The sight of body after body streaming down from hundreds of conveyor belts all over the country as they enter the processor, then flowing into and filling giant tubes of the centrifuge for organelle purification has been nothing less than a nightmare. As a distinguished O.R.E. inspector with the highest level of clearance unknown to the public, I’ve had to visit and become part of various projects on black sites all over the continent. The numbing and constant desensitization is the least disturbing aspect of my job. After we turn on the centrifuge, we separate pieces of the organelles into fragments; the purified remains are used as samples for genetic splicing- -for the elites- -while the rest is for the creation of clean chemical energy C.C.E., which is the crucial component to the public as organic renewable energy or so-called, O.R.E.

A little over 250 years ago, around the 2050s' the world was divided into 195 countries, and their leaders and policies governed each. At the time, there were world superpowers: The United States of America, located in North America, Russia, and China were both located in Asia; they were the top three countries with a formidable military, economy, international alliances, and political influence. Other honorable mentions, such as Germany and The United Kingdom, are still around today and continue to reside in Europe. As you know today, six continents with countries within their borders still exist, but after the last World War, not many countries had much of a choice; they had to align themselves with one of the five superpowers. Most countries chose to side with the United States or China, some sided with Russia, and the remainder either went neutral or found themselves part of Germany or The United Kingdom.

As of today, in 2301, only one world government controls the world. The UN disbanded, and then a year later, Russia and China cyberattacked the United States, knocking out the entire power grid. Washington D.C. was the first location to get its power back up and running, and then the tech giants in San Francisco managed to be the first city. The top tech companies rebuilt and fortified every military, bank, and government firewall nationwide. Working on powering and protecting New York City was crucial due to the Stock Market plummeting. Individuals and companies lost so much money, and those who didn’t have cash were hopeless. The banks had no control or access to facilitate any form of business. Credit and Debit cards held no value anymore, plastic mementos with random numbers that used to mean something.

By the time the Stock Market was fully functional, which took 33 days, almost 10 million people committed suicide after 14 days, then another 40 million by the 30th day; in total, a little over 50 million people took their own lives. In Chicago and Los Angeles, grocery stores were raided, mass shootings skyrocketed, and homes/apartments were burned to ashes after the cash, food, and weapons were stolen. Several citizens in the cities throughout the country followed suit, and almost 100 million people fell victim to heinous crimes; at least 70 million people were killed before the military became involved. The police did as much as they could, but with their reputation in the eyes of the public tarnished, the amount of respect and authority dwindled after a couple of weeks.

Almost half of the United States population was decimated before the terrorist attacks on American soil. The country was in shambles, cities were burning, and the streets were littered with debris and the bodies of innocent victims. Unfortunately for China and Russia, the Allies joined forces. The alliance, which was formed during World War II emerged once again, but this time, they came in to assist and save the United States. The previous allied countries, the United Kingdom and France came together with Germany and Japan, the former Axis powers. Germany and Japan replaced Russia and China in this War and vice versa. Japan had boots on the ground in China 54 days after the cyberattacks, taking over the island of Hainan and then destroying a significant amount of their navy in Zhanjiang. As the Japanese continued their strike, the French, British, and Israeli Air Forces flew into Belarus and bombed their military bases out of existence. This is where Germany would take their tanks, artillery, and infantry into Ukraine as they made their way to Moscow. The Ukrainian Army gave as much help as possible even after the war with Russia. At the same time, the Polish armed forces sent their troops into Belarus to prevent any aid or communications with the Russian Military.

Once Belarus was out of play, the German and Ukrainian Forces began their march into Moscow. As they fought and gained ground,  making their way into the Capital, The British and the French Air Force got more reinforcements, ammo, and fuel in Belarus. After Poland had taken control, they helped clear the way for the German and Ukrainian infantry. Moscow was under the control of the Allies within days. Japan was doing everything it could to keep control of both naval bases, but they were fighting a losing battle. As they were retreating to regroup, then sending in a second wave to finish the job, Tawaiin’s navy showed up, giving the Japanese forces a massive boost in morale to propel them to take control over both Hainan and Zhanjiang, crippling China’s Naval Forces.

From that point forward, all the Allies needed was time and patience after a couple of years of fighting against the Axis powers. They were overwhelmed, and eventually, the confiscation of nuclear weapons gave their leaders nothing to threaten the world with; a treaty between the Allies and Axis powers was agreed upon and signed with several conditions, which took over 30 days to finalize. It seemed like for a few years, the world held its breath, waiting for the same countries to revolt and abandon the terms and conditions of the treaty, but for the next century, everything stayed the same. The world will always need opposition if there is only peace and no war. We will be left with nothing if there is only war and no peace. A balance, one way or another, must be sought and protected at all costs.

As the years passed, A.I. had taken over the world completely, but not in the way we all thought. Some robots became sentient, while others were confined by the strict boundaries that lie within their coding. As a species, we thrived even more than anyone could have imagined. Many of us, possibly the entire human race, had their bets on AI destroying and siphoning our lives from us for their benefit or vindication. Don’t get me wrong, several years were stained by the blood of men, women, children, and the essence of sentient beings, but in the end, the AI and humans created a symbiotic relationship that saved Earth and everything that had life from within. As more time passed, our civilization grew to a point where the world needed one governing body, one with humans and AI as one, making everything under the sun, shine as bright as the stars above when it sets.

A century has passed, and with the evergrowing success of our world government, EROS, we’ve performed what people a few hundred years ago would call miracles. Our civilization has colonized the Moon and reached undiscovered planets near the edges of the Milky Way and distant planets we could only see through telescopes of the highest caliber. Advanced forms of energy do not take and destroy the life filling our ecosystems but provide them with the resistance to elements that once plagued them. The life expectancy of humans has risen to almost 150 years of age. Diseases come and go because cures and treatments are so advanced that the deadliest illnesses and pandemics haven’t existed since the late 21st century. Hunger, the starving of nations and their people has almost vanished entirely. Technology flourishes like a plant that has control over the sun and provides its own warmth, waters that feed the soil where it grows, and the earth where the roots dig into building a foundation strong enough never to perish.

I will post links to my readings from the first few chapters of my recent novel, Hire Lernin’: An Idealist’s Quest Through the Realm of for-Profit Education. The novel involves the bittersweet journey of a young, idealistic, naïve attorney who takes on the role of academic dean at a for-profit business school in New York City in the late 1980s knowing very little about the industry. Unable to accept the way things are, he immediately launches into a personal quest to change lives for the better in an environment where only the bottom-line matters. Hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit quickly propel him to professional success, but at a deep personal cost in the process as he learns critical life-altering lessons about himself, about leadership, about for-profit and not-for-profit higher education, and about love.

The novel itself is available in eBook and paperback versions from most book sellers. And I recently released audiobook versions of both the original English version and my Spanish translation that are also widely available. These are cold, unedited readings and are not part of the actual audiobooks now available. I recorded these for fun and posted them to my YouTube channel in the past and am providing links here. They serve an interesting contrast to the actual audiobook version. (You can also listen to brief previews from my various audiobooks at the following link: Audible.)

I hope you will enjoy these simple chapter readings as much as I did recording them.

You can hear an unabridged reading of the first two chapters by clicking HERE.

Hire Lernin’

An Idealist’s Quest Through the Realm of for-Profit Education

(C) 2021, 2025 Victor D. López, J.D., Esq.

This is a preview of the first two chapters of my published novel that involves the bittersweet journey of a young, idealistic, naïve attorney who takes on the role of academic dean at a for-profit business school in New York City in the late 1980s knowing very little about the industry. Unable to accept the way things are, he immediately launches into a personal quest to change lives for the better in an environment where only the bottom-line matters. Hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit quickly propel him to professional success, but at a deep personal cost.  In the process as he learns life-altering lessons about himself, about leadership, about for-profit and not-for-profit higher education, and about love.

PLEASE NOTE:  This novel is now available in its final edited form in ebook, paperback, hard-cover, and audiobook versions from your favorite local or international booksellers, including AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, GOOGLE PLAY, APPLE BOOKS, AUDIBLE, and other leading national and international booksellers. I hope you will sample these and enjoy them as much as I did writing them. And, as always, thank you for your support.

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Chapter One: Dreamers Dream Until They are Awakened

Dan peered out of his Jackson Heights second story apartment window hoping to spy the letter carrier’s cart on the sidewalk below bearing good news. He had risen as usual at 8:00 a.m., showered, dressed and was at his desk by 9:00 a.m. ready to face the world, which these days largely meant waiting for the mail to arrive or the phone to ring with an interview offer while working on a book about public domain software that he had begun writing. A classic overachiever, Dan was undaunted by the fact that he had settled into this routine two months ago and was still waiting for a reasonable job offer that he could actually accept. No matter, he would persevere and everything would be fine.

Success had always come easily to Dan. He completed middle school in two years in a special progress class, graduated from one of the best High Schools in the country, Brooklyn Technical High School, with honors, and excelled not only in the traditional college-level math, science and technical courses that formed the foundation of his pre-engineering curriculum, but also in the humanities and social sciences. College had been more of the same. He looked forward to every class, never managed his GPA by dodging hard courses or dropping courses in which he was not maintaining an A average, never cut classes, and graduated with high honors. Both his I.Q. and LSAT scores qualified him for membership in Mensa, an organization he had absolutely no interest in joining. He coasted through law school, though his grades were only average as he was frustrated and bored by the emphasis on memorization and regurgitation of facts, issues, holdings and rationales for cases in the traditional case method employed by the law school he attended (and most others for that matter both then and now).

Dan had decided to go to law school to help people, to make a difference, and to promote justice—actually believing these clichés with the fervor and innocence possible only for recent arrivals from faraway galaxies and people whose only exposure to the law and lawyers is derived from romanticized Hollywood movies, novels, and television shows. His delusions did not survive the first week of law school. He knew almost immediately that he would not practice law as a career, at least not as his primary occupation, but stubbornly decided to stick it out for no better reason than he had always completed anything he started, and law school would not be the exception. So, instead of leaving law school after a week, a month or even a semester as any rational person faced with the clear evidence that he had made a terrible mistake would have done, he plodded onward. He could have pursued a Ph.D. in political science, English, philosophy or any of the half dozen other fields that were of real interest to him in the humanities and social sciences where he could have found a fulfilling career as an academic. Instead, he chose to stay in law school and use his law degree to obtain a non-legal corporate position in human resource management, government compliance or one of the many other areas in business in which knowledge of the law and the ability to give legal advice are essential.

After graduating from law school, he took and comfortably passed the grueling New York State bar exam, though he would not receive the results until December and would not be admitted to practice until the following spring, just like everyone else who passed the bar exam. In the meantime, he had worked on Wall Street for a year hating the experience. Once admitted to practice, he prepared his resume and sent out application letters, neatly typed and appropriately listing his educational experience and competencies seeking to find more satisfying work. With no relevant work experience, however, responses were not what he had hoped for that summer. He received perhaps one interview for every ten or fifteen application letters sent out. This was actually much better than average, especially since he was not applying for work as an attorney. He should have expected three to five interviews for every 100 letters sent out, but he did not know that. Accustomed to success and with an unrealistic notion of his marketability and value, he was disappointed at getting at best a couple of interviews a month and was even less enthusiastic about the salaries offered for the entry level administrative and consulting positions for which he interviewed and which he was offered.

But this week would be different. In researching positions for which he would qualify as someone with a law degree, he had learned an interesting fact: more college deans hold a Juris Doctor degree than degrees from any other discipline. This appealed to him, and he had instantly decided that rather than accept any of the unsatisfying offers like the ones he had recently received, he would concentrate on obtaining a dean’s position at an academic institution. The fact that most college deans are highly experienced academics or accomplished professionals before their ascension to administration is something that completely escaped Dan’s less than comprehensive research into the subject. Thus, his mind made up about a career choice that would after all vindicate his decision to obtain a law degree, he readjusted his resume, developed a new cover letter, and began to apply for deans’ positions from The Chronicle of Higher Education. And, not knowing any better, he also kept reading The New York Timesclassifieds hoping to find those types of positions listed there as well.

Within a few days of making this new life-altering decision, he had sent out a half dozen new application letters to community colleges in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut tri-state area from the Chronicleand one to Practical Entrepreneurial Management Training Institute (PEMTI), a local business school Dan had never heard of. The cryptic ad in the classified section of The New York Timesread: Academic Dean. Leading business school with branches throughout the tri-state area is searching for an Academic Dean for its Queens campus. Competitive salary and benefits. Master’s Degree required; Doctorate preferred. The only other information was an address for PEMTI at Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens, an area not too far from Dan’s apartment.  He then waited for a call he was sure would come, oblivious to the fact that the lag time between the submission of an application for a dean’s position and the search committee selection of candidates for preliminary phone interviews and, eventually, on-campus interviews take months at traditional academic institutions, even at lower-level community colleges and baccalaureate institutions. But ignorance is bliss, and Dan eagerly expected a call or letter inviting him to an on-campus interview within a week of having sent the application.

It is said that even broken clocks are right twice a day—well, at least that’s true for the old-fashioned analog ones. And this morning, just three days after mailing his application, his phone rang.

“This is PEMTI calling. May I speak to Daniel Amor?” The woman’s husky, southern accented voice gave Dan a sudden adrenaline surge as he quickly responded, “This is he.”

“Good morning, Mr. Amor. I’m calling with regard to your application for the dean’s position. Will you please hold for the director, Mr. Lantz?”

“Yes, thank you.” Dan tried to keep his voice calm as his heart rate sped up further. A click on the line was followed almost immediately by the mellow voice of a man exuding cheerfulness.

“Dr. Amor?” The voice queried.

“Yes sir, good morning” Dan answered.

“Good morning. I’m Marvin Lantz, the school director. We received your application for the dean’s position and would like to bring you in for an interview. Are you available this week?”

“Any time this week is fine with me, Dr. Lantz,” Dan retorted without the usual response he knew he should give about having to consult his schedule in order to not appear overeager and unattractively unoccupied.

“Call me Marvin, please. I’m an MBA, not a Ph.D. or Ed.D. Can you come in tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.? We’re on Queens Boulevard about two blocks from the courthouse on the fourth floor of the Wang Office Building. Our school is actually on the fourth and fifth floors.”

“I know the area and have your address. I’ll be there at 10:00 a.m. Thank you. I look forward to meeting you, Mr. Lantz.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting you as well. See you then,” Marvin replied and hung up the phone.

Dan smiled widely. Finally, he had an interview he could really look forward to. He called his girlfriend, Linda, as soon as he got off the phone, eager to give her the good news.

“Morning babe,” he said as soon as she picked on the phone. “I have some great news!”

“Hi Dan. What is it?”

“I just got called in for an interview at a local business school for a dean’s position.”

“Yeah, and I just got crowned Miss Universe,” she scoffed.

“I’m serious!”

“You told me you sent out applications for deans’ positions a few days ago. How can they possibly be interviewing already?”

“I guess they know quality when they see it,” he quipped.

“Joke all you want, but be careful. I see a huge red flag popping up here.”

“Gosh, Linda. You’re such a damned pessimist. Why are you perpetually raining on my parade?”

“Because I love you and someone has to protect you from yourself. You always see the glass as half full, and even if someone takes the time to make you see it’s actually completely empty, you’ll point to rain clouds in the horizon and argue it will soon be full again.”

“So, shoot me for always looking at the bright side, Ms. Perpetual Party Pooper! For me the glass is always half full, true; for you it is always completely empty, dusty, cracked and lying in the middle of the Sahara Desert under six feet of sand,” Dan said with a tone of exasperation, yet knowing full well that she was right.

“Just be careful, Dan. Congratulations on getting the interview, but be wary.”

“I will, Linda. Have some faith in me, won’t you?”

“I have always had complete faith in you—it’s your judgment that worries me.”

“I’ve gotta go,” Dan said. “I’m off to the library to do some research. We can talk tonight,” Dan said, giving the receiver a kiss and hanging up the phone.

He knew Linda was right—she almost always was. He could be impulsive and allow his enthusiasm to cloud his judgment. Nevertheless, he felt some annoyance at Linda’s harping on the negative rather than exploring the positive. She was a realist who looked at the positive and the negative in every situation and parked herself somewhere in the middle. Dan was an idealist who had a hard time accepting any reality he found unpleasant or unfair and would look for a rainbow in the middle of a hurricane, even if it killed him.

After getting off the phone, he did what he did best: turn to the task at hand and devote his full attention to it. He needed to get as much information as possible about PEMTI in preparation for the interview with little time to do so. In the days before the Internet, a library’s holdings were the only effective way to research a prospective employer, so he headed for his car to take a quick trip to the St. John’s University library to find out anything he could about PEMTI. Unfortunately, it was a trip that would prove fruitless. The same was true of his trip to his public library.  Returning home that evening, he avoided going to see Linda as he knew she would harp on his need for caution and make him miserable. Instead, he called her, and they chatted on the phone briefly. He also called his parents who were much more enthusiastic about his good news knowing nothing about the usual process involved in a dean’s search and, therefore, offered Dan only the encouragement he craved.

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Chapter 2: The Interview (Part One)

The next morning, Dan got up early, put on his best suit and gathered his leather portfolio, placing extra copies of his resume and undergraduate and graduate transcripts in it along with three glowing letters of reference from professors who knew him well and could vouch for his intellectual acumen and skill set. Rather than take his car into an area where parking would likely pose a problem, he opted to take the subway, leaving his home at 9:00 a.m. for what should be at most a half hour trip door to door. Nothing beats the NYC subway system for getting around cheaply and quickly, especially during rush hour when bumper-to-bumper traffic moves at about the same rate as the average lethargic slug. Traffic flow is further impeded by traffic lights whose timing sequence seems to be set by particularly perverse, sadistic children during breaks from biting their baby siblings, torturing puppies and singeing the tail feathers of caged songbirds on sunny windowsills with magnifying glasses when their parents are not looking.

As he neared the ten-story office building that housed what might become his first academic home, he slowed his pace as he was nearly a half hour early and knew that he should not arrive earlier than fifteen minutes before his scheduled interview. He walked slowly past a variety of small shops, that included a Chinese restaurant with about a half dozen small tables visible through the front window, a pizzeria, a check cashing place sporting a prominent “Payday Loans” neon sign in its window, a bagel shop, a tattoo parlor and several bars. He continued past the office building towards the courthouse, enjoying the glorious early fall day. As he approached the courthouse, he could see dozens of lawyers going about their business, many of them accompanied by their clients chatting on their way to court or holding impromptu conferences. He smiled at the realization that it was often hard to distinguish criminal lawyers from their clients as they moved side by side on their way to and from the criminal courthouse. The lawyers, of course, could be discerned from their ubiquitous bulging leather briefcases, but seemed every bit as shabby, shifty and untrustworthy as their charges and wearing similarly rumpled off-the-rack suits and sports jackets. Even his criminal law professor in law school fit that mold—there was too much of the streets about them, a greater affinity to their clients than to the polish and eloquence that used to be associated with the legal profession in the days when lawyers were not free to hawk their services on commercials during television shows aimed at the terminally unemployable members of society with loud, obnoxious, misleading commercials. These echoed all the finesse and professionalism of local used car salespeople hawking their wares to individuals with toxic credit histories in the wee hours of the morning.

“Have you been injured by a slip and fall? Did the police find a kilo of heroin in your car after a traffic stop motivated by racial profiling?  Is the IRS hounding you because you’ve never paid taxes? Is your son doing poorly in school because he was slapped too hard on his fanny by the obstetrician at birth? Were you denied employment or a promotion because you are an unqualified drug user with a bad attitude, body odor and perpetual absenteeism caused by Chronic Lethargy Syndrome? You may be entitled to compensation. Call 1-800-SHEISTER and a lawyer will come to your home to discuss your case. No injury is too small or frivolous for us to pursue. The law firm of Sheister & Sheister is always on your side.” These commercials should come with the following rapidly-scrolling disclaimer in small print (but do not--a testament to the political clout bought by the very generous campaign contributions of trial lawyers in the United States):

“Disclaimer: we only take cases we know we can win with a minimum of effort, and then only on a 50-percent contingency fee basis. We routinely file cases with little or no merit knowing full well that judges will seldom throw them out on pretrial motions, and count on our ability to settle almost any claim for its nuisance value of $10,000 or less as the average litigation will cost defendants $25,000 in lawyer’s fees and it is cheaper for them to pay us $10,000 to go away than it is to win a Pyrrhic victory in court and have to pay their attorneys $25,000. After paying for court fees and some ancillary expenses off the top from the $10,000 nuisance judgment, we get about $4,500 for little or no work beyond basic motions filed by our underpaid paralegals, and you get $4,500 for any injury real or imagined that may have been caused by anyone you choose to sue. God Bless America, the only country on the planet in which lawyers have succeeded in maintaining the sanctity of the American Rule that prevents losing parties from having to pay the legal expenses of the prevailing party.”

After walking past the courthouse killing time and thinking these dangerous, subversive thoughts that would get him immediately voted off the island by his brothers and sisters of the bar, he turned around after a leisurely seven-minute stroll and slowly walked back. He made his way to the fourth floor at precisely 9:45 a.m.

“Dan Amor to see Mr. Lantz,” he told the smiling receptionist. “He’ll be with you in a moment.” She picked up the phone, punched a button and announced, “Mr. Amor is here to see you.” She then turned to Dan and said sweetly, “Please sit down. He’ll be right with you “

Before Dan had a chance to take a seat, a smiling, short, thin man in his late thirties with short hair in an almost perfect horseshoe pattern around a gleaming, bald head opened the inner door to the right of the reception area and offered Dan a broad smile. “Good morning, Dan. Please come in. I’m Marvin. It’s good to meet you.” Marvin extended his hand to Dan who shook it firmly, saying “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for seeing me.”

Marvin held the door open and asked Dan to pass through. Dan noted what appeared to be a metal detector as he walked through the threshold, while also noticing another metal detector on the wider door to the left of the reception area that must lead to the classrooms given the number of young people carrying books that he saw walking through it. Unlike today, metal detectors at a school in the 1980s was something Dan had never seen before and found curious. Marvin pointed to the end of the hallway and said, “My office is just down the hall, please follow me.” On the way to Marvin’s office, Dan saw several small offices with people busy at work at their desks, and a large office just before Marvin’s door that looked like a phone bank with a half dozen people working the phones in diminutive cubicles.

As he walked inside Marvin’s office, Dan noticed a short man with mid-length hair staring out the large picture window at the traffic below on Queens Boulevard. The man’s shirt, though clean and of apparent good quality, was rumpled and looked slept in. The man turned his attention to Marvin and to Dan when he heard them come in. Unlike Marvin’s conservative blue tie and a pressed shirt, the man’s tie sported a cacophony of discordant colors that could have been designed by a chimp of subpar intelligence on an acid trip supplied with finger paints in all the primary colors for its hands and feet. The man immediately walked towards Dan with his hand extended in the style of life insurance salesmen, car dealers and televangelists the world over.

“Good to meet you, Dan. I’m Jerry Mason, Vice President for Administration of PEMTI,” the man said, enthusiastically shaking Dan’s hand. “Marvin and I will be interviewing you today and appreciate your coming to see us on short notice.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Mason. Thank you for granting me this interview,” Dan replied meeting the man’s smile, though not quite matching it’s size or intensity.

“Call me Jerry. We Don’t stand on ceremony here, plus I don’t hold a doctorate, just an MS in Marketing. Please, sit down,” he added, pointing to one of two padded leather chairs in front of a massive mahogany desk. ”You too, Marvin. I’ll just stand if you don’t mind.” Marvin smiled and took the seat, but not before offering Dan a cup of coffee or tea, pointing to an elegant side table with freshly brewed coffee, china cups and saucers, a matching sugar bowl, and silver spoons. The office smelled pleasantly of vanilla and fresh brewed French roast coffee. Dan waved off the offer with thanks and sat down, opening his leather portfolio on his lap.

“Would either of you like a copy of my resume or letters of reference?” He asked, looking at both men. “No thank you,” Marvin replied. “We both have a copy and have reviewed it carefully,” he added. Jerry leaned back on the windowsill behind Marvin’s desk and studied Dan while Marvin spoke. “Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself and why you want this job,” Marvin added with a pleasant smile.

Dan covered the basics about his education, training and commitment to higher education. He emphasized his ability to learn almost anything quickly, his legal training and adaptability. He touched on his academic credentials and eclectic competencies as well as his ability to work well both in groups and in self-directed projects.  He closed by explaining that he was a young attorney who did not wish to practice law but instead had chosen to pursue a career in higher education, preferring the intangible rewards and self-satisfaction that career offered over the pecuniary rewards available to a competent young lawyer, with native-language proficiency in Spanish in a city with an insufficient number of attorneys that could effectively serve the needs of a growing Latin American community.  Dan knew but did not mention the insultingly deficient “bilingual attorneys “ whose inability to effectively communicate orally or in writing in Spanish was at once amusing , dangerous and insulting to the clients they targeted through the Spanish-language media.

Dan did not try to address what he anticipated the interviewers would ask as his weakness—lack of experience—was obvious, and he preferred not to raise any negative issue until he was asked about it. The second question, however, he did not anticipate, and it came from Jerry.

“How do you feel about for-profit education?”

Dan answered honestly and immediately. “I really have not given the matter much thought. However, I believe that college is not for everyone, and that there is a very real gap in career training that community colleges are increasingly failing to meet. Most have turned away from their original job-training mission and become feeders for four-year schools. A majority of graduates with associate degrees lack any real marketable skills and are prepared almost exclusively to transfer to a four-year institution that too often will offer similar bachelor’s degrees of little use for those seeking employment.” Both Jerry and Marvin nodded, smiled, and looked at each other as Dan said this.

“I have an uncle who learned typing skills from one business institute or other in Manhattan that saved him from an infantry position when he volunteered to serve in Korea” Dan continued. “He served very near to the front lines, but in a clerical position that kept him out of the infantry because of his office skills. He is a writer now and a retired high school teacher. I envy him the touch-typing skill which served him well and could have earned him a living as a clerk in any number of companies if the G.I. Bill had not allowed him to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees through the City University of New York and NYU. I also have two very good married friends who trained as beauticians and own their own salon. He is a construction worker who helps out during the winter off season, and she is someone who survived radical cancer surgery in her late teens that left her with physical disabilities that would have precluded her from holding many jobs for which she was otherwise qualified. Both are successful, productive and very happy in their work which would not have been possible other than by attending a proprietary school in NYC. I support for-profit education because I have seen it work, as long as it is offered at a reasonable cost and provides good practical training for individuals that for whatever reason cannot or choose not to go to college.” All of this was true, and it was very well received by both Jerry and Marvin.

“You would be surprised to learn how many people disagree with that point of view,” Jerry said, smiling broadly once again. “But of course we completely agree with you, and we do provide an excellent education at a fair price. We also provide graduates with job placement assistance when they graduate, free of charge and for as long as they need it, not just help in getting their first job after completing their training.”

“That sounds terrific,” Dan said, again meaning it.

Ethan Brumfield was once just an ordinary 15 year old teenage Boy in high school, until one day his life is turned upside down by monsters and demons who are trying to kill him without restraint. Just what are the 72 pillars, and what do they have to do with Ethan. Follow Ethan Brumfield down the long road to figuring that out, as he tries to survive getting killed by all those who lurk in the shadows.

We are ONE Family, but no family is perfect. The De Vera Family was once a happy family, but amidst the growth of their son, what will go wrong?

As soon as Qing Liqing opened her eyes, she found herself in the master bedroom of the villa she had purchased at a low price before the end of the world.　　The shock and anger after being betrayed by his most trusted friend lingered in his heart for a long time, the　　Hatred made him lose his usual composure, and he lost control of himself and swatted away the things on the bedside table.　　Then he heard a man's emotionless voice: You hurt me.　　Qing Liqing: ???!　　Zhen Li stretched out his arm, a small red mark on it.　　Qing Liqing: Wait, just now here ...... someone ......?　　Zhen Li expressionless: I'm not a person, I'm this villa you're living in right now.　　Qing Liqing: I'm sure either you're crazy or I am.

The audiobook versions of my novel and short story collection have just been publshed. Here, i offer links to a sample chapter readings (my own) and actual samples of the published audiobooks that are not narrated by me. I'm curios to know, which do you prefer?

“Love can be dangerous, Ray. And we both know,

YOU CRAVE DANGER.”

Dark… evil… demented…

That’s what Raven Magicae fell for…

The exact definition of monster.

In her nightmares, she’d dream of him standing over piles of dead bodies… eyes so dark they looked black… and he’d be smiling as his victim’s blood trailed from his lips… staining them a bitter red…

When he looked to her for the first time, she knew from the beginning that he wasn’t normal.

His eyes held no mercy.

Not even for her.

And now that Malachi had her life twined between his fingers…

All her nightmares would come true.

But deep inside the monster… was there a light…? Or was his soul completely covered in shadows?

She knew he was her captor… a monster… but she couldn’t control herself…

And she had to remind herself of who he really was…

But who was hereally?

(part of the enchanted realm)

Heart of love so they blame me, Heart of a dove so they try to flame me, Heart ain't made up so they try to tame me, Heart ain't played up so they try to game me, Heart ain't frayed up so they try to spray me, Heart ain't clayed up so they try to lame me.

I ain't running back, Christ coming back, All that filth I'm done with that, Purify the fire, They crucified the Messiah, Been dealing with sin, Been healing within, Trying to perfect my soul, It ain't worth it to die for gold, I won't sell my soul.

Lot of souls on that Pharisee spirit, Abomination of Desolation is that heresy spirit, I ain't down with no baphomet, They crowned Jesus with the sacrament, Spiritual warfare is required to repent, Biblical warfare stay on fire don't relent.

Who are we to judge our neighbor, They hold a grudge cause they see my favor, Agents of disaster, They paging their master, That's why they aging faster, Not about race, Don't doubt the grace, Salvation to all Every nation will fall.

The real is meek, Heal in the bleak, Don't do the weekend, They want beef but claim they vegan, Watch how you speaking, The pipes are leaking, Be on point cause the missile is seeking, Time is peaking, The saints gets the critiquing.

The earth is toxic, My birth was put on the market, My worth they tried to lock it, Found my truth, Now the sound in the booth, They trying to bound the youth, The statistics is ballistic, She beautiful with no lipstick, C'mon now be realistic.

Armageddon got their heart sweating, This truth I ain't forgetting, Perserve cause the rest is fear A blessing is a sample, A confession is an example, Earth's crust being drilled for the choice of nutrition, Trust the still voice of your intuition.

Tried to terrorize me with the curses, I cried when I memorized the verses, They play the race game, I pray for the grace flame, Repentance is not a life sentence, Times of refreshment, Crimes is not an investment, In my prime and I'm still confessing.

My theology is geology, They want to body me, Why lie to me. Had to die to me, Spiritual radar is crystal, Biblical defeats any pistol, Not forsaken. Not for satan, Humble your soul cause you might fumble the gold, Be patient cause this life is ancient.

I'm on a spiritual walk, They in dread cause I'm on that biblical talk, The light got them in miracle shock, I came from the dirt, On my name they threw dirt, See the dark side knows the light, Free my heart when I died in the night, Cried on that flight.

Copycat syndrome, Lobby rat sin chrome, The concept of race, The sunsets on grace, Blood + Spirit + Water, Love for my unborn daughter, Dove means you're born again to the Father, The road I took is what got them shook, Cause I know what's in the Book.

Nothing is above God, I ain't fronting I love God, If you can't claim that then don't blame that, The light for them is unbearable, In the night the sun make the earth glow, Nobody's patient, Soul body I'm ancient, The world is cold with anguish.

The light is the kindest, The night is the sinus, On the flight trying to sign us, How you right trying to blind us, Trying to bind us, Trying to find us, This for the believers, They acting more live divas, The earth gon need us, We need more leaders.

Please wake up, The streets is baked up, The beast is laked up, The peace is saked up, They hoping the word would die, That's why they open their third eye, That's satan's vision, Heart's eyes is the ancient vision, Change before the come up, Don't run up.

We're creatures of habit, The features of havoc, The speakers is fabric, The reapers is tragic, I don't play with magic, I don't play with no savage, Only God fearing, The world is hard hearing, This not the arcade, That's what my heart prayed.

If I didn't put the work in then I couldn't put the church in, Body of believers, Illuminati is deceivers, I ain't afraid of man, They try to downgrade the plan, Only God will understand, New earth be the holy land, Hold your sister's and brother's hands.

You got to R.I.P the ego, They V.I.P. to the evil, No I.D. in a world that's illegal, Read my energy, The seed of my enemy, Be on fire with love, We're higher with the dove, But we still grounded, Feel like we still surrounded, It's only flesh, Be refreshed.

Mind over matter, The vine is scattered, Divine shattered, Had to renew my heart, I knew where to start, Red sea is to play your part, Jordan River. It's important to be a giver. Clean decision, Seen the division, Miracles within, It's biblical don't sin.

They can't fake me up, They can't bake me up, They can't lake me up, Only God can wake me up, Only God can take me up, I'm riding all the way, I ain't hiding any day, God providing for His clay, Love is where I pray, With the doves I stay.

Move in righteousness, I ain't trying prove whose life is this, Walking in truth watch the idols blitz, Talking a lot will take you out of bliss, Seen the wickedness I'm out of this, Been secretly blessed don't doubt the risk, Now it's clout in a disk.

I'm in the zone on my grind, They trying to clone my mind, The heart is the throne to shine, Not bragging, So many trying to unlock the dragon, I'mma lion that's feared, The iron is seared, Imprints of the beast, Take hints I only walk in peace.

Walking with my sandals talking to the vandals, See the witches kissing the candles, Masonic ceremony, The chronic testimony, The beast ain't neutral, The peace is crucial, Ain't no celebration when you haven't tapped into elevation, No cap it's revelation.

Won't bow down to no regime, Won't crown the machine, Immortal dna in my gene, Stop watching that tv, Don't drop your caution with that cv, Attack of war is imminent, At my core is the sentiment, Soul feelings of peace, No dealings with the beast.

Don't get even, There's a reason why you still breathing, Every season devils is deceiving, The peace within is why I'm receiving, Blessings and miracles, Investments in the biblical, Testament is spiritual, Love is how I glow, Repent let me vent.

Hold your head up, God telling you to get up, Biblical mission, Miracle vision, No matter the race you can still walk in grace, Detox from the fear, Break these locks cause we're near, Muscle faith, Can't muzzle my faith.

A lot of different people watch me cause I walk scotch free, Not saying I'm perfect with no sin, Just praying the earth's rest is within, Be silent and let God vindicate you, Crying can't forget to indicate you, They catching hints, They hatching mints.

From a distant arrival, The drum is a instant revival, Meaning my city is in the New Jerusalem, I ain't dreaming she pretty she refused to be the rim, The light of her love is the night myrrh of the dove, God protecting my steps, God correcting my reps.

I ain't on no bandwagon, The saint verse the land dragon, Give thanks stop bragging, Their heart stank cause they stagnant, In the tank so I can be a magnet, The mind is a bank which isn't lagging, Sin got the world sank in a bag net, Quit with the acting.

Lot of folks wondering, Break the yoke in the thundering, We wrestle not against flesh and blood, We rest our souls cause we confess love, The called, chosen and faithful, I don't ball in the closing we're grateful, It's strange when you sin, Change within.

The love of many is waxing cold, The dove of a penny is faxing gold, I won't sell my soul, I don't sell thy coal, Psychological warfare, Biological warfare, Biblical warfare, Spiritual warfare, The matrix is deeper, The spaceship is for the reaper.

There's injustice, Why in sin they love this, Repentance is vital, Life's sentence is not idle, Can't be lukewarm, Will it be a nuke storm, Still cook even when they swarm, Meaning bear good works always, Scheming where if they could I'd be brawl waste.

Make an impact, I won't take no pact, Will America be sacked, The deal for your character is hacked, Renew your spirit, We knew you'd fear it, Everybody is welcome to salvation, Illuminati is hell's plum of revelation, Karate glow I won't sell my elevation.

Light is peace mode, Night is beast mode, Don't play with fire, Pray with the choir, Elevation is immediate, Revelation shows the greed at it, The first shall be last and the last shall be first, The curse will be the past and the past will be a verse.

Absorb the pain, It's a form of rain, Deal with sin, Heal within, We got to endure until the end to be saved, We can't pretend to have faith, The hour is now, The power is now, Testament of salvation, The investment of revelation.

On this level I'm bound to run into the devil, I ain't taking no deal, I ain't faking no real, Time is being shortened, Tapping into my prime is important, Don't waste your gift, Don't paste the myth, Listen carefully, What's missing is therapy.

Apply the word, Defy the world, We ain't playing poker, Ain't no praying for a joker, Meaning no repentance for the devil, They scheming for a sentence when you tapped in on the level, The choice is in your hands, Speak your voice for God's plans.

My fate is true to the name, They hate who I became, X-ray vision got them shook, I don't play with what's in the book, Don't matter what testament, It matter how you make the investment, Learning to absorb the pain, Burning the need to conform to the game.

Time wasted is crime tasted, My prime they tried to lace it, I'm not here to prove you wrong, I'm not with the fear I move in the strong, In my weak moments I'm in the meek component, Don't get it misunderstood, I won't forget what happened on the wood.

Protect your mind, Correct your grind, Stop talking nonsense, Start walking conscious, God is asking for obedience, It's hard when they see you're on defense, Arrows coming from every direction, The pharaohs coming to this dimension, Know the deception.

I know the words they saying, I hear the birds praying, I don't fear how they slaying, I don't take what they paying, I ain't running I'm staying, Fighting the devil what's the weigh in, At this level the cobweb is decaying, I'm in debt to God I'm claying.

I seen dreams come true, I seen schemes from you, I ain't in the league, Been a saint still ain't fatigued, Not saying I'm perfect, I'm praying it's worth it, Miracles await, Biblical fate, From the fire to the choir, Change is here, Out the range of fear.

Logical instruction, Biological destruction, Psychological construction, Don't believe the hype, Don't receive the type, Don't deceive the ripe, On a different wavelength, On a different saved strength, The blame is on history, On Christ we claim victory.

Liquidation, Intimidation, No fear in any situation, Imitation. Invitation, Got to be patient, Know that I'm ancient, Consultation, Conversation, Congregation, Congratulation, Information,Salvation to all nation, Detonation, Connotation, Inauguration.

Check your soul before you wreck your soul, They try to disrespect the glow, They try to insurrect the snow, I'm unlimited with peace, They unihibited by the beast, I ain't riveted by the least, Praying for clarity, I ain't playing they ain't scaring me.

I ain't moving off feeling and emotion, What's being proven is I'm healing by devotion, They losing by dealing with the notion, I'm choosing no ceilings for my motion. Productivity, Love is infinity, Trust the inner knowing, Salt of the dust I ain't going.

Look your best, Cook your best, I'm on the Lord's side, Among the wolves I won't hide, Faith is a strong guide They took the wrong ride, Memories being uploaded, Enemies being corroded, My energy is encoded, Them verses got to be quoted.

The glow eliminate the crypt, They know I don't lemonade no drip, Seeing what they were talking about, Seeing you can't walk in doubt, This world is already expiring, Who's reserved for the next firing, Better repent, The weather is intent, Let me vent.

I'm not on their schedule, They plot in the virtual, She gon nurse my glow, The beast got to reimburse the flow, This ain't jargin, Thin line between the margin, Ain't running from no opponent, They summon the cold component, My soul they can't own it.

You not a kin to me cause of skin or sin, The church of God will win, Gold is not currency for tin, My soul ain't going in that recycle bin, The glow got them on needles and pin, Water flow like I was blessed with the fin, The heart is where I stay in.

I ain't a ape on the wall, I forgot my cape in the stall, Yellow tape by the mall, Detoxing the body, Lamb and oxen for the quality, I ain't boxing the air this is reality, Imperishable title, We don't cherish no idol, It's deep witching, Keep it Christian.

The Word is beautiful, The world is a funeral, There's hope in Calvary, There's dope in the salary, Seen the Pope in the gallery, Spiritual powers activated, Biblical powers got them aggravated, Major calamities, Vapor all remedies, Praying heaven please.

It's deep in the kitchen, You got to peep the witching, Keep it Christian, Love in my heart, Been a dove from the start, Seeing old faces, Seeing cold cases, They can feel the biblical frequency, It's a miracle the free can see.

That's not my cup of tea, Unlock the cry of loyalty, Sipping on tears, We ain't dripping with no fears, I'm not the industry type, I got the energy hype, But it ain't fugazi, We don't play no crazy, I was a dove abused, The thoughts are love infused.

The glory rests in heaven, My story is blessed cause I'm a servant, To God's will, I know it's hard to heal, It's odd when they know you real, Concerned with salvation, The return is with revelation, This is a miracle, Feeling bliss in the biblical.

Keep it professional, Keep it confessional, Keep it operational, If you willing to believe then you willing to receive, Christ died for you. Even cried for you, Rose like a butterfly, Foes of the cross cause there's no other why, We destroy any evil eye.

Healed by God, Sealed by God, My peace ain't mourning, The beast is the warning, Masonic rituals, Chronic visuals. Christians are filled with the holy spirit, See the matrix glitching now they fear it, Free the ancient cause heaven can hear it.

Fight thru the pain, Night thru the rain, Set your mind on light, They get your mind on what's not right, No pleasure in evil, My treasure is legal, Are your cells regenerating, Heaven or Hell for any generation, Atom of truth, Can you fathom the truth.

Feel like I'm training for the combine, Heal in the raining cause I'm on my grind, First round draft pick in the Lamb's Banquet, The cursed ground is kicked by the ram's anklet, I don't do the divination, I don't do the initiation, Real heart no imitation.

I ain't concerned with the flesh, The saints returned all blessed, They hate to see you do good, My fate got their energy rude, Read the verses again, Had what I need back then, Just didn't know my worth, The dust sitting from the glow of life's earth.

I've been crying to myself lately, I've been dying to myself daily, No dragging, No bragging, Feeling the victory, Healing the mystery, The come up, Love is the sum up, The hate ain't validation, My fate is revelation, Next turn the world gon learn.

Magic in the Mist

Overview:

"Magic in the Mist" is a romantic fantasy novel set in a mystical Thai landscape filled with enchanting elements and hidden magic. The story follows Tay and New, two young men whose lives intertwine in a world where love and magic flourish amidst the challenges of friendship and desire.

Main Characters:

1. Tay:

Personality: Tay is introspective, slightly reserved, and has a deep appreciation for nature. He possesses a mysterious aura that draws others in, but he struggles with his feelings and the complexities of love.

Background: Tay comes from a family of guardians who protect magical secrets hidden in the misty forests surrounding their village. He has a special connection with the magical creatures of the woods, which often guide him in times of need.

Character Arc: Throughout the novel, Tay learns to embrace his emotions and open his heart to New, discovering the true meaning of love and acceptance.

2. New:

Personality: New is charming, outgoing, and full of life, capturing the attention of everyone around him. His playful nature hides a deeper sensitivity and longing for true connection.

Background: New is the new arrival in Tay’s village, bringing with him an air of mystery and excitement. He quickly becomes popular, but beneath his cheerful demeanor lies a desire for genuine love rather than fleeting admiration.

Character Arc: New’s journey revolves around his quest for true love, leading him to Tay, whom he sees beyond the surface. His charm is a facade that slowly unravels as he navigates his feelings and the magical elements surrounding them.

Plot Summary:

In a picturesque village nestled within a forest cloaked in mist, Tay’s life is intertwined with the magical creatures that inhabit the woods. One day, a new arrival, New, enters his life, captivating everyone with his charm. Despite being pursued by many, New finds himself drawn to Tay’s quiet strength and enigmatic nature.

As they spend time together, the magic of the mist reveals secrets about their families and the ancient prophecies that bind them. Unbeknownst to them, their growing bond is influenced by the mystical forces at play in their world, including a powerful guardian spirit that guides them toward their destiny.

However, their love faces challenges, as misunderstandings and external pressures threaten to pull them apart. Tay must confront his fears and embrace his feelings for New, while New learns to look beyond superficial connections to find true love.

Amidst swirling mists and magical encounters, Tay and New’s journey will lead them to discover the strength of their love and the significance of their roles in the magical realm, ultimately challenging the notion of destiny.

Katherine Grace Yuzon is a heiress of his grandfather named Rodelio Yuzon and also known as writer in the Philippines. She only dreaming a simple life but it never happens.

Through the wealth given by his grandfather, being the author and together her pasts, there some people and unexpected incident that desired to control her to get the wealth and fulfill her dreams. Things which could test her ability that proving she deserves to be the one of Rodelio's heiress, as a writer and even her love life.

What if she needs to choose in between which will be remained and those she will give up just to fulfill the other? Or she will sacrifice for both however it can turn her life into danger?

"The Flyania City",  a modern city located on a isolated island. Under the management of the penguin mayor, the non-flying bird citizens lived happily and contentedly.

Several months ago, a pandemic called "Flyania"began to spread here, where patients hallucinated that they could fly and jumped from tall buildings to their deaths.

Herowl, a long-eared owl who worked as a night shift reporter, was dedicated to his job and admired the canary female anchor. He unexpectedly became involved in a series of events. He was determined to resolve the epidemic and save the "The Flyania City!"

No birds were harmed, injured, or killed during the creation of this story.

The characters, locations, events, dates, names, organizations, professions, departments, or any related elements in the story are purely fictional and have no relation to the real world. They do not reference any individuals, professions, organizations, departments, regions, or countries. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.