Emergent Literacy Support in Early Childhood Education Essay

26 preschool teachers and 8 preschool administrators drawn from 8 preschools in Kasempa and Solwezi districts constituted the sample. A total 680 preschoolers were part of the classroom environments in which naturalistic observations were conducted. The data were collected through questionnaires for preschool teachers, designed to capture preschool teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy and classroom practices. Questionnaires were also administered to preschool administrators and these were designed to capture the schools’ profile on their teachers, philosophy on literacy instruction and availability of teaching and learning materials. For the naturalistic observation of actual classroom sessions, data were gathered with the aid of a Classroom Literacy Checklist. Further data were collected using semi-structured follow-up interviews to fill in any gaps from questionnaires and observations. The findings were that all the preschools investigated had low literacy support as a result of limited language and literacy opportunities for the children and paucity of learning and play materials. Lack of the preschool teachers’ appreciation of emergent literacy rendered them unable to fully provide environments and practices that support emergent literacy. INTRODUCTION Background: The concept emergent literacy was introduced in 1966 by a New Zealand researcher Marie Clay in her doctoral thesis entitled Emergent Reading Behaviour but the term was coined by William Teale and Elizabeth Sulzby in 1986. The term was used to describe the behaviours seen in young children whereby they imitate adults’ reading and writing activities, even though the children cannot actually read and write in the conventional sense. The development of the emergent literacy perspective can be traced from the reading readiness perspective. In the four decades since Clay’s introduction of this term, an extensive body of research has expanded the understanding of emergent literacy. According to current research, children’s literacy development begins long before they start formal instruction in elementary school; it begins at birth and continues through the preschool years even though the activities of young children may not seem related to reading and writing. Early behaviours such as â€Å"reading† from pictures and â€Å"writing† with scribbles are examples of emergent literacy and are an important part of children’s literacy development. With the support of parents, caregivers, early childhood educators, and teachers, as well as exposure to a literacy-rich environment, children successfully progress from emergent to conventional literacy. In other words their growth from emergent to conventional literacy is influenced by their continuing literacy development, their understanding of literacy concepts, and the efforts of parents, caregivers, and teachers to promote literacy. It proceeds along a continuum, and children acquire literacy skills in a variety of ways and at different ages. Children’s skills in reading and writing develop at the same time and are interrelated rather than sequential. Educators can promote children’s understanding of reading and writing by helping them build literacy knowledge and skills through the use of engaged learning activities. As children are moving into conventional literacy, they pass through different periods of development in their efforts to become successful readers, just as they did at the emergent level. Over the past ten years, the concept of emergent literacy has gradually replaced the notion of reading readiness. Consequently, it has a significant impact on the way the teaching of literacy in early childhood programmes is approached. The theory of emergent literacy developed from research in the fields of child development, psychology, education, linguistics, anthropology, and sociology. It has virtually redefined the field of literacy and made educators, teachers, and parents aware that the term reading readiness no longer adequately describes what is happening in the literacy development of young children (Teale, 1986). Research conducted on emergent literacy indicates that support to children’s emergent literacy in early childhood education facilitates easy literacy development in children. Parents, caregivers, and teachers need to ensure that young children are exposed to literacy-rich environments and receive developmentally appropriate literacy instruction. Such environments and experiences have a profound effect on children’s literacy development by providing opportunities and encouragement for children to become successful readers. Thus a preschool should be an environment that supports the  continuation of emergent literacy. In order for a preschool to promote the continuous emergence of literacy, it must be an environment where there is a high variety of authentic literacy activities. It must also be an environment that affords learners opportunities to engage in purposeful literacy activities which are acknowledged as valid literacy behaviour. In the Zambian context emergent literacy is a fairly new phenomenon. Its practice is dependent on what teachers know and believe about it and this also is dependent upon the training that preschool teachers undergo. Against the background of emergent literacy, the concern of early childhood educators should be â€Å"valuing the knowledge children have than with replacing it by highly dubious and narrow models of what literacy is and how it functions† (Hall, 1989: viii). Little is known regarding literacy teaching in preschools in Zambia. This study, therefore, attempted to find out the extent to which classroom practices in preschools in Zambia, with special reference to Kasempa and Solwezi, support the continuation of emergent  literacy in children. Statement of the problem: Although the theory of emergent literacy has been in use for over four decades, it is not known to what extent emergent literacy is appreciated and supported in early childhood education in Zambia. While research has been conducted in other parts of the world, there has been no investigation into its practice in Zambia’s preschools. Thus the problem that was being investigated was that we do not know the extent to which classroom practices in Zambian preschools, and with particular reference to Kasempa and Solwezi, support the continuation of emergent literacy in children. Objectives: This study sought to achieve the following objectives: (i) To ascertain preschool teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy in children. (ii) To establish the extent to which the classroom environment supports the continuation of emergent literacy. (iii) To establish what literacy instruction programme is in place and the extent to which it supports emergent literacy. (iv) To find out teaching and learning materials that are available in preschools and the extent to which they support emergent literacy. (v) To establish classroom literacy practices that obtain in preschools and the extent to which they support emergent literacy. Significance of the study: The significance of this study was premised on the fact that it focused on one critical area of education namely early childhood education. While a lot of research has been done on the basic and high school sectors of education in Zambia, very little has been done on preschool education. It is indisputable that good early childhood education is a precursor to the other levels of education. This study sought to investigate the extent to which classroom literacy practices in early childhood education in Zambia support the continuation of emergent literacy. Such a study has not been explored before in Zambia. This study, therefore, is significant in that it might provide valuable data on early childhood teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy and the extent to which classroom practices support the continuation of emergent literacy. It is hoped that such data might be useful to policy makers such as the Ministry of Education and preschool curriculum des igners. In this way, it might provide data on which future curricula for early childhood educators’ training can be based. It is also hoped that the study will stimulate further research into emergent literacy practices in Zambian preschools, which is currently lacking. METHODOLOGY Research design: This study was qualitative as the researcher sought to interpret his observations and the respondents’ views to establish the extent to which practices in the target preschools support the continuation of emergent literacy. However, the study also employed some quantitative elements in the design. The study was also naturalistic because there was no systematic manipulation of any process during observation. Rather the researcher observed live classroom practices in the preschools as the teachers and learners went about with their activities. Sample size: The sample for the study was drawn from eight preschools in the  two study areas, namely Kasempa and Solwezi Districts in North-western Province. The sample size comprised 26 preschool teachers and 8 preschool administrators. 680 preschoolers were part of the classroom environments where the naturalistic observations took place. The sample structure for the preschool teachers is presented below as Table 1: Highest Qualification Males Female Total Untrained Certificate Diploma Primary Certificate Totals Teacher’s (Table 1): Sample Structure for Preschool Teachers in the Study Areas 5 Sampling techniques: Samples were chosen on a non-probability basis on the understanding that respondents would be available, easy to access and ready to participate in the study. As such and convenient and purposive samplings were used. This is because the researcher selected samples according to what was logistically convenient and feasible. Bearing in mind the period in which the study was to be undertaken, the preschools that were selected were those that were not in hard-to-reach areas. This was in line with Ghosh (2006) who says convenience sampling is used when the universe is not defined and when administrative limitations make it difficult for the researcher to randomly select samples. Since purposive sampling is used to target a group of subjects a researcher believes to be reliable for a study (Kombo and Tromp, 2006), in this study it was used to select the eight schools in the study area. The use of this sampling technique was aimed at ensuring that only well-established preschools were targeted. Data collection: Three instruments were used to collect data. The Classroom Literacy Checklist was used as a classroom observation instrument. It was used to check for classroom practices in terms of literacy-richness of the environment, reading practices, variety of literacy activities, authenticity of literacy activities and teachers’ usage of children’s knowledge of literacy. It was adapted from other literacy observation checklists such as the KS1 Format and the National Centre for Learning Disabilities 2004 Literacy Environment Checklist developed by Groover J. Whitehurst (Ph.D.). These observation instruments are designed to assess whether literacy environments in preschools provide a range of quality literacy experiences and a print-rich environment which are important factors in the facilitation and support of literacy learning. Two types of questionnaire were used, one for teachers and the other for administrators. The questionnaires for the teachers sought to elicit information on their training and knowledge of emergent literacy. The questionnaires for the administrators sought to elicit information on the school profile, instructional materials and the school’s ethos on literacy development. Questionnaires were given on the first day of research at each preschool. The idea was to give respondents three to five days of answering the questionnaire, based on findings from the pilot test. Interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators as follow-ups to help fill in gaps or clarify any matters from 6  questionnaires and observations. For the teachers these were done soon after each observation. For administrators these were conducted at least twice in each school, one of which was on the last day of the research at each particular preschool. Data analysis: Since this study was mainly qualitative, data analysis (particularly preprocessing) began during the data collection stage. During lesson observations the researcher made class profiles by recording the children’s level, age range and enrolment. The researcher was also doing a dairy on each lesson observed. Another thing the researcher did at this stage was to ensure that the data were internally consistent. For example, the researcher would make follow-ups with informants to clarify any contradictions and gaps in the questionnaires or interviews. Data preparation then followed and this included summarizing and organizing the data according to categories. At the final stage the  researcher sought to make interpretations of the questionnaire responses, obs ervations and interview responses. FINDINGS This study sought to find out the extent to which classroom practices in preschools support emergent literacy. The study relied mainly on naturalistic observations of live classroom sessions but this was complemented by questionnaires and follow-up interviews. Below is a discussion of the specific findings, divided into five sections, each discussing the findings in relation to each of the five objectives of the study. Preschool Teachers’ Knowledge of Emergent Literacy: The study has revealed that none of respondents had ever heard of the term ‘emergent literacy’. In spite of this, the findings have also revealed that all the respondents have noticed elements of emergent literacy in children when they just enter preschool. The study has further shown that respondents have high awareness levels of children’s emergent literacy behaviours. However, the study has also revealed that generally, the respondents’ appreciation of the children’s emergen t literacy was very poor. One area major area where this was evident was with regard to knowing how to reinforce children’s display of emergent literacy (for 7  example if a child got a book and began to turn pages or if a child stood up and began to ‘read’ around the room). This apparent disparity between the respondents’ high awareness of emergent literacy behaviours and their low appreciation of emergent literacy can be attributed to the respondents’ training. It was clear that preschool teachers are not taught about emergent literacy, hence the respondents did not regard emergent literacy behaviours as a developmental stage in literacy learning. Generally all the respondents tended to subscribe to the reading readiness perspective. In relation to the purpose of the study, these findings suggest that preschool teachers in the study areas cannot provide the necessary support to children’s emergent literacy if they are ignorant of emergent literacy as a developmental stage in children’s literacy learning. Preschool Classroom Environment: This study has revealed that the classroom environments in the study areas have low literacy support. It has also established that the most common aspects of literacy support were the alphabet frieze and month and day names. This effectively means that the environments were not print-rich. The study has further revealed that the preschool teachers had low knowledge levels of how a preschool environment ought to be. In cases where the respondents revealed high knowledge levels, there was a gap between this knowledge and what was obtaining in the classrooms. The findings established that this was due to paucity of resources and having proprietors/managers who were ignorant of preschool education. These findings suggest serious implications on children’s literacy development. First because preschool teachers and proprietors/managers tended to have low appreciation of what a preschool environment ought to be, they cannot provide the requisite envir onment that fully supports the continuation of emergent literacy. Secondly, because preschool children in the study areas have little exposure to a literacy-rich environment, they may not easily progress from emergent to conventional literacy. Preschool Curriculum: This study has revealed that the study areas do not seem to have any clear philosophy regarding literacy instruction. As such the preschools did not have clear literacy instruction programmes. The study has also established that there is no common syllabus for preschools in Zambia. Preschools were using whatever they could lay their hands on. These findings show that it is difficult to measure the schools literacy instruction success when issues of syllabi are vague. Literacy Instruction Materials: This study has revealed a paucity of teaching and learning materials in the study areas. The most commonly available instructional materials are flashcards, charts and building blocks. The study has established that there is a lack of a variety of reading books, workbooks, literacy objects for pretend play, and generally playthings. In view of the paucity of literacy instructional materials in the study areas, there is less support to children’s emergent literacy as children do not have sufficient interaction with a variety of literacy objects. The other implication is that with the paucity of play things, the children spend less time on play related activities and do more of formal learning. Classroom Literacy Practices: This study has revealed that using music is a practice widely employed in all the eight preschools. However, the study has also established that preschool children in the study areas have limited reading experiences. In almost all cases children seldom handle reading books as this is reserved for Reception or Grade 1 levels. This is because teachers do not see this as necessary since the children cannot read in the conventional sense. Further children are rarely read to and hardly engage in shared book reading. It has also been found that there are hardly any independent activities for c hildren not working with an adult. More formal learning as opposed play-related learning has been found to be a common practice. The implication of these findings is that preschool teachers in the study areas are not using developmentally appropriate activities to teach literacy to the preschoolers. CONCLUSION By analysing the classroom practices, preschool teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy and the environments in the study areas, this study has established that the practices in the eight preschools do not provide sufficient support for the continuation of emergent literacy. A number of factors have militated against high support for emergent literacy. The first factor is the preschool teachers’ lack of knowledge/appreciation of emergent literacy. This has arisen from the nature of training that preschool teachers undergo in Zambia. Coupled with this is the fact that some of the preschool teachers currently serving in schools have not undergone formal training. In this study almost a third of them were untrained. The other factor is lack of resources to construct appropriate structures for  preschools and furnish them with requisite materials. This has been compounded by the fact that preschool education in Zambia is privately run and as such the Government has had n o stake in it. The third fact is the very fact that Government has had no stake in preschool education. This has led to lapses in the registration of preschools and lack of serious and constant monitoring of preschools. As such there is no quality assurance in the provision of preschool education. The results of this study are significant in two main ways: the results have indicated the need for capacity-building preschool teachers in the area of emergent literacy. The results have also demonstrated the need for Government’s keen participation in preschool education. As regards the need for capacity-building preschool teachers, the study has demonstrated that while preschool teachers may notice emergent literacy behaviours among preschool children, they cannot unwittingly provide the necessary scaffolding to emergent literacy if they do not have sound knowledge of the phenomenon. This, therefore, means that emergent literacy must be part of preschool teachers’ curriculum. The need for government’s keen participation in preschool education arises from the fact that most of the inadequacies noted are a result of lack of stringent regulation and monitoring of preschool education. Stringent regulation will ensure that only individuals/institutions meeting the minimum standards are allowed to run preschools. On the other hand, constant monitoring will ensure that high standards are maintained in preschools. Another key way Government needs to participate in preschool education is through provision of grants or instructional materials. It is commendable that preschools are now falling under the Ministry of Education which has expert personnel to oversee the running of education provision in general and preschool education in particular. There is, however, need to come up with a directorate responsible for preschool education. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the many people without whom the demands of this research would not have been met. First I pay tribute to my academic supervisor Dr John Simwinga who provided the much needed counsel, guidance and criticisms from the proposal stage right through the completion of this thesis. Thank you for your confidence in me and giving me latitude throughout this academic journey. May God continue to lift you in your academic pursuits. I also wish to thank Mr D.C. Nkosha for having inspired my interest in emergent literacy which led to my pursuing this study. I thank lecturers Mr G Tambulukani and Mr S.B. Hirst for making useful comments at various stages of the study; all lecturers on the NOMA (Norwegian Masters) Literacy Programme for sharpening my academic faculties. Special thanks go to all the participants in Kasempa and Solwezi districts who made it possible for me to undertake the study at no cost. I extend my thanks to all my colleagues on the course with whom I worked well. Notable among them are Ms Mary-Grace Musonda, Ms Georgina Njapau and Mr Benson Kamangala. My gratitude will be incomplete without expressing my indebtedness to my wife for tolerating my academic appetite and for her continued understanding, support and perseverance and remaining a pillar in our home during my long periods of absence. I remain grateful to the girls Tionge and Peggy for enduring my absence and remaining good children while I was away. I am grateful to my employers for granting me paid study leave yet again, without which it would have been impossible to pursue my master’s programme. I shall remain forever grateful for the NOMA scholarship granted to me through the University of Zambia. To God be the glory for the great and many things He has done for me. REFERENCES Barton, D., 2007. Literacy – An Introduction to the Ecology of Written Language. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Bergen, D., 2001. Pretend Play and Young Children’s Development. ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education  Bredekamp S. (ed.) 1987. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Freeman, E.B., and J.A. Hatch 1989. â€Å"Emergent Literacy: Reconceptualizing Kindergarten Practice.† Childhood Education, 66, 21-24. Ghosh B.N., 2006. Scientific Method and Social Research. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers. Gunn, B., D. Simmons and E. Kameenui, 1994. Emergent Literacy: Synthesis of Research. University of Oregon Hall, N., 1989. The Emergence of Literacy. London: Hodder and Stoughton Harste, J.C., V.A. Woodward and C.L. Burke 1984. Language Stories and Literacy Lessons. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books. Hiebert, E. H., 1988. â€Å"The Role of Literacy Experiences in Early Childhood Programs.† The Elementary School Journal, 89 (2), 161-171. 12 Hiebert, E. H. and J.M. Papierz, 1990. â€Å"The Emergent Literacy Construct and Kindergarten and Readiness Books of Basal Reading Series.† Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 5 (3), 317-334. McMahon, R., 1996. â€Å"Introducing Infants to the Joy of Reading.† Dimensions of Early Childhood, 24 (3), 26-29 Morrow, L. M., 1990. â€Å"Preparing the Classroom Environment to Promote Literacy during Play.† Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 5, 537-554. Morrow, L.M. (ed.), 1995. Family Literacy: Connections in Schools and Communities. New Brunswick: International Reading Association Serpell, R., L. Baker and S. Sonnenschein, 2005. Becoming Literate in the City – The Baltimore Early Childhood Project. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sonnenschein, S. L. Baker, R. Serpell, D. Scher, S. Fernandez-Fein and K. Munsterman, 1996. â€Å"Strands of Emergent Literacy and Their Antecedents in the Home: Urban Preschoolers’ Early Literacy Development.† National Reading Research Centre: Reading Research Report No. 48 Teale, W, and E. Sulzby, 1986. Emergent Literacy: Writing and Reading. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation. Teale, W. H. and E. Sulzby, 1987. Literacy Acquisition in Early Childhood: The Roles of Access and Mediation in Storybook Reading. In D. A. Wagner (ed.), The Future of Literacy in a Changing World (pp. 111-130). New York: Pergamon Press. Van Kleeck, A., 1990. Emergent Literacy: Learning about Print before Learning to Read. Topics in Language Disorders, 10 (2), 25-45. Wilson, N and S. McLean, 1994. Questionnaire Design: A Practical Introduction. Newtown Abbey: University of Ulster Press.

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 5~6

Chapter 5 A day later, the train screeched to a stop. â€Å"Baton Rouge!† a conductor called in the distance. We were getting closer to New Orleans, but the time was creeping by far too slowly for my liking. I flattened my back against the wall of the car, noticing passengers hastily packing up their belonging as they prepared to vacate their quarters, when my eye fell upon a green ticket, emblazoned with a large boot print. I knelt down and picked it up.Mr. Remy Picard, Richmond to New Orleans. I tucked it into my pocket and jauntily walked back through the train, until I felt someone gazing at me curiously. I turned around. Two sisters were smiling at me through the window of a private compartment, their expressions bemused. One was working on a piece of needlepoint, the other writing in a leather-bound diary. They were being watched with hawk-like intensity by a short, plump woman in her sixties, clad in all black, most likely their aunt or guardian. I opened the door. â€Å"Sir?† the woman said, turning toward me. I locked my gaze onto her watery blue eyes. â€Å"I believe you left something in the dining car,† I said. â€Å"Something you need.† I continued, copying Damons low, steady voice. Her eyes shifted, but I sensed that this was different from the way the conductor had responded to my words. When Id tried to compel the conductor, it was as if my thoughts had collided with steel; here, it was as though my thoughts were breaking through fog. She cocked her head, clearly listening. â€Å"I left something † She trailed off, sounding confused. But I could sense something in my brain, a sort of melding of our minds, and I knew she wouldnt fight me. Immediately, the woman shifted her bulk and stood up from her seat. â€Å"Why, ah, I believe I did,† she said, turning on her heel and walking back down the hall without a backward glance. The metallic door of the car closed with a click, and I pulled the heavy navy curtains over the little window to the aisle. â€Å"Nice to make your acquaintance,† I said as I bowed to the two girls. â€Å"My name is Remy Picard,† I said, surreptitiously gazing down at the ticket poking out of my breast pocket. â€Å"Remy,† the taller girl repeated quietly, as if committing my name to memory. I felt my fangs throb against my gums. I was so hungry, and she was so exquisite I mashed my lips together and forced myself to stand still.Not yet. â€Å"Finally! Aunt Minnies never left us alone!† the older girl said. She looked to be about sixteen. â€Å"She thinks we arent to be trusted.† â€Å"Arent you now?† I teased, easing into the flirtation as the compliments and responses volleyed back and forth. As a human, I would have hoped such an exchange would end with a squeeze of the hand or a brush of lips against a cheek. Now, all I could think of was the blood coursing through the girls veins. I sat down next to the older girl, the younger ones eyes searching me curiously. She smelled like gardenias and bread just out of the oven. Her sister–they must have been sisters, with the same tawny brown hair and darting blue eyes–smelled richer, like nutmeg and freshly fallen leaves. â€Å"Im Lavinia, and this is Sarah Jane. Were going to move to New Orleans,† the one girl said, putting her needlepoint down on her lap. â€Å"Do you know it? Im worried Ill miss Richmond horribly,† she said plaintively. â€Å"Our papa died,† Sarah Jane added, her lower lip trembling. I nodded, running my tongue along my teeth, feeling my fangs. Lavinias heart was beating far faster than her sisters. â€Å"Aunt Minnie wants to marry me off. Will you tell me whats it like, Remy?† Lavinia pointed to the ring on my fourth finger. Little did she know that the ring had nothing to do with marriage and everything to do with being able to hunt girls like her in broad daylight. â€Å"Being married is lovely, if you meet the right man. Do you think youll meet the right man?† I asked, staring into her eyes. â€Å"I I dont know. I suppose if hes anything like you, then I should count myself lucky.† Her breath was hot on my cheek, and I knew that I couldnt control myself for much longer. â€Å"Sarah Jane, I bet your auntie needs some help,† I said, glancing into Sarah Janes blue eyes. She paused for a moment, then excused herself and went to find her aunt. I had no idea if I was compelling her or if she was simply following my orders, because she was a child and I was an adult. â€Å"Oh, youre wicked, arent you?† Lavinia asked, her eyes flashing as she smiled at me. â€Å"Yes,† I said brusquely. â€Å"Yes, I am wicked, my dear.† I bared my teeth, watching with great satisfaction as her eyes widened with horror. The best part of feeding was the anticipation, seeing my victim trembling, helpless,mine. I slowly leaned in, savoring the moment. My lips grazed her soft skin. â€Å"No!† she gasped. â€Å"Shhh,† I whispered, pulling her closer and allowing my teeth to touch her skin, subtly at first, then more insistently, until I sank my teeth into her neck. Her moans became screams, and I held my hand over her mouth to silence her as I sucked the sweet liquid into my mouth. She groaned slightly, but soon her sighs turned into kittenish mews. â€Å"New Orleans, next stop!† the conductor yelled, breaking my reverie. I glanced out the window. The sun was sinking low into the sky, and Lavinias nearly dead body felt heavy in my arms. Outside the window, New Orleans rose up as if in a dream, and I could see the ocean continuing on and on forever. It was like my life was destined to be: never-ending years, never-ending feedings, never-ending pretty girls with sweet sighs and sweeter blood. â€Å"Forever panting, and forever young,† I whispered, pleased at how well the lines from the poet Keats suited my new life. â€Å"Sir!† The conductor knocked on the door. I strode out of the compartment, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. He was the same conductor whod stopped Damon and me just outside Mystic Falls, and I saw suspicion flash across his face. â€Å"Were in New Orleans, then?† I asked, the taste of Lavinias blood in the back of my throat. The ginger-haired conductor nodded. â€Å"And the ladies? Theyre aware?† â€Å"Oh yes, theyre aware,† I said, not breaking my gaze as I slipped my ticket out of my pocket. â€Å"But they asked not to be disturbed. And I ask not to be disturbed, too. Youve never seen me. Youve never been by this compartment. Later, if anyone asks, you say there may have been some thieves who got on the train outside Richmond. They looked suspicious. Union soldiers,† I invented. â€Å"Union soldiers?† the conductor repeated, clearly confused. I sighed. Until I had compelling under control, Id have to resort to a more permanent style of memory erasing. In a flash I grabbed the conductor by the neck and snapped it as easily as if it were a sweet pea. Then I threw him into the compartment with Lavinia and shut the door behind me. â€Å"Yes, Union soldiers always do make a bloody mess of things, dont they?† I asked rhetorically. Then, whistling the whole way, I went to collect Damon from the gentlemens club car. Chapter 6 Damon was slumped right where Id left him, an untouched whiskey glass sweating on the oak table in front of him. â€Å"Come on,† I said roughly, yanking Damon up by the arm. The train was slowing, and all around us passengers were gathering their belongings and lining up behind a conductor who stood in front of the black iron doors to the outside world. But since we were unencumbered by possessions and blessed with strength, I knew our best bet was to exit the train the same way wed entered: by jumping off the back of the caboose. I wanted us both to be long gone before anyone noticed anything was amiss. â€Å"You look well,brother.† His tone was light, but the chalkiness of his skin and the purpling beneath his eyes gave away just how truly tired and hungry he was. For an instant, I wished Id left some of Lavinia for him, but quickly brushed aside the thought. I had to take a firm hand. That was how Father used to train the horses. Denying them food until they finally stopped yanking on the reins and submitted to being ridden. It was the same with Damon. He needed to be broken. â€Å"One of us has to maintain our strength,† I told Damon, my back to him as I led the way to the last car of the train. The train was still creeping along, the wheels scraping against the iron lengths of track. We didnt have much time. We scrambled back through the sooty coal to the door, which I pulled open easily. â€Å"On three! One Two † I grabbed his wrist and jumped. Both of our knees hit the hard dirt below with a thud. â€Å"Always have to show off, dont you, brother?† Damon said, wincing. I noticed his trousers had been torn at the knees from the fall, and his hands were pockmarked with gravel. I was untouched, except for a scrape on my elbow. â€Å"You should have fed.† I shrugged. The whistle of the train shrieked, and I took in the sights. We were on the edge of New Orleans, a bustling city filled with smoke and an aroma like a combination of butter and firewood and murky water. It was far bigger than Richmond, which had been the largest city Id ever known. But there was something else, a sense of danger that filled the air. I grinned. Here was a city we could disappear in. I began walking toward town at the superhuman speed I still hadnt gotten used to, Damon trailing behind me, his footfalls loud and clumsy, but steady. We made our way down Garden Street, clearly a main artery of the city. Surrounding us were rows of homes, as neat and colorful as dollhouses. The air was soupy and humid, and voices speaking French, English, and languages Id never heard created a patchwork of sound. Left and right, I could see alleyways leading down to the water, and rows of vendors were set up on the sidewalks, selling everything from freshly caught turtles to precious stones imported from Africa. Even the presence of blue-coated Union soldiers on every street corner, their muskets at their hips, seemed somehow festive. It was a carnival in every sense of the word, the type of scene Damon would have loved when we were human. I turned to look over my shoulder. Sure enough, Damons lips were curved in a slight smile, his eyes glowing in a way I hadnt seen in what felt like ages. We were in this adventure together, and now, away from memories of Katherine and Fathers remains and Veritas, maybe Damon could finally accept and embrace who he was. â€Å"Remember when we said wed travel the world?† I asked, turning toward him. â€Å"This is our world now.† Damon nodded slightly. â€Å"Katherine told me about New Orleans. She once lived here.† â€Å"And if she were here, shed want you to make this town your own–to live here, be here, to take your fill and make your place in the world.† â€Å"Always the poet.† Damon smirked, but he continued to follow me. â€Å"Perhaps, but its true. All of this is ours,† I said encouragingly, spreading my hands wide. Damon took a moment to consider my words and simply said, â€Å"All right, then.† â€Å"All right?† I repeated, hardly hoping to believe it. It was the first time hed glanced into my eyes since our fight at the quarry. â€Å"Yes. Im following you.† He turned in a citcle, pointing to the various buildings. â€Å"So, where do we stay? What do we do? Show me this brave new world.† Damons lips twisted into a smile, and I couldnt tell whether he was mocking me or was speaking in earnest. I chose to believe the latter. I sniffed the air and immediately caught a whiff of lemon and ginger.Katherine.Damons shoulders stiffened; he must have smelled it, too. Wordlessly, both of us spun on our heels and walked down an unmarked alleyway, following a woman wearing a satin lilac dress, a large sunbonnet on top of her dark curls. â€Å"Maam!† I called. She turned around. Her white cheeks were heavily rouged and her eyes ringed with kohl. She looked to be in her thirties, and already worry lines creased her fair forehead. Her hair fell in tendrils around her face, and her dress was cut low, revealing far too much of her freckled bosom than was strictly decorous. I knew instantly she was a scarlet woman, one wed whisper about as boys and point to when we were in the tavern in Mystic Falls. â€Å"You boys lookin for a good time?† she said languidly, her gaze flicking from me to Damon, then back again. She wasnt Katherine, not even close, but I could see a flicker in Damons eyes. â€Å"I don't think finding a place to stay will be a problem,† I whispered under my breath. â€Å"Don't kill her,† Damon whispered back, his jaw barely moving. â€Å"Come with me. I have some gals whod love to meet you. You seem like the type of boys who need adventure. That right?† She winked. A storm was brewing, and I could vaguely hear thunderclaps in the far distance. â€Å"Were always looking for an adventure with a pretty lady,† I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Damon tighten his jaw, and I knew he was fighting the urge to feed.Don't fight it, I thought, fervently hoping Damon would drink as we followed her along the cobblestone streets. â€Å"Were right here,† she said, using a large key to unlock the wrought-iron door of a periwinkle blue mansion at the end of a cul-de-sac. The house was well kept, but the buildings on either side seemed abandoned, with chipping paint and gardens overflowing with weeds. I could hear the jaunty sound of a piano playing within. â€Å"Its my boardinghouse, Miss Mollys. Except, of course, at this boardinghouse we show you sometruehospitality, if thats what youre in the mood for,† she said, batting her long eyelashes. â€Å"Coming?† â€Å"Yes, maam.† I pushed Damon through the doorway, then locked the door behind us.

What are the psychological and developmental differences between Essay

What are the psychological and developmental differences between learning a first and second language - Essay Example Learning a second language is a similar method to learning a first language in that one undergoes developmental phases and depend on native speakers to give good comprehensible models of the language. This extraordinarily fast progress appears to ‘fly in the face’ of several acknowledged facts regarding the nature of language - so much so that it has turn out to be commonly recognized within the scientific society to consider language as well as learning as one of various totally unexplainable ambiguities that overwhelmed people in their lives on a daily basis. Even the cleverest of scientists in the present day do not know where to start with attempting to unravel the variety of intricacies that all of language carries. Nevertheless, the child moves forward, apparently with little regard to this alleged anonymity and continues with little effort to break the ‘revered system’. To begin with, parents give very little in the way of language training to the chi ld; opposite to what some might accept as true, parents do not instruct their children to talk. The majority of parents would not even have the means in which to explain language clearly to a child even if they would like to do so. Actually, parents use the majority of time correcting falsehoods instead of correcting incorrect grammars. If someone is a casual observer, he would believe children grow-up being little lawyers trying to find out facts instead of little linguists trying to find out proper assumptions to their language. ... By the time a child is 5 years old he has developed an intricate verbal language structure and can communicate his requirements, wants, feelings and emotions. However, there is still a long way to go. From the ages of 6 to 12 years, children carry on to make their verbal language more refined and become skilled at reading and writing for a range of contexts. Even as grown-ups, people carry on to develop the first language - including fresh expressions, developing more intricate reading, and writing expertise. Learning a second language is as well a continuing procedure. One can never actually declare that he is completely familiar with a language. Learning a second language is a similar method to learning a first language in that one undergoes developmental phases and depend on native speakers to give good comprehensible models of the language. However, several other factors have an effect on it, including what the first language is, how educated the individual is in his first langua ge and the child’s approach to the new language and culture (O’Malley & Chamot, p. 129, 1990). Proficiency in the first language is very critical in developing proficiency in a second language. If the child can shift abilities from the first to the second language learning, the new language will be a lot simpler. These not just incorporate literacy abilities but also educational proficiencies, thinking skills, subject understanding and learning approach (Bhatia & Ritchie, p. 236, 2009). A lot of individuals believe that young children are the most excellent language learners. One of the huge benefits of younger language learners is that they develop outstanding accent skills; however, younger language learners run the threat of learning a

The Wannsee Conference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Wannsee Conference - Essay Example According to the study the plan based on the deportation of Jewish population of both French North Africa and Europe to areas occupied by Germans in the Eastern Europe. The Jews fit for labor were to be used on road building projects, in the event of which they would perish in accordance with the Wannsee protocol. Those who would still be surviving would be annihilated after projects’ completion. As the Soviet and Allied forces pushed back the German lines, many of the German Jews who occupied Europe were taken to concentration or extermination camps, or were killed in cold blood. This paper highlights that Heydrich opened the meeting with a remark of the measure taken on the anti-Jewish in Germany from the time Nazi seized power in 1933. He uttered that 530,000 Austrian and German Jews had emigrated between 1933 and 1941. He got this information from a briefing paper that was prepared for him by Eichmann who had become an expert on practicalities of finding a solution of the â€Å"Jewish question†. He had gained his experience in the organization of forceful emigration of the Viennese Jews in the year 1938. Heydrich reported to the members in the meeting that there were about eleven million Jews in the entire Europe. He then retorted that out of this number half were in countries that were not under German rule. Evacuating the Jews to the east was his provisional solution to the problem as emigration of the authorities had prohibited the evacuation European Jews. Heydrich cleared on the ultimate fate intention for the evacuees. He said that under prope r guidelines, in the line of the final solution, the Jews were to be allocated labor appropriately in the east. Jews of able-bodies separated by sex were to be taken to heavy work columns in road construction sites. It was assured that in the event of the actions, a large number would be eliminated by natural factors.  

What are some of the ways that metropolitan areas coordinate Essay

What are some of the ways that metropolitan areas coordinate governmental activites and services accross a region, while at the same timeprotecting the values of suburban independence - Essay Example This is a good example of the consolidated metropolitan area governance, where city and county divide and share the responsibility of providing core services and coordinating activities within its area. Thorough and organized planning between the city and the county helps to make the governance more efficient and economical. The biggest city in the area, Miami, and 34 other towns provide a lower level of services, such as fire, water/sewer, parking, zoning, etc. At the same time, the Dade County provides the higher level of services, such as school, emergency management, airport, regional transit, and public housing. At the same time, the County provides lower-level services for areas that are not incorporated under Miami-Dade County governance. There are some services that are provided at both levels, such as parks and recreation. Both levels of government that coordinate services and activities in the larger Miami area impose taxes. The Dade County operates under an Executive Mayor , who is appointed by the County Manager, and a County Commission. In some regions, however, the above mentioned formal form of governance is not politically feasible, thus some forms of functional governance emerge. An example of the functional governance is Portland, Oregon. Oregon has a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). There are many MPO throughout metropolitan areas in the United States, which are considered an innovative form of functional governance. Their formal role is to develop and manage regional transportation plans. However, more and more responsibilities are delegated to MPOs by the local governments. Oregon has the most powerful MPO in the country, the power of which crosses 3 counties and 25 cities. Unlike typical MPOs, Oregon MPO manages not only transportation, but only parks and recreation, and public facilities, as well as oversees land use and urban growth boundary. Thus, I

What were the most important consequences of the Industrial Revolution Essay

What were the most important consequences of the Industrial Revolution for world history - Essay Example Traditionally, all family members relied on the head of the family for the provision of the dairy basic needs, and they all used to collectively assist him achieve this objective. The revolution led to the heads of family shifting and migrating away from home in search of employment to sustain their families. Their departure thrust women who were traditionally raised to be submissive to the males as heads of their households when their male counter parts were away. If problems persisted, these families could shift to nearby cities in search of employment in the emerging factories for sustenance. The widespread migration to cities2 made the towns overcrowded causing innumerable problems common even today due to high population growth rates and development of social vices. Lack of accommodation led to the establishment of slums characterized by poor infrastructures, lack of basic amenities like water and sewerage systems and this contributed to the emergence of various contagious disea ses often leading to catastrophic epidemics. The high number of labor supply led to low wages and high unemployment rates increasing the problems these migrants were facing. This is despite the industries requiring large workforces from the country sides3. The standards of morality depreciated rapidly with women and girls prostituting themselves for food. Women and children also copied vices such as drug and alcohol abuse from men and crime rates soared as people tried to survive. The new challenges facing the family and the social life made changes in the gendering roles of both men and women as women tried to fill their new roles. Women were increasingly given more authority and autonomy in making key family decisions in the absence of the patriarchal men, a trend being promoted even today. They were further employed in the emerging factories, and they had to learn new skills just like men to be able to fit in their work

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence Thesis

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence on oil - Thesis Example As such, it is necessary to emphasize the fact that the environmental crisis is not only about environmental problems, but it is about the intertwined concerns regarding politics, economics, society and ideologies (Bodley 2008, p. 43). In this regard, this research will try to address one of the most urgent environmental issues that we are facing: are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence to oil? This is a crucial question because the reality of human dependence to oil is attested by the fact that countries all over the globe have to ensure energy security to sustain their economies and in case they fail, the threat of conflict becomes inevitable (Moran and Russell, 2008). Furthermore, as of 2009, 85 percent of total primary energy consumption involves the use of fossil fuels – oil, natural gas, and coal (Statistical Review of World Energy, 2009) and this is a critical issue because oil is finite. In addition, the peril of global warming coupled with the probability of the increase in consumption in the coming years creates urgency in addressing the question are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence to oil? Everybody, in one way or another, is concern with global warming and in finding the answer on how consumption of fossil fuels may be reduced. Alternative sources such as oil sands, heavy oil, and wood/other biomass, coal hydropower, shale oil, solar energy, gas hydrates, wind energy, nuclear fission, wave energy, geothermal tidal power, fusion, ocean thermal energy and conversion are all considered as alternative sources of energy. However, can they end human dependence in oil? First, as mentioned, oil is finite. There is a need to come up with alternative sources of energy because the reality of diminishing fossil fuel supplies is a fact. The fossil fuel that the world is currently using is built on 500

What is the Attraction of Dove Ad Legacy Coursework

What is the Attraction of Dove Ad Legacy - Coursework Example By asking mothers how they felt about their bodies, and then linking their feelings, perceptions, thoughts, attitudes and general orientation towards their bodies with how their daughters, in turn, felt about their bodies, the ad makes a powerful case for urging mothers to consider what they want to leave behind for their daughters as their part of their legacy. This is a powerful emotional appeal, given the obvious importance of the daughter in the lives of women as mothers. This is probably the woman’s strongest bond with any person. The implied message is that Dove cares about how they feel about their bodies and how the women are in relationship to the most important people in their lives, their children. Bringing mother and daughter together evokes positive and very intense feelings of love and the intense feelings associated with motherhood and all that the bond implies. There is an obvious linking of all this powerful current of emotions with Dove, and how Dove wants to position itself as something that will make women feel beautiful and good about themselves and their bodies. There is the aspect too, of Dove being a part of what mothers can positively leave behind for their children as part of the mothers’ legacy to their children. The bigger legacy, of course, consists of positive vibes, happiness, being at home with one’s body, loving oneself and accepting oneself, that Dove representsÃ'Ž The key argumentation, in terms of Aristotle’s appeals, is the appeal to pathos, or the emotions. This is also an appeal to self-identity, the women’s interests relating to self (Writing Commons, 2014). As the literature on pathos suggests, and as the Dove ad demonstrates, this is a very powerful appeal. The very premise of the ad- that mothers pass on how they see and feel about themselves to the most important people in their lives, their children and their daughters-   is inherently laden with powerful emotions (Kemp et al., 2 012). The supporting ad elements, including the music, all work in concert to emphasize and enhance the appeal to pathos. This is by design. There is an attempt to on the part of the ad to appeal to the audience of the ad in the same way. In the same way that the ad elicits the emotional reaction of parents by linking the exercise to their young daughters, and saying that the daughters are affected by the mothers’ feelings about themselves, the ad also makes an appeal to the emotions as far as the audience is concerned. The buildup of the music cued to reach a crescendo towards the end is an obvious attempt to imprint a powerful and positive emotion to the hearts of the audience at the end of it, like in a movie. Moreover, the choice of adult mothers with young daughters as the participants in the ad is deliberate, as those constitute a major target market for Dove products. The appeal to the emotions work where the audience is able to identify with the characters in a   mo vie, a book, a story, and here an ad (Kemp and Kopp, 2011). The race mix of the mothers also makes sure that the different target market ethnicities are included, to make sure too that the different members of the target market are able to identify with the mothers in the ad. There is an Asian mother, an African American mother, and three Caucasian mothers.

Online hotel reservation system Essay Example for Free

Online hotel reservation system Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION The main purpose that banks have been serving since their inception iskeeping our money safe for us. While keeping our money safe, they also letus earn a certain amount of interest on the money deposited with them. Traditional banks have been doing this, and internet banks continue thesame function. The only difference is in the way the transactions are made.We all know about internet banking and most of us use it quite often as well,but few of us actually understand about the history of internet banking andhow it all came out. Knowing the history of internet banking can be incrediblyuseful, especially since it will allow us to have more respect for the littlethings that we take for granted.Computers themselves have really come an enormous way since their initialestablishment, as the earliest electronic computers were so large that theywould take up the entire area of a room, while today some are so small thatthey can hardly be seen at all.In todays world, computers play an incredibly large role in the way the worldexists in general, and the majority of tasks could actually not be completed if not for the use of computers. Although there are certainly some areas and jobs that cannot yet be completed solely by computers and which thus stillrequire actual manpower, for the most part, computers have helped to makelife significantly easier, productive, and more convenient for us all.Internet banking has been around for quite a few years now, but has reallyonly become prominent over the past year or so in particular. Internetbanking offers an array of different advantages to the user, including: account balances and history including year-to-date information, the abilityto transfer money from one account to another and to payees for billpayments, check history, reorders, and stop payments, check credit cardbalances and statements, complete online loan applications, secureinteractive messaging with staff, and much more.Internet banking basically allows you to be able to do everything that youcan in your regular banking institution, only with the benefit that you can doit all right from the convenience of you r own home. Not only is this greatbecause you can be comfortable and have peace of mind knowing that youcan keep track yourself of all your banking  issues, but as well it allows formore ease because you never have to worry about rushing out and making itto the bank. 1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM With the problems and limitations associated with manual bankingprocedures as witnessed in most parastatals today, complied with theproblems associated with the existing application programs even much morein the presence of serious technological advances aimed at improvinginformation system. This is activities aimed at shedding light upon the needfor improvement in accounting activities and the means of achieving itsefficiency, effectiveness, reliability and success promising future throughcomputer intervention.Internet banking identifies a particular set of technological solutions for thedevelopment and the distribution of financial services, which rely upon theopen architecture of the Internet. With the implementation of an Internetbanking system, the banks maintain a direct relationship with the end usersvia the web and are able to provide a personal characterization to theinterface, by offering additional customised services. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The aim of this project is to develop a secured online banking system withthe following objectives: Create a banking system that is easily accessible by customers fromthe comfort of their homes, offices etc. Reduce the flow of human traffic and long queues at banks Reduce the time wasted in going to banks to stay on queues. Promote efficient and effective banking for the banks by focusing onthose services that still require physical presence at the banking hall. 1.3 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY This will cover the benefits derived in using internet banking and it’sfundamental. 1.3.1 ONLINE BANKING – HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? Many consumers today are turning to the ease and convenience of Internetbanking to take care of their financial needs. With the new levels of accessmade possible by the Internet, people can now check the status of theirfinances with the click of a button. The history of Internet banking has evolved from simply allowing  customersto check balances online, to now being able to trade stocks and bonds fromthe comfort of their own home 1.3.2 WHY USE ONLINE BANKING? Online banking services have grown from simply allowing customers to checkbalances, to trading assets. Today, banks like ING Direct are functioningentirely online, with no brick and mortar building. With the costs saved byrequiring fewer employees and the lack of facility expenses, these virtualbanks can often offer higher interest rates than their traditional counterparts.Internet banking gives you the power to control your finances completely. You are no longer tied down to managing your money during the hours thebank is open. If you want to transfer a balance after business hours, you can!If you have access to the Internet and have a number of recurring monthlybills, then you should use Internet banking to make your life easier. 1.3.3 FEATURES OF ONLINE BANKING Today, online banking services are quite varied. One of the best features of online banking is putting the user in control. The user controls all bill paying,transfers, and investments from home. There are other features, though of online banking. One of these is increasedaccessibility to your account information. Users of online banking servicescan access their account information from anywhere in the world! This isparticularly helpful for businesses. Internet business banking is becomingincreasingly popular, as businesses are becoming more global in their reach.Now business people can access their accounts, even when on overseasbusiness trips. Business Internet banking is extremely popular for thisreason.A particularly popular aspect of online banking services is the ability to makebill payments electronically. With a minimum degree of set-up, customerscan enter the amounts of their paper bills (or opt to receive electronic bills)and process all their payments at one time, from one screen 1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of this project is limited to the activities of the operations unit of the banking system which include opening of Account, Deposit of funds,Withdrawal of funds and transfer. 1.5 METHODOLOGY This project employs the object oriented approach of software engineeringusing appropriate (UML TOOLS) an object oriented approach. Some of thesteps to be taken are: Feasibility study – understanding and identifying of existing system andassociated study. Analysis – proper analysis and suggested solution to tackle suchproblems will be considered. Design – designing the new system will be achieved through an objectoriented software tools (UML). Coding – this is implemented as a 3tier architecture model using javalanguage. The 3 layers of the application are as follows.1, Java server pages / html pages – front end2, Java server pages / servlets – middle end3, SQL server as the back-end 1.6 MODE OF OPERATION WEBTRUST will contain self explanatory hyperlinks that customers can clickto make any request or perform a task. If a customer clicks on account opening links, he is taken to page where hefills a form and clicks the submit button if he is through. A successful filling of the form gives a response that confirms the customer account is open andactivated. Thus such a customer can receive money into such an accountthrough funds transfer. Account details are sent by the bank to thecustomer’s email box.Registered customers or Account holders of the bank can now login using theaccount details posted to their email box to login before they can performfinancial transactions. The system is secured such you cannot operateanother mans account even if you knew his account details because a newtransaction number is always sent to a customer for each login. Thistransaction number is what will be used to authenticate any transaction pertime CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW The emergence of electronic commerce over the past decade has radicallytransformed the economic landscape. For developing countries, the digitalrevolution offers unprecedented opportunities for economic growth anddevelopment, a case study of Pakistan. 2.1 DEFINING E-BANKING / ONLINE BANKING â€Å"In the 21st century there will be a lot of banking, but there will be no banks.â€Å"Says Bill Gates. The term online banking or internet banking  covers both computer andtelephone banking. Using computer banking, a customer either uses hiscomputer to dials directly into its banks computer or gains access to thebank’s computer over the internet. Using telephone banking, the customercan controls its bank accounts by giving the bank instructions over thetelephone. Both computer and telephone banking involve the use of passwords which give access to the customer’s accounts.Using these methods, banking transactions can be actioned 24 hours a day. Online banking allows the person, for instance, to view recent transactions,print out statements and transfer funds between accounts and makepayments.Many banks also have the facility for someone to set up, amend or cancelstanding orders. Internet banking also allows payments to be made to thecustomer, i.e. acceptance of credit card donations. Most people that usenternet banking will also continue to use some of the elements of moretraditional methods of banking, such as a cheque book.. 2.2 E-BANKING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Just like Internet infrastructure, E-Banking in developing countries is at earlystages; however there are some exceptions where countries like: Brazil have 75% of enterprises, excluding micro-enterprises using theInternet for banking in 2005. Morocco (34.9%). (United Nations Conference on Trade andDevelopment, 2006), There is an increasing growth of online banking, indicating a promisingfuture for online banking in these countries. In China, while banks issue credit cards and while many use debitcards to draw directly from their respective bank accounts, very fewpeople use their credit cards for online payment. Cash-on-delivery isstill the most popular mode of e-commerce payment. Nonetheless,online payment is gaining popularity because of the emergence of China pay and Cyber Beijing, which offer a city-wide online paymentsystem. (Zorayda Ruth B. Andam, 2003).

Detailed Analysis Of Silent Hill Two Media Essay

Detailed Analysis Of Silent Hill Two Media Essay Silent Hill 2 is a 2001 survival horror/puzzle game released for the playstation 2 by Konami. It is the sequel to the first Silent Hill game released in 1999 for the original playstation. Silent Hill 2 is seen by many as landmark game, which capitalised on elements of game design previously ignored or seen as of secondary importance. It is difficult to categorise the appeal of Silent Hill 2, as at first glance its gameplay could appear primitive or certainly repetitive, while its subject matter and storyline are nothing new to the horror genre. To put it in more prosaic terms Silent Hill 2 is very much more than the sum of its parts, and this makes it a particularly interesting candidate for in depth analysis. For the greatest part of this essay I will refer to the game via the shorthand reference: SH2. Gameplay in SH2 revolves around a mixture of puzzle solving and simple combat. As the main protagonist progresses through the town of Silent Hill, he must fight various monsters using a variety of weapons. These range from a simple plank to a hunting rifle. In keeping with the survival horror nature of the game, ammunition is quite scarce as are the supplies necessary for healing, and individual enemies can take significant time and effort to kill. The player will find him/herself conserving ammunition for the stronger enemies and bosses, and thus any encounter with a monster brings with it a sense of trepidation and anxiety. Even the least powerful of the monsters becomes formidable if the players health and ammo is low, and he/she is forced to use the wooden plank. This is compounded by the fact that the enemies in SH2 are extremely resistant to damage and take a considerable time to kill outright (though they may be knocked to the ground for a temporary immobilisation). All of the se elements combine to nurture a sense of extreme reluctance to progress through the towns environs, and help create a fear of the unknown path ahead. Unfortunately the game fails to find the right balance between challenge and enjoyability with its combat. Defeating the monsters in Silent Hill is far more tedious than it is gripping. There is far too little variety in the methods of attack and too much time is required to kill each one that soon combat becomes a slow and repetitive affair of repeatedly swinging the iron bar at low powered enemies in order to conserve ammo. Furthermore once an enemy locks into combat with the player, it no longer becomes necessary to reposition the main character, resulting in gameplay requiring no more input than holding down the attack button. There is no heads up display in SH2, and the player must access the start menu to see how much ammo or health remains. When the player has taken excessive damage the playstation controller will subtly vibrate alerting him/her to the condition they are in. This merely adds to the frustrating nature of the combat in SH2, as no clear indication of how much damage can be taken against an enemy is ever given. This results in the player frequently dying while fighting the numerous minor enemies, even with plenty of health packs in reserve. Attacks given and received in combat are accompanied by a vibration of the controller which masks the warning vibrations when close to death and further jeopardises health management. This is a grave shortcoming which detracts from the rather well designed puzzle element of SH2. Puzzles range from fairly untaxing instances of collecting and combining items to extremely cryptic riddles requiring a good deal of thought to solve. The riddles show imagination in their intricacy and leave the player with a sense of achievement for having solved them. Unfortunately instances of these riddles are far less frequent than the occurrence of monsters in silent hill. SH2 is the story of James Sunderland, a man looking for his deceased wife after receiving a letter from her which says that she is waiting for him in the town of Silent Hill, a place where they used to holiday when she was alive. James wife was named Mary, and he begins the game with a photograph of her along with the letter signed by her in his inventory. The game begins with James having driven to Silent Hill only to find the entrance road blocked. He stops at a highway toilet , examines his own reflection in the bathroom mirror, reads the letter from his wife again and decides to enter the town on foot. James commences walking through the woods. The games atmosphere is established early on by thick fog and strange disconcerting noises as he makes his way. James eventually comes upon a graveyard and we are introduced to the games first non-playable character: Angela. As James finds her she is sitting among the tombstones. The conversation between the two seems disjointed. This sets the tone for the dialogue in the game. Much of what Angela says makes little sense, James asks her questions but she seems incapable of giving him a straight answer, as though her thoughts are not fully in the present. We gather enough from what she says to learn that she is looking for her mama in Silent Hill. At a later point in the game we learn that Angela had an abusive childhood and that this has left her with a desire to end her own life. Her father was killed (it seems likely by Angela), and the family home burned down. James proceeds to enter the town proper. Everything is covered in a thick fog. The town looks for the most part normal except that it is utterly deserted and the cars, signage, and architecture have an outdated feel. We soon meet our first enemy- a non descript grotesque humanoid shape which James dispatches with the aid of a wooden plank. Soon James finds himself in an apartment building. The building is in an appalling state of repair, displaying many signs of decay with walls stained horribly with rust, mildew and blood. Here we meet our second character, Eddie. The room we find Eddie in does not display such advanced decay. Eddie is in the process of vomiting into the toilet when we meet him, and the body of a human can be seen in the kitchen unit. This is not overly remarkable in light of the monsters roaming the apartment, but Eddie is instantly defensive in his conversation with James, and his frequent uncalled for denials that he murdered the man in the kitchen lead us to suspect that he in fact did. It is noteworthy that Eddie never mentions the monsters, which would conveniently explain the body. Eddie appears to be a man of limited intelligence- coarse, with a cruel side to his nature. When James finds his way out of the apartment he discovers a little girl named Laura wandering the streets by herself. Laura tells James that she shared a ward with Mary in the hospital during Marys illness. This strikes James as highly suspect, Mary was supposed to have died three years ago, when Laura would have been very young indeed. He tries to question Laura on the matter but just like the previous conversations with Angela and Eddie, it bears little fruit. James continues on towards Rosewater Park, one of the places which would fit Marys description of a special place from her letter. Instead of Mary James meets a woman who calls herself Maria. James is astounded at Marias appearance, as she looks almost identical to his dead wife Mary. Their personalities are less similar however; Mary is extraverted and bawdy whereas Mary was reserved and ladylike. Maria is dressed in a suggestively low cut outfit with a mini skirt and an incident later on in Heavens Night strip club infers that she works as a stripper. Maria says she doesnt know Mary and takes James confusing of the two women badly. It is significant that James should meet Maria in the place he expected Mary, not to mention the similarities in appearance. Maria resolves to join James in his search for Mary. After an episode in the hospital Maria is violently killed on front of James by a sinister pyramid headed monster which is seemingly impervious to attack. Later on he finds her i nexplicably alive and well before she is again killed on front of him. This pattern repeats itself three times in the game, as James is forced to witness his dead wifes doppelganger murdered in front of him. James receives no explanation for this, or the manner in which Maria seems to share memories of Mary with James; and though she becomes angry when James confuses the two women, it seems that even she confuses herself with Mary. James surmises that Marys special place must be the hotel by the lake and makes his way there. He encounters Laura and Eddie at various times but their conversations reveal little apart from the extent of their mutual confusion. In a prison on the way to the Hotel James meets Eddie in a room full of recently murdered human corpses. This is strange as Silent Hill appears to have been deserted for some time. Eddie has lost his mind, and starts talking about having to kill people for making fun of him. Eddie becomes convinced James is just like all the rest and tries to kill James but fails, losing his own life in the process. James finally reaches the Hotel. A look in the games inventory screen reveals that Marys note has gone blank. This raises the question of whether or not it ever existed. James reaches the room where he and Mary stayed. The room is in perfect condition and is empty apart from a vcr and a television. James inserts a video he found elsewhere in the Hotel and watches in horror at footage of himself putting a pillow over Marys face in her hospital bed. It finally becomes clear- James killed Mary. He sits with his head bowed for some time until Laura enters. We wonder how she made it into the hotel past all of the monsters and traps. James tells Laura he killed Mary. At this point the player realises the origin of James confusion. Mary was dying and James killed her and subsequently blocked out the memory. Now the chronology of the game makes more sense; Mary didnt die but merely got sick three years ago and James killed her much more recently. This explains how Laura had met her not long ago. It transpires that Marys illness badly affected her appearance and demeanour, causing her to lash out at James. This goes some way to explaining why James did what he did. Just before the final boss James again meets Angela. She is consumed by despair and James can do nothing to dissuade her from suicide. James is forced to witness the death of Maria at the hands of pyramid head one last time before proceeding to the roof of the Hotel where an evil incarnation of either Mary or Maria (depending on the players actions during the game) awaits. There are four endings to SH2: 1: In the Leave ending, the woman on the roof is Maria yet again, disguised as Mary in an attempt to trick James. James refuses her and Maria transforms into a monster. After James defeats this Boss Maria, he finds himself by Marys bedside once again. He explains to Mary that he killed her to end her suffering but also selfishly to end his own difficulty in having to care for her. He reads Marys letter in full and then leaves the town with Laura. 2: The in water ending is the same as above except instead of leaving with Laura we hear the sounds of James car driving into a lake. We surmise that he could not live without Mary and chose to drown himself. Marys letter scrolls across a screen with a watery background. 3: In the Maria ending James is reunited with Maria after the fight and the pair leave town together. As he helps her into his car she begins coughing. It seems likely that Maria will fall ill just like Mary did. It could be construed as a punishment for James, or perhaps even a chance of salvation if he sees Marias illness to the end, the way he never did for Mary. 4: The rebirth ending, which can only be unlocked during a replay sees James killing boss Maria, and then taking Marys body out to an island in Toluca Lake via boat. It appears as though he intends to resurrect Mary using various talismans he found in game at the church on the island. SH2, with its multiple endings and abundant ambiguity has no single reading or interpretation. Just as James discovers his own true past after watching the video the player must assemble his/her own definitive narrative based on the events they have witnessed. Many of the events negate each other, or have causes and consequences which are mutually exclusive. These include Marys note which disappears partway through the game, or Marias frequent resurrections. It becomes apparent after some reflection that if SH2 provides an account of these inconsistencies it is not made explicit and its left up to the player to make sense of events. The one theme each one of the endings have in common is that someone along the line in the story, be it Maria or Mary, turns out to be a figment of James imagination. Given that each ending allows for this possibility it seems likely that much of what James has experienced in Silent Hill was a product of his own mind. This reasoning is the only way to bui ld a logical picture of the events of SH2. The best way to examine this theory is to look closer at James encounters with the other characters in the game. The characters in SH2 converse with each other in a disjointed way, as though each inhabits a separate reality which only they have access to. It appears as though the town presents a subjective reality to each person who visits it. It also makes sense to think that each characters reality can only be observed when they meet face to face. The evidence for this is quite strong when one examines how the characters interact. Eddie never once mentions the monsters that threaten James, for him Silent Hill is a place full of people who make fun of him. James never sees any of these people except lying dead in and around Eddie. The town is less dilapidated when we meet Eddie, such as in the apartment room, where sports posters adorn the wall. It is uncertain why Silent Hill drew Eddie to it but his experience there is a failure, he loses his mind and commences slaughtering everyone. His experience of Silent Hill ends when he meets a real person- James, who kills him. Angela provides an even more dramatic example. When James rescues her she is being threatened by a monster that she refers to as daddy. This scene provides a good insight into how the town manifests itself to different people. The room is full of the decor of a domestic living room, even though it occurs in an underground labyrinth. Angela apparently sees Silent Hill through the eyes of her childhood. She saw her father while all James saw was a monster. The last time James meets Angela it is in the burning hallway. This seems to be a representation of how her childhood home burned down. James remarks that its hot as hell in here, while Angela replies You see it too? For me its always like this. The fire only exists when Angela is near; when James leaves the room, the Hotel is back to its damp rotting self. The town seems perfectly normal in the presence of Laura, and this explains how an eight year old girl could run from place to place without being harassed by monsters. In the bowling alley we find Laura and Eddie together eating a pizza. This too is revealing. The silent Hill James experiences is far too old and unsanitary a place to find food in, whereas for Laura and Eddie it appears just ordinary enough to find a pizza. Now we have some idea of how the town works for different people we can make more sense of James experiences. Firstly the chances of Maria being a real person seam dubious. Unlike the other characters in the game Maria is the only one who shares James experiences and can witness the things he can. This is evidence against her existence outside of James imagination, as none of the other characters seem to have any idea what James means when he talks of monsters. Furthermore none of the other characters ever see Maria, and when she and James arrive at the bowling alley she stays outside, away from Laura and Eddie so as not to reveal her illusory nature by appearing on front of people who cannot see her. There is also the more obvious discrepancy of her many deaths and resurrections; the other characters seem much more conventional in this regard. Finally there are the comparisons between Maria and Mary. She has the same body, and appears in the same spot James expects to see Mary- all suggestive of an imaginary Maria hypotheses; a construct of James mind composed of elements of his dead wife. Pyramid head, like all the monsters in SH2, is a further construct of James imagination. He plays a role in that he forces James to face his own guilt by killing the image of his wife before his eyes again and again. James admits this to himself before the final fight with the twin pyramid heads: thats why I needed you, needed someone to punish me for my sins. Interestingly James never actually harms pyramid head during combat. All the encounters with him are survived by endurance rather than by beating him. In the end it is pyramid head that kills himself. So the definitive narrative of SH2 is thus: James, forced to care for what was left of his sick wife, decided to kill her rather than have either of them suffer any longer. Once he had killed her however, he was filled with feelings of guilt and began living in denial, telling himself and others that she had died three years ago. In fact however; he hated himself, and needed to face the truth of what he had done, and so he was drawn to the town of Silent Hill where the forces of the town led him on a journey to face himself. Aesthetically SH2 has a very unified and clear vision of itself. As an audio visual experience the different elements tie together very well and form quite a cohesive feeling game of seamless stylistic integrity. Particular attention was given to the design of the monsters which reflect the nature of James inner turmoil. Apart from pyramid head every monster in SH2 is feminine in nature. Even the indistinguishable humanoid shapes that spit acid have high pitched female voices and long legs. Some of the monster designs have sexual overtones such as the mannequins or the nurses. It seems plausible to read this as a manifestation of James relationship towards womankind since he murdered his wife. It could even be said that the form of the monsters are derived from the nature of Marys disfiguring illness. The sense of atmosphere in SH2 is superbly well crafted. To this end the designers have employed prolific use of heavy fog and darkness to create a fear of progressing forward into the unknown. This is coupled with the use of a noise grain filter that lends an organic feel to the textures and ties in with the static motif reflected in the radio. The noise filter plays tricks on the eye, making walls appear to crawl and adding to the sense of chaos and unease. Every area exhibits a very high level of detail, with various bits of rubbish, graffiti, and detritus creating a thoroughly believable, lived in, (though abandoned) town. The minimal soundtrack is no less appropriate, with Akira Yamaoka opting more for industrial or ambient soundscapes than a conventional soundtrack (although a conventional song was also composed for the game). The imagination displayed in the composition of the soundtrack is impressive. Yamaoka employed very few conventional instruments, instead creating deeply unsettling otherworldly cacophonies of banging iron, bee-hives, saws, miscellaneous improvised percussion, sirens, wild animals, and heavy machinery. It is unfortunate therefore considering the quality of SH2 as an aesthetic experience, to find it marred by the camera. SH2 uses a third person viewpoint at all times with only a miniscule degree of control afforded to the player. The game has a very cinematic attitude to camera placement and as a result the camera is tyrannical in its inflexibility. Examination of the detail in the graphics is forbidden at all times by the camera, which will change position at the drop of a hat to the other side of a room. Though the camera positions are clearly deliberately chosen to lend the game an avant-garde and cinematic veneer they succeed only in hampering movement, increasing combat difficulty and generally detracting from SH2s enjoyment on every level. In conclusion the strength of Silent Hill 2 lies in its ability to tell a compelling and intriguing story while successfully evoking a palpably uneasy atmosphere. SH2 represents an advance in the video game as form, as it redefines the areas in which a game succeeds at entertaining. By all traditional standards the gameplay is uninspired, even tedious at times, yet SH2 remains a deeply affecting and compelling experience. The attention to detail in the feel of the game, along with the subtle, mature, and ambiguous storyline create a game of tremendous artistic unity, which represents a true formal leap in video games. .

Archimedes :: essays papers

Archimedes Archimedes of Syracuse (ca. 287-ca. 212 BC) Greek mathematician who flourished in Sicily. He is generally considered to be the greatest mathematician of ancient times. Most of the facts about his life come from a biography about the Roman soldier Marcellus written by the Roman biographer Plutarch. Archimedes performed numerous geometric proofs using the rigid geometric formalism outlined by Euclid (Greek geometer who wrote the Elements, the world's most definitive text on geometry.), excelling especially at computing areas and volumes using the METHOD OF EXHAUSTION(a integral-like limiting process to compute the area and volume of 2-D lamina and 3-D solids.). 2-D Lamina ¡Ã‚ ¦s: 3-D Solids He was especially proud of his discovery for finding the volume of a sphere, showing that it is two thirds the volume of the smallest cylinder that can contain it. At his request, the figure of a sphere and cylinder as engraved on his tombstone. In fact, it is often said that Archimedes would have invented calculus if the Greeks had only possessed a more tractable mathematical notation. By inscribing and circumscribing polygons on a circle, for instance, he was able to constrain the value of (pi ) between 3 10/71 and 3+1/7. Æ’Ã   Archimedes was also an outstanding engineer, formulating Archimedes' principle of buayancy and the law of the lever. Legend has it that Archimedes discovered his principle of buoyancy, which states that the buoyancy force is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced, while taking a bath, upon which he is supposed to have run naked through the streets of Syracuse shouting ``Eureka!'' (I have found it). Archimedes is also purported to have invented the Archimedean screw. Some of Archimedes's geometric proofs were actually motivated by mechanical arguments which led him to the correct answer.

Medicinal Marijuana Should Be Legal Essay examples -- Medical Marijuan

Too often do Americans today turn to prescription pills as a cure-all for every ailment. From occasional headaches to chronic pain, people look for immediate results disregarding any possible side effects. Drugs which act as painkillers in the body may become very addictive and misuse can be fatal. While we should not shun western medicine, patients should be offered other types of treatment. I believe that those who are being treated with over the counter medication should be given the option of using marijuana. The problems with prescription drugs consist of health risks, dependence, misuse, cost, and effectiveness. Constantly are there advertisements on television pitching a new drug whose side effects sound worse than the pain it is meant to solve. Unlike most addictions, people are told to take pills by an authoritative figure that can be trusted. Many of those who fall into this type of addiction have little history of drug use and fail to recognize their growing dependence. One pill a day turns into two; before they know it, their body now relies on that fix. Cost is another important issue when considering the value of having an option other than over the counter pills. While many struggle to pay for the drugs they depend on, there may be a much cheaper alternative. Lastly, the success of drugs is not the same for every individual. Drug A may work miracles for some yet be a curse for others. I believe many of these issues could be resolved with marijuana. While studies are limited due to its legality, enough has been established to make a valid claim for its medicinal properties. Marijuana can be used to treat â€Å"pain, muscle spasms and tremors, seizures, nausea, vomiting, appetite stimulation, insomnia, migraine headaches, depression, and glaucoma, among other things.†(Ardpark) States such as California have begun to recognize on a small scale however there needs to be a nationwide push. Despite government claims â€Å"marijuana is an addictive drug† (DEA), marijuana is not an addictive drug. It may be habit forming, but has nowhere near the addictiveness of drugs like OxyContin which are legal. I am not calling for a cannabis free-for-all and acknowledge the fact that, as with any drug, there would need to be regulations put in place. Expenses on medication would significantly decrease and without the hazards of pills, t... ...nd Drug Administration. 22 Oct. 2006 "Frontline: Drug Wars: the buyers: a social history of america's most popular drugs." WGBH Educational Foundation. 1995-2006 . PBS. 3 Oct. 2006 Herer, Jack. "Chapter 6." The Emperor Wears No Clothes. (2006) : 1,2,5,7. 22 Oct. 2006 http://www.jackherer.com/chapter06.html Office of National Drug Control Policy. Robinson J. "Who's Really in Prison for Marijuana?." ONDCP Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse. 9, 10, 12-15. 3 Oct. 2006 . "Prohibition In America: A Brief History." 3 Oct. 2006 . "Marijuana Arrests For Year 2005 ." 21 Sept. 2006 . NORML. 3 Oct. 2006 . "Marijuana Information." Narconon International. (2002) : Association for Better Living an Education. 3 Oct. 2006 . "The Uses of Medical Marijuana." 1,2. Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana.22 Oct. 2006

FM Receivers Essay -- essays research papers

Abstract This paper will discuss the design of an FM receiver. It will begin with a brief historical backdrop of FM broadcasting and its use in society. It will continue by providing the necessary mathematical background of the modulation process. Furthermore, it will enumerate some of the advantages of FM over other forms of modulation, namely AM. Finally, the paper will discuss the design of a basic FM receiver as well as introduce some circuits and circuit components which the reader may not be familiar with. Introduction Frequency modulation (FM) was invented in 1936 by an American electrical engineer/ inventor named Edwin H. Armstrong. Possessing numerous advantages over the existing AM broadcasting system, as will be discussed later, in combination with relatively low cost of implementation, resulted in its rapid growth. In the years following World War Two, there were 600 licensed stations broadcasting in the U.S. By 1980, the number grew to 4000. On another historical note, in 1961 stations began broadcasting in stereo. The basic receiver design consists of the following components. An antenna is used to convert electro-magnetic waves into electrical oscillations. Amplifiers are used throughout the receiver to boost signal power at radio, baseband and intermediate frequencies. The core of the FM receiver, the discriminator, comes in various circuit forms and is used in detection and demodulation. Basically, its role is to extract the intelligence or message from the carrier wave. Another component, essential in most electronic circuits, is the power supply (DC or AC converted to DC). Finally, a transducer (speaker in the case of Radio) is needed to convert the message signal into its final form (audio, mechanical, etc ¡Ã‚ ­). Other components more specific to FM receivers are mixers combined with local oscillators used for frequency manipulation, limiters to control amplitude, de-emphasis and other filter circuits. 2 Mathematics of FM Unlike amplitude modulation (AM) where the message or modulating signal, call it m(t), is used to modulate the amplitude of the carrier signal, frequency modulation, as the name implies, uses m(t) to transform the frequency of the carrier. The amplitude of an FM signal should remain constant during the modulating process; an important property of FM. A general FM signal can be described by the following:1  ¦Ã‚ µFM(t) = Acos( ¦ÃƒË†... ...n its output proportional to s(t). Over a short time interval, this variation  ¡Ãƒâ€" C(wc-wo)t. Thus, the system continues to loop until the frequency of the VCO output matches or  ¡Ã‚ °locks ¡Ã‚ ± onto the incoming frequency. The time it takes for the system to  ¡Ã‚ °lock ¡Ã‚ ± is called the acquisition time. Once the frequencies match, s(t) becomes s(t) = AB/s sin( ¦ÃƒË†c- ¦ÃƒË†o) For an incoming FM signal s(t) = AB/2 sin( ¦ÃƒË†c(t)- ¦ÃƒË†o) = AB/2 sin (kf  ¡Ãƒâ€™m( ¦Ãƒâ€œ)d ¦Ãƒâ€œ  ¨C ¦ÃƒË†o) Running s(t) through a differentiator results in an AM signal which can be easily demodulated using envelope detection. Once the signal has been demodulated, it is then passed through a de-emphasis circuit, as mentioned earlier. Typically, it is then amplified one last time before heading to the output transducer. Conclusion In conclusion, the modulation/demodulation process for FM signals has proven to be much less straight forward than simple AM modulation. However, FM has considerable advantages and its use in radio, satellite and radar applications make it indispensable. Many methods of signal and system analysis along with filter and feedback design are employed in the building of an FM receiver, whether it be analog, digital or otherwise. FM Receivers Essay -- essays research papers Abstract This paper will discuss the design of an FM receiver. It will begin with a brief historical backdrop of FM broadcasting and its use in society. It will continue by providing the necessary mathematical background of the modulation process. Furthermore, it will enumerate some of the advantages of FM over other forms of modulation, namely AM. Finally, the paper will discuss the design of a basic FM receiver as well as introduce some circuits and circuit components which the reader may not be familiar with. Introduction Frequency modulation (FM) was invented in 1936 by an American electrical engineer/ inventor named Edwin H. Armstrong. Possessing numerous advantages over the existing AM broadcasting system, as will be discussed later, in combination with relatively low cost of implementation, resulted in its rapid growth. In the years following World War Two, there were 600 licensed stations broadcasting in the U.S. By 1980, the number grew to 4000. On another historical note, in 1961 stations began broadcasting in stereo. The basic receiver design consists of the following components. An antenna is used to convert electro-magnetic waves into electrical oscillations. Amplifiers are used throughout the receiver to boost signal power at radio, baseband and intermediate frequencies. The core of the FM receiver, the discriminator, comes in various circuit forms and is used in detection and demodulation. Basically, its role is to extract the intelligence or message from the carrier wave. Another component, essential in most electronic circuits, is the power supply (DC or AC converted to DC). Finally, a transducer (speaker in the case of Radio) is needed to convert the message signal into its final form (audio, mechanical, etc ¡Ã‚ ­). Other components more specific to FM receivers are mixers combined with local oscillators used for frequency manipulation, limiters to control amplitude, de-emphasis and other filter circuits. 2 Mathematics of FM Unlike amplitude modulation (AM) where the message or modulating signal, call it m(t), is used to modulate the amplitude of the carrier signal, frequency modulation, as the name implies, uses m(t) to transform the frequency of the carrier. The amplitude of an FM signal should remain constant during the modulating process; an important property of FM. A general FM signal can be described by the following:1  ¦Ã‚ µFM(t) = Acos( ¦ÃƒË†... ...n its output proportional to s(t). Over a short time interval, this variation  ¡Ãƒâ€" C(wc-wo)t. Thus, the system continues to loop until the frequency of the VCO output matches or  ¡Ã‚ °locks ¡Ã‚ ± onto the incoming frequency. The time it takes for the system to  ¡Ã‚ °lock ¡Ã‚ ± is called the acquisition time. Once the frequencies match, s(t) becomes s(t) = AB/s sin( ¦ÃƒË†c- ¦ÃƒË†o) For an incoming FM signal s(t) = AB/2 sin( ¦ÃƒË†c(t)- ¦ÃƒË†o) = AB/2 sin (kf  ¡Ãƒâ€™m( ¦Ãƒâ€œ)d ¦Ãƒâ€œ  ¨C ¦ÃƒË†o) Running s(t) through a differentiator results in an AM signal which can be easily demodulated using envelope detection. Once the signal has been demodulated, it is then passed through a de-emphasis circuit, as mentioned earlier. Typically, it is then amplified one last time before heading to the output transducer. Conclusion In conclusion, the modulation/demodulation process for FM signals has proven to be much less straight forward than simple AM modulation. However, FM has considerable advantages and its use in radio, satellite and radar applications make it indispensable. Many methods of signal and system analysis along with filter and feedback design are employed in the building of an FM receiver, whether it be analog, digital or otherwise.