Analysis of IT Requirements for Pharmaceutical Business

Analysis of IT Requirements for Pharmaceutical Business Project Title Analyzing the IT requirement and developing software for a small pharmaceutical wholesaler working in India. Abstract The aim of this project is to enhance the effectiveness of pharmaceutical whole sale business in India. It is to investigate various ways of developing software for businesses in the pharmaceutical sector. This project will investigate domain-specific requirements for billing, stock maintenance, customer services; keep track of drug licenses and retail pharmaceuticals in India. And develop a software system to automate wholesale pharmaceutical company in order bring effectiveness and productivity, profitability into business. Introduction Pharmacy is a domain, which has already shown lot of growth in India. As of now when we consider, it is still fast growing field when compared with other fields. â€Å"Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Works† is the first Indian pharmaceutical company. This company exists even now and operating in government sector. It was established in 1930. Since then most of the time India imported drugs from other countries. It happened for around 60 years. Later on in India, the government started helping pharmacy industries to see what they are today. At present there are many laws that govern pharmaceutical companies and drugs in India. There are some patent related rights. As of now Indian pharmaceutical industry is doing well and recognized by the world. It is having good share in the world market. In India around 20000 drug manufacturers exist. As peripheral outfits, medical wholesalers, retailers, dealers started growing. In this backdrop, the aim of this project is to enhance the effectiveness of pharmaceutical whole sale business in India. It is to investigate various ways of developing software for businesses in the pharmaceutical sector. Information Technology is best used in pharmacy to increase effectiveness in the business systems. It could be used at various levels including whole sale market of the pharmacy industry. It promotes new ways of working and making business. It ensures quality of services thereby increasing overall productivity of business systems. There are some areas that have great impact on this industry by using Information Technology. When it comes the theme of this project that is increasing the effectiveness of drugs wholesalers by adopting Information Technology as the main instrument to provide quality of service to its customers and get maximum profits out of it. The main purpose of using such software is to improve the performance, transparency, consistency in the system. It is difficult to do many things manual. The manual system has the following drawbacks. Time consumption Error prone Less profitability Less customer satisfaction Provided the above drawbacks of manual system, if the same is automated we can reap the following benefits. The benefits of using such Information Systems can strengthen the pharmaceutical industry in India. Wholesalers in this field are important part of such businesses. It is not like taking care of one business. It is like taking care of complete chain of businesses. We should have good supply chain mechanism that works with co-ordination by all business partners. The wholesalers provide both stocking and distribution functionalities. They enable customers to get products easily whenever required. There must be trade association between manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers in order to provide in time and quality service to its consumers. The pharmaceutical wholesalers can also sale other related to products not only medicines. Other products related to medicine they can have some business. They can also provide technical information to people. They are equipped with the knowledge of various drugs and how to handle them and use them. One fine thing about pharmaceutical industry is that they are controlled by the government. This paves way to good and healthy nature among the companies that are into this market. Small and medium software systems can help wholesalers and business holders provide good service to their respective customers. Customer satisfaction is the key for any business to grow. For this we have got new subjects like â€Å"Customer Relationship Management† (CRM) and eCRM. The wholesalers could be a part of SCM (Supply Chain Management). In this case they can use the common software for entire chain. Or else they can have different software with heterogeneous nature and still work under common interfaces. They can work together to achieve the business goals of business partners. Once again I reiterate that Information Technology is best used in pharmacy to increase effectiveness in the business systems. It could be used at various levels including whole sale market of the pharmacy industry. It promotes new ways of working and making business. It ensures quality of services thereby increasing overall productivity of business systems. There are some areas that have great impact on this industry by using Information Technology. Client Background Padma Agencies is the pharmaceutical business wholesaler. Its business is located in Koti, Hyderabad, India. The shop area is 12*20 sqft space. Total staff is 10 members, in these 2 members fill the stock, 2 members writing bills, 1 member collecting cash, 5 members to save and packing all to customers. They dont have any problem in serving customers. Mostly the time is wasting at billing and calculating and at cash point because the calculating and billing is manually, so at cash point he must check the items and price and total again by manually due to containing the correct prices are available for customer or not. Here price can vary by mistakes. More Details of Example Company No data base is used to maintain the stock. There are different types of products and number of companies. The company salesmen (i.e., PG, Nestle, Cadbury, etc) come to the shop and check the quantity with help of staff member and place an order for stock to them by guessing the quantity. Expiry and damage stock will be replaced by company, if the staff can find it and hand over to company. Some products (i.e., summer products, rainy products, winter products) maintain heavy stock by their seasons and demanding products. Payments All the payments done by cash and cheques on company name. If shop had a credit to particular company the M.D doesnt receive original receipt. The shop keeper get the original bill after he clear the payment, up to they had a duplicate. Customer Placing Order Customer visit with order form Customer can order by phone. Delivery Pickup the order forms from customers and serve the items to customer, after calculating manually and payment Taking the order from phone and packed in a handled care boxes and delivery by using transport facility. Payment Methods These shops accept by cash, cheques and D.D only. Selling The goods are sale only who have a drug license No(i.e., only for Retail Pharmaceuticals) Every product had a price on them i.e., called maximum retail price (M.R.P.). Present Mode of Operation They are selling all the products by whole sale price, now the present system is totally manually i.e. billing on a paper and calculating with calculators, stock maintenance is just by guessing. Price checking is maintain in a book and items are 6000-8000 different types of items they maintaining. Daily Maintenance In the company they are maintaining ten employees, 1 M.D, 1 assist manager. In these shops the customers are visit in 4-500 hundreds per day. The salesmans sales the goods only for whom having a drug license, so, here the customer should have a drug license number to buy any product in the shop. Selling Daily A customer comes with an order form containing of items, sizes and quantity. The present system is manual and has the following drawbacks. Is a semi-automated at where the information is stored in the form of excel sheets in disk drives. The information storage and maintenance is more critical in this system. Tracking the salesman activities, customer activities and progress of the work is a complex operation. Existing system cannot provide the facility of accepting cheques. Very less security because of file systems. Very less customer satisfaction as quality of service is less. Time consuming process because of manual report generation. Management of stocks may not be accurate. Prediction of drugs demand, based on seasons is complex. Placing of orders through phone and home delivery is not possible. This system cannot provide the information sharing by 247 days. Literature Review India Pharmaceutical Industry Richard Gerster said â€Å"The Indian pharmaceutical industry is a success story providing employment for millions and ensuring that essential drugs at affordable prices are available to the vast population of this sub-continent.†India is a country in which it is proven that growth of pharmaceutical science, manufacturing and wholesaling is more. Across the country there are about 20,000 manufacturing units. The drug control authority in India gives licenses to drug manufacturers. India has quality producers who complete with world giants in the same industry. It is made possible as India has advantages in terms of good and skilled man power, excellent and cost-effective chemical synthesis, and good financial and legal framework which will ensure faster growth in the industry, very good strength in information technology usage, globalization, and good opportunities for foreign investors in this sector. As can be seen in the above table large share of revenue is generated by pharmaceutical industry in India. The table also shows the companies that stand top 10 positions. The future growth of India pharmaceutical sector is shown in the following diagram. Indian pharmaceutical industry has been witnessing a phenomenal growth in recent years. With low-cost manufacturing, most of small firms they dont have their own production facilities but they operate using the spare capacity of another company drug manufactures. High quality research, personal education and the facilities of manufacturing the Indian pharmaceuticals industry presents a competitive thread. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has got first in the Indian science based technologies with their wide range of capabilities in the complex of drugs manufacturing and technology. It is a highly organized sector worth to be a $4.5 billions and increasing the profitability with 8 to 9 percentage annually. Indian pharmaceutical industry placed before than all in terms of quality, technology, and the range of medicine manufactured. It is manufacturing every type of medicine for a small things to sophisticated antibiotics. In the development of medicines Indian Pharmaceutical Industry playing a key role and it fallows the quality procedures by regulatory authorities in U.S.A and U.K. Many international companies are associated with this sector and these companies are assisted and stimulated for past more than 50 years and helps to India keep on the pharmaceuticals world. It is extremely fragmented with more than 20000 registered units and growing drastically in the last two decades. Only the leading 250 companies are getting 70 percentage of market with market leader holding 7% of the market share. With demanding of tablets, capsules, orals, bulk drugs, drug intermediates and pharmaceutical formulations, Indian pharmaceutical sector meets over 70% of the countries demands. In India there is 5 central public units, 250 large units and nearly 8000 small scale sector units. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has low costs of production, low RD costs, innovation of scientific manpower, strength of laboratories and increasing balance of trade. The pharmaceutical company is going on the international market with its rich scientific talent and research capabilities. The domestic pharma industry: The domestic pharma industry has recently achieved some historic milestones through a leadership position and global assessment. Many Indian companies maintained amazing standards and stability, environmental production and supply of bulk drugs to some innovate companies. More of Indian companies are now seeking regulatory approvals in USA in specialized segments. Increasing number of Indian pharmaceutical companies have been getting international regulatory approvals for their plants. Indian companies are now seeking more abbreviated new drug approvals in USA in specialized segments. Growth of Indian market: In the year of 2009 Indian pharmacy was assessed $7,743m which increments of 4% than 2007u.Business observers decided that India has made good percentage than other international companies. It is also appearing as a preferred location for pharmaceutical companies. India is the world fourth largest producer of pharmaceuticals in volume. And it increases the productivity indirectly. Indian pharmaceutical industry reached us$10.88 billion and it is likely to becomes double in volume that is us$20.95 billion in 2014. Globalization of Indian pharmaceutical industry: In the early of 1990s the Indian government has opened its market to foreign investments and started the globalization. Indian pharmacy sector globalization took place with the other countries entered into this sector. Globalization has increased the world in recent years due to rapid progress especially in communications and transport. The various advantages of globalization is it brought huge amount of foreign currency into industry and turn to boost up India. With many foreign companies entering in Indian pharmacy sector, it increase the jobs availability in India. The benefits of Indian pharmaceutical globalization is, many of the foreign international companies entering into India and brought with a highly equipment technology and it improves the medicines quality and that were available to the people. Many Indian pharmaceutical companies took over international companies to grow up and for more profits. There are some disadvantages also appearing in globalization of Indian pharmacy that there may be increase the competition between foreign pharmaceutical companies and domestic companies. This will result that the profits may decrease and companies may shut-down. And one more disadvantage is many of the foreign pharmacy companies are taking over the domestic companies which happened already. This may led to fear that foreign companies will take over the Indian pharmacy companies. And many of employees lost their jobs by the company integrations. Advantage in India: India posses a skillful work force with high technical and as well as managerial competence. The track record of development and cost-schedule synthesis for various drug molecules are excellent. Legal framework is also good in India, financial market is also good. It has a good network of world most educational institutes. The country is committed to a free market economy and globalization. after many years international pharmaceutical industry has discovered many opportunities in India. Future of pharmaceutical sector: The future of pharmaceutical sector in India is extremely good and positive. Several Indian companies are acquiring US Europe companies and several more are raising funds to do so. India has began recognizing global patents. In future Indian pharmacy going to be an unbeatable position in Pharmacy. It is one of the fastest growing sector in India. Market for pharmaceuticals in India has strong potential for increased growth. Generic drugs produced in India being accepted worldwide. Global pharmaceutical companies dealing a long term relationships with India. View of pharmaceutical sector: As in the present scenario only few people can afford costly medicines which has improved price sensitivity in the market. That is the reason most of the companies introducing the high quality medicines with low price drugs for giving the competition to other industries. With product patent act which takes place in January 2005, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is attracted the MNCs to India. At present most of the Indian companies are looking forward to tie up with foreign industries for in-licensed drugs. Contract research and pharmaceutical outsourcing are the new events in Indian pharmacy market. Indian multinational companies have created awareness about Indian market in world pharmacy industries. Legislative Framework Pertaining To Manufacture and Sale of Drugs in India In the early 1990s, the drug industry in India was negligible and used to import drugs from other countries. Later the Indian government understood the situation and decided to introduce laws related to drug manufacturing and distribution. Gradually it ensured that industry is growing faster and introduced many other laws that govern the industry. At present in India the following acts and rules are present to control the manufacture, import, export and clinical research of medicines and cosmetics in India. The drugs and cosmetics act, 1940 The pharmacy act, 1948 The drugs and magic remedies act, 1954 The narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances act, 1985 The medical and toilet preparations act, 1956 The drugs order, 1995 Academic Literature in on Requirements Analysis for Small Business Systems Pertaining to Pharmacy Information Technology is best used in pharmacy to increase effectiveness in the business systems. It could be used at various levels including whole sale market of the pharmacy industry. It promotes new ways of working and making business. It ensures quality of services thereby increasing overall productivity of business systems. There are some areas that have great impact on this industry by using Information Technology. They are: Electronic transfer of prescriptions Hospital e-prescribing Information governance The electronic prescriptions between prescribers and pharmacists improve the efficiency and quality of service. It allows various fragments of pharmacy related systems get connected seamlessly. The hospital e-prescribing programmed is used to support chain of activities like prescription, administration and supply of medicines. Information sharing is also possible among health related systems in the world. Known Issues that Affect Pharmaceutical Business There is an improving pressure on Pharmaceutical and bio-technology companies to use information technology in order to achieve their business goals. Areas in Health Care industry such as drug development, molecular research, formulary acceptance, detailing, contract sales, whole sailing has been affected by the rapid growth of IT industry The competition in the industry is comparing to be the best or second in the fray. Every area of pharmacy industry is affected by the influence of science and technology and organizations are compelled to take the help of IT at least to remain in the industry There are some issues related to laws of Indian government. The industry must stick to the acts/rules imposed by government. Such rules may be changing from time to time. Answer to many of these issues is in the ability of companies pertaining to pharmaceutical utilizing the full power of Information Technology to leverage its profitability. The information related challenges can be overcome by using Information Technology in bio technology and pharmacy. More about Pharmaceutical Industry in India The government of India has been very supportive for drug Industry in the country. The government has been giving many benefits to the pharmaceutical companies in India. They are given land for establishing company and also tax benefits related to business. The Indian government not only encouraging the companies in India, it also helped many foreign investors muster their funds and invest in India in the industry of pharmaceuticals. In the process of improvement this industry has faced many challenges too. The problems like lack of funding for beginners, difficulty in getting funds from government. The biochemical industry is uncertain. Another important problem faced by Indian pharmaceutical companies in the early stages for long time was that â€Å"lack of skilled human resources†. Of course this is there in all industries to some extent. Indian companies overcame such problems and now having a very good share in the world pharmaceutical business. Functional Requirements of Proposed System for Padma Agencies Maintenance of customer details. Stock maintenance. Billing. Order details. Keeping track of drug licenses. Predicting the future demands of the retailers based on the seasons. Ordering of goods through phone and home delivery is possible. Online ordering of goods. Customized report generation. The functional requirements are classified into the following modules Stock Maintenance Ordering Billing Stock Maintenance Module This module is responsible for complete stock maintenance. It takes care of complete inventory of medicines and related products. It can generate reports as per the stock status. As things are sold the changes in the physical store is reflected in this inventory. Ordering Module In this module all the work related to ordering of goods is done. Placing orders by predicting the behavior of the retailers and the customers. It takes care of orders sent by its retail customers. It is also responsible to generate reports related to orders received from its customers and order made to pharmacy manufacturers. Billing Module When the system is started, it should authenticate user before providing its functionalities The output bill should appear as containing the shop name, address, phone number and drug license no. It contains which system i.e. (system 1, system 2,etc), billing staff id, name, bill no(transaction number), time, date, receipt type (original, duplicate, refund, void item, void transaction, etc), quantity, product name price per single and total price quantity, and the end grand total for all products , if vat is applicable then vat summary. Salesman is the person who involves in bill preparation, report generation for the current stocks maintained and tracking the drug licenses of the retailers. It is responsible for billing activities for the licensed customers. It does mean that the retail businesses that contain a valid drug license are allowed to buy pharmacy products from this store. System Requirements Thorough understanding of the system in terms of technologies required warrants that the following are the software and hardware requirements to build this system. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS Operating System : Windows XP/2000/2003/Vista Technology : Core Java, JDBC, Swings (JDK 1.5/1.6) Database Server : Oracle 9i/10G HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Processor : Pentium based systems with a minimum of P4 RAM : 256MB (minimum) Research Methodology Case 1: Standard labeling rules when dispensing medicines. Interfacing with a standard accounting package. Providing links to manufacturers web pages about specific products. Drug wholesalers websites to get some ideas? Standard Labeling Rules When Dispensing Medicines: A system for automated dispensing of a packaged pharmaceutical comprising good medicine labeling standards is vital to ensure the safe use of medicines. The intention of this study is to evaluate and compare compliance towards labeling standard for dispensed medications between community pharmacists and general practitioners. The medicines for human use Regulations 1994 specify the requirements for the labeling of relevant medical products which are supplied to patients. Dispensed medicines would normally require being added number of details at the time of supply. But much of the information about medicines will be available on the label of hospital manufacturing unit. The regulations has amended to allow for a reduced dispensing label requirement to cover the patient name, date of dispensing , dose or volume , direction to use and cautionary steps to follow. The medical product has to be prepared or dispensed in accordance with the prescription by the given practitioner. The assembled product is for retail supply or circumstances corresponding to retail supply. The assembled product must be sold from that pharmacy or at any other registered pharmacy forming part of the same retail pharmacy business. The assembled product cannot be advertised. The over label must not obscure the printed text of a licensed pack in any way. The label has to apply to the blank area designated on the original pack for the dispensing label. In cases where an original pack does not have provision for a dispensing label, the over label should be firmly attached to the pack in a manner that is easily readable and does not obscure the licensed text nor interfere with the safe and effective use of the medicine. Original packs over labeled in accordance with these principles may be supplied direct to hospital pharmacies, health centers etc without the necessity for formal variation of the Marketing Authorization by the Marketing Authorization holder. Breaking bulk (manufacturers original pack) will require a variation to the respective Marketing Authorization. It would be normally good practice to add the date of the supply; it can be form as a following diagram. The dispensed container should me labeled with the following information Practice name, address and 24 hour telephone number(s). hould specify the intended users. Client name, patient name and client address also. Purpose of the drug prescription, Drug name and Strength. Number if tables or volume in case of liquid. Date dispensed. Direction for use like dose, frequency and method taking the drug. Relevant information and warnings, and the process of preventing the danger if the drug has taken accidentally. Labeling of investigational medicines This paragraph is about the standard labeling for the investigational products which are used in clinical trials. The trail has to be conducted within the Member states conducted by study. The planning of trail doesnt require any particular manufacturing. The normal dispensing label would be of the form as shown below In addition to this quantity of dose (number of tables/capsules) is also to be added. It can also include Name of sponsor, means name research organization /investigator. Trail reference code specifying the identification of the trail site. It would contain the information on the product, dosage, storage conditions, and batch number etc. Interfacing With a Standard Accounting Package The pharmaceutical wholesaler â€Å"Padma Agencies† can have its account part integrated with some standard accounting packages already available in the market instead of reinventing the wheel again. At present its mode of payment is as shown below. Payments All the payments done by cash and cheques on company name. If shop had a credit to particular company the M.D doesnt receive original receipt. The shop keeper get the original bill after he clear the payment, up to they had a duplicate. Instead of making all the modules in the pharmaceutical application, the application can be integrated with a standard account package. All the functionalities provided by accounting packages can be reused if we can seamlessly integrate our application with that. This is possible provided standard interfaces given by the accounting packages vendors that support integration with the applications developed in other languages. This integrates accounting, accounts receivable, and inventory management systems, which allows the distributor headquarters to operate with minimal staffing. Each step of the process is self-contained and modular allowing rapid and flexible geographic expansion. Web Links to Drug Manufactures From the application we can provide the web links to different manufacturing companies across the world. So if some specific product is not available from local market that should be purchased from the manufacturing company. For that if required product has selected and makes a request than the manufacturing company web site will be explored. Pharmaceutical involves manufacturing of drugs and equipments in healthcare. Development of drugs is a costly process in pharmaceutical. And the drug producing companies should have commercial license for research and development according to the rules and regulations of the drug license standard body. And distribution and marketing is also a vital role. The pharmaceutical market of India has achieved a tremendous growth in technology and infrastructure. The sites can introduce you about the pharmaceutical industry. And site will provide the information about the latest innovations and developments and future scopes of the pharmaceutical industry. And the different aspects of the pharmaceutical industry have been explored. Moreover it provides history information about pharmaceutical industry along with its future scope. In addition to manufacturer information it is also provide that the product information, complete description of the product, its usage, storage conditions, ingredients ration, and whom should use under which circumstances. The pharmaceutical wholesalers are having a vital role in supply of medications. For ethical pharmaceuticals wholesaler provides a link between pharmaceutical manufactures and retail outlet pharmacies, dispensing doctors and hospitals and promoting the new innovative medications. The responsibilities of the Pharmaceutical wholesaler Pharmaceutical wholesalers provide distribution and stock holding functions. And for customers the products should be provided according to their daily requirements. So that avoiding customers having large stock. Retails pharmacists and dispensing doctors have to keep normal working medicine stock. The wholesalers have to efficiently supply on a daily basis or even within a shorter period after receiving the orders from their customers. Full line wholesalers can stock and sell a full range of pharmaceuticals. But Short line wholesalers should sell only fast moving products; they should not contain all the products stock. They can import these products from manufacturers or foreign wholesalers. Analysis of IT Requirements for Pharmaceutical Business Analysis of IT Requirements for Pharmaceutical Business Project Title Analyzing the IT requirement and developing software for a small pharmaceutical wholesaler working in India. Abstract The aim of this project is to enhance the effectiveness of pharmaceutical whole sale business in India. It is to investigate various ways of developing software for businesses in the pharmaceutical sector. This project will investigate domain-specific requirements for billing, stock maintenance, customer services; keep track of drug licenses and retail pharmaceuticals in India. And develop a software system to automate wholesale pharmaceutical company in order bring effectiveness and productivity, profitability into business. Introduction Pharmacy is a domain, which has already shown lot of growth in India. As of now when we consider, it is still fast growing field when compared with other fields. â€Å"Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceutical Works† is the first Indian pharmaceutical company. This company exists even now and operating in government sector. It was established in 1930. Since then most of the time India imported drugs from other countries. It happened for around 60 years. Later on in India, the government started helping pharmacy industries to see what they are today. At present there are many laws that govern pharmaceutical companies and drugs in India. There are some patent related rights. As of now Indian pharmaceutical industry is doing well and recognized by the world. It is having good share in the world market. In India around 20000 drug manufacturers exist. As peripheral outfits, medical wholesalers, retailers, dealers started growing. In this backdrop, the aim of this project is to enhance the effectiveness of pharmaceutical whole sale business in India. It is to investigate various ways of developing software for businesses in the pharmaceutical sector. Information Technology is best used in pharmacy to increase effectiveness in the business systems. It could be used at various levels including whole sale market of the pharmacy industry. It promotes new ways of working and making business. It ensures quality of services thereby increasing overall productivity of business systems. There are some areas that have great impact on this industry by using Information Technology. When it comes the theme of this project that is increasing the effectiveness of drugs wholesalers by adopting Information Technology as the main instrument to provide quality of service to its customers and get maximum profits out of it. The main purpose of using such software is to improve the performance, transparency, consistency in the system. It is difficult to do many things manual. The manual system has the following drawbacks. Time consumption Error prone Less profitability Less customer satisfaction Provided the above drawbacks of manual system, if the same is automated we can reap the following benefits. The benefits of using such Information Systems can strengthen the pharmaceutical industry in India. Wholesalers in this field are important part of such businesses. It is not like taking care of one business. It is like taking care of complete chain of businesses. We should have good supply chain mechanism that works with co-ordination by all business partners. The wholesalers provide both stocking and distribution functionalities. They enable customers to get products easily whenever required. There must be trade association between manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers in order to provide in time and quality service to its consumers. The pharmaceutical wholesalers can also sale other related to products not only medicines. Other products related to medicine they can have some business. They can also provide technical information to people. They are equipped with the knowledge of various drugs and how to handle them and use them. One fine thing about pharmaceutical industry is that they are controlled by the government. This paves way to good and healthy nature among the companies that are into this market. Small and medium software systems can help wholesalers and business holders provide good service to their respective customers. Customer satisfaction is the key for any business to grow. For this we have got new subjects like â€Å"Customer Relationship Management† (CRM) and eCRM. The wholesalers could be a part of SCM (Supply Chain Management). In this case they can use the common software for entire chain. Or else they can have different software with heterogeneous nature and still work under common interfaces. They can work together to achieve the business goals of business partners. Once again I reiterate that Information Technology is best used in pharmacy to increase effectiveness in the business systems. It could be used at various levels including whole sale market of the pharmacy industry. It promotes new ways of working and making business. It ensures quality of services thereby increasing overall productivity of business systems. There are some areas that have great impact on this industry by using Information Technology. Client Background Padma Agencies is the pharmaceutical business wholesaler. Its business is located in Koti, Hyderabad, India. The shop area is 12*20 sqft space. Total staff is 10 members, in these 2 members fill the stock, 2 members writing bills, 1 member collecting cash, 5 members to save and packing all to customers. They dont have any problem in serving customers. Mostly the time is wasting at billing and calculating and at cash point because the calculating and billing is manually, so at cash point he must check the items and price and total again by manually due to containing the correct prices are available for customer or not. Here price can vary by mistakes. More Details of Example Company No data base is used to maintain the stock. There are different types of products and number of companies. The company salesmen (i.e., PG, Nestle, Cadbury, etc) come to the shop and check the quantity with help of staff member and place an order for stock to them by guessing the quantity. Expiry and damage stock will be replaced by company, if the staff can find it and hand over to company. Some products (i.e., summer products, rainy products, winter products) maintain heavy stock by their seasons and demanding products. Payments All the payments done by cash and cheques on company name. If shop had a credit to particular company the M.D doesnt receive original receipt. The shop keeper get the original bill after he clear the payment, up to they had a duplicate. Customer Placing Order Customer visit with order form Customer can order by phone. Delivery Pickup the order forms from customers and serve the items to customer, after calculating manually and payment Taking the order from phone and packed in a handled care boxes and delivery by using transport facility. Payment Methods These shops accept by cash, cheques and D.D only. Selling The goods are sale only who have a drug license No(i.e., only for Retail Pharmaceuticals) Every product had a price on them i.e., called maximum retail price (M.R.P.). Present Mode of Operation They are selling all the products by whole sale price, now the present system is totally manually i.e. billing on a paper and calculating with calculators, stock maintenance is just by guessing. Price checking is maintain in a book and items are 6000-8000 different types of items they maintaining. Daily Maintenance In the company they are maintaining ten employees, 1 M.D, 1 assist manager. In these shops the customers are visit in 4-500 hundreds per day. The salesmans sales the goods only for whom having a drug license, so, here the customer should have a drug license number to buy any product in the shop. Selling Daily A customer comes with an order form containing of items, sizes and quantity. The present system is manual and has the following drawbacks. Is a semi-automated at where the information is stored in the form of excel sheets in disk drives. The information storage and maintenance is more critical in this system. Tracking the salesman activities, customer activities and progress of the work is a complex operation. Existing system cannot provide the facility of accepting cheques. Very less security because of file systems. Very less customer satisfaction as quality of service is less. Time consuming process because of manual report generation. Management of stocks may not be accurate. Prediction of drugs demand, based on seasons is complex. Placing of orders through phone and home delivery is not possible. This system cannot provide the information sharing by 247 days. Literature Review India Pharmaceutical Industry Richard Gerster said â€Å"The Indian pharmaceutical industry is a success story providing employment for millions and ensuring that essential drugs at affordable prices are available to the vast population of this sub-continent.†India is a country in which it is proven that growth of pharmaceutical science, manufacturing and wholesaling is more. Across the country there are about 20,000 manufacturing units. The drug control authority in India gives licenses to drug manufacturers. India has quality producers who complete with world giants in the same industry. It is made possible as India has advantages in terms of good and skilled man power, excellent and cost-effective chemical synthesis, and good financial and legal framework which will ensure faster growth in the industry, very good strength in information technology usage, globalization, and good opportunities for foreign investors in this sector. As can be seen in the above table large share of revenue is generated by pharmaceutical industry in India. The table also shows the companies that stand top 10 positions. The future growth of India pharmaceutical sector is shown in the following diagram. Indian pharmaceutical industry has been witnessing a phenomenal growth in recent years. With low-cost manufacturing, most of small firms they dont have their own production facilities but they operate using the spare capacity of another company drug manufactures. High quality research, personal education and the facilities of manufacturing the Indian pharmaceuticals industry presents a competitive thread. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has got first in the Indian science based technologies with their wide range of capabilities in the complex of drugs manufacturing and technology. It is a highly organized sector worth to be a $4.5 billions and increasing the profitability with 8 to 9 percentage annually. Indian pharmaceutical industry placed before than all in terms of quality, technology, and the range of medicine manufactured. It is manufacturing every type of medicine for a small things to sophisticated antibiotics. In the development of medicines Indian Pharmaceutical Industry playing a key role and it fallows the quality procedures by regulatory authorities in U.S.A and U.K. Many international companies are associated with this sector and these companies are assisted and stimulated for past more than 50 years and helps to India keep on the pharmaceuticals world. It is extremely fragmented with more than 20000 registered units and growing drastically in the last two decades. Only the leading 250 companies are getting 70 percentage of market with market leader holding 7% of the market share. With demanding of tablets, capsules, orals, bulk drugs, drug intermediates and pharmaceutical formulations, Indian pharmaceutical sector meets over 70% of the countries demands. In India there is 5 central public units, 250 large units and nearly 8000 small scale sector units. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has low costs of production, low RD costs, innovation of scientific manpower, strength of laboratories and increasing balance of trade. The pharmaceutical company is going on the international market with its rich scientific talent and research capabilities. The domestic pharma industry: The domestic pharma industry has recently achieved some historic milestones through a leadership position and global assessment. Many Indian companies maintained amazing standards and stability, environmental production and supply of bulk drugs to some innovate companies. More of Indian companies are now seeking regulatory approvals in USA in specialized segments. Increasing number of Indian pharmaceutical companies have been getting international regulatory approvals for their plants. Indian companies are now seeking more abbreviated new drug approvals in USA in specialized segments. Growth of Indian market: In the year of 2009 Indian pharmacy was assessed $7,743m which increments of 4% than 2007u.Business observers decided that India has made good percentage than other international companies. It is also appearing as a preferred location for pharmaceutical companies. India is the world fourth largest producer of pharmaceuticals in volume. And it increases the productivity indirectly. Indian pharmaceutical industry reached us$10.88 billion and it is likely to becomes double in volume that is us$20.95 billion in 2014. Globalization of Indian pharmaceutical industry: In the early of 1990s the Indian government has opened its market to foreign investments and started the globalization. Indian pharmacy sector globalization took place with the other countries entered into this sector. Globalization has increased the world in recent years due to rapid progress especially in communications and transport. The various advantages of globalization is it brought huge amount of foreign currency into industry and turn to boost up India. With many foreign companies entering in Indian pharmacy sector, it increase the jobs availability in India. The benefits of Indian pharmaceutical globalization is, many of the foreign international companies entering into India and brought with a highly equipment technology and it improves the medicines quality and that were available to the people. Many Indian pharmaceutical companies took over international companies to grow up and for more profits. There are some disadvantages also appearing in globalization of Indian pharmacy that there may be increase the competition between foreign pharmaceutical companies and domestic companies. This will result that the profits may decrease and companies may shut-down. And one more disadvantage is many of the foreign pharmacy companies are taking over the domestic companies which happened already. This may led to fear that foreign companies will take over the Indian pharmacy companies. And many of employees lost their jobs by the company integrations. Advantage in India: India posses a skillful work force with high technical and as well as managerial competence. The track record of development and cost-schedule synthesis for various drug molecules are excellent. Legal framework is also good in India, financial market is also good. It has a good network of world most educational institutes. The country is committed to a free market economy and globalization. after many years international pharmaceutical industry has discovered many opportunities in India. Future of pharmaceutical sector: The future of pharmaceutical sector in India is extremely good and positive. Several Indian companies are acquiring US Europe companies and several more are raising funds to do so. India has began recognizing global patents. In future Indian pharmacy going to be an unbeatable position in Pharmacy. It is one of the fastest growing sector in India. Market for pharmaceuticals in India has strong potential for increased growth. Generic drugs produced in India being accepted worldwide. Global pharmaceutical companies dealing a long term relationships with India. View of pharmaceutical sector: As in the present scenario only few people can afford costly medicines which has improved price sensitivity in the market. That is the reason most of the companies introducing the high quality medicines with low price drugs for giving the competition to other industries. With product patent act which takes place in January 2005, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is attracted the MNCs to India. At present most of the Indian companies are looking forward to tie up with foreign industries for in-licensed drugs. Contract research and pharmaceutical outsourcing are the new events in Indian pharmacy market. Indian multinational companies have created awareness about Indian market in world pharmacy industries. Legislative Framework Pertaining To Manufacture and Sale of Drugs in India In the early 1990s, the drug industry in India was negligible and used to import drugs from other countries. Later the Indian government understood the situation and decided to introduce laws related to drug manufacturing and distribution. Gradually it ensured that industry is growing faster and introduced many other laws that govern the industry. At present in India the following acts and rules are present to control the manufacture, import, export and clinical research of medicines and cosmetics in India. The drugs and cosmetics act, 1940 The pharmacy act, 1948 The drugs and magic remedies act, 1954 The narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances act, 1985 The medical and toilet preparations act, 1956 The drugs order, 1995 Academic Literature in on Requirements Analysis for Small Business Systems Pertaining to Pharmacy Information Technology is best used in pharmacy to increase effectiveness in the business systems. It could be used at various levels including whole sale market of the pharmacy industry. It promotes new ways of working and making business. It ensures quality of services thereby increasing overall productivity of business systems. There are some areas that have great impact on this industry by using Information Technology. They are: Electronic transfer of prescriptions Hospital e-prescribing Information governance The electronic prescriptions between prescribers and pharmacists improve the efficiency and quality of service. It allows various fragments of pharmacy related systems get connected seamlessly. The hospital e-prescribing programmed is used to support chain of activities like prescription, administration and supply of medicines. Information sharing is also possible among health related systems in the world. Known Issues that Affect Pharmaceutical Business There is an improving pressure on Pharmaceutical and bio-technology companies to use information technology in order to achieve their business goals. Areas in Health Care industry such as drug development, molecular research, formulary acceptance, detailing, contract sales, whole sailing has been affected by the rapid growth of IT industry The competition in the industry is comparing to be the best or second in the fray. Every area of pharmacy industry is affected by the influence of science and technology and organizations are compelled to take the help of IT at least to remain in the industry There are some issues related to laws of Indian government. The industry must stick to the acts/rules imposed by government. Such rules may be changing from time to time. Answer to many of these issues is in the ability of companies pertaining to pharmaceutical utilizing the full power of Information Technology to leverage its profitability. The information related challenges can be overcome by using Information Technology in bio technology and pharmacy. More about Pharmaceutical Industry in India The government of India has been very supportive for drug Industry in the country. The government has been giving many benefits to the pharmaceutical companies in India. They are given land for establishing company and also tax benefits related to business. The Indian government not only encouraging the companies in India, it also helped many foreign investors muster their funds and invest in India in the industry of pharmaceuticals. In the process of improvement this industry has faced many challenges too. The problems like lack of funding for beginners, difficulty in getting funds from government. The biochemical industry is uncertain. Another important problem faced by Indian pharmaceutical companies in the early stages for long time was that â€Å"lack of skilled human resources†. Of course this is there in all industries to some extent. Indian companies overcame such problems and now having a very good share in the world pharmaceutical business. Functional Requirements of Proposed System for Padma Agencies Maintenance of customer details. Stock maintenance. Billing. Order details. Keeping track of drug licenses. Predicting the future demands of the retailers based on the seasons. Ordering of goods through phone and home delivery is possible. Online ordering of goods. Customized report generation. The functional requirements are classified into the following modules Stock Maintenance Ordering Billing Stock Maintenance Module This module is responsible for complete stock maintenance. It takes care of complete inventory of medicines and related products. It can generate reports as per the stock status. As things are sold the changes in the physical store is reflected in this inventory. Ordering Module In this module all the work related to ordering of goods is done. Placing orders by predicting the behavior of the retailers and the customers. It takes care of orders sent by its retail customers. It is also responsible to generate reports related to orders received from its customers and order made to pharmacy manufacturers. Billing Module When the system is started, it should authenticate user before providing its functionalities The output bill should appear as containing the shop name, address, phone number and drug license no. It contains which system i.e. (system 1, system 2,etc), billing staff id, name, bill no(transaction number), time, date, receipt type (original, duplicate, refund, void item, void transaction, etc), quantity, product name price per single and total price quantity, and the end grand total for all products , if vat is applicable then vat summary. Salesman is the person who involves in bill preparation, report generation for the current stocks maintained and tracking the drug licenses of the retailers. It is responsible for billing activities for the licensed customers. It does mean that the retail businesses that contain a valid drug license are allowed to buy pharmacy products from this store. System Requirements Thorough understanding of the system in terms of technologies required warrants that the following are the software and hardware requirements to build this system. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS Operating System : Windows XP/2000/2003/Vista Technology : Core Java, JDBC, Swings (JDK 1.5/1.6) Database Server : Oracle 9i/10G HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Processor : Pentium based systems with a minimum of P4 RAM : 256MB (minimum) Research Methodology Case 1: Standard labeling rules when dispensing medicines. Interfacing with a standard accounting package. Providing links to manufacturers web pages about specific products. Drug wholesalers websites to get some ideas? Standard Labeling Rules When Dispensing Medicines: A system for automated dispensing of a packaged pharmaceutical comprising good medicine labeling standards is vital to ensure the safe use of medicines. The intention of this study is to evaluate and compare compliance towards labeling standard for dispensed medications between community pharmacists and general practitioners. The medicines for human use Regulations 1994 specify the requirements for the labeling of relevant medical products which are supplied to patients. Dispensed medicines would normally require being added number of details at the time of supply. But much of the information about medicines will be available on the label of hospital manufacturing unit. The regulations has amended to allow for a reduced dispensing label requirement to cover the patient name, date of dispensing , dose or volume , direction to use and cautionary steps to follow. The medical product has to be prepared or dispensed in accordance with the prescription by the given practitioner. The assembled product is for retail supply or circumstances corresponding to retail supply. The assembled product must be sold from that pharmacy or at any other registered pharmacy forming part of the same retail pharmacy business. The assembled product cannot be advertised. The over label must not obscure the printed text of a licensed pack in any way. The label has to apply to the blank area designated on the original pack for the dispensing label. In cases where an original pack does not have provision for a dispensing label, the over label should be firmly attached to the pack in a manner that is easily readable and does not obscure the licensed text nor interfere with the safe and effective use of the medicine. Original packs over labeled in accordance with these principles may be supplied direct to hospital pharmacies, health centers etc without the necessity for formal variation of the Marketing Authorization by the Marketing Authorization holder. Breaking bulk (manufacturers original pack) will require a variation to the respective Marketing Authorization. It would be normally good practice to add the date of the supply; it can be form as a following diagram. The dispensed container should me labeled with the following information Practice name, address and 24 hour telephone number(s). hould specify the intended users. Client name, patient name and client address also. Purpose of the drug prescription, Drug name and Strength. Number if tables or volume in case of liquid. Date dispensed. Direction for use like dose, frequency and method taking the drug. Relevant information and warnings, and the process of preventing the danger if the drug has taken accidentally. Labeling of investigational medicines This paragraph is about the standard labeling for the investigational products which are used in clinical trials. The trail has to be conducted within the Member states conducted by study. The planning of trail doesnt require any particular manufacturing. The normal dispensing label would be of the form as shown below In addition to this quantity of dose (number of tables/capsules) is also to be added. It can also include Name of sponsor, means name research organization /investigator. Trail reference code specifying the identification of the trail site. It would contain the information on the product, dosage, storage conditions, and batch number etc. Interfacing With a Standard Accounting Package The pharmaceutical wholesaler â€Å"Padma Agencies† can have its account part integrated with some standard accounting packages already available in the market instead of reinventing the wheel again. At present its mode of payment is as shown below. Payments All the payments done by cash and cheques on company name. If shop had a credit to particular company the M.D doesnt receive original receipt. The shop keeper get the original bill after he clear the payment, up to they had a duplicate. Instead of making all the modules in the pharmaceutical application, the application can be integrated with a standard account package. All the functionalities provided by accounting packages can be reused if we can seamlessly integrate our application with that. This is possible provided standard interfaces given by the accounting packages vendors that support integration with the applications developed in other languages. This integrates accounting, accounts receivable, and inventory management systems, which allows the distributor headquarters to operate with minimal staffing. Each step of the process is self-contained and modular allowing rapid and flexible geographic expansion. Web Links to Drug Manufactures From the application we can provide the web links to different manufacturing companies across the world. So if some specific product is not available from local market that should be purchased from the manufacturing company. For that if required product has selected and makes a request than the manufacturing company web site will be explored. Pharmaceutical involves manufacturing of drugs and equipments in healthcare. Development of drugs is a costly process in pharmaceutical. And the drug producing companies should have commercial license for research and development according to the rules and regulations of the drug license standard body. And distribution and marketing is also a vital role. The pharmaceutical market of India has achieved a tremendous growth in technology and infrastructure. The sites can introduce you about the pharmaceutical industry. And site will provide the information about the latest innovations and developments and future scopes of the pharmaceutical industry. And the different aspects of the pharmaceutical industry have been explored. Moreover it provides history information about pharmaceutical industry along with its future scope. In addition to manufacturer information it is also provide that the product information, complete description of the product, its usage, storage conditions, ingredients ration, and whom should use under which circumstances. The pharmaceutical wholesalers are having a vital role in supply of medications. For ethical pharmaceuticals wholesaler provides a link between pharmaceutical manufactures and retail outlet pharmacies, dispensing doctors and hospitals and promoting the new innovative medications. The responsibilities of the Pharmaceutical wholesaler Pharmaceutical wholesalers provide distribution and stock holding functions. And for customers the products should be provided according to their daily requirements. So that avoiding customers having large stock. Retails pharmacists and dispensing doctors have to keep normal working medicine stock. The wholesalers have to efficiently supply on a daily basis or even within a shorter period after receiving the orders from their customers. Full line wholesalers can stock and sell a full range of pharmaceuticals. But Short line wholesalers should sell only fast moving products; they should not contain all the products stock. They can import these products from manufacturers or foreign wholesalers.

Huella Proposal

Founded in 1999 in Kuala Lumpua, Malaysia, Huella Online Travel was an Internet travel portal targeting Greater China and Asian Pacific. Huella online travel agent is a retail business, that sells travel related products and services to customers, on behalf of suppliers, such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products. Huella ‘s Hong Kong was launch in 2000. Up to 2004, the revenue growth in Hong Kong had been less than expected. Huella market share in Hong Kong to be only 4% compared 9% in Singapore.This time, Huella wants set up a whole new marketing research to get a depth insight into Hong Kong online travel market. 2- OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: The previous research is very useful in exploring how people awareness of the Huella brand, however they are not conclusive of the public perception in Huella’s target market. In my opinion, we should conduct a research marketing strategy for Hu ella using a quantitative approach. From this research we should be able to identify: customers, competencies and competitors. Research Objectives: †¢ To identify demographic, economic, lifestyle, and traveling desire in Hong Kong market. To determine a match between consumers’ needs and how Huella online travel agents can be able to match these needs †¢ To identify main attributes of online travel agents that appeal to the target market†¢ To assess the target market’s purchase intent and purchase habits †¢ To determine promotional efforts that appeal to the target market †¢ To determine the price sensitivity of the target market for online travel agents †¢ To identify ideal channels to market the brand in Hong Kong †¢ To identify competition in Hong Kong travel agencies including brick-’n-mortar agents and online agents. – SAMPLING: Another part that is very important, how the sampling is done. Personally, I strongly re commend using online survey and face-to-face interviews because Huella is an online business. Yet online survey usually has low responds so I also want we have face-to-face surveys that will be more effective because Hong Kong is a small territory and high population. We can collect primary data by survey research and behavioral data. Sampling plan:Sampling size: 300 Sampling unit: white collar, young professional, foreigner travelers in Hong Kong. Sampling procedure: randomly Method: survey and behavioral data Demographics: age between 18 years old to 40 years old. Gender: male and female Professions: general Geography: Tsim Sha Tsui, Mongkok, Causeway Bay Contact methods – online survey, face-to-face. 3- ANALYSIS AND REPORT The result from this research will be put in power point and hard copy format.

Good Versus Evil in Lord of the Flies by William Golding ...

Good vs. Evil Many years ago, Charles Darwin introduced a theory that we humans are a species which evolved from animals that have inhabited the Earth for many years, and he believed that we were civilized, intelligent, and logical life forms for these very reasons. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding there is a prominent theme of good versus evil which reveals that maybe humans are not the civilized human beings that they were said to be. William Golding carefully netted this theme with his utilization of literary device such as his symbolism. Golding uses this simple story of English boys stranded on an inhabited island to illustrate how destructive humans can be when implanted in a impoverished environment where they†¦show more content†¦He is always helping the Littluns when they are struggling and many other boys that are vulnerable such as Piggy. Simon sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to pig gy, who grabbed it (Golding 74). This quote interprets an example of Simon showing his whole heartedness by giving Piggy food when Jack did not want to feed him because he did not hunt. The vast majority of people reside prominently in civilized society, and they dismiss their instinct for aggression and dominance (Wood, Bryan). This quote shows that people like Simon are always more civilized than those who begin to change into savages, Simon is the last piece of civilization on the island. What I mean is...maybe its only us (Golding 89). Simon, himself, proposes to the rest of the boys that perhaps the beast is not only an external force, but an internal force within themselves. Simon is the only character to reveal Goldings point that innate human evil exists. Golding shows evil within humans through Jack. Jack symbolizes cruel political leaders such as Castro and Hitler. He is the leader of the hunters, but the first time they find a pig he is not able to kill it. Jack not being able to kill the pig showed that he was still civilized, but later obsessing over the pig he transformed into a savage. William Golding through Jacks character showed that everyone is born good and evil, butShow MoreRelated Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay1112 Words   |  5 PagesLord of the Flies by William Golding Lord of the flies was written by William Golding in 1954. It is an enthralling, book that explores the concept of the behaviour of man when he is exempt from society. Golding achieves this by stranding a group of British schoolboys on a secluded island, in the midst of a war. Throughout this period the boys evolve from being civilised and let savagery take over. This book is well written and effectively presents the theme of the story: the evil thatRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1389 Words   |  6 PagesA response to Lord Of The Flies Imagine an airplane crash. The heat of flames scorch passengers’ backs in addition to the wind burning their faces. Lucky, this crash was over water and near an island so most passengers survive, with an exception of the airplane staff and the pilot. Even though alive, many are in fits of fear and panic, and others are in shock. After hurried deliberation, a lone member of the group is elected leader in hopes that they will calm the panic, and make the hard, but necessaryRead MoreThe Lord of the Flies by William Golding1306 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Lord of the Flies, William Golding creates a microcosm that appears to be a utopia after he discharged from the British Royal Navy following World War II. After an emergency landing, Golding places a diverse group of boys on the island that soon turns out to be anything but utopia. The island the boys are on turns out to be an allegorical dystopia with inadequate conditions (Bryfonski 22). The boys reject all lessons they learn ed from their prior British society, and they turn towards theirRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1271 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophy to unruly boys at Bishop Wordsworth’s School, Golding abandoned his profession to join the Royal Navy and fight in World War II. Golding has said of the war, â€Å"I began to see what people were capable of doing. Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head† (â€Å"William Golding†). Written in the early 1950’s in Salisbury, England, Lord of the Flies depicts an allegory for World War II which allowsRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1745 Words   |  7 Pages1954 novel, Lord of the Flies by Nobel Prize-winner William Golding is a dystopian allegory indicative of vast aspects of the human condition. Set in the midst of a nuclear war, the text details a group of marooned British school boys as they regress to a primitive state. Free from the rules and structures of civilisation and society, the boys split into factions - some attempting to maintain order and achieve common goals; others seeking anarchy and violence. The novel is based on Golding’s experienceRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1540 Words   |  7 Pagesviews of the concept of â€Å"good versus evil†. British author William Golding wrote his novel, Lord of the Flies, during this time and it reflects this uneasy atmosphere. The character development, along with the carefully chosen symbolism of the novel suggests that Golding wrote Lord of the Flies as an allegory to the people and events of the Cold War, but also to present his future predictions for the Cold War; both of these exhibit the views of the concept of â€Å"good versus evil† prevalent at the timeRead MoreCivilization Versus Savagery in Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay807 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel â€Å"Lord of th e Flies† was written by William Golding to demonstrate the problems of society and the sinful nature of man. Golding uses symbols, characters and objects to represent his main ideas and themes. The conch was used to call meetings but is also symbolic of the government structure and power. One of the main themes in the novel â€Å"Civilization vs. Savagery† is fought between two egos, Jack the Id who represents savagery and the desire for power and Ralph the Ego and protagonistRead MoreA Comparison of Lord of the Flies by William Golding to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad1602 Words   |  7 PagesA Comparison of Lord of the Flies by William Golding to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Works Cited Missing I compared the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. The novelsRead MoreHow Does Golding Present the Theme of Good Versus Evil in the Novel Lord of the Flies?3069 Words   |  13 PagesHow does Golding present the theme of good versus evil in the novel Lord of the Flies? William Goldings novel Lord of the Flies is at first impression a dramatic adventure story about a group of boys stranded on an island, whilst being evacuated from a war-torn world. However to the perceptive reader a more meaningful level of Goldings Lord of the Flies emerges. The novel is designed as an allegory; to a get a warning across to mankind about what Golding called the Essential sicknessRead MoreOrder Versus Chaos in Lord of the Flies1198 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy† (Golding 225). In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, he uses the theme of order versus chaos to show that good has the capacity to become evil. It starts with the boys’ beginnings on the island, to the breakdown of their society, to the tragedies that unfold their civilization. The boys are victims of a deteriorating civilization that turns them into

Walt Disney s Intellectual Property Rights - 1561 Words

Sophie’s business name needed to be unique enough where it doesn’t actually infringe on any of Walt Disney’s intellectual property rights. Even though he name is not exactly â€Å"Walt Disney† and the title of her business is â€Å"DisneyHartford†, the fact that she still included â€Å"Disney† in her title is a problem. When you think of the word â€Å"Disney†, you automatically think of children’s entertainment; as a result, this goes to show that consumers typically link the word â€Å"Disney† to a specific origin. Since the purpose of her business was to make an entertainment center for children, she is violating their rights because both companies are too similar. Consumers will assume that her entertainment center is affiliated with the Disney Brand when it†¦show more content†¦If there is a breach in the contract where the Powerball did not give him his percentage, then this should stay between the Mobile Station and Powerball. Sophie should not be involved in this situation because she was not a part of the contract initially. Property refers to tangible and intangible items. Ownership is a concept that means the right to exclude others (pg. 233). Goodwin secretly owning properly without disclosing this information with other people or students to the least is a little sketchy. However, I guess if they legally do own this real property than Sophie has to give it back to them. The legal system protects the right to own, acquire, protect and divest of real and personal property (pg. 235). If they have never sold this properly it still belongs to Goodwin. It was her fault that she purchased this property without researching it. Sophia is also at fault for purchasing real property without getting a title that the properly belonged to her. Ownership rights are transferred by titles (pg. 245) Even though the property seemed abandoned; no one technically relinquished new ownership towards it so it still belonged to Goodwin. Sophia got herself involved with a scammer. Sophia should contact Attorney Sleaze and sue him for selling her property that was already owned by somebody else. If she gives back the property to Goodwin, she can also sue him for her money back. She paid $2 million dollars for legal fees so it was his job and responsibility toShow MoreRelatedErm Research Report On Walt Disney Company Essay1585 Words   |  7 PagesThe Walt Disney Company â€Æ' ERM Research report – The Walt Disney Company I. COMPANY BACKGROUND The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world. According to the â€Å"2015-Annual-Report† of the Walt DisneyRead MoreProducts, Target Market And Marketing Channels862 Words   |  4 PagesMARKETING CHANNELS The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries forms one of the most diversified worldwide entertainment company in the world, with operations in five different areas: 1. Media Networks: this sector includes cable and broadcast television networks, television production operations and distribution, domestic and international television stations and radio operations. 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Disney is also known to be the third largest media corporation internationally as of June 2015, according to Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research (Appendix 1). Disney is known to have strengths with content integration, cash surplus, characters and character trademarks, values with the use of synergy, having a very strong brand image and reputation, diversification ofRead MoreMichael Eisner1279 Words   |  6 PagesCase study The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King 1.Briefly describe the type(s) of diversification strategies that Walt Disney pursues/has pursued over the years. The Walt Disney company can be seen as a highly diversified company. Over the years, it has pursued a wide range of diversification strategies that we can enhance:•Horizontal integration: obviously, Walt Disney has invaded several markets, diversifying its offer to many fields. In 2000, we can find five big main fields ofRead MoreMichael Eisner1279 Words   |  6 PagesCase study The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King 1.Briefly describe the type(s) of diversification strategies that Walt Disney pursues/has pursued over the years. The Walt Disney company can be seen as a highly diversified company. Over the years, it has pursued a wide range of diversification strategies that we can enhance:•Horizontal integration: obviously, Walt Disney has invaded several markets, diversifying its offer to many fields. In 2000, we can find five big main fields ofRead MoreWalt Disney1491 Words   |  6 PagesThe Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King Case Analysis The Walt Disney Company is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. Disney is able to create sustainable profits due to its heterogeneity, inimitability, co-specialization and immense foresight. It also successfully uses synergy to create value across its many business units. After its founder Walter Disney s death, the company started to lose its ground and performance declined. Michael Eisner became CEORead MoreIntellectual Property Protection And Stricter Copyright Laws935 Words   |  4 Pages With all the groups mentioned above, intellectual property protection and stricter copyright laws are being discussed, which is a step forward in the right direction. The more these organizations reach out to inform others that intellectual property protection is imperative, the more minds will be had in building ideas for a better tomorrow. The biggest question is why should the average individual care about the protection of intellectual property? 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There are five major business segments of the company; they are Media Network, Parks and Resorts, Studio Entertainment, consumer product, and interactive media and Walt Disney together with its subsidiaries and affiliates is a diversified global

Moral Development In Anthony Burgesss A Clockwork Orange

When first published in 1961, the American edition of Anthony Burgess’s novel, A Clockwork Orange was published without it’s twenty-first chapter, outraging it’s author. But what, one might ask, could be so important in a single chapter to cause such an outrage? The answer is blatantly obvious. Omitting the final chapter of any book would likely cause much dismay to the author. But in the case of A Clockwork Orange, the final twenty-first chapter completely shapes the entire meaning of the novel by the hand of a single concept: moral development. Omitting the twenty-first chapter, there is not a sliver of it. Burgess himself says in the 1987 introduction that there is, in fact â€Å"not much point in writing a novel unless you can show the†¦show more content†¦This group is the closest thing Alex has to a real family, his real parents offering little more than a physical presence in his life. Living together in the seedy and dilapidated Municipal Flatbl ock 18A, Alex’s parents scarcely give orders around the house, and instead seem have been conditioned by Alex to act the way he wants them to act: â€Å"pee and em in their bedroom next door had learnt how not to knock on the wall with complaints of what they call noise.† What concerns they do express for Alex come through only in dreams, his father recalls a vivid dream of Alex lying in the street, beaten by teenage delinquents. â€Å"You were like helpless in your blood and you couldn’t fight back†(54). Alex, rather than trying to absolve his father’s fears, simply gives him money to him for Scotch instead, and sends all away â€Å"with loving smiles all around†(54). Because of his lack of any real parental influence, this leaves Alex’s droogs to play that role, a â€Å"pseudo-family† of sorts, a cheap imitation of the real thing. Unlike real family, (blood or otherwise) the pseudo-family provides only an illusion of genuine loving and caring, and most importantly, some twisted sense of belonging. It is the false families such as this that are the cause of the creation of Alex’s false identity, or his â€Å"pseudo-self,† or â€Å"individuals who remain unable to remain unable to maintain any real stasis between theirShow MoreRelatedTriumph of Free Will in Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange Essay2638 Words   |  11 PagesTriumph of Free Will in A Clockwork Orange  Ã‚     Ã‚   Amidst a population composed of perfectly conditioned automatons, is a picture of a society that is slowly rotting from within. Alex, the Faustian protagonist of A Clockwork Orange, and a sadistic and depraved gang leader, preys on the weak and the innocent. Although perhaps misguided, his conscientiousness of his evil nature indicates his capacity to understand morality and deny its practice. When society attempts to force goodness upon AlexRead MoreA Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess1960 Words   |  8 PagesAnthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange has been placed under much scrutiny by literary critics and readers everywhere. Furthermore, this highly criticized novel contains a myriad of ways to engage with the work, whether it is from the psychological or ethical perspective. Through College Literature Journal’s article â€Å"O My Brothers†, the unnamed author draws interesting connections between the main character’s development and how pseud o-families and pseudo- self plays a part on this said development

Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Four Free Essays

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