The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 14

damon Where were they? Elena watched the water anxiously. If anything had happened to Meredith or Stefan, it was Elena's fault. She had convinced Stefan to let Meredith jump the fal s. His objections had been total y reasonable; she could see that now. Meredith had been marked for death. For God's sake, Celia had almost been kil ed simply getting off a train. What had Meredith been thinking, jumping off a cliff into water when she was in the same sort of peril? What had Elena been thinking of to let her? She should have been by Stefan's side, holding Meredith back. And Stefan. She knew he ought to be fine; the rational part of her brain kept reminding her that Stefan was a vampire. He didn't even need to breathe. He could stay underwater for days. He was incredibly strong. But not so long ago, she had thought Stefan was gone forever, stolen by the kitsune. Bad things could happen to him – vampire or not. If she lost him now through her own stupid fault, through her own stubbornness and insistence that everyone pretend that life could be the way it used to be – that they could have some simple fun without doom fol owing them – Elena would lie do wn and die. â€Å"Do you see anything?† Bonnie asked, a tremble in her voice. Her freckles stood out in dark dots against her pale face, and her normal y exuberant red curls were plastered flat and dark against her head. â€Å"No. Not from up here.† Elena shot her a grim look, and before she even consciously made the decision, she dived into the pool. Underwater, Elena's vision was clouded by the froth and sand thrown up by the fal s, and she treaded water for a moment as she tried to peer around. She saw a patch of darkness that looked like it might be human figures off near the middle of the pool and struck out toward it. Thank God, Elena thought fervently. When she got closer, the darkness resolved itself into Meredith and Stefan. They seemed to be struggling against something in the water, Stefan's face near Meredith's legs, Meredith's hands reaching desperately toward the surface. Her face was bluish from lack of oxygen, and her eyes were wide with panic. Just as Elena came close to them, Stefan jerked sharply and Meredith shot upward. As if in slow motion, Elena saw Meredith's arm swing toward her as Meredith rose. A sudden blow sent Elena shooting backward toward the rocks behind the fal s, the fal s pushing her deeper underwater as she passed under them. This is bad, she had just enough time to think, and then her head hit the rocks and everything went black. When Elena awoke, she found herself in her room at home, stil in her bathing suit. Sun shone through the window, but Elena was wet and shivering with cold. Water trickled from her hair and bathing suit, droplets winding down her arms and legs and puddling on the carpet. She was unsurprised to see that Damon was there, looking as sleek and dark and poised as ever. He'd been perusing her bookshelf, as comfortable as if he were in his own home, and he wheeled around to stare at her. â€Å"Damon,† she said weakly, confused but, as always, so happy to see him. â€Å"Elena!† he said, appearing delighted for a moment, and then he frowned. â€Å"No,† he said sharply. â€Å"Elena, wake up.† â€Å"Elena, wake up.† The voice was frightened and desperate, and Elena fought the darkness that seemed to be holding her down and opened her eyes. Damon? she almost said, but bit the word back. Because of course it was Stefan who was gazing worriedly into her eyes, and even sweet, understanding Stefan might object to her cal ing him by his dead brother's name twice in one day. â€Å"Stefan,† she said, remembering. â€Å"Is Meredith al right?† Stefan wrapped her tightly in his arms. â€Å"She wil be. Oh, God, Elena,† he said. â€Å"I thought I was going to lose you. I had to pul you to shore. I didn't know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice trailed off, and he hugged her even closer to his chest. Elena did a quick self-inventory. She was sore. Her throat and lungs hurt, probably from breathing in water and coughing it out. There was sand al over her, coating her arms and bathing suit, and it was starting to itch. But she was alive. â€Å"Oh, Stefan,† Elena said, and closed her eyes for a moment, resting her head against him. She was so cold and wet, and Stefan was so warm. She could hear his heart beating beneath her ear. Slower than a human's, but there, steady and reassuring. When she opened her eyes again, Matt was kneeling next to them. â€Å"Are you okay?† he asked her. When she nodded, he turned his gaze to Stefan. â€Å"I should have jumped in,† he said guiltily. â€Å"I should have helped you save them. Everything seemed to happen so fast, and by the time I knew something was real y wrong, you were bringing them back out of the water.† She sat up and touched Matt's arm, feeling a warm flood of affection for him. He was so good, and he felt so responsible for al of them. â€Å"Everyone's fine, Matt,† she said. â€Å"That's what matters.† A few feet away, Alaric was inspecting Meredith as Bonnie hovered over them. Celia stood a little farther away, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched Alaric and Meredith. When Alaric shifted away, Meredith caught Elena's eye. Her face was white with pain, but she managed to give her an apologetic smile. â€Å"I didn't mean to hit you,† she said. â€Å"And Stefan, I should have listened to you, or just had more sense and stayed on shore.† She grimaced. â€Å"I think I might have sprained my ankle. Alaric's going to drive me to the hospital so they can tape it up.† â€Å"What I want to know,† Bonnie said, â€Å"is whether this means it's al over. I mean, Celia's name appeared, and she was almost strangled in the train doors. And Meredith's name appeared, and she almost drowned. They both got saved – by Stefan, good job, Stefan – so does that mean they're safe now? We haven't seen any more names.† Elena's heart lightened with hope. But Matt was shaking his head. â€Å"It's not that easy,† he said darkly. â€Å"It's never that easy. Just because Meredith and Celia could be saved one time, it doesn't mean whatever it is isn't stil after them. And even though her name wasn't cal ed, Elena was in danger, too.† Stefan's arms were stil around Elena, but they felt hard and unyielding. When she glanced up at his face, his jaw was set and his green eyes ful of pain. â€Å"I'm afraid it's not the end. Another name has appeared,† he told them. â€Å"Meredith, I don't think you could have seen it, but the plants you were tangled in spel ed it out against your legs.† Everyone gasped. Elena clutched his arm, her stomach dropping. She looked at Matt, at Bonnie, at Stefan himself. They'd never seemed more precious to her. Which one of the people who she loved was in danger? â€Å"Wel , don't keep us in suspense,† Meredith said wryly. Her color was better, Elena noted, and her voice sounded crisp and competent again, although she winced as Alaric touched her ankle gently. â€Å"Whose name was it?† Stefan hesitated. His eyes darted to Elena and then quickly away. He licked his lips in a nervous gesture she'd never seen from him before. Taking a deep breath, he final y said, â€Å"The name the plants spel ed out was Damon.† Bonnie sat down with a thump, as though her legs had given way. â€Å"But Damon's dead,† she said, her brown eyes wide. But for some reason the news didn't shock Elena to the core. Instead, a hard, bright feeling of hope flooded her. It would make sense. She had never believed someone like Damon could just be gone. â€Å"Maybe he's not,† she heard herself say, lost in thought as she recal ed the Damon in her dreams. When she had passed out under the water, she had seen him again, and he had told her to wake up. Was that dreamlike behavior? It could have been her subconscious warning her, she supposed doubtful y, but his name had appeared underwater. Could he be alive? He had died – she had no doubt about that. But he was a vampire; he had died before, and lived again. The Guardians had tried, they said, and they had said there was no way to bring Damon back. Was it a pointless hope? Was the eager beating of her heart at the thought that Damon might be alive just Elena fooling herself? Elena snapped back to the present to find her friends staring at her. There was a moment of complete silence, as if even the birds had stopped singing. â€Å"Elena,† Stefan said gently. â€Å"We saw him die.† Elena gazed into Stefan's green eyes. Surely, if there was any reason to hope, he would feel it the same way she did. But his gaze was steady and sad. Stefan, she saw, had no doubt that Damon was dead. Her heart squeezed painful y. â€Å"Who's Damon?† Celia asked, but no one answered. Alaric was frowning. â€Å"If Damon's definitely dead,† he said, â€Å"if you're sure about that, then whatever is causing these accidents might be playing on your grief, trying to hit you where it hurts. Perhaps there's an emotional danger here that it's trying to create as wel as a physical one.† â€Å"If spel ing out Damon's name is meant to upset us, then it's aiming at Stefan and Elena,† Matt said. â€Å"I mean, it's no secret that Meredith and I didn't like him much.† He crossed his arms defensively. â€Å"I'm sorry, Stefan, but it's true.† â€Å"I respected Damon,† said Meredith, â€Å"especial y after he worked so hard with us in the Dark Dimension, but it's true that his death didn't†¦ affect me the way it did Elena and Stefan. I have to agree with Matt.† Elena glanced at Bonnie and noticed that her jaw was clenched and her eyes glistened with angry tears. As Elena watched, Bonnie's bright eyes dul ed and lost focus, gazing off into the distance. She stiffened and turned her face up toward the top of the cliff. â€Å"She's having a vision,† Elena said, jumping to her feet. Bonnie spoke in a voice flatter and rougher than her own. â€Å"He wants you, Elena,† she said. â€Å"He wants you.† Elena fol owed her gaze toward the cliff. For a wild moment, that hard, bright hope came bursting back into her chest again. She ful y expected to see Damon up there, smirking down at them. It would be just like him, if he'd somehow survived death, to show up suddenly, make a grand entrance, and then pass off the miracle with a shrug and a dry quip. And there was someone standing at the top of the cliff. Celia gave a little scream, and Matt swore loudly. It wasn't Damon, though. Elena could tel that right away. The silhouetted figure was broader than Damon's lithe form. But the sun was so bright she couldn't make out the person's features, and she lifted her hand to shade her eyes. Like a halo, blond curly hair gleamed in the sunlight. Elena frowned. â€Å"I think,† she said, recognition dawning on her, â€Å"that's Caleb Smal wood.†

It Is Difficult to Remain a Strong Sense of Identity in Our Society

English Speech Hi I'm Maddy and I'm here today to explain why I think that it IS difficult to maintain a strong sense of individual identity in our society. It’s quite often very difficult to maintain a strong sense of your individual identity in this society, it’s a natural instinct for most people to want to feel acceptance into society. We all feel the need to change and leave the parts of us that make us who we are to conform to people’s expectations. Society has become a crucial influence on who we are and how we are perceived.We can never truly be our selves because of the constant fear criticism and judgement that comes with it. Everyone has something about them that makes them who they are but they feel they need to hide it from people because they fear of rejection and embarrassment. This fear can sometimes make us change how we act around certain people and we can end up forgetting who we are. In the book growing up Asian in Australia there is a story i n there about a young boy named Sunil. He tried to change his to Neil because it’s a more westernized name and he thinks it would make him fit in better.This is not the case. Changing your name won’t change who you are as a person and personally I actually like the name Sunil better than Neil anyway. Sure changing your name might stop some of the teasing but sooner or later you will realise that you don’t have to change who you are to gain friends. As Gandhi once said â€Å"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. † I think this relates to Sunil’s’ story because he ends up realising that he doesn’t need to change his name to be accepted.In the song ‘This is who I am† by Vanessa Amorosi it says â€Å"Well it's alright to be myself Now I've Learned To Stand, Well it’s OK to be just who I am I've spent years really hating me longing to be friends Now I hope that you can understand, t his Is Who I Am†. I think these lyrics are really powerful and help explain the topic that I’ve chosen to talk about. She explains that it took her years to realise who she was and that she was now okay to show everyone who she really is. I know from personal experience how hard it is to be yourself in this world.We get judged on every little thing we do, how we dress, what we say, how we present ourselves; absolutely everything. Sometimes we speak differently or dress differently to impress the people that shouldn’t matter to us, because if we have to spend hours in front of the mirror trying to change our appearance and who we usually are then these people aren’t worth our time. It’s so common in this day and age to marry someone for their looks or their wealth when really that shouldn’t matter. They should fall in love with their personality, that’s what matters the most.I think this is what makes us confused about who we are becaus e we change so often around different people that it’s so hard to maintain our own identity. This isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes losing our identity is actually good for us. It can make us open our eyes and see who our true friends are. It can make you see things from a different perspective and make you realise that life’s not about trying to impress people, it’s about accepting yourself and being whoever you want to be. In conclusion I believe that it IS hard to maintain our identity with today’s society but when we learn to accept ourselves, hopefully others will too.

Parent interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parent interview - Essay Example Both Meighan and Mitch read the ‘required’ books that a lot of young parents read, from ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting† to the numerous pamphlets and handouts from their OB/GYN. They took a parenting class through their local health unit that taught the proper breathing techniques, as well as what to expect through labor and delivery and after the baby arrived. Settling into life with a new baby wasn’t that difficult for the Stevens’. Their personal life didn’t change that much from having the baby around all the time, they had support from both families and the transition to parenthood was a smooth one. Parenting isn’t always easy though, and there were some stressful times. Meighan says that she had a lot of problems trying to breast feed, at the time there was a lot of pressure to breast feed (from the many books, pamphlets and even the nurses in the hospital who seemed to push it) over bottle feed and Meighan felt like a failure when she couldn’t live up to the expectations. Thankfully, after a visit from a health unit nurse, who suggested that formula was not the enemy, Meighan relaxed and supplemented with formula. She felt less of a failure when subsequent doctor visits showed Sarah was thriving.

Who Cares about Corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Who Cares about Corruption - Essay Example Many businessmen, like Pavlo Zhuk, have to choose between their personal ethics and business rules of their countries and the local rules of a foreign country.   In many countries, like Ukraine, if markets are not to deal with the allocation of people to jobs and of outputs to consumers, then some centralized coercive power is necessary to do the same thing1. Such power creates incen ­tives for bribery, corruption and allocation ac ­cording to the tastes of the central admini ­strators2. If at the going prices and wages, there are not enough flats or plum jobs to go around, the local bureaucrat will often allocate some to those who pay the largest bribe, some to those with religious beliefs, hairstyles or political views that he likes, and only the rest to those whose names come up on the waiting list. During the final quarter of this century, increasing attention has been given to ethics concerns3. If Zhuk refuses to pay-off the tax officials, his friends and employees will lose their jobs and substantial sources of income. Taking into account facts and statistical results of the Third World countries, it is evident that Zhuk shoul d pay off the tax officials to save his business in Ukraine.   Corruption of officials is of concern to many throughout the world. Corruption can affect the international marketer in many ways, both positive and negative. Following Cuervo-Cazurra (1996): â€Å"the official has an incentive to ask for a bribe to increase his or her income in exchange for a good that has little cost to him or her†4. Countries are using many measures to fight corruption with the intent of control, reduction, and ultimately elimination.

Aboriginal youth gangs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aboriginal youth gangs - Term Paper Example ently so violent in nature, the manner of recruitment and the preventive programs taken up by civil society and governments alike to weed away impressionable youth from this menace. Data shows that there are approximately 800-1000 aboriginal gangs operating in the Prairie Provinces in Canada. (Totten Mark, 2009) The regions of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia also have a significant presence of aboriginal gangs. Most members of these gangs are below 17 with 22% of these being aborigines. (Totten Mark, 2008) Police statistics show that between 1992 and 2001, criminal activity in the Saskatchewan area showed a significant increase by 17%. (FSIN, 2003) The gangs currently operating in this region include Indian Posse and Redd Alert who in turn keep their chain of command active by supplying its members with regular supply of marijuana and cocaine. Redd Alertt traces its origins to an organized prison gang in Edmonton back in the 90’s. (Totten Mark, 2008).These gangs have now spread to other parts of Canada including Vancouver, Okanagan and Winnipeg. Studies have shown that there is definitely a hierarchical structure to these gangs. There are smaller street gangs which indulge in spontaneous activity and acts of vandalism. These members are also recruited by the more organized higher criminal organization. The aboriginal gangs have however a fluid structure with no real core ideals except that the new recruit would have to prove his capabilities satisfactorily to the leader. (Totten Mark, 2008).The new gang member is judged and placed in the hierarchical structure based on the amount of cash he can bring or graver the degree of violence he can commit. The one who started the gang in most cases would be leader and would be assisted by his key associates on whom he has considerable trust. The gang has both the Hard-Core members and the Active members. (Totten Mark, 2008).While the hard-core members indulge in serious violent acts between rival gangs, the

Internal analysis (General Resources for Mr.Empanada) Assignment

Internal analysis (General Resources for Mr.Empanada) - Assignment Example One of the main areas of focus is the general resources of the company which include its reputation, relationship with other stakeholders and how the company and its brands are associated with reliability and quality. The first characteristic is that of reputation. This seeks to analyze how the company and its brands are perceived among their customer base. A good reputation can result in the company attracting more customers thereby increasing its revenues. A bad reputation on the other hand could negatively impact on the company as some customers would rather not associate with it. The company has a strong presence in the Tampa Bay area where it has a lot of clients and customers. In this area, the company has great reputation since its brands are a favorite to a majority of the people in the area. The company however faces a lot of challenges outside the Tamp area as its brands are not widely known. The reputation of the company and its brands needs to be improved outside Tampa Ba y area in order to attract more customers. The company’s main food, Empanada, is not known to most people outside the Tampa Bay area. This is the main brand of the restaurant and needs to be well known among its target customers. The company needs to do a lot of marketing in other regions to promote its brand. This will lead to a great reputation of the company and its brands thus increasing its general resources. ... This means that services have to be reliable and that its foods as well as services have to be of the best quality. Mr. Empanada restaurant’s services are evidently reliable in the areas in which the company operates. This is because the restaurant has managed to consistently attract more customers since its reopening in 2003, which has prompted the company to open other subsidiaries in other areas and planning to open other in the near future. The fact that more people are taking up their services implies that they appreciate the company’s quality and reliability. In areas where the company is popular such as Tampa bay FL, there are cases of repeat buying from loyal customers. The restaurant has a buy-price premium over competing brands among its loyal customers. In other areas, there is need for more to be done in order to ensure the company’s services are recognized in order to be able to compete with leading brands in the industry. The last general resource t hat needs to be taken in to consideration is the company’s relationship with other stakeholders including customers, employees, suppliers, creditors and debtors among others. The company has a strong and positive relationship with its stakeholders. The company has a great organizational culture that emphasizes on customer service. The employees are encouraged to relate well with the customers and other stakeholder. Following this analysis, several recommendations can be put forward to enable the company to expand its operations and be able to compete with leading companies in the industry. Like most of the successful restaurants, franchising is the best model. Mr. Empanada should adopt the business format franchise where it can partner with several outlets

Chapters 1-6 Summary of Forensic Science from the Crime Scene to the Essay

Chapters 1-6 Summary of Forensic Science from the Crime Scene to the Crime Lab - Essay Example These laws are applied so as to control the accomplishments of the forensic community. Forensic science is an enormous field that has a wide history of its appliance. The first documented autopsy belonged to Julius Caesar. This was during the 15th century that he produced his first textbook on forensics. In the book a murder occurred, and the murder weapon was identified by science. Times have developed, and forensic science is used in investigations to find out the causes of crimes. In the United States, a department of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was developed in the 1930s by J. Edgar Hoover, who is considered as the father of FBI. This department is used for investigating crime scenes and until today it mainly uses forensics science to come up with evidences. Edgar founded nation-wide laboratories to offer services in forensics. These crime laboratories delivered quality forensic services to all law implementation organisations in the United States. Thus, they play a significant role in providing proof of crimes by using fingerprints, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and may more. Forensic scientists visit crime scenes to gather and analyse evidence by collaborating with the investigators and define their findings through comprehensive written reports. When investigating a crime scene, one has to know ways on how to secure the scene, take a survey and how to search it in order to find evidence. Therefore, first one should establish the dimensions of the scene and find the potential health and safety risks. This can be done by locating the focal point. At the scene, safety is very vital all through the primary approach to the crime scene. Individuals should be keen on biohazards, weapons, chemical hazards and deliberate traps might be waiting for the responders. Hence, people on the scene including medics, coroners and fire fighters should be given advice on evidentiary

How to Dance Salsa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

How to Dance Salsa - Essay Example Ever region or country has it individual culture and dance is a part of that culture. Salsa is also a part of the long list of dances available worldwide. Although Salsa originated in the Caribbean, it gradually gained popularity all over the world with certain alterations in style. Salsa, in general, gave the identity and defined the culture of the Latin America particularly The Caribbean. Salsa is a word that describes a variety of dance styles from many regions of Latin America but it basically belongs to the Caribbean. It is mainly distinguished with the highly energetic and vivacious hip movement which is accompanied by a fervent beat. It was formed as a result of a merger between Cuban mambo and Latin jazz in the 1960’s with a touch of choreography and styling from the Puerto Ricans who resided in the Big Apple, the New York City. However, Salsa is still constantly evolving and developing and being modified with new steps and styles. Salsa has its roots embedded deep in Latin America and the Afro-Caribbean. Salsa originated on the island of Cuba. A Frenchman who had fled From Haiti had brought the country dance of France to Cuba, This dance was called the Danzon. The dance then began to blend with the several types of Rhumbas such as the Guaguanco, Columbia, and Yambu. A major part consisted of a mixture of Sonero and the African Drumbeats, known as the Son of the Cuban people. This fusion happened in Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Columbia etc. but not as popularly as in Cuba. In the 1930s, when Second World War was on its verge, the name ‘salsa’ emerged with this dance moving to the city of lights New York and Mexico. Salsa was a nickname for various Hispanic originated music such as the mambo, cha cha cha, meringue and many others. Apart from all of this, there was a large investment in the promotion of Salsa. The word did not gain much popularity until the 1960’s.

Comparative Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Comparative Advertising - Essay Example All comparative advertising is designed to highlight the advantages of the goods or services offered by the advertiser as opposed to those of a competitor. In order to achieve this objective, the message of the advertisement must necessarily underlie the differences between the goods and services compared by describing their main characteristics. The comparison made by the advertiser will necessarily flow from such a description. The rules on competitive advertising are defined by statutory law, in specific rules, in addition to the general rules on unfair competition. Main rules belong to advertising law, but they are in strong competition with the competition law rules. Interests of competitors as well as those of consumers are protected by both Acts. Before October 1994 there were various laws in the UK restricting comparative advertising, thought not prohibiting it per se. For example, the use of a trade mark registered in Part A of the trade Marks Register by a third party in it s advertising constituted trade mark infringement under section 4 (1) (b) of the Trade Marks Act 1938, regardless of the content of the advertising. The 1990 White Paper, Reform of Trade Mark Law, noted that public opinion towards comparative advertising had changed, but that it was unacceptable to allow an advertiser to ride on the back of a competitors trade mark. mark. 2Section 4 (1) (b) of the 1938 Act was replaced by the new Act by section 10 (6), which aims to strike a balance between the interests of consumers in being informed by one manufacturer about the products of another and the interests of proprietors of trade marks in protecting their brands from competitors emphasizing features of the trade marked product of service which are not to their advantage. The section states: Nothing in the preceding provisions of this section shall be construed as preventing the use of registered trade marks by any person for the purpose of identifying goods and services as those of the proprietor or licensee. But any such use otherwise than in accordance with honest practices in industrial or commercial matters shall be treated as infringing the registered trade mark if the use without due cause takes unfair advantage of, or is detrimental to, the distinctive character or repute of the trade mark. The UK courts are guided by the stipulations in section 10 (6) and are prone to give particular judicial credence and review to specific aspects as it relates to conformity: (a) honest practices in industrial and commercial matters (b) without due cause to take unfair advantage of, or is detrimental to, the distinctive character or the repute of the trade market. The courts have analyzed section 10 (6) and concluded that an infringement must satisfy both a & b as stated. Which is to say, it must be in contrary to a reasonable standard of what constitutes honest practices in industrial and commercial matters and without due cause. Take unfair advantage of, or be detrimental to, the distinctive character or repute of the mark. The court was requested to rule on an infringement complaint in Barclays Bank3 Ptc v. RBS Advanta (1997). In an action seeking interim

Computer Technology Essay Example for Free

Computer Technology Essay Charles Njogu, the name does not ring a bell does it? That is my name. Why should my name matter to you? It should matter because I am one of the biggest success stories to come out of my native country, Kenya. I come from a third world country and nothing I have ever achieved or have in life came on a silver platter. I worked hard to reach my status in my life now and I am working even harder to make sure that I do not waste any of the opportunities lady luck has thrown my way. Completing my education has always been my personal battle. There were some real times in the past when I thought that I would do better to throw in the towel and just give up. But I have a dream, a dream to help my countrymen realize a better life and for the future generation of Kenyans to have a better chance in life than my generation did. This is why I strive to reach even greater heights in my educational accomplishments. I want to be the example every Kenyan will look up to and realize that there is a brighter future ahead of them. All they have to do is keep moving towards the goal. No matter how impossible it seems. Though life was rough for me back home, I never let anyone derail me from achieving my goals. That character trait of mine was built up over the years of failure and hindrances that I had to overcome. Looking back on my educational achievements in Kenya, I amaze myself because I never believe I could all that and much more. I have always had a fascination with Computer Technology. This is why my earliest educational achievements were in this field. The Computer Training Center in Nairobi awarded me an ACP certificate in Computer programming back in 1993. This was quickly followed by an ACP Advance Diploma in Computer Studies as well as another ACP Diploma in Systems Analysis and Design. My interest in computers helped me understand that Management plays an important role in the way any office works. All the best computers and databases in the world will be rendered useless if efficient office management is not firmly established by the office right from the start. So I toyed with the idea of taking some management courses. After all, it has always been a personal dream of mine to own my own business someday and, hopefully, be able to teach my fellow Kenyans all about business management in order to help their business skills. Three years later, in 1996, graduated with a National Diploma in Business Management with an Advanced Certificate in Business Administration from the Kenya Institute of Management. For most people, that would be enough of an achievement to make them feel accomplished in life, but not me. I knew there was more to learn and that Kenya based educational institutions had probably taught me all that I they had to offer me. So I set my sights higher. This time, I was eyeing further advanced education in the United States of America. It was with great pride and joy that I was accepted into Brandeis University in Massachusetts. I attended the school as a masteral student of International Finance and Economics. My major was in International Finance and International Economics. I completed these studies back in 2003. Now, in 2007, am expecting to complete my Master of Science degree in Management and Systems with a major in Leadership and knowledge from New York University. You might ask yourself, with all these accomplishments, why would I still want to complete a Ph. D. in Management at Rutger University? The answer is really part of a very logical process of educating myself that is deeply rooted in my sense of self-accomplishment. I want to be a results oriented businessman with vast experience in business administration, financial management, information technology, knowledge and organizational management. I believe that in order to properly manage a business, I must be highly skilled in strategic planning, implementation and information systems auditing as well as knowing how to properly increase productivity while keeping a streamlined business operational. It is my intention to complete my Masteral Degree in Management because in the future, I wish to see a challenging career as a Business Systems Analyst, project manager, as well as a network engineer / person. These positions will require me to fully utilize all my extensive skills, analytical and leadership abilities in order to realize my potential for future growth. Why should Rutger University even bother to consider me for a student slot in the system? The answer to this lies in my soon to be published thesis entitled Managing Knowledge Capital: How Organizations Measure Knowledge Capital and How the Make It Grow. It was recently reviewed with much praise by Lydia Rich and should be published in the short-term future. In this thesis, I am reminding everyone that computers do not do the managing of businesses although they are an integral part of the management system. I proposed that what really keeps the business running is a thoroughly new, yet proven to be accurate method of determining the value of businesses today through proper management ideas. Lastly, I am sure you will want to know why I want to attend Rutger University. The answer, simply put is that I believe that your university will provide me with fertile ground where in I can learn even higher levels of academic theory and practice based on one of the most admirable Ph. D. curriculums this nation has to offer.

Abortion Is Murder: Debate

Abortion Is Murder: Debate With so many different complications and views, abortion is more complex than people may think. However, the decision of a persons position on abortion is based on that persons basic beliefs and principles. Everyone has different beliefs, but my belief is that abortion should be illegal. Going out in the world and killing an innocent person is illegal. A baby is innocent; it has not been able to face the world to have done something wrong. Killing your baby just because parents are not ready for it should be illegal. No matter what, there will always be some people that disagree with the statement of abortion being murder. I have heard that it has actually been proven that during an abortion the baby can feel the pain. Parents are just being selfish by choosing to have fun, and live care free lives over the life with a new child. How can someone not see how wrong that is? Abortion should be illegal, a baby should not have to die when they havent done anything wrong. I believe that this is the same thing. This I can understand, but why not have the baby and give it up for adoption rather than kill it? In any situation this would be better than death. Abortion is unfair to the baby so much that it can be sickening. I think that the parents should have a harsh punishment. In giving a child up for adoption, there would be three people benefiting from it. We can fight for the lives of those tiny, little ones who cant fight for themselves. The only difference would be that the parents know why they are being punished, but that little tiny baby had no idea. That way they know what they put their baby through. Choices such as, how we want to be remembered, what kind of person we want to be known as, the person who saved a babys life by giving it up for adoption or the terrible person that killed a baby before it was born because the parents wasnt ready to try to raise it? The decision is yours to make. I know that the parents of the child are the one who choose to live their lives in guilt and agony over doing this to their own child, but I dont believe guilt is enough. The birth mother, as she now can solve the problem she had in caring for the child, the baby can live a wonderful life instead of having to die at such a young age and the new proud parents who could not have their own child to love, can have someone elses that they can think of as their own and love and take care of it just the same. Abortion should be discontinued because of the enormous amount of blood-shed involved! Furthermore, the abortions themselves cause risks outweighing the benefits as well as being extremely unprincipled. There have been many indications that suggest fetuses experience excruciating pain. Also, one is playing God by killing an unborn child because that child is Gods too! Why would someone want to have an abortion it can be fraught with needless peril? Please do everything that is possible to discourage or even stop abortion. When someone is considering an abortion, dissuade that person from doing so and try to do other such deeds that dampen the idea of abortion. Without abortion, a vast number of children will not be killed. One cannot just wash ones hands of the whole ordeal; these post-abortion dangers can haunt the woman in a variety of ways. The mental health of a woman who has had an abortion has the possibility to dramatically suffer afterwards. However, the woman who does not have an abortion is usually happier and less depressed than the other woman. In addition to mental suffering, women are also vulnerable to many other hazards. During the first three months of a subsequent pregnancy, there is twice the chance of a miscarriage. During the second trimester, there is ten times the chance of a miscarriage, three times the chance of premature delivery, and two times the chance of infant death after birth. All these risks are present because an abortionist stretches the womb opening in thirty to sixty seconds when a mothers womb usually stretches over twelve or more hours of natural labor. By stretching it so quickly, the muscles tear, thus weakening the vaginal muscles for later pregnancies. In add ition to the womens vulnerability to many pregnancy related dangers, abortion is a highly immoral practice. I personally think that abortions should be illegal, because why would you want to kill another human being. The baby did not do anything to deserve to be killed; the baby did not ask to come into this world nor your life. I think that you should take the chance in being a parent, or give the baby up for adoption if you think that you are not able to be a good parent. Give the baby to someone who will love and cherish that baby, it does not have to be killed. There are many other solutions than abortion. Besides, getting an abortion can cause so many health problems. Why would you want to harm yourself because you do not want a baby or you do not think that this is the right time to be having a child? I think the best thing to do is give the baby up for adoption, and then go on with your life. But then again if you are out there doing things to get a baby, then you should woman up and keep your baby instead of taking the easy way out.