What Should High School Students Do After School

What Should High School Students Do After School SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips High school studentshave a lot of options for what they can do once the school day ends: they can study, do homework, participate in a sport, watch TV, work at a job, play video games, attend a club meeting and more.Some of these activities are more useful and productive than others, and spending your time after school wisely can help you become better prepared for college and the rest of your future. Whether you're a student or a parent, read on to learn about the benefits afterschool activities can have and which are the best ones for high schools students to participate in. Benefits of Afterschool Activities Afterschool activities refer to any organized program that students participate in once the school day has finished. While after school activities vary widely, they can have many similar benefits. Below are some of the most common. Become a Better Student Students who participate in after school activities often perform better in class compared to those who don’t participate in them.A study conducted in 2011 showed that high school students who attend after school programs are less likely to drop out, have better attendance records, and have a more positive attitude towards school. They also often had an increase in their GPA and standardized test scores, so participating in an afterschool program can raise your grades! Improvements in grades were seen regardless of what type of afterschool program the student participated in, so you don't necessarily have to be in an academic afterschool activity to get this benefit, sports and clubs work just as well. Afterschool activities can also increase your chances of being accepted to college because you can include your participation in these activities on your college applications. Colleges love to see students who were involved in high school, and participating in an afterschool activity is a great way to show your interests and academic motivation. Learn New Skills Afterschool activities can also teach you new skills and hobbies or allow you to continue current activities you enjoy.These can be hobbies you do for your own personal interest, or you can also choose to participate in afterschool activities that give you skills that will be useful for college and future careers. For example, if you are interested in being a doctor, you can be a part of your school’s Science Olympiad team or volunteer at a hospital.Because there are so many afterschool activities available, there’s a good chance you can find one that matches your interests. Meet New People One of the most popular reasons to participate in after school activities is that they give you an opportunity to spend time with your friends as well as make new ones.Participating in the same activity as someone else often means you have a shared interest, such as volunteering or playing a sport, and that can make it easier to become friends because you already know you have something in common. Safety Afterschool activities can also increase student safety by giving you a supervised environment to be in after school. If your parents are worried about you being on your own before they come home from work, an afterschool activity can put their mind at ease while allowing you to participate in something you enjoy. Much like this crossing guard, afterschool activities can help keep students safe. Read on to learn about different types of afterschool activities you can participate in. Types of Afterschool Activities Below are five of the most common and productive ways for high school students to spend their time after school. I've includeda short description for each one, along with any particular benefits it offers and some common examples. Traditional Afterschool Programs Afterschool programs were originally designed as a way for younger students to be supervised while their parents were at work, but with the benefits of these programs becoming more apparent, they have expanded to cover high school students and include a variety of activities. Today, roughly 2 million high school students participate in afterschool programs in the US. Some of these programs are less structured and simply offer a place for you to study or receive homework help, while others offer activities and sports you can participate in, similar to a school club or sports team.There are also many special interest afterschool programs available now, focusing on topics as varied as preparing for college, doing volunteer work, or learning a new language. Because these programs are so varied, they can have numerous benefits. Many provide tutoring and homework help that you can use if you are struggling in school or just need some help in a certain subject. These programs are often designed to encourage teamwork and group activities, so they can also be a great place to make friends.They also often have mentors who can teach you new things and give you advice when your parents are not around. Examples: Your high school may offer its own afterschool programs, or it may be affiliated with one or more national programs, such as those listed below: Boys and Girls Clubs of America Scouting (such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts) After-School All-Stars Future Business Leaders of America Sports Sports are a common afterschool activity for high school studentsto participate in. Many students enjoy being part of a team, feeling a sense of competition, and being active.These can be sports teams through your school, such as the school football or soccer team, or they can be club sports or community teams. Examples: Common high school sports include football, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, hockey, swimming, cross country, and tennis. Less common sports include karate, fencing, skiing, and horseback riding. Clubs Joining a club is a great way to gain a new interest or continue to pursue an interest or activity you already enjoy. There is a huge variety of clubs available, and your high school likely offers a large number of clubs to choose from.Besides giving you the opportunity to spend more time on a particular interest or hobby, joining a club can also give you leadership experience if you choose to organize a new event or become a club officer. Examples: There are clubs that cover nearly every interest, from writing club, to math team, to a painting group. Your school’s website or student handbook will likely have a list of all the available clubs; if not, ask your academic adviser about club offerings. If your school doesn't offer a club you're interested in, you can also start your own. Check out our guide to starting your own high school club! Job/Internship If you are looking for a way to earn money or gain experience to include on your resume and college applications, getting a job or an internship can be a great way to spend your time after school.Getting a part-time job as a high school student can help you gain new skills and become more responsible, as well as earn some spending money. Internships can be a great way to get experience more directly related to a future career you’d like to have, but be aware that it can be difficult for high school students to get an internship, and many of them are unpaid. Examples: Common jobs for high school studentsinclude babysitting, working at a grocery store, being a waiter/waitress, tutoring, and working as a sales associate. Many places now offer internships, from a large business to your local museum. To learn more, check out our guides on the 8best jobs for high school students and how to get an internship as a high school student. Volunteer Work If there is an issue that you care about or a group of people you’d like to help, then volunteering can be an excellent after school activity.Volunteering is a great way to spend time helping others or working on a cause you’re passionate about. Many organizations accept volunteers, so you are likely to find a volunteer opportunity that interests you. You can also use your volunteer work as experience on your resume and college applications, and it can be a good (albeit non-payed) alternative if you can’t find a job or internship that you find interesting. Examples: There are a wide variety of places where you can perform volunteer work or community service. Check out our guide on the 9 best places to do community service as well as 129 great community service project ideas. How to Get Involved Now that you know some of the best ways to spend your time after school, you can begin thinking about what activities you’d like to get involved in. Follow the steps below to help choose the best activities for you. 1. Think About Your Interests Afterschool activities are much more enjoyable when they’re focused on something you care about, so start by making a list of your interests. This can include your favorite classes, hobbies you enjoy, sports you’ve wanted to try, or what you plan on studying in college. If you need more ideas, check out our guide to the complete list of extracurricular activities, which includes hundreds of examples for you to look through. What do I like to do? 2.See What Your School Offers The next step is to see if your school offers any afterschool activities that align with your interests. Check your student handbook or the school’s website to see if they list the clubs, sports, and other activities they offer. If you need more help, ask your guidance counselor. You can also ask your friends if they are a part of any afterschool programs that they enjoy and would recommend. 3. Look for Other Activities in Your Community While participating in afterschool activities through your school is often easier because you don’t have to travel to get there and you likely know some people already, your community may also have great opportunities for you to spend your time after school, such as part-time jobs or volunteer work. Your adviser or your school’s career services may be able to help you find opportunities, but you can also ask around your community.Check job boards or your town hall, or you can also contact places where you’d like to work or volunteer directly. 4. Consider Logistics Before you join any afterschool activities, you should think about how much time you’ll be able to devote to them.Afterschool activities can be a great way to have fun and strengthen your college application, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of your academics. Think about how much time your afterschool activities will require and how much time you’ll have to devote to them. If you’re unsure about the time commitment for a certain activity, ask the coach or supervisor for an estimate.Don’t sign up for more activities than you have time forbecause doing sowill only cause you to feel stressed out and couldcause your grades to suffer as well. If you have trouble motivating yourself to study or complete your schoolwork, you may want to consider participating in an afterschool program that offers tutoring and academic guidance. Popular programs include the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and After-School All-Stars, or your school may offer its own program.These programs are great for anyone looking to improve their academics, and they can be particularly helpful for freshman who are just getting used to high school workloads. Bottom Line As a high school student, there are many ways you can spend your time after school, but some activities are more productive and beneficial than others. Look for activities that you will enjoy and that will give youuseful skills and experience in order to best prepare yourself for college and the future. What's Next? Interested in learning more about community service? Check out our guide on what community service is and how it can benefit you. Trying to decide if you should get a job? Read our guide to the pros and cons of getting a job as a teen. Want to find the perfect extracurricular for you?Check out our list of hundreds of extracurricular activities for high school students. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The American Military Failure in Vietnam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The American Military Failure in Vietnam - Essay Example The fact that the United States never had a real sense of purpose in this war, and the fact that the Vietnamese were able to bog down the American military, are the key reasons why the Vietnamese were victorious in this conflict. The conflict, of course, began when the French decided to release their colonial claims to Vietnam. The French army was driven from Vietnam in 1954, resulting in the Geneva Peace Accords. This created a temporary partition of Vietnam at the seventeenth parallel, until 1956, when nationwide elections would be held. While the Communist powers in the Soviet Union and China did want the entire nation of Vietnam to become Communist, they predicted that the 1956 election would accomplish their aims without bringing the United States into the conflict (The Wars for Vietnam: 1945 to 1975). Rather than initiate another conflict similar to Korea, the American government began a concerted effort to win the political minds of those living to the south of the Communist zone. A major part of this effort was the creation of SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization). Initially, the American efforts were successful: the 1956 elections brought Ngo Dinh Diem, a firm opponent of Communism, to power in South Vietnam (Kaiser, p. 36). However, Diem claimed that the North Vietnamese were preparing to take the southern half of Vietnam by force, and the Americans began aiding his military maneuvers against the northern half in 1957. Diem used a variety of brutal internal measures in South Vietnam to quell the Communist insurgency, including Law 10/59, which permitted authorities to hold anyone who was suspected of being a Communist indefinitely, without bringing charges (Kaiser, p. 41). Over time, Diem became increasingly autocratic, which made him an increasingly difficult leader for the United States to support. In response, the Communist insurgency began to increase the amount of violence in its protests (The Wars for Vietnam: 1945 to 1975). The National Liberation Front was the official organization for those in South Vietnam who wanted to overthrow Diem's government. Created on December 20, 1960, the NLF had only one requirement for membership: applicants had to be opposed to Diem's rule. While the American government scorned the NLF as a mere puppet of the North Vietnamese Communist government, giving it the slur "Viet Cong," there are many who were inside and outside the NLF who claimed that the majority of its members were not Communists - thus showing how unpopular Diem had actually become (Kaiser, p. 44). President Kennedy's policy toward Diem was neither full assistance nor full rejection: the United States supplied advisers and equipment to the South Vietnamese government, but did not commit a large-scale complement of troops to assist Diem's military in its conflict against the NLF (The Wars for Vietnam: 1945 to 1975). This level of assistance was not sufficient to keep the South Vietnamese government stable. After Diem's brother led raids on the Buddhist pagodas throughout the country, claiming that the priests were harboring Communists, there were protests throughout the c

Marketing Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Marketing Strategy - Assignment Example The paper also have a critical evaluation of the Apple’s competitive edge and demonstrate how effectiveness using its competitive performance evaluation. Lastly, the paper set a marketing objective for the organization to maximize the brand awareness, growth in sales profitability/volume and increase market share. Apple Inc is a global company that gets based in America and its headquarters, Apple California, gets located in California, United States. Apple got established in 1976 by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs and got incorporated in January 1977. Apple designs and sells customers electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The Macintosh personal computer range, iPhone, iPod, and the iPad are some of the best-known products of Apple (Steven, 2002). Some of the software products that get sold by Apple comprise Final Cut Studio that is a video and music production suite, Aperture that is Professional photography software. In addition, Mac Os X operating system, iTunes media browser and Logic Studio that is a music production suite. By May 2012, the company indicated that it has over 300 stores that are located in over ten countries adding the online store. Banton (2011) describes the company as been one of the largest technological firms globally as far as world/s traded companies by market capitalization gets concerned. According to Banton (2011) some of the analysts have even proposed that the Apple Inc. Company has more cash compared to the United States government. Apple (2012) stated that it had over 60, 000 employees that get employed on a permanent basis along with 2800 temporally employees in the world. Regardless of the company success, it has received great critics in the way it treats its contractors and the impacts of the operations of the company in the environment. Among the heavy critics that Apple has received recently is that of Apple supplying workers in China leaving in unhealthy

Mission statements Essay Example for Free

Mission statements Essay A mission statement is basically a sentence saying what the company has to do. An aim is what every business need because they create a focus for the business to work towards, improvements and achievements. Objectives are important because they are more specific and help the business to achieve its aims. SMART targets are very important too because they mean: Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, and Timed. All businesses should have SMART targets because then they would know what exactly they are going for. Aims Objectives I am focusing on two types of companies; they are Sainsburys and Mirfield Free Grammar. The mission statement for Sainsburys is to be the consumers first choice for food, delivering products of outstanding quality and great service at a competitive cost through working faster, simpler and together. The main aims and objectives of Sainsburys are that they need to survive, this is the most important one because if they cant survive they wouldnt be getting any profit. The objective of this would be to get about 500 customers a day. Another aim for Sainsburys is to make profit, because then you can improve the business and youll have money to spend. The objective of this is to get about i 10,000 a month. Another aim for Sainsbury is that they should maximize sales because then they would get more profit. The objective would be to sell more products. The most important aim of all is to provide quality food for the customers because if they dont, theyll wouldnt get much profit because the customers would go somewhere else. Another very important aim would be building more stores somewhere else because if they only have one store, some customers from further places might want to shop there but if its too far they might not come and might even go somewhere else. The mission statement of The Mirfield Free Grammar is the road to success is excellence. The main aims and objectives of the Mirfield Free Grammar are that they should provide a good service, the objective of this is to buy 100 more computers for the school. Another aim for Mirfield Free Grammar is that they should hire more staff, the objective of this is to hire staff with 6 GCSEs. The final aim is to beat the competition, Mirfield Free Grammar HAVE to beat Castle Hall. The similarity of Sainsbury and Mirfield Free Grammar are that public people can go both to these companies because they are both public. The differences between Sainsbury and Mirfield Free Grammar are that Sainsbury have customers and they make lots of profit but Mirfield Free Grammar has students and they dont make a profit. Another difference is that Sainsbury provides food etc but MFG provides a service. Sainsbury is a public limited company whilst MFG is a public sector company. And another difference is that Sainsbury need to survive by getting customers but MFG doesnt. think an effective supermarket should be able to provide a fast and easy service for the public and they should make sure that all their products are to the best, this could make the business meet its aims and objectives easier and better. Another good aim for Sainsbury is that they could improve their charitable donations in order to make more customers go there. I think an effective school should provide top service for all the students, qualified teachers, good facilities and the best effort of the school as possible. I think if MFG made the school bigger, it would also meet its aims and objectives more efficiently because more room means more students and teachers which also means that there would me more customers which is good for a school. In the outside world there are loads of different types of businesses e. g sole traders, partnership, limited companies and co-operatives etc Sainsbury is a public limited company, which means the public can buy shares via the stock market (the share price currently is 298. 50p). Sainsbury is a large business and lots of people work there. The shareholders own Sainsbury and it has a limited liability so the shareholders are not liable for all the debts but they only pay the amount they have invested. Sainsbury is better off being a public limited company because it can easily raise money by selling shares. It is also better off being a public limited company because it is bigger than private limited companies and they dont sell shares to the public where as public limited companies do. Public limited companies has a couple of advantages like; it is not owned by the government but by the shareholders, it gets lots of profit, lots of people work in that business so the work load is less and the business has a very good chance to survive because the shareholders pay some of the debts. It also has disadvantages like; low wages because there are lots of staff working there, long hours etc Mirfield Free Grammar is a public sector organization, which means it is controlled by the government. It does not sell shares and it doesnt have as much public sector business as private sector business. This type of ownership suits Mirfield Free Grammar because it is public and owned by the government. Mirfield Free Grammar has advantages like people dont have to pay to get in and it has a very good chance to survive because it is owned by the government. It also has disadvantages like getting no profit and not a lot of people would go there. The differences between Sainsburys ownership and MFGs ownership is that Sainsbury is a public limited company which means it can raise money by selling shares to the public whereas in the other hand MFG raise money by attracting students to come to their school. Another difference between these two is that Sainsbury is controlled by a board of directors who are elected whereas a board of governors control MFG. These governors are also elected by parents and teachers who do it on a voluntary basis. I think Mirfield Free Grammar would be better if it was a partnership because then there would be more people controlling the school which means it would run more efficient meeting its aims even better. I think if Sainsbury was a franchise, it would be a very good business because if people use Sainsburys brand name and run a business in a less populated area, the local would go their for their food instead of going into the main towns and cities. There are lots of aims for Sainsbury like to provide a charitable service and to expand the service to the community. The core business activity for Sainsbury is to sell food and groceries because these make the most profit for Sainsbury. The range of activities that Sainsbury carries out are to sell baby food, books, flowers, cds, toys, mobile phones, medicine, food, drinks, fruits, vegetables, cakes, chocolate, wine, gifts, electronics and a lot more. They also have their own bank as well. The main customers of Sainsburys are basically the public and their main competitors are Tesco, Asda, Morrisons etc The business activity of Sainsbury have changed a lot nowadays for example, they sell more products like CDs, gel, games, more electronic things etc they never used to sell these in the past. Now customers can even order their shopping over the Internet so it is a lot easier and they dont have to go there themselves.

Learning From Grandfather (Grandpa) Essays -- Personal Narrative Profi

Learning From Grandfather My brother and I are playing on the porch steps, and are being watched intently by my grandmother. She gently rocks on the old cream colored swing, which proclaims of its lack of oil with every movement of its chains. The green indoor-outdoor carpeting that covers the steps too shows its age, with concrete poking through the edges. It scratches my legs as I sit and build things with my legos, but I have gotten used to the feeling. Today isn’t too hot, but the cool breeze that blows through is a welcome change. That breeze rustles through the lone apple tree that stands in the center of the yard. To my young eyes the tree seems ancient, worth nothing more than the robins nest in its twisted old branches, the apples it manages to produce worm ridden and sour. But while the quality was low, the quantity was large enough that apples littered the ground. This was quite evident as my Dad moved the grass. The drone of the engine and blade would stop every few seconds as applesauce was made. The mower was an older model and hadn't a bag, so pieces of the apples could be fired a distance. To prevent this, my grandpap and Dad would rake up most of them, but a few were always missed. As Dad cut the grass, my Grandpap, dressed in his white tee shirt and blue pants as always, raked the grass into several neat piles. The scent of freshly mown grass and tart apple mingled with the ozone smell of the air. A wonderful scent, if only it were not interrupted with a bout of headache inducing exhaust from the mower. I, as the eldest child, had the honor of helping rake up the grass. Later in the day, when Dad had finished, the mounds would be transferred to a metal garbage can, and then taken down the all... ...I think my Dad agreed, but neither of us would tell Grandpap that. Although I was unafraid to leave the porch, my brother preferred to stay on the swing with grandma. My bravery didn’t last long, as Dad took the grass to the pile without my customary wheel barrow ride. As I hugged Grandpap and Grandma goodbye I asked him, â€Å"Why didn’t you just kill the snake?† He replied,† It has just as much right to live as the robins in the tree, Edward. The snake was just lost. It probably wouldn’t have hurt any of us. Once you kill something, you can’t change it. You’ve ended that thing forever.† Of the many things I learned from my Grandfather, none have stayed so clear in my mind as that one, the value of life. It was a great pity that I didn’t have long to learn from him, as he died a scant three years later, but the lessons that I did will stay with me forever.

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.

Why Vegans Dont Wear Silk

While its pretty clear to most people why vegans dont eat meat or wear fur, why they dont wear silk is less obvious. Silk fabric is made from the fiber thats spun by silkworms when they form the cocoons for their pupal stage prior to becoming moths. In order to harvest silk, many silkworms are killed. While some methods of silk production do not require the creatures to die, its still a form of animal exploitation. Since vegans do not use products they believe exploit animals, they do not use silk. How Is Silk Made? Mass-produced silk is made from domesticated silkworms,  Bombyx mori, that are raised on farms. These silkworms–the caterpillar stage of the silk moth–are fed mulberry leaves until they are ready to spin cocoons and enter the pupal stage. The silk is secreted as a liquid from two glands in the caterpillars head. While in the pupal stage, the cocoons are placed in boiling water, which kills the silkworms and begins the process of unraveling the cocoons in order to produce silk threads. Approximately 15 silkworms are killed to make a gram of silk thread, and 10,000 are killed to make a silk sari. If allowed to develop and live, the silkworms would turn into moths and chew their way out of the cocoons to escape. However, these chewed silk strands are much shorter and less valuable than the whole cocoons. Silk thread can also be produced by killing silkworms while they are in the caterpillar stage, just before they spin cocoons, and extracting the two silk glands. The glands can then be stretched into silk threads known as silkworm gut, which is used mainly to make fly fishing lures. Non-Violent Silk Production Silk can also be made without killing the caterpillars. Eri silk or peace silk is made from the cocoons of Samia ricini, a type of silkworm that spins a cocoon with a tiny opening in the end. After metamorphosizing into moths, they crawl out of the opening. This type of silk cannot be reeled in the same way as Bombyx mori silk. Instead, it is carded and spun like wool. Unfortunately, Eri silk represents a very small portion of the silk market. Another type of silk is Ahimsa silk, which is made from the cocoons of Bombyx mori moths after the moths chew their way out of their cocoons. Due to the broken strands, less of the silk is usable for textile production, so Ahimsa silk costs more than conventional silk. Ahimsa is the Hindu word for non-violence. Ahimsa silk, though popular with the followers of Jainism, also represents a very small portion of the silk market. Do Insects Suffer? Dropping silkworms into boiling water kills them, potentially causing them to suffer. While the insect nervous system differs from that of mammals, insects do transmit signals from stimuli that cause a response. Experts disagree over how much an insect can suffer or feel pain. Most, however, leave the door open to the question and believe it may be possible that insects feel something akin to what we would classify as pain. Even if you accept the premise that insects dont feel pain in the same way that humans or even other animals experience it, vegans believe that all creatures are deserving of humane treatment. While it may not technically hurt them, when a silkworm is dropped into boiling water, it dies—and death free of pain is still death. Why Vegans Dont Wear Silk Vegans try to avoid harming and exploiting animals, which means they do not use animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, fur, leather, wool–or silk. Since vegans consider all insects sentient, they believe these creatures have an animal right to a life free of suffering. Even the harvesting of Eri silk or Ahimsa silk is problematic because it involves the domestication, breeding, and exploitation of animals. Adult Bombyx mori silkmoths cannot fly because their bodies are too big compared to their wings, and adult males cannot eat because they have underdeveloped mouthparts. Similar to cows that have been bred for maximum meat or milk production, silkworms have been bred to maximize silk production, with no regard for the well-being of the animals. To vegans, the only possible ethical way to produce silk would be to collect cocoons from wild insects after the adult insects emerge from them and dont need them any longer. Another ethical way to wear silk would be to wear only second-hand silk, freegan silk, or old pieces of clothing that were purchased before one went vegan.