Passive Voice, Used Well

The passive voice is like any tool. You can use it well, you can use it badly, and you can abuse it right out. One for my students. Passive Voice, Used Well

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What is this Christmas of which you speak?


Unclear on the concept

Me: Who’s stupid enough to try stealing a police cruiser? Emily: When you need a ride, man, you need a ride.

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The Great Experiment - NY Times

Anybody can form a perfect Norway, a nation of five million people. But there is no country on earth with our size, our racial diversity, our mix of religions that is close to bringing most of its citizens the rights and comforts of the modern age. The overall view of the column is more positive than I tend to be, but this is a wonderful line and quite true.

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Emily’s birthday flowers


David Brooks - Rules for Craftsmen

The governing craftsman has to be able to know how many votes each side possesses. He has to avoid the narcissistic question: What do I want? He has to ask instead: Given this correlation of forces, what is the landscape offering me? Read the whole thing; this is the essence of governance, nearly all of the time. David Brooks - Rules for Craftsmen

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How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans

The CIA was in chaos when Tony Mendez arrived at his desk the next morning. People dashed through the halls, clutching files and papers. Desks were piling up with “flash” cables — the highest-priority messages, reserved for wartime situations. Not a caper movie, but a real movie caper. How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans

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Benedict on Vatican II: “I remember I was a young professor oftheology…”

One sometimes forgets the power of simple phrases such as “I remember…” for opening and sharing an experience. Benedict on Vatican II: “I remember I was a young professor of theology…”

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Reno on contemporary Catholic theology

One of the best rundowns I’ve seen; highly recommended for any of my students. Reno on contemporary Catholic theology

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Paper of record or church bulletin of the left?

This is one of the wonderful things about a mainstream press. It can help promote civil discourse, rational thinking and an improved society (I thought this recent debate led by a New York Times religion writer was a good step in the right direction). When the paper of record becomes a particularly virulent propaganda arm for one side in the culture war, those things don’t happen — and I hope we can agree no matter which side we take on hot-button cultural issues.

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