The Resiliency of African-American Families free essay sample

This paper examines the ability of African-American families to exhibit resiliency can be understood through a consideration of their historical circumstances This paper examines African-American history and the values that this community has, despite their history of slavery, discrimination and poverty. It examines the communitys strong commitment to education, a strong work orientation, and sense of responsibility. This paper also includes a study of African-American resiliency that was developed by the author in order to find out what adversities African-Americans faced in the pursuit of their education. The results of this study were then analyzed, and compared to the findings of prior research done on the subject. The survey included questions about age; experiences of racism, or discrimination; family structure during childhood and who helped raise them; and motivating factor for staying in school. From the paper: As slaves, black children were informally adopted and raised by other people in their immediate community rather than nuclear family arrangements. We will write a custom essay sample on The Resiliency of African-American Families or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These extended family arrangements are still a prominent feature of contemporary African-American families and may be considered a major survival tool. The most important service provided by black kinship networks is support to single mothers, especially teen mothers. Hills research has revealed that kin provide a wide range of support to young single mothers, often enabling them to complete their education or to obtain a job. Finally, the religious beliefs and behavior are strengths that exist among African-American families. In his research, Hill found that 82 percent of black adults said that religion was very important in their lives.

Parables about the Kingdom of God Essay Example

Parables about the Kingdom of God Essay Example Parables about the Kingdom of God Essay Parables about the Kingdom of God Essay Essay Topic: Parable Of the Sower The God Of Small Things The Kingdom of God is like a light bulb in the room. The light is in the darkness. Even though you dont see it when it is switched off doesnt mean it is not there. It only takes one man to switch it on, but it brings light to the whole room and those in it.The Kingdom of God is like when you are taking a bus to Brighton. It doesnt matter from when or where you take it, or which seat you sit on. What matters is that it arrives at the right destination. It is the destination that counts.If Jesus were alive today he would tell a story like the ones above because a parable is a simple story about everyday life with a religious meaning.But why did Jesus use parables?Jesus was living 2000 years ago in Palestine. Jerusalem itself was only a small town. At that time the people were mostly farmers and fishermen. Simple people relied on these two professions to support their families; this for them was everyday life so they knew everything about fishing and farming. Jesus taught parables about everyday life so people to understand them. Jesus parables were simple stories easy to remember. Most people could not remember long stories in the bible or the Ten Commandments. Being about everyday life it was easy for people to relate to them. Jesus parables had a religious meaning about God and Gods Kingdom. Jesus never really told people the exact things that would happen with the coming of Gods Kingdom but used parables to teach and communicate to them. In Marks Gospel it is said that Jesus had an extraordinary personality and used miracles to grab peoples attention. Then he would tell them parables that would seem very simple and meaningless stories but in fact they had a hidden religious meaning about the Kingdom of God.Jesus used parables to get the message across to people and his disciples. Referring to Marks Gospel Jesus did not tell his disciples he was the Messiah. Neither did he tell them what the exact things about the Kingdom of God. For this he gave them clues and used parables. Sometimes the disciples would not understand the parables and Jesus would only explain it to them when they were alone. Jesus acknowledged he was the Messiah only after Peters Declaration. It was important that Jesus taught the 12 disciples who he was before word got out. He needed to keep the Messianic Secret from Jews, their leaders and the Romans.If he taught too publicly, he would have been arrested and killed. Jesus was arrested only four days after the Messianic Secret got out. It was important that Jesus taught the 12 disciples who he was before word got out. He needed to keep the Messianic Secret from Jews, their leaders and the Romans/Gentiles.If Jesus taught too publicly he would have been arrested and killed. The first time Jesus publicly accepted being the Messiah was the Entry in Jerusalem. Jesus was arrested just four days after the Entry in Jerusalem (the Messianic Secret was out). If he had said that he was the Messiah when he was baptised, the Jews w ould have arrested Jesus for Blasphemy; the Romans would have been displeased about it because they thought he was trying to form a Jewish Kingdom and drive them out. By teaching in parables Jesus was able to keep the Messianic Secret. He did three years of secret teaching before his death.The parables message was also simple and short. For example the Kingdom of God is open to children is the message of the parable Jesus blesses the children.What could it feel like to belong to the Kingdom of God?To belong to the Kingdom of God means being part of something holy and important. It is like living in one country but being from another. In this case its living in Earth but feeling that your heart and soul belong in Gods Kingdom. To belong to the Kingdom of God is being part of something special and being proud of it. It means to have a relationship with God, accepting God and obeying his rules.Marks Gospel is persuasive writing aimed to convince people that Jesus is Son of God. There a re 7 parables in Marks Gospel. In each one of them there is a message about the Kingdom of God.One parable is the parable of the Mustard Seed. In this parable the Mustard Seed represents the Kingdom of God. The Mustard seed grows into the biggest plant while the Kingdom of God into the biggest Kingdom of all. In this parable Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God will start small and its hard to see at present but it will come and surely grow. Jesus also tells us that the coming of the Kingdom of God happens gradually, not overnight.Jesus also says that birds come and make their nests in the trees shade. This means that Gentiles will be included in the Kingdom of God. Another reference to this argument is given when Jesus goes to the temple, drives out all those who are buying and selling, and says: God said his temple will be the house of prayer for people of all nations. He includes people of all nations, not only Jews.Another parable is the parable of A Lamp under a Bowl. Here Je sus teaches that whatever is hidden will be brought out in the open. He says that you should not be ashamed of being in the Kingdom of God or to do what God wants you to.In Jesus blesses the children, we are informed that the Kingdom of God is open to children. Children are innocent, sincere and honest. They dont lie; solely express what they feel. That is why Jesus says that unless you receive the Kingdom of God like a child you will not enter it. You have to love God with truthfulness just like a child loves his parents. You should want the Kingdom of God sincerely, with all your heart and soul to enter it. Thats why Jesus explains this parable.No-one pours new wine into used wineskins, because the wine will burst the skins and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.- says Jesus in the parable of the Wineskins.The wineskins represent the laws of Judaism. The fact that Jesus said new wine must be put into fresh wineskins me ans that the Kingdom of God cannot be contained within the old laws of the Judaism. New laws must be made and a better religion formed. This is Christianity.In the parable of the Growing Seed just like its up to the farmer to scatter the seeds it is up to God to bring about the Kingdom of God. God allows the world to run on then brings about his Kingdom. Like the plant that starts life as a seed the Kingdom of God will start small but will surely grow. Like the growing of the seed the coming of the Kingdom of God happens gradually, and when the time comes we will all be judged by God.Another parable is the parable of the Sower. Like in other parables Jesus speaks here in metaphors. The sower sows Gods message. The sprouting of seeds represents the spreading of Gods Message. The seed are sprouted and sown everywhere so the Good News about the Kingdom of m God should be spread everywhere. Some will not listen, some will listen and forget it while some will give it up, but others will listen to the message and follow God. Despite seeds falling on paths and being eaten by birds, falling on rocky grounds and drying out, falling among thorn bushes and not producing any fruit there will be seeds that fall on good soil and produce fruit. Despite people giving up there will be those who will believe and the Kingdom of God will grow.MetaphorRepresentsCorn that fell on the path and is eaten by birds.People ruled by Satan that takes Gods Message away from them.Corn that fell on rocky grounds and dried out.People that give up Gods Message as soon as persecution and difficulties appear because of it.Corn that falls among bushes that was choked by thorn bushes and didnt produce fruit.People who hear Gods Message but worry, love and desires for this life makes them forget it.Corn that fell on good soil and produced fruit.People who hear the message, accept it and follow God.There were two roads to the fishing lake. One looked muddy and dangerous while the other looked in very good condition. Many passers took the first one while a few took the bad one. What the travellers did not know was that the good road took you got worse as you go and took you somewhere where there werent any fish. The good one got better and took you somewhere where there were plenty of fish to catch.The parable of the Tenants in the vineyard like the one above is allegory. An allegory is a special kind of parable. An allegory is like a code. To understand the allegory one must decipher the code. In this parable an owner lets out his vineyard to tenants. He sends slaves to collect his share when the time comes but the tenants beat some and kill others. At the end he sends his own son but the tenants kill him too. Then the owner returned, killed those tenants and let the vineyard to others.ComponentMeaningOwnerGodVineyardKingdom of GodFence/TowerStrict boundariesHarvestObedience to GodTenantsJews, especially Jew leadersSlavesProphetsSon of OwnerJesus Christ-MessiahDeath of SonCruci fixion of JesusOwner returns and ejects tenants.Jews expelled from the Kingdom of God.Owner gets new tenants.Kingdom of God handed over to Gentiles.God built the Kingdom of God for Jews. But to be included for in his Kingdom, Jews had to obey God. They didnt. God sent many prophets to get Jews to obey him but they wouldnt listen to them. Jews and their leaders showed disrespect, beat prophets, treated them shamefully and killed some of them. But even so, God didnt give up on Jews, and even when there was nobody else to send, God sent his own dear son Jesus, thinking and hoping that they would listen to him. Instead Jews crucified Jesus for telling the truth and spreading Gods message. Because of this God expelled Jews from his Kingdom and handed it over to Gentiles.The stone the builders rejected as worthless, turned out to be the most important one of all. Noone expected that a son born to a simple couple from Nazareth who later grew up to become a carpenter was the Son of God, the Messiah. The Jews were expecting the wrong kind of Messiah (a big powerful leader who would kick the Romans out and create a Jewish Kingdom). They were so blinded by this vision that they didnt recognise the real Messi8ah when he finally came, and crucified him.The new tenants represent the Gentile so when the vineyard is handed over to Gentiles means that the Kingdom of God is open to non-Jews.In this parable Jesus did two things:1) Informed us that the Kingdom of God is open to non-Jews.2) Predicted that the Messiah would be crucified.This Earth will never be Gods Kingdom.Yes, I agree with the statement that this Eart6h will never be Gods Kingdom. If Gods Kingdom is a place where people of all nations would live together in happiness then it will not be realised in Earth. There is far too much suffering in Earth to become a happy place.Everyday more teenagers turn to drugs and crime. Their family lives are broken. Many of them die, their parents feel they failed in educating and raising them, and have to bear the suffering of burying them.We have seen many deaths of innocent children in the last few years. The killers are getting younger. One example is the murder of Damilola Taylor. All who knew him say he was a gentle, friendly and loving boy. Yet muggers who had tried to take his money of him killed him on the way home. It is worse the fact that the muggers are all under 16. Police charged four boys under 16 with murder.People have been beaten by muggers trying to steal things as worthless as a mobile phone and have been killed by car thieves. A father of two was killed while trying to stop thieves stealing a relatives car, and a girl was shot by someone trying to mug her mobile phone. If she hadnt ducked she also would have been killed. Brixtons residents are afraid to go out at night. They fear of being attacked by drug users in the area. It is not safe for women to go out at night, as there is a possibility of them getting raped. There have been rape cases in England and throughout the world in which women have been left traumatised.The world is unbalanced. There are billionaires and people that live in simple shelters or in the streets who dont always get to eat. Hundreds of people die everyday in the streets of Britain and all other countries around the world. In third world countries men work for a small amount of money, just enough to supply their families basic needs. Countries fight each other when they know theres nothing to gain from it but suffering and death. Nuclear tensions have been rising. Recently there were the attacks to the World Trade Centre in New York by Muslim fundamentalists where around 3000 people lost their lives.If Earth is to become Gods Kingdom then why is it such a ruthless, unequal and dangerous place?Jesus teaches his disciples and us in Marks Gospel that if one of you wants to be great he must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first he must be the slave of all. This tells us to love and respect each other. If people followed Jesus teaching to love, help and respect each individual there would not be killings, thefts, poverty or rapes. We would all live in happiness as humans.The Kingdom of God is proleptic. Proleptic means leap forward. The Kingdom of God has begun and it isnt yet fully realised. We are now living in the overlap period. We are living in this world but truly our hearts belong in another. This world was not designed perfectly. It is like a test to prepare us for the next one.Other people would disagree with me. They would point at all the good things happening in this world. They would indicate at the life cycle and how beautiful it is. They would denote at how flowers bloom in the Spring, how fruits are made in Autumn. The hot Summer that makes us head to the beaches, and the cold of Winter that keeps us in our homes. Theyd tell that nature and how life is adapted to the environment is beautiful. Theyd say that each season has its own beauty.But Nature itself can be cruel. We have seen cases of flooding where people have lost their houses, and sadly some even their lives.Some people would point at how people have helped others. Theyd point at those who have devoted their lives to the charities and how theses charities are supported by ordinary people. They point out at how people help each other in need and the money donations to help people in poor countries. Theyd say the Sun, the wind, the rain and the sea are all beautiful things but have become so ordinary that we dont notice them any more.These people would say that miracles happen. Theyd indicate at how cures have been found for deadly diseases. For example much smaller percentage of women die of breast cancer. They indicate how babies born prematurely have survived. Some months ago we had the case of the two girl twins that we joined together and were sharing the same organs. Doctors separated them, one died but the other survived. By pointing to the goo d things they would say that the earth could besome Gods Kingdom.I agree with them. The world is beautiful and it is wonderful to live in. But I feel that there is just too much suffering in this world. From my point of wiew God would make a fresh start with the human race, in a world where there would only be goodness and joy, not suffering or tears. Therefore my conclusion is that I must agree that this Earth will never be Gods Kingdom.

Summer Camp Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summer Camp Vacation - Essay Example But when it comes to children living in foster care, having no real families to bond with they feel isolated and ignored. Therefore, we have programmed a three months free summer vacations camp for 50 children, to support foster parents who cannot afford to plan such involving activities for their adopted children that aim to keep them connected, busy and thus happy, by the help of our volunteer sponsors. Imagine that one day a stranger come and drag you out of your own home, separating you from your family, your room, your pets and your belongings, throw you into the car’s back seat and drives you to some strange place. Now it’s not been more than a day and you are again taken by another stranger to another new place†¦and you are only 5 years old!!! The foster care society helps such disturbed and misplaced children to accept, adjust and feel comfortable by giving them yet not another â€Å"stranger† to add into their lives but a â€Å"family† to bind with, parents to love and siblings to relate to. It also provides the support to the foster parents to â€Å"own† these kids and not only â€Å"adopt† them. We have been working since many years to provide such kids not only a shelter but a place that they call â€Å"home†. Our majority finances are provided by the government under its donations policy and from generous people like you who are ready to provide little comfort and contribute a small smile in the lives of others. You have a chance to be that special someone who could make a little change to the lives of these innocent souls. You could be that magic which brings smiles to their face, contribute a little towards giving them a better life and ultimately to give this society civilized individuals, the society that you, we and our children lives in! Let’s make this society a better place for our coming generations to live and let’s join hands in this noble mission and be a light of hope for them. Let’s make them better humans and not

Cost Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cost Accounting - Essay Example Absorption cost (also known as full costing) is costing systems which includes direct materials, direct labour and variable and fixed manufacturing overhead as product cost (Duruy, 2011).This costing method is normally required for external reporting purposes under GAAP since accountants believe that fixed overhead is a crucial component in the manufacturing process (Deo, 2009).. A reason for this is that stock valuation include all production cost under UK SAAP9 so that when profit increases the stock also increase (Pong, & Mitchell, 2004) On the other hand, Marginal or variable costing is costing system which includes all manufacturing cost that vary according to the number of units produced, which includes direct materials, direct labour and variable manufacturing overhead (Bhimani, 2011). Economists favour the use of marginal costing since it enhances profit maximisation (Deo, 2009) since stock increases lower the profit (Pong, & Mitchell, 2004). Theoretically, it is easy to iden tify the effects of the costing method used by an organization on profit. The costing method used in stock valuation therefore has an implication on profit as shown in the table below: Movement increase decrease Valuation method used Full costing Variable costing High profit Low profit Lower profit Higher profit Several principles were put forward in attempts of supporting either of these costing methods. For instance, the matching principle, which holds that during profit calculation, revenues, must be matched with the costs incurred in generating the revenue (Pong and Mitchell, 2004). Assuming prices are constant, the variable costing method results in a time series of profits that is in synch with the sales. This is considered an advantage of variable costing. The profit generated in this case is not subjected to any movements influence by changes in the stock level as the fixed costs are written off. This is found to concur with the realization principle that recognises profits as they occur (Pong and Mitchell, 2004). On the other hand, carrying forward fixed costs in the full costing method can boost profits in the case of rising stock. It is acknowledged that production activities can affect profitability via the levels of stock. However, this claim has been on the spotlight as it encourages managers to increase profitability by increasing stock which may be dysfunctional to the firm (Pong and Mitchell, 2004). The main difference between absorption costing and managerial costing is the treatment of the fixed manufacturing overhead cost, which are treated as a period cost in variable costing (Durury, 2011, p.195). The two costing methods will be compared using the given data below. Year 1 Year 2 Sales Price 50 52 Direct Materials 10 10 Direct Labour 7 8 Variable Production overhead 5 5 Fixed Production overheads 4800 5700 Administration costs 4000 5000 Sales Volume 900 1400 Production 1100 1300 The unit cost for the absorption costing method was higher at ?26.36 than the ?22.00 for the marginal costing due to the addition of ?4.36 per unit in the first year. The unit cost for the second year was also high for the absorption costing at ?27.38 when compared to the ?23.00 for the marginal costing. This comparison discovered that the unit cost for absorption costing was higher than the marginal costing because of the addition of the fixed manufacturing cost. The benefit of a two year comparisons is that it reveals how manufacturing cost are transferred in the absorption and managerial costing (Lere, 2000, p.29). The benefit of marginal costing is that fixed manufacturing overhead is already incurred even if there is no production for the period. (Durury,

Observations to Identify Child Needs

Observations to Identify Child Needs Planning, observation and assessment all contribute to supporting the learning and development of children. Careful observation can identify a child’s individual needs and interests and ensure that resources and activities are suitable for promoting further development. The early years recommends that practitioners follow a three-step cycle to effectively meet the needs of individual children. Planning Observation and Assessment. Write only what you see-this ensures accuracy. Write the date and time you’re observing, name and age of child, setting where the observation is being done. Avoid opinions, don’t say that the child is/ is not enjoying something, if they have not told you that. Continue with regular observations-this provides an overall consistent picture of the child’s development, and identify any areas of a child’s development that might need additional support or be delayed. You can learn a lot about the children you are working with by observing them, and you are more likely to be able to meet their individual needs effectively from observation. Formal observations can be used to observe a child’s development of a particular skill or knowledge and understanding. The practitioner can use adult-led activities to provide an opportunity for the child to practice this particular skill and observe their participation. Observations which are spontaneous, help gather information as children will be able to explore naturally without any added pressure. Formal observations can be used to observe a child’s development of a particular skill or knowledge and understanding. This is especially useful for development checklist for the child. There are factors to consider when observing a child and that it is regularly collected to produce a true picture of the child’s knowledge and abilities and ensure consistency in the evidence you collect. Many things can affect the validity of observation; tired or hungry or hungry children may not demonstrate skills to the best of their ability and might get different results in completing an observation on a child at different times of the day, illness can affect the child’s demonstrating skill if they are ill, or might not want to partake so won’t be demonstrating their true abilities. Practitioners should schedule a repeat observation whe n the child is well to gather the true picture of the child’s ability. It is important to see when a child has achieved a particular skill when you carried out the observations at the same time accurate results and consistency. There are many methods of observing and recording observations. Practitioners in early year settings often use a note taking method carrying with them a note pad, to write spontaneous occurrences in what a child’s interests and achievements are when they are engaged in an activity with them. This way of taking notes can then be written up after the events in more detail. Time sample is another way of recording information; this is a way of looking at a child’s activity over a period of time, observing the child at regular intervals for example every ten minutes for one hour. A summative assessment is when the evidence is gained through a formative assessment over a period of time and these are helpful when the practitioner needs to review a child’s developing progress. A formative assessment is an on-going assessment of the child, and carried out on a regular basis. The early years requires two formal summative assessments, at aged two and at the end of completion of the Early Year setting. Assessments after observations are the way in which the practitioner can make decisions about what the child can do. For example a practitioner is observing a child and note the child has spent ten minutes building bricks. It shows the practitioner that the child appears happily content doing this activity, it also shows the child can concentrate for a period of time and play independently. They are able to observe if the child is using favourably their left hand or right hand and their eye- to hand coordination is well developed.The practitioner can say if the child had any facial expressions i.e. smiling or frowning whilst doing the activity to show enjoyment or concentration. An observation like this helps the practitioner plan future activities well suited to the child to meet individual needs and abilities of the child, and encourage future development adding other construction activities for the child to try if naturally this is where the child is getting enjoyment. Planning for a child to help their development in their not as strong areas is very important also. And from observations you can assess where the child needs extra encouragement or additional help in certain areas, for example when a group of children asked to put their coats on ready to go outside. You can observe the children who are very capable of doing the task without aid and the children who take longer and need extra time or help. You can plan for this by dividing the children into two groups; group 1 and group 2. Group 1 being the slower children less able to p ut on their coats are to start getting ready first with extra time allocated than group 2.Planning should be built upon the observation and assessment findings of individual children in order to identify the best steps to take to further their learnings and development. The Early Years development matters document suggests that planning should include looking at what is next for the child including: experiences and opportunities, the learning environment, resources, routines and the practitioners’ role. A carer can observe an individual child during outdoor play and recognise that the individual child aged two years is climbing confidently and is beginning to pull themselves up on nursery play climbing equipment outdoors. So the carer can help the individual child by talking to the child about their movements and help them to explore new ways of moving, such as squirming slithering and twisting along the ground like a snake, and moving quickly, slowly or on tiptoe. Plan opportunities for children to tackle a range of levels and surfaces including flat and hilly ground, grass, pebbles, smooth floors and carpets. Provide a range of large play equipment both indoors and outdoors that can be used in different ways such as boxes, ladders –frames and barrels. Provide safe spaces and explain safety to the child and parents. These will help encourage their physical development even further. The Statutory assessments focus on three prime areas of development ages two and three progress check. The assessment review and identify the child’s strengths and any areas of where the child’s progress is less than expected. The progress check helps identify the child’s natural interests and plan effectively for the individual child. It is a good idea to show the parents how to understand effectively to support the child’s learning which can be encouraged at the home environment for the child. The assessment it helps identify any additional special educational need or identify any disability. The practitioners should develop a targeted plan to support the child’s future learning and development involving the parents and careers and other professionals which may be needed. The report shows reflecting development levels and needs of the child, it shows the areas where the child is progressing well, the areas where additional support may be needed, and focus particularly on where there is a concern that the individual child may have developmental delay, which may indicate a special educational need or disability. It must include any activities and strategies the provider must intend to adopt and address any issues or concerns. Parents must receive a written record of each of the child’s prime areas of development. It is of interest to the individual child to encourage the parents to share the information from the progress check with other relevant professionals, including their health visitor and the staff of any new provision the child may transfer to. The progress check and the Healthy Child Programme health and development review at age two, when the Health visitor gathers information on a child’s health and development, allowing them to identify any developmental delay and any particular support from which they think the child and family might benefit, should inform each other and support integrated work together. This also helps health and education professionals to identify any strengths as well as any developmental delay. The providers must have parental consent and careers to share information directly with other relevant professionals. The assessment at the end of early years foundation stage profile must be completed when the individual reaches age five in the final term no later than June 30 in that term. It provides a well-rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, their progress against expected levels and their readiness for starting year 1. It provides information to the parents, careers practitioners and teachers; the profile reflects ongoing observations, all the relevant records held by the setting, discussions with parents and careers and any other adult professionals relevant. The child’s development must be assessed against the Early learning goals, practitioners indicate whether children are meeting expected levels of development, or if they are exceeding expected levels and if not yet reaching expected levels. Year 1 teachers are given the Profile; this will help the teacher acknowledge the child’s stage of development and learning needs and help assist w ith the planning of activities. The Profile must be completed for all children, including with special educational needs or disabilities, with reasonable adjustments to the assessment process for children with special educational needs and disabilities are made appropriately. It is important to know that all children will have differing level of skills and abilities across the profile and it is important that there is a full assessment of all the areas of the child’s development to form plans for future activities and to help identify any additional support. Schools must share the results of the Profile with the parents and careers. The profile must be completed for all children, including of those with special educational needs or disabilities. Adjustments to the assessment process for the children with special educational needs and disabilities must be made as appropriate. Children will have differing levels of skill and abilities across the profile and it is important that there is a full assessment of all areas of their development to inform any future activities and to identify any additional support needs.

Dugong Research :: Marine Mammals Biology Essays

Dugong Research Scientific name: Dugong Dugon Status: Vulnerable to extinction since 1982 (IUCN) Appendix I of CITES Taxonomy: Class Mammalia Order Sirenia Family Dugongidae Genus Dugong Species dugon Common Name dugong or sea cow Local Name duyong or baboy dagat Description: The dugong is one of the 24 species of marine mammals present in the Philippine waters. The dugong is the only representative of the order Sirenia to be found in the country. It is a truly unique aquatic animal, being the only herbivorous mammal whose preferred habitat is the sea. Like people and other mammals, the dugong is warm-blooded, has hairs, breathes air and the mother suckles their young. It has been noted that stories on mermaids are attributed to this unique animal due to its striking resemblance – fish-like tail, brownish smooth skin, mammary glands, woman-like genitalia and even its’ suckling baby. An adult dugong can grow to more than three meters in length and can weigh more than 400 kg. Newborns are a little over a meter, while mature animals measure at least 2.5 meters in length (Marsh et al. 1984). The dugong’s body is torpedo-shaped with whale-like flukes. The neck is short and indistinct. The flippers are small and short are used for manoeuvring and as a support during feeding or resting at the sea bottom. The color of an adult dugong is greyish bronze, which becomes lighter ventrally. Neonates and juveniles are lighter and are browner in color. The skin is tough, heavily scarred and usually colonized with barnacles in older animals. Short/stiff hair and fine/thin hair is sparsely distributed throughout the back of the animal. Hair is almost absent in the abdomen but are large, thick and abundant in the snout region. The upper lip forms the rostral disc, which is horseshoe in shape and is covered with a lot of thick and long vibrissae used for probing. A unique feature is around 25-35 mm thick (not as thick compared to other marine mammals, since protection from the cold is not a great problem for this warm and shallow water species).

Random acts of kindness Essay

I believe in random acts of kindness. The smallest things that can make you smile. I believe that if you do something nice for someone, they will take that act of kindness and spread it out to people they come across throughout their day. It’s the smallest things that make the biggest differences. For example, holding the door for someone who has their hands full or smiling at a stranger as they pass by. It’s these little things that let people know someone cares. This belief is not based on one significant personal experience, but a few of them that I have experienced throughout my life. Not one individual experience was what I call â€Å"life changing† but looking back at the ones that I can remember, I can easily say that they were. I remember one day last year when I was a counselor in training at my summer camp, and not having the greatest day. Nothing specific was wrong, but everyone has those days where everything just seems to go wrong. Well I went to bed that night and there was a bouquet of tissue paper flowers and a note that said â€Å"I hope this brightens your day!† I still do not know who left them on my bed, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the thought that counts. One of my favorite personal experiences was when I was visiting the University of Miami. It was pouring rain, and we were on the campus tour. To get from one building to the next, we had to cross into the rain, and right there, there was a student standing with a bunch of umbrellas. Anyone who did not have their own umbrella was then given one by this student. The umbrellas were stamped with a logo and the words â€Å"random acts of kindness†. There was another student stationed at the other building, who was collecting the umbrellas and passing them out to people traveling in the opposite direction. A gesture as simple as this has the power to make somebody’s day brighter. I can also recall numerous times when a stranger has held a door for me, or I for them. Something that I have always wanted to do, but have not had the chance yet is while in the drive though line, pay an extra $5 for the person behind you. I have seen this on TV and it is an extremely nice gesture to do for someone you have most likely never spoken to before. As I said earlier, it’s the smallest things that make the biggest impacts in people’s lives. So here is my challenge to you. Today, before you go to bed, do a random act of kindness. It can be to someone you know or someone who is a complete stranger, but it has to be random. And I’ll bet that before you go to bed, you will receive a random act of kindness in return.