Grammar note, Defining the passive voice.

 In many cases you can spot the passive voice in a sentence when you see a form of a "to be" verb (is, are, am , was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being) followed by a past participle "ed". While the passive voice is not a grammar error, it often makes a sentence confusing. This was very helpful for me if you would like to see more on this click HERE

Rhetorical Modes

                  I have chosen to write my essay in Comparison/Contrast mode. However, for my post I found the Extended Definition writing mode, and Description mode particularly interesting.

                  Extended definition, is defining something similar to a dictionary. In fact you'll start out writing three sentences as if it were a dictionary definition. 

                 (1) First you'll state and define your term. 

                 (2) Second you need to classify the group of people, things or events it belongs too. 

                 (3) Finally you pair it with a brief description that summarizes the term. 

 Following these three sentences you will continue to define what it is your writing about. This mode of writing is one of the more difficult to use, but once you've got it down it can significantly help you to be able to write long papers, or elaborate on things you've written.

                 Description mode is similar to extended definition in the sense that its one of the more difficult modes to learn, but very beneficial to your writing once you have the hang of it. Description means illustrative detail. Description mode basically describes a person, object or circumstances in illustrative detail like painting a picture or describing a scene to someone. There are a few tools you can use to aid you in description mode, for instance describing a room starting from one point moving around the room until you've come back to that point. Another is describing a person from top to bottom. More techniques include using the reporters five W questions, who, what, when, why, where, & how, or describing action like a movie or moving picture.  all of these tools can help one to illustrate in detail what it is they want to describe. These tools applied with a basic essay structure will give a descriptive essay. 

For more tips on these two rhetorical modes and more click here

50 Questions of the founders foreign policy vs our current foreign policy

1 How does the founders foreign policy result in a strong healthy nation?

2 Is the American nation a positive example for the world?

3 Does our nation fulfill its purpose laid out by our founders?

4 What is the importance of maintaining good relations for commercial trading?

5 Do foreign banks invested in America sway our position with other nations?

6 Who had a better approach to maintain peaceful relations world wide, our founders or our current administration?

7 Did our founders remain consistent with the foreign policy they established?

8 Does Americas free-trade agreement make our country wealthier or does it weaken our nation?

9 How does national debt effect our foreign policy?

10 Are there or have there been other downsides to Americas free-trade agreement?

11 Is policing or neutrality a more peaceful position?

12 Is it Americas responsibility to make more of an international approach given it's wealth and military position?

13 Does America try to solve world hunger and poverty, or does it create it?

14 Are the American people aware of the extent of our nations involvement globally?

15 Should America only get involved in war that threatens America?

16 Are there any other grounds on which America should go to war/

17 At what point did our nations foreign policy change from the original?

18 Who's interests does America have in mind when we invade other country's?

19 What are the pro's and con's of managing the worlds politics?

20 Is America over stepping its bounds with world politics?

21 Is there anything that justifies our nation to do so?

22 Which system has influenced the world more, capitalism or communism?

23 Does America portray capitalism in a positive light?

24 Does our nation emanate peace?

25 Does the existence of nuclear weapons change the possibilities of Americas foreign policy options?

26 How did the founding fathers layout their foreign policy?

27 Which foreign policy benefited the U.S. more, the current or the original?

28 What were the pro's and con's of the original policy?

29 What are the pro's and con's of the existing foreign policy?

30 Which policy allowed America to gain more wealth?

31 How have our relationships changed with other countries since our policies have changed?

32 How do other nations view America?

33 Why did we change our foreign policy from the original?

34 Has our current foreign policy made America more of a target for attacks from other nations?

35 Is preemptive war the most peaceful solution with other counties?

36 What is our goal with our foreign policy?

37 Are we out for world peace or U.S. world domination?

38 How does our foreign policy step on the toes of other nations?

39 Does our nation recognize and respect other nations cultural and religious differences?

40 Has our free-trade agreement turned the tables and passed our wealth to china and opec?

41 At what point does our nation intervene with the bullying of smaller helpless nations?

42 At what point does America declare war on other nations?

43 Is America bias with its dealing with other nations?

44 How does that effect our relations globally?

45 Could America maintain good commercial relations while staying out of wars?

46 Do the U.S. people support our actions abroad, as with war ect.?

47 Should our country share some responsibility in provoking an attack?

48 How does America deal with communism?

49 Does our nation respect other nations rights and beliefs?

50 What could America do to better relations with other nations without appearing weak, or reneging its position?

The Internationale By Eugene Pottier

The International

Arise ye workers from your slumbers
Arise ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant.
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, ariseWe'll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize.

Refrain: 

So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Inte

rnationale unites the human race.

No more deluded by reaction
On tyrants only we'll make war
The soldiers too will take strike action
They'll break ranks and fight no more
And if those cannibals keep trying
To sacrifice us to their pride
They soon shall hear the bullets flying
We'll shoot the generals on our own side.
No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
E'er the thieves will out with their booty
And give to all a happier lot. 

Each at the forge must do their duty 

And we'll strike while the iron is hot.

Mixed Constructions/ Grammar

Grammar is always a great time right? This is a little out of the box, mixed constructions. Mixed constructions occur when a writer begins a sentence with one construction and, without realizing it, finishes with another. To see some examples of this look here: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/sentence/2_6e.htm I fall prey to this when I'm not dilligent enough, if you do too, I hope this helps.

Vicarious Living

Framing Class, By Diana Kendall
This paper places strong emphasis on the media's destructive influence on society by distorting the lines of class and race within it. The media has a profound effect on what we see, read and hear and uses that to distort our perception of society. The author essentially exposes the medias power to socially destruct reality.
This paper is based on a very ethical appeal discussing the blurred separation of upper class
vs middle to lower class and race or ethenticity. the author supports her argument with numerous reports, statistics, and sources appealing to peoples logic, but driving at very ethical issues. exposing that people have become victims of consumerism driven by super media industries that view the public as a payday and bombard them with advertisements and make them desire things they don't need.
This paper is very effective covering all ends of the issue, and supporting it with sources. The author does a terrific job exposing this consumer disease with very influential rhetoric.

Serving in Florida by: Barbra Ehrenreich

Barbra Ehrenreich writes a very descriptive personal narrative with deep insight into the low wage American workplace. Based on an experiment by the author, who is exploring the low wage working place by waiting tables at a commercial chain res truant and housecleaning at a nearby hotel. The author gets more than she can handle trying to keep up with two jobs and and the amounting bills that she's trying to meet. From her sceptical tone throughout her experiment, she seems as if she's trying to expose the destitute and impracticability of the low wage lifestyle.
The authors rhetoric is very descriptive, beginning her paper outlining a variety of disgusting foods, and talking about digestive details of fried foods going on and on sharing what she must have felt walking into this atmosphere. The focus throughout this paper is very negative, you can tell the author is very disgusted by every thing she's experiencing and wants her readers to feel how despicable this world is. The way she describes her job it seems like slavery not a healthy respectable working atmosphere, from the attitude of her boss to the ungrateful customers she's serving who don't pay her any respect. There's no time to break for lunch or go to the bathroom, as the physical demands of the job bring out pains in her body to which she cannot address.
The authors experience is very effective, providing a first hand account of this minimum wage world and illustrating how unjust and overwhelming it can be. It's is also clear that this is exactly what the author wanted to expose, her entire focus is on the ugly side of this life style, directing attention on how difficult it is, how ugly, how detrimental it is to the people and to our society.