Gay Couples Attending the Prom Essay -- Prom, Gay students, Legal Issu

A traditional saunter setting is a trip the light fantastic attended by a couple of young teens a male and female couple. But what would happen if an individual would like to take a prom date of the corresponding sex? Fighting a battle of rejection or acceptant from family or the school board to approve that a lover or a causal date to the prom should not be determine by the same sex. Whether it is gay students, friends with gay parents, gay clubs in public schools has been a controversial issue for many years. Two teenagers, Constance McMillen and Derrick Martin are facing this battle as they try to bring their date to the senior prom. Constance McMillen, the Mississippi student who attended Itawamba County Agricultural High School, senior prom was cancelled because she wanted to escort her sophomore girlfriend to her senior prom. The school board didnt agree to the same sex date and cancelled the prom. Not only could she not bring her girlfriend, but she was not allowed to wea r a tuxedo. McMillens date was denied because the school zone policy requires that dates be of the opposite sex (Associated Press, 2010). After the denying the rights to bring her prom date the court and lawyers got involved. The court believed the school was violating the first amendment right. The First Amendment states Congress shall discharge no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press or the right of the concourse pacifically to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. These delicate words provided the United States to its well development of mess and protection of rights. The U.S. Constitution is here to protect people rights, so problems like this ca... ...Know that there are plenty of local (within a short distance of his hometown) resources capable of helping Derrick and they are being made available. in that location are offers to help keep hi m safe (security) as well as other daily needs and for the prom. Derrick knows best what he ordain need and will accept accordingly (Melloy, 2010). Therefore with all the criticism from others that disagrees with the whole situation that Martin with through he still have support and is safe. Martin will continue with his biography and going to school as an honor student known that he fought for his right. Consequently, justice was severed in Constance McMillen of violating her first amendment, even though some people will still blame her for the prom being cancelled. Derrick Martin was kicked out his parents house and is well stable living with a friend support from around the world.

Graham Greenes The Human Factor Essay -- Graham Greene Human Factor

whole meal flour Greenes The Human Factor   Love was a total risk. literature had always so proclaimed it. Tristan, Anna Karenina, even the lust of Lovelace - he had glanced at the last volume of Clarissa 13. People are torn apart from one another(prenominal) simply because of a lack of understanding or a difference in each individuals definition of life. The highest hopes, dreams, and aspirations of one person may be picayune in the eyes of another. The way that one would define love, good, and evil could very well be the exact opposite of anothers definition. To one society or culture, a man may seem to be a god because of his beliefs and values while, to another, that man may appear to be a devil. In his The Human Factor, Graham Greene makes the lector question his or her own values and definitions while following the fast-paced and mysterious life of an English double agent. The binding power of love, the real determent of evil and the cleansing force of good are shown to be all in the eye of the beholder. As Castle, who could easily be paralleled to both the informant and the legendary and fictitious James Bond, says in the novel, love of anything is a total risk. But, it is that binding power of love, whether it is love of another or love of a republic or society, that acts as a stabilizing force in societys comprehension and balance of good and evil.   The character of Castle is as complex as his interpretation of the meanings of love, good, and evil as well as the connection between the three entities. Throughout the entire novel, Greene plays on the readers assumption that Castle is not the double-agent. More importantly, he is perhaps the only character in the novel that the reader instantly associates with and perce... ...ions are just like those of Castle in the novel. Therefore, it is almost plausible to leave off that Greene personified himself as Castle. Since Castle seems to believe that he is the perfect spy or hero - James B ond, then Greene also believes this about himself. The beliefs of Castle would then be representative of Greene.   By taking advantage of mans natural tendencies to apply their knowledge of good, evil, and love to any given situation, Greene has made a spy mystery that requires the reader to challenge his or her own definitions. The simple story of a lone crusader in the sea of enemies becomes a battle between good and evil, god and the Devil, and love and hate through the mastery of Greenes poetic hand. In the words of Davis, the reader has become an actor who has been miscast when he tried to live up to the costume, he... fumbled the part 4.

Borgmann’s Proposal to Reform Technology Essay -- Philosophy Albert Bo

Borgmanns Proposal to Reform TechnologyAlbert Borgmann follows the general project by Heidegger to see how technology has harmful effects on humanity and to ready how it can be reformed. Borgmann shares Heideggers view that new(a) technology is starkly different from premodern technology in its pattern of disclosing the world to human beings. Borgmann agrees that a correct of ethical reform must be undertaken to limit technological ways of living from dominating the lives of individuals and to keep technology in its place. His proposal for a deputation of reform first takes cues from Heidegger but then asserts the need for different tactics.First, we look at Borgmanns chapter Focal Things and Practices. Here he names the things that matter in directing human lives focal. Focal things contribute to the direction and ordering of ones behavior in a productive way, and they disclose the world and bring in the context of themselves and their related life activities. He actually uses a lot of verbs to convey the sense of focus with which he is concerned, so no one curt definition is given.Borgmann agrees with Heidegger that the simple kinds of things are those that focus a gathering of information about the world and benefit human beings by highlighting important life concerns, though he thinks that Heidegger sees the use of these things as too much an escape from technology rather than an affirmation of it. These simple, focal things are premodern objects, such as Heideggers example of an earthen throw out, or even activities. The jug gathers and discloses the world because it is made of the earth and is used to store wine from grapes that grow in the earth furthermore, the jug is used in the human context of tradition, ... ... things and practices are without being misguided by the level of a things technological complexity. It seems that if focal practices utilize certain elements but technology does not in principle exclude those elements, both of which Borgmann agrees, then it is not necessary to maintain Borgmanns criticism of modern technological things. His concern is the pattern in which technology is currently engaged, and he has not at all made it clear how the troublesome disunities and commodities are unavoidably related to the products of modern technology. We need to find the essential features of focal concerns and apply them to a reform proposal without Borgmanns intermediate complications. BibliographyBorgmann, Albert. Focal Things and Practices. Philosophy of Technology. Ed. Robert C. Scharff and Val Dusek. Malden, MA Blackwell Publishing, 2003. 293-312.

Essay example --

industrial Systems Engineering, Supply mountain range Management and a much Efficiently Growing WorldIndustrial Systems Engineering is based around complex systems of people, information, energy and how to develop, improve, implement and evaluate these systems. While many engineers are obligate to narrow their search for jobs because of their distinct major, Industrial Systems Engineering is the perfect balance of its necessity and broadness (Fraser Abhijit 2010). Industrial Systems Engineers are the new face of healthcare remediate to make hospitals run more efficiently, they are at the forefront businesses making new results hit the market with the greatest success rate, they are reducing the hundred footprint with the automobile industry, creating more efficient systems with the U.S. Postal Service so one will receive their mail sooner and with less mistakes and printed circuit senesce manufacturers in Taiwan distri furthere their products with a greener footprint. In all o f these real world scenarios, tack on chain management is the key to an Industrial Systems Engineers job. Supply Chain Management is the science that improves the ways companies use raw materials to make a product or service and deliver it to the customer. Every product that reaches an end consumer is the event of a cooperative effort between several organizations. This means companies need to manage their product, not just inside of the business walls, but the path that their product takes to reach the final consumer. If companies only focus on their product and do not follow its way to the market, many inefficiencies may occur in the companies supply chain (Baltzan 2014). Businesses who cooperate in a successful supply chain are linked with one another and allow an easy flow ... ...t to the market. Industrial Systems Engineering encompasses the necessary skills for a successful entrepreneur to develop a supply chain for their product and grow their business. Industrial Systems Engineering is the wide-ranging stage that allows one to become involved with an endless number of opportunities and industries around the world. Their use of supply chain management helps not just a single industry, but many other industries that are involved with the creation of a final product or service. Whether it be reducing the environmental footprint of the automotive industry, increase the efficiency of the healthcare system, helping the United States Postal Service remain a sustainable industry, or help small businesses start up as efficiently as possible., Industrial Systems Engineers use supply chain management to make the world a more efficient place.

College essay -- essays research papers

As I near the end of my high direct career, I realize that I am not the same person who began 3 years ago as a freshman. While my teachers instilled the fundamental aspects of a well-rounded education, I learned through my own experience that education extends beyond the classroom. My activities in academics, athletics, community service and work experience, have instilled qualities in me that go forth prepare me for the immediate future of college and beyond.My unique educational environment of a shoal has allowed me the opportunity to form close relationships with teachers and students alike, enabling me to interact with people of discordant backgrounds and ages. These experiences prepared me for my encounters beyond the realm of the classroom. Within this environment, I planned my class junior and senior trips. These experiences provided me with an opportunity to represent my classmates while fostering communication mingled with the faculty and students. Currently, I partici pate in a class called . Twice a week, and I get together to read, review his homework, talk about present-day(prenominal) events, and share our life experiences. While this seemed intimidating at first, I learned that he depended on me to help with his work. No longer was I just part out, but I had a responsibility to to assist with his learning and be a positive role model in his life. With these recent school experiences, I have learned how communication and c...

College essay -- essays research papers

As I near the end of my high nurture career, I realize that I am not the same person who began 3 years ago as a freshman. While my teachers instilled the fundamental aspects of a well-rounded education, I learned through my own experience that education extends beyond the classroom. My activities in academics, athletics, community service and work experience, have instilled qualities in me that will prepare me for the immediate future of college and beyond.My unique educational environment of a school has allowed me the opportunity to form close relationships with teachers and students alike, enabling me to interact with people of various backgrounds and ages. These experiences prepared me for my encounters beyond the realm of the classroom. Within this environment, I planned my class immature and senior trips. These experiences provided me with an opportunity to represent my classmates while fostering communication between the faculty and students. Currently, I participate in a c lass called . Twice a week, and I get together to read, review his homework, talk about current events, and share our life experiences. While this seemed intimidating at first, I learned that he depended on me to help with his work. No longer was I just helping out, but I had a responsibility to to assist with his learning and be a positive role model in his life. With these recent school experiences, I have learned how communication and c...

Riots: Manuscript and Blog

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. I am . , a politically active student. The Mayor of London has invited me, to give a reference ab forth riots in London. I would also talk about what we can do to prevent a similar incident. As mentioned, my speech today volition mainly be about riots and some several reasons for that. Moreover, I forget give some suggestions about what we can do to prevent the riots. I will focus on what the society can do to solve this situation. I will also speech about what the parents and the teachers can do for keep the children out of the riots.If some of you dont know what riots are. I can tell you that it is a form of civil disorder which is characterized by groups how lashing out in a rash of violence against authority, property or citizenry. The riots start on August the 4th, because a policeman killed an Afro-Caribbean man. His family has decided to st get on with a peaceful expostulation but it ended out of control. The traffic was diverted and mint s tarted crashing, smashing and looting. For many people, it was a staggering situations and completely unrealistic. The big question is What are the reasons for riots?The remonstrance for the Afro-Caribbean man was just an opportunity to show their dissatisfaction for the society. Big parts of the population are talking about how the policemen were not able to plosive speech sound the criminality from vandalising and stealing. The leger about riots was spread to South London. Due to this change of area, it is clearly that they choose entirely different motives from here on. People all over London reach begun to make different sorts of riots. The motive for many of the criminals became making money, pure terror, havoc and free stuff.We can conclude that these different episodes with riots keep back nothing to do with each other. Experts are discussing what the motives are. They have formed some theories about the motives and the most mentioned arguments are unemployment, poverty and gang related crime. There are kids down to an age of 9 how robbed homes, stores and businesses. Among the progenyest riots are kids who are looking for a rush. The main argument for riots is that it has something to do with unemployment. Unemployment terminations in poverty.Many people have tendencies to compare themselves with the community and therefore compulsion the lower class to keep up with the middle and higher class. By use of riots has the lower class seen an opportunity to make money to gain a position in the middleclass. The lower classes are blaming the high class for their criminality, because the poor are unhappy with the balance between themselves and the rich part of their country. The youth unemployment esteem is low, which result in that 1 out of 5 are not in motion.The university are more expensive than ever, and that is the reasons why some of the young people lose hope for the higher education. The young people are unhappy with their present situation . They are getting more disenfranchised, so they have to be heard. In previous times was it the black people who were victimized, but today it is the young people. The young people make riots, as an excuse to show their dissatisfaction with the society. The motive for the young people to make riots is to be a part of something bigger.Many have seen that the majority of the spotted participants in the riots are between the age of 14 and 18. Most of the people in London, who participate in the riots, are doing it because everybody else is doing it. They persuade each other by means of text message. Many of the riots have occurred as a result of the extreme use of the social media. A new problem is that they also use a Blackberry to spread the word, which involve that the communication is hidden from the police. We have to stop this young people and help them to behave in a better way.If they are old large to make the crime, they are old equal to face the consequents. There are no co rrect answers to prevent new riots, but we know the reasons for these riots and the problems in the society. We cannot eliminate the inequality, it is impossible, but we can try to edit out it. We have to keep together and try to save our society. We have to protect the children from the criminality and help the familys how have problem at home. The parents have to murder a responsibility and be role models. The police have to take effect immediately and show that this behaviour will not be tolerated.They have to arrest the people how make riots, so they not keep on with the crime. More than 1200 of the rioters have already been arrested. Due to the modern technology, many of the participants have had their moving picture caught, which means that they will be arrested later. In the future need the police a system, so they can find out what the people are supporting encourage each other and make plans for illegal actions. The government have reduced the charge for the university s o the young people have money enough for going in school and dont make crime.A man called David Cameron promised that everyone would survive the current situation. He has 4 importing areas of focus Rewards hard work Get more discipline in schools. A criminal justice system. Take care of the disrupted families. There are multiple reasons for riots, and we have to stop the riots trend. It is not only the parents, schools, police and sociality how should fight for a better country. We have to stick together and all try to stop the riots. If you know someone with problems, thusly try to bring them to senses. A society with out riots is a better place for all.

Importance of Moral Education Essay

Before 1976, learning was the exclusive responsibility of the states. In the Constitutional Amendment of 1976, preparation was included in the Concurrent list. Since then, the central government continues to play a leading role in the evolution and monitoring of educational policies and programmes, the most notable of which argon the depicted object Policy of Education (NPE), 1986, and the Programme of Action, 1986 as updated in 1992. The modified policy envisages a national system of education to claim about uniformity in education, making adult education a mass movement, providing universal access, retention and quality in elementary education and expanding the structure of taller education. deterrent example education is not our priority. It is not included in any syllabi-whether of science or humanities. Morals or morality, broadly speaking, implies h superstarsty of character, fairness in attitude and absence of evils like jealousy, hatred and rapaciousness from actions . Our system of education gives us formal knowledge of various types of subjects but does not take us what is morality and how to bring the characteristics related to it in our mindset. Our schools, colleges and universities ar churning out millions of young graduates every year who are experts in some field of science, art, commerce or technology. No teaching or training is given to the students on moral values.What have been the results of this system of education? We have professionals in every field, but we have a few(prenominal) people in society who have a high moral character. The society reflects our education most of our officials whether in public sector or hidden sector are corrupt. The assets they have acquired are often several times higher than their known sources of income. We read about income-tax raids or Central Bureau of investigation raids on the residences of high officials. Wealth amounting to crores of rupees is recovered during these raids. We watch on TV channels the scams that are unearthed after regular intervals. What do these incidents reveal? They reveal that our greed has reached gigantic proportions. The attitude of government employees has become so indifferent to public that they are not prepared to help. These unscrupulous workers do not work level for 50 per cent of the total hours of their duty. This is nothing but stealth of time. As students they were taught to solve various types of sums or write resolutions to different types of questions. They were not taught how to serve the nation.They werenot made aware of the happiness that one derives by working honestly and sincerely. The atmosphere in our schools, colleges and other institutions of education is full of competition. The students are taught to excel one another. Their competition, more often than not, becomes so intense that it leads to rivalries, jealousy and hatred among class-fellows. While it cannot be denied that competition is necessary to achieve high er goals but is totally undesirable if it breeds ill feelings. Our ancient universities of Nalanda and Patliputra created scholars of great repute like Kautilya in Economics and Susruta in Medicine, but they never used competition among the students to move ahead. Actually, these students were taught by the gurus the feelings of interchangeable help, of being complementary to one another. There was a spirit of sacrifice for the sake of justice and fair play. That is why our ancient societies were happy and prosperous. The teachers and other educationists who are concerned with the orientation of syllabi for schools and colleges are of the assent that the characteristics of honesty, fair play, goodness and helpfulness which are the ingredients of morality cannot be taught as subjects in any educational institution.They are something which a child inherits from the parents and learns from his family, particularly mother and father. So far as religion is concerned it is also somethi ng which everyone acquires from ones family and other members of the community. India being a secular country, cannot take up religious education in schools and colleges. They argue that, to the finale the moral education can be given in educational institutions, it is given through discipline and punishments for breaking the code of conduct. Any student who steals abuses or hurts others is punished. This is nothing else but imparting of moral education. What these teachers and educationists tend to ignore is that these actions teach only discipline in actions. Evils as they say have large fangs, desires are boundless. The students need to be told the ultimate consequences of acquiring wealth through wicked means when they grow up and take up some job. For this, moral education needs to be taken up as a subject. Our behavior on earth is for a limited period of time. The purpose of human life is not to indulge in luxuries and enjoy the material comforts.They give brief happiness. The real purpose of life is to develop our spirit in a pure and chaste manner whereby we attain salvation. This is the spiritual lesson which every religion teaches. This is a part of moraleducation which each faith teaches us. This should be a part of our education. The educationists have an argument to make in this regard also. They are of the opinion that while framing syllabi for language and literature, the novels, stories, poems and other write-ups of those great religious philosophers are taken which contain this spiritual education. The names of Guru Nanak and Swami Vivekanand are prominent. Among the social reformers the names of Gandhi, genus Raja Rammohan Roy and others are given. The works of great scholars are sufficient to develop a sense of justice and fairness among the students. It may be true to some extent but the fact remains that by including the works of great religious men and social reformers in the curriculum helps but little. In the examination, the studen ts have to answer the questions based on the text.There is no examination which tests whether the students have adopted this philosophy-whether they have resolved to act according to the philosophy in their own lives. Moral values are extremely important for building a society which is free from the evils of violence, greed, hatred, avarice and jealousy. However, high economic growth do we achieve, whatever high amount of wealth do we accumulate, our society will be afflicted by corruption, inequality and perverity if moral education is ignored. India has been a beacon of light for the globe for showing others the values of religion and morality. If we have lost our own path, what will we show to the world? We have to start from the grass-roots level to impart moral education on our children. The syllabi at schools and colleges must include this education so that surely, though slowly our society is purged of all evils and we become role models for others. A great responsibility de volves on the teachers to remove the ill feelings of jealousy and hatred from the pupils minds. They must teach the students to achieve their goals through hard work. The attitude of fairness and justice developed in childhood and teenage will lay the foundation of responsible citizens.

Hamlet’s Infatuation with Death

An Undiscoverd Country villages Infatuation With finale Have you ever wondered what happens to you when you kick the bucket? get out you still be the same person? Or is death re onlyy the great equalizer? Is it possible we all can up the same? Death is a real scary and lonely thing to think nearly, and nothing is a greater example of that than William Shakespeares famous play juncture. Ham permit is enkindle with the idea of death and what it brings. With comments like, To die to sleep / No more, (Hamlet 3. 1. 61-62) and we fat all/ Creatures else to fat us (4. 3. 3-24), it is clear Hamlet has a very lonely and deject view on what happens when you bite the dust. Hamlets fascination with death and dismal view on it are all evident throughout the totally play. We start to learn that Hamlet has a bizarre fascination with death when, every other scene, he is talking how everyone will end up in the ground one look or another. To be or not to be that is the question (3. 1. 57), is where it all starts off. From this famous speech to the end of the play, all Hamlet worries about is death. He continues to go on and on about how we will all become equal and starts to wonder what it is like to die.Hamlet often dialog about self-murder, or suicide, and how it will affect his afterlife if he decided to do it. HAMLET. O, that this too solid flesh would melt Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew Or that the Everlasting had not fixd His fuelon gainst self-slaughter O God O God (1. 2. 129-132) Hamlet is obviously contemplating suicide here, but then he realized that he cannot go to Heaven if he commits suicide. Going to Hell is something that Hamlet does not want at all. This is obvious because, throughout the play, Hamlet thinks about killing himself, but he never does because he is scared to die, and even worse, scared to go to Hell.The language that Hamlet uses to express death is very interesting. The way and how Hamlet talks about death all the time is extremel y depressing to read and I can only imagine how it made Hamlet depressed. Hamlet often has trouble with expressing his views on death as he often has conflicting statements. Sometimes he will think of death as an adventure, The undiscoverd country from whose bourn/ No traveller returns (3. 1. 81-82), or he will think of it as an extremely gruesome thing, A certain/ assembly of politic worms are een at him. (4. 3. 21-22). The way he talks about death here is cringe-worthy.Just thinking about worms chowing fell on Polonius is nauseating. Hamlet does not often talk about death this way in the play, though. He is almost making a joke in this quote, but the joke is true and extremely gross. Hamlets view on death is very dark and grim. His believe that death makes us all equal and there is nothing we can do to prevent that. In Act Five, Hamlet is in a graveyard with Horatio and is carrying on a very dark conversation with him. Hamlet has a very interesting quote in this Act, black lov age died, Alexander was buried, / Alexander returneth into dust (5. 1. 189-190).This quote is about Alexander the Great, and his name should go without saying that he was a very important person. It is depressing to think about it because Alexander was a great king. But he ended up like we will all end up, and that is dust in the ground. In the same scene Hamlet drops another interesting quote, let her paint an/ Inch thick, to this favor she must come (5. 1. 170-171). Hamlet happens to be holding the skull of Yorick when he says this. No matter how much make-up, or paint, you put on, no matter how much you dress up and act fancy, you will still end up like Yorick.And the sad part is that there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Mortality is a very commonly thought about in this play. Hamlet is not the only character that worries about the afterlife. approximately every character in the play has a view on life and death. Their views maybe different, most are still depressing. This theme is present because Shakespeares view on death was depressing. Hamlets view on death is a direct relation to William Shakespeares. They both believe we will end up the same a dead body in the ground.

Family Systems Intervention

Family Systems Interventions Intervention skills Facilitating family change Change skills 1. Break nonadaptive interaction patterns 2. Clarity hassleatic con ranks 3. Alter emotive blocks 4. Initiate cognitive restructuring 5. action new adaptive patterns 6. Mobilize external resources as required Break Maladaptive Patterns Intervene to control maladaptive patterns by restructuring family interaction verb everyy or physically When appropriate, facilitate the adaptive behavior of anger of one family member in vagabond to block the recurrent lineatic behavior of anotherClarify problematic consequences inhabit family members on the problematic consequences of their own behaviors Provide verbal or nonverbal support before and after direct confrontation whenever possible Alter emotional Blocks Convey the importance of expressing and clarifying affective experience in order to better comprehend the maintenance of overt behavior patterns. Remove inappropriate affective blocks by en couraging open discussion of the emotional turmoil of family members validate their experience, clarify the content, and provide support Initiate Cognitive Restructuring Call into question corporate beliefs, values, or goals that appear to be problematic and initiate open discussion and reevaluation of relevant sheers. To prevent new affect from blocking further progress, encourage the expression and discharge of emotion (especially through laughing or crying) while modifying a previous cognitive set. Provide appropriate new information or a reformulation as required to develop more adaptive comprehension Encourage family members to consider new ideas further and to continue to discuss item issues at plateful in order to r separately a reality-based consensus.Implement New Adaptive Patterns Using behavioral principles, apply friendly reinforcements to strengthen appropriate behaviors at any ti me during the sessions and encourage family members to do the alike(p). Elicit famil y members willingness to be receptive to suggestions and invite specific behavioral suggestion from other family members (or offer almost). Coach the family in implementing changes that are compatible with appropriate development tasks for the whole family as well as individual family members. Introduce adaptive changes in behavior during the interview by redirecting interaction patterns and altering spatial and seating arrangements to rearrange subsystems. Mobilize External Resources as Required Openly admit to lack of progress as research possible inhibiting factors both inside and outside the family. Effective Assessment and Intervention First, proles must develop an attitude that values the potential of families to change.Assessment and mobilization of family strengths should focus on the arrogants related to many areas, including Family relationships caring for members, gender roles that are respected and valued, produceal-child relationships based on the best of the chil d, physical and emotional self-care, the presence of positive family events and successes, supportive orthodontic braces relationships, family history of previous successes in conflict management, a strong family identity Individual family member skills cognitive and intellectual abilities, a positive attitude, competent parenting, positive role-modeling, ability to build and access supportive social environments Personal qualities motivation, goal directedness, self-esteem and competence, an ability to laugh at oneself, inner strengths and resources, strong relational, abilities, nondefensiveness, willingness to work on issues despite challenges Availability of community resources friends and caring other outside the family, supportive relatives, health care, education, recreation, spiritual community, social services, the skills to navigate in these community resources Seeing and information the ability to recognize difficult life experiences and to pack from these experiences Key Strategies in working with strengths The strengths perspective capitalizes on the power and will of the family to self-correct with the serve of appropriate environmental supports. Words have the power to build up or tear done discourage or encourage. Pathology-based words darken the conniption by imposing problems while strength-based words impose solutions and hope. Use a dictionary of helping, a dictionary that includes the use of such words as empowerment, skills, hope, support, ability, and cognition Assessment and intervention will be more effective if the family social histrion keeps the following considerations in mind Be keenly attuned to culture and stand by to paganly sensitive practices Focus on family needs Respect client autonomy Avoid fostering unnecessary dependency Reassess and re-interpret client resistivity as avoidance of pain Keep healthy professional boundaries while remaining emotionally available Culturally Sensitive Practice We advocate for cult ural competence for all workers-competence that avoids the application of stereotypical checklists to families from minority cultures. Suggesting that a single program model or intervention end meet the needs of all cultural families risks stereotyping an reducing each culture to a single entity. Not all members of a cultural group are connected in the same modal value to their cultural heritage placater or so groups will have blended traditional and nontraditional practices in their daily living. Acculturation can be seen as a mosaic, blending traditional native ways with dominant cultural ways. Five program structures that can be incorporated into family social worker in order to work appropriately with families from different cultures. 1. Workers must have a sincere interest in learning and accepting different cultures. 2. Workers can learn to challenge their ethnocentric beliefs as a n integral part of family social work. 3.Family social workers can be open to collaboration wi th traditional cultural healers and leaders and support family choices about traditional sources of help that parallel, supplement, or replace interventions that are more common. 4. Family social workers should be familiar with and be prepared ti use existing client support systems, following the appropriate cultural protocols. 5. The intervention skills used by family social workers can adapted to specific cultures 6. Family social workers can seek specific cultural jockeyledge, which includes awareness of communication patterns, worldviews, belief systems, and values 7. Knowing how to gain entrance into a cultural community is important if a worker were to access culturally appropriate resources for a family.Reassess Clients Resistance Resistance may be a message from the client that the family social worker is overstepping the boundaries of the relationship. Resistance can withal signal that the issues being discussed are sensitive to the client. Set Realistic Expectations A s ixth guideline for family social workers is to foster families feelings of competence, sooner than inadequacy. Hepworth and Larsen (1993) list the following ecological interventions that family social workers can perform for families Supplementing resources in the home environment Developing and enhancing support systems Moving and enhancing support systems Moving clients to a new environment Increasing the responsiveness of organizations to peoples needs Enhancing interactions between organizations and institutions Improving institutional environments Developing new resources The way a problem is defined often depends on How the family initially defines the problem The theoretical perspective the family social worker uses The mandate of the agency and how the agency views problems. For example, some agencies embrace solution-focused focus and define problems to fit theory How the problem is defined jointly between the family and worker in a way that both feel offers the most oppor tunities to have positive change. Unique ways of viewing a problem 1.A traditional analytic view is that symptomatic person in the problem. 2. The social systems assumption is that the family is the problem problems evolving from relationship patterns within the family 3. The attempted solution is the problem. This is an interesting view that could be simplified by saying, if what you are doing does not work, stop doing it and try something different gamin Patters The term patterns mean that the same behavior happens repeatedly and becomes predictable. When a family is mired in problems, it may be because their repetitive patterns have produced gridlock without providing an adequate response to the issue at hand.In this way, the solution becomes the problem. Because the patterns are habits, family members feel secure in the stability they provide. The habitual patterns might be hurtful to individuals and harmful to the family system, but because family members are incognizant o f or unskilled in other ways of responding, they are unable to change, and the family is described as being stuck. A pattern is a banknote sequence of communication that occurs three times. Alternatively, the worker may set the stage to encourage family members to play out their usual family patterns. ? 1. Clarify with the family these patterns, pointing out the relationship between affect, or feelings, and behavior.For example, father scolds child, child feels hurt, child pouts, father feels frustrated, father scolds, and around and around the pattern goes. It is helpful for a family to see how they go around in theses maladaptive circles. 2. When this is done, help clarify any family rules or myths that perpetuate these patterns, for example, a myth that the only way a child will listen to a parent is when the parent yells at the child. 3. When clarifying a circular pattern with a family, it is necessary to explore underlying feelings and any additional behaviors. 4. Point out m anifest of emotional di nisus and get members to label specific feelings. When feelings are out in the open.Particularly fears and hurts, they can be directly faced 5. Encourage the family to provide each member with reassurance and support 6. Help the family develop understanding of each other by bringing their circular patterns out in the open and including underlying feelings. 7. subsequently the dysfunctional patterns have been identified, the worker should then get the family to think of helpful adaptive patterns to deal with problem situations. 8. Help the family negotiate simultaneous change 9. beef up family members constructive suggestions 10. Coach family members in trying out new adaptive behaviors and assign realistic tasks explicitly as homework.Lineal Circular, strategic and self-referent question Lineal questions ask for basic information and assume a cause-and effect sequence. Circular questions, on the other hand, are based on circular causality and the connectio ns among family members. Circular questions help the family social worker to learn about ongoing patterns of family interaction and the effects that family members behaviors have on one another. Circular questions are intended to create change, whereas lineal questions are intended to draw out information. Strategic questions are directed at change, on the basis of the family social workers assessment of the situation.The underlying intent of strategic questions is to correct behavior. Reflexive questions ask clients to become self-observers. Detriangulation Detriangulation involves developing strategies through which the family worker disrupts one triangle and opens up the family members to new, more functional alliances or triangles. Four possible methods of detriangulation are available for the family social worker. 1. One way of detriangulatiojn is to point the triangle out to the three people. 2. other method of detriangulation is ensuring that family members interact as dyads . 3. Another method is through reversal, or getting one person in the triangle to do the opposite of the pattern. 4.Detriangulation also can occur by shifting alliances that is who does what with whom. If the mother is always the one trying to get a child to comply with a command, change can be accomplished by having the father gain the childs compliance. Working with Involuntary clients Clients usually look for on of two outcomes from family social work. Some just want to eliminate the pain created by the problem, and in the process want to be nurtured. These clients may be satisfied once the initial stress has been alleviated, and they may avoid making difficult or lasting changes. Other clients want to change their lives in concrete ways. They are willing to work sternly to achieve needed changes in their lives.These are the most rewarding clients for family social workers. Many involuntary clients are precontemplators. In other words, they do not guess they have a problem. Oth ers may acknowledge they have a problem but are not prepared to work on it. Families need to know that participating in family social work is their choice. The family social worker should emphasize that freedom from unwanted agency intervention will occur when the conditions of the court order or contracted work are met. Work with involuntary clients begins by finding out what it is like for them to be ordered into family work. This question is one way of showing empathy and starting where the client is.When clients are court ordered, they should be informed that some conditions of the work are not negotiable and they need to understand the specific conditions for termination. When clients do not want work, the family social worker can print out that the family has a right not to participate but that nonparticipation involves some consequences. Motivation is the flip side of resistance. Direct confrontation about responsibility for problems during the assessment phase is likely to p roduce defensiveness rather that lead to change. Instead, using empathy and trilled with resistance might be most productive. The single most important skill for working with family resistance is being able to identify when it may be counterproductive to push an issue with the family.

My Future Job Essay

Do you like the thrill of change by reversaling in the infirmarys emergency department? Maybe you prefer the calmer and less stressful settings of a medical clinic. One thing we all must choose upon graduating is the work place we would like to see ourselves in. For me, I would like to work in a medical clinic or doctors office. I prefer the 8 to 5 schedule that you see in an office setting as to the crazy hours hospitals keep. As a working mom, this pull up stakes benefit not merely me, but also my children.Because I have a remarkably relaxed personality, I would work better in a medical office. I do not work well under extreme pressures. Do not earn me wrong, I realize that even in a doctors office, things fundament get hectic at times but, even on the worst of days in an office is still not as stressful as working in a hospital. Having a set schedule with no working holidays or weekends is much more favorable to me as I will be a working mom with two small children. This sch edule will allow me to spend quality family time with my children and provide income to trouble for them. I will have the chance to help with homework and still be able to be there for significant events such as sporting events or spelling bees. Another way that this schedule will help me is that, on holidays and weekends, I will not have to struggle to find a baby-sitter or put my children in daycare. This in turn, will save me money.Another reason that I would prefer the medical office setting is the fact that I will get the chance to pick out each of the patients. I am truly a people person I would rather get to know someone rather than rush around them. In an office setting, I will have the opportunity to spend more time with the each of the patients and get a feel for who they are, and better ways to help them. Knowing the patients is a momentous challenge that is worth all the rewards it brings. I have seen a incalculable of patients switch providers forthe fact that the do ctors, nurses and staff seem uncaring. When you get to know the person and are able to empathize with them, you not only establish better care for what the patient needs but also gain the trust and respect of the patient.As I see it, these are the only reasons I need, to recognize incisively where I see myself working. Having a job that meshes well with my personality is indispensable to me. I want to wake up each morning and not be able to wait to go to work. The financial stability, while still being able to watch and help my children grow is priceless to me. There is nothing more valuable than being able to be there to support your children in all that they do having a job that allows me to be there is the only winning for me. Plus add in the benefits of getting to know another unique human being on a daily basis, and helping them prosper, makes working in a medical office the perfect job for me.

Renault Nissan Partnership

The most important riddle facing the Renault Nissan Partnership, Inc. is that both positionsRenault and Nissanmay soon salute their own blend of internal problems. These problems, when taken from both parties and when merged or when analyzed from the over all(prenominal) perspective of the coalition, will most likely result to misinterpretations and, consequently, misunderstandings thereby undermining the whole purpose of the partnership. This eventually affects the general performance of the partnership as it divides and sets apart the two companies.The most probable set of recommendations that can be devoted to the Renault Nissan Partnership is for both sides to essentially take into account all the possible angles that will explain the problems that beset the other party. That is, an understanding and awareness of the other sides problems should be given proper importance because both companies are involved in a partnership and that the eudaimonia of one significantly contri butes to the welfare of the whole.This should be the first consideration that the Renault Nissan Partnership should give full attention essentially because the very essence of the partnership would be undermined. Once this happens, the performance of the partnership will be affected as well which manifests at least in terms of the productivity rate and overall image of the partnership. Another is that the bully relations of the involved parties in the partnership will also be affected. It leads to the possibility of a split-up where either one or both of the parties may disembarrass from the partnership.Another recommendation is that the Renault Nissan Partnership should anticipate possible discrepancies in terms of production so as to preempt the occurrence of one or, at the least, set apart enough time for the partnership to address or to be able to resolve the impending crisis as soon as possible. Internal problems can be resolved through the early exposition of predicted prob lems thereby creating enough time between the occurrence of the predicted problem and the current timeframe. This expanse of time should be utilize in order to formulate sets of solutions as early as time permits.Last but not the least, when the partnership is faced with drawbacks from either sides, it should be the strip that both should not leave-out the other party and, instead, provide substantial assistance in order to uplift the business relationship and lessen the impact of the problem to both Renault and Nissan. This assistance can take many forms depending upon what the existing situation necessitates or on what the nature of the problem is. In essence, the business partnership should all the more be strengthened during times of financial or internal difficulties and that the real test of the Renault Nissan Partnership rests on these unwanted instances.One can vestibular sense commitments to shareholders and commitments to the community by scope certain priorities depen ding on the context of the existing situation. That is, if the situation necessitates that the commitment towards the shareholders outweighs the commitment towards the community, it should be the case that one should choose the shareholders. On the other hand, the opposite case should be maintained thus suggesting the very idea of setting priorities according to the degree of importance as necessitated by the situation.On another note, when one is faced with the commitment towards the community or to the shareholders, it must be the case that one ought to give full attention to the needs of the concerned party in order to equalize everything when the time that the other side or party is also the one that should be committed with.In essence, setting priorities plays a key role in maintaining the balance between the levels of commitment towards the community and the shareholders.ReferencesCulpan, R. (2002). Global Alliances in the Automobile Manufacturing Industry. In Global Business Alliances surmisal and Practice (pp. 126-136). Westport, Conn Praeger.Hoed, R. v. d., & Vergragt, P. J. (2005). Technology changes and industrial responses changes in fuel options for the fuel cell automobile in the automobile industry. In K. Green, M. Miozzo & P. Dewick (Eds.), Technology, Knowledge and the Firm Implications for scheme and Industrial Change (pp. 149). Northampton, MA Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc.

Googles Method’s of Motivating Employees Essay

What is life like at Google? afterward extensive research I found a wide variety of opinions about life at Google. Googles website portrays Google as the best of altogether places to kick the bucket. They offer many luxuries including on site massages and health clubs in addition to free dining and sell options. The management style of Google is very lackadaisical and far from serious. Their motto is search, search, and search. Googleplex located out of San Jose, California has a unique method of motivating employees vastly different from other corporate America companies. New hires argon flabbergasted by Googles reputation.If they pass the unorganized and exhausting interview process, they will be adapted to utilize the extravagant perks that attract many to Google initially. Googles goal is to detainment employees focused on work by eliminating anything that might interfere with production. Current employees make use of this concept depending on their length of fight with the company. Ex-employees have a different view of Googles culture and the driving forces that power it. Many of Googles old employees intent this atmosphere leads to 24/7 working days with no personal time.They tone overworked and underpaid with little advancement opportunities available. With that being said, my assessment of the working environment at Google is similar to that of former employees. I feel Google is mirroring the college environment by meeting the basic call for of their employees. By making the basic needs readily available within the working environment, they eliminate outside distractions thus hoping to increase production. However, I feel this philosophy is comparable to that of many cults.They entice employees with so-called spectacular benefits and average pay all the season neglecting to tell them how demanding the working environment is at Google. I am surprised that Google does not offer on-the-spot(prenominal) living arrangements too. Robbins and Coul ter (2009) state, Google has been named the best company to work for by Fortune magazine two long time running. I have no doubts they are not a fantastic company to call home, scarce they are not retaining life time employees. At some point these associates are losing motivation and adjudicate to look for better opportunities.These situations tell me that Google is failing their employees at some point. I believe the break-down begins at the legislate of the organizational structure within Google. They emphasize their benefits but neglect to explain employee expectations or job demands to their staff. After the orientation phase, employees get the real taste of Google little time for the perks, exhausting hours, unorganized working environments, miss management guidance, little advancement opportunities, minimal pay and a child-like atmosphere. This is the perfect recipe for burnout.Sequentially burnout creates Googles biggest challenge. It has been said that middle management at Google might oversee over 100 people at one time. How can this be effective? Management needs to be involved and become more(prenominal) hands on with their employees. They could start with career plans, training and promotable reviews. Also, I feel Google should balance their perks by religious offering less on-site and more down time or empathy to their associates on a personal level. The perks offered are great but they are missing the most important factor-a sincere personal touch.If I were managing a team of Google employees I would try to implement a hands on type of approach. I would tidy sum up monthly meetings and give my staff appropriate feedback to help them grow and excel. A rewards and recognition computer program would be beneficial to them as well as a career plan. It would also be facilitatory to have training sessions when needed. Lastly, I would empathize with my employees by stressing balance between family and working time. Google has a prudish platform however, I feel these few changes could be vital assets to enhancing their working place while keep long term associates.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love With jolting word choice and the in effect(p) application of imagery, the poem My pascals Waltz, create verbally in 1948 by Theodore Roethke (1908 1963), presents the speaker as a child who is trapped in a world tragically affected by alcoholism and corporeal abuse besides who relentlessly attempts to attain manage and affection from his drunk and violent father. The whimsical lyrics vigorous the reader to recognize that although this poem depicts the essence of a child, the implication of a life of patterned suffering is in deep line of merchandise to the reality of a carefree childhood.My Papas Waltz is written in quatrain form purposely echoing the sing song sound of idyllic childhood rhymes to contrast the meaning of the poem which illustrates a childhood experience with an alcoholic and abusive father who, despite the current pain inflicted, is still loved unconditionally by his son. The speaker relates this experience in his childhood with his dru nken father in an almost affectionate tone, yet with the distain of the alcoholism and violence soundly ringing by dint of.He states, The whiskey on your mite, Could make a small boy dizzy But I hung on like death Such waltzing was not easy, (lines 1-4). The speakers tone reveals that although his father drinks to the point of his breath being intoxicating and that the situation is confusing to the lad, he still hung on like death, grappling with his anticipate that if he continued the waltz the relationship with his father that he would retain his fathers love.In the last line of the stanza, the speakers resolute determination of continuing with the difficult waltz lends bankers acceptance to the optimism of his youth which is evident in his perseverance to experience the father-son relationship. The word choices throughout the poem, such as death, battered, scraped, and remonstrate imply that the speakers childhood is certainly not a functional one and, moreover, is fill u p daily with the cruel interactions of his unutteredened father.The speaker reflects, We romped until the pans, Slid from the kitchen shelf My mothers countenance, Could not unfrown itself, (5-8). This passage suggests through detailed imagery that although this young boy is being maltreated by his father, with household items being knocked from their places with the move of the violence, his mother shamefully remains a silent but disapproving bystander as she witnesses her childs horrendous lickings.The brutal scene continues to unfold as The hand that held my wrist, Was battered on one metacarpophalangeal joint At every step you missed, My right spindle scraped a buckle, (9 12). In a vivid reveal of terrifying progression, the father grasps the boys wrist with his hand in an attempt to land yet another steady blow, battering his knuckles even more. When his drunken state causes him to stagger, the boys ear scrapes against his belt buckle, instead.As the fathers tension and f ury explodes from the failed strike, the speaker recounts that his father beats eon on my head then waltzed me off to bed, creating a vision of a frenzied rage as he is repeatedly hit until he is thrown violently into his room at the end of the beating (13, 15). Throughout this instance of abuse it is quite clear that this childs love for his father is sloshed and unwavering. Regardless of the incessant beating, the last line of the poem is the boys emphatic plea for love and acceptance as he was still clinging to (his) shirt, (16).While he notes his fathers palm caked hard with dirt, the excusing tone suggests that he recognizes the hard life his father lives and thus pardons his cruelty. As is often the case with an abused person, no matter the depths of the abuse that is endured, a longing and a resilient hope for a functional, loving and nurturing relationship with ones parent continues, as is displayed in My Papas Waltz. Works Cited Roethke, Theodore. My Papas Waltz. Literat ure for Composition, 8th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, William E. Cain. New York Pearson Longman, 2008. 807.

K-12 Curriculum Essay

Poverty* One of the biggest problems we Filipinos suffer. In reality, PHILIPPINES IS NOT A myopic COUNTRY. The problem is that wrong people mismanage and misgovern the budget of our country. Because of this mismanagement, citizens suffer and pay the price. And now, theyre implementing this course of study that would be another burden to us Filipinos. If 10 years is already a big social occasion for parents, then what much is 12 years of sending their children to schools? Yes, there are public schools all about our country, but think about it. Many parents are minimum-wage-earners and aside from the cultivation of their children, there are nevertheless other important things included in their monthly budget. So why add 2 more years in the basic education of an average Filipino? overleap of Excellent teachers* In our deport time, we see that teachers are indemand and in the curriculum they implemented, teachers are accepted. MORE EXCELLENT teachers are needed to be able to pro duce globally competitive students. There are many taking Education as their course but where are they? Most of them are working overseas. A proof that Philippines doesnt need to adopt the education system of other countries for Filipinos to be successful and productive citizens. Now that K-12 program is already in use, the government should figure out how and where can they get the people to produce competitive, bright students. Lack of facilities, classrooms and equipments* We all have to accept the fact that in terms of facilities, classrooms and equipments in the schools in the Philippines, our country is underprivileged. For a good quality of education, a comfortable place to study is a big factor touch on this. Even before, classrooms are already inadequate, just think about adding more years in soaring school. Before the government have decided about a new education system, it could have been fall in if they solved the problems in the education in the Philippines first.We already have a good quality of education in our country, there are just some points we need to improve. Better education is needed not MORE education. If the government just used the allotted budget for this project to solve other stinting issues, it could have helped more Filipinos. To cut everything short, there is just one thing Id comparable you to comprehend. The answer to the question is simply NO.

I Owe It All to You

Winds flew in every direction. With a tremendous wrath, with a sounding of voices creeping through my window as they embraced me in my sleep. Giving me the shivers to engage through my spine. Waking me up From such a sweet, sweet Dream. It was a cold and terrifying sidereal day as I dressed myself with that old blue jacket of mine, frightened in panic and stress. For my starting line day of school for the cold and windy fall. I set off to school with a bombastic question mark on my governing body. Whether I would make it on period to pick my automotive degree or would I sit at that place in dis military military personnelage with a sour face on my soul, on the dis exchangeable of my ground leveles.On my way to school I approached a fragment of the road where it noti matchlessd a standardised(p) a horrifying almost traumatic accident had happen leaving swirls of tire marks theatrical roles of methamphetamine And plastic on the floor, stained with the blood of a poor s oul. As I slowly drove by the scene I could not of helped but to notice that my car was acting up. I had gotten a unconditioned from the broken glass on the road. Like if the odds were against me, in a desperate anticipate for help. I cried for compassion and strength, but most importantly for my automotive class.Pulling over to fix the flat on my car, the cold and windy day fought against me making me take longer than I expect it. make my chances of an on time arrival at school to vanish into thin air. I got to school and entered the ample red doors to the office asking for my automotive class. To my luck I was left with a sour face on my soul. It had been taken. Left with no option but to choose the last class remaining. The seventh choice on my list Art 101. As I entered the colorful room of art I was in for the surprise of my life.Where my world would turn in an unparallel universe filled of positive influence, encouragement, forte and the most awesome caper on the face o f the planet. It began with a special teacher name Mr. Salas the make pass influential person in my career. He influenced my life in such a way that neer did I had to look any were else. My first day I stepped into his colorful full of life classroom. He noticed my big sour face sitting in the far back corner of the class with a pencil and blank piece of paper.He hence walked up to me and said If you only k clean what worlds wait you with that pencil and paper in your hand he left me with a question in my oral sex as to what he had meant by that and what was so great in his world that I did not know. shady to know I asked him what was so intriguing that it had him hooked. With a grimace on his face he gently but most kindly and confident he answered, Art is the most intense mode of individualisation that the world has known. If you stack understand this then you will be free. As the day end it hit me in the head like a rock thrown by a baseball game pitcher. B-O-O-M I la st understood what it meant. From that moment forth I was a changed man, I considered myself to be the luckiest man to thrust fallen in that class by chance. My perspective towards life changed in the blink of an affectionateness and I k in the altogether what had to be done. I then went to him and said to him, Im free now. He slowly turned and looked at me with a spark in his eye and yield G-R-E-A-T, Now we can proceed he said. From that day on I knew I was in debt with him. Thinking of how some alien managed to influence my life, my thoughts. Molding me into a new man filled with an encouragement to fulfill my new dreams.As the months passed by Mr. Salas became the second person to my mother who I greatly love, to encourage my life. He was always there with something positive to joint and a hand full of answers to all my artistic problems. As our professional most friendly relationship grew. So did my progress in the art profession. He would show me the strategies and methods to an artist mind. Sculpting me Piece by piece like if he himself was the great Michelangelo. As the days continued so did the workaday and that same man go through that door with a Hawaiian shirt he loved so much.He would walk up to me every morning and look at my work and no matter how big I had messed up his spoken communication were always the same. Filled with encouragement and excitement towards new progress. He would start being persuasive as he seen that my progress was incompatibly high. He agnise that my skills were promptly getting better by the day. Not wasting a moment of the day he would persuade me to do better. He had ultimately brought come on on me the true potential that once was clandestine deep inside me. He would make me each day practice more and more, he would offer it liberation of the soul.To all I knew It felt like persuasion to do more, but that was just my opinion. He always new how to better me, pushing me to think bigger and deeper to create w ork of art like no other before. Till one day he entered that room.. With a bigger smile than ever before. In his hand he held a sheet of paper, he walked straight to me and said, Guess what? , WHAT? I said. You have been signed up to compete in an art contest . I did not know what to say as I felt plain as a sheet of paper and hot like the beating sun. Not knowing what to answer I smiled and said WOW REALLY? . I had finally gotten a grip of my self and was most exited but nervous and pressured at the same time. I then entered the contest and to my biggest surprise I had won first prize. As the years passed by his persuasion was finally over, as he had finish his masterpiece. Thanking him for all the time and work he had dedicated to me. Turning me into the sterling(prenominal) artist in the country ready to go out and began my solo career. As I searched for my new life as an artist. I began to create some art work to send to the biggest firms of art in the world.I felt sluggish a nd scared as my great art teacher was not by my side on this one. I called him over an evening night for dinner as we discussed some humors for the projects I would send to the art firms. He then drastically described what had been the most radical stupendous idea of all time. His idea was filled of crazy ideas and lots of colors I then later that workweek began to work on this idea he had given me, I started to shape it and color it and twisted as I worked on it more and more I couldnt help but to not look at it.It was perfect, I sent it in to my first choice firm and within the next day I was called upon to report myself for work. As my body felt like gravity had just came upon it, I rapidly stood up and screamed with excitement at my four walls in my small little house. I was finally a big time artist like Mr. Salas wanted me to be. He was always there for me through the approximate and the bad never gave up on me. Always pushing me to do better encouraging me when I most need ed. If it wasnt for that first day of school when he said to me that phrase that influenced my life, I would not be the great artist I am today.On my fist day on the job I told everybody at work how I had gotten there. Everybody was amazed at the story giving me six words and only six to say to this great man. The next day I woke up early in the morning it was a bright and warm day. The birds outside sang like never before like the angels themselves were singing. As I drove down the beautiful road full of life blowing through. I arrived at Mr. Salas house. That old yellow house In the one I spent many of my free time practicing my technique. I walked to the door and knocked on it three times. A minute ater the foot steps of someone walking towards me were heard, my heart rushed with excitement and adrenaline at the same time. When the door was finally open their stood the man that never one instant doubt it me. Holding his favorite coffee mug in one hand and in the other his all tim e favorite newspaper, looking at me with a smile on his face. I stood their blank as I could not of helped but to run the story in my mind of the first day I met this man. When I finally came back to reality all that came out of my mouth were them six magical words, I OWE IT ALL TO YOU .

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 15~17

Chapter 15A MOMENTARY FLASH OF MOLLYBy the g eitherant horn of Nigoth, I command thee to boil screeched the Warrior Babe. What good was a higher mightiness, after all, if he wouldnt stand by you cook your ramen noodles? molly stood over the stove, naked, except for a wide sash from which was slung the scabbard for her broadsword at the center of her screen, full-gr ingest the impression that she had won honors in the Miss Nude Random Violence Pageant. Her skin was slick with sweat, non because shed been working step to the fore, but because shed chopped up the umber fudge with her broken broadsword and burned it, along with whatsoever(prenominal) chairs from the dining- direction set, in the fireplace. The cabin was sweltering. The power hadnt by at rest(p) surface yet, but it would soon, and the Warrior Babe of the Outland dropped into survival panache a diminutive so singler than most quite a little. It was in her job description.Its Christmas Eve, tell the Narrat or. Shouldnt we eat many social function to a greater extent festive? Eggnog? How ab come in(a) sugar cookies in the shape of Nigoth? Do you withdraw purple sprinkles?Youll ticktock zip and like it You ar but a soulless ghost that vexes me and stirs in my mind like spiders. When my make up ones mind arrives on the fifth, you shall be banished to the abyss forever.Im nevertheless saying, hacking up the coffee hedge? Screaming at the dope? I count you could channel your energies in a more positive way. Some intimacy in the holiday spirit.In a momentary flash of Molly, the Warrior Babe realized that at that place was a line she could cross, when the Narrator rattling became the voice of reason, as opposed to a niggling voice act to get her to act step forward. She false the burner follow with to medium and went to the bed inhabit.She pulled a stool over to the closet and climbed up on it so she could dispatch to the back shelf. The problem with marrying a guy who wa s six foot six, is you often find yourself scaling the counters to get to stuff that he placed thither for convenience. That, and you needed a riding steam iron in order to press one of his shirts. not that she did that truly often, but if you try to get a purse straight in a 40-inch sleeve once, youre as likely as not to give up ironing altogether. She was nuts already, she didnt need help from trying to perform frustrating tasksAfter feeling simply around on the top shelf, brushing over the spare holster for Theos Glock, her reach closed on a velvet-wrapped bundle. She climbed down from the stool and took the long bundle to the couch, where she sat down and slowly unwrapped it.The scabbard was made of wood. Somehow it had been laminated with layers of dour silk, so that it appea florid to drink the light out of the room. The handle was wrapped in black silk cord and there was a cast bronze hand guard with a filigreed dragon design. The ivory liberty chit of a dragon prot ruded from the pommel. When she pulled the sword from the scabbard, her breath caught in her throat. She knew immediately that it was real, it was ancient, and it had to commence been exorbitantly expensive. It was the finest blade she had ever unwrapn in person, and a tashi, not a katana. Theo knew she would want the longer, heavier sword for working out, that she would sp cobblers conclusion hours training with this valuable antique, not lock it in a glass case to be looked at.Tears welled up in her eye and the blade deviateed to a silver blur in her vision. He had risked his freedom and his pride to grease ones palms her this, to acknowledge that part of her that anyone else seemed to want to get rid of.Your soup is boiling over, said the Narrator, you sentimental sissy-girl And it was. She could instruct the hiss of the water hitting the hot burner. Molly leaped to her feet and looked around for a place to set the sword. The coffee table had long since departed to ash in the fireplace. She looked to the bookshelf under the front window, and in that second there was a deafening snap as the trunk of a big suffer gave way outback(a), followed by lighter crackles and snaps as it took out branches and smaller trees on the way to the ground. Sparks lit up the night outside, and the lights went out as the entire cabin shook with the impact of the tree hitting in the front yard. Molly could see the downed power lines out by the road arcing orange and blue through the night. Silhouetted in the window was a tall dark figure, standing there,just looking for at her.Although a lot of single bulk attended, the Lonesome Christmas party was never sibylline to leave been a pickup scene, an extension of the holiday melodic chairs that went on at the Head of the Slug. People did occasionally meet there, be discern lovers, mates, but that wasnt the purpose. Originally it was just a get-together for people who had no family or friends in the area with whom to spend Christmas, and who didnt want to spend it alone, or in an alcohol-induced coma, or both. Over the days it had become somewhat more an anticipated event that people real chose to attend instead of more traditional gatherings with friends and family.I hindquarterst imagine a more grievous horror show than spending the holidays with my family, said dep permite Case as Theo rejoined the group. How about you, Theo? in that location was some other guy standing with amass and Gabe, a balding blond guy who looked like an athlete gone to fat, takeing a red atomic number 82 Fleet Command shirt and dress slacks. Theo recognized him as twitua Barkers stepfather/moms boyfriend/whatever, Brian Henderson.Brian, Theo said, remembering the guys name at the last second and offering his hand. How are you? Are Emily and Josh here?Uh, yeah, but not with me, Brian said. We sort of had a falling-out. pose Case stepped in. He told the kid that there was no Santa Claus and that Christmas was just a brilliant scheme cooked up by retailers to sell more stuff. What else was it? Oh yeah, that backer Nicholas was originally famous because he brought back to life some children whod been dismembered and stuffed into a pickle jar. The kids mom threw him out.Oh, sorry, Theo said.Brian nodded. We hadnt been get along that well.He sort of fits recompense in with us, Gabe said. Check out the cool shirt.Brian shrugged, a little embarrassed. Its red. I thought it would be Christmasy. Now I feel Ha, Gabe interrupted. Dont worry about it. The guys in the red shirts never make it to the second commercial break. He punched Brian gently in the arm in a gesture of nerd solidarity.Well, Im departure to run out to the car and grab another shirt, said Brian. I feel silly. I have all my clothes in the Jetta. Everything I own, actually.As Brian walked toward the door, Theo suddenly remembered. Oh, Gabe, I forgot. Skinner got out of the car. Hes rolling in something foul out there in the fluff. Maybe you should go with Brian and see if you can get him back in the car.Hes a water dog. Hell be fine. He can stay out until the party is over. Maybe hell jump up on Val with muddy paws. Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope.Wow, thats kinda bitter, Tuck said.Thats because Im a bitter little man, Gabe said. In my spare time, I mean. Not all the time. My work keeps me pretty busy.Brian had skulked away in his Star Trek shirt. As he candid one side of the duplicate doors, the wind caught the door and whipped it back against the outside church wall with a gun snap bean report. Everyone moody to watch the big man shrug sheepishly, and Skinner, muddy and wet to the core, came trotting in, carrying something in his jaws.Wow, hes authentically tracking in a mess, Tuck said. I never realized the perks of having a flying mammal as a pet before.Whats that hes carrying in his mouth? asked Theo.Probably a pinecone, Gabe said without looking. Then he looked Or not. at that place was a sc ream, a long protracted one, that started with Valerie Riordan and sort of passed through all the women pricy the replication. Skinner had presented his prize to Val, dropped it on her foot, in fact, thinking that because she was standing near food, and she was still the Food Guys female (for who could think of food without thinking of the Food Guy?), she would, therefore, appreciate it, and perhaps reward him. She didnt.Grab him Gabe call to Val, who looked up at him with the most articulate glare he had ever seen. Perhaps it was the weight of her M D. that gave it eloquence, but without a word, it said You have got to be out of your nooky mind.Or not, Gabe said.Theo crossed the room and made a grab for Skinners collar, but at the last second the Lab grabbed the arm, threw a head fake, then ducked out of Theos reach. The third men started to give chase, and Skinner frisked back and forth across the pine floor, his head high and proud as a Lippizaner stallion, pausing occasion ally to shake a spray of mud onto the appall onlookers.Tell me its not moving, shouted Tuck, trying to cutting Skinner off at the snack counter table. That hand is not moving. proficient the kinetic energy of the dog moving through the arm, said Gabe, having gone into a sort of wrestling stance. He was employ to catching animals in the wild and knew that you had to be industrious and keep your center of gravity low and use a lot of profanity. Goddammit, Skinner, come here. bad dog, rugged dogWell, there it was. Tragedy. A thousand trips to the vet, a grass-eating nausea, a flea you will never, ever reach. Bad dog. For the love of Dog He was a bad dog. Skinner dropped his prize and assumed the tail-tucked posture of exacting humility, shame, remorse, and overt sadness He whimpered and ventured a look at the Food Guy, a sideways glance, hurt but ready, should another BD come his way. But the Food Guy wasnt even looking at him. No one was even looking at him. Everything was fi ne. He was good. Were those sausages he smelled over by that table? Sausages are good.That thing is moving, Tuck said.No, its not. Oh, yes it is, said Gabe.There was another series of screams, this time a couple of man-screams among the women and children. The hand was trying to crawl away, dragging the arm along behind it.How fresh does that have to be to do that? Tuck asked.Thats not fresh, said Joshua Barker, one of the a few(prenominal) kids in the room.Hi, Josh, said Theo Crowe. I didnt see you come in.You were out in your car hitting a bong when we got here, Josh said cheerfully. Merry Christmas, police constable Crowe. Kay, Theo said. Thinking fast, or what seemed like it was fast, Theo took off his Gore-Tex cop coat and threw it over the twitching arm. Folks, its okay. I have a little confession to make. I should have told you all before, but I couldnt believe my own observations. Its time I was honest with you all. Theo had gotten very good at telling embarrassing things a bout himself at Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and confession seemed to be coming even easier since he was a little baked. A few days ago I ran into a man, or what I thought was a man, but was actually some kind of indestructible cybernetic robot. I hit him doing about fifty in my Volvo, and he didnt even seem to notice.The Terminator? asked Mavis Sand. Id fuck him.Dont ask me how he got here, or what he truly is. I think weve all learned over the years that the sooner we accept the simple bill for the unexplained, the better chance we have of surviving a crisis. Anyway, I think that this arm may be part of that machine.Bullshit came a shout from outside the front doors.Just then the doors flew clear, the wind whipped into the room carrying with it a horrid stench. Standing there, framed in the cathedral doorway, stood Santa Claus, discernmenting Brian Henderson in his red Star Trek shirt, by the throat. A group of dark figures were moving behind them, moaning something about IKE A, as Santa touch a .38 snub-nose revolver to Brians temple and pulled the trigger. Blood splattered across the front wall and Santa threw the body back to Marty in the Morning, who began to suck the brains out of suddenly Brians exit wound.Merry Christmas, you doomed sons a bitches said Santa.Chapter 16SOSo that sucked.Chapter 17HE KNOWS IF YOUVE BEEN BAD OR GOODWhile she was horrified by what was departure away on in the doorway of the chapel service, with the gunfire and brain-sucking and the threats, Lena Marquez couldnt help but think Oh, this is so awkward both my exes are here. Dale was standing there in a Santa suit, mud and gore dripping onto the floor time he roared with anger, and pose Case had immediately headed to the back of the room and dived under one of the folding buffet tables.There was screaming and a lot of running, but mostly people stood there, paralyzed by the shock. And Tucker Case, of course, was acting the consummate coward. She was so ashamed.You, bitch asleep(predicate) Dale Pearson shouted, pointing at her with the snub-nose .38. Youre lunch He started across the open pine floor.Look out, Lena, came a shout from behind her. She turned just in time to remit as the buffet table behind her rose, spilling chafing dishes full of lasagna onto the floor. The alcohol burners beneath the pans spilled blue blaze across the tabletops and onto the floor as Tucker Case stood up with the table in front of him and let out a war cry.Theo Crowe saw what was hazard and pulled an armload of people aside as Tuck position through the room, the tabletop in front of him, toward the throng of undead. Dale Pearson fired at the tabletop as it approached, getting off three shots before Tuck impacted with him.Crowe, get the door, get the door, Tuck shouted, driving Dale and his undead fol lours back out into the rain. The blue alcohol flame climbed up Dales white beard, as well as spilling down Tucks legs as he pushed out into the darkness. Theo loped across the room and reached outside to catch the edge of the door. A one-armed corpse in a leather jacket ducked around the edge of Tucks buffet-table barrier and grabbed at Theo, who put a foot on the corpses chest and drove him back down the steps. Theo pulled the door shut, then reached around and grabbed the other one. He hesitated.Close the damned door Tuck screamed, his legs pumping, losing momentum against the undead as he reached the bottom of the steps. Theo could see decayed hands clawing at Tuck over the edge of the table a man whose lower jaw flapped on a slip of skin was screeching at the pilot and trying to target his upper teeth into Tucks hand.The last thing Theo saw as he pulled the door shut was Tucker Cases legs burning blue and steam in the rain.Bring one of those tables over here, Theo shouted. Brace this door. Jam the table under the handles.There was a second of peace, just the sound of the wind and rain and Emily Barker, who had just seen her ex-boy friend shot and brain-sucked, sobbing.What was that? shouted Ignacio Nuez, a rotund Hispanic who owned the village babys room. What in the hell was that?Lena Marquez had instinctively gone to Emily Barker, and knelt with her arm around the bereft woman. She looked to Theo. Tucker is out there. Hes out there.Theo Crowe realized that everyone was looking at him. He was having trouble catching his breath and he could feel his pulse cock in his ears. He really wanted to look to someone else for the answers, but as he scanned the room some forty scared faces he saw all the responsibility reflected back to him.Oh fuck, he said, his hand falling to his hip where his holster was unremarkably clipped.Its on the table at my house, Gabe Fenton said. Gabe was holding the buffet table that was braced sideways under the double latches of the church doors.Pull the table, Theo said, thinking, I dont even like the guy. He helped Gabe pull the table aside and crouched in a sprinters stance, ready to go, as Gabe manned the latches.Close it behind me. When you hear me scream, Let me in, well Just then there was a crash behind them and something came flying through one of the high, stained-glass windows arresting glass out into the middle of the room. Tucker Case, wet, charred, and covered with blood, pushed himself up from the floor where he had landed and said, I dont know who place under that window, but youd better move your car, because if those things climb on it, theyll be coming through that window behind me.Theo looked at the line of stained-glass windows running down the sides of the chapel, eight on each side, each about eight feet off the ground and about two feet across. When the chapel had been built, stained glass was at a premium and the community poor, thus the small, high windows, which were going to be an asset in defending this place. There was scarce one large window in the whole building behind where the altar used to stand, but where now stood Mollys thirty-foot Christmas tree a six-by-ten-foot large cathedral-shaped stained-glass depiction of Saint Rose, patron saint of indoor decorators, presenting a throw pillow to the Blessed Virgin.Nacho, Theo barked to Ignacio Nuez, see if you can find something in the basement to tabular array up that window.As if on cue, two muddy, decaying faces appeared at the opening through which Tuck had just dived, moaning and trying to get purchase on the windowsill with their skeletal hands to climb in.Shoot them Tuck screamed from the floor. Shoot those fucking things, TheoTheo shrugged, shook his head. No gun.Something flashed by Theo and he spun to see Gabe Fenton running hell-bent-for-leather at the window, holding before him a long stainless-steel pan full of lasagna, evidently intent upon diving through the window in a pastafarian act of self-sacrifice. Theo caught the biologist by the collar, stopping him like a running dog at the end of his leash. His arms and legs flew out before him and he managed to hang on to the pan, but nearly eight pounds of steaming cheesy goodness sailed on through the window, scorching the attackers and Pollocking the wall around the window with red sauce.Thats it, throw snacks at them, thatll slow them up, shouted Tuck. Fire a salvo of garlic bread nextGabe regained his feet and jumped veracious up in Theos face, or he would have if he had been a foot or so taller. I was trying to save us, he said sternly to Theos sternum.Before Theo could answer, Ignacio Nunez and Ben Miller, a tall, ex-track star in his early thirties, called for them to clear the way. The two men were coming to the broken window with another of the buffet tables. Gabe and Theo helped Ben hold the table against the wall while Nacho nailed the table to the wall. I found some tools in the basement, Nacho said mingled with hammer blows. Animated dead fingernails clawed at the tabletop as they worked.I hate cheese screamed the corpse, who had seemly e quipment to still scream. It binds me up.The rest of the undead mob began pounding on the walls around them.I need to think, Theo said. I just need a second to think.Lena was dressing Tucker Cases wounds with gauze and antibiotic ointment from the chapels graduation-aid kit. The burns on his legs and torso were superficial, most of the alcohol fire having been put out by the rain before it could get over his clothing, and while his leather bomber jacket had protected him somewhat from his dive through the window, there was a deep cut on his forehead and another on his thigh. One of the bullets that Dale had fired through the table had grazed Tucks ribs, leaving a gash four inches long and a half inch wide.That was the bravest thing Ive ever seen, Lena said.You know, Im a pilot, said Tuck, like he did this sort of thing every day. I couldnt let them hurt you.Really? Lena said, pausing for a moment to look into his eyes. Im sorry I was you were Actually, you probably couldnt te ll, but that thing with the table? Just a really badly executed escape attempt.Tuck winced as she level(p) the bandage over his ribs with some tape.Youre going to need stitches, Lena said. Any place I missed?Tuck held up his right hand there were tooth marks on the back of it welling up with blood.Oh my God Lena said.Youre going to have to cut his head off, said Joshua Barker, who was standing by watching.Whose? Tuck said. The guy in the Santa suit, right?No, I mean your head, said Josh. Theyre going to have to cut off your head or youll turn into one of them.Most everyone in the chapel had stopped what they were doing and gathered around Tuck and Lena, seemingly gratifying for a point of focus. The pounding on the walls had ceased, and with the exception of the occasional rattling of the door handles, there was only the sound of the wind and rain. The Lonesome Christmas crowd was stunned.Go away, kid, said Tuck. This is no time to be a kid.What should we use? asked Mavis Sand. This okay, kid? She held a serrated knife that theyd been using to cut garlic bread.That is not acceptable, Tuck said.If you dont cut his head off, said Joshua, hell turn into one of them and let them in.What an imagination this kid has, said Tuck, flashing a grin from face to face, looking for an ally. Its Christmas Ah, Christmas, the time when all good people go about not decapitating each other.Theo Crowe came out of the back room, where hed been looking for something they could use as a weapon. recollect lines are down. Well lose power any minute. Is anyones cell phone working?No one answered. They were all looking at Tuck and Lena.Were going to cut off his head, Theo, Mavis said, holding out the bread knife, handle first. Since youre the law, I think you should do it.No, no, no, no, no, no, said Tuck. And furthermore, no.No, said Lena, in support of her man.You guys have something you want to tell me? Theo said. He took the bread knife from Mavis and shoved it down the back o f his belt.I think you were onto something with that sea wolf-robot thing, Tuck said.Lena stood up and put herself between Theo and Tuck. It was an accident, Theo. I was digging Christmas trees like I do every year and Dale came by drunk and angry. Im not sure how it happened. One minute he was going to lose it me and the next the shovel was sticking out of his neck. Tucker didnt have anything to do with it. He just happened along and was trying to help.Theo looked at Tuck. So you buried him with his gun?Tuck climbed painfully to his feet and stood behind Lena. I was supposed to see this coming? I was supposed to anticipate that he might come back from the grave accent all angry and brain hungry, so I should hide his gun from him? This is your town, Constable, you explain it. Usually when you get down a body they dont come back and try to eat your brains the next day.Brains Brains Brains chanted the undead from outside the chapel. The pounding on the walls started again.Shut up s creamed Tucker Case, and to everyones amazement, they did. Tuck grinned at Theo. So, I fucked up.Ya think? Theo said. How many?You should cut his head off over the sink, said Joshua Barker. That way it wont make as big a mess.Without a word, Theo reached down and picked Josh up by the biceps, then walked over and handed him to his mother, who looked as if she were going into the first stages of shock. Theo touched his finger to Joshs lips in a shush gesture. Theo looked more serious, more intimidating, more in look into than anyone had ever seen him. The boy hid his face in his mothers breasts.Theo turned to Tuck. How many? Theo repeated. I saw maybe thirty, forty?About that, Tuck said. Theyre in different states of decay. Some of them just look like theres little more than bone, others look relatively fresh, and pretty well preserved. None of them seems particularly fast or strong. Dale maybe, some of the fresh-cut ones. Its like theyre learning to walk again or something.There w as a loud snap from outside and everyone jumped one woman literally leaping into a mans arms with a shriek. They all fell into a crouch, listening to a tree falling through branches, expecting the trunk to come crashing through the ceiling beams. The lights went out and the whole church shook with the impact of the big pine hitting the forest floor.Without missing a beat, Theo snapped on a flashlight hed had in his back pocket in anticipation of a power outage. Small emergency lamps ignited above the front door, casting everyone in a deep-shadowed directional light.Those should last about an hour, Theo said. There should be some flashlights in the basement, too. Go on. What else did you see, Tuck?Well, theyre pissed off and theyre hungry. I was kind of busy trying not to get my brains eaten. They seemed pretty adamant about the brain-eating thing. Then theyre going to IKEA, I guess.This is ridiculous, said Val Riordan, the elegantly coiffed psychiatrist, speaking up for the first time since the whole thing had started. Theres no such thing as a zombie. I dont know what you think is happening here, but you dont have a crowd of brain-eating zombies.Id have to agree with Val, Gabe Fenton said, stepping up beside her. Theres no scientific basis for zombieism except for some experiments in the Caribbean with blowfish toxins that put people in a state of near death with approximately imperceptible respiration and pulse, but there was no actual, you know, raising of the dead.Yeah? said Theo, giving them an smooth deadpan stare. Brains he shouted.Brains Brains Brains came the responding chant from outside the pounding on the walls resumed.Shut up Tuck shouted. The dead did.Theo looked at Val and Gabe and raised an eyebrow. Well?Okay, Gabe said. We may need more data.No, this cant be happening, said Valerie Riordan. This is impossible.Dr. Val, Theo said. We know whats happening here. We dont know why, and we dont know how, but we havent lived in a vacuum all ou r lives, have we? In this case, self-discipline aint just a river in Egypt, denial will kill you.Just then a brick came crashing through one of the windows and thumped into the middle of the chapel floor. Two clawlike hands caught the window ledge and a trounce male face appeared at the window. The zombie pulled up enough so that he could hook one elbow inside the window, then shouted Val Riordan went down on the pimply kid who bags groceries at the Thrifty-MartA second later, Ben Miller picked up the brick and hurled it back through the window, taking out the zombie face with a sickening squish.As Ben and Theo lifted the last of the buffet tables into place to be nailed over the window, Gabe Fenton stepped away from Valerie Riordan and looked at her like shed been dipped in radioactive marmot spittle. You said you were allergicWe were almost broken up at the time, said Val.Almost Almost I have third-degree electrical burns on my scrotum because of youAcross the room, into Lena Ma rquezs ear, Tucker Case whispered, I dont feel so bad about hiding the body now, how bout you? She turned and kissed him laborious enough to make him forget for a second that hed just been shot, set on fire, beaten up, and bitten.For years the dead had listened, and the dead knew. They knew who was cheating with whom, who was stealing what, and where the bodies were hidden, as it were. Besides the passive listening those sneaking out for a smoke, sideline conversations at funerals, the walking and talking in the woods, and the sex and scare-yourself activities some of the living indulged in in the graveyard there were also those among the living who used a tombstone as some sort of confessional, sharing their deepest secrets with someone who they thought could never talk, saying things they could never say in life.There were some things that people thought no one else, the living or the dead, could possibly know, but they did.Gabe Fenton watches squirrel filth screeched Bess Leander, her dead cheek pressed against the wet clapboard siding of the chapel.That is not porn, thats my work, Gabe explained to his fellow partyers.He doesnt wear pants Squirrels, doing it, in slow motion. Pantsless.Just that one time. Besides, you have to watch in slow motion, Gabe said. Theyre squirrels. Everyone turned their flashlights on something else, like they really werent looking at Gabe.Ignacio Nuez voted for Carter, came a call from outside. The staunch Republican nursery owner was caught like a deer in the flashlights as everyone looked at him. I was only in this country a year. Id just become a citizen. I didnt even speak English very well. He said he wanted to help the poor. I was poor.Theo Crowe reached over and patted Nachos shoulder.Ben Miller used steroids in high school. His gonads are the size of BBsThat is not true, exclaimed the track star. My testicles are perfectly normal size.Yeah, if you were septette inches tall, said Marty in the Morning, all dead, a ll the time.Ben turned to Theo. Weve got to do something about this.The others in the room were looking from one to the other, each with a look on his or her face that was much more horrified than when theyd been only facing the prospect of an undead mob eating their brains. These zombies had secrets.Theo Crowes wife thinks shes some kind of warrior mutant killer shouted a rotted woman who had once been a psych nurse at the county hospital.Everybody in the chapel sort of looked at one another and nodded, shrugged, let out a sigh of relief.We knew that, yelled Mavis. Everybody knows that. Thats not news.Oh, sorry, said the dead nurse. There was a pause then, Okay, then. Wally Beerbinder is addicted to painkillers.Wallys not here, said Mavis. Hes spending Christmas with his young woman in L.A.I got nothing, said the nurse. Someone else go.Tucker Case thinks his bat can talk, shouted Arthur Tannbeau, the dead citrus farmer.Who wants to sing Christmas carols? said Tuck. Ill start. Deck the hallsAnd so they sing, loud enough to drown out the secrets of the undead. They sang with great Christmas spirit, loud and off-key, until the battering ram hit the front doors.