God of Fire and Metallurgy in Ancient Mythologies Free Essay Example, 2000 words

As in the case of the Greek stories, in Norse mythology also there has been some changes occurred as it is passing down through many generations. Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are the two main sources of Morse Mythology. It was Snorri Sturluson from Iceland who wrote Prose Edda around the year 1200 (Norse Mythology). The Poetic Edda is a collection of authorless Old Norse poems. The book entitled, Norse Mythology writes, Loki, a trickster, and troublemaker, was both a giant and a god in Norse mythology (Norse mythology 16). He is the god of the Jotun Race and is considered as the evil god of fire God in Norse Mythology. This Loki was once bound and shut up in a dark cave when he caused many problems to the gods. The website entitled; Norse Gods and Immortals remarks the character of Loki as, The sly, trickster god. Son of two giants. Also known as the Sly One, the Trickster, the Shape Changer and the Sky Traveler. Becomes increasingly eviler. He is responsible for the death of Balder . Bound until Ragnarok. The presentation of Loki in Norse mythology is very interesting that one can find various beliefs existing with Loki, the mischief maker. The Norse mythology presents Loki as the father of lies and deceit, and shapeshifter (Daly Rengel 63). We will write a custom essay sample on God of Fire and Metallurgy in Ancient Mythologies or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Loki had two wives Angrboda and Sign. Loki had three children in Angrboda and two in Signyn (Norse mythology 16). As Loki belonged to the Jotun race, he is often viewed as an enemy of gods. Some believe that he is the blood brother of the great god Odin, which is why the gods never harm him though he causes for many mischiefs and certain other problems.

Fundamentals of Macroeconomics - 850 Words

Benson James ECO 372 Fundamentals of Macroeconomics 08 October 2013 The gross domestic product (GDP) is defined as the market value of all goods in any country at any specific time. The gross domestic product is frequently used to establish a country’s wealth or standard of living. Even though the GDP is supposed to determine a country’s economic health, many nonbelievers think the gross domestic product does not account for the underground economy. An underground economy would consist of transactions that are no reported to the government. The first thing that comes to mind as an example would be restaurant servers. Not all restaurants require servers to claim all of their tips.†¦show more content†¦They can do this by offering goods and services at a discounted prices or creating temporary sale items to compete. Massive layoff of employees can affect household because it will decrease the amount income each household brings in. When a household does not have a regular income, it affects the way they spend their money. Households will have to cut costs and budget their money wisely. When massive layoffs take place is has a great affect on the government as well. The government has to compensate for the large number of recently unemployed people. This increases government spending dramatically because now they have to use money for people who are collecting unemployment rather than on something else. Since households have less income, they are unable to put their money back in the economy. Even though businesses are saving on their own costs by laying off employees, they are not bringing in as much because people have less disposable income. When there is a decrease in taxes, households have a greater income which in turn allows them to spend their money at business. When households have a higher income, it lessens the amount of money the government has to provide for households. Business will be able to stay competitive in the market because people will have more money to spend on their goods andShow MoreRelatedFundamentals Of Macroeconomics Paper On Macroeconomics1272 Words   |  6 Pages Fundamentals of Macroeconomics Paper Macroeconomics is a study in which reflects the economy as a whole and the levels of total output, which is also referred to as national income. National income measures the value of an output produced in an economy over a period of time. In this paper gross will attempt to describe the economics related word terms such as gross domestic product (GDP), real GDP, nominal GDP, unemployment rate, inflation rate and interest rate in laymen. Also will describeRead MoreFundamentals of Macroeconomics Essay778 Words   |  4 PagesFundamentals of Macroeconomics Fundamentals of Macroeconomics Stafford M. 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Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-three Free Essays

string(33) " of harshness and desperateness\." THE FEW SECONDS OF SILENCE that followed seemed to stretch out to eternity. Everyone was confused, each for totally different reasons. Jill’s initial surprise had been laced with excitement, but as she stared around from face to face, her smile faded and faded until she looked as bewildered as the rest of us. We will write a custom essay sample on Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-three or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"What’s going on?’ asked a new voice. Moments later, Emily Mastrano appeared beside her daughter. Emily glanced at me and Sydney with curiosity and then gasped when she saw the third member of our group. â€Å"Sonya!’ Emily jerked Jill back, her face filled with panic. Emily wasn’t guardian-fast, but I admired her responsiveness. â€Å"Emily †¦ ?’ Sonya’s voice was very small, on the verge of cracking. â€Å"It †¦ it’s me †¦ really me †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Emily tried to tug the man inside as well but stopped when she got a good look at Sonya. Like anyone else, Emily had to acknowledge the obvious. Sonya had no Strigoi features. Plus, she was out in broad daylight. Emily faltered and opened her mouth to speak, but her lips couldn’t quite manage it. She finally turned to me. â€Å"Rose †¦ what’s going on?’ I was surprised that she would regard me as an authority, both because we’d only met once and because I honestly wasn’t sure what was going on either. It took me a few attempts to find my voice. â€Å"I think †¦ I think we should come inside †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Emily’s gaze fell back on Sonya. Jill tried to push forward to see what all the drama was about, but Emily continued blocking the door, still not totally convinced it was safe. I couldn’t blame her. At last, she gave a slow nod and stepped away to give us access. Sydney’s eyes flicked toward the car, where Victor, Robert, and Dimitri were waiting. â€Å"What about them?’ she asked me. I hesitated. I wanted Dimitri to be with me to drop the bombshell, but Emily might only be able to handle one thing at a time here. Moroi didn’t have to run in royal circles to know who Victor Dashkov was or what he looked like. Our trip to Las Vegas had been proof of that. I shook my head at Sydney. â€Å"They can wait.’ We settled into the family’s living room and learned the guy who’d answered the door was Emily’s husband, John Mastrano. Emily went through the motions of offering us beverages, like this was a perfectly ordinary visit, but the look on her face confirmed she was still in shock. She handed us glasses of water like a robot, her face so pale she might have been Strigoi. John rested his hand on Emily’s once she sat down. He kept giving us wary looks, but for her, he was all affection and concern. â€Å"What’s going on?’ Emily’s eyes were still dazed. â€Å"I †¦ don’t know. My cousin is here †¦ but I don’t understand how †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She looked back and forth at me, Sydney, and Sonya. â€Å"How is this possible?’ Her voice shook. â€Å"It was Lissa, wasn’t it?’ exclaimed Jill, who undoubtedly knew this relative’s sordid history. She was understandably shocked–and a little nervous–but excitement was beginning to stir. â€Å"I heard what happened with Dimitri. It’s true, isn’t it? Lissa can heal Strigoi. She saved him. She saved †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Jill turned toward Sonya, enthusiasm wavering a little. I wondered what kind of stories she’d heard about Sonya. â€Å"She saved you.’ â€Å"Lissa didn’t do it,’ I said. â€Å"Another, uh, spirit user did.’ Jill’s face lit up. â€Å"Adrian?’ I’d forgotten about her crush on him. â€Å"No †¦ someone else. It’s not important,’ I added hastily. â€Å"Sonya’s †¦ well, she’s Moroi again. Confused, though. Not quite herself.’ Sonya had been drinking in the sight of her cousin but now turned to me with a wry, knowing smile. â€Å"I can speak for myself, Rose.’ â€Å"Sorry,’ I said. Emily turned to Sydney and frowned. They’d been introduced, but no more. â€Å"Why are you here?’ Emily didn’t have to say what she really meant. She wanted to know why a human was here. â€Å"Are you a feeder?’ â€Å"No!’ exclaimed Sydney, jumping up from her spot beside me on the loveseat. I had never seen her filled with such outrage and disgust. â€Å"Say that again, and I’ll walk right out of here! I’m an Alchemist.’ She was met with blank stares, and I pulled Sydney back down. â€Å"Easy, girl. I don’t think they don’t know what Alchemists are.’ Secretly, I was glad. When I’d first discovered the Alchemists, I’d felt like I was the last person in the world to find out. It was nice to know others were out of the loop too. Keeping things simple for now, I explained to Emily, â€Å"Sydney’s been helping us.’ Tears brimmed in Emily’s blue eyes as she turned back to her cousin. Emily Mastrano was one of the most stunning women I’d ever met. Even tears were beautiful on her. â€Å"It’s really you, isn’t it? They brought you back to me. Oh God.’ Emily rose and walked over to hold her cousin in a deep embrace. â€Å"I’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe this.’ I almost felt like crying, too, but sternly reminded myself that we had come with a mission. I knew how startling this all was. We had just turned the Mastrano family’s world upside down †¦ and I was about to complicate things even more. I hated to do it. I wished they could have the time they needed to adjust, to celebrate the miracle of having Sonya back. But the clock at Court–and on my life–was ticking. â€Å"We brought her †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I said at last. â€Å"But there’s another reason we’re here.’ I don’t know what tone my voice conveyed, but Emily stiffened and stepped back from Sonya, sitting down beside her husband. Somehow, in that moment, I think she knew why we were here. I could see in her eyes that she was afraid–as if she’d been dreading this type of visit for years, as if she’d imagined it a hundred times. I pushed forward. â€Å"We know †¦ we know about Eric Dragomir.’ â€Å"No,’ said Emily, her voice an odd mixture of harshness and desperateness. You read "Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-three" in category "Essay examples" Her obstinate manner was remarkably similar to Sonya’s initial refusal to aid us. â€Å"No. We are not doing this.’ The instant I’d seen Jill, the instant I’d recognized those eyes, I’d known we had the right place. Emily’s words–more importantly, her lack of a denial–confirmed it. â€Å"We have to,’ I said. â€Å"This is serious.’ Emily turned to Sonya. â€Å"You promised! You promised you wouldn’t tell!’ â€Å"I didn’t,’ said Sonya, but her face wore its earlier doubt. â€Å"She didn’t,’ I said firmly, hoping to reassure them both. â€Å"It’s hard to explain †¦ but she kept her promise.’ â€Å"No,’ repeated Emily. â€Å"This isn’t happening. We cannot talk about this.’ â€Å"What †¦ what’s going on?’ demanded John. Anger kindled in his eyes. He didn’t like seeing strangers upset his wife. I directed my words to Emily. â€Å"We have to talk about this. Please. We need your help. We need her help.’ I gestured to Jill. â€Å"What do you mean?’ asked Jill. That earlier eager spark was gone, cooled by her mother’s reaction. â€Å"It’s about your–‘ I came to a stop. I’d rushed into this, ready to find Lissa’s sibling– her sister, we now knew–with little thought of the implications. I should have known this would be a secret from everyone–including the child in question. I hadn’t considered what a shock this would be to her. And this wasn’t just some random stranger. This was Jill. Jill. My friend. The girl who was like a little sister to all of us, the one we looked out for. What was I about to do to her? Looking at John, I realized things were worse still. Did Jill think he was her father? This family was about to be shaken to its core– and I was responsible. â€Å"Don’t!’ cried Emily, jumping up again. â€Å"Get out! All of you! I don’t want you here!’ â€Å"Mrs. Mastrano †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I began. â€Å"You can’t pretend this isn’t real. You have to face it.’ â€Å"No!’ she pointed to the door. â€Å"Get out! Get out, or I’ll †¦ I’ll call the police! Or the guardians! You †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Realization flashed over her now that the initial shock of seeing Sonya had faded. Victor wasn’t the only criminal Moroi would be on guard for. â€Å"You’re a fugitive! A murderer!’ â€Å"She is not!’ said Jill, leaning forward. â€Å"I told you, Mom. I told you before it was a mistake–‘ â€Å"Get out,’ repeated Emily. â€Å"Sending us away won’t change the truth,’ I said, forcing myself to stay calm. â€Å"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?’ John’s face was flushed red, angry and defensive. â€Å"If I don’t have an answer within thirty seconds, I’m calling the guardians and the police.’ I looked over at Jill and couldn’t speak. I didn’t know how to say what I needed to, at least not tactfully. Sydney, however, didn’t have that problem. â€Å"He’s not your father,’ she said bluntly, pointing at John. There was a slight pause in the room. Jill almost looked disappointed, like she’d hoped for more exciting news. â€Å"I know that. He’s my stepdad. Or, well, my dad as far as I’m concerned.’ Emily sank back on the couch, burying her face in her hands. She seemed to be crying, but I was pretty sure she could jump up at any moment and call the authorities. We had to get through this fast, no matter how painful. â€Å"Right. He’s not your biological father,’ I said, looking steadily at Jill. The eyes. How had I never noticed the eyes? ‘Eric Dragomir is.’ Emily made a low keening sound. â€Å"No,’ she begged. â€Å"Please don’t do this.’ John’s anger morphed back to the confusion that seemed to be so in fashion in this room. â€Å"What?’ â€Å"That †¦ no.’ Jill slowly shook her head. â€Å"That’s impossible. My father was just †¦ just some guy who ran out on us.’ In some ways, that wasn’t far from the truth, I supposed. â€Å"It was Eric Dragomir,’ I said. â€Å"You’re part of their family. Lissa’s sister. You’re †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I startled myself, realizing I had to look at Jill in a whole new way. â€Å"You’re royalty.’ Jill was always full of energy and optimism, operating in the world with a naive hope and charm. But now her face was grim and sober, making her look older than her fifteen years. â€Å"No. This is a joke. My dad was a lowlife. I’m not †¦ no. Rose, stop.’ â€Å"Emily.’ I flinched at the sound of Sonya’s voice, surprised to hear her speak. I was more surprised at her expression. Authoritative. Serious. Determined. Sonya was younger than Emily by–what? Ten years, if I had to guess. But Sonya had fixed her cousin with a stare that made Emily look like a naughty child. â€Å"Emily, it’s time to give this up. You have to tell her. For God’s sake, you have to tell John. You can’t keep this buried anymore.’ Emily looked up and met Sonya’s eyes. â€Å"I can’t tell. You know what will happen †¦ I can’t do that to her.’ â€Å"None of us know what will happen,’ said Sonya. â€Å"But things will get worse if you don’t take control now.’ After a long moment, Emily finally looked away, staring at the floor. The sad, sad look on her face broke my heart. And not just mine. â€Å"Mom?’ asked Jill, voice trembling. â€Å"What’s happening? This is all a big mix-up, right?’ Emily sighed and looked up at her daughter. â€Å"No. You are Eric Dragomir’s daughter. Rose is right.’ John made a small, strangled sound but didn’t interrupt his wife. She squeezed his hand again. â€Å"What I told you both over the years †¦ it was true. Mostly. We did just have a brief †¦ relationship. Not a cheap one, exactly. But brief.’ She paused and glanced over at John this time, her expression softening. â€Å"I told you †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He nodded. â€Å"And I told you the past didn’t matter to me. Never affected how I felt about you, about Jill. But I never imagined †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ â€Å"Me neither,’ she agreed. â€Å"I didn’t even know who he was when we first met. It was back when I lived in Las Vegas and had my first job, dancing in a show at the Witching Hour.’ I felt my eyes go wide. No one seemed to notice. The Witching Hour. My friends and I had been to that casino while hunting for Robert, and a man there had made a joke about Lissa’s father being interested in showgirls. I knew Emily worked in a Detroit ballet company now; it was why they lived in Michigan. Never would I have guessed that she’d started as a feather-and-sequin-clad dancer in a Las Vegas show. But why not? She would have had to start somewhere, and her tall, graceful frame would lend itself well to any type of dancing. â€Å"He was so sweet †¦ and so sad,’ Emily continued. â€Å"His father had just died, and he’d come to sort of drown his sorrows. I understood how a death would devastate him, but now †¦ well, I really understand. It was another loss to his family. The numbers were dropping.’ She frowned thoughtfully and then shrugged. â€Å"He was a good man, and I think he truly loved his wife. But he was in a dark, low place. I don’t think he was using me. He cared about me, though I doubt what happened between us would have in other circumstances. Anyway, I was fine with the way things ended and was content to move on with my life †¦ until Jill came along. I contacted Eric because I thought he should know–though I made it clear I didn’t expect anything from him. And at that point, knowing who he was, I didn’t want anything. If I’d let him, I think he would have acknowledged you, had a role in your life.’ Emilyâ€⠄¢s eyes were on Jill now. â€Å"But I’ve seen what that world is like. Court life is politics and lies and backstabbing. In the end, the only thing I’d accept from him was money. I still didn’t want that. I didn’t want to feel like I was blackmailing him–but I did want to make sure your future was secure.’ I spoke without thinking. â€Å"You don’t really live like you’re using that money.’ I regretted the words as soon as they were out. Their home was perfectly nice, hardly the depths of poverty. But it also didn’t match the funds I’d seen moved around in those bank accounts. â€Å"I’m not,’ said Emily. â€Å"It’s on hand for emergencies, of course, but mostly I set it all aside for Jill, for her future. To do whatever she wants.’ â€Å"What do you mean?’ asked Jill, aghast. â€Å"What kind of money are you talking about?’ â€Å"You’re an heiress,’ I said. â€Å"And royalty.’ â€Å"I’m not any of those things,’ she said. She was frantic now, looking around at all of us. She reminded me of a deer, ready to bolt. â€Å"There’s a mistake. You’ve all made some mistake.’ Emily stood up and walked over to Jill’s chair, kneeling on the floor before it. Emily clasped her daughter’s hand. â€Å"It is all true. And I’m sorry you have to find out like this. But it doesn’t change anything. Our lives aren’t going to change. We’ll go on just like we have before.’ A range of emotions raced over Jill’s features–especially fear and confusion–but she leaned down and buried her face against her mother’s shoulder in acceptance. â€Å"Okay.’ It was a touching moment, and again, I almost felt like crying. I’d had my own share of family drama and parental issues. Like before, I wanted the Mastranos to have this moment–but they couldn’t. â€Å"You can’t,’ I told them. â€Å"You can’t go on like before. Jill †¦ Jill has to go to Court.’ Emily jerked away from Jill and stared at me. Only a second ago, Emily had been full of grief and distress. Now, I saw intense anger and ferocity. Her blue eyes were stormy, fixing me with a sharp glare. â€Å"No. She is not going there. She is never going there.’ Jill had already visited Court before, but both Emily and I knew that I wasn’t referring to some casual sightseeing trip. Jill had to go with her true identity. Well– maybe true wasn’t the right word. Illicit royalty wasn’t part of her nature, at least not yet. She was who she’d always been, but her name had changed. That change had to be acknowledged, and the Moroi Court would be shaken. â€Å"She has to,’ I urged. â€Å"The Court’s getting corrupted, and the Dragomir family has to play its part to help fix things. Lissa has no power alone, not without a family quorum. All the other royals †¦ they’re trampling her. They’re going to push laws that won’t help any of us.’ Emily still knelt by the chair, as though shielding Jill from my words. â€Å"And that’s exactly why Jill can’t go. It’s why I wouldn’t let Eric acknowledge her. I don’t want Jill involved. That place is poison. Tatiana’s murder is proof.’ Emily paused and gave me a sharp look, reminding me that I was the chief suspect. Apparently we weren’t past that yet. â€Å"All those royals †¦ they’re vicious. I don’t want Jill turning into one of them. I won’t let her turn into one of them.’ â€Å"Not all royals are like that,’ I argued. â€Å"Lissa’s not. She’s trying to change the system.’ Emily gave me a bitter smile. â€Å"And how do you think the others feel about her reform? I’m sure there are royals who are happy to see her silenced–royals who wouldn’t like to see her family reemerge. I told you: Eric was a good man. Sometimes I don’t think it’s a coincidence their family has died out.’ I gaped. â€Å"That’s ridiculous.’ But I suddenly wasn’t so sure. â€Å"Is it?’ Emily’s eyes were on me, as though guessing my doubts. â€Å"What do you think they’d do if another Dragomir came forward? The people who oppose Vasilisa? What do you think they’d do if only one person stood between them and her family’s power?’ Her implications were shocking †¦ yet, I knew they weren’t impossible. Glancing over at Jill, I felt an empty, sinking feeling in my stomach. What would I be subjecting her to? Sweet, innocent Jill. Jill wanted adventure out of life and could still barely talk to guys without blushing. Her desire to learn to fight was half-youthful impulse and half-instinct to defend her people. Stepping into the royal world could technically help her people too–though not in a way she’d ever expected. And it would mean getting involved with the dark and sinister nature that sometimes filled the Court. Emily seemed to read my silence as agreement. A mix of triumph and relief crossed her face, all of which vanished when Jill suddenly spoke up. â€Å"I’ll do it.’ We all turned to stare. Thus far, I’d been regarding her with pity, thinking of her as a victim. Now, I was startled at how brave and resolved she looked. Her expression was still underscored with a little fear and shock, but there was a steel in her I’d never seen before. â€Å"What?’ exclaimed Emily. â€Å"I’ll do it,’ said Jill, voice steadier. â€Å"I’ll help Lissa and †¦ and the Dragomirs. I’ll go with Rose back to Court.’ I decided mentioning the myriad difficulties of me getting anywhere near Court wasn’t important just then. Honestly, I had reached a point where I was playing all of this by ear, though it was a relief to see Emily’s fury shifted away from me. â€Å"You will not! I’m not letting you near there.’ â€Å"You can’t make this choice for me!’ cried Jill. â€Å"I’m not a child.’ â€Å"And you’re certainly not an adult,’ retorted Emily. The two began arguing back and forth, and soon John jumped in to support his wife. In the midst of the family bickering, Sydney leaned toward me and murmured, â€Å"I bet you never thought the hardest part of finding your â€Å"savior’ would be getting her mom to let her stay out past curfew.’ The unfortunate part about her joke was that it was kind of true. We needed Jill, and I certainly hadn’t envisioned this complication. What if Emily refused? Clearly, keeping Jill’s heritage a secret was something she’d been pretty adamant about for a while– say, like, fifteen years. I had a feeling Jill wouldn’t be beyond running away to Court if it came down to that. And I wouldn’t be beyond helping her. Once more, Sonya jumped into the conversation unexpectedly. â€Å"Emily, didn’t you hear me? This is all going to happen eventually, with or without your consent. If you don’t let Jill go now, she’ll go next week. Or next year. Or in five years. The point is, it will happen.’ Emily sank back against the chair, face crumpling. â€Å"No. I don’t want this.’ Sonya’s pretty face turned bitter. â€Å"Life, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to care what we want. Act now while you can actually stop it from being a disaster.’ â€Å"Please, Mom,’ begged Jill. Her jade Dragomir eyes regarded Emily with affection. I knew Jill might indeed disobey and run off–but she didn’t want to, not if she didn’t have to. Emily stared into the distance, long-lashed eyes vacant and defeated. And although she was standing in the way of my plans, I knew she did it out of legitimate love and concern–traits that had probably drawn Eric to her. â€Å"Okay,’ said Emily at last. She sighed. â€Å"Jill can go–but I’m going too. You aren’t facing that place without me.’ â€Å"Or me,’ said John. He still seemed bewildered but was determined to support his wife and stepdaughter. Jill regarded them both with gratitude, reminding me again that I’d just turned a functional family dysfunctional. Emily and John coming with us hadn’t been part of my plans, but I couldn’t blame them and didn’t see what harm they’d cause. We’d need Emily anyway to tell everyone about Eric. â€Å"Thank you,’ I said. â€Å"Thank you so much.’ John eyed me. â€Å"We still haven’t dealt with the fact that there’s a fugitive in our home.’ â€Å"Rose didn’t do it!’ That fierceness was still in Jill. â€Å"It was a setup.’ â€Å"It was.’ I hesitated to speak my next words. â€Å"Probably by the people opposing Lissa.’ Emily paled, but I felt the need for honesty, even if it reaffirmed her fears. She took a steadying breath. â€Å"I believe you. Believe that you didn’t do it. I don’t know why †¦ but I do.’ She almost smiled. â€Å"No, I do know why. It’s because of what I said before, about those vipers at Court. They’re the ones who do this kind of thing. Not you.’ â€Å"Are you sure?’ asked John uneasily. â€Å"This mess with Jill is bad enough without us housing a criminal.’ â€Å"I’m certain,’ said Emily. â€Å"Sonya and Jill trust Rose, and so I do. You’re all welcome to stay here tonight since we can hardly head out to Court right now.’ I opened my mouth to say we most certainly could leave right now, but Sydney elbowed me sharply. â€Å"Thank you, Mrs. Mastrano,’ she said, summoning up that Alchemist diplomacy. â€Å"That would be great.’ I repressed a scowl. Time was still pressing on me, but I knew the Mastranos were entitled to make some preparations. It was probably better to travel in the daytime too. A rough check of my mental map made me think we could do the whole drive back to Court in one day. I nodded in agreement with Sydney, resigning myself to a sleepover at the Mastrano house. â€Å"Thanks. We appreciate it.’ Suddenly, something occurred to me, summoning back John’s words. This mess with Jill is bad enough without us housing a criminal. I gave Emily as convincing and reassuring a smile as I could muster. â€Å"We, um, also have some friends with us waiting out in the car †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ How to cite Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-three, Essay examples

Establishing a High Performing Project Team

Question: Discuss about the Establishing a High Performing Project Team. Answer: High Performance Team High performance team understands the objectives of team, and aware of the individual roles that would contribute in achieving team goals. Further, team members support each other in meeting the overall team objectives (Peters and Carr, 2013). In an organisation, high performance team refers to the group of individuals, who have specific knowledge, skills and experience to accomplish the task (Hertz, 2010). This team also helps the organisation to collaborate and bring innovation for the firm in terms of developing new ideas to provide competitive advantages to the firm (Katzenbach and Smith, 2015). The high performance team in the given scenario would be a team that could implement the change initiative for the local FMCG. Team would strive to work towards to formulate, execute, and monitor a change management plan that would lead to staff cooperating with change, reducing operation cost and turnaround time. 5 different team members would be selected internally who would contribute in this initiative to make change happen. Aiming the perfect scenario This team would create an ideal scenario that would lead to the win-win situation for all stakeholders. The idea scenario after the change program would be that existing employees will be enabled to work with the new employees and team members on the new machinery. Due to this, employees would enable to work in their full capacity that will be effective in increasing firms productivity and efficiency (Hertz, 2010). Due to this, the firm will also enable to achieve competitive advantages in the national and international FMCG market. After the change program, the firm would enable to produce nuts in new flavour and also change the packaging with more transparency. Current Situation Challenges in implementing change program There are various challenges that will be faced by the team in implementing change program. In this, employee resistance would be one of the challenges for the team. It is because in the organisation, 80% workforce worked above 10 years and they do not want any changes in the working practices. Due to the introduction of new technology based machines, employees may feel that they can lose their current jobs. Due to this, the existing employees would not support the team to implement the change program, which may affect the effective implementation of change program in the organisation (Raoprasert and Islam, 2010). Another challenge in implementing change program would be related to organisational structure. In the organisation, there may be possibility that some employees and labours unable to learn new technology and procedures to blend nuts in four new flavours. It would affect the team to effectively implement change program to improve competitive position of firm (Persse, 2013). Potential conflicts and how to manage Team stage 1: Forming the team Diverse background of new employees will be a potential conflict in this stage, which may negatively affect the induction program. It will also discourage the employees to share their backgrounds, interests and experience with each other (Daft, Dorothy Marcic, 2016). For this, it is the responsibility of the team manager to clearly define the team goals and provide direction regrading the project. Along with this, team leader should determine team roles and responsibility, which will be effective in managing the conflicts in this stage (Lehman and DuFrene, 2010). Team stage 2: Storming In this stage, the conflict will be generated due to different opinion of each member to perform the tasks (Quintanilla and Wahl, 2015). In this, team leader should provide guidance to the team members and collectively work with them to resolve problems (Williams, 2015). Team stage 3: Norming In this stage, the conflict among the team members will be related to the negative thinking of other members. It may generate the issues, which may negatively impact on the project (Williams, 2016). For this, manager should motivate team members to collectively work with each other and share their experience and thinking to resolve the conflicts (Huszczo, 2011). Team stage 4: High Performing In this stage, the differences in working practices may bring conflicts between new and existing employees (Samson and Daft, 2012). For this, manager should develop the guidelines and regulations to accomplish the work in particular format (Phillips and Gully, 2013). Inducting new team member into the team Potential conflict of new members with the existing members According to the conflict attribution theory, in the team, a conflict between team members could be raised due to feeling a sense of struggle, and latent participation among the team members (Graham and Folkes, 2014). Due to working above 10 years, existing employees may feel no excitement in doing job as compared to the new employees (Ensley, 2014). This sense of feeling may bring conflicts among the new and existing employees. References Daft, R. L. and Marcic, D. (2016) Understanding Management. USA: Cengage Learning. Ensley, M. D. (2014) Entrepreneurial Teams as Determinants of of New Venture Performance. UK: Routledge. Graham, S. and Folkes, V. S. (2014) Attribution Theory: Applications to Achievement, Mental Health, and Interpersonal Conflict. USA: Psychology Press. Hertz, H. S. (2010) Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence: Baldrige National Quality Program (2009-2010). USA: DIANE Publishing. Hertz, H. S. (2010) Education Criteria for Performance Excellence (2009-10): Baldrige National Quality Program. USA: DIANE Publishing. Huszczo, G. E. (2011) Tools for Team Leadership: Delivering the X-Factor in Team Excellence. UK: Hachette. Katzenbach, J. and Smith, D. (2015) The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization. UK: Harvard Business Review Press. Lehman, C. M. and DuFrene, D. D. (2010) Building High-Performance Teams. USA: Cengage Learning. Persse, J. (2013) The IT Service Management Process Manual. Germany: Van Haren. Peters, J. and Carr, C. (2013) High Performance Team Coaching. USA: FriesenPress. Phillips, J. M. and Gully, S. M. (2013) Organizational Behavior: Tools for Success. USA: Cengage Learning. Quintanilla, K. M. and Wahl, S. T. (2015) Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence. USA: SAGE Publications. Raoprasert, T. and Islam, S. M. N. (2010) Designing an Efficient Management System: Modeling of Convergence Factors Exemplified by the Case of Japanese Businesses in Thailand. USA: Springer Science Business Media. Samson, D. and Daft, R. L. (2012) Management. USA: Cengage Learning. Williams, C. (2015) Effective Management. USA: Cengage Learning. Williams, C. (2016) MGMT. USA: Cengage Learning.

4 Tips for Writing Amazing Notre Dame Essays

4 Tips for Writing Amazing Notre Dame Essays SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The University of Notre Dame is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. It attracts the best and brightest students from around the country- in fact, 38% of the student body ranked in the top 1% of their high school graduating classes! That means that most applicants will have exemplary academic records. Because most applicant have amazing grades and transcripts, your Notre Dame application essays will be one of the most important ways for you to stand out from the crowd! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about writing Notre Dame’s application essays. We’ve broken it into a few major sections. First, we’ll give you an overview of the Notre Dame supplement. Then we’ll walk you through each essay individually and answer the following questions: What is the essay asking you to do? What makes for a good answer? What are some potential essay topics? Are there pitfalls you should avoid? And finally, we’ll give you four top tips for taking your Notre Dame essays to the next level.So let’s get started! Why Are the Notre Dame Application Essays Important? The hard truth is that getting into Notre Dame is tough. Only 17% of applicants in 2018 were accepted, which makes Notre Dame harder to get into than schools like Emory University and Vassar! And because Notre Dame attracts top talent, admitted students also boast excellent standardized test scores. In fact, the average Notre Dame student scored between a 1410–1540 on their SAT or a 33–35 on their ACT. So that begs the question: what kind of applicants get admitted? According to the Notre Dame Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Notre Dame is looking for well-rounded, passionate students who excel in the classroom and are involved in the community. Here’s how Notre Dame sums up the importance of the essay portion of your application: Your essays are the most enjoyable part of the application reading process. Why? Because we learn about important decisions you’ve made, adventures you’ve survived, and lessons you’ve learned, family traditions you’ve experience. In other words, admissions counselors want to know that if you’re admitted, you’ll make the most of your time at Notre Dame- both inside and outside the classroom The Notre Dame essays are your chance to show admissions counselors that you’re the whole package, especially since Notre Dame does not conduct admissions interviews. That means your essay responses will be one of your only opportunities to show admissions counselors that you’re an excellent fit for their university. An Overview of the Notre Dame Supplement The Notre Dame supplement is available through either the Common App or the Coalition App websites. The Common App and the Coalition App are online platforms that let you apply to multiple colleges at once. If you aren’t sure what they are or how to use them, check out our guides to filling out the Common App and the Coalition App, which include tips for tackling the personal essays! Here’s where things get a little bit tricky: the Notre Dame supplement is submitted in addition to the application you have already filled out. That means you will be submitting additional essays specific to Notre Dame on top of the essays you’ve written for your universal application package. That’s why it’s called the Notre Dame supplement! The 2 Parts of the Notre Dame Supplement The supplement itself asks you to write and submit three additional essays, which are split into two groups: First, there’s the mandatory essay. This is the prompt that everyone who applies to Notre Dame must answer. For your next two essays, you’re given the choice between four prompts and must answer two. The online portals give you between 150 and 200 words to respond to each prompt, but the Notre Dame admissions website asks that each essay is 150 words. We recommend that you keep your essay as close to 150 words as possible! We know that’s not a lot of space, but remember: your admissions essays are about quality, not quantity. Now that you have a general sense of the Notre Dame supplement, let’s take a closer look at each essay topic. Essay 1: â€Å"Why Notre Dame?† What excites you about the University of Notre Dame that makes it stand out from other institutions? Remember: this essay topic is mandatory, which means you must answer it to complete the supplement. But don’t worry...we’re going to walk you through the process! What Is the Essay Asking You to Do? This prompt is essentially the â€Å"Why This College?† question. This is a common supplemental essay question designed to help admissions counselors understand why Notre Dame- and literally no other university!- is the perfect school for you. The â€Å"Why Notre Dame† prompt also serves another purpose: it helps they want to get a sense of how you, as both a student and as a person, will contribute to the Notre Dame community. In answering this question, your job is to show admissions counselors that you’re the perfect fit for Notre Dame, and visa versa. What Makes for a Good Answer? Do your homework. The key to writing an amazing â€Å"Why Notre Dame?† essay is showing admissions counselors that you’ve really dug into the resources and opportunities available at the school. Doing this proves you’re more than interested- it shows you’re passionate and motivated, too. As you research, look at specific classes you might be interested in taking and/or professors you might want to research under. (Here’s a list of all the colleges and departments at Notre Dame to get you started!) For example, if you want to program the next Alexa, you’ll want to mention taking classes like Artificial Intelligence and Software Development Practices. Or if curing cancer is more your thing, you can mention working with Dr. Jessica Brown, who is researching RNA to better understand how cancer works. Not sure what you want to major in yet? No problem. This is a common question we get when it comes to the â€Å"Why This College?† essay. The simple answer is: it’s okay to not know! Admissions counselors know that your major isn’t set in stone, but they do want to see that you’re thinking about the future. Even if you’re not 100% certain about what you want to do in the future, pick a potential major for the sake of writing this prompt. Don’t overlook the Notre Dame community, either. Admissions counselors are looking for students who will do more than study- they want to find people who will become members of the community, too. For instance, if you were in theatre in high school, you might want to participate in Shakespeare at Notre Dame! Also, many departments have their own student organizations (like the American Studies Club or Beta Gamma Sigma, a business honors society). Make sure you check departmental pages for this information. One quick note about religion: Notre Dame is a Catholic university, so many of its community programs are religiously affiliated. Unless you’re serious about becoming a member of one of these groups, don’t mention it in your essay. Admissions counselors read thousands of applications every year, and they will know if you’re being sincere! Start narrowing things down. Now that you’ve done your research and have a list of classes, professors, programs, and extracurriculars, choose the two or three things that stand out most. You only have 150 words, so you need to give yourself space to talk about the items you’ve chosen! Relate your topics to your goals. Remember, your job is to show admissions counselors that Notre Dame is the only school for you. Explain how the classes, programs, and activities you’ve mentioned will put you on the path to achieve your goals. For example, if you want to study adolescent psychology, explain how your coursework and experience at Notre Dame will help you go on to research how social media affects adolescents’ brain development. By making it personal, you’ll be able to emphasize how Notre Dame is the only place that can set you on the path to success. What Are Some Potential Essay Topics? Along with the examples we mention earlier in this section, here are a few other topics you might consider for this essay: Talk about how you hope to contribute to a specific ongoing research project with professor in your department. Explain your future career goals and mention how joining specific campus organizations will help put you on the path to success. Discuss how you want to take classes in two departments in order to think about a problem in your future profession in new ways. Are There Pitfalls You Should Avoid? Avoid generalities. Make sure you’re being as specific as possible about what makes Notre Dame special. Don’t just say you’re excited to attend because of the school’s study abroad programs- most, if not all, major colleges in the United States offer study abroad. What specific programs does Notre Dame offer that you can’t find anywhere else? The same goes for talking about your career interests. Don’t say that you want to stop climate change. How do you want to do that? How will specific classes, professors, and research opportunities at Notre Dame help you save the world? Leave sports out of it. We know, we know: part of the appeal of Notre Dame is joining the legion of Fighting Irish. But unless you’re joining one of the athletic teams, focus on academics and career/service opportunities instead. Don’t sound bored. The question asks about what makes you excited to attend Notre Dame, so let your passion show through in your writing. Essays 2 and 3: Choose Your Prompts For this section of the Notre Dame essay supplement, you’re given four different essay prompts. Your job is to choose and answer two. Keep in mind that the word limit for these prompts is the same, which means you’ll only have 150 words for each answer. For some people, choosing the prompts is the hardest part! There are a few things you can do to make this easier: Choose prompts that let you share new information. Go through the list and rule out any prompts that you’ve already discussed as part of your Common App or Coalition App. Some of the Notre Dame supplement essays involve talking about similar topics to the Common App and Coalition App essay prompts. Make sure you choose Notre Dame essay prompts that let you talk about something fresh and new! Brainstorm every prompt. Take an afternoon and write down potential ideas for every prompt below. Don’t worry about whether the ideas are good or not- just write them down! Once you’re done, take a look at which prompts give you the opportunity to share something new that you haven’t already mentioned in your application. Read ahead. Take a minute to read through the Notre Dame essay example topics below. See if any of the ideas or strategies jump out to you! Now let’s take a closer look at each prompt and how to answer them. Option 1: The Community Question As a Catholic university, we strive to be a community in which the dignity of each person is respected and everyone can truly flourish. Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C., challenged our community to reflect on the following statement: â€Å"Let us never do anything to make another member of our community feel unwelcome, and let us not stand by if we see others doing so. Either we walk together in mutual support, or we do not walk at all. Either we are all Notre Dame, or none of us are." Tell us about a time when you walked with others. What Is the Essay Asking You to Do? â€Å"Walking with others† is a very specific phrase, especially in a Christian context. Imagine you are hiking a trail and you see someone limping because they’ve sprained their ankle. To help them, you would help support their weight and walk beside them to get them to safety. That’s what â€Å"walking with others† means: it’s about supporting someone through a difficult time. With that in mind, this essay prompt is essentially asking you to talk about a time where you supported someone else when they were in need. Through this prompt, admissions counselors want to better understand how you view your role in your relationships and/or your community. What Makes for a Good Answer? Use a personal anecdote. The key to this answer is telling a story about a very specific moment where you supported someone who needed it. Take a minute and jot down as many details as you can remember about that experience. Where were you? How old were you? Who was there? What happened? What was the outcome? Don’t worry if this is longer than 150 words. You just want to capture the details- you can condense the story as you write your essay. Don’t be afraid to think small. Many times, the most powerful experiences in our life are small ones. If you’ve done something huge that made the news, that’s great! But if you haven’t, that doesn’t mean you can’t answer this question. For example, maybe you and your family helped someone stranded in a snowstorm by letting them stay the night with you. That’s a small action that probably taught you about generosity, trust, and opening your family to strangers. Explain the situation. Remember, the admissions counselor reading your essay wasn’t there to see what happened. Make sure you set the stage by explaining the important details of your story. Keep it short and sweet since you need to discuss the impact of your experience, too. Focus on what you learned. Keep in mind that the admissions board wants to learn about you more than the person you helped. That’s why it’s important that you discuss the long-term impact of your actions in this situation. What did you learn? How did this experience change you? For instance, if you helped your mom through her cancer treatment, you might talk about learning to emotionally support your parent after she’d supported you for eighteen years. You want the admissions counselors to understand that you’ve taken the experience- even if it’s a negative one- and applied it positively to your life. What Are Some Potential Essay Topics? Along with the examples we discuss earlier in this section, here are some other topics you could write about: Standing up for one of your classmates who was being bullied. Supporting a friend who lost her parent. Participating in a service project where you slept outside to raise awareness for homelessness. Are There Pitfalls You Should Avoid? Avoid stereotypes. Be thoughtful about the experience you share. Notre Dame values community and diversity, so don’t tell a story that reinforces negative racial, cultural, or social prejudices. Be humble. One of the dangers with this prompt is that it could accidentally turn into a â€Å"look how great I am† essay. To combat this, think about this prompt as telling a story about what you learned, not what you did. Focus instead on how the experience has changed you and/or shaped your life. Option 2: The Keepsake Question What is one thing you will definitely bring to college with you? What Is This Essay Asking You to Do? This question is pretty straight-forward: it wants you to discuss something you plan to bring with you to Notre Dame and why it’s important to you. The meaning of the object is more important than the object itself, so that’s what you should spend the most time talking about in your response. Having said that, this prompt also allows for you to be really creative, both in terms of the item you pick and how you explain what it means to you. What Makes for a Good Answer? Pick your item. This will be the backbone of your essay, so you’ll want to devote time to thinking about this. Also, there are two types of things you can pick: something physical or something philosophical. A physical item is something you can hold in your hand, put in a box, and unpack in your dorm room. It could be a family keepsake, a memento from your childhood, or even a gift that means something to you. On the other hand, a philosophical item is intangible, but equally as important. This can be an idea, belief, or value that you carry with you daily that shapes who you are. Some good examples of philosophical items can be a religious belief, a value instilled in you by your parents, or even an idea that inspires you to work for your goals. Make sure your item tells a story. Make a list of potential items, both physical and philosophical. Now, go through the list and pick an item with a compelling story. For example, maybe one of your most treasured possessions is your ticket stub from seeing Hamilton on Broadway. If all you talked about was what a fun trip you had, the story wouldn’t be very compelling. But maybe you’re planning to study stage performance, so seeing the musical inspired you to put in extra hours practicing for your school play...and now you keep the ticket by your bed to remind you to chase your dreams. That’s a more powerful story that shows admissions counselors your passion, drive, and work ethic! Put an emphasis on meaning. Admissions counselors don’t really care what your item is- they’re most interested in what that item reveals about you. What does this item show about your personality, values, or aspirations? Perhaps you’ve decided to take a philosophical approach and discuss one of your dad’s favorite sayings, â€Å"Cross that bridge when you come to it.† He said that to you when you were first learning to play the trumpet. You’d get frustrated when you made a mistake, which would make you worry about not getting first chair in the band, and then losing your marching privileges. Your dad comforted you and told you to worry about one thing at a time. You’ve held that philosophy close ever since then, and you use it to help you focus on the things you can control rather than the things you can’t. This story shows your will to succeed, how much you care about your dad, and how you’re able to take advice and appl y it to your life. It also shows that you’ve learned how to focus on the present as you work toward the future, which is a great skill! Connect the story to your college experience and goals. Save the last sentence or two of your essay to explain how the meaning of your item will translate to your study and/or success at Notre Dame. For instance, maybe you’re bringing your baby blanket that your grandmother made when you were born. She had arthritis, but because she loved you, she knitted the whole blanket even though it made her hands ache. Not only does the blanket remind you of her and her love for you, but it also reminds you that achieving your goals takes toughness, fortitude, and dedication. Your grandmother inspires you to tackle your studies at Notre Dame with the same grit and tenacity that she used in making your blanket.Connecting your anecdote to Notre Dame shows admissions counselors that you’re thinking about how to use your experience to become a positive member of the Notre Dame community. What Are Some Potential Essay Topics? In addition to the examples we just discussed, here are some other ideas that might inspire your essay: You plan on bringing a box of food from Taiwan with you to college. You’re an international student, and food connects you to your culture and your family, even though you’ll be far away from home. When you were little, your mom used to sing you a song she made up about working hard whenever you did your chores. You thought it was annoying at the time, but now you sing it when you study to remind yourself to focus and do a great job. You've already packed your baseball- the exact same one you dropped at the state tournament on a clutch play to seal the win. The other team would come back to win the game...and the title. You thought your teammates would hate you for your mistake, but they supported you instead. You're bringing it to remind yourself that mistakes happen, and when they do, you should give others the benefit of the doubt. Are There Pitfalls You Should Avoid? Keep your item appropriate. If you wouldn’t talk about it with your parents, don’t write about it in your essay. Pick something unique...or not. Unique items almost always have unique stories. Maybe you have a rare baseball card or one of the picture of your mother playing the piano at Carnegie Hall. But some of the most interesting essays take ordinary objects and tell interesting stories about them, too. Maybe you’re going to take a box of macaroni and cheese with you to college because it reminds you of going on camping trips with your family. It’s an ordinary object that most people wouldn’t think twice about, but it has special meaning for you. Option 3: The Accomplishment Question What is your proudest accomplishment for which you did not receive recognition? What Is This Essay Asking You to Do? This question is pretty straightforward in that it wants you to talk about an accomplishment, but it throws in a twist. Unlike most essays, which ask you to talk about your accolades, this essay wants to know about your unrecognized success. In other words, you should discuss a moment where you did something for the sake of doing it, not because you’re rewarded. This question is a lot like the first optional essay prompt above since it’s asking you to think about a time that you did something because you wanted to, not because you received a pat on the back. If you decide to write this essay as well as the first option, be careful to make sure that you’re not reiterating the same points again. Remember: you should use each essay to reveal a new aspect of your personality to your reader! What Makes for a Good Answer? Brainstorm small successes. Here’s what we mean- think of a time where you reached a goal that was important to you even if it would seem insignificant to someone else. A small success might look like finishing your first 5K. You’ve never been a fast runner, but you trained for months to be able to finish. You didn’t finish first- or even 50th- but you accomplished your goal anyway. Ultimately, you’re trying to show admissions counselors that you’re motivated by more than just an A on a paper, which is important when you’re attending a competitive college where high grades are harder to earn. Focus on the takeaway. What did you learn from your experience? What did this experience teach you about yourself? Going back to the 5K example, maybe it taught you that you can do things you put your mind to, even if they’re things you think you’ll be â€Å"bad† at doing. Also, perhaps it taught you something about not comparing yourself to other people. You’ve learned that you get to judge what â€Å"success† means- just because other people run marathons doesn’t mean your 5K is any less of an achievement. Think about your motivation. Why were you inspired to take on this challenge? Perhaps you ran this 5K because your grandmother is battling breast cancer and you wanted to support her in her battle while raising money for cancer research. Your motivations for taking on this task can be even more revealing than the experience itself! What Are Some Potential Essay Topics? Since we’ve already talked about a sports-related topic, let’s look at some different types of accomplishments you might write about: Helping your younger sibling practice for- and pass!- their driving test. Stopping to help every turtle you find in the road make it safely to the other side. (You’re a turtle’s personal Superman.) Emotionally supporting your best friend through her parents’ year-long divorce. Are There Pitfalls You Should Avoid? You actually do get recognized for your work. Maybe your parents gave you $50 for helping teach your sibling to drive. That might not be a reward on paper, but it’s still some kind of recognition. Make sure you pick something where the only reward you recieved was the internal satisfaction of meeting your goal. You reiterate your rà ©sumà ©. Try to avoid talking about your own coursework here. Instead, use this as an opportunity to talk about your experiences outside of school. This is a great time to highlight some of your hobbies and passions beyond what you’ve already mentioned in your application! Your story comes across as negative. Even if your story is sad, make sure you come up with a positive takeaway. Think of it this way: this essay prompt gives you the opportunity to show how to make good out of a bad situation. Also, be sure you don’t come across as bitter because your hard work wasn’t recognized. Option 4: The Free-For-All Question You have 150 words. Take a risk. What Is This Essay Asking You to Do? As the question says, this is a high risk, high reward prompt. Since there’s no specific ask, you can do (almost) whatever you want! Here’s your chance to demonstrate your ability to work with little direction while simultaneously showcasing your creativity. What Makes for a Good Answer? You lean into your creativity. If you’re a naturally creative person, this is a good space to let that shine. But remember: this is an optional prompt! If you’re not a poet, don’t try to become one for the sake of answering this question in a unique way. Instead, think of what you’re passionate about. Perhaps you’re an excellent cook. Why not share one of your family recipes, concluding with a sentence about why cooking is so important to you? In other words, you don’t have to be the next Hemingway to answer this prompt! Be specific. No matter how you choose to do this, your answer here- just like your other essays- should focus on a specific story. Don’t try to tackle a huge topic! Narrow your focus until you have one particular idea, event, or area you want to focus on. Focus on your personality. Admissions counselors are trying to get to know the â€Å"you† behind your grades and activities. Your goal here is to help them understand you, so don’t get too esoteric in your response. Don’t be afraid of humor. Let’s start by saying that these responses don’t have to be funny! But maybe you accidentally wandered into a wedding reception and ended up catching the bouquet, much to your mother’s horror. If you’re a naturally funny person, and there’s a hilarious experience that you think will help admissions counselors get to know you, this is the perfect place to share it. What Are Some Potential Essay Topics? This isn’t really a â€Å"topic† based prompt, but here are some ideas for how you can â€Å"take a risk†: Write a poem or a very short fictional story that embraces themes and experiences that are important to you. Dig into the french fry debate: which fast food joint has the best fries, and why? Share your little-known passions. Maybe you are a World War II buff and want to share the story of Winkie, the carrier pigeon that saved the crew of a Royal Air Force bomber that was shot down over the North Sea. Talk about why you love one of your guilty pleasures, like eating cookies in bed or watching Korean soap operas on YouTube! Are There Pitfalls You Should Avoid? Keep it appropriate. We know we’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Make sure you’re choosing a G-rated topic. That means no sexual content, no drugs, and no illegal activities. Don’t forget to make a point. Just because the prompt is open-ended doesn’t mean your response should be random. For example, if you tell the story of Winkie, make sure to explain why it’s something you wanted to share. Maybe the story has taught you that even the smallest member of a team can have a huge impact! Spelling and grammar still count. Just because you can be more creative with this response doesn’t mean you can be less diligent. Grammatical mistakes and misspellings will count against you, so proofread carefully. Don’t blindly submit your essay. Some topics that might seem harmless to you could potentially be offensive to others, including your admissions counselor. Be sure you have a variety of other people read your essay to ensure you come across the way you intend. 4 Tips for Writing a Killer Notre Dame Essay Follow these four tips to write a great Notre Dame essay that'll show the school who you are and why they want to admit you. #1: Be Authentic You’re unique, with your own passions, experiences, and beliefs. Admissions counselors want to try to learn more about the â€Å"you† behind the transcript, so don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in your essays. Even more importantly, don’t try to fabricate stories about yourself that you think will impress the admissions board. We guarantee that there are plenty of compelling things about you! Besides, admissions counselors have a finely tuned lie detector; they’ll know if you’re making things up. Admissions counselors look to your essays to learn more about you. That’s why it’s important to be yourself! Here’s what the Notre Dame Admissions website has to say about being authentic: â€Å"Your essays are the most enjoyable part of the application reading process. Why? Because we learn about important decisions you’ve made, adventures you’ve survived, lessons you’ve learned, family traditions you’ve experienced, challenges you’ve faced, embarrassing moments you’ve overcome.† #2: Deal With the Religion Question Not everyone who gets into Notre Dame is religious, but it’s important to know that some older demographic surveys show that the student body is up to 85% Catholic. Likewise, institutionally reported data indicates that a student’s religious affiliation and/or commitmentis considered in the admissions process. So if you are religious and haven’t already mentioned that elsewhere, you might consider discussing it in your Notre Dame application essays.But be careful! Make sure you review Notre Dame’s mission and commitments to make sure your answers align with the university’s beliefs. Additionally, don’t beat a dead horse. Every response shouldn’t revolve around religion- Notre Dame is looking for well-rounded students with a variety of interests and passions. And if you’re not religious, don’t lie to try and make yourself a more appealing candidate. Like we mentioned earlier, admissions counselors read thousands of applica tions every year. They’ll be able to tell if you’re being honest or not. #3: Jump Right In Abandon the long-winded introduction! You only have 150 words, so make every one count. To do that, get right into your topic from the very first sentence. If that feels weird, don’t worry: you can write a sentence or two of introduction to get you started, then delete it when you start revisions. #4: Show, Don't Tell Use descriptive words to paint a picture for your reader. Don’t say â€Å"I was so nervous to sing in the talent show.† Instead, say something like, â€Å"My palms were sweaty and I thought I might faint, but I walked on stage and sang anyway.† One tells the reader what you did, and the other gives the reader a glimpse at your experience. What's Next? Notre Dame is one of the top 20 colleges in the U.S., so you know admission is competitive. Using an acceptance calculator can help you better understand your chances of getting in. Notre Dame accepts both the Common App and the Coalition App. Not sure which one you should use? Don’t worry: we’ve got a handy-dandy guide to make your decision a breeze. Both the Common App and the Coalition App require additional essays beyond the ones we discussed in this post. (Yep, that means even more writing! Yay!) Thankfully, we have in-depth guides for both the Common App essays and the Coalition App essays, too. 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:

How to Winterize Your Dormant Trees

How to Winterize Your Dormant Trees Trees in fall are in a state of serious change and reorganization. The tree is becoming dormant. A tree heading toward winter will sense the changing temperature and light and obey the dormancy controls built into the leaf. The mechanisms, called senescence, is what tells a tree to close down for coming winter. Tree Activity in Winter Trees may look inactive going into winter but the fact is they continue to regulate their metabolism and only slow down some physiological activities. This decrease in photosynthesis and transpiration begins a trees dormant phase. Trees still continue to slowly grow roots, respire and take in water and nutrients. Winter is a difficult time for a tree. A dormant tree still needs to be protected (winterized) to remain healthy and free from diseases and insects. The bad news is  winter weather encourages destructive pests to snuggle in and wait for spring to revive their destructive lifecycles. Small investments in properly caring for your trees can pay off big come spring. Pruning Prune dead, diseased and overlapping branches in late fall. This will form and strengthen the tree, encourages new strong growth in the spring, minimizes future storm damage and protects against overwintering disease and insects. Remember that dormant pruning has another benefit - it is easier to do during winter dormancy than in spring. Correct structurally weak branches and limbs. Remove all deadwood that is clearly visible. Properly prune branches that can touch the ground when loaded with rain and snow. Foliage and branches that are in contact with soil invite undesirable pests and other problems. Remove damaged and declining twigs, branches, and bark or any new sprouts that have grown at the tree base, or along stems and branches. Mulch and Aerate Young trees are especially vulnerable to fluctuations in temperature and moisture and need mulching protection. Mulch is good insurance that both conditions will be evenly managed during cold and drought. Mulching is a good practice for both dormant and full-growing, vegetative trees. Spread a thin layer of composted organic mulch to cover the soil several inches deep. Cover an area at least as large as the branch spread. In addition to protecting feeder roots, mulch also recycles nutrients directly to these roots. Aerate soils and compacted mulch if they are waterlogged or poorly drained. Saturated and dense soil can suffocate roots. It is critical not to damage tree roots in the soil as you do this, so work only on those few inches at the surface crust. so work only on those few inches at the surface crust. Fertilize and Water Fertilize by top dressing over the mulch with a balanced fertilizer if the essential elements are in short supply within the soil. Be sure to use nitrogen lightly, especially under large, mature trees and around newly planted trees. You do not want a vegetative flush of growth during late fall periods of warming. Large applications of nitrogen cause this growth. Dry spells in winter or hot daytime temperatures will desiccate a tree very quickly. Watering may be needed where soils are cool but not frozen, and there has been little precipitation. Winter droughts need treatment with water the same as summer droughts, except it is much easier to over-water in winter. Dormant Spray A dormant spray may be a good idea for deciduous trees, ornamentals, fruit trees, and shrubs. But remember not to spray until after you prune. Obviously, you will lose much of your effort and expense if you cut off treated limbs. Choice of chemicals is important. Dormant sprays include lime, copper and sulfur combinations to kill overwintering microorganisms. Dormant oil controls insects and their eggs. You just may need several types of sprays and oils to be effective. Avoid spraying any of this material in the hot sun as it can damage dormant buds. Get specific chemical recommendations from your local county extension agent.

IKEA Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IKEA Prices - Essay Example If not, in which country is the product cheaper than it is in the United States. In which country is it more expensive? The prices of IKEA products are not identical and vary in different countries after converting the price in USD. For comparing the prices of IKEA 365 + Gnistra Bread Knife, three different countries have been chosen namely Australia, Canada and United States. Among these three countries, USA has the cheapest price which is 12.99 USD. After converting the price in USD, the price of 365 + Gnistra Bread knife of Canada has become 17.4532 USD and in Australia the figure is 18.2721 USD. So, Australia’s cost for this particular product is expensive compared to other two countries (IKEA Systems, 2011). Question 2 What might be the reason for the prices to differ even after conversion to U.S. dollars? Individual product costs differ from one country to another. The conventional reasons for difference in price level are the exchange rates and prices of labor. Wage dis tribution at mean level has significant negative effect on product prices. The high currency conversion rate of various countries is related with higher prices. The high income generating countries enjoy large productivity advantage (Lipse & Swedenborg, 2007). Trade cost can determine the cost of product.

ICS5 Extra Credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ICS5 Extra Credit - Assignment Example The New Year flower fair marks the beginning of a year and the end of past events of the past year. The event is mainly associated with welcoming new things. Some of the common flowers that are purchased during the New Year flower fair event include orchids, snap dragons and chrysanthemums amongst other varieties. These flowers are provided fresh by the flower vendors hence symbolizing the start of a new era. The flowers that are provided in the Chinese Flower fair at the beginning of a new year have different meanings. One of the meanings is that the flowers act as a symbol of prosperity and wealth amongst the Chinese people. The flowers act as a symbol of high positions in ones career. Apart from the flowers fruits are also incorporated in the Chinese flower fair. Tangerines with some of the leaves intact symbolize that an individual’s relationship with others will remain secure and intact. For people who are newlyweds, it symbolizes the branching of a couple into a huge fam ily with many children. The flower fair involves dancing and display of various Chinese arts. It is an event worth participating because it reveals the strong culture of the Chinese people. San Jose - November 23-25, 2012 The San Jose Harvest festival is an event that takes place every November 23 – 25 at the San Jose convention center. ... These people meet and a lot of cultural and social exchanges are seen. The event includes the provision of different forms of art for kids. This creates the impression that the event does not discriminate on the basis of gender and this is the reason why it always has a lot of people attending for every year. At the kidzone section, there is also the provision of eco friendly forms of art that are not harmful to the state of the environment. There is also a section for bags and parcels. These commodities are mainly a target to the middle aged clients. The items are of the latest designs and the level of demand is very high. This event ensures that a lot of marketing is done for people with unique and different structures. The event is also associated with providing free children’s ID kits. The benefits of the event can hence be clearly seen. The event is also associated with charity where there are collections of food and clothing for charity. It is therefore not all about the money which is being made but the benefits that the event gives to the society. Vicente Fernandez performance art Vicente Fernandez is a cultural icon in Mexico who performs traditional Ranchera music. He is widely recognized in Mexico being quite an influential person. He has made good sales in his concerts in Mexico and in the United States. He holds an admirable record through his nominations for Grammy awards including the fact that he has collected quite a number of honors a good example being in the year 2002 the Latin recording academy naming him as the person of the year. Â   Vicente’s Costumes on stage speaks volumes of the nature of his performance and the message he wants to deliver to the audience. His voice characterized by some emotional aspects brings

Emergency preparedness for Healthcare Professionals Article

Emergency preparedness for Healthcare Professionals - Article Example It is advisable that since a hospital is working as a team, then the fight and preparedness here should also be initiated as a team. To begin with, I will address the issues of someone coming in to attack the hospital with a weapon. Here, it is advisable that both patients and hospital officials should make a highway where some individuals can escape. In addition, the alarm system should be in place and in good condition, which will alarm the security officers on the attack immediately. Having put that across, it is also vital to raise concern over earthquake occurrence in the hospital. Earthquake is natural and often, hard to identify the direction to which it is originating from without machines assistance. Therefore, it is advisable for the hospital management to be well equipped with several kits that can last over seventy-two hours after the occurrence of the real incidence. Some of the kits are the ponchos, radios for communication and networking, food rations and flashlights j ust to sample but a few. Again, it is important for the hospital management to acknowledge the vitality of the emergency systems that will aid in notifications. Further, it will be awesome if the hospital is safe-guarded with earthquake safety measures, frames and foundations of the building should be reinforced to resist earthquake. Another unavoidable disaster is terrorism. Often, the increased potential of attacks by the terrorist directs the consequence and unique burden on Medicaid personnel. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the hospital management to prepare in advance for the fight against such act. Thus, the hospital officials have the mandate to implement policies that will protect health care personnel during the time when they will be attending to the victims. Therefore, it is pertinent to have ambulance in standby to evacuate some patients to other hospitals, order extra medicines and arrangements for security personnel. Again, alarming disaster is carbon Monoxide poisoning. In this regard, it is pertinent that the management team should ensure that there is proper installation of the carbon monoxide alarms, which can alert the concern authority audibly. The hospitals should have a professional checker of all burning appliances. It is not wise to be using oven or range to assist in heating the hospitals. Charcoal burning in hospital should be out of bounds. Another caution is that cars should not be left running since; this will not supply required air in the milieu. Lastly, hospital should develop extra decontamination rooms since it is not likely that pre-hospital personnel will manage to control all the contamination issues, the above will prevent hypothermia illness. Hurricane is another disaster that needs thorough preparedness. Here, for any hospitals to run effectively without worries of the severity of the hurricane, it is important that the following issues be put in place. Back-up generators are required to prevent black out conditi on. Hospital structures should be hardened and category five windows hurricane resistance put in place. Fuel tanks for the back-up generators should be available. Another natural disaster is the flood. It is worth to note that flood being a natural disaster calls for preparedness immediately when any sign shows up to avoid loss of life.

Ludwig Feuerbach The Essence Of Christianity Religion Essay

Ludwig Feuerbach The Essence Of Christianity Religion Essay Feuerbachs own introduction to the second print of his The Essence of Christianity is as good an exposà © as any of both his intentions and the content of his book. His own comments on the style of his writing are insightful both with regard to the content of the book as of the Young Hegelian movement as a whole. Forms, it seems, encapsulates the direction which Hegelian thought seem to have taken. This sense of style seems both as a device by which Feuerbach distances himself from the at times tiresome and elaborate musings of the German philosophical tradition and as a means by which to demonstrate the immediate and down-to-earth conclusion he himself has drawn from studying the Christian faith. In doing so Feuerbach claims to walk a path wholly of his own making, far removed from the obfuscation associated with Hegels work. Style, then, is as much content as it is on the surface of things. It tells us both to whom the message is addressed and the context in which it is written. F euerbach is, perhaps as a result of his awareness of the to be resolved Hegelian dichotomy between form and content, highly self-conscious of the form he is taking in addressing his audience: I have never held, surely, the scholars to be the measure of true learning and of the art of writing; not those abstract and particular academic philosophers, but universal man instead. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and I have made a law of the highest level of clarity, simplicity and determinacy to the extent to which the subject matter allows it. I have done so in all my writing, including this one, in order that every educated and thinking man can at the very least understand the main point of my work.  [2]   Feuerbachs style is inherently democratic and adverse to the prevalent mandarinism of the German intelligentsia. It is a statement in and by itself. The suggestion Feuerbach is making is that this is the language of science. These are not subjective utterances of a particular individual but irrefutable truth arrived at by virtue of strict application of a thoroughly rational methodology. Feuerbachs posture is one of a levelheaded thinker who aspires to the elementary truth. A truth that is, as we shall see, not shrouded in the abstract mysteries of abstract thought, but instead claims to be commonplace. One only needs to look clearly at the world in order for the ghosts of speculative idealism to dissipate. Feuerbach is practising the art of artlessness. Many of those influenced by Feuerbach have tried to emulate this posture and it is probable that a large part of the success of The Essence of Christianity is due to it tone. Its tone must have been seductive to an ever increasing contingent of thinkers barred from having a place within the established order. The author of The Essence, so it seems, took a certain pride in his lack of social stature. After all, such rogue thinkers might well be more inclined to think outside the box, not needing to adorn their truths in order to make them acceptable to all. This pathos is certainly recognizable in our present and practically an idiom in popular culture. At the time of its publication, however, the feeling was such that The Essence had cleared new grounds. It was frequently said that The Essence had a liberating effect. It expressed double entendre implied the spirit of the age. Or at least the very least the spirit of a particular segment within the 19th century German speaking coun tries of Central Europe. A segment of society that was repressed and excluded and had now, finally, found a voice to call its own. Feuerbachs aim was to clear away the alienating representations of Christianity in order to gain an empiricism that allowed to clearly state the nature of reality. Feuerbach: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) weiter will meine Schrift nichts sein als eine sinngetreue ÃÅ"bersetzung bildlos ausgedrà ¼kt: eine empirisch- oder historisch-philosophische Analyse, Auflà ¶sung des Rà ¤tsels der christliche Religion.  [3]   (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) my book wants to nothing more than a translation that is true to the senses expressed without images: an empirical- or historical-philosophical analysis, resolution of the mystery of the Christian religion.  [4]   In the above Feuerbach makes clear his intent. He wants to strip bare the Hegelian dialectic into its most elementary form and overcome an idealism that is identified as being synonimous with the teachings of Christianity. The truth attained after decomposing Christianity will be immediate, sensual, and therefore without images. These words resemble those of an iconoclast, of someone wanting to empty the faith of all idolatry that stands in the way of truth. This is feeling is enhanced by Feuerbachs insistence that the Christianity which he shall tackle is not the same today as it was at the moment of its own genesis.  [5]  The original teachings of the Christian faith by Jesus have been steadily corrupted, according to Feuerbach, by subsequent interpretations and explanations of theologists. Theology has transformed Christianity into dogmas that are contradictory and unintelligible. The Essence is an attempt to retrieve the religion of Christianity from its theology, and Feuerbach makes a clear distinction between the two. Only after going back to this moment of authenticity within the Christian faith, that is, of the original myths surrounding the teachings of Jesus, can we hope to gain a new insight as to what these myths really imply. This explicit disapproval of theology in Feuerbachs writing is, as we shall see, consistent with a particular strand of anti-intellectualism expressed in The Essence. For Feuerbach believed that he had transcended not only the limitations of religion but those of philosophy as well. The Essence is itself therefore not a work of philosophy but of anthropology. In anthropology both religion and philosophy were superseded; it provided immediate, scientific, truths about human nature. By emphasizing that he was practicing another form of enquiry altogether Feuerbach tried to make more dramatic his break with both Christianity and the excesses of speculative philosophy as done by Hegel. Anthropology was believed to provide concrete results that could be empirically verified by basic human understanding, doing so in a commonsense language untainted by jargon. Anthropology dealt with humanity in general and had as a field of study, according to Feuerbach, something concrete and real. For humanity was undeniable since we ourselves were human. Feuerbach abhorred the tendency of idealist thought to reduce everything to the consciousness of the single mind. This, he thought, was an absurdity since much of what one calls ones own can be seen to be embodied by other human beings as well.  [6]  The human body was as a source of non-intellectual understanding, or feeling, shared by all members of the species.  [7]   So too was (historic) human culture a field for the creation of collective meaning by which those unalienable qualities of the human race could be represented. Feuerbach remained a Hegelian in seeing historical development of human culture in connection with the development of human consciousness. He too believed that the ideas and truths developed and represented in culture would, given time, be embodied by human consciousness. Feuerbach diverted from Hegel in seeing this development in terms of mans understanding of himself as member of a species. This understanding was expressed in highly naturalistic and empirical terms. With regard to Strauss, Feuerbach said not to be interested in the question of whether Jesus Christ had truly existed or not. Nor would Feuerbach critically interpret theology, a field in which he had no interest other than a feeling of disdain. What was of interest was the instantly recognizable myth told by the Biblical story of humanities redemption through Christ. This was the core around which the webs of mystification were spun. Just as the life and death of Christ was key in Hegels understanding of the Christian faith in being his philosophys other. So too was redemption, according to Feuerbach, the single most important event which had taken place in human history. Feuerbachs task was to take this myth and explain it in atheistic, anthropological, terms which directly reflected the hope and aspirations of humanity at large. This was not, however, to reduce or criticize the essence of faith. Rather, this methodology exhibited in The Essence was to scientifically explain the myth central to Christianity. In the understanding of the dialectic this meant that the content of the Bible, which was still marred by an excessive dependence on representation, could be brought on a higher plain of immediate understanding. In other words, although Christianity contained a truth, this truth was itself marred by Christianity. Christianity was in contradiction with itself, a contradiction that had to be resolved by its being superseded by anthropology. Feuerbach says of this: Ich (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) lasse die Religion sich selbst aussprechen; ich mache nur ihren Zuhà ¶rer und Dolmetscher, nicht ehren Souffleur.  [8]   I (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) let religion speak for it self; I am merely its audience and translator, not its critic.  [9]   Feuerbach, like Hegel, sees Christianity as a mirror of human consciousness. The qualities ascribed to Christianity are, in truth, the qualities of the human mind at a given time. Throughout The Essence the claim is repeated that faith is but an alienated manifestation of the self-as-species. The consciousness of God is the self-consciousness of mankind, the knowledge of God is the understanding of mankind. Religion is the first attempt towards self-consciousness. Yet it is in itself flawed; it remains an indirect self-consciousness through the manifestations of religion. Feuerbach writes in a sentence that could have been made by Hegel himself; Der Mensch verlegt sein Wesen zuerst außer sich, ehe er es in sich findet.  [10]   At first man misplaces his essence outside himself, before finding it within himself.  [11]   Everything that is to be found in religion can be found in actual human consciousness itself. Religion is constituted by reverence for alienated qualities of the self. Despite all its grandeur, religion has no content that is particular to its self. Religion is alienation itself and therefore made up around nothingness. This also explain the vague, indistinct, character of the omnipotent Christian God. God is said to embody all virtues of man, yet none in particular. God is everywhere, yet nowhere in particular. God knows everything, because he knows nothing in particular. According to Feuerbach the very notion of God is itself void: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) weil alle Dinge, die der Vernunft imponieren, vor der Religion verschwinden, ihre Individualità ¤t verlieren, im Auge der gà ¶ttlichen Macht nichts sind. Die Nacht is die Mutter der Religion.  [12]   (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) because all things, that are impressive to the mind, vanish before religion, lose their individuality, are nothing in the eyes of God. The night is the mother of religion.  [13]   Religion is itself the very movement by which man loses his own essence. That which enriches our conception of God makes our understanding of ourselves all the more poorer.  [14]  The two are directly related in that what benefits one deprecates the other. In the mirror house of representation that is religion, a strange shift has occurred the puts the world upside-down. God, the representation, has replace man as representans, that is, as the very source from which the representation was brought forth. Der Mensch dies ist das Geheimnis der Religion vergegenstà ¤ndlicht sein Wesen und macht dann wieder sich zum Gegenstand dieses vergegenstà ¤ndlichten, in ein Subjekt, eine Person verwandelten Wesens; er denkt sich, ist sich Gegenstand, aber als Gegenstand eines Gegenstands, eines andern Wesens. So hier. Der Mensch ist ein Gegenstand Gottes.  [15]   Man this is the secret of religion objectifies his being and then again transforms himself into an object in relation to his own objectification, into a subject, a essence changed into a person; he thinks himself, is object to himself, but as object to an object, another being. There you have it. Man is an object of God.  [16]   As was hinted at in the above, however, Christianity carries within itself a contradiction. According to Feuerbach this contradiction means the end of Christianity itself and has to do with the notion of love. Love was crucial in the story of redemption. In this Biblical narrative man is redeemed in the eyes of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus had died for our sins in the name of mankind in an act of love and so had brought us into union with God. A harmony had been restored. A new holy light shone upon mankind in which all men were henceforth assured of the love of God. Feuerbach that this was the message and myth central to Christianity; a myth that was still clearly visible after ages of theological corruption. But Feuerbach believed that love did not unify mankind but, instead, divided it into those having Gods grace and those lacking it. The notion of love, central to Christianity, narrowed the conception of who was man and who was not. In practice love had gained a negative meaning; it served to denote the faithful from the heathen.  [17]  Love, then, determined who was to be fought and annihilated. Im Glauben liegt ein bà ¶ses Prinzip, that is, in faith there rests an evil principle.  [18]  Love is, according to Feuerbach, an completely natural and distinctly human instinct. Love is one of the most compassionate, benign, qualities of man. Love serves to bridge the gap between subject and subject; it is by virtue of itself inter-personal. Yet Christianity had managed to pervert love and make it not into a unifying notion, but a dividing one. Christian love, then, furthered particularity and subjectiveness, preventing a higher dialectical union in universal objectivity. Feuerbach had granted love a moral dimension. To love mankind is a moral type of love, to love a single individual is a personal, subjective love.  [19]  The former unifies, the latter divides. For to love a single person is to excluse others from your love. Only universal love of man-as-species is moral. Since love of God is love that is particular it shows itself to be immoral. The love of God deprives mankind from the love of both other human beings and himself as a member of mankind. Christian love is therefore intricately connected not only with the image of those who do not receive it and are the enemy but also with the notion of self-hate. To love God is to alienate that which make you human and thus reduce oneself to something underserving of that very love. This is why the concept of sin in a post-Christian era would not make any sense. Sin exists by virtue of God, a God whom we have granted our most valuable and essential qualities. We are sinfull because we have alienated our essence unto God. To deny God is to reclaim those qualities. Since I cannot be in contradiction with myself, there is not higher authority, I cannot live in sin.  [20]   Christianity is essentailly intolerant and adverse to any true understanding of love. It denies that which it claims is its essence. Christianity, then, in the end, denies itself. This is what Feuerbach meant with the idea that to let Christainity speak for it self is to end it. It is a negativity that negates itself. Love has to be made universal. We should not say, as Feuerbach would have it, God is love, but Love is god.  [21]  God is our own universal nature that we have alienated through religion. Love is synonimous with universality itself. Feuerbach: Die wahre Liebe ist sich selbst genug; sie bedarf keiner besondern Titel, keiner Autorità ¤t. Die Liebe ist das universale Gesetz der Intelligenz und Natur sie ist nichts andres als die Verwirklichung der Einheit der Gattung auf dem Wege der Gesinnung.  [22]   True love is enough by virtue of itself; it needs not special titel, no authority. Love is the universal law of intelligence and nature it is nothing else but the realization of the unity of the species on the road of natural inclination.  [23]   Love is only free when it is universal, unrestrained by particularity. Only then can it serve as the means by which man recognizes himself-as-species. The notion of species is not a cold intellectual thought; the very energy of love, our most human of inclinations, is that which constitues our species-being.  [24]  The historical figure Jesus Christ is therefore nothing else but our species-being represented in a singular image. Since we are all human, and therefore part of humanity, so too are all of us Christ.  [25]   (The emperorss new clothes by Hans Christian Andersson as a metaphor for Stirners Ego and Its own; The Emperor (Feuerbach) is not wearing any clothes!)