When is it appropriate to use Parenthesis in your work?

Ok, the question is already established so lets find out. Here is what I think, say you are going along and writing your book, paper, essay, or what not and you want to add a little side note, "I stepped back from the door once I burned my hand on the door knob (I assumed that there was a fire on the other side)." k, Maybe not the best example. I imagine you would use the parenthisis marks to add a thought to what has already been said. They will also be used if you are referencing someone elses work, (Shamo, 8).
To the Net. I think THIS PAGE says most of what I wanted to get out of it. Short and simple.

Roots of Debate and Hope of Dialog

In this essay by Tannen she talks about how our society has basically been raised to argue a point because it is "...so easy to do" and gives good reasons why this might not always be the best method for a lot of people while it may be good for others, and gives so great ideas about how to look at things in a different perspective.
The big problem with debate it is pretty much the easy way out as Tannen looks at it. If two people or groups just get up and argue, there are only opinions being put out, and trying to out do the other person or group with no real learning going on. The first thing people want to do is prove that they are right and show them why it is that way. This may show the other why it is that way but it doesn't allow them to come to that conclusion for themself. It is kind of like the addage, "give a man a fish you feed him for a day, Teach him how to fish feed him for a lifetime." If the debaters are both stubborn and refuse to learn from the other then I go to this quote "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." It is more important to help students and others to think analyze and learn rather than to just have as many get involved in a debate as possible.
On way Tannon mentions is to follow the method Proffesor Peter Elbow uses, read or listen as if you beleive and then see where it takes you. Instead of pointing out all the negative things look for positive things to focus on. You don't have to agree with everything to do this. Doing this Tannon says will make the critique look smarter. For example you can see in a research report showing some sort of problem and that has been worked out to a solution. You may not agree with the solution but can notice that the start or middle of the process that was worked out is very good and on the right track up to a point of some kind. Then expand and build from that point on. In short I would echo what was said by the man who attended the human development seminar "I don't have to make others wrong to prove that I'm right."
I feel Tannen uses a lot of good ethos in this paper to prove her point without saying one way is wrong or "making others wrong." Her ideas don't really go into that argumentitive stage she talks about but takes the reader into the idea helping them really think about this essay.

Preposition at the end of a Sentence

So this one time I heard that there was this major english buff or something and he would always correct peoples grammer, even the smallest things that you said wrong. Now admit it, most of us really hate those kind of people because it drives us crazy to have our thought inturpted when the meaning of what we are saying is clear even if we said something incorrect.
So here's the question, this guy said that you should never end your sentance with the word "at". Such as "Where are you at?" or "where do you play at?" So comes the next part of our journey, To the source of all currently known knowlege, The NET! HERE Is a guy who is against it and has two articles saying why it isn't wrong to end with a preposition and uses a few sources as to why the "Rule" is Wrong. HERE Is another explaination which makes a lot more sense. She does call the "Rule" a "Myth" But makes the point that, If the preposition isn't needed and the sentence still makes sense then leave off the preposition, So Going back to my examples "Where are you at?" Really should be changed because it still makes sense to say "Where are you?" But it isn't entirely wrong to end with a preposition, for example "Who were you with?" or "What did you step on?" it just doesn't make sense to leave those words off, or to have them in a different place in the sentece just because it is a rule. "With whom were you?" "On what did you step?" just doesn't sound right and no one talks like that.

Gatto - Against School

In this essay, Gatto, being a 30 year teacher giving him some ethos, uses a lot of Logos rhetoric to communicate that the school system is possibly flawed. He uses and asks a lot of questions that try and drag you into some pathos in this essay, these questions ask things like "Do we really need School" and "Could it be that our schools are designed to make sure not one of them ever really grows up?" These questions make you look into your own feelings and thoughts causing this pathos type rhetoric. His purpose seems to be mixed, by degrading schools and teachers and the school system while at the same time telling them that they can do a better job of teaching so that kids can, instead of being conformist or programed laborers, they can be leaders. I agree that we can always find better ways of doing things and kind of agree that sometimes the kids are babied throughout school and school has become a place where they have to practically have cushions on every wall so no one gets hurt, (mentally, emotionally, or physically). Of course there needs to be some saftey precations. However, I grew up doing drama and the state competitions we cancelled and changed into a state festival because everyone needed to be a winner and no one would get there feelings hurt if they didn't make it to the medal rounds. What then becomes the point of trying hard in making your piece the best if you don't get some sort of satisfaction of knowing you worked hard to become the best. why try harder if you aren't going to get anything out of it even if you aren't the best, there can still be improvement. Part of the message in this essay is that kids don't want to work hard because they don't get much out of it. They all have to do the same things and become what the teachers want them to be and not what they can be.

What is the Full Blown Colon Used for in Grammer?

So that is the question for the day. I don't think I have ever actually used the : in something I have written before. The latest uses of the colon include things like this though. :o) :D :b :X :p
:0( :^) and so on. HERE is a good link that describes how to use it effectively, It doesn't seem like there are many uses for it besides these and making creative faces out of them.

Idiot Nation

In this Essay by Michael Moore we are given many examples from the other as to why our education is in shambles by using lots of sarcasm and a little bit of crude humor mixed with facts. He makes many points that I do agree on such as the fact the teachers do get paid to little and that the corporations are abusing the use of advertising to schools to the point of making it so that they are just interested in having all the students spend their money on their products and are not worried that the companies are taking away true learning with their bombardment of advertising. Also the fact that Libraries are going down all over the US is a big problem. K so first, I had many great teachers in my school who did their best to try and teach me even though they may have thought that they had a crappy job because of the amount of money paid to them was minuscule, so the fact that all these rules about education come up with by politicians and state governments are causing education to dwindle is concerning to me.
Points I don't agree with Mr. Moore on are the points he makes in telling the students to be disruptive every chance they get. Even if it is a law that kids can request a school day off for the state fair doesn't mean that you should just because you can and want to. That right there is being idiotic, by ditching knowledge just to go and play. Also telling the kids to act out is ridiculous. Rules are there for a purpose and not just so a teacher or principal can be a "dictator" over his army of 1000 kids. Schools should be a place of learning and should be a safe place where offensive things should be left out side the school and not welcomed in. I don't want my kids to walk into a school and have my kid be embarrassed by having a teacher hand out a condom and tell them it is ok to go and have sex. Heck if they do that why don't they just let guys and girls in High school share a locker room so that they can practice. This to me is offensive and such sacred things that should be kept private should stay that way and not flaunted around vulgarly in all the schools so the kids will know about it. Those things should be taught in a better way and by someone more trusted. Wearing disrespectful clothing should also be monitored as the learning environment is a place of learning and upliftment and not to offend and destroy. Media itself does a good enough job and turning all the teens minds into vulgar chatterboxes and corrupt minds.

How many times?

So here is a question. How many times do you actually push space after each sentence. Are you supposed to space twice after each sentence or just once, or does it even really matter? I thought about this because someone in my previous English class said I needed to have a second space after the sentences, I never did it but I think it is time to find out. HERE the opinion of the writer is that only one space should be used. HERE, the writer says there are exceptions to the rule but for the most part just use one. Reason: two spaces were used in the days of Typewriters so that readers could distinguish between two sentences more easily.