All ideas begin at the footsteps of curiosity. As children, we all flourished with

creativity and curiosity. It is the idea that ignited in me at a young age, the spirit of purpose

and passion that continues to empower me to this day. This spirit fuels my heart for making

an impact in the community. It is with hope that I pursue ideas that will ignite in people the

same spirit that was ignited in me.

Memoir

It was a cold December morning I remember all too well. I was unaware at the time

that it was about to get much colder. I awoke from my sleep to a phone filled with missed

calls and voicemails. “Where are you? Why are you not answering your phone?” were the

words I heard over and over again. After gathering my thoughts, I began the process of

returning calls. After explaining why I had not answered his earlier calls, I braced for what

was about to be said to me. “Your mom suffered a massive heart attack and is in open heart

surgery as we speak. They had to resuscitate her this morning shortly after we arrived at the

hospital”, my father informed me. As he continued on, it became apparent to me that her

survival was becoming less and less likely. As I hung up the phone, my mind began playing

through every possible scenario. What if she does die? What is she survives in a vegetative

state? What will a full recovery look like? I decided that in the moment I would go against

what my emotions were telling me and pray to the God of my Christian faith. I tried to find

the words to say, but all I found was peaceful silence. The kind of peace that goes against

logic and reason, and passes all understanding.

As the day progressed, I waited for the phone call. And then it happened. I nervously

answered the phone to hear my father advise I sit down. “Your mom is gone. There were

complications during surgery and the doctors could not save her” he wearily told me. I hung

up the phone in disbelief. How? Why? I asked God. I walked out into the hallway of the dorm

visibly shaken. The resident assistants were waiting for me as I entered their room. I

informed that my mother had passed and they immediately expressed their condolences

and told me that they would do everything they could to help. The rest of the day was a

whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I ran from one end of campus to another talking to my

professors, informing friends of what had happened, and trying to clear all the thoughts

running through my head.

As I began making preparations to fly home, the reality of her death started to hit me.

After a sleepless night, I boarded the plane for my redeye flight home. I arrived in Detroit to

emptiness compounded with imploding emotions. The next few days were the longest days

of my entire life

The morning of the visitation services arrived, and my mind had gone numb.

Everything that was happening had become a blur to my eyes. I sat in the funeral home

weakened mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. People were coming up to me

and sharing their thoughts, prayers, and memories they had of my mom. From co-workers to

best friends, it all sounded painful to my ears. While I appreciated the sentiments, they were

of little significance to me. All I wanted was for my mom to be alive or for me to be dead. It

was in that moment I realized how difficult the coping process was really going to be for my

family. Before I knew it, we were on our way to West Virginia to lay her to rest in the Ashby

cemetery.

Four years have passed since my mom’s death, and my memories of her are fresh in

my heart and mind. Since her death, I have gone through many new seasons of life. My most

recent season is one of reflection. In hindsight, I realize how much I have been blessed.

There was no greater blessing than that of having such an amazing woman for a mother. A

mother who not only lived life, but lived it well. Faithfulness, love, care, joy, all graced her

life. But if there was one quality that was most present in her life, it was her bold and

unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. I never remember a moment where she ever doubted God.

As I look forward to the next season of my life, I am excited to see what it holds. New

challenges, a stronger faith, renewed passion, hope, and a bold faith all await me. My

ultimate desire is to continue to strive to live a faithful life. A life that is well lived. A life that

is graced with faithfulness, selflessness, joy, peace, love, and passion. But most importantly,

a life lived in pursuit of God’s heart, passion, and will.

Priorities

Jonathan Hi dad, how are you feeling?

Gregory I am ok son. What are these?

Jonathan Oh, those are just some publications I bought for you to help pass time and ease your mind.

Gregory Thanks. So have you given what I told you any thought?

Jonathan Dad, I don’t need to give it any more thought. My answer is still no. You worked for your dream and sacrificed for it. It was your dream, not mine. You had aspirations for your life that are far different than the aspirations I have for my own. I watched you pursue a dream that never brought you true happiness or success.

Gregory No happiness or success, really? Maybe you never cared to look at the balance in the checkbook growing up. Mind you it was that balance which paid for your University of Michigan education.

Jonathan I am well aware of how successful you were and how much wealth you were accumulating as a skilled general contractor. You seem to forget the fact that I worked with numbers every day in my profession.

Gregory I am not an idiot. Remember I did pay for that education. I also know how much more successful you could be in providing for my grandchildren if you were managing the family business. I worked hard to leave a legacy of hard work and faithfulness for my family.

Jonathan I provide for my family. I have provided for them in many ways you never made a priority.

Gregory I more than provided for all of you. I can’t believe how ungrateful you act. You are just like your mom.

Jonathan

Don’t tell me how mom was ungrateful. She sacrificed for your career as we all did. She supported us by actually be there physically. She provided comfort and love in ways you never cared to, or tried. She was even willing to come with me up here to visit you today.

Gregory Wait, she is here as we speak? Why did you let her come with you? I don’t care to see her or speak to her at this point.

Jonathan Yes, she is down in the waiting area. She wanted to let me have some time with you first before she visited.

Gregory Good for her. I don’t have much to speak to her about anymore.

Jonthan Maybe the best thing to do is not say a word and just listen.

Gregory If you say so. I could care less if I see her ever again.

Jonathan And you are calling me the ungrateful one. We all have consequences to the decisions and behaviors we choose.

Gregory You are right, and I am comfortable with facing the consequences of my decisions.

Jonathan Well dad, I have to go and pick up the kids from soccer. I will call later today and check up on you.

Gregory Ok son, tell them I say hi and that papa loves them.

Jonathan Ok dad, talk with you soon.

Is Competition Good?

Is competition good? Opinions vary greatly on this subject, both professional and

personal. For the purposes of this argument, I will focus on one particular form of

competition, the kind found in the business world. I will first define what competition is, and

will then transition into why I believe competition is good, and will then close with

concluding thoughts.

Before we can address the topic of competition, we must first define it. There are four

types of competition: Pure, Imperfect, Oligopoly, and Monopoly. Pure competition is defined

as a market in which there is no single buyer or seller who has influence over the products

sold in the market. Imperfect competition is a market where multiple firms offer variations

of the same product or multiple products, each with variations. An Oligopoly is a form of

competition where a limited number of companies compete for consumer purchases. The

final form of competition is a Monopoly. A monopoly is a situation in which a single

business operates in a market without any competitors.

Now that we have defined what competition is, we will discuss why competition is

good. This will be achieved by doing what in the business world is called a SWOT analysis.

A SWOT analysis is a tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and

threats within an industry. The rationale for using this tools is that they are considered to be

the standard when performing any analysis in the business world. The strengths of

competition are vast.

The existence of competition has numerous strengths. The greatest strength of

competition is the value passed on to the consumer. When companies are competitive.

Their focus is to attract customers in hopes of increasing market share. The greatest tool for

attracting customers is proper focus on the value proposition. Value proposition is defined

as “a business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a

product or use a service.”

The weaknesses of competition can be summed up in one word, perspective. For the

individual, competition can be viewed as detrimental or beneficial, depending on life

experience. It is no different in the business world. Corporate cultures that have a history of

stifling innovation and creative thinking tend to view competition as detrimental to the

organizations success. But for the organization whose culture is innovation, creativity, and

risk taking, competition is a welcome challenge. The difference between the two types of

culture is that the one who fears competition has a flawed view as to the purpose of

competition.

There is great opportunity for competition in the business world. One such

opportunity is the chance to collaborate with target markets, shareholders, stakeholders, and

competition. In Compete or Collaborate? An Entrepreneurs Guide to Success in the Social

Marketplace, Trey Bowles suggests that organizations “fight the conventional territorial

attitude that most visionaries have to own or control, and create solutions that use the

broader worldview of contributing to and participating in social good. Collaborate, innovate,

and develop ideas that can truly change the world.” The organizations that have this proper

perspective will be the ones to thrive now and in the future.

There are two main forces that threaten competition, cultural and governmental.

Cultural forces from within the organization as well as from society, have potential to

influence the significance of competition. From within, competition can be destructive if

viewed as a negative force. But those organizations that have a culture built on key success

factors are the ones that will thrive. The government’s role in competition plays just as

significant a part as culture. Over-regulation, stifling tax codes, persuading the publics

image of business, and the recent events on Wall Street have all contributed to how

competition is portrayed.

In conclusion, a lot of things can be said of competition, both positive and negative.

The future of competition will be dependent on 4 key factors: 1) Collaboration as a

sustainable competitive advantage, 2) Business model innovation, 3) Cultures built on

creativity and disruption, and 4) Strategic mergers and acquisitions. It is these factors that

will allow competition to flourish and fulfilling its original purpose of being a force for good

in society.

Newsflash

This just in, the term “copyrighter” may have a new meaning if the Supreme Court

has the final say. This morning, creative writers across the nation filed to have their case

heard by the highest court in the land. They state that recent laws at the state level have

allowed copywriters to be grouped together into the same demographic as lawyers who seek

legal protection for intellectual property of individuals and businesses. We will keep you

posted as we receive word from our reporters in D.C.

In recent news, Nestled in the bricks of Kresge, you will find a secluded village by the

name of the Student Success Center. Within the confines of this small population, you will

find a group of smart, passionate, but underutilized academic artists. This village has not

had many visitors for quite some time due to rising tensions between residents and those

from surrounding communities. The conflict is over the issue of productivity. Kresge has

been long considered the epicenter of knowledge, but many people are doubtful whether or

not it is still a beneficial community partner. This story is still developing; we will keep you

up to date as we receive news from our foreign correspondents.

This next story is about the quiet abyss of floor 10. Within this floors rests an area

where no man has gone before. Many have entered, but few have returned. We sent a

reporter to this secretive area, but she came back as a clay model. Product design, the only

thing for sure is the unknown. We hope to one day uncover what lies behind the door to

floor 10. Stay tuned.

Our final story is one of significant importance to all of us. A study released today

shows that computers now outnumber humans. C-lab, a research firm based in CCS affirms

this finding. The study shows the rate of increase in computers has continually outpaced

that of their human counterparts by a margin of almost two to one. The findings also

suggest that the camps of PC and MAC have been conspiring together for years, and have

been using their marketing campaigns against each other as a cover up for their activity.

Legion

As I lay here, I look on in complete horror. My eyes tell one story, my mind another.

Mangled bodies surround me. I took refuge in the one place I thought would be safe, the

church. But forces more demonic than any man has witnessed before are terrorizing even

this place. I can faintly see the demonic powers dissecting the church and its refugees piece

by piece. Legion are here for one purpose, revenge. The last time they were seen was over

2000 years ago, when they battled God, but fell in defeat under His almighty hand. The

demons’ hunger for revenge has motivated them to increase in both strength and number.

Many in this town have suffered tremendous loss during this recent attack, myself included.

My expecting wife was at the church when the demons launched their bloody offensive. She

was among the many who were “sacrificed” at the hands of Legion. Some in the town sought

vengeance; only to lose their live’s in the attempt.

Nightfall has come, and darkness is all around me. I am probably the only one to

survive the attacks. What is that sound in the water behind me? I am slowly turning. I see a

small boat carrying survivors from a neighboring town. One of the survivors is whispering

for me to get in, trying to go unnoticed by the demons. I have begun to crawl wearily

towards the boat. Behind me, I can hear the ferocious screams coming from the hell on Earth

that is unfolding. As I crawl into the boat, I look back and see the demons raising up corpses

from the cemetery to garner larger numbers for their attacks.

After a sleepless night, we have awakened to the ruin that Legion has left behind. The

sickening smell of death fills the air. What is more disheartening is the feeling of

abandonment we are all experiencing. We see the intense carnage that the demons have left

behind in surrounding towns. The body count has been staggering. What has made it worse

was the fact that many of the corpses are small children and women. Their bodies lay burned

and tortured. We are all in silence, unable to comprehend what we are witnessing.

Nightfall has come and while many in the group attempt to sleep, I cannot close my

eyes. It is in this moment that I see images of my wife. I hear her screams for help as the

demons ripped the flesh from her body. I witnessed it all, but could do nothing, for the

demons held me down as I was forced to watch her be tortured. I have tried to close my eyes

to sleep, only to be awakened by screams and cries for help in the next town. My restlessness

has now spread throughout the group and we are now gathering to cautiously make our way

toward the town, hoping the terror we are hearing is not true. As I write this, we are

approaching the small town, and it is much worse than we could have imagined. The dark

forces of Legion are engulfing the town and all those in it. We stand in the distance

watching terror rip through the streets and bodies of all those living there.

Something mysterious is happening. Legion are pulling back and seem to be leaving

the small town. Why are they leaving? I look past the small town and I see an army of

demons, innumerable in size, surrounding the perimeter. It seems as if they are taunting the

remaining survivors. A couple of hours have passed, and the demons still have the town

surrounded. It seems as if they are preparing to launch another offensive on the survivors.

But wait, I hear something. There is a great sound echoing in the countryside. It is the

thunderous sound of horse’s hooves coming toward us. I look in the distance and cannot

believe my eyes. There is a great army of heavenly portions moving towards the town. I

continue to watch on in suspense, unsure as to the purpose of this army’s arrival. As I study

this army from a distance, I notice this is no regular army. This army is comprised of angels

from heaven, being led by the Archangel Gabriel. At the direct order of Gabriel, this

supernatural force has begun to surround the entire countryside. I see the archangel lift his

trumpet to sound the battle cry. I hope and pray this heavenly host has come prepared.

Big Red

Wednesday, September 5, 1945

The day started as every other, wake up at 0500, followed by drill at 0600 on deck.

But even with all the routine, this morning was different. The feeling in the Tokyo Bay is one

of tranquility. I can’t explain to you how relieved we all are on the Missouri. After a hard

fought battle, it is finally over. The Japanese formally signed the Japanese Instrument of

Surrender this past Sunday. We are all both relieved and excited to be coming home soon. It

was an honor to have served my country and witness the signing of the Japanese

Instrument of Surrender. I will vividly remember the emotions surrounding the ceremony

the rest of my life. For me, it was an even greater personal honor to attend the ceremony.

When my commanding officer approached me on Saturday, I never expected the honor that

was about to be given to me. As he walked toward me, I immediately came to attention. After

recognizing me, he began to tell me that I had been selected to be the soldier to distribute

pens to the government officials during the signing process.

I barely slept Saturday night due to the anxious feeling inside of me. My adrenaline

was racing. Images played back in my mind of what the experience was going to be like. The

image that is most vivid to me is the fact that General MacArthur, one of the most decorated

and respected military leaders in history, will be in attendance. I just hoped I would not

falter in my duties in front of this great man.

Sunday morning came all too quick. Before I knew it, I was standing at attention on

the deck of the beloved USS Missouri. As the time slowly went by, I began to get

increasingly nervous. It was then that my focus was shifted. As I peered out over Tokyo Bay,

I could see ships approaching our location. Within a couple of minutes, the ships were

docked next to the Missouri. As people began walking aboard, the cameras began flashing

and reporters started delivering their dialogues. I remained in my position where the

instrument laid on the table next to me. Assistants to the generals approached me first,

saluted me, stepped to my side and then came to attention. General of the Army Douglas

MacArthur approached me first, accepted the pen known as “Big Red” from my hands,

proceeded to the table and sign the document. As he stepped aside, Mamoru Shigemitsu,

the Japanese Foreign Minister, approached me and accepted the Parker 51 pen from me and

then proceeded to the table and signed the document. With this final signature, the war was

officially over. General MacArthur and Foreign Minister Shigemitsu turned toward each

other, shook hands and then turned towards the crowd of reporters for photos. After

delivering their respective speeches, the men acknowledged each other one last time.

Shigemitsu’s aides approached his location where they handed him his jacket and followed

him back to the ship where the Japanese officials boarded and pulled away from the deck of

the Missouri. With this, the deck erupted in cheering and celebration as the war was

officially over.

The Princess Bride

“The Princess Bride” is a 1987 romantic comedy film based on the 1973 William Goldman

book by the same name. It is considered by many, myself included, as a classic. The story

begins with a grandfather (Peter Faulk) coming to visit his ill grandson (Fred Savage) at

home. As he enters the bedroom, the grandfather tells the young boy that he has a surprise

for him. The boy grabs the present excitedly, only to find another boring book. As the

grandfather begins, the boy is introduced to a story that is all but boring.

The story begins in the Renaissance era town of Florin. A young Westley (Carrie

Elwes) is conversing with Buttercup (Robin Wright), the love of his life. Soon after their time

together, Wesley leaves for the countryside, his return unknown. Buttercup is left in

emotional turmoil, to the point of contemplating suicide. Years go by, and Buttercup is

preparing to marry Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). It is then that she receives word

that Dread Pirate Roberts had captured the ship on which Wesley traveled. It had been years

since she last saw Westley. Hopeless, Buttercup figures that the only logical option she has

is to marry Prince Humperdinck. Distraught by this, Buttercup heads out into the

countryside on her horse. A short time into her ride, she is kidnapped by Vizzini the Sicilian

(Wallace Shawn), Fezzik (Andre the Giant), and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin). The

kidnappers take her by boat to the Cliffs of Insanity, where a mysterious man in black

follows them. After reaching the top of the cliffs, a short sword fight occurs between the man

in black and Inigo. After the battle, the men set chase across the countryside, where the man

in black meets Vizzani, who has the captive Buttercup at his side, for a different kind of

battle, one of wit. Vizzini loses and falls over dead after drinking from the poisoned cup

(consequence of losing the battle of wits). The man in back reveals himself to Buttercup, and

to her joy she finds Westley. As the story continues, we encounter a series of events that all

lead to Westley and Buttercup being reunited in love.

“The Princess Bride” is a timeless movie filled with emotion. From the beginning, the

movie arouses nostalgic feelings of a time when family was more simple and connected. The

bond the grandfather carries with his grandson resembles the one found between Westley

and Buttercup, a bond of love. This movie is a timeless tale that will continue to entertain

minds and warm hearts for generations to come.

Lost

My name is Scott Riley, former member of the British SAS. The time is 0500 Tuesday

October 14, 2014. As I record this message, I am preparing to go out on my last exploration

before I head back to Rogue 7 later today. Codenamed R7, Rogue 7 is a planet that was

knocked into our solar system due to the catastrophic damage resulting from the final battle

of Lotus. This battle was the final battle in the War of the Worlds, a display of force by the

nations of Earth against the extraterrestrial invasion that occurred six months ago. We may

have won the war, but the planet was nearly destroyed.

I was sent back to Earth to extract what survival resources remained. Upon my return,

I have been reminded that Earth as we know it is a memory. What were once great nations

are now rubble. The scale and scope of nuclear radiation damage is sickening. Those who

did survive have been evacuated, nothing human remains. If we won the war, how is it that

we were the ones who had to leave?

As I speak, I am making final preparations to launch my final search campaign for

resources. I hope and pray I do not encounter any more creatures on this search. I

encountered an extraterrestrial creature unlike any I have ever seen in my other

explorations. His strength was immense, able to move cars heavy debris with ease. He was

nimble and moved with great speed, similar to a cheetah. His focus was astounding, though

he was aware of my presence, not once did he pay any mind to me. What made me fearful is

the possibility of there being even larger and stronger creatures than the civilized one I

encountered.

With this, it is time to leave for the final expedition. I am beginning the descent down

from my refuge and into the open. At first glance, it appears all has already been lost. I am

walking down what appears to be the main road through the village. The carnage is

numbing. Blood stained streets, jet fighter wreckage, human and animal remains. What in

the world were we fighting against? I am now pressing forward into the business district.

Wait, I believe I see what appears to be a survival manual that was contained inside one of

the jets. I am still alone with no creatures in my proximity…but wait.

Rebirth

Breeze of hope swirling.

Ideas hatching far and wide.

Rebirth has now bloomed.

The Man

Once lived a self-confident man

When he walked in the bar, girls ran

He though he had skill,

But they ran with a shrill.

So he left for home in moms van.