IPCC Scholarship Programme COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

IPCC Scholarship Programme COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Our office was recently notified of a scholarship opportunity for applicants from developing countries.   The deadline is July 31st so the time line is a bit tight, however if after reading the information below you are interested this sounds like a great opportunity.   The following comes from the IPCC Web site. ___________________________ The IPCC Scholarship Programme is targeting the most vulnerable regions of the world where the IPCC has identified gaps in knowledge in terms of climate change science and impacts. These comprise developing countries, and in particular Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. Therefore applications coming from scholars from these areas and addressing issues relevant to them will be given priority. The Scholarship provides for living expenses, and in some cases, for tuition fees as well. The Programme aims at developing the knowledge, skills and capacity of the scholars in order to address climate change impacts and sustainable development. Priorities include research on the impacts of climate change in the most vulnerable regions of the world and the potential for adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development. For this initial round of scholarships, applicants should complete the attached application file which comprises the application form and the corresponding attachments by July 31, 2010 at the latest. For more information and to apply visit the IPCC Web site.

Et Tu Brute The Man Who Lost It All - 1037 Words

Et Tu Brute: The Man Who Lost It All In Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Julius Caesar; Brutus truly looses everything, giving him the rightful name of tragic hero. Brutus lives in the golden age of the Roman era. He is one of the most honored men that walks the street; but while supposedly trying to protect his beloved country from tyranny, he looses everything and helps raise chaos and the exile of patriots. Brutus is seduced into the idea of blood for freedom, thus killing his closest friend Caesar. Through his mistake he looses his name, home, and faces the demise of his wife and himself. Brutus truly is the tragic hero of Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Brutus made a voluminous amount of irreversible flaws that cause his own disappointment†¦show more content†¦He ignores his friends and is very ineffective on his goals and beliefs. At the start of the play he is at inner conflict, but at least he is thinking. As the play progresses he starts to act off of impulse and pride. Brutus did evolve into a foolish lamb , but this does not mean he does is not honorable and does not deserve sympathy. Most of Brutus’ punitive follies were formed by his inner conflict created by Cassius’ deceit. At least Brutus could partially see this at the beginning in Act 1. â€Å"Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself For that which is not in me.† (891). Brutus is an honorable man and has a basic gift for seeing past lies; but over time and conflict his gift degrades causing him to devolve into ignorance. Brutus, although becoming a fool, does deserve our respect and sympathy. Nearly every decision or mistake he made was in the Name of Rome and his love for the Republic. â€Å"..not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.† (948). Brutus knew that the loyalty of his fellow Romans swaying towards him was a fickle and ever changing chance. Brutus put everything on the line in the name of the Republic; and in the name of the Repu blic did he loose everything. Brutus did cause nearly every ounce of pain he endured, but at least he had good intentions. In the end, BrutusShow MoreRelatedJulius Caesar and Other Shakespearian Tragedies810 Words   |  3 Pagesold argument over who really deserves the title of â€Å"The Tragic Hero.† Many argue that Caesar is the tragic hero. However, I believe that Brutus should hold the title of tragic hero because he is a noble and respected man, he holds tragic flaw of poor judgment. But most importantly, what separates him from Caesar, is that he recognizes how these flaws and his decision to murder his leader resulted in his own demise. To accomplish their plan, the conspirators needed a noble man of high stature toRead MoreJulius Caesar the True Tragic Hero1526 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle once said â€Å"A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.† These words best describe what a â€Å"Tragic Hero† is and both Julius Caesar and Brutus displayed this characteristic, so the question is â€Å"Who is the real tragic hero in this story?† This paper shall explore the reasons behind why each man is considered a hero in his own right and who the rightful owner to the title of the play truly belongs to. There have been countless tragic heroes in the works ofRead MoreCompare and Contrast Brutus and Macbeth1485 Words   |  6 Pagesparticipant in creating the English language. Among his twelve tragedies, two has very similar plot and tragic heroes. The play Julius Caesar is about a noble, honorable, and trusted man named Brutus, who killed his friend and soon to be emperor, Julius Caesar. Macbeth is also a play about a noble and trusted man named Macbeth, who through his strong ambition for power led him to murder his king and dear friend, Duncan. These characters have many similar traits and yet an equal amount of differences. ShakespeareRead MoreThe Downfall Of Julius Caesar1678 Words   |  7 Pagescould be lost should Caesar take the throne. Cassius voiced his opposition strongly, saying: When could they say – till now – that talked of Rome, That her wide walls encompassed but one man... There was a Brutus once that would have brooked The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king (Shakespeare 1.2.154-155, 159-161). In his attempt to convince Brutus of the threat that Caesar posed, Cassius here invoked the name of Lucius Brutus, an ancestor of Marcus Brutus who helped toRead MoreLeadership Styles Of The Abc Golf Management Company, Inc.1443 Words   |  6 PagesMAN 4120 Research Paper Outline TOPIC: Leadership Styles in __________ Organization. I. The Organization chosen is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. A. Type of Organization B. Responsibilities C. Organizational Structure and chart II. Introduce problems, issues, weaknesses, or threats relating to organizational leadership. III. Discuss different leadership perspectives/theories and leadership styles based on some core theories learned from the textbook. IV. Use other sources such as peer journals and text books to further describeRead MoreA Historical Overview Of Julius Caesar Essay1452 Words   |  6 Pagesby one man. With classic alliances and betrayals, the tale of Julius Caesar is still regarded as one of the greatest betrayals in human history. The fate of Rome was heading toward a dictatorship. Only the Roman Republic could stop Julius Caesar from ruling Rome. Little did the Roman Republic know that this assassination would later cause Octavian Caesar to become the first Emperor of the Roman Empire in 27 B.C.E. There is much to know about Julius Caesar. He was raised as a military man at a youngRead MoreShakespeare’s Julius Caesar Vs. Plutarch’s Julius Caesar1549 Words   |  7 PagesCaesar and Caesars arrogance and overconfidence. This quote also shows how Shakespeare perceived Julius Caesar as a prominent and influential man of his time. However, this view is not shared by all of the biographers that chose to write about Julius Caesar. In fact a famous ancient writer named Plutarch depicted Julius Caesar as a power-hungry and arrogant man in his biography The Life of Caesar. Plutarch was one of the worlds first modern biographers and his work is still used today. Even ShakespeareRead MoreEssay about Gaius Julius Caesar1233 Words   |  5 Pagesmilitary. He almost made himself emperor, and this was the fact that inspired his assassination. Caesar was born in Rome on July 12 or 13, 100 BC. He started his education early, as a young man he was placed under the tutorship of M. Antonius Gnipho, a freeborn native of Gaul. Antonius was a well-educated man, and well read in Greek and Latin. Caesar was a product of what could be called the Roman Renaissance; he was well educated in the culture of classical Greece. He was a realist, and very astute;Read MoreVictory or Demise, Same Faces in a New Light1520 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, betrayal is an operation constantly acted upon; an action that leads characters to demise or victory. Betrayal in relationships is a topic shown in 1984 and Julius Caesar. In Julius Caesar, Brutus is a character who shows patriotism for Rome and is brought into the Conspiracy to kill Caesar by the deceitful Cassius. Brutus then sees Caesar as a potential tyrant and follows through with the plan. By this action, he betrays Caesar for the sake of Rome and its peopleRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Julius Caesar1850 Words   |  8 Pagescould be lost should Caesar take the throne. Cassius voiced his opposition strongly, saying: When could they say – till now – that talked of Rome, That her wide walls encompassed but one man... There was a Brutus once that would have brooked The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king (Shakespeare 1.2.154-155, 159-161). In his attempt to convince Brutus of the threat that Caesar posed, Cassius here invoked the name of Lucius Brutus, an ancestor of Marcus Brutus who helped to

Censorship is in Contradiction to Children’s Rights Essay...

Censorship has become a long standing practice within our society. Who gets to decide what American citizens say, read or view? There are organizations that review and rate, guard or block information. Governmental entities create laws enforcing censorship and place judgment against those that break those laws. These restrictions often result in conflict against them and in favor of protecting our civil rights. The practice of censorship by authoritative, policy-making entities is in conflict to our constitutional rights, including the rights of our children. Establishments assume the responsibility to protect through censorship. Churches protect their members by prohibiting certain types of movies, music and even dancing. Schools†¦show more content†¦While this depiction is extremely exaggerated due to its satirical nature, the demonstration of the parents’ fanaticism and resulting neglect of child supervision and instruction should be seriously contemplated. (â€Å"Death†). If parents actively participate in their children’s entertainment choices, rather than prohibit, they will strengthen family bonds and provide emotional growth. It is truly our individual right in this country to choose what books we read and what they are about. Proof against censorship is demonstrated in the fact that an important work can be defended and reinstated and be acknowledged for its worth. â€Å"The First Amendment right to distribute literature also protects the right to receive it.† (â€Å"Students,† par. 5) Children need to learn about the freedom of choice. By insuring their freedom, instead of blocking these choices, children are more likely to gain an understanding of rights and independence. Further over-protection of our children is formally accepted and enforced in public schools in that prayer is no longer allowed in class. This act is done to eliminate discrimination against other religions that may attend. This also protects all religions from participating in practices that may be in conflict with their own. In the same vein, only the theory of evolution is taught in schools now as it is scientific. Once again,Show MoreRelated The Threat of Censorship Essay1952 Words   |  8 PagesThe Threat of Censorship The First Amendment of the Constitution distinguishes Americans from other citizens in the world. The right to free speech, press, and religion is at the core of the Americanvalue system. As a result, when thesefreedoms are challenged people tend to react strongly. However, at times government officials and theirconstituents would argue that censorship, or other violations of Constitutionalrights, are legitimate. With the advent of new technologies, politicians createnewRead MoreThe Negative Effects of Censorship3189 Words   |  13 Pagesdemocrats, and free-speech thinkers hold the claim that censorship violates our so-called unalienable rights, as it has been proven throughout many court cases. Censorship in the United States is detrimental because it has drastically and negatively altered many significant events. Censorship allows governments more control of society than they already have, slowly progressing governments utilizing censorship to a dictatorship. Often times, this censorship can lead to immense rebellions. A good exampleRead MoreFreedom : A Fable Of The Gallery s At The Walker Art Center988 Words   |  4 Pagespaper renditions of Ms. Walker’s famous silhouettes. At first glance, it appears to be a vintage children’s book, but in retrospect Freedom: A Fable is far from a fairy tale or happily ever after. The subject matter exhibited in this representational work of art is four people that are gathered around rigid rocks. The two figures on the left are black, young-adult women, and a younger black boy on the right is looking up at a tall older white male in the center. Even though the use of silhouettes hidesRead MoreThe First Amendment Essay1184 Words   |  5 PagesThe First Amendment The 1st Amendment forbids Congress from enacting laws that would regulate speech or press before publication or punish after publication. At various times many states passed laws in contradiction to the freedoms guaranteed in the 1st Amendment. However broadcast has always been considered a special exemption to free speech laws for two reasons. 1) the most important reasons is the scarcity of spectrum and the 2) is the persuasiveness of the medium. Because radio and TV comeRead MoreViolence on Television Does Not Impact Behavior Essay3474 Words   |  14 Pagesreflecting the contemporary society in which we live, television has come to represent all that is evil and wicked for our children. Through gruesome, explicit, and often unrealistic portrayals of death and violence, the impressionable clay of our childrens minds are being molded into vicious statues incapable of comprehending the gap between what is real and what is injurious. What you see is what you get has taken on an all too terrifying reality. Its not just an escapist ideal, denial, or unavailableRead MoreA Feminist Study of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women5846 Words   |  24 Pages 17 Bibliography 19 Introduction If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, together women ought to be able to turn it right side up again. - Sojourner Truth Feminism as a movement, is about women living on equal terms with men and not pushed down by law or by culture into a subservient role. Women have been suffering underRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesbuild upon this work. An earlier version of the book was published by Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, California USA in 1993 with ISBN number 0-534-17688-7. When Wadsworth decided no longer to print the book, they returned their publishing rights to the original author, Bradley Dowden. The current version has been significantly revised. If you would like to suggest changes to the text, the author would appreciate your writing to him at dowden@csus.edu. iv Praise Comments on the earlierRead MorePropaganda by Edward L Bernays34079 Words   |  137 Pagesdemocratic scheme for this new propaganda and to suggest its gradually evolving code of ethics and practice. 18 CHAPTER II THE NEW PROPAGANDA IN the days when kings were kings, Louis XIV made his modest remark, LEtat cest moi. He was nearly right. But times have changed. The steam engine, the multiple press, and the public school, that trio of the industrial revolution, have taken the power away from kings and given it to the people. The people actually gained power which the king lost ForRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesStates. 2. Information services— United States—Management. I. Moran, Barbara B. II. Title. Z678.S799 2007 025.1—dc22 2007007922 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright  © 2007 by Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007007922 ISBN: 978–1–59158–408–7 978–1–59158–406–3 (pbk.) First publi shedRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesand reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form

The Hijacking of Food and Farm Policy Free Essays

Diet For a Small Planet, that I made my way from Vermont to California to volunteer for her Institute for Food and Development Policy, also known as Food First. There has been a lot to celebrate since then. In every corner of the country, demand for locally and sustainable grown food is rising, with farmers and ranchers growing more chemical-free, healthier food for our nation’s schools, universities, restaurants and supermarkets. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hijacking of Food and Farm Policy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Since 2005 the number of farmers markets has doubled, with more than 8000 markets open for business round the country. New local ownership and distribution structures are popping up everywhere, including more than 200 food hubs that are working in innovative ways to get more local, sustainable food to market. More than 180 local food policy councils are transforming food systems from the bottom up. The organic sector, with more and organic acreage has been growing steadily In recent years. More Information on these Impressive trends can be found In the slides that I presented during my keynote speech to the Women Food and Agriculture Network Conference in Iowa earlier this month to a wonderful crowd of mostly women farmers, landowners and loathe food system advocates. As great as these accomplishments are, the tens of thousands of projects and farms that are building a healthier, more sustainable food system around the country cannot grow quickly enough to counteract the tremendous damage to public health and the environment caused by the existing profit-driven Industrial food system. Two key messages In Lap ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s book remain more relevant today than ever. The first?and the basis for my lifelong commitment to eating low on the food chain— is that it is inefficient and resource-intensive to rely on meat as our primary rotten source. It is clear that we cannot solve our global water, energy, climate change and public health challenges without changing how we produce meat and drastically reducing how much of it we eat. While we still have a long way to go, we are making slow but steady progress in reducing Americans’ meat consumption?which is down four years in a row?mostly driven by consumers’ concern for health and animal welfare. Yet It’s clear that we wont achieve the far-reaching reforms needed to Improve the way produce feed and raise animals?until we fix the bigger problem plaguing our DOD system?a problem that struck me as the second and most important message not caused by scarcity of food but scarcity of democracy. Nearly forty years later, the lack of democracy not only continues to be a fundamental cause of hunger, but also a source of many other serious problems in our food system. Big food and industrial farming interests are hijacking our democracy and public policy at a huge cost to public health and the environment. And sadly, the Obama administration is complicit in this hijacking scheme. On several fronts, the administration is ignoring civil society calls for reform on several fronts and is giving rarity to industry financial interests over those of public health, the environment and welfare of animals, workers and consumers. Despite a clear and compelling need, it has failed to ban antibiotic use in well animals, pass effective factory farm regulations, or enact federal labeling and stricter regulation of genetically engineered food. No recent example of the administration’s failure to put the public interest ahead corporate interests is clearer than the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed poultry rule. This rule would reduce the number of USDA inspectors in poultry acclivities by 75 percent, accelerate assembly lines pace to 175 birds per minute and intensify the use of toxic chemicals to clean the birds being processed. Who profits from this appalling proposal? No surprise there. As Tom Philter reported in Mother Jones magazine, Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride, Purdue, and Sanderson, the nation’s leading poultry companies, stand to gain more than $1 billion over the next 5 years. As well, Congressional lawmakers are ignoring the public interest as they hash out a farm bill that will continue to give away billions to wealthy, profitable farms and agribusiness while slashing programs that promote nutrition, conservation, healthy food and organic agriculture. Because the good food movement lacks political muscle, there is far too little investment and effective federal policy to support?and help scale up good food projects and organic farming. And because big food and industrial agriculture companies have so much power, the federal government has too many bad policies that are doing far too much to support and enshrine the status quo, making it harder for sustainable agriculture to compete. The proposed farm bill is a perfect case in point. The bill currently being negotiated n conference committee would channel more than $13 billion a year to support and promote chemical-intensive, diversity-destroying monocots that mostly provide feed for animals and vehicle fuel, with less than $200 million annually going to support local and organic diversified agriculture. The dominance of corporate and large-scale commodity interests in our political system is nothing new?but as the economic power of these industries has become more concentrated, their political clout has grown stronger, and the consequences, Just recently, the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published an in-depth analysis to assess the status of industrial farming five years after the publication of the seminal Pew Commission Report on Industrial Farm Animal Production. It found that the problems have actually gotten a lot worse. When Civil Eats asked Ralph Logics, an author of the Pew Commission report, to explain the lack of progress, he blamed † the overwhelming influence and power of the animal gag industry†¦ Whether it’s affecting members of Congress, whether it’s denting and nearly breaking the regulatory process, or whether it’s too much influence over academics. Everywhere you look there’s too much influence by the industry. In order to counteract that influence and put the public interest back into policy- making, the good food movement must channel more of the energy it devotes to building a healthy food system into blunting the power of industrial agriculture and building a healthier democracy. Otherwise, we will fail to make our vision for a healthy, Just and sustainable food system a reality for everyone. Stay tuned for Part 2, in which I explore the steps that are needed to blunt the power of indu strial gag and build greater food democracy. How to cite The Hijacking of Food and Farm Policy, Essays

Oedipus Essays (217 words) - Ancient Greek Theatre, Oedipus The King

Oedipus Oedipus is a very interesting character in Greek mythology. He encounters many episodes on his journey, escaping the dangers of the prophecy he was told. Oedipus the King us the is quite exciting to the readers because of the dramatic irony Sophocles uses throughout the trilogy. Dramatic irony is when the audience is aware of something that is going to happen in the story, and the charatcer really has no idea. Oedipus the King is a Greek tragedy. There are five basic elements of a typical tragedy. They are prologue, parados, episode, stasimon, exodus. The prologue is basically the opening scene, in which the background of the story is formed. This is usually accomplished by a dialogue between two characters, or by a single actor. Parados is the entrance of the chorus(clarifies the feelings and experiences of the character), usually chanting a lyric that relates to the main theme. The counterpart of the modern scene, where the plot is developed through action or dialogue is called the episode. Stasimon is basically the choral ode. Finally, the exodus is the conclusion or final action, usually ended by a "ceremonial exit" of all the characters in the tragedy. These are the five basic elements that make up a Greek tragedy. To get a better understanding of Oedipus the King, you can go to the link below, and get an overview of the tragedy.

20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity

20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity 20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity 20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity By Michael So youd like your latest writing project to get moving faster. Great writers have felt the same. Dont worry, its fixable. When the words stop, writers have effective ways of getting them moving again. Plow new ground Write multiple drafts instead of obsessively editing the same one. You can tell the same story, but tell it over again. You will probably feel more encouraged. That part that you never knew how to fix? Maybe your new draft doesnt have it anymore. Commit to a consistent schedule Write daily, not someday. Start today, not tomorrow. Find the best time for you. Resolve that 6:00 a.m or 9:00 p.m. will be your regular time for writing, and thats it. If you dont make time, you may not find time. Use the time you have. After all, you cant use the time you dont have. Though its definitely easier to write when you dont constantly switch tasks, you cant wait for large blocks of time to appear in your schedule. They may not. Instead, take advantage of the minutes between tasks, time that might have been misused. And when you cant write, prepare to write. Set priorities I regret to inform you that you cant do everything. You cant spend three hours a day watching television, four hours playing video games, eight hours at work or school, eight hours sleeping, two hours eating, and one hour writing. That totals 26 hours a day. Youll have to cut something from your schedule. Do you want to write or not? Count words, not minutes. You may feel lighter and freer if you know that you can get up from your chair and play golf as soon as you have written 1,000 words. You may write faster out of sheer anticipation. Count minutes, not words. On the other hand, sometimes the words get hard and so does your chair. If your mind is strained, tired or muddled, maybe you should limit your writing time. But find a goal you can stick to. Im not giving you permission to give up easily. Don’t begin at the beginning The title and first lines are the hardest parts to write. They get easier after youve finished the rest, and having perfected them may not help you write the rest more efficiently. So dont bother writing them first. You can change the title any time before the release thats one reason why movies have working titles. Start in the middle Actually, start writing the part that most inspires you, Start where you want to, where your creative urge is strongest. You can add introductions and conclusions later. Write your favorite part first. Choose an audience You can write most effectively when you know who youre writing for, when you can picture them in your mind. Then you know more clearly what the purpose of your writing is. Change your audience If your writing gets stuck or even boring, try picturing a different reader. Maybe you werent picturing any particular reader at all. No wonder your writing sounded unfocused. Imagine youre writing to your best friend, your best customer, your biggest fan, or to your grandmother. (Write regularly to your grandmother, if you have one.) Take very small steps If youre overwhelmed by the thought of writing the whole piece, tell yourself to only write one sentence then make yourself stop. Science fiction writer Roger Zelazny used to advise authors to write two sentences. Never rewrite until you’re done writing. There is a time for writing and a time for editing, and most writers cant do both at once. Editing as you write will slow down your writing, often to a standstill its a major cause of writers block. Once you get started, ideas will come running fast enough that you wont have time to refine them until after the stampede. When one project bogs down, switch to another. We were built for variety, and the specialization of the Industrial Age has lessened us. You werent meant to always do the same thing. Keep more than one project bubbling at once. When you (temporarily) lose interest in one book, you always have something else to work on. Please only yourself. You can pretend to be interested in a genre because it sells well, but youre competing against other writers who arent pretending. Competition in the publishing world is tough enough. Im not saying to ignore market forces if you enjoy writing in two genres, its fine to pick the more popular one. But if you focus on what you know best, you can write faster and research less. And theres less competition. Your teacher is not looking over your shoulder. Too often, school teaches children to write and teaches them to hate writing. Writing gives us a way to share ourselves, and we should love it. Grammar is not sharing; its only an aid to sharing. Style is worthless if it doesnt help your reader. You have no obligation to sound like anyone but yourself. Keep a notebook When you have a fresh idea, write it down and store it up for the times when you dont. Make notes of interesting expressions youve overheard, describe scenes youd like to write about, record physical details. Dont wait for inspiration. If your Creative Muse doesnt flit into your room and shower inspiration upon you, go out into the hallway and take her by the hand. If you were in your chair writing at your scheduled time of 6:00 a.m. or 9:00 p.m, she would have known where to find you. Look in your notebook there should be some inspiration there. Say what you really mean If you get stuck or tangled in your writing, try this: pretend youre talking to a child and say, What I really mean is. Then say what you really mean. My college speech teacher used a similar technique. When nervous students showed up to give their first speech, she told them, You dont have to give your speech, just tell us what you would have said. Change your medium. If you cant get your writing to move, try telling your story out loud. Leave yourself a voicemail. Send it as an email to someone. Send it as a text. Write it as a series of headlines. Write only the outline. Use a pencil. Use a crayon, as James Thurber did. As his eyesight diminished, he had to write one letter per page. And you think you have problems. Write any way you can. If you feel constricted as a writer and the words dont come, work around your block. Dont force yourself to stay on the main point. Tell your backstory, share your history, give the background, explain the alternatives. Youll get back on track soon enough. How many of these tips have you tried? What other tips have worked for you? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†Capitalization Rules for the Names of GamesGrammatical Case in English

Major General Irvin McDowell in the Civil War

Major General Irvin McDowell in the Civil War The son of Abram and Eliza McDowell, Irvin McDowell was born at Columbus, OH on October 15, 1818. A distant relation of cavalryman John Buford, he received his early education locally. At the suggestion of his French tutor, McDowell applied to and was accepted at the College de Troyes in France. Commencing his studies abroad in 1833, he returned home the following year after receiving an appointment to the US Military Academy. Returning to the United States, McDowell entered West Point in 1834. West Point A classmate of P.G.T. Beauregard, William Hardee, Edward Allegheny Johnson, and Andrew J. Smith, McDowell proved a middling student and graduated fours years later ranked 23rd in a class of 44. Receiving a commission as a second lieutenant, McDowell was posted to the 1st US Artillery along the Canadian border in Maine. In 1841, he returned to the academy to serve as an assistant instructor of military tactics and later served as the schools adjutant. While at West Point, McDowell married Helen Burden of Troy, NY. The couple would later have four children, three of whom survived to adulthood. Mexican-American War With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, McDowell left West Point to serve on Brigadier General John Wools staff. Joining the campaign in northern Mexico, McDowell participated in Wools Chihuahua Expedition. Marching into Mexico, the 2,000-man force captured the towns of Monclova and Parras de la Fuenta before joining Major General Zachary Taylors army. prior to the Battle of Buena Vista. Attacked by General Antonio LÃ ³pez de Santa Anna on February 23, 1847, Taylors badly outnumbered force repulsed the Mexicans. Distinguishing himself in the fighting, McDowell earned a brevet promotion to captain. Recognized as a skilled staff officer, he finished the war as assistant adjutant general for the Army of Occupation. Returning north, McDowell spent much of the next dozen years in staff roles and the Adjutant Generals office. Promoted to major in 1856, McDowell developed close relationships with Major General Winfield Scott and Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston. The Civil War Begins With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the resulting secession crisis, McDowell assumed a position as the military advisor to Governor Salmon P. Chase of Ohio. When Chase departed to become US Secretary of the Treasury, he continued in a similar role with new the governor, William Dennison. This saw him oversee the states defenses as well as direct recruitment efforts. As volunteers were recruited, Dennison sought to place McDowell in command of the states troops but was forced by political pressure to give the post to George McClellan. In Washington, Scott, the US Armys commanding general, designed a plan for defeating the Confederacy. Dubbed the Anaconda Plan, it called for a naval blockade of the South and a thrust down the Mississippi River. Scott planned to assign McDowell to lead the Union army in the west but Chases influence and other circumstances prevented this. Instead, McDowell was promoted to brigadier general on May 14, 1861, and placed in command of the forces gathering around the District of Columbia. McDowells Plan Harassed by politicians who desired a quick victory, McDowell argued to Lincoln and his superiors that he was an administrator and not a field commander. Additionally, he stressed that his men lacked sufficient training and experience to mount an offensive. These protests were dismissed and on July 16, 1861, McDowell led the Army of Northeastern Virginia into the field against a Confederate force commanded by Beauregard which was located near Manassas Junction. Enduring severe heat, the Union troops reached Centreville two days later. McDowell initially planned to mount a diversionary attack against the Confederates along Bull Run with two columns while a third swung south around the Confederate right flank to cut their line of retreat to Richmond. Searching for the Confederate flank, he sent Brigadier General Daniel Tylers division south on July 18. Pushing forward, they encountered enemy forces led by Brigadier General James Longstreet at Blackburns Ford. In the resulting fighting, Tyler was repulsed and his column was forced to withdraw. Frustrated in his attempt to turn the Confederate right, McDowell altered his plan and began efforts against the enemys left. Complex Changes His new plan called for Tylers division to shift west along the Warrenton Turnpike and conduct a diversionary attack across the Stone Bridge over Bull Run. As this moved forward, the divisions of Brigadier Generals David Hunter and Samuel P. Heintzelman would swing north, cross Bull Run at Sudley Springs Ford, and descend on the Confederate rear. Despite having crafted an intelligent plan, McDowells attack was soon hampered by poor scouting and the overall inexperience of his men. Failure at Bull Run While Tylers men arrived at the Stone Bridge around 6:00 AM, the flanking columns were hours behind due to poor roads leading to Sudley Springs. McDowells efforts were further frustrated as Beauregard began receiving reinforcements via the Manassas Gap Railroad from Johnstons army in the Shenandoah Valley. This was due to inactivity on the part of Union Major General Robert Patterson who, after a victory at Hokes Run earlier in the month, failed to pin Johnstons men in place. With Pattersons 18,000 men sitting idle, Johnston felt safe shifting his men east. Opening the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, McDowell initially had success and pushed back the Confederate defenders. Losing the initiative, he mounted several piecemeal attacks but gained little ground. Counterattacking, Beauregard succeeded in shattering the Union line and began driving McDowells men from the field. Unable to rally his men, the Union commander deployed forces to defend the road to Centreville and fell back. Retiring to the Washington defenses, McDowell was replaced by McClellan on July 26. As McClellan began constructing the Army of the Potomac, the defeated general received command of a division. Virginia In the spring of 1862, McDowell assumed command of the armys I Corps with the rank of major general. As McClellan began shifting the army south for the Peninsula Campaign, Lincoln required that sufficient troops be left to defend Washington. This task fell to McDowells corps which assumed a position near Fredericksburg, VA and was redesignated the Department of the Rappahannock on April 4. With his campaign inching forward on the Peninsula, McClellan requested that McDowell march overland to join him. While Lincoln initially agreed, the actions of Major General Thomas Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley led to the cancellation of this order. Instead, McDowell was directed to hold his position and send reinforcements from his command to the valley. Back to Bull Run With McClellans campaign stalling in late June, the Army of Virginia was created with Major General John Pope in command. Drawn from Union troops in northern Virginia, it included McDowells men which became the armys III Corps. On August 9, Jackson, whose men were moving north from the Peninsula, engaged part of Popes army at the Battle of Cedar Mountain. After a back and forth fight, the Confederates won a victory and forced Union troops from the field. Following the defeat, McDowell sent part of his command to cover the retreat of Major General Nathaniel Banks corps. Later that month, McDowells troops played a key role in the Union loss at the Second Battle of Manassas. Porter Later War In the course of the fighting, McDowell failed to forward critical information to Pope in a timely manner and made a series of poor decisions. As a result, he ceded command of III Corps on September 5. Though initially blamed for the Union loss, McDowell largely escaped official censure by testifying against Major General Fitz John Porter later that fall. A close ally of the recently-relieved McClellan, Porter was effectively scapegoated for the defeat. Despite this escape, McDowell did not receive another command until being appointed to lead the Department of the Pacific on July 1, 1864. He remained on the West Coast for the rest of the war. Later Life Remaining in the army after the war, McDowell assumed command of the Department of the East in July 1868. In that post until late 1872, he received a promotion to major general in the regular army. Departing New York, McDowell replaced Major General George G. Meade as head of the Division of the South and held the position for four years. Made commander of the Division of the Pacific in 1876, he stayed in the post until his retirement on October 15, 1882. During his tenure, Porter succeeded in obtaining a Board of Review for his actions at Second Manassas. Issuing its report in 1878, the board recommended a pardon for Porter and was harshly critical of McDowells performance during the battle. Entering civilian life, McDowell served as Parks Commissioner for San Francisco until his death on May 4, 1885. He was buried at San Francisco National Cemetery.