that Michael Moore's "Idiot Nation" was a very interesting and also somewhat humorous. I found that as i read i felt like some of his points i agreed with, and others i wasn't so sure about. One thing about Michael Moores writing is i can tell how much he believes what he is saying, its as if i was right there having a conversation with him. Even though i didn't agree with some of what he said, i saw his point and where he was coming from.

"Forty-four million Americans cannot read or write above a forth-grade level". This fact was scary. I couldn't believe that as America the strongest and most powerful country in the world a good percentage of us can hardly read. He also went on to say how much TV we watch compared to the amount of books that we read. I liked how he talked about the teachers and they way that we treat them. Either the parents blaming their child's faults in school on the teachers or the fact that teachers are one of the lower paid professions.

Another point of interest was how he talked the politicians and the large factor that they play in the realm of the school system. Michael Moore made a point that those that are so worried about the students of today are the same people that are taking more away and cutting budgets at all the schools. It seems that the politicians are a big reason that those students who are they future of this country continue to decrease in their schooling. It seems to me that school is becoming more of a business then an institution for learning.

Moving and Changing.

In the Moynihan report the author, Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote how the negro communities could improve there way of life. In doing this he pointed out what he thought to be there faults saying: that part of there problems were being a "Matriarchal community" which means the women are at the head of these households. Also he talked about how disorganized they were in there as a whole. DPM went on to talk more about the different ways in which he thought that this specific community could improve. what is interesting about Daniel Moynihan is that he was the New York senator at the time that he came out with his report. The Moynihan report was a very controversial. So much so that there were many activists that set out to prove the Moynihan report false.

Among the activists was a women named Carol Stack, she took it upon herself to move into the "Flats" where she spent an extensive amount of time studying and documenting the way of life. In that time Stack learned that his specific community was not at all ran by the matriarch in fact the family was ran by both parents and also there was a lot of discussion between all of the community. Another lie that Stack discounted was that the negro family was disorganized. The truth was that they were a very organized people. There was a system that they used called the "Swapping". As a community they would rely on each other for different necessities, if one family wasn't able to provide what they needed another family would help and so on. I personally believe that this process of "swapping" is one that we all can learn and live from.

As i mentioned before at the time that the Moynihan report cam out the author Daniel Moynihan was the senator of New York. Given Moynihan's authoritative figure his opinion was was heard and the report became very influential among many. Even though this was obviously a lie and only an opinion the general public took it for truth and did not take any action to form there own opinion or thoughts.

Sorry.

Sorry about the last post i was having some difficulties with my computer. hopefully you can decipher what is being said.

Look at me! How to use the exclamation mark.

Personally i used them without thinking just adding them in where i think they might be helpful to make my point, but as i read the rules about the exclamation mark i realized that they can be over -powering at times. Here are some rules that might help you along the path of exclamation marks.

The exclamation mark (!), known informally as a bang or a shriek, is used at the end of a sentence or a short phrase which expresses very strong feeling. Here are some examples:
That's fantastic!
Johnny, don't touch that!
Help!
Good heavens!

Examples like these are quite normal in those kinds of writing that try to represent ordinary speech ‹ for example, in novels. But exclamation marks are usually out of place in formal writing. Using them frequently will give your work a breathless, almost childish, quality.
An exclamation mark is also usual after an exclamation beginning with what or how:
What fools people can be!
How well Marshall bowled yesterday! Note that such sentences are exclamations, and not statements. Compare them with statements:
People can be such fools.
Marshall bowled very well yesterday. You can also use an exclamation mark to show that a statement is very surprising:
After months of careful work, the scientists finally opened the tomb. It was empty! It is also permissible to use an exclamation mark to draw attention to an interruption:

Do not use exclamation marks in formal writing!
*In 1848, gold was discovered in California! Don't use an exclamation mark unless you're certain it's necessary ,and never use two or three of them in a row.

A little summary of exclamation marks:
Don't use an exclamation mark unless it's absolutely necessary.
Use an exclamation mark after an exclamation, especially after one beginning with what orhow.
html">http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/department/docs/punctuation/node06.html

Agree or Disagree?

In this political cartoon the artist Jerry Holbert is depicting two late presidents George Bush and George W. Bush who are father and son which is important to note. In this cartoon i see some interesting points. I see the newspaper which is stating an economic crisis, and is also saying that kids are moving back with there parents because of that struggle.

The cartoonist is showing his disapproval of the of the president George W. I am seeing that he was not happy with some or all of the decisions that the president made with regards to the economic trials. He is definitely making fun of the president by showing George W at his dads house with briefcase in hand ready to move back in. Although he is making fun of there situation, it is definitely a real problem America is having today.

Priorites!!!

The cartoonist Ken Catalino has decided to show how he feels about a couple of different economical crisis in this one cartoon. One of the first which i saw was the obvious struggle that we are in with the housing markets. I also see that a seemingly well to do family is holding a sign that is asking for money. Its important to note that the money needed is specific.

It is interesting to see that the artist is showing that the family is wanting money for a cruise. It seems to me that the artist is somewhat discussed with the way people in a whole are spending there money. It would make sense that if the family was going to hold a sign they would be asking for money for there home which they are in need of. Because of this is why i titled my post Priorities.

Semi colon .... What?

Well to be completly honest i dont hink i have ever used a semi colon ( : )in any of my writing. My reason for this is i have never known how to use them, or why i would use them. As i have looked into the rule i learned how the semi colon( : ) can be effective in my writing.

The colon ( : ) has multiple uses.

Use the colon to introduce a list. Be careful not to use a colon when denoting a regular series. Usually, the word following suggests the use of a colon. Use only after a full sentence which ends in a noun.

The professor has given me three options: to retake the exam, to accept the extra credit assignment, or to fail the class.

INCORRECT - The Easter basket contained: Easter eggs, chocolate rabbits, and other candy
Notice the words after the semi colon are not nouns.
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-English-Punctuation-Correctly

"The good old days"

In Gary Soto's , "Looking for work" he compares his life as a young Mexican-American to the lives that he watching on TV which he describes as the "perfect families". Throughout Soto's essay he is impressed and also jealous of the prominent white families lifestyle. Soto makes specific mention to his brother and sister that if they will change a couple of things in their lives like wearing there shoes to dinner they might be looked at differently by the other white family's. It is interesting to see how such a young boy noticed how his life was different in a vast number of ways, and on top of that he was determined to change the way he lived and was looked at. I look at this two different ways, i believe that Soto shows a great deal of ambition to change the lifestyle that finds faults in. On the same hand i don't believe that any young child should need to have those thoughts, or notice that they are treated differently then any other kid. life is too short.

Int the essay "What We Really Miss About the 1950s" Stephanie Coontz decides to take another avenue in her writing. The essay starts out with a optimistic point of view about the 1950s. Coontz uses numbers and polls to show how many people prefer the 1950s to any other decade. What is interesting, and what we come to find out as the essay goes on is all of the comparisons between the 1950s and both the decades before and after. Coontz shows in detail how the 1950s may not have been as good as we thought. There are descriptions about how the family was raised, the divorce rate, the racial segregation and many more ways to show how some decades may be better then the 1950s. It seems that the 1950s may not be the good old days.

In both of these essays i was able to see the authors different points of views and their different writing styles. I naturally enjoyed Soto's a little more just because i could see himself in it. I could see the emotion that he was expressisng in his writing. In Coontz it was a more intense, She definitely used numbers and facts to show and describe her point of view. In the end both of the essays are informative in there own way.

Thinking outside the box.

So far in reading the introduction to Rereading America, i already find myself thinking or rethinking about some of the subjects slightly discussed. To be completely honest i am a person that is very comfortable with certain ideas, certain ways of thinking, and also ways of living. At the same time i have an extended family that is fairly diverse so i do try to be open in my thoughts and actions. I definitely feel like in reading this book my eyes will be open to a broader ways of thinking.

I am grateful for America. I love this country and the freedoms that we all are able to enjoy. I feel blessed that i was born in this country, i also feel like i take it for granted. The small time that i have spent out of the United States has opened my eyes in more ways then i can count. In America i have the ability to worship as i desire, work in a profession that i chose (not one that is chosen for me), and live in a way that i can enjoy and love.

In my life i have had either certain experiences, or i have been raised in a way that i think in a box. Those who know me best may say that they would know my answer to a question before they have to ask me. Whether that is right or not it is more then likely very true. In rereading America i know that my general ways of thinking will be challenged. I will have to take a step back and look at the situation differently then i ever have before. this will be interesting and also an opportunity that i find beneficial. Thinking outside of the box will be my goal.