Abstract The paper offers an assessment as to whether the countries of Latin America are less subject to external control today than they were twenty years ago. Latin America consists of the countries that traditionally formed part of two of the great continental European empires from the 16th century onwards. The paper shows through the use of historical examples that although the nature of control has altered, Latin America is still the subject of external influence and direction. As such, the actual position in 2008 is little different from that of 1988 or 1788. The paper states that Colonial and Cold War doctrines have been replaced by the almost invisible control posed by globalisation. The paper confirms that only when the region acts in a united manner that safeguards its natural and agricultural resources against outside encroachment will we be able to say that Latin America has freed itself from external control.
From the Paper "From the early 1950s onwards this protection of interest centered on the perception of threat from Soviet communism, in particular the theoretical assumption that communism could spread from one country to another like the falling of dominos (Ambrose and Brinkley, 1997; p.76). This certainly accounts for President Kennedy's endorsement of the "Bay of Pigs" invasion attempt of Cuba in 1961 and President Johnson's overt support in 1964 for a right wing revolutionary coup in Brazil (Ibid, p.103-107). In the same fashion, the Soviet Union attempted to bolster and intervene on the side of left wing groups and movements."
Tags: cold, war, national, governments, globalisation
This in-depth paper examines the existing evidence and research regarding the first arrival of humans into Europe which is continually being revised and debated.
Abstract This well-researched and in-depth paper analyzes the available evidence and research regarding the earliest expansion of humans into Europe which is continually being revised and debated. This paper details the two distinct and widely differing viewpoints relating to the first permanent Europeans. Supporters of a short chronology believe that the first residents of Europe migrated into the area from the near east approximately 500-thousand years ago. Whereas other fossil-rich sites in Europe continue to reveal thousands of other large mammal remains dated to the lower and middle Pleistocene epochs, dating to before 500-thousand years ago. The best evidence supporting a belief in the short chronology comes from a mandible found in Germany in 1907 at Mauer dated to around 500-thousand years ago. This paper delves into the long-running discussions of when Europe was first colonized, which has recently been fueled by new discoveries from the Iberian peninsula, which reports hominid occupation 800-thousand years ago or perhaps even 1.8-million years ago. The writer also discusses the detailed excavation of the Atapuerca sites in Spain which reveals evidence of earlier human expansion into Europe than was previously believed.
From the Paper "Looking at Middle Pleistocene fossils from Europe, we have a number of human remains, some more reliable than others. For a considerable time, a supposed human molar found at the Czechoslovakia site of Prezletice in the company of what were believed to be human-made stone tools was believed to be one of the oldest human fossils from the Middle Pleistocene, with paleomagnetic studies dating it to about 780-thousand years ago. However, more recent studies have reclassified the tooth as belonging to a member of Ursus. Other contestable evidence from central Europe has been unearthed near Sedlesovice, where what appears to be a quartz artifact was discovered, and from Trzebnica in Poland, where similar artifacts have been unearthed."
Abstract In this article, the writer looks at 'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles that was written at least 2000 years ago and examines why the play continues as one of the most important and renowned tragedies ever. The writer discusses that some say it is the unique style, or its historical richness, or perhaps the theme that helps to better understand the foibles of humankind. The writer also suggests that maybe, the play maintains its successful run because it has just as powerful a message for humankind as it did two millennium ago. The writer concludes that all are left with the anxiety that their lives may be just as changeable and unpredictable. The writer maintains that this knowledge and understanding, in fact, is what makes Oedipus Rex today as important and renowned in the present as it was over 2,000 years ago.
From the Paper "The truth is that anyone, anywhere is subject to the will of the gods. Now having the same strengths and weaknesses as anyone in the theater from the least plebeian to most privileged, Oedipus evokes a range of emotions from disgust to pity to terror. All are left with the anxiety that their lives may be just as changeable and unpredictable. For that is what happens to all who are mortal.
That knowledge and understanding, in fact, is what makes Oedipus Rex today as important and renowned in the present as it was over 2,000 years ago. How many humans, today, are just as torn--wondering how much of their lives are dictated by God, fate or some other force they cannot control, and how much they can decide for themselves through their own free will?"
Reviews this novel on the causes and effects of murders carried out by a Communist war criminal in the Korean War, examining issues of forgiveness, revenge and justice.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1999, $ 47.95
Abstract Cho Chong-Rae's Playing with Fire relates the story of a war criminal many years after he has committed murder. His crime was committed during the Korean War when he was a Communist sympathizer. Since it was many years ago, the reader is left with the task of deciding whether Hwang Bokman (which is not his real name, or rather it is only one of his real names) should be punished in the way that he ultimately is for the long-ago murders of dozens of people. While the book is putatively about a single family and the questions that they must answer, it is very much more generally a book about the nature of collaboration, about the legitimacy of revenge, and about the purpose of punishment.
From the Paper "Playing with Fire
Cho Chong-Rae's Playing with Fire relates the story of a war criminal many years after he has committed murder. His crime was committed during the Korean War when he was a Communist sympathizer. Since it was many years ago, the reader is left with the task of deciding whether Hwang Bokman (which is not his real name, or rather it is only one of his real names) should be punished in the way that he ultimately is for the long-ago murders of dozens of people. While the book is putatively about a single family and the questions that they must answer, it is very much more generally a book about the nature of collaboration, about the legitimacy of revenge, and about the purpose of punishment.
The reader of this book is asked at least implicitly to decide whether the ..."
Abstract For many, automated teller machines (ATMs) are simply a way of life. There were introduced nearly 20 years ago and today, many bank customers never go into a branch after opening their account. But today's ATM cards can also be used to make purchases at retail outlets and even on the World Wide Web, another innovation which was not envisioned 20 years ago. The videophone has become video conferencing, and cameras which use film may be made obsolete by cameras which use a floppy disk for recording images. Electronic pagers, once the purview of doctors and others who needed to be notified in case of emergencies, have now become commonplace and are used to summon diners to their table.
From the Paper "Introduction
For many, automated teller machines (ATMs) are simply a way of life. There were introduced nearly 20 years ago and today, many bank customers never go into a branch after opening their account. But today's ATM cards can also be used to make purchases at retail outlets and even on the World Wide Web, another innovation which was not envisioned 20 years ago. The videophone has become video conferencing, and cameras which use film may be made obsolete by cameras which use a floppy disk for recording images. Electronic pagers, once the purview of doctors and others who needed to be notified in case of emergencies, have now become commonplace and are used to summon diners to their table. This research examines each of these technologies and considers how the impact of technology extends beyond its stated use."
Abstract This paper explains that the Ichthyosaurs had a unique path of evolution traveling from lizard-like creatures frolicking along the coastal edge to reptiles swimming in the ocean's depths, including their development of fins from feet. The author points out that the Ichthyosaurs inhabited the Mesozoic ocean, appearing approximately 20 million years prior to dinosaurs, around 250 million years ago and became extinct earlier, approximately 90 million years ago. The paper relates that the Ichthyosaurs seemed well-adapted to their environment, which allowed them to survive for approximately 155 million years, yet why ichthyosaurs became extinct is still uncertain.
Table of Contents
Overview of Ichthyosaurus
Ichthyosaurs Fin Evolution
Ichthyosaurs Eyes
Ichthyosaurs Vertebrae Evolution
Ichthyosaurs Swimming Evolution
Ichthyosaurs as Predecessors to Birds
Live Bearing Ichthyosaurs
Extinction of Ichthyosaurs
Conclusion
From the Paper "Ichthyosaur fossils found near Holzmaden, Germany support this theory. A number of complete fossils were found in a quarry, in this southern part of Germany. Of these fossils, a large percentage was either babies or mothers carrying their young. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 10 percent of the females found in this deposit had fossilized embryos preserved inside of them. It's possible that some act of nature, rather than an instinctual return to a breeding or birthing ground, was the cause for this phenomenon. Waves or currents can sometimes wash bones into a small area, giving the deposit a denser than natural appearance. However, the Holzmaden fossils are preserved in perfect formation, which leads to the assumption that they were not moved."
Tags: lizard-like, fish-like, mesozoic-ocean, fossilized, fin
This paper is a research proposal to evaluate if, in the aftermath of "No Child Left Behind", the control of educational capital has passed out of the hands of teachers and administrators into the hands of far-off bureaucrats.
Abstract This paper explains the need to answer questions concerning educational capital, standardized testing and accountability and its effect on and acceptance by California teachers; thereby, the paper proposes using a combination of statistical research with case studies and interviews. The author suggests tracking California college enrollment, which is reported to be the best indicator of the condition of education, for the past twenty years; at points of peaks or valleys, it will be noted if there was an increase or decrease in standardized testing statewide at these times. The paper relates that veteran teachers, who have been teaching for at least twenty year and are still teaching, will be interviewed concerning their relative classroom procedures twenty years ago, ten years ago and for the past two years and asked to comment on the nature of the changes in their teaching caused by increasing testing and accountability demands.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
From the Paper "Christie made the undeniable connection between education and human capital. She cites a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that correlated human capital "the knowledge and skills derived from education, training, and experience" with national well-being--"economic growth, better health, lower crime, political and community participation, and social cohesion." Despite noting that education levels in the United States were high and rising, Christie also noted that the trend seemed to have leveled off; if it did so, it had begun to do so long before the past few years of No Child Left Behind."
Abstract This paper contends that commercials are far less sexist and less racist now than they were 50 years ago or even a generation ago. The writer discusses that subtle sexism is as dangerous as the more explicit varieties, because it is harder to identify and therefore to fight against. In this article, the writer explores sexism in the world of the television commercial.
From the Paper "Most of us try to avoid thinking about commercials. We reach for our remote to mute them, wander out of the room during them, talk to our roommates, do some homework on our laptops. And because we try to ignore commercials much of the time, we believe that their influence on us is minimized. We are not really paying attention so we do not think that they are affecting us. But the average American is exposed to thousands of ads and commercials every year and even if we are ... '
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that by looking at fossil records over the history of life on earth, it is possible to see a progression from the earliest microscopic fossils three and a half billion years ago, which were similar to blue-green algae and bacteria, to homo sapiens that live today and came into being at least 50,000 years ago. The writer maintains that most scientists believe that this progression is what Charles Darwin hypothesized as an evolution of life that continued or died out due to natural selection, which consisted of many small gradual changes as the organisms adjusted to their environment. The writer notes that it is human nature, however, to continually see how new scientific research or even personal values equate with a theory. The writer concludes that in the future, one could actually say that the study of evolution will evolve as new information is found through advances in science such as genetics and brain imaging, as well as ongoing archaeological and geological finds.
From the Paper "Darwin's Theory of Evolution states that life evolved through natural selection gradually over millions of years. Small changes eventually led to new species. According to natural selection, animals, organisms and plants adapt to their environment. This is called artificial selection, because it is nature not humans that chooses the animals that multiply. Random chance determines the traits that are passed on from one generation to another."
"For example, in England prior to the Industrial Revolution, peppered moths were light colored with tiny dark patches that were the same color as the lichen on which they landed. Because they were this color, they could blend in with the lichen and not be noticed by birds and eaten. Darker moths that were more easily seen by their prey were eaten before they could reproduce. However, when the lichen started to become darker because of the soot in the air from the increasing industry, the light-colored moths began to stand out. Now they were vulnerable, instead of the darker moths. The dark moths became more abundant, and the white moths became a rarity."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that although Garrett Hardin's essay entitled "The Tragedy of the Commons" was written nearly 40 years ago, it has even more impact today than when it was written, as we watch the population of the world continue to climb exponentially. The writer points out that Hardin's concern with overpopulation caused by, as he terms it, "the freedom to breed" is prevalent in all parts of the world today. In the third world where population is increasing at the greatest rate, starvation and disease run rampant. The writer further discusses that in the industrial world, the current population is beginning to tax natural resources such as fossil fuels, land and water just as Hardin predicted. The writer concludes that what Hardin saw 40 years ago is still true today, population growth must be controlled.
From the Paper "In this example, Hardin explores the idea of how people really are looking out for their own best interest with no regard for or unintentional benefit for the common good. Hardin asks the reader to imagine a pasture that is open to all to use. At more primitive times, overpopulation of the pasture by animals did not occur due to natural attrition. However, in more modern times, a point will occur when the balance will be tipped. Adding one more animal to the grazing land will cause it to be overpopulated. Nevertheless, the individual herders weigh their options and determine that they will benefit more personally by adding additional animals and the negative consequences are slight in comparison. If all of the herdsmen add animals, eventually they will being it to ruin.
To give this example more impact, Hardin looks to the National Parks as a modern example of how the lack of limits placed on individuals can destroy something."
Abstract This paper first examines the extinction of the dinosaurs being caused by a meteor strike or several meteor strikes that wiped out nearly all life on earth nearly 250 years ago. The paper then discusses how scientists all over the world continue to search for evidence of a approaching meteors. Finally the paper explores what the potential consequences would be were a similar meteor strike to approach Earth as it did 250 million years ago.
From the Paper "Scientists researching the ancient eras of the Earth seem convinced that some of the major catastrophes that wiped out so much of life on Earth was caused by a meteor strike, or several such strikes. 'Earth's greatest mass extinction--an Armageddon that wiped out nearly all life on the planet 250 million years ago--may have been triggered by a massive meteor collision like the one that millions of years later helped end the reign of the dinosaurs, a team of scientists reported...The extinction is called 'The Great Dying,' because it wiped out 90% of ocean species and 70% of those on land' (McFarling A1)"
Tags: extinction dinosaurs, the great dying, meteorites
Abstract This paper discusses the history, practice and evolution of the Qu'aran and Islam as it relates to women in society. Roles of women, freedoms, rights, and obligations are all viewed both in present times and in traditional Islamic society of centuries ago. The paper shows positive evidence of progress for women in Islamic society, as well as roadblocks yet to be overcome.
Tags: feminism, islam, rights, sociology, studies, women
Abstract This paper looks at comedians from the silent era such as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, the early talkies such as Mae West and the Marx Brothers, as compared to actors such as Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber" and Kevin Spacey in "American Beauty" and attempts to analyze why comedies from a long time ago may not be considered as funny by modern audiences.
From the Paper "In the past hundred years, the comedic motion picture industry has gone through a drastic change in the way movies are written, acted and structured. What began as silent black and white shorts has turned into colored films with sound, lasting up to three hours. While most of these changes came about with improved technology, changes in the way these films have been written have come about with a change in society as a whole. What people found to be funny and comedic in the past has dramatically changed from what people find funny today. Despite this, comedic critics today still consider works of Chaplin and Keaton and such to be masterpieces, even though the majority of "general" audiences today wouldn"t find them as funny as a Jim Carrey. Alas we come across the question of why people have been finding different things funny as the times go by, and the main answer to this is that society's idea of what is funny has changed. However, the critics" idea of "good comedy" has not changed, and thus critics still consider the older silent films masterpieces."
Abstract This paper shows how the ancient civilizations contributed to the development and advancement of mathematics, a science which could be considered as old as humanity itself. It documents the way mathematics has grown over the centuries thanks to the work and dedication of hard working scientists that have given us the privilege of enjoying the discoveries that they made centuries ago. A description is given of the names and works of mathematicians such as Pythagoras, Democritus, Hippocrates and so many others that promoted the development of mathematics.
From the Paper "The first civilization that used mathematics in an organized way was the Babylonians and the Egyptians. They started to develop this science at the 3rd millennium BC. Their early discoveries were mostly based on arithmetic, measurement and calculation in geometry. The Egyptians used a numerical system similar to that of the Romans. An old Egyptian text, composed about 1800 BC, reveals a decimal numerical system with separate symbols for the successive powers of 10 (1, 10, 100, etc). Addition was done by totaling separately the units- 10s, 100s, and so forth- in the numbers to be added. Multiplication was based on successive doublings, and division was based on the inverse of that process."
Abstract This essay discusses the growing popularity and influence of tattoos in American culture over the past century. It dates back to the tattoos debut in America through the military in the late 1800's and then becoming a part of our circuses in the 1900?s. This paper discusses how certain groups like feminists and sailors came to use tattoos and their variety of purposes from artistic impressions to story telling. It also discusses America's tolerance and acceptance for tattoos among the classes and genders throughout time and how this has changed. Tattooing is an art adopted by American society over 100 hundred years ago and is deeply rooted now in our culture as it has allowed us to examine and display portions of other cultures.
From the Paper "The reasons and motives behind getting a tattoo are as varied as the designs one can create. In days past, some of the reasons may have been to show one's patriotism to his country, to show love and respect for another person or organization, to remember past events or record the places one has visited, or even to rebel against something. Today, the reasons for tattooing still include the previously mentioned points, but have expanded to include exploring other cultures, expressing ones individuality, and simply for artistic reasons. Tattooing is an important part of the "American culture" because the designs many people create draw upon so many different cultures around the globe. The American tattoo, in a sense, is like a melting pot of designs, just like America is the melting pot for all of the different cultures."
