Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Edward Teller and the Hydrogen Bomb

Edward Teller and the Hydrogen Bomb What we should have learned is that the world is small, that peace is important and that cooperation in science... could contribute to peace. Nuclear weapons, in a peaceful world, will have a limited importance. -Edward Teller in CNN interview Significance of Edward Teller Theoretical physicist Edward Teller is  often referred to as the Father of the H-Bomb. He was part of a group of scientists who invented the atomic bomb as part of the  U.S. government-led  Manhattan Project. He was also the co-founder of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where together with Ernest Lawrence, Luis Alvarez, and others, he invented the hydrogen bomb in 1951. Teller spent most of the 1960s working to  keep the United States ahead of the Soviet Union in the nuclear arms race. Tellers Education and Contributions Teller was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1908. He earned a degree in chemical engineering at the Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe, Germany and received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Leipzig. His doctoral thesis was on the hydrogen molecular ion, the foundation for the theory of molecular orbitals that remains  accepted to this day. Although his early training was in chemical physics and spectroscopy, Teller also made substantial contributions to diverse fields such as nuclear physics, plasma physics, astrophysics, and statistical mechanics. The Atomic Bomb It was Edward Teller who drove Leo Szilard and Eugene Wigner to meet with Albert Einstein, who together would write a letter to President Roosevelt urging him to pursue atomic weapons research before the Nazis did. Teller worked on the Manhattan Project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and later became the labs assistant director. This led to the invention of the atomic bomb in 1945. The Hydrogen Bomb In 1951, while still at Los Alamos, Teller came up with  the idea for a thermonuclear weapon. Teller was more determined than ever to push for its development after the Soviet Union exploded an atomic bomb in 1949. This was a major reason why he was determined to lead the successful development and testing of the first hydrogen bomb. In 1952, Ernest Lawrence and Teller opened the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he was the associate director from 1954 to 1958 and 1960 to 1965. He was its director from 1958 to 1960. For the next 50  years, Teller did his research at the Livermore National Laboratory, and between 1956 and 1960 he proposed and developed thermonuclear warheads small and light enough to be carried on submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Awards Teller published more than a dozen books on subjects ranging from energy policy to defense issues and was awarded 23 honorary degrees. He received numerous awards for his contributions to physics and public life. Two months before his death in 2003, Edward Teller was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom- the nations highest civil honor- during a special ceremony conducted by President George W. Bush at the White House.

Friday, November 22, 2019

November Is the Write Time

November Is the Write Time November Is the Write Time November Is the Write Time By Mark Nichol Writing is one of the loneliest pursuits (or professions), and as I know as well as anyone, enthusiasm for expressing oneself is tempered by the daunting challenge of actually doing it. For those of us for whom having written a novel is a more appealing prospect than, you know, actually writing it, National Novel Writing Month provides a quirky motivating nudge. The annual event, which encourages writers to complete the first draft of a novel in thirty days with the knowledge that one can publicly celebrate one’s progress while embracing the morale-boosting benefit of knowing that one is part of a worldwide community of fellow scribes, is in its fourteenth year. Last time around, more than a quarter million people participated from all over planet Earth. Only one out of seven hit the 50,000-word goal, but every one of them started and as we all realize, the first step is the hardest. (More than a hundred NaNoWriMo participants have had the novels they worked on for the event published again, not everyone, but enough to make it reasonable to imagine that someday you number among them.) To help encourage participants, the NaNoWriMo website offers various features and tools, including Pep Talks, email messages from published authors ranging from Booker Prize winner Nick Hornby (whose books High Fidelity, About a Boy, and Fever Pitch have been adapted for film) to newcomer Melissa Mayer, whose young-adult novel Cinder started out as a NaNoWriMo draft. You’ll also find NaNoWriMo badges you can download onto your website or blog, special offers for software products or self-publishing deals, and forums in which you can contact other participants in your area to give and receive advice and encouragement. (Forums include the Appellation Station, where participants can get help with naming people, places, and things and books and the Character Cafe, a resource for development of your dramatis personae.) In addition, NaNoWriMo sponsors ancillary events, such as a fund-raising write-a-thon on site in San Francisco; Camp NaNoWriMo, an extension of the original event held during other months; and support materials for teachers and students involved in the event. And, as usual, the website lets you keep track of your word count and post excerpts of your work. The beauty of this crazy conception is that the timed nature of the event encourages you to do what writers must do to succeed: Just write the damn thing already no time to edit, no opportunity to agonize. Write a crappy first draft. (All first drafts, the site assures you in its inimitably perky-but-puckish style, are crappy.) Sign up, already. Operators are standing by. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 101One Sheep, Two Sheep, One Fish, Two Fish . . .13 Theatrical Terms in Popular Usage

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Constitutional Law Research Paper (Mock Case Study aka Memorandum of

Constitutional Law Research Paper (Mock aka Memorandum of the Law) - Case Study Example The detectives arrested Sam for violating parole and for possession of child pornography. The warrant was issued on application of affidavit by Detective Tom Murray, who used false information that Sam was not living he had agreed to his release on parole. Tom had lied that the residence was vacant and that Sam had violated parole, although he knew that Sam was living in the same apartment as he had declared during his release. The detectives who made the arrested were not aware that Tom Murray had gotten the arrest warrant after presenting false information on Sam in his affidavit. The investigators seized evidence on child pornography as there were hundreds of child pornography images in Sams bedroom, and there was some evidence that Sam was communicating with children over the internet. However, the issuance of the execution of the search was valid under the Fourth Amendment of criminal justice. Following the exception that the search was in good faith, and the search was reasonab le enough to warrant a recovery of sufficient evidence against Sam Mark criminal behavior. From the exception named above, the detectives had the right to go access Sams residence to confirm that Sam was not indeed living in the declared home (Beatson, 2006). The search led to the discovery of the evidence that incriminated him as a child sex predator. The agents took the time to go through the Sams computer as well in search of more evidence against Sam. Sam is not guilty of violating parole under the evidence provided by Tom in the affidavit, but is according to the evidence gathered as a result of the warrant that Tom acquired. The search warrant was reasonable and in good faith. Tom applied for the search warrant under a suspicion that Sam was involved in child abuse in his house as is demonstrated below. Rule 41 (a) of 18 United States Constitution states that search warrants shall only be issued ‘upon the request of a federal law enforcement

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Diachronic Analysis of Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diachronic Analysis of Poverty - Essay Example From the 578 documents reviewed in the process of selecting the core definitions of poverty, three broad categories were utilized in the screening of the documents: the main among the had to relate to poverty, secondly, each document had to contain a unique and original definition of poverty, and finally, the authorship to correspond to the key actors involved that is the researcher, donors, government, and NGOs. To uncover the deeper layers of meaning within definitions and changes, the diachronic analysis disaggregated topics, themes, and frames within the definitions. Huckin (2002) states that each definition was first disaggregated into basic component parts or topics, once they were identified they were grouped according to their semantic meaning for example topics such as housing, assets, and clothes were grouped according to material assets or possessions while topics such as food, nutrition, and life expectancy were categorized as physical factors. The definitions varied in t heir length and complexity. Some definitions were formed by a single theme while in more length definitions, the themes were embedded in one another. Â  From the findings, the majority of definitions of poverty were sourced in documents written by development agencies and researchers with fewer non- governmental organizations and national government. One of the reason for this as argued by Edwards and Hulme (1992) reveals that governments and NGOs are largely the implementers of development praxis. Secondly, NGOs and government literature often repeated definitions offered by both researchers and donors, this literature was least original and therefore least represented. Gill (1970) argues that NGOs programmes in the past were more independent and did not mirror donor interests today for example during the 1970s, NGOs were less interested in poverty per se than disaster mitigation and family relief as stated by Gill (1970), Twedt (1998) and Maxwell (2001). Â  

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Trickster Tale Revised Essay Example for Free

Trickster Tale Revised Essay Lions are the only cats in the animal kingdom with a mane. A lions mane, which is to say, the majestic head of hair growing around the large male cats neck and framing its face is central and unique to its appearance, and   has always been an iconic symbol of a lions strength and physical fortitude, and one which appears to crown and affirm his title as the apparent king of the jungle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But the lion wasnt always king of the jungle, and it didnt always have its mane.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once, in the far stretches of an African savannah, where every animal was said to be born and breathed into existence, there lived a maneless male lion, who lacked confidence in his appearance and was unsure of himself, but at the same time, was cunning and malicious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One afternoon, Lion traveled the extent of the savannah looking for a waterhole, and   came across a creature with four spindly legs and a set of what appeared to be branches of wood stemming from above its head, who went by the name Deer. Deer told Lion that it was the first time he had ever seen a creature who appeared so plain and was devoid of any markings and distinctive features whatsoever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lion was insulted by Deers disparaging remark, but told Deer that he had never seen as more common a creature as well, because many of the creatures Lion has come across with bore the same twigs or branches of wood on their heads, and that contrary to Deers remark, Lion, not having the said feature, was in fact, what made him distinct and unique. This brought Deer to contemplate on his appearance. Lion persuaded Deer to rid himself of the bland thing stemming from his head which made Deer plain, and Deer did as Lion directed, removed his horns and walked away, pleased and elated by his apparent newfound uniqueness. Lion, upon Deers departure, took the horns, and wore it for himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pleased with his change of appearance, Lion proudly roamed the savannah, and upon reaching the waterhole, came across an animal whose skin was covered with striped markings of black and white, who was called zebra. Zebra told Lion that he knew of many animals which grew horns above their heads, but none which bore the same markings of black and white as his. Lion, refusing to be categorized among the many animals who shared the features he thought would separate and distinguish him from the rest of the creatures in the grasslands, and finding that the lie he told Deer appeared to be, in fact, true, dispatched of his horns, and took Zebras stripes for his own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bearing stripes of black and white, Lion was on his way home when he saw Cheetah, who bore black circular markings against his brown flesh, stood looking at Lion, laughing. Lion demanded to know what Cheetah found hilarious, and Cheetah replied that Lions black and white stripes not only look unnatural and unsophisticated against his flesh, but was about the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen in the grasslands so far. This incensed and angered Lion the most as he had gone through great lengths reinventing himself, and being called ridiculous and laughed at to his face was more than he could take. So he rid himself of the unnatural and unsophisticated markings that was Zebras and was about to take Cheetahs spots for his own when Cheetah evaded him. Lion ran after Cheetah, but Cheetah proved too fast for him to apprehend. As though speed wasnt already enough of a factor, his pursuit of Cheetah brought him across various obstacles, including pool of sticky mud, which Lion arose from exhausted and grimy, and after which, he gave up the chase and retired to sleep.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the instance of his waking, Lion finds that the sticky pool of mud which he narrowly escaped not only clung and melded to his skin, in a rich golden brown, but stuck a significant amount of a similar color appearing as hair, covering the skin surrounding his face,   from the expanse of wilted grass in the savannah in which he slept in. Over time, The golden grass approximating hair would adapt, meld, and grow with Lions physicality, and with it, his confidence, self assurance and courage would develop and grow as well. The audacity of his actions, and the said confidence and self assurance brought about by his change of appearance would later on bring him into being proclaimed as king of the jungle.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Rebelious Spirit Essay -- Character Analysis

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the development of feminist movements which demanded equal rights with men, and have been a subject of controversy in many families. Through Nora Helmer, the main character of "A Doll House," Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen focuses on the role and social status of women who were mistreated by men and law in the end of the 19h century. At that time, a wife was expected to be totally dependent on her husband and support the image of the ideal family by taking care of him, children, and the house, but having no personal freedom. Nora leaves her family after realizing that she has been treated by her husband as a doll rather than personality, thus going up against the norms created by men-dominated society to save her self-esteem. Social inequality becomes a widespread problem because Nora’s tragedy creates an opportunity to infiltrate the hidden essence of social and moral relationships where a woman is afraid to admit her noble deed — to save the dying husband, which is qualified as a crime by the state laws and â€Å"moral standards†. Nora’s family ruin reveals the underlying tragedy and brutality of reality, hidden beneath external well-being, as well as portraying the ability of an individual of a weaker status to resist the obstacles. At first glance, Nora Helmer, is only a doll, a cheerful "squirrel," as Torvald calls her, and the mistress of the comforting house which resembles a doll house. Kids idolize her and her man is satisfied with the fairy tale created in the house. Nora’s husband, Torvald, appreciates such comfort and openly admires Nora: â€Å"is that my little lark, twittering out there?...When did my squirrel get home?† (Ibsen Act I). Behind this external happiness and car... ...erefore, the final piece of the play remains open because Nora has not yet won, but the victory is close. There might a "miracle" happen and Torvald will be able to change internally, bring Nora back, and build together a real house. In his drama, Henrik Ibsen has revealed profound inconsistency between decent visibility and internal wickedness of a displayed reality, protested against the entire system of public opinion demanding maximum emancipation of women. Works Cited Goldman, Emma. â€Å"Victims of Morality.† Lecture. Mother Earth. Vol. 8. Mar. 1913. 19-24. Ibsen, Henrik."A Doll House" Approaching Literature: Reading + Thinking + Writing. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 1245-1297. Print. Johnston, Ian. "On Ibsen's A Doll's House." Lecture. Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo. July 2000. Web. 21 Apr. 2012.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Drug Testing Welfare Recipients †Article Analysis Essay

Jonathon Walters author of â€Å"Should Welfare Recipients be Drug Tested?† published an article on March 13, 2012 for Governing: The State and Localities that provided readers with several points of interest when discussing drug testing welfare recipients. Walters states in his article â€Å"According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, almost two dozen states are considering bills that require drug testing those either applying for or receiving public benefits, a policy that has been cut down in the courts before because the Fourth Amendment grants that every individual â€Å"be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures.† (Should Welfare Recipients be Drug Tested? para 1.) This paragraph explains that states are having difficulty passing this bill because the government feels that it violates American’s 4th amendment. Walters brings up arguments from both a favoring side and an opposing side. Favoring sides would not want to give someone government benefits if they are using the benefits to support a drug habit and could save the government money by denying applicants. The opposing side feels that drug testing would come to a great expense to the government and rather than drug testing an individual who needs help because of their drug addiction other programs such as rehab would save money to local, state and federal governments. The author feels that both are good arguments. To further continue on the opposing side of drug testing welfare recipients; Walters explains that â€Å"Drug testing is expensive. Tests cost anywhere from $35 to $75 to administer, according to the liberal-leaning Center for Law and Public Policy. By their math, it would cost anywhere from $20,000 to $77,000 to catch one drug abuser.† (Should Welfare Recipients be Drug Tested? para. 4). On the favoring side legislators have a different calculation and use evidence that biometric screenings such as finger printing lower numbers of participation among welfare recipients. States that do not participate in finger printing have more people applying for welfare. Walters feels that this would be a â€Å"cynical† way of lowering costs. Opposing sides also feel by isolating those who are at risk, for example ex-felons may lead them down a wrong path again because applying for welfare is much harder, therefore, costing the government more money by putting them back in jail and providing them with treatment. Walters asks how will the government determine who receives welfare and how do we make sure that the wrong person doesn’t receive it? Technology will help determine that mistakes won’t be made. â€Å"The public, in general, supports providing help to those who really need it. In that regard, states and localities are developing much more precise tools — mostly thanks to improved information technology — to ensure that only those who qualify for benefits receive them (and, not incidentally, to ensure that those providing services aren’t gaming the system).† (Should Welfare Recipients be Drug Tested? para. 8). Overall, Jonathon Walters remains neutral throughout the article and provides detailed rebuttals for both opposing and favoring sides. He agreed that both sides had good arguments and in the end it would be up to America in the long run to decide what is best for its people. References Walterss, J. (2012, March 13) Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested? Governing: The States and Localities. Retrieved from: http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/testing-welfare-recipients-drugs.html

Saturday, November 9, 2019

How is Gender Viewed in Society? Essay

Gender is still an issue in society. Though, many parts of the world made great strides in reducing gender discrimination, a casual glance across the globe quickly reveals that the scourges of gender intolerance are far from having been eliminated. Despite intense and almost desperate efforts to eliminate ethnic intolerance and discrimination, they appear to be every bit as bad at the close of the 20th century as at the beginning of the century.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"We do not cut our own deal by ourselves, in gender–neutral institutions and arenas. The social institutions of our world–workplace, family, school, and politics–are also gendered institutions, sites where the dominant definitions are reinforced and reproduced, and where â€Å"deviants† are disciplined. We become gendered selves in a gendered society† (Kimmel, 2004, p16). We live in a society where as ‘gender’ we entail that the organizations of our society have developed in ways that reproduce both the differences between women and men and the control of men over women. Institutionally, we can see how the constitution of the workplace is organized around representing and reproducing masculinity: The temporal and spatial organization of work both depend upon the severance of spheres. However, a primary reason for our seeming incapability to eliminate the plagues of gender, ethnic, and class discrimination is the fact that we have not appropriately understood the etiology and functions of this phenomenon. Social dominance theorists suggest that these forms of social oppression, somewhat than being just products of â€Å"improper socialization,† simple ignorance, or the exigencies of capitalism, are mainly the result of inherent features of human and primate social organization. â€Å"Yet to the point to which they refuse to give up their femininity, they are seen as different, and thus gender discrimination is justifiable as the sorting of different people into different Slots† (Catharine MacKinnon, 1989, pp. 218-19). Women who succeed are punished for throwing out their femininity–rejected as potential partners, labeled as â€Å"dykes,† left off the enticement lists. The first women who entered the military, or military colleges, or even Princeton and Yale when they became coeducational in the late 1960s, were seen as being â€Å"less† feminine, as being abortive as women. Yet had they been more â€Å"successful† as women, they would have been seen as less capable soldiers or students (Michael Kimmel, Diane Diamond, and Kirby Schroeder, 1999).   . I believe that one of the major reasons why humans have made so little advancement in eliminating gender discrimination is that we do not yet adequately understand the dynamics of these phenomena. One instance of this lack of under- standing is the popularity of the double danger hypothesis, which holds that Black women, for instance, will be more discriminated against than Black males. Thus gender inequality creates a double bind for women–a double bind that is based on the postulation of gender difference and the assumption of institutional gender neutrality. Work cited Catharine MacKinnon, Towards a Feminist Theory of the State (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989), pp. 218-19. Michael Kimmel, Diane Diamond, and Kirby Schroeder, â€Å"‘What’s This about a Few Good Men?’ Negotiating Sameness and Difference in Military Education from the 1970s to the Present,† in Masculinities and Education, N. Lesko, ed. (Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 1999). Michael S. Kimmel, The Gendered Society, Oxford University Press, 2000

Thursday, November 7, 2019

How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader

How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader And unfortunately, your first reader will be an agent or an editor. You can’t slip anything boring past them. Your job is to make every word count. That’s the way to keep your reader riveted until the final page- no small task. Making every word count is how to write compelling dialogue. Readers love dialogue because: It breaks up intimidating blocks of narrative summary. It differentiates (through dialect and word choice) and reveals characters. Done well, it can move the story without author intrusion. But, as you have likely discovered, writing great dialogue is hard. If yours is bloated or obvious or telling or is in any other way uninteresting, readers won’t stay with you long. So how about we leave them no choice? Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. How to Write Dialogue in 6 Steps Cut to the Bone Reveal Backstory Reveal Character Be Subtle Read Your Dialogue Out Loud Create a Make My Day Moment Step 1. Cut to the Bone Unless you need to reveal a character as a brainiac or a blowhard pretending to be one, omit needless words. Obviously, you wouldn’t render a conversation the way a court transcript includes repetition and even um, ah, uh, etc. But even beyond that, see how much you can chop without losing the point. Like this: â€Å"What do you want to do this  Sunday?  I thought wWe could go to the amusement park.† â€Å"I was thinking about renting a rowboat,† Vladimir said.  on one of the lakes.† â€Å"Oh, Vladimir, that sounds wonderful! I’ve never gone rowing  before.† That doesn’t mean all your dialogue has to be short and choppy- just that you’ll cut the dead wood to keep to the point. You’ll be surprised by how much power it adds to your prose. Step 2. Reveal Backstory Layering in backstory through dialogue is another way to keep your reader turning pages. Hinting at some incident for the first time is an automatic setup that demands a payoff. Example: As they headed toward the house, Janet whispered, â€Å"Can we not have a repeat of Cincinnati?† Jeanie shot her a double take. â€Å"Believe me, I don’t want that any more than you do.† â€Å"Good,† Janet said. â€Å"I mean- † â€Å"Can we not talk about it, please?† What normal reader wouldn’t assume they will talk about it at some point and stay with the story until they do? As the story progresses, you can reveal more and more about your protagonist’s past and have your story come full circle. This accomplishes two things: it offers a setup that should intrigue the reader, and it helps you avoid flashbacks. Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. Step 3. Reveal Character Your reader learns a lot about your characters through dialogue. You don’t have to TELL us they’re sarcastic, witty, narcissistic, kind, or anything else. You can SHOW us by how they interact and by what they say. Step 4. Be Subtle Dialogue can accomplish a number of tasks. Here are three: 1. Subtext- where people say other than what they mean. This can be fun. Example: My friend sold a short story to a general-market magazine years ago about a girl named Cindy who falls in love with the slightly older boy next door, who sees her as just a little sister type. When they get to high school, Tommy is the big man on campus, captain of the football team, dating the head cheerleader, and pretty much ignoring Cindy. She’s just his younger neighbor and friend. Tommy leaves for college and word soon gets back to Cindy during her senior year of high school that he and his girlfriend have broken up. So when he comes home after his freshman year of college and is changing a tire on his car, Cindy just happens to walk outside. She strikes up a conversation with Tommy, and he looks up, stunned. Who is this beautylittle Cindy from next door? She says, â€Å"Making a change, are you?† Tommy looks at the tire and back at her and says, â€Å"Yeah, I actually I am making a change.† Cindy says, â€Å"Well, I’ve heard that rotating can be a good thing.† And he says, â€Å"Yeah, I’ve heard that too.† That’s subtext. They’re not saying what they really mean. They’re not really talking about changing the tire, are they? 2. Sidestepping- when a character responds to a question without answering it. Instead, what the character says is so profound and unexpected that it offers a whole new understanding of what’s going on. Example: In the movie Patch Adams, the late Robin Williams played a brilliant young doctor who believes the Old Testament adage that â€Å"laughter is the best medicine.† He goes into the children’s cancer ward of a hospital wearing an inflated surgical glove on his head, making him look like a rooster. He wears bedpans for shoes and stomps about, flapping his arms and squawking. The children find it hilarious, but hospital directors consider it undignified and demand he stop. Patch Adams is trying to make one girl in particular- a hospital volunteer- laugh. But while everyone else thinks he’s funny, she never cracks a smile. Finally, Patch leaves the hospital to open a clinic in the country. Imagine his surprise when that humorless young lady appears to help him set up. At one point, she goes outside to rest, so Patch follows and sits opposite her. He says, â€Å"I’ve got to ask. Everybody thinks I’m hysterical, but you. I’ve tried everything. What is it with you? Why don’t you ever think anything I say is funny?† After several seconds of silence, she says, â€Å"Men have liked me all my lifeall my life† And we realize by the way she says it, she was abused as a child. Suddenly, we understand what this girl is all about. She doesn’t trust men, and she doesn’t laugh, because life isn’t funny. The way she responded did not answer his question. Her problem had nothing to do with him or his humor. Finally, Patch realizes that some things aren’t funny. Some things you just don’t make fun of. Sometimes, you need to quit cracking jokes and just listen. It’s a great turnaround in the story. And an example of sidestep dialogue. 3. Silence The old truism that silence can be golden rings true for our last technique. Many, including Abraham Lincoln, have been credited with the line: â€Å"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.† One of the toughest things to learn as a writer is to avoid filling silent gaps. Just like we shouldn’t tell what’s not happening in a story, neither do we need to write that someone didn’t respond or didn’t answer. If you don’t say they did, the reader will know they didn’t. Example: â€Å"Well John,† Linda said, â€Å"what do you have to say for yourself?† John set his jaw and stared out the window. â€Å"I’m waiting,† she said. He lit a cigarette. Linda shook her head. â€Å"I swear, John, honestly.† Now, too many writers feel the need to write here, â€Å"But he refused to say anything,† or â€Å"But he never responded.† Don’t! We know, we get it- and it’s loud, effective, silent dialogue. The reader knows because John is saying nothing, and yet saying everything. Silence is golden. Step 5. Read Your Dialogue Out Loud One way to be certain your dialogue flows is to read it aloud or even act it out. Anything that doesn’t sound right won’t read right either, so rewrite it until it does. Step 6. Create a â€Å"Make My Day† Moment Certain iconic lines of dialogue have become as legendary as the films and books they originate from: â€Å"Frankly my dear† â€Å"There’s no place like home.† â€Å"We’re not in Kansas anymore.† â€Å"To my big brother George, the richest man in town.† â€Å"What we have here is failure to communicate.† â€Å"Go ahead, make my day.† â€Å"May the force be with you.† â€Å"Houston, we have a problem.† â€Å"Run, Forrest, run!† â€Å"You had me at hello.† Most writers - even bestselling novelists - never create such an unforgettable line of dialogue. But striving to create one is a worthy effort. Ironically, it should fit so seamlessly it doesn’t draw attention to itself until fans begin quoting it. How to Use Dialogue Tags to Identify Speakers Dialogue attribution tags- he said, she said, etc.- indicate who is speaking. Resist the urge to get creative here. Said is almost always your best choice. Teachers who urge you to find alternatives are usually unpublished and believe agents and editors will be impressed. Trust me, they won’t be. Avoid mannerisms of attribution. People say things. They don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt or snort them. They might do any of those things while saying them, which might be worth mentioning, but the emphasis should be on what is said, and readers just need to know who is saying it. Keep it simple. All those other descriptors turn the spotlight on an intrusive writer. Sometimes people whisper or shout or mumble, but let their choice of words indicate they’re grumbling, etc. If it’s important that they sigh or laugh, separate that action from the dialogue. Jim sighed. â€Å"I can’t take this anymore.† Not: Jim sighed, â€Å"I can’t take this anymore.† Though you read them in school readers and classic fiction, attribution tags such as use of reply, retort, exclaim, and declare have become clicheÃŒ d and archaic. You’ll still see them occasionally, but I suggest not using them. Often no attribution is needed. Use dialogue tags only when the reader wouldn’t otherwise know who’s speaking. I once wrote an entire novel, The Last Operative, without attributing a single line of dialogue. Not a said, an asked, anything. I made clear through action who was speaking, and not one reader, even my editor, noticed. A common error is characters addressing each other by name too often. Real people rarely do this, and it often seems planted only to avoid a dialogue tag. Fictional dialogue should sound real. Don’t start your dialogue attribution tag with said. Rather, end with said. said Joe or said Mary, reads like a children’s book. Substitute he and she for the names and that will make it obvious. said he or said she just doesn’t sound right. Use said after the name for the best sound. Joe said or Mary said. Resist the urge to explain, and give the reader credit. The amateur writer often writes something like this: â€Å"I’m beat,† exclaimed John tiredly. Besides telling and not showing - violating a cardinal rule of writing - it uses the archaic exclaimed for said, misplaces that before the name rather than after, and adds the redundant tiredly. The pro would write: John dropped onto the couch. â€Å"I’m beat.† That shows rather than tells, and because John’s action has been described, we don’t need an attribution tag to know he’s speaking. How to Punctuate Dialogue Few things expose a beginner like incorrect punctuation, especially in dialogue. Agents and editors justifiably wonder if you read dialogue, let alone whether you can write it, if you write something like: â€Å"I don’t know.† she said. Or, â€Å"What do you think?† He said. To avoid common mistakes: Start a new paragraph for each speaker When one character’s dialogue extends to more than one paragraph, start each subsequent paragraph with a double quotation mark, and place your closing double quotation mark only at the end of the final paragraph. Place punctuation inside the quotation marks, the dialogue tag outside: â€Å"John was just here asking about you,† Jim said. The attribution tag goes after the first clause of a compound sentence: â€Å"Not tonight,† he said, â€Å"not in this weather.† When dialogue ends with a question or exclamation mark, the dialogue tag following the quotation marks should be lowercase:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m glad you’re here!† she said. Action before dialogue takes a separate sentence: Anna shook her head. â€Å"I can’t believe she’s gone!† Quoting within a quote requires single quotation marks: â€Å"Lucy, Mom specifically said, ‘Do not cut your bangs,’ and you did it anyway!† When action or attribution interrupts dialogue, use lowercase as dialogue resumes: â€Å"That,† she said, â€Å"hurt bad.† Dialogue Examples If you’re old enough to remember the original Twilight Zone (hosted by Rod Serling) or Dragnet (starring and narrated by Jack Webb), you know how dialogue set the tone for their shows. Serling was sometimes whimsical, sometimes mysterious, but always provocative. â€Å"Consider one middle-aged adult, lost in space and time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jack Webb, as L.A. police detective Sergeant Joe Friday, was always deadly serious and monotone. â€Å"Just the facts, ma’am.† Contrast those with the dialogue between Tom and his Aunt Polly in Tom Sawyer. If you’re anything like me, you were laughing from page 1. There! I mighta thought of that closet. What you been doing in there? Nothing. Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What IS that truck? I dont know, aunt. Well, I know. Its jam- thats what it is. Forty times Ive said if you didnt let that jam alone Id skin you. Hand me that switch. The switch hovered in the air- the peril was desperate- My! Look behind you, aunt! The old lady whirled round and snatched her skirts out of danger. The lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the highboard fence, and disappeared over it. Great dialogue can set the tone for your entire story and also differentiate characters, as we discussed earlier. In Huckleberry Finn,  Mark Twain delineates between Huck the Southern white boy and Jim the runaway slave by just hinting at their respective accents. Twain doesn’t use tags to tell who’s speaking, yet the reader never confuses the two. Huck says, â€Å"Jim, did y’all ever see a king?† Y’all is the only word in that sentence that implies a Southern accent, but it’s enough. Jim says, â€Å"I sho enough did.† Huck says, â€Å"You liar, Jim. You never seen no king.† Jim says, â€Å"I seen foh kings in a deck of cards.† Huck’s bad grammar and Jim’s sho and foh are the only hints of their dialects. Contrived phonetic spelling would slow the reading, but look what Twain accomplished with simple choices. The Cardinal Sin of Dialogue The last thing you want is to produce on-the-nose dialogue. Apply to your own work those principles and the tools I’ve outlined here, and I believe you’ll immediately see a huge difference. So will your reader. In the Comments, ask me any questions regarding how to write dialogue. Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 Tips for Writing an Amazing Villanova Essay

5 Tips for Writing an Amazing Villanova Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Villanova University is a private, Catholic research university in Pennsylvania. With a 36 percent acceptance rate, it’s considered moderately competitive- but even that level has an average GPA just shy of 4.0. But acceptance to Villanova isn’t just about your test scores and GPA; you’ll also need to nail the Villanova supplement essay, rounding out your application with a strong representation of yourself.In this guide, we’ll cover all of Villanova’s essay prompts and how to best answer them, including potential topics and pitfalls. Find yourself a quiet place and a good study playlist. What Are the Villanova Essay Prompts? Villanova University only accepts the Common Application. In addition to the required Common Application essay question, you’ll be writing one additional supplement specifically for Villanova. Just one supplemental essay is required, but you’ll have three prompts to choose from. Your response should be one page, double-spaced, in length. No prompt is inherently better than the others - pick whichever appeals to you most. Each one is unique to Villanova, and they all have some unique twists on the expected essay format. We believe that all members of our community should be committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. How would you contribute to this at Villanova? At first, this prompt might look like a typical â€Å"diversity essay.† It mentions diversity, equity, and inclusion, and asks how you’ll contribute However, the first part of the question says that â€Å"all members of our community should be committed to†¦.† Instead of asking what you’ll contribute to their diverse community, they’re instead asking what you’ll do to foster diversity. That could mean bringing your unique experiences to campus, but it could also mean looking at how you, personally, will help ensure that everybody feels welcomed and appreciated. How will you contribute to the commitment to diversity? This prompt is fairly unique because it doesn’t just want to know about what separates you from the rest. Villanova also wants to know how you’ll fit in with other students and appreciate their stories and backgrounds. The use of the word ‘community’ tells us that this is a campus that values the relationships students build with one another. Appreciating and celebrating diversity is part of that mission. To answer this question, think about the communities you belong to and the ways that they intersect with one another. You can also consider times when you’ve been immersed in another culture- truly immersed, not just watching or participating briefly- and what that meant to you. Be sure that you’re always answering the question of how you’ll commit to diversity at Villanova, not just what you’ve done in the past. A past experience, such as attending a traditional Indian wedding, might have led you to appreciate how different another culture’s celebrations can be, but Villanova wants to know what you’ll do next. Will you make a point to attend or organize different celebrations on campus? What does your experience with diversity, whether your own or someone else’s, inspire you to do to foster a welcoming community? On an individual basis, how will you commit to ensuring that the community is full of diversity, equity, and inclusion? When answering this question, avoid coming off as patronizing or condescending. Though a trip to build wells for impoverished communities may have had good intentions, these trips can sometimes do more harm than good. Likewise, volunteering at a soup kitchen isn’t all the impressive if the message you come away with is that you’re glad you’re not homeless. Instead of focusing on yourself and your feelings, take the experience and turn it into actionable ideas. â€Å"Because I saw firsthand how people all around me are suffering, I devoted every Saturday to fundraising for the homeless, a routine I plan to continue at Villanova,† is a lot stronger than, â€Å"Because I saw firsthand how people all around me are suffering, I decided I would spend time every day writing down something I’m grateful for.† Saint Augustine believed in the essential connection between the mind and the heart. Tell us about a time that your mind and heart were in conflict and how that was resolved. College applications will often ask for an event where your views were challenged and you learned from it. This question is a little different- instead of being an outside challenge, it’s an internal one. Still, Villanova wants to know about how you respond to challenges and how you learn from them. Consider times where you’ve been in conflict with yourself and how you ultimately came to a conclusion. What strategies did you use? Were you ultimately happy with your choice? For example, maybe you struggled with a choice to attend an expensive summer camp that specialized in the field you want to study or to spend your summer working. Both options would be beneficial, but you wanted the summer camp more- only you weren’t sure how you were going to pay for it. Whatever option you chose, there’s an essay to be found there; maybe you spent the summer working to save up to attend next year, or maybe you sold a video game console you hadn’t played in a while to make sure you could attend this year. The key is that your heart wants one thing (a great summer spent at camp) while your mind wants another (the money to attend that camp) and you found a way to solve the problem. Remember that the prompt states Saint Augustine’s belief in a connection between the mind and heart. How did your ultimate resolution lead to a greater understanding of what both your heart and mind wanted? Were you able to bridge the gap? For this question, avoid topics that are too shallow or that aren’t really conflicts. Don’t write about trying to choose which friend you wanted to spend the weekend with unless it was a really deep decision, and stay away from spending too much time on choices with answers that seem obvious, like whether you should study or play video games. Dig deep on this question and pick something with a clear narrative. Your essay should showcase something about you, whether it’s your work ethic, your passion, or your caring for others. "Each of us strengthens all of us" is a concept that resonates deeply in the Villanova community. While this phrase may mean many different things, one aspect is that Villanovans rely on each other. Share a situation when you have needed help and what you have taken away from this experience. Colleges, especially research universities like Villanova, are all about community and collaboration. You might have a particularly brilliant mind, but that’s not all it takes to succeed- the ability to work with others is also key, and Villanova wants to hear about how you recognize those who have helped you get to where you are. This is a good opportunity to be humble and acknowledge the support you’ve had along the way. Think about self-reflection, including why you needed help in a particular situation and how the support you received changed your thinking or improved you in some way. This prompt invites you to share your understanding of the importance of collaboration bydiscussing an experience in which others helped you achieve something. Don’t spend too much time worrying about choosing an experience or situation that’s particularly impressive- instead, focus on something that really demonstrates how important a good team can be. The biggest thing to avoid in answering this question is prioritizing your achievement over the assistance you received. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write about a great achievement- if you won an impressive award or invented something new, definitely share that!- but rather that you should focus on showcasing the support that got you there, such as your mother spending time teaching you how to connect circuits or your teacher spending time after school to coach you through curating a perfect photography portfolio. Show Villanova you understand how important it is to work as a team to achieve great things, and you'll be set to impress! Believe it or not, relaxation is an important part of writing your college essays. Key Tips for Writing the Villanova Essay Though Villanova’s essay prompts are targeted specifically for their school, there are quite a few guidelines you can follow to make your essay strong regardless of what school you’re applying for. Brainstorm Brainstorming doesn’t have to be an intensive process. Beginning a project is often the hardest part; taking a minute or five to get a bunch of ideas down on paper, regardless of their quality, lets you get to work without pressure. Take a deep breath, set a timer, and start jotting down as many ideas as you can think of. Once you’re done, pick the ones that sound most appealing and move on to the next step. Outline Now that you have some ideas, you can start spinning them into outlines. Take a few of the ideas that are most appealing to you and start answering the supplemental questions that should come up in your essay. For example, if you’re answering the first prompt, you should not only be thinking about your personal experiences with diversity, but also how you hope to support equity at Villanova. Sketch out a brief plan for each topic. If you find you don’t have enough points to make, it’s probably not the right idea. Repeat until you have a few outlines to choose from, and then choose the one that you feel strongest about. Write Now that you already have an outline, it’s far easier to actually write your essay. On your first draft, don’t worry too much about staying within the page limit. Don’t even worry about word choice or having something you’re ready to show somebody else. Just focus on getting all of your ideas down on the page so that you have something to do for the next stage. Edit Now comes the point where you start taking what you’ve done and turning it into gold. Editing isn’t just about fine-tuning your grammar and spelling; read your draft aloud to find places where your sentences run on too long, or places where you’ve used the wrong word. Cut extra words and take out sections that aren’t serving your thesis. Be brutal; you can always add things back in if you find you miss them! Get Feedback Once you’ve done a few editing passes on your essay, it’s time for the scariest part: showing it to others. Ask a few people who are invested in your success but who aren’t likely to be too harsh or overly kind in their suggestions- teachers, coaches, and other authority figures are generally good choices- to take a look at your essay and let you know what they think. Let them mark up your draft with any mistakes that they find, and set all that feedback aside for a bit. It’s a good time to take a break from your essay so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes. Revise Now that you’ve had some time away from your essay, it’s time to revise. Take all that feedback you received and consider it. You don’t have to fix anything that doesn’t feel right to you, but do consider why your reviewers may have made that suggestion. Does your essay lack clarity? Could you have chosen a better word? Why are they confused? Always be sure that your essay sounds like you wrote it, though. Remember: your essay is meant to showcase the things that make you unique. If it reads like every other students’ application, it’s not working right! If one of your readers has made big suggestions that don’t sound like something you’d say, rephrase them until they do, or just don’t use them. It’s more important that your essay represents you. What’s Next? A great essay is just one part of a successful Villanova application. Find out what ACT scores and GPA the admissions office is looking for with this handy guide! If you're seeking financial aid from Villanova, this guide to their tuition and financial aid will help you figure out how much you need and how much you can expect to get. Though Villanova has some unique considerations for their essays, there are some common tricks and strategies you can use to write your college essay. This guide covers some of the best ways to ensure your application essay is a success! Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Legal Methods and Legal Structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Legal Methods and Legal Structures - Essay Example The issue of whether wearing religious apparel can be prohibited or restricted has been appeared as an important topic of discussion in several jurisdictions. Unfortunately, no clear or uniform response to this particular issue or claims has been recognised so far. In certain circumstances, courts are involved in justifying the ban on religious attire, while in other circumstances, courts are often seen to lack in making proper jurisdictions concerning the aforesaid issue. A comparison of two religious apparel cases that predominately arise in the context of school has been depicted in the following discussion. In R. (on the application of Playfoot) v Governing Body of Millais School [2007] H.R.L.R. 34, a 16 year old minor named Lydia Playfoot was the claimant. Lydia was pursuing her education from a non-denominational girl’s school in Horsham West Sussex. The Governing Body of Millias School was the defendant, which prohibited Lydia to wear a chastity ring (purity ring) as an insignia of her commitment made towards her religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the school has defined a clear set of dress code, which restricted the wearing of apparel other than plain ear studs. Notably, Lydia’s father disagreed with such dress code formulated by the school. Subsequently, she filed a lawsuit claiming for judicial investigation of the defendant’s decision. Her claim was grounded on the fact that the decision of the school prohibiting her from wearing purity ring was against her right to freedom.