Christmas Eve Essays - Temperature Control, Switches, Thermostat

Christmas Eve Essays - Temperature Control, Switches, Thermostat Christmas Eve Jenny Leigh Parker 12/16/98 It was Four o Clock P.M. on December the twenty fourth. The grandfather clock ticked away the hours. It seemed like three hours had gone by. Then, the clock said that it had only been fifteen minutes. I had to do something to help the time pass. I thought that a nice long nap would make the day go faster. My sister wanted to join me. I laid there listening to my sister snore , which made me so upset. How could she possibly fall asleep so fast, plus her obnoxious snoring kept me awake. Finally, I fell asleep, but only for about ten minutes. I woke up to the aroma of my moms famous banana cream pie. I heard the garage door open, and my dads rip roaring Bonneville pulled into the garage. I was so afraid. My dad has this phobia of having a cold house. (In his early years, the house he grew up in, only had one fireplace, and he slept on the other side of the house. He would wake up with icicle toes and be numb all over his body. He could see the air condensation appearing in front of him). After that, he has always had our house scorching hot. He usually has our house's thermostats to about ninety nine degrees. I'll bet I could roast an egg on top of my head. I had also just gotten it to the perfect temperature for the rest of the family. As I expected, the first thing he did when he walked in the door was head straight for the thermostats, and to turn those suckers up until they were ready to explode. My dad knows that I am the only one in the household that can adjust the temperature. So, there was no way I could ever get away with a stunt like that. The next thing I heard was the ceiling fans starting to turn. I have an upstairs bedroom, so, all the excess heat comes into my room. I was beginning to feel the heat creep upstairs. I knew I was a goner. I had a plan, I would step outside and sit in a snowbank for awhile, then inside, maybe the heat wouldn't bother me. I stepped outside. The coldness struck me like a thousand knives. The temperature was below zero. It was just about the right temperature to make my plan work. I was walking through snowflakes and the cold wind was blowing in my face. I plopped down in the white snow. I could feel that my body was soaked. I was extremely cold. I thought that for sure I was frostbitten through my toes. I was determined not to leave until I knew for sure I was freezing from top to bottom. I stepped inside, only to find that I was beginning to break into a sweat. My plan was unsuccessful. I went upstairs, changed out of my itchy, scratchy, turtleneck, fuzzy fluffy, sweater and corduroy slacks. Then, slipped into a sleeveless shirt and pair of denim shorts. That was the way to go as long I stayed in the house the rest of the night. After all the battles with heat, we had finally came to a mutual agreement. I stepped downstairs and first thing I smelled was the pine from our Christmas tree. That is the best smell. I love the outdoors. I then realized that it wasn't the tree I was smelling. It was my mom's pine scented candles that she had been burning. The family dinner was absolutely delicious. I love all the different smells from a home cooked meal. What delight that brings to me. It has been a tradition of mine for a couple of years, to wear myself out on Christmas Eve and do gymnastics. I ended up doing fifty cartwheels on each side. Seventy five back walkovers, twenty five front walkovers, and one hundred backhand springs. Keep in mind, I had just eaten a huge meal. I was ready to pass out. I felt so sick, out of breath and exhausted. I fell asleep pretty quick. Christmas season is my favorite time of the year because of all the different smells, feelings,

Inverted Pyramid Method of Organization in Newswriting

Inverted Pyramid Method of Organization in Newswriting The inverted pyramid became a standard form in American newspapers early in the 20th century, and variations on the form remain common today in news stories, press releases, short research reports, articles, and other forms of expository writing. It is a method of organization in which facts are presented in descending order of importance. Examples of Inverted Pyramid Composition The concept behind the inverted pyramid format is relatively simple. The writer prioritizes the factual information to be conveyed in the news story by importance. The most essential pieces of information are offered in the first line, which is called the lead (or summary lead). This usually addresses the so-called five Ws (who, what, when, why, and where). Thus, the reader is able to ascertain the key elements of the story immediately. The writer then provides the rest of the information and supporting contextual details in descending order of importance, leaving the least essential material for the very end. This gives the completed story the form of an inverted pyramid, with the most important elements, or the base of the story, on top. Opening With the Climax If the essence of the story is its climax, then a proper inverted pyramid places the storys climax in the lead or opening sentence. The most important elements of a well-written news article thus appear in the lead, the very first sentence of the story. Cutting From the Bottom The inverted pyramid style in newspaper writing was developed because editors, adjusting for space, would cut the article from the bottom. We can write the same way in a magazine article. . . .We add details as we enlarge the article. So the weight is like an inverted pyramid, with the details of lesser importance at the end of the article.For example, if I write, Two children were injured when fire swept through the First Community Church, Detroit, Michigan, on May 10. The fire is believed to have started from unattended candles. Thats complete, but a lot of details can be added in succeeding paragraphs. If space is tight, an editor can cut from the bottom and still save the essential elements. Using the Inverted Pyramid in Online Writing The inverted pyramid structure, typically used in newspaper writing, is also appropriate for long narrative text in online technical documents. Use this structure to organize paragraphs and sentences within a section of narrative text. To create an inverted pyramid structure, follow these guidelines: Use clear, meaningful headings or lists at the beginning of a topic.Create separate paragraphs or topics to emphasize important points.Do not bury your main point in the middle of a paragraph or topic. Sources Robert A. Rabe, Inverted Pyramid. Encyclopedia of American Journalism, ed. by Stephen L. Vaughn. Routledge, 2008Bob Kohn,  Journalistic Fraud. Thomas Nelson, 2003Roger C. Palms, Effective Magazine Writing: Let Your Words Reach the World. Shaw Books, 2000Sun Technical Publications, Read Me First!: A Style Guide for the Computer Industry, 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, 2003