PowerPoint review

Today's class presentations were all over varying controversial topics. The most prevalent topic was over the use of Marijuana in the United States. Due to the repeat of the topic, it was tough to tell which presentation  stood out the most. In my opinion it was an overused topic and I wish I would have seen less of it. Out of all the presentations done today, I believe that the first presenter did the best job. The rest of the presenters were either shying away from eye contact or reading off their power points.

Due to the fact that not all of us are prepared with an extraordinary stage presence, it makes only a few presenters stand out.Overall, The best presentations were those with a good use of color and sufficient pictures. Some students did forget to add images and their presentations were not as visually appealing. If I could do this presentation again, I would probably have sent the assignment on time and added more pictures even though my pictures were not few.

Del Toro's Op Ed essay response

Since the start of monsters in books, and evil creatures lurking around in ones mind, the Vampire is the most notorious for lasting the test of time and accompanying us in both television and books. Today the vampire is much different from how it was originally portrayed in the first Dracula book in 1897. With the change in time, the new vampire is much more seductive and a lot less scary. In movies such as twilight, a vampire is seen as someone that can fall in love with humans and has a form of compassion towards those close to them. This evolved vampire image causes the vampire to be more desirable to reader and viewers alike.

The new image of the vampire also changes the wide range of viewers. The vampire is now popular to any age and now especially to young teenage girls. Current movies portray the vampire as a pale handsome blood drinker who prays on the weak. During this current decade, all and any movies having to do with vampires are heavily romanticized and are no longer about scaring the viewers. Due to the dramatic change from monster to a romantic killer, the vampire is now a part of television shows as well; making the vampire a well known monster across the world on movie theaters and books.

Del Toro's point of view having to do with the widespread popularity of the vampire is therefor correct, there is clear evidence that the new vampire is pulling at heart strings and pushing through to maintain alive in both out hearts and our minds. Although the essay was probably meant for some laughter, by stating that an unreal creature will never die, the viewpoint is by no means incorrect it is indeed a well written humorous paper with good points to back up Del Toro's view on vampires being immortal in today's society.

source: " Why Vampires Never Die" -Del Toro. NewYorkTimes, 30 July 2009. web 21 March 2016

Electroconvulsive Therapy helpful or not?

Electroshock Therapy is a sensitive procedure done on patients under general anesthesia, which means that the whole body is asleep when receiving electrical currents through the brain. This method is often used when other treatments for a mental illnesses such as depression, are unsuccessful. Early treatments of ECT were not administered in the same way, many patients suffered side affects such as fractured bones and memory loss due to anesthesia not being used in the very first attempts of electroshock therapy.

 Around seventy years have passed since the very first ect method was done, and it seems that fear of similar side affects occurring are preventing many psychiatrists from ever using this technique. The problem is no longer having to do with the lack of anesthesia, rather the minimal knowledge on how etc works so quickly but has different results per patient. 

Many studies have been done since the beginning of ECT and to this day there still seems to be some side affects linked to electroshock therapy. A common side affect that is experienced is immediate memory loss after your first treatment; this temporary side affect is highly feared of by many patients due to the variation it has on everyone; some patients regain there memory in as little as twelve treatments while others wait twenty or more treatments to recover their memory. Many success stories can be accompanied after an ECT treatment but it is generally suggested to have an ECT treatment done if all other treatments are ineffective.

Because electroshock therapy is quick to work on most patients, it is also accompanied by a high relapse rate on patients with depression;due to the relapse some doctors may suggest psychotherapy or medications after the final ECT session. For those who are against electroshock therapy it's because, they do not believe in the quick fix that ECT promises but for patients who have attempted all medications recommended and have had no success, ECT may be the only chance of recovery from a grave mental illness.

Source Citation

Dahl, Melissa. "Electroconvulsive Therapy Can Be Helpful." Mental Illness. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Shock Therapy Makes a Quiet Comeback." MSNBC.com. 2008. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

"Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)." - Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Staff, 19 Sept. 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.