Monday, January 27, 2020

Impact of Adderall

Impact of Adderall Higher and Higher Within weeks of deceiving his doctor into prescribing Adderall, Jamison Monroes grade rose steadily through Christmas. That D in biology raised to a B and heading higher. As far as his parents were concerned, what had been holding back their son for the first two months of high school was his ADHD. No one suspected a thing. Jamison kept Adderalls dire effects to himself. He got horribly dehydrated, particularly in the spring when he played on the baseball team. So as sophomore year began, he gave up sports and started taking the pills only on the nights he needed to cram. In the summer after his freshman year, Jamison attended his older sisters wedding. He enjoyed a strange new feeling as he tasted the champagne. He had tasted alcohol before, but this time it untended his body. Before long, he had five flutes of champagne and a few glasses of white wine. He ended up puking in the bathroom. But he woke up the next morning wanting to do it again. Champagne was too expensive, so Jamison began heading to liquor stores for beers with three of his buddies. First on weekends and then as a routine after school. His friends would take hours to sober up, but Jamison had a secret: any hangover was solved with another pill. By the end of sophomore year, the twelve-packs became Jack Daniels and Coke. On the last day of classes, Jamison and his two buddies went to McDonalds for food and to get cups, lids, and straws to disguise their Jack and Coke from any curious cops. By noon they came back to school with one last plan. Their English teacher, Mrs. Morse, was on away for the week. Maybe the final exam was in her office. While they were in Mrs. Morses office copying down the questions and answers, they heard footsteps. Jamison threw everything back in the drawer and they got out. They were walking slowly down the hall when Peter, one of Jamisons buddies, realized that they had left a piece of paper with his name and Jamisons handwriting in the office. They went back to retrieve it. The footsteps had belonged to a teacher who had locked Mrs. Morses office and watched from down the hall as the boys jerked the doorknob with increasing panic. The three boys were immediately expelled from St. Johns. With Jamisons good reputation, Episcopal High was told everything about Jamisons incident and still admitted him. During his junior and senior years, he found out that Adderall countered not just the effects of alcohol, but also the lethargy from the marijuana he began to enjoy. But Adderall couldnt keep his grades up. But he had scored a respectable 1320 out of 1600 on the SAT, the University of Texas would admit him if he went to its summer program and received at least a B in biology. He figured he needed to get at least 98 to raise his D to a B. With lots Adderall and cramming in the final week; he got a 100. Jamisons summer at Texass summer program taught him a new and improved way to enjoy his Adderall: snorting it. Most experts agree that the effects of cocaine and stimulants, when snorted, can be remarkably similar. Jamisons first semester at the University of Texas became a mood-modulating haze of alcohol, Adderall, and Valium. Jamison went home to Houston during Thanksgiving break. He was arrested for DUI and ultimately bailed out by his parents. A judge required him to be examined by a psychologist who told the family that Jamison had three options: kill himself in a car accident; kill someone else in a car accident; or go to drug rehab. Jamison decided to go the drug rehab. Nestled on a peninsula fifty miles north of Seattle, Gray Wolf Ranch was like Club Med. Up to fourteen young men would blend their addiction therapy with outdoor fun.   He was allowed no alcohol, pot, cocaine, or any other drugs except for his daily dose of Adderall. Jamison emerged after three and a half months totally sober, except for his continued affinity for amphetamines. He returned to college, avoided his old UT temptations by enrolling at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Two years later, he made the St. Thomas deans list and posted a 3.8 grade point average. Adderall had a lot to do with it. He was still using the pills to study. After Jamison transferred back to Texas to try to finish his government degree there, he returned to his old cycle of cramming with Adderall. By Christmas he had failed out of the University of Texas for a second time. He went back to rehab to a different treatment center in southern California. This time, therapies pushed Jamison to explore his Adderall use specifically. His father joined the therapy sessions and got to know his son. He asked Jamison what he wanted to do. Jamison said he wanted to open his own treatment center for teenagers like he was when this all stared. His father offered his support. He told Jamison if he learned the ropes by working at some other treatment centers for a whole, and developed a legitimate business plan, he would provide some seed money. In March 2006, Jamison left rehab for the final time. He got a job as a counselor at a local treatment center in Southern California and moved up the ladder and began managing the medication window. He spent his nights churning out a business plan for his own treatment center, estimating $6 million in start up cost. His father had wealthy friends and associates who remembered Jamisons smarts and trusted that he had finally turned the corner. By April 2008, Jamison had assembled enough investors to start building a girls-only program. Newport Academy officially open on May 12. One week later, a 17-year-old girl named Kristin Parber joined the program to get off cocaine and vodka.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Decline of the American Dream Essay -- American Dream in Decline

On a brisk September day in 2011, in the commercial district of Manhattan Island, a minute protest in Liberty Square commenced against the fiscal atrocities committed by economic establishments leading to the financial crisis and subsequent economic recession in 2007 and 2008. Over the course of the month, the movement protesting the miscarriage of justice and democracy following the economic catastrophe and the overall inequitable and unfair wealth distribution diffused to over 100 American cities as well as 1,500 cities worldwide. The revolutionary movement was named Occupy Wall Street and through occupying and protesting the symbolic location of the financial elite, Wall Street, the crusade aimed to â€Å"[revolt] against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process.† With mass media attention domestically and internationally in the months after the initial demonstration, Occupy Wall Street acquired global reputation as the representatives of the destitute 99% protesting the fiscal tyranny of the top 1% of income earners in the United States who were â€Å"writing the rules of an unfair global economy†¦[and] foreclosing on [America’s] future† (â€Å"About Us†). Occupy Wall Street exposed the controversy of income inequality to the forefront of American society, public, and politics, as the issue was being widely neglected in favor of social as well as racial diversity and inequality. These issues only illustrate one dimension of the multilayered diversity in America, the social aspect. While social diversity is an integral component to the foundation of American society today, the issues of income and wealth diversity is also paramount. Income inequality and its implications can be traced to th... ...ranscript of the Constitution of the United States.† The Charters of Freedom. Archives.gov, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . â€Å"2012 General Election Turnout Rates.† United States Elections Project. George Mason University, 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . â€Å"2012 Presidential Race.† OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, 2012. Web. 25 May 2014. . â€Å"Wealth Trends of Members of Congress.† OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. . Williams, Roberton. â€Å"CBO Details Growing U.S. Income Inequality.† Forbes. Forbes, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . The Decline of the American Dream Essay -- American Dream in Decline On a brisk September day in 2011, in the commercial district of Manhattan Island, a minute protest in Liberty Square commenced against the fiscal atrocities committed by economic establishments leading to the financial crisis and subsequent economic recession in 2007 and 2008. Over the course of the month, the movement protesting the miscarriage of justice and democracy following the economic catastrophe and the overall inequitable and unfair wealth distribution diffused to over 100 American cities as well as 1,500 cities worldwide. The revolutionary movement was named Occupy Wall Street and through occupying and protesting the symbolic location of the financial elite, Wall Street, the crusade aimed to â€Å"[revolt] against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process.† With mass media attention domestically and internationally in the months after the initial demonstration, Occupy Wall Street acquired global reputation as the representatives of the destitute 99% protesting the fiscal tyranny of the top 1% of income earners in the United States who were â€Å"writing the rules of an unfair global economy†¦[and] foreclosing on [America’s] future† (â€Å"About Us†). Occupy Wall Street exposed the controversy of income inequality to the forefront of American society, public, and politics, as the issue was being widely neglected in favor of social as well as racial diversity and inequality. These issues only illustrate one dimension of the multilayered diversity in America, the social aspect. While social diversity is an integral component to the foundation of American society today, the issues of income and wealth diversity is also paramount. Income inequality and its implications can be traced to th... ...ranscript of the Constitution of the United States.† The Charters of Freedom. Archives.gov, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . â€Å"2012 General Election Turnout Rates.† United States Elections Project. George Mason University, 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . â€Å"2012 Presidential Race.† OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, 2012. Web. 25 May 2014. . â€Å"Wealth Trends of Members of Congress.† OpenSecrets.org. The Center for Responsive Politics, n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. . Williams, Roberton. â€Å"CBO Details Growing U.S. Income Inequality.† Forbes. Forbes, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. .

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Concept Application Project Essay

Throughout the semester I have explored many topics in sociology. While exploring these topics, three main theoretical perspectives were used. I will briefly illustrate each of the main theoretical perspectives of functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic Interactionism. During this semester I have watched two films, Food Incorporated and The Vernon Johns Story. I will describe how a theoretical perspective is used in each of these examples. Then I will provide my own two examples where concepts and theoretical perspectives can be illustrated. My First example is the Boston Marathon Bombings and the second is the Mass Media’s coverage of the Boston Bombings. The Functionalist Perspective is a sociological perspective that emphasizes each part of society contributing to the survival of that society. In Sociology in Modules, they define the functionalists perspective as, â€Å"A sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability (Schaefer 15). Read more:  Conflict Perspective on Social Media † The functionalist perspective can be compared to the human body model. Each part of the body performs specific tasks. For example, our legs allow us to walk or run and our lungs allow us to breathe. Without each and every body part, one simply cannot perform to the maximum potential. Now when a functionalist is looking at a society, they may see different social groups that contribute to a larger population. The Conflict Perspective is a sociological perspective that views the world as a constant struggle. In our textbook, Sociology in Modules, they define the conflict perspective as, â€Å"A sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of tension between groups over power or the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political representation (Schaefer 15). † There are many areas where conflict can arise in today’s society. Religious groups, political parties, and different social classes, may all have conflicting views with other or opposite groups. Examples of the conflict perspective include means of production versus labor and the concentration of wealth. In recent history, the conflict perspective is becoming more popular. With, â€Å"The widespread social unrest resulting from battles over civil rights, bitter divisions over the war in Vietnam, the rise of the feminist and gay liberation movements, the Watergate political scandal, urban riots, and confrontations at abortion clinics have offered support for the conflict approach (Schaefer 16). † Groups in society with different viewpoints often pose a great threat to conflicting parties. The Interactionist Perspective is the third main sociological perspective where the traditional way of thinking comes from typical human interaction between groups. Sociology in Modules defines the interactionist perspective as, â€Å"generalizations about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole (Schaefer 17). † The interactionist perspective is also know as symbolic interactionism. I believe it is much easier to look at it from a symbolic interactionism perspective because symbols are easier to understand. From a symbolic interactionist perspective, one may see the world we live in as full of objects. These objects can come on the form of people, places, things, thoughts, feelings, or symbols. Symbolic interactionism looks at these symbols to characterize groups by their symbol. Each symbol may be different. For example, a symbol could be the type of color of car you drive, what you wear to work or school everyday, or even tattoos. Groups in society are often characterized by their symbols. These symbols allow people with similar symbols to communicate with ease. Food Incorporated is a documentary film that portrays the corporate farming industry in the United States as unhealthy, harmful, abusive, and inhumane. Food Inc. the movie really gave me something to think about, it only reinforced my beliefs to eat healthy and support organic and free-range grass fed meats. The most meaningful thing to me was when one of the contributors said the corporate farming industry only wants to grow their products â€Å"bigger, fatter, cheaper, faster†. This agribusiness in only in it for the sake of business and they don’t see the other side. On the other side there are these products that are being mass-produced in factory farms. This seemingly only affects the lower class Americans who can only afford the cheapest of food products at the super market. From a financial standpoint, it only makes sense that people are forced to consume such low quality products at their demise. As the conflict theory would describe it, this is a constant struggle between the producer and the consumer. The producers are producing animal products in close quarter factory farms and feeding them corn, which is not a naturally occurring meal. Specifically cattle and chickens are given hormone shots to make them grown bigger, fatter, and faster. These farms do not treat the animals well at all. The animals live in horrible conditions, often times in their own manure. This causes disease to reach to food that eventually people eat. There are cases that come up all the time where products need to be pulled from the shelves in stores because of contaminated foods. The Vernon John’s story is a true story turned into a movie that portrays a Minister, Vernon John, who leads the African Americans in the fight for civil rights. This film demonstrated the development of social change in the south. First, the blacks do not measure up to the whites in social class. They often held position in social that were not important of looked down upon. For example, the position that Vernon John holds is viewed as a conflict by white law enforcement officials. During the early 1900s, Black Americans were being segregated from society. Secondly, During this time, African Americans were not recognized by society as having any value other than slavery. Race and ethnicity played a large role in society during this time. African American Racial groups formed and they were discriminated against. Vernon John is a leader of social change. He stepped up and faced the danger in speaking his views. The movie illustrates two great examples of hate crime in the 1920s. The first is when Vernon John was driving in his car late at night to bring a girl who had been raped to the hospital. The white policemen pulled Vernon John over and just antagonized him for no reason. Another example is when part of Vernon John’s church was set on fire. This was obviously planned by the white Americans out of hatred for Vernon Johns following and community. The blacks were heavily being discriminated against. Third, the government used force and power to exercise their will against Vernon John and the Black Americans. The movie demonstrates a great example of what goes on in society today. Although the United States may not be going through the exact same situation of discrimination as the 1900s, we are still facing sorts of discrimination and hate crimes today. Which leads me into my next example, the recent Boston Marathon bombings. The Boston Marathon bombings is an alleged terrorist attack that happened during the finish of the 2013 Boston Marathon. On April 15th, 2013, two Muslim brothers from Massachusetts detonated two explosives near the finish line of the Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 200 people. The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings display the conflict some people have with society. I am not in the head of the bombers or the investigators so I am only speaking from an outside perspective. With that being said, I cannot imagine what they were thinking when setting off these two explosions in front of thousands of people. From the suspects point of view, they must have seen the world from a conflict perspective. They must have believed that they didn’t fit into society. In a Wall Street Journal article, one suspect claims â€Å"he and his brother were angry about the U. S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the killing of Muslims there† (Authorities Say Bomb Suspects Planned NYC Attack). My only guess is that their hatred for the United States is so fierce that they concluded in carrying out these horrible acts. It appears that other groups from over seas heavily influenced the suspects. This is just one example of how government, religion, and cultural differences can become conflicting in society. The mass media can influence the coverage of any story by the time it reaches the public. The mass media is defined by Sociology in Modules as, â€Å"print and electronic means of communication that carries messages to widespread audiences† (Schaefer 153). The leverage they have is huge in what information/sources they have and what they release. In the coverage of the Boston Bombings, the media helped the public understand of what precautions they should take around the threatened area. The media also helped people from across the country understand what was happening in Boston. In this case, I believe the media did a good job in providing accurate information to the public. However, this is not always the case. The conflict view states that gatekeeping can control what information reaches the public. For example the media can choose on which pieces of news to report on, leaving out specifics that could totally twist the story. They can also choose which sources they want to use which may also have an affect on the outcome of the story. Not all social classes have access to certain news sources. Many sources are behind a pay wall, which prohibits some potential viewers from accessing the information. The functionalist view would say that the mass media plays a role in society that keeps it moving forward. Sociology in Modules says, â€Å"the mass media is to occupy our leisure time—from newspaper comics and crossword puzzles to the latest music releases on the Internet. While that is true, the media have other important functions. They also socialize us, enforce social norms, confer status, and promote consumption† (Schaefer 154). This is all very true and it reinforces our viewpoints of the media. Overall, multiple theoretical perspectives can portray the mass media. Indeed, concepts and theoretical perspectives learned in class are used to illustrate events in society today. First, the example of the Vernon John’s story gives one the ability to see the upbringing of social change through the civil rights movement. The second example of the Food Inc. production is one that produces for profit without taking into consideration all the ethical and health needs of American citizens. Third, my example of the Boston Marathon Bombings illustrates conflict and hates crimes in our culture today. Lastly. The mass media acts as an agent between information and the public through print and electronic versions. The conflict and functionalists theoretical perspectives can be used to analyze the mass media. Therefore, social concepts and theoretical perspectives are used throughout the society we live in today. ? Works Cited â€Å"Authorities Say Bomb Suspects Planned NYC Attack. † WSJ. com. Associated Press, 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Movie One, 2008. DVD. Schaefer, Richard T. Sociology In Modules. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. McGrawHills Connect. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. The Vernon Johns Story. Dir. Kenneth Fink. 1994. DVD.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Adam Smith s Theory Of Moral Sentiments - 1617 Words

Over the past centuries, Adam Smith ideas on morality and economics have given rise to various controversies and debates. Many moral and economic philosophers have been arguing on this topic whilst most neglected the important part of Smith’s ideas on natural liberty. As an Enlightenment thinker, Adam Smith was interested in finding out the natural laws of economics just like Newton’s successful achievement in finding out the universal law behind nature. In addition, he was also interested in investigating on the human’s nature and the morality behind human behaviours which later give rise to the modern world’s psychology. Adam Smith, also known as a father of Economy, in The Wealth of Nations, explains the role and the importance of self-interest, coping with one’s own interest without always at the expense of others, in the society as the driving force of economy. In his earlier work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, he describes how self-interest also leads to the capabilities of benevolence and sympathy. Smith’s ideas from these famous works have become the foundation of the modern economic ideas and the economic norms that ought to be followed. This essay will describe the motivational role of self-interest in society and argue to a large extent that individuals are driven by it. Smith (Smith Wealth ex. 6) proposes the idea that the market is run by a complex mechanism of an invisible hand which keeps the balance of the economy based on the concept of supply and demandShow MoreRelatedMoral Sentiments, By Adam Smith997 Words   |  4 Pagess well as abroad (Mastin, 2008). In Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith developed the foundation for a general system of morals. It showed that the moral ideas and action are the basic elements since human is social creatures. 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Smith may have come up with the two meaningsRead MoreAdam Smith And Karl Marx1674 Words   |  7 PagesI. Adam Smith and Karl Marx Contemporary economics are best explained by comparing two foundational thinkers that have contributed to the better understanding of liberalism, one being its proponent Adam Smith and the other being its most significant critic, Karl Marx. Both thinkers are profoundly important in locating and investigating the roots of neoliberalism as well as exploring alternatives ways to challenge neoliberal economics in the face of its post-cold war expansion as the inevitable andRead MoreEssay about Adam Smith Father of Economics5633 Words   |  23 PagesMBE 330.01 Final Paper Adam Smith: â€Å"The Father of Economics† Adam Smith was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of political economics. 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Written 1750-1790 via numerous editions, it is a theory of self-presentation that predates all sociological theories of self-presentation yet lacksRead MoreThe Biography Of Adam Smith1505 Words   |  7 PagesThe Biography of Adam Smith Adam Smith was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland in the year 1923, and died in the year 1790 at the age of 67 (Stewart, 1861). His exact date of birth is unknown but was baptized on 5th June 1723. His father was a prosecutor, advocate, and solicitor but passed on two months after his birth, leaving his mother to bring him up. His mother, Margaret Douglas, played a great role in his upbringing, especially in education. He joined the Burgh school where he learned history, writingRead MoreThe Invisible Hand By Adam Smith923 Words   |  4 Pagesperson. Obvious that is Adam Smith. Even though, after ten years or thousand years the economists will recall Adam Smith. Moreover, if you visit United Kingdom you can recognize Adam Smith face in the 50 and 20 pounds. ‘Man is an animal that makes bargains†- Adam Smith (Brainy Quote, (n.d)). That is underling the people’s instinct when they make a deal. â€Å"A person, who received his education through hard work, is like an expens ive Car’- Adam Smith (Brainy Quote, (n.d)). Adam Smith encouraged people to