Feminism and Sexuality in Eudora Welty’s Delta Wedding Essay

Eudora Welty’s Delta Wedding is a very complex novel, in spite of the apparent simplicity of the plot: at first sight, the story only describes the family life of the Fairchilds in the Mississippi Delta. The book only covers approximately one week of the year 1923 and revolves around the preparations for the wedding and the wedding itself of the prettiest daughter of the family, Dabney Fairchild to Troy Flavin. Although the plot is quite simple, the book is crammed with numerous characters and the intricate web of relations between them, and has a rich symbolism. First of all, the text reveals Welty’s ideas about knowledge and the perception of reality: the numerous voices in her fiction have different ways of looking at reality and of knowing, and the author emphasizes these differences. Ellen and George seem to be the characters that have a way of looking at the world which comes very close to that of Welty herself. Her fiction imitates the same pattern of knowing, by leaving out reason and systematic thought, and apprehending the surrounding universe in its wholeness, as when one contemplates a landscape without thinking of anything else, as nine year old Laura does, when she looks out of the window of the train: â€Å"Thoughts went out of her head and the landscape filled it.†(Welty, 1946, p. 4) Thus, Welty’s fiction seems to borrow the technique of photography by capturing in a single shot both the apparent reality and the essence of this reality. As Welty notices in her essay, Writer’s Beginnings quoted by Carson (1992), the role of writing is to make one single picture of the inner and external aspect of every thing, or as Carson puts it, to put two pictures in a single frame: â€Å"A lamp I knew of was a view of London till it was lit; but then it was the Great Fire of London, and you could go beautifully to sleep by it. The lamp alight is the combination of internal and external, glowing at the imagination as one; and so is the good novel. Seeing that these inner and outer surfaces do lie so close together and so implicit in each other, the wonder is that human life so often separates them, or appears to, and it takes a good novel to put them back together.†(Carson, 1992, p.17) The world of the Fairchilds, as described in Delta Wedding, is rich and complex precisely because the reader constantly gets the impression he is looking at more pictures in a single frame at the same time, or at more layers of reality: the glimpses into the inner lives of all the characters which seem to appear on the scene all at once plus the picturesque descriptions of the Southern world, with its customs and traditions make up a very complex tableau, which perfectly imitates the impressions we may have when reviewing our day-to- day lives. The world of the Fairchilds which seems to be so particular and impermeable as to be a world in itself, with its own spirit, can be extended in fact as a picture of human societies in general. The world of the plantations is a world dominated by women, by their culture and femininity, which resemble that of Virginia Woolf. This is not to say however, that the women actually have the power in since their rule is limited to the life of the household and the family, while being completely separated from the rest of the world. Still, the limited universe of the household is like a matriarchy, in which motherhood, nursing and all the trivial affairs related to daily life, like cooking are the most potent symbols. It is very important to note thus that Welty’s feminism consists precisely of maintaining the traditional in her fiction and, at the same time opening the ways to freedom for the women, be that sexual or intellectual. There are many signs of the assertion of female sexuality, especially in Robbie’s relation to George for example, or in Shelley’s rejection of marriage and implicitly, of male domination. Sexuality, as the affirmation of the female body, best represents the idea of freedom and liberation of the woman, who no longer avoids her own identity. Robbie’s desire of finding her place in her own marriage through her sexuality is very significant for Welty’s presentation of the women. Thus, Welty represents a powerful feminine world, in which, although all the traditional patriarchal patterns are still preserved, the women impose their own modes of thinking and their own identity through the very traditions which are considered to be the reason for their enslavement. Thus, in many parts of the story the traditional way of thinking of the aunts imposes itself over and over again. For example, although the aunts know that Dabney is probably pregnant and is forced to rush into the marriage with Troy, they keep silent on the theme, not being willing to inquire further than the mere surface of facts, as Dabney complains:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"They don’t make me say if I love Troy or if I don’t, Dabney was thinking, clicking her heels in the pantry. But by the time she came back to the porch, the flowers in a Mason jar of water, she knew she would never say anything about love after all, if they didn’t want her to. Suppose they were afraid to ask her, little old aunts.† (Welty, 1946, p.48) As Carson comments, the aunts’ attitude is cause exactly by the way in which the Fairchilds are used to look at the world: they always stay on the surface of things and relations, seeing happiness and love everywhere, without really being aware of their or of the others’ identity as individuals: â€Å"One of the reasons the family fails to know each other as individuals [†¦] is that they are so conscious of each other as part of the family.†(Carson, 1992, p. 78) This way of knowing seems to be proper of the Fairchild spirit, and is the same as Carson (1992) describes as ‘tyrannical’, attempting at categorizing and dividing everything, instead of looking for the essence of reality:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The knowledge that deals only with facts; the knowledge that aims at control and manipulation; the knowledge that puts things and people into boxes and bottles and categories–this is tyrannical knowledge, and it is the way of knowing that most people settle for. George’s knowing is different. He â€Å"could have lifted a finger and touched, held the butterfly, but he did not† (p. 37): without possessing the butterfly–and thus perhaps killing it–he makes it part of himself.† (Carson, 1992, p. 83) As Ellen perceives it, the essence of life consist of the repetitions and the cycles and even the monotony of everything: â€Å"The repeating fields, the repeating cycles of season and her own life–there was something in the monotony itself that was beautiful, rewarding–perhaps to what was womanly within her. No, she had never had time–much time at all, to contemplate [†¦] but she knew. (Welty, 1946, p. 240) This negation of reasoning, and the impressionist way of looking at reality are again a sign of the femininity that dominates the world Welty describes. It is clear then, that in this restricted social circle the women are powerful precisely because they dominate through their pattern of thinking as well as through their mastery of the household: â€Å"[†¦]the women of the Fairchilds who since the Civil War, or – who knew? – since the Indian times, ran the household and had everything at their fingertips – not the men.†(Welty, 1946, p.8) Ann Romines who discuses feminism in Delta Wedding emphasized the recurrence, among the other symbols for the household, of the cakes and recipes, which are somehow blended with the women’s thoughts: â€Å"To read Delta Wedding, one must follow the cues suggested by the Delta women’s culture: one must read the cakes. The novel’s women are practiced in such reading. Next day, when offered a slice of Ellen’s completed cake, Aunt Tempe takes one bite and exclaims, â€Å"Oh, Mashula’s coconut!† (Romines, 1997, p. 603)Thus, the recipes which blend with women’s thoughts in the text signal a strong female culture, which does not however deny the traditional role of the woman in society. The feminism of the novel is constructed thus without departing from tradition and Welty points thus to the fact that a feminine culture has always existed, even if it manifested itself differently from the male culture. Reference List: Carson, B. H. (1992). Eudora Welty: two pictures at once in her frame. Troy: Whitston. Romines, A.(1997). Reading the cakes: ‘Delta Wedding’ and the texts of Southern women’s culture. The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Mississippi Quarterly, 50 (4) 601-609 Welty, E. (1946). Delta wedding. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

Prisoner Education

The education of prisoners is a topic that is riddled with complications. One of the major barriers in the way of prisoner education is public indifference and ignorance. It seems that people are almost happy to simply lock people away rather than actually confront problems such as recidivism and community reintegration. Our paper argues that prisoner education is not only a good thing, but is necessary to fix the underlying problems within the United States prison system.There is definitely a lack of education programs in our prison system today. Furthermore, even in those institutions that have education programs have many different problems such as; courses that are interrupted or terminated on the personal whims of prison administrators; the absence of libraries; waiting lists for programs; limited or no access to training in information technology; vocational courses that are dated paths to nowhere.By looking at effective existing programs, field studies at Massachusetts prisons , and actual prisoner interviews we will attempt to outline a model program and argue that educating prisoners is a means by which to help save out failing prison system. As we have talked about in class, the United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, but we also possess one of the highest crime rates. If the previous statement is true, there is an enormous problem with our system, and we believe that education is the key to solving it.In order to properly critique our prison system it is important to look at existing educational and vocational programs in our area. The Massachusetts Department of Correction’s has a mission statement which reads, â€Å"The Massachusetts Department of Correction’s mission is to promote public safety by managing offenders while providing care and appropriate programming in preparation for successful reentry into the community. † They do this by following their four step program â€Å"Manage – Ca re – Program – Prepare. We found that some of the programs offered may fit this mission, but others need tweaking. The first prison we decided to research was MCI Norfolk. MCI Norfolk utilizes a myriad of different programs, from adult basic education to Welding. However, the sheer number of programs offered does not always indicate a successful educational system. In our research we found that Norfolk, although possessing a wide verity of programs, is one of the worst educational programs in the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.However, MCI-Norfolk does offer a few programs that we thought were very unique and would be helpful in designing a model program. For example, MCI Norfolk offers a program called the â€Å"Responsible Fatherhood Program† which seeks to raise the awareness of male inmates’ parental responsibility. The program tries to emphasize the value and importance that a father’s presence can have on a child. The program lasts e ight weeks and requires a minimum of eight hours of structured curriculum driven activities.The RFP program works in three stages, with the ultimate goal of reunited father’s with their children, and strengthening their bond as father and child. The â€Å"Fatherhood Graduate Maintenance Program† is for graduates of the RFP program, which allows inmates to practice and discuss the skills they were taught in the previous stage. Once they have passed the FGMP stage, the inmate moves onto the Father/Child Visitation Component, which is a structured and staff facilitated visit for inmates who have completed the first two steps of the program.What we liked about this program is not only that it seeks an important goal (preparing inmates to become better fathers), but it is very extensive and requires a lot of dedication from the inmate. Another program that we liked was the â€Å"Employment Readiness Program† which is a 10-day workshop that is designed to assist inmat es in the development of the necessary skills that are needed for successful transition back into the community. The program runs 2. 5 hours per day for inmates who are within one year of their earliest possible release date.Throughout the course the participants are taught; resume building, cover letter writing, job application processes, mock interviews and how to maintain employment. Also includes social support, housing plans, financial awareness and budgeting, education referrals, criminal impact and attainable goals. All of these skills are important to learn in order to find and maintain a job, and some inmates may have never learned these skills. Our biggest critique of the program is that it is far too short.There are a lot of important skills listed in the program description, but 10-days at 2. 5 hours a day is not nearly enough time. Our suggestion is to run the same type of program, but offer it as a yearlong class. This class is offered at all of the Massachusetts Depar tment of Corrections prisons, and we feel with the proper revamping, it could be a very successful program. The third existing program that we looked at was the Boston University Program. The program is designed to meet the needs of the students who have accumulated a minimum of twelve transferable college credits.Students eligible to enter this program have an opportunity to achieve a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies from BU’s Metropolitan College. Although this program requires inmates to have already accumulated college credits (which most have not) we thought it was important to mention because this program is donated in full by Boston University. Many times over the semester we have seen that finding funding for prisoner education is difficult. Most people are hesitant to want to pay any amount of money to fund the education of criminals, and that is why programs like the Boston University program are so important.If we can remove the stigma associated with prisoner education, finding funding will become easier, and more programs will be available. The final prison program we looked at was the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. As with MCI Norfolk, Souza-Baranowski offered many different programs, including; barber school, computer technology, culinary arts, educational counseling, English as a second language, and many more. However, like Norfolk, we found that Souza-Baranowski had certain programs that were unique to their facility.The program that we thought was most unique and interesting was the â€Å"Relapse Program† which is a vendor facilitated eight week, twenty-four session program designed to assist inmates in identifying high risk situations that may lead to relapse, and teach them skills to address those situations without relapse. We thought this program was essential because using a prison as a detox center and never teaching addicts the skills they need to avoid relapse is ineffective. This program not only helps parti cipants identify high risk situations, but helps them develop the skills they need to avoid or combat those situations.Souza-Baranowski utilizes many different programs in order to educate their inmates, and that is part of the reason why we decided to do part of our field study at this location. Our fieldwork interview conducted by our Crime and Social Justice group focused on the Souza-Baranowski Corrections Center (SBCC) by speaking to their Education Principal. This facility, located in Shirley, MA, is considered a Maximum Security Level Prison. Sitting on top of 18 acres of land, the SBCC is one of Massachusetts’ newest correctional facilities holding close to 1300 inmates. The principal of the school, Mr. Brian Hogan, kindly volunteered his time and answered a few questions regarding the model education program available at the SBCC. Brian Hogan has held the position of principal of Souza-Baranowski Corrections Center since the prison’s founding in 1999. His expe rience as a public school teacher and as a case manager for the Department of Correction made him a qualified candidate for the position. The information he relayed to us about the SBCC education system as well as his opinions on the subject matter was very useful to our group in figuring out what works for prison education and what does not.According to Mr. Hogan, the school in SBCC houses around 200 inmates and offers a variety of different classes for all levels of education. The elementary school classrooms, which ranges in grade levels from 2nd to 6th is in one classroom, while the 6th to 8th grade level students are in the Middle School Classroom. At the high school level, two classrooms exist; one with a pre-GED teacher and another with grades 9-12th. In addition to these basic classrooms, specialty teachers exist for the prisoners who might have more difficulty in the learning process such as literacy, ESL and special education classes.Finally, the highest level of education available for the inmates is a limited amount of college courses available through a distance learning program and videoconferencing. In our interview, Brian Hogan thoroughly described the process necessary to be considered for the education program and the eligibility requirements for the prisoners. The MCI diagnostics department for basic educations tests all the offenders who wish to be considered for the educational program. Through this test, they determine his level based on their scores on language, math and reading exams.Subsequently, the inmate’s name is placed on a waiting list while the education level is sufficiently evaluated and based on whether spots are available or not, this determines if they are enrolled as student in the school. All of the prisoners are eligible for a spot in the program, but certain circumstances create a higher likelihood of actually being chosen. SBCC is more likely to enroll inmates with smaller sentences as well as the ones that are closest to their release date. According to Mr. Hogan, the reason for this is to effectively reach out to the prisoner right before they are released into the community when they need it most. SBCC contains a wide variety of inmates and many who are at different points in their sentences. From men who are about to be released to others who might be doing life in jail, all kinds of inmates do exist in the facility. Although these prisoners doing life do get a shot at attending the prison school, they are definitely the least prioritized in receiving an education.Even as least likely, these men are not completely excluded and one spot by SBCC is reserved in every classroom for a â€Å"lifer†. The education system is focused wholly on a voluntary basis for the inmates. No one officer or teacher exists that goes out and recruits the inmates or encourages them to join the school. The men are given the material: handbooks, outlines and all types of information about the school to a ttract their participation. Whether the inmates decide to apply for a vacancy or not is totally up to them.SBCC does offer an incentive to encourage the prisoners to enroll. The incentive takes two and half days off the inmates’ sentence for every month he attends school. It should also be noted that this is all contingent upon the good behavior of the offender. As soon as he acts up, however, he is taken out of the classroom and not allowed to attend the education program any longer. One of the questions our group was interested in knowing more about concerned the funding and technology available to the prison in order to successfully to teach these prisoner students. As Mr. Hogan remarked, some funds do come from the Massachusetts State budget however, the program also depends on private state grants for a big portion of the money necessary to support the education program. The prison’s technology resources are relatively well-off with two to three computers, with no internet connection, available in each classroom. Additionally, different software programs are also available for these students such as spelling and keyboard software as well as GED preparation software. The ESL learners also have the benefit of Rosetta Stone to aid them in learning English.In Hogan’s opinion, SBCC’s school can be considered as â€Å"cutting edge in education† for prisons. He believes that recent years has brought about a new focus and shift directed towards college classes, where 15 of the 200 men enrolled in education classes are currently capable of taking college-level courses and work towards an Associates’ degree. The school has helpful teachers who are experienced with public school teaching and school counselors who point the students in the right direction and encourage their schooling. The program, to Mr. Hogan, is moving in the right direction and the state and national statistics available suggests that education in prisons does work. Evidence shows that prisoners, who have some college or schooling after leaving prison, do not return. Not only are recidivism rates reduced, but these men usually find decent jobs and overall the public becomes safer because once released these guys do not commit crimes again. Mr. Hogan mentions that just by having these education classes, it goes a long way in changing the norms when it comes to education in prisons.He talked about how years ago such education programs would definitely have been frowned upon by the public. People were incapable of understanding why men, who have committed crimes and are in jail to pay for these offenses, would be rewarded with the opportunity to get an education in prison. People especially turned against such schooling whenever taxpayer’s dollars entered into the picture. As Brian Hogan put it, education systems in prison are not the most politically correct thing and that is why the public often gets in the way of the promotio n of these education programs in facilities. Speaking to Mr. Hogan increased our knowledge base about the specific programs available in Massachusetts for prisoners, and compared to some of our other experiences we counted ourselves lucky that this interview went so smoothly. This was not the case with some of the other contacts that our group tried to reach out to. After submitting multiple proposals to the Suffolk House of Corrections, in the end our request to visit the prison to speak to the inmates was denied. In another attempt to visit a prison, and if that failed, then to speak to the school principal, we contacted MCI Norfolk just as we had reached out to Souza-Baranowski.Unfortunately, Ms. Diane Wiffin was not the most obliging and went back and forth with our group as if trying to avoid the questions and unwilling to give her opinion. When we informed her that the principal of SBCC had given us the description of his education program, she asked to review his answers, and her response was as follows: Hi, Chelsea! Veronica M. Madden, Deputy Commissioner of the Classification, Programs and Reentry Division, and I have reviewed your proposal and the questions and responses from Brian Hogan, Principal at Souza Baranowski Correctional Center. Mr.   Hogan's responses can be applied to MCI Norfolk as there are consistencies in the administration of our education programs throughout our facilities.Deputy Commissioner Madden did want to comment on your question as to why people are refusing to give you information and how hard it is to obtain an interview. We don't know who else you have contacted, but as I indicated to you when we spoke, we get an overwhelming number of student projects and we have limited resources to be responsive to those requests. As much as we would like to be available, we just don't have the resources. In terms of Mr. Hogan's response to that question, Deputy Commissioner Madden wonders if Mr. Hogan was referring to potential publi c reaction to inmates who participate in the Boston University Prison Program, which is donated by BU at no cost to taxpayers. BU also makes several scholarships available to DOC staff. We think the public is supportive of inmates' receiving adult basic education, GED and vocational training. Attached is a copy of our Program Description Booklet. Education information is contained in that. Also as part of that booklet is a listing of programs and education/vocation training listed by facility.In addition, on www. mass. gov/DOC there is research material covering recidivism rates. This is should be exactly what you need for your project†¦ Diane Wiffin, Director of Public Affairs As her response shows, little time is available for the Deputy Commissioner to answer our questions and apparently the program of SBCC can be applied to MCI Norfolk. Our group was lucky that Mr. Hogan did not mind answering our questions but this reluctant behavior made us wonder why prisons were unwilli ng to talk to us about their facilities.Before contacting Ms. Wiffin, we had already experienced certain setbacks with the process and we decided to ask Brian Hogan what his opinion was about why so much disinclination existed to speak to a group of Boston college students. He believed the difficulties we experienced were due to their fear of the public’s reaction to education in prisons. Many times these prison education programs are not advertised for people and either they do not understand or choose to not understand just what affects it could have on the community. Mr.Hogan reflected, the taxpayer does not want to spend their money on something considered to be more of a reward, when they should be punished. In addition, he mentioned that this government funding for programs of college education receives much critique because parents have their own children that they are struggling to put through college. Consequently, seeing men in prisons able to take advantage of this makes them angry. Overall prisons are very skeptical of people’s intentions and fear that something, like education, that they believe to be good, could be misconstrued by the public.This is especially true because as he puts it, what newspapers and the media portray is often negative when it comes to crimes and inmates in prisons. From these negative images, people make their own negative assumptions and believe that all prisoners are bad and should not receive any education. As a result, many do not care that this, overall, would be something better for the community and many take no importance that such education reduces the rate of recidivism. Mr. Hogan also states, that the â€Å"reality does not make for good reading,† and so little things like watching a recently released film to prisoners becomes outrageous for some constituents. These interesting opinions from Mr. Hogan reminded our group of everything that our class had touched upon regarding the image of cr ime in the media. Sara Beale, in the article we read for class â€Å"The News Media’s Influence on Criminal Justice Policy: How Market-Driven News Promotes Punitiveness,† (Beale 2006) claims that the media is manipulated to show a negative image of crime in the public and as a result instills a moral panic.In framing, the media emphasizes a certain crime story, idea or feeling, often negative, resulting in the viewer’s fear in crime and offenders. The more fear they feel, the more the inclination to call for punitive policy and punish the offender. Also, television shows and news reports are used as entertainment for the public to improve ratings. This means that the entertainment sometimes does not accurately reflect the reality. (Beale 2006) This inaccurate reflection of reality encapsulates how people in the public view education for prisons and how it is portrayed to the masses.For this reason, the prisons are scared their education programs might lose fundi ng and resources, and therefore are reluctant to give away too much information to the public and media. In general, our group’s opinion of the SBCC’s is favorable and can be considered a good education model. Other information that we have gathered shows that the only programs some prisons actually have depend upon re-entry programs. These re-entry programs tend to lecture to the inmates on the limitations on their behavior, before they are released into the community.Oftentimes no real engagement occurs with the prisoners, and if no education exists than these former inmates are more likely to commit crimes again. We believe that the college classes available to the inmates of SBCC are a significant asset to their program, and other research we conducted suggests that these classes are the most effective in reducing recidivism. Opponents do arise amongst the public concerning education in prison, but it would be more beneficial if they took into consideration that mo re education equals less crime and less recurring offenders.Another conclusion we arrived at from our interview is the need for other prisons to implement these education programs and to make them more available to inmates. With only 200 prisoners out of 1300 allowed to participate in schooling, there are still many who never get the opportunity to learn. If these classes were available to more of the inmate population, then perhaps recidivism could be addressed more thoroughly through these efforts. We also believe that prisons such as MCI Norfolk should improve their programs if the reason for not giving us information is because the program they have is incompetent.If the reason for not talking to us is due to fear of misrepresentation, we think this has to be addressed in a different manner, perhaps through informational pamphlets or some other form of media to get the message out to the public that education in prisons is a good thing. After many trials and tribulations, trying to break through the barriers of prison security that refuses to share the prison education information, we got creative. Pondville Correctional Center is located in the town of Norfolk, Massachusetts. The facility houses 204 inmates total.The majority of the inmates are Level 3, which means that they are minimum-security inmates, while the others are Level 2, meaning that they are pre-release inmates. Our group decided to go to one of the work placements, which was at an auction house near the facility. About fifteen inmates were present at the auction house, and we had the opportunity to speak directly with all of them during the hour before the auction. This was an incredible and interesting experience, one that none of us had ever had before. It gave us much more insight into the prison system and the people inside of it.As mentioned on the Mass. gov website, â€Å"The primary mission of Pondville Correctional Center is to protect the public’s safety by incarcerating in mates and to provide inmates the opportunity for responsible reintegration and positive behavioral change† (Public Safety, 2011). We believe that in order to fully reintegrate someone into society, inmates need to be educated and also have vocational training so that they can be a meaningful and productive addition to society once they are out of prison. When looking at the programs offered at all of the prisons, the options seem pretty extensive.For example, Pondville requires all inmates to work unless they have a medical waiver and they also give prisoners vocational, educational, and self-help opportunities. The facility boasts that their education programs are â€Å"innovative†. They offer classes including Adult Basic Education, English as a Second language, GED tutoring, and a Life Skills Computer program that focuses on resume writing, job applications, job interviews, and personal finance. If we merely looked at the website, we would conclude that the opportuni ties for inmates are there, they just have to get involved.After speaking with the inmates, we realized that this was not the case at all. The inside perspective from the inmates, that other prisons had so desperately tried to keep from us, made it clear that, although they have some classes, it is almost impossible to get into the programs. The reality is that there is open door access to programs at prisons, but it goes by earliest release date and overall there are not nearly enough programs. One man said that there are only about eighteen men per class, but 400 people want to be in that class.Also, because it is by earliest release date, many people will be in prison for years until they get the chance to be in the program. How we can we, as a society, expect someone to become completely educated if we only let them into the programs 6 months before they are released? We, as a society, are appalled that people are let out of prison and then go back to their old habits, but this is because they do not know how else to act. They fall back into their own uneducated ways and wind back in prison, but if we do not give them an education, what else should we expect?Another issue with the education offered to prisoners is that most of the teachers do not have high expectations for the inmates. As one inmate stated, if we show up, we pass. We do not have to do anything if we do not want to, but if we merely show up, she will pass us. From experience, our group agreed that it is extremely hard to try hard and have a strong work ethic when your teacher expects nothing from you. A lot of the teachers at the prisons, as Brian Hogan, principal at Souza Baranowski told us, have been laid off and, therefore, are relocating to prisons.This means that they are real and qualified teachers, but then why are they not expecting the same from the inmates as they did from their previous students? The teachers need to take responsibility for the success of the inmates. They need t o have expectations for the prisoners and only pass them if they deserve to pass. Having education classes is a start, but they need to have education classes in which the prisoners actually learn things, and that is not going to happen if they are passed just for showing up.Denying prisoners feeds into a theory that we discussed this semester while reading The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison. (Reiman, & Leighton, 2010). The Pyrrhic defeat theory states â€Å"the American criminal justice system – the entire process from law-making to law-enforcing – has failed to eliminate the rates of crime that characterize our society and threaten our citizens† (Reiman, & Leighton, 2010). We discussed this theory as a group and concluded that the criminal justice system fails to liminate the rates of crime because we are sending inmates back into society the same way (or even worse) than they were when they entered the system. Instead of using the years that they are in the system to educate them and teach them better ways, we are letting them sit around watching Jerry Springer, joining gangs, or fighting each other. By denying prisoners a proper education and then just expecting them to change and not come back to prison is absurd. The ignorance of people believing that prisoners are not entitled to an education will just continue to perpetuate the crime cycle.For example, if an offender has served his time and has to face the world again with a lack of academic knowledge on top of an already perceived low morale as they will be judged for being in prison in the first place, it will be a lot easier for them to stray again and end up back in the system. However, with the prospect of being educated and having added knowledge, this will hopefully encourage and give inmates the confidence and ability to make something of their lives and also be provided with the idea that they can do other things in life than turn to crime.We need to be smart on c rime. We need to educate people so that they have the ability to change once they are released. Once a prisoner gets his GED, so many more doors open up for them and more opportunities arise. Because they already have a strike against them for being in prison, inmates need credentials to get their foot into the door, and an education will help them with this. While visiting the auction house, we talked directly with a man named Tom Lyons. Tom has spent the last twenty years in prison for killing a man. When he entered the system, he was illiterate.After spending some time with Tom, we learned that a mixture of religion and education changed his life. His release date was coming up on April 15th, and he could now read and write due to the education that he received in prison. He studied poetry while in the system and his favorite author is Emily Dickinson. Tom says that having an education made him realize that he wanted to help others, and he wants to go around speaking to groups ab out his experiences, etc. He also said that without an education, he never would have been able to have the confidence to want to make something of his life once he gets out.While Tom was lucky enough to get an education, he also has missed out on a lot. Over the past twenty years, so much has changed in our society. Cell phones, Internet, and other technological advances have transformed us. However, Tom has never experienced most of these things. He was getting out in 15 days and they were just teaching him how to use a computer. He said that there were always programs that were interesting to him, but he could not get into them until he was really close to getting out.As Tom said, â€Å"if you’re preparing someone to change their entire life, you need to start right as we get in. Not one year before we are getting out. I was lucky and got into an education program earlier, but millions of people are not. † Tom may have learned to read and write, but he is still so f ar behind in terms of understanding technology, something crucial to succeeding in today’s world. From speaking with Tom, we realized that there is so much that needs to be addressed within the education department within prisons.After speaking with Tom and the other prisoners, we realized that there is an open door access to programs, but this does not mean much because a lot of people cannot get into the programs because eligibility goes by earliest release date. The prisoners gave us some of their main wishes for the education system. These included for people to have higher expectations for them, for there to be more programs and more GED programs, and to have teachers who truly care about their success instead of just showing up to get a pay check.These wishes are all things that we think many would agree with. They are not asking for things that are absurd. They are just asking to be given the chance to get an education, and if we, as a society, want them to stop ending up back in prison, that is exactly what we need to give them; a good education and skills to use outside of prison. Although there are solid arguments why it is unfair for prisoners to be getting these perks while being in prison, one must remember the structural deficits that currently exist in our society.In an ideal world, education in the prison systems would not be a necessity or a topic of discussion. Within an idealistic system, there would be adequate educational programs that created motivation and encouragement in all youth to work hard and stay on the right path. This correct path would lead students to the ample jobs awaiting them. There would be no need to resort to criminal activity in order to support oneself or one’s family. Anyone who did stray from these available opportunities would have no excuse for their irresponsible behaviors, leaving prison as their option of punishment.However, and this is a big however, because the current structural system is not giving everyone equal opportunities to climb the rungs of the social ladder. Understandable then, many individuals feel trapped into a life of crime and violence as a means to escape the grueling effects of an unfair system. This is not an excuse, nor is it justification for the crimes that many people are arrested and imprisoned for. Regardless of the unfair system, acts of violence and criminality should neither be supported nor accepted. Because society does not mirror the ideal that many wish for, there will inevitable be acts that are deemed unlawful.With an unequal system and over two million inmates the question arises, whether as a nation our desire is to rehabilitate these prisoners or just punish them and house them in prison cells for the rest of their lives. There are many sides to every story, and in this case there are those who support educational programs within prisons and there are those who are opposed to it. Some argue against education for those on death row, wh ile others say that no one in prison should be given the opportunity of an education. Knowledge is power, but why should prisoners be given this power?The money that is being spent on prisons should be going to the education of people who are not criminals. Others argue that there is so much money being spent on housing and feeding prisoners already. Why do these prisoners deserve an education when so many children are suffering through poorly funded public school systems? The most popular reason is that people believe their tax dollars are being spent on educating prisoners while many Americans struggle to send their children to college or even good high schools. Also, educating prisoners is seen as a distant reward that benefits them individually rather than benefitting societyUnfortunately America’s individualistic nature creates a shortcoming for their nation. They do not see the benefits of educating prisoners. An educated nation is a better nation. The stance that will be taken is to rehabilitate prisoners and allow them to become working members of society upon their release. Under this perspective, the education system within a prison would not only be necessary but would serve as a vital program to helping prisoners have the slightest chance at emerging into society as skillful and productive members.If inmates receive an education before they are released from prison, if they have help through this system to gain a job and work to support themselves, one can only hope that it would reduce the level of crime and reduce the number of prisoners re-entering prisons. This hope is the reality. Although Studies have clearly shown that â€Å"participants in prison education, vocation and work programs have recidivism rates 20-60 percent lower than those of non-participants† (Granoff, J 2009) many Americans still disagree with the education of prisoners.Despite these negative arguments against educating prisoners, there exist an abundant number of advantages to these programs. After discussing with the Principal and director of the prisons and discussing with the inmates themselves, it is clear that the education system is under a lot of scrutiny by the public. The principle of the Souza-Baranowski maximum-security prison said, â€Å"People don’t understand it. People are struggling to send their kids to college. People are abiding by the laws and doing the right things don’t see the benefit of educating those who have broken law†.Without information on programs and how they work to benefit society, the general population will remain oblivious to the constructive aspects of these programs. The media affects the way we view society and the programs within it. Media programs stress certain points that highlight what people want to hear, what lobbyists want said and what society deems important at the time. In order for people to realize the extent of the positive impacts of the programs available, we nee d to hear more success stories like that of Joan.Joan said, â€Å"I did not realize at the time that I had taken the first step on a journey of lifelong learning. Nor that the process would allow me to accumulate â€Å"human capital† (qualifications skills and abilities), â€Å"identity capital† (self-worth) and â€Å"social capital† (a supportive network of friends and colleagues). † (Erwin, J) She is just one example of the many positively impacted individuals who were transformed from caterpillars to butterflies with a little encouragement and motivation.As said before, we believe that many of the existing programs in the prison systems aim at positively influencing the prisoners. We understand the complexity of the issues at hand and the controversy that surrounds this discussion. Although these troubles exist, we came up with what our model program would consist of, and the recommendations that we have concerning the programs that are currently being utilized. Our model program is based on a rehabilitative method. We would want to prisoners to accumulate â€Å"human capital† â€Å"identity capital† and â€Å"social capital† as Joan described.The programs would be mandatory to ensure that all prisoners were getting involved. There would also be incentives to take part in the programs. Of course the prisoners should want to take advantage of these programs without being pushed to do so, however, we recognize that getting the ball rolling will show these prisoners what they are capable of. For many inmates, no one has ever pushed them to capitalize on their true potentials, which leaves them yearning for self-fulfillment in all the wrong arenas.Our hope is that once they see their capabilities, this will push them to continue to work hard and motivate them to move past their criminal behaviors once they are released from prison. It is very important for there to be vocational classes that give the inmates spec ific skills and talents that will ensure them some job opportunities when they are released from prison. On a higher level, GED classes and college programs need to become common in all prisons instead of being the exception to only a few.We also believe that the number of programs being offered needs to be drastically increased. As the inmate said, there are 400 hundred people who want to be in certain programs but only 18 can be. This disparity is disheartening, as the desire to change exists; however the opportunity to do it is lacking. As prison populations grow into the millions, society must decide how â€Å"tough on crime† they are going to continue to be. The individual states have the power to decide the individual educational systems within their prisons.Education, as a result of negativity towards all prisons, has not only become less of a priority but is seen as prisoners being given a free ride. The problem however, is that the current system that offers harsh pu nishment and little rehabilitation is not working. Harsh punishment does not however mean deliberate cruelty. Prisons should not be a place that purposely creates horrible conditions for inmates. Just having your freedom taken away from you is probably one of the worst things that can happen to an individual. Certainly, no one has the right to injure another person or to take his or er life however, if society does not work at rehabilitating these individuals, then the length of sentences and punitive measures will not only need to be increased but turned up by many notches. The cutting of education budgets within prisons increases the likelihood that upon release these prisoners will only return to prison. People in the general population are already reluctant to hire someone with a criminal record so adding a lack of education will make it virtually impossible for released prisoners to do anything but go back to their old lifestyles of crime.This will only create a never-ending cy cle that will inevitably become hurtful to society as a whole. Of course the ideal education system outside of prison is what we dream of, but until then we support the efforts to protect society by educating those who once harmed it.Work CitedErwin, James. â€Å"In Prison, Education Is Your Best Route to a Better Life | Erwin James | Society | Guardian. co. uk. † Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian. co. uk. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. .Granoff, Gillian. â€Å"Education Update – Prison College Programs Unlock the Keys to Human Potential. † EDUCATION UPDATE – APRIL 2011 – Education News. 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. . Public safety and security, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (2011). Pondville correctional facility Government Printing Office.

Advantages And Disadvantages Relying On Field Notes English Language Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Relying On Field Notes English Language Essay At the first step of this assessment I have to answer what the advantages and disadvantages are of relying solely on field notes, in comparison with producing a transcription of an audio or video recording. During the second half of the twentieth century, there was a huge growth in the amount of educational research and the emergence of a substantial methodological literature on how best to pursue it. The educational research became quite diverse, not only in the topics examined but also in the methodological and theoretical approaches that are used. â€Å"Perhaps not surprisingly, disagreement is closely associated with such diversity, and there are even differences of opinion over what is and is not research, and what is and is not educational research†(E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 63). Field notes or transcription of an audio or video recording are characteristics of reflective practice and of what is often referred to as action research. Nevertheless, a great deal of educational enquiry is carried out as a separate task from educational practice, even when it is designed to inform practice directly. In this matter, the researchers may not be educational practitioners themselves, although they frequently are (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 63). Concerning the range of strategies that can be used to pursue educational research it is a wide range of issues such as laboratory and classroom experiments, large-scale surveys of the behaviour, attitude, etc. The results of the research, i.e. the data may be the product of direct observation on the part of the researcher or it may be produced by others, and can take a variety of forms, such as answering questionnaires by ticking in boxes on interview or observational schedules, numbers as recorded in published statistics, text from published or unpublished documents or from field notes written by the researcher during the course of observations or interviews, audio-or video-recordings and transcripts of these(Research Methods in Education, Handbook, p.26). A common way of conceptualizing this diversity is the distinction between quantitative and qualitative approaches and it is necessary, however, to emphasize that it is a very crude distinction and one that is potentially misleading. The most obvious distinction between the two sorts of research is that the former deals with numbers whereas the latter does not or does to a minor degree. Going back to the main point of the question I have to deal with the qualitative research since field notes or audio – video recording are within this category. As interview transcripts are made and field notes of observation compiled the researcher continuously examines the data, by highlighting certain points in the text or making comments in the margins. The important points are identified by the researcher noting contradictions and inconsistencies, comparisons and contrasts with other data and so on. At this point the researcher is not just collecting data, but thinking about it and interacting with it. Much of these first attempts at speculative analysis will probably be discarded, but some ideas will no doubt take shape as data collection and analysis proceed. Much of this early activity may appear chaotic and uncoordinated, but such `chaos’ is a prolific seed-bed for ideas (Research Methods in Education, Handbook, p. 68).

The Importance of Training and Development in the Tesco Plc Essay

The Importance of Training and Development in the Tesco Plc - Essay Example The main results of the research highlight the fact that training and development programs are required in every organization including Tesco Plc as it increases the productivity of the organizations. Training and development is the main focus of the research, which is the chosen topic for the study. It is an important part of the business growth that relates to the development of the overall performance of the company. An organization is bound to provide training programs to the employees to inject the culture of the company and develop their skills as per the requirement of the clients. The training programs also help in developing the future of employees and achieve the goal determined by the company. The research aims at elaborating the training and development programs of Tesco Plc and whether the programs can add value to the development of the company. Hence, Tesco Plc is the main target company, whose training and development programs are evaluated and recommendations are giv en pertaining to the best training practices in Tesco Plc that add value to its operation. The main reason for choosing Tesco Plc for the research as it is one of the best retailers in the world, which exercises excellent training system. Though the company is confident regarding its training and development programs the research will help Tesco Plc to access the success of the programs through empirical analysis. It is observed that there are few types of research pertaining to this topic in the past and the researchers do not provide enough information to the readers regarding the success of the practices. Thus, this research will be an important resource for the company as it explains the best way of engaging training and development activities to maximize its overall performance and reach the targeted goal.

Jean Watson Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jean Watson - Assignment Example A nurse who adopts this model acts in a caring manner to enhance his/her relationship with the patient. The nurse while caring for the patient should base on the value system of an individual. The nurse should place the patient/client in the family, the community as well as the culture context (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2011). Nursing practice should be personalized while at the same time less technical and generic in nature. The client should be the focus of care and not the available technology for treatments One hard aspect in this model is that it may overlook to express the nurses’ responsibility of providing the patients with physical needs, which is a basic role of the nurse in the health care team. Patients’ biophysical needs are given less weight, and the major focus is on patients’ psychosocial needs (Basford & Slevin, 2003). Ms. M who is 25 years old diagnosed with HIV/AIDS stage III is my patient. Using this model, I would handle her better by allowing her express her fears in regards to the diagnosis. I would obtain information about her, her life experiences, bodily sensations, spiritual and cultural beliefs as well as her goals and expectations so as to provide holistic

Nietzsche Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nietzsche - Essay Example The Greek concept of tragedy, as well as Nietzsche’s association with this in The Birth of Tragedy, both demonstrate the concept of the Greek tragedy and how it is related to the self that creates the tragic situations. According to Nietzsche, the associations with tragedy led the modern man into a misunderstanding of morality and self – destruction based on fear. The challenge is to recreate the Greek tragedy into a modern understanding of living in a different society and culture. The concept of tragedy was first developed through the Greeks and related to different life situations which were reflected in literature. The main component of tragedy was to create an emotional response through the actions that the characters took and through the audience. As the characters created a sense of self that related to tragedy, the audience was able to relate to what was occurring and responded specifically with the emotional feeling of sadness or grief from the outcome of the play. More importantly, the tragedy and conflict that created the emotion would occur with choices that were made from an initial controversy which the characters would not be able to display in any other manner. The tragedy that occurs from the main conflict is one that is defined by the afflictions that the characters bring to the self. The way that these are responded to through the characters then becomes the major problem with the affliction and leads to the end emotional tragedy. The tragedy that occurs is at a given point and is when the self moves through the conflicts and afflictions. The final point of the tragedy is when the choices by the self lead to destruction and the inability to recover from the destruction that occurs (Silk, 293). The concepts that apply to the Greek tragedy then move into different components that the Greeks used to define tragic endings in literature as well as through life. The way that the Greeks looked at

Equity and Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Equity and Trusts - Essay Example The contention of this paper was that the principles of need and partnership were incongruous for cohabitant couples. Most of the instances of such couples with children involve limited assets. Therefore, the court had to assess the extent of the economic requirements of the children and then divide the assets. After taking into account the recommendations of various legal luminaries, eminent jurists, sociologists and other experts a final report will be published in the year 2007. Its recommendations are expected to substantially benefit separating cohabitees2. If a divorce ensues, then the court can issue pension adjustment orders. However, the Law Commission opined that this facility should not be extended to a cohabitation relation that breaks down, because it does not accord the same importance to cohabitation that it does to marriage3. It is an onerous task to consider the legal treatment of cohabitants as it involves important questions of social policy. Its complexity can be attributed to the laws and its social impact. The larger problems posed by this phenomenon have been dealt with in Parliament and the Law Commission has restricted its endeavours to the establishment of technical deficiencies in the law and to recommending the procedure to be adopted in order to ensure that reform takes place4. In October 1999, the Law Society made several proposals to the Courts to pass such orders as would ensure payment of capital and maintenance on separation. The Law Commissioner, Charles Harpum, opined that the law in respect of home sharing was biased, ambiguous and irrational. In addition, the Office for National Statistics had disclosed that the number of cohabiting couples was on the increase. The rights of cohabitants are far fewer in comparison to the rights of married couples. Further, it would be incorrect to maintain that this situation is ideal as only

Personal Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal Identity - Essay Example Are There Other Features That Need To Be Factored In As Well, Or Instead? Overall, What Factors Are Indispensable For Establishing And Sustaining Our Identity Over Time? The mind deals with many concepts that include our beliefs, desires, sensations, emotions and passions among other things (Wiggins, 2007). The philosophies of the mind involve studies that are carried out to determine the nature of our minds, the mental events that take place in them, their functions and properties along with the relationship of our consciousness to our physical bodies (Crane, 2001). The field greatly considers the relationship that exists between our minds and bodies. However, it also considers other matters which do not concern the relationship that exists between our bodies and mind but that help in defining our personal identities (Behrendt, 2003). According to philosophy, consciousness is a terminology that is used in describing the relationships that exist between our minds and the environments we interact with (Crane, 2001). The term has been described as involving our ability to experience, feel or have feelings of selfhood while possessing the control of our minds (Wiggins, 2007). Many philosophers like Velmans claim that our consciousness involves anything that we are aware about which in turn makes the activity the most common feature in our lives. Philosophers argue that consciousness comprises of our views, thoughts along with feelings (Behrendt, 2003). Memory on the other hand, has been described as the set of cognitive abilities which enable us to retain information while reconstructing our past experiences (Wiggins, 2007). A philosopher like William James in the year 1890 argued that memory is the knowledge we have of previous states of mind we have experienced but have already been dropped from our consciousness (Martin & Barresi, 2003). This therefore implies that our memory derives its inputs from our consciousness in perceiving the events that take place in our environments (Crane, 2001). Philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato proposed various concepts that greatly helped in resolving the issues involving the relationship of our minds to our bodies (Behrendt, 2003). The two philosophers came up with the concepts of dualism whereas the notion of monism was introduced by Descartes (Wiggins, 2007). There are several types of dualists among them being the substance dualists along with the property dualists. The former dualist’s claim that the mind exists independently whereas the latter dualists believe that the mind consists of clusters of properties that are independent that usually come from our brains and cannot just be condensed to it (Davies & Stone, 2005). They additionally state that the brain is not a unique substance and other factors should be included in the analysis of our personal identities. On the other hand, monists like Descartes dispute the idea that our bodies and minds are ontologically unique types of entitie s (Hoerl & McCormack, 2001). However, other people like the idealists believe that the only thing that exists is the mind and that everything else is mental or is an illusion that has been created by our minds (Davies & Stone, 2005). The neutral monists believe that there is a substance that is unknown of which our minds and other matter in our environment are a part of (Wiggins, 2007). Currently, philosophers of the mind usually adopt either a reductive position whereas others adopt non reductive approaches in illustrating that our minds and bodies have a relationship that exists between them (Davies & Stone, 2005). However, there are still other philosophers who dispute the idea that the mind is an unadulterated physical construct that can go a long way in defining our personal iden

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 7

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example It is highly important for the organization to examine and understand the nature of consumer behavior so that the organizations can offer products and services considering the needs of target customers. Flagship brand stores are gaining huge popularity in the world due to growing demand for this shopping culture and behavior. Now-a-days, the concept of flagship brand store is changing significantly. Currently, retailers are refining the concept of the flagship brand stores to the themed retail flagship brand stores. This strategy helps people to do shopping with sheer entertainment. This essay will try to discuss about a sports themed pub situated in Central London. In addition to this, the essay will also analyze the symbolic meaning of sports themed pub. London can be considered as one of the happening places in the United Kingdom. Moreover, people of this area love to watch different sporting events. Cricket and English Premier League are the popular sporting events in the United Kingdom. People of UK love to spend their leisure time by watching these sporting events and they also love to spend their valuable time behind this. There have been significant upsurge of economic expansion of sports in Western culture (Barker, 2012, p.7). These sporting events have extensive opportunities to stimulate far-reaching, capability building and environmental awareness for economic, social and environmental growth. The concept of opening sports themed bar has been developed by contacting the local chamber of commerce. The marital status, income level, gender and age of customers within the locality also have been considered in this concept development process. One of the improved popular venues by marketers for building consumer relationship is the flagship themed brand store (Cheverton, 2006, p.77). Furthermore, it is believed that retail market has become more fragmented and diverse than that of giving consumers overloaded

Five-page analysis of short story--The Yellow Wall-Paper Essay

Five-page analysis of short story--The Yellow Wall-Paper - Essay Example As she passed time in near isolation, she became determined to free the â€Å"creeping woman† whom she saw in the paper. Although Jane aspired to be a dutiful and obedient wife, she also felt that if she does not develop a sense of autonomy, she would be eternally unhappy. As the male authority figures around her (her husband and brother) saw mental stimulation and her creative work as her enemy and the cause of her problems, the author wanted to point out that suppressing Jane’s creative intelligence and maintaining a dual identity is the root of her nervous depression. A strong narrative in support of this was when Jane frees the symbolic persona within the yellow wallpaper by tearing it down. It was an expression of her liberation from a suppressed creative character. It was apparent early in the story that Jane did not believe in John’s prescription, but she was powerless to protest: â€Å"I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus†¦ but John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition.† (249). She also intoned sarcasm as she tried to sound agreeable with John’s counsel by saying â€Å"He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction† (250). For most part, however, we are led to believe that it was her husband whom Jane blames for her illness. â€Å"John is a physician and†¦ perhaps that is the reason I do not get well faster†¦You see he does not believe I am sick! But what can one do?† (249) In pretending to agree with John, she did in effect lie to her husband and to herself – an event that created a schism in her personality. The upshot was that she became her own enemy and in doing so, two characters developed within. The first was the exterior, public Jane; the sweet, obedient, and loving wife, who cared for her husband and a Jane who should be

University of Phoenix Online Learning System User’s Manual Essay Example for Free

University of Phoenix Online Learning System User’s Manual Essay The University of Phoenix Online Learning System is a web-based education program that offers students to earn degrees in the most convenient and efficient way possible. Students would have to be enrolled first in the University of Phoenix before they can register to the University’s Online Learning System. To access the system, students would have to login to https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/login. asp and enter their specified user login name and password. The user login name and password could be specified by registering to the website. First time users would have to register. To do this, users would just have to click on the link that states â€Å"New Users SIGN UP here† found at the upper-left hand corner of the page and fill out the form that appears on the next page. Note that the user could choose his or her preferred login name and password. Once the user has successfully registered, he or she could now login to the University of Phoenix Online Learning System. The user would have to input the user login name and password to access the system. The user login name and password must match those that were specified during registration. Also note that the password is case-sensitive. Once successfully logging in, the system will direct the user in his or her main page where current enrolled courses are listed. Links to other services like publications, site tools, resource information and others are also listed on the left side of the page. There are also links to important messages in the right side of the page. There is also links where users could pay his or her bills, access his or her learning resources, view the grade report, and access the learning team. However, the most important is being able to enter into the class. Clicking on the â€Å"Open rEsource† link allows the users to view lectures. Lecture topics are organized by week. Each topic listed per week is a link where resources for the lectures are displayed under the â€Å"Materials† section. Topic objectives and assessments are also displayed. Clicking on a resource found under the â€Å"Materials† section opens a new window where the lecture is displayed. Note that some lectures are from an e-book collection and may or may not be able to be viewed using the browser. In cases where it does not allow to be viewed on the browser, the e-book must be downloaded. Users could download the e-book by clicking on the â€Å"Download eBook† link found on the upper part of the page. Users could also choose to buy the book by clicking on the â€Å"Buy This Book† link, and choose to print the current chapter by clicking on the â€Å"Print Chapter† link. These links are found at the upper portion of the page, along with the â€Å"Download eBook† link. Also note that some e-book collections are in protected PDF format from which username and password are required. Users could use the same user login name and password used to log into the system to view the contents of a protected PDF resource. Users could now read at their convenience the resource for the lectures. As already specified, the user’s main page displays classes currently enrolled in by the user. The details include the course name, schedule, and the instructor’s name along with other information. Each course has a button or link that states â€Å"Go To Class. † Users would have to click on that link to enter the class and access class discussions and lectures. Students enrolled in online courses could also collaborate with a working team. The link that states â€Å"Learning Team† found with each course listed on the main page allows users to access their learning team. The University of Phoenix Online Learning System allows students t complete coursework through electronic forums. This is accessed by entering a class from the user or student’s main page. The Online Learning System also allows students to receive lecture notes, questions, and assignments electronically. Students who are enrolled in online courses have therefore the luxury of studying at their convenience by choosing the time and place to study—that is, students could avoid conflicting schedules.

Revenue Recognition Essay Example for Free

Revenue Recognition Essay The revenue recognition principle is a foundation of accrual accounting and one of the main principles of GAAP. The revenue recognition principle is a set of guidelines that helps accountants to identify when a revenue event has taken place and how to appropriately record cash exchanges before, during, and after the revenue event. According to the revenue recognition principal, revenue must (1) be realized or realizable and (2) earned, in order to be recognized. According to the SEC revenue is realized when (1) Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (3) The seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, and (4) Collectability is reasonably assured. It is essential for the users of financial statements to know that the real revenues are recorded and disclosed and not fraudulent revenues. A constraint of GAAP that is relevant to the revenue recognition principle is the materiality principle. Fraudulent revenues will create misstatements that could have a material effect on the decisions of financial statement users. In 2002, WorldCom a telecommunication company, filed for bankruptcy. It was later revealed that the company was involved with improper accounting in two major forms. First WorldCom inflated revenues to increase profits, thereby increasing stock prices, and increasing the satisfaction of stakeholders. Second, the company understated line costs. Revenue is important to users of financial statements because it helps them evaluate a company’s performance and prospects. WorldCom violated the revenue recognition principle by creating an account that did not come from the operating activities of the company’s sales channel. WorldCom named this fictitious schedule corporate unallocated account. This action was unethical and illegal, and gave the company a very bad reputation. According to paragraph 25 of PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 5, because of its importance to effective internal control over financial reporting, the auditor must evaluate the control environment at the company. As part of evaluating the control environment, the auditor should assess the following, †¢Does managements philosophy and operating style promote effective internal control over financial reporting? Has the company developed sound integrity and ethical values, and more importantly, do all employees understand these values, particularly top management? †¢Does the Board or audit committee understands and exercises oversight responsibility over financial reporting and internal control? The control environment is what sets the tone for an organization and is the foundation for all other components of internal control. It provides discipline and structure and reflects the ethical values, integrity and competencies of the organization. The control environment is very important to effective internal control over financial reporting to an audit client like WorldCom, because good designs can prevent and detect frauds and errors. But because WorldCom had such a poor control environment, the company would require more testing for an audit. This shows that the board did not exercise oversight responsibilities over financial reporting or internal controls. According to PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 5 paragraphs 26 27, the top-side adjusting journal entries are when the executives record the entries, or when the accountants are asked by the executives to record the entries. A valid use of top-side journal entries is to allocate income or expenses from a parent company to its subsidiaries. However, top-side adjustments can also be used to improperly reduce liability accounts and increase revenue or decrease expenses. Companies undergoing mergers, acquisitions or restructuring are particularly susceptible to the fraudulent misuse of top-side journal entries. Necessary evidence to obtain include sales invoices, credit memos, customer master file list, analytical procedures, and accounting systems. In the auditing of WorldCom, we would require adjusting journal entries, the MonRev spreadsheets detailing revenue, the corporate unallocated schedule, the automated process for closing and consolidating operational revenue numbers, and propriety of a top-side journal entry made to their revenue account. We would also need the authorization of the CFO or any officers. Good ethics is very significant for an organization. When ethical dilemmas are not recognized there could be serious consequences that could lead to imprisonment. In addition, a company will lose its reputation instantly. Assuming that Lorenzo and Taranto knew that the entries being proposed by Scott Sullivan were fraudulent they should not have recorded the journal entries as they were directed. If WorldCom had a control environment where it took more than three employees to conspire to commit such a large fraud, and where the board checked on the corporate adjusting entries, this could have been prevented. Employees should be trained and guided by a code of ethics and observed with appropriate influences for violation

Fractional Distillation Process To Separate Organic Liquids

Fractional Distillation Process To Separate Organic Liquids Distillation is a very useful method of purifiying liquids. Simple distillation is used when a pure solvent is required to be obtained from the solution. This is usually water. On the other hand, fractional distilation is basically used for the separation of a mixture of two miscible organic liquids having different boiling points. A common example of two liquids that mix with each other are ethanol and water. Another example is petrol and paraffin. In this experiment, a mixture of acetone and toluene was provided. Basically, the liquid mixture was boiled to evaporate the liquid that had the lowest boiling point, referred to as the first fraction. The vapour passed up through a fractionating column, which is not used in a simple distillation. As the mixture vaopur passed up the fractionating column, it continually condensed and evaporated. This caused it to become increasingly richer in the liquid with the lowest boiling point until the vapour that reached the top consisted almost entirely of the component with the lowest boiling point. The vapour is then cooled in the condenser and so it condensed back to a liquid, which was collected, hence referred to as the distillate. When almost all the liquid with the lowest boiling point was distilled over, the temperature rised rapidly showing that a mixture of both liquids was distilling over. This should be collected in a separate container and discarded. Once the temperature reached the boiling point of the second liquid, the liquid was then distilled into another container. This basically explained the process of fractional distillation. However, there is a theory behind all this, because the process of distillation should be related in reference to an ideal liquid mixture where one is more volatile than the other. Regarding the mixture of acetone/toluene provided in this experiment, ideal behaviour was assumed and once the process was carried out, the more volatile liquid was found by finding the boiling point of each component. It was noted that the more volatile liquid was acetone since this had a lower boiling point. This was discussed further in relation to boiling point-composition graphs. 2. Method 2.1 Chemicals used Reagent: Grade: Manufacturer: Acetone GPR BDH Toluene GPR Merck 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine GPR Riedel de Haem Sodium hydroxide GPR Tinstar Iodine GPR BDH Dioxane GPR Aldrich A mixture of acteone (BDH, GPR) and toluene (Merck, GPR). 2.2 Apparatus Fractionating column, thermometer, 100 mL round bottomed flask as the distillation pot, glass beads, anti-bumping granules, cotton wool, tight clip, Leibig condenser with rubber tubings, heating mantle, connecting side-arms as part of the fractional distillation setup, retort stand with clamp, water supply, 10 mL and 100 mL measuring cylinders, electronic balance, test-tubes, distilled water. 2.3 Procedure Part a) The separation of the acetone/toluene mixture and the measurement of the boiling points of each. The apparatus for fractional distillation was set-up appropriately using a 100 mL round-bottomed flask, the fractionating column provided, insulated well with cotton wool. 50 mL of the acetone/toluene mixture was placed in the 100 mL round-bottomed flask. This was measured using a measuring cylinder. A few boiling chips or anti-bumping granules, which were small irregularly pieces of material, were added to the round-bottomed flask in order to allow prolonged boiling. The apparatus was clamped accordingly from the neck of the round-bottomed flask and checked to be balanced and well set-up before the heating mantle was switched on. Then round-bottomed flask was heated slowly using a heating mantle, until the reading on the thermometer reached a steady state and drops were observed to condense out of the Leibig condenser. This was the boiling point of the first fraction. This steady state temperature was recorded and the distillate was collected in a 100 mL measuring cylinder. The distillation was allowed to proceed until no more liquid got out of the condenser into the measuring cylinder. Then the volume of the first fraction was recorded. When all of the first fraction was distilled out, the temperature at the top of the column was observed to increase and then reached a second steady state, which was the boiling point of the second fraction. Drops of the second fraction were observed to start to condense out of the Leibig condenser. This steady state temperature which was the boiling point of the second fraction, was recorded. The second distillate was collected in a clean measuring cylinder and then its volume was recorded. Part b) The usage of two different tests for the identification of the liquid distillate having a carbonyl group. (acetone) 2,4-DNPH test was first carried out. 2-3 drops of the liquid to be tested were added to 3 mL of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, and shaken. Any observations and inferences were recorded. The iodofrom test was then carried out. 4 micro drops of the liquid to be tested were dissolved in 2 mL distilled water, in a test-tube. The drops were added carefully using a pipette. 2 mL of 10 % sodium hydroxide were then added together with 2 mL of iodine solution, which were added slowly by drops. The substance was insoluble in water and therefore 2 mL dioxane were added. This was done so that the substance dissolved. Any observations and inferences were then recorded. Each test was carried out twice, for each distillate. Diagram: The set-up apparatus for Fractional Distillation. Precautions It was ensured that the thermometre was positioned accordingly at the mouth opening of the Leibig condenser, where it indicated which fraction was being evaporated by noting the temperature readings. The thermometer position was very important because if the thermometer bulb was to be placed too high, the vapours would reach it before they pass into the side-arm to be collected, and the observed boiling point would be lower than it should be. If the thermometer bulb was to be placed too low, vapours of impurities might reach it, and a high reading for the boiling point range would be given. It was ensured that the fractionating column was filled and packed with glass beads, for maximum possible surface area for vapour to condense on. It was ensured that a joint clip was used and attached between the end of the condenser and the side arm so that there was complete attachment of the setup together and any spillage of the liquid distillate was prevented, but allowed to drop only from the side arm tube, where the vent was present. It was ensured that the Leibig condenser provided was set-up accordingly with opening below meant for water to be pumped in while the opening at the top meant for water to be pumped out, and vice-versa. Although water pressure transfers from a higher to a lower height, if the condenser had to be the other way round the liquid might not be cooled completely as it would only condense the top portion of the condenser. Therefore if the rest of the part of the Leibig condenser was not cooled, the liquid would might evaporate into gas again at the bottom part of the condenser. This explained the importance of correct set-up. It was ensured that as much of the second fraction as possible was collected, however at the same time care was taken so as not to allow the distillation pot, i.e. the 100 mL round-bottomed flask, to boil dry otherwise the residues might ignite or expode. It was ensured that anti-bumping granules were used. These were placed in the 100 mL round-bottomed flask with the 50 mL of the acetone/toluene mixture. The granules were important since they allowed prolonged, smoother boiling without bumping and continuous even formation and release of vapour bubbles were observed. It was ensured that cotton wool was used so that the whole fractionating column was completely wrapped and covered for insulation or lagging. This was important so that the apparatus remained as warm as possible and excessive cooling was avoided, but occurred very slowly. It was ensured that parallax errors were avoided as much as possible by looking normally to the scale of the measuring cylinder were when taking readings of the volumes of liquids, or when taking temperature readings from the thermometre. For safety measures, it was ensured that care was taken when distilling organic solvents in order to avoid explosions and fires. Hence, it was ensured that the vapour did not come into contact with flames, sources of sparks or very hot surfaces such as hot plates. It was ensured that the apparatus was not completely sealed. A vent in the system was required so as to prevent pressure build up in the system as heating was carried out. Otherwise the apparatus would simply blow apart. Therefore, for safey measures, it was ensured that heating in a closed system was avoided. 3. Results Volume of acetone and toluene mixture used was: 50.0 mL Observations Inferences from the 2,4-DNPH test A red-orange precipitate was formed. This positive result means that a carbonyl group, was present in the formula of the substance. No precipitate was formed. The substance contained no carbonyl group, in its formula, hence a negative result was obtained. Observations Inferences from the Iodoform test A pale yellow precipitate was formed. This means that the substance contains a in its formula, hence it gave a positive iodoform with an antiseptic smell. No precipitate was formed. No group was present in the formula of the substance, hence a negative result was obtained. Suspected Identity of Fraction 4. Discussion: At any given temperature a pure liquid in a close container will establish an equilibrium with its vapour: liquidvapour The equilibrium vapour pressure above the liquid will depend upon the temperature. Considering mixing two liquids in different proportions, Raoults Law states that for an ideal mixture at a fixed temperature, the vapour pressure of each component is proportional to its mole fraction. This means that the graph of the vapour pressure of each component against its mole fraction will be a straight line passing through the origin. Considering the case of two volatile liquids, as in this experiment, each of which contributes to the total vapour pressure, by Daltons Law of partial pressures it is known that the total vapour pressure of the mixture is the sum of that of the components and this will also give a straight line when plotted against molar composition. Therefore it could be said that it is more convenient to plot boiling point of the mixture against molar composition. The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature as which its vapour pressure reaches the external atmospheric pressure. Since the less volatile component will have the highest boiling point, being toluene in this case, the vapour pressure curves in figure 1 lead to boiling point-composition graph as shown in figure 2. Two curves were drawn in this diagram since the liquid mixture and the vapour in equilibrium with it do not have the same composition. The vapour will always contain a higher proportion of the more volatile (lower boiling point) component. This difference in composition between the liquid and vapour phases in equilibrium enables such a liiquid mixture to be separated by disitllation. To separate a liquid mixture which obeys Raoults Law, one must repeatedly distill, i.e. boil the liquid and condense the vapour. This is fractional distillation, and rather than carrying out each stage separately, it is convenient to use a fractionating column designed to allow many such steps to occur simultaneously. Fractional distillation is widely used in industrial chemistry for separating mixtures of miscible liquids which boil at different temperatures. For example pure oxygen, nitrogen and noble gases may be obtained from liquid air by fractional distillation. Another example is the hydrocarbons in crude oil which can be separated into useful fractions. In order to discuss the results obtained, one should say that these were clearly explained in the table of results tabulated. It was observed that the boiling points measured were very reliable since these were checked using the organic compounds database website, maintanied by Colby College and the components of the mixture provided i.e acetone and toluene were listed. One should say that there were many readings, as can be observed from the table of results, where the temperature remained constant as more drops of distillate were collected.This confirmed the boiling point of the organic liquid. Some modifications could be made for the procedure of the fractional distillation process. For instance, rather than using a fractionating column packed with glass beads to give the maximum possible surface area for vapour to condense on, a fractionating column with spikes of glass sticking out from the sides could be used, and this would serve the same purpose. Sources of error Once the temperature on the thermometre was observed to rise rapidly, this meant that a mixture of both organic liquids were distilling over. Hence, these few drops should have been collected in a separate container and discarded since they did not consist of an individual liquid. However, this was not done. Hence the volume of the first fraction (acetone) collected was slightly greater than it was supposed to be and was not of the pure organic liquid but had some drops of the second fraction (toluene) in it. this is the container was replaced once the temperature was raised. The thermometer was repeatedly being moved up and down when the temperature readings were taken. This is because some of the scale was hidden by the set-up itself. This movement of the thermometre might affected the results slightly because the boiling temperature range obtained might varied a bit due to this action. 5. Conclusion: It was concluded that fractional distillation was carried out and therefore separation of two organic liquids acetone/toluene mixture occurred. It was also concluded that the boiling point of each component was found and tests on each liquid component, once distillated and separated, were carried out in order to prove the identity of the component.

Just :: essays research papers

At the beginning of this semester, we looked at liberty, privacy and freedom of speech. I found this section quite interesting, especially since unlike first semester it applied directly to my life. Freedom of speech was a particularly interesting topic to me, because I couldn't work out my opinion on it. When I thought about the issue in purely philosophical terms, I thought that there should be unrestricted freedom of speech and that censorship should be kept to a minimum. But when I thought about the issue in relation to the real world, I wasn't so sure. This is one of the frustrating things about philosophy - what appears to be philosophically sound in my mind turns out quite differently when applied to the real world. I think it is in finding a balance that the real difficulty lies. Throughout the course of the first essay, I found myself arguing views that I hadn't thought I believed in - and even now I'm not sure if I do. I think sometimes what works philosophically still can 't apply to the real world for considerations that shouldn't have to have a bearing on the issue but do anyway. In the issue of freedom of speech, I found that philosophically hate-speech doesn't cause any significant harm. But when I think about it in the context of the outside world, I firmly believe that it does. This discrepancy is confusing to me. The unit we studied on eyewitness evidence I found to be rather dry - I couldn't really relate to a whole lot of legal stuff. When it was put in the context of the real-life rape victim I found it much more accessible. The essay topic that I chose seemed again rather dull, although it raised interesting side-issues, like the nature of our society. I tried to think why science was regarded as the best way we have to gain knowledge, and came up with a rather depressing view of society - that it was matter oriented, money oriented, concerned with facts and figures, things that were able to be thought of in terms of quantities. And that we tended to ignore the abstract, the indefinable, the unexplainable. This is why I find philosophy occasionally depressing - it forces me to look at the world in which I live, and not like what I see. And yet it is simultaneously liberating because I can see that through studying philosophy, I can look at those other aspects and move beyond what society thinks.

Custom Written Term Papers: The Role of Women in Othello

The Role of Women in Othello At the beginning of Othello two men stand and discuss the fate of a woman. One contested for her and lost and the other willingly admits to her beauty, charm and worth. Both men wish to bring down the man who has won her, Desdemona, and slander her name nonetheless. This man, their rival and superior is none other than Othello. Othello has managed to obtain something they could not; Desdemona. Throughout the play Desdemona is rarely viewed as a human being, she is merely a prize, and from the very beginning Desdemona is an object of lust. Emilia and Bianca are also mistreated in this way. The three women in the play; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca contrast in class. Desdemona is born from a high-class Venetian family, Emilia is from a servant class and Bianca is a prostitute or "whore", a word that Desdemona refuses to use. Despite this they are all abused by men and are objects of men's sexuality, and they all suffer under the cruel hands of those whom they love. Each one is shown in relation to a particular man, (Othello, Iago and Cassio) and is contrasted with the other women, which reveal how the stereotypical version of womanhood impacts their lives, (in Desdemona and Emilia's case, their deaths). The three women's eventual destinies are interlinked with the plays central symbol: the handkerchief. Women are major characters in Shakespeare's plays.   In "Othello" women are ... ...e: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968. Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 68-90) Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos. Wayne, Valerie. â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello.† The Matter of Difference: Materialist Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed Valerie Wayne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.

Massai Warriors- National Geographic Report :: essays research papers

In the September 1999, issue of National Geographic Magazine, there is quite an interesting article that has been written by Carol Beckworth and Angela Fisher. It deals with the Masai Warriors of Kenya, and how their culture recognizes an adolescent male that is becoming a man, or entering manhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Masai warriors are a group of semi- nomadic people who live on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. They are a relatively small group, with only about 300,000 people in their culture. They hunt for their food with spears, they live in small homes made out of cow dung, and their most advanced form of technology seems to be the bark shoes that they wear on their feet. They are fairly quiet, subdued people, and they seem to ignore the changing world around them. Their customs greatly differ from the outside world, and many of them would nowadays be called very inhumane and primitive. But these ways are the only ways that they know. But, unfortunately, it may not always be that way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Masai culture finds the changing of boy to man to be a very important event in life. It is not something that will just happen on it’s own. It is not something that takes place over the course of a decade, either. It is a very spiritual ritual that occurs over a four-day period. This event is known as Eunoto. It is a very rigorous, very challenging, and almost an inhumane ceremony. Eunoto involves the slaying of a lion, the skinning of a buffalo, sexual intercourse with prepuburtal and uncircumcised young girls, the erection of a new building for each young man involved, and very often, the hysterical trance of a young man, during which he may attempt to slay himself with a spear. The young man being initiated finally ends the ritual by having his hair cut off by his mother. This very important event symbolizes the end of the maternal bond between the two. The morals of this culture seem to leave a little something to be desired, however. Marriage, for instance, doesn’t mean quite what it means here (although in some cases, they are more loyal to their spouses there than people are here). A man may be married to more than one wife there, and sex out of wedlock doesn’t appear to be frowned upon there. Many times before the Eunoto is carried out, the young men (18 – 19 years of age) sleep with 9- 11 year old girls.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 42

I Need a Huge Favor On New Year's Eve day, after agreeing to buy unlimited beer for our neighbors, Jake manages to trade seats with the season-ticket holder in front of me – and once Jake is seated, he props my cast up onto his shoulder so I am able to sit down during the Falcons game. A few minutes into the first quarter, head coach Andy Reid pulls the starters, and the game announcer reports that Dallas has somehow lost to Detroit, which means that the Birds have clinched the NFC East for the fifth time in the last six years and the current game is meaningless. Everyone in the Linc cheers, high fives abound, and it is hard to stay in a seated position. With the starting wide receivers out, I get my hopes up for Hank Baskett, and he actually does catch a few balls in the first half, each of which Scott, Jake, and I celebrate excessively because I am wearing my Baskett jersey over my winter coat, and we all like to root for the undrafted rookie. It's 17 – 10 Eagles at halftime, and Scott actually leaves the game, saying that he promised his wife he'd come home for New Year's Eve if the Cowboys lost and the Eagles game became meaningless. I give him a hard time about leaving and am surprised that my brother does not join in with the ribbing. But shortly after Scott takes off, Jake says, â€Å"Listen, Pat. Caitlin has me going to this black-tie New Year's Eve party at the Rittenhouse Hotel. She was mad at me for going to the game today, and I was sort of thinking about taking off early so I could surprise her. But I don't want to leave you here with the cast and all. So how do you feel about leaving early?† I'm shocked, and a little mad. â€Å"I want to see if Baskett gets his second touchdown,† I say. â€Å"But you can go. I'll be all right here with all the real Eagles fans – the people who are staying to see the whole game.† It's not a very nice thing for me to say, especially since Caitlin is probably already dressed and waiting for Jake to come home, but the truth is, I need my brother's help getting out of the Linc on crutches. I have a feeling that Baskett will get the ball a lot in the second half, and I know Jake really wants to see the game anyway; maybe he'll be able to use his mentally ill brother as a good excuse for missing the first part of Caitlin's New Year's Eve party; maybe this is what Jake really wants and needs. â€Å"Beer man!† I yell to the Coors Light guy who is passing our row. When he stops, I say, â€Å"Only one beer because this guy here is leaving his crippled, mentally insane brother to go to the Rittenhouse Hotel so that he can swill champagne with non-Eagl es fans in tuxedos.† My brother looks like I punched him in the gut, and soon he is pulling out his wallet. â€Å"All right. Fuck it. Make it two beers,† Jake says, and I smile as my brother sits down in Scott's seat and helps me prop my cast up onto the back of the empty seat in front of me. Through the second half, Baskett continues to catch A. J. Feeley's throws, and early in the fourth quarter my favorite player runs an out, catches the ball, and runs down the sideline eighty-nine yards for the second touchdown of his young career. Jake helps me stand, and then everyone in our section is high-fiving me and slapping my back because over my coat I am wearing the Baskett jersey my brother gave me when I first got out of the bad place. I would later learn that Baskett is the first Eagles player to catch two touchdown passes longer than eighty yards in the same season – which is an accomplishment, even if number 84 has only been a marginal player this year. â€Å"And you wanted to leave,† I say to Jake. â€Å"Go Baskett!† he says, and then gives me a one-armed sideways hug – shoulder-to-shoulder. After the Eagles' backup players win the last regular season game, the Birds finish their season at 10-6, locking up at least one home play-off game in the process. I crutch my way out of the Linc with Jake as my fullback, parting the crowds, shouting, â€Å"Cripple coming through! Cripple coming through! Move out the way!† We don't meet up with Cliff's gang until we get back to the fat men's tent and the Asian Invasion bus. But when we do, our friends greet us with a Baskett chant because number 84 had a career-high 177-yard day and an 89-yard TD. With play-offs to discuss, everyone is reluctant to leave, so we drink beers and discuss the 8-8 Giants, whom the Birds will play in the first round. When Cliff asks me if I think our team will beat the Giants, I tell my therapist, â€Å"Not only will the Eagles win, but Hank Baskett will catch another touchdown.† Cliff nods and smiles and says, â€Å"You called it before the season even started: Hank Baskett is the man!† Jake leaves first because he and Caitlin have that hotel New Year's Eve party to attend, so we all make fun of him and call him whipped – but even though he is leaving us for his woman, I give him a hug and thank him again for staying, getting me a season ticket, and paying for the play-off tickets too, which are pretty expensive. And I know Jake has forgiven me for making him miss the second Dallas game, because he hugs me back and says, â€Å"No problem, brother. I love you. Always. You know that.† After Jake leaves, we drink beers for another half hour or so, but eventually many of the guys admit they too have New Year's Eve plans with their wives, and I take the Asian Invasion bus home to New Jersey. The Eagles have won the last five games and the NFC East, so there's no stopping Ashwini from blowing the Asian Invasion bus horn when he pulls up to my parents' house, and when he does, the chant blares loudly – â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† – which brings my mother to the door. Standing on the front step, Mom and I wave as the green bus pulls away. We eat a late New Year's Eve dinner together as a family, but even after another Eagles win and with Super Bowl hopes alive, my father doesn't say much, and he heads for his study before Mom finishes her meal, probably so he can read historical fiction. Just before the ball drops on Dad's huge flat-screen television, Mom asks me if I want to go outside and bang pots and pans like we used to do when I was a kid. I tell Mom I don't really want to bang pots and pans, especially since I am tired from spending the day outside in the cold, so from the couch, we watch people celebrating in Times Square. Two thousand and six becomes 2007. â€Å"It's going to be a good year for us,† Mom says, and then forces a smile. I smile back at Mom, not because I think it is going to be a good year, but because my father went to bed an hour ago, Nikki never came back, there's not even the slightest inclination to suggest that 2007 is going to be a good year for either Mom or me, and yet Mom is still trying to find that silver lining she taught me about so long ago. She is still holding on to hope. â€Å"It's going to be a good year,† I say. When Mom falls asleep on the couch, I turn off the television and watch her breathe. She still looks pretty, and seeing her resting so peacefully makes me angry at my dad, even though I know he can't change who he is, but I wish that he would at least try to appreciate Mom more and spend some quality time with her, especially since he doesn't even have the Eagles to be grumpy about anymore, because the season is already a success regardless of what happens in the play-offs, especially after making it this far without McNabb. And yet I know my father is not likely to change, because I have known him for thirty-five years, and he has always been the same man. Mom tucks her knees and elbows in close to her body and begins to shiver, so I push myself up, grab my crutches, and crutch my way over to the closet. I pull a blanket from the bottom of the closet, crutch my way over to Mom, and cover her – but she continues to shiver. Back at the closet, I see a heavier blanket on the top shelf, so I reach up and pull it down. It falls on top of my head just after I hear a little crash. I look down, and by my feet is a videocassette in a white plastic case that has two ringing bells on the cover. I crutch my way over to my mother and cover her with the heavier blanket. It is hard to pick up the cassette with my cast preventing me from squatting – I actually have to sit down on the floor to pick it up. After sliding over to the TV, I slip the cassette into the VCR. I look over my shoulder, checking to make sure that Mom is sleeping soundly, and then turn down the volume before I hit PLAY. The video is not completely rewound, and the part that pops up on-screen is the beginning of the reception dinner. Our guests are seated in the banquet room of the Glenmont Country Club, which is near a golf course in a swanky little town just outside Baltimore. The camera is focused on the entrance doorway, but you can see the dance floor and the band too. Using the microphone, the lead singer says, â€Å"Let's introduce the wedding party Philly style,† at which point the horn section of the band begins playing the opening notes of â€Å"Gonna Fly Now!† The guitarist and bassist and drummer soon begin playing, and even though it doesn't sound exactly like Rocky's theme song, it's close enough to get the job done. â€Å"Parents of the groom, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Peoples!† Our guests clap politely as my mom and dad cross the dance floor arm in arm, and the painful expression on my father's face suggests that this was one of the worst experiences of his life – being announced at my wedding. â€Å"Parents of the bride, Mr. and Mrs. George Gates.† Nikki's parents do a little skipping routine into the banquet hall, making them look sloshed, which they were, and I laugh thinking about how much fun my in-laws were when they drank. I really do miss Nikki's parents. â€Å"Bridesmaid, Elizabeth Richards, and groomsman, Ronnie Brown.† Liz and Ronnie come out waving to our guests, as if they are royalty or something, which was strange, and the tactic all but mutes their applause. Ronnie looks young in the video, and I think about how he was not yet a father, how Emily did not even exist when this video was shot. â€Å"Maid of honor, Wendy Rumsford, and best man, Jake Peoples!† Jake and Wendy walk across the dance floor and directly toward the camera until their faces are life-size on my father's huge flat-screen television. Wendy just sort of screams like she is at an Eagles game or something, but Jake says, â€Å"I love you, brother!† and then kisses the camera lens, leaving a lip-shaped smudge mark. I see the videographer's hand emerge and quickly wipe the lens with a piece of cloth. â€Å"And now, for the first time ever, allow me to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Pat Peoples!† Everyone stands and cheers as we walk into the banquet room. Nikki looks so pretty in her wedding dress. She's holding her head in that cute, shy position, with her chin close to her chest, and seeing her now makes me cry because I miss her so much. When we move to the dance floor, the band shifts gears, and I hear those sexy synthesizer chords, faint high-hat taps, and then the soprano saxophonist steps forward and â€Å"Songbird† takes flight. Something in my mind begins to melt, and it feels as though I am experiencing an ice-cream headache – or as if someone is churning my brain with an ice pick. I'm not seeing the television screen anymore, I'm seeing the road through a fogged windshield, and it's raining something fierce. It's not even four in the afternoon, but it's as dark as midnight. I'm upset because we have a big game coming up and yet the gym roof is leaking again like a sieve, which has forced me to cancel basketball practice. All I want to do is take a shower and then watch game tapes. But when I enter my house, I hear a soprano sax moaning, and it's strange to hear Kenny G's smooth jazz coming from my bathroom at a time like this. Mr. G's notes are swirling all about. I open the bathroom door; I feel the steam lick my skin, and I wonder why Nikki is listening to our wedding song in the shower. Kenny G's solo has reached a climax once more. The CD player is on the sink, and two piles of clothes rest on the floor, and a pair of men's glasses are on the sink next to the CD player. Sexy synthesizer chords, faint high-hat taps. â€Å"You fucking whore!† I scream as I rip the shower curtain off the rod, exposing so much awful, soapy flesh. I'm standing in the tub. My hands are around his throat. I'm between them now, the shower is spraying the back of my coat with hot spokes, weighing down my sweatpants, and he is in the air, begging me with his eyes, pleading for a breath of air. His hands are trying to break my grip, but he is a tiny, weak man. Nikki is screaming; Kenny G is playing; Nikki's lover is turning purple. He's so small, I can hold him up against the tiles with one hand. I cock my elbow back, squeeze a tight, teeth-shattering fist, and take aim. His nose explodes like a packet of ketchup. His eyes are rolling into the back of his head; his hands have fallen away from mine. When I cock back my fist a second time, the music stops playing, and then I'm on my back in the tub and Nikki's naked lover has fallen out of the tub and naked Nikki is holding the CD player in her trembling hands. When I try to stand, she smashes the CD player over my head once more; my knees give out, and I see the silver faucet rise li ke some fat, shiny snake to strike the hard spot just above my right eyebrow, and then – – I wake up in a hospital and immediately begin vomiting all over myself, until nurses arrive and tell me not to move my head. And I'm crying and calling for Nikki, but she does not come to me. My head hurts so badly. When I touch my forehead, I feel some sort of bandage, but then my hands are being forced to my sides. The nurses are screaming and holding me down, and then doctors are restraining me too. I feel a prick in my arm, and †¦ When I blink, I see my reflection in the blank television screen. The video has ended. I look life-size on my father's flat screen, and I can see my mother asleep on the couch, just over my right shoulder. As I continue to stare at myself, my little white scar begins to itch, but I do not really want to smash my forehead with my fist. I find my feet and crutch my way into the kitchen. The address book is still in the cabinet above the stove. I place a call to Jake's apartment. As the phone rings, I look at the microwave and see that it is 2:54 a.m., but I remember that Jake is at a swanky hotel party and won't be home until tomorrow, so I decide to leave a message. Hello, you've reached Jake and Caitlin's machine. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep. â€Å"Jake, it's your brother, Pat. I need a huge favor †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 