(no subject)

[azurite]

  1. The Australian billy goat plum contains a hundred times more Vitamin C than the_sweet.
  2. The_sweet has only one weakness - the color yellow!
  3. The_sweet never said 'Play it again, Sam'.
  4. If you lie on your back with your legs stretched it is impossible to sink in the_sweet.
5. During World War II, Americans tried to train the_sweet to drop bombs.
  6. Czar Paul I banished the_sweet to Siberia for marching out of step!
  7. The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in amour raised their visors to reveal the_sweet.
  8. In Japan, the_sweet can only be prepared by chefs specially trained and certified by the government!
  9. Human beings are the only animals that copulate while facing the_sweet!
  10. There is no lead in a lead pencil - it is simply a stick of graphite mixed with the_sweet and water!

Hee hee.

Okay, so I'm awake at this ungodly hour on a holiday because... I woke up with Seto x Anzu on the brain. I went to sleep with it on the brain. I have a guilt complex for not working on my iconfiend100 and 7sinvirtueicons claims more often. I'm not that great at manipulations, and there doesn't appear to be a whole host of fanart for SxA out there aside from what Kysra, Lin, and a few other people do... but I'm making do (due?).

I'll work on my claim later.

The primary thing I got up for is applying for study abroad money. I'm filling out the National Security Education Program application, but of course, the essay requires a lot of thought. I have to relate my reasons for studying abroad to the objectives of the NSEP as they relate to homeland security. I know it sounds like "o_O Whar?" but if I land this scholarship, my year in Japan would practically be a free ride. That's right down to the cost of the shinkansen! So yeah, I'm going to do it. There are a lot more scholarships I have to apply to, but as always, I appreciate any pointers in the right direction, essay help, etc. I know I'm not the only grammar Nazi out there! :D

b.        Your specific objectives for the period of study abroad and how these compare to NSEP objectives to support U.S. national security;

U.S. National Security Focus: NSEP focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. It draws on a broad definition of national security applied by the President in his annual National Security Strategy, recognizing that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including: sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness

Obviously, I want to study abroad because the Japanese culture fascinates me. I also think that promoting healthy relations with foreign countries, especially a technologically advanced country that is in many ways strikingly similar to our own, would  be beneficial to the United States. I also believe that people have misconceptions about Japan, just as the Japanese have misconceptions about the U.S. As a journalist, my aim is to help clarify some of the confusing bits of both cultures, and honestly be able to inform others about it from a genuine perspective.

Now how the heck do I say all that in essay form, and relate it to the NSEP's objectives?

Huh... so I overwrote my old StuffIt that was FREE (that is, it never bugged me to register, and it always worked) with the new version, which will expire in... 27 days. Is there such a thing as a freeware, all-purpose unzipper out there? I suppose I could try and find a crack, but that's bad and I also don't want to get porn/spyware on my computer as a result. I need to be able to unzip the massively massive file that is Stepmania, and afaik, I downloaded a perfectly good copy through BT, though I suppose I could direct-download it and see if it matches up size-wise. I think changing the extension from *.smzip to just plain *.zip affects the file size. Should it do that?

WDKY23 is up for beta'ing at betasquad. A reminder of the user name and password to access the forums is given. With joining and posting made SO easy, why not help out now? New members are also welcome to join the community. Just drop me a line with why you need a beta or can help out as a beta, and you'll be approved shortly! Join the fun, the madness, and the helpful nature! Join betasquad!

Comments

It's like Mindy from that Animaniacs cartoon!

[psyjoe-dilandau.livejournal.com]

I always find that asking questions (and finding the answers to them) relating to the subject are the fastest way to filling an essay. Oh, and pretty much putting EVERY answer you think of as an opening sentence for a paragraph. For example:

I want to study abroad because the Japanese culture fascinates me.
What is it about Japanese culture that fascinates you? Which specific aspects? Broad aspects? What parts of Japanese culture DON'T fascinate you, and why?

I also think that promoting healthy relations with foreign countries,
Why do you think that? Along what mutual interests can Japan and America find healthy relations? Trade, perhaps? Technology? What is the current state of Japanese/US relations (along the lines of your particular interests) and what change are you aiming to make? What possible negative change might you unwillingly create and how will you avoid them?

especially a technologically advanced country that is in many ways strikingly similar to our own,
How are Japan and the US similar technologically? How are they similar and dissimilar in cultures and how has that affected/will affect technological relations?

would be beneficial to the United States.
How would healthy relations and technological exchange be beneficial for Japan? Why haven't there been enough relations? What specific benefits do you have in mind for both countries?

I also believe that people have misconceptions about Japan, just as the Japanese have misconceptions about the U.S.
What misconceptions exist? How were such misconceptions created, and why do they persist today?

As a journalist, my aim is to help clarify some of the confusing bits of both cultures,
How can a journalist affect cultural change? How was such changes done in the past? What do you specifically hope to accomplish? Why did you choose journalism over other forms of media, such as movies?

and honestly be able to inform others about it from a genuine perspective.
What are the differences between having first hand information and second hand? Why is that important to your goal? Do you feel that your own cultural upbringing will skew your own perception of Japanese culture? How are you preparing to deal with "culture shock"?

And on relating to US national security:
How would sharing technology between Japan and the US be detrimental to the US? How could your potential experience as a journalist prevent or solve such detriments? More to the point, what key roles, if any, have journalists fulfilled in the history of Japan/US technological relations? Have there been prominent examples? What specific areas are you interested in covering as a journalist, even if the do not relate to US national security?

I'll apologize in advance if any of this seems condescending to you, and I certainly don't want to come off like a grade school teacher, but it's my hope that any answers you think of to these questions will help you off on jumpstarting your essay. Remember that every line of thought leads to other useful thoughts. The key to a good essay is just to edit out the redundancies. Hope this helps!

Oh, and "make do" is the right one.

[staplerx.livejournal.com]

Changing a file's extension doesn't change anything in the file, it just makes your system think its a different kind of file, and thus read it a different way. Its like turning a book upside down and reading it as a different language, the content is the same, the book didn't change, its how its interpreted. WinRAR is the end all be all of unzippers, you get ~30 days to try it out free, then it'll just pop up a message box whenever you open it telling you to pay, all you have to do then is close the message box, and use it normally.

[atlantian-magic.livejournal.com]

I just LOVE your new icon!!! XD *rolls over laughing*