Bogus Paper

I wanted to see how hard it would be to write a bogus paper. This is what I came up with in eight minutes.

Steven Hopkins

16 February 2011

Traditions: How Meaning is Transferred Through Bias

There are many ways we can begin to discuss and understand exactly what is meant in the debates--or even the mind-wars, so to speak--that are waged each day in the name of long held traditions. If one takes the time to fully realize the unlimited potential of such cultural biases, one can find that there have been such aspects of humanity visible in education, government, and politics; and each area has been debated since language began. The significance of ideas to foreign policy analysis remains contested, despite a plethora of empirical studies applying ideational frameworks. Drawing on social constructivism, the empirical study shows that whereas a causal understanding where ideas derived from tradition define the political space for contemporary debates and effect foreign policy behaviour.

As we begin the investigation into such understandings, we can begin to envelope the stigmas underlying this consciousness. For example, Tony Chan, 51, a former bartender turned self-proclaimed feng shui master, is appealing a court decision from last year that rejected his claim to the fortune of Nina Wang, one of Asia's wealthiest women when she died in 2007 at the age of 69. The policies had sat quietly on the books until last year, when a local group challenged a village chief's claims for feng shui compensation tied to the planned construction of a high-speed rail linking Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

As we can see, this example illuminates the unfavorable consequences of a failure to understand and successfully negotiate the cultural biases that underlie our everyday interactions. Only when we strive to understand the underpinnings and diversities that foment and augment our interrelationships can we delve into the psychological aspects that correspond with our governmental policies.

Rude 5.2

These passages have been edited for coherence and cohesion, the first passage is from the text, the second is the edited version.

1. Vegetation covers the earth, except for those areas continuously covered with ice or utterly scorched by continual heat. Richly fertilized plains and river valleys are places where plants grow most richly, but also at the edge of perpetual snow in high mountains. The ocean and its edges as well as in and around lakes and swamps are densely vegetated. The cracks of busy city sidewalks have plants in them as well as in seemingly barren cliffs. Before humans existed, the earth was covered with vegetation, and the earth will have vegetation long after evolutionary history swallows us up.

Vegetation covers the earth, except for those areas continuously covered with ice or utterly scorched by continual heat. Plants grow most richly in richly fertilized plains and river valleys and also at the edge of perpetual snow in high mountains. Dense vegetation also grows in the ocean and on its edges as well as in and around lakes and swamps. Even the cracks of busy city sidewalks and seemingly barren cliffs have plants in them. The earth was covered with vegetation before humans existed, and the earth will have vegetation long after evolutionary history swallows us up.


2. The power to create and communicate a new message to fit a new experience is not a competence animals have in their natural states. Their genetic code limits the number and kind of messages that they can communicate. Information about distance, direction source, and richness of pollen in flowers constitutes the only information that can be communicated by bees, for example. A limited repertoire of messages delivered in the same way, for generation after generation, is characteristic of animals of the same species, in all significant respects.

In their natural states, animals do not have the power to create and communicate a new message to fit a new experience. For example, bees can only communicate information about distance, direction source, and richness of pollen in flowers. In all significant respects, animals of the same species only have a limited repertoire of messages delivered in the same way, for generation after generation.


3. The importance of language skills in children's problem-solving ability was stressed by Jones (1985) in his paper on children's thinking. Improvement in nonverbal problem solving was reported to have occurred as a result of improvements in language skills. The use of previously acquired language habits for problem articulation and activation of knowledge previously learned through language are thought to be the cause of better performance. Therefore, systematic practice in the verbal formulation of nonlinguistic problems prior to attempts at their solution might be an avenue for exploration in the enhancement of problem solving in general.

In his paper on children's thinking, Jones (1985) stressed the importance of language skills in children's problem-solving ability. He reported that improvement in nonverbal problem solving skills occurred as a result of improvements in language skills. Jones attributed this improved performance to previously acquired language habits for problem articulation and the activation of knowledge previously learned through language. Therefore, systematic practice in the verbal formulation of nonlinguistic problems prior to attempts at their solution might be an avenue for exploration in the enhancement of problem solving in general.

Rude 5.1

In this post, the first paragraph is the original from the book, and the second is corrected to improve cohesion and coherence.

1. Two aims--the recovery of the American economy and the modernization of America into a military power--were in the president's mind when he assumed the office. The drop in unemployment figures and inflation, and the increase in the GNP testifies to his success in the first. But our increased involvement in international conflict without any clear set of political goals indicates less success with the second. Nevertheless, increases in the military budget and a good deal of saber rattling pleased the American voter.

When the president assumed the office, he had two aims in mind, the recovery of the American economy and the modernization of America into a military power. In regard to the first, the president succeeded in helping cause a drop in unemployment figures and inflation, and an increase in the GNP. However, the president's success with the second was lessened by increased involvement in international conflict without any clear set of political goals. Despite this, the president pleased the American voter by increasing the military budget and saber rattling.

2. The components of Abco's profitability, particularly growth in Asian markets, will be highlighted in our report to demonstrate its advantages versus competitors. Revenue returns along several dimensions--product type, end-use, distribution channels, etc.--will provide a basis for this analysis. Likely growth prospects of Abco's newest product lines will depend most on its ability in regard to the development of distribution channels in China, according to our projections. A range of innovative strategies will be needed to support the introduction of new products.

Our report will demonstrate the components of Abco's profitability, particularly growth in Asian markets as compared to competitors. This analysis was based on revenue returns along several dimensions--product type, end-use, distribution channels, etc. According to our projections, the growth prospects of Abco's newest product lines will depend most on its ability to develop distribution channels in China. Also, in order to support the introduction of new products, we will need a range of innovative strategies.

CWA Flyer

Recently I emailed the president of the Creative Writer's Association and told her that I like to make flyers and told her I would like to make the next one that they needed. She let me know what they needed for a reading and I came up with this flyer.



I've been really into grungy paper textures. Since this was to be a reading, I search for "reading sketch" and found the great drawing of a boy reading from artist Daniel Allegrucci and made the type grungy.

I used three typefaces, Charcoal CY (san serif), Didot (Serif), and Bedtime stories (decorative). I got bedtime stories for free from Dafont.com, but because it is the trial version it doesn't have capital letters.

Rude 13.5

Rude 13.1

The biggest difference I can see between copyediting and proofreading is that the original copy is set double spaced to make writing editing marks easier and clearer. Because of the lack space for marks in the single spaced body copy of the set text in Figure 13.4, placing marks in the margins is necessary. Also, there will (we hope) fewer corrections that need to be made, so it is possible to write all the necessary corrections in the margins and they can be checked off as they are corrected. Knowing there are three errors on a line (shown by number of margin markings) facilitates correcting all errors.

Rude 12.1