Sylvan Island Essays - Moline, Illinois, Rock Island, Illinois

Sylvan Island Kevin Danforth/ David Zemke Professor Tweet College Writing 101-15 16 Nov. 2000 The Sylvan Island Dream Jumping into the water from a dam, running around through the trees, and fishing from the shore were some of the many exciting activities experienced by a young little boy on Sylvan Island during the 1930's. Although these times were plentiful, they would soon diminish over the years. Republic steal which provided many jobs for members of the community went out of business and left no one to maintain proper care for this child's playground. This island that once supported trails for people to walk and ride bikes, open land for family picnics, and a peaceful atmosphere for one to relax was now full of pollution and brush that made it impossible for one to enjoy. Nothing was really made of the island until the 1960's when Professor Norm Moline from the geography department at Augustana College decided to take a class over for fieldwork. At the time the only intention was to provide labs and experimentation for the students. As the class continued, the student's focus started to involve the island's history and possible changes that could be made to the island in the future. What originally started out as a class project now turned out to be a starting point in returning childhood memories to many who spent time making this island their home. Many students and faculty had long and short-term ideas of what could be done to restore the island back into what it used to be. Eventually many volunteered hours of hard work would be spent restoring the island. The project would not however be completed by professor Moline and his students. It would become a starting point in which a once young boy named Jesse Perez who experienced and grew up with the beauty of the island, would take over and continue the quest in making Sylvan Island a home for many to experience the islands pleasures for years to come. History of the Island Sylvan Island was created in 1865 because the U.S. government needed more power in order to make a weapon store for the arsenal in Rock Island. The government and Moline Water Power Co. decided to make a dam that would provide power for the arsenal as well as the water company. The government would supply for all the expenses but the water company would supply the land needed. Plans for the dam were concluded in 1869 and stated that the dam would be connected to the mainland at 6th Street. The dam would continue along the island until it crossed the channel into Rock Island. By 1871, all creations of the dam were completed and both Moline Water and the arsenal received the power needed. Between 1941 and 1942 Mid American Energy moved the dam to the eastern part of the island. Since then, no changes have been made. In 1894 Sylvan Island was leased to Sylvan Steel Company which would take over the island. The mill would on average produce 25,000 tons of steel every year. This amount was so high because in 1898 a 5-ton furnace was purchased, and could produce refined iron, hard and soft steel, agricultural iron, merchant bar steel, and steel shapes. There were also coal and gas-fired furnaces along with four mills ranging from eight to sixteen inches. That same year Sylvan Steel and Republic Iron and Steel Company of Chicago would merge and become Republic Steel. There would be a total of 150 employees. When the two companies joined, the manufacturing of steel would now be from used rail steel. Many different agricultural tools and supplies were now produced due to the merger. The most prosperous year came in 1931 when 38,605 tons of steel was produced. Republic Steel would be in business until 1956. Many different conclusions have been made as to why the plant shut down. If you were one of the l aborers, you would probably say the reason was because the steel being produced was too thick and unable to be cut easily, so large companies such as John Deer would no longer purchase from the plant. Owners of Republic Steel said the reason for the company's depletion is because

U.S. Football Terms in Spanish

U.S. Football Terms in Spanish Everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world, fà ºtbol is that sport known in the United States as soccer. If you want to talk about what people in the U.S. mean when they say football, the term is usually fà ºtbol americano. U.S.-style football is perhaps the most popular U.S. spectator sport that hasnt exported well. So it shouldnt come as  a surprise that many of the key English terms for the sport, especially ones such as touchdown that dont have an equivalent in other games, have entered the Spanish lexicon unchanged. Others have been borrowed from other sports: Offside is fuera de juego, just as in soccer. And then there are a few calques as well, such as gol de campo for field goal. Glossary of Football Terms in Spanish Following are the Spanish translations of many common football terms as used by the National Football League, U.S. sports TV networks, Fundà ©u BBVA, and other sources. blitz - la cargablock - el bloqueo, la bloqueada, bloquearbye - el descanso, la fecha librecenter - el centrocheerleader - la cheerleader, la animadorachin strap - el barbuquejocleat - el taco de la botaEl pase pantalla clsico comienza con formacià ³n de carrera.clipping - el clipping, el bloqueo ilegal por atrscoach - el entrenadorcornerback - el esquinerodead ball - el balà ³n muertodefense - la defensadefensive end - el exterior defensivodown - el down, el intento, la oportunidaddrive - el drive, la serie ofensivaend zone - la zona de anotacià ³n, la zona final,  detrs de las diagonalesface mask - la mscara, la barrafield goal - el gol de campofirst/second/third/fourth and ten - primero/segundo/tercero/cuarto y diezfootball (the ball) - el balà ³n, el ovoidefootball (the game) - el fà ºtbol americanoformation - la formacià ³nfoul - la faltafullbac - corredor de poderfumble - el balà ³n libre, el balà ³n suelto, el balà ³n perdidogoal - el golgo alpost - el posteguard - el guardiahalfback - el corredor rpidohalftime - el intermedio, el descanso, entre tiemposhelmet - el cascohuddle - pelotà ³n, la pià ±ainterception - la intercepcià ³n, la interceptacià ³ninterference - la interferenciajersey - la camiseta, el jerseykickoff - la patada, el saqueline of scrimmage - la là ­nea de golpeo, là ­nea de ataqueleague - la ligalocker room - el vestuarioneutral zone - la zona neutraloffense - el ataqueoffside - fuera de juego, la posicià ³n adelantadaout of bounds - fuera de là ­mites, fuera del campoovertime - el suplementario, el tiempo extrapass (completed, incompleted) - el pase, el lanzamiento (completo, incompleto)penalty - la infraccià ³nplaying field - el campo, el terrenoplayoff - el partido de desempartepoint - el puntopoint after touchdown - el punto extra, el punto adicionalpossession - la posesià ³npreseason - la pretemporadapunt - el depeja, la patada de despeja, despejar, patear un despejepunter - el despejadorquarter - el quartoquarterback - el pasador, el lanzador, el mariscal de camporecord - el rà ©cordreferee - el rbitroregular season - la temporada regular, la campaà ±areturn - la devolucià ³n;, el retornoroughing - la rudezarun - la carrerasack - el sack, el placaje al lanzador, la capturasafety - el safety, la autoanotacià ³nshoulder pad - la hombrerasideline - la bandaslotback - el receptor libresnap - el snap, el saque, el centro, el intercambiostandings - la clasificacià ³n, la tabla de posicionessudden death - el muerte sà ºbitaSuper Bowl - el Super Bowl, el Sà ºper Tazà ³n, la Sà ºper Copatackle (action) - la parada, la atajada, la derribada, el placaje, la tacleada, el derribotackle (player) - el tackleteam - el equipotee - el base, el apoyo, el teethigh pad - la musleratight end - el receptor cerradotouchback - el touchbacktouchdown - el touchdown, la anotacià ³nturnover - la perdidas de balà ³nunsportsmanl ike conduct - conducta antideportivawide receiver - el receptor abiertowildcard - el equipo comodà ­n (a comodà ­n in playing cards is the joker)yard (unit of measurement) - la yardayellow flag - el paà ±uelo amarillo Sample Spanish Sentences About Football Una patada corta es un tipo especial de kickoff que se usa cuando el equipo ofensivo necesita recuperar el balà ³n para seguir atacando. (And onside kick is a special type of kickoff used when the offense needs to recover the ball in order to continue its drive.) La muerte sà ºbita consiste en que el primero que marque un gol, à ©se gana. (Sudden death means that the first to make a goal gains the victory.) Un pase de 19 yardas de Matt Ryan a Austin Hooper puso el marcador 14-0 en favor de los Falcons en el Super Bowl. (A 19-yard pass from Matt Ryan to Austin Hooper put the score 14-0 in favor of the Falcons in the Super Bowl.) El pase pantalla clsico comienza con formacià ³n de carrera. (The classing screen pass begins with a running formation.)

How Simone de Beauvoir Inspired Second Wave Feminism

How Simone de Beauvoir Inspired Second Wave Feminism â€Å"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.† - Simone de Beauvoir, in The Second Sex Was Simone de Beauvoir a feminist? Her landmark book The Second Sex was one of the first inspirations to the activists of the Womens Liberation Movement, even before Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique. However, Simone de Beauvoir did not at first define herself as a feminist. Liberation Through Socialist Struggle In The Second Sex, published in 1949, Simone de Beauvoir downplayed her association with feminism as she then knew it. Like many of her associates, she believed that socialist development and class struggle were needed to solve societys problems, not a womens movement. When 1960s feminists approached her, she did not rush to enthusiastically join their cause. As the resurgence and reinvention of feminism spread during the 1960s, Simone de Beauvoir noted that socialist development had not left women better off in the USSR or in China than they were in capitalist countries. Soviet women had jobs and government positions but were still unfailingly the ones attending to the housework and children at the end of the workday. This, she recognized, mirrored the problems being discussed by feminists in the United States about housewives and womens roles. The Need for a Womens Movement In a 1972 interview with Alice Schwarzer, Simone de Beauvoir declared that she really was a feminist. She called her rejection of a womens movement a shortcoming of The Second Sex. She also said the most important thing women can do in their lives is work, so they can be independent. Work was not perfect, nor was it a solution to all problems, but it was the first condition for womens independence, according to Simone de Beauvoir. She lived in France, but Simone de Beauvoir continued to read and examine the writings of prominent U.S. feminist theorists such as Shulamith Firestone and Kate Millett. Simone de Beauvoir also theorized that women could not be truly liberated until the system of patriarchal society itself was overthrown. Yes, women needed to be liberated individually, but they also needed to fight in solidarity with the political left and the working classes. Her ideas were compatible with the belief that the personal is political. No Separate Womens Nature Later in the 1970s, Simone de Beauvoir, as a feminist, was dismayed by the idea of a separate, mystical feminine nature, a New Age concept that seemed to be gaining popularity. Just as I do not believe that women are inferior to men by nature, nor do I believe that they are their natural superiors either.- Simone de Beauvoir, in 1976 In The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir had famously stated, One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. Women are different from men because of what they have been taught and socialized to do and be. It was dangerous, she said, to imagine an eternal feminine nature, in which women were more in touch with the earth and the cycles of the moon. According to Simone de Beauvoir, this was just another way for men to control women, by telling women they are better off in their cosmic, spiritual eternal feminine, kept away from mens knowledge and left without all the mens concerns like work, careers, and power. A Return to Enslavement The notion of a womans nature struck Simone de Beauvoir as further oppression. She called motherhood a way of turning women into slaves. It did not have to be that way, but it usually ended up that way in society precisely because women were told to concern themselves with their divine nature. They were forced to focus on motherhood and femininity instead of politics, technology or anything else outside of home and family. Given that one can hardly tell women that washing up saucepans is their divine mission, they are told that bringing up children is their divine mission.- Simone de Beauvoir, in 1982 This was a way of rendering women second-class citizens: the second sex. Transformation of Society The Womens Liberation Movement helped Simone de Beauvoir become more attuned to the day-to-day sexism women experienced. Yet, she did not think it was beneficial for women to refuse to do anything the mans way or refuse to take on qualities deemed masculine. Some radical feminist organizations rejected leadership hierarchy as a reflection of masculine authority and said no single person was in charge. Some feminist artists declared they could never truly create unless they were completely separate from male-dominated art. Simone de Beauvoir recognized that Womens Liberation had done some good, but she said feminists should not utterly reject being a part of the mans world, whether in organizational power or with their creative work. From Simone de Beauvoirs point of view, the work of feminism was to transform society and womens place in it. Read more of Alice Schwarzers interviews with Simone de Beauvoir in her book After the Second Sex: Conversations With Simone de Beauvoir, published by Pantheon Books in 1984.)

The Identification of Clear Objectives as Being the Most Important Term Paper

The Identification of Clear Objectives as Being the Most Important Success Criteria in the Undertaking of Research Projects - Term Paper Example The undertaking and successful completion  require proper planning and prior preparation. In the same way, the successful undertaking of any research project requires the prior identification of the research aims and objectives. Defining the nature of the project requires that one clearly selects the ideas making up the project. This process involves having clearly defined goals and objectives as well as evaluating all possible risks (†¦..). Objectives, in any given study, act as the main framework for the entire research (Nwane, 2005).A research project is an assignment that is systematically undertaken to study a specific topic in depth to increase knowledge. New projects and innovations are in return made knowledge obtained from research. The main objective of the research is to establish facts and come up with feasible means to handle projects that yield positive results. The effectiveness of a project is dependent on the results obtained from the research (Straits & Singl eton, 1993). Another objective of research projects is to build upon the confidence of project evaluators on the project being handled by enhancing correctness and ensuring that the project being handled is correspondent to the requirements of the project (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 2006). Research projects are bound to attaining certain objectives or goals by the end of the project. A project objective can be defined as a brief description of what should be achieved by the end. To ensure correctness in the research being undertaken there needs to be correctly laid procedures and identification of the project’s objectives. The objectives of a research project summarize what is required to be achieved by the end of the research being undertaken (Kothari, 2009). The general objective of research projects identifies what researchers expect to achieve by the end.  Ã‚  

Is the UK Meeting its Recycling Targets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is the UK Meeting its Recycling Targets - Essay Example This paper studies the current state of recycling in the United Kingdom with a special emphasis into plastic, glass and paper & board materials. It compares the government initiatives and accomplishments to other European nations. It provides a critical analysis of the effect of the EU Directive in reducing landfill contamination. Recycling glass has a beneficial impact in a country’s environment. Susan Hubbard says that every ton of cullet return to the market saves between 1.2 to 2.8 million British thermal units compared with the use of land filling and incineration (Toto, 2005). The process most commonly used to recycle glass is to remelt the material, a procedure which saves energy, reduces carbon dioxide emissions and reduce the consumption of the natural resource (Wrap, 2007). Appendix A illustrates the United Kingdom’s glass recycling rate. The country recycled 6% of the glass in 1984, but nearly 20 years later the recycling rate of the material had increased to 35% in the UK. The EU packaging waste directive set a 60% glass recycling target for the year 2006 (Glass, 2002). According to Glass Magazine countries such as Germany and Netherlands surpassed the 70% glass recycling rate before 2002, but other European nations such as the United Kingdom were struggling recycling glass a very lo w recycling rate of 23%. The UK is not very competitive in comparison with its European neighbors in glass recycling. One of the reasons the United Kingdom is struggling to recycle at the pace of other European nations is because the country does not have an effective glass recovery program in place to separate crystal and colour glass. There are different markets in the recycling industry for the two types of glass. If the UK establishes an efficient system to separate the products in their pickup efforts they could accelerate the process of

Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

Two Kinds Essay â€Å"Two Kinds† is set in modern United States and basically involves two main characters of Chinese descent Jing-mei and her mother.   In the story, Jing-mei, a young Chinese-American portrayed her mother as an overbearing and demanding woman who constantly tried to groom her daughter to pursue a life destined for fame- either as a talented young actress, a genius in geography, or a musical prodigy (Your Faxed Readings, p. 180-182). Jing-mei did not quite understand at first how her mother could persistently force upon her a future she did not want to have any part of.    She struggled against her mother’s will, not fully comprehending the reasons why her mother wanted her to be more than what she thought she was. As it was later on revealed in the story, her mother’s ways and beliefs rooted from the tragedies she encountered in her life before she came to America. Jing-meis mother went through terrible times in China. She lost her babies and had to struggle to be able to reach the â€Å"land of milk and honey. Reaching a new and prosperous land enabled her to start over, and she acquired a renewed sense of hope, along with the belief that in America, you can be all you want to be:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America. You could open a restaurant. You could work for the government and get good retirement. You could buy a house with almost no money down. You could become rich. You could become instantly famous.Of course, you can be a prodigy, too,; my mother told me when I was nine.† (p. 180) The story goes on to expound on the mother’s past and her subsequent actions that affected her American-raised daughter. The story shows that after hurdling through obstacles in life, Jing Mei’s mother probably realized that anything was possible. Hers was a character who believed that if she went through hell in China but still made it to America then anything was possible, especially for a child raised in this land abounding in prosperity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Looking at it from this perspective, one could surmise that this explained why, as portrayed in the story, she was overbearing and appeared to expect a lot from her daughter.   Her expectations stemmed from what she had acquired from her surviving her misfortunes. As a mother who went through great adversity in life, she could not help but have high expectations for a daughter to whom she had afforded countless opportunities by raising her in America. With her daughter’s resistance to obey, she felt that Jing-mei was not taking full advantage of the opportunities that were made available to her: â€Å"My mother slapped me.†Who ask you to be genius? she shouted. Only ask you be your best. For you sake. You think I want you to be genius? Hnnh! What for! Who ask you! So ungrateful, I heard her mutter in Chinese, If she had as much talent as she has temper, shed be famous now.† (p. 183) It is evident in these lines that the mother was disappointed with Jing-mei. It seemed to her that her daughter was being unappreciative of everything that had been made available for her. On the other hand, the character of Jing-mei was portrayed as a stubborn and willful child. Jing-meis determination not to be what her mother wants her to be stems from her resolve not to let her mother change her. â€Å"And then I saw what seemed to be the prodigy side of me a face I had never seen before. I looked at my reflection, blinking so that I could see more clearly. The girl staring back at me was angry, powerful. She and I were the same. I had new thoughts, willful thoughts or rather, thoughts filled with lots of wonts. I wont let her change me, I promised myself. I wont be what Im not.† (p. 181-182) From these lines Jing-mei’s character is reflected as someone who often stated that she wanted to be who she is and who vehemently refused to be someone she was not. Although   later on she recognized that she could have been great if she did try to be,   the story further showed that till the end of that part of her childhood, she was determined not to (p. 183). â€Å"Two Kinds† is one of the multitudes of stories from Amy Tan’s â€Å"The Joy Luck Club†. Essentially, it deals with the dynamics of  Ã‚   the relationship between mothers and daughters. It gives a fresh perspective about the complexities of such kinship in the eyes of Chinese immigrants in an American Society. It deals with cultural differences and generation gaps, as well as the issue of establishing identity. This short story can be dissected into several areas of interest, all rich in symbolism. It reflects society in various levels of human interaction. While the plot of the story circles around the struggle between Jing-mei and her mother, a one may derive a deeper conflict, aside from the prima facie squabble between the mother and the daughter, that exists within it, comparable to one that is in society. If one looks closely, the mothers character represents individuals who believe that the past can be buried and forgotten once success is achieved. She represents the people who struggle everyday to overcome the ghosts of the past in order to provide for the future. The mother also stands for the people who are trying to compensate for things left undone or mistakes committed. Though their intentions may be good, there is a point where their zealousness in making up for the past becomes a burden that shackles them to what they are trying to escape. Meanwhile, Jing-meis character represents individuals who are in constant journey to find their identities amidst influential forces. It alludes to people caught between two cultures in two different time zones. Jing Mei also represents the young who, at a trying stage in their life, have to cope with the added responsibility of bridging the cultural gap between immigrant parents in modern-day America. On the other hand, the dynamics of the relationship between Jing-Mei and her mother represent the perennial and unavoidable conflicts between parents and their children. It speaks of expectations, of disappointment, of pride, of hurt and of differences and of finding one’s own identity. It reminds readers   how one can never pick his kin and though it may become an uphill battle, what matters is that one learns to accept the family he is given, for who they are. Furthermore, in a very subtle but compelling way, â€Å"Two Kinds†   also urges its readers to think about their past and where they are heading .This story prompts one to look at things in perspective find a way to come to terms with the past, be thankful of the present and look forward to the future with optimism. That being said, â€Å"Two Kinds†, with the infusion of literary brilliance, creativity and true-to-life experiences† has proved to be a true testament of Amy Tans artistic brilliance- both for its literary content and social reflection. This story is but, one of a kind. Works Cited Tan, Amy. â€Å"Two Kinds.† Title of the book of your faxed readings. Location: Publisher, Year Published. pages 180-187.

Promoting and Protecting Minority Rights Essay examples -- Democracy,

The founding fathers of the United States Constitution suspected that through democracy, a government ruled by the majority, the majority could easily become tyrannical in its usage of unrestricted power. That is, in denying or denoting the rights of certain minority groups. These fathers included Thomas Jefferson who stated in his 1801 Inaugural Address for President of the United States, â€Å"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.† Despite the possibility of defying majority rule resulting in some disastrous upsets, the government's most ardent responsibility should lie more in its responsibility to protect minority rights rather than to abide by majority rule. Since, of any possible outcome, the worst would be a situation in which a minority group is denied rights, not due to simple social complication, but instead due to a general lack of government protection. While a democracy is based on majority rule, minority rights must not be disregarded. One of the principles of democracy includes a minority receiving equal opportunity to become a majority, and thereby providing competition for the majority of the time. Competition has potential to force a majority to become a minority, needing the protection of its rights to provide opportunity for it to become a majority again. Furthermore, the smallest minority is the individual. By protecting minority rights from majority oppression, the individual is protected and vice versa. For example, individual rights of expression and speech ... ...certain minority group: african-americans. Yarbrough, Tinsley. "U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Democracy Papers ." à §Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ŽÃ ¥Ã‚Å"‹Ã ¥Ã‚Å" ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚”à ¦Ã‚Å"ÂÆ' - à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã‚â€"à ©  . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Yarbrough intimately and accurately describes the trials of the â€Å"African American Experience†. These trials include, but are not limited to slavery, denial to suffrage, and the retraction of equality through governmental policy. Yarbrough is thorough in the description of this experience, refusing to allow sheer opinion to even decimate fact. He â€Å"African American Experience† is a big part of minority rights being that african americans’ entire â€Å"experience† consisted of the government failing or prevailing in protecting their basic rights guaranteed by the constitution of the United States. Promoting and Protecting Minority Rights Essay examples -- Democracy, The founding fathers of the United States Constitution suspected that through democracy, a government ruled by the majority, the majority could easily become tyrannical in its usage of unrestricted power. That is, in denying or denoting the rights of certain minority groups. These fathers included Thomas Jefferson who stated in his 1801 Inaugural Address for President of the United States, â€Å"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.† Despite the possibility of defying majority rule resulting in some disastrous upsets, the government's most ardent responsibility should lie more in its responsibility to protect minority rights rather than to abide by majority rule. Since, of any possible outcome, the worst would be a situation in which a minority group is denied rights, not due to simple social complication, but instead due to a general lack of government protection. While a democracy is based on majority rule, minority rights must not be disregarded. One of the principles of democracy includes a minority receiving equal opportunity to become a majority, and thereby providing competition for the majority of the time. Competition has potential to force a majority to become a minority, needing the protection of its rights to provide opportunity for it to become a majority again. Furthermore, the smallest minority is the individual. By protecting minority rights from majority oppression, the individual is protected and vice versa. For example, individual rights of expression and speech ... ...certain minority group: african-americans. Yarbrough, Tinsley. "U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Democracy Papers ." à §Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ŽÃ ¥Ã‚Å"‹Ã ¥Ã‚Å" ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚”à ¦Ã‚Å"ÂÆ' - à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã‚â€"à ©  . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Yarbrough intimately and accurately describes the trials of the â€Å"African American Experience†. These trials include, but are not limited to slavery, denial to suffrage, and the retraction of equality through governmental policy. Yarbrough is thorough in the description of this experience, refusing to allow sheer opinion to even decimate fact. He â€Å"African American Experience† is a big part of minority rights being that african americans’ entire â€Å"experience† consisted of the government failing or prevailing in protecting their basic rights guaranteed by the constitution of the United States.

Interpersonal Communication Report

Core Assessment Portfolio Michael E. Szostkiewicz In fulfillment of course requirements for Park University CA104 Interpersonal Communication Fall 1 Term 2009 Interpersonal Communication Report MICHAEL E. SZOSTKIEWICZ SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 Interpersonal Communication Report Outline I. Prior to enrolling in this course, I felt that my interpersonal communication skills were adequate and effective. I have always prided myself on being an adept and able communicator; my vocabulary is diverse. I always make a concerted effort to annunciate properly. However, my experiences these last few weeks have left me with a laundry list of things I need to improve upon. Through the various exercises and tasks completed in this course thus far, I have realized that there is always room for improvement in my own interpersonal relationships, both personally and professionally. I feel the areas that I need to improve upon in my interpersonal communication skills are active listening, emotional control, and utilizing cultural differences of those around me. Even with the myriad of leadership and communication seminars and classes I have either attended or facilitated, I understand that we must constantly learn new techniques and reflect back upon what we have learned in the past to help better any future relationships. II. Main Points A. Active listening 1. Active listening is defined as the process by which a listener expresses his or her understanding of the speaker’s total message, including the verbal and nonverbal communication, the thoughts, and the feelings. 2. By using the five stage model of listening and applying it at home and at work, I will be able to build upon my current relationships and forge better ones in the future. The techniques of receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating and responding are an integral part of our relationships and need to be practiced in every day life. B. Emotional control 1. Humans in general are very emotional creatures. Having the ability to control our emotions within our interpersonal relationships is a skill that is not inherent and must be learned and practiced to be successful. 2. As I am extremely passionate in everything that I do, I must sometimes pause and reflect upon my emotional connection to the matter at hand. While having and expressing our emotions at home may be a good way to communicate with our partners, expressing our emotions in the workplace may not be appropriate. C. Utilizing cultural differences 1. Understanding that differences in culture between co-workers can have a positive or negative effect upon the atmosphere of the workplace, we must utilized and embrace those differences to foster an air of acceptance of all colors, races and creeds. . Living in America and especially serving in the military, I have been exposed to countless different cultures. Every culture has significant ideals that can be learned from. Patience with and understanding of differences in thought, speech and mannerisms from diverse cultures can help me to be more appreciative of other people and their indigenous cultures. III. In summary, I have covered the three a spects of my own interpersonal relationships that I feel I need to improve upon. Understanding that all people are different and communicate differently I am able to recognize when and where my own communication flaws exist. First, I feel that I need to improve my skills in the area of active listening. By reviewing the five stage model of listening I am able to have more productive relationships at home with family and also at work. Secondly, in recognizing my emotions regarding various topics and knowing when emotional responses are warranted, I can be a better, even-keeled father, husband, mentor and leader. Lastly, reflecting upon the differences in cultures in the work place, I can help promote diversity and acceptance of everyone. IV. In conclusion, I have seen the areas of my interpersonal relationships in which I need improvement. In order to build upon my current relationships and having the requisite skills needed to create new relationships in the future the areas in which I specifically need to focus are actively listening, controlling my emotions and recognizing and embracing diversity. In order to be an effective leader and mentor, having these skill sets can only increase the value of my worth to my company while simultaneously improving the quality of relationships that I have both at home and work. While becoming complacent in my interpersonal relationships, I feel that I have lost a chance to fully understand the thoughts and feelings of those with whom I am involved. Recognizing my faults and working to better my own communication skills can only result in increased positive relationships. Michael E. Szostkiewicz Tania Balas CA104 Interpersonal Communication 30 September 2009 Interpersonal Communication Report Prior to enrolling in this course, I felt that my interpersonal communication skills were adequate and effective. I have always prided myself on being an adept and able communicator; my vocabulary is diverse. I always make a concerted effort to annunciate properly. However, my experiences these last few weeks have left me with a laundry list of things I need to improve upon. Through the various exercises and tasks completed in this course thus far, I have realized that there is room for improvement in my interpersonal relationships, both personally and professionally. I feel the areas that I need to improve upon in my interpersonal communication skills are practicing active listening, exercising more emotional control, and utilizing cultural differences of those around me. Even with the myriad of leadership and communication seminars and classes I have either attended or facilitated, I understand that I must constantly learn new techniques and reflect back upon what I have learned in the past to help better any future relationships. Identifying and examining the elements and process of interpersonal communication is the first step in understanding who I am and where I place in the communicative world. Joseph A. DeVito states that in the circular nature of interpersonal communication; both persons send messages simultaneously rather than in a linear sequence where communication bounces back and forth between two or more people. DeVito further explains that the ideals that are present in all interpersonal interactions are: source-receiver, encoding-decoding, messages, channels, noise, context, ethics, and competence (DeVito, 9-15). Understanding that people are unique individuals who converse differently is a primary lesson in becoming a better communicator. The best way to describe how a person’s self-image or self-concept influences their ability to interact with those with whom they come in contact is that every person has a separate and distinct background whereby the environment in which they were raised as children and their varied experiences as young adults may affect their ability to effectively communicate. Recognizing and understanding that all forms of communication play a specific role in our interactions as adults and how we relate to each other must be understood and practiced in order to have successful and meaningful relationships both personally and professionally. This is also an example of how a person’s perceptions can influence their communication choices. DeVito continues by defining perception as the process by which you become aware of objects, events, and especially people through your own senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing (DeVito 61). As we take an active part in life, our perceptions about the people and the world around us are in a constant state of flux. If we remain stagnant in our relationships then we are bound to miss out on many of the opportunities provided to us to better ourselves. Realizing that I have many things to learn about my own communication skills is the first step toward becoming a person as a whole. The first hurdle on my interpersonal communication task list is to improve my active listening. Active listening is defined as the process by which a listener expresses his or her understanding of the speaker’s total message, including the verbal and nonverbal communication, the thoughts, and the feelings. Active listening is a concept that was developed by Thomas Gordon (1975) in the early 1960’s as the foundation of his Parent Effectiveness Training program which still continues to offer proven communication and conflict resolution skills to parents, teachers and managers from all walks of life (2009). DeVito states that active listening is not merely repeating the speaker’s exact words, but rather putting together your understanding of the speaker’s total message into a meaningful whole (DeVito 94). I have always considered myself a good listener. Whenever one of my seniors, peers or subordinates steps into my office for a chat, I always tell myself to devote my full attention to this person. I will turn off my computer screen, open my steno pad—which I often refer to as my â€Å"memory,† grab my pen and show the person that I am fully tuned into what they are discussing with me. Additionally, throughout this course I have been able to hone my skills as an accomplished conversationalist by using the three simple techniques of active listening: paraphrasing the speaker’s meaning, expressing understanding and asking questions. However, there are times when I get complacent and my skills fail me. One such instance of a breakdown in communication and an example of how language can create communication problems with disastrous effects was recently when I tasked one of my subordinates to research an instruction governing the proper wearing of maternity uniforms in the Navy. As a leader, I unsuccessfully delineated my specific instructions and by failing to use active and effective listening skills, my subordinate failed to receive the message properly. I also failed to ensure my instructions were clear and concise by neglecting to have him repeat back exactly what I wanted him to do. As such, this young man overstepped his bounds and mistakenly corrected the young woman on the spot which proved an emotional disaster (Student Journal 1-1). It was then that I realized the importance of removing any barriers in communicating and vowed to deter this behavior in the future. For me, personally, this was a poignant lesson for soon after this incident I received a homework assignment in this class to review an article describing how our words can affect those around us, and even more importantly, â€Å"If you manage people, your words have much more weight that you may realize† (Morgan 3). To correct the deficiency I consulted the five stage model of listening and by applying it both at work and also at home, I will be able to build upon my current relationships and forge better ones in the future. The techniques of receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating and responding are an integral part of our relationships and need to be practiced in every day life. Another area of concern in my communication skills is the need to better control my emotions. Humans in general are very emotional creatures. Having the ability to control our emotions within our interpersonal relationships is a skill that is not inherent and must be learned and practiced to be successful. As I am extremely passionate in everything that I do, I must sometimes pause and reflect upon my emotional connection to the matter at hand. While having and expressing our emotions at home may be a good way to communicate with our partners, expressing our emotions in the workplace may not be appropriate. In the early phases of this course I realized the power of my emotions while trying to balance my professional duties with my duties and responsibilities as a husband and father while keeping the plates spinning simultaneously enrolled in two classes with Park University. I explained my frustrations, concerns and worries with my wife and also with my Brothers in the Chief Petty Officer’s Mess (Student Journal 2-1). After receiving sage guidance and wisdom from those with whom I have confided, I was able to begin separating my emotions from the equation and find the balance between work, home and school. As an adult, male military professional nearly 40 years old, I found it difficult to admit my fallacies, but once I did, I discovered that I am still able to learn many things from those around me. The last area of my communication skills that I found I need improvement upon is utilizing the cultural differences of those around me to add extra value to the tools I already possess. Understanding that differences in culture between co-workers can have a positive or negative effect upon the atmosphere of the workplace, I must utilize and embrace those differences to foster an air of acceptance of all colors, races and creeds. Living in America and especially serving in the military, I have been exposed to countless different cultures. Every culture has significant morals that can be learned from. An effective personal strategy that I have developed in my intercultural communication skills is patience with and understanding the differences in thought, speech and mannerisms from the diverse cultures that I have been exposed to in my travels and how those experiences can help me to be more appreciative of other people and their inherent lifestyles. In summary, I have covered the three aspects of my own interpersonal relationships that I feel I need to improve upon. By understanding that all people are unique and communicate differently I am able to recognize when and where my own communication flaws exist. First, I feel that I need to improve my skills in the area of active listening. By reviewing the five stage model of listening I am able to have more productive relationships at home with family and also at work. Secondly, in recognizing my emotions regarding various topics and knowing when emotional responses are warranted, I can be a better, even-keeled father, husband, mentor and leader. Lastly, reflecting upon the differences in cultures in the work place, I can help promote diversity and the acceptance of everyone. By utilizing these strategies I will be able to develop and foster a supportive communication climate. In conclusion, I have seen the areas of my interpersonal relationships in which I need improvement. In order to build upon my current relationships and having the requisite skills needed to create new relationships in the future the areas in which I specifically need to focus are actively listening, controlling my emotions and recognizing and embracing diversity. In order to be an effective leader and mentor, having these skill sets can only increase the value of my worth to my company while simultaneously improving the quality of relationships that I have both at home and work. While becoming complacent in my interpersonal relationships, I feel that I have lost a chance to fully understand the thoughts and feelings of those with whom I am involved. Recognizing my faults and working to better my own communication skills can only result in increased positive and healthier interpersonal relationships. Works Cited DeVito, Joseph A. The Interpersonal Communication Book. 12th ed. Boston: Pearson. 2009. Gordon, T. P. E. T. : Parent effectiveness training. New York: New American Library. 1975. â€Å"Gordon Training International. † September 2009. http://www. gordontraining. com Morgan, Rebecca L. , â€Å"The Power of Our Words. † Morgan Seminar Group. 1996. http://www. rebeccamorgan. com/articles/mgmt/mgmt2. html Szostkiewicz, Michael E. Journal, Week 1, Entry 1. 17 August 2009. Szostkiewicz, Michael E. Journal, Week 2, Entry 1. 25 August 2009.

Roman Catholic Church

For the full-scale of culture application to business environment cognitive competencies, this assignment will discuss the culture characteristics, analyses the culture for business operation, study the culture synthesis, and then give recommendations according to the applications of business environment in particular. According the requirement of this assignment, I have chosen the country of Italy to complete the tasks of this assignment. 2. The Background of Italy To understand the culture of Italy better, this part is to introduce the source of the Italy background in details.Thus, this part will illustrate the language, education, religion, social structure, political, and economic philosophy of Italy. 2. 1 Languages of Italy Italian is the official language in Italy. Never the less, the 96% of the native Italians speak Italian. For these partial of native Italians, their main mother tongue are including German, Catalan, Greek, French, Slovenian, Albanian, Corsican, Cambrian, Bav arian, Waller and Croatian. However, half of the total Italian population speak their mother tongue, called regional dialects (quintessential. Co. K, 2014). According to the history records and the geography of Italy, these regional dialects major are including Sicilian, Venetian, Freudian, Neapolitan, Melamine, Sardinian, Clinician, Algerian, and Piedmont. Italy is a free state to educate all nationalities in Italy. For those 3 years old children in Italy, they can start their kindergarten education. According to the European education standards, the children aged 5- 5. 5 years old in Italy are allowed to start their primary school education for 5 years without of examination requirement.They must start their First Grade Secondary School education for 3 years when they are aged 11 to 14, after they past all of the exams, they are allowed to start their Second Grade Secondary School (High School) education, which requires students to pass all of their exams before their graduation, and they will obtain a diploma certificate within 3-5 years according to different faculty requirements (understandingly. Mom, 2014). 2. 3 Religion of Italy According to the source of the Italy history, the main religion of Italy is Roman Catholicism. The Roman Catholicism centre is in the Vatican City, and the pope also stays in it.Islam is the second religion in Italy sources from the immigrants of due to the only few Jews left after the War II (Kim, 2014). 2. 4 Social Structure of Italy In Italy, family is the most valuable social structure, because family can stabilize their family members by supporting each other with emotion and finance. In north of Italy, only the nuclear family stay together normally. But in the south of Italy, the extended family usually stay together. According to the main Roman Catholic religion, you can see the Catholic churches are more than any other country.The religion is high in Italy, and you can see them in many lobbies and buildings, and you will find people's names, trade, and profession are in particular patron saint. The church proclaims transparent hierarchy to Italy. Expect is provided to older people, successful businessman, and well-connected people (quintessential. Co. UK, 2014). 2. 5 Political Ideology of Italy Italy is a republic country since June 1946, voted by plebiscites. Its constitution was created in 1948. The president of Italy take turns to select by the elections of Italians ( inconsiderableness. Com, 2014) 2. Economic Ideology of Italy After the postwar, Italy concentrates to rebuild its economy successfully from being an integral member of NATO & Joining the European Economic Community. However, the left-wing Red Brigades destroyed the stability of Italy from 1970 to the early 1980. Later on, the governments of â€Å"Revolving door† managed Italy an unstable polity from 1980-1990. In Jan 1999, Treasury Secretary Carlo Clamps permitted Italy currency (infeasible. Mom, 2014). Nowadays, the economi cs of Italy is diversified by many industries, and the well-developed industrial in the north are most held by private companies (internationalization. Mom, 2014). Although Italy has experienced the global crisis in 2008, but Italy GAP of Italy increased from IIS$1737. 8 billion in 2004 to US $1982. 94 billion Gag 2014(Satanist. Com, 2014). This part is to analyses the Italy culture from its history and geography. 3. 1 History of Italy To know the history of Italy is to know the culture root of Italy. Basically, Italy has a long history with a solid culture foundation. The historical record of Italy has been started by Indo-European immigrants since 2000 B. C. To 1000 B. C. In its 3rd century B. C. Romans has overthrown Indo-European and dominated the civilization of Etruscan to Italy and with the Rome leadership control until the 4th & 5th centuries A. D. After that, the barbarian has taken the Western Roman Empire. From that time on, many other ethnic groups contended to fragmente d polity for a few centuries. But during this period of 13th to the 16th century, it has made Italy a cultural center for the Western world. Rome Empire has enthroned Italy for total about 22 centuries in its history, which has covered the most of the Italy history (infeasible. Com, 2014).The territories of Sardinia, Naples, and Milan were given to Austria after the Spanish Succession War in the year of 1713, but Austria lost some these territories in the year of 1735. After a few decades in the year 1800, Mr.. Napoleon finally unified Italy and declared himself as the Italy king in 1805. However, he did not last long. After 10 years, Austria dominated its power into a disunited Italy again in the Congress of Vienna. Italians are not convinced by the Austria control and always try to uprisings, but unsuccessfully destroyed by the Austria armies in the year of 1820, 1821, and 1831.As know as the brilliant liberal nationalist, Mr.. Giuseppe Amazing formed the Regiments, which is the f oundation of Italy unity. After that, the patriots of Italy gave the leadership hope on Mr.. Count Camille Did Cavort from the House of Savoy in Sardinia, and who finally united Italy in 1852. He brought his armies to help England and France in the Crimean War from 1853 to 1856. He gains the Lombardy territories in 1859 due to supporting to France in the war to against Austria. In the year of 1860, Sardinia was enlarged by the territories of Roman, Tuscany and Pram from the plebiscite voting.In the same year, Sardinia was enlarged by the territories of Sicily & Naples from Mr.. Giuseppe Garibaldi triumphant return war. In the year of 1861, Italian people finally claimed Victor Emmanuel II to be the king of Italy. In 1886, Venetian attached. On the 20th September 1870, the papal of Rome announced Italy is a unified peninsula which is independent nation under one constitutional monarchy (infeasible. Com, 2014). In the World War l, Italy declared its neutrality. Italy went to the war w ith Allies in 1915 and gained some lands, but Italy put it as the postwar settlement.To rescue Italy from Bolshevism, the dissatisfied Italians were introduced to Fascist Party by a socialist called Mr.. Mussolini in 1919. Mr.. Mussolini conquered Rome and being the prime minister on 28th October 1922. He is the dictator of Italy. In 1935, he attacked Ethiopia for annexation. In 1936, he allied with Doll Hitler in Rome. However, Allies invaded Italy in 1943. The time Mussolini lost dictatorship, and the Fascist Partisans killed him on 28th April 1945. Italy entered a war to attack Germany in 1943. Italians plebiscite voted to have a republic nation in June 1946.According to the peace treaty on 1 5th September 1947, Italian declared to return the lands to Greece and France originally. In 1954, Italy received Tries area west (a 90-square-mile zone) from Yugoslav (infeasible. Com, 2014). Nowadays, Italy is a stable country to build internal business. 3. 2 Geography of Italy According t o the world map segment, the geography of Italy is a unified peninsula country in the south of Europe, and it looks like a boot in the world map (infeasible. Com, 2014). The neighbor countries of Italy are surrounded by Andorra,Monaco, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and Greece. The total size of cities are including Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo and Genoa (worldpopulationreview. Com, 2014). Whereby, Rome is the capital city of Italy. From those researches, Italy is one of the countries to do international business with whole of the Europe countries. 4. Recommendation for doing Global Business in Italy This part will give the recommendations for doing business in Italy according to its culture of history, geography, language, education, religion, social structure, political, and economic philosophy. 4.Respect Different cultural customs Although, it is 96% of them are native Italians and speak Italian, but they may have different mother tongue or dialect and cul ture customs. Therefore, we have to respect each of them accordingly. To an international business, knowing the local culture is as knowing the needs of the local people. If you can provide the thing to that area's people, you will have business opportunity. 4. 2 Well-managed Cross Culture Management There are cultural conflicts between cultures. Therefore, international businessmen need to understand the difference and culture conflicts between each of them.Hence, the cross culture management needs to be created and studied by businessman and his staffs. Because you will have contact with local staff and customers, developing a well-managed cross culture management will help the stabilization of the employees and increase your business market share. 4. 3 Follow the religion characteristics of Roman Catholic As we know that the Roman Catholic is one of the largest and biggest religion in Italy, and Italy is the culture centre of Europe. To follow the Roman Catholic characteristics i s one of the best and fastest ways to fit into global international business to the local ND the whole Europe.If you can put your business to fit into the Roman Catholic quickly, your business can be accepted by the Roman Catholics easily. According to the culture study and analysis, I have understood the Italy culture differences to do global business. Therefore, I have learnt the repetitions of respecting the Italians. I have acknowledged the cultural intelligence is one of the important factors to bring the successful international business. This essay have gone through the characteristics of languages of Italy, Roman Catholic church Although it is true that some claim that the Crusades were initially launched to help seal the rift between Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, there were essential differences between Christianity in Byzantium and Roman Catholicism that was developing independently. In fact, there were also strained tensions because of a history of the Roman Catholic church claiming wide swaths of territory from the other side through forged documents (Riley-Smith) which purported to claim a lot of Byzantium’s land for the Pope.Political, religious and cultural-economic conditions in the Arab world of the European Middle Ages were superior to those of Europe. The Moors had a history of expansionism into Europe at this point, and the culture of the Islamic world was much more advanced, especially in terms of mathematics, astronomy, and architecture (Allen and Amt).This is also exemplified in the historical clashes between Christianity and Islam, which are portrayed by the author as wor king within different paradigms of involvement in acquired territories throughout the history of the medieval Crusades, the rise of European imperialism, and the present state of affairs. When Urban put out the call to the Crusade, many people signed up. Some signed from a sense of religious duty. At the time, there was a great deal of stagnancy in the social system of feudal Europe too, without a lot of social mobility.The Crusades were an opportunity for some who signed up to improve their social status, political status, and even religious status. There was a lot of diversity among those who responded to Urban’s rousing call.   When interacting with the native populations of the Islamic world of the time, the Christian crusaders acted in different means and capacities, forming alliances with some, and utterly destroying and ransacking others. One interesting interaction was that of the rise of bartering between the Christians and native populations.During this time there was a sort of cultural bartering when the Europeans gave elements of their culture to more Eastern cultures and took some of the elements of the Eastern cultures and made them their own. One of these elements that the Europeans took was the concept of mercantile trading (Madden). Mercantile trading, as opposed to local trading, was more lucrative. There was a lot of anti-Semitism, fear and persecution in the era of the Crusades. Western Christians viewed Jews as another race, not quite human.Jews became aware of the Christians in many cases through persecution, and reacted accordingly. Perspectives of the Crusades varied between those involved in different capacities. Some undoubtedly felt cheated. Arabs generally felt surprised that Jerusalem fell and shocked at the invaders’ manners. Jews felt persecuted and threatened. There was a lot of stereotyping involved on all sides. The new Frankish territories of Outremer reflected their origins in the West in many ways, perhaps t he most obvious of which were cultural and architectural.Of course, with culture being transplanted to another area, there are also elements of hybrid nature to consider, with the Crusaders wanting to approximate new societies distinct from the communities from which they came, but in many cases succeeded in creating a sort of fusion culture based on elements taken from Western impetus and useful other elements in the new environment. REFERENCE Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Crusades a History (second edition) J. Allen & Emilie Amt, The Crusades: A Reader Thomas F. Madden, The Crusades: The Essential Readings

Slavik teen problem essays

Slavik teen problem essays Slavik teens are a big topic over TV and newspapers. They have been doing about every crime there could be done. Most of the Americans think that all people are the same and so they start disrespecting other slaviks. So, how do Russian and Ukrainian teens affect on reputation of Slaviks in California? Ill answer the question, but first some history of the Slaviks in America. The first Russians that came to America were fishermen that had known about the land for a long time. They have been told by the king to explore the land and build forts alongside the coast of California. Later on a ship came some soldiers to protect forts and some noblemen to govern the forts. During the Spanish expantion in the New World, the Spaniards decided that they dont need more neighbors. So, they decided to destroy the forts while there is not a lot. All but one (Fort Ross, off of highway 101) where destroyed. The first Ukrainians immigrated to America to run away from the Germans. About one fifth of all Ukrainian population dispersed to other countries to evade German ego. Ukrainians based in New York and mixed in with Russians eventually making one mix called Slaviks. And such the first slavik community was established, the first one in New York. Later to become the first mafia organization. During the Cold War not many slaviks came to America, they were all though as communist agents and spies. After the Cold War ended a big flow of immigrants came to America. People ran from the communist power and from Stalin horror. All the slaviks that came to America thought of it as a blessed land of beauty and fairness and money for all. Many of them were also Christian. This Christians based their lives to the word of God, and they taught their children the same, but not many of the children listened. Many of the teens dont listen to their parents and thats their number one problem, (Bruyako). I...

The Technology and History of the Atlatl Spear Thrower

The Technology and History of the Atlatl Spear Thrower An atlatl (pronounced atul-atul or aht-LAH-tul) is the name used primarily by American scholars for a spear thrower, a hunting tool that was invented at least as long ago as the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe. It may be much older. Spear throwers are a significant technological improvement on simply throwing or thrusting a spear, in terms of safety, speed, distance, and accuracy. Fast Facts: Atlatl The atlatl or spearthrower is a hunting technology which was invented at least 17,000 years ago by Upper Paleolithic humans in Europe.  Atlatls give additional velocity and thrust compared to spear-throwing, and they allow the hunter to stand farther away from the prey.  They are called atlatls, because thats what the Aztecs were calling them when the Spanish arrived. Unfortunately for the Spanish, the Europeans had forgotten how to use them. The American scientific name for the spearthrower is from the Aztec language, Nahuatl. The atlatl was recorded by Spanish conquistadors when they arrived in Mexico and discovered that the Aztec people had a stone weapon that could pierce metal armor. The term was first noted by the American anthropologist Zelia Nuttall [1857–1933], who wrote about Mesoamerican atlatls in 1891, based on drawn images and three surviving examples. Other terms in use around the globe include spear thrower, woomera (in Australia), and propulseur (in French). What is a Spearthrower? Atlatl Display, Gold Museum of Bogota, Colombia. Carl Ann Purcell / Getty Images An atlatl is a slightly curved piece of wood, ivory, or bone, measuring between 5 and 24 inches (13–61 centimeters) long and between 1–3 in (2–7 cm) wide. One end is hooked, and the hook fits into the nock end of a separate spear shaft, itself between 3 to 8 feet (1–2.5 meters) in length. The working end of the shaft may simply be sharpened  or be modified to include a pointed projectile point. Atlatls are often decorated or painted- the oldest ones we have are elaborately carved. In some American cases, banner stones, rocks carved into a bow-tie shape with a hole in the middle, were used on the spear shaft. Scholars have been unable to find that adding the weight of a banner stone does anything to the velocity or thrust of the operation. They have theorized that banner stones may have been thought to act as a flywheel, stabilizing the motion of the spear throwing, or that it was not used during the throw at all, but rather to balance the spear when the atlatl was at rest. How To... The motion used by the thrower is similar to that of an overhand baseball pitcher. The thrower holds the atlatl handle in the palm of her hand and pinches the dart shaft with her fingers. Balancing both behind her ear, she pauses, pointing with her opposite hand toward the target; and then, with a movement as if she were pitching a ball, she flings the shaft forward allowing it to slip out of her fingers as it flies towards the target. The atlatl stays level and the dart on target throughout the motion. As with baseball, the snap of the wrist at the end imparts much of the velocity, and the longer the atlatl, the longer the distance (although there is an upper limit). The speed of a properly flung 5 ft (1.5 m) spear equipped with a 1 ft (30 cm) atlatl is about 60 miles (80 kilometers) per hour; one researcher reported that he put an atlatl dart through his garage door on his first attempt. The maximum speed achieved by an experienced atlatlist is 35 meters per second or 78 mph. The technology of an atlatl is that of a lever, or rather a system of levers, which together combine and increase the force of the human overhand throw. The flipping motion of the throwers elbow and shoulder in effect adds a joint to the thrower’s arm. The proper use of the atlatl makes spear-assisted hunting an efficiently targeted and deadly experience. Earliest Atlatls The earliest secure information concerning atlatls comes from several caves in France dated to the Upper Paleolithic. Early atlatls in France are works of art, such as the fabulous example known as le faon aux oiseaux (Fawn with Birds), a 20 in (52 cm) long carved piece of reindeer bone decorated with a carved ibex and birds. This atlatl was recovered from the cave site of La Mas d’Azil, and was made between 15,300 and 13,300 years ago. Atlatl Spear Thrower, Carved as a Bison, La Madeleine, Dordogne Valley, France, ca 15,000 BP. Print Collector/Getty Images / Getty Images A 19 in (50 cm) long atlatl, found in the La Madeleine site in the Dordogne valley of France, has a handle carved as a hyena effigy; it was made about 13,000 years ago. The Canecaude cave site deposits dated to about 14,200 years ago contained a small atlatl (8 cm, or 3 in) carved in the shape of a mammoth. The very earliest atlatl found to date is a simple antler hook dated to the Solutrean period (about 17,500 years ago), recovered from the site of Combe Sauniere. Atlatls are necessarily carved from organic material, wood or bone, and so the technology may be much older than 17,000 years ago. The stone points used on a thrust or hand-thrown spear are larger and heavier than those used on an atlatl, but thats a relative measure and a sharpened end will work as well. Simply put, archaeologists do not know how old the technology is. Modern Atlatl Use The atlatl has lots of fans today. The World Atlatl Association sponsors the International Standard Accuracy Contest (ISAC), a competition of atlatl skill held in small venues all over the world; they hold workshops so if youd like to learn how to throw with an atlatl, thats where to start. The WAA keeps a list of world champions and ranking master atlatl throwers. The competitions have also been used along with controlled experiments to gather field data concerning the effect of the different elements of the atlatl process, such as the weight and shape of the projectile point used, the length of the shaft and the atlatl. A lively discussion can be found in the archives of the journal American Antiquity about whether you can safely identify whether a particular point was used in bow and arrow versus atlatl: the results are inconclusive. If you are a dog owner, you may have even used a modern spearthrower known as the â€Å"Chuckit. Study History Archaeologists began to recognize atlatls in the late 19th century. The anthropologist and adventurer Frank Cushing [1857–1900] made replicas and may have experimented with the technology; Zelia Nuttall wrote about Mesoamerican atlatls in 1891, and anthropologist Otis T. Mason [1838–1908] looked at Arctic spear throwers and noticed that they were similar to those described by Nuttall. More recently, studies by scholars such as John Whittaker and Brigid Grund have focused on the physics of atlatl throwing, and trying to parse out why people eventually adopted the bow and arrow. Sources Angelbeck, Bill, and Ian Cameron. The Faustian Bargain of Technological Change: Evaluating the Socioeconomic Effects of the Bow and Arrow Transition in the Coast Salish Past. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 36 (2014): 93–109. Print.Bingham, Paul M., Joanne Souza, and John H. Blitz. Introduction: Social Complexity and the Bow in the Prehistoric North American Record. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews 22.3 (2013): 81–88. Print.Cain, David I., and Elizabeth A. Sobel. Sticks with Stones: An Experimental Test of the Effects of the Atlatl Weight on Atlatl Mechanics. Ethnoarchaeology 7.2 (2015): 114–40. Print.Erlandson, Jon, Jack Watts, and Nicholas Jew. Darts, Arrows, and Archaeologists: Distinguishing Dart and Arrow Points in the Archaeological Record. American Antiquity 79.1 (2014): 162–69. Print.Grund, Brigid Sky. Behavioral Ecology, Technology, and the Organization of Labor: How a Shift from Spear Thrower to Self Bow Exacerbates Soc ial Disparities. American Anthropologist 119.1 (2017): 104–19. Print. Pettigrew, Devin B., et al. How Atlatl Darts Behave: Beveled Points and the Relevance of Controlled Experiments. American Antiquity 80.3 (2015): 590–601. Print.Walde, Dale. Concerning the Atlatl and the Bow: Further Observations Regarding Arrow and Dart Points in the Archaeological Record. American Antiquity 79.1 (2014): 156–61. Print.Whittaker, John C. Levers, Not Springs: How a Spearthrower Works and Why It Matters. Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Stone Age Weaponry. Eds. Iovita, Radu and Katsuhiro Sano. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2016. 65–74. Print.Whittaker, John C., Devin B. Pettigrew, and Ryan J. Grohsmeyer. Atlatl Dart Velocity: Accurate Measurements and Implications for Paleoindian and Archaic Archaeology. PaleoAmerica 3.2 (2017): 161–81. Print.

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Global Warming - Essay Example It was referred to carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, exhilarant gas, freon gas, etc. During the intergovernmental conference in Madrid in 1995 UN proclaimed global warming to be a scientific fact. Nevertheless, nowadays there is a big number of respectable scientists denying the threat of global warming and proving such a large-scale problem to be just a great mystification, or at least an exaggeration. The theory of global warming comes down to the opinion that the increase of concentration of carbon dioxide in the air would necessarily cause the atmospheric temperature rise, earth surface and water warming. The defenders of this theory consider anthropogenic factor to be its main peculiarity. A huge amount of factories, plants, automobiles inject carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which causes a number of cataclysms around the whole world. Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, tornados, and many other natural disasters may be considered as a consequence of global warming. The theory of global warming gained its worldwide notoriety on account of former vice president of the US Albert Gore. After the defeat at election in 2000, he directed his efforts to public activity connected with the investigations of global warming. In 2007 he was awarded with two Oscars for his film An Inconvenient Truth, illustrating previously unknown facts about global warming. This film turned to have a huge impact on the attitude towards this problem. Gore received a Nobel Prize for environmental protection and the research of climate change issue. His name turned to be a synonym of the protection of nature and global warming control. One more thing he managed to receive was the positive public image. Nevertheless, the theory of global warming has faced a lot of criticism. A great number of scientists deny the influence of CO2 on temperature. A famous American climatologist