Financial Modelling

Financial Modeling Discipline – Guiding Principles A good financial analyst has the discipline of adhering to a list of guiding principles to help ensure that the development of the financial model achieves the desired results. By following these simple steps, a financial  analyst should be able to build a financial model that is simple, accurate and most importantly consistent, to help build confidence in a financial decision making process. Financial Modeling Discipline can be acquired in all 3 stages of the financial modeling process: †¢ Specification Stage Design Stage †¢ Build Stage Specification Stage 1. Be very clear on the effort involved and the dependencies before committing to deadlines –  the financial modeling exercise is usually on the critical path! 2. Get the algebra right — make sure all revenues, cash flow inwards and assets are positive while expenses, cash outflows and liabilities are negative. This will ensure that we rarely use the minus sign in formulae and can use the sum() function. 3. Avoid all calculations that will cause circular references. Design Stage 1.Ensure that each assumption is input only once in a financial model. 2. Define scenario variables clearly in a separate â€Å"Scenario manager† section or worksheet in the financial model. 3. Define the time unit that is to be used consistently throughout the financial model. 4. Group all assumptions and inputs into one sheet and state units clearly in the financial model. 5. Avoid executing complex calculations in the â€Å"Output section† of the financial model. 6. Build an Interface sheet if you are working with a financial model with multiple workbooks.Build Stage 1. Always note all assumptions, sources and calculation methods in the financial model for future reference. 2. Avoid complicated macros in the financial model if possible – macros make it difficult to follow logic, spot errors or amend the financial model, besid es bloating the file size. 3. Lay all financial model calculations in chronological order – Avoid having calculations in one row refer to calculations in lower rows. 4. Do not try to do too much in one cell with a large complex calculation formula. Break the calculation into blocks.Lay the financial model calculations out in blocks, to enable copying formulae across columns or down rows saving time in developing and reviewing financial models. 5. All financial model calculation and output sections should be locked to avoid inadvertent data entry therein. 6. Include charts in the output section for easy understanding, analysis and auditing of the financial model. 7. Always keep back-ups preferably on separate disks and leave the ‘autosave’ option on for your financial model workbook. 8. Stick to a consistent version labelling system eg â€Å"company xyz_2/2/09_V02_DC†.Save several versions of your financial model each day and retain old versions. 9. Avoid j umping to conclusions / sharing results based on preliminary financial model results. Common Mistakes in Financial Modeling While reviewing and auditing financial models, a good financial analyst should be alert to the common types of errors that often plague financial models. These are often less due to errors in Excel or other financial model applications you may be using, and more because of human error in formulating calculations or conversions in a financial model. Common Errors in Financial Modeling: 1.Conversion factors (kilobytes to megabytes, monthly to annual, millions  to thousands, etc). 2. Range included in totals (certain rows not included). 3. Calculation formula not replicated  across columns. 4. Wrong row references in calculation formula. 5. Wrong column references in starting  time period  (each column should typically contain references only from that column). 6. Change in cell references in formulae referring to other workbooks. 7. Algebraic errors (wron g use of brackets, plus/minus errors). 8. Range limits not set (eg, having negative  number of customers or negative distributor commission payments). . Hard coded dummy numbers / assumptions perpetuating in the financial model due to oversight. 3 Golden rules for Financial Analysts to Avoid Errors in Financial Models: 1. Be diligent when building the financial model, a little concentration and attention to detail early on will save you a lot of time and work later.2. Ask another person not in the financial modeling team to conduct a detailed audit, very often a fresh pair of eyes may spot errors then are’nt obvious to someone who’s been looking at the same spreadsheet for days or weeks on end. . Perform sanity checks on outputs through benchmarking exercises, always use your common sense and business knowledge to ensure that the results of your financial model (e. g. individual product revenues or cost items, etc) are realistic and aligned with what you may expect t hem to be. Designing a Financial Model – Making it Idiot Proof Always design a financial model for people who did not build it and for people with limited understanding of financial modeling and analysis techniques.This will help you ensure the usefulness and relevance of the financial model, and preserve its longevity long after you have completed the financial modeling exercise. In each financial model workbook, you will typically need some or all of the following worksheets: 1. Administration and documentation 2. Assumptions 3. Major blocks such as marketing or capital expenditure (CAPEX) 4. Calculation of revenues, costs, balance sheets, ratios, cashflows 5. Scenario managers and displaysTo enable modular team working, clarity in use and easy auditing, use a standard financial model design template and color codes developed specifically for your company, and ensure that everyone gets familiar with the standardized format. In that way, the entire company will have a single approach to formatting financial models. All users, be they senior executives or junior financial analysts, will then be able to differentiate between cells in the financial model that are hard coded, calculations or outputs, and intepret different financial models from different teams without ambiguity.

Ancient Civilization Of Mesopotamia

According to some archaeologists, the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia had its first settlements dating back since 10,000 BCE. Due to this, it is considered as one of the birthplace of civilizations. Mesopotamia was also known as â€Å"the country between two rivers. † (Chilvers, 2007) These two rivers that surrounded this fertile land were the Tigris and the Euphrates. I believe that both rivers were one of the significant environmental factors that contributed to the development of the ancient civilization known as Mesopotamia. (Hollar, 2011) The Tigris and Euphrates rivers start out in the mountains of Armenia.They are almost parallel to each other until they merge creating the Shatt al-Arab waterway which then empties to the Persian Gulf. The southern parts of these rivers are calmer, witnessed by the fertile soil that it produces. The Tigris is considerably shorter than the Euphrates, but was found to be more of importance commercially due to it being deeper. Bigger bo ats were able to travel here compared to the flat-bottomed ones that passed through the Euphrates. (Chilvers, 2007) The peoples of this region greatly depended and benefited from these rivers.It produced a land for them to be able to thrive and survive. The earliest of these peoples were known as the Sumerians. The Sumerians relied heavily on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for their agriculture and irrigation needs. They created a system that included cultivating and cropping. Along with proper irrigation and organized labor, they were able to take advantage of the fertile land. By doing this, they were able to produce a surplus of food that enabled them to stay in one place rather than migrating to different regions.They produced crops such as wheat and barley on a large scale. With the massive production of crops, not only did they have enough to feed themselves but they also had enough that enabled them to start on the domestication of animals. They raised different kinds of ani mals, but mainly sheep and cattle. They were able to use these animals not just a source of food, but for other survival needs as well, such as wool for clothing. Plenty of fishes were also caught from these rivers. With the surrounding waters, the land also provided clay which gave them the material to create pots and vases.The peoples of Mesopotamia depended heavily upon these rivers. Without them, their ways of survival would have been different. (Chadwick, 2005) B. The process of diffusion of potato was very important in the early days of human societies. Different varieties of potatoes were first discovered about 14,000 years ago by early South Americans. There were originally 235 different species of potatoes. It wasn’t’ until one specific type was found that the people realized how valuable potato can be.It was around 10,000 BCE that the S.tuberosum species of potato was discovered and domesticated by farmers from the Andes Mountains. The fertile soil and weathe r conditions of the Andes Mountains made it possible for the plants optimal growth. With the summer days and cold nights, they found out different ways to plant and grow potatoes. This led them to discover several varieties that ended up migrating to different societies. (Smith, 2011) By 1200 CE, the Inca Empire civilization was able to grasp the ways of the initial Andeans way of growing and planting potatoes.(Smith, 2011)Peoples of the Andean culture were absorbed into the Inca Empire. They were able to teach the ways that their ancestors have done in the past to grow and domesticate potatoes. After the potato arrived in the Inca Empire, it became their most important crop. With vast lands, they grew and cultivated potatoes extending from what is now known as the southern part of Columbia to the central part of Chile. (Smith, 2011) Due to the massive production of potatoes, they had to find ways on how to be able to store and keep them from spoiling.With enough searching, they wer e able to discover a technique of freezing and drying potatoes. These were called chuà ±os. Because of this process, they were able to save food from the times of famine. Workers from this society were required to build storage houses to store all the chuà ±os. In the year of 1532, the Spanish Conquistadores conquered the Inca Empire which led to further transmission and replication. (Smith, 2011) Today, the potato is a very important to our society’s diet as it was when the Andeans first discovered it.This would have not been possible if it wasn’t for the process of diffusion. C. Throughout the centuries, there have been many geographical and environmental factors that have affected the development and expansion of the United States. Two of these factors which greatly shaped this country to what it is today are the California Gold Rush and the Dust Bowl. The California Gold Rush began in January 24, 1848, when a man named James Marshall discovered gold alongside the American River which is located at present-day Sacramento.He then tells his boss, John Sutter, regarding his discovery. John Sutter tried to keep it as a secret, but people eventually found out and the word traveled. The word kept spreading until it reached the town of San Francisco. Reports were then published in a San Francisco based newspaper, The California Star. (California Historical Society, 2011) After some time passed, words have circulated to the eastern part of the United States. These series of events kicked off the migration of people to head west on a chance to becoming wealthy.It wasn’t only the people of the United States that was enticed with this discovery, but people from all over the world flocked to California. They came from different nations such as China, Australia, and Mexico, which is only a few of many. In 1849, there were ninety-thousand gold seekers that have taken different routes by land or water to reach California. The population of less than 25,000 just before 1849 grew to 223, 856 coming from a special census in 1852. (Udall & Emmons, 2003) Due to this population growth, California was pronounced as the 31st state of the United States.Before 1931, the fields of the Great Plains in the United States have always been a welcoming place for farmers. It wasn’t until that summer that a drought came leaving the land very dry. The main crop wheat that grew here started dying due to the prolonged drought. With the growing winds, the once productive Great Plains has turned into a disaster that is waiting to happen. This became known as the Dust Bowl. (Soomo, 2013, The Dust Bowl) When the Dust Bowl started, about half a million Americans were forced to stay indoors and left with no choices because breathing has become difficult.Winds would reach up to a hundred miles per hour. (Soomo, 2013, The Dust Bowl) For the ones who went outside, especially children, they were required to wear face protection such as masks to cover their faces. This went on for years. The ones who were not able to cope up and live daily like this had to migrate and abandon what they had in the Great Plains. By 1940, about 2. 5 million people left to other parts of the United States. About 200,000 moved to California. (Worster, 1979, 2004) The Dust Bowl was considered as one of the largest migration in American history.

Health Risks of Genetically-Modified Foods Essay

Genetically modified (GM) foods, introduced to the American Public in 1996, involves taking the genes of the DNA of one plant or animal and transferring them to another species creating a new organism. Justification for this scientific manipulation revealed promises to eliminate world hunger, make plants resistant to pests and disease, and produce healthier foods. Agribusiness giants, like Monsanto, Bayer, and Syngenta include some of the companies first to bring products to the market. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) took the stance, that it is the food producer responsible for assuring food safety. Companies producing GM foods ultimately regulate themselves. These companies kept their research secret and not available for public scrutiny. Insufficient data illustrate the need for ongoing exploration by independent scientists to deem the products safe for human consumption. Jeffrey M. Smith discussed these issues in his book, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Geneically Engineered Foods. GM of certain crops cause them to produce their own insecticide. A research study not performed by the manufacturer, involved GM potatoes fed to rats. â€Å"They developed potentially precancerous cell growth in the digestive tract, inhibited development of their brains, livers, and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver, enlarged pancreases and intestines, and immune system damage† (Smith 22). Additional information is warranted clarifying the exact cause. Another study revealed Monsanto’s MON 863 Bt corn fed to rats produced â€Å"significant changes in their blood cells, livers, and kidneys which might indicate disease† (Smith 26). Monsanto defends their GM corn as safe and deems it unnecessary to pursue further testing. No research conducted to date and the corn gained approval. Government and big industries continue with the development, endorsement and marketing of GM foods despite the potential health warnings. Study after study cited in Genetic Roulette by Jeffrey M. Smith , reveal health problems from every body system and even death. One investigations proved given a choice, animals would not eat GM foods. Rats that would not eat the GM tomatoes were force fed the tomato through a gastric tube. Several developed stomach lesions and seven of the forty died. The GM of the DNA of species results in widespread mutations. Soy allergies skyrocketed after the introduction of GM soy. Over half of the processed foods in the supermarket contain something made from soy. GM peas generated an allergic-inflammatory response. With some of the GM crops that produce their own insecticide, the fear of creating â€Å"super weeds† exists. â€Å"The United States and Canada do not have GM labeling requirements† (Smith 257). Exposing millions of people to unpredictable dangers of GM foods represents playing roulette. â€Å"The connections between the FDA and large agribusiness corporations are disturbing† (Teitel, Wilson 69). Large contributors to the Democratic and Republican parties include Monsanto and others. These companies employ trade and environmental administrators and government appointees in lucrative positions.

Institutionalise Islamophobe Essay

The insects of racial discrimination, the curse of civilization, are gradually eating up out society, dissolving harmony and affection, transforming human being in weapons of carnage. Thus the society no longer remains a better place to live in. Islamophobe is a contentious neologism distinct by some as a chauvinism in opposition to, or demonization of, Muslims. The expression is documented in use as early as 1976, but came into greater prevalence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (King, 2001) The expression’s use has become greater than before since the September 11, 2001 attacks. It can be mentioned that this is an irrational paranoia that needs to be eradicated from the face of the earth in order to make life a bit peaceful. British authors and intellectuals like Kenan Malik have condemned the perception, calling it an allegory. According to Malik this concept bamboozles prejudice in opposition to Muslims with denigration of Islam, and is applied to silence detractors of the religion, as well as Muslims who intend to reform it. Novelist Salman Rushdie and many others signed a proclamation in March 2006, which deemed Islamophobe a desolate perception that perplexes disapproval of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who have faith in it. Danish politician Bashy Quraishy has mentioned that islamophobe and anti-Semitism are two faces of the same coin. In the yrar1996 the Runnymede Trust, an autonomous anti-racist think tank in the United Kingdoms, recognized the assignment on British Muslims and Islamophobe, headed by Professor Gordon Conway, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex. According to the report launched in November 1997 by the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, Islamophobe can be considered as a challenge for the society as a whole. It portrayed Islamophobe as concerning eight idiosyncratic characteristics such as Islam is considered as a monolithic bloc, static and insensitive to alterations. It is observed as separate and other. It does not have principles in familiar with other ethnicities, is not pretentious by them and even does not influence them. It is perceived as substandard to the West. It is observed as barbaric, unreasonable, primordial, and sexist. It is seen as brutal, violent, intimidating, encouraging of terrorism, and affianced in a clash of civilizations. It is observed as a political philosophy, designed for political or military benefit. Condemnations made of the West by Islam are discarded out of hand. Antagonism towards Islam is used to give explanation for prejudiced practices in the direction of Muslims and segregation of Muslims from conventional society. Anti-Muslim resentment is seen as usual and normal. In 1997 the British Runnymede Trust made it clear that Islamophobe as the observation that Islam has no ethics in common with other cultures, is substandard to the West, is an aggressive political ideology instead of being a religion, that its disparagement of the West have no essence, and that prejudiced practices against Muslims are justified as such. Despite the fact that Muslims do not comprise a race in isolation, the submission is that many Europeans and North Americans have an inaccurate discernment of Muslims as composing a separate a race, which in he words of Khyati Joshi is radicalization of religion. On the other hand, Muslims may be perplexed with Arabs, even though the mainstream of the world’s Muslims are not Arabs. (Lamb, 2004) There are several causes behind Islamophobe the prime among them is to perplex disapproval of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who have faith in it. Sociologists have time and again argued that there was a swing in forms of chauvinism in the 1990s from race-based discrimination to inequity based on culture and religion. In 2004, Anja Rudiger, Executive director of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, made it clear in an Oxford conference on Muslims in Europe that, ever since the 9/11 attacks, religion had outshined race as the most important focal point of divergence, and that an individual’s religion was now looked upon as one and the same with their background. In the case of Muslims, this showed the way to another dimension of chauvinism, Rudiger argued, in that European Muslims were observed as signifying an amalgamated culture relatively different from European society, one that is strappingly correlated to certain non-European states. From Rudiger’s perspective, such observations are element of the course of action of classifying Islam as Europe’s other. Due to Islamophobe instead of engaging Muslims in debate, non-Muslims are hypothetical to sneak around them, for fear of causing felony. (Fletcher, 2005) There are several alleged acts of Islamophobia, such as Dr Amanda Wise and Ghali Hassan from GlobalResearch. ca have assumed that the 2005 Cronulla insurrection were the consequence of an atmosphere of Islamophobe in Australia. Dalil Boubakeur, a director of a Paris mosque illustrated the wreckage on a Mosque, referred to the burning of a Muslim Sanctuaries, attacks on hijabi Muslim women all over the world as Islamophobic. Muslim activists alleged that the Forest Gate anti terror raid in London was Islamophobic. France, which has a strong secular institution separating church from State, was accused of Islamophobe when the decree on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools was approved, which prohibits the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools. In a February 10, 2004 accounted by Al Jazeera the head of the Party of France’s Muslims, Muhammad Latreche in analysing the French decree on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools was referenced as mentioning that the legislation would, institutionalise Islamophobe. In Germany, the state of Baden-Wurttemberg has anticipated set of laws that necessitate citizenship applicants from the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to answer enquiries concerning their outlook on domestic aggression and other religious subjects. A BBC assessment taken in the summer of 2004 estimated that employment applicants with Muslim names were far less probable to be called for an interview than applicants whose names did not appear to be Muslim. (Dos, 2006) There have been efforts in opposition to supposed Islamophobe by several organizations in various countries through out the globe. In 2006 the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) was set up as an observatory body on Islamophobe. This will keep an eye on and document activities professed as Islamophobic around the planet. Throughout the attainment talks on the subject of Turkey’s probable entry to the EU, then Prime Minister of Holland, Jan Peter Balkenende, made it clear that Islamophobe must not have an effect on the possibility of Turkey’s access to the European Union. 50,000 people signed an appeal urging French President Jacques Chirac to deem Islamophobe as a new form of racism, punishable by decree. In the UK several methods directed towards limiting Islamophobe have been set up. In Tower Hamlets, a heavily populated area in London, a misdemeanour reporting system called â€Å"Islamophobe† has been set up which police expect will increase consciousness of Islamophobe and facilitate them to recognize the extent of the dilemma. The British National Union of Teachers (NUT) has issued guidelines to teachers and recommending them to Challenge Islamophobe, as they have a fundamental character to play in helping to dismiss myths about Muslim communities. In 2006 the Catholic Mission Austria and the Islamic Denomination Austria formed a platform called Christians and Muslims, which endeavours against stereotypes and antagonism and intends to augment lenience and admiration. In 1991 the Islamic Culture Foundation (FUNCI) prepared, in association with UNESCO and the Institut du Monde Arabe of Paris, a worldwide symposium concerning the involvement of Islamic Civilization in European Culture. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan issued a call in 1999 to world influential to fight Islamophobe. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) organized a colloquium on how to fight Islamophobe. (Kar, 2006) History helps out us to identify ourselves, recognize who we are and be acquainted with the origin where we come from. We over and over again shrink back from hearing about our chronological times of yore for the reason that so much of it is excruciating. Islamophobe is a dejected perception that perplexes disapproval of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who have faith in it. Islamophobe, a myth or a kind of racism, obfuscates bias in opposition to Muslims with disparagement of Islam and that it is used to quieten detractors and Muslim reformers. References: Dos, M; (2006); Future of Thought Process; Alliance Publications Fletcher, R; (2005); Beliefs and Knowledge: Believing and Knowing; Howard & Price. Kar, P; (2006); History of Islam; Dasgupta & Chatterjee King, H; (2001); International Politics Today; HBT & Brooks Ltd Lamb, Davis; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirteen

Bonnie clutched the banana-nut muffin to her chest as if it was some kind of sacred offering. She just could not bring herself to knock on Matt's door. Instead, she turned big pleading brown eyes on Meredith and Elena. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie,† Meredith muttered, reaching past her, shifting the pile of bagels and the carton of orange juice she was carrying, and rapping loudly on the door. â€Å"I don't know what to say,† Bonnie whispered back, agonized. Then the door opened, and Matt appeared, red-eyed and pale. He seemed somehow smal er and more hunched into himself than Bonnie had ever seen him. Overwhelmed with pity, she forgot al about being nervous and launched herself into his arms, dropping the muffin in the process. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† she choked out, tears running down her face. Matt held on to her tightly, bending over and burying his head in her shoulder. â€Å"It's okay,† she said final y, desperately, patting the back of his head. â€Å"I mean, no, it's not †¦ of course it's not †¦ but we love you, we're here.† â€Å"I couldn't help him,† Matt said dul y, his face stil pressed against Bonnie's neck. â€Å"I tried my best, but he died anyway.† Elena and Meredith joined them, wrapping their arms around Matt from either side. â€Å"We know,† Elena said, rubbing his back. â€Å"You did everything you could for him.† Matt pul ed out of their arms eventual y and gestured around the room. â€Å"Al this stuff is his,† he said. â€Å"His parents don't feel like they're ready to clear out his things yet, they told the police. It's kil ing me to see it al stil here when he's not. I thought about packing it up for his parents, but there's a possibility that the police might want to look through his stuff.† Bonnie shuddered at the thought of what Christopher's parents must be going through. â€Å"Have something to eat,† Meredith said. â€Å"I bet you haven't eaten for ages. Maybe it'l help you feel better.† Al three girls fussed around, fixing the breakfast they'd brought for Matt, then convincing him to taste something, anything. He drank some juice and picked at a bagel, his head lowered. â€Å"I was at the police station al night,† he said. â€Å"I had to keep going over and over what happened.† â€Å"What did happen?† Bonnie asked tentatively. Matt sighed. â€Å"I real y wish I knew. I just saw somebody dressed in black running away from Christopher. I wanted to chase him, but Chris needed my help. And then he died. I tried, but I couldn't do anything.† His forehead creased into a frown. â€Å"The real y weird thing, though,† he said slowly, â€Å"is that, even though I saw a person running away, the police think Christopher was attacked by some kind of animal. He was †¦ pretty ripped up.† Elena and Meredith exchanged an alert glance. â€Å"A vampire?† said Meredith. â€Å"Or a werewolf, maybe?† â€Å"I was wondering about that,† Matt admitted. â€Å"It makes sense.† Without seeming to notice, he finished his bagel, and Elena took advantage of his distraction to slip some fruit onto his plate. Bonnie wrapped her arms around herself. â€Å"Why?† she asked. â€Å"Why is it that, wherever we go, weird, scary things happen around us? I thought that once we left Fel ‘s Church things would be different.† No one argued with her. For a little while, they al sat quietly, and Bonnie felt as if they were huddling together, trying to protect themselves from something cold and horrible. Final y, Meredith reached out and took an orange slice off Matt's plate. â€Å"The first thing we need to do, then, is to investigate and try to figure out if these attacks and disappearances are supernatural.† She chewed thoughtful y. â€Å"As much as I hate to say it, we should probably get Damon on this. He's good at this kind of thing. And Stefan should know what's going on, too.† She looked at Elena, her voice gentle. â€Å"I'l talk to them, okay, Elena?† Elena shrugged. Bonnie could tel she was trying to keep her expression blank, but her lips were trembling. â€Å"Of course,† she said after a minute. â€Å"I'm sure they're both checking things out anyway. You know how paranoid they are.† â€Å"Not without reason,† Meredith said dryly. Matt's eyes were wet. â€Å"Whatever happens, I need you to promise me something,† he said. â€Å"Please, be careful. I can't – let's not lose anyone else, okay?† Bonnie snuggled closer to him, putting her hand on his. Meredith reached over and placed her hand over both of theirs, and Elena added hers to the pile. â€Å"We'l take care of one another,† Elena said. â€Å"A vow,† said Bonnie, trying to smile. â€Å"We'l always watch out for one another. We'l make sure everyone is safe.† At that moment, as they murmured in agreement, she was sure they could do it. Meredith pivoted and stepped forward, swinging her staff down to strike at Samantha's heavily padded knees. Samantha dodged the blow, then jabbed her own staff straight toward Meredith's head. Meredith blocked the blow, then thrust her staff at Samantha's chest. Samantha staggered backward and lost her footing. â€Å"Wow,† she said, rubbing her col arbone and looking at Meredith with a mixture of resentment and appreciation. â€Å"That hurt, even with the padding. I've never trained with anyone so strong before.† â€Å"Oh, Well,† Meredith said modestly, feeling absurdly pleased, â€Å"I practice a lot.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Samantha said, eyeing her. â€Å"Let's take a break.† She flopped down on the mat, and Meredith, her staff balanced lightly in one hand, sat beside her. It wasn't her staff, of course, not her special hunting one. She couldn't bring her heirloom slayer staff to the gym – it was too clearly a customized deadly weapon. But she'd been delighted to learn that Samantha could fight with a four-foot-long jo staff and that she had an extra. Samantha was quick and smart and fierce, one of the best sparring partners she'd ever had. Fighting, Meredith was able to block out the helpless feeling she'd had in Matt's room this morning. There was something so pathetic about seeing al Christopher's things sitting there ready for him, when he was never coming back. He had one of those weird little fake Zen gardens on his desk, the sand neatly groomed. Maybe just the day before, Christopher had picked up the tiny rake in his hand and smoothed the sand, and now he'd never touch anything again. And it was her fault. Meredith squeezed her staff, her knuckles whitening. She had to accept that. If she had the power of being a potent force against darkness, a hunter and slayer of monsters, she had the responsibility, too. Anything that got through and kil ed someone in her territory was Meredith's failure and her shame. She had to work harder. Practice more, go out patrol ing the campus, keep people safe. â€Å"Are you al right?† Samantha's voice broke through Meredith's thoughts. Startled, Meredith saw Samantha staring at her with wide, solemn dark eyes, taking in Meredith's gritted teeth and clenched fists. â€Å"Not entirely,† said Meredith dryly. â€Å"Um.† She felt like she had to explain her grimness. â€Å"Did you hear about what happened last night, the guy who was kil ed?† Samantha nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. â€Å"Well, he was the roommate of a real y good friend of mine. And I was with my friend today, trying to help him. It was †¦ upsetting.† Samantha's face seemed to harden, and she scrambled up on her knees. â€Å"Listen, Meredith,† she said, â€Å"I promise you this isn't going to happen again. Not on my watch.† â€Å"On your watch?† Meredith asked mildly. Suddenly, it felt hard to breathe. â€Å"I have responsibilities,† Samantha said. She dropped her eyes to her hands. â€Å"I'm going to catch this kil er.† â€Å"It's a big job,† Meredith said. It wasn't possible, was it? But Samantha was such a good fighter, and what she was saying †¦ why would she think she was responsible for stopping the kil er? â€Å"What makes you think you can do it?† she asked. â€Å"I know this is difficult to believe, and I shouldn't even be tel ing you, but I need your help.† Samantha was looking straight into her eyes, practical y vibrating with earnestness. â€Å"I'm a hunter. I was raised to†¦ I have a sacred trust. Al my family for generations, we've fought against evil. I'm the last of us. My parents were kil ed when I was thirteen.† Meredith gasped, shocked, but Samantha shook her head fiercely, pushing Meredith's sympathy away. â€Å"They hadn't finished training me,† she continued, â€Å"and I need you to help me get better, get faster. I'm not strong enough yet.† Meredith stared at her. â€Å"Please, Meredith,† Samantha said. â€Å"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. People are depending on me.† Unable to stop herself, Meredith started to laugh. â€Å"It's not a joke,† Samantha said, jumping to her feet, her fists clenched. â€Å"This is†¦ I shouldn't have said anything.† She stalked toward the door, her back as straight as a soldier's. â€Å"Samantha, wait,† Meredith cal ed. Samantha whirled back toward her with a face ful of fury. Meredith took a quick breath and tried desperately to remember something she'd learned as a child but never had occasion to use. Crooking her pinkies together, she drew up her thumbs to make a triangle, the secret sign of greeting between two hunters. Samantha just stared at her, face perfectly blank. Meredith wondered if she remembered the sign correctly. Had Samantha's family even taught it to her? Meredith knew there were other families out there, but she had never met any of them before. Her parents had left the hunter community before she was born. Then Samantha, moving as quickly as she ever had when they'd sparred, was before her, gripping her arms. â€Å"For real?† Samantha said. â€Å"Are you serious?† Meredith nodded, and Samantha threw her arms around her and clutched her tightly. Her heart was beating so hard that Meredith could feel it. Meredith stiffened at first – she wasn't the touchy-feely type, despite being best friends with wildly affectionate Bonnie for years – but then relaxed into the hug, feeling Samantha's slim, muscular body under her arms, so like her own. She had the strangest feeling of familiarity, as if she had been lost and had now found her true family at last. Meredith knew she could never say any of that, and part of her felt like she was betraying Elena and Bonnie just by thinking that way, but she couldn't help it. Samantha pul ed away, smiling and weepy, wiping at her eyes and nose. â€Å"I'm acting stupid,† she said. â€Å"But this is the best thing that ever happened to me. Together, we can fight this.† She gave a half-hysterical sniff and gazed at Meredith with huge shining eyes. â€Å"I feel like I've made a new best friend,† she said. â€Å"Yes,† Meredith said – not weeping, not laughing, cool as ever on the outside but, inside, feeling like she was breaking into happy pieces – â€Å"yes, I think you're right.†

Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scholarship - Essay Example But all that changed when I met my present host family for the first time. There was a warm feeling of kindness and understanding from the moment we first met, and somehow they took me in, and treated me like they would treat their very own daughter. There was this instant feeling of connection, and I knew immediately that I was no longer alone. They helped me with English, and encouraged me to talk more and more in the language, urging me not to be shy, insisting that if I did not make mistakes, I would not learn. Slowly, all the chatter around me began to make sense, and it was a relief to be able to greet the people around me in a a language they understood. The family also encouraged me to take part in their life, and to understand the frank, welcoming American culture. In the course of my stay with them, I have been able to visit various American cities like Boston, New York, Kansas City, San Francisco and Los Angeles in their company. I have seen America like it actually is, and not as I saw it earlier on television, and my respect for this country has grown.

Rhapsody in blue George Gershwin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rhapsody in blue George Gershwin - Essay Example Rhapsody in blue is a musical composition in 1924 by George Gershwin and combines both the elements of jazz music and classical music influenced by the sound effects. It is a famous work of art that has received its premiere at an experimental modern music concert in 1924. Gershwin gets recognition as a committed and talented composer ever existed making his work the most famous of all time American concert works (Schwarz and Charles, 23).George’s composition portrays a classic talent in that a young composer goes beyond the level of people of his type can achieve. He brings out the art of creativity in a subject that, he is far from mastering. Despite the lack of the skill, he expresses himself in an amazing, original and high standard form. He combines trite several ideas in a varying and builds on rhythms that catch the attention of the listener immediately his work is playing (Downes and Olin, 16).The rhapsody in blue is an out of the world composition inspired by the flow of traffic and a blessing from God. Such composers are rare in the world; therefore, everyone here should glorify God for being in the generation that such a composer exists and have a feel of this sentimental, feeble and creative work (Schiff and David, 19).The theme of dance is no mere dance tune, but a catching moment that the listener is taken to the world of peace and imagination with the harmony of the tunes played. The parts can be separated and played differently without affecting the feel and flow in this magnificent work.