Turning an Idea Into a Novel

Turning an Idea Into a Novel The Lightbulb Moment: Turning an Idea Into a Novel M.T. Ellis is a Brisbane-based crime thriller author. She has just published her debut novel, Azrael,  which was inspired by a nightmare she had in 2014. In this article, M.T. talks about the so-called â€Å"lightbulb† moment - the moment an author strikes plot-gold. Writers, she explains, can have many lightbulb moments. They don’t each turn into full-fledged novels, but that doesn’t mean they belong in the recycle bin. M.T. is currently writing the second novel in her Detective Allira Rose series. Turning a nightmare into a novelPutting my ducks in a row Being an aspiring author is hard when you’re still searching for the right idea. That being said, when they all start coming to you, things can get challenging again. To keep myself organized and to make sure that I can fill in plot holes and gaps, I add a comment bubble at the start of each scene I write, with a sentence or two describing the scene and the character’s point-of-view. That way I can scroll through all the comments I’ve left for myself and get an overview of what scenes need to go where. Writing is hard when you’re looking for the right idea. When you find it, it's still challenging. Getting out of my own way After writing about 20,000 words, I was forced to abandon my manuscript for about eighteen months because I became busy with my day job. During this time, I occasionally wrote notes but it wasn't until that project finished that I was able to write the rest of the manuscript, which took about six months.During those six months, there were times when I couldn’t even look at the manuscript because I had developed such a fear of failure and a loss of confidence in the story. Conflictingly, I had also developed a fear of the book actually doing well and the potential of the ensuing attention. It was a strange struggle, which I eventually got over with the encouragement (and nagging!) of my family and friends.Turning to professionals After I wrote the first draft of Azrael, I took the first 20 pages and the synopsis to the 20 Pages in 20 Minutes session at the Brisbane Writers Festival where I was able to sit down with award-winning author Midge Raymond, and discuss the manuscript. Midge pointed out that my novel’s antagonist was too overbearing and unlikable. So for my first big rewrite, I incorporated parts of the antagonist's past into the story so that readers would be able to understand why he came to be a â€Å"villain.†Once my next draft of Azrael was ready for an edit, I turned to Reedsy and hired Allister Thompson for a structural edit and a copy edit. Allister was great; he pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript and went through the text with a fine-toothed comb, offering suggestions on how to make the story more psychologically sound and more enticing to the reader.Tom Vowler was the final editor I used to complete my manuscript. I found him via Reedsy as well and he d id a thorough proofread of the manuscript. Tom taught me a lot: I was able to address the spelling and grammar mistakes I was constantly making while learning how to keep my writing consistent throughout the novel.My advice to fellow authorsWhat to do with all of those â€Å"dead-end† ideas? In short, keep them. Write them down and save them - all of them. While writing Azrael, when I thought of ideas that didn't quite fit, I’d put them in a folder called â€Å"Book 2.† Now that I have started writing the second book of my thriller series, some of the work will already be done because I’ve acquired a wealth of inspiration from unused scenes in the first novel. Don't see unused ideas as a waste of time - they may serve a purpose down the road. So don't see unused ideas as a waste of time because even if you feel like they don’t go anywhere in the moment, they may serve a purpose further down the road.Azrael is available in paperback and on Amazon Kindle!  For more information, visit M.T's website!Please  share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for M.T, in the comments below!

The Name of the Rose

The Name of the Rose The Name of the Rose The Name of the Rose By Maeve Maddox Spring is in the air so I feel like writing about flowers. One of my all-time favorites is the rose. Most people can quote Juliet’s comment about the name of the rose: Whats in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. And there’s Gertrude Stein’s â€Å"A rose is a rose is a rose.† Sometimes, however, a â€Å"rose† is not a rose. The rose family (Rosaceae) includes about 2,930 species in 95 genera. Among the 95 genera is the genus Rosa Linnaeus, which is divided into four subgenera, one of which is Rosa, the subgenus that Juliet and Gertrude had in mind. Roses have been shedding their fragrance on the air since before there were human beings to inhale it. The ancestors of the roses in modern gardens originated in the Tertiary Period, about 70 million years ago. Ancient Chinese and the Egyptian gardeners are believed to be the first to begin selective breeding of roses for color. Here’s a simplified example of the taxonomy of a rose, based on the USDA.gov site: Kingdom: Plantae (Plants) Division: Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants) Family: Rosaceae (Rose family) Genus: Rosa L. (the L. is for Linnaeus.) Subgenus: Rosa Common name: Rose Rosa contains from 100 to 150 species and thousands of cultivars, with more being introduced all the time. A cultivar is a plant variety that has arisen from cultivation. English rosarian David Austin, for example, has developed more than 190 rose cultivars since 1961. When shopping for roses, it’s enough to know the name of the cultivar. Some popular cultivars are ‘Knockout,’ ‘Peace,’ ‘Abraham Darby,’ ‘Queen Elizabeth,’ ‘Don Juan,’ ‘William Shakespeare 2000,’ and ‘Mr. Lincoln.’ When plants are identified by genus, species, and cultivar, the genus name is capitalized, the species name written in lowercase, and the cultivar name is enclosed in single quotation marks. To illustrate how the three terms are used, here are five plants whose common names contain the word rose, but which are unrelated to the rose of poetry. I’ve included the Family name to show that they do not belong to Rosaceae. In each three-word description, the first word is the genus, the second is the species, and the third is the cultivar. moss rose Family: Portulacaceae (aka Purslane) Example: Portulaca grandiflora ‘Happy Hour’ rose of Sharon Family: Malvaceae Example: Hibiscus syriacus ‘White Chiffon’ Lenten rose Family: Ranunculaceae Example: Helleborus  orientalis ‘Kingston Cardinal’ Christmas rose Family Ranunculaceae Example: Helleborus niger ‘Eva’ primrose Family: Primulaceae Example: Primula vulgaris ‘Arctic Mix’ 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Addressing A Letter to Two People16 Misquoted Quotations90 Verbs Starting with â€Å"Ex-†

Brazil and Venezuela Economic Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brazil and Venezuela Economic Governance - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  it was the period from the second quarter of 2005 to end months of 2006 that preceding repeated presidential elections, the idea of â€Å"swing to the Left† or â€Å"new Left† was introduced in the Latin American political history. This gave rise to a new notion in the Left government of the region polarizing two social coalitions, one being a â€Å"social democratic Left† such as that of Brazil and the other being a â€Å"populist Left† illustrated by the democratic system of Venezuela.This study highlights that  under the leadership of Luiz Inà ¡cio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian economic governance became more inclined towards chasing the traditional macro-economic policies being practiced in the nation generating robust financial surplus owing to its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In relation to its democratic governance, the nation began encouraging it’s regional as well as local capacity aiming dynamism in its socio-economic structure, even though the employment rate and other social growth factors were recorded to be worthy of deep concern. Where the aforementioned attempts made by Brazil demonstrates the main features of the governance in a   Ã¢â‚¬Å"social democratic Left† country under the influence of Latin America’s â€Å"Left Turn†, the policy measures adopted by Venezuela with the leadership of Hugo Chà ¡vez demonstrate a quite distinct picture of the â€Å"populist Left† region.   

Public Policing Vs Private Security Comparison Paper Essay

Public Policing Vs Private Security Comparison Paper - Essay Example Such programs include crime prevention and drug awareness. They have the authority to search, arrest, and detain individuals under the provisions of territorial and other police acts. They have the integral responsibility to protect the public property and places. On the other hand, private investigators usually carry out investigations to locate missing persons or obtain information for civil and legal litigation cases. Some of the other important services rendered by them include, ‘investigating corporate fraud, endowing with risk management consultations, and executing security measures to defend property from theft and fire’ (‘Private investigator, 2011). These personnel are not recruited by the government; instead they are directly employed by security companies and public administration industries. The private security personnel renders their services in protecting the ‘mass private property’, which means venues that are privately owned or run, b ut used widely by the public such as the privately owned airports, sporting arenas, or shopping malls. In the same way they offer many services offered by the public police, but they act only on behalf of the employer and not on behalf of the public. Some Distinctive Features Private security professionals like the ASIS helps to develop security management standards and guidelines. Their commission works with numeral national and international standards-setting organizations to advance their security practices. Utilizing the knowledge and experience, they practice worldwide through development of standards and guidelines (ASIS IT security, July 2011). The primary objective of private security officials is to keep up order and enforce rules at public events and concerns. They also provide a vast variety of services like providing armored car service for transporting valuables, controlling the access to venues, and protecting the property from theft and vandalism. Usually corporate co mpanies directly employ the security personnel for their protection and safety. They are also employed at public administration, banking companies, entertainment and recreation industry, transportation and warehousing, healthcare and social assistance, and accommodation and food services. Private security personnel, acting on behalf of the employer have many of the same cranial law enforcement powers as public police have. They are legally able to arrest and detain individuals. The trespass laws, in particular, are frequently used by private securities, because most of such laws allow them to arrest the trespassers. The Supreme Court of Canada defines that â€Å"the trespass acts are the workhorse of private security services in their patrol of the shopping malls, airports, sports stadiums and other private spaces where the public tends to congregate†( In search of security, 2006). Major Differences in Leadership On comparing both policing, we find that public policing and pr ivate security have many distinctive features with regard to leadership. Public policing is the ability to implement the law and maintain order in the society; whereas, private securities are paid agencies which perform defensive and loss-preclusion duties. Though both forces are handling different services and duties, the ultimate goal is to maintain a composed and tranquil atmosphere in the society. In the same way, as Allen and Sawhney (2009, p. 40) point out, the day-to-day activities of police and detectives differ according to

General Motors Essay Example for Free

General Motors Essay I first want to start out with the bailout in 2009 where the government gave General Motors money ($40 million) to help get them out the situation with their creditors and took over most of the company. According to reports all of the outstanding stock has been sold and now the company is out of the government’s hands. The total amount given to them was not paid in full and they do not feel like they need to repay anymore because they said that there was a risk with taking the stock and that the government would just get back what the stock sold for. I know that this is true in the stock market, as I have stocks myself and know the risks that I am taking. I still have a problem with giving them money when one of the other larger automobile companies (Ford Motor Company) took it upon themselves to restructure and is paying off their own debts little by little and is still moving along today. Along with the sale of all of the stock came a lift on the freeze of upper management wages and incentives. This is just not right. I would like to live on what some of them make, and I am sure that I could live very comfortably. Let them come and live on my income and see what they can do. I really have a problem with going overseas for production and I always will. It is probably my age and all of the trials and tribulations that I have lived through as well as what I have seen others live through. Many people were told that their jobs would be secure and since then General Motors has cut back on jobs here in the United States. I wonder just how many people outside of this country have been given jobs that could have been here at home. I know that many companies take production overseas because they say that the costs for labor are a lot  lower. Well, that may be true but has anyone seen the living conditions of those people overseas. Are we really paying them what they should be getting? Let’s take into consideration all of the recalls that General Motors has made in the last few years. Way too many in my book. Why is there faulty material being used to manufacture a product that could easily take the lives of many people. These products were made mostly overseas, I believe, and could lower wages be part of the problem of not noticing the faulty parts in the first place? By taking away incentives for prospective buyers, I believe, really hurt their business, but then I say, â€Å"Why give an incentive and not just reduce the price of the car in the first place?† I know that consumers look f or incentives but I think that they would look just as hard if the price of the cars were lower too. Let us look at the strategy that General Motors is wanting to take. The strategy that I believe that they are using is a combination of three strategies. They are as follows: Defensive Strategy in that General Motors decided to cut back the number of makes of automobiles; Cost-Leadership Strategy in that expenses needed to manufacture the cars are kept at a lower cost and maintained at that lower cost; and Differentiation Strategy in that they need to make a superior product for a vast number of people at a low cost. According to the plan General Motors is going to start making their automobiles using the same parts in the same laid out plants and using the same kind of tools throughout. They are also cutting back on the number of models from 86 to 49. When it came to the cost-leadership strategy, I put the loss of incentives to customers in this category. I still do not understand why there are incentives when they could just reduce the price of the automobile or truck. I think that people would look more if the price were lower. The differentiation strategy they have cut back on the workforce but are still making the superior produc t for a vast audience. I realize that they need to watch their competitors closely, especially those overseas but they also need to take care of the people right here in the United States. General Motors has a vision to reduce costs and increase revenue through global sales growth to a net profit of 10%. I think that they are asking for a lot out of the economy, as it is today As the plan states, Ford is farther ahead of General Motors and they made more of a profit per vehicle sold than General Motors. This was all done because of  going globally. The culture needs to change too and get away from focusing on selling the most cars and take care of the customers that they currently have and possibly will have in the future. Yes, sales are important, but they will come if their customer focus is there first. I think that the 10% increase in profits is a little out the park when you are just restructuring and trying to maintain your status. You will need to take smaller increases in profit for a few years and then the profits will increase as the years go by. When looking at SMART goals I find that General Motors set their goal of making more than $10 billion per year. This is a very challenging goal for a company that is just coming back from restructuring. This goal is very specific but I do not believe that it is attainable with the economy that we have today. I know that they look at achieving this goal globally but they really need to concentrate right here in the United States. To be results-oriented they needed to decrease the number of types of cars they produce, reduce the number in their global workforce, (which they did), reduce the number of union workers here in the United States (which they did) and close down plants that were not up to par (which they did). Was this the right decision to make? Who knows for sure? The only thing that I can see is that they put a lot of people out of work. In looking at the Planning/Control Cycle, I see that General Motors followed it by making the plan, carrying out the plan, they looked at the results of the plan and they controlled the direction of the plan by making any corrections as they went along with the plan. Planning is very important in everything that you do. You must always follow through too and watch as the plan is being carried out and always have control of what is going on and make sure that you make any corrections as the plan goes on. If need be, go back to the beginning and start all over again if the plan goes off track too far or if you have to make too many corrections. According to Mr. Akerson when asked about being back on top and the world’s largest auto maker his response was: â€Å"General Motors needs to focus on profits and margins and not necessarily try to post nu mbers on the board.† Maybe they need to go back and re-think their plan again and make sure they are staying on track as they proceed. In conclusion, I just want to add that I read two reports that just came out on CNN today. â€Å"One concerned a former manager for General Motors, Bill McAleer, who was in charge of the Global delivery system from 1988 to 1998 which was  used to access the quality of cars before they were sent to various dealers. He said that the culture of General Motors was the main problem of the company where if there was a problem and you said anything that you could be fired and then on the other hand if you did not say anything, you still could be fired.† What kind of culture is that? It is kind of twisted, if I must say. He said that he had sent a letter to the upper management about all of the defects that he had found and that they just ignored it. He also said that he never received a response in any way about the letter. He mentioned that in 1997 the focus for the company really changed and internally and that there were to be NO problems admitted to. How ridiculous is that. There is never a time during the day that a company does not have some kind of problem. He went on to say; â€Å"That’s what happened with the ignition switch, people knew that there was a problem but problems were not acceptable. They just ignored it.† Mr. McAleer was laid off in 2004 and filed suit agains t the company under the Whistleblower Law but he lost his suit. And what happened yesterday, June 27, 2014? General Motors recalled another 430,000 2013 and 2014 vehicles for various defects from windshield wiper assemblies on Caprice Police Cars, to transmission software, to rear shock absorbers, and to air bag problems. What is with this company? The article stated that since January, General Motors has recalled more than 20 million vehicles worldwide. If they knew about the ignition switch more than a decade ago and did nothing until this year, why are they still in business? Where are most of these defective parts coming from? I would imagine that you can see why I cannot be happy about this company. I have lived many years and have worked in various occupations and have seen the defective merchandise come from out of the country and would just sit there and shake my head. Working in retail for over 20 years, I just would not put merchandise on the floor for customers to purchase if I found it to be defective. Did I get into trouble for it? Absolutely not! We cared about our customers, why doesn’t General Motors. Seems like all they are interested in is the almighty dollar. Ref: CNN.com Article by Patrick Sheridan, June 28, 2014 @ 12:24 pm ET Article by Patrick Sheridan, June 27, 2014 @ 6:564 pm ET

Food: A Link in African American Culture Essay example -- essays paper

Food: A Link in African American Culture Four different people, four different lifestyles, all with at least one thing in common—their races (or so we have yet to discover). I began my interviews wanting to show the similarities and differences in eating habits and traditions with the African American perspective in mind. Although race is used as the combining factor in this situation, each individual’s lifestyle, cultural behavior, and even eating habits are all very unique. My interviewees consisted of four Americans, as mentioned before all of same race, with similar yet very distinct backgrounds. They range from a black Jew, to a â€Å"Jamerican,† to what I would call a â€Å"traditional southerner†, right on down to a modern day Muslim. They all agreed to fill me in and reveal to others the details of their personal history and family backgrounds. Geography, family tradition, and religion all play factors in what they eat as it always has dating back to ancestral times. I began with à ¢â‚¬Å"JJ Alex;† a 20 year old African American male from the east coast. He is a middle class college student. JJ Alex sounds like your typical college student but he is far from typical. What singles him out from many of his other peers is his religion. You might ask, â€Å"How would his religion relate to his eating lifestyle unless he’s a Muslim?† â€Å"He couldn’t possibly be Jewish—or could he?† A black Jew—better known as a Seventh Day Holiness. His great grandfather was a Rabbi and the basic teachings in his religion are as followed: his faith believes the Sabbath (day of rest) to begin at sunset on Friday lasting until sunset on Saturday; some worshippers wear Yarmulke; his faith also follows the Old Testament of the Bible; and they wear the Star of David. These beliefs in the Judaic way of life absolutely affect the food that is prepared in his house. JJ Alex mentioned that in Judaism one does not eat of unclean animals, which of course entails the meat of a pig or even fish with no scales. So right away he totally disbanded the myth that all people of African American decent eat pork. He also excludes anything from his diet that contains any pork-derived ingredients. â€Å"Not in my house!† he says. Although he does stick to his Judaic diet, JJ Alex and his family do enjoy other foods as well. His mother does most of the cooking in his home. He says they try to ea... ...iday Thanksgiving. On regular days, he does eat a lot of â€Å"soul food† which includes the collard greens and candied yams. Throughout all four interviewees I realized many foods that are common in the African American culture. In my home, although I choose not to eat pork, we do eat collard greens and sweet potatoes. Coming from a multicultural background that includes African American, Bajan, and Japanese, I also enjoy many other dishes ranging from Asia to the Caribbean. I also have family from the north as well as the south so I understood all the aspects my interviewees were throwing at me. Although each subject is from completely different backgrounds, whether they be geographical or religious, they each share likeness in many different aspects of their lives. Showing the similarities as well as the differences in their eating habits can create a cultural map tracing each individuals food choices back to one source. In this case, the source may be the continent of Africa where many of these foods are eaten today. In West Africa, the yam is a very popular vegetable. This just goes to show how food can be the missing link of different cultures throughout the world.

Brainwashing Our Future Essay

Around the globe today, the belief that a perfect body existing is at an all-time high. With airbrushing being used on practically every photo of actors/actresses/models, young adults get the false sense that they have to be a specific way to be prefect or normal even. It’s unjust that airbrushing photos leads these young adults to hate on themselves or on others for not being something that, in all reality, isn’t even real. Airbrushed photos of modern idols case teenagers to participate in unhealthy eating disorders, to bully fellow peers, and to obtain emotional problems that will stay with them for a lifetime. With airbrushing of photos also comes the unhealthy practice of eating disorders in young adult, especially young women, to fulfill the belief that doing so will result in having â€Å"matched up to their beauty and perfection† (Petten Van). Disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating have become most commonly found in the adolescent population because of these photos. In general, teen girls grow up seeing airbrushed photos which cause the desire to be â€Å"perfect†, later resulting in eating disorders. 42% of 1st to 3rd grade girls want to be thinner and 86% females report onset of eating disorder by age 20; 43% report onset between ages 16 and 20 (â€Å"Eating Disorder Statistics†). As a result, death rate of young adults has increased immensely and continues to surrender the hope of ever ending the cycle of teen disorders. Generally, as the number of adolescents who attain an eating disorder increases, so does the number of deaths to the teen populatio n. Airbrushing also contributes to bullying. Young adults are given the idea that one has to be a specific way in order to be accepted, so as a rule, teenagers bully one another out of jealousy or belief that all should fit what is seen as the norm due to airbrushing. But in return, there is the â€Å"5% of Americans that naturally possess the body type portrayed in magazine images† (â€Å"Eating Disorder Statistics†). That 5% is also bullied by those brainwashed by society to see it as the standard form. It makes sense that â€Å"a healthy girl does not have a solid sense of who she is and can be very susceptible to thinking one should look like the models, even though the model is airbrushed and really only a fantasy† (Cooper). Demi Lovato, a young teen pop star, has â€Å"openly aired her troubles† many times, describing the effects eating disorders and bullying that resulted from social media, like airbrushed photos, had on her life (LaPort). Bullying is the result of teens not having many idols that are raw and â€Å"going through what many of them are† (LaPort). Summing up the overall affect airbrushing has on adolescents comes down to these: emotional predicaments that can stay on one’s heart and mind until the very last breath. As a victim of bullying, my cousin Morgan shared her thoughts and feelings on her experiences. â€Å"The things they said were so harsh†¦unforgettable,† she whispered. â€Å"Every day I look at myself and repeat those words, even though I physically know they aren’t true.† She is one of â€Å"160,000 children who miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students† (â€Å"Make Beats Not Beat Downs: Facts and Statistics†). Bullying and eating disorders do not have short term effects, and can affect even the most confident person on the planet. These long term emotional situations are hurting the young minds of society and it all comes back to the pointless use of airbrushing. Some believe airbrushing is â€Å"just and image†¦a fantasy if you will†, regardless of the effect it has on adolescents (Cooper). Which is true, but teenagers are at the point of learning who they are and look to these photos of their idols to help decide, or figure out, who exactly is it that they see themselves being as adults. Others believe that airbrushing protects the eyes of younger minds from inappropriate matters like tattoos, thongs, or smoking. In response, the sooner one learns what the real world has to offer, bad and good, the sooner one realizes that everything isn’t perfect and can make decisions based on actual matters. Parents cannot protect children from the ideas of society surrounding them no matter how much they try. Would one rather children learn by looking at something everywhere around them or by hearing it from a mind not brainwashed by the wrong doings? The governments that allow the use of airbrushing on models and actors could easily pass a law to ban the deceptive practice of airbrushing. But the government won’t act unless the citizens act upon it first. By celebrities themselves opposing the act of an artist reconstructing their photos, and sewing them if done regardless, soon enough there won’t be any airbrushed photos to be released to the public. Previous victims of eating disorders or bullying should take a stand and tell the government, and its people, just how badly these photos affect the generations of society today. If not stopped now, then when will airbrushing ever come to an end? It’s time to end it and stop brainwashing our future. Works Cited A) Catapano, Rosanna. ANAD (The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) n.p. n.d. Web. 22 March 2013. B) Diller, Vivian. â€Å"Is Photoshop Destroying America’s Body Image.† Huffpost Post. N.p. n.d. Web. 22 March 2013. C) Petten Van, Vanessa. â€Å"Photoshop: The Effect On Teen Girls and Why It Needs to be Banned.† Radical Parenting. n.p. n.d. Web. 22 March 2013.

Carrie Chapter Four

(or only hopeful) that she wasn't that weak, not that liable to fall docilely into the complacent expectations of parents, friends, and even herself. But now there was this shower thing, where she had gone along and pitched in with high, savage glee. The word she was avoiding was expressed To Conform, in the infinitive, and it conjured up miserable images of hair in rollers, long afternoons in front of the ironing board in front of the soap operas while hubby was off busting heavies in an anonymous Office; of joining the P.T.A. and then the country club when their income moved into five figures; of pills in circular yellow cases without number to insure against having to move out of the misses' size before it became absolutely necessary and against the intrusion of repulsive little strangers who shat in their pants and screamed for help at two in the morning; of fighting with desperate decorum to keep the niggers out of Kleen Korners, standing shoulder to shoulder with Terri Smith (Miss Potato Blossom of 1975) and Vicki Jones (Vice President of The Women's League), armed with signs and petitions and sweet, slightly desperate smiles. Carrie, it was the goddamned Carrie, this was her fault. Perhaps before today she had heard distant, circling footfalls around their lighted place, but tonight, hearing her own sordid, crummy story, she saw the actual silhouettes of all these things, and yellow eyes that glowed like flashlights in the dark. She had already bought her prom gown. It was blue. It was beautiful. ‘You're right,' he said when she was done. ‘Bad news. Doesn't sound a bit like you.' His face was grave and she felt a cool slice of terror. Then he smiled-he had a very jolly smile-and the darknesss retreated a bit. ‘I kicked a kid in the slats once when he was knocked out. Did I ever tell you about that?' She shook her head. ‘Yeah.' He rubbed his nose reminiscently and his cheek gave a small tic, the way it had when he made his confession about getting the rubber wrong the first time. ‘The kid's name was Danny Patrick. He beat the living shit out of me once when we were in the sixth grade. I hated him, but I was scared, too. I was laying for him. You know how that is?' She didn't, but nodded anyway. ‘Anyway, he finally picked on the wrong kid a year or so later. Pete Taber. He was just a little guy, but he had lots of muscles. Danny got on him about something. I don't know, marbles or something, and finally Peter just rose up righteous and beat the shit out of him. That was on the playground of the old Kennedy Junior High. Danny fell down and hit his head and went out cold. Everybody ran. We thought he might be dead. I ran away too, but first I gave him a good kick in the ribs. Felt really bad about it afterwards. You going to apologize to her?' It caught Sue flat-footed and all she could was clinch weakly: ‘Did you?' ‘Huh? Hell no! I had better things to do than spend my time in traction. But there's a big difference, Susie.' ‘There is?' ‘It's not seventh grade any more. And I had some kind of reason, even if it was a piss-poor reason. What did that sad, silly bitch ever do to you?' She didn't answer because she couldn't. She had never passed more than a hundred words with Carrie in her whole life, and three dozen or so had come today. Phys. Ed. was the only class they'd had in common since they had graduated from Chamberlain Junior High. Carrie was taking the commercial/business course. Sue, of course, was in the college division. She thought herself suddenly loathsome. She found she could not bear that and so she twisted it at him. ‘When did you start making all these big moral decisions? After you started fucking me?' She saw the good humour fade from his face and was sorry. ‘Guess I should have kept quiet,' he said, and pulled up his pants. ‘It's not you, it's me.' She put a hand on his arm. ‘I'm ashamed, see?' ‘I know,' he said. ‘But I shouldn't be giving advice. I'm not very good at it.' ‘Tommy, do you ever hate being so †¦ well, popular?' ‘Me?' The question wrote surprise on his face. ‘Do you mean like football and class president and that stuff?' ‘Yes.' ‘No. Ifs not very important. High school isn't a very important place. When you're going you think it's a big deal, but when it's over nobody really think. it was great unless they're beered up. That's how my brother and his buddies are, anyway.' It did not soothe her; it made her fears worse. Little Susie mix ‘n match from Ewen High School, Head Cupcake of the entire Cupcake Brigade. Prom gown kept forever in the closet, wrapped in protective plastic. The night pressed dark against the slightly steamed car windows. ‘I'll probably end up working at my dad's car lot,' he said. ‘I'll spend my Friday and Saturday nights down at Uncle Billy's or out at The Cavalier drinking beer and talking about the Saturday afternoon I got that fat pitch from Saunders and we upset Dorchester. Get married to some nagging broad and always own last years model, vote Democrat-‘ ‘Don't,' she said, her mouth suddenly full of a dark, sweet horror. She pulled him to her. ‘Love me. My head is so bad tonight. Love me. Love me.' So he loved her and this time it was different, this time there finally seemed to be room and there was no rubbing but a delicious friction that went up and up: Twice he had to stop, panting, and held himself back, and then he went (he was a virgin before me and admitted it I would have believed a lie) and went hard and her breath came in short, digging gasps and then she began to yell and hold at his back, helpless to stop, sweating, the bad taste washed away, every cell seeming to have its own climax, body filled with sunlight, musical notes in her mind, butterflies behind her skull in the cage of her mind. Later, on the way home, he asked her formally if she would go to the Spring Ball with him. She said she would. He asked her if she had decided what to do about Carrie. She said she hadn't. He said that it made no difference. but she thought that it did. It had begun to seem that it meant all the difference. From Telekinesis: Analysis and Aftermath (Science Yearbook 1982), by Dean K. L. McGuffin: There are, of course, still these scientists today – regretfully, the Duke University people are in their forefront – who reject the terrific underlying implications of the Carrie White affair. Like the Flatlands Society, the Rosicrucians, or the Corlies of Arizona, who are positive that the atomic bomb does not work, these unfortunates are flying in the face of logic with their heads in the sand, and beg your pardon for the mixed metaphor. Of course one is able to understand the consternation, the raised voices, the angry letters and arguments at scientific convocations. The idea of telekinesis itself has been a bitter pill for the scientific community to swallow, with its horror-movie trappings of ouija boards and mediums and table rappings and floating coronets; but understanding will still not excuse scientific irresponsibility. The outcome of the White affair raises grave and difficult questions. An earthquake has struck our order notions of the way the natural world is supposed to act and react. Can you blame even such a renowned physicist as Gerald Luponet for claiming the whole thing is a hoax and a fraud, even in the face of such overwhelming evidence as the White Commission presented? For if Carrie White is the truth, then what of Newton? †¦ They sat in the living room, Carrie and Momma, listening to Tennessee Ernie Ford singing ‘Let the Lower Lights Be Burning' on a Webcor phonograph (which Momma called the victrola, or, if in a particularly good mood, the vic). Carrie sat at the sewing machine, pumping with her feet as she sewed the sleeves on a new dress. Momma sat beneath the plaster crucifix, tatting doilies and bumping her feet in time to the song, which was one of her favourites. Mr P. P. Bliss, who had written this hymn and others seemingly without number, was one of Momma's shining examples of God at work upon the face of the earth. He had been a sailor and a sinner (two terms that were synonymous in Momma's lexicon), a great blasphemer, a laugher in the face of the Almighty. Then a great storm had come up at sea, the boat had threatened to capsize, and Mr P. P. Bliss had gotten down on his sinsickly knees with a vision of Hell yawning beneath the ocean floor to receive him, and he had prayed to God. Mr P. P. Bliss promised God that if He saved him, he would dedicate the rest of his life to Him. The storm, of course, had cleared immediately. Brightly beams our Father's mercy From his lighthouse evermore, But to us he gives the keeping Of the lights along the shore †¦ All of Mr P. P. Bliss's hymns had a seagoing flavour to them. The dress she was sewing was actually quite pretty, a dark wine colour-the closest Momma would allow her to red-and the sleeves were puffed. She tried to keep her mind strictly on her sewing, but of course it wandered. The overhead fight was strong and harsh and yellow, the small dusty plush sofa was of course deserted (Carrie had never had a boy in To Sit), and on the far wall was a twin shadow: the crucified Jesus, and beneath Him, Momma. The school had called Momma at the laundry and she had come home at noon. Carrie had watched her come up the walk, and her belly trembled. Momma was a very big woman, and she always wore a hat. Lately her legs had begun to swell, and her feet always seemed on the point of overflowing her shoes. She wore a black cloth coat with a black fur collar. Her eyes were blue and magnified behind rimless bifocals. She always carried a large black satchel purse and in it was her change purse, her billfold (both black), a large King James Bible (also black) with her name stamped on the front in gold, and a stack of tracts secured with a rubber band. The Tracts were usually orange, and smearily printed. Carrie knew vaguely that Momma and Daddy Ralph had been Baptists once but had left the church when they became convinced that the Baptists were doing the work of the Antichrist. Since that time, all worship had taken place at home. Momma held worship on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. These were called Holy Days. Momma was the minister, Carrie the congregation. Services lasted from two to three hours. Momma had opened the door and walked stolidly in. She and Carrie had stared at each other down the short length of the front hall for a moment, like gunfighters before a shootout. It was one of those brief moments that seem (fear could it really have been fear in momma's eyes) much longer in retrospect. Momma closed the door behind her. ‘You're a woman,' she said softly. Carrie felt her face twisting and crumpling and could not help it. ‘Why didn't you tell me?' she cried. ‘Oh Momma, I was so scared! And the girls all made fun and threw things and-‘ Momma had been walking towards her, a now her hand flashed with sudden limber speed, a hard hand, laundry-calloused and muscled. It struck her backhand across the jaw and Carrie fell down in the doorway between the hall and the living room, weeping loudly. ‘And God made Eve from the rib Of Adam,' Momma said. Her eyes were very large in the rimless glasses; they looked like poached eggs. She thumped Carrie with the side of her foot and Carrie screamed. ‘Get up, woman. Let's get in and pray. Let's pray to Jesus for our womanweak, wicked, sinning souls.' ‘Momma' The sobs were too strong to allow more. The latent hysterics had come out grinning and gibbering. She could not stand up. She could only crawl into the living room with her hair hanging in her face, braying huge hoarse sobs. Every now and again Momma would swing her foot. So they progressed across the living room toward the place of the altar, which had once been a small bedroom. ‘And Eve was weak and – say it, woman. Say it-‘ ‘No, Momma, please help me-‘ The foot swung. Carrie screamed. ‘And Eve was weak and loosed the raven on the world,' Momma continued, ‘and the raven was called Sin, and the first Sin was Intercourse. And the Lord visited Eve with a Curse, and the Curse was the Curse of Blood. And Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden and into the World and Eve found that her belly had grown big with child.' The foot swung and connected with Carrie's rump. Her nose scraped the wood floor. They were entering the place of the altar. There was a cross on a table covered with an embroidered silk cloth. On either side of the cross there were white candles. Behind this were several paint-by-the-numbers of Jesus and His apostles. And to the right was the worst place of all, the home of terror, the cave where all hope, all resistance to God's will – and Momma's – was extinguished. The closet door leered open. Inside, below a hideous blue bulb that was always lit, was Derrault's conception of Jonathan Edwards' famous sermon. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. ‘And there was a second Curse, and this was the Curse of Childbearing, and Eve brought forth Cain in sweat and blood.' Now Momma dragged her, half-standing and half-crawling, down to the altar, where they both fell on their knees. Momma gripped Carrie's wrist tightly. ‘And following Cain, Eve gave birth to Abel, having not yet repented of the Sin of Intercourse. And so the Lord visited Eve with a third Curse, and this was the Curse of Murder. Cain rose up and slew Abel with a rock. And still Eve did not repent, nor all the daughters of Eve, and upon Eve did the Crafty Serpent found a kingdom of whoredom and pestilences.' ‘Momma!' she shrieked. ‘Momma, please listen! It wasn't my fault!' ‘Bow your head,' Momma said. ‘Let's us pray.' ‘You should have told me!' Momma brought her hand down on the back of Carrie's neck, and behind it was all the heavy muscle developed by eleven years of slinging heavy laundry bags and trucking piles of wet sheets. Carrie's eye-bulging face jerked forward and her forehead smacked the altar, leaving a mark and making the candles tremble. ‘Let's us pray,' Momma said softly, implacably. Weeping and snuffling, Carrie bowed her head. A runner of snot hung pendulously from her nose and she wiped it away. (if i had a nickel for every time she made me cry here) with the back of her hand. Lord,' Momma declaimed hugely, her head thrown back, ‘help this sinning woman beside me here see the sin of her days and ways. Show her that if she had remained sinless the Curse of Blood never would have come on her. She may have committed the Sin of Lustful Thoughts. She may have been listening to rock ‘n roll music on the radio. She may have been tempted by the Antichrist. Show her that this is Your kind, vengeful hand at work and-‘ ‘No! Let me go!' She tried to struggle to her feet and Momma's hand, as strong and pitiless as an iron manacle, forced her back to her knees. ‘-and Your sign that she must walk the straight and narrow from here on out if she is to avoid the flaming agonies of the Eternal Pit. Amen.' She turned her glittering, magnified eyes upon her daughter. ‘Go to your closet now.' ‘No!' She felt her breath go thick with terror. ‘Go to your closet. Pray in secret. Ask forgiveness for your sins.' ‘I didn't sin, Momma. You sinned. You didn't tell me and they laughed.' Again she seemed to see a flash of fear in Momma's eyes, gone as quickly and soundlessly as summer lightning. Momma began to force Carrie toward the blue glare of the closet. ‘Pray to God and your sins may be washed away.' ‘Momma, you let me go.' ‘Pray, woman.' ‘I'll make the stones come again, Momma.' Momma halted. Even her breath seemed to stop in her throat for a moment. And then the hand tightened on her neck, tightened, until Carrie saw red, lurid dots in front of her eyes and felt her brain go fuzzy and far-off. Momma's magnified eyes swam in front of her. ‘You spawn of the devil,' she whispered. ‘Why was I so cursed?' Carrie's whirling mind strove to find something huge enough to express her agony, shame, terror, hate, fear. It seemed her whole life had narrowed to this miserable, beaten point of rebellion. Her eyes bulged crazily, her mouth, filled with spit, opened wide. ‘YOU SUCK!' she screamed. Momma hissed like a burned cat. ‘Sin!' she cried. ‘O, Sin! She began to beat Carrie's back, her neck, her head. Carrie was driven, reeling, into the close blue glare of the closet. ‘YOU FUCK!' Carrie screamed. (there there o there it's out how else do you think she got you o god o good) She was whirled into the closet headfirst and she struck the far wall and fell on the floor in a semidaze. The door slammed and the key turned. She was alone with Momma's angry God. The blue light glared on a picture, of a huge and bearded Yahweh who was casting screaming multitudes of humans down through cloudy depths into an abyss of fire. Below them, black horrid figures struggled through the flames of perdition while The Black Man sat on a huge flame-coloured throne with a trident in one hand. His body was that of a man, but he had a spiked tail and the head of a jackal.

The Man of a Million Faces essays

The Man of a Million Faces essays The Man of a Million Faces Jim Carrey is a man who excels at the field of comedy and acting. The reason that he excels is that he is very down to earth, his personality personifies how a lot of teenagers act and feel today, and he is extremely popular. James Eugene Carrey seems to be one of the most down to earth people that you will ever see on television. Whether it is on the Tonight Show or Entertainment Tonight, Jim can turn any dull moment into something comedic. When I was recently reading about him I found out that although he is a superstar he enjoys many of the same things that us regular people like. For example Jims favorite kind of food is sandwiches, chips, and a little bowl of ice cream for dessert. He really is not in to the whole glamorous celebrity thing. He enjoys the simple things in life. I also learned that Jim loves cartoons and his favorite character is Deputy Dog. Jim also wears something that a lot of men and women wear, Fruit of the Loom underwear. According to my reading they are the undergarments of choice for a lot of celebrities. Finally, and I think this is more than anyone needs to know, Jim prefers Charmin toilet paper. I do not know why anyone would really care about this but it was listed as a fact about him. Another reason that he is so good at what he does is that he acts just like the kids that are watching his movies. After a Jim Carrey movie is released I suggest that you listen to a few conversations among teenagers. You are almost assured the latest Jim Carrey quote, and you can be sure that an impersonation is not far behind. There is just something about what he says that sticks in teenagers minds. Something else that sets Jim apart from all the rest is his uncanny way of making faces. Sometimes you have to wonder if his jaw is dislocated. He can do things with his mouth no other human can accomplish. It is unbelievabl...

Native American Stereotypes in Film and Television

Native American Stereotypes in Film and Television The 2013 remake of â€Å"The Lone Ranger,† featuring Native American sidekick Tonto (Johnny Depp), renewed concerns about whether the media promotes stereotypical images of Native Americans. In film and television, American Indians have long been portrayed as people of few words with magical powers. Often the Indians in Hollywood are dressed as â€Å"warriors,† which perpetuates the notion that Natives are savages. On the other hand, Native American women are depicted as beautiful maidens sexually available to white men. Collectively, the stereotypical images of American Indians in Hollywood continue to influence public perception of this racial group. Beautiful Maidens While the media often portrays Native American men as warriors and medicine men, their female counterparts are typically portrayed as beautiful Indian maidens. There is the maiden on the cover of Land O’ Lakes butter products, Hollywood’s various representations of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Pocahontas† and Gwen Stefani’s controversial portrayal of an Indian princess for No Doubt’s 2012 music video for â€Å"Looking Hot.† Native American author Sherman Alexie tweeted that with the video No Doubt turned â€Å"500 years of colonialism into a silly dance song and fashion show.† Representations of Native American women as â€Å"easy squaws† have real-world consequences. American Indian women suffer from high rates of sexual assaults, often perpetrated by non-Native men. According to the book Feminisms and Womanisms: A Women’s Studies Reader, American Indian girls are also often subjected to derogatory sexual comments. â€Å"Whether princess or squaw, Native femininity is sexualized,† writes Kim Anderson in the book. â€Å"This understanding finds its way into our lives and our communities. Sometimes, it means constantly having to fend off the advances of people with an appetite for the ‘Other.’ It may involve a continual struggle to resist crass, sexualized interpretations of one’s being†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stoic Indians Unsmiling Indians who speak few words can be found in classical cinema as well as in cinema of the 21st century. This representation of Native Americans paints them as one-dimensional people who lack the full range of emotions that other groups display. Adrienne Keene of the Native Appropriations blog says that portrayals of indigenous peoples as stoic can largely be traced to the pictures of Edward Curtis, who photographed American Indians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. â€Å"The common theme throughout Edward Curtis’s portraits is stoicism,† Keene explains. â€Å"None of his subjects smile. Ever. †¦To anyone who has spent any time with Indians, you know that the ‘stoic Indian’ stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth. Natives joke, tease, and laugh more than anyone I know- I often leave Native events with my sides hurting from laughing so much.† Magical Medicine Men Like the â€Å"Magical Negro,† Native American males are often portrayed as wise men with magical powers in film and television shows. Usually medicine men of some sort, these characters have little function other than to guide white characters in the right direction. Oliver Stone’s 1991 film â€Å"The Doors† is a case in point. In this film about the famed rock group, a medicine man appears at key moments in Jim Morrison’s life to shape the singer’s consciousness. The real Jim Morrison may have really felt that he connected with a medicine man, but his thinking was likely influenced by Hollywood depictions of American Indians. In all cultures, there have traditionally been individuals with an impressive knowledge of the healing qualities of plants and herbs. Yet, Native Americans have been portrayed in film and television time and time again as medicine men who have no other purpose but to rescue hapless white people from harm. Bloodthirsty Warriors In films such as â€Å"The Last of The Mohicans,† based on James Fenimore Cooper’s book of the same name, there is no shortage of Indian warriors. Hollywood has traditionally portrayed Native Americans as tomahawk-wielding savages thirsty for the white man’s blood. These brutes engage in barbaric practices such as scalping and sexually violate white women. The Anti-Defamation League has attempted to set this stereotype straight, however. â€Å"While warfare and conflict did exist among Native Americans, the majority of tribes were peaceful and only attacked in self-defense,† the ADL reports. â€Å"Just like European nations, American Indian tribes had complex histories and relationships with one another that sometimes involved combat, but also included alliances, trade, intermarriage and the full spectrum of human ventures.† As the character, Thomas-Builds-the Fire notes in the film â€Å"Smoke Signals,† many First Nations peoples have no history of being warriors. Thomas points out that he came from a tribe of fishermen. The warrior stereotype is a â€Å"shallow† one the ADL asserts, as it â€Å"obscures family and community life, spirituality, and the intricacies inherent in every human society.† In the Wild and on the Rez In Hollywood films, Native Americans are typically found living in the wilderness and on reservations. In reality, considerable numbers of First Nations peoples live off the reservation and in major U.S. cities. According to Washington University in St. Louis, 60 percent of the Native American population lives in cities. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that New York, Los Angeles, and Phoenix boast the largest populations of Native Americans. In Hollywood, however, it’s rare to see an aboriginal character living in a metropolitan area.

Compare & Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Compare & Contrast - Essay Example The former believes in one God, reflecting the monotheistic nature of Christianity while the latter pictures the polytheistic nature of the Mesopotamian religion. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a portrayal of the belief in many gods who have been actively participating in the life of one of the human characters who later was made a god, Utanapishtim. It mentions a similar experience of the main character, Gilgamesh where the gods did their part in making the tasks given, more difficult for him and making him unsuccessful in his attempt to attain the same success of Utanapishtim in becoming a god. Malthus’ essay on the other hand spoke about one God who also actively participates in what human beings do however, in contrast to Utanapishtim’s unhelping manner to Gilgamesh in his endeavors, the God the essayist speaks of is a helping God. Coming from human existence, the god Utanapishtim seemed to have humane characteristics remaining in him because he acted deceitfully towards Gilgamesh by giving task he was sure would not be attained by the man. The God of Malthus on the other hand extends help to men in their trials. The essay stands in defense to the essayist’s belief that there is a God who is after the good of men and not their destruction even though he is able to control the circumstances in a person’s life. The hardships God allows in the lives of people, he says, are meant to process him to becoming a better person and not for him to be consumed by his murmurings and complaints as he faces life’s trials. Conversely, Utanapishtim seemed to be a selfish god who looked forward to how he could use man for his benefit, as he sent Gilgamesh to the bottom of the sea to take hold of the boxthorn-like plant which could make him regain his youth, meaning to steal the plant from him in the future. This places a dividing lie between the gods presented in the literary pieces being examined in this paper. In the epic, Gilgamesh

Research, identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Essay

Research, identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of business regulations - Essay Example Regulations are good in the way that they provide a particular direction for businesses to follow. Rules and regulations actually help standardize the business operations as all workers and businesses will follow a particular set of instructions which are applicable to them. On the other hand regulations are also important as some businesses do not self-regulate themselves and can therefore be involved in actions which are harmful to the society. For example if restrictions are not imposed on the emission of factories then many companies might not care about the negative effect of emissions from factories ad may continue to do so in order to save costs of safe emission systems. When regulations are made and implemented, then these companies are bound to follow it otherwise they’ll have to bear the consequences in form of penalty such are monetary fines or closure of business. Therefore, regulation is one form of ensuring that the business doesn’t harm the society. (Porket, 2003) Moreover, regulations are also important in protecting the rights of the employees as without regulations, employers may exploit the employees through bad working conditions or low wages etc. Due to this government tend to make regulations regarding minimum wealth, health and safety conditions. Regulations also help in preventing exploitation of consumers. If there are no regulations, then monopolies would exploit consumers with high prices, companies won’t produce goods with quality standards and might not mention the harmful effects of using a particular product if proper regulations are not in place. Therefore regulations are beneficial as many businesses don’t tend to self-regulate them. (Porket, 2003) Along with advantages, there are also some drawbacks of regulations. These include the costs of complying with these regulations. Regulations which are