After Visiting Local Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

After Visiting Local Museum - Essay Example Visiting the museum, I had two agendas, one was an academic agenda, while the other was having a good time in the place and getting to know more about different things about the Native Americans. What caught my attention most was the atmosphere of the museum. The outside of the museum was serene and extremely quiet. The compound was dotted with different types of trees and shrubs that gave the compound an anaesthetic look and feeling. Its paved walkways gave the museum a decent feeling and look, which was captivating to the visitors. There were different species of flowers planted in close intervals, with the well-trimmed glass surrounding its compound. The first instance, the place looked less of a museum, with the neat compound with the extra efforts extended towards making it a beautiful place to captivate the attention of the people and the visitors. The outside walls of the one storey building housing the museum were red, with large windows that let in adequate light into the interior of the museum. The architectural design of the museum was very similar to that of a learning institution. Its interior walls were coloured bright, making it brightly lit from the inside. The arrangement of the collection was appealing. The arrangement of the collection pieces were in accordance to their respective categories. The professionalism used in the arrangement and the labelling of the artefacts as well as cultural pieces was amazing. Not a single piece appeared mistakenly placed, as their descriptions matched with the categories placed in.

The Da Vinci Code Essay Example for Free

The Da Vinci Code Essay Also searching for the Grail is a secret cabal within Opus Dei, an actual prelature of the Holy See, who wishes to keep the true Grail a secret; the revelation of this secret would certainly destroy Christianity. The Da Vinci Code film, like the book, was considered controversial. It was met with especially harsh criticism by the Roman Catholic Church for the accusation that it is behind a two-thousand-year-old coverup concerning what the Holy Grail really is and the concept that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married and that the union produced a daughter. Many members urged the laity to boycott the film. Two secret organizations, the Priory of Sion and the Council of Shadows, whose existence is a polarizing issue, figure prominently in the story. In the book, Dan Brown insists that the Priory of Sion and all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. The Da Vinci Code was met with largely negative critical response upon its release on May 19, 2006. However, this did little to hamper its box office performance; it earned US$230 million in its opening weekend and was the second highest-grossing film of 2006 behind Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest. Cast * Tom Hanks as Professor Robert Langdon * Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu * Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing * Paul Bettany as Silas * Jean Reno as BezuFache * Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa * Charlotte Graham as Mary Magdalene * Jurgen Prochnow as Andre Vernet * Etienne Chicot as Lt. Jerome Collet * Jean-Yves Berteloot as Remy Jean (RemyLegaludec in the novel) * Jean-Pierre Marielle as Jacques Sauniere * Hugh Mitchell as Young Silas * Seth Gabel as Michael the Cleric * Marie-Francoise Audollent as Sister Sandrine Plot In Paris, Jacques Sauniere is pursued through the Louvres Grand Gallery by albino monk Silas (Paul Bettany), demanding the Priorys clef de voute or keystone. Sauniere confesses the keystone is kept in the sacristy of Church of Saint-Sulpice beneath the Rose before Silas shoots him. At the American University of Paris, Robert Langdon, a symbologist who is a guest lecturer on symbols and the sacred feminine, is summoned to the Louvre to view the crime scene. He discovers the dying Sauniere has created an intricate display using black light ink and his own ody and blood. Captain BezuFache (Jean Reno) asks him for his interpretation of the puzzling scene. Silas calls a mysterious man known as The Teacher, revealing that he has killed all four protectors of the keystone and that all confirmed the same location. He dons a metal cilice on his thigh and proceeds to flagellate himself with a whip for the sins of murder. Facilitated by Bishop Manuel Aringarosa, Silas then travels to Saint-Sul pice and is admitted by an elderly nun; left alone, he excavates beneath the floor of the church to find a stone saying only JOB 38:11. He confronts the nun, who quotes the passage: Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. Realizing that he has been deceived, Silas is enraged and kills the nun. Sophie Neveu, a cryptologist with the French police, enters the Louvre as well and slips Langdon a message which leads him to the bathroom. There, Sophie meets him and tells him that he is being tracked, a GPS tracking dot has been (unknown by him) slipped into his jacket and that he is a primary suspect in the murder case because of a line of text found by the corpse (P. S. find Robert Langdon). Sophie however, believes that Sauniere, who is revealed to be her grandfather, wanted to pass a hidden message on to her (Princesse Sophie, P. S. , was the nickname he used for her), and that he had wanted to bring Langdon into the equation so that he could help her crack the code. Buying some time by throwing the tracking device into the back of a truck, the pair begin exploring the Louvre, finding more anagram messages that Sauniere had left behind. Many of these relate to Leonardo da Vincis art, and the pair find a key with a Fleur-de-lis behind Madonna of the Rocks. Langdon deduces from this that Sauniere was a member of the Priory of Sion, a secret society associated with the Knights Templar. Pursued by the French police and cut off from the United States Embassy, the pair escape to the Bois de Boulogne where Langdon closely inspects the key. He notices an inscription on the side – an address. The address directs them to the Depository Bank of Zurich where the key is used for a safety deposit box. In the bank, they find Saunieres deposit box and open it using the 10 digit Fibonacci numbers in order (1123581321). Inside the box, they find a rosewood container, which contains a cryptex: a cylindrical container with five alphabetical dials which must be arranged in the correct sequence to spell out a 5-letter code word, in order to open and access the papyrus message inside. Using force to open the cryptex would break a vial of vinegar inside, which would dissolve the papyrus and destroy the message. Unfortunately, the police are called by a security guard and they are forced to leave. The bank manager, Andre Vernet, assists them in escaping by taking them as passengers in an armoured van to escape the routine checks of the police. In the back of the truck Langdon and Neveu have a lengthy discussion about the cryptex and Neveu says that her grandfather often played games with her involving cryptexes. Langdon says that the cryptex might hold valuable information or another clue about what they are trying to discover. Eventually, they come to a sudden stop and Vernet forces them at gunpoint to give him the cryptex. Langdon tricks Vernet and disarms him and he and Sophie escape with the cryptex in their hands. Langdon suggests that they visit his friend, Leigh Teabing (Ian McKellen), for assistance to opening the cryptex. Leigh Teabing turns out to be an enthusiastic seeker of the Holy Grail, which he believes is not actually a cup but instead Mary Magdalene. Mary was pregnant at the time of Christs crucifixion, and Teabing tells Sophie that the Priory of Sion was formed to protect the descendants of Jesus. Jacques Sauniere was believed to be a part of this society and Teabing suspects that he was training Sophie to join it also. Silas, meanwhile, breaks into Teabings mansion and attempts to steal the cryptex. Teabing uses his cane to knock Silas out and they escape again, taking the butler, Remy Jean, and Silas with them. The group escapes in Teabings plane, following the next clue to London. Fache learns of their destination, and alerts the London Metropolitan Police to apprehend them at the airport. But Teabing manages to slip the party past the police with a trick of misdirection. Teabing leads Langdon and Neveu to the Temple Church in London, which is shown to be a red herring. Silas is freed by Remy Jean, who is revealed to be a follower of The Teacher as well. The two take Teabing hostage, and Silas, believing Remy to be The Teacher, holes up in an Opus Dei safehouse. Remy is killed by the mysterious man after deceiving Silas. Silas accidentally shoots Aringaros and is shot by the police. Aringarosa is taken to the hospital and apprehended by Fache. Langdon is betrayed by Teabing, who is revealed to be the true Teacher. He escapes with the Cryptex, and attempts to find the next clue at Isaac Newtons tomb in Westminster Abbey, as Newton was another member of the Priory. Langdon and Neveau catch up with him, and chase him into the nearby hapter house. Teabing explained that he wanted to find Mary Magdalenes remains to prove he was correct about the Holy Grail and threatens to shoot Sophie if Langdon does not open the cryptex. Langdon throws the cryptex into the air, and Teabing fumbles and destroys it. Distraught at not receiving the code, Teabing is arrested, but Langdon had cracked the code (Apple, a reference to Newton) and removed the cl ue from the cryptex before destroying it. Using the clue, they travel to Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland where Magdalenes remains had previously been hidden. The remains had since been moved, but they meet other members of the secret organization that protected her. Sophie is actually Magdalenes descendant and therefore is the current living descendant of Jesus Christ. They vow to keep her safe before going their separate ways. In Paris, Langdon accidentally cuts himself while shaving and the line of blood on the sink reminds him of the Rose Line. He follows the Rose Line and finds the location of the Holy Grail, buried under the pyramid in the Louvre. Langdon then kneels above Mary Magdalenes tomb as the Knights Templar did before him. first-rate thriller . The exposition is actually the best and most valuable part of the film A great film to look at and Salvatore Totinos cinematography is pitch-perfect. This is a servicable enough adaptation, but like many others, the book is of course far better. Robert Langdon is a symbology professor who gets called into a criminal investigation that gets him wrongfully implicated. On the way to figu ring things out for himself, he begins a quest to discover the truth about the Holy Grail, the details having some very shocking revelations. I really liked the book. Its a standard thriller sure, but its so well written and thought provoking. In the end, you need to just put personal beliefs aside (same here) and just accept it as riveting and entertaing fiction. Even though it is just fiction, the details of the truth behind the Holy Grail are so well argued that Dan Browns ideas actually do seem like a realistic and plausible scenario. With this adaptation, it seems a little stiff, and more overly serious than the book, but its mostly faithful, for the most. Some details had to be changed for time concerns, others for content, but the end result here could be far worse. I enjoyed this a fair amount when I first saw it, but in revisiting it, some of that has worn off, and the films not as good as I initially thought, but its hardly a failure. Its just not as gripping and suspenseful as the book. The film is really well cast though, and their performances are better than average, especially those by Bettany and McKellan. The location shooting is good, the direction is fair, and having Howard as director ensures that the film has some decent clout and production values. All in all, its okay. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (commonly referred to as Breaking Dawn – Part 1) is a 2011 romanticfantasy film directed by Bill Condon and based on the novel Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. The first part of a two-part film forms the fourth installment in the The Twilight Saga series. All three main cast members, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, reprise their roles. Plot Further information: Breaking Dawn The film starts out as Bella Swan plans her wedding with the Cullen family. Before the wedding, Edward Cullen tells Bella that he has murdered people in the past. Undaunted by this, Bella and Edward go ahead with the wedding. During the reception following her wedding to Edward, Bella is visited by her friend Jacob Black. When Bella admits that she and Edward plan to consummate their marriage during their honeymoon, Jacob becomes angry but is held back by his pack. He then runs off into the woods, and Edward takes an upset Bella back to the reception. The couple spends their honeymoon on the Cullens private Brazilian island. Although hesitant, Edward has sex with Bella for the first time. After, Edward realizes that he bruised Bellas arm, back and shoulders during sex and he vows to never be intimate with her again, much to her disappointment; he later gives in to her seductions. Two weeks into their honeymoon, Bella discovers that she is pregnant with a baby growing at an extraordinarily accelerated rate. After consulting with Carlisle, they rush back to Forks. Bella refuses to consider having an abortion, and enlists Rosalies help to protect her wishes. Opposed to Sam Uleys plans to kill Bella and her child, which is thought to be a demon, Jacob angrily leaves his pack and arrives at the Cullens to protect Bella; Seth and Leah Clearwater join him, forming a new wolf pack. As the pregnancy progresses, Bellas health severely deteriorates. As a last resort, she begins drinking blood, which satisfies the fetus vampiric thirst and allows her to regain some strength. Soon afterward, Bella goes into a painful labor and gives birth to her child, Renesmee, anconflation of the names of Bellas mother, Renee and Edwards adoptive mother, Esme. To save her life, Edward injects Bellas heart with his venom to transform her into a vampire, but nothing seems to happen and Bella is thought to be dead. Greatly distraught, Jacob attempts to kill the baby, but stops when he realizes he has imprinted on the child. When the werewolves learn of Bellas death, they attack the Cullens house in an attempt to kill the baby. They are forced to stop after learning Jacob has imprinted on Renesmee (imprinting is the involuntary response when a werewolf finds his soul mate; thus under their wolf law, Renesmee cannot be harmed).

Process Essay - How to Reduce Plagiarism and Cheating -- Expository Pr

Process Essay - How to Reduce Plagiarism and Cheating Recent studies have shown that a steadily growing number of students cheat or plagiarize in college -- and the data from high schools suggest that this number will continue to rise. A study by Don McCabe of Rutgers University showed that 74 percent of high school students admitted to one or more instances of serious cheating on tests. Even more disturbing is the way that many students define cheating and plagiarism. For example, they believe that cutting and pasting a few sentences from various Web sources without attribution is not plagiarism. Before the Web, students certainly plagiarized -- but they had to plan ahead to do so. Fraternities and sororities often had files of term papers, and some high-tech term-paper firms could fax papers to students. Overall, however, plagiarism required forethought. Online term-paper sites changed all that. Overnight, students could order a term paper, print it out and have it ready for class in the morning -- and still get a good night's sleep. All they needed was a charge card and an Internet connection. One response to the increase in cheating has been to fight technology with more technology. Plagiarism-checking sites provide a service to screen student papers. They offer a color-coded report on papers and the original sources from which the students might have copied. Colleges qualify for volume discounts, which encourages professors to submit whole classes' worth of papers -- the academic equivalent of mandatory urine testing for athletes. The technological battle between term-paper mills and anti-plagiarism services will undoubtedly continue to escalate, with each side constructing more elaborate countermeasures... ...tter grades and more advantages with less effort. Honest students lose grades, scholarships, recommendations and admission to advanced programs. Honest students must create enough peer pressure to dissuade potential cheaters. Ultimately, students must be willing to step forward and confront those who engage in academic dishonesty. Addressing these issues is not a luxury that can be postponed until a more convenient time. It is a short step from dishonesty in schools and colleges to dishonesty in business. It is doubtful that students who fail to develop habits of integrity and honesty while still in an academic setting are likely to do so once they are out in the "real" world. Nor is it likely that adults will stand up against the dishonesty of others, particularly fellow workers and superiors, if they do not develop the habit of doing so while still in school.

Reflections for Creativity Essay

1. What reflections will you need to make before you can start brainstorming ideas? We will need to reflect on each team members personal skills. Evaluate the team’s needs and what the team wants to acheive. 2. Why is it important to acknowledge and learn about the backgrounds and skills of the team members within your group? Its important to know the skills of the people in the group to know what their strong points are and to delegate them to task to efficiently work together. 3. as team leader, give 5 examples of ground rules you would establish, after consulting with the other members of your team. 1) All team members should respect each other’s ideas. 2) Hold each person accountable and responsible. 3) Communication and information sharing procedures 4) Encourage creativity and the development of effective relationships between members of the team. 5) Accept that each member comes from diverse backgrounds, must treat each other with fairness and honesty. 4. Name 5 characteristics you believe you need to possess in order to be an effective team leader? 1) Must be fair and honest 2) Knowledge of how to encourage team members to produce effective results. 3) Provide resources, time and support for the team to form and develop. 4) Teach winning strategies and tactics for the team 5) run interference and remove barriers in order to let employees do their jobs. 5) It is important to utilize external stimuli, to effectively generate new ideas and solutions. Name 5 sources of external stimuli that you could access? 1) Legislation 2) Research data 3) Customer, supplier, shareholder and other stakeholder feedback 4) Best practice information  5) Political and socio-economic information that will impact on operations 6) Describe 3 methods of encouraging your team members to share their knowledge and experience. 1) Celebration of successful innovation 2) Employee recognition, such as employee of the month program 3) Rewards, could be monetary incentive 7) Why is debriefing an integral activity that should be exercised regularly? It is necessary to debrief regularly to ensure that team members are confident of their own abilities and those of other team members. This allows them to reflect individually and as a team on what they have achieved and what is needed to be improved. 8) Your team is generating ideas that you believe have been over used by other fundraising volunteers. List three constructive ways that you can push your team to generate more innovative ideas? 1) We can hold a drawing, and the person with the most innovative idea wins a large prize. 2) Suggest to the team to use external stimuli or other resources to come up with more innovative ideas. 3) Suggest to the team to network and attend seminars to build on more innovative ideas.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 11

Arizona was as hot and barren a state as Elena had imagined. She and Damon drove directly to the Juniper Resort, and Elena was depressed, if not surprised, to see that Matt was not checked in. â€Å"It can't have taken him longer than us to get here,† she said, as soon as they'd been shown up to their rooms. â€Å"Unless – oh, God, Damon! Unless Shinichi caught him somehow.† Damon sat down on a bed and regarded Elena grimly. â€Å"I guess I hoped I wouldn't have to tell you this – that the jerk would at least have the courtesy to tell you himself. But I've been tracking his aura ever since he left us. It's been getting steadily farther away – in the direction of Fell's Church.† Sometimes, really bad news takes a while to sink in. â€Å"You mean,† Elena said, â€Å"that he's not going to show up here at all?† â€Å"I mean that, as the crow flies, it wasn't all that far from where we got the cars to Fell's Church. He went in that direction. And he didn't come back.† â€Å"But why?† Elena demanded, as if logic could somehow conquer fact. â€Å"Why would he go off and leave me? Especially, why would he go to Fell's Church, where they're looking for him?† â€Å"As for why he'd leave: I think he got the wrong idea about you and me – or maybe the right idea a little early† – Damon raised his eyebrows at Elena and she threw a pillow at him – â€Å"and decided to let us have some privacy. As for why Fell's Church†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon shrugged. â€Å"Look, you've known the guy longer than I have. But even I can tell he's the Galahad type. The parfait gentil knight, sans peur et sans reproche. If I had to say I'd say he went to meet Caroline's charges.† â€Å"Oh, no,† Elena said, going to the door as a knock sounded. â€Å"Not after I told him and told him – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, yes,† Damon said, assuming a slight crouching position. â€Å"Even with your sage advice ringing in his ears – â€Å" The door opened. It was Bonnie. Bonnie, with her petite frame, her curly strawberry hair, her wide, soulful brown eyes. Elena, in a state to disbelieve the evidence of her own eyes, and still not through with the argument with Damon, shut the door on her. â€Å"Matt's going to get lynched,† Elena almost screamed, vaguely annoyed that some knocking was going on somewhere. Damon uncrouched. He passed Elena on the way to the door, said, â€Å"I think you'd better sit down,† and then sat her down by putting her in a chair and holding her there until she stopped trying to get up again. Then he opened the door. This time it was Meredith knocking. Tall and willowy, with her hair falling in dark clouds around her shoulders, Meredith radiated the intention to go on knocking until the door stayed open. Something happened inside Elena, and she found that she could get her mind around more than one subject at once. It was Meredith. And Bonnie. In Sedona, Arizona! Elena leaped up from the chair where Damon had put her and flung her arms around Meredith, saying incoherently, â€Å"You came! You came! You knew I couldn't call you, so you came!† Bonnie edged around the embrace and said to Damon in an undertone, â€Å"Is she back to kissing everyone she meets?† â€Å"Unfortunately,† Damon said, â€Å"no. But be prepared to be squeezed to death.† Elena turned on him. â€Å"I heard that! Oh, Bonnie! I just can't believe you two are really here. I wanted to talk to you so much!† Meanwhile, she was hugging Bonnie, and Bonnie was hugging her, and Meredith was hugging both of them. Subtle velociraptor sisterhood signals were being passed from one to another at the same time – an arched eyebrow here, a slight nod there, a frown and shrug ending with a sigh. Damon didn't know it, but he had just been accused, tried, acquitted, and restored to duty – with the conclusion that extra surveillance was necessary in the future. Elena snapped out of it first. â€Å"You must have met with Matt – he had to tell you about this place.† â€Å"He did, and then he sold the Prius and we sort of packed on the run and got plane tickets here and we've been waiting – we didn't want to miss you!† Bonnie said breathlessly. â€Å"I don't suppose that would have been just about two days ago that you bought your tickets here,† Damon asked the ceiling wearily as he lounged with an elbow on Elena's chair. â€Å"Let me see – † Bonnie began, but Meredith said flatly, â€Å"Yes it was. What? It made something happen to you?† â€Å"We were trying to keep things slightly ambiguous for the enemy,† Damon said. â€Å"But as it turns out, it probably didn't matter.† No, Elena thought, because Shinichi can reach inside your brain whenever he wants and try to take away your memories and all you can do is try to fight him off. â€Å"But it does mean that Elena and I should start off right away.† Damon continued. â€Å"I have to do an errand first. Elena should pack. Take as little as you can, just the absolute essentials – but include food for two or three days.† â€Å"You said†¦starting now?† Bonnie breathed, and then she sat down abruptly on the floor. â€Å"It makes sense, if we've already lost the element of surprise,† Damon replied. â€Å"I can't believe you two came to say good-bye to me while Matt watches over the town,† Elena said. â€Å"That is so sweet!† She smiled radiantly before adding, in her own mind, And so dumb! â€Å"Well – â€Å" â€Å"Well, I still have an errand,† Damon said, waving without turning around. â€Å"Let's say we'll leave here in half an hour.† â€Å"Stingy,† Bonnie complained, when the door was safely shut behind him. â€Å"That might have only given us a few minutes to talk before we start.† â€Å"I can pack in less than five minutes,† Elena said sadly, and then got tangled up in Bonnie's previous sentence. â€Å"‘Before we start'?† â€Å"I can't pack just essentials at all,† Meredith was fretting quietly. â€Å"I couldn't store everything on my mobile, and I have no idea when I'll be able to recharge the batteries. I've got a suitcase of stuff on paper!† Elena was looking back and forth at them nervously. â€Å"Um, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's supposed to be packing,† she said. â€Å"Because I'm the only one going†¦right?† Another look back and forth. â€Å"As if we would let you set off into some other universe without us!† Bonnie said. â€Å"You need us!† â€Å"Not another universe; only another dimension,† Meredith said. â€Å"But the same principle applies.† â€Å"But – I can't let you come with me!† â€Å"Of course you can't. I'm older than you,† Meredith said. â€Å"You don't ‘let' me do anything. But the truth is that we have a mission. We want to find Shinichi's or Misao's star ball if we can. If we could do that we think we could stop most of the stuff going on in Fell's Church immediately.† â€Å"Star ball?† Elena said blankly, while somewhere in the depths of her mind, an uneasy image stirred. â€Å"I'll explain later.† Elena was shaking her head. â€Å"But – you left Matt to deal with whatever supernatural stuff is going on? When he's a fugitive and has to hide from the police?† â€Å"Elena, even the police are scared of Fell's Church now – and frankly, if they put him in custody in Ridgemont it might be the safest place for him. But they're not going to do that. He's working with Mrs. Flowers and they're good together; they're a solid team.† Meredith stopped to take a breath, and seemed to be considering how to say something. Bonnie said it for her in a very small voice. â€Å"And I was no good, Elena. I'd started – well, I started to get hysterical and see and hear things that weren't there – or at least to imagine them and maybe even make them come true. I was scaring myself out of my mind, and I think I actually was putting people in danger. Matt's too practical to do that.† She dabbed at her eyes. â€Å"I know the Dark Dimension is pretty bad, but at least I won't be able to put houses full of innocent people in danger.† Meredith nodded. â€Å"It was all†¦going bad with Bonnie there. Even if we hadn't wanted to come with you I would have had to get her out. I don't want to be overly dramatic, but I believe that the demons there were after her. And that since Stefan's gone, Damon may be the only one who can keep them away. Or maybe you can help her, Elena?† Meredith†¦overly dramatic? But Elena could see the fine tremors running under Meredith's skin, and the light sheen of perspiration on Bonnie's forehead that was dampening her curls. Meredith touched Elena's wrist. â€Å"We haven't just gone AWOL or anything. Fell's Church is a war zone now; it's true, but we didn't leave Matt without allies. Like Dr. Alpert – she's logical – she's the best country doctor there is – and she might even convince somebody that Shinichi and the malach are real. But besides all that, the parents have taken over. Parents and psychiatrists and newshounds. And they make it almost impossible to work openly anyway. Matt's not at any disadvantage.† â€Å"But – in just a week – â€Å" â€Å"Take a look at this week's Sunday paper.† Elena took the Ridgemont Times from Meredith. It was the biggest paper in the area of Fell's Church. A banner headline read: POSSESSION IN THE 21ST CENTURY? Under the headline were many lines of gray print, but what really caught the eye was a photo of a three-way fight between girls, all of whom seemed to be undergoing seizures or contortions impossible to the human body. The expressions of two of the girls were simply those of pain and terror, but it was the third girl who froze the blood in Elena's veins. Her body was humped so that her face was upside down, and she was looking directly at the camera with her lips skinned back from her teeth. Her eyes – there was just no other way to put it – were demonic. They weren't rolled back in her head or malformed or anything. They weren't glowing eerily red. It was all in the expression. Elena had never seen eyes that made her sick to her stomach before. Bonnie said quietly, â€Å"Do you ever sort of slip and get that feeling like, ‘Oh, whoops, there goes the whole universe'?† â€Å"Constantly, since meeting Stefan,† Meredith said. â€Å"No offense meant, Elena. But the point is that all this has happened in just a couple of days; from the minute the adults who knew that there was something really going on got together.† Meredith sighed and ran fingers with perfectly manicured nails through her hair before continuing. â€Å"Those girls are what Bonnie calls possessed in the modern sense. Or maybe they're possessed by Misao – female kitsune are supposed to do that. But if we could just find these things called star balls – or even one – we could force them to clean all this up.† Elena put the newspaper down so she wouldn't have to see those upside-down eyes staring into hers. â€Å"And while all this is happening, what is your boyfriend doing during the crisis?† For the first time, Meredith looked genuinely relieved. â€Å"He may be on his way as we speak. I've written to him about everything that's happening, and he was actually the one who said to get Bonnie out.† She flashed a glance of apology at Bonnie, who simply lifted her hands and face to the heavens. â€Å"And as soon as he's finished with his work on some island called Shinmei no Uma, he's coming to Fell's Church. This kind of thing is Alaric's specialty, and he doesn't get spooked easily. So even if we're gone for weeks, Matt will have a backup.† Elena threw her own hands up in a gesture similar to Bonnie's. â€Å"There's just one thing you'd better know before we start. I can't help Bonnie. If you're counting on me to do any of the things I did when we fought Shinichi and Misao last time – well, I can't. I've tried over and over, as hard as I could, to do all my wings attacks. But nothing has ever come of it.† Meredith said slowly, â€Å"Well, then, maybe Damon knows something – â€Å" â€Å"Maybe he does, but, Meredith, don't push him right now. Not right this minute. What he knows for certain is that Shinichi can reach in and take his memories – and who knows, maybe even possess him again – â€Å" â€Å"That lying kitsune!† Bonnie spat out, sounding almost proprietory. As if, Elena thought, Damon was her boyfriend. â€Å"Shinichi swore he wouldn't – â€Å" â€Å"And he swore he'd leave Fell's Church alone, too. The only reason I have any faith at all in the clues that Misao gave me about the fox key, is that she was taunting me. She never thought we'd do a deal, and so she wasn't trying to lie or be too clever – I think.† â€Å"Well, that's why we're here with you, to get Stefan out,† Bonnie said. â€Å"And if we're lucky, to find the star balls that will let us control Shinichi. Right?† â€Å"Right!† Elena said fervently. â€Å"Right,† Meredith said solemnly. Bonnie nodded. â€Å"Velociraptor sisterhood forever!† They laid their right hands over one another's quickly, forming a three-spoked wheel. It reminded Elena of the days when there were four spokes. â€Å"And what about Caroline?† she asked. Bonnie and Meredith consulted each other with their eyes. Then Meredith shook her head. â€Å"You don't want to know. Really,† she said. â€Å"I can take it. Really,† Elena said in almost a whisper. â€Å"Meredith, I've been dead, remember? Twice.† Meredith was still shaking her head. â€Å"If you can't look at that picture, you shouldn't hear about Caroline. We went to see her twice – â€Å" â€Å"You went to see her twice,† Bonnie interrupted. â€Å"The second time I fainted and you left me by the door.† â€Å"And I realized I could have lost you for good, and I've apologized – † Meredith broke off when Bonnie put a hand on her arm and gave her a little push. â€Å"Anyway, it wasn't exactly a visit,† Meredith said. â€Å"I went running into Caroline's room ahead of her mom and found her inside her nest – never mind what that is – eating something. When she saw me, she just giggled and went on eating.† â€Å"And?† Elena said, when the tension got to be too much for her. â€Å"What was it?† â€Å"I think,† Meredith said bleakly, â€Å"that it was worms and slugs. She would stretch them up and up and they'd squirm before she bit them. But that wasn't the worst. Look, you had to have been here to appreciate it, but she just smirked at me, and said in this thick voice, ‘Have a bite?' and suddenly my mouth was filled with this wriggling mass – and it was going down my throat. So I was sick, right there on her carpet. Caroline just started laughing, and I ran down again and picked Bonnie up and ran out and we never went back. But†¦halfway down the path to the house, I realized Bonnie was suffocating. She had the – the worms and things – in her mouth and her nose. I know CPR; I managed to get most of them out before she woke up vomiting. But – â€Å" â€Å"It was an experience I would really rather not have again.† The very lack of expression in Bonnie's voice said more than any tone of horror could. Meredith said, â€Å"I've heard that Caroline's parents have moved out of that house, and I can't say I blame them. Caroline's over eighteen. All I can add is that everybody's sort of praying that somehow the werewolf blood will win out in her, because that seems at least to be less horrible than the malach or the – the demonic. But if it doesn't win out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena rested her chin on her knees. â€Å"And Mrs. Flowers can deal with this?† â€Å"Better than Bonnie can. Mrs. Flowers is glad to have Matt around; like I said, they're a solid team. And now that she has finally spoken to the human race of the twenty-first century, I think she likes it. And she's been practicing the craft constantly.† â€Å"The craft? Oh – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, that's what she calls witchcraft. I have no idea whether she's any good at it or not, because I don't have anything to compare her to – or with – â€Å" â€Å"Her poultices work like magic!† Bonnie said firmly just as Elena said, â€Å"Her bath salts certainly work.† Meredith smiled faintly. â€Å"Too bad she isn't here instead of us.† Elena shook her head. Now that she had reconnected with Bonnie and Meredith she knew she could never go into the Darkness without them. They were more than her hands; they were so much more to her†¦and here they were, each prepared to risk their life for Stefan and for Fell's Church. At that moment, the door to the room opened. Damon walked in, carrying a couple of brown paper bags in one hand. â€Å"So everybody's said bye-bye nicely?† he asked. He seemed to have trouble looking at either of the two visitors, so he stared particularly hard at Elena. â€Å"Well – not really. Not as such,† Elena said. She wondered if Damon was capable of throwing Meredith out a fifth-story window. Best to break it easily to him, by degrees†¦. â€Å"Because we're going with you,† Meredith said, and Bonnie said, â€Å"We forgot to pack, though.† Elena slid quickly so that she was between Damon and the others. But Damon just stared at the floor. â€Å"It's a bad idea,† he said very softly. â€Å"A very, very, very bad idea.† â€Å"Damon, don't Influence them! Please!† Elena waved both hands at him in a gesture of urgency, and Damon raised one of his hands in a gesture of negation – and somehow their hands brushed each other's – and tangled. Electric shock. But a nice one, Elena thought – although she didn't really have time to think it. She and Damon were both trying desperately to get their hands back to themselves, but didn't seem to be able to. Little shockwaves were running from Elena's palm all through her body. Finally, the disentanglement worked and then they both turned, in guilty unison, to look at Bonnie and Meredith, who were staring at them with enormous eyes. Suspicious eyes. Eyes that belonged in faces saying â€Å"Aha! What have we here?† There was a long moment when no one moved or spoke. Then Damon said seriously, â€Å"This isn't some kind of pleasure trip. We're going because there's no other choice.† â€Å"Not alone, you're not,† Meredith said in a neutral tone. â€Å"If Elena goes, we all go.† â€Å"We know it's a bad place,† Bonnie said, â€Å"but we are definitely going with you.† â€Å"Besides, we have our own agenda,† Meredith added. â€Å"A way to cleanse Fell's Church of the harm Shinichi has done – and is still doing.† Damon shook his head. â€Å"You don't understand. You won't like it,† he said tightly. He nodded at her mobile. â€Å"No electric power in there. Even owning one of those is a crime. And the punishment for just about any crime is torture and death.† He took a step toward her. Meredith refused to back away, her dark gaze fixed on his. â€Å"Look, you don't even realize what you have to do just to get in,† Damon said bleakly. â€Å"First, you need a vampire – and you're lucky to have one. Then you'll have to do all sorts of things you won't like – â€Å" â€Å"If Elena can do it, we can do it,† Meredith interrupted quietly. â€Å"I don't want either of you to get hurt. I'm going in because it's for Stefan,† Elena said hastily, speaking partly to her friends and partly to the innermost core of her being, which the shockwaves and pulses of electricity had reached at last. Such a strange, melting, throbbing sweetness for something that had started out as a shock. Such a fierce shock for simply touching another person's hand†¦. Elena manged to tear her eyes away from Damon's face and tune back into the argument that was going on. â€Å"You're going in for Stefan, yes,† Meredith was saying to her, â€Å"and we're going in with you.† â€Å"I'm telling you, you won't like it. You'll live to regret it – if you live, that is,† Damon was saying flatly, his expression dark. Bonnie simply gazed up at Damon with her brown eyes wide and pleading in her small heart-shaped face. Her hands were clasped together at the base of her throat. She looked like a picture on a Hallmark card, Elena thought. And those eyes were worth a thousand logical arguments. Finally, Damon looked back at Elena. â€Å"You're probably taking them to their deaths, you know. You, I could probably protect. But you and Stefan, and your two little teenage girlfriends†¦ I can't.† Hearing it put that way was a shock. Elena hadn't quite thought of it like that. But she could see the determined set of Meredith's jaw and the way Bonnie had gone up a little on her toes to try to look bigger. â€Å"I think it's already been decided,† she said quietly, aware that her voice shook. There was a long moment as she stared into Damon's dark eyes, and then suddenly he flashed his 250-kilowatt smile at all of them, shut it off almost before it had begun, and said, â€Å"I see. Well, in that case, I have another errand. I may not be back for quite a while, so feel free to use the room – â€Å" â€Å"Elena should come to our room,† Meredith said. â€Å"I have a lot of material to show her. And if we can't take much with us, we'll have to go over it all tonight – â€Å" â€Å"Then let's say we meet back here at dawn,† Damon said. â€Å"We'll set off for the Demon Gate from here. And remember – don't bring money; it isn't any good there. And this is not a vacation – but you'll get that idea soon enough.† With a graceful, ironic gesture, he handed Elena her bag. â€Å"The Demon Gate?† Bonnie said as they went to the elevator. Her voice shook. â€Å"Hush,† said Meredith. â€Å"It's only a name.† Elena wished she didn't know so well when Meredith was lying.

Why do Acquisitions Fail Essays

Why do Acquisitions Fail Essays Why do Acquisitions Fail Essay Why do Acquisitions Fail Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Why do Acquisitions Fail? Merger can be described as the integration of two or more companies to form a single but larger company. The success of the merger depends on the ability of the new company depends on numerous factors which cannot be attained without the necessary cooperation between the merged entities. Control leads to conflicts in the merger because one company views itself as bigger than the other does. Among the reasons for failure among the mergers can be attributed to the presence of condescending attitudes among the merged entities. Some feel superior due to their market capitalization of asset base hence prompting them to look down on their junior entities (Straub, 34). Such attitudes have negative psychological effects because the merged companies feel inferior to the larger companies thus affecting the level of productivity of the smaller entities in the merger. The reasons for the mergers determine the success of the mergers. Some entities fear becoming irrelevant and losing their market shares to larger entities. Fear of losing out in the market due to competitiveness drives companies to seek refuge in the umbrella of a merger. A merger promises an entity continued existence within the respective market. The larger entities on the other hand view merging as a means of becoming larger in the market. The failure of mergers can be attributed to the increase in the responsibili ties of the entity, managerial duties increase exponentially and the new organization becomes too large to mange effectively (Very, 48). As organizations form mergers, they enforce bureaucratic systems for management to ensure that all entities which have formed the new company are able to have their needs met. The new company is formed under bureaucratic systems ensure that all the interests the entities are taken care of and no single entity has personalized needs and gains to be met (Levinson, 27). As the organization ages, the bureaucratic systems are not changed hence the company is unable to stay relevant in a rapidly changing market. Obsolescence can be described as the reasons for failure in some mergers because the formed bigger entity fails to overcome its bureaucratic systems to attain growth and relevance in a market. Vested interest among the entities which form the merger can be described as among the reasons as to the failure of mergers. Control in the new merger is usually a source of conflict and disagreements as the existing entities fight for control to establish their ideals and interests provided by control over the entities. The need for control can be attributed to arrogance among the entities because either the companies do not want to be viewed as juniors of another company or they do not want to lose their control (Christensen et al, 29) Reluctance to change is also another factor, which contributes to the failure of mergers because some of the companies within the merger do not want to relinquish their traditional ways of doing things. Traditional conduct of business among the entities can be attributed to a sense of comfort as the entities seek to maintain their respective market relevance. Such creates vested interest among the entities, which still want to maintain their stature in the market. In addition, the need for a single company to maintain control over other companies has devastating effects on the business model because they are able to assert the authority to satisfy their won egos by considering themselves as in control (Badrtalei, Bates, 41). Manipulation of personnel is described as another major factor, which affects the success of a merger. The need for the larger company to manipulate workers to achieve selfish interest has negative effects because the employees lack self-drive and motivation. Hence, it becomes a norm for the larger entity to assert control by manipulating the employees to achieve its objectives; this leads to failure, which become the norm for the company until it crumbles for many reasons such as cost overruns and wrong decision-making. This is because decisions are not made out of respect to the existing agreements but are made out of individual thought due to pride to fulfill individual needs and satisfy egos. Work cited Badrtalei, Jeff Bates, Donald, L.â€Å"Effect Of Organizational Cultures On Mergers And Acquisitions: The Case of Daimler Chrysler†. International Journal of Management. June 2007: Vol 24(2). Print. Christensen, Clayton M, Alton, Richrad, Rising, Curtis Waldeck, Andrew.† The Big Idea: The New Merger and Acquisition Playbook† Harvard Business Review. 2011. Print. Levinson, Harry. â€Å"A Psychologist Diagnoses Merger Failures† Harvard Business Review, 2000. Print. Straub, Thomas. Reasons for Frequent Failure in Mergers and Acquisitions: A Comprehensive Analysis. Wiesbaden: Deutscher Universita?ts-Verlag, 2007. Print. Ve?ry, Philippe. The Management of Mergers and Acquisitions. Chichester: John Wiley Sons, 2004. Print.

The Essence of Success (Great Gatsby Essay) Essays

The Essence of Success (Great Gatsby Essay) Essays The Essence of Success (Great Gatsby Essay) Essay The Essence of Success (Great Gatsby Essay) Essay so they resent some information to affect peoples opinions. In addition, female respondents put emphasis on fashion clothing in the importance of first Impression. To identify motives that influence consumers to purchase fashion clothing. It is worth emphasizing that ages, occasions and body figure can affect consumers motivation toward fashion clothing. Most of respondent think that they should dress maturely since they become older. Also, dressing manly or female may be not main considerations for all respondents because some people prefer to dress comfortably and suitably. It should be doted that when clothing promotion, like discount, people would buy relative expensive clothing. To understand fashion clothing purchase behaviors. Female respondents would not avoid buying designer clothing because they focus on quality and outstanding brand logo. However, male respondents are partly different. After decision they made in mind, no matter what they buy, they just go to shopping center for looking around and select. .2 Implication for management. It is recommended that the Apparel industry should take relevant actions accordingly OPS marketing mix. In terms of the relation between products ND people, various preferences between different genders, garment enterprises ought to research peoples needs and expectation, developing market segmentation and design new products to satisfy different aged and gender groups requirement.