Derailed – Creative Writing

It had rained the night before, and mist was creeping in, like a soft blanket of cold steam. It was silent. The grim reaper was waiting silently for blood. Not even the birds dare tweet. The reaper lifts his hefty but swift scythe. Just as he is about to drop it†¦ â€Å"Don't you worry love, you're only dreaming again.† Margaret slides out of bed and plods off to fetch a glass of water for Daniel. She stared through the windowpane, and out of the four walls that she and Daniel call home. It was cold and wet, perfect weather for Ducks though. It had rained the night before, and mist was creeping in, like a soft blanket of cold steam. Maggie (as she likes to be called), twisted the cold steel, and a cold transparent liquid flowed out, making a racket as it hit the bottom of the sink. After filling her glass, she shut off the flow of water, and turned sharply around. Just as she did so, she nearly had the shock of her life. In front of her was a hairy ape, stamping towards her with half-closed eyes!! Maggie then put her arms around this beast, and told him to drink the glass of water and to get a bath. Maggie then turned on the TV and was pleased to see that her favourite quiz show was due on in about 15 minutes. Daniel smiled and turned to face the towering stairs. He started to climb the stairs. He reached the landing and for some unknown reason decided to turn around and stare out of the window. He stopped tipped his head to one side and thought about something for a second, said a brief de-ja-vous and carried on with his quest which was to have a bath. Daniel reached the bathroom and started to run a bath. After a brief shave, his bath was ready to dive in to. He dived in and while washing himself, (and doing other bathroom activities) he thought about the day ahead. First activitie of the day was to pack some clothes as he had train journey to deal with and then he would†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Oh, I am so sorry, how can I write a story without describing the main character, and his family to you first. Daniel is a 36-year-old entrepreneur , who, at the age of twenty-two, decided to start his own business , making computer components. He had a bad turn at the age of twenty-six and nearly went bankrupt due to a downfall in the price of shares in the computer components. Now he is doing fine (nearly a millionaire) and him and his wife are very happy and content. He is 5ft 6in and has a distinctive chubby look about him. Daniel has a warm chubby face and sparkling hazel-brown eyes. Handsome for a 36 year old, the females might say. Mggi4e was Daniels sectary until 10 years ago, when they got engaged. Unfortunately, however, she fell on a slippery supermarket floor and nearly broke her neck. She can walk but excessive movement could severely injure her. Maggie is just over 5ft 4in and quite thin. She used to have a wide stature and used to be slightly overweight. She lost this weight due to a strict diet and living regime. Her blonde curly locks hang over her shoulders and are complemented by her warm blue eyes. Anyway, continuing on with what the day held for him:- After his morning shift, Daniel was to call a workers meeting, to outline his plans and to hand out raises, awards ect. Daniel then had the rest of the day off so that he could sleep to prepare to travel down to London to visit his old mate Joe. He would travel by train, which it cheep an if on time quicker than car. It cost a tidy forty pounds and would take 3 hours (from Durham). Not bad and especially for Dan as he would travel by first class. This meant that could enjoy his journey and have drinks, food etc as well. Monday morning (12th May) A shrill ringing woke Dan a 6am. He was staying for two days and started packing accordingly. He didn't take much as he only needed clothes and deodorant to take with him. He had a few get-well cards from friends, by these didn't way much and weren't at all bulky. He then had his break fast and wash etc. Daniel kissed Margaret good by, opened the front door and his garage. A gentle breeze came out of nowhere and I take away card fluttered past and landed at the front of Daniel's short drive. He dawdled over and picked it up. He looked at it and saw nothing unusual other than a line saying 21:00 no 1365. Dan though nothing of it, only a bit of scrap paper, and got in his car. As he turned the ignition key and placed his luggage in the passenger seat, he felt a weird buttelfy feeling in his stomach. This was odd. Since dan had not exercised properly, he didn't have any problems. A thought raced across the vast screen of his mind. It might be a stomach ulcer. His had a history of them, but Daniel had been lucky for the past sixteen years. The thought diminished and he reversed his car and carried on. It was only a twenty-minute journey and it passed away quickly and with no problems. The car pulled up at the car park and slowly screeched to a halt. Daniel slid out, paid his two pay and display charge and jumped back in his car. He then practiced the difficult not so accent art of parking and slowly got out. The station was normal. The hustle and bustle of every day lime. Many of the passengers are businessmen and women probably going to work. Dan glanced at his watch, which said 8:30 am. There was time for a coffee. Just as he turned around to head for the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, a high-pitched squeal dived out of the speakers and into the maze that was Dan's ears. The squealing halted and the tannoy sounded. â€Å"Could all passengers for the train number 1365 Durham to London please listen. The train will not be here at 21:00 as scheduled but will be delayed for about 15 minutes. These delays are due uncontrollable circumstances. Thank you†. Daniel sighed, as this was his train. All of a sudden, his spine tingled and he sensed a feeling of de-ja-vous. He had 2100 no 1365 on a piece of paper. He could not remember when or where but he knew he had seen it. Dan turned back towards the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and walked towards it. Unusually, he felt he was being watched. He strained his neck to glance over his shoulder when a small hand touched his shoulder. Dan jumped and turned sharply around. â€Å"How are you Dan†. It was Joann; Daniel's secretary from work. Dan replied with a mumbled, â€Å"I'm alright â€Å". Joanne sensed that something was wrong, but thought it best not to ask what. She walked on and faded into the crowd. Dan turned towards the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and strolled along towards it with his small luggage, slung over his shoulder. He finally reached his destination and opened the door. Swinging his bag from his shoulder, he sat down. His arse landed on the soft, warm seat (probably warmed by some clean dude who farted constantly) and Dan started to relax. He had hardly been there for a few seconds when an attractive young waiter approached Daniel. She was about 5ft tall and had long locks of curly hair Dangling from her head and down onto her peninsular-like shoulders. She was thin but obviously liked working out, as I could tell from the clear lines on her long arms. Her hands were small and boney, but were terribly scared. The waiter spoke with a small but kind voice. â€Å"Would you like anything sir†, she squeaked. After a few seconds of deliberation, Daniel replied, â€Å"A black coffee please love†. Rachel (it said on her nametag) then chirped â€Å"Be with you in a minute sir†, and then scarpered off to prepare a coffee for Daniel. Just as she said, she returned in less than two minutes with a black coffee, hot and steaming, in a large mug. Daniel sprinkled two sachets of sugar into his mug, and then sipped. He looked around the area where he sat, and sniffed the polluted air. The cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ was small, with the tables in rows of four. The tables had four chairs each and bottles of sauce and condiment sets sat proudly in the middle on top of a tablecloth. The cloth was opulent and excreted a clean, lemon fresh odour that made you think of spring. The cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ was quite eventful and obviously made a good, if not excellent turnover. Daniel finished his coffee and dawdled up to the till to pay. He paid and on his way out, placed a tip of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 in the hand of the waiter. â€Å"Thanks love. Here, have this as a token of my appreciation for good service.† The waiter thanked Daniel and he continued on. All of a sudden the tannoy sounded, following that same annoying squeal. â€Å"Would all passengers for the no 1365 train please make their way to platform four. We are terribly sorry for the delay. Thank you.† Daniel grabbed his bags, and jogged straight up to platform four. To everyone's bewilderment four police officers, accompanied by four dogs and an armed swat team were standing by the train, carefully looking at everyone suspiciously. The officers and dogs then started to weave in and between passengers, as though they were sniffing for drugs and other illegal objects. The dog came up to Daniel, sniffed his bags and then barked viciously at Daniel. Two officers immediately sprinted over and searched ferociously through his bags. Sure enough, there were drugs in Daniels bag, but they were legal and prescribed by Dan's doctor. The police officers apologised, helped Daniel to fill his bag, and the toddled over to their positions. The next obstruction was a portable metal detector. Everyone was strolling through it, speculating at what caused this annoying chaos. Dan strolled through it, just as everyone had, and then boarded the train. He got on the train, and stared down the aisle. He glimpsed the door to the first class lounge, and wandered down towards it. The first class lounge was spacious and well ventilated. The buffet counter was in the next carriage to the first class and smelt of common aromas such as pie and chips. The carriage had a slight stench of chip fat and an eerie glimmer of flickering light shed out of the broken bar light. Stepping back into the first class lounge, he looked at his ticket and observed the seat number 321. Daniel walked down the first class lounge, selected his seat and sat on it. He was tired and immediately fell asleep, never to wake again. The train was derailed and no one knows why. The press speculate about why the train was derailed and why there were armed guards at the station. The police won't let on either.

Purpose of the Education System Essay

The question posed is â€Å"What should the education system be?† This question cannot be answered specifically because the education system means something different to everyone. The education system is, to an extent, what it should be, which is an institution devoted to the development of the intellect. American education should however, be more than rote instruction of mandated materials. Our children should be taught more life skills along with science and math. Children sit in rows, facing straight, not talking. They select and use educational materials in unison, and watch the teacher write on the board. The droning sound of the teacher’s voice attempts to fill their minds with knowledge. It sounds militaristic because it is. Students remember more of what they are taught if the material is presented in a less formal, more enjoyable atmosphere. School administrators and state agencies set forth guidelines from which teachers must not deviate. The problem is, these administrators are removed from the classroom and tend to forget that children have changing needs. Today’s teachers learn more progressive teaching methods such as portfolio assessment vs. testing, and sitting in groups instead of rows. There are few administrators willing to incorporate these changes into their schools. Education management needs to allow teachers the flexibility to teach their students using whatever methods actually work. There is no reason why children should not look forward to school. For the most part, our education system is devoted to teaching students. There is great concern that students should be prepared to move on to higher stages of education. Tests are given periodically to gauge students’ progress. There is much discussion how improving education and better preparing students for the world. Students do learn, and many excel, but school is still viewed as drudgery by most students. If our education system is to prepare children for the world educators need to look more closely at curriculum. Art, philosophy, history, math, English  and science are all important subjects. They teach us about the world around us and how things work. The social setting of the educational facilities also compels students to learn about society and what is acceptable behavior. However, are we properly preparing our students for the world? Are we teaching life skills like personal finance and relationship dynamics? Can we lower the rate of divorce or the number of poverty-stricken retirees by educating students in these areas? Our education system needs to incorporate fundamental life skills into the curriculum. The focus on education should not stop at the goal to create an intelligent adult. The education system must also attempt to create a responsible citizen, an asset to the community. The American education system is not entirely broken. There are many positive things happening. Progressive teaching methods are being employed and the student is being recognized as more of an individual. America cannot stop here. We need to ask ourselves if the moral fabric of our country can be improved through education. The education system plays a larger role in our lives than any other one thing. The system needs to use this influence to improve society as a whole and people as individuals.

Write an theoretical analysis on your Diagnostic essay using your

Write an theoretical analysis on your Diagnostic using your summary on Ways of Reading - Essay Example One of the important lessons that I acquired in the process of reading is that it is generally an active process (Bartholomae and Anthony 24). Reading usually entails the search of information by way of communication with the author. The book provides valuable tips and strategies that can help students struggling with English on ways of improving their reading and writing skills. As an active process good reading practices demands that students attempt to get deeper into the thinking of the author by responding to some of the claims made in the book or providing their feelings on the same. Such a way of reading is important in the sense that it helps the student to understand the deeper meanings of the text. The method also helps the students acquire new vocabularies and ideas in ways that are easy to recall. Another important benefit of applying the strategy of active reading is that the student manages to improve his writing skills by observing the new ways and creative manner in which the author develops his writing skills. After reading different books, I have learnt to identify the beauty of words by observing the creative ways in which they have been used. I now know that both reading and writing are arts that can be acquired, developed or lost depending on the way in which students engage in them. Before I read Ways of Reading, I had many problems with grammar and sentence structures. I used to write very long sentences that had a lot of grammatical and punctuation mistakes. After reading the book, I have learnt to observe the rules of sentences and punctuation in different texts, which have helped me to sharpen my own skills in the process. Another important point that is made in the book is that good writers are always good readers. It is not easy for a person to develop good writing skills if he or she does not enjoy reading. The way of reading must be involving on the part of the

Argumentative Synthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Argumentative Synthesis - Essay Example The income inequality has widened tremendously, dependency ratio has increased, and access to basic needs are becoming an issue for quite a number of people from the lower class. On the other hand, America stills remains the world’s superpower boasting of the largest economy, unparalleled democracy and prosperity of its citizens. Considering America is experiencing an equal share of troubles on one hand and prosperity on the other hand, is America actually living the American dream? The idea of the living the American dream is a fallacy considering the ever-widening income gap between the rich and the poor, the burgeoning budget deficit, and the increasingly over-dependent youthful population. Unfortunately, the present situation in America have left so many questioning if at all these dream is still valid. Cal Thomas, a panellist at Fox News Watch, argues that unless radical changes are made, the American Dream is long over. Thomas supports Bob Herbert, a columnist at New York Times, who writes that the sad state of the economy, jobs, budget deficits, and constant war fares are all a pointer of the fact that there is nothing much left of the American Dream. The fundamental argument expressed by Thomas is that the American government has become so dysfunctional creating an over-dependency and cant-do attitude among its citizens. This behaviour does not reflect the American Dream at all. The same sentiments are echoed by Robert Frank, an economic columnist of the New York Times, who feels that it is impossible to live this dream with such a widening income inequality. Brandon King holds however holds a contrary view. He claims that the ideal and values of the American Drea m are still alive based on America’s ability to come out of hardships such as the Great Depression. Certainly, there exists a very thin line between defining success and failure in American dream. As Thomas sees it there are far more problem in

Writing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing assignment - Essay Example The interviewer was inquiring as to the trouble of instituting democracy in the Middle East and in so doing referred to a traditional concept that the individuals there are simply not capable of democratic order. In refuting this notion, Michael Scheuer remarks that the issue is not a sort of innate resistance to democracy, but instead the long ingrained combination of church and state in the region that makes instituting democracy a highly challenging process. Scheuer indicates that when the West points to its own prosperous ways and the democractic political process that they were brought about through, the Middle Eastern people still believe that this form of government is man-made and has turned its back on God. Scheuer goes as far as to argue that the least exportable thing the United States has is its democracy. The remark underlines one of the critical areas of difference between the United States and Middle Eastern states. Namely this difference is a core value system, with t he West pursuing a socially constructed sense of profit and equity, and the Middle Eastern clinging to an ancient religious order. Within this spectrum of thought, one begins to question the sociological elements that have led to the Middle East retaining their religious affiliations, while the United States has adopted a more profit-centered existence.

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Response - Essay Example Ameirca also has a long tradition of exporting to other countries, and so there are opportunities for manufacturing to bring large returns through domestic and export marketing. In the next decade there will be increasing competition from countries like India and China, where wages are considerably cheaper and education standards are catching up fast to those of America, and even in some cases such as maths education, exceeding them. The stakeholders for Standard Motors include the owners, the workforce, the large and small customers, and the communities in which their factories are located. The owners are keen to make profits consistently, so that they can continue investing in the plant but workers want higher wages, and so there is a conflict of interests there. Standard Motor Products prospers when people cannot afford new cars. A similar counter-cyclical business may be local tourism such as hotels selling weekend breaks, since many Americans may stay at home and have short breaks instead of travelling abroad for longer vacations. The article seemed fairly accurate, but it may give an over-optimitistic picture of America’s performance globally. I think there is more of a threat from Brazil, China and India, for example, than is visible right now, and it will become apparent very soon. I expect that the entertainments electronics industry (laptops, ipods, mobile phones etc.) will be even more competitive than it is now, and there may be increasing shortages in key raw materials that go into making these products, like some heavy metals and some elements that are common at the present time, but will be running short in 2020, such as copper, for example. This will mean that recycling will be a bigger part of production, and I expect that manufacturing plants will have built in recycling facilities located right next to their new production facilities. This may provide some jobs for low skilled human staff, in collecting and delivering the products to be

Frank Parsons, the Father of Vocational Guidance Essay

Frank Parsons, the Father of Vocational Guidance - Essay Example Instead of the normal three years required to complete this degree, he did it in just one year. He passed the bar exams in the year 1881. This great effort severely damaged his health, leading to his relocation to New Mexico for renewal. Parsons got into practicing law in Boston. However, he found this not satisfying. He joined a publishing firm where he assisted in preparing textbooks of law. He formulated a philosophy that resulted to impeccable outpouring of writing works as well as other community activities. He then developed a liking for reading and making contacts with people. This had great effect on his career later. He lectured on English literature for a long time the YMCA in Boston. He later had his lectures published under the title, "The World's Best Books" in the year 1889. He became a lecturer at Boston University between the years 1892 and 1905. In his work published in the year 1894 and titled "Our Country's Need", Parsons made a formulation of his views of mutualism. He made an attempt to integrate socialism with individual liberty. He was under great influence by Herbert Spencer and Edward Bellamy from England and the United States respectively. Another notable influence on Parson was "Christian socialism." Parson's aim was to come up with ways to control essential firms like the railroad as well as the telegraph but at the same time honoring the private sector and personal initiatives. He made a good combination of conservatism and radicalism. Most of Parsons' great works confirmed him as a competent social critic. They include "Rational Money", published in the year 1899 and "Direct Legislation", published in the year 1900. Others are "Telegraphic Monopoly" and "Cities for the People" that were both published in the year 1899. Between the years 1897 and 1899, he served as a professor at Kansas Sate Agricultural College but still maintained his connections at Boston. During this period, he became extremely radical due to the Populists' Party greatly succeeding in Kansas. This administrational change led to his sacking together with his associates. This led to their founding of the Ruskins College of Social Sciences. He took up the position of a professor as well as the dean. However, the undertaking did not succeed, leading to his return to Boston. While in Boston, Parsons became seriously involved in various reform causes, traveling across the country and beyond. For instance, he persuaded the owners of Filenes Departmental Stores in Boston to add cooperative principles to their human resources policy. He also took part in the construction of the Civic Service Home. This home was to settle the immigrant groups. He assisted in organizing the Breadwinner's Institute, offering a diploma education to the less fortunate in the society. Parson's writings such as "The Trusts", "Stories of New Zealand", "Railroads", "Heart of the Railroad Problem" and "The People", together with his many articles made him a respected voice progressivism. This however played a big role towards his death on 26th September 1908. "Choosing a Vocation" was published in 1909. This was the first such writing in the career guidance. "Legal Doctrines" and "Social Progresses" followed in the year 1911. Frank Parsons is widely referred to as the "Father of Vocational Guidance." Despite being trained as an engineer, he authored many books on the social-reform movement. He also wrote on