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I was trained in the dark arts of the cover letter by my mother, who is a hiring manager. And her training has paid off: I've been consistently told my cover letters are excellent. Let me pass on the wisdom.

The job of a cover letter is to give a prospective employer strictly more information than is on the resume. This is where you take the resume contents and put them into context. You look at the job requirements (you are looking at the job requirements before applying, right?) and look at your resume and ask the question (in your head) "why would a person think this candidate would be good for this job?" and your cover letter is the answer to that question. If you don't answer that question, the hiring manager is going to have to do it themselves, and you have way more information to work with than they do.

This is especially important if you're moving from one industry to another, because then the relevant connections aren't obvious. It's also very important if you're overqualified, because then you can use the letter to say "I know it looks like this job would be too entry-level for me, but I'm interested to pursue it for reasons x, y, and z". You can also use this space to explain away something that might otherwise be disqualifying, like job-hopping or a long break in employment. The tone to strike here is always matter-of-fact and constrained to topic - don't go into detail about health stuff or personal tragedy, just tell them what they need to hear: that this period of your resume was affected by [bad thing] but that it's now in the past and you're looking forward to the next chapter. Remember, one of the things they're trying to learn is whether you'd be content in this role, or whether you'd be miserable and leave after 2 months, which would force them to do all the work of hiring again. You're trying to establish that you will fit right in and not cause problems. Knowing what drew you to this job in particular (and don't just say 'money', that's true for everyone) helps with that.

This is the most beautiful scientific diagram I've ever seen.

And then shoot Dr. Frankenstein creating the monster as if it were Gepetto making Pinocchio.

I’m sorry but that’s thinking way too small, hear me out:

We need to have Miss Piggy as Odysseus, and Kermit as Penelope.

Think about it… who’s the more fickle, prideful, warlike one in that relationship? Who is absolutely ready to go ham, at a moment’s notice?

So, your landlord/parents/home inspector/favorite movie star is dropping by, and your place is a disaster. You don’t have much time to clean it up. You’re in emergency mode. Let’s get started.

Don’t panic. Panic leads to fear, fear leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to the dark side. You can do this, but you have to stay calm.

Unlike maintenance cleaning, we’re not looking to completely unfuck one space at a time. Instead, we want to decrease the overall mess in stages, spread evenly across the whole area that we’re concerned about. If you think your home is at Level 10 filth, we want to bring the whole thing down to a Level 9, and then down from there. One really clean spot in an otherwise messy home is not going to be helpful here.

Get prepared. You’ll want to shut the computer down (or turn the modem off if you need your computer to play music). Trust me. Get your music going. Gather up trash bags, your vacuum and mop, some rags or paper towel, sponges, and other cleaning supplies. Use what you have on hand. Don’t get distracted running to the store and spending an hour browsing cleaning supplies. A multi-purpose cleaning concentrate or a jug of vinegar will be just fine.

Breaks are very important. Depending on your time constraints, work in 20/10s (20 minutes working, 10-minute break) or 45/15s. But take breaks because otherwise you’re marathoning, and marathon cleaning is no one’s friend. Keep hydrated, don’t forget to eat, and check in with yourself frequently to make sure you’re physically doing OK.

Make your bed. This will be your home base if you get overwhelmed or need somewhere clear to take a break.

Start with the garbage. Going from room to room, throw out anything that is obvious trash. Once you fill a bag, take it out. Repeat as many times as necessary.

Move on to dishes. Gather the dishes from all over your house and bring them to the kitchen. If you can, start them soaking in a sink of hot, soapy water or start loading the dishwasher. After the dishes are all in one place, spend one 20/10 getting started getting them under control.

Now it’s time for your flat surfaces. Countertops, tables, dresser tops, etc. Clear them off and wipe them down. Don’t get distracted in too much sorting and organizing. We’re in crisis mode here. There will be time to get in-depth once this is all done. The same applies to cabinets and closets. Unless you have reason to believe people will be opening closed doors, leave these alone for now.

Attack the floordrobe and shoe pile. Get your clothes either put away or in the hamper. Start a load of laundry if you need to, but keep in mind that laundry and dishes have three steps: wash, dry, and put it away, goddammit!

Get random stuff up off the floors. If something is trash-worthy, throw it away now rather than just move it around a bunch of times. Otherwise, put stuff where it belongs.

Take another 20/10 or 45/15 to catch up on more dishes, if needed.

Head into the bathroom. Pour some cleaner in the toilet bowl, fill the sink with hot water and cleaner, and either spray the tub and shower with cleaner, or fill the tub up with some hot water and add cleaner and let it soak. Put everything away that’s out and shouldn’t be, clean the mirror, counters, and toilet seat. Sweep or dry mop the floor. Wipe down the sink and tub/shower, and give the toilet bowl a scrub. Mop the floor.

Sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Vacuum everything you can, and sweep everything you can’t.

Walk outside of your house (don’t lock yourself out, please). Walk back in and see what catches your eye first. Go and deal with that.

If you’re being inspected or your landlord is coming in for repairs, spend time on whatever area they’ll be focusing on.

Give the whole place one more once-over and pay attention to anything you’ve missed so far.

It’s an old trick, but if your place is a little funky-smelling, put a pan of water on the stove on low heat and add some citrus or cinnamon or vanilla. Don’t leave it unattended or forget about it.

Take a shower, put on something clean, and eat something.

You can do this. It’s overwhelming, yes, but it is not impossible. You just need to do it. You have a list. You have directions. You have a whole bunch of Internet strangers who have been there before and who are cheering you on. You can do this, but you need to get started.

This is a given.

If the last digit is divisible by 2 (a.k.a. even), then so is the whole number.

If the sum of the digits is divisible by 3, then so is the whole number. The recursivity of this means that if the sum has multiple digits, you can add them up again until you get a single digit and see if it's 3, 6, or 9.

Like the rule for 2, but check if the last two digits are divisible by 4.

If it ends in 5 or 0.

If the rules for both 2 and 3 apply.

No shortcut. Alas.

Like the rules for 2 and 4, but check if the last three digits are divisible by 8. (Yes, this pattern keeps going for 16, 32, etc.)

Like the rule for 3, but the sum of the digits (or the sum of the sum of the digits, etc.) must be 9.

For example, 294

29 4

4×2=8

29-8=21

21 is divisible by 7

Second example, 1946

194 6

6×2=12

194-12=182

182 is still large, so let do it again

18 2

2×2=4

18-4=14

Saying "Anakin is just a piece of shit" makes the story cleaner, but it also gets rid of the good stuff. If he was always Darth Vader, then there's no tragedy to the story. It becomes one person who ruins everything, instead of a thousand people trying to do the right thing who create a monster.

Anakin, in the end, is the only one responsible for his informed choices. And in Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers are separated because of their families, something totally beyond their control. Yet Anakin could have married Padme publicly and left the Order without causing anyone the slightest problem. The only reason he didn't is because he was greedy. He absolutely wanted to remain a Jedi and keep the benefits, but without living like one. Anakin was in total control. Also, some analysts still debate the true message of Romeo and Juliet and the responsibility and the sincerity of the boy in his relationship with an under-age girl (13). Also, the comparison is a little odd given the thousand times darker themes of Star Wars. As far as I know, Romeo didn't join a fascist regime.

The other thousand people didn't create a monster. The Jedi didn't create a monster. All their actions were logical (I'm a bit lazy to explain them all again here, since I've already done a post on them). The Jedi would have won had it not been for Anakin's betrayal. And I find it odd to say that "the Jedi failed" when talking about what will lead to their genocide. It sounds too much like victim blaming.

Anakin certainly wasn't a hero, at least not since the second movie. He was a manipulator. He lied to the Jedi for three years, hiding his mass murder even though he knew he was wrong. Palpatine was also a manipulator, but after discovering the truth about him and all his lies, Anakin still chose to help him. Palpatine gave him an opportunity, and Anakin seized it. Not because Palpatine was still manipulating him at the time (he literally tells Padme he wants to overthrow him so they can rule the empire together), but because he's wanted power for a long time.

Anakin chose to make his loved ones suffer. He chose to commit genocide. He chose to kill the children of his community. He chose to potentially fatally strangle his pregnant wife. He chose to try to kill his brother. He continued to work for the Empire for years after Padme's death. And he didn't choose Luke until the very end (when the author gave a last-ditch redemption to his franchise's most famous character).

They would have...won?

The Jedi lost when they accepted the premise of the Clone Wars. Somebody buys them millions of Clones anonymously, and they just ... never examine that? Rather than trying to uncover the conspiracy they let the Galaxy be ravaged by years of warfare.

The Jedi lost when they trusted the Clones provided by their enemy and opened themselves up to Order 66. The greatest heroes of the Jedi Order were all gunned down by their own men. Anakin wasn't even involved, he was off cementing his loyalty to the Sith by killing children.

And the Jedi were suspicious of the clones and the circumstances of their creation. Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Mace Windu talk about it. The end of Episode II shows that these three suspect something fishy and decide to investigate. And Episode III is almost entirely devoted to their investigation. They all suspect Palpatine.

The Jedi weren’t soldiers before the war, but they had to fight to protect the Republic. They fought alongside the clones because they didn’t have the strength to fight alone. When Mace Windu and the others went to rescue Obi-Wan from Dooku, they were slaughtered. Without the arrival of Yoda and the clones, they would all have died. And while the separatists were waging war, they weren't going to just stand by and leave innocent people defenseless. When someone starts a war and begins killing, you can't just wait for the situation to become clear and let them carry on—you have to stop them as quickly as possible.

And Anakin let Palpatine issue Order 66 when Palpatine brought it up. He agreed with the plan.

So yes, he’s also responsible. And no, I never said that Anakin is the only one responsible (Palpatine and the Senate, which gave him power, are also responsible); I’m just saying that when you say—and imply—that the Jedi are also responsible, you’re wrong. And yes, it was his final decision that doomed everyone, even after the mistakes made by others.

Obi-Wan's line about dealing in absolutes was mostly a joke…but there's a grain of truth to it. Which is, again and again, the point: Luke found the good remaining in Darth Vader - a small light in a sea of pitch-black, but it was there. The Jedi sacrificed immensely in the pursuit of peace and balance, but their good intentions didn't always have ideal outcomes. Some good in the bad, some bad in the good. Yin-Yang.

Star Wars is about the battle between Good and Evil, of course. But ever since Empire Strikes Back, we've been learning that it's never quite that simple. Luke has to confront his Dark Side in the cave, Darth Vader is his father, Obi-Wan lied about it… The heroes aren't perfect, and the villains aren't without complexity. That's the whole point of the Dark Side being a corrupting influence - nobody's above fear and anger, but you can't be a powerful person and a good person without learning to let go.

When you argue that the Jedi would have won without Anakin falling, you're letting your hate for the character blind you to the complexity of the story: They failed to protect the Republic, they failed to protect each other, they let the Sith take control and kill uncountable numbers of people. No matter how good you think they were, if their choices got billions killed then they weren't good enough.