Free Essays on Barth On Baptism

â€Å"Karl Barth on Infant Baptism† The sacrament of infant baptism is scrutinized and debated all over the world. The debate consists of many different viewpoints on what we are doing, why we are doing it, and when we are administering the sacrament. Ministers must ask themselves more questions about the meaning of baptism than they could answer. If they were to look for guidance from theologians they would find a great deal of confusion and would certainly fine themselves in a very lively discussion. In the New Testament, there is no reference on the baptism of infants. However, does not forbid the practice or condone it (McGrath 528). In the Jewish faith, newborn boys are circumcised to enter into the jewish faith. This rite of passage may have sparked an interest among Christians to baptize their young sooner to become a member into the Christian community. Another reason infant baptism became a staple practice was because entire families may have been baptized all at the same time. This proved to be acceptable for both infants and adults to be baptized. The question arises about whether or not baptism should be a choice later on in one’s life or whether one’s parents should make that choice for you to rid you from retaining the original sin one is born with. Theologian Karl Barth has greatly scrutized the practice of infant baptism in more recent times (McGrath 528). He states: It is without biblical foundation. All of the evidence points to infant baptism having become the norm in the post-apostolic period, not the period of the new testament itself. (McGrath 529) Barth is looking for affirmations from the bible that is not there. Every single question dealing with the processes of Christianity cannot be answered in looking in the depths of the bible. Yes, the bible is the word of God, but it did create a foundation for the sacrament of baptism. Now whether or not it points out when in one’s l... Free Essays on Barth On Baptism Free Essays on Barth On Baptism â€Å"Karl Barth on Infant Baptism† The sacrament of infant baptism is scrutinized and debated all over the world. The debate consists of many different viewpoints on what we are doing, why we are doing it, and when we are administering the sacrament. Ministers must ask themselves more questions about the meaning of baptism than they could answer. If they were to look for guidance from theologians they would find a great deal of confusion and would certainly fine themselves in a very lively discussion. In the New Testament, there is no reference on the baptism of infants. However, does not forbid the practice or condone it (McGrath 528). In the Jewish faith, newborn boys are circumcised to enter into the jewish faith. This rite of passage may have sparked an interest among Christians to baptize their young sooner to become a member into the Christian community. Another reason infant baptism became a staple practice was because entire families may have been baptized all at the same time. This proved to be acceptable for both infants and adults to be baptized. The question arises about whether or not baptism should be a choice later on in one’s life or whether one’s parents should make that choice for you to rid you from retaining the original sin one is born with. Theologian Karl Barth has greatly scrutized the practice of infant baptism in more recent times (McGrath 528). He states: It is without biblical foundation. All of the evidence points to infant baptism having become the norm in the post-apostolic period, not the period of the new testament itself. (McGrath 529) Barth is looking for affirmations from the bible that is not there. Every single question dealing with the processes of Christianity cannot be answered in looking in the depths of the bible. Yes, the bible is the word of God, but it did create a foundation for the sacrament of baptism. Now whether or not it points out when in one’s l...

Thanksgiving Traditions in Italy

Thanksgiving Traditions in Italy Many cultures have been celebrating harvests for centuries. Thesmophria is an ancient Greek harvest festival. Southwest American Indians perform a Corn Dance. The Jewish people celebrate Sukkot, which marks the end of the agricultural year and coincides with the final harvest before the onset of winter, and many Asian cultures have celebrations in gratitude for their rich rice harvest. The Romans also celebrated a harvest festival called Cerelia, which honored Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility (and from which the word cereal comes). The festival was held each year on October 4th and offerings of the first fruits of the harvest were offered to Ceres. Their celebration included music, parades, games and sports, and a feast. But Thanksgiving in Italy? How about celebrating the Celtic New Year in Japan, or El Carnaval in Russia? The distinctly American tradition, created by Pilgrims to commemorate a bountiful harvest in the New World, doesnt translate well in another land where the Plymouth Rock would be just another stone in two–thousand–year–old Roman archaeological ruins. Even the transliteral phrase in Italian for Thanksgiving, La Festa del Ringraziamento, refers to a variety of religious holidays held throughout the year for patron saints. Variations on a Theme In fact, expatriates from North America who do honor the Thanksgiving holiday in Italy find it difficult to replicate, since the ingredients necessary for a New England–style Thanksgiving dinner are not easy to find. Italian Thanksgiving, for most Italian Americans, then, means the inclusion of special Italian recipes to accompany the roast turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, Macys Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. Every family of Italian heritage has different culinary traditions to celebrate the holiday. An Italian Thanksgiving dinner might include ravioli con la zucca (pumpkin ravioli), tacchinella alla melagrana (roast turkey basted with pomegranate sauce and served with a pomegranate-and-giblet gravy), sweet Italian turkey sausage and mozzarella stuffing, baked sweet potatoes with lime and ginger, and even Italian cakes and pastries. What matters most, though, during La Festa del Ringraziamento isnt what ingredients are used, or who won the football game, but the opportunity for families and communities to come together and celebrate the season in a tradition thats timeless. Italian Thanksgiving Vocabulary List Click to hear the highlighted word spoken by a native speaker. lautunno- falllAmerindio- American Indianil corteo- paradeil granturco- Indian cornil Nuovo Mondo- New Worldi Padri Pellegrini- Pilgrim Fathersil raccolto- harvestil tacchino- turkeyla tradizione- a traditionla zucca- pumpkin

Media Assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media Assigment - Essay Example This paper stresses that as per Alberta Human Resources and Employment, for such a dynamic profile of the job, editors may exhibit the following characteristics: and ambition, excellent writing and research skills, the ability to criticize effectively, organization and time management skills, decision-making and leadership skills, the ability to work well under time pressure. As the report declares the editors are required to plan, coordinate work with other, analyze information, solve problems and negotiate with writers and others. The job is multidisciplinary in nature with persons from a variety of backgrounds qualifying as editors. Citing the case of newspapers, there are written statements to define ethical standards. The job of journalists is to gather information, to validate it, and also to sort facts out of a mass of information, not only voluminous but often unintelligible. This process of selection and synthesis implies choices which will alter reality. People often blame the media for over-simplification and lack of nuances. But efforts at simplification are part of the job. Almost by definition, to inform is also to deform. News describes information that is new. The concept has a deep meaning because it implies that what is not new, or different, or significant is not news. By definition, news is a breach of continuity and a breach of normal ity as may be describable by events such as crises, fights and changes that are not part of normal daily life.

Evidence from Privatization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evidence from Privatization - Essay Example However, due to limited budgets, governments have been unable to develop all part of the economy equally. Further problems like inadequate use of knowledge, experience and specialization in the management of the various sectors occur and citizens may not receive goods and services from the public enterprises effectively. Lack of competition in the public sector contributes a great deal in the inefficiencies, corruption and lack of motivation in public enterprises (Khan et al., 2012). The main reason governments have opted for privatization is the belief that private firms can make a more efficient and effective use of available resources than governments and at the same time profit the government from the higher revenues privatisation creates. It is also believed that privatisation may result to increased efficiency productivity and liquidity in the financial markets but on the other hand, lead to unemployment and dependency on foreign capital from multinational companies hence decli ne in a nation’s wealth and social welfare (Han, 2012). Full privatisation may have occurred especially in the services sector but it is generally not ideal for governments to conduct a full privatisation. Where natural resources and sensitive goods and or services for instance nuclear energy, partial privatisation is preferred. In this case, the government gives part of the ownership to a private firm, so that it can still have active control in the operations. Privatisation can take place either through share issue privatisation (SIP) which involves selling shares on the stock market or selling the whole firm or part of it to a strategic buyer by auction, asset sale, voucher privatisation or shares of ownership distributed to all citizens (at a low fee or even for free). SIP is the most common and it extends the domestic capital markets and increases the investment opportunities which in turn will stimulate economic growth though some risk is involved. Finding enough buyers could be a problem and as a result the prices drop and the capital gains become insignificant, in turn the transaction costs become high. Asset sale privatisation is common in developing countries. Voucher privatisation was common in the former socialist economies during the transition process. Asset sale and share privatisation are usually beneficial to the government as bidders normally compete and hence offer a high price which makes more money for the government (Walailuck and Christian-Oliver, 2011). Evaluation of privatisation should be from a point of view of the society’s well-being, not from the profit maximisation of the firms. The welfare of the people and the country in general and the state of its economy should be continually improved. There is a general view that all government involvement in the market represents some restrictions to business liberty so it has become intrinsically detrimental. Privatisation is a form of withdrawal of government involvement in business. Since 1980, many European countries have launched privatisation programs with the Great Britain being referred to as the origin of modern privatisation (Ioannis, 2012). Privatisation leads to enhanced economic performance.  

Prewriting Essay Example for Free

Prewriting Essay 1.   I would write about love because I feel love is a tree and romance is just one of its branches. There are other dimensions of love as well apart from romance. In the essay I would touch upon all these dimensions. Apart from love between a man and a woman, there is love between a teacher and a student, love between two friends, love between a man and his pet, love between a celebrity and his fans, love between siblings. I would touch upon all these dimensions of love in the essay. Then I would bring into focus the most divine form of love and that is the love between a mother and her child. I would elaborate on how unique this form of love is and it cannot die or change no matter how advanced the world becomes. I would write that the bond between a mother and her child is natural. This is because they are physically attached to each other for nine months. Due to the capacity of bearing children mothering instinct comes naturally to women. The intensity of this instinct might vary from person to person but it cannot be completely absent in a woman. A mother always prioritizes her child above herself. This selflessness is rare in all the other dimensions of love. I would also focus on the main concepts like jealousy, codependency, idealization, stereotyping etc. that involve different types of relations and would connect all these concepts to a mother-child relationship. This would help in understanding this divine attachment between two human beings in more depth. I would conclude the essay by weaving all the main points highlighted above into a string of points that would point towards the main idea that though there are many forms of love, the love between a mother and a child always excels above others. 2.   I would write about why we need gossip in our culture. I think that gossip is one of the necessities of human beings and all of us love to indulge in it whether consciously or unconsciously. But there are very few of us who like to accept our inclination to indulge in gossip. Even when we are gossiping about our classmates, colleagues, neighbors, celebrities, teachers etc. our conscious mind always tries to project ourselves as a person who does not indulge in this kind of lowly activities. In the essay I would like to focus on the fact that the intensity of our indulgence or love for gossip might differ from one person to another but just like other necessities like food, water, shelter etc. this also becomes one of our needs. I would write that one of the main reasons why some people gossip less when compared to others is because they have less time than the others in this fast paced world. In this context I would quote the example of the reality show, ‘Big Brother’ where the participants are not allowed anything other than the basic necessities and apart from food it is gossip that gives them the strength to survive in a controlled environment. I would write that no matter what the age or the background of the participants is every one uses this tool to ooze out his anger, distress or dissatisfaction. Some people start instantly while others take a little time to open up but ultimately every one engages in this activity. To conclude I would point out that all of us abhor the term gossip attached to our personalities. But in reality this should not be the case. We do not want to accept this important need of our existence because we relate only negative points to this activity. We should consider gossip as a way of socializing which is yet another important requirement of a healthy human mind. It helps in taking out the baggage that we carry in our inner self. However we should always try to indulge in healthy gossip instead of dirty gossip meant to malign others. In healthy gossip many people would be our friends while in the latter we will invite more foes. 3.   I would like to write about the changing attitude towards dating. Years ago dating was a taboo. Then it became an acceptable part of our society. Now it is indispensable for any relationship to bloom. The courtship period that comprises of dating and  calling cannot be imagined without these elements of love. In the essay I would write about changing attitude towards dating not only in the western culture but also in other cultures. There are a many cultures for, example in Asia, where interaction between girls and boys was not acceptable till recent times but since dating has become an integral part of western culture, these cultures are also getting influenced by this concept. The difference in the change of attitude in the  Asian countries compared to  the western  countries is that though it is being accepted the level of acceptance is lower in the Asian countries. I would highlight the point that how gradually dating has started being considered as a means of just spending a good time with the person towards whom one is romantically inclined unlike the yesteryears where it was considered a foundation of long term relationships. In the conclusion of the essay, I would write that courtship consists of dating but not vice versa. Where dating is just for fun, flirting is likely to be one of its components. 4.  Ã‚  I would like to write about anxiety disorder. In the beginning of the essay I would present an overview of the disease. I would mention that many disorders are collectively referred as anxiety disorder. These disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, specific phobia, agoraphobia etc. In fact anxiety disorder is a blanket term that encompasses within itself different types of anxiety, fear, nervous condition or phobia. It can occur suddenly or gradually and can affect people of different age groups and genders. Then I would focus on the causes. Apart from the psychological causes, I would also touch upon the hereditary and genetic causes of the disease. This disease disrupts the day-to-day activities of the people suffering from it. I would write about the symptoms of anxiety disorders. For example there are psychological symptoms like social avoidance, depression, frustration, lack of concentration etc. Apart from that there are physical symptoms too, for example dizzy spells, fatigue, chest pain etc. This would throw light upon how it affects the people suffering from it. Apart from medication there are other things like good family atmosphere, indulgence in some constructive work and exercises that help in the recovery process. I would mention that the people suffering from it should be honest to the practitioners so that they  get cured in the right way.

Adoption Essay -- essays research papers

Adopting a child is an experience that promises to bring great joy as it changes a couple or individual’s life forever. But what happens if the mother of that child wants to endorse their child? Those are the issues that many adopting parents and birth-right mothers are facing today. Many biological mothers want their child back. There are many concerns for adopting parents to know- that there is the possibly that the birth mother may file for the child. As a birth mother or the adopting parent one must realize consequences that could lay ahead. The legal and social transfer of all parental right, responsibilities, and roles from one parent or parents, usually biological, to a nonbiological parent or parents is the definition of adoption. In such a transfer, adoptive parents accept the same rights and responsibilities as the child’s birth parents would have had, while the child becomes a member of a family that provides the social, emotional, and physical nurturing that children needs to grow up to be healthy, functioning adults. But there are some legal issues or opinions that can lead to a halting backfire in the adoption process. But, as the biological parent(s) and adopting parent(s), they must be ready for the quickly, approaching pros and cons. Throughout the adoption journey, the gardein must be prepared and know what is best for them and their child. There are many positive feedbacks to adoption. Children are in need of adoption because some birth parents are unabl...

How Do William Golding and Williams Shakespeare Present Disturbed Characters?

How do William Golding and William Shakespeare present disturbed characters? In Lord of the Flies Golding presents disturbed characters as savage and blood-thirsty. After his own experience in world war two, he seems to believe everybody has a savage personality and thriving which is brought out through an extreme situation. Golding uses the technique of evoking emotion from the reader through the use of innocent children committing unthinkable actions. He conveys his views through the ever growing savage characters of Jack and Roger, whereas Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a mentally disturbed character consumed with an obsession of becoming a part of the hierarchy within society. In the first chapter of Lord of the Flies Golding uses the Island as an allegorical object, presenting the general overview of society and civilisation. The Island can be represented as the Garden of Eden; an innate place of perfection to be undisturbed and civil. It seems to be an idyllic place for some time with rules and order throughout, this is up until it is corrupted and nature is changed by the boys’ savage intentions. This relates to biblical themes of the Garden of Eden once corrupted by mankind (Adam & Eve). We also see a use of pathetic fallacy, the Island in this sense is more important than anything, it foreshadows the events which are beginning to unfold. Throughout both pieces of Literature Shakespeare and Golding use religious beliefs and values; in Macbeth the uses of supernatural creatures like the witches represent a devil like figure. The strong Christian themes in the play and during Elizabethan times made them even more evil, Shakespeare conveys Lady Macbeth as the total opposite of what a women ‘should be’. She knows as a female she is limited because of her gender, she asked to be filled with cruelty which is ironic because she created the plan to kill the King. This point is significant in the quote â€Å"unsex me here†. Similarly you could argue the ‘beast’ brought to the attention of the boys by a ‘littlun’ is equally as important. Simon proposes the beast is only the boys imagination itself, although they laugh off his idea, Simon is central to the novel; he links to Golding’s point of innate human evil which exists. He is the first boy to acknowledge that the ‘beast’ is an external force of human nature. Lady Macbeth is first introduced to us as Macbeth’s loving wife, she seems thrilled to hear of her husband’s progression in social status. Her first reaction is to concoct a plan to kill the king; we are equally as shocked as Macbeth when she â€Å"pours her spirits in thine ear†. This leads us to believe she is a somewhat calculating character. Lady Macbeth then begins to develop into manipulating Macbeth, she uses blackmail such as â€Å"break this enterprise to me? † she weakens Macbeth â€Å"you were a man† implies she does not think of him as being worthy to be called a man. To some extent Lady Macbeth is to blame, as soon as she hears of Macbeth’s news her character is blinded by ambition. Similarly the three witches give Macbeth prophesies leading to the evil plan which is soon presented. The first significant change in their relationship comes when she creates a description of juxtaposition, turning a pure and natural thing into a horrific image; saying she would have â€Å"dash’d the brains out† of their unborn child. Using this hypothetic situation Macbeth is beginning to consider the consequences, she uses pronouns ‘you and I’ implying they are equally as involved and together through all of it. Golding presents the character of Jack as a developing character of savagery throughout the novel. He compares the deterioration of Jack’s civilized and well brought up mind with his lust and instinct to hunt. This is shown when the boys try and outline order on ‘their’ island. Jacks reaction to this is aggressive and intolerant- â€Å"bollocks to the rules! We’re strong- we hunt! †. Here we see that he seems manipulative towards the other characters trying to control them into following him as the leader. When the group of boys head up the mountain our perception as to Jack’s cruelty is further developed. This is shown when Jack is seen to â€Å"snatch the glasses from Piggy’s face†; â€Å"His specs- use them as burning glasses†. Golding uses this cruel streak in Jack so the reader feels sympathetic to lesser characters such as Piggy. The deterioration of civilization on the island first begins with the breaking of the conch, in the novel the conch symbolises rules, like a school bell when the noise sounds it enforces a sense of regulation and order. Secondly the fire symbolises a feeling of hope, it is the one thing that could save them and mean rescue. Contrastingly it represents destruction and corruption, it destroys the idyllic feel of the island first presented to us by Golding. Identity is a main theme in both Lord of the flies and Macbeth, Golding uses the technique of theriomorphism to give Jack animalistic qualities. For example Golding says â€Å"he passed his tongue across his dry lips and scanned the uncommunicative forest† conveying Jack as a primitive character. In other words Golding is beginning to show Jack’s impulsive and has a compulsion to kill, giving the reader an impression of his savage streak emerging. He also uses the word â€Å"uncommunicative† which literally is telling the reader the island is abandoned but foreshadows what is to come. This is an effective word choice because it gives an insight to the communication which causes their downfall. Our understanding of what is to come differs from the previous text ‘Coral Island’ the wildness of the surroundings influences changes in characters such as Jack to take natural animalistic instincts; contradicting the theme of ‘happy endings’ as conveyed in Coral Island. A link between both Lord of the Flies and Macbeth is that both involve a sense of changing identity and deterioration of characters. During Elizabethan times when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, the ‘social-scale’ of class and stature was called the ‘divine right of kings’. External factors of society such as religion and the threat of war makes the actions of a simple Elizabethan wife seem unthinkable. From the beginning of the play onwards, the relationship of Macbeth and his wife is one of equality. Straight away we are aware that Lady Macbeth is highly respected by her husband; â€Å"my dearest partner of greatness† is how he addresses her in the letter. A change of identity is suggested to Macbeth, Lady Macbeth says â€Å"Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower But be the serpent under’t† She is controlling him, telling him to convey a normal front yet be the killer you know you are beneath. Contrastingly Jack uses paint to cover his face in Lord of the Flies, this is a primitive, tribal act in which he can cover his identity and be the hunter he insists upon. As we come to the final scenes of the play, not only can we see a mental deterioration but Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter conveying her as physically and mentally disturbed. During such times ‘mental illness’ was not understood and looked upon as being ‘mad’. In act 3 scene 4 she has changed completely, a doctor and gentle-women observe her as she has clearly become mentally out of control. Lady Macbeth even imagines herself with hands covered with blood, there is a stream of guilt as she shows her fragmented speech reflecting her thoughts and soliloquy â€Å"out, damned spot! I say! †

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-one Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Not Unlike the Toaster, I Control the Darkness So I slept a little that day, and talked to my sweet love-ninja, Foo, a couple of times on the phone, then he came over and we left Jared with some blood for Lord Flood and the Countess when they awoke, and motored to the loft. It took like an hour to clean up all the broken glass and ash and stuff from the night before. We had just finished cleaning and counting the money and making out and whatnot when the alarm went off on the Countess's watch. And I was like, â€Å"Dude, I'm not ready.† And he was all, â€Å"Dude, you are more ready than anyone I've ever known.† And I was all, â€Å"OMG, I am so going to sex you to death if we live through this.† And then he was all bashful and pretended to be doing something technical so we were ready. Then, like an hour after sundown, I heard them coming. I was at the kitchen counter when the security door downstairs opened, and when I turned around they were just, like there. Lord Flood called them the Animals, but now they were kind of the roadkill. And I like touched the snap on my UV jacket, just to make sure it was there. So I was all, â€Å"Hey, vampyre scum.† And the formerly black and now gray one, who was like their leader, was all up in my grille, like, â€Å"We need the money, where is the money?† And I was like, â€Å"Step off, undead-tard. There's no money.† And he was like, â€Å"Don't fuck with us. Flood and the redhead took like six hundred grand from my apartment.† And I was all, â€Å"Actually, its like five hundred and eighty-three thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.† And he was all, â€Å"Give it!† And all seven of them were like gathering around me – even the born-again one the Countess had thrashed – like they were going to do the massive gang-suck on me, so I had my finger on my light button all the time, in case I needed to flash-fry the motherfuckers. But I stayed chilly and I was like, â€Å"Are you high?† And he was all, â€Å"No, I'm not high. No one is high.† And they all started whining and whatnot, all, â€Å"We can't even take a bong hit. We can't drink a beer. Our systems won't take it. Being sober sucks. We are useless undead stoners.† So I was all, â€Å"Step back and behold, bi-atches.† And I'm all taking a bottle of Stoli out of the freezer, and mixing in a glass with some of the blood from the pouches, just like the ones we left for the Countess and Lord Flood, and they're all drooling when they see the blood, so I was thinking, Dont' make me fry you. But then I give the glass to the gray vamp, and he's all, â€Å"Sweet.† And the others are like, â€Å"Me, me, me.† So I'm like mixing Bloody Marys all around, and the greasy hippyish one is like, â€Å"Can we dunk pot cookies in this?† And I'm like, â€Å"Of course, stoner vamp.† And they're all, â€Å"You are a goddess. And we are not worthy. And oh please, may we have some more?† Until they started to drop. So like two minutes later there's like this big pile of passed-out vampyres in the kitchen, and I'm all, â€Å"Yo, Foo, I got your shit ready.† And Foo comes out of the bedroom, all cute, holding his UV floodlight like he's going to save me, then sees that they are all out cold and gives me a big kiss and is like, â€Å"You rock.† And I'm like, â€Å"You have no idea, my Manga-haired love toy.† And he was like, â€Å"The sedative in the blood, blah, blah, four hours, blah, blah, nerdspeak, geektalk – â€Å" And I'm like, â€Å"Whateva, studmumn. Handle it.† So it took like two hours for Foo to do all his medical stuff with the Animals, taking some blood and doing various medical nerdism stuff to it, then putting it back in, but finally he was done and I called Jared to tell him that we were on our way to get Lord Flood and the Countess. So I like made the other call to make sure everything was all in order and whatnot, and Foo was all, â€Å"Are you sure this is what you want to do?† And I was all, â€Å"Foo, theirs is the greatest love of all time. It's the only thing to do.† And he was all, â€Å"Okay, as long as you're sure. Because we can do them the same as we did the others.† And I was all, â€Å"No, that won't work. They have to be together. And you don't have to live at home anymore. We'll have a completely sweet love lair.† So we did it. Blue watched from the alley across the street as the Animals came out the security door, empty-handed, and stumbled into the street. She knew she should have gone herself, but that whole getting-burned-up thing had taught her that perhaps it was better to delegate. That they didn't have her money was bad enough, but that they didn't have her money and heat was coming off of them was disastrous. â€Å"Those dumbfucks can't get anything right,† she said to herself. â€Å"I'm going to have to kill them all over again.† â€Å"I don't think so,† said a voice from behind her. She whipped around, leading with her long fingernails in a swipe that would have taken off half a man's face. Elijah caught her hand. He'd found another tracksuit, this one powder blue. â€Å"It's time to let it go. The genie must go back in the bottle, I'm afraid.† â€Å"Let me go, I need to go get my money.† â€Å"No, my dear, you don't want to do that. The residents of that loft have recently developed a very unpleasant fashion sense.† â€Å"You're fucking with my income, paleface.† â€Å"You don't need to worry about that anymore.† â€Å"Meaning what?† â€Å"It ends here. Come with me, my dear.† â€Å"You want me to come with you? I don't even know you.† â€Å"Yes, but we share a special relationship.† â€Å"Special? You beat my face into the hood of a Mercedes.† â€Å"Well, yes. Sorry. To the innocent my behavior can sometimes be distasteful.† â€Å"Yeah? Innocent, I've fucked thousands of guys.† â€Å"Yes, well, I've killed enough to fill a city.† Blue shrugged. â€Å"Okay, you win.† â€Å"Revenge is a dish best served cold anyway, don't you think?† â€Å"Or not at all,† said a male voice behind Elijah. Elijah and Blue turned. Three of them stood there in their long coats, looking like sculptures, looking eternal, like they could wait forever. â€Å"Can just anyone sneak up on me now?† said Blue. â€Å"Time to go, Elijah,† said the African woman. â€Å"None of you would be here if it weren't for me,† Elijah said. â€Å"Yes, and we would have been hunted down and killed a long time ago if we hadn't adhered to your rules.† â€Å"Ah, my rules,† Elijah said, looking down now. â€Å"How many left to clean?† Elijah looked across the street to the loft windows, then at Blue. She raised an eyebrow, smiled a little. â€Å"She's the only one left.† He lied. â€Å"Then finish it.† â€Å"I'd rather not,† Elijah said. The Emperor of San Francisco wept for his city. He had done what he could, called the police, alerted the newspapers, even tried to take to battle himself, but by the time he'd gathered the courage to return to the Marina Safeway, it had been finished, and he could do nothing more than speculate to the uniformed police officers how the window had been broken and why the store was empty. They'd tried to track down the night crew, but none of them seemed to be home. And his city was plagued by vampires. Now the Emperor wept and consoled the troops, rubbing Bummer behind the ears and gently patting Lazarus on the ribs as he lay sleeping on the dock. The fog was coming slow off the Bay tonight, not windblown like it was so often here. He heard footsteps before he saw them, then there were five of them. The fiend, the three in the long coats he had seen come in the night before, and a blond woman in a blue party dress. They walked past, and only the fiend turned and paused. The Emperor held Bummer tight, afraid that he would burst into one of his barking fits and all would be lost. â€Å"Old man,† said Elijah. â€Å"The City is yours again.† Then he joined the others at the end of the dock. The Emperor could see their motor yacht waiting outside the breakwater – it had to be two hundred feet long, far too big to enter the marina. â€Å"Very well, then, shall we go?† said Elijah. â€Å"Can I get a coat like that?† asked Blue, nodding toward the tall blond man. The blond man said, â€Å"You'll get one when you learn the secret handshake and get your decoder ring.† Blue looked at Elijah. â€Å"Is he fuckin' with me?† â€Å"Yes,† said Elijah. He offered her his arm. She took it, and stepped down into the longboat. The Emperor watched the vampires disappear into the fog. Rivera had six uniforms in SWAT gear with a battering ram ready to take down the door, so he and Cavuto were more than somewhat surprised when it opened almost as soon as they knocked. A shirtless, sleepy-looking Chinese guy with spiky hair stood in the doorway. â€Å"Yes, can I help you?† Rivera held up the warrant. â€Å"I have a warrant to search this apartment.† † ‘Kay,† said the Chinese guy. â€Å"Abby, cops are here.† The skinny broken clown girl appeared at the top of the stairs in a kimono. â€Å"Hey, cops,† said Abby Normal. â€Å"What are you doing here?† Rivera said. â€Å"I live here, cop.† She popped the p. Rivera hated that. â€Å"Actually, it's my apartment,† said the Chinese guy. â€Å"Do you need to see ID?† â€Å"Yeah, that would be nice, kid,† said Cavuto. He whipped the kid around and marched him up the stairs as the kid read the warrant. â€Å"Do not bruise the Foo, cop,† said the broken clown girl. Rivera turned to the uniforms and shrugged apologetically. â€Å"Sorry, guys, I guess we got this one.† They shuffled away. â€Å"What are you guys looking for?† asked the Chinese kid. â€Å"Maybe we could speed this up.† â€Å"We're looking for Thomas Flood and Jody Stroud. He's the one on the lease for this apartment and the one down the street.† â€Å"Oh, yeah. I'm subletting,† said the Chinese kid. â€Å"Steven Wong,† Cavuto read off the kid's license. Rivera was feeling very, very bad about this. They had found one more body in the Mission with the blood-loss-and-broken-neck MO – the guy had been naked, supposedly someone had stolen his powder-blue tracksuit, so they logged it as robbery, but then, a week ago, the killings stopped. That didn't mean it was over. He'd made the mistake of thinking it was over with these two before. Rivera had finally gotten the Christian kid at the Safeway to file charges on the redhead for assault. After a long talk with the other stoners, they'd gotten the Flood kid on the arrest warrant for conspiracy. They'd also implied that somehow Flood and the redhead had gotten their share of the old vampire's money. Maybe they had left town. If they had, well, good, but he still had a slew of unsolved murders. â€Å"You're subletting from Thomas Flood?† â€Å"I never met him, actually,† said Steve. â€Å"We arranged it through the rental agent.† â€Å"Yeah, so step off, cop,† said the skinny girl. Rivera looked around the apartment. There was no need to tear the place apart. Obviously everything in here was new. Mostly decorated in Pier 1 Imports cheap wicker motif and some punky Urban Outfitter flair, which he guessed was the input of the creepy little girl. The bronze sculptures were out of character, though. A life-sized nude of a young woman, a large snapping turtle, and a life-sized bronze of a couple posed as if in Rodin's The Kiss. â€Å"These must have been expensive,† Rivera said. â€Å"Not really. I know the artists,† the Chinese kid said. â€Å"Some biker guys down the street.† â€Å"Foo's in biotech,† said the broken clown girl. â€Å"He makes like stupid money, cop.† â€Å"Yeah, that's swell,† said Rivera. He'd watched this neighborhood turn from a rust slum of repair shops and the odd ethnic restaurant to a gentrified hive of hipster professionals in remodeled lofts during the dot-com boom, and it had never turned back. The whole neighborhood was full of kids who spent the equivalent of Rivera's annual salary on a car they wouldn't drive a dozen times a year. This kid apparently was just another one. â€Å"So you don't know these people?† Rivera said, pointing to the warrant. Steven Wong shook his head. â€Å"Sorry, I've never met them. I send my rent directly to the rental agency. You might check with them.† â€Å"Okay then. Sorry to bother you.† â€Å"Okay then?† Cavuto said. â€Å"That's it?† â€Å"They're not here, Nick. These two don't know where they are.† â€Å"But, that's not enough.† â€Å"Yeah? You want to spend some time talking to Allison here, see what you can find out?† Rivera nodded toward the broken clown girl. Cavuto had tried to keep someone between himself and the skinny girl since they'd come upstairs, but now he looked at her full on and shuddered. â€Å"No, I guess that's it.† He turned and lumbered down the steps. â€Å"You need to check your girlfriend's ID,† Rivera said to Steve. â€Å"You may not be old enough for her.† Then he turned and left as well. â€Å"Chill, Foo,† Abby said. â€Å"They're gone. They won't be back. Let's go shopping.† â€Å"Abby, are you sure about this? It seems cruel.† He patted the life-sized sculpture of the couple embraced in a kiss. â€Å"I heard the Countess say once that it was like being in a dream. They just sort of float, all peaceful and dreamy. The main thing is they're together.† â€Å"You're sure?† â€Å"Theirs is the greatest love of all time. It would be wrong for them to be apart, Foo.† â€Å"Well, I think we should just change them back. Now that we know the process works.† â€Å"Someday.† â€Å"Now.† â€Å"The Countess doesn't want that.† â€Å"It's wrong.† â€Å"How can it be wrong? It's my idea, and I am their dedicated minion and whatnot. I control the dark.† She ran and jumped into his arms. â€Å"I guess you do,† he said. â€Å"Okay, let's go shopping for stuff for our most fly apartment.† William arrived back at the loft just after dark, feeling very much rested and well fed from his hospital stay, but craving a sip or two of the good stuff, and terribly worried about Chet. He let himself into the stairway with his key, but when he rang the bell, no one answered, so he sat down to wait for the redhead and that guy to bring his bottle. He hadn't been there ten minutes before he heard the meowing at the door, and his heart leapt as he opened the outer door to find Chet, his red sweater still intact, purring outside. â€Å"Come on, boy. I missed you, buddy.† William scooped up his kitty and carried him into the stairwell. As soon as the door closed, Chet, the huge shaved vampire cat, was upon him.

Becoming a Parent essays

Becoming a Parent essays A child is an incredible responsibility, and a bit of planning goes a long way. This is not an exhaustive list of the financial preparations new parents should be aware of before welcoming a baby, but it is a start. After a child is born there are many other financial concerns such as paying for college and adding them as beneficiaries to your will and retirement accounts. Anyway, I think parenting never really ends, but being financially prepared from the start will give you more time with your child.(Xing Lu's Bio on, 12 August 2008) There are several reasons ways our life will be changed with a new baby when she/he comes to our life. The first reason is financial problems. You need a lot of dipper for kids. As a matter of fact, you might spend about $350 for a kid per week. Also, you need to purchase clothes for kids. Another point is this; you often need to take him/her to the doctors. When the kids are sick or have a fewer, you have to shot to them, and take some medicine. Another thing is child care. If the parent goes to work both of them continuously, it has some problems for kid. For example, heshe doesnt have anyone to take care of him/her for the rest of the day. So, it should be one of the parents stay at home and take care of him/her. Therefore, the family income will be reduced. Secondly, free time for the parent is another reason. For instance, they cannot go to some recreational places to have fun together; or maybe if they have a plan to go to cruise and take fun times, they cannot have a plan to go to the trip, because they have to take care of their baby. Maybe they can bring the baby with them, but the baby bothers them in the trip. For example, when one of relative went to the cruise last summer with their baby, they told I suffered a lot when their baby was with them like crying the baby most of the time, when they went to the bar and they had gone to eat. Another point for free time is if you get a b...

More Answers to Questions About Capitalization

More Answers to Questions About Capitalization More Answers to Questions About Capitalization More Answers to Questions About Capitalization By Mark Nichol Here are several questions that have come up recently from readers about capitalization, followed by my responses. 1. Are seasons proper nouns? Although people often capitalize the names of seasons especially in academic contexts, such as in â€Å"Fall Semester† and the like, or in reference to quarterly publications, such as in â€Å"the Summer 2013 issue† they are common nouns and should be lowercase, except as part of proper names (for example, â€Å"the Winter Olympics†) or in poetic personification (such as in â€Å"when Spring sheds her tears in April†). 2. I am about to write an article about self-publishing, and I am rephrasing my paragraphs to avoid starting the sentence â€Å"eBooks are . . . .† However, I am curious to know if a sentence can be started with a lowercase e. (I suppose the same thing could also be said of iPads, too.) Should I write E-books, eBooks, or Ebooks? The Chicago Manual of Style, the premiere style resource for US publishers, recognizes the ubiquity of such terms and recommends making an exception to the rule of always beginning a sentence with an uppercase letter: â€Å"iPads are . . . .† The Associated Press Stylebook, its equivalent for periodical publications, however, recommends changing a lowercase initial letter to uppercase when it begins a sentence: â€Å"IPads are . . . . I recast such a sentence if possible but agree with Chicago; the fact that an accommodation needs to be made is unfortunate, but AP’s style is ugly. In this case, though, the question is not a concern, because ebook (or e-book, if you prefer, but not the outdated E-book) is not a proper name; it is equivalent to email (or e-mail). At the beginning of a sentence, treat it like any other first word: â€Å"Ebooks are . . . .† 3. Botanical/horticultural names are italicized (because they are Latin) and consist of at least two parts: the genus (capitalized) followed by the species (not capitalized) - for example, Aloe vera. In writing about the genus more widely, then Aloe is often used alone as the family name and is italicized. But what does one do when the Latin botanical genus name is turned into a plural by adding an s? Then it is English, not Latin. So, presumably, the italics get dropped. But what happens to the capitalization? Is the English variant still capitalized? Good question. If one writes, for example, â€Å"The garden maintains one of the largest and finest collections of aloes outside of Africa,† rather than â€Å"The garden maintains one of the largest and finest collections of Aloe outside of Africa,† the English plural form, as indicated in the first variation, should be lowercase. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireThe Four Sounds of the Spelling OUHonorary vs. Honourary

Junk Food Ban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Junk Food Ban - Essay Example Worse still, the ban only serves to reduce funds that schools receive for extracurricular activities, and in some cases, extracurricular activities such as sports that could help to combat obesity. Moreover, students like the sodas because the sodas help to keep them awake in class. Clearly, junk food ban does not get to the bottom of the obesity problem. In my opinion, junk food ban is only one solution to combat childhood obesity. A total approach that involves schools, parents, and the government is needed. A solution that combats obesity problem at its roots is influencing lifestyle changes of kids. Influencing kids to adopt a healthier lifestyle involves not only schools but also families. Furthermore, lifestyle habits form at a young age. Therefore, parents and schools should inculcate healthy eating and exercising habits in their children from young. Other than banning junk food, schools should also encourage physical activities. In addition to Physical Education classes mandated by the curriculum, schools could encourage physical activities during recess and hold sports events. Teachers should encourage a healthy lifestyle even outside school compounds. Schools could also share effective methods of teaching Physical Education and Health Education classes. To foster the outcome of junk food ban, schools should promote healthy diets. They could introduce programs such as the milk program to cultivate healthy eating habits. To inculcate good lifestyle habits, parents should begin by setting a good example for the children by eating healthily and exercising regularly. Next, they could educate children on the detrimental health consequences of obesity. In addition, they could educate children on portion size and serving size. Also, they should not use food as means of punishment or reward. Furthermore, children should be discouraged from eating while watching television programs, as research has shown that junk food consumption tends to increase while watching television programs. During these times of consumerism, advertisement plays a great role in influencing the wants, needs, and tastes of children. Parents should educate children on the motives of the advertisements. Besides, parents could encourage healthy diets by offering children variety. More importantly, flavor need not be sacrificed in a healthy diet. Parents could try out new recipes that combine flavor with a low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and l ow-sugar diet. Regular exercise goes hand in hand with a healthy diet in the solution to obesity. Parents should show children that exercising is fun. They could spend quality family time with their children by jogging, bicycling, swimming, walking in the parks, playing at the playgrounds, and engaging in other fun physical activities instead of planting themselves in front of the television. Parents should educate children on the health benefits of physical activities. Lastly, parents could support their children's effort to stay healthy by participating in school and community events. Other than introducing the junk food ban, the government can also work on other aspects including sports facilities, the media, health checkups, regulation of advertisements, and taxation. In the face of urbanization, less land is being devoted to greenery and open space. The government should therefore build more and improve accessibility to sports facilities such as gyms, swimming pools, and jogging