Coping With School Failure and School Achievement

Adapting To School Failure and School Achievement Sadness AND ANXIETY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS OF SCHOOL FAILURE Tony JREIGE Conceptual (100 to 150 words) he present investigation inspected the connection between objective direction, adapting to class disappointment and school accomplishment. Two surveys, Goal Orientation (Niemivirta, 1996a) and The School Failure Coping Scale (Rijavec Brdar, 1997), were directed to 1057 secondary school understudies (matured from 15 to 17 years). The principal objective of this examination was to investigate whether understudies can be characterized in bunches as per their objective direction. The outcomes recognized four bunches of understudies with various accomplishment profiles: learning focused, work-evasion situated, both execution and learning focused and both execution and work-shirking focused gathering. Learning focused gathering utilized feeling centered adapting the least often while understudies with joined execution and work avoidanc direction utilized this sort of adapting the most every now and again. The subsequent objective was to test the connection between objective direction designs and the appropriation of feeling centered and issue centered adapting methodologies, and scholarly accomplishment. It was conjectured that objective direction could anticipate school accomplishment legitimately and in a roundabout way through adapting techniques. Adapting methodologies were considered as arbiters between objective direction and school accomplishment. Way investigation exhibited that immediate impacts of objective direction on school accomplishment were not noteworthy. The connection between objective direction and school accomplishment was interceded by adapting techniques. Catchphrases: School disappointment, Depression, Anxiety, Coping. The issue of school disappointment is critical, as it influences students’ lives and future. Sometimes, it prompts minimization, dismissal, distance and avoidance; henceforth, the danger of an assortment of different issues, for example, mental and social may develop. Patterson and his associates (1989) point to an enemy of social conduct as an outcome of such underestimation. We state that understudies who are minimized and can only with significant effort modify will in general drop out school. In spite of the fact that the significance of this subject, sadly, writing on the wonder of school disappointment of ordinarily clever youngsters and youths is as yet poor. There is a lack of exploration that may offer a comprehension of school disappointment as far as mental issue. As a reaction to this reality, the fundamental target of this examination is to search profound for passionate and mental disarranges blamed to be liable for this disappointment and, therefore, expel the disgrace of being disappointment and reckless from understudies who lie behind their colleagues. The principle question we ask is: Do youngsters and youths, who come up short at school, truly experience the ill effects of any mental issue, especially burdensome and nervousness issue? But, another inquiry rises: Are females more vulnerable to these disarranges than guys? As potential answers the above defined inquiries, the accompanying theories were set up for the examination: Youngsters and youths who come up short at school experience the ill effects of burdensome issue Kids and teenagers who come up short at school show proof of nervousness issue There is a sexual orientation huge contrast in burdensome clutters There is a sexual orientation huge contrast in tension issue Writing REVIEW School disappointment The term â€Å"school failure† is hard to characterize obviously; for a few, it would incorporate any sort of disappointment, redundancy or postponement in completing school which for the most part drives the understudy to exclusion, and even to being trashed, particularly as a result of the isolation among high and low achievers (Bourdieu,1994). Then again, specialists propelled a few ways to deal with explain school disappointment, among these methodologies we notice: Knowledge dependent on IQ scores. Supporters of this hypothesis censure low IQs for school disappointment. Financial status with children’s scholastic accomplishment: Supporters of this hypothesis reprimand the neediness for school disappointment (Herbert, 1996; Turkheimer et al., 2003; Thomson Harris, 2004; Berliner, 2006, 2009). Cooperation hypothesis: Keddie (1973) and numerous others censure the educator for school disappointment. For them, instructors have a pre-characterized assessment of how an understudy should talk and respond and as needs be understudies are assessed. Albeit all the previously mentioned approaches, school disappointment may happen among understudies of high financial status, cherished by their instructors, and have the capacity and insight to succeed. Hence, these kids get is a disgrace of being a disappointment, a useless, dumb and unreliable individual, while shrouded enthusiastic psychologicaldisorders are frequently the underlying foundations of their powerlessness to fulfill the school’s guidelines. For us, a few components may prompt school disappointment, among these elements we notice despondency and nervousness and the insufficiency of utilizing fitting adapting procedures. Misery Misery in kids and young people is frequently an intermittent and intense general medical issue, it can happen with comorbid conduct issues, self-destructive hazard, and mental issue, contacting as long as they can remember by debilitating their social, passionate and physical wellbeing just as their learning. Sadness in kids and young people might be communicated uniquely in contrast to that in grown-ups, with show social issue (for example crabbiness, verbal hostility and unfortunate behavior), substance misuse and additionally comorbid mental scatters. In youngsters matured somewhere in the range of 6 and 12 years, the most widely recognized signs are ordered into are school challenges, substantial scatters (for example Intermittent stomach torment, cerebral pains), weariness, unresponsiveness, dietary problems, absence of inspiration, loss of fixation, crabbiness, anxiety which frequently lead experts to misdiagnose the kid with ADHD rather than discouragement (Melnyk et al.,2003). Concerning young people, the most widely recognized signs and indications are emotional episodes, social disconnection, hypersomnia, sentiment of sadness, self-destructive considerations, dietary issues and medication or liquor misuse (Richardson et al., 1996). Hazard factors for self destruction in youngsters are: past self destruction endeavors; a nearby relative who has ended it all; past mental hospitalization; late loss of a huge figure (through death, separation or detachment); social segregation; medication or liquor misuse; presentation to savagery in the home or the social condition; and handguns in the home. Early alerts for self destruction are discussing it, distraction with death and kicking the bucket, parting with extraordinary belongings, and making game plans to deal with incomplete business. Williams (2009), offers a portrayal to recognizing discouraged young people, for example, Physical side effects with highlights of nervousness. Some of the time poor working at school, socially, or at home. Terrible conduct, especially in young men. Quick emotional episodes regularly happen. The way that kids can appreciate a few parts of their life shouldnt block the analysis of sadness. Uneasiness Uneasiness is a typical piece of living, it’s an organic response. Tension gets us far from hurt and sets us up to act immediately when confronting a risk; it is a typical response to a distressing circumstance, in this way it can assist us with adapting to it. However we may discover it some of the time in the center of the advancement of mental issue particularly when uneasiness turns into an over the top silly concern of regular circumstances, and an impairing condition sufficiently extreme to meddle with a people capacity to center and concentrate where it turns into a confusion. Helfinstein (2009) accepts that â€Å"anxiety alludes to the mind reaction to risk, upgrades that a life form will effectively endeavor to maintain a strategic distance from. This mind reaction is a fundamental feeling effectively present in earliest stages and adolescence, with articulations falling on a continuum from gentle to serious. Uneasiness isn't normally neurotic as it is versatile in numerous situations when it encourages shirking of risk. Solid cross-species parallelsâ€both in organisms’ reactions to peril and in the hidden mind hardware connected by threatsâ€likely mirror these versatile parts of anxiety†. 50 years prior, Grinker (1959, p.56) accepted that ordinary nervousness could be goal and genuine when we face characteristic circumstances that produce uneasiness, for example kid before his tests, guardians before their child’s disease. Right around a century prior, in his â€Å"A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis† (1920), Freud accepted that nervousness was utilized â€Å"in association with a condition paying little heed to any objective†, it’s â€Å"a emotional condition, brought about by the discernment that a â€Å"evolution of fear† has been consummated†. †¦ These days, for the American Psychologists Association (2013) portray Social Anxiety Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder among the tension issue incorporate where Strategy Test The example of this examination included 187 youngsters and youthful teenagers (Males = 122 and Females = 65) matured somewhere in the range of 10 and 15 years enduring of school disappointment and joined up with the fourth to the eighth grades, haphazardly drawn from 10 schools situated in Mount Lebanon Caza (5 administrative and 5 private). Apparatuses Uneasiness The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) created by Speilberger in 1970 was utilized. It comprises of two 20-thing scales that measure state and characteristic uneasiness in youngsters between the ages of 8 and 14. The A-State scale analyzes the shorter-term state tension that is normally explicit to circumstances. It prompts respondents to show how they feel ‘right now’ (for example quiet, irritated) on a 3-point scale running from 1 to 3. Adding reactions makes an absolute score that can go from 20 to 60. The A-Trait scale gauges longer-term quality tension, which tends to how the kid for the most part feels. It requests that respondents pick

Media Reaction Essay Example for Free

Media Reaction Essay Acquaintance The media response with movement issue in the United States is as different as the way of life and individuals it impacts. While there exists some regular open and political perspectives there is additionally authentic data which could change those positions. The media piece, talked about here, found on the site: Los Angeles Times Politics.. This paper will utilize the media arrangement to address the inquiries on the media response toward movement. What is the recorded system on this issue? On March 26, 2009, Sen. Richard Durbin presented the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Acts of 2009, known as the DREAM Act. What is the political substance of this issue? The DREAM Act is a bill that was reintroduced inside the U. S. in 2011. As indicated by Wikipedia (2013), â€Å"The DREAM Act is the most recent issue in Immigration Reform. The DREAM Act is the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minor Act changed the lives of illicit foreigners. The DREAM Act expanded value cuts for in-state school educational cost and speeded up the citizenship procedure. † Conditional Permanent Residency permitted a person to work, drive, and travel on board for extensive stretches, as long as 365 days altogether for a long time. What message does the media piece endeavor to depict? Per the article, the Republicans were against the DREAM Act needing to oust the migrants back to where they originated from. What message does the media piece endeavor to pass on? Was the media inclusion one-sided or impartial? Was the issue sensationalized or depicted dispassionately? In what manner may the media inclusion impact the open view of the issue? Does empower or debilitate partiality, separation or generalizing? The article endeavors to give viewpoint which tended to both the worries and various perspectives on the DREAM Act migration issue in the United State. The inclusion present here was predisposition and depicted unbiasedly. Hymn P. Harvey, â€Å"The investigation of the migration strategy and change is an unpredictable and confounded issue socially, strategically, and legitimately. â€Å"This media introduction fortified that with it media portrayal of the â€Å"DREAM Act,† proposed by the Democratic Congress and contradicted by their Republican partner. † â€Å"It further present contentions that Obama’s program, done by official activity, doesn't give such outsiders legitimate status however it in any event shields them from expulsion from two years. Revision support Steve King, is an offensive adversary of loosening up U. S. movement law. He said any progressions to U. S. strategy ought to be ordered by Congress, not organized by the present. † (Mascaro, 2013). In the event that you were a chief influenced by this issue and its media inclusion, what incorporation methodologies from this week’s perusing may you execute to direct the media’s impact on your representatives and to advance consideration in the work environment? As a chief I would remember all laborers for the work environment. On the off chance that the specialist is undocumented or not, while in the workplace by law all laborers are to be dealt with similarly and reasonably. The globalization of the work place, and the assorted variety it brings has all representatives considering themselves something beyond an American, as such I can't and ought not make any move or permit any which possibly oppressive or biased in nature. I would maintain all the laws and strategies of the organization and until told else, I would treat all representatives on the assumption that I or the organization didn't â€Å"knowingly† higher an undocumented specialist.

Blog Archive Friday Factoid Stanford GSBs LEED Certified Facilities

Blog Archive Friday Factoid Stanford GSB’s LEED Certified Facilities Thanks in part to a $105M gift from Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight (MBA ’62), the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) has constructed a new $350M campus in recent years. The 360,000-square-foot campus of the Knight Management Center, which opened in April 2011, expanded the school’s existing campus footprint by 100,000 square feet. The extended campus is intended to allow the use of a wider variety of teaching methods and to increase interaction among students and faculty, including those from other Stanford University schools. Forty-two small classrooms, 7 large classrooms, 276 seats in the auditorium, and 60 faculty offices were added. The Knight Management Center is a green, environmentally friendly building, boasting state-of-the-art technology. Each classroom has three screens and dormant cameras for computer presentations, as well as plenty of natural light (in contrast to many of the previous lecture halls, which were windowless). With an eye toward preserving green space, the 870-space parking lot was built underground. The school is employing sustainable practices with respect to site development and the conservative use of water and energy. In early 2012, the Knight Management Center was awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum ratingâ€"the highest level of LEED certification granted by the U.S. Green Building Councilâ€"in recognition of its minimal environmental impact. To learn more about the Knight Management Center and its official launch, check out these  slideshows and videos. For more information on the Stanford GSB or 15 other leading MBA programs, check out the  mbaMission Insider’s Guides. Share ThisTweet Friday Factoids Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business) Blog Archive Friday Factoid Stanford GSB’s LEED Certified Facilities Thanks in part to a $105M gift from Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight (MBA ’62), the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) has constructed a new $350M campus in recent years. The 360,000 square foot campus of the Knight Management Center, which opened in April 2011, expanded the school’s existing campus footprint by 100,000 square feet. The extended campus is intended to allow the use of a wider variety of teaching methods and to increase interaction among students and faculty, including those from other Stanford University schools. Forty-two small classrooms, 7 large classrooms, 276 seats in the auditorium and 60 faculty offices were added. The Knight Center is a green, environmentally friendly building, boasting state-of-the-art technology. Each classroom has three screens and dormant cameras for computer presentations, as well as plenty of natural light (in contrast to many of the previous lecture halls, which were windowless). With an eye toward preserving green space, the 870-space parking lot was built underground. The school is employing sustainable practices with respect to site development and the conservative use of water and energy, and in early 2012 was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certificationâ€"the highest level of LEED certification granted by the U.S. Green Building Councilâ€"in recognition of the campus’s minimal environmental impact. To learn more about the Knight Center and the official launch, check out these slideshows and videos. For more information on the Stanford GSB or 15 other leading MBA programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides. Share ThisTweet Friday Factoids Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business)

Westward Expansion Of The United States - 1017 Words

Westward expansion seemed perfectly natural to Americans in the mid-nineteenth century. Many settlers even believed that America, as a nation, was destined−by God himself− to expand westward. This ideology became known as the Manifest Destiny. Although many Americans thought it to be a kindly movement driven by pride, it continuously proved to be aggressive, racist, and imperialistic. Enthusiasm over territorial expansion began in 1803 when Napoleon decided to offer the United States the entire Louisiana Territory and later escalated with the issues of Texas and Oregon. In the 1820s, the United States offered, twice, to purchase Texas from the Mexican government. However, it was not until 1824 that Mexico enacted a colonization law offering cheap land and a four-year exemption from taxes to any American willing to move into Texas. By 1830, the number of Americans living in Texas was more than double the number of Mexicans there, hence why the Mexican government prohibited any further American immigration in the region. Nonetheless, Americans kept circulating into Texas anyway. From then, friction between American settlers and the Mexican government kept growing and resulted in sporadic fighting in Texas throughout 1835. American settlers proclaimed their independence from Mexico and, thanks to General Sam Houston, finally received it on April 21st 1836 after the defeat of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the Battle of Jancito. American settlements were now spreadingShow MoreRelatedThe Westward Expansion Of The United States960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Westward expansion began for the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. For $15 million dollars, President Thomas Jefferson purchased from France 828,000 square miles, including most of 14 current states, thus doubling the size of America. Jefferson now had the land, but how to populate it was another story. On a three year expedition, Lewis and Clark were sent by Jefferson to explor e the lands to get a better understanding of the geography and resources of the West. During the 1830sRead MoreThe Westward Expansion Of The United States1144 Words   |  5 Pagesbranching and expansion.† That quote, once said by Stephen Jay Gould, can represent the Westward Expansion of the United States. In the early 1800s, the United States started trying to expand west. The U.S. acquired Florida, Texas, the Gadsden Territory, the Mexican Cession, the Oregon Territory, and the Louisiana Territory. All of those acquisitions helped evolve the United States into what it is today. Almost all of the land we own is from the Westward Expansion. Unfortunately, the United States were greedyRead MoreWestward Expansion Of The United States1477 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States began its life as a small nation consisting of only thirteen states. Over time the leaders of this county recognized that in order to prosper the nation would need to expand beyond the current set border s. Westward Expansion was the only solution, to adopt such a large endeavor meant that the population had to have a reason to migrate west. Expansion had appeal to the Southern land owners for the fact that the Missouri Compromise did not affect territories that were not part ofRead MoreThe United States Westward Expansion919 Words   |  4 Pagesculture. The United States grew drastically and new land became available over time. This surge in population created the Manifest Destiny, the belief of expansion from sea to sea. The United States’ westward expansion was a wicked, but vital component during the 1800s that allowed the nation to exercise its power and prosper economically at the price of unfair manipulation towards Native Americans as well as a cruel game of tug of war with the lives of slaves. In order to promote expansion, the federalRead MoreWestward Expansion Of The United States1054 Words   |  5 Pages Westward Expansion in the United States created controversy about the admission of new states into the union. The first provision of the Westward Expansion was the Compromise of 1850. This compromise was designed to settle disputes among the North and South states about slavery expansion. Senator Henry Clay proposed that California be admitted as a free slave in a trade-off for tougher fugitive slave laws for runaways. As a part of the compromise of 1950, Congress also passed the Fugitive LawRead MoreWestward Expansion Of The United States1060 Words   |  5 PagesWestward expansion changed into the preference of the US to govern the territories of western components of the United States that had been either unclaimed or occupied by using other international locations. It is pertinent to comprehend that the us history became inspired with the aid of England in diverse methods. Within the second 1/2 of 18th century, the railroad which that turned into invented in England introduced a main effect in the USA enlargement to the West. Railroads originated fromRead MoreThe Impact Of Westward Expansion On The United States1571 Words   |  7 Pagesopened the door to westward expansion. Thomas Jefferson purchased this extensive plot of land with the hopes of strengthening and expanding the Republic, unaware that it would have the opposite effect. Jefferson’s fateful decision to expand the United States nearly destroyed the Republic that Americans worked so hard to build. It triggered the rise of divisions amongst Americans. These small cracks continued to grow and tear at the seams of the nation. Although westward expansion between 1800 and 1848Read MoreWestward Expansion and the Effects on the United States Essay1050 Words   |  5 PagesRunning Head: WESTWARD EXPANSION Westward Expansion and the Effects On the United States October 3, 2007 Abstract The Louisiana Purchase was the largest land deal in our history. It doubled the size of the United States and gave us a strong face as an economic power. It brought immigrants from all over the world for the idea of owning land and making a living for themselves. We also had a second expansion with the Adams-Onis treaty in 1819 (Davidson, 2002, p.p. 246-247) where weRead MoreEssay On Manifest Destiny1551 Words   |  7 PagesManifest Destiny was a widely spread belief that settlers in the United States should expand across North America. It was the belief that fueled the westward expansion. The westward expansion led to many other events in and around the United States. Before Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War took place which allowed America to declare independence. Manifest Destiny was a big influence on the evolution of transport and technology. Before weRead MoreManifest Destiny1555 Words   |  7 PagesThe Evolution Of Transportation Manifest Destiny was a widely spread belief that settlers in the United States should expand across North America. It was the belief that fueled the westward expansion. The westward expansion led to many other events in and around the United States. Before Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War took place which allowed America to declare independence. Manifest Destiny was a big influence on the evolution of transport

Patterns of Paragraph Devt - 1169 Words

PATTERNS OF PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT 1) Narrative - An account of a sequence of events, usually in chronological order. Example : The barber was cutting our hair, and our eyes were closed--as they are so likely to be. . . . Deep in a world of our own, he heard, from far away, a voice saying goodbye. It was a customer of the shop, leaving. Goodbye, he said to the barbers. Goodbye, echoed the barbers. And without ever returning to consciousness, or opening our eyes, or thinking, we joined in. Goodbye, we said, before we could catch ourself. Then, all at once, the sadness of the occasion struck us, the awful dolor of bidding farewell to someone we had never seen. We have since wondered what he looked like, and whether it was really†¦show more content†¦It would be impossible for any parent reading these vagaries to picture what goes on in the schools’ classrooms. 5) Analogy - is a comparison of two different things that are alike in some way. So a paragraph by analogy would mean that you are writing multiple sentences that develop upon the ideas of what you are comparing. The easiest way for you to come up with the paragraph would be to make a list of all the different ways the subjects are alike. Make these into complete sentences and your paragraph will almost form itself. Example : I am to dancing what Roseanne is to singing and Donald Duck to motivational speeches. I am as graceful as a refrigerator falling down a flight of stairs. 6) Descriptive - paragraph describes how a person/thing looks, or feels. In descriptive paragraphs, you can describe people, places, objects, or events. The main purpose is to create an image in reader’s minds. In short, it is like painting with the words. Example: A Friendly Clown On one corner of my dresser sits a smiling toy clown on a tiny unicycle--a gift I received last Christmas from a close friend. The clowns short yellow hair, made of yarn, covers its ears but is parted above the eyes. The blue eyes are outlined in black with thin, dark lashes flowing from the brows. It has cherry-red cheeks, nose, and lips, and its broad grin disappears into the wide, white ruffleShow MoreRelatedArticle II: Declaration of Principles and State Policies16349 Words   |  66 PagesSECOND KIND The legislative and judicial acts of de facto government =VOID AB INITIO. Patterns of Government What superficially appears to be a bewildering variety of applications of constitutional democracy can be reduced to the following basic patterns: †¢Direct government – the people, organized as the electorate, are the preponderant power holder(Ancient Greek City-States) †¢Assembly government – name for the pattern which the parliament as the representation of the people is the preponderant power

Why Private Troubles Become Public Issues - 1645 Words

Sociological Imagination is the way we learn and expound on social problems in order to decipher how and why private troubles become public issues. Private issues are the problems faced at the individual, or micro, level, while public issues are seen at a macro level, affecting institutions or society. With sociological imagination, we can begin to understand how different social problems came about from the individual level. A close friend of mine, I will call her Emily, loved running track, singing, and spending time with her close friends. One night while she was in the car with her boyfriend, another driver was speeding and hit her car head on after the other driver lost control. She doesn’t remember too much from the night of the crash, but she remembers waking up almost a month later in an intensive care unit with part of her head shaved, tubes all over her body, and only one leg. She came to learn that she had gone through thirteen surgeries while she was in a coma, two of them were brain surgeries, most were abdominal, and another took her right leg just below the knee. Not only is she suffering major medical problems, but now Emily also suffers mental problems such as depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Emily is not running anymore, but often uses a wheelchair to get around because her prosthetic is painful for her to wear. Emily has trouble singing notes she could previously hit, and gave up on some of her choir goals ever since the major carShow MoreRelatedThe Sociological Imagination And Me Essay1343 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween personal troubles and public issues. Next, I will use my sociological imagination to reflect on my personal biography. I will take an issue, incident, or circumstance from my own experience and demonstrate how it could be understood as a product of social and historical forces. I will use Mills’ conception of personal troubles and public issues to explain my own biographical detail socially. Lastly, I will explain the interplay between personal troubles and public issues. The SociologicalRead MoreCoffee growers Essay928 Words   |  4 Pagesglobalization, will your own consumption habits change at all? Explain why you would change or not your consumption habits. I prefer not to drink coffee as a result my consumption will not change. 3. In what ways is the â€Å"coffee-go-round† an example of what Mills called â€Å"public issues† and â€Å"private troubles?† The public issues are coffee growers in poor rural area are not paid reasonably for their crops. The private troubles are coffee growers are trapped to sell only coca because of the competitiveRead Moreweb dubois1041 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent cultures differ on social issues such as suicide? How does the psychological perspective view suicide? What is unique about the sociologist s perspective? On a social issue such as suicide, cultures differ because many people feel this is a personal problem whereas others feel that this can be a public issue. If a person commits suicide, it may have been as a result of his or her personal problems. In a larger society, this suicide is a public issue because the person who committed suicideRead MoreSociological Imagination Summary1307 Words   |  6 PagesWright Mills begins by describing the perilous situation of the American man during the 1950s. He describes they situation as one of internment and frailty. Mills sees men as restricted by the routines of their daily lives. They go to their jobs and become workers, they go home and are family men. The American men of the 1950s were in a state of powerlessness due to the effects of World War Two and the looming threat of nuclear warfare between the United States of America and the former Soviet UnionRead MoreAnalysis of the sociological imagination and its use in sociology.1483 Words   |  6 Pagesconsciousness for understanding social processes. It is a way for a person to look at their life as a result of their interaction with society. It can explain why a life is lived the way it is and all events, decisions, successes, and failures that have occurred. Further more it enables us to understand the relationship between private troubles and public issues. Only by understanding how society affects us as individuals can we ever hope to change society effectively. A classical approach to sociological imaginationRead MoreWhat Can We Do? Becoming Part Of The Solution1619 Words   |  7 Pagesmeaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals(Mills, 3). Sociological imagination helps individuals to contemplate their own troubles in a deeper level and view their daily routines in an entirely new perspective. Sociology imagination has also helped people to connect their personal troubles with societal issues. In the article, â€Å"What Can We Do? Becoming Part of the Solution.† by Allan G. Johnson, a well-known author, novelist, and sociologist, indicates that, â€Å"PrivilegeRead MoreMarriage Is A Social Institution1078 Words   |  5 PagesUnited States. This phenomenon as a sociological imagination shows the marriage and divorce now are not only concern a private matter, it starts to translate to a public issue so this essay starts with how marriage concern a social problem. 2nd paragraph: The background of the author the summary of this articles --the background of the author ‘Marriage as a public issue ’ is written by DR. Steven Nock. He is a professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia and works in Federal DepartmentRead MoreIs Employer Monitoring of Employee Social Media Justified? Essay702 Words   |  3 Pagesa mountain out of a molehill.   While employees unquestionably have a right to express themselves in private about any issue they choose, if that employee is expressing an opinion in a public forum about their employer then it immediately becomes an area of legitimate interest for that employer. The key distinction seems to be between public and private.   If an employee posts content in a private forum – for example their personal Facebook wall with security settings on – then it is not appropriateRead MoreHomelessness Case Study1683 Words   |  7 PagesCase Study This report is concerned with the connection between homelessness its historical framework and the governance of the pervasive ‘victim blaming’ ideologies and the social issues it brings to society. Structural issues create different risk levels among certain populations. (Heinz, 2005, p. 61) The homeless have been regarded historically as objects of empathy and disparagement in the media, political, and the economic domains. (Farrugia, 2011a) These sentiments are tied to how homelessRead MoreOf The Sociological Imagination In Georges Dubys Madame Bovary1380 Words   |  6 Pagesemployment and unemployment rates, they can become more aware that they are not the only one having this â€Å"personal problem†. This way it will help to understand what social problems lead to an unfortunate social outcome. If people paid more attention to the social problems, it would help people to take actions and strategize ways on how to improve their society. However, people are t oo focused on their private life which enables them to focus on the global issues. Mills explained if a person has sociological

A career in graphic arts Essay Example For Students

A career in graphic arts Essay A career in graphic design is perfect for a creative individual who has a sense of design. A graphic designer is one who creates ideas that are expressed in words and/or pictures, and generally solves problems of visual communication, says Paul Rand, a professional designer (23). Employment in this profession is projected to increase 29% by the year 2006, which is the highest of any career according to a study done by the American Institute of the Graphic Arts (3). A graphic designer may work in a variety of places including a large firm or corporation, a specific design agency, a magazine or newspaper, or even in his own home as a freelance designer. There are few specific requirements needed to be involved in graphic design. However, there are similar traits and qualities that most designers generally possess, including training, knowledge of specific elements, using criticism positively, and a keen eye for color and balance. The cost of being a graphic designer must also be factored in. Graphic design is a career that offers a creative outlet but can be quite stressful, which is why designers must be cooperative and work well with others. A dexterous designer knows how to use criticism positively. Oftentimes criticism is what makes a piece of art better. Depending on the project, job duties may include designing and preparing layouts, sketching out ideas, arranging the materials needed, or putting together the final image. Since there may be different requirements for each client, a graphic designer (on average) should have the ability to be spontaneous and creative and work well under pressure and stressful in situations. DO NOT be a designer if you stress out easily! says Steve Jones (interview). In many cases a designer has deadlines which may not be negotiated with his clients, and therefore he must work productively. There is also the downside of creating an image that is not accepted by the client; the designer must then discuss what is wrong with it and perhaps start over. Any job becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better. (Borenstein) Certain clients leave the project completely open-ended and up to the designer, while others have a specific idea in mind. It is important for the designer to remember that he is creating a piece of work for someone elses liking, and it may not be exactly what he would do on his own time. Most clients, however, choose their designers by looking at their portfolios or recognizing other pieces they have created. A client usually hires someone with a style he prefers. Other qualities that a designer must have include the ability to make original designs, knowledge of composition, and attention to detail. Social skills play a major role in the profession. While creating a design may be done independently, the final piece is usually presented by the designer to someone else. It is not likely that advanced math will be used, but basic skills such as adding and subtracting quickly and accurately are necessary. There is also not a lot of physical activity essential to the artist. At the end of a project, your brain will feel like it just ran a marathon. (Anderson) The amount of time it takes to create a piece of graphic art depends on the individual. If he is given a deadline, for instance, the designer will use his time wisely and efficiently to finish the project. A designer often works from his home, which allows them to choose their own hours. An experienced artist is aware of their personal style of creating and finishing a project. Some work well in an office setting, while others work more efficiently at night when it is quiet. .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 , .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .postImageUrl , .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 , .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28:hover , .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28:visited , .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28:active { border:0!important; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28:active , .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28 .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud986d1dbb9d3555d0cb5f243fdbdbf28:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Beowulf And King Arthur Essay Due to the variations in styles and individuals, a graphic designer generally spends around 25-50 hours a week working on projects. Preparing to be a professional graphic designer can vary depending on how much experience is desired by the individual. On average, the minimum amount of education is between two and four years of training in either fine art or design. Many choose to attend a general university to start with and often transfer to a specific art or design school. High school students are not expected to take classes specifically in graphic design, but advanced art classes will help them in the future. A basic four-year high school curriculum (English, math, science, and history) is all that is expected to have been taken by a high school student; however, college preparatory classes are beneficial. Since the demand for designers is quickly increasing, finding a job after advanced training is quite simple. Employers will look for those with a strong background, experience, and a large portfolio. A designer may have a natural ability to create an extraordinary piece of design; in this case a lot of training is not necessary. For this reason, students who wish to find work as soon as possible should look into attending an art school after they graduate from high school. Graphic design requires one to have knowledge and experience in working with images and type. Typography is the term used to describe the use of words and type to convey a message (Perfect). One who has an intelligent sense of design is familiar with how to incorporate color with type and image to create an emphasis where needed. It is important to be able to catch on to things quickly. A strong vocabulary will be to the designers advantage, because oftentimes words are used as the main focus; any misspellings would not be the clients fault. When looking at advertisements in magazines, for example, the ones that catch the eye have a good balance of image and type; there is not too much of one or the other. Computers are quickly becoming the most popular tool for combining image and type. The materials needed in graphic design can be quite expensive, but the final product will be worth it. As any artist knows, the cost of supplies adds up fast. The image(s) can either be taken from a photograph, a sketch, a painting, or any other type of art. There is also the need for access to a computer, scanner, and printer. Computer programs that are specifically designed for the graphic arts can be quite costly, such as Photoshop (about $600). In order to produce a nice piece of work, these materials are necessary. Other computer programs include Quark, Adobe Illustrator, and Corel Draw. In order to be a leading designer in the future, individuals in the profession must have the ability to come up with original and unique ideas. One who enjoys preparing layouts for school projects or arranging art into a final composition would excel in the graphic design field. Not anyone can be a graphic designer; only those who accept responsibility and have a natural ability in design will enjoy this career. Modern-day designers will be the leaders of the next millennium and will produce the designs that will be seen for years to come. The opportunities as a graphic artist are endless.Bibliography:paul rand american institute of the graphic arts

OCD Disease Essays - Psychiatric Diagnosis, Abnormal Psychology

OCD Disease It was 9:30 a.m., and Nancy, a 36-year-old attorney, had arrived late for work again. Nancy knew she needed to catch up on her legal assignments, but a familiar worry nagged at her. No matter how hard she tried, Nancy could not dislodge the thought that she had left a pot burning on the stove. The image of her home engulfed in flames was so vivid she could almost smell the smoke. Nancy tried to shut the thought out of her mind, reassuring herself that she had turned the gas jet off. But even remembering her hand touching the cool stove burner-a precaution she took whenever she left the house-still left her wondering whether she had checked carefully enough. The pot and stove were not all that had been on Nancy's mind that morning. For Nancy, leaving the house entailed a time-consuming routine designed to ensure that no major or minor disaster-such as a fire, burglary, or household flood-would strike while she was away. Like a pilot preparing for take-off, she would spend more than an hour checking and rechecking that all appliances were turned off, all water faucets shut, all windows closed, and the doors to the house securely locked. Except for necessities such as work, Nancy avoided going out because it meant performing this arduous routine. But even these measures were not enough to keep her from worrying. A few weeks earlier, Nancy had hit on the idea of documenting that everything was safe before she left home. Now, sitting at her desk, she pulled a completed checklist from her purse and reviewed it to see if the "stove and oven" item and been marked off. At first, she felt relieved to see that it was. But then a new thought struck: What if this wasn't today's checklist? Panic overtook reason. Nancy dialed the local fire department and asked that truck be sent to investigate a fire at her house. (Goodman, 1994, pp 103, 104) The first modern description of OCD was provided in 1838 by Jean-Etienne Dominique Esquirol, a French psychiatrist. Esquirol called the disorder the folie de doute, or doubting madness, and suspected it was rooted in a physical problem in the brain. During much of the 1900's, psychoanalytic theories dominated the study of OCD. Many psychoanalytic theorists believed OCD originated from conflicts early in a child's development over such issues as toilet training. (Goldman, 1994, p.104) Researchers theorize that an antibody may actually cause OCD. The antibody called D8/17, is produced to fight streptococcus bacterium that causes rheumatic fever. However D8/17 may attack healthy cells in the brain's basal ganglia region, which helps control basic movement sequences, such as walking or eating. (Klobuchar, 1998, p.266) The obsessions or compulsions must cause marked distress, be time consuming (take more than 1 hour per day), or significantly interfere with the individual's normal routine, occupational functioning, or usual social activities or relationships with others. Obsessions or compulsions can displace useful and satisfying behavior and can be highly disruptive to overall functioning. Because obsessive intrusions can be distracting, they frequently result in inefficient performance of cognitive tasks that require concentration, such as reading or computation. In addition, many individuals avoid objects or situations that provoke obsessions or compulsions. Such avoidance can become extensive and can severely restrict general functioning. (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 1994). Symptoms of OCD include repetitive, ritualized behavior, such as counting, hoarding objects, or handwashing; obsessive fear of threats, such as germs; or a fear of committing violent acts. (Klobuchar 266) The American Psychiatric Association classifies OCD as an anxiety disorder. People with OCD suffer from persistent and disturbing thoughts, images, or impulses, called obsessions. They relieve the anxiety caused by their obsessions through compulsions-repeated behaviors that they feel driven to perform. (Goodman, 1994, p.104) The DSM-IV defines obsessions as recurrent thoughts, images, or impulses that are anxiety-provoking and are perceived as intrusive or senseless. (Gragg & Francis, 1996, p.1) The intrusive and inappropriate quality of the obsessions has been referred to as "ego-dystonic." This refers to the individual's sense that the content of the obsession is alien, not within his or her own control, and not the kind of thought that he or she would expect to have. However, the individual is able to recognize that the obsessions are the product of his or her own mind and are not imposed form without (as in thought insertion). (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 1994). Obsessions typically fall within seven major categories. i.e. Contamination obsessions, which typically involve excessive concerns about germs, disease, and cleanliness.

How to Join Your High School’s Student Council

How to Join Your High School’s Student Council SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Thinking about joining student council? You should be! It's a great way to make friends and gain leadership experience, especially if your interested in politics. However, it can alsorequire a significant time commitment. What is student council and what duties will you have as a member? How do you join? Should you join? I'll answer these questions and more below! What Is Student Council? Student Council, sometimes called Student Government, is the elected governing body at your high school. The group is composed entirely of students; often they have a faculty adviser. Typically (though this may vary slightly by high school/region), each grade level has itsown grade-level council (i.e. freshman student council, sophomore student council,junior student council, and senior student council). Usually, each grade-level council has their own faculty adviser.The grade-level councils typically plan and execute grade level specific programs (such as creatinga class t-shirt, organizing a class fundraiser, planning the class float for the Homecoming parade, etc.). Additionally, there is usually a school-wide student governmentthatplans and executes programs for the entire school (such as Homecoming Week or a school-wide fundraiser). The school-wide council typically has itsown faculty adviser but still gets assistance with itsevents from the grade-level councils. Think of the individual grades as individual states with their own governments, but they all fall under one country (school) and one federal government (the school-wide student council).I’ve created the chart below as a visual reference of this hierarchy. Additionally, I’ve listed the typical positions available on each council. What Do Student Council Members Do? In this section, I’ll discuss the general responsibilities of all members. I'll then go on to discuss the duties of specific officers (President vs. Secretary, etc.). Duties for All Members All student government membersare responsible for attending meetings (usually weekly, though the specifics will vary from school to school). If you’re on a grade-level council, you’ll likely have meetings both with your grade-level council and the school-wide council. These weekly meetings include all members of the council as well as the faculty adviser. At these weekly meetings, members brainstorm events they'd like to plan and divvy up the tasks.Occasionally (typically once or twice each school year), the grade-level student councils will hold an open meeting to allow their classmates to come and voice their concerns or suggest ideas. As I said above, members of the grade-level councils are responsible for planning and executing grade-level specific programs(such as creatinga class t-shirtororganizingJunior Prom).Members of the school-wide council plan and execute programs for the entire school (such as Homecoming Week or a school-wide fundraiser). In addition, members of grade-specific councils are responsible for assisting the school-wide council in planning and running major school-wide events such as the Homecoming parade, Homecoming dance, and pep rallies. Typically, senior student governmentmembers have an obligation aftergraduating from high school:planning your high school reunions. What Are the Position Specific Duties? I’ll go down the hierarchy. The duties of each position remain the same whether it’s for the freshman council or school-wide council. As I said above, every member is responsible for attending meetings and helping make school events happen. The duties listed below are the additionalduties for each position. President:Responsible for planning and running meetings (i.e. creating meeting itineraries, facilitating discussions), delegating tasks (i.e. deciding who on the council will be in charge of finding someone to design the class t-shirt, who will be responsible for finding a company to print the t-shirt), and for holding people accountable (i.e. making sure people complete their assigned tasks). 1st / 2nd Vice President:Responsible for assisting the president (i.e. running meetings in their absence, making sure people are completing assigned tasks, etc.) Secretary:Responsible for taking notes at all meetings and emailing those notes to all council members. Treasurer:Responsible for budgeting and managing money (i.e. collecting money when selling tickets for Homecoming, depositing that money into the proper account, keeping records). HowCan You Join Student Council? To be in student government, you need to be elected.Elections for freshman student council typically happen at the beginning of the school year, in the fall.Elections for sophomore, junior, senior, and school-wide student councils typically happen near the end of the school year before summer vacation.You usually have to sign up to run. Make sure to talk to the front office at your school and askhow to sign up to run for student government. If you’re trying to run for a position for the first time (i.e. you’ve never held a position on student council at your high school before, whether as a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior), I recommend first trying to run for what are considered smaller positions:treasurer or secretary.There is usually less competition for these positions, which will make it more likely that you’ll be elected.Additionally, while these positions are considered smaller, you have the same responsibility as the president or VP,to help plan and execute great events. If you hope to be class president someday, you can prove yourself in a smaller position and then run for bigger positions in future elections.I started as my freshman treasurer, then became sophomore VP, then junior class president, and I becameStudent Government President my senior year.No matter what position you run for, how you campaign is important. Youonly need onetip to win your campaign... The Most Important Campaign Tip:Make Sure People Know (and Trust) You! Plain and simple, you will not win your campaign if only tenpeople know who you are.You will also likely not win if your entire grade knows you, but onlyas the person failing all of your classes or the person who doesn’t take anything seriously (aka class clown).To win the campaign, you need to make sure people know you and trust you. How do you get people to know you?If your school allows it, make posters, stickers, pencils, etc. with your name on it.The size of the posters doesn’t matter, butthe quantity does.It’s better to print 50 posters on printer paper than to make 10 on fancyposterboard.You want people to see your name so that they can talk to their friends about you andtry to figure out who you are before election day. Next, start to develop your campaign platform or main focus. Why do you want to be on student council?Do you want to improve school dances? Do you want to have a wider variety of school lunch options? Create a class field trip? Start a fundraiser? Having a focused platform will help you seem trustworthy and will help you stay motivated. Now you have to spread your message.During your lunch period, you should not be sitting down; instead, walk around the cafeteriaorcampus. Introduce yourself! Hand out pencils and stickers.Talking to people is your best weapon.Tell them about yourself and why you want to be part of student government. Ask them what events they’d like to see planned this year or what ideas they have. However, you don't want to annoy other students (if you do, you definitely won't get elected), so try to cap yourself at 2-3 minutes of chatting, and then move on to another group. How do you get people to trust you?This is amore difficult task. Talking to people and asking about their ideas will help build some trust.To continue to build trust, you need to show your competence in the classroom.Make sure you’re known as the person who does all of their homework, gets good grades, engages in class discussions, etc.Don’t be known as the person who is always late to classor on their cell phone. How to Ace Your Campaign Speech Some schools allowcampaign speeches (mine didn't!). Speeches provide you with another opportunity to show that you're trustworthy. Here are my bullet points for a good campaign speech: Introduce yourself (It may seem obvious, but it will helpstudentswho may not know you). â€Å"Hi, I’m John Doe, and I’m running for sophomore class secretary.† Say why you want to be on student counciland why you’re qualified. Your qualifications will bea combination of personal characteristics and past experiences and successes. â€Å"I'm an excellent note-taker. I served as drama club secretary.† State your campaign platform or main focus. â€Å"I want to plan a class trip to Disney.† Explainhow you plan to accomplish your goals. â€Å"I will raise the money for the class trip by hosting a school-wide hot dog eating contest.† End with your name(again,it'll helpstudentswho may not know you). â€Å"Remember, vote for John Doeforsophomore class secretary.† These should be the main points you hit, but also try to inject some humor into your speech to make it more entertaining.Your speech should NOT be too long (I’d recommend 2-3 minutes maximum).Make it brief or you’ll lose your audience. What Are the Benefits of Joining Student Council? By joining the student government, you’re able to influence your high school.You can start new events and fundraisers.For example, as student government president, I started a donation drive to collect used prom dresses for a non-profit called Becca’sCloset.If there are things that bother you about your school thatyou'd like to improve, student council gives you an opportunity to do so.If you hated the Homecoming dance last year, you can plan a better event.Instead of having the Homecoming dance in your gym, you can move it to a hotel ballroom. If you dislike school lunches, you can try to change the menu. Student governmentalso gives you agreat leadership experience to discuss on your college application.Colleges like to see leadership experience and involvement on your resume.It shows that you can get involved in your school and improve things, which makes colleges think that hopefully you would do the same at their school. Be aware that there are potential drawbacks to joining student council.You might get blamed or criticized if people don’t enjoy your events.Nothing is worse than the class t-shirt. Someone is always unhappy and doesn’t like the design. People get this upset, SERIOUSLY. Should You Join Student Council? If you’re truly interested in planning school events and organizing fundraisers, then YES!If you’re just looking for another activity on your resume, then NO!Colleges aren’t looking for students with a laundry list of activities on their resume.Colleges are looking for students who do one thing and who do it VERY well.For more on this, read our article, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, by a Harvard Alum. If you love the idea of improving your school, then make student council your main extracurricular.Don’t be a mediocre student governmentmember! To be an effective member of student council, make sure you have the time to commit to it. You'll want to have at least fivehours per week to dedicate to student council. Plan ononehour for meetings and fourhours for event planning or executing events. Be on time to meetings and events. Show up to meetings with ideas for events. Take charge of event planning. Try to plan the best events your school has ever had.Plan new amazing fundraisers!Try to make real positive changes at your school! What’s Next? Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing, community service, and volunteer abroad programs. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Prescription Drug Costs in Primary and Secondary Care UK Dissertation

Prescription Drug Costs in Primary and Secondary Care UK - Dissertation Example the negative value of the mean indicates that generally, the NHS drug tariff prices for the generic drugs are substantially higher than the prevailing retail market price for the branded drugs. The results of the paired samples t-test also showed that there were no significant difference on the costs of generic drugs based on the prices indicated in the NHS drug tariff and the prevailing retail market prices for the branded drugs. This result is absurd because in majority of the drugs considered in this t-test, the generic prices are generally higher than the branded medicines. This finding, however corroborates the results of Kanavos (2007) that the NHS is reimbursing the pharmacies significantly higher than the actual acquisition cost dispensed by the pharmacies. 16 Table 5. Distribution of Branded NHS Drugs with no Generic Equivalent 17 Table 6. Distribution of Generic NHS Drugs with no Branded Equivalent 17 4.4. Comparison of free prescriptions between England and Wales 23 4.5. T he issue of over-prescribing by UK General Practitioners 26 4.7. Wastage of prescription drugs 31 5.0. Results and Implications 33 5.1. Summary of findings 33 5.2. Implications for health care 35 While over-prescribing of drugs appear to be forced choices by physicians who are limited to prescribing only drugs approved for inclusion in the designated PCT formularies, the ramifications of the practice are brought to bear not only on the national coffers, but also on the risk of patients’ illness progressing in severity either because they are overwhelmed of the multiplicity of their medications or simply choose not to adhere to the regimen for whatever reason. Overprescribing also leads to drug wastage. Another implication of overprescribing is becoming more dangerous for large populations... Any drug has its own benefit – risk ratio. As enunciated by Brekenbridge. It is high time that people realise that medication is not all on the benefit side, as â€Å"there is no such thing as a free lunch with drugs† (Brekenbridge, as cited in Laurance, 2011. Drugs need to be taken as instructed, no more, no less. Over-prescribing is definitely out of the question. It should be all academic at this point that over-prescribing catalyses many repercussions, including higher risk of more serious illness, drug wastage, draining the NHS budget, illegal drug trade, and worst, morbidity and mortality. In this regard, continuing professional education for doctors, especially in drug pharmacology should be a fixed installation in the human resources development programme of NHS. Meanwhile, generic substitution seem to be a promising option for doctors to help save on drug expenditures. However, block decisions for generic substitution of branded medication should not be resorte d to. This matter is not a one-size fits all. Decisions should always be evidenced-based and done with the best interest of patients in mind. While there are cases where generic drugs are comparable in efficacy with their branded precursors, there are also generic drugs which compare poorly with branded medicines. Physicians who prescribe generics should always be on the lookout for non-performing substitutes.

Law and Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law and Behavior - Essay Example The emphasis is on law, with the psychologists being used by the lawyers to enhance their operations. For instance if it is claimed that the person who has been accused is mentally unstable, the psychologist will be asked to give his expert opinion on this. He or she will have to carry out an analysis including psychological tests so as to come up with a conclusion on the person's mental state. A criminal lawyer can use the theories of psychology so as to enhance his or her trial strategy (Ogloff and Schuller 1998). The main focus is on how the legal system can prepare and adapt to the inclusion of psychologists in the law and in the legal system. The psychologists should also find ways of changing their work so as to meet the needs and requirements of the legal system. Forensic psychologists have used it for a long period of time in the United States and it is only recently that the lawyers acknowledged their relevance in the execution of justice (Kapardis 2003). Psychology and law interrelate in many ways and can benefit each other. Psychology can give better understanding of the behavior of criminals and sometimes it can show how a person can be rehabilitated. Psychologists may help the criminal lawyers because they assist in the selection of people who are suitable for acting as the jury. They are also a part of the analysis and presentation of evidence and arguments brought to the courts. Such matters like criminal law, procedures, insanity defense, decreased capacity, competency for trial relies a lot on the contributions of a qualified psychologist. The execution of law has been improved largely by the work of psychologists (Sherman & Hoffman 2007). Law and Psychology are two fields that have various contrasting fundamentals. According to Ogloff and Schuller, law is stare deices, while psychology is based on creativity. In law there are past cases and precedents, which are used as a foundation for the development of the legal arguments. The judges even make the rulings according to the legal precedents that were made years before. In contrast, the model adopted in psychology is one of innovation and creativity. Thus psychologists are encouraged to use new ways and ideas in their research and in dealing with their patients (Ogloff and Schuller 1998). While law is hierarchical, psychology is empirical. The decisions in the legal system are hierarchical and authoritative. The lower courts are constrained by the rulings of the higher courts. On the other hand, psychology is the accumulation of consistent and supporting data. The data derived is used to confirm whether a claim or position is valid or not. It is not based on an authoritative statement. (Ogloff and Schuller 1998) The law is reliant on the adversarial methods but psychology is dependant on experimental techniques. To reach the truth, in law, conflicting viewpoints are presented with each side putting forward its best case. Prejudice and egotism are intrinsic part of law and they are both allowable and encouraged as the best procedures. Psychologists arrive at the truth by trying to understand a certain incident through the use of data gathering techniques. They try to reduce the bias and

Adaptation Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Adaptation Evaluation Essay Tom Bombadil: Add sense of mysteriousness. Boromirs confession: Proud, arrogant warrior The Spirit of LOTR: Was it kept? Improvements. A new power has arisen. All must unite or fall divided. This is the story of the Lord of the Rings. The ring of power, forged in secret by the dark Lord Sauron contained all of the might, malice and power of the Dark Lord. Its wearer would be invisible and almost invincible, but it would corrupt the heart of anyone who wore it. Lord of the Rings is a typical good vs. evil story. This time, however, good is losing badly. The Dark Lords forces will soon overcome all of Middle Earth, but there is one glint of hope for the forces of Good. Because the Dark Lord Sauron made the ring of power, his life is bound to it. If Good can prevent defeat for long enough so that the ring can be destroyed, Sauron shall be overcome. However, the ring of power can only be destroyed where it was made deep in Saurons realm. This means that hope is in speed and secrecy, not force. A fellowship of the ring is formed and the quest is begun. The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the ring is the first part of the trilogy, which shows how the fellowship evades the servants of the Dark Lord and how the fellowship eventually breaks. A mighty warrior, Boromir is a member of the fellowship. He is lured by the temptation of power and tries to steal the ring. He does not fully understand that the ring corrupts any wearer. He is then asked by other members of the fellowship as to whether he has done anything, but he refuses doing anything wrong due to his arrogance. In the film, the plot is changed so that Boromir does try to take the ring, but he confesses everything. This was a major change as Boromir is meant to be a proud and arrogant human the author J. R. R. Tolkien always shows most humans as easily corrupted. A large omission was Tom Bombadil. He was a father of the forest type man who has powers of song and looks after the ring bearer. Tolkien added him to add a sense of mysteriousness to Lord of the Rings nobody knew who he was or where he came from. This was missed out in the film. Characters like him really did help the spirit of Lord of the Rings. Form one point of view; the film did not keep the spirit of Lord of the Rings at all. Parts were missed out and some of the film seemed like a traditional Good vs. Bad film the beauty of Tolkien was that he took well known types of book and added a slight change, but meant that the whole plot would be different. For example, in the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins goes on a quest to retrieve dwarven treasure. However, he does not want to go and as a result ends up doing a better job of getting the treasure than if he had wanted the treasure. This is the reason why keeping the spirit of Lord of the Rings is so important, Lord of the Rings is unique. However, the film of Lord of the Rings has kept a large part of the spirit. It swings my emotions better than the book did and each character looked almost exactly as I imagined them to be. Because films need a great plot to be good, the director (Peter Jackson) has taken the good parts and made them great he has really concentrated on the right parts. The film however was a bit too different from the book at times and too close at others. For example, there is an Im dead, oh no Im not scene part which was fine in the book, but should have been changed in the film. Another change that should have taken place was the fact that elves are shown as a dying any fading race in the Lord of the Rings film. In the book, elves couldnt die and the elves simply were leaving the land, not dying out. This was probably shown to make humans seem better. In conclusion, the Lord of the Rings film made great use of an excellent plot and unusual story. I think that the film was very good, but there was a small amount of room for improvement.

The Colliding Dynamics of Class Structure Essay -- Sociology

The rigidity of class structure is the culprit for the vast number of inequities in society. Power is concentrated in the hands of a small sector; leaving a few individuals to have more authority and influence, in comparison to others. The construction of class structure identifies the way groups are divided into social positions. Differences stemming from social position are further exemplified by the accessibility to valuable resources–such as wealth, education, occupation, and status. Those with distinguished command in society have access to these increasingly wide ranges of resources, which may be present in limited forms to the less powerful. Used as a device of supremacy, power is a style of control when the basis is acquiring these societal possessions. Even though class structure is considered to be fluid in nature, for some it is a complex web of entanglements hard to deal with it. Groups who suffer from social and material deprivations are not doing so by choice, b ut hugely in part to economical and occupational factors. These prominent distinctions have led several to fall victim to the systems of hierarchy. Built within these schemes are the inequalities that arise due to one’s position; and captured inside are the outcomes that influence levels of individual, educational, and occupational independence. People who do observe the inequities between classes may feel the impact of social stratification in various ways. Similarly the dynamics of class structure are very significant elements found throughout the works of Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and Karl Marx. They are all in agreement that society host the series of conflicts underlying that of class structure. Class structure as a whole denotes differing realit... ...ist Feminism." Critical Sociology (Brill Academic Publishers) 25.2/3 (1999): 196-217. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. Marx, Karl, and Frederick Engels. Marx/Engels Selected Works, Vol. One. Moscow. Progress Publishers, 1969, N. pag. http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist- manifesto/index.htm. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. Orwell, George. "Shooting an Elephant". The Seagull Reader Essays. 2nd Edition. Ed. Joseph Kelly. New York. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2008. 243-250. Print. Peet, Richard. "Inequality and Poverty: A Marxist-Geographic Theory." Annals of the Association of American Geographers 65.4 (1975): 564-571. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. New York. Quality Paperback Book Club, 1992. Print. Woolf, Virginia. Three Guineas. New York. Quality Paperback Book Club, 1992. Print.

Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Four

â€Å"Poor Sheeb, still locked in half-human form,† Jezebel teased. â€Å"I remember how good everything smells all the time. Ugh. And the temperature! Do the humans have to freeze everything with their wretched air-conditioning?† Sheba's face was smooth now, controlled. â€Å"I get by. There's plenty of misery to go around.† â€Å"That's the spirit! Just another few centuries, and you'll be in the big-time with me.† Sheba allowed a smirk to curl her lips. â€Å"Or maybe not quite so long.† One black eyebrow arched high against Jezebel's white forehead, raising almost to an ebony horn. â€Å"Is that so? Got something particularly evil up your sleeve, little sister?† Sheba didn't answer, tensing again as Jezebel sent her own thoughts snaking invisibly through the crowd inside the ballroom. Sheba locked her jaw, ready to strike back if Jezebel tried to undo any of her schemes. But Jezebel just looked, touching nothing. â€Å"Hmm,† Jezebel hummed to herself. â€Å"Hmm.† Sheba's fists clenched hard as Jezebel's search touched Cooper Silverdale, but again, Jezebel merely observed. â€Å"Well, well,† the horned demoness murmured. â€Å"Wow. Sheeb, I've got to say it, I'm impressed. You got a gun in. And a motivated hand-full of alcohol to weaken his free will!† The older demoness smiled with something that looked strangely like sincerity. â€Å"This is really evil. I mean, sure, a middle demon working homicide or mayhem or maybe riots could set something like this up at a prom, but a human-form child on misery detail? What are you, two, three hundred?† â€Å"Just one-eighty-six at my last spawn day,† Sheba answered brusquely, still wary. Jezebel whistled a tongue of flame through her lips. â€Å"Very impressed. And I can see that you aren't neglecting your assignment, either. That's one miserable crowd in there.† Jezebel laughed. â€Å"You've ended nearly every promising relationship, broken a few dozen lifelong friendships, made new enemies†¦ three, four, five fights brewing,† Jezebel counted, her mind with the humans. â€Å"You've even got the DJ listening to you! Such attention to detail. Ha-ha! I can count on one hand the humans who aren't completely wretched.† Sheba smiled grimly. â€Å"I'll get to them.† â€Å"Ghastly, Sheeb. Seriously nasty. You do our name proud. If every prom had a demoness like you involved, we'd own this world.† â€Å"Aw, Jez, you're making me blush,† Sheba said with heavy sarcasm. Jezebel laughed. â€Å"Of course, you've got a little help.† Jezebel's thoughts twisted in a circle around Celeste, who had just twisted herself around a new boy. Jilted girls cried, while the boys Celeste carelessly tossed aside flexed their fists and glowered wrathfully at their competition; burning with lust, each was determined that Celeste was finishing the night with him. Celeste was doing half the work tonight. â€Å"I use the tools available to me,† Sheba said. â€Å"What an ironic name! What an evil mind! Is she fully human?† â€Å"I passed her in the hall, just to check,† Sheba admitted. â€Å"Pure, clean human scent. Revolting.† â€Å"Huh. I would have sworn she had some demon in her ancestry. Good find. But, Sheba, asking a date? Pretty amateur, involving yourself physically that way.† Sheba's chin jabbed upward defensively, but she did not answer. Jezebel was right; it was crude and time-consuming to use one's human form rather than one's demon mind. However, it was the results that counted. Sheba's timely interference had kept Logan from discovering his true love. â€Å"Well, it in no way diminishes your accomplishments here tonight.† Jezebel's tone was conciliatory. â€Å"You pull this one off, and they'll put you in the baby demons' textbooks.† â€Å"Thanks,† Sheba snapped. Did Jezebel really think she could flatter Sheba into letting her guard down? Jezebel smiled, and her mists curled up on the edges, mirroring the expression. â€Å"A tip, Sheba. Keep them confused in there. If you can get Cooper to pull the trigger, then you might make some of these wannabe gangsters think they're under fire.† Jezebel shook her head in wonder. â€Å"You've got so much potential mayhem here. Of course, they'll bring in a riot demon if it really gets hot†¦ but you'd still get some of the credit for stirring it up.† Sheba grimaced, and glimmers of red flashed at her ears. What was Jezebel doing? Where was the trick? Her mind ran over and over the humans she was assigned to torment, but she could find no trace of Jezebel's distinct brimstone flavor in the ballroom. There was nothing but the misery Sheba had caused herself, and the few little pockets of repellent happiness that Sheba would attend to shortly. â€Å"You're certainly helpful tonight,† Sheba said, being deliberately insulting. Jezebel sighed, and there was something about the way her mists rolled back in on themselves that made her look†¦ embarrassed. For the first time, Sheba felt a hint of doubt about her assumptions. But Jezebel's motives had to be malicious. That's the only kind of motives demons had. With a rueful expression on her face, Jezebel asked quietly, â€Å"Is it so impossible to believe that I might want you to get promoted?† â€Å"Yes.† Jezebel sighed again. And again, the way her mists writhed in chagrin made Sheba uncertain. â€Å"Why?† Sheba demanded. â€Å"What do you get out of this?† â€Å"I know it's all wrong-or rather right-for me to be giving you advice you can work with. Not very evil of me.† Sheba nodded cautiously. â€Å"It's in our nature to trip up everyone, demons, humans-even angels if we get the chance. We're evil. Naturally we're going to backstab, whether it hurts our side or not. We wouldn't be demons if we didn't let envy, greed, lust, and wrath rule us.† Jezebel chuckled. â€Å"I remember-how many years ago was it? – Lilith almost got you booted back a few grades, didn't she?† Red fire smoldered in Sheba's eyes at the memory. â€Å"Almost.† â€Å"You handled it better than most. You're one of the very worst working misery right now, you know.† Flattery again? Sheba stiffened. Jezebel twisted her mists up with a finger, and then circled that finger so that the mists drew a smoky orb against the night sky. â€Å"There's a bigger picture, though, Sheba. Demons like Lilith can't see past the evil at hand. But there's a whole world out there, full of humans making millions of decisions every minute of the day and night. We can only be there to sway a fraction of those decisions. And sometimes, well, from where I'm standing, it feels like the angels are getting ahead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But, Jezebel!† Sheba gasped, shock breaking through her suspicion. â€Å"We're winning. Just watch the news-it's obvious we're winning.† â€Å"I know, I know. But even with all the wars and destruction†¦ it's odd, Sheba. There's still an awful lot of happiness out there. For every mugging I turn into a homicide, across town some angel has a bystander jumping another mugger to save the day. Or convincing the mugger to give up his wicked ways! Ugh. We're losing ground.† â€Å"But the angels are weak, Jezebel. Everyone knows that. They're so full of love that they can't concentrate. Half the time the stupid birdbrains fall in love with a human and trade their wings for a human body. Though why even an idiot angel would want this!† Sheba scowled down the length of her human form. So limiting. â€Å"I've never really understood the point of having to wear these around for half a millennium. I guess it's probably just to torture us, isn't it? The dark lords must enjoy watching us squirm.† â€Å"It's more than that. It's to make you really hate them. The humans, I mean.† Sheba stared at her. â€Å"Why would I need a reason? Hate is what I do.† â€Å"It happens, you know,† Jezebel said slowly. â€Å"The angels aren't the only ones to give it all up. There are demons who've traded their horns for a human.† â€Å"No!† Sheba's eyes widened, then narrowed in disbelief. â€Å"You're exaggerating. Now and then a demon shacks up with a human, but it's just to torment them. Just a bit of malicious fun.† Jezebel winced, swishing her mists into figure eights, but she didn't argue back. That's what made Sheba realize she was serious. Sheba swallowed hard. â€Å"Wow.† She couldn't imagine that. Taking all this delicious evil and throwing it away. Giving up a hard-earned pair of horns-horns that Sheba would destroy anything to have right now-and getting stuck with a weak, fully mortal body in return. Sheba eyed Jezebel's glistening onyx horns and frowned. â€Å"I don't understand how anyone could do that.† â€Å"Remember what you said about the angels? Getting distracted by love?† Jezebel asked. â€Å"Well, hate can be a distraction, too. Look at Lilith and her spiteful good deeds. Maybe it starts out with sticking it to the lesser demons, but who knows where it will lead? Virtue corrupts.† â€Å"I can't believe a few tricks against another demon could make you as stupid as a birdbrain,† Sheba mumbled under her breath. â€Å"Sheba, don't underestimate the angels,† Jezebel chastised. â€Å"You don't mess with them-you hear? Even a strong middle demon like me knows better than to lock horns with the feather-backs. They steer clear of us, and we steer clear of them. Let the Demon Lords deal with the angels.† â€Å"I know that, Jezebel. I wasn't spawned this decade.† â€Å"Sorry. I'm being helpful again.† She shuddered. â€Å"I just get so frustrated sometimes! Goodness and light on every side!† Sheba shook her head. â€Å"I don't see that. Misery is everywhere.† â€Å"Happiness is, too, sis. It's all over the place,† Jezebel said sadly. It was silent for a long moment as Jezebel's words lingered in the air. The sticky breeze washed across Sheba's skin. Miami was no hell, but it was comfortable at least. â€Å"Not at my prom!† Sheba retorted with sudden fierceness. Jezebel smiled widely-her teeth were black as the night sky. â€Å"That's just it-that's why I'm being so un-damnedly helpful. Because we need demonesses like you out there. We need the worst we can get on the front lines. Let the Liliths of the underworld mess around with petty tricks. Get me the Shebas on my side. Get me a thousand Shebas. We'll win this fight once and for all.† Sheba considered that for a moment, weighing the fierce purpose in Jezebel's voice. â€Å"That's evil in such a strange way. It almost sounds like good.† â€Å"Twisted, I know.† They laughed together for the first time. â€Å"Well, get back in there and destroy that prom.† â€Å"I'm on it. Go to hell, Jezebel.† Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Four Sibby Cumean started talking as soon as they got out of the airport. â€Å"How long have you been driving people around?† she asked Miranda. A year. â€Å"Did you grow up here?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Do you have any brothers?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Any sisters?† â€Å"N-no.† â€Å"Do you like driving?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Do you have to wear that boring black suit?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"How old are you?† â€Å"Twenty.† â€Å"Um, not.† â€Å"Fine. Eighteen.† â€Å"Have you ever had sex?† Miranda cleared her throat. â€Å"I don't think that question is appropriate.† She heard herself sound like Dr. Trope, the assistant head of school, with the voice he used to tell her he wasn't listening to another excuse about why she was late getting back to campus, rules were made for a reason and that reason wasn't so she could flout them for her amusement; and speaking of late, did she plan at some point to decide what she was going to do next year or just irresponsibly forfeit her place at the several top-tier colleges she'd been accepted to, making the school look bad and herself look worse; and really he didn't know what had gotten into her recently, where was the Miranda Kiss who was going to be a doctor and save the world, who was a credit to the school and herself, rather than the one who was on her way to being expelled-is that what you really want, young lady? A voice she knew well since she seemed to have been hearing it at least once a week since early November. â€Å"You're a virgin,† Sibby announced, like she was confirming a sad fact she'd long suspected. â€Å"That's not-â€Å" â€Å"Do you at least have a boyfriend?† â€Å"Not at this-â€Å" â€Å"A girlfriend?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Do you have any friends? You're not really very good at conversation.† Miranda was beginning to understand why the girl's relatives hadn't come to the airport for her. â€Å"I have lots of friends.† â€Å"Sure. I believe you. What do you do for fun?† â€Å"Answer questions.† â€Å"Please never try to be funny again.† Sibby leaned forward. â€Å"Have you ever thought of wearing some black eyeliner? It would be an improvement.† B polite! â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Can you pull up?† â€Å"Um, we're at a stoplight.† â€Å"Just go forward a tiny-perfect.† Looking in the side mirror, Miranda saw that Sibby had rolled down her window and was leaning out, saying now to the guys in the jeep next to them, â€Å"Where are you boys going?† The guys answered, â€Å"A little moonlight surfing. Want to come, goddess?† â€Å"I'm not a goddess. Do you think I look like one?† â€Å"I can't tell. Maybe if you take off your shirt.† â€Å"Maybe if you give me a kiss.† Miranda hit the button to roll up the window. â€Å"What are you doing?† Sibby demanded. â€Å"You could have broken my hand.† â€Å"Put your seat belt on, please.† â€Å"Put your seat belt on, please,† Sibby mimicked, slumping back into the seat. â€Å"Oh my gods, I was just trying to be sociable.† â€Å"Until we get to your destination, no more socializing.† â€Å"Have you listened to yourself recently? You sound like you're eighty, not eighteen.† She scowled at Miranda in the mirror. â€Å"I thought you were a driver, not a jailer.† â€Å"It's my job to make sure you get where you're going in a safe and timely manner. That's printed on the card you'll find in your seat pocket, by the way.† â€Å"How is kissing some boys going to make me unsafe?† â€Å"A million different ways. What if they have an invisible mouth fungus? Or DeathLip.† â€Å"There's no such thing as DeathLip.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"You're just jealous because I know how to have fun and you don't. Virgin.† Miranda rolled her eyes but kept quiet, listening to cell phone conversations from the cars behind them, a woman telling someone that the gardener was on his way, a guy saying in a mystical voice, â€Å"I see a mysterious stranger coming for you, I can't quite tell if it's a man or a woman.† Another man talking to someone about how he wanted to take that bitch out of the will and it didn't matter if she was his mother's favorite dog- She was interrupted suddenly by Sibby shouting, â€Å"Inn-Out Burger! We have to stop.† B accommodating! Miranda agreed to let Sibby order her own at the drive-through, then regretted it when she heard the girl saying to the guy taking the order, â€Å"Do I get a discount if I let you kiss me?† â€Å"Okay, seriously, were you raised on Crazycake? Why do you want to kiss all these guys you don't even know?† Miranda asked. â€Å"There aren't that many boys where I come from. And what does knowing them have to do with it? Kissing is great. I kissed four boys on the airplane. I'm hoping to make it twenty-five before the end of the day.† She added the two working the drive-through lane when she got her burger. â€Å"Are all hamburgers that delicious?† she asked when they were on the road again. Miranda glanced at her in the rearview mirror. â€Å"You've never had a burger before? Where do you live?† â€Å"The mountains,† Sibby answered quickly, and Miranda picked up a slight rise in her heart rate, suggesting that she was lying and not used to it. Which seemed hugely unlikely-the not-used-to-it part-for someone who had a case of acute Boy Crazy like this girl. Her parents couldn't possibly let her run around- Oh So Very Much Not Your Problem, Miranda reminded herself. B discreet. Sibby tried to solicit kisses from four other guys as they drove. They were a mile from the drop-off point and Miranda was thinking that the ride could not be over soon enough when Sibby shrieked, â€Å"Oh my gods, a doughnut store! I've always wanted to try doughnuts, too. Can we stop? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?† They were already almost an hour late but Miranda couldn't deny anyone a doughnut. Even someone who said, â€Å"Oh my gods.† But pulling in, she saw a group of guys sitting at a table inside and decided that it would be dangerous to let Sibby near them if she wanted to get out of there in under forty minutes. â€Å"I'll go in and get them, you stay here.† Sibby had seen the guys, too. â€Å"No way, I'm coming in.† â€Å"Either your butt stays in the car, Kissing Bandit, or the doughnuts stay in the store.† â€Å"I don't think that's a nice way to talk to customers.† â€Å"Feel free to use my phone to file a complaint while I'm inside. Do we have a deal?† â€Å"Fine. But will you at least roll down the window?† Miranda hesitated. Sibby said, â€Å"Look, Grandma, I promise I'll keep my butt in the car, I just don't want to suffocate. Gods.† When Miranda came out, Sibby had wedged herself in the window with her body and legs outside the car and her rear hanging back into it, and was deeply involved in kissing a blond guy. â€Å"Excuse me,† Miranda said, tapping the guy on the shoulder. He turned around kind of hazy, looked her up and down. â€Å"Hello, dream girl. You want a kiss, too? I could do something really special with lips like yours. You wouldn't even have to pay me a dollar.† â€Å"Thanks, but no.† Looking at Sibby now. â€Å"I thought we'd agreed that-â€Å" † – my butt would stay in the car. Where, if you bothered to look, you would see it is.† Miranda turned away so Sibby wouldn't see her crack up. She handed Sibby the doughnuts and slid into the driver's seat. Once Sibby had wiggled back through the window, Miranda caught her eye in the rearview. â€Å"You were paying guys to kiss you?† â€Å"So what?† Sibby glared. â€Å"Not all of us can get kissed for free.† More glaring, then, â€Å"You barely have boobs. My boobs are bigger than yours. It makes no sense.† Sibby got quiet, not even eating her doughnut. From time to time she'd sigh dramatically. Miranda started feeling a little sorry. Maybe she had been acting like a grandma. She looked at How to Get-And Kiss-Your Guy on the seat next to her. Maybe you're jealous she's four years younger than you but has already kissed more guys in one day than you'll probably date in your whole life even if you get a boob job and live to be two trillion. Shut up, U-Suck channel. She should be nice, make conversation. â€Å"How many kisses is it total now?† Sibby kept her eyes on her lap. â€Å"Ten.† Looking up to add, â€Å"But I only paid six of them. And one of them I only gave a quarter.† â€Å"Nice work.† Miranda saw Sibby look up suspiciously, like she thought she was being made fun of, decide she wasn't, and start picking at her doughnut. After a while she said, â€Å"Can I ask you a question?† â€Å"You're asking permission now?† â€Å"For real, just please stop trying to be funny. It's painful.† â€Å"Thanks for the hot tip. Did you have a question or-â€Å" â€Å"Why didn't you want to kiss that boy back there? The one who wanted to kiss you?† â€Å"I guess he's not my type.† â€Å"What's your type?† Miranda thought of Deputy Reynolds-blue eyes and cleft jaw and shaggy blond hair, getting up every morning to go surfing. The kind of guy who always wore sunglasses or looked at you with his eyes half closed and was too cool for smiling. Then pictured Will with his dark, maple-syrup-color skin, short curly hair, huge boyish smile, and abs that rippled when he stood talking, shirtless, with the other players after lacrosse practice, body glimmering in the sun, his laugh ringing out and making her feel like she felt when she saw butter melting on perfectly cooked Belgian waffles. Not that she routinely jumped up onto the roof of the marine biology lab when no one was looking to watch this. (Weekly.) â€Å"I don't know, it's more a feeling than a type,† Miranda said finally. â€Å"How many boys have you kissed? A hundred?† â€Å"Uh, no.† â€Å"Two hundred?† Miranda felt herself blushing and hoped Sibby couldn't see. â€Å"Keep guessing.† They pulled up to the address she'd been given, an hour and fifteen minutes later than they should have, the first time she'd ever dropped a client off late. When Miranda opened the car door for her, Sibby asked, â€Å"Is kissing a boy who's your type really different than kissing just any boy?† â€Å"It's complicated.† Miranda was surprised at how relieved she was that she wouldn't have to go into it more, admit to this girl that, actually, she had no idea. The place looked more like a government safe house for witnesses than a home, she thought, walking Sibby to the door. It was like the dictionary definition of nondescript, sandwiched between a house with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves enacting the Nativity on the front lawn on one side, and one with a pink-and-orange swing set on the other. The only thing you noticed about this house was that there were thick curtains hanging in the front windows so you couldn't see in, and a six-foot-tall solid wood fence blocking off the backyard so you couldn't get in. The street was filled with noises-Miranda heard BBQs sizzling, conversations, someone watching Beauty and the Beast in Spanish-but this house was silent, as though it had been soundproofed. She registered a low humming coming from the side, like an air conditioner but not quite. Glancing up, she saw that none of the power lines connected to this house. None of the phone lines, either. A generator. Whoever lived here was living off the grid. All in all, the whole place was really cozy, if cozy meant creepy and cultish. And the woman who opened the front door? Exactly what you'd expect of someone creepy and cultish, Miranda thought. She had graying hair pulled back in a loose bun and was wearing a long skirt and kind of shapeless sweater. She could have been anywhere from thirty to sixty years old, it was impossible to tell because she was wearing a pair of huge bifocals with unflattering square frames that magnified her eyes and covered half her face. She looked completely harmless, like a schoolteacher who'd dedicated her life to caring for an aging relative and whose one indulgence was a secret crush on Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. Or almost like that. Like that was the look she'd been going for. But there was something wrong, some tiny thing that did not quite match, one tiny detail that wasn't right. So. Not. Your. Business. Miranda said good-bye, took her $1.00 tip-â€Å"Because you were really quite late, dear†-and drove away. She was half a block away when she slammed on the brakes and sprinted back to the house. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Four Sibby Cumean started talking as soon as they got out of the airport. â€Å"How long have you been driving people around?† she asked Miranda. A year. â€Å"Did you grow up here?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Do you have any brothers?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Any sisters?† â€Å"N-no.† â€Å"Do you like driving?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Do you have to wear that boring black suit?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"How old are you?† â€Å"Twenty.† â€Å"Um, not.† â€Å"Fine. Eighteen.† â€Å"Have you ever had sex?† Miranda cleared her throat. â€Å"I don't think that question is appropriate.† She heard herself sound like Dr. Trope, the assistant head of school, with the voice he used to tell her he wasn't listening to another excuse about why she was late getting back to campus, rules were made for a reason and that reason wasn't so she could flout them for her amusement; and speaking of late, did she plan at some point to decide what she was going to do next year or just irresponsibly forfeit her place at the several top-tier colleges she'd been accepted to, making the school look bad and herself look worse; and really he didn't know what had gotten into her recently, where was the Miranda Kiss who was going to be a doctor and save the world, who was a credit to the school and herself, rather than the one who was on her way to being expelled-is that what you really want, young lady? A voice she knew well since she seemed to have been hearing it at least once a week since early November. â€Å"You're a virgin,† Sibby announced, like she was confirming a sad fact she'd long suspected. â€Å"That's not-â€Å" â€Å"Do you at least have a boyfriend?† â€Å"Not at this-â€Å" â€Å"A girlfriend?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Do you have any friends? You're not really very good at conversation.† Miranda was beginning to understand why the girl's relatives hadn't come to the airport for her. â€Å"I have lots of friends.† â€Å"Sure. I believe you. What do you do for fun?† â€Å"Answer questions.† â€Å"Please never try to be funny again.† Sibby leaned forward. â€Å"Have you ever thought of wearing some black eyeliner? It would be an improvement.† B polite! â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Can you pull up?† â€Å"Um, we're at a stoplight.† â€Å"Just go forward a tiny-perfect.† Looking in the side mirror, Miranda saw that Sibby had rolled down her window and was leaning out, saying now to the guys in the jeep next to them, â€Å"Where are you boys going?† The guys answered, â€Å"A little moonlight surfing. Want to come, goddess?† â€Å"I'm not a goddess. Do you think I look like one?† â€Å"I can't tell. Maybe if you take off your shirt.† â€Å"Maybe if you give me a kiss.† Miranda hit the button to roll up the window. â€Å"What are you doing?† Sibby demanded. â€Å"You could have broken my hand.† â€Å"Put your seat belt on, please.† â€Å"Put your seat belt on, please,† Sibby mimicked, slumping back into the seat. â€Å"Oh my gods, I was just trying to be sociable.† â€Å"Until we get to your destination, no more socializing.† â€Å"Have you listened to yourself recently? You sound like you're eighty, not eighteen.† She scowled at Miranda in the mirror. â€Å"I thought you were a driver, not a jailer.† â€Å"It's my job to make sure you get where you're going in a safe and timely manner. That's printed on the card you'll find in your seat pocket, by the way.† â€Å"How is kissing some boys going to make me unsafe?† â€Å"A million different ways. What if they have an invisible mouth fungus? Or DeathLip.† â€Å"There's no such thing as DeathLip.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"You're just jealous because I know how to have fun and you don't. Virgin.† Miranda rolled her eyes but kept quiet, listening to cell phone conversations from the cars behind them, a woman telling someone that the gardener was on his way, a guy saying in a mystical voice, â€Å"I see a mysterious stranger coming for you, I can't quite tell if it's a man or a woman.† Another man talking to someone about how he wanted to take that bitch out of the will and it didn't matter if she was his mother's favorite dog- She was interrupted suddenly by Sibby shouting, â€Å"Inn-Out Burger! We have to stop.† B accommodating! Miranda agreed to let Sibby order her own at the drive-through, then regretted it when she heard the girl saying to the guy taking the order, â€Å"Do I get a discount if I let you kiss me?† â€Å"Okay, seriously, were you raised on Crazycake? Why do you want to kiss all these guys you don't even know?† Miranda asked. â€Å"There aren't that many boys where I come from. And what does knowing them have to do with it? Kissing is great. I kissed four boys on the airplane. I'm hoping to make it twenty-five before the end of the day.† She added the two working the drive-through lane when she got her burger. â€Å"Are all hamburgers that delicious?† she asked when they were on the road again. Miranda glanced at her in the rearview mirror. â€Å"You've never had a burger before? Where do you live?† â€Å"The mountains,† Sibby answered quickly, and Miranda picked up a slight rise in her heart rate, suggesting that she was lying and not used to it. Which seemed hugely unlikely-the not-used-to-it part-for someone who had a case of acute Boy Crazy like this girl. Her parents couldn't possibly let her run around- Oh So Very Much Not Your Problem, Miranda reminded herself. B discreet. Sibby tried to solicit kisses from four other guys as they drove. They were a mile from the drop-off point and Miranda was thinking that the ride could not be over soon enough when Sibby shrieked, â€Å"Oh my gods, a doughnut store! I've always wanted to try doughnuts, too. Can we stop? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?† They were already almost an hour late but Miranda couldn't deny anyone a doughnut. Even someone who said, â€Å"Oh my gods.† But pulling in, she saw a group of guys sitting at a table inside and decided that it would be dangerous to let Sibby near them if she wanted to get out of there in under forty minutes. â€Å"I'll go in and get them, you stay here.† Sibby had seen the guys, too. â€Å"No way, I'm coming in.† â€Å"Either your butt stays in the car, Kissing Bandit, or the doughnuts stay in the store.† â€Å"I don't think that's a nice way to talk to customers.† â€Å"Feel free to use my phone to file a complaint while I'm inside. Do we have a deal?† â€Å"Fine. But will you at least roll down the window?† Miranda hesitated. Sibby said, â€Å"Look, Grandma, I promise I'll keep my butt in the car, I just don't want to suffocate. Gods.† When Miranda came out, Sibby had wedged herself in the window with her body and legs outside the car and her rear hanging back into it, and was deeply involved in kissing a blond guy. â€Å"Excuse me,† Miranda said, tapping the guy on the shoulder. He turned around kind of hazy, looked her up and down. â€Å"Hello, dream girl. You want a kiss, too? I could do something really special with lips like yours. You wouldn't even have to pay me a dollar.† â€Å"Thanks, but no.† Looking at Sibby now. â€Å"I thought we'd agreed that-â€Å" † – my butt would stay in the car. Where, if you bothered to look, you would see it is.† Miranda turned away so Sibby wouldn't see her crack up. She handed Sibby the doughnuts and slid into the driver's seat. Once Sibby had wiggled back through the window, Miranda caught her eye in the rearview. â€Å"You were paying guys to kiss you?† â€Å"So what?† Sibby glared. â€Å"Not all of us can get kissed for free.† More glaring, then, â€Å"You barely have boobs. My boobs are bigger than yours. It makes no sense.† Sibby got quiet, not even eating her doughnut. From time to time she'd sigh dramatically. Miranda started feeling a little sorry. Maybe she had been acting like a grandma. She looked at How to Get-And Kiss-Your Guy on the seat next to her. Maybe you're jealous she's four years younger than you but has already kissed more guys in one day than you'll probably date in your whole life even if you get a boob job and live to be two trillion. Shut up, U-Suck channel. She should be nice, make conversation. â€Å"How many kisses is it total now?† Sibby kept her eyes on her lap. â€Å"Ten.† Looking up to add, â€Å"But I only paid six of them. And one of them I only gave a quarter.† â€Å"Nice work.† Miranda saw Sibby look up suspiciously, like she thought she was being made fun of, decide she wasn't, and start picking at her doughnut. After a while she said, â€Å"Can I ask you a question?† â€Å"You're asking permission now?† â€Å"For real, just please stop trying to be funny. It's painful.† â€Å"Thanks for the hot tip. Did you have a question or-â€Å" â€Å"Why didn't you want to kiss that boy back there? The one who wanted to kiss you?† â€Å"I guess he's not my type.† â€Å"What's your type?† Miranda thought of Deputy Reynolds-blue eyes and cleft jaw and shaggy blond hair, getting up every morning to go surfing. The kind of guy who always wore sunglasses or looked at you with his eyes half closed and was too cool for smiling. Then pictured Will with his dark, maple-syrup-color skin, short curly hair, huge boyish smile, and abs that rippled when he stood talking, shirtless, with the other players after lacrosse practice, body glimmering in the sun, his laugh ringing out and making her feel like she felt when she saw butter melting on perfectly cooked Belgian waffles. Not that she routinely jumped up onto the roof of the marine biology lab when no one was looking to watch this. (Weekly.) â€Å"I don't know, it's more a feeling than a type,† Miranda said finally. â€Å"How many boys have you kissed? A hundred?† â€Å"Uh, no.† â€Å"Two hundred?† Miranda felt herself blushing and hoped Sibby couldn't see. â€Å"Keep guessing.† They pulled up to the address she'd been given, an hour and fifteen minutes later than they should have, the first time she'd ever dropped a client off late. When Miranda opened the car door for her, Sibby asked, â€Å"Is kissing a boy who's your type really different than kissing just any boy?† â€Å"It's complicated.† Miranda was surprised at how relieved she was that she wouldn't have to go into it more, admit to this girl that, actually, she had no idea. The place looked more like a government safe house for witnesses than a home, she thought, walking Sibby to the door. It was like the dictionary definition of nondescript, sandwiched between a house with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves enacting the Nativity on the front lawn on one side, and one with a pink-and-orange swing set on the other. The only thing you noticed about this house was that there were thick curtains hanging in the front windows so you couldn't see in, and a six-foot-tall solid wood fence blocking off the backyard so you couldn't get in. The street was filled with noises-Miranda heard BBQs sizzling, conversations, someone watching Beauty and the Beast in Spanish-but this house was silent, as though it had been soundproofed. She registered a low humming coming from the side, like an air conditioner but not quite. Glancing up, she saw that none of the power lines connected to this house. None of the phone lines, either. A generator. Whoever lived here was living off the grid. All in all, the whole place was really cozy, if cozy meant creepy and cultish. And the woman who opened the front door? Exactly what you'd expect of someone creepy and cultish, Miranda thought. She had graying hair pulled back in a loose bun and was wearing a long skirt and kind of shapeless sweater. She could have been anywhere from thirty to sixty years old, it was impossible to tell because she was wearing a pair of huge bifocals with unflattering square frames that magnified her eyes and covered half her face. She looked completely harmless, like a schoolteacher who'd dedicated her life to caring for an aging relative and whose one indulgence was a secret crush on Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. Or almost like that. Like that was the look she'd been going for. But there was something wrong, some tiny thing that did not quite match, one tiny detail that wasn't right. So. Not. Your. Business. Miranda said good-bye, took her $1.00 tip-â€Å"Because you were really quite late, dear†-and drove away. She was half a block away when she slammed on the brakes and sprinted back to the house. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Four I laughed. â€Å"But you girls go on, knock yourselves out,† he said. â€Å"I've actually got an errand to run.† â€Å"You're leaving?† Yun Sun said. â€Å"What about the pizza?† I said. He opened his wallet and laid a twenty-dollar bill on the coffee table. â€Å"It'll be here in thirty minutes. My treat.† Yun Sun shook her head. â€Å"And again I say: You're leaving?. You're not even staying to eat?† â€Å"There's something I need to do,† he said. My heart constricted. I ached to keep him here, even if just for a little longer. I darted back to the kitchen and pulled Madame Z's corsage-no, my corsage-out of my bag. â€Å"At least wait till I've made my wish,† I said. He looked amused. â€Å"Fine, wish away.† I hesitated. The den was warm and cozy, pizza was on the way, and I had the two greatest friends in the world. What else did I truly want? Duh, the grasping part of my brain told me. Prom, of course. I wanted Will to ask me to prom. Maybe it was selfish to have so much and still want more, but I pushed that line of reasoning away. Because look at him, I thought. Those kind brown eyes, that lopsided smile. Those ridiculously angelic curls. The entire sweetness and goodness that was Will. He hummed the Jeopardy! theme song. I raised the corsage. â€Å"I wish for the boy I love to ask me to prom,† I said. â€Å"And there you have it, folks!† Will cried. He was far too euphoric. â€Å"And what boy wouldn't want to take her to prom, our fabulous Frankie? Now we'll just have to wait and see, won't we, whether her wish will come-â€Å" Yun Sun cut him off. â€Å"Frankie? Are you okay?† â€Å"It moved,† I said, cringing away from the corsage, which I'd flung to the floor. My skin was clammy. â€Å"I swear to God, it moved when I made the wish. And that smell! Do you smell it?† â€Å"Noooo,† she said. â€Å"What smell?† â€Å"You smell it, Will. Don't you?† He grinned, still on whatever high he'd been on since†¦ well, since Madame Z warned him away from heights. A clap of thunder rumbled, and he shoved my shoulder. â€Å"Next you're going to blame the storm on the evil wish fairies, aren't you?† he said. â€Å"Or, no! You're going to go to bed tonight, and tomorrow you'll tell us you found a hunched and skulking creature on your comforter, smiling a twisted smile!† â€Å"Like rotting flowers,† I said. â€Å"You honestly don't smell it? You're not playing with me?† Will dug his keys out of his pocket. â€Å"See you on the flip side, homies. And, Frankie?† â€Å"What?† Another boom of thunder shook the house. â€Å"Don't give up hope,† he said. â€Å"Good things come to those who wait.† I watched through the window as he dashed to his truck. The rain was coming down in sheets. Then I turned to Yun Sun, a balloony feeling pushing everything else away. â€Å"Did you hear what he said?† I grabbed her hands. â€Å"Oh my God, do you think it means what I think it means?† â€Å"What else could it mean?† Yun Sun said. â€Å"He's going to ask you to prom! He's just†¦ I don't know. Trying to make a big production out of it!† â€Å"What do you think he's going to do?† â€Å"No idea. Hire a skywriter? Send a singing telegram?† I squealed. She squealed. We jumped about in a frenzy. â€Å"Got to hand it to you, the wish thing was brilliant,† she said. She flicked her finger to indicate giving Will the push he needed. â€Å"And the rotting flowers? Verrrry dramatic.† â€Å"I honestly did smell it, though,† I said. â€Å"Ha-ha.† â€Å"I did.† She looked at me and shook her head, amused. Then she looked at me again. â€Å"Well, it must have been your imagination,† she said. â€Å"I guess,† I said. I picked the corsage up off the floor, holding it gingerly between my thumb and forefinger. I took it to the bookshelf and dropped it behind a row of books, glad to have it out of sight. The next morning I trotted downstairs, hoping foolishly to find†¦ I don't know. Hundreds of M spelling out my name? Pink hearts sketched in silly string on the windows? Instead, I found a dead bird. Its tiny body lay on the welcome mat, as if it had flown into the door during the storm and bashed its brains in. I scooped it up with a paper towel and tried not to feel its soft weight as I delivered it to the outside trash bin. â€Å"I'm sorry, little bird, so pretty and sweet,† I said. â€Å"Fly to heaven.† I dropped in the corpse, and the lid slammed shut with a bang. I returned inside to the sound of the ringing phone. Probably Yun Sun, wanting an update. She'd left with Jeremy at eleven last night, after making me swear to tell her the minute Will made his bold move. â€Å"Hey, sweetie,† I said, after glancing at the caller ID and seeing that, yep, I was right. â€Å"No news yet-sorry.† â€Å"Frankie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Yun Sun said. â€Å"I've been thinking about Madame Z, though. Her whole don't-mess-with-fate mumbo jumbo.† â€Å"Frankie-â€Å" â€Å"Because how could Will asking me to prom lead to anything bad?† I walked to the freezer and grabbed a box of frozen waffles. â€Å"Spit's going to fly from his mouth and land on me? He'll bring me flowers, and a bee'll zip out and sting me?† â€Å"Frankie, stop. Didn't you watch the morning news?† â€Å"On a Saturday? I don't think so.† Yun Sun made a gulping sound. â€Å"Yun Sun, are you crying?† â€Å"Last night†¦ Will climbed the watertower,† she said. â€Å"What?!† The watertower was easily three hundred feet tall, with a sign at the bottom prohibiting anyone from ascending. Will always talked about climbing to the top, but he was such a rule-follower that he never had. â€Å"And the railing must have been wet†¦ or maybe it was lightning, they don't yet know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yun Sun. What happened?† â€Å"He was spray painting something on the tower, the stupid idiot, and-â€Å" â€Å"Spray painting? Will?† â€Å"Frankie, will you shut up? He fell! He fell off the watertower!† I gripped the phone. â€Å"Jesus. Is he okay?† Yun Sun was unable to talk for sobbing. Which I understood, sure. Will was her friend, too. But I needed her to pull it together. â€Å"Is he in the hospital? Can I go visit him? Yun Sun!† There was wailing, and then a shuffling sound. Mrs. Yomiko took over. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Four â€Å"You don't understand.† Lila tosses back her long blond hair. â€Å"He's not a tick, Mary. Sebastian loves me too much to bite me. But I know I can change his mind. Because he wants to be with me forever, as much as I want to be with him forever. I know it. And after tomorrow night, we will be together forever.† â€Å"What's tomorrow night?† Adam wants to know. â€Å"The prom,† I say woodenly. â€Å"Right,† Lila prattles on. â€Å"Sebastian's taking me. And though he doesn't know it yet, he's going to give in to me there. Just one bite and I'll have eternal life. Come on, you guys, how cool is that? Wouldn't you want to live forever? I mean, if you could?† â€Å"Not that way,† I say. Something inside of me aches. Aches for Lila, and aches for all the girls who've gone before her. And will come after her, too, if I don't do something about it. â€Å"He's meeting you at the dance?† I force myself to ask her. It's hard to speak, because all I want to do is cry. â€Å"Right,† Lila says. Her face still has the same vacant expression she wore inside the club, as well as earlier today in the lunchroom. â€Å"He'll never be able to resist me-not in my new Roberto Cavalli gown, with my neck all exposed beneath the silver light of the full moon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I think I'm going to throw up,† Ted volunteers. â€Å"No, you're not,† I say. â€Å"You're going to take Lila home. Here.† I reach into my satchel and pull out a crucifix and two containers of holy water, then hand them to him. â€Å"If Drake shows up-although I don't think he will-throw these at him. Then get yourself home, after you've dropped off Lila.† Ted looks down at what I've shoved into his hands. â€Å"Wait. That's it?† he wants to know. â€Å"We're just going to let him kill her?† â€Å"Not kill,† Lila corrects him cheerfully. â€Å"Turn me. Into one of his kind.† â€Å"We aren't going to do anything,† I say. â€Å"You guys are going to go home and leave this to me. I've got it under control. Just make sure Lila gets back safely. She should be all right until the dance. Evil spirits cannot enter an inhabited house unless invited!† I narrow my eyes at Lila. â€Å"You didn't invite him inside, did you?† â€Å"Whatever,† Lila says, tossing her head. â€Å"Like my dad wouldn't go too ballistic if he found a guy in my room.† â€Å"See? Go home. You, too,† I add, to Adam. Ted takes Lila by the arm and begins to lead her away. But Adam, to my surprise, stays where he is, his hands buried deep in his pockets. â€Å"Um,† I say to him. â€Å"Is there something I can do for you?† â€Å"Yes,† Adam says calmly. â€Å"You can start at the beginning. I want to know everything. Because if what you're telling me is true, if it weren't for me, you'd be a speck on the wall in the club back there. So start talking.† Adam If you had told me just an hour or two ago that I'd be ending my evening with a trip to Mary-from-U.S.-History-class's penthouse apartment over in the East Seventies†¦ well, I'd have told you that you were high. But that's exactly where I find myself, following Mary past her sleepy doorman (who doesn't raise so much as an eyebrow at her crossbow), and then up the elevator to her place, which is decorated in mid-nineteenth-century Victorian chic-at least as near as I can judge, considering all the furniture looks like it came out of one of those boring miniseries my mom likes to watch on PBS, featuring girls named Violet or Hortense or whatever. There are books everywhere-and not Dan Brown paperbacks, either, but big, heavy books, with titles like Demonology in Seventh-century Greece and A Guide to Necromancy. I look around, but I don't see a plasma screen or an LCD. Not even a regular TV. â€Å"Are your parents professors or something?† I ask Mary as she throws down the crossbow and heads to the kitchen, where she pulls open the fridge and reaches for two Cokes, one of which she hands to me. â€Å"Something like that,† Mary says. This is what she's been like the whole way to her place: not exactly brimming with the explanations. Not that it matters, though, since I already told her I'm not leaving until I get the whole story. The thing is, I really don't know what to think about all this so far. On the one hand, I'm relieved Drake isn't who I thought he was-Mary's ex-boyfriend. On the other hand†¦ a vampire?. â€Å"Come on,† Mary says, and I follow her because†¦ well, what else am I supposed to do? I don't know what I'm doing here. I don't believe in vampires. I think Lila's just gotten herself involved with one of those freaky goth dudes I saw on Law & Order that one time. Although Mary's question-â€Å"Then how do you explain his disappearance from the dance floor into thin air like that?† – bugs me. How did the guy do that? Then again, there are tons of questions like that one that I don't have the answers for. Like this new one that occurred to me: How can I get Mary to look at me the way Lila looked at that guy, Drake? Life is full of mysteries, as my dad likes to say, many of which are also wrapped up in enigmas. Mary leads me down a dark hallway toward a partly open door, from which light spills. She taps on the door, then says, â€Å"Dad? Can we come in?† A gruff voice says, â€Å"By all means.† And I follow Mary into the strangest room I've ever seen. At least in a penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side. It's a laboratory. There are test tubes and beakers and vials everywhere. Standing in front of some of them is a tall, white-haired-professor type in a bathrobe, messing around with a concoction in a clear container that's bright green and vigorously generating large amounts of smoke. The old dude looks up from this and smiles as Mary comes into the room, his green-eyed gaze-a lot like Mary's-darting toward me curiously. â€Å"Well, hello,† the guy says. â€Å"I see you've brought a friend home. I'm so glad. I've been thinking lately that you spend far too much time alone, young lady.† â€Å"Dad, this is Adam,† Mary says casually. â€Å"He sits behind me in U.S. History. We're going to my room to do homework.† â€Å"How nice,† Mary's father says. It doesn't seem to occur to him that the last thing a guy my age is likely to be doing in a girl's bedroom at two in the morning is homework. â€Å"Don't study too hard, now, children.† â€Å"We won't,† Mary says. â€Å"Come on, Adam.† â€Å"Good night, sir,† I say to Mary's dad, who beams at me before turning back to his smoking beaker. â€Å"Okay,† I say to Mary as she leads me down the hall once more, this time to her room†¦ which is surprisingly utilitarian for a girl's bedroom, containing only a large bed, a dresser, and a desk. Unlike in Veronica's room, everything is put away, except for a laptop and an MP3 player. I take a quick look at Mary's play list when she's busy rifling around in the closet for something. Mostly rock, some R&B, and a little rap. No emo, though. Thank God. â€Å"What's going on? What's your dad doing with all that stuff?† â€Å"Looking for a cure,† Mary says from the closet, her voice muffled. I've moved across the ornate Persian carpet toward her bed. There's a framed photo on her nightstand. It's of a pretty woman, squinting into the sunlight and smiling. Mary's mother. I don't know how I know it. I just do. â€Å"A cure for what?† I ask, picking up the photo for a closer look. Yep, there they are. Mary's lips. Which, I haven't been able to stop noticing, are kind of curled up at the ends. Even when she's mad. â€Å"Vampirism,† Mary says. She emerges from the closet holding a long red dress. It's wrapped in clear plastic from the dry cleaner's. â€Å"Uh,† I say, â€Å"I hate to be the one to tell you this, Mary. But there's no such thing as vampires. Or vampirism. Or whatever it is.† â€Å"Oh yeah?† The ends of Mary's mouth are curled up even more than usual. â€Å"Vampires were just made up by that guy.† She's laughing at me. I don't mind, though, because it's Mary. It's better than her ignoring me, which is what she's done for most of the time I've known her. â€Å"That guy who wrote Dracula. Right?† â€Å"Bram Stoker did not make up vampires,† Mary says, the smile vanishing. â€Å"He didn't even make up Dracula. Who's an actual historical figure, by the way.† â€Å"Yeah, but a dude who drinks blood and can turn into a bat? Come on.† â€Å"Vampires exist, Adam,† Mary says quietly. I like how she says my name. I like it so much that I don't even notice at first that she's staring at the photo I'm holding. â€Å"And so do their victims.† I follow the direction of her gaze. And nearly drop the photo. â€Å"Mary,† I say. Because it's all I can think of to say. â€Å"Your†¦ your mom? Is she†¦ did she†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"She's still alive,† Mary says, turning to throw the red dress, in its slippery clear plastic bag, onto the bed. â€Å"If you can call it living,† she adds, almost to herself. â€Å"Mary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I say in a different tone of voice. I can't believe it. And yet I do. There's something in her face that makes it clear she's not lying. Also something that makes me long to wrap her in my arms. Which Veronica would say is sexist. But there you go. I let go of the lip I've started chewing. â€Å"Is that why your dad-â€Å" â€Å"He wasn't always like that,† she says, not looking at me. â€Å"He used to be different, when Mom was here. He†¦ he thinks he can find a chemical cure for it.† She sinks onto the bed beside the dress. â€Å"He doesn't want to believe that there's only one way to get her back. And that's killing the vampire who made her into one.† â€Å"Drake,† I say, sinking down onto the bed beside her. It all makes sense now. I guess. â€Å"No,† Mary says with a quick shake of her head. â€Å"His father. Who happened to stick with the original family name of Dracula. His son just thinks Drake sounds a little less pretentious and more modern.† â€Å"So†¦ why were you trying to kill Dracula's kid, if his dad is the one who†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I can't even bring myself to say it. Fortunately, I don't have to. Mary's shoulders are hunched. â€Å"If killing his only kid doesn't get Dracula to come out of hiding so I can kill him, too, I don't know what will.† â€Å"Won't that be, uh†¦ kind of dangerous?† I ask. I can't believe I'm sitting here talking about this. But I can't believe I'm in Mary-from-U.S.-History's bedroom, either. â€Å"I mean, isn't Dracula, like, the head of the whole operation?† â€Å"Yes,† Mary says, looking down at the photo I've laid between us. â€Å"And when he's gone, Mom will finally be free.† And Mary's dad won't have to worry about finding a cure for vampirism anymore, I think, but don't say out loud. â€Å"Why didn't Drake just, uh, turn Lila tonight?† I ask. Because this has been bothering me. Among other things. â€Å"I mean, back at the club?† â€Å"Because he likes to play with his food,† Mary says emotionlessly. â€Å"Just like his dad.†