Zydeco

Jamarcus Burks October 15, 2012 A fiddle, accordion, guitar, and a washboard are all you need to create the sweet sound of Zydeco. Zydeco music is a mixture of Blues or Jazz music with an upbeat tempo. Zydeco music has grown with my family. It is like a china dish your great grandmother passes down. The music is unique from the message it sends to the crazy two stepping dance that goes along with it. Zydeco music plays a significant role in my life. The first time I heard Zydeco music, I thought it sounded like someone kicking the side of a trash can mixed with a horrible marching band.I was about seven years old, but I remember it like it happened yesterday. My family was eating dinner at my Grandmother’s house and I had recently moved back to Waco, Texas with my dad. I could remember asking, â€Å"What is that noise? † It took me three years to understand what Zydeco truly means, but I took no time to learn the two-step dancing. I listened to Zydeco at a young age, no t knowing I did not understand the meaning behind the music, or the important role it played in my life.To me, Zydeco is more than music; it is a way of life. I have listened to Zydeco music through good and bad times throughout my life. My family plays Zydeco music at family gatherings and social events such as holidays, trail rides, birthdays, baby showers, and even funerals. No matter where we would be, we would listen and dance like there was no tomorrow. For as long as I can remember, my family has been playing Zydeco music at funerals. Some people may think it is disrespectful, but it is a family tradition.The reason we play Zydeco at all of our gatherings, is because growing up we were taught to always look at the positive aspects of life. So when a death occurs in the family, we listen to Zydeco and it reminds us that our loved one will always be with the family, but in a better place. Listening to Zydeco gives me a warm and grateful feeling inside. It comforts me to know th at no matter what the situation is, there is always a reason to smile. There are different styles of Zydeco such as Zydeco Jazz, Zydeco Blues, and the most popular is Button Box.Zydeco artists send different messages through their songs. Songs have different messages like celebrating; being in love, and the trials and tribulations a person goes through every day. Every generation has one Zydeco artist whose music they grow up dancing and listening to. Artists send positive messages about life or simply having a good time. Over the years, one of the main messages Zydeco artists send to fans is to be thankful for being alive. Older Zydeco music focuses on being alive, but I’ve learned that it has developed over time.However, I feel that there is always a Zydeco song to make me feel better. I believed Zydeco music could impact my life in ways it has. It has always been part of my family and that will continue for decades. That sweet sound transformed me the first time I heard it . However, the song that I always turn to is â€Å"Tu Le Ton Son Ton† by Andre Thierry & Zydeco. Andre Thierry’s song reminds me to keep doing my best throughout the week, and that the weekend is near. I learned over the years what Zydeco truly means and how my family expects me to carry on the tradition with my children.

Building stone conservation

The construction industry and its activities have an important role to play in socioeconomic development and quality of life. Construction activity accounts for more than 50% of the national outlays. Building Construction costs registered an increase in rates year after year at scales much faster than inflation. It is seen that in view of the increase in cost for basic input materials like steel, cement brick timber and other materials as well as the cost of construction labour, buildings cost increase at around 20% to 30% annually even when inflation is in single digit.Even though income levels of people are by and large brought in line with the levels of inflation through inflation indexed rise in salaries, year after year, housing is moving beyond the reach of the majority of the people. The reducing housing size for various categories in consecutive years in respect of the plinth areas, nature of specifications even with increased income levels would indicate the rapid increase i n cost of construction.The urban population growth has increased to more than 30%, and has made the need for adequate housing for low income people a very important concern for the government. However, the rush to respond to these needs seems to result in a low quality housing that does not adequately match the needs of these people. In countries where construction contributed 3-5% to GDP, an implication for development policy was that unless the construction industry grew faster than the economy as a whole it might constrain national development (Han and Ofori, 2001).The construction industry is a main contributor to the national economy, therefore the more developed the industry is the more the contribution to the economy. Similarly, a developing economy leads to more construction projects and purchasing ower means affordable projects. The interlink relation between the construction industry and the economy makes it clear that development can not occur without the other, although a growing construction industry does not necessarily mean a developing industry nor economy.In fact, the increase in construction prices could cause an artificial indication of the contribution of the construction industry to the GDP and economy. Furthermore the increase in construction costs always occurs faster than the increase in the GDP/capita. Approximate costs generally include mechanical and electrical installations, but exclude furniture, loose or special quipment, and external works. They also exclude fees for professional services and permission fees. The costs shown are appropriate to local specifications and standards.This should be borne in mind when attempting comparisons with similarly described building types in other countries. One of the main barriers to sustainability and sustainable construction will be affordability. The construction industry in developing countries cannot afford to make any dramatic changes but has to start improving the existing technology an d local resources it has. In less than two decades, the construction costs have increased by a considerable rate. This is in respect of the normal types of housing construction.Still higher levels of costs are registered for using better finishes and amenities. The current situation of un- affordability, necessitates the need for using economical solutions and appropriate designs and construction materials which can bring down the cost of construction within the affordability levels of the people, as identified in the Agenda 21 for sustainable construction in Developing Countries which concerns with construction economic efficiency through national and international housing policies that ensure adequate, affordable and sustainable housing.Authors such as Adebayo (2000), McIntosh (2000) and Aboutorabi (2000) has addressed out that the sustainability development of the built environment is significantly linked to affordability, and affordability will remain a key barrier to sustainabi lity. CONCLUSION The development of the construction industry should lead to affordable construction activities and materials, which is one of the main issues of sustainability in the developing countries. It seems that the development of the construction industry to achieve efficiency, quality, affordability and then sustainability is strongly tied to the economy.

Alton Towers Audit

Section A: Environmental Pressures Political (60%) The government has the authority to make decisions that can impact the operators greatly, for example they can decline planning permission and carry out health and safety checks resulting in closures such as Alton’s Black Hole. (25%) public campaigning can affect decisions made by theme parks in an attempt to resolve negative publicity. An example is when Soils Association campaigned against the provision of unhealthy foods in tourist attractions. Since then the park has made several changes and requested advice from nutritional expect Annabelle Karmel. 1 Regulatory (85%) â€Å"Various legislatives have been added to the woe,†2 limiting parks to what they can do such as only being able to employ those who have had CRB checks since public safety is a priority. Economical (60%) Less people have domestic expenditure which resulted in outbound tourism decreasing by 15% and domestic travel increasing by 17%. In 2009 the theme park industry as a whole gained revenue of ? 315m. (25%) The decreasing value of the pound makes it cheaper and more appealing for tourists and Britons to holiday in the UK. The pound has decline by a ? against the Euro in the last 5 years. 3 Social (50%) â€Å"What was once extreme is now tame and what was once unique is now old. †4 In today’s climate visitors are more demanding and not easily satisfied resulting in most operators introduce an attraction every 12 months. (40%) consumer lifestyles cause implications, household numbers are decreasing and more people choosing to have fewer children resulting in theme parks attracting other market segments 5 Technological (60%) Technology is the catalyst that allows futuristic attractions to be created as well as software such as CAD contributing to development, saving time and saving money. 6 Alton towers has a portfolio which consists of many â€Å"firsts. † Thirteen is the latest addition to these firsts, as the â€Å"first free fall drop rollercoaster† by which Alton towers claims that â€Å"so much technology has never been combined into one ride†. 7 Competitors (40%) In order to retain or increase market share theme parks have to be actively competitive. â€Å"You can guarantee in a few months another rollercoaster will be built slightly quicker or a couple of meters higher†8 (10%) â€Å"There are 7000 museums, gardens, zoos, etc that work hard to gain a market share of voice, consumer time and wallet. †9 The other two competitive factors (USP positioning and strategic alliances) are more important as they concern direct competitors. Organisational (80%) Designers, engineers and other intellectual property are the brains behind the â€Å"beasts†. The man behind some of Britain’s iconic roller coasters is Mr. John Wardley. His designs consist of Alton Towers’ Nemesis, Oblivion, Air and Thirteen as well as Thorpe Parks’ Colossus, Saw and Stealth. 10 Alton Towers employs 2000 people and supports another 3,700 jobs which prove how labour intensive the industry is. 11 Market (70%) According to one operator if there is rain before 9 am, ? of those who intended to visit a theme park do not go. Alton is trying to resolve the issue by considering â€Å"controlling† the weather using cloud seeing technology. 12 (30%) Marketing increases awareness. In 2002, despite others being affected by weather, Drayton Manor saw their visitor numbers increase by 2-5% thanks to its biggest ad campaign. 13 Industry Competitive Structure Alton’s direct competitors are made up of 20 operators all competing with a similar target audience. Alton towers direct, indirect, potential and current competitors are summarised in appendix 1. The main competitors are Thorpe Park, Chessington, Drayton Manor, Lego-Land, Blackpool, Flamingo and Gulliver’s. Alton towers are in lead with 20. 3% which accounts for a fifth of market share (appendix 4). 14 Using appendix 4, I would classify Alton Towers as the Market leader. More than half of the UK’s adults have visited Alton towers previously. 15 The market challengers would be its 2 competitors that play the biggest threats, Thorpe and Lego-Land. Chessington however would be placed with Drayton as followers, since the majority of rides are adjustments of standardised platform designs. This is backed up by the market shares both acquire. Neichers consist of Flamingo’s and Gulliver’s who appeal to only children whilst others try to satisfy all ages. A potential direct competitor is Disney land Paris, due to the fact that apart from Alton towers, it attracts more UK visitors than any other UK parks. 16 Its proximity is close and its transport connections are excellent, however its geographical location stops it from being a current competitor since the majority of individuals would rather have the convenience of staying in the UK for day trips. Current Indirect competitors are made of 7000 other attractions, which fight for a voice of market share, consumer time and their wallets. Theme parks are the 3rd most popular type of attraction after music concerts and festivals. 17 Potential indirect competitors can include the current concepts being aired for new parks themed around harry potter, CBBC and Horrible Histories. 18 The reason for them being indirect rather than direct is due to the fact we are unsure what will be involved within the park. As you can see, in appendix 3, Alton towers, Drayton Thorpe have a broader target market by providing attractions for all age groups, whilst Flamingo, Lego, Gulliver’s Chessington appeal to the younger market. Drayton Flamingo are the cheapest with ticket prices at ? 20-? 25 whilst others are priced at ? 35-? 40. Gullivers, Lego Flamingo differentiate themselves by having a consistant theme running through the park, with others having a number of themes within their grounds or no theme at all. An adoption life cycle has been created (Appendix 5) to show that Alton and Thorpe are the innovators constantly creating thrilling and exciting rides. Whilst at the opposite end are laggards Gulliver’s Lego-Land who simply adjust basic standard ride platforms to fit in with their theme. Industry Forces In appendix 6 there is a detailed porters 5 forces for Alton Towers. The numerical weighting is divided between the 5 elements; suppliers, buyers, threats, rivalry and substitutes. This model allows us to look at bargaining powers of each force. Starting with suppliers which have received the highest percentage of 40%, there are numerous companies that contribute to theme parks from additional services such as food and merchandise to essentials such as electricity and rides. Without suppliers industry competitors would not have any product/service to offer to buyers giving suppliers a dominant bargaining power. Dependant on the product, some suppliers such as LTC (ride consultants) are dominant within their market making switching costs high. The next highest percentage was distributed to industry rivals (20%) that play a massive threat to Alton Towers since they have the ability to take potential customers. The theme park industry is intense with its 20 operators fighting for market share. Buyers had equal percentage due to the fact they have the choice of which theme park to attend and low switching costs. The lack of demand or customer base which would lead to a theme parks closure. Substitutes and new entrants both have a low percentage of 10% due to the fact if customers are won over by other indirect attractions, most likely those customers wanted to gain another benefit other than high thrill seeking adrenaline rushes. There are also high entry and exit barriers such as the lack of investment and recourses, making it difficult to actually enter compete within this market. All of the forces have been declared to be a low threat for reasons mentioned above and the fact that it is unlikely that any force would be able to set up a strong competitor due to the various product offerings, services and labour needs to do so. Product /Service Evolution Theme parks products are focused around innovation, which is extremely rare. Parks attempt to create the tallest, fastest and longest rides which in reality are variation of basic platforms. Intellectual property plays a great role in the creation of innovative products. Examples of innovative products, all designed by John Wardly, are Alton Towers Flying coaster â€Å"Air†, its first free fall drop â€Å"Thirteen† or Thorpe park’s â€Å"Stealth† hydrochloride launcher . The latter two being described as â€Å"Engineering Genius†19 The park also provides other products to accommodate visitors such as its hotels to encourage overnight stays, healthier food options, various ticket passes (e. g. fast track/annual pass) and merchandise. Technology has assisted in increasing revenue through ride photos and â€Å"Your day† DVD’s f your day. The DVDs are produced using a RFID bracelet that potential customers carry around. 25-30% of potential customers have actually purchased a DVD. 20 Other products that theme parks have invested in to boost their existent product range efficiency is the CAD software used to predict if rides are going to work successfully before its even built. Parks such as Thorpe and Lego-Land also attempt to increase customer satisfaction and value for money by introducing Q-Bot systems. This technology allocated ride times to visitors so they can do other things in the meantime. Flamingo started using a variation product called Li-Lo Q texts which works in a similar way. 21 Appendix 7 shows the hierarchy for the leisure market, as you can see product forms split into a range of product items. A few have been selected to give an idea of the current product portfolio. An example of basic platform product, is Alton’s Spin-ball Whizzer and Chessington’ Dragon fury being the same product but altered. Alton Thorpe have many innovative products that attract numerous thrill-seeking visitors such as Colossus, Oblivion, Thirteen, etc. Companies also have co-branded or sponsored product such as Alton’s Sonic Spin-ball-whizzer or Drayton’s Thomas the tank engine land. Lego-Land Chessington offer products suited mainly for children making it difficult to be innovative due to extra restrictions and it means they are not appealing to any other segments. Appendix 8 shows the position of a few Alton Towers rides on the product life cycle. Thirteen being the latest addition is placed in introduction. Nemesis, Oblivion, Air Rita being the most popular are still in maturity due to the fact that their popularity does not allow them to decline. An example of a ride just past maturity would be submission where basic  platform products are no longer that popular. Deul II and Sonic Spin-ball are modified variations created to extend its product life cycle and boost its appeal. Market Segmentation Appendix 9 summarises segmentation variables. The main conclusions drawn up from all these elements are that the main target audience are aged 16-35 most likely being full time student or partly employed. It has a classless socio-economic market however those from D/E would most likely find a day out expensive. The majority of visitors live in the midlands region, where Alton has a high penetration of 71%22. Motivations where the average customer profile consists of those who are thrill seeking risk takers or family orientated individuals. Today’s consumer are more demanding, less patient, have high expectations and seen as being loyal since 88% of those who visited theme parks in 2009 are returning customers23. The average person visiting Alton spend more than 7 hours on the computer and shop at Waitrose indicating that they are young and well to do. 24 House hold numbers are decreasing and so is the rate of birth which means which can lead to labour shortages and less potential customers. Parks have also got to consider introducing smaller family packages. Appendix 10 shows a population shift where the population of the UK is currently 61,792,000. It shows there is a bulge located with the baby boomers, Males and females are fairly and the working population is represents 62% of the mid 2009 market. This information could assist and impact decisions made by the company, for example the increase of baby boomers means that the park may have to offer more services for suited for them. Appendix 1: Detailed PRESTCOM, Numerical Weighting Justification Political . The government realise by intervening in theme parks they could be restricting competition and suppressing innovation. The government involve themselves in matters concerning the safety and well fair of the general public. The government has the authority to decline planning permission, heavily fine theme parks and close them down if they feel it is necessary to do so. 60 *The government themselves are the most important factor due to their high authority and ability to make necessary decisions to restrict or enhance the industry and its competitors. *Reputation is more important than the political climate as it can create more damage to the brand in the long run. *The political climate can affect sales but only for the short term. The public themselves can cause havoc and protest against theme parks which can have an effect on the reputation and decisions made by the theme parks themselves in order to satisfy needs and keep a positive reputation. 25 The political climate itself can have an impact on a theme park sales, activities and management. 15 Regulatory Aspects of theme parks are under tighter control resulting in more red tape concerning employment, machine games, fire safety and CRB. 85 *Numerous regulations have been created for trading bodies to abide by. Recently theme parks are under tighter restrictions which obviously would have a massive impact in how they are run and in some cases what they provide. *There are only a number of people aware of the RFID tags privacy issue and it doesn’t impact theme parks to a huge extent. Connected to technology, there are concerns over privacy rights due to the introduction of RFID tags. 15 Economical Dependant on whether a country is in a boom or a recession it can affect the amount of disposable income an individual has and the unemployment rate of the country as a whole. The current recession has had a major impact on the visitor numbers and sales revenue. The current economic climate has had a positive effect on theme parks. 60 *The economical state of a country is vital to the growth and revenue of all industries. It is the most important economical factor as it means there is lower income rates and less spending power. *Having a weak exchange rate causes outbound tourism to decline and inbound tourism to flourish, both positive contributions to the increase of visitors to UK theme parks. *Inflation can influence sales rates. Exchange rate – the weak sterling rate increases inbound tourism due to the UK being a cheaper holiday destination. 25 Inflation is high causing admissions to rise by 16 % in the next 4 years. Expected to have 4. 7 million admissions 15 Social As time goes on there are shifts in demographics as well as people’s expectations and taste change continuously. Theme parks try to conquer this social factor by providing a variety of attractions to satisfy all needs. 50 *Socially, demographics, expectations and taste play the largest role in motivating people do to particular actions. *Life style also effects the actions of an individual and is nearly almost as important influencing people’s behaviour. *The fact that some individuals are afraid of rides/heights has little impact to those that do and doesn’t significantly decrease the number of visitors. Numerous people are afraid of rides and heights which influence sales, this isn’t helped by the fact that there are incidents where technical faults have caused injuries/deaths. These incidents could also damage a brands reputation. 10 The lifestyle of individuals has changed over the years due to a number of reasons but plays a big part in motivations for certain behaviour and attitude 40 Technological Technology has allowed the internal functioning of the organisation to be more efficient and less time consuming. 20 *Technology is the most important change impacting theme parks. It is the catalyst behind innovation, production and operation. *It has also assisted theme a parks to be run efficiently, make communication more effective and increase revenue through merchandising but obviously, they have had a smaller impact. Technology has also allowed theme parks to be more innovative when creating rides/attractions, improve existing rides and enhance the safety of rides. 60 Technology can assist theme parks to increase revenue through merchandise and convenience. 10 It has also made communication more efficient. 10 Competitive Direct competitors have a major impact on theme parks activities and visitor no’s. Alton Towers main direct competitors consist of Thorpe Park, The Adventure World of Chessington, Legoland, Drayton and Blackpool 40 *Direct competitors cause theme parks to respond in a competitive manner in an attempt to be the best. The USP positioning extra competitive facilities have an equal impact due to both having the ability to attract visitors and influence their decisions. Theme parks team up with other organisations can also increase awareness/attention The USP positioning has a major influence of how its run and if there successful in positioning accurately then how visitors perceive the brand/theme park. 20 Indirect competitors consist of other leisure activities. The UK leisure sector is a very competitive industry attracting various sorts of people. 10 Theme parks team up with other brands, organisations and companies to give themselves a competitive advantage. 10 Some theme parks have extra facilities to give them a better competitive advantage 20 Organisation Man power – the intellectual property that the theme park has can vastly influence the designs and construction of attractions. Theme parks are also very labour intensive industries. 80 *Intellectual property is a key factor to the success of theme parks; The brains behind the big ideas and the production of them. *The costs influence the organisation, their budget, margins and decisions. Higher overheads such as the increase of electricity cost and higher staffing costs have has an impact on theme parks margins. 20 Market Sales are vastly influenced an uncontrollable factor; the weather 70 The weather is the biggest influence of visitor attendance. Marketing comes second to it due to its ability to increase awareness. Marketing can influence the success of the theme park, especially with those outside local regions. 30 Appendix 2 – Direct Indirect Competitors LOWER COST DIFFERENTATION BROAD TARGET Drayton Alton Towers Thorpe Park NARROW TARGET Flamingo Lego Chessington Gulliver’s Blackpool DIRECT INDIRECT CURRENT Thorpe Park Chessington Gulliver’s Drayton Flamingo Blackpool London Eye Cadburys Sea Life Centre Tower of London Holidays POTENTIAL Disney Paris CBBC park Horrible Histories park Appendix 4 – Market Share (Created using source: Mintel, Theme Parks, Feb 2010) Appendix 5 – Adoption Life Cycle Appendix 6 – Porters 5 Forces Numerical Weighting Appendix 7 – Hierarchical Decomposition of the Leisure Attraction Industry Appendix 8 –Product Life Cycle Appendix 9 – Segmentation table (Created using Mintel Data/Sources) Demographics Geographics Physcographics Behaviouralistic Age – Visitors peak among 16 and 35 year olds. 16-24 year olds account for 21. 4% and 25-34 year olds account for 23. 3%. The data shows that as the age group gets older there is a decrease in the number of visitors. Region- Alton Towers attracted 19. 1% of those from the Midlands region. Followed up by the North West visitors of 17. 5% and then London at 13. 2%. Motivations – can be numerous. It could be for a social day out with friends, for the thrills of sky high rides, for family fun, for a change of scenery or value for money through incentives. Regular visitors – 1 in 4 people went to a theme park in 2009. 88 % were returning to that theme park whilst 12 % were first timers. Consumers are l were satisfied previously and also new targets have been attracted. Gender – 47% of those who went to Alton Towers were female with 53% being males. This shows that it has products to appeal to both genders. Population numbers have increased to 61. 8m. it has been predicted that in the next 4 years we shall see a increase of 10 year olds and over 50’s. Personality – Alton Towers is geared up for those who are energetic, lively, hrill seeking socialisers. They also appeal to family orientated individuals. According to the data 50% of theme Alton Towers visitors spend 7 + hours using the internet per day which indicates that our users are young. Occupation – 19% of those attending Alton Towers were full-time students with and 17. 7 being part time employed. This shows that it attracts many students and those between ages of 16 and 30 years. Climate – has a massive effect upon the attendance. According to one operator 1 out of 4 of those intended to come, get put off of coming if they see it rain before 9 am. 12 % of individuals claim that theme parks simply have no interest to them; theme parks have to try and find ways around this. There has been a high correlation between those that shop at Waitrose and those that attend the Alton theme park. this could indicate that visitors are quite well off as Waitrose prices are high compared to their competitors. Socio-Economic Class – It is classless, Alton towers attracts a number of various people from all sorts of backgrounds. However it has been found that majority D/E segments find it expensive. Today’s consumers are more demanding, less patient and get easily bored. The product life cycle is a lot shorter than it once was due to competitor increase and innovation change. This can be backed up by the fact that rides are now introduced every 12 months rather than every 2/3 years. Lifestyle : household numbers are decreasing. Less people chose to marry and settle down with children affecting the target audience of theme parks in the long run. We currently live in a digital world where people have a hectic life revolved around money and have no time to waste. Ethnicity Religion – attracts all types of people and even has allocated days for example â€Å"Muslim Day† Appendix 10 – Population Shifts

Food Process Technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Food Process Technology - Assignment Example This report will assess the principles of these methods, their applications, the techniques through which they are applied, and their future growth and limitations. Modified Atmospheric Pressure (MAP) is a method of preserving and prolonging the shelf life of the food products. This technique was discovered in the 1930s when fruits and other products were transported to different parts of the world in ships and they tended to have increased shelf lives due to the carbon dioxide which was present in their holding rooms. Then eventually in the 1970s, the modified atmospheric packaging reached the supermarkets and stores when fish and bacon were sent to be sold in Mexico in retail packs. The technological advancement has taken place since then and thus there has been a continuous growth in the modified atmospheric packaging in regard to the increased consumer demand (Robertson, 2012). The MAP also has many theoretical explanations of why it has become popular and simply a need for the shopkeepers. Commercialization is also a major reason why the MAP is widely used to fulfill the requirements of the consumer. Shopkeepers need to maintain their profit levels and satisfy their customers. None of the customers want to buy fruits or vegetables that are not fresh. Many of the supermarkets buy goods in large stocks and preserve them. However, it wasn’t likely for every market to buy huge stocks of fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products and leave them to rot after a day. Thus, engineers from the food processing industry introduced this technique which helped the shopkeepers to maintain and retain the shelf life of their perishable products (Han, 2005). Since then, the need and use of MAP have increased with advancement that takes place frequently. These advances are in the shape of different techniques and ways of application to improve.

Marriage and Women's Citizenship in the United States Essay

Marriage and Women's Citizenship in the United States - Essay Example This paper will discuss whether the United States was a land of opportunity in the 1960s. In order to understand the trends of naturalization that allowed people to form an attachment with the United States as a political entity and other American during the 1960s, it is rational to review the trends in the previous decades (Cott 1443). Prior to 1850, the United States allowed the people of the ‘white’ descent to enter and settle in the United States of America as citizens. The absorption of whites and the conferment of civil, citizenship and political rights occurred without any barriers. Evidently, whites had the advantage of exploiting the opportunities in the United States without any barriers. On the contrary, the people of color faced the compulsion to work as slaves and labors. Prior to the 1850s, the United States lacked any stipulations that defined concisely the requirements of becoming a citizen. However, 1855 saw the enactment of the initial law that defined the qualifications that an individual had to meet before successful naturalization (1450). This law still allowed whites the unlimited permission to become citizens of the United States as long as they were willing to express allegiance to the state and assume the responsibility of full citizens. Moreover, this law highlighted that white women marred by American citizens were allowed to become citizens. However, women of color that intended to get married or were already married to American whites did not qualify for the naturalization process. Moreover, if American males bore children, these children qualified for citizenship. The 1855 law emphasized the factor of racial qualification because it forbade both women of color to become naturalized as American citizens. Even in cases where litigations resulted, many United States courts applied the 1855 stipulation with the racial qualification clause as the central exclusion factor (1465). The 1855 limited people of color from accessi ng the opportunities in the United States. In 1840, some minority groups had gained entry into the United States and had access to the opportunities at that time. Since the law viewed women as dependents, those married by Americancitizens lacked the privilege of owning property. Moreover, the man served as a critical intermediary that linked the women to the state. In this case, women married to American males had to be content with the husband’s opinion, since the man passed for the family head with a dominant role as defined by the law (1467). Evidently, the surging number of people who sought the naturalization process places emphasis that the United States was a territory with multiple opportunities. The enactment of the laws sought to regulate the number of people who accessed such opportunities. The 1860s saw the immigration department governed by the 1855 act. This act defined the requirements of people that wanted to become citizens to meet. During this period, farmin g was a leading agricultural activity after the exploitation of the California gold rush that had happened two decades prior to the 1960s (1470). However, the 1860s saw reinforcement of the 1855 act that emphasized on the exclusion of certain people who sought to access these opportunities. Chinese women were adversely

Advantages and disadvantages of E-learning Assignment

Advantages and disadvantages of E-learning - Assignment Example This paper seeks to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of E-learning. E-learning employs two main teaching methods depending on the institution and learning facilities present (IBM, 2010). The first is the Asynchronous learning method which is a student centered approach. In this method, lessons are delivered informally using internet based resources, virtual tutors where resources needed for learning are made available through reference sites, and computer based training. The second method is synchronous learning that involves a number of students learning in a virtual classroom at the same time, whereby students use telecommunication facilities such as video conferences to take lectures. Thus, instructor teaches the lesson virtually through an internet portal, as students watch online (Nayak & Suesaowaluk, 2007). E-Learning allows students to study from anywhere in the world, and take any course of their choice since it uses internet resources whereby a student can register f or a course offered in a different location, access reading resources and take online examinations for the course. E-learning reduces costs that occur in the traditional teaching methods considering that the institutions using this method save on cost incurred by lecturers in travelling to lecture in different locations. Education institutions in different countries are using this system to offer their courses, as a tutor can conduct a class from their geographical location electronically without the need to travel physically. This also makes the utilization of labor in these institutions efficient because they need few staff members to conduct lecturers for a large audience (IBM, 2010). Electronic learning improves classroom learning efficiency because it allows for better interactivity between students, tutor and the learning process. Multimedia capabilities and internet resources involve the student intellectually in the whole learning process. This mode of study uses resources l ike videos, blogs, audio files, and web pages to teach the students leading to worldwide acceptability (Markovic, 2010). In addition, it has a global reach in the learning process, which involves students and tutors from all locations, and races, as students have universal access to experts who assist them in the learning process. Institutions using this method have dedicated workers available online to answer any queries from students; employing websites that are interactive and students can get answers to frequently asked questions that can arise as they study (Stennes, n.d.; Nayak & Suesaowaluk, 2007). This form of learning is convenient to all the people involved in the study process; for instance, it makes classroom assessment easy for the lecturer. The lecturer gives reading resources electronically and receives answers to assignments electronically, which allows them to easily track the assignments and check for plagiarism and copying. The administrators of institutions offer ing e-learning get feedback on the progress of the classes from all the stakeholders. Students can make comments and reviews on the subject’s content, and also the whole teaching process which is used as a framework for improving the process. In addition, lecturers receives students comments and feedbacks on the modules, content of the study, and understands where to change and improve the classes (Markovic, 2010). This method poses a number of disadvantages to both students and institutions that offer it, considering that e-learning relies heavily on internet and telecommunication facilities, which incurs cost for hardware and software installation, as well as internet charges to access learning

How Symbolism, Setting and Characterization Contribute to the Power of Essay

How Symbolism, Setting and Characterization Contribute to the Power of 'Coalinga, Half Way' - Essay Example It soon becomes apparent that is imagery is extended to his wife, 'her big eyes' seeming to relate to the cattle's eyes. The moaning of a single cow links with her gasp, the 'horrible thud of shock in her chest, the slaughtering of the animals, the killing of her hope. Further symbolic images imply guilt, dread and destruction as the man sees pieces of garbage: This man may perceive himself to be the criminal here, for what he is thinking and intends to do. The symbolic links with the animals and their fate are continued when he believes himself to be crying, just as 'the steers set up a long series of desperate bawling', then, like him drop off into silence again, as does the piercing shriek of the circling hawk. The hawk itself suggests a symbol of something circling for the kill, bringing destruction somewhere, as the man destroys his family. The words 'will you meet me halfway' signify much more than a drive or geographical point on a map, as does the statement, 'he knows he's gone way past halfway'. The imagery of himself as something 'deep inside a muscle' calls to mind the hypodermic needle of an addict, and sure enough, he is soon no longer himself, but 'some scared boy.' Words and voices, with particular reference to the telephone also play a large part in the action.

Food and Agriculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Food and Agriculture - Essay Example Food can stay for extremely lengthy time before going bad by using methods such as canning and silos for storing grains. These methods make plants and animals to be pest and disease resistance, herbicide, cold and drought tolerance. However, some of these acts are very dangerous in human lives given that environment is largely polluted through the grass and the grains that these animals feed on. Study shows that chemicals used in genetically modified food enhance mortality rate in many species of insect larvae. Increase use of fertilizers in planting crops leads to addition of excess chemicals in the soil thus causing danger to organisms living under the soil. Overusing underground water seriously increases salinity in the soil (Pirro 2010). Although, the issue of food supply has sturdily been taken care of, the plentiful food gradually kills us. Countless children have developed allergies to the genetically modified food both in America and worldwide. Various diseases and disorders such as obesity, cancer, and diabetes have risen due to consumption of these foods that seem healthy in our own eyes yet are full of hormones and chemicals. The traditional way of growing food and rearing animals is the only sure solution to the American food problems (Pirro

Macro Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Macro Economics - Essay Example The focus shifts from expenditure to save more of the current income for future spending. Thus in reacting to this less expenditure on the part of the consumers and the investors the firm will lower their production resulting in less output. Reduction in the wage rate of the workers in this circumstance will not contribute to the elimination of the huge unemployment rate prevailing in the economy. Simultaneous decrease in the interest rates in the economy will also not succeed in returning the economy back in the original track (Gwartney, Stroup, Sobel and MacPherson, 228). Wages and interest rates are considered fixed in the Keynesian theory. According to the theory even if there is a decline in the wage rate a negative impact will be exerted on the economy through the reduction in income and hence reduction in aggregate demand. Keynesian theory rejects the view of the classical economists that market forces will bring back the system of full employment in the economy. Equilibrium i n the economy will be reached when the total spending in the economy will be equal to the total output. Changes in output may drive the economy to a certain extent towards the equilibrium as opposed to price changes as suggested by the other stream of economists.

Speedy feet athletics club systems analysis Assignment

Speedy feet athletics club systems analysis - Assignment Example He will then come up with the calendar of the competitions that will be done in a given season. iii. Hannah (Venues Advisor) is the person responsible with managing venues and the facilities that are available in each of the venues. Hannah is responsible with ensuring that the venues are in good condition for the competitions that are coming. iv. Timekeeper is the person who is responsible with ensuring that time is followed and all activities are done according to the stipulated time. v. Athlete is key person taking place in in the competition. User specifications From the use case diagram, the use case that I will give specifications is that of Ethan, the club competition advisor. He manages most of the processes that happen within the club. He ensures that the athletes get the calendar and make sure that the venues are in order. He compiles the calendar basing on the facilities that are available in each of the venue. Some of the user specifications for the competitions advisor ar e stated below: i. The system should be able to give the available venues that competition can take place ii. The system should give the athletes that have been accepted to take part in the competition in a given season iii. It should give the facilities that are available in a given venue so that the competition can be scheduled basing on this information iv. The it should give the days that competitions can take place v. It should list the people who can supervise the various competitions vi. It should give the list of the athletes that have been rejected so that letters can be sent to them vii. It should be able to send letters to rejected athletes viii. It should have the time keepers who will manage the time of the competitions. Usability goals Basing on the competitions advisor, the usability goals that are required include: i. Effectiveness. Will the system do what is designed to do? The system should do what has been designed to do. The effort to come up with a list of compe titions and athletes for a given season. ii. Utility. Does the system, provide enough utility to carry out tasks that are done by a competitions advisor as natural as possible? The usability of the system should be able to accommodate a range of tasks that are normally done by competitions advisor. iii. Efficiency. This usability goal tries to answer the question of time. How long will the competitions advisor take to handle issues that are at hand? The new system should be efficient so that it takes less time to perform the tasks designed to perform. It should take less time to perform tasks that have been designed to be done. It should be faster while scheduling and compiling the calendar (Dennis, Wixom & Roth 2008). User experience goals The system should be able to enhance the experience of the user when using the system. In our case example, the following are the user experience that is required for the competitions advisor: i. Should be satisfying. The system should satisfy th e needs of the competitions advisor so that he is able to be productive in what he does. It should be productive and meet the needs of a competitions advisor. ii. The system should also be rewarding. The competitions advisor should be able to feel that he has been productive in undertaking the tasks that have been assigned to him. The competitions advisor should be in a position to undertake the tasks that have been assigned and be able to undertake what has he has been doing in the manual process and

National Honors Society Essay Essay Example for Free

National Honors Society Essay Essay If I had the power to change three things in my school or community, I would obligate all high school students to take a culture and religion class to educate students about people’s various beliefs and customs. Secondly, I would encourage students to take higher level academic classes instead of just the basics. We would send students into freshmen classrooms to and inform them about the benefits of taking some of the tougher classes. At the the same time we are trying to erase some of the misconceptions about the upper level math and science courses. Finally, I would encourage hosting more community activities. Living in the age of globalization, it is crucial for schools to offer a class that teaches global culture, including as well as the beliefs of various ethnic and religious groups. Offering such a class would be a crucial improvement in our school. We all are aware of the importance of obtaining a good education and the highest degrees in the latest and best technologies. In preparation for that we take the hardest classes in school and try to get into the most illustrious college and learn, but, alas, we forget the most important aspect of life: ______. We always forget that what is even more important than understanding the world in which we live in and how it functions and its sciences, is understanding each other and how we as individuals functions based on our beliefs and culture. In the real word, disagreement arises from the inability to understand someone else’s approach to something, especially if they come from a different background than you. On a bigger scale, disputes between countries due to our lack of understanding of others and their customs can often lead to war. So much unnecessary conflict arises from our ignorance and lack of education we receive from school. Therefore, making such a class mandatory for all students would also indubitably trigger healthy relationships throughout the student body, instead of the stereotypical malice that currently flows around. Secondly, I would encourage the student body to take more challenging courses. In high school, we all think about having fun and making the most of these four years, especially during our senior year. Nonetheless, we fail to realize how valuable our time is in high school. How we spend this time determines what colleges we get entry to, what scholarships you receive, but also our future career. Students often surmise that the higher level math and sciences courses are only for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"nerds† and fail to realize the benefits, including how much money it will save them in college. Therefore, I would like to create a program where students who have taken theses higher level courses go around the school during the two-week period when everyone is choosing courses for the next year and discuss the benefits of taking classes such as AP Calculus, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. Furthermore, this would also clear up some of the appalling misconceptions created about some of these classes. For instance, during a personal encounter I had with a student who I was helping with math homework, she asked what math class I was in. To which I replied, â€Å"I am taking AP Calculus†. She immediately replied with comments such as, â€Å"Why bother, it’s a waste of time. No one ever use Calculus in the real world except if you’re a rocket scientist.† Obviously, she made an illegitimate claim. I had to explain to her that, in fact, the type of math most applied in any career is calculus, as it helps solve 80% of real-world problems and much more applicable than algebra or trigonometry. Reasons and encounters as such is what motivates me to create such programs so students can benefit from them and make the most out of high school. Finally, I would encourage hosting more community activities. We already have a town square where we celebrate the first Friday of every month with a small carnival. But with our small community size and our extremely diverse population, we could host annual picnics where people bring traditional dishes, stage a mixture of cultural performances, and, overall, just have a good time with each other. This kind of exposure is very beneficial for everyone, especially employees and their colleagues. Not knowing about your colleagues and their entertainment and food preferences could create unnecessary problems. One might accidently comment or reference something that is offensive to their co workers creating a spark that could potentially ignite a fire. There are many changes that can be brought to the community and school that would be very beneficial. But if I had the power to change three things in my school or community, I would obligate all high school students to take a culture and r eligion class, encourage students to take higher level academic classes instead of just the basics, and I would encourage hosting more community activities.

Williams and Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Williams and Utilitarianism Essay In his critique of Utilitarianism, Williams finds fault in the Utilitarian commitment to maximum utility in that it undermines the integrity of moral agents and denies people the projects and relationships they inherently value. Famously known as his â€Å"Integrity Objection†, this proposition is immediately very enticing in that it appeals to the idea of the invaluable and imperative nature of benevolence and compassion, versus the cold, impartial hand of Utilitarianism. That is not to say, however, that Utilitarians have been dealt a hefty criticism from which they have no defense. While Williams may be correct in claiming that abandoning commitments or devaluing personal relationships may be counterintuitive, a Utilitarian could argue that his construction of â€Å"integrity† is equally counterintuitive in that it would require one to override their intrinsic pursuit of self- preservation. Additionally, if we were to presuppose Williams’ correctness, a Utilitarian could argue that the only plausible implementation of such a theory would mean valuing these emotional engagements above one’s own agency, a scenario even more demanding and sacrificial of one’s identity than the Utilitarian proposal. Williams directs this objection specifically toward Act-Utilitarianism, a branch of Utilitarian thought that deems the morally correct action as the one that produces the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. He claims that such a theory is incompatible with the aspect of human happiness that is found in the commitment to personal projects and relationships: â€Å"Utilitarianism would do well then to acknowledge the evident fact that among the things that make people happy is not only making other people happy, but being taken up or involved in any of a vast range of projects. †1 While Utilitarians actually need lower order projects comprised of relationships and commitments in order to validate their higher order projects, the lower order projects will always serve the concerns of the first order. In turn, Williams asserts that such a compromise of emotional engagements for maximum utility usurps one’s sense of self, consequently marring the distinction between one’s commitment and one’s identity: â€Å"( ) that criterion would eliminate any desire at all which was not blankly and in the most straightforward sense egoistic. Thus we should be reduced to frankly egoistic first-order projects, and- for all essential purposes- the one second-order utilitarian project of maximally satisfying first-order projects. †2Abandoning certain commitments for the sake of another project can be acceptable, but when forced to relinquish those which a person deeply values, Williams argues they are robbed of â€Å"a sense of one’s moral identity† or what he describes as one’s integrity. Williams offers us two scenarios to further exemplify his theory: â€Å"Jim†, who is told by the edicts of utilitarianism to murder one innocent Amazon Indian in order to prevent twenty more being murdered, and â€Å"George†, a chemist who is (also by the parameters of Utilitarianism) forced to take a job creating weapons of mass destruction, since the balance-sheet of utilities shows that if George refuses, a far younger, more zealous chemist will carry the project along even further and more efficiently than George. While these scenarios may seem like far-fetched constructions meant to reveal Utilitarianism pursuing the wrong choice, Williams conversely (perhaps begrudgingly) admits that these would be the â€Å"right† choices for the given circumstances. The true problem, he argues, is 1? CITATION? 112? 2? CITATION? 113? ? that the emphasis should not simply be on the â€Å"rightness† of the action but the considerations involved in reaching that conclusion. This is a feature of Utilitarianism Williams claims â€Å"cuts out a consideration which for some others makes a difference to what they feel about such cases†. 3 He continues to explain that excluding such considerations denies our sense of personal accountability for our own actions and in turn â€Å"makes integrity as a value more or less intelligible†. 4 In sum, if we were to reduce William’s entire integrity objection to its most salient points, they would be the following: the emotional commitments that are incompatible with the parameters of Act- Utilitarianism are not only impossible to abandon entirely but are an integral facet of human happiness, therefore creating a dilemma for the Utilitarian in that they must allow for it. The potential defense of a Utilitarian to Williams’ objection begins with the examination of his construction of integrity, which he seems to define as one’s â€Å"sense of self†. Looking simply at this definition alone, it could be said that subjectivity suggested with this variety of integrity incorrectly presupposes that a person’s sense of their identity is always correct. Utilitarianism could make a claim for the value in assessing reality with the sort of impartiality that Williams’ rejects, seeing as if one is not being appraised objectively, their sense of self is entirely contingent on their own conception. More importantly, and the crux of the Utilitarian defense, is that while Williams’ is correct in his claim that abandoning these emotional entanglements is counterintuitive, maintaining such commitments are at odds with the human desire for self-preservation, a 3? CITATION? p99? 4? CITATION? p99? ? conflict that Utilitarianism not only recognizes but Williams does not offer any viable solution for. Based on his examples and criticisms of Utilitarianism, it could be inferred that Williams assumes that we have a moral obligation to help others in a time of crisis, that one has an inherent responsibility to compassion and benevolence. This is clearly in conflict with the Utilitarian theory that one’s responsibility is to maximum utility, so even if the Utilitarian were to concede to Williams objection, it would be implausible to imagine a scenario in which the two could be regarded as being of equal value. In turn, the only option available to maintaining this ethos of selflessness would be to regard it as superior to maximum utility. This, a Utilitarian could argue, could prove to be extremely problematic. Firstly, it is extremely unrealistic to assume that people have the capacity to function entirely out of selflessness. Even though benevolence and emotional attachment can provide a certain level of happiness and fulfillment to a person, the expectation to unilaterally value the welfare of others over our own is not only implausible but ultimately self-defeating. Abandoning or betraying commitments in order to further advance a larger more important agenda certainly isn’t an idea particular to Utilitarianism. A quick browse of a history textbook would support that, by and large, humans are inherently self-serving and while one may commit to an act, cause or person, it does not necessarily mean that they themselves aren’t using such relationships for their own agency. Utilitarianism may require that a person abandon a particular commitment for the sake of the greater good, but it can certainly be said that in the absence of utilitarianism, the commitment could be abandoned anyway, except in this case it would be for a self-serving purpose. A Utilitarian could potentially argue that their moral theory simply recognizes and curbs the inwardly focused desires of mankind and attempts to redirect such motivation toward the greater good. One could argue that Williams’ is somewhat disillusioned with mankind as he makes sweeping idealizations of the human psyche. Williams’ examples of â€Å"Jim† and â€Å"George† seem to both be contingent on the idea that what makes said examples disconcerting is premise that both men would be acting against their conscience, in turn making the assumption that all people have consciences that should be considered. Secondly, if one could clear the hurdle of the first argument, the actual implementation of such a theory is extremely difficult. Williams argues that Utilitarianism is far too demanding to be plausible but in fact, trading this impartiality for benevolence proves to be far more exhausting. Considering the world’s current state of affairs, there are always people in dire need of help, so one calls into question exactly what parameters would be set in place in order to orchestrate such a society. What would be the stipulations of a worthy recipient of another’s benevolence? If Williams was simply talking about people’s obligation to those close to them, valuing those relationships above maximum utility creates a bias that is even more incompatible with benevolence than Utilitarianism, which at least works in the interest of the entire population. A Utilitarian could also argue that it simply because they are outweighed by maximum utility does not mean that substantial relationships are not valued in Utilitarianism. While they are indeed lower order projects, a Utilitarian could make an argument that it is through maintaining such relationships that the value of one’s own welfare is realized and are only outweighed by serious interests of first order projects. The analyses above reflect the same conclusion. Williams’ objection brings to light shortcomings in Utilitarianism that are easily felt by those uncomfortable with the impartial and seemingly unfeeling Utilitarian mentality. However, the arguments put forth by Williams regarding the counterintuitive and overly demanding nature of impartiality neglect the similarly inherent and insatiable desire for self-preservation.

Theories of False Memories and Confessions

Theories of False Memories and Confessions Introduction Essentially, the memorization procedure is a compound formula, into which the human mind feeds general knowledge, contextual data—both present and past, and alternate memories (Hyman and Loftus, 2008). It is through the manipulation of such alternatives that criminologists have found that mental frailties and internal collapses allow for coercion and extraction of false memories and confessions. Ultimately, the expansive nature of this field governs the application of misrepresentation and misguidance within clinical participants, thereby affecting children through elders, each attuning different mental perspectives to the acceptance of false memories. Yet the motivations behind such influence are what continue to influence the scope of investigation, challenging researchers and professionals to interpret their data sets according to the prescription of theory and study guidelines. The mistake in this approach, as evidenced in the following analyses is directly aligned with th e diverse nature of the mind itself. Ultimately, mental frailties and personal differences affect the capacity for false memory acquisition, thereby altering the translatability of such a broad range of clinical trials. The reality of memory is that it is a function of lifestyle variables, influenced by emotion, participation, and repression, and oftentimes an overwhelming need to misdirect. Therefore, as researchers pursue the truths behind coercion and acceptance of false occurrences, alternative variable including environment, social and emotional affectation, and experiential bias must be considered. The foundation of criminology is a factual evisceration within a guarded and oftentimes obscured meandering of inconsequential details and coincidences. In order to functionally apply these theories to the study of false memories and confessions, criminologists must identify those variables which are irrelevant and those which directly alter the capacity for appropriate source monitoring and coding. Analysis The following sections identify the relevant theories within the field of false memories and confessions, thereby highlighting the idiosyncrasies which differentiate theory from field results. Given that the study of memory error and falsification has evolved across a broad spectrum of participants and studies, conflicting results do arise requiring researchers to further extrapolate those foundations which can provide a much more derisive prescriptions and analyses. Ultimately, the foundation for false memories derives from situational, contextual, emotional, and suggestible phenomena, each contributing to the failure of internal memory control mechanisms such as codification and source monitoring. Photographs and Events From a clinical perspective, research on false memories is most often conducted through the use of a broad range of participants and photographic or event based suggestions. As researchers note that false memories evolve from varied institutions and scenarios, the internment of such representations within a patient’s mind is directly related to acceptance, context, and ascription (Wade, et al., 2002). To access these variables within the respondent’s mind, researchers will offer them a suggestive false memory, one which when appropriately directed can become a legacy memory, vivid and real in every detail. While these steps remain the foundation of false memory research, the reality is that variables interned within the participant’s cognitive capabilities are actually responsible for the assumptive application. Attribution to a personal experience, or in other words, personal implantation evolves from the coercive factors including context, social, and emotional influences. Hyman and Loftus (1998) highlight an internal assumptive nature within humanity in which photographs are ascribed a credibility, one which is unequivocally reliable and deemed a perpetual representation of emotional encapsulation. Yet this expectation is unreliable unless the participant is both open to suggestion and primed by internal mechanisms, including experiential relevance. A study exploring the affect of doctored images and their reliability in memory coercion conducted by Wade et al. (2002) determined that from a criminology standpoint, the potential for misrepresentation through image doctoring is both real and applicable. Coercion of defendants in a controlled setting through photographic manipulation is an effective mode of generating acceptance of placement, criminal activity, and actions. What must be further exploited, however, is the fact that simply placing a person’s face or figure into a crime scene and then attempting to convince them of its validity is no t an effective, nor internally translatable process. In fact, the photographic qualities themselves are not typically the determining factor in a confession. Situational relevance, environmental variables, and the scope of punishment will oftentimes result in false memory generation under the constraint of suggestive photographs or other evidence. However, in particular studies, where suggestion of validity is enhanced by familiar figures, the capacity to accept its reliability become substantially enhanced (Wade, 2002). In fact, researchers have highlighted that when coupled with vivid memories of childhood events, images can couple with imagination to produce effective pseudomemories (Lindsay et al., 2004). Remarkably, the infusion of both imagination and belief enhance the acceptance of the photograph, thereby evoking a memory which is directly aligned with perceived experience. In truth, experience is then created through mental approbation, enhancing the respondent’s rec ognition of reality and falsifying a lasting memory. Historically, studies have represented the nature of false memory as both contextually and temporally derived, exploiting both age and socio-economic background to attempt to identify those variables which most encourage falsified representation (Bruck et al., 2002; McFarlane et al., 2002; Jones and Powell, 2005). Unfortunately, the explanation for the enhanced falsification at later temporal dates is limited by the scope of experimental constructs, evading those intricacies which most influence childhood interpretation, including environment, experience, and emotional affectation. Regardless of enhanced detail offered by children in relation to false scenarios, the underlying implications demonstrate that internalisation of imagery and detail from prior interviews is directly related to the deviance from actual events. Therefore, future studies must exploit the aforementioned variables to determine how situational memory and influence directs the internalisation of false memories. I n scenarios where sexual abuse is purported, the emotional ties and suggestive influence of the psychologist will oftentimes evoke a false memory which leads to a criminal conviction. Accusers have been known to manufacture their charges through internalised responses to suggestive event or photographs, thereby combining emotion and coercion into a false singular incidence. Encoding and Imagination Much of the research surrounding false memories and false confessions evolves from controlled clinical scenarios through which respondents are subjected to either a suggestive memory or control memory. Researchers note that regardless of age, the reflective process through which subjects engage in encoding suggestions or artificially induced memories influences the depth of misattribution and internment (Zargoza and Lane, 1994). These background motivations remain obscured, thereby limiting the clinical professional’s ability to appropriately interpret results on a deeper and more prescriptive level. One affectation within this realm of study evolves from a Freudian concept of childhood amnesia, through which memories prior to age eight are likely to be lacking in depth and clarity. From this assumption, studies have determined that children are similarly susceptible to acquisition of false memories and imposition of misinformation as a perceived reality within the amnesic per iod as they are after its inception (Strange et al., 2008). Therefore, the nature of false memory association is both temporally and contextually relevant, enhanced by ineffective source monitoring as well as improper codification of misinformation. The ability to correctly identify the source of particular information, whether through memory or suggestion, and interpret it into a memory or external data is oftentimes limited by a cognitive or mental failure or frailty (Johnson et al., 1993). Specificity in questioning when interviewing children or adults will oftentimes dictate the direction of the response. Exemplary of such behaviour, studies relating to children and their memory of physical examination or improper groping have demonstrated that sensitivity to interviewer demands, including the formality of the setting and length of the interview, can lead to inaccurate responses (Bruck et al., 2000). Given that methods of encoding alter on a temporal level, one which evolves throughout maturation, false memories and confessions evolve out of a situational relevance, one which is both contextually and personally linked to the participant. Over longer periods of time, Huffman et al. (1997) determined that the efficacy of an instilled false memory can become altered, oftentimes diminishing or erasing the memory altogether. Helpful in recognising the frailty of false memories, imagination studies, specifically those in which respondents are proposed a false memory and asked to internalize its occurrence, have determined that through suggestion and personal codification that participants could come to believe that they had experienced a particular occurrence (Hyman and Pentland, 1996; Mazzoni and Memon, 2003). Yet in both of these clinical instances, the depth and substance of the memory is temporally altered when participants are removed from the clinical setting. Therefore, the enco ding process, an internalisation of both environment and suggestion, is directly related to the influence of the studies themselves, reducing their reliability of findings. Ultimately, the mental failures which result in false memories evolve as a collusion of personal susceptibility, relevance, and environment. Laney et al. (2008) demonstrated that there can remain a long term persistence of false memories, continuing to affect the participant. The reality is that external from the clinical setting, the impetus to maintain such falsification becomes reduced and the overall affects of the false memories are thereby minimized. Under normal circumstances, the mind will retrace, realigning false memories with more appropriate legacy, yet these studies do not evaluate longer term implications of such imagery and understanding. Similarly, as emotionally charged influences will oftentimes linger at a much more deep seeded level, researchers must pursue appropriate analysis which is direct ly aligned with such memory impetus. Emotional Influence Perhaps the strongest mental affectation of false memories and their long term implantation evolves from the level of emotional connection which participants encounter during a particular study. Emotional influence in memory can substantially alter the representation of a witnessed scene, oftentimes directed through a misinformation filter by interviewers to prescribe altered data to a witness testimony (Porter et al, 2003). The capability to control such emotional connections is increasingly strong the more relevant to the participant the scenario becomes. Had a witness been sexually abused as a child, the coercive capabilities of an investigator in an abuse case would become substantially magnified, enabling direction and suggestion to overwhelm fact and visual memory. The overwhelming affect of misleading questions on eyewitness testimony and remembrance has been demonstrated through clinical evidence to encourage participants to acclimate towards the distinctions of the questioni ng process as opposed to those realities of the actual scene (Porter et al, 2003). Such manipulation relies on the emotional influence of memory and the internal components which link a witness or defendant to a particular incidence. Testimony or discussions involving false memories will oftentimes assume similar levels of emotionality as those which actually occurred. The emotional response, triggered experientially and representing composite cognition over a lifetime of emotional interactions, will oftentimes become evoked through the processes of remembrance, leading to the installation of false memories, regardless of actual occurrence (Laney and Loftus, 2008). Witnesses will assume the same victimisation of the actual victims, thereby imposing their emotional responses on the factual nature of their memory. In cases of criminal activity, emotional connections to a particular incidence, when coupled with the gruelling interview process will oftentimes lead defendants to falsify their testimony, accepting suggestion as fact, rather than adhering to the situational truth. Loftus (1995) recognized that in clinical or trial settings, that frailties within the examination process themselves will oftentimes influen ce the outcome of a participant’s response. Exemplary of this belief, the nature of coercion, and oftentimes, the semantic limitations of suggestive variables can oftentimes influence the respondent to agree with interviewers or alter their personal beliefs to match those which must be right by basis of subtractive analysis. If a child were to claim that they had been abused and the investigator then asked leading questions regarding location, method, and culpability, the child will oftentimes pursue an emotionally charged affirmative approach, thereby aligning with the investigator rather than the factuality of the event (Bruck et al., 2000). It is this form of false memory which is most damaging within the criminal justice system, thereby undermining validity measures and institutional protection mechanisms. Criminals who are emotionally coerced through threat of loss or overwhelming pressure will oftentimes confess under duress as a direct result of the interrogation. A form of constructivist ideology, as outlined by Hyman et al. (1995) exploits the nature of experiential influences over false childhood memories, thereby linking the breadth of supportive detail to the adult’s more subverted knowledge of abuse and emotionality linked to negative stimuli. Unfortunately, the depth of this study does little to substantiate credible interpretation to this cause, redressing the innate social reactivity which respondents concurrently integrated into their memory responses. Therefore, the coincidental nature of general experience and its supposed influence over false memories must be expanded to include qualifications of social and personal bias, each which when coupled with false memories would contribute to the detailed exploration of falsified events. Alternate studies have explored this theory more in depth, highlighting the semantic nature of pre-existing concepts or objects when explored through presupposed personal experiences (Koutstaal, et al., 2001; Koutstaal et al, 2003). Such studies determined that semantics influence older participants to a much greater level, thereby exacerbating the incidence of false memories when considered at a more colloquial level. Were such results coupled with those of Hyman et al. (1995), a more distinctive conclusion could be drawn from which researchers could pursues the underlying social composites which influence and activate both positive and negative memories. What would most likely be found is that a heightened emotional response, specifically one captured within a false memory, is indicative of regressed personal affectation by the incidental actions within a particular scenario. Therefore, researchers might uncover the personally generated codification which internally activates improper sensory processing and ascribes validity to erroneous memories. Coercion and False Confessions Perhaps one of the most widely debated applications of false memory protocol evolves from the need to prosecute, and thereby, coerce a powerful confession from accused defendants. Interrogation and deception are often methods of acquisition, and in certain cases, the pressure of such applications results in false or coerced confessions from which a jury and judge may prosecute (Wakefield and Underwager, 1998). Yet the nature of analysis for such falsifications is oftentimes flawed, actively pursuing the environmental variables which most overwhelm the defendant and their incidental memory as opposed to those underlying personal memory failures and sentiments which most directly influence the need to admit guilt. Researchers Kassin and Kiechel (1996) highlight that similar to those false memories exhibited by misinformed children, defendants under the pressures of interrogation are more likely to confess, internalize, and construct personal detail directly related to a crime they may not have committed. Emotional commitment such as guilt, fear, pride, and frustration will a play varied roles within the coercion process, oftentimes encouraging the unwanted effect of false testimony. Researchers have also determined that in scenarios where heightened social pressure, i.e. the interviewer/psychologist expectations, can influence both confessor and retractor, thereby directing their memories into a falsely coerced state (Ost, et al., 2001). The nature of the interrogation room, a blank slate with little stimulus is one such factor in overwhelming the defendant’s nerve and capacity for subterfuge. Similarly, the investigator’s temperament, the temporal burdens, and the nature of the crime itself will also contribute to extracting a confession. False confessions are oftentimes the product of improper source monitoring, as the interrogators and data stream can evoke a deeply seeded confusion through which event sequences evolve as though in a hazy dream (Wakefield and Underwager, 1998). False memories arise as an inaccurate coding of the information source, an internalisation of the incident as opposed to relinquishing the data stream as an externally fo unded scenario (Hyman and Loftus, 1998). Over time and pressure, defendants will interpret the misinformation within a revised codification, one in which they believe that they actually perpetrated the crime, regardless of guilt. It is this mental block and source alteration which ascribes personal qualities to the criminal activity, thereby coercing a confession. Essential to the functioning of the legal system, those who are wrongly convicted and later released based upon such coercion or malignant testimony will oftentimes find adjustment within normal social limits an impossibility (Shore, 2001). Coercion tactics are designed to evoke a form of control bias, one which places the defendant at a significant disadvantage, and in oftentimes frightening and overwhelming circumstances (Perskey, 2000). Although researchers have considered intelligence and alternative social modifiers as significant influences within an interrogative setting, there is limited support for differentiation of false testifiers on the basis of IQ differences and results are instead linked to internal suggestibility indicators (Gudjonsson, 1991). One question which has not been adequately answered by such research, however, is whether or not intelligence coupled with experiential preparation might undermine the coercive effects of the investigation room. The ability to withstand the pressure and suggestive messaging of the investigative authority figure is a function of several constructs including innocence, experience, fear, authoritative rejection, and many others. All of these variables are directly li nked to the cognitive control measures which reject the false memories or false confession. Influence within the interrogation room can often evolve from stimuli outside of the interrogator’s locus of control, including predefined experience as well as the withdrawal and detoxification from alcohol and illicit substances. One study determined that withdrawal characteristics substantially impair the cognitive abilities of a defendant and enhance suggestibility, oftentimes leading to misleading statements or false confessions due to the possibility of short term gains (Gudjonsson, 1993; Gudjonsson et al., 2002). The need to escape the constrictive confines of the interrogation room, coupled with a need to acquire addictive elements will oftentimes allow the defendant to reduce their internal protective mechanisms and through an expectation of gain, acquiesce to the coercion. On the other hand, long term experience within the criminal field will negatively influence the coercion practices utilized in standard interrogation. Therefore, criminologists will oftentimes empl oy alternative methodology specifically designed to access the regressed emotional block associated previous incarceration experiences, as well as present an expectation of leniency or freedom given the acceptance of confession or presentation of alternatives. Again, as with substance abuse, the emotional commitment to goal acquisition will enhance the internalisation of investigative presentation, oftentimes coercing a confession by nature of the expected benefit. Conclusion As recanting has become a principle mode of overturning a confession in the modern court system, the investigative approach assumed by criminal professionals has evolved to assume a much more Freudian zeal. Given the depth of mental deviance between participants within this vast field, the potential for coerced confessions and false memories is blatantly obvious, unfortunately, the numerous investigations and clinical trials have yet to yield a worthy prescription of authority on this issue. While assumptive reasoning can discern those cases in which convicts were coerced and forced into a premature confession, the numerous recants and overturned cases have led the industry to remain wary and protective of any form of premature adjudication. Ultimately, the internal mechanisms which drive false memories into a believable reality are expansive and oftentimes linked to variables within a criminal mind that cannot be appropriately analyzed without deep psychological evaluation. The nature of false memory is one which can be manipulated both for virtuous and derogatory efforts, a weapon in the arsenal of the criminal investigator. Unfortunately, identifying when a codified suggestion has errantly become a mode of confession for an innocent defendant is a difficult and painstaking task. As theorists attempt to derive methods for applying such falsifications to their patients, they are rejecting the need for recognition protocol. It is through the identification of discrepancies and storyline vagrancies that criminologists can actively pursue the appropriate perpetrators and reject a coerced confession from those who are overwhelmed by interrogation and suggestion. Source monitoring and the nature of authority in the criminal justice system are conflicting mechanisms of memory alteration, each influencing the participant’s internalisation while investigators actively pursue their results. Too often does the system become enamoured with the conviction, t hereby rejecting the truth in favour of exploitative techniques. It is through the investigation of factually founded memories and the application of appropriate research that criminal experts will eventually retain their culprits. References Bruck, M; Ceci, S.J; Francoeur, E. (2000) Children’s Use of Anatomically Detailed Dolls to Report Genital Touching in Medical Examination: Developmental and Gender Comparisons. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 6, (1), 74-83. Bruck, M; Ceci, S; Hembrooke, H. (2002) The Nature of Children’s True and False Narratives. Developmental Review, 22, 520-554. Huffman, M.L; Crossman, A.M; Ceci, S.J. (1997) Are False Memories Permanent? An Investigation of the Long Term Effects of Source Misattributions. Consciousness and Cognition, 6, 482-490. Gudjonsson, G. (1991) The Effects of Intelligence and Memory on Group Differences in Suggestibility and Compliance. Personality Individual Differences, 12, (5), 503-505. Gudjonsson, G. (1993) Confession evidence, Psychological Vulnerability, and Expert Testimony. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 3, 117-129. Gudjonsson, G; Hannesdottir, K; Petursson, H; Bjornsson, G. (2002) The Effects of Alcohol Withdrawal on Mental State, Interrogative Suggestibility and Compliance: An experimental Study. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 13 (1), 53-67. Hyman, I.E; Husband, T.H; Billings, F.J. (1995) False Memories of Childhood Experiences.†Applied Cognitive Psychology, 9, 181-197. Hyman, I.E; Loftus, E.F. (1998) Errors in Autobiographical Memory. Clinical Psychology Review, 18, 933-947. Hyman, I.E: Pentland, J. (1996) The Role of Mental Imagery in the Creation of False Childhood Memories. Journal of Memory and Language, 35, 101-117. Johnson, M.K; Hashtroudi, S; Lindsay, D.S. (1993) Source Monitoring. Psychological Bulletin, 114 (1), 3-28. Jones, C.H; Powell, M.B. (2005) The Effect of Event Context on Children’s Recall of Non-Experienced Events Across Multiple Interviews. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 10, 83-101. Kassin, S.M; Kiechel, K.L. (1996) The Social Psychology of False Confessions: Compliance, Internalization, and Confabulation. Psychological Science, 7, 125-128. Koutstaal, W; Reddy, C; Jackson, E.M; Prince, S; Cendan, D.L; Schacter, D.L. (2003) False Recognition of Abstract Versus Common Objects in Older and Younger Adults: Testing the Semantic Categorization Account. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 29 (4), 499-510. Koutstall, W; Schacter, D.L; Brenner, C. 92001) Dual Task Demands and Gist-Based False Recognition of Pictures in Younger and Older Adults. Journal of Memory and Language, 44, 399-426. Laney, C; Fowler, N.B; Nelson, K.J; Bernstein, D.M; Loftus, E.F. (2008) The Persistence of False Beliefs. Acta Psychologica, 129, 190-197. Laney, C; Loftus, E.F. (2008) Emotional Content of True and False Memories. Memory, 16, 5, 500-516. Lindsay, D.S; Hagen, L; Read, D; Wade, K.A; Garry, M. (2005) True Photographs and False Memories. Psychological Science, 15 (3), 149-154. Loftus, E.F. (1995) Memory Malleability: Constructivist and Fuzzy-Trace Explanations. Learning and Individual Differences, 7 (2), 133-137. Mazzoni, G; Memon, A. (2003) Imagination Can Create False Autobiographical Memories. Psychological Science, 14 (2), March,186-188. McFarlane, F; Powell, M.B; Dudgeon, P. (2002) An Examination of the Degree to Which IQ, Memory, Performance, Socio-Economic Status, and Gender Predict Young Children’s Suggestibility. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 7, 227-239. Ost, J; Costall, A; Bull, R. (2001) False Confessions and False Memories: a Model for Understanding Retractors’ Experiences. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 12 (3), 549-579. Perske, R. (2000) Deception in the Interrogation Room: Sometimes Tragic for Persons with Mental Retardation and Other Developmental Disabilities. Mental Retardation, 532-537. Porter, S; Spencer, L; Birt, A.R. (2003) Blinded By Emotion? Effect of the Emotionality of a Scene on Susceptibility to False Memories. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 35 (2), 165-175. Shore, P. (2001) Resettlement Needs of the Wrongly Convicted. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 12 (3), December, 487-490. Strange, D; Wade, K; Hayne, H. (2008) Creating False Memories for Events That Occurred Before Versus After the Offset of Childhood Amnesia. Psychology Press, 16 (5), 475-484. Wade, K.A; Garry, M; Read, J.D; Lindsay, D.S. (2002) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Lies: Using False Photographs to Create False Childhood Memories. Psychonomic Bulletin Review, 9 (3), 597-603. Wakefield, H; Underwager, R. (1998) Coerced or Nonvoluntary Confessions. John Wiley and Sons. Zargoza, M.S; Lane, S. M. (1994) Source Misattributions and the Suggestibility of Eyewitness Memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20, 934-935.

The Economics of Federal Defense Policy :: Political Science

Three out of four Americans polled in the 1992 election year believed that the United States was heading in the wrong direction. With such an overwhelming consensus, the country hired a new president to attempt to fix the vital issues at hand. Although both Republicans and Democrats believed that the United States was still the "sole superpower", the people of the United States saw that their quality of life was deteriorating. In fact, the signs of economic, social, and political decay were undeniable. For example, the wages of production workers in America have declined twenty percent in the last twenty years due to large corporations shifting their operations overseas. Over thirty-seven million Americans are without health insurance due to its exploding costs. There are about sixty million people below the poverty line; fourteen million of which are children. Our crime rate is at an all-time high as well as the population in our prison system. The United States has nineteen preceding nations that have lower infant mortality rates. Among the twenty most developed countries in the world, the United States has the highest divorce rate and the highest teen pregnancy rate. The most incredulous fact of all is that the Pentagon continues to absorb twenty percent of the federal budget-over a third of which is spent protecting Europe against an enemy that no longer exists. In fact, that is the most probable source of America's problems: the budget. Forty-seven percent of the national federal budget is spent for a military expense. The National Defense, the topic of this paper, is what is stealing money from the poor in our own country and lessening our status as the "sole superpower" of the world. The National Defense was a program initiated from day one of the United States' existence. It was a program designed to protect the people of the world, but primarily the people of this nation. It was designed to protect human rights and the ideals of democracy and capitalism. However, in lieu of recent events, the use for such a program is now debatable. The world has changed significantly and dramatically within the last five years. The threat of an evil empire such as the Soviet Union is no longer; the Cold War is over. Ultimately, demilitarization is needed for many reasons. Both Democrats and Republicans alike supported the development of a gigantic- industrial complex. Both are content with only minor budget reductions.

Rhetorical Analysis of The Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of The Talking Heads’ â€Å"Once in a Lifetime† Kenneth Burke’s Five Master Terms exist to bring to light the motivation behind, theoretically, any bit of text to which we care to apply them. The beauty of this Pentad is its fundamentality in regards to the motivations humans have in creating words and meaning using the tools of language available. This doesn’t just apply to long-winded theses regarding the nature of dramatistic meaning, though perhaps something like that would be more up Burke’s alley. No, in this case I plan to utilize his methods for a more seemingly mundane example, the motivations behind something as simple as song lyrics. I say song lyrics are simple, but in this case I am going to attempt a feat of rhetorical analysis few have considered possible by analyzing the song â€Å"Once in a Lifetime† by The Talking Heads. I emphasize the difficulty of this analysis because I fear that I am about to embark on a journey to make sense out of madness; a 1984 documentary of the band’s music is entitled Stop Making Sense, for one example. For another more drastic example, songwriter David Byrne was one of the most intentionally abstract lyricists of his time; in an early episode of apparent madness, he took to the stage of his college and shaved his hair and beard in front of the faculty to the accompaniment of piano accordion and a showgirl displaying phrases in Russian. He was promptly ejected from that school. Regardless, his song â€Å"Once in a Lifetime† is symbolic of the introspective, neurotic, and post-modern approach he often uses to create his lyrical identity. Though I at first fo und it to be a rough fit, I believe the Pentad can be successfully applied to describe the motivation ... ...it becomes clear that everything is unclear. I will summarize my application, however, for the sake of my own understanding. The dominant Term here is Act, the balance between essence and existence carefully held by Byrne’s dialectic of water and time as a unified sameness. Working symbiotically with Act is the idea of Agent, a theoretical character defined as finding, investigating, and determining a situation without Acting within it. Byrne’s purpose is to know right or wrong in the Scene of his lifetime. The Agency through which he defines truth within the Scene is time, which shares more than a fingers’ breadth of space with my first term, Act. I’ve come to the end of the analysis with a sense that I’ve just begun: a lot of fancy words to describe the futility of change. I did preface this application by noting The Talking Heads’ propensity to stop making sense.

strenght of relational model :: essays research papers

Introduction The first database systems were based on the network and hierarchical models. A database can be defined as a collection of non-redundant data which can be shared by different application systems. A database implies separation of physical storage from use of the data by an application program to achieve program/data independence. Using a database system, the user or programmer or application specialist need not know the details of how the data are stored and such details are usually "transparent" to the user. . These are covered briefly in appendices in the text. The relational model was first proposed by E.F. Codd in 1970 and the first such systems were developed in 1970s. The relational model is now the dominant model for commercial data processing applications. The relational model can be used in both conceptual and logical database design. The basic structure in the model is a table .Tables consists of rows and columns. Relationships in the relational model are represented implicitly through common attributes between different relations. The relational model consist of a relational structure, a set of integrity rules, and data manipulation operations. The relational structure is based on the representation of data in the form of tables. A table contains rows and columns, with each row representing an individual record, and each column representing a field for each record. Tables are related via indirect indexes of primary and foreign keys. The operations that are performed on these tables in order to store, manipulate and access this data include union, intersection, join, division, restriction, projection, assignment, difference, and product. How do you know if the relational model best fits your intended application? An application that requires on-line transaction processing (OLTP) where multiple files are updated simultaneously could benefit from the table structure of the relational model. The relational model provides the ability to quickly insert data into tables. However, when it comes to querying--getting data out of the database--the relational model can be slower because it doesn’t support direct access in multiple joins that are possible with the network model. An RDBMS-based application requires the traversal of indexes to get at related data in other files and this requires additional disk accesses and CPU cycles. The more tables involved and the greater the volume of records in these tables the more time is spent in accessing disk storage to get a result set. But while the relational model has the power to meet heavy-duty OLTP needs--get data into the database--it is also an excellent choice for simpl e databases and for an inexperienced database designer.

Charles Dickens Essay

Examine the presentation of the three spirits and Marley’s ghost in â€Å"A Christmas carol† and show the differences and similarities in their appearance, attitude towards Scrooge and the effect upon him. Consider also the spectre in â€Å"The Signalman† In a Christmas carol by Charles Dickens, the four ghosts are all described differently. They all help to change scrooge into a nicer person. The ghosts all act disparately and look disparately. Scrooge has a different effect on each one of the ghosts, two of the ghosts he likes and one of the ghosts he dislikes. Scrooge is also treated dissimilar, some ghosts care for him, and others are forceful. The ghost of Marley appears first, he is described as ‘In his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling, like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head. ‘ Marley also had a chain around his middle, which was long and wound about him like a tail. The chain was made of cash boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deed and heavy purses wrought in steel. Marleys body was transparent, so Scrooge could see the 2 buttons on his coat behind. He also had a handkerchief wrapped around his head and chin which held his jaw up. The ghost of Christmas past turns up next. He is described as ‘a strange figure-like a child; yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium. Which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a Childs proportions. ‘ The ghost’s hair hung about its neck and down its back. His hair was white, as if with age; but his face wasn’t old, and didn’t have any wrinkles in it. He had long and muscular arms, like his hands. Its legs and feet were delicately formed. The ghost wore a white tunic, and round its waist was a lustrous belt. ‘It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. ‘ The strangest thing about the ghost was that from the crown of its head sprang a clear jet of light, which by all was visible to see ‘ and was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm. ‘ The next ghost was the ghost of Christmas present, he was clothed in one simple deep green robe, which was bordered with white fur. ‘This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. ‘ His feet was also bare, and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath with shining icicles. ‘Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye. Its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. ‘ Around the ghosts middle was an antique scabbard; but there wasn’t a sword in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust. The last of the ghosts to meet Scrooge was the ghost of Christmas yet to come. You couldn’t see any of its facial features because ‘it was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its face, its head and its form, and left nothing of it visible, save one outstretched hand. ‘ Because of this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded. The spectre in the signalman by Charles Dickens isn’t described very well in the story, all we know is that the spectre is a man and he has a sleeve over his arm. His voice was hoarse with shouting ‘halloa, below there! ‘ In the Christmas carol, Marley is a friendly ghost and he is very nice, he enjoys being in the company of Scrooge, Scrooge says ‘you were always a good friend to me. ‘ He obviously cares about Scrooge because he wouldn’t have gone there to warn him about the three ghosts and what would happen to him if he kept hating Christmas. Marley was the only true friend Scrooge has had. The ghost of Christmas past is nice, friendly and reasonable. The ghost cared for Scrooge, he once asked him ‘what’s the matter? ‘ Even though he is nice and friendly, he forces Scrooge into seeing things that he doesn’t want to see. For example Scrooge says ‘leave me, take me back, haunt me no longer. ‘ ‘But the relentless ghost pinched him in both arms and forced him to observe what happened next. ‘ The ghost of Christmas present is a kind and jolly ghost. The ghost and Scrooge were cheerful when they visited homes. ‘The spirit stood besides sickbeds, and they were cheerful and they were patient in their greater hope, by poverty and it was rich. ‘ The ghost makes Scrooge more relaxed around him, he isn’t frightened, and he is calm in the ghost’s presence. Like the ghost of Christmas past, this spirit is also forceful and makes him see what he doesn’t want to see. The ghost of Christmas yet to come doesn’t speak at all, this ghost is the one Scrooge is scared of most. ‘Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. Scrooge is frightened of him the most because he doesn’t know what his personality is like; with the other ghosts they were kind and caring. This ghost just points to places. But when Scrooge saw his grave then he got worried and cried ‘hear me! I am not the man I was, I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this if I am past all hope? ‘ When Marley visits Scrooge, he is scared at first, because he doesn’t know who it is, until the ghost got a bit closer, Scrooge was surprised to see his old friend, when Marley walked off to the window ‘it beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did.