Art And Science Of Nursing - 2238 Words

Art and Science of Nursing For the 14th straight year, the public once again ranked nurses as most ethical and most trusted profession in the United States (Gallup, 2015). But what makes nurses the most ethical and most trusted profession? Is it the science of applying evidence-based practice? Is it the art of providing unwavering support and care to patients and their families? Or is it be both? The aim of this paper is to define the art and science of nursing, discuss its influences in current nursing practice and in the student’s personal practice, provide major factors perceived to be changing the healthcare environment, indicate what has changed over the last five years in the student’s personal practice, identify strategies employed to apply the art and science of nursing in professional role development, and create specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (SMART) goals to be utilized after completing the Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BS N) degree. Art and Science of Nursing: Defined The science of nursing is not just about performing tasks such as catheter insertion or medication administration. It encompasses the ability of the nurse to think critically and to provide evidence-based interventions (Palos, 2014). It also includes the capability of the nurse to apply nursing theories and frameworks into practice (Parse, 2015). On the other hand, Florence Nightingale described nursing as the â€Å"finest of Fine Arts† (as cited in Criss, 2011, para. 1).Show MoreRelatedIs Nursing an Art or Science1576 Words   |  7 Pages Is Nursing an Art or Science, or Both? NUR 1214 Abstract Nursing is defined and referred to as both an art and a science through theory and research in nursing practice. Although the science of nursing is grounded on the acquirement of knowledge and skills, along with theoretical understanding of nursing, but it is also described as ‘an experience lived between human beings’. Is Nursing an Art or Science, or Both? Introduction The terms science and art are essential for the nursing practiceRead MoreNursing as an Art and Science1150 Words   |  5 PagesTopic: The Art and Science of Nursing Name: Course: Instructor’s Name: Date: This paper seeks to explore Nursing practice in an attempt to demonstrate the change in perspective of the practice over the years from a traditional view to a more contemporary and realistic view. It will seek to achieve this by performing a literature review of two articles that not only talk but also define and distinguish nursing as both an art and a science and explore a nurses’ experience of being inRead MoreNursing As A Science And Art1439 Words   |  6 PagesQuestions to answer How nursing considered as a science and an art and discuss how the philosophy of nursing is applied to this definition. There is no contention that nursing is considered both as a science and art based on the dispensation of services to the community and patients. As a result of that, the paper seeks to explicitly elaborate the same by giving authentic distinction of why nursing is categorically classified on the two dynamics with a reflection of artistic and scientific intellectualismRead MoreArt And Science Of Nursing Essay2354 Words   |  10 PagesNursing practice is known as a combination of nursing knowledge and compassion in providing care and comfort to patients. Moreover, nursing practice has changed and developed into a dynamic profession to create a better health care environment. It is always essential to combine art and science aspects in nursing practice to help improve patients ‘outcomes. What is the art and science of nursing? Art and science of nursing is described in different ways through literature. According to Polos (2014)Read MoreThe Art and Science of Nursing670 Words   |  3 PagesWhat do we know about nursing? To what extent do we understand nursing? How can we decide if we do â€Å"know† what nursing is? These are questions asked when we are developing knowledge about Nursing as both an Art and Science. Nursing gathers it generalized knowledge from experience with unique individuals from sources such as everyday non-scientific knowledge yet nursing always return to the individual for the application of its knowledge. What is nursing science? Nursing science is defined accordingRead MoreThe Art And Science Of Nursing1977 Words   |  8 PagesThe Art and Science of Nursing Nursing is a profession that has evolved greatly over time and encompasses many different roles. Initially, nurses were thought of as caregivers who followed the orders of physicians and had little autonomy. As the profession has grown, nurses now hold higher roles and increased responsibilities with regards to patient care. There are two sides to nursing, one includes the caring, compassionate, humanistic aspects and the other involves the skills-based, objectiveRead MoreThe Art And Science Of Professional Nursing Practice1173 Words   |  5 PagesThe Art and Science of Professional Nursing Practice Frequently, nurses are considered the foundation of the healthcare industry and the stakes are high when certain qualities must be possessed when working with patients and providing quality care. Nurses have a profound ability to apply strong skill-based knowledge with a caring and compassionate attitude that can improve patient outcomes. They also play an important role that can positively or negatively affect the way patients and family membersRead MoreDefinition And Concepts Of Art And Science Of Nursing2271 Words   |  10 Pagesconcepts of art and science of nursing, how each of these concepts affects nursing practice based on literature, relate how they influence my current personal practice, identify the influences on the changing health care environment, and examine how my nursing practice has changed in the last five years. I will also discuss the strategies I have used to apply the art and science of nursing in my practice and identify the approach I will utilize after c ompleting my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).Read MoreEssay about Nursing: A Profession of Art and Science1114 Words   |  5 PagesNursing is a dynamic profession built upon a foundation of art and science. It has adapted to rapidly changing technology, rising patient acuity, and weathered the challenge of nursing shortages with an unwavering commitment to professionalism. In this paper I will discuss my beliefs and values, my vision for the future, and my strengths and limitation in pursuing my career goals. I will also reflect upon the influences that contributed to choosing nursing as a profession. Choice of Nursing InRead MoreThe Theory Of Humanistic Nursing1458 Words   |  6 Pagesand effective nursing practice is a combination of art and science. Both the art and science of nursing are employed when working with a patient on their health goals. The art of healing is the communicative and relationship building skills while the science of nursing is the technical skills related to the field. Throughout nursing history, theories have been developed that attempt to explain the role of the nurse. These theories often try to either explain the science or art of nursing. Some of these

Bcg Paper - 1921 Words

Strategic Management BCG Matrix Written by : Afringga Qurani A.S. (008201100114) Dery Apriani S. (008201100033) Firdausi Fananiar (008201100086) Mutmainnah Hauliyah (008201100120) Putri Azizah S. (008201100023) Rizqi Mulia Raya (008201100106) Lecturer : Mr. Irfan Habsjah Class : Accounting 2 President University Jababeka Education Park, Jalan Ki Hajar Dewantara, Cikarang – Bekasi 17550 BCG Matrix Definition of BCG Matrix Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a four celled matrix (a 2 * 2 matrix) developed by BCG, USA in 1970, to help corporations with analyzing their business units or product lines. This help the company allocate resources and is used as an analytical tool in brand marketing, product†¦show more content†¦If the question mark does not succeed in becoming the market leader, then after perhaps years of cash consumption it will degenerate into a dog when the market growth declines. Question marks must be analyzed carefully in order to determine whether they are worth the investment required to grow market share. †¢ Stars are units with a high market share in a fast-growing industry (High Market Share / High Market Growth). The hope is that stars become the next cash cows. Sustaining the business units market leadership may require extra cash, but this is worthwhile if thats what it takes for the unit to remain a leader. When growth slows, if they have been able to maintain their category leadership stars become cash cows, else they become dogs due to low relative market share. As a particular industry matures and its growth slows, all business units become either cash cows or dogs. The natural cycle for most business units is that they start as question marks, then turn into stars. Eventually the market stops growing thus the business unit becomes a cash cow. At the end of the cycle the cash cow turns into a dog. The overall goal of this ranking was to help corporate analysts decide which of their business units to fund, and how much; and which units to sell. Managers were supposed to gain perspective from this analysis that allowed them to plan with confidence to use money generated by the cash cows to fund the stars and, possibly, the question marks. As theShow MoreRelatedBcg Paper1933 Words   |  8 PagesStrategic Management BCG Matrix Written by : Afringga Qurani A.S. (008201100114) Dery Apriani S. (008201100033) Firdausi Fananiar (008201100086) Mutmainnah Hauliyah (008201100120) Putri Azizah S. (008201100023) Rizqi Mulia Raya (008201100106) Lecturer : Mr. Irfan Habsjah Class : Accounting 2 President University Jababeka Education Park, Jalan Ki Hajar Dewantara, Cikarang – Bekasi 17550 BCG Matrix Definition of BCG Matrix Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a four celled matrix (a 2Read MoreCoca Colas Business Performance1268 Words   |  6 Pagesntroduction The research is aims to exhibit Coca-Cola’s business performance through assessing the utility of chosen business models, which mainly are BCG model and a comparison model: Ansoff’s model, present the measurements that the company has implemented in practice. The following annotations define the underlying theories and background of the model. Furthermore the annotation also exemplifies the business movements of Coca-Cola and the measurements of organizational effectiveness based on theRead MoreBoston Consulting Group Matrix of Procter Gamble’s Tide Detergent794 Words   |  4 PagesGamble’s Tide Detergent The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix allows Procter Gamble (PG) to comprehend how consumers perceive Tide Detergent based on market growth and market share. PG can utilize this information to determine if they should increase or reduce investments for their strategic business unit (SBU), Tide. This paper will discuss the relationship of Positioning, Market Share, and Marketing Research in the BCG matrix suggesting that PG should continue investing in TideRead MoreStrategic Business Unit ( Sbu )1439 Words   |  6 PagesConsulting Group (BCG) matrix and the General Electric (GE) approach. BostonConsultation Group (BCG): The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix helps companies evaluate each of its strategic business units based on two factors: (1) the SBU’s market growth rate (i.e., how fast the unit is growing compared to the industry in which it competes) and (2) the SBU’s relative market share (i.e., how the unit’s share of the market compares to the market share of its competitors). Because the BCG matrix assumesRead MorePfizer s Strengths And Weaknesses Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagescan control, and how valuable a BCG matrix is in determining which products to manufacture and market. When choosing which pharmaceutical company to choose, I ended up choosing Pfizer, due to its 150-year history, and success. The first portion of this paper will be analyzing the strengths and weakness that Pfizer possesses as well as, opportunities and threats it may face in the future. Then, I will analyze the stars, cash cows, problem children and dogs in the BCG matrix. Pfizer is one of the â€Å"world’sRead MoreToday, More Than Ever, The Ceo Of Wal-Mart Has To Undertake1177 Words   |  5 Pagesright place for change is dependent on the CEO ability to take advantages of the strategies recommended. For instance, Wal-Mart must exploit innovation and use technology to increase sales, also to build stronger relationships with customers. This paper will evaluate whether Wal-Mart is maturing or declining in the retail industry on its evolution history. In addition to using Porter s National Diamond and Boston Consulting Group to assess vertical integration and strategic position. Read MoreStrategic Management, Itc Ltd1184 Words   |  5 Pagesthe project and people who have willingly helped me out with their abilities. Shail Kunj Joshi Contents * Project Description * Overview on ITC-regarding e-Choupal * Evaluation of ITC through SWOT Analysis * Evaluation through BCG Matrix * Suggestion to ITC-for strategy * Conclusion * Bibliography Project Description The success story at ITC is driven by strong fundamentals. The first being ITC’s diverse proven capabilities. Is it sourcing high quality agri-produceRead MorePrincipled Leadership Individual Final Paper Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesPrincipled Leadership Individual Final Paper In terms of leading a team, I regard myself as an enthusiastic and considerate leader. My colleagues on my team can always feel my passion about achieving goals as well as my consideration about others. I intend to make conversations productive by understand other’s perspectives first. I also have a high standard of integrity and apply the same criteria on both myself and my coworkers. When I was working for Deloitte, I was always the first choice forRead MoreBcg Matrix Critique1958 Words   |  8 PagesMarketing Critique: BCG Matrix Your Name Here Table of Contents Introduction 3 Concept Overview 3 Functional Critique 5 Intellectual Critique 6 Ethical Critique 7 Political Critique 8 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 9 Introduction This paper will attempt to provide a broad critique of the Boston Consulting Group Matrix in light of the ideas of Hackley (2009). In his book Marketing:A Critical Introduction, Hackley presents a framework for analysing marketing models. He suggestsRead MoreITC Product Mix, BCG Matrix1040 Words   |  5 Pagesacross India and is listed on FORBES 2000. Annual turnover - over US$ 7 billion (44000 cr) Market capitalisation - US$ 45 billion (283,000 cr) Business Segments ï  µ Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) ï  µ Hotels ï  µ Paperboards ï  µ Paper Packaging ï  µ Agri Business History ï  µ Incorporated on August 24, 1910 under the name Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited ï  µ Company was changed from Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited to India Tobacco Company Limited

Breakeven Business Free Essays

Certain elements of business show that to achieve high profitability a better and diverse product mix will result in more capacity utilization. Therefore capacity utilization has a direct relation to profitability and product mix. This is because if capacity is fully utilized will the profit be reaching to the maximum as fixed costs will remain the same. We will write a custom essay sample on Breakeven Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now However if the profit is to be further increased it is necessary to enhance the capacity as a result more capacity would need to be used to first cover the fixed costs of the new capacity installed. Similarly in one machine, a number of products can be made; therefore not all products will be made to the fullest as one product or the other production will be scarified. What companies try to achieve is the right product mix so that optimal profitability is achieved and therefore make the business more versatile. Though it is the decision of the person in charge to decide either to fully utilize the capacity using the most profitable product or make a number of products to focus on product diversity rather than on profitability. (Source: Reliance Industries Limited, High Density Polyethylene Pipes Beyond Water Supply)References 1. Ms Poorvi C. Desai – Polymers, Reliance Industries Limited, High Density Polyethylene Pipes Beyond Water Supply. Retrieved on October 5, 2008, from http://www. polymerupdate. com/poorvidesai/pdf/HDPE_Pipes. pdf How to cite Breakeven Business, Papers

Ice Hockey Vs. Roller Hockey Essay Example For Students

Ice Hockey Vs. Roller Hockey Essay Despite the fact that ice hockey and roller hockey both have the word hockey in common, there are extreme differences between the two sports. There are the obvious differences like one being played on ice and the other on a plastic surface, but many of the differences are only noticed by people that have played both sports. As everyone knows, ice hockey is played on ice, which makes it an extremely high paced game. Unlike ice hockey, Roller hockey is played on a plastic floor that consists of many six-inch by six-inch tiles. The plastic floor makes roller hockey a much slower paced game than ice hockey. The reason that roller hockey is so much slower than ice hockey is because there is more friction. The friction is produced in the bearings of the wheels as well as between the floor and the wheels. Turning, stopping, and making lateral movements are extremely easy to do on ice, but roller hockey is completely different. In roller hockey there is no such thing as making a tight turn or stopping on a dime, because the wheels just slide out from underneath the player. The stopping technique for roller hockey is basically the same as ice hockey, but the player slides a little before coming to a complete halt. If a player happens to fall in ice hockey he or she just slides along the ice and most of the time it doesnt hurt, but in roller hockey if a player falls on the plastic floor, it is going to hurt. When players in roller hockey fall, they do not slide, it is more of a bounce and roll type of fall, imposing a greater risk of suffering an injury. Another huge difference between ice hockey and roller hockey is the rules. An ice hockey game consists of five players and a goalie per team on the ice. Roller hockey however, only has four players and a goalie. In ice hockey there are blue lines, which are approximately one-third of the way up the rink from each end. The blue lines are used to create zones on the ice surface. If an offensive player enters the other teams defensive zone before the puck, the play is whistled dead and it is called off sides. On the other hand in roller hockey, there are no such blue lines. Not having blue lines makes the game much more wide-open, which allows players to hang at the other teams net, unlike ice hockey. Another rule of ice hockey is icing, this is when a player shoots the puck from one end of the ice to the other end and no one touches it. In roller hockey there is no rule for icing; instead players are allowed to dump the puck from one end of the floor to the other. Both sports do enforc e the same penalties though. For example, both ice and roller hockey referees will call penalties for tripping, slashing, roughing, etc.Hockey does not only consist of players shooting the puck up and down the ice. There is more to hockey than that. The most important aspect of the game is the players mentality. Ice hockey and roller hockey players mentalities differ slightly. In ice hockey, players are told to stay in their position. For example, a right-winger is supposed to stay along the right boards and never cross onto the other half of the ice. In roller hockey, there are only two forwards and it makes it difficult to have set positions. Many of times in roller hockey one forward will frequently sneak in behind the other teams defensemen and wait there for a pass. In ice hockey occasionally a player will dump the puck from one end to the other, but in roller hockey it happens all the time. The ice hockey players will pass between one another while breaking into the other team s defensive zone.Unlike the ice hockey players, roller hockey players will shoot the puck down the other teams end and chase it. .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 , .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .postImageUrl , .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 , .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641:hover , .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641:visited , .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641:active { border:0!important; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641:active , .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641 .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua638639d5a8291f8827e850a607ca641:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Stem Cell Dilema EssayIce hockey and roller hockey are two similar sports, yet very different. There are differences in surroundings, rules, and mentalities. The two sports have their differences,

What Is Artistic Beauty Essays - Book Of Genesis,

What Is Artistic Beauty? Kelley Rubben Dr. Marck L. Beggs, Director M.L.A. Program Admissions Essay January 6, 2001 What is Artistic Beauty? From the beginning of time, men and women have scrutinized, categorized, and compared components of their surroundings in an attempt to better understand their world. In the Bible's Genesis account, Adam, seemingly in appreciation of Eve's uniqueness and beauty, poetically proclaims her, ?bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.?[Gen. 2:23 NIV] Much later, artists, writers, and philosophers have sought to understand beauty, balance, and perfection -- the sublime. Their struggle to define perfection and to set standards of beauty was termed aesthetics or, ?the science of the beautiful,? in 1753 by German philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten. Baumgarten was considered the first modern philosopher to approach the question of beauty systematically, introducing the term aesthetics and defining the experience of beauty as the sensory recognition of perfection. [Danto 1]. The works of his contemporary, Immanuel Kant, express the notion that beautiful objects are without a specific purpose and that judgments of beauty are not expressions of mere personal preference but, rather, universal. Similarly, Encarta defines aesthetics as: A branch of philosophy concerned with the essence and perception of beauty and ugliness, dealing with the question of whether such qualities are objectively present in the things they appear to qualify, or whether they exist only in the mind of the individual; hence, whether objects are perceived by a particular mode, the aesthetic mode, or whether instead the objects have, in themselves, special aesthetic qualities. Philosophy also asks if there is a difference between the beautiful and the sublime. [Danto 1] However, even with a definition at hand, arriving at a consensus on precisely what constitutes beauty and perfection is nearly impossible. Ultimately, beauty is ?in the eye of the beholder.? For the sake of argument, in this discussion, beauty will be limited to the perception of color, sound, form, and words and with the emotional responses to these elements as experienced within works of art, literature, and music.djtsidffjpoidffjsaosafdsafsadf In his discussion of what he calls ?dependent beauty,? Immanuel Kant implies that the use of an ornamental or beautiful object in some way affects its aesthetic qualities. In some situations, an object is a beautiful adornment, but in a different setting, that same object would be viewed as inappropriate or even grotesque. In Critique of Judgment Kant differentiates: Much that would be liked directly in intuition could be added to a building, if only the building were not [meant] to be a church. A figure could be embellished with all sorts of curlicues and light but regular lines, as the New Zealanders do with their tattoos, if only it were not the figure of a human being. And this human being might have had much more delicate features and a facial structure with a softer and more likable outline, if only he were not [meant] to represent a man, let alone a warlike one. [Leddy 1 / Kant 1987]. [ Therefore, cultural norms set the parameters for what is accepted as beautiful, though the boundaries are constantly expanded by new artistic expressions that push the limits of acceptability within a society. These ?avant-garde? artistic creations frequently depict themes, images, or subjects considered ?taboo? in a particular society. Exhibited and marketed as artwork, the creations will either be rejected, or they will be accepted as modern art, thus expanding the boundaries of what can be considered art. [Wilson, 2 / Parsons and Blocker].dd In the world of physical art, such as sculpting and painting, traditional aesthetics of the 18th and 19th centuries proposed that artistic beauty was an imitation of nature. Yet, while the works of realist, impressionist, and neoclassical painters like Jean Francois Millet, Claude Monet, and Benjamin West who strove to capture lifelike detail in their works are unquestionably beautiful, this exact mirroring of nature is not a requirement of beauty. Much art (particularly modern art) fails to imitate anything, yet often the obscure creations beautifully capture an intangible feeling or emotion. Viewers perceive the work as beautiful based on their reaction to the form and colors which create a mood. Another example of how art can be independent of nature exists in the fact that artistic beauty has the potential to accomplish something that nature cannot. Art has the ability to capture ugliness and beauty simultaneously. For example, an exquisite painting of a gruesome battle or of an

The Best Question to Ask in an Interview to Impress Your Interviewer

The Best Question to Ask in an Interview to Impress Your Interviewer Every interview is a source of stress. You need to prove yourself by answering all the questions relevant to the job correctly (and well). But you also need to stand out from the crowd. While the first thing depends a bit on your field, the second is universal. Here’s the bottom line. In an interview situation, you and your future employer are both trying to figure out whether you would work effectively together. They want to know whether you will succeed in the position. You do too! So how do you find out? Try asking the following when it comes time for you to ask â€Å"whatever questions you might have†:â€Å"How would you define success for this position?†Right away, you’re going to get insider information. Your interviewer is about to spill the holy grail with juicy tidbits such as: strategies and specific skills the job requires, priorities the job demands, and the culture of the company itself.You ask this question and it will be immediately clear th at you’re taking the job and the process seriously. You’ll have expressed interest in the nuances of the job, and you’ll show off some truly snazzy communication skills while you’re at it.It won’t guarantee you’ll get the job, by any means, but it will put you in a great position to see whether you’d find it a good fit, and to prove that you should be a strong contender.

Structural steel design Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Structural steel design - Literature review Example When restoration was completed, the new skeleton had to be hoisted on to supports. These were composed of steel compression struts that are hollow, with a capacity of 50 tons. They were coupled to node points found at the end of each of the cradle frames where they stuck out through the hull. The external support’s lower ends were linked to plates cast into the dry dock’s steps. Since the steps had started crumbling, they had to be dug out and reinforced with grouted steel piles before connecting supports and lifting the ship. A series of arms offered lateral wind load restraint. The arms were bolted to strengthened concrete tension piles at the top of the dry dock (Douglas 2012, pg. 69). The connection nodes are also required as secondary support to the glass canopy. The members’ structural steel grades are of  S355 J2 to BS EN 10025.   Lifting the ship was done at intermediate phases using 24 200Te SWL cylinder jacks, each under every node point. The whole process took 2 days and was aided by the installation of a series of 96 strain sensors to check loads in the metal frame of the ship and the supporting tie rods and props that held up the ship (Beedle, Ali & Armstrong 2007, pg. 32). Consultants AV Technology (AVT) installed the sensors. Deteriorated timber was replaced with equivalent wood; the objective was to replace like with like where possible. The tween was restored using new Douglas fir and hemp was used to caulk it traditionally. Hemp was used because it was easier to install and maintain since it was forced into position to create a tight deck. Composite construction used on the main deck, with a new teak upper layer and plywood lower layers (Crevello & Noyce 2008, pg. 52). The upper teak planks as well as the first lower rock elm planks were restored and reinstalled on the ship. The original plan was rock elm below the water line and teak above the water line. This is because elm

DB4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

DB4 - Essay Example Once the goal of the process is defined, the next thing is to make a team that will be responsible for doing the job analysis; the team should comprise of HR people who have expertise in identifying the key factors related to various jobs (Cronshow et al., 2007). When job analysis is conducted, the most important elements or areas that need to be focused are duties, tasks and responsibilities of the job, material, tools and equipment required for the job, working conditions and reporting responsibilities, and qualities, skills and experience that will be used for the tasks performance (Shukla, 2011). When the applicants are short-listed for a position, the employer will have to ensure that they have the skills, qualifications and abilities required to perform the particular job. During the interview sessions, the candidates should be given some situation questions so that their ability to handle the tasks can be judged and it will give an idea about the compatibility of the candidate with the specified position. Hence, these are the two key areas that the employer will have to consider to ensure that the right person is hired for the job so that he/she can be beneficial for the organization’s enhanced

Age Factor in Learning a Secnd Language ( The Critical Period Research Paper

Age Factor in Learning a Secnd Language ( The Critical Period Hypothesis) - Research Paper Example The paper also includes a detailed section which analyses the findings and presents a fair view of the scenario and the issues that dominate this particular branch of linguistic research. Adults are regarded to exceed in virtually every field of learning, on account of the presence of highly developed cognitive skills, as compared to children. However, with regard to language learning, children seem to have a better edge. There are innumerable instances where children have been able to learn a second language faster than adults and achieve native-like expertise, while in case of adults such a competence is rarely observed. It is on account of this very reason that issue regarding the existence of a certain sensitive / critical period of learning exists among individuals which fosters language development. Researchers and academic scholars as well as general observers have noted that children – up to a certain age, have a better grasp of learning languages – both native as well as foreign / second language, than their adult counterparts. During this period their language learning skills are heightened and once this period lapses, their skills begin to fa de, and acquiring native-like proficiency in language learning becomes all the more difficult, beyond a certain age. However there are several criticisms and contradictory views offered by others. In response to the critical period for language learning, certain researchers have opposed the hypothesis, stating that native-like skills can be found in certain adult learners with regard to second language. Yet another group of researchers have stated that over and above the critical period of language learning, there are other factors which also play an important role in learning a language a second language. These include sociological, psychological as well as physiological factors. This paper analyzes, explores and investigates

Coca Cola uses SWOT analysis to access their performance

Coca Cola uses SWOT analysis to access their performance Strengths Coca Cola is an enormously familiar company. Recognition is one of its bigger strengths that are almost unparalleled. Coca Cola is known very well across the world. Its branding is clear and renowned. The logo of Coca Cola is one of the most famous things in the world. Some people buy coke, not only because of its taste but because it is widely accepted and they feel like they are part of something so big and unifying. Overwhelming is the best word to describe Coca Colas popularity. It is scary to think that its popularity has been constantly growing over the years and the possibility that there is still room to grow. If you speak the words Coca Cola, it would definitely be recognized all around the world. Money is another thing that is strength of the company. Coca Cola deals with massive amounts of money all year. Like all businesses, they have had their ups and downs financially, but they have done well in this compartment and will continue to do well and improve. The money they a re earning is substantially better than most beverage companies, and with that money, they put back into their own company so that they can improve. Another strength that is very important to Coca Cola is customer loyalty. The 80/20 rule comes into effect in this situation. Eighty percent of their profit comes from 20% of their loyal customers. Many people/families are extremely loyal to Coca Cola. It would not be rare to constantly find bottles and cases of a product such as coke in a house. It seems that some people would drink coke religiously like some people would drink water and milk. This is an improbable feat. Weaknesses Coca Cola is a very successful company, with limited weaknesses. However they do have a variety of weaknesses that need to be addressed if they want to rise to the next level. Word of mouth is probably a strength and weakness of every company. While many people have good things to say, there are many individuals who are against Coca Cola as a company, and the products in which they produce. While people will have their opinions, you have to try to sway their negative views. If bad comments and views are put out to people who have yet to try Coca Cola products, then that could produce a lost customer which shows why word of mouth is a weakness. Another aspect that could be viewed as a weakness is the lack of popularity of many of Coca Colas drinks. Many drinks that they produce are extremely popular such as Coke and Sprite but this company has approximately 400 different drink types. Most are unknown and rarely seen for available purchase. These drinks do not probably taste bad, but a re rather a result of low profile or nonexistent advertising. This is a weakness that needs to be looked at when analyzing their company. Another weakness that has been greatly publicized is the health issues that surround some of their products. It is known that a popular product like coke is not very beneficial to your body and your health. With todays constant shift to health products, some products could possibly loose customers. Opportunities Coca Cola has a few opportunities in its business. It has many successful brands that it should continue to exploit and pursue. Coca Cola also has the opportunity to advertise its less popular products. With a large income it has the available money to put some of these other beverages on the market. This could be very beneficial to the company if they could start selling these other products to the same extent that they do with their main products. Another opportunity that we have seen being put to use before is the ability for Coca Cola to buy out their competition. This opportunity rarely presents itself in the world of business. However, with Coca Colas power and success, such a task is not impossible. Coca Cola has bought out a countless number of drink brands. An easy way to turn their profit into your profit is too buy out their company. Brand recognition is the significant factor affecting Cokes competitive position. Coca Cola is known well throughout 90% of the world populat ion today. Now Coca Cola wants to get there brand name known even better and possibly get closer and closer to 100%. It is an opportunity that most companies will ever dream of, and would be a supreme accomplishment. Threats Despite the fact that Coca Cola dominates its market, it still has to deal with many threats. Even though Coca Cola and Pepsi control nearly 40% of the entire beverage market, the changing health-consciousness attitude of the market could have a serious effect on Coca Cola. This definitely needs to be viewed as a dominant threat. In todays world, people are constantly trying to change their eating and drinking habits. This could directly affect the sale of Coca Colas products. Another possible issue is the legal side of things. There are always issues with a company of such supreme wealth and popularity. Somebody is always trying to find fault with the best and take them down. Coca Cola has to be careful with lawsuits. Other threats are of course the competition. Coca Colas main competition being Pepsi, sells a very similar drink. Coca Cola needs to be careful that Pepsi does not grow to be a more successful drink. Other product such as juices, coffee, and milk are threats.

Comapring Sympathy For Characters in O. Henrys Furnished Room and Chek

Sympathy For Characters in O. Henry's Furnished Room and Chekov's Vanka  Ã‚   Two Works Cited   The narrators in both O. Henry's "The Furnished Room" and Anton Chekov's "Vanka" view their protagonists as desperate and helpless in a world of cold realism. With tones rich in sympathy, the narrators in both stories take pity on their characters. Both characters have yet to understand that realistically they have little control of the dismal life they lead; instead, their surroundings have more of an impact on their life. Trapped in a harshly ironic and deceitful world, the characters become pitiable symbols in a world numb to their presence. Transforming the protagonists into symbols that touch on everyday human norms (such as unending faith and one's lodgings), the narrators promote a sense of empathy. While the young man in "The Furnished Room" represents the personified room in which he lodges, Vanka resembles a sad angel in his purity and innocence. For instance, like the worn-down room in which the young man stays, his well-being depends on people and events that pass him by. The room's personified descriptions reflect all of the young man's emotions: the young man is emotionally "chipped and bruised," (41) and "desolat" (41) like the constantly abandoned room. Also, like the room the protagonist remains anonymous, as if he means little compared to his surroundings and his lost love (all of which are given names). Vanka, though also enduring a rough life, instead possesses a beam of hope in his innocence. Kneeling before his faithful letter to his Grandfather (as if to pray), Vanka resembles a sad angel. Inspite of his constant neglect and abuse, Vanka holds steadily to his faith and wishes his Grandfather "all the blessings... ...ness of mankind. The idea of diminshing hope for both characters is the narrator's final sympathy-balming attempt. The manner in which the narrators present human nature--the dark side of a merciless world in which the characters live--as well as the naive and pathetic nature of both characters, render two stories thirsty for empathy. The naivity that both characters have towards the deceit in their surroundings, as well as their lack of control in events which they endure, cause both characters to be helpless in a cruel world. Works Cited Chekov, Anton. "Vanka." Understanding Fiction. 3rd ed. Eds. Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1979. 46-49. Henry, O. "The Furnished Room." Understanding Fiction. 3rd Edition. Eds. Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1979. 39-43.   

Ethical Perspective Essay

We all like to believe that we can work in an atmosphere where no problems would arise where we would need to contact our superiors at the job. In some places this may be the case but there are workplaces that exist where this is not always the case. When a situation is to arise, what would be the proper thing to do? Should we get HR involved or keep it at a level where we can handle things on our own. In the Ethic Games stimulation we are asked to put ourselves in the decision making process of what the right thing to do is. A manager would need to know the correct way to handle situations that occur in the workplace between all of their employees. The mysterious rose case was one of confidentiality and how to keep information private regarding the employee, Gayle, receiving rose from an unknown source. The employee that have been sending the flowers has made me aware of the situation and does not see a problem because he sees it as him bringing good cheer to someone. This situation could be a possible case of harassment on the part of the anonymous employee due to the fact that the delivery seems to create a problem for Gayle. She is concerned that someone may be trying to get her attention and she does not want that to happen, so she sees this as a problem. The problem is that I know that I cannot promise her complete confidentiality because the situation may interfere with the company policy on employee interactions. The simulation took me through a series of steps to guide me on how to look at the situation from different ethical lenses. Identifying the rights and responsibilities and results of all that are involved would be my first lenses to look at. I took different approaches than what the simulation suggested but the end result was me letting her know that she could meet with me to discuss the situation and that she should review the company handbook to give her more insight on our harassment policies and so she would understand why I could not guarantee complete confidentiality. In regards to the case of the cold feet, the second stimulation had to do with falsifying information in a report. This notion was exposed by two employee reports that seemed to conflict. Falsifying information in any type of situation would never be accepted no matter the reason. It is in no way, shape, or form showing good sources of ethical moral, especially being that this is transpiring in the workplace. As a superior I would need to speak with the source that is falsifying the material, as well as the source that discovered the conflict in the work. I would appreciate the explanation as to why the material was altered in the first place and alth ough no answer would be acceptable, I would still like to know the reason behind such wrongdoing. As a superior of this employee I would either (depending on the circumstance) place the employee on a strict temporary probation, a suspension, or even possibly terminate them. Falsifying any type of information or data can be considered as a serious ethical issue. People do it for various reasons, but most do it because they feel as though it would benefit the company that they work for, or cause them to receive good reviews of their progress with work and for the organization to invest in them. In my workplace, falsifying information is a big concern. I work with over a thousand different banks, credit unions, and financial organizations. All in a day’s work I am exposed to an exponential amount of data that is personal and sensitive, such as account numbers, social security numbers, address’, names, and phone numbers. If any of this information is to be compromised with, altered, or used for any personal reasons would immediately result in termination. We want to have a personal relationship filled with trust for each and every one of our consumers. This effect will make each consumer feel comfortable and safe doing business with us, as well as keeping the company flowing in a positive manner. In closing, I have found that the two simulations that I have analyzed can be utilized to guide someone in actual real life situations. For any person in a managerial position, I am sure that making decisions like this in these particular situations would be difficult, and it usually takes a strong person to come to the right decisions that they believe is in the best interest of the company. Decisions are made daily to what the right thing to do in all situations, the business world does not a pass just because those decisions may not be what is best for the business. References EthicsGame.com, LLC. (n.d.). The Ethics Game: The Mysterious Rose and The Cold Feet [Multimedia]. Retrieved from EthicsGame.com, LLC, ETH 316 website.

Classical Management Viewpoint of the Worker Essays

Classical Management Viewpoint of the Worker Essays Classical Management Viewpoint of the Worker Essay Classical Management Viewpoint of the Worker Essay The classical management writers had a particular viewpoint of the worker. Discuss what this was. [12 marks] a The evolution of management has been in existence since the construction of massive structures such as the pyramids in Egypt in the ancient days and the Great Wall of China during the Qing Dynasty period. It is thus evident how important the role of management and its application is globally and through the passage of time. The emergence of the classical approach occurred during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain and Europe, as it became necessary to have a more formal approach to management. Production shifted away from the cottage industry as large complex organisations sprouted due to new forms of technology. The classical approach places emphasis on purpose, formal structure, hierarchy of management, technical requirements, and common principles of organisation in order to manage efficiently the higher amount of outputs from increased producitivity. (needs emphasis on the workers) The classical management approach comprises of three theories namely- bureacratic management by Max Weber, Scientific management by Taylor and Administrative management by Henri Fayol. Max Weber is a German sociologist who defined an organisation as a well-defined hierarchy of authority and responsibility, following a system of rules and regulations where there is no confusion and conflicts. Under this formal hierarchy structure, workers abide by rules and follow accordingly without question. Official positions exist in their own right and jobholders have no rights to particular positions in the top management, since appointment of staff is based on qualification and competence. This will thus allow for a stable and well-defined job content such that work performance is based on the identified roles. However, the over-emphasis on rules and regulation only serves to dehumanise and demotivate the workers as workers’ initiation and creativity are being stifled. They become inflexible in responding to situations, and reluctant to innovate in time. There are three types of legitimate authority identified by Weber- traditional, charismatic and rational-legal authority. Workers are required to accept those in authority that arises from tradition and custom. They must also be loyal and entrust their confidence in the personal qualities of the leader. Hence, there is no questioning of the authority since the workers are bounded by the rules and procedures of the organisation, and does not have any job movement in their job scope. Nonetheless, Weber see this approach as neccessary at that time in order to achieve stability in the organisation, where rules are implemented to increase efficiency and productivity even though it neglects the social needs of the workers. Another writer who contributed to the classical approach is Taylor. He introduced the theory of scientific management where workers are viewed as â€Å"rational economic man† who are satisfied and motivated by high wages, and are willing to work diligently for the organisation. He was concerned with the efficiency of the working methods, and the question of how to organize different resources into efficient and profitable operations. He wanted to prevent â€Å"soldiering† which he believes arises due to the fallacious belief of the workers that any increase in output will result in unemployment, hence deliberately restrict their work-rate in order to stay in employment. Hence in order to overcome this problem, he came up with â€Å"a true science of work†, referring to the amount to be done by a suitable worker under optimum conditions. Workers are paid their wages according to their productivity. Workers are systematically trained and placed through careful selections, jobs designated for them. Through analysis of the â€Å"stopwatch exercise†, he was able to establish standard time and standard output of work. He argued that workers prefer to be given a definite task with clear-cut standards, then rewarded accordingly for their productivity without limit. However, the scientific approach fails to consider the social needs of the workers as well, and also overlooked the human desire for job satisfaction by labelling workers merely as a â€Å"rational economic man† who works long hours willingly for the sake of higher wages. Workers are viewed as cogs of machines, and exploitation of labour and unfair distribution of wages may occur. Administrative management was prefaced by Henri Fayol. He says that to manage is to forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control. In his book â€Å"Administration â€Å"Industrielle Et Generale†, he proposed 14 principles of management which he feels will enable organisations to function efficiently. His emphasis was also on the hierarchical aspects of the business enterprise as a formal organisation, based on the division of work, scalar chain, unity of command and centralisation. This top-down management style shows how authority is limited and restricted from the workers, who are expected to follow the leadership of others. In conclusion, under the classical approaches to management, the theories have similar traits towards their view of the worker. Discuss in what ways, and for what reasons, this viewpoint may be different in the 21st century. [13 marks] The 21st century marks an important pardigm shift in business and management principles. We now live in the Information Age (post-modern) and not the Industrial Age (classical). The 21st century is also a period of great uncertainty where we have se en horrific acts of terrorism against the good of mankind, the SARS outbreak in Asia, which threatened to derail the World Economy in today’s ever-increasingly ‘boundary-less’ global economy as well as many other events. Henceforth, the classical management writers’ viewpoint of the workers has become less relevant in the 21st century as the approach was developed in the 1890 to 1940s. The classical approach’s viewpoint of the workers has become different in the 21st century as the modern era is more focused on the social needs and welfare of the workers. Human’s rights are being advocated, henceforth making it necessary for organisations and their management to take care of the needs of the workers. Workers from the past were also less educated, whereas 90% of the population in the 21st century living in cities are literate. As such, it is more important for managers to focus more on improving the interactions and relations between management and workers at the workplace. This is developed in Hawthorne studies by Elton Mayo, who discovered the importance of informal working group. When workers feel more important at work and being taken care of, their productivity will improve, resulting in an increase in output. This is therefore different from the viewpoint of the classical approach when the social needs of the workers are being neglected. Nowadays, management has adopted a much flatter structure instead of a tall one. Workers have to be convinced of the abilities of their superiors before accepting their management styles. Similarly, top management must also be open to ideas coming from the lower level of workers within the organization. There should be mutual communications between the managers and their subordinates. Managers are encouraged to show care and concern towards the workers so that they will be motivated. This motivation to work will help to keep the productivity and efficiency of the organization going by making the subordinates feel important (encouraging self-esteem), and feel as if they really belong to the organization. As such they will feel that contributing to the organization will not only benefit the organization but themselves through self-satisfaction. However, too much motivation and giving leeway to workers will cause them to be complacent and to lose their sense of working abilities. Hence there should be a proper balance between adopting some of the classical approaches and putting them together with human relations which will be discussed later. The Gilbreths, followers of Taylor in scientific management of classical approaches were convinced with doing things in the one best way through the process of recording techniques done in experiments and motion studies. The Gilbreths used charting and basic elements of on-the-job motions and providing a standardized basis for recording movements. By doing experiments like these, the Gilbreths are trying to anaylse the whole working operations and this, as they believe, will most likely boost workers morale because of its obvious physical worker benefits and involves the managements concern for the worker. In this form of classical approach, every worker will always be a doer, a learner and a teacher that will have new possibilites in the job scope. This method applies mainly in the Industrial as mentioned earlier. However, as a contrast to such a classical theory of managements attitude to the worker, Elton Mayos Hawthorne studies were on the workers rather than on the work. Hawthorne was mainly interested in studying social relationship at work. Human relations have become an important element in management as it is proven by the company is able to thank their workers and show their appreciation is by giving company dinners and incentives like healthcare services that will benefit them, and such activities undertaken by organizations are still practiced in many organizations such s MacDonalds, Federal Express. The systems theory also states that organisations are complex entities, or systems of inter-ralted and independent parts comprising of input, process and output which have interaction with the external environment to arrive at stable state (homeostasis). Under the open socio-technical system, workers need work compatibility with each other in order to work in teams, which is important for work redesign (relevant for motivation). The Volvo experiment at the Kalmer plant has hexagon-shaped factories with assembly lines along glass walls. The autonomous team decides on allocation of work and responsibilities. By specializing and helping each other as a team, productivity and sales quality will improve. (need to relate more to 21st Century) As organizations cannot be totally humanized, managements attitudes and perspectives towards Man have also evolved along with their management ideologies, from Human Relations approach to one of Contingency Approach. Due to factors such as globalization, cultures of various countries (eg asian values that need adaptation), turbulent environment (war on terrorism), deregulation, privatisation, urbanisation and movement towards capitalism and dependence on market economy by countries such as China and India and greater competition, which are prevalent in the 21st century, and therefore old ideas have to be discarded and new ones embraced. As organizations have adapted and become more complex (Peters and Watermans attributes of organizations in the early 20th century, these ideas have become less applicable in changing times of the 21st century), operations have been decentralized and more fluid and flexibility have emerged (Sony and 3M). Therefore Man has evolved due to the demanding nature of today, which require many competencies and skills to deal with any incidences that occur due to the non-ideal (no one optimum) state in the business world. The classical approach have declined over the years but we cannot deny that their usefulness have not totally been eliminated. Some approaches like the structural organizations in the government still adopt its concept which is based on bureaucracy. However, managements must also give consideration to human factors and not simply based it on one approach. The structures of the organization should be more flexible and not rigid in order to adapt quickly to any global changes. Only then organizations can operate well in a globally ever changing integrated precarious world economy (need to emphasize more on 21st century; change conclusion).

Imperfect Subjunctive Verbs in Spanish

Imperfect Subjunctive Verbs in Spanish The imperfect subjunctive of Spanish is the simple past form of the subjunctive mood, the one used to refer to events or hypothesized events relating to the past (although it sometimes refers to the present). Although the equivalent verb form is rare in English, the imperfect subjunctive is an essential part of Spanish grammar. Key Takeaways: Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish The imperfect subjunctive is the simple form of the past subjunctive.The imperfect subjunctive is used most often in a dependent clause that begins with  que.It can also follow  si  (the word for if) when referring to a condition that is unlikely. Spanish has two forms of the imperfect subjunctive, the -ra form and the -se form. The -ra form will be used for examples throughout this lesson because it is by far more common in speech. How To Use the Imperfect Subjunctive Like the present subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive is used most often in sentences of the following form: Subject (may be implied) indicative verb que subject (may be implied) subjunctive verb The subject and indicative verb form what is known as an independent clause; que and what follows form a dependent clause. The imperfect subjunctive is most common when the independent clause is in the preterite, imperfect or conditional tense. The imperfect subjunctive also is used sometimes following si (the word for if). This lesson assumes that you know when to use the subjunctive and how it is conjugated. Here are the major uses of the imperfect subjunctive: Following a Past-Tense Independent Clause This use of the imperfect is the most straightforward, because all verbs clearly refer to the past. Note, however, that English may use a would in translation because of the sometimes hypothetical nature of the Spanish subjunctive: El gobierno ordenà ³ que se hablaran con los terroristas. (The government ordered them to speak to the terrorists.)Me asombrà ³ que nadie me diera apoyo. (It amazed me that nobody gave me support.)Todos esperbamos que dijera algo ms, pero eso fue todo. (We all hoped he would say something more, but that was all.)No querà ­a que mis hijos me vieran. (I didnt want my children to see me.) ¿Tenà ­as miedo que te matara? (Were you afraid he would kill you?) Following a Conditional Independent Clause The imperfect subjunctive can refer to a present possibility when it follows a main clause in a conditional tense. Such sentences cannot be translated word for word into English and may require the use of if or would: Nos gustarà ­a que hubiera ms participacià ³n. (We would like it if there were more participation. Note the use of the English subjunctive were in the translation.)Me temerà ­a que mi amigo tomara la misma actitud. (Id be afraid my friend would take on the same attitude.)Estarà ­a feliz que me dieras su opinion. (I would be happy if you gave me your opinion.) After Expressions of Possibility The main verb of a sentence following a word or phrase meaning maybe can be either in the indicative or the subjunctive. Use of the subjunctive may indicate considerable doubt on the speakers behalf that the statement is true. Quiz quisieran conocer los detalles. (Perhaps they wanted to know the details.)Tal vez pensaran que mis padres eran ricos. (Maybe they thought my parents were rich.)Posiblemente no tuvieran otras alternativas. (Possibly they didnt have other alternatives.) To Indicate an Unlikely Condition As with the English past subjunctive following if, the Spanish imperfect subjunctive can be used following si to indicate something that the speaker believes is false or highly unlikely. An example would be a sentence starting out si yo fuera rico (if I were rich). When used this way, the subjunctive verb is typically followed by verb in the conditional tense, such as si yo fuera rico, comprarà ­a un coche (if I were rich, I would buy a car). Note that the condition expressed by the subjunctive verb refers to the present. Si yo comprara la otra consola, podrà ­a ahorrar la diferencia para comprar juegos. (If I bought the other console, I could save the difference for buying games. See how comprara and bought refer to the present even though they take the form of past tenses.)Si estuvieras aquà ­, te estrecharà ­a entre mis brazos. (If you were here, Id hold you tightly in my arms.)Si viviera en Aragà ³n, me gustarà ­a esquiar. If I lived in Aragà ³n, Id like to ski. If you need to refer to a past condition, you can use the imperfect subjunctive of haber with a past participle to form the pluperfect subjunctive: Si yo hubiera comprado la otra consola, habrà ­a ahorrado la diferencia para comprar juegos. If I had bought the other console, I would have saved the difference to buy games.

Psychological Testing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Psychological Testing - Term Paper Example ent Obama’s speech in The New York Times, author Trip Gabriel briefly discussed the President’s remarks regarding the â€Å"high stakes† tests and the incited reaction from a couple of bloggers. The President remarks on how much focus is given to these tests at the expense of the curriculum. According to the article, President Obama said, â€Å"Too often, what we’ve been doing is using these tests to punish students or to, in some cases, punish schools.† A blogger for Education Week remarked that the President is going against his own government’s policies on standardized tests that involve having students go through several tests in a school year. However, the Department of Education maintains its stand on the expansion of testing. They claim that these are actually means to ease the pressure on teachers, because instead of year-end tests that normally put the blame on schools if the results are bad, students will be tested for their own pro gress more than once a year (Gabriel, â€Å"Bloggers Challenge President†). The issue here is not merely the number of tests a student has to go through, but the test itself. However, increasing the number of tests in a year increases the issues in these tests as well. Even author Alfie Kohn in his book â€Å"The Case against Standardized Testing: Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools† explains his opposition to standardized testing. The issues surrounding the tests are abound, yet articles that give adequate information on the tests are lacking. Most of the publicly available articles offer generic information on the tests, but do not really describe the content. Sometimes, the content of the test might surprise the students and their parents (Harlen, 2002, p.141). For example, in another article from The New York Times last March 16 by Jacques Steinberg entitled â€Å"For SAT Test-Takers, Is ‘The Situation’ the Right Answer?,† the peculiarity of a test question is discussed. The essay prompt asked the students to

Night by Elie Wiesel Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Night by Elie Wiesel - Annotated Bibliography Example Night by Elie Weisel is a work that shows few characteristics of almost three modes of narration. On one hand it is the tale of the author’s own life so, it would not be wrong to say that is has the trait of an autobiography. On the other hand, it reflects profoundly on an immensely significant part of time and history, and its connection with the author’s life- thus it shows the characteristics of a memoir. It also has some potentials of a diary, as it provides thorough annals of daily occurrences taking place in the concentration camps, reminding us of the dairies of Anne Frank and the veteran African author N’Gugi Wa Thiongo’s Detained, which is a stark prison diary with exceptional fits of torments. It is an anecdote of an eternal hope that never lets the flame of hope to retire, even in the most perilous and bleak point of life. It is an intense tale of a father and his son and a metamorphosis in their relationship in an extremely adverse and difficul t situation.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is a ‘Holocaust’ survivor. He witnessed the most grotesque and gory sides of war and its direct effect on human lives vividly. From his novel, the horror of the cruelest genocide became prominent. It is a journey of the protagonist to a new life where humbleness and security exist evenly. Night is the initial book in the trilogy by Wiesel—Night, Dawn, and Day. The trilogy reflects Wiesels condition of psyche throughout the struggle in the concentration camps and history of the Holocaust. The titles spot his switch from obscurity to radiance, with accordance to the Jewish custom of the beginning of a fresh day at nightfall. In Night, the author assumed that he wanted to reach an end of the events of pain, which have inevitably ravaged his life. Weisel is successful in making a chain of portraits of a sheer transformation of human mind under a hostile

Living more than once Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Living more than once - Essay Example I am fascinated about the title of the book, which I believe grabs the attention of the reader. As the wise saying goes, the container (title) is as important as the contents. The Pearl by John Steinbeck is one such novel. The title appealed to me instantly and kindled curiosity to know about its contents. The Pearl is a function novella. It tells the story of a poor family and their only son is bitten by a scorpion and the family does not have money to provide him with proper medical treatment. Pearl is a precious item and so is the life of an individual which is comparable to the pearl. Some select and unique experiences fall to the lot of each individual and they are like pearls and at the given time no one realizes their importance, until one happens to lose them. At that stage the individual realizes the difference in life the pearl makes, in possessing it and in not possessing the same. Through this great function novella one can easily connect its contents to one’s real life situations. I think John Steinbeck’s main purpose of writing this novella is it to make the reader reconsider the importance of owning the things and count their blessings with a positive frame of mind. Others may not possess half of them. The novella begins with the introductory remarks about the man named Kino and his lovely wife Juana and their son Coyotito. They are poor and live near the sea shore. Kino has a boat which was given to him by his grandfather and the family is having a wonderful life. It is full of love, family warmth and safety. Most of us are not aware in the real sense what the advantages we are blessed with in life. They hanker in pursuit of more wealth and articles of luxury, which one does not really need and lose track of the real purpose of life. The family, though poor, happens to acquire a pearl and soon the situation changes for the worse. A scorpion bits his son and that provides the

The federal budget and the state Essay Example for Free

The federal budget and the state Essay The main difference between the federal budget and the state and local budgets is the issue of a monetary deficit, in which expenditures in the budget exceeds revenues that were estimated. State and local governments are required to balance their budgets. The federal government is allowed to borrow money to meet its obligations and have a deficit. The federal government collects the most tax revenue, but state and local governments have a greater range of revenue options for funding their budgets. The federal government relies mainly on income taxes, capital gains and Social Security taxes. State and local governments collect sales taxes, taxes on fuel, property taxes and fees from special licenses and permits. Also, many state and local Governments collect funds from state lotteries and taxes on alcohol and tobacco. When comparing Federal, State and Local Budgets, each one is slightly different. Each budget has its own goals and direction that they are moving toward. On the internet site: http://www.usgovernmentspending.com I was able to obtain several pie charts that breaks down the 2012 fiscal year budget for Federal, State and Local governments. These pie charts give a basic breakdown of the budgets for each level. Figure 1: Federal Budget (Federal Budget Site). This budget shows that the largest portion of the federal budget is for Defense. This includes military spending for the troops in the Afghanistan and Iraq and Homeland Security. Since 200,1 this portion of the budget has increased from $297 billion to $740 billion in 2011. The next largest portion is both Health Care and Pensions at 22% of the federal budget each. Health care constitutes Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Social Security was established in the 1930s and was created to help older Americans. Before Social Security the responsibility of their well being was the responsibility of the community and the family. While the individual was working, they paid a small portion into a federal fund so they would be able to receive benefits when they were older. Medicare benefits are sometimes considered part of the Social Security benefits but are actually a separate program. Medicare was established in 1965 and is available for people 65 and older, people under 65 that have disabilities and people that have permanent kidney failure that are in need of a transplant and receiving dialysis (Medicare Site). Medicare comes in two portions. Part A includes hospital  expenses that normally cost the Medicare holder nothing out of pocket. Part B covers the cost of doctor visits and other medical care but cost the Medicare holder a small monthly charge (Medicare site). Medicaid is an insurance covered by the federal government for people that have lower incomes and cannot afford health insurance (Medicaid site). Next on the pie chart show that 12% is spent on Welfare. This would include Unemployment, Workers Compensation and food and nutrition assistance. The fifth largest portion on the federal budget is the money paid back due to interest. The federal government must make payments on the interest on the money it has borrowed, which is now the National Debt. The amount of the interest only is approximately $230 billion of around 6% of the federal budget (Policy Basics). Figure Two: Georgia State Budget (Georgia Budget Site). This budget shows that the largest portion of the Georgia budget is for Education, at over half of the budget. Education would include an increase of $188.5 million from previous years. This is because of the increase in k-12 students and an increase in the college system and the state making the required payments into the Teachers Retirement System (Georgia Budget). The next largest portion of the Georgia budget is regarding Healthcare. In Georgia they face several different challenges when it comes to health care; Infectious diseases, obesity and low birth weights are just a few of these problems. Georgia’s public health challenges such as obesity, infectious disease and low birthweight continue to increase in importance, but Georgia’s per-capita investment in public health programs has declined in recent years due to a shrinking state funding commitment coupled with a growing state population. The next largest portion at almost 10% of the budget is allotted to Criminal Justice. In the state of Georgia we have 159 state funded prisons that house over 57,000 inmates (Ga Prison Fact Sheet). This also includes over 13,000 state employees that run these facilities (AJC Prison). Each inmate takes approximately $51 a day. This includes housing, meals and general day to day activities (Ga Prison Fact Sheet). Forth largest in the Georgia budget is for Debt Services. Debt services include the payments of the principal and interest of any general or long term obligation that the state has accrued. This amount is over $64 million in 2012. Lastly, the fifth  largest budget allocation is for transportation. Transportation encompasses road repair, improving the efficiency of the movement of goods, construction of new roads and Highways and reducing congestion within the state. Along with these services, the salaries and benefits of their employees are figured into this section of the b udget (Georgia Budget site). Figure 3: Local Budget (Cobb County Budget). This budget shows the breakdown on the spending in Cobb County Georgia. Cobb County includes portions of Atlanta and is just north of Fulton County, which contains the largest portion of the city of Atlanta. The largest portion of the Cobb County budget goes toward Education. In Cobb County there are 4 Universities, 64 Elementary Schools, 25 Middle Schools and 16 High Schools (Cobb County School Site). The Cobb County school system is the 2nd largest system in the state and 24th largest in the country (Cobb County School site). With the large amount of Schools in the County come a large number of employees at 13,551. This portion of the budget includes keeping up with technology, salaries, maintenance of older schools and the construction of new facilities. The Next largest is listed as Other Spending. Other spending would include things like waste management, water treatment, and agriculture and community development. Each area has its own operating expenses, salaries and new projects. The third largest budget expense in the Cobb County Budget is for Protection. This would include things like the jail and court system, Sheriffs Office, Police Departments, Fire Department, 911 services and Ambulance services. Just like each other portion of the budget it contains operating expenses and salaries of their employees. The fourth and fifth largest portion of the Cobb County Budget, at 8% is for Transportation and Health Care. Transportation in Cobb County would include things like public transit system, operation of the Department of Transportation operation and the school bus department. Health care in Cobb County maintains a Public Health Department and two separate hospitals. When comparing the different budgets, each one has a much different focus on their expenditures. Some portions of each budget in the top five are shared by each level in some sort of fashion. The number one expenditure for the Federal Government is Defense. Number three for the State of Georgia is Criminal Justice and number three for Cobb County Georgia is Protection.  Comparatively so, all three items are very much alike. The federal government is concerned with National Security and based 24% of its budget on its funding. The State of Georgia spends 9.4% of their budget toward state prisons and their state police. Cobb County spends 11% of their budget to protect their citizens by pre-trial housing, local law enforcement and emergency medical services. Another large expenditure for the federal government is health care at 22% of their budget. This is only slightly higher than the State of Georgia spends on health care at 20.5%. Cobb Countys Health Care budget comes in at the 5th highest expense at only 8%. When looking at the different budgets I started trying to compare all three of them and decided that the best way to look at the different spending is with a graph that give a visual element to better describe the scope of their spending. Based on each group of budgets, these graphs show the comparative relationship between the top five expenditures. This first graph shows that the top five budget expenses for the federal government is much different when compared to the State of Georgia and the Cobb County Government. The federal government spends 24% of its budget on national defense and 22% each on Health Care and Federal Pensions. Looking at the top five budget items for the federal government uses 86% of their available funds. This graph shows the State of Georgia top five budget items. The majority of the budget for Georgia is allocated to Education at 51.8% of their funds. The top five budget items for the State of Georgia uses 92.2% of the $19.2 billion budget. This graph shows the top five budget items for Cobb County Georgia. It shows a drastic difference in the second largest budget item, Community Development at 20%.

Act 5 sc 3 and Act 3 sc 3 in Shakespeares Coriolanus Essay -- Coriola

A tragedy typically deals with the downfall of an important character, in a serious play, via a fatal flaw. The audience would feel upset for the character as his weakness is not his fault and his in his nature. A tragedy has an unhappy ending or ongoing poignant events and during Act 5 sc3 and Act 3 sc3 in Shakespeare?s Coriolanus many of these take place. Coriolanus? weakness is his honesty. As we see later others know how to manipulate this which in turn brings him to his demise. Although he is modest and honourable the common people despise him as he is arrogant about his fighting skills and constantly insults them. ?You dissentious rouges, that, rubbing the poor itch of opinion make yourself scabs He speaks his mind and nothing but the truth and because of this the audience first see him as an arrogant character. Due to this at the beginning of the play the citizens are threatening rebellion and call him ?Chief enemy to the people!? Later on in the play the audience see him as modest as he doesn?t like praise for his great bravery in battle. ?I had rather have my wounds heal again than hear say how I got them.? Coriolanus is a born fighter and is even named after the Roman god of war Mars (Caius Martius). Because of this he receives the name ?Coriolanus? for his brave acts in battle. His mother Volumnia is a very strong, well spoken woman who has great speaking skills. She has brought Coriolanus up to be strong and fearless and follow her teachings, which causes him to be exactly like her in everyway. He has a great grasp of language and uses this to convey his true feelings. The political system in Rome at the time of the play is a democratic society. This allows the common people to vote for who they want to come to power. This is different to every other city at the time as elsewhere whoever came to power was determined by wealth. This came around after Kings had ruled Rome for years until the last king imposed himself upon a young girl, because of the distress received she later committed suicide in public. The commoners were furious about this and rose up against the king and took over. They took an oath never to allow another king in Rome and created a republic. The people are split into tribes in which each tribe has one vote determined by majority. Coriolanus believes this system to be wrong as he feels that the commoners aren?t able... ...to this insult immediately which allows Martius to see what he has become. The irony in the scene ultimately makes Coriolanus tragedy apparent. This is due to Coriolanus gradually giving in to the persuasive techniques of his mother. He had previously said that he would not be turned from his target; this gives Aufidius his reason to murder Coriolanus completing his tragedy fully. There is a long pause and Coriolanus is defeated. He holds his mothers hand and weeps, ?O mother what have you done Martius realises his fate and accepts it with dignity, ?But let it come.? Aufidius now has reason to regain his fortune and Coriolanus follows him back to meet his doom. In the end Coriolanus is brought down by his nature. Shakespeare made Coriolanus? love of his mother so strong that he could not disobey his nature to deny her. She held so much power over him and without knowing it this led her son to his death. Aristotle?s definition of a tragedy was: ?the downfall of an important character via a fatal flaw.? Shakespeare makes this so by making Coriolanus such a noble man. This in turn allows Coriolanus give into his mothers persuasive techniques and leads him to his downfall.

Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest Essay -- Oscar Wilde Imp

Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" In the closing lines of the first act of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," Algernon remarks, "I love scrapes. They are the only things that are never serious," to which Jack responds, "Oh, that's nonsense Algy. You never talk about anything but nonsense." Algernon caps off this exchange with a proclamation of the purpose of the whole work: "Nobody ever does" (1642). Wilde never allows anything in the work to conclude on a serious note. While Wilde repeatedly proclaims this direction for the play through his characters, he does not tell us the motivation for this direction. He never explains why there is this avoidance of earnestness. The most apparent answer lies in the veiled criticism of Victorian society contained at each level of the play. The quick paradoxical epigrams that form the core of the conversational comedy are pointed at Victorian society. Wilde also abuses the concept of characterization with paradox to create comical characters that expose Victori an deficiencies. Each of these criticisms relies upon the paradoxes that Wilde sets up on successively larger scales within the play. It is, in fact, this tool of humor, not the object of ridicule that truly defines this work. While each paradox is pointed at Victorian society, the individual paradoxes each take on a different element of Victorian society, thereby diminishing the pointedness of the overall criticism. The use of paradox allows Wilde to take this play beyond its narrow and somewhat scattered critique of Victorian society. The underpinning element then, is not Victorian society, but instead the paradox, the concept of dual, irreconcilable elements. This more lasting topic is, not co... ...man in prudish nineteenth century England Oscar Wilde never felt comfortably assimilated into the strait society that surrounded him. He was forced to assume a double identity to cope with his divergence from the norms of the day. This tax that the society levied upon Wilde undoubtedly engendered an animosity, an animosity that is reflected in his ironic, and sardonic treatment of Victorian society in "The Importance of Being Earnest". However, the multiple and irreconcilable identities that Wilde was forced into are the more significant driving force behind this work. This struggle with identities is seen in the paradoxes that pervade all levels of the work. In the end though, these large themes build upon, rather than overshadow Wilde's greatest genius which lies in his subtle turns of phrases and words that keep even the most earnest reader chuckling throughout. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest Essay -- Oscar Wilde Imp Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" In the closing lines of the first act of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," Algernon remarks, "I love scrapes. They are the only things that are never serious," to which Jack responds, "Oh, that's nonsense Algy. You never talk about anything but nonsense." Algernon caps off this exchange with a proclamation of the purpose of the whole work: "Nobody ever does" (1642). Wilde never allows anything in the work to conclude on a serious note. While Wilde repeatedly proclaims this direction for the play through his characters, he does not tell us the motivation for this direction. He never explains why there is this avoidance of earnestness. The most apparent answer lies in the veiled criticism of Victorian society contained at each level of the play. The quick paradoxical epigrams that form the core of the conversational comedy are pointed at Victorian society. Wilde also abuses the concept of characterization with paradox to create comical characters that expose Victori an deficiencies. Each of these criticisms relies upon the paradoxes that Wilde sets up on successively larger scales within the play. It is, in fact, this tool of humor, not the object of ridicule that truly defines this work. While each paradox is pointed at Victorian society, the individual paradoxes each take on a different element of Victorian society, thereby diminishing the pointedness of the overall criticism. The use of paradox allows Wilde to take this play beyond its narrow and somewhat scattered critique of Victorian society. The underpinning element then, is not Victorian society, but instead the paradox, the concept of dual, irreconcilable elements. This more lasting topic is, not co... ...man in prudish nineteenth century England Oscar Wilde never felt comfortably assimilated into the strait society that surrounded him. He was forced to assume a double identity to cope with his divergence from the norms of the day. This tax that the society levied upon Wilde undoubtedly engendered an animosity, an animosity that is reflected in his ironic, and sardonic treatment of Victorian society in "The Importance of Being Earnest". However, the multiple and irreconcilable identities that Wilde was forced into are the more significant driving force behind this work. This struggle with identities is seen in the paradoxes that pervade all levels of the work. In the end though, these large themes build upon, rather than overshadow Wilde's greatest genius which lies in his subtle turns of phrases and words that keep even the most earnest reader chuckling throughout.

Etruscan Art

Chapter 9 THE ETRUSCANS ASSIGNMENTS/ WEEK 5 MULTIPLE CHOICE: ENCIRCLE YOUR ANSWER 1. The Etruscans shared a common linguistic heritage and religious reliefs, but they lacked which of the following? a. political cohesion b. being ruled by a king c. extensive international trade experience d. a strong navy for defense and trade 2. Which of the following allowed Etruscan society to transform itself in the 7th century BCE? a. an alliance with Republican Rome b. an alliance with Greek colonies in the South c. great mineral wealth d. a strong navy 3. The fibula excavated from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb illustrates motifs borrowed from the Orient. Which of the following is one of the Oriental motifs? a. walking lions b. standing ibexes c. she-wolf d. galloping centaurs 4. The column used on Etruscan temples is similar to which type of Greek column? a. Doric b. Ionic c. Corinthian d. Composite 5. During the sixth century BCE, Etruscans favored monumental sarcophagi that contained which of the following? a. bones of the deceased b. bones of the entire family c. ashes of the deceased d. ashes of the deceased and his or her slaves 6. The typical tomb form found at Cerveteri is which of the following? a. mausoleum b. tumulus c. tomb-shrine d. mall Etruscan house-shaped terracotta 7. Pedimental sculpture is extremely rare in Etruscan temple architecture. Normally the Etruscans placed their narrative statuary on which of the following elements? a. the peaks of the temple roof b. the double niches on the porches c. only in interior niches in the cella d. only in niches next to the entrance 8. In Etruscan iconography, which of the foll owing symbolized regeneration? a. wine b. birds c. egg d. bees 9. Unlike Greek temples, Etruscan temples were not meant to be seen as sculptural masses. Which of the following architectural elements would this? . Columns completely encircled the structure b. The entrance was centered at the front of the structure c. The front and rear of the structure were indistinguishable d. Narrowed staircases were found on all four sides of the structure 10. The sarcophagus of Lars Pulena was made in the early second century BCE. His expression was somber; although Lars Pulena is shown reclining, he is not at a festive banquet. Which of the following could account for this? a. A funeral called for gloomy behavior a. The family was Roman and did not follow Etruscan funeral practices b. It illustrated the decline in Etruscan fortunes c. It illustrated the decline in the fortune of Lars Pulena 11. Which of the following works of art illustrates how Romanized the Etruscans became in the 1st century BCE? a. Apulu Veii b. Aule Metele c. Fibula, Regolini-Galassi Tomb d. Reclining Couple Sarcophagus 12. Which of the following was a tool used by archaeologists to explore tomb interiors at Tarquinia without the expensive and time-consuming excavation process? a. periscope b. underground seismograph c. surveying local black market dealers d. careful measurement of the entire Tarquinia cemetery 13. The banquet setting seen in the Tomb of the Leopards takes place in which of the following settings? a. a palace dining room b. a private house c. the open air d. the council chambers of the king 14. The theme celebrated in both the Tomb of the Leopards and the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing is which of the following? a. the joy of life b. the gloom of death c. victory in battle d. the sorrow of death 15. The center for the bronze cista industry was located in which of the following cities? a. Rome b. Tarquinia c. Palestrina d. Veii 16. The wide, overhang roof of the Etruscan temple could function as which of the following? a. a place of shelter . a sculptural mass to be seen from all directions c. a poor copy of a Greek temple d. an ill-defined home for the priests 17. Which century marks the incorporation of Etruria into the Roman Empire? a. 1st century BCE b. 3rd century CE c. 5th century BCE d. 2nd century CE 18. How were Etruscan cemeteries arranged? a. They were arranged around a center pyramid b. They were arranged in haphazard manner c. They were arranged in an orderly manner d. There were no cemeteries, burials were allowed in the home garden of the deceased 19. Terracotta sarcophagi showing life-sized reclining figures are most typical of which of the following centuries? . 2nd century BCE b. 6th century BCE c. 1st century BCE d. 9th century BCE 20. The Etruscans preferred which the following materials for sculpture? a. marble b. gold c. terracotta d. limestone 21. Etruscan artisans particularly excelled at which of the following? a. intarsia b. marble sculpture c. weaving d. metalworking 22. Which of the following describes Etruscan art? a. It was a combination of motion and vitality b. It was a combination of stability and calm c. It was a combination of rigid frontality and symmetry d. It was a mass of cylindrical forms 23. How did the Etruscans typically bury their dead? a. on high mountaintops b. n columbaria within the city limits c. in subterranea n rooms arranged along a network of streets in a city of the dead d. in catacombs outside the city walls 24. The Apulu of Veii is made of which of the following materials? a. bronze b. terracotta c. marble d. wood 25. The wall painting in the Tomb of the Leopards portrays which of the following? a. the Roman invasion b. centaurs and lapiths c. banqueters and musicians d. funeral processions 26. Which of the following mythical scenes decorated the Ficoroni Cista? a. the Argonauts b. Medusa and Perseus c. lapiths and centaurs d. the gods versus the giants 27. Who or what is Tinia? . lady of Vulci b. Greek goddess c. an ancient cloak d. Etruscan god 28. The Etruscan temple differed from the Greek temple because it had which of the following? a. an ionic frieze b. a false porch c. no roof d. three cellas 29. The Etruscans preferred what building material(s) for their temples? a. marble b. limestone c. wood and mudbrick d. glazed brick 30. Most architectural sculpture was made to decorat e what part of the Etruscan temple? a. the sides b. the entryways c. the pediment d. the roof 31. The Etruscans became citizens of which the following in the first century BCE? a. Rome b. Perugia c. Paestum d. Athens

English-Learning Podcasts for Teachers and Students

English-Learning Podcasts for Teachers and Students Podcasting provides a means of publishing audio programs via the Internet. Users can automatically download podcasts (usually mp3 files) onto their computers and transfer these recordings automatically to portable music players such as Apples extremely popular iPods. Users can then listen to the files anytime and anywhere they choose. Podcasting is especially interesting for English learners as it provides a means for students to get access to authentic listening sources about almost any subject they may interest them. Teachers can take advantage of podcasts as a basis for listening comprehension exercises, as a means of generating conversation based on students reaction to podcasts, and as a way of providing each and every student diverse listening materials. Students will obviously find the ability to listen to these podcasts useful especially due to its portability. Another extremely useful aspect of podcasting is its subscription model. In this model, users subscribe to a feed using a program. The most popular of these programs, and possibly most useful, is iTunes. While iTunes is not by any means solely dedicated to podcasts, it does provide an easy means to subscribe to free podcasts. Another popular program is available at iPodder, which focuses solely on subscribing to podcasts. Podcasting for English Learners and Teachers While podcasting is relatively new, there are already a number of promising podcasts dedicated to English learning. Here is a selection of the best I could find: English Feed English Feed is a new podcast I have created. The podcast focuses on important grammar and vocabulary subjects while providing great listening practice. You can sign up for the podcast in iTunes, iPodder, or any other podcatching software. If you arent sure of what podcasting is ( a listening practice that you can receive automatically), you might want to take a look at this short introduction to podcasting. The Word Nerds This podcast is very professional, delivers excellent information about relevant topics and is a lot of fun. Created for native speakers of English who enjoy learning about the ins-and-outs of the language, The Word Nerds podcast is also excellent for advanced level English learners - especially those who are interested in idiomatic English. English Teacher John Show Podcast John focuses on understandable English speaking in an extremely clear voice (some might find the perfect pronunciation unnatural) provides useful English lesson - ideal for intermediate level learners. ESLPod One of the more mature - if you can say that anything is mature at this point - podcasts dedicated to ESL learning. The podcasts include advanced vocabulary and subjects which will prove especially useful for English for Academic Purposes classes. Pronunciation is very slow and clear, if rather unnatural. Flo-Joe Also, a commercial site for teachers and students preparing for Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE), Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) and Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Advanced level English podcasting with a decidedly British accent - both in terms of pronunciation and themes about British life.

The Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution

The Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution The Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, ​was the defining battle of the Texas Revolution. Mexican General Santa Anna had unwisely divided his force to mop up those Texans still in rebellion after the Battle of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre. General Sam Houston, sensing Santa Annas mistake, engaged him on the shores of the San Jacinto River. The battle was a rout, as hundreds of Mexican soldiers were killed or captured. Santa Anna himself was captured and forced to sign a treaty, effectively ending the war. Rebellion in Texas Tensions had long been simmering between rebellious Texans and Mexico. Settlers from the USA had been coming to Texas (then a part of Mexico) for years, with the support of the Mexican government, but a number of factors made them unhappy and open war broke out at the Battle of Gonzales on October 2, 1835. Mexican President/General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna marched north with a massive army to put down the rebellion. He defeated the Texans at the legendary Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. This was followed by the Goliad Massacre, in which some 350 rebellious Texan prisoners were executed. Santa Anna vs. Sam Houston After the Alamo and Goliad, panicked Texans fled east, fearing for their lives. Santa Anna believed that the Texans were beaten even though General Sam Houston still had an army of almost 900 in the field and more recruits came every day. Santa Anna chased the fleeing Texans, alienating many with his policies of driving off Anglo settlers and destroying their homesteads. Meanwhile, Houston kept one step ahead of Santa Anna. His critics called him a coward, but Houston felt he would only get one shot at defeating the much-larger Mexican army and preferred to pick the time and place for battle. Prelude to Battle In April of 1836, Santa Anna learned that Houston was moving east. He divided his army in three: one part went on a failed attempt to capture the provisional government, another remained to protect his supply lines, and the third, which he commanded himself, went after Houston and his army. When Houston learned what Santa Anna had done, he knew the time was right and turned to meet the Mexicans. Santa Anna set up camp on April 19, 1836, in a marshy area bordered by the San Jacinto River, Buffalo Bayou and a lake. Houston set up camp nearby. Sherman’s Charge On the afternoon of April 20, as the two armies continued to skirmish and size each other up, Sidney Sherman demanded that Houston send a cavalry charge to attack the Mexicans: Houston thought this foolish. Sherman rounded up about 60 horsemen and charged anyway. The Mexicans did not flinch and before long, the horsemen were trapped, forcing the rest of the Texan army to briefly attack to allow them to escape. This was typical of Houston’s command. As most of the men were volunteers, they did not have to take orders from anyone if they didn’t want to and often did things on their own. The Battle of San Jacinto On the following day, April 21, Santa Anna received some 500 reinforcements under the command of General Martà ­n Perfecto de Cos. When Houston didn’t attack at first light, Santa Anna assumed he would not attack that day and the Mexicans rested. The troops under Cos were particularly tired. The Texans wanted to fight and several junior officers tried to convince Houston to attack. Houston held a good defensive position and wanted to let Santa Anna attack first, but in the end, he was convinced of the wisdom of an attack. At about 3:30, the Texans began silently marching forward, trying to get as close as possible before opening fire. Total Defeat As soon as the Mexicans realized an attack was coming, Houston ordered the cannons to fire (he had two of them, called the â€Å"twin sisters†) and the cavalry and infantry to charge. The Mexicans were taken completely unawares. Many were asleep and almost none were in defensive position. The angry Texans swarmed into the enemy camp, shouting â€Å"Remember Goliad!† and â€Å"Remember the Alamo!† After about 20 minutes, all organized resistance failed. Panicked Mexicans tried to flee only to find themselves trapped by the river or bayou. Many of Santa Anna’s best officers fell early and loss of leadership made the rout even worse. The Final Toll The Texans, still enraged over the massacres at the Alamo and Goliad, showed little pity for the Mexicans. Many Mexicans tried to surrender, saying â€Å"me no La Bahà ­a (Goliad), me no Alamo,† but it was no use. The worst part of the slaughter was at the edges of the Bayou, where fleeing Mexicans found themselves cornered. The final toll for the Texans: nine dead and 30 wounded, including Sam Houston, who had been shot in the ankle. For the Mexicans: about 630 dead, 200 wounded and 730 captured, including Santa Anna himself, who was captured the next day as he tried to flee in civilian clothes. Legacy of the Battle of San Jacinto After the battle, many of the victorious Texans clamored for the execution of General Santa Anna. Houston wisely refrained. He correctly surmised that Santa Anna was worth much more alive than dead. There were still three large Mexican armies in Texas, under Generals Filisola, Urrea and Gaona: any one of them was large enough to potentially defeat Houston and his men. Houston and his officers spoke with Santa Anna for hours before deciding on a course of action. Santa Anna dictated orders to his generals: they were to leave Texas at once. He also signed documents recognizing the independence of Texas and ending the war. Somewhat amazingly, Santa Annas generals did as they were told and retreated out of Texas with their armies. Santa Anna somehow evaded execution and eventually made his way back to Mexico, where he would later resume the Presidency, go back on his word, and try more than once to re-take Texas. But every effort was doomed to failure. Texas was gone, soon to be followed by California, New Mexico, and much more Mexican territory. History lends events such as the independence of Texas a certain feeling of inevitability  as if it was always the destiny of Texas to become first independent and then a state in the USA. The reality was different. The Texans had just suffered two huge losses at the Alamo and Goliad and were on the run. Had Santa Anna not split his forces, Houstons army may well have been beaten by the Mexicans superior numbers. In addition, Santa Annas generals had the strength to defeat the Texans: had Santa Anna been executed, they likely would have kept fighting. In either case, history would be much different today. As it was, the Mexicans crushing defeat at the Battle of San Jacinto proved decisive for Texas. The Mexican army retreated, effectively ending the only realistic chance they ever had of re-taking Texas. Mexico would futilely try for years to reclaim Texas, only finally relinquishing any claim to it after the Mexican-American War. San Jacinto was Houstons finest hour. The glorious victory silenced his critics and gave him the invincible air of a war hero, which served him in good stead during his subsequent political career. His decisions were consistently proven wise. His reluctance to attack Santa Annas unified force and his refusal to let the captured dictator be executed are two good examples. For the Mexicans, San Jacinto was the start of a long national nightmare that would end with the loss of not only Texas  but also California, New Mexico, and much more. It was a humiliating defeat and for years. Mexican politicians made great plans to get Texas back, but deep down they knew it was gone. Santa Anna was disgraced  but would make yet another comeback in Mexican politics during the Pastry War against France in 1838-1839. Today, there is a monument at the San Jacinto battlefield, not far from the city of Houston. Resources and Further Reading Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: the Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004.