How and Why Guinea Pigs Were Domesticated

How and Why Guinea Pigs Were Domesticated Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) are small rodents raised in the South American Andes mountains not as friendly pets, but primarily for dinner. Called cuys, they reproduce rapidly and have large litters. Today guinea pig feasts are connected with religious ceremonies throughout South America, including feasts associated with Christmas, Easter, Carnival, and Corpus Christi. Modern domesticated adult Andean guinea pigs range from eight to eleven inches long and weigh between one and two pounds. They live in harems, approximately one male to seven females. Litters are generally three to four pups, and sometimes as many as eight; the gestation period is three months. Their lifespan is between five and seven years. Domestication Date and Location Guinea pigs were domesticated from the wild cavy (most likely Cavia tschudii, although some scholars suggest Cavia aperea), found today in the western (C. tschudii) or central (C. aperea) Andes. Scholars believe that domestication occurred between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago, in the Andes. Changes identified as the effects of domestication are increased body size and litter size, changes in behavior and hair coloration. Cuys are naturally gray, domesticated cuys have multicolored or white hair. Keeping Guinea Pigs in the Andes Since both wild and domestic forms of guinea pigs can be studied in a laboratory, behavioral studies of the differences have been completed. Differences between wild and domestic guinea pigs are in some part behavioral and part physical. Wild cuys are smaller and more aggressive  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹and pay more attention to their local environment than domestic ones and wild male cuys do not tolerate each other and live in harems with one male and several females. Domestic guinea pigs are larger and more tolerant of multi-male groups, and exhibit increased levels of social grooming of one another and increased courtship behavior. In traditional Andean households, cuys were (and are) kept indoors but not always in cages; a high stone sill at the entrance of a room keeps cuys from escaping. Some households built special rooms or cubby holes for cuys, or more typically keep them in the kitchens. Most Andean households kept at least 20 cuys; at that level, using a balanced feeding system, Andean families could produce at least 12 pounds of meat per month without decreasing their flock. Guinea pigs were fed barley and kitchen scraps of vegetables, and the residue from making chicha (maize) beer. Cuys were valued in folk medicines and its entrails were used to divine human illness. Subcutaneous fat from the guinea pig was used as a general salve. Archaeology and the Guinea Pig The first archaeological evidence of the human use of guinea pigs dates to about 9,000 years ago. They may have been domesticated as early as 5,000 BC, probably in the Andes of Ecuador; archaeologists have recovered burned bones and bones with cut marks from midden deposits beginning about that time. By 2500 BC, at sites such as the Temple of the Crossed Hands at Kotosh and at Chavin de Huantar, cuy remains are associated with ritual behaviors. Cuy effigy pots were made by the Moche (circa AD 500-1000). Naturally mummified cuys have been recovered from the Nasca site of Cahuachi and the late prehispanic site of Lo Demas. A cache of 23 well-preserved individuals was discovered at Cahuachi; guinea pig pens were identified at the Chimu site of Chan Chan. Spanish chroniclers including Bernabe Cobo and Garcilaso de la Vega wrote about the role of the guinea pig in Incan diets and ritual. Becoming a Pet Guinea pigs were introduced into Europe during the sixteenth century, but as pets, rather than food. Remains of one guinea pig were recently discovered within excavations at the town of Mons, Belgium, representing the earliest archaeological identification of guinea pigs in Europeand similar in time to the 17th-century paintings which illustrate the creatures, such as the 1612 Garden of Eden by Jan Brueghel the Elder. The excavations at the site of a proposed parking lot revealed a living quarter which had been occupied beginning in medieval times. The remains include eight bones of a guinea pig, all found within a middle-class cellar and adjacent cesspit, radiocarbon dated between AD 1550-1640, shortly after the Spanish conquest of South America. The recovered bones included a complete skull and the right part of the pelvis, leading Pigià ¨re et al. (2012) to conclude that this pig was not eaten, but rather kept as a domestic animal and discarded as a complete carcass. Sources History of the Guinea Pig  from archaeologist Michael Forstadt. Asher, Matthias. Large males dominate: Ecology, social organization, and mating system of wild cavies, the ancestors of the guinea pig. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Tanja Lippmann, Jà ¶rg Thomas Epplen, et al., Research Gate, July 2008. Gade DW. 1967.  The Guinea Pig in Andean Folk Culture.  Geographical Review  57(2):213-224. Kà ¼nzl C, and Sachser N. 1999.  The Behavioral Endocrinology of Domestication: A Comparison between the Domestic Guinea Pig (Cavia apereaf.porcellus) and Its Wild Ancestor, the Cavy (Cavia aperea).  Hormones and Behavior  35(1):28-37. Morales E. 1994.  The Guinea Pig in the Andean Economy: From Household Animal to Market Commodity.  Latin American Research Review 29(3):129-142. Pigià ¨re F, Van Neer W, Ansieau C, and Denis M. 2012.  New archaeozoological evidence for the introduction of the guinea pig to Europe.  Journal of Archaeological Science  39(4):1020-1024. Rosenfeld SA. 2008.  Delicious guinea pigs: Seasonality studies and the use of fat in the pre-Columbian Andean diet.  Quaternary International  180(1):127-134. Sachser, Norbert. Of Domestic and Wild Guinea Pigs: Studies in Sociophysiology, Domestication, and Social Evolution. Naturwissenschaften, Volume 85, Issue 7, SpringerLink, July 1998. Sandweiss DH, and Wing ES. 1997.  Ritual Rodents: The Guinea Pigs of Chincha, Peru.  Journal of Field Archaeology  24(1):47-58. Simonetti JA, and Cornejo LE. 1991.  Archaeological Evidence of Rodent Consumption in Central Chile.  Latin American Antiquity  2(1):92-96. Spotorno AE, Marin JC, Manriquez G, Valladares JP, Rico E, and Rivas C. 2006.  Ancient and modern steps during the domestication of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus L.).  Journal of Zoology  270:57–62. Stahl PW. 2003.  Pre-columbian Andean animal domesticates at the edge of empire.  World Archaeology  34(3):470-483. Trillmich F, Kraus C, Kà ¼nkele J, Asher M, Clara M, Dekomien G, Epplen JT, Saralegui A, and Sachser N. 2004. Species-level differentiation of two cryptic species pairs of wild cavies, genera Cavia and Galea, with a discussion of the relationship between social systems and phylogeny in the Caviinae.  Canadian Journal of Zoology  82:516-524.

Winston Churchill and Hitler Compare and Contrast essays

Winston Churchill and Hitler Compare and Contrast essays When the human mind sees the world falling apart and the greatest of threats looming on the horizon, they begin searching for someone to place their trust in. They want someone who can give them answers, someone who can direct their fear and anger in to sometimes but not always irrational zeal. Throughout human histories tribulations and hardships the rise of many intellectuals, heros and sometimes-infamous figures have been witnessed. They are most recognized for their taming and persuasion of the masses. One of histories greatest hardships is the chaos of war. World War II is well known as one of the greatest wars in human history. World War II was the birthplace of many heros as well as infamous men and women. When you look at the opposite poles of this spectrum you can see that they are different in many ways, but upon closer- scrutiny remarkable similarities can be found upon which you may find complicates your views and thoughts on perspective as well as human rationality. Many believe the two greatest demonstrations of leadership during World War II were Winston Churchill and Adolph Hitler, both great men in their own right, rising from the ashes of broken peoples to gain influence and control in an otherwise chaotic and turbulent time. Winston Churchill, although an unpopular right wing politician in the English parliament, soon found himself rising in power during the turbulent years of the mid 30s. He often delivered speechs protesting the evils of fascism and totalitarian societies. As World War II erupted, Churchill gave powerful speechs, filled with nationalistic pride and the defense of freedom. Churchill was a strong advocate of going to war with the Germans throughout the late 30s. Once war broke out, the people of Britain harbored sometimes irrational but well placed hate towards the Germans. The people of Britain saw amongst chaos death and constant rocket and bomb a ...

Regulating Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Regulating Prostitution - Essay Example Stakeholders in Prostitution Prostitution in simple terms involves the sale of sex by an individual for commercial purposes (Bovard para 8). Prostitutes mainly depend on the sale of sex for their daily provisions. Their clients on the other hand provide the sex workers with cash as they pay for the services that they enjoy in the process. Yet another stakeholder in the prostitution circle is the prostitutes’ family members and the families of their clients. The government comes in the scene mainly as a regulator in the event that the activity is legal. Arguments against the Regulation of Prostitution Although prostitution has been legalized in some countries such as Netherlands, England and Scotland, there have been problems in creating new laws and keeping up with the regulations that pertain to its operations (Tigtog para 2). The laws or measures have proved to be a challenge to both the government and the individuals engaged in the activity. Following the inability of the g overnments to regulate the act properly, questions have been raised as to whether it should be regulated (Munro and Giusta 15). Many quarters have argued for the legalization and regulation of prostitution based on the premise that the trade is more like other professions and deserves a fair share of respect, respect and dignity. Its regulation therefore would ensure that prostitutes and all stakeholders in the industry somehow benefit, the government included through taxes. However, this argument goes beyond moral argument as professed by various religious beliefs. Most faiths believe that prostitution in any sense is immoral and therefore should neither be legalized or regulated. Also, in as much as prostitution is legal in some countries, there are still those who work under the table so that they do not lose money through taxation (Munro and Giusta 20). Therefore, it is certain that legalizing and regulating prostitution will not bring as much economic benefits as many may think . Yet another argument for the regulation of prostitution is with respect to health. It is argued by some quarters that when regulated, the chances of reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS will be reduced. However, this may never be the case since in many jurisdictions cases of sexually transmitted diseases have continued to rise in spite of regulation. Furthermore, the idea that there will be a health clinic that would ensure that the safety and optimal health of legal prostitutes is protected or maintained may not be achievable and reliable (Munro and Giusta 24). It takes about six months for STDs to show on upon screening an infected person. Beyond doubt, very few prostitutes, if any, will lie low for six months after every screening before serving another client to make quick money. The main aim of prostitution is to make more money and if the government regulates its operations then the amount of money made by each prostitute would reduce as the pr ostitutes will have to pay taxes. With reduced earnings, the prostitutes will therefore engage themselves in other illegal activities such as drug abuse and violence hence increasing the rate of crime in a given country or community. Furthermore, the idea that diseases may not be spread if prostitution is regulated is not assured. In case prostitution was to be legalized and regulated, there would be a greater demand for prostitutes

History The World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

History The World - Essay Example The establishment of schools and colleges  also played a role in the education of both the Han people and the Islam. The Arab world where Islam started was the originators of the numerical system that is in use in the contemporary world. The art and architecture practiced in these two regions were a way of expressing their religious feeling to a higher authority. Evidently, the Han people just like the Islam used architectural knowledge that was being taught in learning centers to teach people how they were going to express their religious believes to a given authority. Further, the use of art and literature was also area of emphasis in the two religious groups as they used different artistic expressions and literature to teach each other about their faith and practices. The Islamic world has used different forms of art and literature to conserve and teach people about the religious practices that believed to hold the people together. The ground of controversy which can be identified among the Han dynasty is the large number of spirits that they offered sacrifices to. Whereas the Islamic religion offered sacrifices also, it did not have as much spirits as the Han dynasty. Further, the belief in deity among the Han people was lowered to the emperor who was in some cases revered and worshipped just if he were a

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen Essay Example for Free

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen Essay Henrik Ibsen writes realistically, meaning that he writes in a way which is relatable and constant to the time period and characters. He doesnt get overly dramatic. There are multiple themes in Hedda Gabler such as Manipulation, Wealth, Reputation, and Death. Since it is a play, it does not have a point of view. Summary Hedda Gabler is a play that takes place entirely in the living room and another room off to the side in the fashionable side of Christiana, Norway, in 1890 or earlier. The newlywed couple of Jurgen and Hedda Tesman come back from their 6 month honeymoon and wake to find that Jurgan Tesmans aunt Julle has come for a visit. This scene establishes Heddas disinterest in Tesman, as she is rude to his aunt and him. A woman named Mrs. Elvested arrives and informs the crowd that Tesmans rival, Ejlert, is back in town and she is concerned that being back in town will cause him to fall back into old alcoholic habits. Later, Judge Brack arrives and brings gossip from the town. He tells Tesman that Ejlert is a candidate for the professor position that he wants stirring up worry between Tesman and Hedda. Judge Brack and Hedda have a private conversation and decide to become confidants and Hedda confesses that she is bored with Tesman and unpleased with the house he bought her. Tesman arrives back and drinks with Brack while Hedda and Ejlert make conversation. Hedda is bored and decides to pit Ejlert and Mrs. Elvested against each other, causing Ejlert to start drinking again and upset Mrs. Elvested. Tesman, Brack, and Ejlert leave for a party that Brack is throwing. Mrs. Elvested is concerned but Ejlert promises to return to escort her home. Mrs. Elvested goes in another room to sleep when Tesman comes home. He announces to Hedda that he has Ejlerts manuscript that he dropped when he was walking home and he intends to return in. Brack arrives and informs them that Ejlert got arrested. Brack leaves and then Ejlert gets there and tells Mrs. Elvested that he destroyed the manuscript, unaware that Tesman is in possession of it. He later confesses to Hedda that he lost it and is now suicidal. Hedda gives him a pistol and tells him to die beautifully. She burns his manuscript. Act four begins with everyone dressed in black for Tesmans Aunt Rinas death. Mrs. Elvested arrives and tells everyone that Ejlert is in the hospital. Then, Brack arrives and tells them that he is dead, a gunshot wound to the chest. Tesman and Mrs. Elvested try to reconstruct Ejlerts manuscript and Brack tells Hedda that his death was messy and an accident. He also tells her that scandal will probably befall her. She goes into a side room and plays the piano for a bit before shooting herself. Conflict, Climax, Resolution The conflicts in the story are that Mrs. Elvsted is distraught and has left her husband, Ejlert could start drinking again, the Judge wants Hedda in one way or another, and Tesman has to compete for his professorship. The climax is when Hedda burns Ejlert’s manuscript and then aides in his suicide. The denouement is when the judge explains everything and Mrs. Elvested and Tesman work on reconstructing the manuscript. Character Analysis Hedda Gabler is the antagonist of the story, causing most of the conflicts. She was raised in a wealthy family and when she married Tesman she had to accommodate to much less fortune than she is used to. She is manipulative and cruel to most of the characters in the play. Jurgan Tesman is Hedda’s husband. Although he is vastly intelligent, he is oblivious to her cruelty. He tries very hard to please her and went to great lengths to buy her a house a support her and provide everything she needs. He was raised by his Aunt Julle. Judge Brack is essential to the story because he is Hedda’s closest confidant. He also brings news to the story; he serves as sort of a gossip source. He visits the Tesman residence often, as he is close with both Tesman and Hedda. Ejlert Lovberg is Tesman’s long-time academic rival. He is Tesman’s only competitor for a professorship. He is back in town and has a published novel with good reviews. He also has a manuscript for another novel. He once shared a close relationship with Hedda. Mrs. Elvested hired Ejlert as a tutor for her children but grew attached and now acts as his assistant/secretary and travels with him for his writing. She is concerned about his drinking problem. Mrs. Elvested also went to school with Hedda where she was bullied by her.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Essay -- Science Energy Power Papers

Hydrogen Fuel Cell The Hydrogen Fuel Cell could revolutionize the world. This ingenious technology, which creates electricity from the chemical reactions of hydrogen and oxygen has, in its 150-year history, passed many of the critical tests along the path from invention to innovation. Recent developments in fuel cell technology and concurrent developments within the energy and automotive industries have brought the world to brink of the fuel cell age and the hydrogen economy. The future is, however, inherently murky. Fuel cells still face significant technological, political and economic hurdles before they can realize their truly awesome potential. An examination of these hurdles, set to the backdrop of an explanation of the current state of the art in fuel cell technology and the current and developing economic and regulatory landscape, will provide insights into much touted future of the fuel cell. In the near future, the fuel cell will come to play a much more prominent role in the world energy economy. The extent to which this innovation will revolutionize the world will depend on any number of technological, economic and political factors. In order to understand the potential impact and resulting policy implications of the fuel cell, it is first necessary to explain the technology of the fuel cell. The fuel cell utilizes the chemical properties of hydrogen to produce an electrical current. "...[T]hey produce an electric current by intercepting the electrons that flow from one reactant to the other in an electrochemical reaction."1 Fuel cells require only a fuel containing hydrogen and oxygen, usually from atmospheric air, to produce electricity. A fuel cell that utilizes pure hydrogen produces this electricity le... ... Tax leads to burial at sea," New Scientist, 3 August 1996. "English Conference of the Parties," Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change." http://www.cnn.com/SPECICALS/1997/global.warming/stories/treat/index4.html "Cleaner Energy," The Economist. 18 April 1998. p17. Ibid. Ibid. "Climate Change Information Sheet 24," UNFCCC Climate Change Information Kit. http://www.unfccc.de/resource/iuckit/fact24.html "Emission Summary for CO2 in United States of America," United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change. 11/18/99. http://www.unfccc.de The Economist. 18 April 1998. New Scientist, 3 August 1996. "Fill'er Up: With Hydrogen," Reuters, 16 August, 1999. Available on Wired News, http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,21293,00.html. "Fuel cells meet big business," The Economist. 24 July 1999. Ibid Ibid

Napoleon’s Buttons

The motivation behind each endeavors goals could have been the use for good, wealth, money, or prosperity. The chemistry of the compound is related to their usage and motive for obtaining them because molecules can control the trade and use of one specific area of the world. Some major molecules that were valued are phenol, Suppression, silk, cellulose, and glucose. Phenols were used as antiseptics during surgery to prevent cuts and wounds from getting infected. Suppression, which is rubber, has been made into countless everyday items that we use to this day.Silk is one of the most valued fabrics in the world. Silk is very hard to harvest and it is expensive. Cellulose is the main component of cotton. Cotton is cheap and most of our clothes are made out of it today but it has fueled slavery for most of the 18th and 19th centuries. Glucose is our everyday sweetener that is always at hand but this has also been a product of slavery during the same time period of cotton. All of these mo lecules have been valued at some point or another. Each molecule here has been a product of someone's endeavor to gain some sort of goal. . Serendipity Is the occurrence and development of events by chance In a happy or beneficial way. A decent majority of chemical discoveries are serendipitous, either by means of trying to create artificial chemicals, failing and creating something accidental, or just by plain dumb luck. Most of the discoveries and expansions of intro compounds has to do with luck. One account of pure randomness is when Christian Frederica Such ¶been spilled a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid on his wife's apron.When he hung it to dry, he had converted the cellulose in the apron as an internal source of oxygen; when heated, it exploded. Phenols also had a high probability in chance. Joseph Leister covered a clothe in phenols as an antiseptic which worked almost every time in use. This led to the cleanliness for germ-free techniques In surgery. Suppression , or rubber, Is another discovery with luck by Its side. If a Christopher Columbus hadn't gone to the new world and brought back rubber a lot of our everyday Items wouldn't exist.Charles Macintosh also discovered a waste product from a local gas works that could convert rubber into a fabric. This fabric is a very useful item in our lives, for its waterproof qualities. Wonder drugs have come a long way in past couple of centuries, from herbs to pills. Without these painkillers, many would have suffered or even died. Chlorination compounds have kept our food fresh and spoil free for decades. CIFS have refrigerated items across oceans and continents and kept them from rotting, which could have been detrimental to sailors in the 19th century.All of these chemical discoveries had some type of serendipitous involvement in our world for good and beneficial reasons. 3. â€Å"With great power comes great responsibility. † In some cases, the men In charge began to neglect their moral p ower of the Industry. During the process of making silk In the early 20th century, the corporations used child labor. The children could get in places could not, sanitary or unsanitary. The children got very little or no infectious diseases and had deformed backs.Today in the world, Japanese corporations treat their workers the same: low pay and poor working conditions. Slavery was another big issue once the trading of sugar began. When sugar plantations began in the new world, we enslaved innocent Africans to work on the plantations. The slaves had to work from the break of dawn till the sun set. Slaves were beat if they didn't obey the master's rules and they poor living conditions. Today in Africa children are tricked into being enslaved to work on cocoa plantations just as slaves did two hundred years ago.

Varying representations, interpretations of and attitudes towards death

Murderous, entrenched, complex – the Northern Ireland conflict seems to defy rational discourse. But from the contradictions and tensions has sprung some remarkable art, not least the poetry of the Troubles, now widely recognised as among the most vibrant contemporary writing in the English language. Through the six poems mentioned the theme of death is very prominent. We start with â€Å"Tollund Man† and â€Å"Grauballe Man†. In these two poems Heaney portrays the deaths as a tragedy, but opposed to his other poems, he refers hear mainly to the physical appearance of the bodies. In â€Å"Tollund Man† he starts the poem with a very vivid, striking description of the body, and expresses his desired pilgrimage. Heaney focus' mainly on the period after death in this poem and describes how its miraculous preservation has made it seem to become one with the earth â€Å"she tightened her torc on him†. Heaney seems in awe of the ‘corpse', which after death the body has taken on a Christ like appearance â€Å"I could risk blasphemy†. This death does not have any direct relation, as such, to Heaney, and therefore does not have the same sort of heartfelt mourning. None the less Heaney still seems to care greatly for this Bog body and elaborates on the condition in which the body was found. He uses these details to create himself his own story of their life leading up to their gruesome murder. In the last section of this poem Heaney refers to the â€Å"sad freedom† that comes with death, and how now he will be grouped as a statistic wit h Bog bodies found in the various other locations. The Tollund Man now has his freedom, but at a high price. Heaney finishes with a personal reference to his own sadness: â€Å"I will feel lost, unhappy, and at home† Here he is referring (as he does in a number of his poems) to the violence in Northern Ireland, to demonstrate how he has become accustomed to death. Similarly in â€Å"Grauballe Man† Heaney describes the body as if it has become one with the earth. As with many poets Heaney agrees that there is a fine line between sleep and death. Here the Grauballe Man: â€Å"Lies on a pillow of turf and seems to weep† Heaney personifies the lifeless body, describing him as if asleep he continues this and lets the bodies take on other animal qualities â€Å"his spine an eel arrested† but he maintains its peaceful image. Again here he uses vivid imagery â€Å"the vent of his of his slashed throat that has tanned and toughened† to convey the way in which this almost angelic body lays. He does not want to refer to the body as a corpse and he asks the rhetorical question â€Å"Who will say ‘corpse' to his vivid cast?† Similarly to the Tollund man given the body a more holy image than simply a rotting corpse. By the end of the poem Heaney has become familiar to the body and answers to himself his rhetorical question. Heaney draws up the conclusion that there is a fine line between beauty and atrocity. He uses blunt, monosyllabic word sounds such as slash[ed] and dump[ed] to represent the harsh reality of the world and what man has turned it into. Being used to death is something that has influenced a lot of Heaney's poems. This is an incredibly sad poem. The mood is set almost immediately in the second line: Counting bells knelling classes to a close. Notice how Heaney uses assonance and alliteration to emphasise the funereal sound of the bells and the feeling of time dragging. The stanza begins with the â€Å"morning† in line one but it is two o'clock in line three showing that hours have passed in waiting. The second stanza begins with the image of Heaney's father â€Å"crying†. Having come across Heaney's father in poems such as Follower in which he appears to be a strong man of few words, this contrary picture evokes powerful emotion in the reader. Heaney skilfully takes the reader with him as he enters the house through the porch – we meet his father, â€Å"Big Jim Evans†, the baby in its pram, the old men congregated in the room and finally Heaney's mother coughing out â€Å"angry tearless s ighs†. Lines 14-15 again show Heaney using assonance, this time in his repetition of the short â€Å"a† – â€Å"At†, â€Å"ambulance†, â€Å"arrived†, â€Å"stanched†, â€Å"and†, â€Å"bandaged† – emphasising the stopping short of blood and life. We learn in the sixth stanza that Heaney hadn't seen his brother for six weeks having been â€Å"Away at school†. The words â€Å"Paler now†, hang at the end of the stanza causing a sad pause before the sentence continues and describes how little changed in appearance the boy is in death, the difference being his paler complexion and â€Å"poppy bruise†. The final line stands out on its own. Almost every word is emphasised so that the reader must take in the line's message and the shock and deep grief that the family must have felt. There is an element of shock for the reader reading it for the first time also, when they discover who has died and that he was a mere four years old. Again in Funeral Rites it is a person close to Heaney who has died. In this poem Heaney describes him self as being very close to the deceased, playing the part of the pallbearer, he uses here a double entendre as he â€Å"shoulders a kind of manhood† as he is only a child. As in â€Å"The Tollund Man† and â€Å"The Grauballe Man† Heaney begins with a vivid description of the body with its â€Å"dough white hands† and â€Å"igloo brows†. Heaney uses phrases such as the black glacier of each funeral pushed away† to demonstrate how darkness is synonymous with death. In the second section of this poem, Heaney also concentrates on the period straight after death as in â€Å"Mid-Term Break†. However here he focuses on the funeral procession linking it again with the violence in Northern Ireland: â€Å"Now as news comes in of each neighbourly murder we pine for ceremony, customary rhythms:† Heaney shows he has become accustomed to death and how the formalities after death are simply for show. Heaney, once again, creates a solemn atmosphere in the second section describing the slow moving procession paying their ‘respect'. He personifies the funeral procession as it â€Å"drags its tail† morbidly through the streets and side roads of Ireland. In the last section Heaney brings together the themes of his own childhood experience of death, deaths in the north at present and the death of Gunnar, a Viking hero â€Å"dead by violence and unavenged†. This demonstrates the futile waste of life conflict has caused over many centuries, and sending a powerful message to the reader. In the poem â€Å"Limbo† Heaney touches on the controversial subject of Religion. Heaney casually introduces the subject of the poem, with a newspaper style headline: â€Å"Fishermen at Ballyshannon Netted an infant last night Along with the salmon† He tags on the end of the first to line†-along with the salmon† making it sound as if it is nothing out of the ordinary. Following this he concentrates on the actual death of the bastard baby, murdered by his own mother for the sake of religious beliefs. Heaney describes how the baby was rejected by its mother and discarded, although not without feeling: â€Å"He was a minnow with hooks Tearing her open.† This shows how strong some peoples convictions really are, and how they are prepared to die, or to kill for them. He uses vivid imagery and descriptive language to try and out across the pain, emotion, and brutality of the situation. The mother has to choose her baby or her religion, and being a strict Christian chooses Catholicism and drowns her own child ironically in contrast with the teachings of the bible. He ands mentioning the place where the body of the child now lays, in â€Å"some far briny zone† where the water is too harsh â€Å"Even Christ's palms, unhealed, Smart and cannot fish there.† The last poem, Casualty, is more of a story than the others are. It describes an elderly man who is a local customer at a bar in Ireland. He is fond of a drink but is able to control him self and maintain dignity. He is content to sit at a bar and watch life go by him. Out of respect he attempts to speak of poetry, but is clearly not at ease with this, so Heaney changes the subject. Although he is â€Å"laconic† he has a great presence, but his confidence eventually leads to his downfall, and this is how Heaney builds up emotion in the reader. He presents a figure that he describes in great detail and becomes attached to. This man does not think he should have to obey a curfew and is killed out on the street. Heaney describes how graffiti on the wall compares lives to goals in a football match. Heaney demonstrates his emotion in the harsh situation, and provokes emotion in the reader by creating a very solemn mood. In the second section Heaney moves on from this particular case to the general brutality in the Ireland conflict. He uses phrases such as â€Å"coffin after coffin† and â€Å"common funeral† to demonstrate how, tragically, death and violence have become an accepted part of life. Heaney then goes back to the solemn story of the man from the bar, who was simply carrying out his usual routine. He did not think he should be confined to his home for someone else's evils. This shows how the killings were not discriminate and he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Heaney then goes on to say how he did not attend the funeral, but instead reminisces on his times spent with the man. Heaney seems to find falsehood in funerals, and would prefer to sit in isolation and think back to the time when he â€Å"tasted freedom with him†. Now the man is free and has no longer to face the arduous tasks of life, or the cruelty of man. Throughout Heaney's poems he expresses his distaste of mans cruelty towards their own species. Heaney expresses his views on the futility of violence with inspiring confidence. In each of his poems he manages to use many different literary devices and provokes thought and emotion in the reader. His language is poignant and yet not aggressive and at the same time he is presenting a very valid set of arguments.

The Social and Economic Effects of Volcanic Eruptions Research Paper Example

The Social and Economic Effects of Volcanic Eruptions Research Paper Example The Social and Economic Effects of Volcanic Eruptions Paper The Social and Economic Effects of Volcanic Eruptions Paper Essay Topic: Sociology Although there are many hazards on a physical geographic scale associated with volcanic eruptions, it is important not to neglect the havoc which also engulfs the social and economic world. Both social and economic effects occur on a spatial and temporal scale causing significant repercussions in a regional, national and even a global context. It is not only the initial eruption but the continuous secondary hazards, such as, lahars, pyroclastic flows and tsunamis that have the major impact on economic and social structures. It is these factors that are responsible for the great social losses in the sense of belonging and society, the human loss of life and the huge economic losses incurred from damaged infrastructures, business interactions and the general cost of re-building. It is therefore ironic that these great economic and social impacts often affect the most vulnerable people in the world. Global Economic Pressures The pattern of financial interactions between the industrialised North and Third World has significantly changed in the light of decolonisation. Demand in both agricultural and mineral exports dependant to many Third World countries has steadily declined, whereas imports have maintained high price rates, often leading countries to incur significant foreign debts. For example, Africa debt servicing amounts to approximately 40-50% of export earnings (ROAPE, 1990). Outcomes to such economic crisis and pressures has resulted in, on one hand, the intensification of natural resource exportation leading to further forestry and soil degradation, thus increasing natural disaster vulnerability (Tierney, 1992). On the other hand, reduction in public spending results in inadequate facilities; education, hospital welfare and safe infrastructures which are able to cope with natural disasters. Increase in vulnerability of a significant proportion of the urban population to natural disasters. This results from the fact that property owners faced with such high mortgage interest rates simply ignore maintenance. (Ford, 1987) Social Aspects vulnerability to hazard warnings Although there have been several successful evacuations through effective warning schemes, e.g., Mt Pinatubo, Mt Etna, a number of serious social negative effects may also result. Within these areas many sick and elderly people died due to the communal camp living conditions present in the evacuation areas. Cyclonic rainfall compounded volcanic ash falls exacerbating the unhealthy living conditions. In other cases panic evacuation along with the threat of blighted property and falling price values also affect the social matrix of the target area. Consequently, the risk of legal action can even make prediction in such areas politically unacceptable. It has often been argued that mass and total evacuation could constitute a disaster with a greater impact than that of a natural phenomenon. It has been stated that traffic problems and accidents could occur on a Herculean scale, crime and looting, great economic loss and an acute difficulty in maintaining public services on a regional and national basis could occur in addition to the increased risk to public health. In particular risks to public health would typically affect the displaced population, often through inadequate sanitation, the psychiatric stress of uncertainty and anxiety. Consequently great social and economic problems are often incurred. This is often exacerbated in evacuation situations and when predictions are subsequently wrong. For example, in 1976 73000 people were evacuated from the Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles. They remained displaced for a three and a half month period resulting in huge economic losses and great social strain on both the population and government. The volcano never erupted with only minor activity observed (Blong, 1984). In contrast, the products from volcanic eruptions can be highly beneficial to society (fertile soils). In 1992, Cerro Negro erupted near Leon in Nicaragua. A thick layer of ash was subsequently deposited giving rise to economic concerns involving agricultural practices. However, within 10 months farmers were reaping the benefits of bumper harvests (Baxter, 1993). Such benefits consequently constitute an extremely powerful social and economic force. In fact it has been suggested that people inhabiting these high-risk zones for such natural benefits are gamblers by nature. Policy Response and Mitigation On a positive note volcanic disasters can be used to change unjust social and economic structures. Popular development organisations can capitalise on a disaster event to challenge and possibly change vulnerable, unjust political, social and economic structures; Disasters will often set up a dynamic in which social structures can be overturned, and relief and rehabilitation judiciously applied can help change the status quo; while projects will be the models will be the models in micro-cosm that can be used to demonstrate to government the possibilities of a variety of ways of working. (Holloway, 1989) Secondly, Andersons and Woodrows (1989) notion of rising from the ashes depicts the strengthening of local institutions and the increased capability of families to reduce their own vulnerability. Is just as much a product of socio-economic factors as technical ones. The best hope for a communities recovery in a disaster is to have a history of strong organisation; it is to this end that local institutions must direct their efforts. (Dudley, 1988) Thirdly, disasters provide an opportunity to develop effective risk assessment with good cost-benefit arguments for protective measures. For example, In La Paz, Bolivia the World Bank has been offering encouragement to the Local Authorities. They calculated that disaster prevention would cost approximately US$ 500 000 in 1987 and a total of US$2.5 million (US$2.50 per capita) was needed. This amount in cost alone is greatly exceeded by annual losses incurred through natural disasters (estimated as being US$8 per capita). Therefore with this minimal level of funding, disaster mitigation could be both affordable and cost-effective to La-Pazs needs (Plessis-Fraissard, 1989) In conclusion, the impact of volcanic eruptions will only be minimised when decision-makers become more educated and aware that there is no such thigh as a natural disaster; at most, there is a conjuncture of certain physical happenings and certain social happenings.

What to Read in March

What to Read in March Not sure what to read this month? Try these suggestions based on   authors born in the month of March! Robert Lowell (March 1, 1917-September 12, 1977): Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet who inspired the confessional style of other poets such as Sylvia Plath. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and was a United States Poet Laureate. His own personal history and his family and friendships were important subjects in his poetry. Recommended: Life Studies (1959). Ralph Ellison: (March 1, 1914- April 16, 1994): Ralph Waldo Ellison was an American literary critic, scholar, and novelist. He won the National Book Award in 1953 served on The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Recommended: Invisible Man (1952). Elizabeth Barrett Browning: (March 6, 1806- June 29, 1861): Elizabeth Barrett was an important English Romantic poet. Many do not know that Brownings family was part-Creole and spent much time in Jamaica, where they owned sugar plantations (kept by slave labor). Elizabeth herself was highly educated and was vehemently opposed to slavery. Her later works are dominated by political and social themes. She met and married the poet Robert Browning after a long epistolary relationship. Recommended: Poems (1844) Garbriel Garcà ­a Mrquez (March 6, 1928-April 17, 2014): Gabriel Josà © de la Concordia Garcà ­a Mrquez was a Colombian author of plays, short stories, and novels. He is considered one of the most important writers of the twentieth-century, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Garcia Marquez was also a journalist who criticized national and international politics, but he is best known for his fiction and magical realism. Recommended: One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967). Jack Kerouac: (March 12, 1922- October 21, 1969): Kerouac was a pioneering member of the 1950s Beat Generation. He originally went to college on a football scholarship, but upon moving to New York City he discovered Jazz and the Harlem scene, which would change his life, and the American literary landscape, forever.   Recommended: On the Road (1957). Louis L’Amour (March 22, 1908-June 10, 1988): Louis Dearborn grew up in North Dakota during the sunset years of the American frontier. His interactions with traveling cowboys, the great Northern Pacific Railroad, and the world of cattle ranching would shape his later fiction, as would the stories of his grandfather, who fought in civil and Indian wars. Recommended: The Daybreakers (1960). Flannery O’Connor (March 25, 1925-August 3, 1964): Mary Flannery  OConnor was an American writer. She flourished in the essay, short story and novel genres and was also a significant contributor to literary reviews and commentaries. Greatly inspired by her Roman Catholicism, her works often explored major themes of ethics and morality. She is one of the greatest Southern writers in American literature. Recommended: A Good Man Is Hard to Find (1955). Tennessee Williams: (March 26, 1911- February 25, 1983): Thomas Lanier Williams III is one of Americas greatest playwrights and an important presence in the history of homosexual writers. His works are heavily inspired by his own life, especially is unhappy family history. He had a great string of successful plays in the late 1940s, before shifting to a more experimental style which was not as well-received by audiences. Recommended: Suddenly, Last Summer (1958). Robert Frost: (March 26, 1874- Jauary 29, 1963): Robert Frost, perhaps Americas greatest and most successful poet, first explored a variety of careers, such as cobbler, editor, and teacher, before publishing his first poem (My Butterfly) in 1894. Frost spent some time living in England during the early 1900s, where he met such talents as Robert Graves and Ezra Pound. These experiences had a profound influence on his work. Recommended: North of Boston (1914). Anna Sewell (March 30, 1820- April 25, 1878): Anna Sewell is an English novelist, born into a Quaker family. When she was a girl, she severely injured both of her ankles, which confined her to crutches and limited walking for the rest of her life. Recommended: Black Beauty (1877). Other Notable Classic Writers Born in March: Theodore Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss (March 2, 1904-September 24, 1991)Tom Wolfe (March 2, 1931-  Ã‚  Ã‚   )Douglas Adams (March 11, 1952-May 11, 2001) Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879-April 18, 1955)John Updike (March 18, 1932-January 27, 2009)Philip Roth (March 19, 1933-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   )Lawrence Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ) Gloria Steinem (March 25, 1934-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   )John Fowles (March 31, 1926-November 5, 2005)

Military Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Military Strategy - Essay Example In the case of the War on Terror by the United States and its allies, non-state actors refer to organisations actively pursuing or having war with the United States. There are a number of these organisations which involve themselves in terrorism in trying to attain their objectives, for example Hezbollah and al-Qaeda. These two are called non-state actors because they are organisations whose aims are far higher than the aims of normally recognized nation-states. And they pursue their goals through terrorism like suicide bombings, sabotage and all sorts of creating panic and fear against their enemies. In the current controversy over Iran’s nuclear programme in which Iran categorically denies that it is building nuclear weapons, various scenarios can happen. As a deterrent, the United States wants to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Now Iran is trying to close the Strait of Hormuz, to block the flow of commerce in the region. But when the United States stops Iranâ€⠄¢s blockage of this important sea channel, it can push through and go as far as bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities. As the US bombs Iran, Iran will instruct Hezbollah to conduct suicide bombing against Israel but US bombing will force Iran to stop Hezbollah from retaliating. Hezbollah, a militant organisation whose aims are for the advancement of the Palestinian people who are living along the Gaza Strip in Israel, may or may not provoke Israel. This is because Iran can stop it to continue attacking Israel through suicide bombing while at the same time convincing the US to stop the bombing. But it is a different story with Hezbollah in the field of battle. Hezbollah can be deterred only when it concerns the Palestinians. On the other hand, if groups like the al Qaeda were given the chance to possess nuclear weapons, they won’t hesitate to use these weapons against America or the United Kingdom, and Israel. Terrorist groups may not anymore be content of killing thousand s of Americans or the enemies they call ‘infidels’, but millions, and they use the Quran to justify their murderous desire. Deterrence is the only way wherein the United States and its allies can stop these terrorists. And deterrence means looking after every terrorist ‘cell’, which is just waiting for the right time to move and pull the trigger. Iran and other terrorist groups have long desired to manufacture nuclear weapons. The only way this can be stopped is through deterrent actions. Al-Qaeda has been stopped – at least temporarily – with the killing of their leader Osama bin Laden. An example of deterrent is denying rights to suspected terrorists. Rosenberg cites an instance wherein Homeland Security denied suspected terrorists entry into the U.S. and that action actually saved lives. There was this guy who was stopped from entering the U.S. border because an agent didn’t feel that he was legitimate. The U.S. Homeland Security fou nd, two years later, that he was a suicide bomber. His hands were found attached to the steering wheel after a suicide truck bombing in Iraq. The U.S. authorities in Iraq took the fingerprints from those hands and ran them through the Homeland Security database to see who he was. They identified the man and confirmed that he had tried to enter U.S. territories but had been refused (Rosenberg 137). 2. War Termination   It s said that when a war ends, there are no victors, only losers. The metaphor to this saying is that both sides are

Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Environment - Essay Example From this study, it was found out that biosciences are a sector that employs more than 425,316 people. This is so good because the income generated by these people can be useful in helping the economy in many ways. Apart from improving their purchasing power, they contribute taxes to the government. The other contribution of biodiversity is that it provides useful resources that are used in the economy. For example, plants act as chief sources of medicine used in the treatment of illnesses. A healthy population is pillar to economic growth. Through medical research, life can be made so better because solution can be sought for all the illnesses facing the people of Indiana. Ecological system and biodiversity help in promoting the well being of the Indianans in that it can help in sustainable economic growth and the conservation of available resources for the sake of future generations. This is necessary for economic growth and stability of the state. Once the ecosystem can be sustained and sparingly utilized, no resources can be depleted as they will always be available in the