Factors affecting students academic performance in English 11 Essay

Factors affecting the academic performance in English 11 of first year AB-English students of the School of Arts and Criminology Introduction  Academic performance is one of the crucial areas of a learner’s life. Some learners may not be bothered if they progress or not, however, their parents are left with great distress if their children do not perform. This is because families, as well as the government invest in the education of child. On top of that, generally all parents would want their children to be successful citizens in future. â€Å"When young people fail at school, it is most often not because they are stupid, crazy or psychologically incapable. Rather, it is because they have not been taught the developmentally appropriate tools, skills and strategies every child needs to succeed in school and in life. â€Å" John Jay, stated that multiple factors come to play when it comes to academic performance of a learner, which need to be considered should one want to perform better. Research has found that determinants of learners’ performance have been the subject of on-going debate among educators, academics and policy makers. Different people believe that different factors affect learners differently under different circumstances. However there are some form of consensus on general factors that affect that performance. These include socio-economic, psychological and environmental factors. Different people come from different backgrounds – not everyone can afford school fees, for example, and therefore some children may not attend school properly because of such reasons, which may affect their academic performance at the end of the day. Smoking, alcohol, time spent sleeping and stress all have a great affect on students’ academic performance ( Pat & Tyler). Learners need to take care of their personal health, which includes eating healthy, doing exercise, getting enough sleep and rest. Behaviors such as smoking and drug usage may impact the school performance as these interfere with the brain functioning. Stress has been found to interfere with performance, and should therefore be taken seriously. Many factors can cause stress, including financial constraints, child abuse, parental neglect, irresponsibility and divorce, among many others. If a child is stressed, they may not focus on their schoolwork as their minds are often occupied by disturbing thoughts that may not leave room for them to study as effectively as they ought to do. Negative thoughts  can trouble a child and escalate into suicidal thoughts. These thoughts can lead to self-destructive behavioral patterns, but the thoughts in themselves can already be distracting from schoolwork and therefore directly and indirectly have an impact on academic performance. Some learners wish to progress in school, but they might not always perform as they wish, even if they feel they are trying their best.

India’s Role in the Climate Change Summit Essay

The worlds nation today adopted a package dubbed the cancun Agreements buildings blocks for a future legal treaty to address climate change amid concerns that commitments to avert acceptable level of global warming remain missing. Negotiators from 194 countries agreed on a set of decision that the un climate secretariat said would set all governments â€Å"more firmly on the path towards the low emissions future† and provide support to developing countries on their action on climate change. India played a key role at the climate change summit , proposing a new mechanism to allow international scrutiny of all countries’ including India’ s action to crub emission of greenhouse gases. The invironment minister Jairam Ramesh also signalled that India would eventually consider legally –binding crubs on emission, a shift from its long standing position. Some environmental grouos have criticised these moves by India. But climate change analysts have said India’s proposal for serutiny of the climate climate change exchange actions reflect an acceptance of the principal of transparency. ‘’ And (Rmesh’s) assertions on legaklly binding actions is an indicator that India is willing to shift from the position of doing nothing to joining the global community in fiting climate change ,†an analyst in Cancun said. ‘’This does not mean India will accept legally – bending cuts next year,’’ he said . The Cancun documents of ficially recognise emissions curbs targets set by industrialised and developing countries and once every year by the developing countries. But the target of cutting global emissions by 50 % by the year 2050- part of the draft circulated yesterday – has been replaced by text calling for ‘’ subsantial’’ reductions in blobal emissions by 2050 . The Cancun decision pledge US$30 billion in fast start finance from the industrialised countries to support climate action in developing countries. The goal is to raise this to US$ 100 billion by 2020. Thew agreements also  recognise the need of countries to work towards the keeping the rise in the aversge global temperature below 2 degree c. ‘’ Cancun has done its job ,’’ said chistiana Figueres, head of the UN climate change secretariat after the agreement was adopted today. ‘’ lt is not what is required but it is the essential foundation on which to build greater collective ambition Figueres said. But several environmental group including Indias centre for science and Environment have pointed out thst the emission reduction pledge made by all countries so far are way below the whst is required to keep the rise in the average temperature.

Fight Club Essay

The 1999 film, Fight Club, is controversial in the sense that it can be interpreted at a superfluity of angles. However, the effectiveness of the final scene to reflect the narrator’s catharsis is indisputable as it is accompanied by the song â€Å"Where is My Mind† by The Pixies. The song itself is vital to the ending scene and ultimately the entire film. The lyrics are significant to the narrator’s inner turmoil, not only throughout the film, but also at the concluding moment and the auditory elements parallel the events and emotions of the concluding scene. Fight Club centers around an unnamed narrator who projects his unconscious identity as a separate character, Tyler Durdin. Tyler frees the narrator from his former pretenses of life regarding society through self destruction. The narrator burns his house, quits his job, and beings to live recklessly, seemingly by coincidence. He subconsciously rids himself of all worldly possessions. Together, Tyler and the narrator form Fight Club – an underground group that thrives on destruction of themselves and government establishments. As the narrator gets weaker and less powerful, Tyler gets stronger and better looking, symbolizing his strengthening id. Towards the end of the film, the narrator comes to the realization that he is Tyler. The ending scene puts the narrator and Marla, a woman with whom he has an on again-off again relationship, at the highest story of a city building, holding hands and watching the city collapse around them. The music as it appears in the final scene is essential to the conclusion of the film The lyrics, â€Å"where is my mind,† plays at the very closing moment. The words reflect the state of the character’s mind during the entire film and especially at the final scene. As he rids himself of all superficiality and society’s values, he is freed from his dangerous alter ego and his apparent schizophrenia and left with an open mind. â€Å"Where is my mind,† speaks to the separation between his conscious and subconscious into two people as well as his newfound freedom from materiality. The narrator experiences a â€Å"rebirth† from his prior lifestyle into pure existentialism, a state of being where he is now able to award meaning to his life, rather than society assigning meaning. The auditory elements of the song run parallel to the occurrences of the concluding scene. The song features loud, aggressive, and disharmonic music which is comparable to the city’s crashing buildings and demolition. There is a melodic undertone of chorus voices singing which is reflective of the narrator and Marla’s calmness and almost happiness, it seems, during the outside devastation.

What sort of freedom is required for moral responsibility Essay

What sort of freedom is required for moral responsibility - Essay Example The forms synonymous to these moral actions are praise and blame. For instance: when one is confronted with a car accident, he/she may be considered as worthy of being praised because they have managed to save a child from the burning car. On the other hand, they can also be blamed, if they fail to call for help. This means assigning moral responsibility to a person on the basis of what they have or left done or undone. It is also possible that the reaction might be self-directed i.e. one can be held accountable. In other words to be held morally or ethically responsible for an action means being worthy of a particular kind of reaction i.e. blame, praise for having performed it. In the context of moral responsibility, there are two theories of free will, which are commonly discussed. The first one is called libertarianism, which is similar to Arminian theology. There has been a debate amongst many philosophers both in ancient and contemporary times. There seems to be a consensus amon gst Christian philosophers that one cannot claim to have a sense of moral responsibility without actually having a liberal view of freedom. According to the liberal view, human decisions and actions, especially religious and ethical decisions are uncaused. The more refined forms of libertarianism posit that these decisions are not usually caused by our desires or character. They strongly cling to the belief that a free act is not an act, which is able to implement our core desires; on the contrary, it goes against our desires. Rest assured, the libertarian is aware that our desires are a function of our heritage, surroundings, our past decisions etc. Furthermore, they believe that if free decisions are based on desires, then they are certainly not completely free and therefore not uncaused. Such a view is considered to be imperative for moral responsibility because no one can be held responsible for an act unless he could have done otherwise. Quoting an example: â€Å"If I am strap ped to a robotic machine which, using my arms, robs a bank, I am not to blame for robbing the bank. I â€Å"could not have done otherwise† (Eshleman, 1). It can be said that libertarianism rather than ensuring ethical responsibility tends to destroy it. The question arises that how can we be held responsible for our decisions, if those decisions are actually psychological accidents, which do not have association with any of our desires. It cannot be denied that such a situation would definitely disregard all responsibility. Undoubtedly, it becomes quite perplexing to be regarded as responsible for something, which was against our will. There is another concept of freedom as well, which is also said to have relevance with the Reformed Theology, and is considered to be held by a number of philosophers. It is frequently cited as compatibilism. It holds the view that while forming moral decisions, we have the liberty to do what we want to and pursue our issues. In this way, there is a clear dichotomy between compatilism and libertarianism. Reformed theology says that every person has freedom in the compatibilist sense. Compatibilist freedom is the most vital type of freedom for ethical responsibility. Rest assured, there are other types of freedom, which are also imperative theologically and morally. But compatabilist freedom is more important because it is believed that every person possesses a distinct freedom, so as to go beyond their surroundings and heredity, and even though these features are compounded of tests, temptations and ethical challenges, they cannot be used as excuses for sin. We cannot declare that we are determined by heredity or our surroundings, which can give us the chance to negate our responsibility in front of

Economic Impacts on Event Management Literature review

Economic Impacts on Event Management - Literature review Example Damster & et. al. (2006: 11) observed, â€Å"Events can be described as transient, and every event is a unique blending of its duration, setting, management and people†. Events can be of various types on the basis of the invested amount as well as on the basis of its purpose. However, the management process in organising any event is almost similar taking into account a broad process of analysing, planning, directing, organising and controlling. It is in this context that market analysis and the economic trends are currently being considered as vital aspects to be considered while planning for event management (Getz, 2008; O'Toole, 2000). Although, the concern has been noticed very recently in the context of event management, the significance of economic impacts has gained considerable attention in the field of research. From a similar perspective, this paper will also intend to critical review a few literatures which are focused on the economic impacts observed during event m anagement. 2.0. The Dimensions of Event Management Events have always been an inseparable part of the social culture of different countries. But in the current era, the impact of events on the social setting and the rapidly growing influence of event management profession as a profitable career option have increased to a large extent. Along with the growing attention towards the concept of event management as a newly developed extension to managerial paradigm, the conception has also developed to be more complex and multi-dimensional. As noted by Damster & et. al. (2006), in the current scenario, events can be classified into various categories on the basis of purpose and also based on its size. Stating precisely, Gertz (2008) noted the classification of events on the basis of their purpose as cultural events, political events, corporate events, private events, recreational as well as sports events can be documented as a few of the classified categories of events. Where cultural eve nts can be recognised as the festivals and carnivals as well as commemorations, the political events include summits, VIP visits and royal occasions. Similarly, meetings and trade shows are included in the corporate events classification, while private events can be illustrated in terms of weddings, birthday parties and such other occasions. Further elaborating on the concept of event management, Damster & et. al. (2006) classified events into three broad categories, i.e. special events, hallmark events, and mega events. As embarked in the study of Jago (1997), researchers have provided intense significance to the aspect of special events. These events are mostly termed as the programmes organised exclusively on days which are excluded in the mentioned holiday lists for special reasons. Even though, a wide range of researches have been developed focusing on the concept of special events, there is a substantial lacuna witnessed in literatures which can provide with a comprehensive an d just definition to the concept (Jago, 1997). A major feature of the special events can be attributed as its intention to attract large crowds and media attentions being unique and fundamentally emphasised on retaining tourists. Thus,

Adaptive learning for ESL based on computation Research Paper

Adaptive learning for ESL based on computation - Research Paper Example The researcher states that in English as a second language class-based learning, individual students have diverse learning needs. Therefore there is need for such students to be given considerations while teaching by not just following the fixed learning sequences and contents. The diversity that exist within and between classes calls for provision of learning content basing on preference and the background of the students in order to achieve maximum performance. The authors perceive that English language learning (ELLS) should adopt an adaptive learning sequence approach in order to enhance the outcome in a situation of varied individual difference. This way, a learning profile is used. Learning profile defines one’s motivation, engagement and cognitive processing habits showing the distinctive and habitual ways through which learners fully utilize the instructional content in a learning environment. The authors propose a design and a form of evaluating an adaptive educationa l system in which cognitive styles that constitute an important factor to be considered with respect to adaptive learning. It is critical, given the complex nature of learning English language to use content material with a different learning difference in order to lodge diverse learning profile. It is of great importance to match the content with learning profile to avoid impeding of the learning process those results from mismatching (Ya-huei & Hung-Chang , 2011). The authors support their argument with a research data on the use of adaptive and teaching strategies to facilitate teaching-learning of English as a second language in a learning situation. Adaptive learning systems make teachers to adapt the use of instructions to individual style of learning and preferences of the students (Ya-huei & Hung-Chang , 2011). The adaptive education system that is implemented in the background of computer mediated lessons is referred to as intelligent tutorial system. This with dynamism use s the e learning content, the educational representation and human-computer interface to the objective, needs and first choice of human being users for effective lessons and knowledge. The research took into account aspects such as personality and cognitive style to determine whether there is a correlation between learning profile and ability, teaching atmosphere and classroom learning (Ya-huei & Hung-Chang , 2011). A proposed design and formative assessment of an adaptive learning system in which it is mainly constituted of cognitive styles was considered with respect to adaptive learning. The field independent and field independent are the dimensions extensively used. This enable for obtaining of stable patterns on how individuals encode, perceive, think and process information. The research shows effect of field-dependence and independence on the learning process facilitation and the outcome(Ya-huei & Hung-Chang , 2011). According to the author, there is high interaction between field dimensions and the methods of instruction in English as a second language learning situation. Individual difference that are based on the field –dependent or field independent dimensions are proposed as the necessary key consideration while designing the instructional skeleton and the instructional setting (Ya-huei & Hun

Compare the ways philosophers, Machiavelli and Hobbes, DESCRIBE OR Essay

Compare the ways philosophers, Machiavelli and Hobbes, DESCRIBE OR JUSTIFY POLITICS-AS-VIOLENCE - Essay Example With freedom man considers politics as his highest responsibility for his society stressing the significance of moral values and standards. With a variety of activities afforded by a new found freedom under shifting historical conditions, man starts behaving in morally questionable and dazzling explosion of human vice. Stressfully, political philosophy has provided answers to these behaviors as an approach to correct erring human behavior. However such means does not effect a certain change in a short period of time. Recognizing the increasing scope, intensity and sophistication of vices and crimes brought about by globalization, politics has approached violence as an aggressive means to attain a certain stature and the fastest solution to achieve political power and agenda that tends specifically recruit others to form a stronger criminal group. Government systems have learned to adapt to the controversial theories of Hobbes and Machiavelli who propagate violence to justify the swif t solutions to the critical problems faced by a society. Such theories have a purposeful goal to control errant behavior; however veiled attempts to use such for one’s own political gain and selfish reassurance for maintenance of power would leave the society and the common populace struggling under a stringent dictatorial rule. Both Hobbes and Machiavelli have equated politics seemingly dependent on violence-based solutions to any socio-political situation encountered. Man and society’s struggle for survival, maneuvering for position and fighting over spoils (Lerner, 1950:11) has produced certain livid situations that call for the action of the one in power. In Machiavelli’s The Prince, proposes that stability was paramount and the government or ruler could achieve such balance should be tyrannical. Intensely singing praises to a character of power is depicted to his well-emphasized Prince. Machiavelli astoundingly adhered

Market Strategy of Blue Cross Blue Shield Assignment

Market Strategy of Blue Cross Blue Shield - Assignment Example Conducive research indicates that even during the financial crisis of 2008, the organization has been stellar because of their high customer equity and premiums. Healthcare is one the elements that were always solid. Looking at the financial statements, the company made annual sales of $75.7 million. This allowed the company to leverage itself in the industry.   One of the major strengths of the organization is its ability to have a strong customer base supported by its technological infrastructure. The infrastructure is heavily supported by its business model and understanding how technology can serve its needs. However, the key benefit that the Blue Cross achieved was the fact that it allowed its customers to the accessibility of information without much delay. In an industry where information is vital, this organization was able to accommodate the needs of their growing customers as well as provide information that was compliant with HIPAA and ACA.   One of the major strengths, as mentioned before, was the fact that it had a strong customer and revenue base. The premiums that were being derived from the organization truly harnessed growth and allowed the company to get a strong threshold as a company.   One of the major challenges of the company was to expand its private and public cloud with compliance. It was evident that the risk management involved in the insurance business is a huge focal point.   Blue Cross had a huge dilemma of expanding their IT infrastructure boundaries by maintaining old records and creating space for new customers. Furthermore, the company’s auditing team was able to ensure the legitimacy of network passwords within their own IT infrastructure. When it comes to cloud computing, many flavors are present.

Privite high school vs public high school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Privite high school vs public high school - Essay Example This results in students getting proper attention and supervision. Public high schools are cheaper than private high schools, and thus, lots of people get their children admitted in public high schools, resulting in a large number of students in every class. This results in lesser attention and ineffective supervision. â€Å"There are over 47 million children enrolled in public school and about 3.2 million students in private schools† (The Home Economist, para.2). Also, private high schools provide superb facilities because they can afford to. People avoid private high schools because they are expensive while public high schools are not. A 2013 research indicates that for families with income over $75,000 send their kids, 85% send their kids to public schools while 12% send their kids to private schools (National Center for Education Statistics). The Home Economist. Public vs. Private Schools, New Facts Revealed. The Home Economist, 2013. Web. 14 Apr 2014.

Tea Leaves Essay Example for Free

Tea Leaves Essay Fuente 4th block 18 February 2013 Divination by Tea Leaves The divination of tea leaves began in the 17th century when tea became a very popular drink. As people began drinking their tea, they came up with tasseomancy, or tasseography, which is just a type of tea leaf divination. People prefer divination by tea leaves because it is the easiest and most accessible for everyday people. It is a form of scyring. First of all, Tea is poured into a cup without a strainer, and the inquirer contemplates their issue and then drinks all the tea. With the moisture left in the cup, they then spin the leaves three times clockwise and turn the cup upside down. Then someone reads the pattern of the tea leaves and determines the inquirers fortune, be it good or bad. Many people do not use this form of divination for it takes more psychic ability than non-psychic. You read the symbols based on standard interpretations. It’s said that the closer to the rim the leaves are, the sooner they are to happen. The rim is labeled as the future, whereas the bottom of the cup is the distant future or the outcome of your conflict. The only problem is that there are different systems of symbolic interpretations. Choosing the right type of tea leaf divination is key to becoming comfortable with the system and get accurate readings. However, divination isn’t used to make your decision for you. Divination is merely used to help inspire you in making your own decisions. The tea leaves seen can be depicted in different ways depending on how open your imagination is. As said above, there are many different ways that you can read your tea leaves. You just have to find the one that is suitable for your situation and make sure you keep an open imagination. Works Cited www. divinationbytealeaves. com www. wicca-spirituality. com .

Applications of Radioactivity in Medicine

Applications of Radioactivity in Medicine Introduction A radioactive element is an element with an unstable nucleus, which radiates alpha, beta or gamma radiation and gets converted to a stable element. Both radioisotopes and enriched stable isotopes are essential to a wide variety of applications in medicine, where they are used in the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. In addition, extensive applications of isotopes in biomedical research finds wide parallel uses in research chemistry, physics, biology and geosciences, with additional needs existing in the commercial sector. HISTORY Radioactivity arrived on the scene of the world in the 19th century, just when people thought they knew everything in science. With its discovery in 1896, radioactivity opened a box of many questions and revealed a new world, waiting to be explored in the microcosm of the atomic nucleus. Radioactivity also helped in answering the questions which were not yet known. This helped science in many fields. WHAT MAKES AN ELEMENT RADIOACTIVE? There are three kinds of particles inside an atom: that is protons, neutrons and electrons. The nucleus contains the above mentioned two particles i.e. protons and neutrons. The region beyond the nucleus contains electrons that balance out the charge of the protons. The number of protons is equal to the number of neutrons that is why the atomic weight is twice the atomic number. Since like charges repel each other which results a force that tries to push the electrons and protons apart. If the ratio of protons to the neutrons is not within certain limits then the proton can not be held firmly together which leads to the formation of an unstable nucleus. Making the isotopes of some elements radioactive. For example, carbon, the element found in all living things has a chemical symbol C. the normal form has an atomic weight of 12 and is written as carbon-12, but the radioactive version has two extra neutrons, so the symbol iscarbon-14. As we shall see, the radioactive form behaves chemically just like the non-radioactive form, although one shall never change into the other. There are three kinds of radioactivity each with different radiation type. RADIOACTIVITY Radioactivity is a very interesting phenomenon in nature. Classical Electromagnetism cannot explain radioactivity. Its a spontaneous and random phenomenon whereby nuclei of certain chemical elements like Uranium, radiate gamma rays, beta particles and alpha particles. By the emission of these particles and radiation, the unstable nucleus gets converted into a stable nucleus. This is called RADIOACTIVE DECAY. Radioactivity was accidentally discovered by HENRI BECQUEREL. Scientists like Madam Curie and her husband Pierre also worked hard to isolate other radioactive elements such as Polonium and Radium. Knowledge of radioactivity helped scientists to work out the structures of atoms. USES OF RADIOACTIVITY We could not do without radioactive materials in todays world, even if we wanted to. We rely on these radioactive elements every day to make us healthier, to help supply necessities like food and electricity, keep us safer, help us to protect our environment, add fun and convenience to our lives and help us learn more about our world. Radioisotopes have found a large number of applications. Some of them are as follows: Medical Diagnosis Generate Electricity Synthesis of new elements Preservation of food Smoke detectors and many more RADIOACTIVITY IN MEDICINE Ionizing radiations has many beneficial uses as they can be used for the diagnosis and for the curing of many diseases. Since infected cells can be killed by these radiations. Hence they are widely used in caner treatments. Radioactive isotopes are commonly used in medicine, which help the physicians to know more about the body structures. For the treatment of cancers radioisotopes are commonly used which require destruction of harmful cells causing these type of diseases. Although nuclear medicine started its clinical origin in the 1930 decade, the invention of gamma scintillation camera by an American engineer Hal Anger in the mid of 1950s, though, this invention brought an important turn back in medicine imaging Radioactive isotopes also allow excellent quality imaging of bones, heart, liver and many parts of our body. Gamma ray emitted tracers are used in large number of diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine. These traces are formed due to the bonding of radioisotopes having short life period with chemical compounds that allow the targeting of a particular body regions or physiologic processes. Emitted gamma rays can be detected by gamma cameras and computer enhancement of the resulting images allows quick and relatively non-invasive assessments of trauma or physiological impairments. CANCER which is a process of rapid growth of cells gets damaged by radio isotopic radiations. Somehow, some cancerous growth of cells can be eliminated or restricted by the use of radioisotope radiations. The most common forms of external radiations therapy is use of the gamma radiations and X-rays. During the last half of the twentieth century the radioisotope Cobalt-60 was most commonly used source of radiation used in such treatments. Today thousands of hospitals all over the world use radioisotopes in medicine, and about 90% of the procedures are used for diagnosis. Technetium-99 is the most common isotope used in diagnosis, with some 30 million procedures in a year, accounting for 80% of all nuclear medicine procedures all over the world. ISOTOPS COMMONLY USED IN MEDICINE: There are about 20 radioactive isotopes used in medicine. Each isotope has its own use in this field. Some of them are: Chromium-51, cobalt 60, Erbium 169, Iodine-125, Iridium-192, Sodium-24, Xenon-133, Selenium-75, Strontium-89, Phosphorus-32 etc. Here is a list of isotopes with there half life period and uses: Chromium-51: Half life period 28 days Purpose: Used to label red blood cells and quantify gastro- intestinal protein loss. Cobalt-60: Half life period is 10.5 months Purpose: Formerly used for external beam radiotherapy. Erbium-169 Half life period is 9.4 days Purpose: Use for relieving arthritis pain in synovial joints. Iodine-125 Half life period is 60 days Purpose: Used in cancer Brach therapy (prostate and brain), also diagnostically to evaluate the filtration rate of kidneys and to diagnose deep vein thrombosis in the leg. It is also widely used in radioimmunology- assays to show the presence of hormones in tiny quantities. Iodine-131 Half life period is 8 days Purpose: Widely used in treating thyroid cancer and in imaging the thyroid; also in diagnosis of abnormal liver function, renal (kidney) blood flow and urinary tract obstruction. A strong gamma emitter, but used for beta therapy. Iodine used for curing thyroid cancer Iridium-192 half life period is 74 days Purpose: Supplied in wire form for use as an internal radiotherapy source for cancer treatment (used then removed). Sodium-24 Half life period is 15 hours Purpose: For studies of electrolytes within the body. Xenon-133 Half life period is 5 days Purpose: Used for pulmonary (lung) ventilation studies. Phosphorus-32 Half life period is14 days Purpose: Used in the treatment of polycythemia Vera (excess red blood cells). Beta emitter. X-Rays are used to examine the internal parts of the body that is bones to see the fractures. Applications of X-Rays: Radiography: Radiography is used to diagnose the ailment and diseases of the internal and hidden parts of the body using x-rays. Fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopy is a type of medical imaging that shows a continuous x-ray image on a monitor. Digital Subtraction Angiography: Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) is used to image blood vessels. Computerized Axial Tomography: A computerized axial tomography scan is an x-ray procedure that combines many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views and, if needed, three-dimensional images of the internal organs and structures of the body. Mammography: Mammography is a special type of x-ray that is used for the detailed images of breast. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), high-energy rays are used to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing. A specialist in radiation therapy is called a radiation oncologist. Uses of Radioactive Materials in Medical Research Used in Biomedical researches: The Radioactive isotopic materials are very essential in curing many dreadful diseases like AIDS, cancer and Alzheimers disease. In Pharmaceutical drug testing: The U.N. Food and Drug Administration require all new pharmaceutical drugs to be tested for safety and effectiveness. More than about 80 percent of those drugs are tested with radioactive materials. One of the most important tests is to determine if the pharmaceutical is going to the other parts of the body than the desired or intended target and what effect it can cause to the parts where it is not needed. By adding a radioactive tag to the pharmaceutical, researchers can pinpoint all the parts of the body and the concentration that accumulates non-targeted areas. From this they can determine if there is likelihood of adverse reactions in other parts of the body. Metabolic Research: Radionuclide is used extensively in metabolic studies and genetic engineering. Chemical Reaction Imaging: the latest single photon emission typography (SPET) on positron emission tomography (PET) enable scientists to watch colour images of chemical reactions in living tissue and, in particular, to trace opioid molecules- naturally occurring morphine-type drugs which eliminate pain within the brain. Side Effects of Radiation The form of the energies that are released from these elements in radiation therapy is often administered by machine. The machine aims those radiations at the cancer. Radioactive substances can also be kept inside the body of a person. These types of treatments can cause many side effects. These side effects may include: hair loss nausea vomiting swelling difficulty swallowing urinary and bladder changes The side effects caused due to the treatment of the patient can last long for a certain period of time. It may be a period of two months, six months or even a year. So the patient has to bear some pains after or during the curing of fatal diseases like cancer using radiation therapy. Radioactive Waste Disposal: An Environmental Perspective Any activities that produce or use radioactive materials generate radioactive wastes. Various processes in medicine, scientific result and in all other fields produce bi products that include radioactive wastes. Radioactive waste can be in gas, liquid or solid form, and its level of radioactivity can vary. The waste can remain radioactive for a few hours or several months or even hundred or thousands of years. Because it can be hazardous and can remain radioactive for so long, finding suitable disposal facilities for radioactive wastes is very difficult. Depending on the type of waste disposed, the disposal facility may need to contain radiations for a very long time. Proper disposal is essential to ensure protection of the health and safety of the public and quality of the air, soil and water supplies. Radioactivity waste disposal practices have changed substantially over the last twenty years. Evolving environmental protection considerations have provided the impetus to improve disposal technologies, and, in some cases, clean up facilities that are no longer in use. Designs for new disposal facilities and disposal methods must meet environmental protection and pollution prevention standards that are stricter than were foreseen at the beginning of the atomic age. CONCLUSION One hundred years ago, a group of scientists unknowingly ushered in the atomic age. Driven by curiosity, these men and women explored the nature and also the functioning of atom. Their work initiated the paths of research which changed our understanding of the building blocks of matter. There discoveries prepared the way for development of new methods and tools used to explore our origins, the functioning of our bodies both in sickness and health, and much more. How did our conceptions of atomic properties change? How has that change affected our lives and our knowledge of world? Radiation is a two edged sword: its usefulness in both medicine and anthropological and archaeological studies is undisputed, yet the same materials can be used for destruction. Human curiosity drove inquiring scientists to harness the power of an atom. Now humankind must accept the responsibility for the appropriate and beneficial uses of this very powerful tool.

Why Renault entered into joint venture with Mahindra

Why Renault entered into joint venture with Mahindra Internal Benefits: Joint ventures are formed in quest of managing companys resources in efficient manner. This includes techniques to reducing cost and risk that the firm faces, obtaining scarce resources, obtaining cheap factors of production (land, labour and capital), to include new information and increase the managerial know how so that productivity can be increased and to retain innovative employees of the firm. There are many capital intensive techniques followed by companies in oil and gas exploration, metals processing and mineral extraction. Internal benefit include building companys core strengths  Ã‚   Helps in to develop economies of scale by gaining access to other financial resources Joint venture help company to acquire new technologies and customers and gives access to knowledge, skills and better management Competitive Benefits: Joint venture helps companies to restructure their organisational structure. Competitive advantage is achieved by vertical integration or consolidation of the firms. This also helps the firms to have an influence on industry structure and competitors. Responding to the new globalisation trend this approach may help in creation of more effective competitors. Some other benefits are: Joint ventures are helpful in building competitive barriers against the new entrants. They act as a defensive strategy in response to the converging markets Helps in creation of small and competitive units of the firm in various geographical locations It also helps in reducing the time cycle to the market they are involved in Strategic Benefits: Joint ventures help in companies to implement change in their strategic position. This helps in better creation and exploitation of synergies among the two companies. Joint venture facilitate in the transfer of technology and diversification of the firm. Technology transfer helps in building knowledge to expand into key markets It also helps to develop new products and improve productivity by shared expertise and lower costs because indulging in research activities to develop new products can be time-consuming and costly. Small businesses also gain lead-time In the total number of joint venture formed, many were international joint ventures. Many of them were due to the cost involved in the operations. Companies in some industry depend on the technology to reduce costs. Joint ventures are favourable for them because they help them in accumulating money and people to work in short time, with not much time wasted in training and later to develop specialisation in a specific activity. This all leads to reduced exploration and production costs and thereby increase in the profit margins. Joint ventures are not as easy to manage as we are talking about. Sometimes companies are forced to follow a joint venture strategy because of the host countrys business regulations. For example China does not allow outside company to own a majority of domestic business. Mexico requires the companies for any foreign company which is operating in the country to have a joint venture with a domestic company. In addition to government regulations, other reasons f or multinational joint ventures as mentioned above are cutting the costs of doing business, sharing risks with acquiring technological information and management expertise from other companies. Kogut (1988) gave 3 different reasons for the existence of joint ventures. They were: Transaction cost approach: The cost aspect of a transaction in joint ventures helps in explaining joint ventures in terms of market failure for intermediate inputs in the production, various asset specificity, and high uncertainty over specifying and monitoring performance. As inspired by Penroses (1959) work, it is specified and shown in recent development in management research that to one should analyze and develop a firms strategy by focusing on its resources instead of the external environment. Two key behavioural assumptions of TC theory are opportunism and bounded rationality (Williamson 1991a). The transaction theory suggests that if firms with complementary resources try to produce individually then they will have to fight for the scarce resources and acquire them at greater cost. Another major motive behind joint venturing is the possibility of creating Ricardian rents. A Ricardian rent means the presence of scarce resources which generate higher profits than other resource s of the same type. Strategic behaviour approach: A joint venture addresses the difficulties faced by the organisation by providing a superior alignment of incentives through the mutual dedication of resources and by sharing the residual value of the venture. Joint venture is established in a spirit of mutual trust and commitment to its long-term success, the potential threats posed by opportunism and a small-numbers condition can be reduced. Organisational learning approach: Joint Ventures help in organisation learning Williamson (1991b) extends his analysis to strategic alliances, which is said to have the hybrid mode of governance, which are considered to occupy positions between the two ends of the market-hierarchy continuum. These hybrids in joint ventures are said to have stronger incentives and adaptive capabilities than hierarchies, which helps in providing more administrative control than markets. In global industries with globalisation there is higher need for organisational learning. This asks the firm manager to look for global efficiency, which later plays an important role in resource based theory. In a joint-venture setting, there is interaction and communication between the members of different firms. This information flow increases the boundary permeability with respect to the partners resources. This helps in offering an opportunity for learning. A popular example of this is ToyotaGM joint venture, in wh ich both partners had clear learning objectives (Adler and Cole 1993). Another use of joint ventures is to get rid of a business unit, that is, disposal of resources. Nanda and Williamson (1995) have argued that converting the business unit into a joint venture between the parent and buyer helps in selling of the unit. The joint venture operates for several years during which buyer learn about the operations of the unit is going to acquire and slowly resources will be integrated with those of the buyer. By initially running the business as a joint venture, the buyer in benefit of obtaining hands-on management experience and an insiders s view of its operation. Seller also has interest to teach the skill and tricks to buyer of business, since the price that the buyer is willing to pay when buying out the business depends on the joint ventures performance. Firms often go for the local partners in the domestic market in which they want to mark a presence, these are because of the following reasons: Items readily capitalised Human resource needs Government regulations and incentives Market access needs and speed of entry Knowledge needs and learning of new marketing methods A joint venture is formed only when all the organizations involved individually arrive at a positive net benefit calculation. For example, one partner considers the joint venture as an opportunity for learning a new technology while the other uses the venture to further exploit the technology. When two firms have had a great deal of experience of working together, they get to know more about one anothers culture and management style, and adjust their own accordingly thus the two firms are in a better position to explore collaborative opportunities compared to other firms which dont form any alliance with other firms. This all leads to identify ways of complementing joint venture their resources effectively for creating rents. This involves the proper analysis of costs involved in different companies. For example If there exist two oil companies which want to set up a new drilling platform in ocean areas, and neither one has capability to finance the project on its own, so the simple solution to them is to look for joint venture. That way, they share the costs of setup of drilling platform and other projects which later helps them in reducing their individual risk should they find no oil. That is a decided advantage to many business people. A complete study of operation, management and finance has to be done to successfully implement the joint venture. Joint ventures are quite helpful to some companies in gaining access to foreign markets. Sometimes both the firms forget the primary objective of their operation and just form joint venture to come into foreign market. These products bring in the foreign domestic investments in the host country through the firm with which joint venture is formed. So many governments give incentives for joint ventures. Joint ventures are a sometimes used to boost up the creeping sale. This can be the first step in acquisition of a business. It can also be used to act as catalyst for change, which is by bringing in a partner one, can stimulate more entrepreneurial activity in a particular area of a firms business. Joint venture also helps in expansion of customer base by expanding the scope and utilising other firms strength in different geographic market, using its distribution or sales network International joint ventures have also been pushed by international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, who have given incentives by forming policies to eliminate trade barriers and deregulate foreign ownership restrictions and the international flow of capital. This helped in creating a climate in which international investment and partnerships have become increasingly attractive. In new scenario joint ventures have become means by which companies seek to expand profit margins and market share. In addition, regional trade areas such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the European Union (EU), and the Association of South and East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have worked to establish favourable conditions for joint ventures within specific, relatively localized regions. Why Renault entered into joint venture with Mahindra Mahindra? As told by the CEO of Renault Mr. Carlos Ghosn this joint venture was seen to be useful to mark a new step in Renaults global expansion strategy. The joint venture has started the Renault operation in the Indian market which is highly emerging market with respect to automotive sector. As Renault had no experience with the needs of Indian customer joint venture with MM was seen to help to create the first right hand drive version of Logan created to meet the needs of our Indian customers. Renault was also eyeing to mark its presence in Indian market in short period of time, Mahindra and Mahindra gave them that adequate platform. In the beginning of 2005 Renault designers visualized a low-cost car that was to retail for under Euro 5000. The car had quite good features however it looked robust and trustworthy compared to the sleek beauties manufactured by the Japanese and the Koreans. The car became a big hit and enjoyed pampering from buyers in most parts of Europe. Europeans liked the cars no-frill appeal. Renault thought of entering into Indian market, when it analysed the companies it sought upon Mahindra and Mahindra which was the main force behind the Tata Group. Mahindra and Mahindra helped Tata Motors for over ten years helping them build the modern day passenger vehicle. Mahindra also in seeing the future prospects of snatching the opportunity and mark its presence in Indian market started working in unison with Renault and started building and selling the Logan in India. Both Mahindra and Renault shared the profit of gaining knowledge and expertise. MM would get all important expertise needed to build monocoque or unitary construction. Renault, on the other hand, would gain direct knowledge of the cost-effective supplier base that Mahindra enjoyed in India. A labour-intensive car plant was established as against a fully automated one to analyze the quality and cost-effective work force available in India. The two groups concluded a framework agreement for setting up a joint venture in India with Mahindra retaining a 51 per cent share and Renault 49 per cent. The JV will be called Mahindra Renault Ltd. The estimated project amount was 125 million Euros. With other European automotive counterparties like Fiat and Skoda had little presence this venture was also seen a major competition to them. Mahindra did a customer research in Logan segment and found strong response for this C-segment car. Renault was looking for major global expansion; along with India it was also starting its operations in Romania, Russia, Morocco, Colombia and Iran. Renault was looking for a long term relationship with Mahindra and Mahindra and was looking for greater prospects in coming years of 2010 to 2012. Renault chose Mahindra and Mahindra because of the following reasons: Mahindra Group a US $ 2.5 billion company is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles and tractors in India. Mahindra and Mahindra had 55 years of manufacturing experience MM had built its high network of distributors and suppliers in India efficiently Mahindra group had built a strong base in technology, engineering, marketing and finance (Mahindra intertrade and MM financial services Ltd.). It also has a significant presence in key sectors of the Indian economy High presence in automotive components, information technology telecom (Mahindra British Telecom), and infrastructure development (Mahindra GESCO, Mahindra Holidays Resorts India Ltd.) Mahindra had a reputation of providing TATA Motors the platform to harness the automotive growth in India MM had not much presence in Sedan segment i.e. C-segment so Renault had no fears of having conflicts of interest Mahindra as a brand was a trusted brand in India. With the leverage of Mahindra as a brand Renault was also leveraging its own brand in Logan, as the joint venture was called Mahindra-Renault The transfer of knowledge and technology was mutually beneficial for Renault and Mahindra, it was good symbiotic relationship

Is Heathcliff a typical literary hero? Essay -- English Literature

Is Heathcliff a typical literary hero? Heathcliff is introduced to the reader as anything but a hero in the beginning. He is bullied by Hindley and looked down upon by the rest of the household, including Cathy and Nelly to start with -"hardened, perhaps, to ill-treatment: he would stand Hindley's blows", "spitting at the stupid little thing;". Heathcliff does not show himself to be terribly helpful, kind or brave although he does seem to show an air of strength and resilience when Hindley decides to throw a heavy weight at him. But instead of throwing it back or running away he just picks himself up and carries on with what he was doing- "and down he fell, but staggered up immediately,...". As a child Heathcliff was quite patient and irritable and did not have any real background or education. He is supposedly handsome and loyal (to Cathy) but has very low morals (he tried to kill Isabella's dog when they ran off to Wuthering Heights)- . He is strong and athletic but is in no way good-natured as the way he acts throughout the whole book shows you; like- "Don't torture me till I am as mad as yourself!" The heroic qualities we see today in our popular super heroes and other more original characters like Sherlock Holmes, all originated from Greek legends like Hercules and Perseus and from Bible stories like David and Goliath. Heathcliff does not seem to follow any of the patterns in these other heroes or act like them, but more like the opposite. Heathcliff could be analysed as a anti or Byronic hero; Heathcliff does show himself to have the same qualities as a Byronic hero because he is wild and passionate and has many dark qualities, Heathcliff is very remorse-torn and moody; these qualities may have ... ... without any emotion in his life. She shows this when she talks of Heathcliff and contrasts the both of them- "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire." Both Edgar and Heathcliff do not have what it takes to be a heros, Edgar is too nice and emotionless and Heathcliff is too full of emotion, anger and hate. Together their qualities could make a hero, but on there own they are two different things. Heathcliff's qualities show him to be the opposite to a classic literary hero, so he could be the Byronic hero who is wild, passionate and possesses many hidden darker qualities. Heathcliff is passionate, he is slightly evil and he does represent the opposite side of a hero, he possesses all the bad qualities and mysterious qualities that make him a Byronic hero.

The Terminator Essay -- Film Movie Terminator Essays

The Terminator James Cameron’s 1984 film, The Terminator, is about a cyborg, called a terminator, that is sent back into the past to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of John Connor, the leader of the human resistance. A soldier, named Kyle Reese, is also sent back to protect Sarah (Terminator). In the film’s 1991 sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (T2), the Terminator returns, not to kill Sarah, but to protect young John from the T-1000 (T2). During the course of these two films, the character of Sarah Connor dramatically changes from weak woman to a warrior woman. She transforms mentally, physically, and emotionally. Not only does she change in this manner, but her role in the films changes as well. Sarah’s purpose and significance as a character changes over the course of the two films. In Terminator, Sarah is of great importance to the story. Without her there would be no human resistance in the future, so it is imperative that she live. The movie revolves around her, as she is the main protagonist in the film. At the end of Terminator, it is she, not Kyle, that destroys the Terminator. Though she is the main protagonist, her purpose in the film was to be a vessel. She was only valued because of her body, her ability to give birth to John. It only mattered that she live so that she could give birth to John. In Terminator 2, Sarah is pushed into the background. She becomes merely a secondary character. Her presence in the movie is not as important. She has already completed her job of giving birth to John and raising him to be able to take care of himself, so there is no reason for her to be there. Her presence even puts John into more danger. John wanted to save his mother from the mental institution, but the Terminator... ...tor films are good for study because of their rarity and the character of Sarah Connor. Works Cited Cranny-Francis, Anne. "The Body in the Text." Internet. 10 Dec. 2001. http://www.univie.ac.at/Germanistik/schrodt/vorlesungsmaterialien/the_body_in_the_text.htm. Cunningham, Kim. "Shaping the Stars." People Weekly 10 January 1994: 50-56. Internet. 24 Nov. 2001. http://www.iwu.edu/library/subjres.htm. Pfeil, Fred. "Revolting Yet Conserved: Family Noir in Blue Velvet and Terminator 2." 1992. Internet. 24 Nov. 2001. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/postmodern_culture/v002/2.3pfeil.html. Terminator, The. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Arnold Swarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton. Artisan Entertainment, 1984. Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Arnold Swarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong. Artisan Entertainment, 1991.

Analysis of Barbie Doll Essay

The Devastation of Social Pressure One would think that growing up would be a fun, not a worry in the world, happy experience. Yes, that is the way it should be, but that’s not always the case, especially for women. As girls season into women they realize they not only have to face the fact that they’re in a patriarchal society, but also the influences and pressure they face in the social aspect of things, such as their looks and body image. There is so much competition amongst girls, especially when transitioning into a woman and through most of their adulthood. So instead of being able to enjoy life and absorbing the true quality of it, we are side tracked with superficial, stereotypical, shallow thoughts and images of how we think life is supposed to be. Although, who’s to say what’s right and what’s wrong with the way we interpret things? Marge Piercy, who wrote the poem â€Å"Barbie Doll†, has a very strong view of how destructive social pressure can be to a girl through her transitioning stages into a woman. She expresses how the Barbie doll, the toy figurine that woman idealize, is, in fact, a method of corruption to a young girl. First and for most we must understand who the persona is in the poem, which is a woman, and more specifically Marge Piercy herself. She is observing a young girl going from Wolfe 2 childhood, adolescents, adulthood and then death in a roundabout way. Starting with the first stanza, of four, the persona explains of a young girl, and her playing with a doll, the Mattel’s Barbie doll to be precise. This doll is to be described as tall, blonde hair, blue eyes and it has the perfect body. The girl, â€Å"†¦presented dolls that pee-pee/and miniature GE stoves and irons/ and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy† (2-4). The words iron, stove, and lipstick are all play-things for the girl, but are also identity markers. Such that the doll represents the ideal body image, the iron and stove tells us what type of work is expected of the girl when she becomes an adult (keep in mind that this poem was written in the nineteen seventies and that woman in the work force was still a very small percentage, thus women were still very domesticated) and the lipstick is to imply a sexual innuendo. In the last line in the first stanza the girl goes through puberty and no time is wasted before a classmate judges and criticizes her, â€Å"You have a great big nose and fat legs† (6). Going through puberty is a stage of growth. Adolescents become more aware of their social standing and sexual being. As we read further, the doll, she once played with, will create a major impact on her; in the aspect of her body image and the pressure she faces from her peers. In the second stanza we see how the woman is dissatisfied with herself even though she is â€Å"healthy and tested intelligent/possessed strong arms and back/ abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity† (7-9). The persona continues to say, â€Å"She went to and fro apologizing/Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs† (10-11). The traits that this woman possesses, is in every way correct; however, she is so sure her physical traits are unacceptable to the culture. No matter what she sees in the mirror or what she hears, this won’t change her opinion about herself image. She has been brainwashed about her looks and she doesn’t think she is good enough. She goes around apologizing to everyone about the person she has become, believing there is no way she can change, at least in a healthy manner. In the third stanza we read how society is forcing the woman to change her healthy ways, physically, into something she isn’t. She does what she can to fit into society by, â€Å"†¦play[ing] coy/ exhorted to come on hearty/ exercise, diet, smile and wheedle† (12-14). She had so much pressure from every direction, she felt obligated to try and conform her body into what society viewed as ideal, which we know of as the Barbie doll toy. This idea was short lived. Instead of standing her grounds and accepting the individual that she is, she drowns. Society got the best of her, â€Å"Her good nature wore out/ like a fan belt† (15-16). She gave up and paid the ultimate price to be accepted in society, â€Å"†¦she cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up† (17-18). Now that she has removed her flaws she temporarily relinquishes her depression, weakness, and anxiety. Now that she has met the, impossible, unrealistic, standard, she can permanently wash her existences away and leave her shell of beauty behind. In the final Stanza, Piercy highlights the theme of the poem. Simply put, women aren’t accepted into society unless they represent the ideal woman. Now that the woman is free of body flaws and has had a makeover, she can be accepted into her culture even though we know this isn’t her true self. What must this say about the society she has been exposed to? In order to survive in this specific culture, if we’re not perfect, is to become someone we’re not. So not only do we have to try to live up to a standard that is not comprehendible but we also have to be fake. In the middle of the last stanza Piercy explains, â€Å"with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on/a turned-up putty nose/dressed in a pink and white nightie† (20-22). The woman now has the superficial , but perfect, looks. She is manipulated (physically) so she can finally be recognized. Letting a society make this woman frail and surrender to being her own individual shows a lack of values and morals within herself. Having our own opinions, life experiences and ethics make us who we are and if we were all the same or are held up to the same expectations what would life be like? Would we all act like robots? Clones? As the woman has been re-configured, shallow talks are amongst her, â€Å"Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said/Consummation at last/To every woman a happy ending† (23-25). Mission complete, she achieved her goal; she is pretty, unflawed, and looks like the ideal woman.

Hardship: Friendship and People Essay

Everyone in life have to been through hardship, it’s depend on own characteristic to solve it. People who never give up when they met their own hard times will always met their success. Sometimes we will just get jealous of some of the person who success but in reality we did not know how they feel when they met their hardships and how much did they pay off to their success. We will never know in case we met the same problem as them. Normally I do feel suffering in the early age from family problems and generally I will have to fight for life, but when I achieve what I have done, it’s always a big task for me to have done. I may choose to be more confident and take more risk to challenge myself to successfully finish the task on time. I often have big aims and wanted to be perfect for the task but I feel that I never been through happiness and enjoyable when hardship just crush on me. To deal with a hardship life, I do realize what are the problems and solving it independently. Next, strongly believe in myself by say â€Å"I am going to survive this hard time!†, Always have the positive heart to keep away the negative thoughts in mind. Sometimes, I do talk to friends about my problems so they could just be my listener. As if they’re good friends, they will understand and help through the hard times and to give more opinion to make me stay claim and think positive. We must also try to focus on the good things in life’s to believe that this will be a pass and makes us become a stronger person. More over , to keep my expectations low and I will rarely be disappointed. Where I can find the real me with happiness and enjoyable life’s. This may not seem right to me until I spend some time thinking about how it applies to my own personal life. I used to believe in faith or maybe I could consider that God, the universe or nature provide us with the tools for any situation; whatever the source, it is up to us to use those tools to keep body and soul together. Lastly ,we must also be prepared to let time assist emotional pain come over us. As for emotional rough times, there is an old saying that â€Å"time heals all wounds†, and that everything looks better from a distance. Sometimes I do let myself crying to release the stress whatever that may bring me feel likes continue on the another day and if my emotional distress is something that makes me feel down and depressed , I will always seek for some professional help. By following the flow everyday life , we will all make it to finish line. Hardship is just a temporarily , so if things are going good , enjoy it because it wont be last forever. But , if things goes bad , don’t worry because it can’t last forever either. What I learn is to stay positive and think positive, they are the best medicine to solve the hardship that I had faced it also build my confident to success. Appreciate the moment with friends In my life, I do appreciate the moment with friends whenever we decide to go for outgoing. We do make memories of laughter, arguments and lots of emotional express. Those who truly treated us as their good friend, they will always forgive and forget on our own mistakes and teaches us when theirs problem and the mistake we had did.I’m thankful that I had met two good friend when I was form 1, which can be my sister because they are elder than me two age different. Whenever we need help, we are able to help each other and never count for the small things. We did lots of unforgettable moments such as party together , celebration , hangover , girls talk , sharing outfit and many more. Sometimes we couldn’t effort to buy for birthday gifts but we do make a best friends scrapbook to keep as a memories. Once awhile we do have, arrange some sleepovers often when we had bad moods or watch after the horror movies together and many more. Whenever we went for out going activities we will never left out and we plan events together that are unique to the group. Sometime we do also oftenly hang out the whole week , we get bored of the places we often when and don’t know where to head to next. Besides that , we accept  differences between us and different of opinion we given. It’s not fun being friends with closen sometimes it gets bored but we still apologize to each other when we went wrong and forgiving and never hold past mistakes against each other. In the other hand , we do acknowledge teach other when we have done something well. Give us the attention on what us deserve. Between me and my friends are always jelousy around but we always be aware of our feelings and do not sabotage our friendship. Acknowledge our feelings and understand each other because we are still humans. Sometimes we do talk about good things as well as bad. Get to know the good sides and bad sides of people. A real friend will know when your being unreasonable, call you on it, love you and still be your friend without missing a beat. Understand that friendships isn’t hard, even the really good ones, can experience times when you don’t spend much time or talk to each other often. It isn’t what we do when we’re apart, it’s what we do when we’re together. Disappointment in my college life. Does disappointment really make one stronger? Personally, I think that disappointments help one to be stronger. Everyone has felt disappointed at least once in their lives. When someone disappoints you, you will feel sad as the person has not tried his best in that particular area. My first disappointment in my life was when my first time in college they are quite friendly and helpful but after getting longer times, they started to not to talk to me as I know problems are on me. But I’m still cruise why can’t my fellow classmates just tell me correct me by my mistake by just ditching me aside by not care how I feel. As longer as I know, I do used a words to hurt them and they just couldn’t accept me. People that know me more they will know that I’m a character that straight forward and less talking on jokes. I really don’t know why this thing happen just in college but not the others of my friends. But I still feel satisfied  that I am not alone, there’s is still many close friends beside me.I appreciate people who appreciate me and accept whom I am. As the day getting on , . I became frustrated from lack of response from others, and the high school I attend is so groupie, trendy, and obnoxious. I guess most are that way, and I want to accept it and be happy, but it’s really hard. I try to think positive and sit aside. I had say sorry to them but they wouldn’t accept my apologize is fine. Being alone is not that bad , be happy for other people, really try hard. Jealously is a terrible feeling but to be real nothing to be jealous of. Really, it is. But then, right after that, I’m in tears because I really am so happy for them to see them much happier than before. Sometimes is the best answer by not knowing and getting to know some unwanted answer. Stay to be more positive and just let it be the flow, I will not be facing them every day just week days and the few hours. I can be more stronger after the foundation course it will be a new life again for me to know more new friends and get to avoid my mistakes again. New friends can be make again , but once first impression was gone it never be back again. This may turn me to a better person and learn from mistakes, mouth are theirs , heart are theirs . I’m thankful that I could met this classmates which turn me into a lesson. Performed in front of audience Ever since, I join the team members of Buddhist society . I have been more volunteering myself by performing dancing and singing in front of the audience with my team mates , located at shopping mall every year in the event of Wesak charity event. The feeling was so nervous because there will be lots of people that will going to watch. With a new and hopeful outlook on life, one completely different from my prior mechanical life and personality, I came back with much higher self-confidence and determination to show the light on others. As I was ready and willing to meet new people and have another change in my life by performed in front of the audience nearly for years. The beginning of the first year was hard , I was trying to get more involved with many activities so that I could really help to perform myself and also giving ability to stand on stage while enjoying the moments in it. To be honest, I’m not those kind of open minded and daring to stand on the stage but thankful that my team mates never give up by teaching me on dancing and singing. They give the hopes and they always tell me nothing to be scared of , enjoy the moment is the most important because the stage isn’t always for us to stand on. Chances maybe less after the age grows older. Anyway, staying on track, this year I have developed an insecurity with getting up and enjoy myself. Even dancing and singing in front of audience is sometimes a challenge. I used to do these things naturally, but now I am constantly asking myself if I’m nervous, if I can dance and sing why not just give it a best shot. I feel strange about this whole thing, because I feel like I am more outgoing, and should be able to carry that with me to the front of the audience. Now it’s been a while, so I think I’m finally accepting my weirdness. I just need to deal with it when I’m up there. I know I’ll get nervous, so what can I do while up there feeling helpless? Doing practice is one main of the reason for you to have a good performance and I’m sure that you always heard the old saying, â€Å"Practice makes Perfect.† there’s no reason for you to be afraid because if you had a confident you can perform it well. Fight for the fear with the facts, practice more on stage will never to be a fear anymore. Volunteering Volunteering is important for numerous reasons that benefit of the community and the volunteer ourselves. When I donates a handful of time, it make the difference made is inspiring and it shapes a community for the better while the experience improves myself donated the time. Volunteering is what makes a community because it brings people together to work on a goal. People who volunteer for reasons which may be as varied as to learn new things, meet new people, gain skills, feel good and enhance life among others. This the reason why I had join the team of volunteering in Buddhist  society. While doing volunteering means by doing every job I will not expecting people for any repayment. Expecting for repayment is return a waste of effort by doing volunteer, rather than going out to find sales jobs or many job that pay more higher payment. I do take my free time by going for volunteer rather than being at home sleeping, playing computer games and more. I feel more happier by helping others than wasting time, sometimes exam around the corner I will also not miss the opportunity to volunteer out and study at the night , it was tiring but it was much happier and enjoyable. In addition, sometimes I do when for volunteering with them by organization to orphanages, community centers and more. Helping to carry out their duties, not only gain experience but we can learn the large variety of skills. I love when it comes to the end month, there’s lots of places that I can go for and lots of activities will be having with the Buddhist society members. We must plan every single activities in just few hours and get ourselves ready to bring along the memorable day for them by joining us for the camp. Volunteer must able to express ideas to show the importance of hard working and diligence, this is where I find myself more independent than before and by doing volunteer work I do also learn to cooperate with the team members .i will not only enhance my general knowledge, but also learn how to deal with problems, challenges as well dealing with different types of personalities peoples surrounding me. Thus, volunteering is not all about work, it can be an enjoyable experience as I meet lots of new people and forge new friendships. It is a great way to encourage participation and be a part of the society. When I feel valued and needed, it builds your self-confidence and self-esteem. As in socializing opportunities increase, I learn to develop a compassionate and open mind, making the entire volunteering experience fulfilling and worthwhile. The miracle is not that what I do this work , but is that I feel much happy to do it . Talk to a stranger soon become close friend I have a friend, Elynn. Which is a girl that I know in Facebook , I know is a risk of knowing a social network friends but not all are bad peoples. She is a great friend to be know. We have known each other for over five years, and what I have learned from her are is being positive. She do smiles and think positive always , she never feel regrets on her life before , even though bad luck on her she stay the smile on her face. She is really a weird girl that I know among all. Elynn always told me that important benefits of positive manners is an increased life span, less depression , get a great resistance to the common cold , knowing better of own mental and physical on thinking and coping times of stress . Besides that , a more natural ability to form relationships and cement bonds is passionate for her personality.I still remember when I had a broke up with my ex boyfriend she is the one who always be right besides me , concern me till now she is still the girl that who cares me like her own sister from different families. Her passion makes me respectful, and I learned from her that being passionate to what you love is more valuable than anything. Sometimes I do think if she was a boy , I think most of the girls will be chasing her as a boyfriend but sadly she is a girl that has a boyfriend from the year I know her which always be with her. They seem to be a sweet couples without argument but even if there is she never give up on her relationship. Another thing that I also learn from her is her courage of facing frustration. Although Belinda has so much love to her profession, she inevitably experiences frustrations. However, she is always capable of overcoming the difficulties, the braveness amazing me a lot. For example, she had to work and earn for her expenses in her degree of physiology fees, she did not ask any expenses from her parents , all she do is being independent and life for her own lifes. Although the process makes her suffering, her strong courage supports her to face frustrations without fear. In addition, looking at the bright side is also a significant thing that I learn from Elynn is she never complains about her life and her wisdom inspires me to become a optimistic when looking at everything on her. When we do have free time , we went and visiting our as we become tourist bringing each other to know lots of interesting places and nice facilities restaurant. I am glad that I had make a worth friend that teaches me lots of stuff. She is such a good friend , which like a mentor to me teaches me many lessons and I really learn much from her , I really supported her to become a physiologist , she had the capability of facing frustrations and the wisdom of looking at the bright sides.

Court Issues Analysis Essay

In discussions regarding court system issues, most tend to forget that crimes would not happen if there were proper societal values in place and those values were enforced. Society has shifted from a culture of marriage, family values and strong familiar bonds to a culture that cultivates a staggering divorce rate, single mothers with many children born out of wedlock with little to no income. A culture that is has no patriarchal figure to lead and teach the children right from wrong aids and abets a systematic control of the poor and minorities. Instead of encouraging the pursuit of education, society encourages the pursuit of false hope and dreams through get rich quick methods that essentially remove the rights of those who chose to pursue criminal behavior. Most are imprisoned due to criminal activity and having no fatherhood figure themselves, there is no sense of value to one’s life. This loss of the father figure not living in the home, especially in the African America n and Hispanic communities, has a negative outcome not only in the community, but on society as a whole. Without the complete family unit to provide guidance, encourage the children to stay in school and avoid criminal activity, or to become a productive member of society; then our court systems will continue to provide severe punishment for minor crimes and negative social behaviors when the court should offer solutions to preventative crime and supportive services to those families whose members are involved in the vicious cycle of incarceration. Victims’ assistance programs should also support the families of the criminal, as well as the providing treatment programs and assistance to those. The majority of innovation and changes made to the court system over the past 30 years have been tested and administered in urban locales or focused on suburban jurisdictions, where a bulk of the financial resources are given due to the larger population. Rural areas tend to have much larger geographic locales, smaller populations and limited legal, social and health services to assist the general public; this can provide a challenge for rural courts. With the lack of specialized justice practitioners and service providers, rural court jurisdictions tend to work closer with the community when handing out sentencing and punishment. Research conducted by the Justice Management Institute suggests six areas where the criminal justice system needs improvement, after some review I have combined them into the four topics below. Improvement of Court Practices and Procedures for Indigent Litigants The first thing the courts need to work on is improving practices and procedures for self-represented defendants. This includes proper caseload management, administrative management techniques that are informative and efficient so that no cases or indigent defendants become ‘lost’ within the incarceration process and are given the right to due process. In order for the aforementioned to work there would have to be an upgrade to the current indigent defense services that are available to defendants. This includes public defenders that are compensated with good salaries and other support needed to manage caseloads; making them more prepared to battle for their client’s freedom instead of plea-bargaining an agreement. One change that should be made is the building of informative websites that provide information about the court system and the types of cases that are handled by jurisdiction. Providing the public with listings of case statuses and docket information can be helpful for pro bono attorney looking for clients to represent, and having detailed information and the proper forms that would be needed for a person to represent oneself in court; can help disperse the caseload. The development of performance standards and methods for supervising attorneys, assigned counsel, and court officials will ensure that courtroom behavior is ethical and in favor of the defendants. Enhanced Technology and Information Management The enhancement of technology is another area of concern regarding court administration today. Modernization of older court buildings with upgrades to newer security features, such as video cameras and weapon detection systems, can offer a greater sense of security for the public and those involved in the court process. The employment of properly trained security guards, who are rehearsed in threat assessment, will ensure that future security officers are able to handle any crisis that may occur. This includes the effective use of communication equipment, proper weapons training and new technologies that are implemented. The employing of degreed peace officers as administrative staff, who have a working knowledge of security systems and policing; that are familiar with the software used, and any hardware that is required to provide a safe court environment, ensures that security processes and procedures will be followed. Storing of information is important when building databases to control the flow of information within the court system and making sure that information is secure, obtainable and available to all jurisdictions is not only beneficial in the court process but should be a priority to ensure that the system does not become overloaded. This includes the creation and updating of all proper forms, documentation, and the incorporation of any digital media that is needed to complete the judiciary process; plus the technical support and communication infrastructure to manage all the information. Finally, the proper training for court staff on how to access all information, customer service in providing the appropriate assistance and the relaying of proper information to the public and for all justice system practitioners and service providers. Web based education is a consistent way to ensure that all court personnel receive the same standard of training in core subjects. Greater Availability of Community Programs Having readily available resources to provide those who have addiction problems or commit crimes due to addiction, such as inpatient/outpatient programs, drug court and probation programs that teach recovery and coping skills, and providing transportation vouchers to those defendants who do not own or have vehicles. Although some courts have drug courts, the establishment of a mental health court could substantially help with caseload. With qualified treatment providers and caseworkers who are educated in mental illness (with or without drug abuse training) can provide information to the court through home visits, doctor office visits, and the tracking of those individuals who are required to be on medication and in treatment programs while on probation, thus being able to use the information gathered to forecast defendants whose criminal actions are due to some sort of mental illness. Overcoming Language Barriers Providing improved court interpreter services through technology will allow for greater range of court interpreter services. Language barriers are one of the biggest issues with the illegal immigrant population. It is imperative that court system recruit interpreters who are fluent in many languages, so that those who do not have a good command of the law are able to understand what crime has been committed and the punishment for that action, why that particular action is a crime, and to ensure that they understand the court process in relation to their rights. Judges, attorneys and client representative should also be trained in several languages or be given access to a competent interpreter so that nothing can be lost in translation. Through the use of technology, such as Skype, court interpreters can instruct, educate and disseminate information so that those who do not understand will have some comprehension of the resources available to them and the sentencing/punishment that is handed down. References Robinson, M. B. (2009). Justice blind? Ideals and realities of American criminal justice (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 22

Chapter 22 A Nod to the Queen of the Damned It only took five minutes to convince the police that Tommy had been at work all night and had seen nothing. Simon had done most of the talking. Tommy was so shocked to see his book in the cop's hand that he couldn't find the answers to even the simplest questions. He was, however, able to convince the cop that his shocked state came from a body having been found outside his apartment. Sometimes it paid to play on the â€Å"I just fell off the turnip truck from Indiana† image. They hauled the turtles up the steps and set the crates on the floor in the kitchen area. â€Å"Where's the little woman?† Simon asked, eyeing the huge chest freezer. â€Å"Probably still sleeping,† Tommy said. â€Å"Grab yourself a beer out of the fridge. I'll check on her.† Tommy palmed open the bedroom door, then slipped through and closed it behind him. He thought, I've got to keep Simon out of here. He's going to want Jody to get up and†¦ The bed was empty. Tommy ran to the bathroom and looked in the tub, thinking that Jody might have been caught there at sunrise, but except for a rust ring, the tub was empty. He looked under the bed, found nothing but an old sock, then tore open the closet door and pushed the hanging clothes aside. Panic rose in his throat and came out in a scream of â€Å"No!† â€Å"You okay in there?† Simon said from the kitchen. â€Å"She's not here!† Simon opened the door. â€Å"You got a nice crib here, Flood. You inherit some money or something?† Simon said. Then he spotted the panic on Tommy's face. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"She's not here.† â€Å"So, she probably went out early to get a doughnut or something.† â€Å"She can't go out during the day,† Tommy said before he realized what he was saying. â€Å"I mean, she never goes out early.† â€Å"Don't sweat it. I thought you were going to teach me to read. Let's drink some beers and read some fucking books, okay?† â€Å"No, I have to go look for her. She could be out in the sun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Chill, Flood. She's fine. The worst that could happen is she's out with another guy. You might be a free man.† Simon picked up a book from the stack by the bed. â€Å"Let's read this one. What's this one?† Tommy wasn't listening. He was seeing Jody's burned body lying in a gutter somewhere. How could she let it happen? Didn't she check the almanac? He had to look for her. But where? You can't search a city the size of San Francisco. Simon threw the book back on the stack and headed out of the bedroom, â€Å"Okay then, Slick, I'm out of here. Thanks for the beer.† â€Å"Okay,† Tommy said. Then the idea of spending the day alone, waiting, threw him into another wave of panic. â€Å"No, Simon! Wait. We'll read.† â€Å"That one on the top of the stack,† Simon said. â€Å"What's that one?† Tommy picked it up. â€Å"The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice. I hear it's good.† â€Å"Then grab a beer and let's get literate.† Rivera, bleary-eyed and looking as if he had slept in his suit, sat at his desk looking over his notes. No matter how he shuffled them, they didn't make sense, didn't show a pattern. The only link between the victims was the way they had died: no motive. They wouldn't get the autopsy report for another twelve hours, but there was no doubt that the same person had done the killings. Nick Cavuto came through the squad room door carrying a box of doughnuts and a copy of the San Francisco Examiner. â€Å"They fucking named him. The Examiner is calling him the Whiplash Killer. Once they name the killer, our problems double. You got anything?† Rivera waved to the notes spread over his desk and shrugged. â€Å"I'm out of it, Nick. I can't even read my own writing. You take a look.† Cavuto took a maple stick from the box and sat down across from Rivera. He grabbed a handful of papers and began leafing through them, then stopped and flipped back. He looked up. â€Å"You talked to this Flood kid this morning, right?† Rivera was looking at the doughnuts. His stomach lurched at the thought of eating one. â€Å"Yeah, he lives across the street from where we found the body. He works at the Marina Safeway – was working at the time of the murder.† Cavuto raised an eyebrow. â€Å"The kid was staying at the motel where we found the old lady.† â€Å"You're kidding.† Cavuto held out the notes for Rivera to read. â€Å"List of guests. A uniform talked to the kid, said he was at work, but no one confirmed it.† Rivera looked up apologetically. â€Å"I can't believe I missed that. The kid was a little squirrelly when I talked to him. His friend did most of the talking.† Cavuto gathered up the papers. â€Å"Go home. Shower and sleep. I'll call the manager of the Safeway and make sure the kid was working at the time of the murders. We'll go there tonight and talk to the kid.† â€Å"Okay, then let's ask him how he's getting the blood out of the bodies.† Tommy had spent two hours trying to explain the difference between vowels and consonants to Simon before he gave up and sent the cowboy home to wax his truck and watch â€Å"Sesame Street.† Maybe Simon wasn't meant to read. Maybe he was meant to be all instinct and no intelligence. In a way, Tommy admired him. Simon didn't worry, he took things at face value as they happened. Simon was like the strong, free and easy Cassady to Tommy's introspective, overanalytical Kerouac. Maybe he would put Simon in his story of the little girl growing up in the South. The story he would be working on if he weren't worrying about Jody. He sat all day on the couch, reading The Vampire Lestat until he couldn't concentrate anymore, then he paced the apartment, checking his watch and railing to Peary, who listened patiently from the freezer. â€Å"You know, Peary, it's inconsiderate of her not to leave me a note. I don't have any idea what she does while I'm at work. She could be having a dozen affairs and I wouldn't even know.† He checked the almanac eight times for the time the sun would set. â€Å"I know, I know, until I met Jody, nothing really ever happened to me. That's why I came here, right? Okay, I'm being unfair, but maybe I'd be better off with a normal woman. Jody just doesn't understand that I'm not like other guys. That I'm special. I'm a writer. I can't handle stress as well as other guys – I take it personal.† Tommy heated up a frozen dinner and left the freezer lid open so Peary could hear him better. â€Å"I have to look to the future, you know. When I'm a famous writer I'm going to have to go on book tours. She can't go with me. What can I say, ‘No, I'm sorry, but I can't go. If I go away my wife will starve to death'?† He paced around the turtles, who were struggling in their crates. One of them raised his spiny head and considered Tommy. â€Å"I know how you guys feel. Just waiting for someone to eat you. You think I don't know how that feels?† When he could no longer look them in the eye, he carried the turtles into the bathroom, then returned to the living room and tried to get through a few more chapters of The Vampire Lestat. â€Å"This is wrong,† he said to Peary. â€Å"It says that vampires don't have sex after they are turned. Of course it only talks about male vampires. What if she's been faking? You know, she could be frigid except for when she drinks my blood.† He was working himself into a frenzy of sexual insecurity – something that felt familiar and almost comfortable – when the phone rang. He yanked it off the cradle. â€Å"Hello.† A woman's voice, surprised but trying to not to show it, said, â€Å"Hello. I'd like to speak to Jody, please.† â€Å"She's not here,† Tommy said. â€Å"She's at work,† he added quickly. â€Å"I called her at work and they said she left her job over a month ago.† â€Å"Uh, she has a new job. I don't know the number.† â€Å"Well, whoever you are,† the woman said, losing the pretense of politeness, â€Å"would you tell her that she still has a mother. And tell her that it is common courtesy to tell your mother when you change your phone number. And tell her that I need to know what she is going to do for the holidays.† â€Å"I'll tell her,† Tommy said. â€Å"Are you the stockbroker? What was it†¦ Kurt?† â€Å"No, I'm Tommy.† â€Å"Well, it's only two weeks until Christmas, Tommy, so if you're still around, we'll be meeting.† â€Å"I'll look forward to it,† Tommy said. Like I look forward to a root canal, he thought. Jody's mom hung up. Tommy put down the phone and checked his watch. Only an hour to sunset. â€Å"She's alive,† he said to Peary, â€Å"I'm sure of it. If she survived her mother, she can survive anything.† She heard steam rushing through pipes, rats scurrying in shredded paper, the spinnerets of spiders weaving webs, the footsteps of a heavy man, and the padding and panting of dogs. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was on her back on the basement floor, alone. Cardboard boxes were scattered about the room. Moonlight and sounds of movement spilled through the broken window. She got up and stepped up on a crate to look out the window. She was met by a yap and a snort and the growling countenance of a bug-eyed dog with a pan strapped to his head. â€Å"Ack!† She wiped the slime from her cheek. The Emperor fell to his knees and reached through the window. â€Å"Oh goodness, are you all right, dear?† â€Å"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine.† â€Å"Are you injured? Shall I call the police?† â€Å"No, thank you. Could you give me a hand?† She would have leaped through the window, but it wasn't a good idea in front of the Emperor. She took his hand and let him pull her through the window. Once on her feet in the alley, she dusted off her jeans. Bummer had fallen into a yapping fit. The Emperor picked up the little dog and stuffed him into his oversized coat pocket. â€Å"I must apologize for Bummer's behavior. There's no excuse for it, really, but he is a victim of inbreeding. Being royalty myself, I make allowances. If it's any consolation, it was only on Bummer's insistence that we ventured down this alley and found you.† â€Å"Well, thanks,† Jody said. â€Å"I don't know exactly what happened.† â€Å"Check your valuables, dear. You've obviously been accosted by some ne'er-do-well. Perhaps we should find you some medical attention.† â€Å"No, I'm just a little shaken up. I just need to get home.† â€Å"Then please allow me and my men to escort you to your door.† â€Å"No, that's okay. My loft is just at the end of the alley.† The Emperor held up his finger to caution her. â€Å"Please, my dear. Safety first.† Jody shrugged. â€Å"Well, all right. Thanks.† Bummer was squirming and snorting inside the Emperor's buttoned pocket like – well, like a pocketful of dog. â€Å"Can he breathe in there?† â€Å"Bummer will be fine. He's just a bit overexcited since we've gone to war. His first time in the field, you know.† Jody eyed the Emperor's cruelly pointed wooden sword. â€Å"How goes the battle?† â€Å"I believe we are closing in on the forces of evil. The fiend will be vanquished and victory will soon be ours.† â€Å"That's nice,† Jody said. When Tommy heard her coming up the stairs he threw his book across the room, ran to the loft door, and yanked it open. Jody was standing on the landing. â€Å"Hi,† she said. Tommy was torn between taking her in his arms and pushing her down the steps. He just stood there. â€Å"Hi,† he said. Jody kissed him on the cheek and walked passed him into the loft. Tommy stood there, trying to figure out how to react. â€Å"Are you okay?† Once he was sure she wasn't hurt, he'd tear into her for staying out all day. She fell onto the futon like a bag of rags. â€Å"I had a really bad night.† â€Å"Where were you?† â€Å"I was in a basement, about half a block from here. I would have called, but I was dead.† â€Å"That's not funny. I was worried. They found a body out front last night.† â€Å"I know, I saw the cops all over the place outside, just before dawn. That's why I couldn't get back.† â€Å"The cops had my copy of On the Road in an evidence bag. I think I'm in trouble.† â€Å"Was your name in it?† â€Å"No, but obviously my fingerprints were all over it. How did it get there?† â€Å"The vampire put it there, Tommy.† â€Å"How did he get it? It was here in the loft.† â€Å"I don't know. He's trying to freak us out. He's leaving the bodies near us so the police will connect us to the killings. He doesn't have to leave bodies at all, Tommy. He's killing these people in a way that leaves evidence.† â€Å"What do you mean, he doesn't have to leave bodies at all?† â€Å"Tommy, come here. Sit down. I have to tell you something.† â€Å"I don't like the tone of your voice. This is bad news, isn't it? This is the big letdown, isn't it? You were with another guy last night.† â€Å"Sit down and shut up, please.† Tommy sat and she told him. Told him about the killing, about the body turning to dust, and about being dragged into the basement. When she had finished, Tommy sat for a moment looking at her, then moved away from her on the futon. â€Å"You took the guy's money?† â€Å"It seemed wrong to throw it away.† â€Å"And killing him didn't seem wrong?† â€Å"No, it didn't. I can't explain it. It felt like I was supposed to.† â€Å"If you were hungry you should have told me. I don't mind, really.† â€Å"It wasn't like that, Tommy. Look, I don't know how to file this – emotionally, I mean. I don't feel like I killed someone. The point I'm trying to make is that the body crumbled to dust. There was no body. The people the vampire is killing aren't dying from his bite. He's breaking their necks before they die. He's doing all this on purpose to scare me. I'm afraid he might hurt you to get at me. I've suspected it for a long time, but I didn't want to say anything to you. If you want to leave, I'll understand.† â€Å"I didn't say anything about leaving. I don't know what to do. How would you feel if I told you I had killed someone?† â€Å"It would depend. This guy wanted to die. He was in pain. He was going to die anyway.† â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† â€Å"Of course not. But I need you to try and understand.† â€Å"I am trying. That's all I've been doing. Why do you think I've been doing all these experiments? You act like this is easy for me. I've been a mess all day worrying about you and you're in a basement a few steps away. What about that? Who dragged you into the basement?† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"Whoever it was saved your life. Was it the vampire?† â€Å"I said, I don't know.† Tommy went across the room and pick up the paperback of The Vampire Lestat. â€Å"This guy, Lestat, he can tell when there's another vampire around. He can sense it. Can't you sense it?† â€Å"Right, and that's why we have a dead guy in the freezer. No, I can't sense it.† Tommy held up the book. â€Å"There's a whole history of the vampire race in here. I think this Anne Rice knows a real vampire or something.† â€Å"That's what you thought about Bram Stoker, too. And I spent an hour standing on a chair trying to turn into a bat.† â€Å"No, this is different. Lestat isn't evil, he likes humans. He only kills murderers that are without remorse. He knows when there are other vampires around. Lestat can fly.† Jody jumped up and ripped the book out of his hand. â€Å"And Anne Rice can write, Tommy, but I'm not throwing that in your face.† â€Å"You don't have to get personal.† â€Å"Look, Tommy, maybe there's some truth in one of these books that you're reading, but how do we know which one? Huh? Nobody gave me a fucking owner's manual when I got these fangs. I'm doing the best that I can.† Tommy looked away from her, then at his shoes. â€Å"You're right, I'm sorry. I'm confused and I'm a little scared. I don't know what I'm doing either. Hell, Jody, you might have AIDS now, we don't know.† â€Å"I don't have AIDS. I know I don't.† â€Å"How do you know? It's not like we can send you down to the clinic to test you or anything.† â€Å"I know it, Tommy. I could feel it if I did. Except for sunlight and food, I'm not even allergic to anything anymore. Hand lotions and soaps I couldn't get near before without breaking into a rash don't affect me. I've done a few experiments of my own. My body won't let anything hurt me. I'm safe. Besides†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jody paused and grinned, waiting for him to ask. â€Å"Besides what?† â€Å"He was wearing a condom.† Tommy resumed staring at his shoes, said nothing, then looked up at her and laughed. â€Å"That's incredibly sick, Jody.† She nodded and laughed. â€Å"I love you,† he said, moving to her and taking her in his arms. â€Å"Me too,† she said, hugging him back. â€Å"That's really sick, you know that?† â€Å"Yep,† she said. â€Å"Tommy, I don't want to break this beautiful moment, but I have to take a shower.† She kissed him and pushed him away gently, then headed into the bathroom. â€Å"Uh, Jody,† he called after her, â€Å"I got a present for you in Chinatown today.† There's an explanation for this, she thought, standing in the bathroom, looking at the turtles. There is a perfectly good reason why there are two huge snapping turtles in my tub. â€Å"Do you like them?† Tommy was standing in the doorway behind her. â€Å"These are for me, then?† She tried to smile. She really did. â€Å"Yeah, Simon helped me get them home. I didn't think I could carry them on the bus. Aren't they great?† Jody looked in the tub again. The turtles were trying to crawl on top of each other. Their claws screeched on the porcelain when they moved. â€Å"I don't know what to say,† Jody said. â€Å"I thought that we could feed them fish and stuff, and you'd have a blood supply right here at home. Besides me, I mean.† She turned and regarded Tommy. Yes, he was serious. He was really serious. â€Å"You haven't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Their names are Scott and Zelda. Zelda is missing a toe on her back foot. That's how you tell them apart. Do you like them? You seem a little reticent.† A little, she thought. You couldn't have brought me flowers or jewelry, like most guys. You had to say it with reptiles. â€Å"I don't suppose there's any chance that you saved the receipt?† Tommy's face avalanched into disappointment. â€Å"You don't like them.† â€Å"No, they're fine. But, I really wanted to take a shower. I'm not sure I want to be naked in front of them.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said, brightening. â€Å"I'll take them into the living room.† He pulled a towel off the rod and began maneuvering over the tub, trying to get a drop on Zelda. â€Å"You have to be careful; they can take off a finger in those jaws.† â€Å"I see,† Jody said. But she didn't see at all. The idea of biting one of the spiny creatures in the tub gave her an industrial-size case of the creeps. Tommy lunged and came up with Zelda, wrapped in swaddling clothes and snapping at his face. â€Å"She hates being picked up.† Zelda's claws tore at the towel and Tommy's shirt as she attempted to swim through midair. He set the turtle on her back on the bathroom floor and readied the towel to lunge into the tub for Scott. â€Å"Lestat can call animals to him when he's hungry. Maybe you can train them.† â€Å"Stop it with the Lestat stuff, Tommy. I'm not sucking turtles.† He turned to her and slipped, falling into the tub. Scott snapped, barely missing Tommy's arm, and latched on to the sleeve of his denim shirt. â€Å"I'm okay. I'm okay. He didn't get me.† Jody pulled him from the tub. Scott was still attached to his sleeve and was determined not to let go. Turtles hate heights. They don't even like being a few feet off the ground. It's the main reason they have resisted evolution for so long – fear of heights. Turtle thinking goes thus: Sure, first our scales turn into feathers and the next thing you know we're flying and chirping and perching on trees. We've seen it happen. Thanks, but we're staying right here in the mud where we belong. You're not going to see us flying full-tilt boogie into a sliding glass door. Scott was not letting go of the sleeve, not as long as Tommy was standing. â€Å"Help me,† Tommy said. â€Å"Pry him off.† Jody looked for a place on the turtle to grab – reached out and pulled back several times. â€Å"I don't want to touch him.† The phone rang. â€Å"I'll get it,† Jody said, running out of the bathroom. Tommy dragged Scott to the doorway, keeping his feet safely away from Zelda's jaws. â€Å"I forgot to tell you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hello,† Jody said into the phone. â€Å"Oh, hi, Mom.†