The Birth of a Goal free essay sample

As a child younger than four years old, I had watched Jerry thwart Tom in Tom and Jerry a multitude of times already. It never got old. This was the beginning of my love for animated television shows and movies. I also discovered a joy for drawing during that time period in my life. I grew up watching an assortment of animated television shows and movies. I was particularly captivated by The Lion King. No matter how many times I watched it, something about it just filled me with happiness. I was also engrossed with the shows Arthur, Pokemon, and Dragon Ball Z. Much of my time was also spent drawing at a table or desk. I also enjoyed walking around with my drawings and creating stories with them. While many children played in the gym at my afterschool daycare, I preferred to draw or watch animated television shows on the television there. We will write a custom essay sample on The Birth of a Goal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was not that I was being unsociable. It was just because I loved doing those two activities so much. Of course, I have changed a lot throughout the years, but I have retained my interest in art, creating stories, and watching animated television shows and movies. As I grew up, those interests developed and matured. I began using more mediums and creating different kinds of artwork. My artwork became more refined. My stories became more mature and well thought out. I watched more animated television shows and movies and became able to understand them more thoroughly. I had also developed an interest in reading manga (Japanese comics). One manga series I read is called Bakuman. It’s about two middle school students and their dreams of becoming manga artists. I admired their drive and determination to achieve their dreams. I was particularly impacted by the way in which the main character changed from someone who didn’t know what his dreams for the future were and had decided to just take the â€Å"normal† path, as he calls it, of getting into a good high school, then a good college, then get a job at a good company, into someone with such motivation to become a manga artist. Reading Bakuman was part of the reason why I decided I don’t want an occupation that I didn’t like. I want to enjoy doing what I do to make a living. I want an occupation in which I can use my love for art, creating stories, and animated television shows and movies. I also want an occupation in which I can influence people, especially children, positively, giving them joy and spreading values to them, and hel ping them improve their own lives and the lives of people around them. At first, I wanted to become a manga artist just like the two characters in Bakuman. However, I had to face the fact that manga just isn’t as popular in the United States as in Japan. Now, as much as I would enjoy being a manga artist, lack of income security isn’t exactly appealing to me. Also, I probably wouldn’t be influencing or helping a lot of people if nobody reads the manga I create. Then, I realized that creating animated television shows and movies would satisfy what I seek in an occupation just as well, if not better, as creating manga. This is how I came to have the goal of becoming an animator and eventually a director and/or producer of animated television shows and movies.

Hospital Management and CABG Surgery Case Essays

Hospital Management and CABG Surgery Case Essays Hospital Management and CABG Surgery Case Essay Hospital Management and CABG Surgery Case Essay There are various payoffs or benefits those one could expect from the implementation of care path method in the hospital. Execution of Care Path could help to improve the quality of operating processes of all the departments of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) (Wheelwright Weber, 2004). The implementation of care path or critical path method could help to provide standard, modified, and better care to all the patients before and after the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Reduction in operating cost and average length of stay could be also expected to result from the implementation of the care path approach in the hospital. The operating room cost that is determined by the amount of surgery performed could be expected to decline in the future due to the improvement in operating processes. Similarly, it could also help to reduce SICU staff cost per day due to the effective communication of information regarding the patients, current medications, and conceptual information and reduce delay to provide X-ray (Wheelwright Weber, 2004). Some of the other benefits could be expected from this method that includes shorter length of stay, less extensive tests, proper management of permanent medical record of each patient, availability of beds, reduced medical  complications etc. The revenue of MGH could be increased in the form of improvement in the heath care processes and benefits of care path method. Answer 2. Beneficiary Hospital Management 3 Several parties would be the beneficiary of improvements in health care process at MGH that includes stakeholders of the hospital like, management of the hospital, surgeons, physicians, staff members, and all the patients. The implementation of care path method could be helpful to reduce the hospital’s cost that includes operating room cost and SICU cost per day and increase  the hospital’s revenues that would be beneficial for the stakeholders of the hospital. Similarly, this approach could help to reduce the average length of patient stay for the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) area in hospital and medical complaints that would be beneficial for the patients and patient’s family (Wheelwright Weber, 2004). The care path method would help nurses to effectively maintain patient’s permanent medical record through the care path check sheet. Such improvements in maintaining the patient’s medical records would be helpful for nurses and other accounting administrative staff to  maintain the record of each patient. The implementation of care path methods would be helpful to improve the communication between the MGH’s management and referring physicians, and smooth process of patients flow. Such improvements would be beneficial for the surgeons and physicians of the hospital, because of effective communication with hospital’s management. Answer 3. Approach, Resources and Timeline Bohmer and Torchiana should select small pilot program to implement the care path method for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital  (MGH) to reduce the overall cost of hospital (Wheelwright Weber, 2004). The small pilot program would start in January to quickly implement the care path method by all the surgeons simultaneously at MGH. The implementation of care path surgery method through this approach might help the management to more quickly convert the benefits of care path method in other Hospital Management 4 departments of MGH. Several resources would be used to implement the care path method that includes human resources, hospital funds, machinery equipments etc. The human resources include all surgeons, doctors, nurses, physicians, and other hospital staffs. Bohmer and Torchiana would expect effective performance in all the departments of MGH in terms of quality and standardization of processes. The implementation of care path approach would help to reform the whole system of health care process of hospital through significant changes. Creation of a critical pathway through care path approach would helpful to take initial benefits and build an effective framework for the continuous improvement in the future (Wheelwright Weber, 2004). The performance of the hospital would improve in terms reduction in length of patient stay that would be dropped about 20% to 30%. This approach will  help the administration of the hospital to reduce the cost throughout the hospital. The implementation of care path method would help to maintain the cooperative environment in the hospital and develop a better way to treat patients and improve quality. The timeline that is expected to execute this approach in the hospital is as follows Month Procedure January, 2011 Implementation of program March, 2011 Assessment of program June, 2011 Evaluation and control of program Hospital Management 5 References Wheelwright, S Weber, J. (2004). Massachusetts General Hospital: CABG Surgery (A). Harvard Business School, pp. 1-21.

Create a new business in the hospitality industry Term Paper

Create a new business in the hospitality industry - Term Paper Example The service facilities designed in this proposed hospitality organization could be duly considered as the ultimate place for both the families and commercial firms from different global destinations. The current hospitality business industry has been achieving major growth in terms of attaining attention of wide numbers of new entrants due to the budding growth of the industry and growth performance of organizations in this particular business domain as well. The primary purpose of this study is to develop an innovative business structure for the proposed business Hotel Spring in the emerging and highly competitive hospitality industry in Santa Monica, California. In order to develop a relevant business plan for the proposed venture, the discussion of the essay is highly focused on designing a strong image of the organization to meet philosophical perception of customers in the current hospitality business industry. In addition, the proposed plan describes employee management services along with strategies to improve their skills in satisfying needs and demands of customers. Employee service strategy to be deployed at Spring is to describe about problem solving strategy of the w orkers across different scenarios of their operations in organization. The proposed plan will also include research and strategic planning process by identifying tools and techniques to obtain relevant customer data. A critical focus on the responsible service training to serve liquor products to customers will also be a major factor in the proposed plan for Spring. In this process, the discussion would highly focus on preparing appropriate plan of service alcohol to customers with due regards to the SafeServe principles of the US. Finally, the proposed business plan for Spring provides a clear picture about the functions related with training and development activities for employees along with marketing strategies

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Project Management - Essay Example Preciseness and accuracy as well as meeting the project’s objectives are very vital but cannot be achieved without proper planning (Butler & Richardson, 2011). It is indeed true that people variable is very significant in determining the input and the general planning of a project. Challenging free-wheeler based on the list of project variables may harvest very good returns for a particular project because every issue shall have been incorporated in the project (Butler & Richardson, 2011). Thorough discussions regarding the challenges and difficulties that may face the project may help in exposing future obstacles that may interfere with the smooth running of the project. Project planning is indeed an investment since it leads to success of the project and therefore should not be left to chance. There should be no excuse for such a thing that is aimed at saving both time and money. There may be dangerous costs that may be associated with failure to plan for a project (Rosenwinkel, 1995). According to Thilmany (2011), project planning is very crucial in controlling and evaluating a project right from its start to the end. Accountability and commitment in a project not only requires that all the information is tracked but that the resources are efficiently utilized and any form of wastage is reduced. Project variables should be highly taken into consideration while dealing with a project plan to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of a project. I was engaged in a project where the organization wanted an investigation of the installation of a new information system that would help in eliminating several bureaucracy involved in management including supervisory services. The project was supposed to take 100 hours and it involved exploration of new ways of doing business. We were in a team of five people performing the task for the project and three of us were management information system experts while two were individuals from human resource and a senior

Australian Occupational Health & Safety BSBOHS406C Use equipment to Essay

Australian Occupational Health & Safety BSBOHS406C Use equipment to conduct workplace monitoring - Essay Example A high increase in the level of noise will lead to hearing loss in human beings. When workers are exposed to a noisy environment, it leads to stress and anxiety in them, so the employees are unable to give their full concentrate towards their job. Noise levels were measured with the sound level meter at various locations along the workshop fenced perimeter, along the exterior walls at door openings of the main workshop and internally at various centralised points (Oceanic Steel Workshops Noise Level Survey, 8 Kay McDuff Drive, Bundaberg Q 4670, 5th March 2009 Audit undertaken /3/2009: authorised K Philips, Director, page 3). In a particular work area, one can conduct noise audit by placing measuring devices/ meter in various sections of the workplace. Hearing problems in workers can be reduced by using ear muffs. Industries that produce unbearable noise must be based away from public places (hospital, school etc) so that the surroundings remain normal. For the survey, a Bruel & Kjear (BK) Type 2237 â€Å"Controller† Integrating Sound Level Meter (Calibration due 19/5/2010) was used at the time of audit and calibrated prior to the exercise with a BK Type 4230 Sound Level Calibrator set @ 93.8 ( ±3) dB (A) (page 3). ... Light is produced through pipe work, welding, grinding and cutting of metal sheets. There is a relation between noise and light within the industry. When a task is being done e.g.: grinding and cutting of a metal sheet, such activities require light in odder to work and this further produces noise. According to a fact in Australian industries â€Å"that a number of internal readings exceed 75 or 80 dB (A) would be sufficient reason to apply a basic enforcement ruling on hearing protection if necessary, upgrade the ruling based upon further noise level monitoring results† (Page 5). If the power tools are not handled with care, it may cause harm to the employees such as loss of life. Interior light is very vital to a firm, since most of the task is carried on with its help. Australian Standards documentation and/or Code of Practice and instrument of safe level of oxygen in a confined space: A confined space refers to the hazards associated with a set of specific circumstances (C onfined space, Code of Practice 2011, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Department of Justice and Attorney-General, page 5) not since work is done in a small area. People cannot work in a confined space because it causes a lot of danger and since a confined space is a small area, which has no ventilation, there is no inflow of safe level of oxygen and this causes a hazardous atmosphere. Workers working in such an area face a lot of trouble and danger, as their work is a highly risky one. Air normally contains 21% of oxygen by volume, although oxygen levels of 19.5% — 23.5% by volume are considered to be safe. Some situations can cause the level of oxygen to dramatically decrease, leading to an oxygen-deficient atmosphere and possible

Richards Perspective On Clt And Teaching Conversation English Language Essay

Richards Perspective On Clt And Teaching Conversation English Language Essay Majority of language instructors presume CLT as teaching conversation, an absence of grammar or an emphasis on open ended discussion activities (Richards 2003) while according to what Jack C. Richards mentioned in his communicative language teaching today CLT can be understood as a set of principles about the goals of language teaching, how learners learn a language, the kind of classroom activities that best facilitate learning, and the roles of teachers and learners in the classroom. This vapid insipid thought, however, should not be regarded as plausible. Flashing back to the early days of CLT, we see it as an offspring of Audio-lingual Method although it had its focus shifted from behaviorism to real learners needs. On the other hand, looking at its new up-to-date version, we see a great shift from meaning-form based to be totally meaning based. That is why Richards concretely explains CLT as letting the learner grab the language through using it to do things rather than through studying how language works and practicing rules or people learn a language through communicating it. Richards named these two versions of CLT. He asserted that the first one is classical CLT, starting from 1970s to 1990s and the latter one is current CLT. He called all the previous methods Traditional approaches. This study examines the first two methods with a brief introduction on the third one. Traditional Approaches (up to late 1960s) Traditional approaches is a term used by Richards to refer to approaches like ALM or structural-situational approach; also known as situational language teaching. The entire curriculum in these methods shed lights on grammar, that is, every aspect of a language class, from teaching to evaluation, revolves around grammar and its appropriate use in appropriate context. Although traditional methods have some parts in accordance with the current culture and they use dialogues as a prominent exercise, all the parts are for the purpose of mastering the grammar not for reaching communicative competence-using the appropriate language in the real context. To clear everything up lets walk through approach: 1.Students first hear a model dialogue (either by the teacher or on tape). In this procedure students are introduced to the new grammar rule with reminding the previous forms studied via a cultural text. After listening to the dialogue students are supposed to repeat each line after the teacher or the tape. The instructor here pays careful attentions to pronunciation, intonation, and fluency .corrections are immediate and direct even if they interrupt the flow of speech. 2. Key words of the dialogue are changed repeatedly through practice-with actually keeping the grammar rule the same- to help the learner stick the grammar rule in to their mind. 3. Some selected grammatical rules will be the focus of the following exercises. These exercises are structured on the basis of over repetition to make the grammar a part of subconscious mind. That is using it spontaneously when its needed. All the exercises are controlled to ban any type of possible mistake; actually, creativity is not welcomed at all in these methods. Some grammatical explanation may be offered at this point, but this is kept to absolute minimum. 4. After oral exercises come the written ones. Students may be referred to their text books to have some reading, writing or vocabulary activities on the basis of the dialogue presented. 5. Further practice to thoroughly master the form is done in the language laboratory. In sum Richards brings up the P-P-P lesson structure: Presentation: is actually the presentation of the new grammar point inductively. The instructor explains the new structure and makes sure of students comprehension of it. Practice: In a controlled context students practice the use of the grammar point. Production: In a much freer context, and yet controlled, students à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬with the teacher`s monitoring-use their own c1ontent or information for furthered practice, in order to develop fluency with the new pattern. All these syllabus designs lead to great accuracy at the cost of loosing fluency. However, under the influence of CLT all the form-based methodologies are modified to be in sync with communicative competence .this fluency-first pedagogy have accuracy activities such as such as grammar practice been replaced by fluency activities based on interactive small-group work. This approach paves the way for Richard`s Classic Communicative Language teaching. Classic Communicative Language Teaching (1970s to 1990s) This method was a reaction to traditional ones modifying them by the insertion of Communicative competence. As explained in Richard`s applied linguistic dictionary, the term communicative competence is broken down to 4 parts: Grammatical competence: that is the knowledge of the grammar, vocabulary, morphology and phonology of a language. GC was of highest importance in all traditional methods. It is argued in CLT that communicative competence and not simply grammatical competence ,should be the goal of language teaching Sociolinguistic competence: according to Richard`s Dictionary of Applied Linguistics it is Knowledge of the relationship between language and its nonlinguistic context, knowing how to use and respond appropriately to different types of speech acts, such as requests, apologies, thanks, and invitations knowing which address form should be used It is highly associated with interlocutors age, sex, and ethnic groups. Traditional grammatical and vocabulary syllabuses and teaching methods did not include information of this kind. It was assumed that this kind of knowledge would be picked up informally. Discourse competence: the knowledge of knowing how to begin and end conversations. Strategic competence: the communicative strategies used for covering the weakness in conveying the message in communications. In former methods, i.e. traditional grammatical and vocabulary syllabi, there is no trace of these kinds of information. They were believed to be learned informally. However, Richards (2003) argues that communicative competence and not simply grammatical competence should be the goal of language teaching. He added some more practical aspect of language use to this new method to make it more tangible: Purposes for which the leaner wishes to acquire the target language The setting in which the student want to use the target language Role of the learners, for instance, as a traveler, as a sales person talking to their clients. Communicative competence: everyday situations, vocational or professional situations, academic situations and so on. ( 2003) Language functions: what the learner will be able to do with or through language Discourse and rhetorical skills He also added grammatical content and lexical content to make his method comprehensive He defined two types of syllabus: skill-based syllabus, functional syllabus. In the first one the main focus is on four skills -speaking, reading, writing, and speaking- this one sort of covers ESP (English for specific purposes) in a way that it gives each skill its specific look by the use of needs analysis. Usually it overcomes the differences in vocabulary choice, grammar, functions, and particular skills. The latter one, however, consider the functions the students should be able to carry out in English. This syllabus best suits speaking and listening courses. Current communicative language teaching ( from 1990s up to current time) This new up-to-date version of CLT mainly focuses on students needs and learning. According to Richards this method is a set of agreed upon principles that help the learner acquire the language with the respect of social nature of learning. They usually give more attention to unity of language through current methodologies of communication and interaction. In short, it could be said that giving more attention to psychological aspects of learning led to the emergence new CLT.

Why the Greeks Won the Greco-Persian War Essay -- Greco-Persian War Gr

Why the Greeks Won the Greco-Persian War There are times in history that something will happen and it will defy all logic. It was one of those times when a few Greek city/states joined together and defeated the invasion force of the massive Persian Empire. The Greeks were able to win the Greco-Persian War because of their naval victories over the Persians, a few key strategic victories on land, as well as the cause for which they were fighting. The naval victories were the most important contribution to the overall success against the Persians. The Persian fleet was protecting the land forces from being outflanked and after they were defeated the longer had that protection. While the Greeks had very few overall victories in battle they did have some strategic victories. The Battle of Thermopylae is an example of a strategic success for the Greeks. The morale of the Persian army was extremely affected by the stout resistance put up by King Leonidas and his fellow Spartans. The Greeks fought so hard against overwhelming odds because of what they were fighting for. They were fighting for their country and their freedom. They fought so hard because they did not want to let down the man next to them in the formation. Several things contributed to the Greeks success against the Persian invasion that happened during the Second Greco-Persian War. The main reason that the Greeks were able to win the Second Greco-Persian War was the fact that their victory on the sea dealt a crippling blow to the land army. The Greeks owe their naval success to a man named Themistocles. If it had not been for him then Athens would have not used some newly found silver to build 200 new ships for their navy. These ships were later used in the war against the Persians. The two forces were working in unison and they were dependent upon each other for victory. The Persian naval forces were there in order to protect the flank of the army's advance. If the Persian navy were not present then the Greeks would have been able to get on ships and sail to a spot behind the Persian lines and outflank them. They also delivered supplies to the armies that were necessary for its survival. The deathblow was dealt at the Battle of Salamis. It was a culmination of misfortune for the Persian navy. The Persians lost many ships to bad weather conditions. That is the only thing that allowed the G... ... This would put added pressure on the other man to make sure he doesn't look like a coward. The phalanx depended on every single individual in order to work right. The Greeks were able to repel the overwhelming and seemly unstoppable Persian Empire. They were able to do so because of the victories won thanks to the Athenian navy in the Aegean Sea, the hard fought and strategically important battles that the Spartans just would not give up during and they were able to put aside their differences in order to face the greater threat for the good or their culture. Each major city/state contributed what it was good at. It was a nice display of teamwork. Works Cited Herodotus. â€Å"Greece Saved from Persian Conquest.† Readings in Ancient History. Eds. Nels M. Bailkey and Richard Lim. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Herodotus. The History of Herodus. MIT. December 10, 2004 . Herodotus. â€Å"Greece Saved from Persiam Conquest.† Reading in Ancient History. Eds. Nels. Bailkey and Richard Lim. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Nagle, D. Brendan. â€Å"The Second Persian Invasion† The Ancient World; A social and Cultural History. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.

Do Manners Matter Essay

Experts say us Americans are turning into a bunch of savages. Should we care? Would you like it if you you were trying to watch a movie, but are constantly irritated by the sound of ringing cell phones and chatter in the background? Impolite behavior is threatening our way of life and is detrimental to our future and happiness. Showing your consideration for others might result in good manners being reflected from others to you. It would not hurt to show others proper edict, would it? Apparently, having bad manners are threatening our way of civilized life, so experts say. I believe them, being rude and barbaric is going to take our advanced state and regress it back to when we were once cavemen. We are slowly losing respect for everyone, and treating everything as if it were causal. Right now we could just forget to say thank you, and move on with our lives, but later, maybe at a funeral, we could forget who died, and just act as if it were a normal day. It could be that we are just accepting everything as a normal part of our lives, and that there is no need to make a big deal about one thing and be over-kind about it. Though, we must not act this way, because then things will get too casual. People in your family dying could become something you could care less about. We need to keep certain things proper, and not casual. ​Though many people, especially teens, might not notice, scientists believe that people with manner tend to be more successful in life. They get better grades, better social life, and seem more impressive when applying for a job. Some might say that having manners might will make you a dork, and keep girls from liking you, but really in the end, manners benefit you. People might think that having manners might make you a loser, but in most cases; the girl will go for the gentleman, and the interviewer will go for the polite person. Of course, simple rudeness could not result in death or destruction, but it can come close. Not showing consideration for others can lead to sadness which might result in depression. When you fail to have proper manners, those around you can feel let down and unappreciated. Just by saying please and thank you, it is guaranteed you will put a smile on people’s faces and brighten up their spirits. According to the Golden Rule, if you are kind to others, others will be kind to you. The good manners will be reflected back to you and you will be living a happier life. Also, the success achieved by the good manners can have a positive affect on your future and lead to a life full of a smaller amount of hardships and struggles. The key to happiness is simple: manners!

Identify the Common Poplars in North America

Identify the Common Poplars in North America The genus Populus  most common North American natives include  one true poplar in the north, four primary species of cottonwoods and the quaking aspen. Most of the known 35 natural poplar species live in the Northern Hemisphere. The cottonwoods thrive in an ecosystem associated with riparian and wetland areas in eastern and western North America. The aspens are most comfortable in boreal environments dominated by conifers with aspen being a major broad-leaved species. Balsam poplar  (Populus balsamifera)  is the northernmost American hardwood and a major deciduous tree in Canada and Alaska. The Common North American Poplar Species Quaking aspenBalsam poplarEastern cottonwoodBlack cottonwood All have long reproductive catkins that appear just before the new leaves of spring and can help in identification. The resulting fruit is a capsule that opens into 2 tp 4 parts. The tufted seeds are shed in masses of white cotton which can cover the ground inches deep. The leaves of aspen and Eastern cottonwood are deltoids  where black cottonwood and balsam poplar are ovate. They occur on a branch alternately, are simple (single leaf) and mostly toothed. Interesting Facts The Eastern Cottonwood,  Populus deltoides, is one of the largest North American hardwood trees.  The aspen  has the widest range in the United States.  It occurs throughout the eastern United States and throughout Canada.Yellow poplar is not a true poplar and not listed here.

Owl Facts

Owl Facts Hailed for their supposed wisdom  and their appetite for pesky rodents  but derided as pests and subjects  of superstition, owls (families Tytonidae and Strigidae) have had a love/hate relationship with humans since the beginning of recorded history. There are over 200 species of owls, and they might date back to the days of dinosaurs. Fast Facts: Owls Scientific Name: Tytonidae, StrigidaeCommon Names: Barn and bay owls, true owlsBasic Animal Group: BirdSize: Wingspans from 13–52 inchesWeight: 1.4 ounces to 4 poundsLifespan: 1–30 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat: Every continent except Antarctica, most environmentsConservation Status: Most owls are listed as Least Concerned, but a few are Endangered or Critically Endangered. Description There are about 216 species of owls divided into two families: Barn and Bay owls (Tytonidae) and the Strigidae (true owls). Most owls belong to the group of so-called true owls, with large heads and round faces, short tails, and muted feathers with mottled patterns. The remaining dozen-plus species are barn owls, which have heart-shaped faces, long legs with powerful talons, and moderate size. Except for the common barn owl, which is found worldwide, the most familiar owls in North America and Eurasia are the true owls. More than half of the owls in the world live in the neotropics and sub-Saharan Africa, and only 19 species reside in the United States and Canada. One of the most remarkable things about owls is that they move their entire heads when looking at something rather than moving their eyes, like most other vertebrates. Owls need large, forward-facing eyes to gather scarce light during their nocturnal hunts, and evolution couldnt spare the musculature to allow these eyes to rotate. Some owls have astonishingly flexible necks that let them turn their heads three-quarters of a circle, or 270 degrees, compared to 90 degrees for the average human being. The tawny owl is just one of the more than 225 owl species in the world. Nick Jewell/Flickr/CC by 2.0 Habitat and Distribution Owls are found on every continent except Antarctica, and they also inhabit many remote island groups including the Hawaiian islands. Their preferred habitats vary from species to species but include everything from arctic tundra to marshlands, deciduous and conifer forests, deserts and agricultural fields, and beaches. Diet and Behavior Owls swallow their prey- insects, small mammals and reptiles, and other birds- whole without biting or chewing. Most of the unfortunate animal is digested, but the parts that cant be broken down- such as bones, fur, and feathers- are regurgitated as a hard lump, called a pellet, a few hours after the owls meal. By examining these pellets, researchers can identify what a given owl has been eating and when. (Baby owls dont produce pellets since their parents feed  them soft,  regurgitated food in the nest.) Although other carnivorous birds, such as hawks and eagles, hunt during the day, most owls hunt at night. Their dark colors make them nearly invisible to their prey and their wings beat almost silently. These adaptations, combined with their enormous eyes, put owls among the most efficient night hunters on the planet. As befitting birds that hunt and kill small prey, owls have some of the strongest talons in the avian kingdom, capable of seizing and grasping squirrels, rabbits, and other squirmy mammals. One of the largest owl species, the five-pound great horned owl,  can curl its talons with a force of 300 pounds per square inch, roughly comparable to the strongest human bite. Some unusually large owls have talons comparable in size to those of much bigger eagles, which may explain  why even desperately hungry eagles usually wont attack their smaller cousins. In popular culture,  owls are invariably depicted as extremely intelligent, but its virtually impossible to train an owl, while parrots, hawks, ​and pigeons can be taught to retrieve objects and memorize simple tasks.  People think owls are smart for the same reason they think kids who wear glasses are smart: Bigger-than-usual eyes convey the impression of high intelligence. This doesnt mean owls are especially dumb, either; they need lots  of brain power to hunt at night. Reproduction and Offspring Owl mating rituals involve dual hooting, and once paired, a single male and female will remain together through the breeding season. Some species stay together for an entire year; others remain paired for life. They dont typically build their own nests, instead, they take over nests abandoned by other creatures. Owls can be aggressively territorial, especially during the breeding season. Mother owls lay between one and 11 eggs over a few days period, with an average of five or six. Once laid, she does not leave the nest until the eggs hatch, some 24–32 days later, and, although the male feeds her, she does tend to lose weight over that period. The chicks hack themselves out of the egg with an egg-tooth and leave the nest (fledge) after 3–4 weeks. No one is sure why, on average, female owls are slightly larger than males. One theory is that smaller males are more agile and therefore more suited to catching prey,​ while females brood young. Another is that because  females dont like to leave their eggs, they need a larger body mass to sustain them for long periods without eating. A third theory is less likely but more amusing: Since female owls often attack and drive off unsuitable males during mating season, the smaller size and greater agility of males prevent  them from getting hurt.   CGander Photography/Getty Images Evolutionary History Its difficult to trace the evolutionary origins of owls, much less their apparent kinship with contemporary  nightjars, falcons, and eagles. Owl-like birds  such as Berruornis and Ogygoptynx lived 60 million years ago during the Paleocene epoch, which means it is possible that the ancestors of owls coexisted with dinosaurs toward the end of the Cretaceous period. The strigid family of owls broke off from tyronids and first appeared in the Miocene epoch (23–5 million years ago). Owls are one of the most ancient terrestrial birds, rivaled only by the game birds (e.g., chickens, turkeys, and pheasants) of the order Galliformes. Conservation Status Most of the species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are listed as Least Concern, but a few are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, such as the Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti) in India; the Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) in North America, Asia, and Europe; and the Siau Scops-Owl (Otus siaoensis), on a single island in Indonesia. Ongoing threats to owls are hunters, climate change and habitat loss. Owls and Humans It  isnt a good idea to keep owls as pets, and not just because thats illegal in the U.S. and most other countries. Owls eat only fresh food, requiring a constant supply of mice, gerbils, rabbits, and other small mammals. Also, their beaks and talons are very sharp, so youd also need a stock of bandages. If that werent enough, an owl can live for more than 30 years, so youd be donning your industrial-strength gloves and flinging gerbils into its cage for many years. Ancient civilizations had widely divergent opinions about owls. The Greeks chose  owls to represent Athena, the goddess of wisdom, but Romans were terrified of them, considering them bearers of ill omens. The Aztecs and  Mayans hated and feared owls as symbols of death and destruction, while many Native American tribes scared their children with stories of owls waiting in the dark to carry them away. The ancient Egyptians had a kinder view of owls, believing that they protected the spirits of the dead as they traveled to the underworld. Sources Askew, Nick. List of Owl Species. BirdLife International, June 24, 2009.BirdLife International. Micrathene The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689325A93226849, 2016.  whitneyi.BirdLife International. Bubo . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689055A127837214, 2017.scandiacus (errata version published in 2018)BirdLife International. Heteroglaux . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689335A132251554, 2018.blewittiBirdLife International. Aegolius . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22689362A93228127, 2016.  funereusBirdLife International. Otus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22728599A134199532, 2018.siaoensisLynch, Wayne. Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to their Biology and Behavior. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007.

Clinical Reflective Journal Entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Clinical Reflective Journal Entry - Essay Example This patient was leaving his hospital unit and it was clear that he demonstrated a significant risk of falling. Upon witnessing this, I offered to help the patient, however he rejected my offer of help. Instead, the patient chose to use his wheelchair. He then exited the hospital unit, and similar to the early patient was discharged from the hospital by the physician. After witnessing these two events – the woman and then the man leaving – I asked the staff nurse if these patients were permitted to leave their rooms. The nurse responded that they, in-fact, were permitted to leave, as the hospital was not permitted to hold them in their hospital units.   Upon learning this information, I notified that nurse that the woman look clearly cognitively impaired, and that the man was about to fall. In response to my query, the nurse indicated that despite these factors, she was still not permitted to hold the patients in their hospital units. While I lack the legal and ethica l background to accurately determine if the nursing staff and physician truly were not allowed to hold the patients in their hospital units, from an outside and common sense perspective it appears that the nursing staff did not function to their full professional capacity. It’s clear that these patients were mentally or physically impaired and that permitting them to freely leave the unit posed a risk to themselves, as well as a liability risk to the hospital. Furthermore, the patients were housed on the neurological floor.... Upon learning this information, I notified that nurse that the woman look clearly cognitively impaired, and that the man was about to fall. In response to my query, the nurse indicated that despite these factors, she was still not permitted to hold the patients in their hospital units. While I lack the legal and ethical background to accurately determine if the nursing staff and physician truly were not allowed to hold the patients in their hospital units, from an outside and common sense perspective it appears that the nursing staff did not function to their full professional capacity. It’s clear that these patients were mentally or physically impaired and that permitting them to freely leave the unit posed a risk to themselves, as well as a liability risk to the hospital. Furthermore, the patients were housed on the neurological floor because of cognitive dysfunctioning. Ultimately, it seems overwhelmingly apparent that the nursing staff at the University of Texas Medical Br anch should have taken more vigilant action in response to these patients. Professional Growth In terms of growth the experience revealed a number of important elements for my professional career. One of the most pervasive experiences I came to recognize was the cynicism many of the nursing staff experienced in relation to the hospital’s laws. I recognized that simply allowing individuals that were cognitively impaired to walk outside of their hospital room and outside the ward did not make practical sense. In addition, I believe that on some level that the nursing practitioners also recognized the general absurdity of such practices, yet they did so with a healthy dose of cynicism towards the hospitals practices. Rather than

IRISH POTATO FAMINE SOURCES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IRISH POTATO FAMINE SOURCES - Essay Example However, the increased population created scarcity in land. The number of people was exceeding the available land. The government had to device a way for diving land. The small plots that were issued by the government could only bear the very potato. Population increase and land scarcity can, on a perspective, be said to be the first negative impact that potato brought to Ireland. Since the small land could only contain the potato crop, the people of Ireland solely relied on this crop as the staple food and also as the only source of income from its sales. When the potato blight hit the country, the people had been caught unaware. As their crops were being helplessly destroyed before their eyes by the blight, distress captured the better part of them as they wondered of the available solutions. The blight was taking away the only source of life. The people started to starve due to lack of adequate food. Starvation made the people weak and vulnerable to all kinds of diseases. Typhus, Dysentery and Relapsing fever came upon them like plague (source 3). With the starvation and the emergence of the deadly diseases, life took a horrific turn on many common people. Hardship became a daily companion. The population had shifted their focus from potato farming to working on the public roads (source 2 & 3). A report by Wexford Independent describes the public as low income earner (source 3). The people were working in the extremely cold weather and their wages could not allow them to buy warm clothes. The cold caused the inflammatory of their lungs and fever. The poor salaries made the blanket a rare luxury for these people (source10). These people were also walking long distances and without food to eat. Most of them would drop and die while at work (source2). Thus, the root cause of their tribulations was cold and hunger. The poor Irish crowded the roads, begging