The Return: Midnight Chapter 39

Elena clutched the child to her. Damon had understood, even in his dazed and confused state. Everyone was connected. No one was alone. â€Å"And he asked something else. He asked if you would hold me, just like this – if I got sleepy.†Velvety dark eyes searched Elena's face. â€Å"Would you do that?† Elena tried to keep steady. â€Å"I'l hold you,†she promised. â€Å"And you won't let go ever?† â€Å"And I won't let go ever,†Elena told him, because he was a child, and there was no point in frightening him if he had no fear. And because maybe this part of Damon – this smal , innocent part – would have some kind of â€Å"forever.†She had heard that vampires didn't come back, didn't reincarnate the way humans did. The vampires in the top Dark Dimension were Still†alive† – adventurers or fortune-seekers, or condemned there as a prison by the Celestial Court. â€Å"I'l hold you,†Elena promised again. â€Å"Forever and ever.† Just then his smal body went into another spasm, and she saw tears on his dark eyelashes, and blood on his lip. But before she could say a word, he added, â€Å"I have more messages. I know them by heart. But† – his eyes begged her forgiveness – â€Å"I have to give them to the others.† What others? Elena thought at first, bewildered. Then she remembered. Stefan and Bonnie. There were other loved ones. â€Å"I can†¦tel them for you,†she said hesitantly, and he gave a tiny smile, his first, just the corner of one lip up. â€Å"He left me a little telepathy, too,†he said. â€Å"I kept it in case I had to cal to you.† Stillfiercely independent, Elena thought. Al she said was, â€Å"You go ahead, then.† â€Å"The first one is for my brother, Stefan.† â€Å"You can tel him in just a moment,†Elena said. She held on to the smal boy in Damon's soul, knowing that this was the last thing she had left to give him. She could sacrifice a few priceless seconds, so that Stefan and Bonnie could say their own good-byes. She made some sort of enormous adjustment to her real body – her body outside Damon's mind, and found herself opening her eyes, blinking and trying to focus. She saw Stefan's face, white and stricken. â€Å"Is he – ?† â€Å"No. But soon. He can hear telepathy, if you think clearly, as if you were speaking. He asked to talk to you.† â€Å"To me?†Stefan bent down slowly and put his cheek against his brother's. Elena shut her eyes again, guiding him down through the darkness to where one smal light was Stillshining. She felt Stefan's wonder as he saw her there, Stillholding the little dark-haired boy in her arms. Elena hadn't realized that through her link to the child, she would be able to hear every word spoken. Or that Damon's messages would come in the words of a child. The little boy said, â€Å"I guess you think I'm pretty stupid.† Stefan started. He'd never seen or heard the child-Damon before. â€Å"I could never think that,†he said slowly, marveling. â€Å"But it wasn't much like†¦ him, you know. Like†¦ me.† â€Å"I think,†Stefan said unsteadily, â€Å"that it's terribly sad – that I never real y knew either of you very well .† â€Å"Please don't be sad. That's what he told me to say. That you shouldn't be sad†¦or afraid. He said it's a little bit like going to sleep, and a little bit like flying.† â€Å"I'l †¦remember that. And – thank you – big brother.† â€Å"I think that's al . You know to watch over our girls†¦.†There was another of the terrible spasms that left the child breathless. Stefan spoke quickly. â€Å"Of course. I'l take care of everything. You fly.† Elena could feel the grief slash at Stefan's heart, but his voice was calm. â€Å"Fly away now, my brother. Fly away.† Elena felt something through the link – Bonnie touching Stefan's shoulder. He quickly got up so that she could lie down. Bonnie was almost hysterical with sobbing, but she had done a good thing, Elena saw. While Elena had been in her own little world with Damon, Bonnie had taken a dagger and cut off a long lock of Elena's hair. Then she had cut one of her own strawberry curls, and placed the locks – one wavy and golden, one curling and red-blond – on Damon's chest. It was al they could do on this flowerless world to honor him, to be with him forever. Elena could hear Bonnie, too, through her link with Damon, but at first al Bonnie could do was sob, â€Å"Damon, please! Oh, please! I didn't know – I never thought – that anyone would get hurt! You saved my life! And now – oh, please! I can't say good-bye!† She didn't understand, Elena thought, that she was talking to a very young child. But Damon had sent the child a message to repeat. â€Å"I'm supposed to tel you good-bye, though.†For the first time the child looked uneasy. â€Å"And – and I'm supposed to tel you ‘I'm sorry,'too. He thought you'd know what that meant and you'd forgive me. But†¦if you don't†¦I don't know what wil happen – oh!† Another of the hateful spasms went through the child. Elena held on to him hard, biting her own lip until the blood came; at the same time trying to shield the little boy completely from her own feelings. And deep in Damon's mind, she saw Bonnie's expression change, from tearful penance to astonished fear to careful control. As if Bonnie had grown up al in an instant. â€Å"Of course – of course I understand! And I forgive you – but you haven't done anything wrong. I'm such a sil y girl – I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We don't think you're a sil y girl,†the child said, looking vastly relieved. â€Å"But thank you for forgiving me. There's a special name I'm supposed to cal you, too – but I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ He sank back against Elena. â€Å"I guess – I'm†¦getting sleepy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Was it ‘redbird'?†Bonnie asked careful y, and the little boy's pale face lit up. â€Å"That was it. You knew already. You're al †¦so nice and so smart. Thank you†¦for making it easy†¦But can I say one more thing?† Elena was about to answer, when abruptly she was jarred completely out of Damon's mind and back into reality. The Tree had slammed down another spider's leg set of branches, trapping them and Damon's body between two circles of wooden bars. Elena had no plans. No idea how to get to the star bal that Damon had died for. Either the Tree was intel igent, or it was wired to have such efficient defenses that it might as well have been. They were lying on the evidence that many, many people had tried for that star bal – and left behind their bones ground to sand. Come to that, she thought, I wonder why it hasn't gone for us, too – especial y for Bonnie. She's been in, and then out, and back in again, which I should never have let her do except that we were al thinking about Damon. Why didn't it go for her again? Stefan was trying to be strong, trying to organize something out of this disaster that was so stunning that Elena herself simply sat. Bonnie was sobbing again, making heart-wrenching sounds. Between both circular sets of bars a wooden network was spreading – too close-knit for even Bonnie to squeeze through. Elena's group was efficiently separated from anything outside the sand pit, and just as efficiently separated from the star bal . â€Å"The axe!†Stefan cal ed to her. â€Å"Throw me – â€Å" But there was no time. A rootlet had curled around it and was swiftly dragging it into the upper branches. â€Å"Stefan, I'm sorry! I was too slow!† â€Å"It was too fast!†Stefan corrected. Elena held her breath, waiting for the last crash from above, the one that would kil them al . When it didn't come, she realized something. The Tree was not only intel igent, but sadistic. They were to be trapped here, away from their supplies, to die slowly of thirst and starvation, or to go mad watching the others die. The best that they could hope for was that Stefan would kil both Bonnie and her – but even he would never get out. These wooden branches would come crashing down again and again, as often as the Tree felt necessary, until Stefan's crushed bones joined the others that had been mil ed to fine sand. That was what did it, the thought of al of them, trapped with Damon, making a mockery of his death. The thing that had been swelling inside Elena for weeks now, at hearing the stories about children who ate their pets, at creatures who delighted in pain, had, with Damon's sacrifice, final y gotten so big that she could no longer contain it. â€Å"Stefan, Bonnie – don't touch the branches,†she gasped. â€Å"Make sure you're not touching any part of the branches.† â€Å"I'm not, love, and Bonnie isn't either. But why?† â€Å"I can't keep it in anymore! I have to stand like this – â€Å" â€Å"Elena, no! That spel – â€Å" Elena could no longer think. The hateful demi-light was driving her mad, reminding her of the pinpoint of green in Damon's pupils, the horrible green light of the Tree. She understood exactly about the Tree's sadism to her friends†¦and in the corner of her eye she could see a bit of black†¦like a rag dol . Except that it was no dol ; it was Damon. Damon with al of his wild and witty spirit broken. Damon†¦who must be gone from this and al worlds by now. His face was covered with her blood. There was nothing peaceful or dignified about him. There was nothing the Tree had not taken from him. Elena lost her mind. With a scream that peeled raw and bleeding from her backbone and came hoarsely out of her throat, Elena grabbed a branch of the Tree that had kil ed Damon, that had murdered her beloved, and that would murder her and these two others she loved as well. She had no thoughts. She wasn't capable of thinking. But instinctively she held a high bough of the Tree's cage and let the fury explode out of her, the fury of murdered love. Wings of Destruction. She felt the Wings arch behind her, like ebony lace and black pearls, and for a moment she felt like a deadly goddess, knowing that this planet would never harbor any life ever again. When the attack flared out, it turned the twilight al around her to matte black. What a fitting color. Damon wil like this, she thought in confusion, and then she remembered again, and it slammed blistering out of her again, the Power to destroy the Tree al over this smal world. It shattered her from the inside but she let it keep coming. No physical pain could compare with what was in her heart, with the pain of losing what she had lost. No physical pain could express how she felt. The huge roots in the ground underneath them were bucking as if there was an earthquake, and then – There was a deafening sound as the trunk of the Great Tree exploded straight upward like a rocket, disintegrating to fine ash as it went. The spider's-leg bars around them simply disappeared along with the canopy above. Something in Elena's mind noted that very far away the same destruction was going on, racing to turn branches and leaves into infinitesimal bits of matter that hung in the air like haze. â€Å"The star bal !†Bonnie cried in the eerie silence, anguished. â€Å"Vaporized!†Stefan caught Elena as she sank to her knees, her ethereal black wings fading. â€Å"But we'd never have gotten it anyway. That Tree had been protecting it for thousands of years! Al we'd have gotten would have been a slow death.† Elena had turned back to Damon. She had not been touching the stake that ran through him – in seconds it would be the only remnant of the Tree on this world. She could hardly dare hope that there was a spark of life left in him now, but the child had wanted to speak with her and she would make that possible or die trying. She scarcely felt Stefan's arms around her. Once again, she plunged into the very depths of Damon's mind. This time she knew exactly where to go. And there, by a miracle, he was, although obviously in hideous pain. Tears were rol ing down his cheeks and he was trying not to sob. His lips were bitten raw. Her Wings had not been able to destroy the wood inside him – it had already done its poisonous damage – and there was no way to reverse that. â€Å"Oh, no, oh God!†Elena caught the child in her arms. A teardrop fel on her hand. She rocked him, scarcely knowing what she was saying. â€Å"What can I do to help?† â€Å"You're here again,†he said, and in his voice, she heard the answer. This was al that he wanted. He was a very simple child. â€Å"I'l be here – always. Always. I'm never letting go.† This didn't have the effect that she wanted. The boy gasped, trying to smile, but was torn with a horrible spasm that almost arched his body out of her arms. And Elena realized that she was turning the inevitable into slow, excruciating torture. â€Å"I'l hold you,†she modified her words for him, â€Å"until you want me to let go. All right?† He nodded. His very voice was breathless with pain. â€Å"Could you – could you let me shut my eyes? Just†¦just for a moment?† Elena knew, as perhaps this child did not, what would happen if she stopped badgering him and let him sleep. But she couldn't stand to see him suffering any longer, and nothing was real again, and there was no one else in the world for her, and she didn't even care if doing it this way meant she would fol ow him into death. Careful y steadying her voice, she said, â€Å"Maybe†¦we can both shut our eyes. Not for a long time – no! But†¦just for a moment.† She kept rocking the smal body in her arms. She could Stillfeel a faint pulse of life†¦not a heartbeat, but Still, a pulsing. She knew that he hadn't shut his eyes yet; that he was Stillfighting the torture. For her. Not for anything else. For her sake only. Putting her lips close to his ear, she whispered, â€Å"Let's close our eyes together, All right? Let's close them†¦at the count of three. Is that All right?† There was such relief in his voice and such love. â€Å"Yes. Together. I'm ready. You can count now.† â€Å"One.†Nothing mattered except holding him and keeping herself steady. â€Å"Two. And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Elena?† She was startled. Had the child ever said her name before? â€Å"Yes, sweetheart?† â€Å"Elena†¦I†¦love you. Not just because of him. I love you too.† Elena had to hide her face in his hair. â€Å"I love you, too, little one. You've always known that, haven't you?† â€Å"Yes – always.† â€Å"Yes. You've always known that. And now†¦we'l close our eyes – for a moment. Three. â€Å" She waited until the last faint movement stopped, and his head fel back, and his eyes were shut and the shadow of suffering was gone. He looked, not peaceful, but simply gentle – and kind, and Elena could see in his face what an adult with Damon's features and that expression would look like. But now even the smal body was evaporating right out of Elena's arms. Oh, she was stupid. She'd forgotten to close her eyes with him. She was so dizzy, even though Stefan had stopped the bleeding from her neck. Closing her eyes†¦ maybe she would look as he had. Elena was so glad that he'd gone gently at the end. Maybe the darkness would be kind to her, too. Everything was quiet now. Time to put away her toys and draw the curtains. Time now to get in bed. One last embrace†¦and now her arms were empty. Nothing left to do, nothing left to fight. She'd done her best. And, at least, the child had not been frightened. Time to turn off the light now. Time to shut her own eyes. The darkness was very kind to her, and she went into it gently.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eleven

Elena stumbled down the dim corridor, trying to visualize what was around her. Then the world suddenly flickered to brightness and she found herself surrounded by familiar rows of lockers. Her relief was so great that she almost cried out. She'd never have thought she would be so glad just to see. She stood for a minute looking around gratefully. â€Å"Elena! What are you doing out here?† It was Meredith and Bonnie, hurrying down the hall toward her. â€Å"Where have you been?† she said fiercely. Meredith grimaced. â€Å"We couldn't find Shelby. And when we finally did find him, he was asleep. I'm serious,† she added at Elena's incredulous look. â€Å"Asleep. And then we couldn't get him to wake up. It wasn't until the lights went back on that he opened his eyes. Then we started back to you. But what are you doinghere ?† Elena hesitated. â€Å"I got tired of waiting,† she said as lightly as she could. â€Å"I think we've done enough work for one day, anyway.† â€Å"Now you tell us,† said Bonnie. Meredith said nothing, but she gave Elena a keen, searching look. Elena had the uncomfortable feeling that those dark eyes saw beneath the surface. All that weekend and throughout the following week, Elena worked on plans for the Haunted House. There was never enough time to be with Stefan, and that was frustrating, but even more frustrating was Stefan himself. She could sense his passion for her, but she could also sense that he was fighting it, still refusing to be completely alone with her. And in many ways he was just as much a mystery to her as he had been when she first saw him. He never spoke about his family or his life before coming to Fell's Church, and if she asked any questions he turned them aside. Once she had asked him if he missed Italy, if he was sorry he'd come here. And for an instant his eyes had lightened, the green sparkling like oak leaves reflected in a running stream. â€Å"How could I be sorry, whenyou are here?† he said, and kissed her in a way that put all inquiries out of her mind. In that moment, Elena had known what it was like to be completely happy. She'd felt his joy, too, and when he pulled back she had seen that his face was alight, as if the sun shone through it. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he'd whispered. The good times were like that. But he had kissed her less and less frequently of late, and she felt the distance between them widening. That Friday, she and Bonnie and Meredith decided to sleep over at the McCulloughs'. The sky was gray and threatening to drizzle as she and Meredith walked to Bonnie's house. It was unusually chilly for mid-October, and the trees lining the quiet street had already felt the nip of cold winds. The maples were a blaze of scarlet, while the ginkgoes were radiant yellow. Bonnie greeted them at the door with: â€Å"Everybody's gone! We'll have the whole house to ourselves until tomorrow afternoon, when my family gets back from Leesburg.† She beckoned them inside, grabbing for the overfed Pekingese that was trying to get out. â€Å"No, Yangtze, stay in. Yangtze, no, don't! No!† But it was too late. Yangtze had escaped and was dashing through the front yard up to the single birch tree, where he yapped shrilly up into the branches, rolls of fat on his back jiggling. â€Å"Oh, what's he afternow ?† said Bonnie, putting her hands over her ears. â€Å"It looks like a crow,† said Meredith. Elena stiffened. She took a few steps toward the tree, looking up into the golden leaves. And there it was. The same crow she had seen twice before. Perhaps three times before, she thought, remembering the dark shape winging up from the oak trees in the cemetery. As she looked at it she felt her stomach clench in fear and her hands grow cold. It was staring at her again with its bright black eye, an almost human stare. That eye†¦ where had she seen an eye like that before? Suddenly all three girls jumped back as the crow gave a harsh croak and thrashed its wings, bursting out of the tree toward them. At the last moment it swooped down instead on the little dog, which was now barking hysterically. It came within inches of canine teeth and then soared back up again, flying over the house to disappear into the black walnut trees beyond. The three girls stood frozen in astonishment. Then Bonnie and Meredith looked at each other, and the tension shattered in nervous laughter. â€Å"For a moment I thought he was coming for us,† said Bonnie, going over to the outraged Pekingese and dragging him, still barking, back into the house. â€Å"So did I,† said Elena quietly. And as she followed her friends inside, she did not join in the laughter. Once she and Meredith had put their things away, however, the evening fell into a familiar pattern. It was hard to keep hold of her uneasiness sitting in Bonnie's cluttered living room beside a roaring fire, with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. Soon the three of them were discussing the final plans for the Haunted House, and she relaxed. â€Å"We're in pretty good shape,† said Meredith at last. â€Å"Of course, we've spent so much time figuring out everyone else's costumes that we haven't even thought about our own.† â€Å"Mine's easy,† said Bonnie. â€Å"I'm going to be a druid priestess, and I only need a garland of oak leaves in my hair and some white robes. Mary and I can sew it in one night.† â€Å"I think I'll be a witch,† said Meredith thoughtfully. â€Å"All that takes is a long black dress. What about you, Elena?† Elena smiled. â€Å"Well, it was supposed to be a secret, but†¦ Aunt Judith let me go to a dressmaker. I found a picture of a Renaissance gown in one of the books I used for my oral report, and we're having it copied. It's Venetian silk, ice blue, and it's absolutely beautiful.† â€Å"It sounds beautiful,† Bonnie said. â€Å"And expensive.† â€Å"I'm using my own money from my parents' trust. I just hope Stefan likes it. It's a surprise for him, and†¦ well, I just hope he likes it.† â€Å"What's Stefan going to be? Is he helping with the Haunted House?† said Bonnie curiously. â€Å"I don't know,† Elena said after a moment. â€Å"He doesn't seem too thrilled with the whole Halloween thing.† â€Å"It's hard to see him all wrapped up in torn sheets and covered with fake blood like the other guys,† agreed Meredith. â€Å"He seems†¦ well, too dignified for that.† â€Å"I know!† said Bonnie. â€Å"I know exactly what he can be, and he'll hardly have to dress up at all. Look, he's foreign, he's sort of pale, he has that wonderful brooding look†¦ Put him in tails and you've got a perfect Count Dracula!† Elena smiled in spite of herself. â€Å"Well, I'll ask him,† she said. â€Å"Speaking of Stefan,† said Meredith, her dark eyes on Elena's, â€Å"how are things going?† Elena sighed, looking away into the fire. â€Å"I'm†¦ not sure,† she said at last, slowly. â€Å"There are times when everything is wonderful, and then there are other times when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith and Bonnie exchanged a glance, and then Meredith spoke gently. â€Å"Other times when what?† Elena hesitated, debating. Then she came to a decision. â€Å"Just a sec,† she said, and got up and hurried up the stairs. She came back down with a small blue velvet book in her hands. â€Å"I wrote some of it down last night when I couldn't sleep,† she said. â€Å"This says it better than I could now.† She found the page, took a deep breath, and began: â€Å"October 17 â€Å"Dear Diary, â€Å"I feel awful tonight. AndIhave to share it with someone . â€Å"Something is going wrong with Stefan and me. There is this terrible sadness inside him that I can't reach, and it's driving us apart. I don't know what to do. â€Å"I can't bear the thought of losing him. But he's so very unhappy about something, and if he won't tell me what it is, if he won't trust me that much, I don't see any hope for us. â€Å"Yesterday when he was holding me I felt something smooth and round underneath his shirt, something on a chain. I asked him, teasingly, if it was a gift from Caroline. And he just froze and wouldn't talk anymore. It was as if he were suddenly a thousand miles away, and his eyes†¦ there was so much pain in his eyes that I could hardly stand it.† Elena stopped reading and traced the last lines written in the journal silently with her eyes. I feel as if someone has hurt him terribly in the past and he's never got over it. But I also think there's something he's afraid of, some secret he's afraid I'll find out. If I only knew what that was, I could prove to him that he can trust me. That he can trust me no matter what happens, to the end . â€Å"If only I knew,† she whispered. â€Å"If only you knew what?† said Meredith, and Elena looked up, startled. â€Å"Oh-if only I knew what was going to happen,† she said quickly, closing the diary. â€Å"I mean, if I knew we were going to break up eventually, I suppose I'd just want to get it over with. And if I knew it was going to turn out all right in the end, I wouldn't mind anything that happens now. But just going day after day without being sure is awful.† Bonnie bit her lip, then sat up, eyes sparkling. â€Å"I can show you a way to find out, Elena,† she said. â€Å"My grandmother told me the way to find out who you're going to marry. It's called a dumb supper.† â€Å"Let me guess, an old druid trick,† said Meredith. â€Å"I don't know how old it is,† said Bonnie. â€Å"My grandmother says there have always been dumb suppers. Anyway, it works. My mother saw my father's image when she tried it, and a month later they were married. It's easy, Elena; and what have you got to lose?† Elena looked from Bonnie to Meredith. â€Å"I don't know,† she said. â€Å"But, look, you don't really believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie drew herself up with affronted dignity. â€Å"Are you calling my mother a liar? Oh, come on, Elena, there's no harm in trying. Why not?† â€Å"What would I have to do?† said Elena doubtfully. She felt strangely intrigued, but at the same time rather frightened. â€Å"It's simple. We have to get everything ready before the stroke of midnight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Five minutes before midnight, Elena stood in the McCulloughs' dining room, feeling more foolish than anything else. From the backyard, she could hear Yangtze's frantic barking, but inside the house there was no sound except the unhurried tick of the grandfather clock. Following Bonnie's instructions, she had set the big black walnut table with one plate, one glass, and one set of silverware, all the time not saying a word. Then she had lit a single candle in a candleholder in the center of the table, and positioned herself behind the chair with the place setting. According to Bonnie, on the stroke of midnight she was supposed to pull the chair back and invite her future husband in. At that point, the candle would blow out and she would see a ghostly figure in the chair. Earlier, she'd been a little uneasy about this, uncertain that she wanted to see any ghostly figures, even of her husband-to-be. But just now the whole thing seemed silly and harmless. As the clock began to chime, she straightened up and got a better grip on the chair back. Bonnie had told her not to let go until the ceremony was over. Oh, thiswas silly. Maybe she wouldn't say the words†¦ but when the clock started to toll out the hour, she heard herself speaking. â€Å"Come in,† she said self-consciously to the empty room, drawing out the chair. â€Å"Come in, come in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The candle went out. Elena started in the sudden darkness. She'd felt the wind, a cold gust that had blown out the candle. It came from the French doors behind her, and she turned quickly, one hand still on the chair. She would have sworn those doors were shut. Something moved in the darkness. Terror washed through Elena, sweeping away her self-consciousness and any trace of amusement. Oh, God, what had she done, what had she brought on herself? Her heart contracted and she felt as if she had been plunged, without warning, into her most dreadful nightmare. It was not only dark but utterly silent; there was nothing to see and nothing to hear, and she was falling†¦ â€Å"Allow me,† said a voice, and a bright flame sputtered in the darkness. For a terrible, sickening instant she thought it was Tyler, remembering his lighter in the ruined church on the hill. But as the candle on the table sprang to life, she saw the pale, long-fingered hand that held it. Not Tyler's beefy red fist. She thought for an instant it was Stefan's, and then her eyes lifted to the face. â€Å"You!† she said, astounded. â€Å"What do you think you're doing here?† She looked from him to the French doors, which were indeed open, showing the side lawn. â€Å"Do you always just walk into other people's houses uninvited?† â€Å"But you asked me to come in.† His voice was as she remembered it, quiet, ironical and amused. She remembered the smile, too. â€Å"Thank you,† he added, and gracefully sat down in the chair she had drawn out. She snatched her hand off the back. â€Å"I wasn't invitingyou ,† she said helplessly, caught between indignation and embarrassment. â€Å"What were you doing hanging around outside Bonnie's house?† He smiled. In the candlelight, his black hair shone almost like liquid, too soft and fine for human hair. His face was very pale, but at the same time utterly compelling. And his eyes caught her own and held them. † ‘Helen, thy beauty is to me/Like those Nicean barks of yore/That gently, over a perfumed sea†¦' † â€Å"I think you'd better leave now.† She didn't want him to talk anymore. His voice did strange things to her, made her feel oddly weak, started a melting in her stomach. â€Å"You shouldn't be here. Please.† She reached for the candle, meaning to take it and leave him, fighting off the dizziness that threatened to overcome her. But before she could grasp it, he did something extraordinary. He caught her reaching hand, not roughly but gently, and held it in his cool slender fingers. Then he turned her hand over, bent his dark head, and kissed her palm. â€Å"Don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  whispered Elena, stunned. â€Å"Come with me,† he said, and looked up into her eyes. â€Å"Please don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered again, the world swimming around her. He was mad; what was he talking about? Come with him where? But she felt so dizzy, so faint. He was standing, supporting her. She leaned against him, felt those cool fingers on the first button of the shirt at her throat, â€Å"Please, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's all right. You'll see.† He pulled the shirt away from her neck, his other hand behind her head. â€Å"No.† Suddenly, strength returned to her, and she jerked away from him, stumbling against the chair. â€Å"I told you to leave, and I meant it. Get out-now!† For an instant, pure fury surged in his eyes, a dark wave of menace. Then they went calm and cold and he smiled, a swift, brilliant smile that he turned off again instantly. â€Å"I'll leave,† he said. â€Å"For the moment.† She shook her head and watched him go out the French doors without speaking. When they had shut behind him, she stood in the silence, trying to get her breath. The silence†¦ but it shouldn't be silent. She turned toward the grandfather clock in bewilderment and saw that it had stopped. But before she could examine it closely, she heard Meredith's and Bonnie's raised voices. She hurried out into the hall, feeling the unaccustomed weakness in her legs, pulling her shirt back up and buttoning it. The back door was open, and she could see two figures outside, stooping over something on the lawn. â€Å"Bonnie? Meredith? What's wrong?† Bonnie looked up as Elena reached them. Her eyes were filled with tears. â€Å"Oh, Elena, he's dead.† With a chill of horror, Elena stared down at the little bundle at Bonnie's feet. It was the Pekingese, lying very stiffly on his side, eyes open. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie,† she said. â€Å"He was old,† said Bonnie, â€Å"but I never expected him to go this quickly. Just a little while ago, he was barking.† â€Å"I think we'd better go inside,† said Meredith, and Elena looked up at her and nodded. Tonight was not a night to be out in the dark. It was not a night to invite things inside, either. She knew that now, although she still didn't understand what had happened. It was when they got back in the living room that she found her diary was missing. Stefan lifted his head from the velvet-soft neck of the doe. The woods were filled with night noises, and he couldn't be sure which had disturbed him. With the Power of his mind distracted, the deer roused from its trance. He felt muscles quiver as she tried to get her feet under her. Go, then, he thought, sitting back and releasing her entirely. With a twist and a heave, she was up and running. He'd had enough. Fastidious, he licked at the corners of his mouth, feeling his canine teeth retract and blunt, oversensitive as always after a prolonged feed. It was hard to know what enough was anymore. There had been no spells of dizziness since the one beside the church, but he lived in fear of their return. He lived in one specific fear: that he would come to his senses one day, his mind reeling with confusion, to find Elena's graceful body limp in his arms, her slim throat marked with two red wounds, her heart stilled forever. That was what he had to look forward to. The blood lust, with all its myriad terrors and pleasures, was a mystery to him even now. Although he had lived with it every day for centuries, he still did not understand it. As a living human, he would no doubt have been disgusted, sickened, by the thought of drinking the rich warm stuff directly from a breathing body. That is, if someone had proposed such a thing to him in so many words. But no words had been used that night, the night Katherine had changed him. Even after all these years, the memory was clear. He had been asleep when she appeared in his chamber, moving as softly as a vision or a ghost. He had been asleep, alone†¦ She was wearing a fine linen shift when she came to him. It was the night before the day she had named, the day when she would announce her choice. And she came to him. A white hand parted the curtains around his bed, and Stefan woke from sleep, sitting up in alarm. When he saw her, pale golden hair gleaming about her shoulders, blue eyes lost in shadow, he was struck silent with amazement. And with love. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He trembled and tried to speak, but she put two cool fingers over his lips. â€Å"Hush,† she whispered, and the bed sank under new weight as she got in. His face flamed, his heart was thundering with embarrassment and with excitement. There had never been a woman in his bed before. And this was Katherine, Katherine whose beauty seemed to come from heaven, Katherine whom he loved more than his own soul. And because he loved her, he made a great effort. As she slipped under the sheets, drawing so near to him that he could feel the cool freshness of night air in her thin shift, he managed to speak. â€Å"Katherine,† he whispered. â€Å"We-I can wait. Until we are married in the church. I will have my father arrange it next week. It-it will not be long†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hush,† she whispered again, and he felt that coolness on his skin. He couldn't help himself; he put his arms around her, holding her to him. â€Å"What we do now has nothing to do with that,† she said, and reached out her slim fingers to stroke his throat. He understood. And felt a flash of fear, which disappeared as her fingers went on stroking. He wanted this, wanted anything that would let him be with Katherine. â€Å"Lie back, my love,† she whispered. My love. The words sang through him as he lay back on the pillow, tilting his chin back so that his throat was exposed. His fear was gone, replaced by a happiness so great that he thought it would shatter him. He felt the soft brush of her hair on his chest, and tried to calm his breathing. He felt her breath on his throat, and then her lips. And then her teeth. There was a stinging pain, but he held himself still and made no sound, thinking only of Katherine, of how he wished to give to her. And almost at once the pain eased, and he felt the blood being drawn from his body. It was not terrible, as he had feared. It was a feeling of giving, of nurturing. Then it was as if their minds were merging, becoming one. He could feel Katherine's joy in drinking from him, her delight in taking the warm blood that gave her life. And he knew she could feel his delight in giving. But reality was receding, the boundaries between dreams and waking becoming blurred. He could not think clearly; he could not think at all. He could onlyfeel , and his feelings were spiraling up and up, carrying him higher and higher, breaking his last ties with earth. Sometime later, without knowing how he had gotten there, he found himself in her arms. She was cradling him like a mother holding an infant child, guiding his mouth to rest on the bare flesh just above the low neck of her night shift. There was a tiny wound there, a cut showing dark against the pale skin. He felt no fear or hesitation, and when she stroked his hair encouragingly, he began to suck. Cold and precise, Stefan brushed dirt off his knees. The human world was asleep, lost in stupor, but his own senses were knife-keen. He should have been sated, but he was hungry again; the memory had wakened his appetite. Nostrils flaring wide to catch the musky scent of fox, he began to hunt.

American Perception V.S Kite Runner Perception

S went thru the most tragic, life changing, mind conflicting event of all time. On September, 11, 2001 terrorist flew two plans into the Twin Towers in New York City. The terrorist attack on 9/11 devastated and ruined an enormous amount of American lives. Weather an American lost a friend, loved one, or relative, every American lost something valuable that day. Americans lost their right to feel safe: at work, at home, or at popular locations. The last time American safety was threatened was during World War II. U. S citizens are not use to war or violence happening in their country, unlike the Middle East. Americans do not reacted positively, when tragic situation happen. Their reaction to 9/11 changed the American perception of Afghanistan and Muslim culture. Americans lost all their trust for Muslims. That lack of trust between them created a whole new stereotype. Stereotype: A general statement or word, fit to describe a specific group of people. The American stereotype created to describe Muslims is anyone who is Muslim or from the Middle East was sent to America, to destroy their wealthy non dictated, country. National Geographic Channel says,† Afghans who fled their homeland for a new life in the United States are troubled to find themselves subject to suspicion and mistrust on the basis of their nationality and religion. † Based off of this information, Muslims are all being put into one pile, stereotypically. Afghanistan man who goes by the name of Fouzia Afshari says,† We are good people, we are civilized† who volunteers at Mustafa Center, an Afghan Perreault 2 Culture Academy near Washington D. C â€Å"We are not that type of Afghan people are thinking about right now. † Fouzia Afshari is a Muslim, obviously he is not a terrorist or out to get America, the controversy is the attackers were not American. By not being American, the terrorists allowed Americans to lose trust in a whole country of people. Muslim people will have to deal with the uncertainty of ever gaining American trust back or the American perception of Afghanistan should not be based off of what a handle full of Muslims did,but based on actual facts. Khaled Hosseini book The Kite Runner portrays Afghanistan realistically V. S the American Perception. (National Geographic news website) Clearly, the American Perception of Afghanistan is a little farfetched. The perception is not based on Afghanistan or Muslim culture, but based on what a hand full of Muslims did (AKA 9/11). The terrorist attack traumatized Americans, giving them a stereotypical perception. Typically, when a person thinks of war, immediately people think of other people being shot left and right, bombs exploding everywhere. Americans think that the terrorist attack was the Middle East declaring war on them. From that point on, Americans believed that the Afghans that were not fighting U. S troops off, were all sitting at a table brainstorming how their going to attack America next. Some Americans were so devastated that they will not go anywhere near Muslims or anyone from the Middle East because of their stereotypical perception. Muslims own about 75% of the gas station and covenant stores in the United States. Americans that will not associate with Muslims will go farther out of their way for gas. Americans think that Muslims do not like Americans because of the U. S troops in the Middle East and when an American goes to a Muslim gas station, their receiving less gas. Even in an unstable economy Americans still go out Perreault 3 of there way for gas, allowing Muslims to see that Americans truly view them all as terrorist. For Afghans and Muslims it is confusing for them to understand why the America perception is so ridiculous. The perception is not only based on 9/11, it is also has to do with Americans not being given the full picture of the war in Afghanistan. The media diffidently confuses Americans. Josh Meyer stated in his article Gap between the U. S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits † While Americans are given one media report after another about how Afghanistan is filled with exploding bombs, attacking hordes of the Taliban and a lawlessness that pervades every corner of the war torn nation, the real story is a more nuanced one. † Americans are given exaggerated reports on what’s happening in Afghanistan. The media is 100% to blame for the skewed version of the Afghanistan war Americans have. Based on that version of the war Americans make false actuation, which hurts the Afghanistan and Muslim population. (Josh Meyer) The American perception of Afghanistan upsets Muslims and makes it harder for their people to come to America. Muslims who are leaving Afghanistan are on America’s side. They are fleeing their own homeland and coming to start new in America because they do not agree with how their country is being ruined. Afghans come to America for the freedom that is taken from them in Afghanistan. Naweed an Afghan woman tells National Geographic channel â€Å"No art, no radio, no television, painting, drawing-nothing is allowed. Education for women is not allowed. Music is not allowed, they call it satanic. That’s why we are strongly working to keep our culture alive here in America. † Naweed is one of many who wants to feel at home. For Muslims America is their new homeland, but because of the American perception the majority of Perreault 4 afghans feel out of place. â€Å" I’m raising my kids here and I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong here. But, that’s what I feel here as an Afghan and a Muslim. † said Alina to the National Geographic Channel, adding: â€Å" I don’t want to lose another home. Afghans don’t want to come to America they rather live in their own country where feel at home, but they have no choice. Yet hope remains that Afghanistan will one day be in the hands of peace-loving Afghans and everyone will see the truth. (National Geographic Channel) Afghanistan was once a country where Afghans could be successful and wealthy. Th en the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and the Taliban was created, but took a turn for the worst and the U. S army went to help the people in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union was defeated the Civil War still continued. The Taliban was created to go in and unify the country. The Taliban comes form the word student- that’s what it means. The Taliban is made up of students that went to religious schools in Pakistan and former fighters, who use to fight in the war against the Soviet Union. The Taliban is what made Afghanistan a terraces place to live. After the Taliban brought peace to 80% of the country, they became power hunger and started to take away Afghanistan’s freedom. Even with the Taliban dictating Afghanistan, Josh Meyer, author of Gap between the U. S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits says, â€Å" Anyone in this room could go to Kabul now and have a fairly good time. There are restaurants and there are bars,† and the streets are not a shooting gallery with various factions trying to kill each other, while armed insurgents are also trying to U. S and coalition forces. â€Å" The Taliban Is not a very large insurgent group. † Josh Meyer is trying to inform Americans that Afghanistan is not Iraq, but it is still not a place where all Afghans can make a living. (Josh Meyer) Perreault 5 The Kite runner is the perfect example of how Afghanistan is not Iraq, but not a place where all afghans can make a living. Author Khaled Hosseini tells a story about Amir and Hassan these two Afghan boys who grew up together, but where separated by Amirs will to make his farther proud and the Soviet Union invading. Amir betrayed Hassan by watching him being raped by Asseft because Hassan was a Haraza. Guilt ate at Amir until he framed Hassan for steeling and Hassan and his father left in embarrassment. Shortly after Amir and BaBa ( Amirs farther) took a journey to America. Where Baba had to run a gas satiation and sell items he bought at a yard sale at the local flee market. Before Baba and Amir came to America they were wealthy. So wealthy that Hassan and his father were Baba servants. Afghanistan is not as poverty strict end as Americans thought it was. Amir and Baba did not come to America to destroy it, he came to America because Kabul was not safe and he hoped Amir could receives the best possible education in America. Baba and Amir were in America for two years. For those two years Baba would by a jar of fruit form the same people everyday with cash. One day Baba had no money, he wrote a check out instead. When the man asked for Id Baba exploded, â€Å"He wants to see my license? Almost two years we’ve bought his dam fruits and put money in his pocket and son of a dog wants to see my license. † Amir says, â€Å" They’re suppose to ask for Id† Baba says,† Dose he think I’m a thief? What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody. † Baba thought that the man working thought he was steeling when the man asked Baba for Id. Baba was offended. Years down the road Amir is told that Hassan died in Kabul. Hassan was shot in the back of the head because a Talian member thought him and his family where living in Amirs old house instead of in the hut outside made specifically for servants. Amir felt responsible because if he Perreault 6 and Baba would of stayed Hassan may still be alive. For Hassan he is an Afghan who should fled from Afghanistan. Amir and Baba could of stayed in Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini book portrayed Afghanistan well and realistically. (Khaled Hosseini) The American Perception of Afghanistan is not realistic or based on actual facts. The Kite Runner diffidently grasps and gives a better understanding of Afghanistan. Unfortunely, Afghans who come to America will have to deal with the mistrust Americans have towards them like Baba. The American Perception is not do to Americans not educating themselves. It is because of terrible media reports. Bergen the author of The Longest War: Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda says, â€Å" It is not being well communicated to the American public that the afghan war is nothing like the Iraq war, the media has to take responsibility for that. The differences between Afghanistan and Iraq couldn’t be more stark. † Bergen wants people to know that the media is portraying Afghanistan as a war torn place like Iraq, when they are both completely different. Afghanistan is not in as big of an up roar as the media made it. Instead of relying on the media to prove Americans with the proper information, Americans should educate themselves, stop listening to everything they hear. Also Americans should not rely on electronics and once in a while pick up a book or ask someone who is Muslim to explain what’s going on. (Bergen) American Perception V.S Kite Runner Perception S went thru the most tragic, life changing, mind conflicting event of all time. On September, 11, 2001 terrorist flew two plans into the Twin Towers in New York City. The terrorist attack on 9/11 devastated and ruined an enormous amount of American lives. Weather an American lost a friend, loved one, or relative, every American lost something valuable that day. Americans lost their right to feel safe: at work, at home, or at popular locations. The last time American safety was threatened was during World War II. U. S citizens are not use to war or violence happening in their country, unlike the Middle East. Americans do not reacted positively, when tragic situation happen. Their reaction to 9/11 changed the American perception of Afghanistan and Muslim culture. Americans lost all their trust for Muslims. That lack of trust between them created a whole new stereotype. Stereotype: A general statement or word, fit to describe a specific group of people. The American stereotype created to describe Muslims is anyone who is Muslim or from the Middle East was sent to America, to destroy their wealthy non dictated, country. National Geographic Channel says,† Afghans who fled their homeland for a new life in the United States are troubled to find themselves subject to suspicion and mistrust on the basis of their nationality and religion. † Based off of this information, Muslims are all being put into one pile, stereotypically. Afghanistan man who goes by the name of Fouzia Afshari says,† We are good people, we are civilized† who volunteers at Mustafa Center, an Afghan Perreault 2 Culture Academy near Washington D. C â€Å"We are not that type of Afghan people are thinking about right now. † Fouzia Afshari is a Muslim, obviously he is not a terrorist or out to get America, the controversy is the attackers were not American. By not being American, the terrorists allowed Americans to lose trust in a whole country of people. Muslim people will have to deal with the uncertainty of ever gaining American trust back or the American perception of Afghanistan should not be based off of what a handle full of Muslims did,but based on actual facts. Khaled Hosseini book The Kite Runner portrays Afghanistan realistically V. S the American Perception. (National Geographic news website) Clearly, the American Perception of Afghanistan is a little farfetched. The perception is not based on Afghanistan or Muslim culture, but based on what a hand full of Muslims did (AKA 9/11). The terrorist attack traumatized Americans, giving them a stereotypical perception. Typically, when a person thinks of war, immediately people think of other people being shot left and right, bombs exploding everywhere. Americans think that the terrorist attack was the Middle East declaring war on them. From that point on, Americans believed that the Afghans that were not fighting U. S troops off, were all sitting at a table brainstorming how their going to attack America next. Some Americans were so devastated that they will not go anywhere near Muslims or anyone from the Middle East because of their stereotypical perception. Muslims own about 75% of the gas station and covenant stores in the United States. Americans that will not associate with Muslims will go farther out of their way for gas. Americans think that Muslims do not like Americans because of the U. S troops in the Middle East and when an American goes to a Muslim gas station, their receiving less gas. Even in an unstable economy Americans still go out Perreault 3 of there way for gas, allowing Muslims to see that Americans truly view them all as terrorist. For Afghans and Muslims it is confusing for them to understand why the America perception is so ridiculous. The perception is not only based on 9/11, it is also has to do with Americans not being given the full picture of the war in Afghanistan. The media diffidently confuses Americans. Josh Meyer stated in his article Gap between the U. S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits † While Americans are given one media report after another about how Afghanistan is filled with exploding bombs, attacking hordes of the Taliban and a lawlessness that pervades every corner of the war torn nation, the real story is a more nuanced one. † Americans are given exaggerated reports on what’s happening in Afghanistan. The media is 100% to blame for the skewed version of the Afghanistan war Americans have. Based on that version of the war Americans make false actuation, which hurts the Afghanistan and Muslim population. (Josh Meyer) The American perception of Afghanistan upsets Muslims and makes it harder for their people to come to America. Muslims who are leaving Afghanistan are on America’s side. They are fleeing their own homeland and coming to start new in America because they do not agree with how their country is being ruined. Afghans come to America for the freedom that is taken from them in Afghanistan. Naweed an Afghan woman tells National Geographic channel â€Å"No art, no radio, no television, painting, drawing-nothing is allowed. Education for women is not allowed. Music is not allowed, they call it satanic. That’s why we are strongly working to keep our culture alive here in America. † Naweed is one of many who wants to feel at home. For Muslims America is their new homeland, but because of the American perception the majority of Perreault 4 afghans feel out of place. â€Å" I’m raising my kids here and I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong here. But, that’s what I feel here as an Afghan and a Muslim. † said Alina to the National Geographic Channel, adding: â€Å" I don’t want to lose another home. Afghans don’t want to come to America they rather live in their own country where feel at home, but they have no choice. Yet hope remains that Afghanistan will one day be in the hands of peace-loving Afghans and everyone will see the truth. (National Geographic Channel) Afghanistan was once a country where Afghans could be successful and wealthy. Th en the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and the Taliban was created, but took a turn for the worst and the U. S army went to help the people in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union was defeated the Civil War still continued. The Taliban was created to go in and unify the country. The Taliban comes form the word student- that’s what it means. The Taliban is made up of students that went to religious schools in Pakistan and former fighters, who use to fight in the war against the Soviet Union. The Taliban is what made Afghanistan a terraces place to live. After the Taliban brought peace to 80% of the country, they became power hunger and started to take away Afghanistan’s freedom. Even with the Taliban dictating Afghanistan, Josh Meyer, author of Gap between the U. S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits says, â€Å" Anyone in this room could go to Kabul now and have a fairly good time. There are restaurants and there are bars,† and the streets are not a shooting gallery with various factions trying to kill each other, while armed insurgents are also trying to U. S and coalition forces. â€Å" The Taliban Is not a very large insurgent group. † Josh Meyer is trying to inform Americans that Afghanistan is not Iraq, but it is still not a place where all Afghans can make a living. (Josh Meyer) Perreault 5 The Kite runner is the perfect example of how Afghanistan is not Iraq, but not a place where all afghans can make a living. Author Khaled Hosseini tells a story about Amir and Hassan these two Afghan boys who grew up together, but where separated by Amirs will to make his farther proud and the Soviet Union invading. Amir betrayed Hassan by watching him being raped by Asseft because Hassan was a Haraza. Guilt ate at Amir until he framed Hassan for steeling and Hassan and his father left in embarrassment. Shortly after Amir and BaBa ( Amirs farther) took a journey to America. Where Baba had to run a gas satiation and sell items he bought at a yard sale at the local flee market. Before Baba and Amir came to America they were wealthy. So wealthy that Hassan and his father were Baba servants. Afghanistan is not as poverty strict end as Americans thought it was. Amir and Baba did not come to America to destroy it, he came to America because Kabul was not safe and he hoped Amir could receives the best possible education in America. Baba and Amir were in America for two years. For those two years Baba would by a jar of fruit form the same people everyday with cash. One day Baba had no money, he wrote a check out instead. When the man asked for Id Baba exploded, â€Å"He wants to see my license? Almost two years we’ve bought his dam fruits and put money in his pocket and son of a dog wants to see my license. † Amir says, â€Å" They’re suppose to ask for Id† Baba says,† Dose he think I’m a thief? What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody. † Baba thought that the man working thought he was steeling when the man asked Baba for Id. Baba was offended. Years down the road Amir is told that Hassan died in Kabul. Hassan was shot in the back of the head because a Talian member thought him and his family where living in Amirs old house instead of in the hut outside made specifically for servants. Amir felt responsible because if he Perreault 6 and Baba would of stayed Hassan may still be alive. For Hassan he is an Afghan who should fled from Afghanistan. Amir and Baba could of stayed in Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini book portrayed Afghanistan well and realistically. (Khaled Hosseini) The American Perception of Afghanistan is not realistic or based on actual facts. The Kite Runner diffidently grasps and gives a better understanding of Afghanistan. Unfortunely, Afghans who come to America will have to deal with the mistrust Americans have towards them like Baba. The American Perception is not do to Americans not educating themselves. It is because of terrible media reports. Bergen the author of The Longest War: Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda says, â€Å" It is not being well communicated to the American public that the afghan war is nothing like the Iraq war, the media has to take responsibility for that. The differences between Afghanistan and Iraq couldn’t be more stark. † Bergen wants people to know that the media is portraying Afghanistan as a war torn place like Iraq, when they are both completely different. Afghanistan is not in as big of an up roar as the media made it. Instead of relying on the media to prove Americans with the proper information, Americans should educate themselves, stop listening to everything they hear. Also Americans should not rely on electronics and once in a while pick up a book or ask someone who is Muslim to explain what’s going on. (Bergen)

International Dispute Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

International Dispute Resolution - Essay Example As the paper declares arbitration whether in domestic or international context, is a private system of adjudication by which parties to the dispute decide to resolve their differences outside any judicial system. Invariably, decision handed out in arbitration is final and binding. and the award can be enforced in a national court. The deciding persons who are called arbitrators act as sole arbitrators or multiple arbitrators usually three chosen by the parties. While each party chooses its own arbitrator, where there are two parties, the two arbitrators chosen by them elect a presiding arbitrator and their majority decision will be binding. The arbitration can be adhoc or administered by an international arbitral institution. If adhoc, there will be no institutional involvement. The rules applicable are that of the institution or those chosen by the parties as the case may be. According to the report findings international commercial arbitration has become the norm for dispute resolution in international contracts. The consent of the parties is the source of power for the arbitrators to decide the dispute. It also limits their power as the arbitrators can decide the dispute only within the scope of the parties’ agreement. The arbitrators must apply rules, procedures and laws preferred by the parties. This will be set out in the clause of the contract as the agreement for arbitration in the event of disputes.

Tequila, Vodka, Rum and Cordials Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tequila, Vodka, Rum and Cordials - Assignment Example The paper tells that Spirits and Wine remain much more important on the dollar share basis. For the past five years, the consumption of spirits and wine has been growing significantly while the rate of beer consumption has been on the decrease. Through the same trend, spirit brands of Tequila, Vodka, Rum, and Cordials have grown significantly in their popularity and sales. Each of these spirit brands has its unique history, Tequila, Vodka, Rum, and Cordials are subject to produce through similar methods. Variations may only occur in the raw materials and the skills employed in creating these portables, but the basic stages involved in their production of all these spirits brands follow the same methods of production. Tequila, Vodka, Rum and Cordial's spirit brands have their distinctive character, distinctive aroma, and distinctive flavors. Vodka has a distinctive aroma, taste, and character that make it unique and original in the market. Rum, is popular in South America is produced through distillation from fermented molasses or sugarcane with its light flavor making it a unique drink in the market. Tequila gets its popularity from the flavors it has and being a drink of Mexican origin adds to its popularity. Cordials enjoy its popularity from its sweet taste with flavors of various botanicals. Since each of these spirits has their unique flavors and history, it gets the attention of the consumers and thus contributing to their growth in the market.

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Images - Essay Example Hence, it is vital for firms to have a consistency between their channel image and their brand image (Marconi, 1996). This paper will analyze the importance of maintaining a channel image and a brand image. Firms sometimes seem to forget that customers do not think in terms of channels. Customers, owing to that, have expectations of marketers (Armstrong, 2007). However, sometimes marketers do not see these prospects. The perception of a consumer being in control goes back a number of years and the idea will probably never change. The real hurdle is how firms give them what they anticipate and make sure that they shop with them in the future. In business-to-consumer environment, firms in the past opted to eliminate middlemen. If a firm had a pleasing product and an attractive offer, then it could create a list of consumers and never assign budget to brand marketing (Gregory, 1999). That, however, is no longer the case. These days, every functional area of a company needs to serve as a middleman and offer the help that a customer requires to make a purchasing decision and become a steadfast buyer. Therefore, brand image has a significant influence on a firm’s channel performance. Also, as the article 7 rules of global distribution (2000) emphasizes, a multinational firm needs to have authority over its marketing strategy (Arnold, 2000). This will help the firm in determine the way the distributor perceives the image of their company. This, at the same time, may be damaging and favorable. In addition, a group’s notoriety may also assist in the selection of foreign partners. This is because distributing well-known products is always quite an â€Å"honor† for a partner abroad and the willing marketers are always many. Finally, a firm depends on the â€Å"win-win speculation† and so a distributor is anticipated to respect the firm’s rules before his or her own interests (Arnold, 2000). In relation to L’Oreal, the company takes

Ritual Sacrifice in a Nameless Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ritual Sacrifice in a Nameless Society - Essay Example Moreover, the essay looks deep into instituting advanced ways of offering sacrifices (ways that have no impact to a living creature). Finally, here are the reasons for adopting better ways of instituting rituals. From time in the past, sacrifices offered to holy beings worshipped by the inhabitants of a certain community establish the terms that people are to live with one another. Interaction of beings in a society is crucial, especially to the rulers who desire to enact changes in the cultural beliefs. People from the same community should have similar guiding principals concerning who to worship and when to worship. Frazer asserts that it is necessary to offer as forfeit to the Gods. Rulers (specifically kings) carry out the burden of what is most presentable before the Holy being. Beings in the past communities performed rituals involving sacrificing human lives. Societies have much concern with the security of every individual being within it. The practice of ritual offering depends on several motives. The prime rationale is the need to live better and God pleasing lives. Craving to have a better destiny dictates why people opt for and choose the medium thought to bring forth good advances. An additional ground for sacrificing human persons is the wish to uphold the cultural ways of worshiping. Lastly, there is the urge for privileges to the community. The set ritual instills fear in other persons undertaking duties initially carried out by rulers (Frazer). Administration of sacrificial items is essential, as it dictates the degree at which people are worth to their Gods. People give sacrifices in terms of human blood by simply taking away an individual’s life (Chapter XXVII). Traditionally, offerings in terms of human sacrifice appeared to be the best way, denoting people who are ready to surrender to the will of their creator. The king is giving out his life as a way of compromising with God to obtain good fortunes

Online Store Vs. Physical Store Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Online Store Vs. Physical Store - Assignment Example All products further fall into categories for different markets. For instance, music accessories are sorted by price range in order to direct buyers to products that are willing to spend certain amounts. With the online store, one has the opportunity of shopping through a personal account. Personal accounts allow one the comfort of shopping without worrying about carrying along a credit card or cash. This is made possible by the available options of saving one’s payment information. In addition to this, accounts offer the opportunity of receiving news about new offers and discounts from the company through emails. In a physical store, one only gets to learn about discounts through publicly placed advertisements that are temporary and dependent on one’s location. Online stores save an immense amount of time for shoppers. People do not need to queue in order to check out. Queues can become tediously long especially during peak times. Moreover, the time it takes for differ ent customers to finish shopping is unrelated to the amount of products bought. The process of checking out at the online store is simplified to a few clicks within the site’s pages. In addition to this, burden of travelling in order to make a purchase is eliminated. The Express.com online store, for example, ships products directly to the customer free on certain purchases. What does the ‘brick and mortar’ store offer that the virtual store cannot? When customers shop at a physical Wal-Mart store, they have the opportunity to select products that they need in their actual forms. Certain aspects about the product may instantaneously affect the choice to make a purchase. One may realize that the size or the appearance of a product is not precisely, what you would want if you were in direct contact with it. At the store’s website, one only gets the chance to select the product based on visual appearances displayed online. There is a possibility of purchasing something only to realize it does not precisely match your preferences. For instance, one cannot try to fit a new piece of attire at Express’s online store, but this is possible at the physical store. This, hence, means that there is a risk of purchasing a cloth that does not fit your size. Furthermore, one may not be able to seek immediate assistance from store attendants when shopping online. Questions about a product have to be sought independently or at a time cost if one chooses to make phone calls to consult the customer support team. This slows down the buying process. Shopping at the physical store also allows one to access products instantly as opposed to the online store, where shipment has to be made over a certain period. One has the chance to interact with other buyers at the physical store, as opposed to an online situation where there will never be a chance of seeing other shoppers. Such interaction with fellow shoppers can help in gaining information about ce rtain products, for example, when trying to choose an appropriate book. Again, some products are not deliverable to certain locations if purchased online, for example, groceries. Thus, it requires one to travel physically to the store. Finally, at the physical store, one has the additional option of using cash to pay for shopping bills. If shopping is online, the only options available involve electronic money transfers. What

Comparison of Democratic and Republican Ideals Research Paper

Comparison of Democratic and Republican Ideals - Research Paper Example This essay outlines that in 1792, over 200 years ago, Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic Party. According to the Democratic Party principles, the party is committed to helping the alienated, the disfranchised and the poor through provision of a government framework that provides them with the opportunity to earn a piece of the American Dream. In this regard, the Democrats pledge to provide a stable government that is relevant to all aspects of human need. The fort of Democratic Party, thus, rests on the strength and power of socially diverse citizens.This discussion stresses that the Republican Party was founded in the 1850s. Its first president was Abraham Lincoln. He advocated noninterference of the government in whatever people did. They held on to the White House for about 60 of the next 100 years and have since survived as one of today’s two major parties. Modern day ideologies of the Republican can be demonstrated by the presidency of Ronald Reagan. When he assumed power in the early 1980s, Americans were in an economic recession with a series of policy failures in 1970s. He initiated large tax decreases and tightened the foreign policies in order to lead to a strong and consistent economic growth. This ultimately saw the fall of the Soviet Union.  The Democrats follow the liberal philosophy which enhances the government’s role in regulation of the economy. Its another principle is the redistribution of income and wealth to the benefit of the needy.

Slow Down and Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slow Down and Play - Essay Example especially a parent to keep on insisting that their children should direct all their efforts towards academic work, however important it may be, and forget allowing them time to mingle with their friends through constructive activities such as sports and child games (Miller 2008 p 49). This is due to the fact that it helps them to become more aware of their surroundings as well as improving their socialization skills which are essential in their later lives especially in environments that require sharing of resources. In order to experience this, I have been able to go out and play, with the intention of understanding more on the real effects of participating in games. This I accomplished by involving myself in two different sporting activities i.e. playing football and climbing mountains. It is important to note that this requires personal motivation especially in mountain climbing due to the fact that there are a lot of challenges involved, which may discourage someone from accomplishing his mission. Unlike in other professional sporting activities such as those involved in Olympics as well as football competitions, whereby participants are always under pressure from sponsors, fans and their governments to accomplish the goal of acquiring a medal, playing in this case was purely intrinsic as the persons involved were out to have fun without caring much on the achievements, in fact, we took it a way of spending leisure and relaxing from the routine tasks which are boring and stressing. Mountain climbing is rather a difficult task especially since it requires a lot of stamina and confidence to enable you to hold on to the rocks as well as to keep up with the pace of other team members. Football on the other hand requires team work and as such, the success of your team depends on how well you calculate your moves incorporated with lack of selfishness in passing the ball. From this experience, it is true to say that team work irrespective of whether it is between

Professionalism Study Essay Example for Free

Professionalism Study Essay People may look down at an individual for being more professional because that individual is not doing what everyone else is doing. An individual doing what is right in the work place is being a professional. If an individual follows the five keys to be a professional, character, attitude, excellence, competency and conduct, he or she will surpass his or her competitors. Character is who a person is, he or she know that what he or she is doing is the right thing. An individual who doesn’t take mediocrity, doesn’t look for the easy way out and doesn’t expect that his or her job will be easy is just the beginning. When an office is looking to higher an individual they look for integrity, and responsibility. These are some question an individual can ask themselves when looking to see if he or she has integrity. â€Å"Do you do what you say you’re going to do? Can you be trusted with confidential information? Are your expense reports truthful and reasonable? Employers want someone who can honestly answer questions like these with a resounding, â€Å"Yes.†Ã¢â‚¬  (http://www.corporatecomplianceinsights.com/top-10-character-traits-to-look-for-when-hiring-a-senior-professional/). Attitude and conduct would go great together because they have similar meanings, attitude; how an individual look and handles problems, and conduct; how an individual holds himself or herself together in the work place. A professional always has a friendly and welcoming aura about them, making others feel comfortable to come ask for help. Conduct is wrapped into an individual’s attitude because he or she â€Å"acknowledge people right away† (Professionalism is for Everyone, The Goals Institute, page 63). He or she shows everyone the respect that they deserve. A professional doesn’t believe that he or she is better than the individual that they are helping, or with his or her coworker. Attitudes to have in a work place are â€Å"enthusiastic, and efficiency† (http://www.careerealism.com/attitudes-workplace-get-ahead/) Excellency and competency also go together on the grounds that they both are how an individual works. Excellency is how well an individual excels at his or her job/career. Competency is the degree of expertise that an individual puts into his or her career. A professional always â€Å"press for excellence in all aspects of his or her life† (Professionalism is for Everyone, The Goals Institute, page 37). One knows what is expected of them in the work place. He or she does what is asked, when it is asked and does it in a timely manner. A professional strives to be better for themselves, for his or her family and for his or her friends. Never be someone who thinks â€Å"I’m just doing this for the money.† If one thinks that way he or she will never get to his or her dream job. Remember, character, attitude, excellence, competency and conduct will be an individual’s best friend. Works Cited Professionalism is for Everyone, The GOALS Institute, 2013 http://www.corporatecomplianceinsights.com/top-10-character-traits-to-look-for-when-hiring-a-senior-professional/ http://www.careerealism.com/attitudes-workplace-get-ahead/

Advantages of the Tire Type Mobile Crushing Plant Essay Example for Free

Advantages of the Tire Type Mobile Crushing Plant Essay The tire type mobile crushing plant is with flexible combination and high adaptability; according to different process requirements, the flow can either be in the mode of â€Å"crushing first and then screening†, or in the mode of â€Å"first screening, and then crushing†. The crushing plant can be combined into either two screening systems, namely, coarse crushing system and fine crushing system, or three screening systems, namely coarse, medium and fine system. So, it has a high flexibility and can meet different customers’ demands. According to the customers’ application demands, the tire type mobile crushing plant is divided into standard type and Closed-Circuit type, as well as multi-combination type according to the expanded demands of high-end users. Hongxing Machinery thinks that enhancing the comprehensive utilization of the construction waste is the important approach of economizing land and resources, and in the meantime is an important work of cleansing the city environment, is important measure of the development of recycling economy and the construction of environment friendly and resource-saving society and is the inevitable requirement for the implementation of the scientific development outlook and the realization of sustainable development and environment protection. Henan Hongxing Mining Machinery Co. , Ltd launched a new product into the market which is mobile crushing station, which has become the first and largest construction waste disposal company in the Middle China. This machine has a 4 million tons/year of processing power. The renewable aggregate which firstly dealt with by this equipment and then produced by the sand maker can become various kinds of environmentally-friendly building materials such as hollow bricks, plant grass brick, square brick, permeable brick, floods and tooth tile, etc. It solves the problem of environmental purification and sustainable use, and making full use of this machine greatly reduces the fees produced in the transportation of the construction waste, reduces the pollution of environment and the purification artificial work and life of the urban environment. This equipment is able to make multilevel crushing with the help of crushing and screening machines like impact crusher and divides it into three kinds of renewable aggregate, for this reason, it is widely applied in the building material industry and opens up a new road of energy save and environmental protection.

Social Network Self Image And Esteem Media Essay

Social Network Self Image And Esteem Media Essay Social Networking is the act of interacting and networking with others in a social online environment via the use of a website It includes a variety of technology tools on the internet which helps the society interact and exchange media, information and resources such as pictures, songs, articles and ideas it could be through text, audio, video, images, and other multimedia communications. Social Networking has escalated to a point where it becomes part of peoples everyday living. These sites have provoked a lot of controversies and reactions; they have increased well overtime and have become so popular around the world mostly because of the freedom that comes with it. Just in a little while you can make friends across the globe, get to know so much about them and their cultures and beliefs. It is the fastest growing tool of communication on the internet and just like all other sites on the internet it has its advantages and disadvantages, I realized that it has most especially influ enced the society on their self-esteem or self-Image negatively and I proposed this study to explore the effects of a particular social network face book how it has affected how we feel about or see ourselves, others and the world at large but also how we can use it to our advantage instead. This study seeks to understand how these networking sites affect its users psychologically. We know that Human communication in its most primitive form has been in existence since the genesis of humans. However, the past three decades has shown that the basis of how people exchange information has taken a different dimension. One reason for this change is the development in the technology of communication, such as: the use of Internet, instant messaging, and social networking sites, just to mention a few. Researchers pondered in time past if the Internet would improve the traditional face-to-face (FTF) communication (Flaherty, Pearce, Rubin, 1998; Barber, Mattson, Peterson, 1997;London, 1993) . Researchers today are still arguing whether that transformation has come to pass (McLeod Ho, 2008) and what the effects of that substitution will be. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pageà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Abstractà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦. Introductionà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ 1 Research Questionsà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦. 2 Research Objectivesà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ 3 2.0 The Problem Statementà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 3 2.1 Significance of the studyà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦. 4 2.2 Structure of the researchà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ 5 List of Figures Social Networking Websitesà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦.. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Social networks have had a great impact on our self-image and esteem from the onset the reason may be because it doesnt allow readers, viewers or listeners to participate in the creation or development of the content. It is a platform for people from all over the globe to come together and socialize with each other. It is so fast growing we can see that it has captured the attention and minds of millions. Jen Comas Keck studied that over half of the women she interviewed said that looking at pictures and status updates on social networks sites made them more self-conscious about their body and their weight. In the same study she said that  the most avid female social media users were also more likely to be unhappier and less content with their lives than others.  (Jen Comas Keck, 2012). Its hard to deny the addictive qualities of the social media. If you cant stay off it and what you see is making you feel bad about yourself, I think we can agree that it can be pretty dangerous for your self-esteem.  It seems like nowadays, having a positive body image isnt something that comes naturally for most people. It has to be worked towards.   Even though these social network sites undoubtedly serve as some kind of entertainment for us it is an undeniable fact that it is also affecting us on some deeper level. Face book has made life seem like a competition for most people because it involves whos the best of what or whos more sexy or appealing to the general public. Fig 1: Social Networking Websites Angela Haupt shows that she blamed Facebook for the promotion of poor body image. She said The popular social networking site may be promoting poor body image among its users, according to a new survey from the Centre for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in Maryland. About 75 percent of Facebook users said they were unhappy with their bodies, and 51 percent said seeing photos of themselves on the site made them more weight conscious. Slightly more than 30 percent said they felt sad when they compared Facebook photos of themselves to their friends photos. People are now constantly aware of their appearance, thanks to Facebook, (Steven Crawford) A common reaction is, I need to be thinner. And its that kind of thinking that can lead to hazardous dieting. Facebook is an influential factor in developing severe eating disorders. Dr Gwenn OKeeffe stated that For some teens, social network sites is the primary way they interact socially, rather than at the mall or a friends house, OKeeffe said in a prepared statement. A large part of this generations social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Parents need to understand these technologies so they can relate to their childrens online world à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ and comfortably parent in that world. 1.1 Research Questions How does face book affect the self image or self esteem of its users and about the addiction it causes also the effects of cyber bullying? What are the categories of people mostly affected by these effects of face book? What can be done to avoid or at least reduce the impact of the hazard caused by face book and turn it to our advantage? 1.2 Research objectives 1. To investigate the effects face book has on its users. 2. To investigate the categories of people affected most by the effects caused by face book. 3. To investigate ways to avoid or reduce such conflicts on face book and how to improve self worth even while using the social network. 2.0 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT Face book was invented by a Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, he is a computer programmer and internet entrepreneur (management of face book newsroom {2012}) face book was created as a platform for communication between friends, classmates and the world at large. It was aimed at creating a forum where people can interact freely with each other through their ideas, thoughts, pictures and personal conversations. It took a turn around when it was realized that people started using it as an opportunity to showcase themselves mainly through their pictures and those with more attractive pictures were giving more attention now causing the less attractive to feel unwanted and even a bit depressed. Researchers have proven that it actually detracts from a strong sense of self-worth, (Amanda Forrest and Joanne Wood in  Psychological Science) studied that those with low self-esteem frequently post updates that work against them. They tend to criticize their friends with negative details of their lives, making them less likeable as friends but those with high self esteem were well received. Face book is like a world of fantasy but people take it too serious and tend to be hurt by everything they read or see and are easily hurt when it seems like everyone is having more fun than them. 2.1 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The main purpose of this research paper is to identify the effects face book has on its users and to find ways to help reduce the problems by giving my opinion and bringing up suggestions in which we can be on face book without feeling bad about ourselves. 2.2 STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH: The structure of my research will be as thus: Chapter 1 Introduction The first chapter will discuss the background study and introduction about this research. This includes the research question, objectives and scope of the research amongst others. Chapter 2 Literature Review This section will discuss the secondary data and other relevant information related to my research and the views of previous researchers too. Chapter 3 Research Methods Ill present the various techniques I used for my research and Ill discuss the method of data collection too. Chapter 4 Data Analysis Ill discuss the analysis of the data collected. Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendations and Limitations This will be the last chapter Ill discuss about my findings of the research and recommend on solutions I find suitable. Limitations Summary, Bibliography and References. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION: The social networking sites are defined by the oxford dictionary as a network of social interactions and personal relationships also a dedicated website or other application which enables users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, etc (online oxford advanced dictionary) These social networking sites can be seen as a site which lays its focus on connecting people who share common interests, or activities. It provides a means which enables users to interact with others over the internet that is instant messaging or email. These sites are meant to aid users share interests, ideas, activities etc with other people in the same network groups. Below are examples of well known social networking sites. Facebook Twitter Badoo Bebo Hi5 Tagged Skyrock Flicker Youtube Linkedin Facebook is a renowned social network site which was established in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg alongside his roommates and fellow Harvard University students Carlson, Nicholas (March 5, 2010)At Last à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬The Full Story Of How Facebook Was Founded. At first the membership of the site was limited only to the founders and students of Harvard University it was however extended to other students in Boston and gradually it spread to other Universities in the United States and now all over the world. It is without a doubt the most popular social network site on the internet and all over the world. I believe facebook Brings together every kind of social group in one place and allows them interact, I believe everyone have different reasons why they join Facebook, some for businesses, pleasure, catching up with old friends or making new ones, some to discover the trend in music or arts or advertise their products or businesses it can be used in a lot of ways and honestly it depends on what it can do for you, while some have found it to be very beneficial and advantageous, others have really had a tough time on it. I will be discussing some of the advantages as well as disadvantages of Facebook as a social networking site below: Advantages: it is undeniable that it has become a very good form of communication because it has become universal and almost everyone has a Facebook account whether they are active or not; it helps people keep in touch with the world or reconnect old friends, or even help people meet and make new friends. Also it is now one of the best ways to stay informed about the latest news, business, fashion trends, arts, music and a whole lot of things. Well we can see that these social networks interconnects family, friends through constant communication or being up to date in each others lives when it is impossible to communicate face to face. Social networks since they began have made it easier for everyone to be more involved and educated about whats going on around the world. People in Africa can meet and learn things about people in the UK and vice versa there is no barrier geographically. There has been an increase in inter racial friendship and more knowledge about other cultures, beli efs and ethics are being learnt daily. Before social media sites began, we gained knowledge about other countries or people mainly through the media {TV, radio, newspapers etc.} but now we dont really need the media because with the social sites we can learn about all we need to know by interacting personally with citizens of the country or see the news from different perspective in an unbiased way, and sometimes we stay more informed with this sites because not everyone watches the news or read the papers, but one can accidentally read or hear about it on social networks. It has in a huge way helped people to air their views and opinions on certain issues, people can talk freely about politics, music, arts and so many other issues, even celebrities now have an easier avenue to inform their fans on the tours, their lifestyles, and also determine their fan base all around the world. Interestingly, some of these sites such as facebook have helped in solving some crimes, e.g. there was a case of some criminals who had stolen and came on facebook and bragged about it. They were tracked down by the authorities through that. It is also used as a forum to raise funds for charities or raising awareness about certain illnesses. There is an instance of a life being saved by an organ donor because of a post on a facebook. These social networks are free so its a cheaper way to keep in touch with people and for business owners it doesnt cost them anything to advertise their products and keep in touch with their consumers. From all the points above we can see that these social networking sites help us broaden our knowledge and widen our culture. Disadvantages: Just as everything with an advantage it also has its disadvantages. Personally I think the disadvantages have a larger and most standing effect, which is one of the reasons why I have chosen to talk about them. One of the most common is identity theft or fraud. Overtime these sites have been used by people to scam and assume the identities of whoever they want to Impersonate, most of the accounts are hacked into or pictures of people taken due to the low level of privacy people have on these sites and are used for fraudulent purposes. Another great disadvantage I want to consider is the Addiction; these sites can be so addictive and time consuming that the individual loses the will to do anything else except stay online at all times, cyber bullying is another great disadvantage because this affects the individual deeply and has been the cause of depression which leads to suicide. Our self esteem and self image are at a huge risk because the world is becoming more diffi cult to please and certain standards are being raised that one has to meet up to, a lot of people have to bother with self image and self esteem issues everyday of their lives and now with all these social networks everywhere it has become harder to deal with because they out their lives out there hoping to be appreciated but in return get bullied or made fun of, this will hurt their pride and demoralize them even. I intend to carefully take out time and explain these terms I mentioned above and show how they pose as a life changing problem to individuals. Almost everyone these days has access to the internet, even if they dont have a laptop or desktop they have their hand phones which they can equally use to access facebook. Addiction Can be defined as  the continued use of a  mood altering substance  or behaviour despite adverse dependency consequences (Angres DH, Bettinardi-Angres 2008),  or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviours. {American Society for Addiction, Medicine (2012)}. It occurs when a person is engaged in activities that are pleasurable to them but as they engage more often it becomes a compulsion than voluntary act and it begins to interfere with their normal daily activities, schedules or responsibilities. Addiction can either be on substance dependence or drug addiction which is the most common or behavioural addiction (sex, internet, gambling etc). Medilexicons  medical dictionary defined it as  Habitual psychological or physiologic dependence on a substance or practice that is beyond voluntary control. Fig 2: Facebook Addiction Behavioural Addiction: This is the type of addiction that doesnt depend on drugs; it is in no way substance-related {Albrecht U, Kirschner NE, GrÃÆ' ¼sser SM. (2007)}, it can also be known as a process addiction (Shaffer, Howard J. Understanding the means and objects of addiction: Technology, the internet, and gambling) It includes an exigency to frequently engage in a particular activity until there is a serious destructive repercussion which affects the individual physically, socially, mentally, and even financially. The proof of definite addiction is known when despite all these consequences the individual remains persistent. Its not in all cases that the substance or behaviour which causes addiction is harmful; sometimes a seemingly harmless activity or substance like chocolate, internet, coffee and a lot more arent harmful in nature but the excessive and repeated use of them can lead to a strong addiction and become harmful. The facebook addiction is a behavioural one its Addiction can lead to over-exhilaration, and cause apprehension and stress, wreck relationships, and can stand as a menace  to the family entity. The lack of interpersonal physical attraction can be quite harmful. Previous studies have shown that facebook can be very addictive because people stay on the internet all day, not only through laptops or desktops but through hand phones too because most of these sites now have applications on phone, thereby making it easier for accessibility at any time and place. People actually ignore their real lives for social networks, they prefer to spend time with their online friends than face real life, theres been complains from a lot of parents about their kids addiction to social networks and how it distracts them even from doing homework , house chores and prevents them from socializing with their peers. These social networks place no limit to what information can be placed out there for everyone to see; most people tend to share too much information about themselves or family or even about others. Most times this information has encouraged cyber-stalking. Besides the addiction and it makes its users to decline in face to face communication with other individuals, people hide behind the computer screen and assume any sort of personality but in reality they are far from the appearances they put up on the internet, it is also scary because in as much as they can assume a personality so can anyone else, so people are usually deceived by whatever they are led to believe on these social networks. In my country Nigeria, there was an incident which occurred involving a girl who met some guys on facebook and started off as friends and got very close and they decided after a while to meet up physically, things turned out for the worse when she got raped by them and almost killed. She was a vi ctim because she was gullible and got carried away by everything she perceived them to be on facebook. It is so evident to see that anyone can assume any identity on the internet. Theres an outline below on the effects of facebook addiction on us: Concentration loss: when our ability to concentrate is being jeopardized it causes disruptions and makes us always lag behind in our work or everyday life. Stress: this is an important effect of facebook addiction; it causes us to be stressed out thereby lowering our emotional ability to understand. The need to always be online: it gives us this endless need to always be online even if theres nothing serious to do online. Comparison: people mostly use facebook to show-off so when we see all the fun activities and happy posts of people it breeds jealousy and resentment. It makes us unconsciously compare our lives and activities to others Living an imaginary life: it debilitates our contentment with real life happenings and can lead to depression. Time wastage: it occupies our time thereby leaving us no room to engage in other profitable activities. Physically: it can affect us physically because sitting for long and staring at the computer can either hurt our backs or make our eyes blur. Mental disorder: it can cause us to deteriorate in other activities and cause stress. When a point is reached where the tension and despair supersedes any pleasure or benefit which was once gotten from the habit then it is safe to say the individual is very addicted to that cause. Cyber bullying This is the type of bullying which take place via electronic devices, either through email, instant messaging, cell phones, chat rooms etc. People use technology to harass or send threats has been on the increase since social networking sites became so popular; it has a very devastating impact on its victims such as depression, loneliness and suicide. People are so mean online, whether its friends or people you know to total strangers. Cyber bullying can take form in different ways: Through abusive texts and emails Posting nasty messages or pictures Emulating others online Ignoring others online Inappropriate tagging of pictures Inappropriate conversations Posting personal information about people online Sometimes it is even stretched out by an individuals account being hacked into and the hacker poses as the individual and uses the account to harm the individuals personality or reputation. There are also so many instances on suicidal cases caused by cyber bullying but despite all these it is still on the increase and more people are affected daily. Cyber bullying is very different from bullying that take place face to face because; The bully can assume a sense of anonymity. It is very difficult to avoid and can take place at any time sometimes for 24hrs. The individual can be targeted wherever they are, it can be obtrusive. It takes place on a social platform so it has a larger number of spectators. Anonymity is an active compelling force, the thought of being hidden behind a fake-screen name gives us this feeling of invincibility and invisibility so we feel we can do and say anything we want. Nevertheless on facebook we are not as anonymous as we think in fact there can hardly be anonymity on facebook, most times even with our identities being known we still act inappropriately. Were less self-conscious on facebook because the interactions happen over cyberspace and we cant see the physical response of the individual we are remitting. In such cases it is hard to lay emphasis on things that actually matter like getting to know each other and our differences; instead we spend our time barbarizing each other. When online people forget the term treat others how you would want to be treated they just act totally out of place. Ive seen good, nice people behave like jerks on facebook just because they feel invincible. Fig 3: Cyber bullying Mostly self image and self esteem are mistaken to be the same thing, even though they are closely related they are different. Self Image It is known as the mental picture which one has already in their minds about themselves or about how others view them. Wikipedia online defines it as the picture in ones mind that is hard to change, that represents not only details that are feasibly available to objective probe by others (height, weight, hair colour, etc.), but also personal experiences or by  the judgments of others which also contributed in teaching the person about themselves or how they perceive themselves What do you believe people think about you? Self image can be seen from three different perspectives: The first is an outcome of how the individual sees himself The second results from how others actually see the individual Lastly, this results from how the individual perceives others see him. Sometimes these perspectives might not be the truth about an individual and at times all three can be accurate. Self image is a very important part of anyones life because it has a huge impact on how we live and relate with others. Poor self-image is mostly as a result of so much negativity of criticisms one has heard about themselves either from childhood or even as grownups. Children and teenagers mostly fall victims of poor self-image because they are still very vulnerable and prone to believe anything people say about them, mostly because they are not very mature to evaluate those things said and able build a good self-esteem on their own. There are some set of people who naturally have this feeling of unworthiness they are easily exposed to exhibit a poor self-image. Poor self-image can arise mostly from the type of personality one has or exhibits. When evaluating others the level of self-esteem of the evaluator comes into play because it is most likely that they will present their judgement based on how they feel about themselves. When individuals evaluate someone, they are less likely to evaluate that person negatively if their self-images had been strengthened through a self-affirmation procedure, and vice-versa they are likely to evaluate that person stereotypically if their self-images have been intimidated by negative feedback Fein, S., Spencer, S.J. (1997. Individuals may restore their self-esteem by disparaging the member of a stereotyped group Florack, A., Scarabis, M., Gosejohann, S. (2005) Our self image can be greatly affected by what we see or hear about ourselves. Fig. 4: Self image I believe Social networks are a form of an illusion which allows people to live in a fantasy and are allowed to exaggerate on anything they deem fit. Self Esteem This Reflects on the total emotional appraisal of an individual on his worth. It is a way one judges himself or the attitude with which one views himself; it circumscribes ones belief of ones self {for example, am I worthy, and am I adequate} it swirls up deep emotions such as elation, depression, hate, pride and embarrassment (John P. 2009). The self-concept is what we think about self; self-esteem is the positive and negative evaluations of our self and our feelings towards it (E.R. Smith/D. M. Mackie, Social Psychology 2007). Self-esteem is closely related to self consciousness; it explains the self judgemental side of an individual which appends worthiness feelings, discouragement and closely related feelings. Self esteem has very little to do with how others view the individual it is mainly ones self-judgement of their appetency. It can also be seen as self confidence or self respect, it is a very important and delicate part of our existence because it affects even the life changing decisions we make, helps us face challenges in life, it even broadens our understanding on solving problems. It also gives us a sense to our right to be happy and respected. Self-esteem is being hurt when individuals feel inconsistent with the happenings of the world or they feel centred in a way of not being able to meet up to standards, or even feelings that they are being closely watched and scrutinised for one reason or the other. It is closely related to our well being psychologically so it is to be treated with carefulness as a delicate part of us. Self worth, self respect, self integrity and self regard are all synonyms associated with self esteem. It is an opinion of how people see themselves, for example personally I consider myself a good person and I feel particularly good about it, now that is my self esteem it is my opinion about myself but if everyone around me thinks differently and constantly points out how bad of a person I am, eventually these thoughts will begin to seem true to me and that is the same way facebook affects our self esteem and messes our mind up. Everyone no matter how perfect they seem face lack of confidence in some instances, but some people just have a very low opinion of themselves with this constant feeling of being inadequate, so they are very sad and unsatisfied with themselves almost all the time, and its difficult though not impossible to change this mindset so it causes anxiety and depression to the individual. Having a high self esteem is healthy because it boosts ones likeness for their selves thereby making it easy to set and accomplish certain goals. Fig 5: Self esteem There are certain traits which an individual with low self esteem portrays which are very evident, below are the most common. Always ignoring their positive or good qualities Exorbitantly critical about themselves. Always uses contravening words to describe themselves. E.g. Ugly, fat, foolish, etc. They always indulge in negative self talk which curtails them talking bad about themselves to themselves. Hardly believes in compliments, sometimes might even misunderstand it and think theyre being made fun of instead. Always blames themselves for everything that goes wrong, even uncontrollable forces or actions of people Never takes credit for their accomplishments, instead believes luck plays a huge role in it. Self esteems main problems occurs when individuals compares themselves with others, it causes a deep frustration and also when they dont get more comments or likes as they feel they deserve or even try to compare it to that of their friends through. This can cause serious strife and unnecessary envy amongst friends or even family members. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Introduction This chapter of my research study is focused on the research methodology which was used in this project, as well as identifying and sampling the population involved. The research hypothesis and framework were developed in this chapter, also the methods that were used in distributing and collecting the questionnaire will also be discussed. Furthermore it explains the methods used to conduct the research elements of the study, so it stretches out to discuss the research design, the purpose for the research, subjects and material tools and steps taken. The scope of the study will be identified here. I will specify the sources of my information, the technique of research, and the methodology of sampling. Type of Research This research is an applied one made with an effort to expand my knowledge and any other researcher in the field of social networks and most especially its effects. It will also serve as a fundamental for future research by scholars in that particular field. Purpose of the research This study is an analytical research which seeks out to explain how these social networking sites work and the long lasting effects it has on us. This research is expository also as it can help users of facebook aware of the damage it can create for them, t