A Brief History of Writing

A Brief History of Writing The history of writing instruments, which humans have used to record and convey  thoughts, feelings and grocery lists is, in some ways, the history of civilization itself. It is through the drawings, signs, and words weve recorded that weve come to understand the story of our species.   Some of the first tools used by early humans were the hunting club and the handy sharpened-stone. The latter, initially used as an all-purpose skinning and killing tool, was later adapted into the first writing instrument. Cavemen scratched pictures with the sharpened-stone tool onto the walls of  cave dwellings. These drawings represented events in daily life such as the planting of crops or hunting victories. With time, the record-keepers developed systematized symbols from their drawings. These symbols represented words and sentences, but were easier and faster to draw. Over time, these symbols became shared and universalized among small, groups and later, across different groups and tribes as well. It was the discovery of clay that made portable records possible. Early merchants used clay tokens with pictographs to record the quantities of materials traded or shipped. These tokens date back to about 8500 B.C. With the high volume of and the repetition inherent in record keeping, pictographs evolved and slowly lost their detail. They became abstract-figures representing sounds in spoken communication. Around 400 B.C., the Greek alphabet was developed and began to replace pictographs as the most commonly-used form of visual communication. Greek was the first script written from left to right. From Greek followed the Byzantine and then the Roman writings. In the beginning, all writing systems had only uppercase letters, but when the writing instruments were refined enough for detailed faces, lowercase was used as well (around 600 A.D.) The Greeks employed a writing stylus made of metal, bone or ivory to place marks upon wax-coated tablets. The tablets were made in hinged pairs and closed to protect the scribes notes. The first examples of handwriting also originated in Greece and it was the Grecian scholar Cadmus who invented the written alphabet. Across the globe, writing was developing beyond chiseling pictures into stone or wedging pictographs into wet clay. The Chinese invented and perfected Indian Ink. Originally designed for blacking the surfaces of raised stone-carved hieroglyphics, the ink was a mixture of soot from pine smoke and lamp oil mixed with the gelatin of donkey skin and musk. By 1200 B.C., the ink invented by the Chinese philosopher, Tien-Lcheu (2697 B.C.), became common. Other cultures developed inks using the natural dyes and colors derived from berries, plants and minerals. In early writings, different colored inks had ritual meaning attached to each color. The invention of ink  paralleled that of of paper. The early Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and Hebrews used papyrus and parchment papers began using parchment paper around 2000 B.C., when the earliest piece of writing on Papyrus known to us today, the Egyptian Prisse Papyrus was created.   The Romans created a reed-pen perfect for parchment and ink from the hollow tubular-stems of marsh grasses, especially from the jointed bamboo plant. They converted bamboo stems into a primitive form of fountain pen and cut one end into the form of a pen nib or point. A writing fluid or ink filled the stem and squeezing the reed forced fluid to the nib. By the year 400, a stable form of ink developed, a composite of iron-salts, nutgalls and gum. This became the basic formula for centuries. Its color when first applied to paper was a bluish-black, rapidly turning into a darker black before fading to the familiar dull brown color commonly seen in old documents. Wood-fiber paper was invented in China in the year 105 but was not widely used throughout Europe until paper mills were built in the late 14th century. The writing instrument that dominated for the longest period in history (over one-thousand years) was the quill pen. Introduced around the year 700, the quill is a pen made from a bird feather. The strongest quills were those taken from living birds in the spring from the five outer left wing feathers. The left wing was favored because the feathers curved outward and away when used by a right-handed writer. Quill pens lasted for only a week before it was necessary to replace them. There were other disadvantages associated with their use, including a lengthy preparation time. Early European writing parchments made from animal skins required careful scraping and cleaning. To sharpen the quill, the writer needed a special knife.  Ã‚  Beneath the writers high-top desk was a coal stove, used to dry the ink as quickly as possible. Plant-fiber paper became the primary medium for writing after another dramatic invention took place. In 1436,  Johannes Gutenberg  invented the printing press with replaceable wooden or metal letters. Later, newer printing technologies were developed based on Gutenbergs printing machine, such as offset printing. The ability to mass-produce writing in this way revolutionized the way  humans communicate. As much as any other invention since the sharpened-stone, Gutenbergs printing press set forth a new era of human history.

6 Smart Tips to See Your House the Way It Used to Look

6 Smart Tips to See Your House the Way It Used to Look Before old house restoration even begins, save time and money with a little investigation. Ever wonder what your home used to look like before modern improvements? Was there always a wall there? How could your Victorian home have such a modern kitchen? What is that exterior siding covering where the windows used to be?   Over the years, your home may have seen many remodelings. The larger and older your home is, the more opportunities the previous owners had for making substantial changes. Most homeowners like to leave their mark on property in the name of comfort and upgrades - everyone wants improvements. For whatever reasons, every next owner usually has different priorities. Like home ownership itself, remodeling is part of the American Dream for many people  and the opportunities for re-muddling increase as the age and square footage of the house increase. Many people want to restore a home to its original beauty, but how do you do that? Learning about the earliest design of your home can take many months. If you have no blueprints, youll need time to do some serious detective work. These handy tips will help you discover the origins of your old house, inside and outside. Tips to Discover Your Real Home 1. Begin with age. Homeowners think they are buying their own homes as personal property, but any property owner is really buying into a neighborhood of history. How old is your house? How old is the neighborhood? With a deed, the answer may be straightforward. Beginning with this information gives context to your house. 2. Your house is probably not unique. All architecture, including the common home, tells the story of time and place. Building and design are lessons in the history of populations. Put your house in context with how your country was populated. Where do people live in the United States? Consider this basic question: Why was your house built at all? What was the need for shelter at this time and at this place? What architectural style dominated the region at the time? If your home is in a line of houses, stand back across the street and look up - does your house look a little bit like the house next door? Builders very often built two or three houses in a row, efficiently using the same handed-down plans. 3. Learn about the history of your community. Ask your local historian or  ask a reference librarian where to look in your local public library. Does your town or city have a historic district with a historic commission? Anyone interested in houses, including real estate agents, often know a great deal about local builders and housing styles. Visit your neighbors and different neighborhoods. Their homes may mirror yours. Make maps of where houses were built in relation to local businesses, including farms. Was your house part of a farm whose land was split up? What major industries were nearby that may have affected rapid population growth? 4. Find floor plans for your old house. Remember that your old house may never have had blueprints. In the early 1900s and before, builders rarely drew up detailed specifications. The entire process of building was handed down from generation to generation. In the U.S., architecture didnt become a profession until the 19th century and building codes and regulations were rare until the 20th century. Still, research before restoration could ultimately save a lot of time. 5. Look under the rug. Remember the concept of hiding something under the rug or sweeping secrets under the carpet? Its good to remember that much of your homes history is right there in front of you with very little effort - if you know where to look. Unless remodeling was done by a master craftsman, evidence is left behind. Pull up some baseboard or molding to see the finished (or unfinished) flooring edges or wall heights. Measure the thickness of the walls and try to determine if they were built upon each other. Go into the basement and look at the under-flooring to see if its been patched when a new central heating system was installed. Where is the plumbing - is it all in one area, in an addition when a bathroom and kitchen were added? Many complex older homes started off as simple structures and were added to over the years. The architecture of a house can evolve over time. 6. Define your project. What are your project goals? Knowing what you want in the end will help you find a path to get there. Note that many of the words we use to describe the actions we take on a structure begin with the prefix re- which means again.  So, here we go again. Which Method Is Right for You? Remodeling: This often-used word describes a process of making changes to a house with little regard to the history of the home and its environs. The model chosen is at the whim of the current homeowner. Before you remodel your home, establish a checklist for your remodeling dreams. Renovation: Novus means new, so when we renovate we want to make our home like new. This term is generally used to fix a home in disrepair. Rehabilitation: Often abbreviated as rehab, rehabilitation is to restore or fix-up a property while keeping its architectural value. According to U.S. Secretary of the Interior standards and guidelines, you can do this through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values. Restoration: Coming from the Latin word  restauratio, restoration brings the architecture back to a certain time period. The Secretary of the Interiors working definition includes words like accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time. Methods include the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. Does this mean you rip out the kitchen sink and build a new outhouse? No. Even the federal government says its okay to keep code-required work. Source Preservation Terminology, Secretary of the Interiors Standards and Guidelines As Amended and Annotated, https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_10.htm

The Technology of Netflix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Technology of Netflix - Research Paper Example There are not many companies properly involved in the online renting of movies. Moreover, Netflix plays by keeping its cost low as it tries to attract customers to frequently use its services instead of getting movies from stores or going to cinemas. Analysts believe that Netflix is now facing a tough competition in the face of other companies such as Amazon and Apple, which have also started to provide online movie services at an affordable rate. Furthermore, the cost differentiation strategy used by Netflix has been pretty successful is retaining â€Å"frequent watchers† who use the service frequently. Alongside, the company’s differentiation strategy has allowed it to get accessed by customers who avoid going to stores and want to watch movies from the comfort of their homes. Porter’s Five Forces model was discovered in 1979 by Mr. Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School. This model is used to give five factors that can be used to determine the stage of rivalry within a business. This would subsequently be used to determine the attractiveness of a market. Market attractiveness can be understood in terms of the overall profit levels achieved by an industry. To start off, Porter’s Five Forces model consists of the following five forces, namely threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers, the threat of substitutes and competitive rivalry in an industry. The application of each of these factors to Netflix will now be done to show how this business model works. The easier it is for new corporations to come into in the same business line as Netflix, the tougher would the competitive environment be. For any competitor to start up an online movie rental company, it would require enormous sums of money. Considering the amount of investments that would need to be made in setting contracts

Strategic management accounting and finance Essay

Strategic management accounting and finance - Essay Example That information, in turn, can then become the knowledge that leads to wisdom. The idea is that information, knowledge, and wisdom are more than simply collections. Rather, the whole represents more than the sum of its parts and has a synergy of its own. In an organizational context, data represents facts or values of results, and relations between data and other relations have the capacity to represent information. Patterns of relations of data and information and other patterns have the capacity to represent knowledge. For the representation to be of any utility it must be understood, and when understood the representation is information or knowledge to the one that understands. The value of Knowledge Management relates directly to the effectiveness with which the managed knowledge enables the members of the organization to deal with today's situations and effectively envision and create their future. Without on-demand access to managed knowledge, every situation is addressed based on what the individual or group brings to the situation with them. With on-demand access to managed knowledge, every situation is addressed with the sum total of everything anyone in the organization has ever learned about a situation of a similar natur e. Today's business environment is characterized by continuous, often radical change. Such a volatile climate demands a new attitude and approach within organizations-actions must be anticipatory, adaptive, and based on a faster cycle of knowledge creation. Movement from a manufacture to a knowledge context Most of today's companies are built around organizational structures ranging from bureaucracy to adhocracy (Brezillon). According to Weber, Henderson, and Parsons, the attributes of a modern bureaucracy include impersonality and the implementation of a system of authority that is practically indestructible. Toffler sees it as a network of roles fulfilled by individuals. Bureaucratic organizations usually deal with routine operations. At the other end of the spectrum, an adhocracy represents any form of organization capturing opportunities, solving problems, and getting results. One crucial difference between both structures is the way information and knowledge flow inside the structure. In the bureaucracy, they flow bottom-up along a hierarchical path, before coming down again along a different hierarchy. In the adhocracy, hierarchical ties are relaxed and information and knowledge mostly flow through lateral relations (Brezillon). Some of the current challenges businesses face includes: - A growing emphasis on creating customer value and improving customer service; - An increasingly competitive marketplace with a rising rate of innovation; - Reduced cycle times and shortened product development times; - A need for organizational adaptation because of changing business rules and assumptions; - A requirement to operate with a shrinking number of assets (people, inventory, and facilities); - A reduction in the amount of time employees are given to acquire new knowledge; and - Changes in strategic directions and workforce mobility that lead to knowledge loss. All of these factors make knowledge management a necessity rather than a luxury. Organizations must have a clear handle on how knowledge is discovered, created, dispersed, and put to use. In some ways, knowledge managem

Examining Yourself as a Writer Essay Example for Free

Examining Yourself as a Writer Essay The art of writing is a unique skill that requires the writer to have great flexibility and be open to improvement. Some may consider themselves a â€Å"perfect writer†, when in reality, no one is, and will ever be. Writing is a process that requires one to continuously build on skills learned in previous situations, applying new techniques and strategies to future writing projects. Different settings require different writing styles, and with that being said, one must be willing to change their writing skills to suit the requirements of their current setting. In the following essay I will reflect on past writing assignments, identifying my best and worst writing courses, strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and my opinion on why writing may or may not be beneficial to me throughout my career. Although I consider English/Composition one of my strong points, writing wouldn’t fall into the category of things I like to do. As bad as it sounds, I’m the type of person who only writes when it’s required of me to do so. As I look back on my writing career I’d have to say my best writing course was a course entitled Health Disparities. I took this course my junior year at Spelman College and was required to write quite a few papers. I would name this course my best in terms of writing because we were able to choose between a number of topics to write our papers on, versus just one, and each topic focused on something I personally am very interested in, which is health. Most of the papers required 5-10 pages, but because I was interested in the topics 5-10 pages felt like 3-5. The professor provided detailed feedback on our papers, giving us the opportunity to revise the paper before turning in the final copy. I would have to say that my worst writing co urse was Intro to Eastern Religious Traditions. I disliked this course because the subject matter itself confused me. The writing assignments were outlandish and required a great deal of critical thinking and research on a topic that I found to be very complex and confusing. I am not a big fan of research papers, especially when I have no interest in the topic of discussion. Another thing that made it so bad was the fact that the professor was very strict and it seemed like nothing was good enough. It was from this course that I learned the importance of being an open writer, in  terms of adjusting my writing style to accept new forms and topics of writing. All writers have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their ability to formulate a piece of literature. One of my main strengths in writing is the ability to formulate sentences that are grammatically correct. I have always been particular about using correct punctuation, spelling words correctly, and making sure my sentences flow. I would also consider my vocabulary to be quite extensive, allowing for the use of more sophisticated words throughout my writing. My weaknesses include issues with starting my introduction, expressing my ideas and thoughts in a concise and coherent manner, and formulating the body of my paper, as far as weeding out what is and isn’t important in relation to my thesis statement. When given a prompt, so many thoughts start flowing through my head that I sometimes get overwhelmed and can’t decide what information I should and shouldn’t use. One thing Ive never been too keen on is outlining my thoughts before beginning a piece of writing. I’m the type of person who thinks and writes at the same time, which may not allow me to adequately brainstorm on the information that should be provided in my writing. With that being said, I will work on first, placing my ideas on paper, then placing those ideas into an outline, and lastly formulating my paper into a smoot h and concise piece of writing In my opinion, writing is a fundamental aspect of all facets of life, especially in most, if not all careers. If one is unable to write, it can be very hard for them to carry out even the smallest tasks. You don’t have to be an expert writer, but basic writing skills are a must. In my future career as a Nurse, writing will be very relevant. Nurses have to complete patient charts, provide detailed explanations of the patients care regimes for those who will be providing care to the patients after them, etc. Communication between nurses and doctors is crucial and if not documented with precision a patient’s life could be in jeopardy. A nurse without writing capabilities would not be able to perform their job with the proficiency that they should. As previously mentioned, writing is a process that welcomes proficiency, but not perfection. One must understand the importance of being flexible and open to change when it comes to writing. Practicing good writing skills can be a little difficult but, it’s a long-term commitment which facilitates the ability to develop better writing habits. With great effort, weaknesses can be turned into strengths,  and current strengths can always be improved. I look forward to improving my ability to articulate my ideas in a clear and intelligent manner, as well as practicing my new skills in and outside of this course, as well as in my future career as a Nurse.

Invasive or Exotic Species :: Environment, Plants, Animals

Today, Plants and animals usually can travel around the world in a matter of hours to days through planes or by ship. Usually their presence is harmful, yet some scientists believe that they can actually be a catalyst for biodiversity! Invasive or exotic species have altered the Chesapeake Bay region; with both a negative and positive impact. â€Å"Exotic species are plants, animals or microbes that have been transported from one geographic region to another.† (5) They are moved from an area where their evolution balance is set, into an area where they may not have any natural competitors. Invasive or exotic species can cause a major impact to our environment. They can put ecosystems at risk by changing an entire environment, replace other species that are native to the environment, and even damage human activities such as fishing. (1) Once introduced into a new environment, Invasive species throw off the ecological balance of the area. They may not have natural predators and can outcompete natural organisms; giving them the opportunity for fast growth throughout the environment! (The nature Conservancy, 2004) Invasive species are even the one of the top reasons why some of our endangered species are threatened. The graph to the left shows that about 50 percent of threatened or affected endangered species were du e to these exotic species! In the United States alone there are many invasive and exotic species already established! According to the Exotics in the Chesapeake, â€Å"At least 4,500 species have established free-living populations in the U.s.† (3) These species have even shown through in the waters around us! I do believe that these Invasive and Exotic species have even altered the Chesapeake Bay region and that these alterations aren’t always predictable! For instance, Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay have suffered since their parasites Dermo and MSX were introduced into the area as exotics.(3) Oysters fundamental role is to abolish the algae in the water; yet with the decline of oysters there is a major demolish in the bay ecosystem. (3) This is not just affecting the bay, it is also affecting oyster fishery bringing much economic loss. (3) Other examples would include the mute swan; which acts aggressive towards other birds in the area. (2) Even though there are many downfalls to these species many could bring good. The Hydrilla plant might take control and replace other native plants; yet can also benefit the bay.

Austronesians

The Austronesians as Viewed by Peter Bellwood, Wilhelm Solheim II, and Zeus Salazar Prepared by Jezza Mae S. Dajac The term Austronesian contextually refers to a population group present in Southeast Asia or Oceania who speaks, or had ancestors who spoke, one of the Austronesian languages. Apart from the Polynesian people of Oceania, the Austronesian people include: Taiwanese Aborigines, the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia and Malaysia. There had been several theories that posit the Austronesians as the origin of the Philippine population.Among the leading proponents of these ideas are Australian National University professor Peter Bellwood, American anthropologist and the most senior practitioner of archaeology in Southeast Asia Wilhelm Solheim II, and Filipino anthropologist Zeus Salazar. Their viewpoints are to be separately presented here. Bellwood's Austronesian Diffusion Theory/ Out-of-Taiwan (OOT) Hypothesis/ Mainland Origin Hypothesis Rather than believing tha t Austroloids were the ancestors of the Filipino race, Professor Bellwood argued that Austronesians were the roots of the population inhabiting most of the Asian territories today.His Out-of-Taiwan Hypothesis is based largely on linguistics and is mainly derived from American linguistic Robert Blust’ model of Austronesian diffusion, lately known as the Blust model. Bellwood incorporated archaeological data to Blust’s idea to arrive at his own theory. He posited that between 4500 BCE and 4000 BCE, developments in agricultural technology in the  Yunnan Plateau  in China  created pressures which drove certain people to migrate to  Taiwan. This is what explains the term â€Å"Out-of-Taiwan Hypothesis†.Bellwood also believed that these people either already had or began to develop a unique language of their own, which he referred to as â€Å"Proto-Austronesian†. By around 3000-3500 BCE, these groups started differentiating into three or four distinct s ubcultures, and by 2500 to 1500 BC, one of these groups began migrating southwards towards the Philippines and  Indonesia, reaching as far as  Borneo  and the  Moluccas  by 1500 BCE, forming new cultural groupings and developing unique languages.He called all the languages formed outside Taiwan â€Å"Malayo-Polynesian†. Meanwhile, the language developed in the Philippines and Indonesia was then termed â€Å"Western Malayo-Polynesian† By 1500 BC, some of these groups started migrating west, rand they reached the Madagascar  area around the 1st millennium. Still others migrated east, settling as far as  Easter Island  by the mid-13th century.This widespread movement gave the Austronesian language group the distinction of being the most widely distributed language groups in the world at that time, in terms of the geographical span of the homelands of its languages. Bellwood’s simplified theory about the origin of the Filipino race then, is that the people of the Philippines are the descendants of those cultures who remained on the Philippine islands when others moved first southwards, then eastward and westward.Solheim's Nusantao Maritime Trading and Communication Network (NMTCN) or the Island Origin Theory According to the anthropologist Wilhelm Solheim II: â€Å"I emphasize again, as I have done in many other articles, that ‘Austronesian' is a linguistic term and is the name of a super language family. It should never be used as a name for a people, genetically speaking, or a culture. To refer to people who speak an Austronesian language the phrase ‘Austronesian speaking people' should be used. This statement emphasized that the pioneers of the Austronesian-as-the-origin-of-Southeast Asians idea posits that the Austronesian is a group of languages rather that a group of people. Wilhelm Solheim's concept of the  Nusantao Maritime Trading and Communication Network  (NMTCN), while not strictly a theory regardin g the biological ancestors of modern Southeast Asians, does suggest that the patterns of cultural diffusion throughout the Asia-Pacific region are not what would be expected if such cultures were to be explained by simple migration.Where Bellwood based his analysis primarily on linguistic analysis, Solheim's approach was based on artifact findings. On the basis of a careful analysis of artifacts such as improvement of traditional lithic chopper and chopping tools, he suggests the existence of a trade and communication network that first spread in the Asia-Pacific region during its Neolithic age (and that which he referred to as the Nusantao Maritime Trading and Communication Network).For his theory, he coined the term â€Å"nusantao† which means â€Å"island people†. He also presented a different route of movement of the Austronesians from that of Bellwood’s model. According to Solheim's NMTCN theory, this trade network, consisting of both Austronesian and non-A ustronesian seafaring peoples, was responsible for the spread of cultural patterns throughout the Asia-Pacific region, not the simple migration (or movement, as Bellwood put it) proposed by the Out-of-Taiwan hypothesis.Solheim consequently came up with four geographical divisions delineating the spread of the NMTCN over time, and he called these geographical divisions â€Å"lobes. † Specifically, these were the central, northern, eastern and western lobes. The central lobe was further divided into two smaller lobes reflecting phases of cultural spread: the Early Central Lobe and the Late Central Lobe. Instead of Austronesian peoples originating from Taiwan, Solheim placed the origins of the early NMTCN peoples in the â€Å"Early Central Lobe,† which was in eastern coastal Vietnam, at around 9000 BC.He then suggests the spread of peoples around 5000 BC towards the â€Å"late central lobe†, including the Philippines, via island Southeast Asia, rather than from the north as the Taiwan theory suggests. Thus, from the Point of view of the Philippine peoples, the NMTCN is also referred to as the  Island Origin Theory. This â€Å"late central lobe† included Southern China and Taiwan, which became â€Å"the area where Austronesian became the original language family and  Malayo-Polynesian developed. In about 4000 to 3000 BC, these peoples continued spreading east through Northern Luzon to Micronesia to form the Early Eastern Lobe, carrying the Malayo-Polynesian languages with them. These languages would become part of the culture spread by the NMTCN in its expansions Malaysia and western towards Malaysia before 2000 BC, continuing along  coastal India  and Sri Lanka up to the western coast of Africa and  Madagascar; and over time, further eastward towards its easternmost borders at Easter Island.Thus, as in the case of Bellwood's theory, the Austronesian languages spread eastward and westward from the area around the Philippines. Aside from the matter of the origination of people, the difference between the two theories is that Bellwood's theory suggests a linear expansion, while Solheim's NMTCN theory suggests something more akin to concentric circles, all overlapping in the geographical area of the late central lobe which includes the Philippines. Salazar’s View of the AustronesiansZeus Salazar, like Solheim, believed that the Austronesians carried with them their culture as they spread all over Southeast Asia. However, he further posited that there are â€Å"gaps† between the technological knowledge as demonstrated by the late development of technology in the middle regions of the country. These gaps, according to Salazar, were due to the prolonged stay of the Austronesians in coastal areas of the country before penetrating to the inner regions.Nevertheless, he admits that the Austronesians were the ones responsible for culminating a great part of the Philippine culture and civilization. He once stated, â€Å"Ang pinakatiyak na migrasyon hanggang ngayon ay yaong tungo sa karagatan, ang pagsasaibayong-dagat ng mga Austronesyano, ang pinakamaagang ninuno ng mga Pilipino†¦ Sila’y nagdaan sa peninsula tungong Indonesia muna upang mapunta pagkatapos sa Pilipinas, sa Pasipiko, at sa Madagascar. ————————————————- This statement of Salazar reflected his parallel ideas to that of Solheim’s. However, he is known to focus more on studying linguistic aspects and evidences about the Austronesian’s diffusion, and he later found out that several Filipino words such as dalubhasa, balita, bahay, aso, niyog, araw, anito, karayom, mana, and apoy among others, were of Austronesian origin. ————————————————-Setting aside the fact that there ar e numerous theories about the origin of the Filipino race, with each one positing their own assumptions, it still cannot be denied that they collectively help in understanding and reconstructing our own history as they lead to further and more inquiry about our fragmented past. Whatever theory one may believe in, the important thing is that prejudices and biases are removed and instead, being scientific is employed in our search for a clearer and more solid view of the Philippine prehistory. ——————————————– 1 ]. Our Pacific Ocean, The Austronesian, http://www. ourpacificocean. com/austronesian_people/index. htm (October 2012) [ 2 ]. Claims have been made that Bellwood formulated his theory with K. C. Chang of Harvard University, specifically by M. C. Halili in the book Philippine History (Manila:Rex Bookstore, Inc. , 2004) p. 40 [ 3 ]. See Solheim’s Archaeology and Culture in Southeast Asia : Unraveling the Nusantao (Quezon City: UP Press, 2006)p. 85 [ 4 ]. Bellwood preferred using the term â€Å"movement† instead of â€Å"migration†. [ 5 ].See Solheim’s Archaeology and Culture in Southeast Asia: Unraveling the Nusantao (Quezon City: UP Press, 2006) for further elaboration. [ 6 ]. Origins of the Filipinos and Their Languages. (January 2006). [ 7 ]. See Salazar’s Kabihasnang Asyano : Isang Pangkasaysayang Introduksyon (1990) p. 94 [ 8 ]. See Solheim’s Archaeology and Culture in Southeast Asia: Unraveling the Nusantao (Quezon City: UP Press, 2006) p. 83 [ 9 ]. Ibid. [ 10 ]. Ibid. [ 11 ]. Ibid. [ 12 ]. Zeus A. Salazar, Kabihasnang Asyano : Isang Pangkasaysayang Introduksyon (1990) p. 99 [ 13 ]. Zeus A. Salazar, Ang Kasaysayan, Diwa at Lawak (Quezon: UP Press, 1974)

Compare/Contrast Essay

Swimming Indoors vs. Swimming at the Beach Swimming is a fun and leisurely activity that can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors. Swimming pools are generally located indoors inside of homes, hotels, recreation centers or places where people would normally go to take a load off and relax. Beaches are strewn about outdoors along many coast lines throughout the world providing a haven for swimmers and other beach goers. To enjoy a swim indoors at the pool, or outdoors at the beach, can be a tough choice since both can provide a variety of experiences.This essay aims to contrast those experiences by talking about some of the temperatures in the environment at the swimming pool and at the beach; the activities that can be done there, the cleanliness that can generally be found in the areas and some of the safety measures that are typically in place at both locations. I’ll first discuss indoor swimming pools. Normally, indoor pools have a temperature gauge that can be set so that the te mperature of the pool’s water will always remain the same. While the temperature of the water in the pool can remain constant, so can the temperature of the room that the swimming pool is located in.This means that swimmers can have their ideal temperatures set for when they walk into the swimming area and their ideal temperatures set for when they step foot into the swimming pool. It’s hard to find better swimming conditions than that. Activities like water polo, water volleyball and water aerobics can be enjoyed in indoor swimming pools because the water temperatures there are usually set to a warmer temperature that can be enjoyed year round. With indoor pools there are usually chlorine tablets floating somewhere out of sight to help with the cleanliness of the water.There is a modicum of relief knowing that most indoor pools have a chlorine and septic system to help maintain the cleanliness of the water. Cleanliness is next to the safeness of indoor swimming pools. Indoor pools are safe from the weather which leaves the pool water free from leaves, dirt and other debris. This makes swimming indoors ideal compared to what may be experienced outdoors at the beach. While outdoors at the beach, temperatures can range from a sweltering heat, to a blustering cold, depending on the type of day it is outside. This means that temperatures in the waters will roughly match the temperatures of the weather outside.This is not always ideal for swimming. The beach is enjoyed mostly on hot summer days where the most outdoor activities can be done. Some of those activities can be surfing, jet skiing, body boarding, fishing, jogging, tanning, windsurfing and a bevy of other activities not just committed to being inside of the water. However, with a lot of activity comes a lot of waste. Beaches will commonly have trash and debris littered about since they are more frequented by beach goers and the waters at the beach can wash up waste along the shorelines where beachgoers spend their time at.Most beaches have plenty of trash depositories and staff in place to help maintain the cleanliness of the beach, but it can become more difficult to control compared to an indoor swimming pool because its size. Swimmers may be reluctant to venture into beach waters since the safety of the waters can put swimmers at risk. Sharks, jellyfish and other dangerous sea life are always a threat when swimming at the beach. While it isn’t always effective, beaches do try to contain this threat with various nets to prevent them from wading into the swimming areas.This can make swimming at the beach a bit unsafe, but most people still find plenty of pleasure in the waters regardless of the threat since there are so many activities that can be done while there. Whether it’s to enjoy the consistent temperatures of the indoor pools, or the multitude of activities that can be done while at the beach, there is certainly a degree of entertainment, relaxat ion and, at times – risk, that can be found while swimming at either location. I prefer the sanctuary of an indoor, heated and clean swimming pool over the outdoor, sometimes shark infested, volatile waters of the beach. Compare/Contrast Essay The Battle of Somme Abstract From 1914 through 1918 the world was at war. Described as â€Å"The Great One†, World War 1 affected everyone; man, and woman, combatant and non-combatant. This was a war defined by the advent of new technology. World War 1 saw the implementation of the Machine-gun in 1914, the armored tank in 1916, and, with the advent of the airplane in 1903, the first fixed wing airplane modified for combat occurred in 1911. The perspective of combat had also changed. What had once been a stand in rank and fire at the enemy across vast fields had become a war fought in the trenches.The lone presence of an isolated field doctor had become that of an entire medical corps stationed behind the lines in vast field hospitals waiting to tend to the wounded. The very nature and scale of war had changed drastically. As a result, where you were, whose side you were on, and the role you fulfilled, the same battle had very different ramifications and opposing perspectives. This essay will discuss the contrasting views between Private Ernst Junger, a German shock troop in Storm of Steel to that of Vera Brittain, a British nurse in Testament of Youth, through one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of World War 1. World War I†, â€Å"The Great War†, as suggested by these references, was a confrontation on a global scale unlike any other war in history. For the first time technology had changed the face of armed conflict, the landscape of battle had transformed its mission from two forces firing upon each other across broad fields with muskets and cannons to a vast subterranean trench system that traversed hundreds of miles. Between the opposing forces lay barren waste lands covered by machine gun fire and directional barbed wire.These fields were aptly known as â€Å"no-man’s land†. The trench systems and adjacent wastelands covered the distance of what had once been empty fields between opposing forces to spanning the borders between multiple countries forcing unimaginable gridlock, standoffs lasting not days, but months, as in the Battle of Somme, and even years in rare occasions. It was not only the landscape of battle that had changed but also the personnel.In 1901 the Army Nurses Corps was established and in 1908 the Navy Nurse’s Corps was created. Women were an official part of the war effort and by the end of World War 1 their numbers had grown from an initial 8,000 members to an astounding 70,000, a sight and valuable perspective unseen in any previous war. After reading the books Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger and Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, I contemplated on how best to highlight the subtle comparisons and stark contrasts that appear in both texts.I originally thought that nothing jumped off these pages; that there was no clear delineation; after all, he was a trained soldier, and she was nurse; where he was on the front lines unleashing chaos, she was in the hospital car ing for wounded; while he was an aggressor she was on the defensive; and as he chased glory, she chased love. Then it occurred to me that as I read, one word had been featured prominently in both texts: â€Å"Somme†. Somme, a battle in which both participants had a role; a battle that, no matter the outcome, both authors had a perspective and both perspectives were clearly different.This would be my focus. First and foremost for the unaware, a little background about Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive; the battle took place between July 1, and November 18, 1916 at the river Somme in France. During the battle the British Expeditionary Force and the French Army mounted a joint offensive against the German Army that had occupied most of northern France since 1914. The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the war. By the time fighting paused in the fall of 1916, the forces involved had suffered more than 1 million casualties, making it the bloodiest militar y operation ever recorded.With those numbers it should come as no surprise that both authors would have a unique and pointed perspective on that front. From the German shock troop’s vantage point, although the British were aggressing, the attempt would be in vain. â€Å". . . while the British made various, fortunately unsuccessful, attempts on our lives, either by means of high angled machine-gun fire or sweeping the road with shrapnel. We were especially irritated by one machine-gunner who sprayed his bullets at such an angle that they came down vertically, with acceleration produced by gravity.There was no point trying to duck behind walls. † (Junger, 2004) In this passage the author practically mocks the British effort of a mounted attack on the clearly superior German forces finding a single machine-gunner merely irritating. Meanwhile beyond the wire, past the vast no-man’s land, and safely behind the friendly lines of the British army, the account of Briti sh Nurse Vera Brittain is starkly different. In contrast as she tends to those being brought to the nearest hospital, her vivid account of waiting for the inbound shipment of wounded paints a graphic picture of how grim the situation appeared. Throughout those â€Å"busy and strenuous days† the wards sweltered beneath their roofs of corrugated iron; the prevailing odour of wounds and stinking streets lingered perpetually in our nostrils, . . . Day after day I had to fight the queer, frightening sensation-to which, throughout my years of nursing, I never became accustomed-of seeing the covered stretchers come in, one after another, without knowing, until I ran with pounding heart to look, what fearful sight or sound or stench, what problem of agony or imminent death, each brown blanket concealed. (Brittain, 1933) Although Nurse Vera Brittain was safe and nowhere near the front line her account of the Somme offensive is drawn from a direct line of sight of the carnage that was being produced on the field of battle is in bold contrast to that of the German shock troop located directly on the frontline.While Brittain was well away from the firing, Private Junger was in the line of fire, yet he was tucked safely away in his protected trench line unable to physically see the battle, she was witness to the horror of bodies produced by the battle. She was a non-combatant in support of the war effort duty bound to care for the wounded, he was a trained soldier on the front line trained to administer death. Their accounts of the very same battle differ greatly in perspective.History would later show that both perspectives although correct are not an indication of inevitability. Both perspectives were correct in that on the first day of the offensive July 1, 1916 the Germans easily handled the British attack. Their newly implemented machine-guns and directional barbed wire amassed a record setting 58,000 casualties on the first day, this is why private Junger was so easily tucked away in his protected entrenchment while nurse Brittain saw nothing but death.The British would ultimately prove victorious at the battle of Somme, on November 18, 1916 when the offensive was called off the British had pushed roughly six miles past the German lines winning the battle of Somme, however the war would continue for nearly two more years. Finally on November 11, 1918 the Armistice of Compiegne was signed marking a victory for the allies and complete defeat for Germany, yet â€Å"The war to end all wars† as it was called by H.G Wells in August of 1914 in total would cost more money and damage more property than any previous war and would amass 27 million casualties before it was over. References Brittain, V. (1933). Testament of Youth. (pp. 279-280). New York: Penguin Classics. Duffy, M. (2009). Battles- the Battle of Somme. Battles- The Western Front, Retrieved from http://www. firstworldwar. com/battles/somme. htm Junger, E. (2004). Storm of Stee l. (p. 78). Strand, London: Penguin Books.

Trucking is the Most Common American Job in Each State

Trucking is the Most Common American Job in Each State If you were on the fence about enrolling in a Class A CDL class, wait no longer! Truck driver has just passed secretary to become the most common U.S. job, according to the latest Census Bureau data and Roadmaster.com! According to NPR, the decline of secretary positions due to the rise of personal computers, the outsourcing of manufacturing, and the erosion of regional specialization are all contributing factors to this shift. Globalization and technology have made big changes to farmers and machine operators across the country.In Washington, D.C. and neighboring Virginia and Maryland, job holder majority is held by government workers, federal contractors, and software developers, but elsewhere in the heartland, truck drivers are leading the way. Of course, the Census Bureau also groups all truck drivers and delivery people into the same category- other fields like teaching are split into subgroups that lessen their statistical impact.Truck driving also has the benefit of always rem aining a necessity- people will always need to get their products from point A to point B, and trucks pick up where planes, trains and boats leave off.Despite the popularity of the gig in the rig, according to Roadmaster there’s still a shortage of qualified drivers, so if you’re considering a license, consider this the sign you’ve been waiting for and get to work to get behind the wheel!

Return on Investment for Your Time

Return on Investment for Your Time I touched on this subject in another post earlier this year, but I want to hammer it here. You are a writer. Your time is torn between the keyboard and marketing yourself (not to mention your private life and whatever job is subsidizing your endeavors). Your time is money. Its ALWAYS money, so dont throw it away. So when you decide to get involved in any writing activity, you must be able to measure the return on investment. Whats it worth in terms of your annual income for you to get involved? Conferences Dont go without a mission. What will you bring home from this event? While youll make friends the purpose isnt social. Its business. What will you achieve here that makes it worth your money AND the time away from your writing? Is the conference too large for your taste? Do they provide answers to exact topics you need? Do you need an agent and do they provide one that fits your genre? Measure a conference from all angles before attending. Signings Will you be the only person at a poorly advertised event, selling three books in as many hours? Or is it well-advertised with expectations of good sales? Yes, it is controllable and predictable. If it isnt, someone isnt doing their job. Mass signings Theres a trend to gather as many authors as possible together and meet in some venue to sign. However, if there are as many authors as attendees, or even 30 authors and 200 attendees, will you sell enough books in that day (or two) that will justify the travel and cost? What are the genres represented? How much advertising has been done? How many books have sold at these events in the past? How much percentage of your sales do you have to pay for the privilege? Book Fairs These little events can net huge rewards, or reap nothing. Know the event. Keep it as local as possible, both diminishing expense and capitalizing on the homegrown author reputation. Classes What are the teachers credentials? What do previous students say about the class? How much is the fee and how much time will you have to invest? How will you specifically implement this class into your writing plans? Webinars What are the presenters credentials? What are they selling? Does the program fit into your schedule AND your writing plan? Be wary of impulse-to-buy deals. Book Clubs Believe it or not, these little gems often pay for themselves. Not only does the club choose your book (meaning sales to the members), but they may pay you an honorarium to attend. And since the members already read one of your books, you have the chance to promote your others in personand offer to autograph them while youre there! Ask the club what they expect to learn more. They love to talk about themselves. Advertising Know before purchasing advertising how others have fared. Are you better off paying for advertising or writing twenty guest blog posts and stealing your writing time? What is the net profit for each of your books so you can determine how many books you must sell to justify the expense. Dont play if you dont know. To know how to calculate your investment, to determine whether to participate or not, you do your homework, and thats where most writers fall short. They listen to whats said on Facebook or in chatrooms and dont actually research the events/activities themselves, thinking they dont have the time. There is no excuse for not doing your homework. Not with all the information readily at your fingertips as you sit so comfortably at your desk. To say you can or cannot afford to do something should mean you have the knowledge of why, to include the pros and cons of how it accurately can aid or inhibit your career . . . or pocketbook. –Hope Clark TWITTER Â  http://twitter.com/hopeclark AUTHOR SITE chopeclark.com FACEBOOK Â  facebook.com/chopeclark GOODREADS Â  goodreads.com/hopeclark BOOKBUB Â  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-hope-clark

Since the mid-nineteenth century income inequality across nations has Term Paper

Since the mid-nineteenth century income inequality across nations has increased dramatically. Discuss the sources and consequenc - Term Paper Example Nineteenth century witnessed collapse of pre-modern empires like the Roman Empire (Mokyr 40). As a result, new political entities, including the British and German empires came into existence. These changes created corresponding dynamics within economic sectors in affected regions. Since then, the world continues to experience shifts in economic dynamics from one region to another. Numerous theories strive to explain causes and consequences associated with these economic shifts. In order to understand what really happens, it is appropriate to look back at history and identify what caused economic changes at those times. Subsequently, we will be able to explain current economic inequality witnessed in modern societies across the world. Introduction In this context, political and social changes that took place during industrial revolution makes 19th Century the starting point of contemporary economic disparities. This period saw the rise of European powers into leading advancement in e xplorations and social modernization. Great Britain championed industrial revolution, which totally changed productivity and wealth creation across the globe. It was during this time that scientists came up with numerous breakthroughs in the field s of mathematics, electricity, chemistry and metallurgy (Mokyr 43). As a result, Great Britain and other European nations resolved to engage in industrial production of goods and mining activities. In this case, new resources that were not discovered and exploited in earlier empires came into existence. Improvement of transport networks through railway lines and establishment of urban settlements changed ways of living. On the other hand, Japan, Germany, and Portugal embarked on programs meant to spark modernization within their economic sectors. Great Britain led the world into abolition of slave trade in Europe, America, and Brazil. As a result, adoption and application of Liberalism started prevailing in modern government systems. Liber alism translated into the economic system of capitalism, which advocated for liberalized pursuit of economic goals by individuals within the society. Therefore, those who had access to key raw materials could utilize them for profit and wealth generation (Mokyr 44). On the other hand, poor citizens of these empires were employed in mines and industries as casual laborers. In this regard, integration of Liberalism and Capitalism marked inception of economic and income inequalities. In addition, globalization derives its roots from this period when economic performance of one nation could influence performance in another related country. Colonization spread into Africa and Asia where colonizers acquired additional wealth from unexploited territories. As a result, the scramble and partition of Africa by European’s major powers influenced economic changes through wealth acquisition from the colonies. All these economic changes resulted in advancement and increase of economic dist ribution and income inequality in the world. Income Inequality: Definition In this context, income inequality or economic inequality refers to distribution of assets and factors of production within a given economic region under consideration. Factors of economic production include major assets like land, capital, and labor. Income inequality changes depending on the period of time and economic