Creative Writing Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing Essay He didn’t look anything like I’d expected. That was when I realised something was wrong. Bad thoughts were rushing through my head at a million miles an hour. I could hear and see nothing for miles except for his dark outline. Confusion and worry was all I could think and I could feel myself shaking. The footsteps were getting louder so I slowly backed away, trying not to make it obvious. Why had I agreed to this, it had been spur of the moment when I’d been upset over that stupid boy from math class. I should have known better than to be so stupid. Then he realised what was happening ‘Sweetie it’s fine. Don’t move I’ll look after you.’ his voice was deep but somehow reassuring. For a second it calmed me down. He sounded so nice, had I jumped to conclusions? Maybe he was just worried about the age gap. I started to walk towards him and he got a beer out of his bag. ‘Have some of this darling.’ He offered it to me but that was one thing I knew to reject. I wasn’t going to be even stupider and drink alcohol in this situation. He turned towards the car and signaled for me to follow. Slowly I trailed behind with my feet scuffling along the floor as I considered my options. I was scared but I didn’t want to believe he would be horrible after how well we had got on before we had met. So I followed him along the path towards what I supposed was his car at the end of the street. I felt in my pocket, my phone was there safely, it would all be fine. I can look after myself I remember thinking. If only I had known. When I reached the car we both got in, with not a word uttered from either of us. He started the car and I plucked up the courage to ask where we were going. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know’ he laughed. He revved the car and off we went through the streets. My heart started to beat faster and faster, it was out of control. I started to shake. My conscience kicked in. Stop Amber, Take control. ‘Please I don’t think this is a good idea, I want to go home’ I stuttered quietly. He laughed in my face. ‘Please, Please.’ I shouted louder but he wasn’t listening. We carried on driving. I noticed where we were driving to; it was towards the abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. I was angry with myself especially for agreeing to meet in the middle of no where, that should have been the first sign of something not being right. Who would have wanted to meet there unless they weren’t who they said they were. What shall I do? How do I get out of here? So many thoughts were swirling round my head. Then the car stopped. He started to get closer, his hand was moving down my thigh and his face was getting closer and closer to mine. I tried to move away but I could feel his warm breath on my face. He had his hand clenched tightly onto my arm so I couldn’t move. I kicked and he grabbed me even harder. I could feel his sweaty hand moving up my skirt and under my tights. I couldn’t talk, I was frozen with fear. Then I don’t know what came over me but suddenly I wasn’t scared anymore. I spat as hard as I could in his face. His shock made him pull back, this was my chance to get out. I hit him as hard as my arms would let me, moved back and then kicked him in the face. I saw his hand move towards the lock button on the car. As quick as I could I pushed the door open and fell to the street floor. Grabbing my bag I got up and ran as fast as my legs could go. I could hear shouting and screaming from behind but I daren’t look back. He was running after me, I could hear his feet pounding against the street floor. I felt a hand grab my shoulder and push me against the floor. ‘I think she’s waking up’ I heard people whispering around me. Slowly I opened my eyes and above me I could see what seemed to be a doctor and a man dressed in a suit. ‘Amber, are you okay? Do you remember what happened the other day?’ The other day? Last thing I remember was lying on the street floor looking into those dark brown eyes. Then I looked to the side and I could faintly make out the body of a man asleep on a bed next to me. As they saw me look over they started to draw the curtain around him but not before I saw them. Handcuffs locking him to the bed. It was him.

An Overview of Euripides’ Electra :: Euripides Electra Essays

An Overview of Electra Euripides' play Electra, produced in 415 b.c.e., starts with a peasant recounting past events: Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon and took the throne of Mycenae. Agamemnon's son Orestes escaped and has been raised in Phocis. Daughter Electra, when marriageable, was forced to wed this peasant instead of any noble, whereby Aegisthus' rule might be endangered. The marriage has not been consummated. "If any man thinks me a fool, for harbouring / A young girl in my house and never touching her, / He measures what's right by the wretched standard of / His own mind" (107). Electra doesn't mind toiling so long as she can grouse about her mother. Orestes and his friend Pylades arrive. Orestes has been sent by Apollo's oracle to avenge his father's murder. He and Electra, who doesn't recognize him, exchange stories, Electra revealing that Aegisthus "when he's drunk, so people say, / Jumps on the grave, or flings stones at my father's name / Inscribed there" (116) and acts paranoid about Orestes. With the help of an old one-time servant to Agamemnon and a convenient scar, Orestes identity is revealed to Electra. The siblings conspire. Orestes pretends to join Aegisthus in an animal sacrifice but murders the usurper and wins over the king's guards to his side. He parades the severed head to Electra, who is elated but not sated. Orestes balks at the idea of killing Clytemnestra, their mother. Electra sends word that she has given birth. Clytemnestra visits and does a rather convincing job of explaining her side to all the famous events, particularly her wrath at Agamemnon for tricking their daughter Iphigenia to her sacrificial death before the Trojan War. She was also less than pleased that Agamemnon brought back Cassandra as his new slave toy. The Chorus is characteristically idiotic: "Your words are just; yet in your 'justice' there remains / Something repellent. A wife ought in all things to accept / Her husband's judgement, if she is wise. Those who will not / Admit this, fall outside my scope of argument" (141). Electra aligns Clytemnestra with her sister Helen. She accuses her mother of primping before the mi rror long before Agamemnon's crimes, obviously for someone else. And Electra claims Clytemnestra's rationalizations do not address the persecution of Orestes and herself. Clytemnestra accepts that Electra favors her father, but as to this business of the new baby?

New Age Music and Religion

New Age music was first introduced in 1964, when Tony Scott recorded â€Å"Music for Zen Meditation.† In the years that followed this impressionistic music became popular in California, but was not sold nationally until the 1980s. Windam Hill is the largest producer of New Age music, grossing some thirty million dollars in 1987, but many competitors have recently come into the market. There is a wide variety in style of New Age music, but very often it is dreamy music associated with nature. Typical would be that of Paul Winter who on his saxophone accompanies the sounds of humpback whales, timber wolves, and eagles – letting them â€Å"create† the melody. Other New Age music features the sounds of waterfalls, ocean waves, and crickets (Rhodes: 133).But despite the increasing support of many people to New Age music, its critics also have their own arguments about it. What is New Age music really about and what are the critics’ arguments about its associati on to religion? All of these and more are discussed as we go along the context.Reflection and AssessmentBecause it is much a decentralized movement, it is difficult to assess the impact of New Age. There is no doubt that it has already has a powerful influence on Western society, but its future is impossible to predict. Is it a passing fad that will be largely forgotten in decades to come, or is it a movement that has only just begun to gain momentum? In reference, Brooks Alexander writes in Christianity Today: â€Å"Is this just another diversion of New Age, or is it something more enduring?† There are many â€Å"faddish† characteristics of the movement, but fads have sometimes developed into time-honored traditions (Kemp:135).Indeed, there are many signs that New Age on the whole is gaining a powerful foothold in society that will not quickly pass away. This position is gaining credibility among secular scholars. According to Carl A. Raschke, a religion professor at the University of Denver and a student of the movement, New Age is â€Å"the most powerful social force in the country today† (Tucker: 351).New Age CriticsBy the early 1990s, there was a myriad of Christian critiques of New Age. New Age had replaced ’secular humanism’ as the enemy of traditional Christians. Other Christian anti-New Age works include Douglas Groothuis’ three-part series beginning with Unmasking the New Age (1986) and Walter Martin’s The New Age Cult (1989) (Kemp:135). Innocuous ‘New Age music’ is also condemned for encouraging people to reflect on religion and culture that is not explicitly Christian. John Newport, for example, insists that it is ‘†¦satanically inspired†¦ [and thus] theologically wrong in its roots and in the effects it hopes to achieve’ (Partridge: 255).The mainstream churches have tended to be less overtly hostile in their official responses to New Age than some of the smaller t he innovative approach to spirituality. However, their knowledge of New Age is often based on works by Evangelical or fundamentalist Christians and is strongly colored by them (Kemp: 135).New Age PerspectiveThere is a strong spiritual dimension to the New Age. It is not only interested in contemporary philosophies but in ancient wisdom, drawing in an eclectic way from Eastern and Western spiritual-religious traditions, with a contemporary blend of psychology and ecology and a profound interest in such things as metaphysics and sacred geometry. Some New Age movements foster a mystical approach. It can fit within the category of non religious spiritualities, and for some adherents it is like an alternative to religion. For others, New Age practices harmonize with their religious beliefs (Wilber: 348).The New Age is particularly concerned with lifestyle and health. It means a range of human needs from immediate wellbeing to a sense of connectedness with others and the world, and to mea ning in life. It also has a commercial dimension catering to consumer spirituality; some practices at the market end of the New Age can be regarded as part of the self-help industry (Tucker: 350).The literature on New Age highlights diversity and spirituality. While beyond our scope here, an appraisal of the spiritual scope of New Age remains an important part of any critical exploration of the contemporary spirituality that affects young people (Kemp: 134).The New Age is mainly an adult and young adult interest. Nevertheless, adolescents and children will be inquisitive about it when they encounter it in the culture. They may well try some practices as part of their experimentation in identity and spirituality. What is likely to appeal to young people is the fluid and non-institutional appearance of the New Age; it does not prescribe beliefs but is based on individuals piecing together their own spirituality to suit their needs and interests. Also attractive would be its existentia l and lifestyle focus, and its holistic notion of the integration of mind-body-spirit (Crawford and Rossiter: 223).Summary and ConclusionCertain critics may not agree with the music of New Age but it doesn’t deny the fact that a lot of people also patronize the music. Personally, I think New Age music soothes someone’s mood and relaxes a tired mind. Association to religion is optional and should not make other people get bothered about the idea. It’s just a matter of opinion, whether or not to accept New Age music or not.Works Cited:Crawford, Marisa, and Graham Rossiter. Reasons for Living: Education and Young People's Search for Meaning, Identity and Spirituality. A Handbook. Camberwell, Victoria: Aust Council for Ed Research, 2006.Kemp, Daren. New Age: A Guide : Alternative Spiritualities from Aquarian Conspiracy To. George Square, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2004.Partridge, Christopher H. The Re-Enchantment of the West: Alternative Spiritualities, Sacralization, Popular Culture, and Occulture. Vol. 2. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005.Rhodes, Ron. The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions: The Essential Guide to Their Doctrine, and Our Response. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001.Tucker, Ruth. Another Gospel: Alternative Religions and the New Age Movement. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1989.Wilber, Ken. Up from Eden: A Transpersonal View of Human Evolution. Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 1996.

Confirming Supreme Court Nominees

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly in February 2016, leaving President Barack Obama with a rare opportunity to nominate a third member of the nations highest court and dramatically swing the ideological balance to the left. Within hours of Scalias death, though, a partisan fight erupted over whether Obama should choose Scalias replacement or leave the choice to the president being elected in 2016. Senate Republican leaders vowed to stall or block an Obama nominee. The political battle raised an interesting question: How long does it actually take the Senate to confirm a presidents Supreme Court nominee? And would there be enough time in the last year of Obamas second and final term to push a nominee through the often nasty confirmation process? Scalia was found dead on Feb. 13, 2016. There were 342 days remaining in Obamas term. Here are three things to know about how long it takes to confirm Supreme Court nominees. It Takes An Average of 25 Days An analysis of Senate action on Supreme Court nominees since 1900 found that it takes less than a month for the candidate to be either confirmed or rejected or in some cases to withdraw from consideration altogether. Current Court Members Were Confirmed in 2 Months The eight members of the Supreme Court at the time of Scalias death were confirmed in an average of 68 days, an analysis of government records found. Heres a look at how many days the Senate took to confirm members of those eight Supreme Court justices, from shortest duration to longest: John G. Roberts Jr.: 19 days. He was nominated by President George W. Bush on Sept. 6, 2005, and confirmed on Sept. 25 by a vote of 78 to 22.Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 50 days. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on June 14, 1993, and confirmed on Aug. 3, 1993, by a vote of 96 to 3.Anthony M. Kennedy: 65 days. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on Nov. 30, 1987, and confirmed on Feb 3, 1988, by a vote of 97 to 0.Sonia Sotomayor: 66 days. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on June 1, 2009, and was confirmed on August 6, 2009, by a vote of 68 to 31.Stephen G. Breyer: 74 days. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on May 17, 1994, and confirmed on July 29, 1994, by a vote of 87 to 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Samuel Anthony Alito Jr: 82 days. He was nominated by President George W. Bush on Nov. 10, 2005, and confirmed on Jan. 31, 2006, by a vote of 58 to 42.Elena Kagan: 87 days. She was nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, and confirmed on August 5, 2010, by a vote of 63-37.Cla rence Thomas: 99 days. He was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on July 8, 1991, and confirmed on Oct. 15, 1991, by a vote of 52 to 48. The Longest Confirmation Ever Took 125 Days The longest the U.S. Senate has ever take to confirm a Supreme Court nominee was 125 days, or more than four months, according to government records. The nominee was Louis Brandeis, the first Jew to ever be chosen for a seat on the high court. President Woodrow Wilson tapped Brandeis on Jan. 28, 1916, and the Senate didnt vote until June 1 of that year. Brandeis, who entered Harvard Law School without earning a traditional college degree beforehand, faced allegations of holding political views that were too radical. His most vocal critics included former presidents of the American Bar Association and former President William Howard Taft. He is not a fit person to be a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Bar Association presidents wrote. The second-longest confirmation battle ended with the rejection of the nominee, Reagan pick Robert Bork, after 114 days, Senate records show. Last Election-Year Nominee Was Confirmed in 2 Months Funny things happen in presidential election years, however. Lame-duck presidents get very little done and are often powerless. That being said, the last time a president pushed for confirmation of a Supreme Court justice during a presidential election year was in 1988, for Reagans choice of Kennedy for the court. The Senate, controlled by Democrats at the time, took 65 days to confirm the Republican presidents nominee. And it did so unanimously, 97 to 0.