Been a long time

Been a while since ive actually posted anything, though there are numerous drafts I could revise and post. Instead you get another school paper. Enjoy!

Moral Reform

An outgrowth of evangelical Protestantism, the moral reform movement of the early 1800’s marked one of American women’s first entries into the field of politics and public social life. As an attempt to change morality, it may have ultimately failed, but the movement remains important for the changes it wrought for women as a whole.

The first female associations were primarily church based. As this was one of the few social outlets allowed women during the era, it should come as no surprise that they multiplied quickly and developed various goals. Activism rose within urban areas of the Northeast and Midwest. As the population became increasingly urbanized, the challenges faced by the associations became more immediate as poverty and vice increased. Intending to cure society’s ills, moral activists sought to combat these trends by running various institutions for the poor and propagating the idea of raising children to be pious and moral.

The moral reform movement was simultaneously a benevolent organization and a militant pressure group (Woloch, 2006, p.171).  Their primary goal was to establish a single standard of sexual morality upon all Americans, female and male. Teaching mores of behavior to children at home was fully within the women’s sphere of the time, the movement took their beliefs one-step further by putting their ideas into public action.

The moral activists sought to end prostitution and to punish seducers and adulterers (Woloch, p. 172). Activists would visit almshouses and jails to speak to the “fallen” women. Campaigns in which women would pray and sing hymns at brothels occurred. Reformers lobbied state legislatures. Homes and institutions were established were women could find refuge and support.

With its limited scope, the moral reform movement quickly fractured. The Utica society fell apart over the issue of whether or not it was “proper” to hold a public discussion regarding sexual matters (Woloch, p. 174). The societal limits placed upon women were not yet sufficiently loosened to allow for an open, public exchange of ideas on sexual topics.  Within a decade, the Moral Reform movement was losing steam, but another contemporary movement was gaining ground and putting women into leadership roles. The abolition of slavery quickly became the means by which women’s associations and women themselves would enter into public politics.

The double standard in regards to sexual behavior is still present in society today, though to a much lesser extent than the 19^th century. The criminal and social stigma attached to prostitution remains.  A recent article by the New York Times profiled Barbara Terry, a 52-year-old prostitute who has spent most of her adult life in the sex trade.  Ms. Terry has raised four children as a single mother. She has been arrested numerous times over her career, often-spending days in jail.  Her customers can be anyone: lawyers, city workers, husbands, and fathers. Ms. Terry has never worked for a pimp, noting that, “I never did drugs and never worked for a pimp for protection. What protection? If I’m in someone’s car, about to die, ain’t no pimp in there helping me” (Kilgannon).

Ms. Terry has shown younger workers the means of survival on the streets. She credits God for her own survival. Ms. Terry’s children, two of whom she put through college, beg her to get off the street, yet she admits she is addicted to the stimulation of street life. Ms. Terry began her career as a sex worker at the age of twenty-one, when her husband left her with two children to support. Ms. Terry’s knowledge about prostitution came from television. She knew about a local neighborhood where prostitutes gathered and went out on her own volition. In a profession often regarded as synonymous with abuse, drugs, and violence, Ms. Terry considers herself to be a survivor noting, “Most women don’t make it to my age out here” (Kilgannon).

Although the sexual customs of American society have changed considerably in the past 200 hundred years, it is safe to say that the moral reformers of the 1830’s would find Ms. Terry’s story eerily familiar. The moral reformers attempts at changing morality may have been unsuccessful, but it helped set the stage for the increasing role of women in public life.  

References

Kilgannon, C. (2011, December 30). At 52, still working the streets. The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/nyregion/at-52-a-prostitute-still-working-the-streets.html

Woloch,N.(2006). Women and the american experience: a concise history (5th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill

More Boring History Stuff

 

So this is my term paper for World Civilizations HIS 103.

 Civilization in Mesoamerica

Contrary to popular belief that the Americas were a pristine paradise sparsely populated by nomadic hunter gathers just waiting to be civilized, the New World contained civilizations that were just as complex as the arriving Europeans were. The societies of Mesoamerica have a history that spans centuries, with each society influenced by its predecessors.   
  

As early as 30,000 years ago the first people crossed over the Bearing strait land bridge (Waldman, 2000, p. 1). The land bridge was a result of an ice age, in North America this is known as the Wisconsin glaciation. Animals may have been the first to migrate across the land bridge, with hunter-gatherer humans following the herds. The glacier itself would have blocked migration to the eastern half of North America and as a result, the early Americans spread southward. 

When the glaciers finally retreated around 10,000 years ago there were various cultures scattered around North America, but these were still nomadic hunter-gatherers.  These societies, such as the Sandia, Folsom, and Plano were centered on the American southwest and what is now Texas (Waldman, 2000, p. 4). Around 7,000 years ago, the climate and geography stabilized into its present form (Waldman, p. 4). Shortly thereafter, a transition began towards more of a sedentary lifestyle among various tribes. Permanent settlement of an area began to become common as agriculture began to overtake hunting as a means of survival. 

The Olmec were among the first Mesoamerican people to successfully make the transition to a settled society. Among the Olmec, villages evolved, if not into true cities, then into large ceremonial and commercial complexes (Bentley et al, 2008, p. 65).  Tribes established complex social structures to deal with this new way of living. Like the cultures that followed them, the Olmec’s are believed to have been a theocratic society, with priests, traders and artisans based in the community centers.  The Olmec built stone structures including temple pyramids. They had aqueducts and paved streets. The population surrounding the communal centers practiced slash and burn agriculture to support the other stratum of Olmec society (Waldman, p. 10). Large basalt boulders carved into the likeness of human heads are perhaps the best-known Olmec work. The exact reason for their creation is still debated, whether for artistic or religious reasons or as a means of representing the aristocratic class watching over the people in an attempt at Orwellian social control (Mann, 2005, p. 209). Based on the broad lips and flat noses of these carved basalt monoliths there are various archeologist and scholars who have put forth the theory that the Olmec were visited by African explorers, thereby explaining the Olmec’s rapid rise (Mann, p. 209). Other archeologists have proposed visitors from the Shang dynasty in China may have influenced the Olmec (Mann, p.209). Neither of these theories are given much credence. 

The Olmec directly influenced the cultures that were to follow them. The gods created by the Olmec would be continued to be worshiped by these successor civilizations. The most well known of theses gods is the Great Plumed Serpent or Quetzalcoatl. Another Olmec trait that would survive the dissolution of their culture was a ball game played with a rubber ball on a paved ball court.  The Olmec developed a number and calendar system as well as glyph writing, all of which were to flourish under Maya society in centuries to follow. Due to linguistic and cultural similarities, it is surmised that after the decline of Olmec civilization that they migrated southward and are the direct ancestors of the Maya (Waldman, p. 10).  The exact reasons for the fall of Olmec society around 400 B.C.E. are not known. What is known is the ceremonial centers were destroyed, perhaps by the Olmec themselves due to civil war or civil unrest regarding the ruling class’s ability to lead (Bentley et al, p. 66).

The Maya are generally regard as direct inheritors of Olmec civilization. Occupying first the Guatemalan highlands, they quickly spread across the Yucatan Peninsula. The prominence of the Maya was not so much from innovation or development of new technologies, but in the refinement of existing systems. Mathematics, astronomy, and architecture all flourished under the Maya.  Like the Olmec, Maya society was based around ceremonial centers in the tropical rainforest. Most of these centers consisted of temple pyramids, astronomical observatories, plazas, aqueducts and ball courts. 

Although there was a rigid class structure of priests, oligarchs, craftsmen, and farmers there is little evidence suggesting a large political structure unifying the many population centers. The Maya were not as militaristic as later civilizations, despite warfare among the various population centers. Maya culture and influence spread as a result of commerce as they established a far-flung network of trade routes. 

The common heritage of religion grew under the Maya. In addition to a preoccupation with keeping time and observing the stars, human sacrifice was also practiced, but not to the extent it would be in Toltec or Aztec cultures (Allen, 1997, p. 19). Honoring the gods was the primary impetus in keeping Maya civilization orderly. By obeying the dictates of the gods and their servants the priests, the average Mayan would feel as though they were helping to keep the world in order. In doing so, their own civilization would be organized and not descend into anarchy. This was a template for social control that other civilizations would emulate. 

 By 900 C.E., the Maya were in decline throughout most of their territory. One leading theory suggests that an agricultural crisis resulting from fast population growth and soil depletion led to uprisings against the priests and aristocracy (Waldman, p. 12). Other possibilities that have been put forth include invasion, epidemics of disease, natural disasters, or ecological catastrophe (Bentley et al, p. 68). After European contact in 1502, Spanish and Catholic missionaries systematically destroyed what little Maya culture survived the fall of their civilization. 

The 9^th and 10^th centuries would see the rise of the Toltec in central Mexico. The Toltecs rose to prominence with a very militaristic society. Under the Toltec, the practice of human sacrifice, which had existed since Olmec times, gained greater prominence (Allan, p. 16). Skull racks to display the heads of sacrificial offerings first appeared under the Toltec (Allan, p. 16).  The agricultural basis of the Toltec was irrigated croplands. Toltec society was transformed when they began conquering their neighbors and extracting tribute. Though they had a large and powerful army, the Toltec also formed an extensive trade network. The similarities in architectural design and art motifs between the Toltec capital of Tula and the Maya city of Chichen Itza a thousand miles to the east are a testament to the trade network of both these civilizations as well as the commonality of Olmec influence.  

The warrior culture of the Toltec in turn influenced the Aztecs. When the Toltec went into decline in the 12^th century it created a political vacuum within the Valley of Mexico. Numerous small autonomous, often hostile states emerged. The Mexica, a tribe that had been migrating around central Mexico eventually settled in the valley. This tribe would build the remarkable city of Tenochtitlan and the Aztec Empire. The city itself was built on an island in Lake Texacoco. The location offered several advantages including easy access to food sources and military defensibility. This marshy location also spurred the development of the Aztec means of agriculture. Wicker baskets would be anchored to the lake bottom and fertile muck would be dredged from the lakebed and piled up to form artificial islands known as chinampas (Waldman, p. 15). This method of farming was so productive that farmers were sometimes able to harvest seven crops in a year (Bentley, p. 319).

By the turn of the 15^th century, the Mexica were powerful enough to overcome their immediate neighbors in the Valley of Mexico. Having done so, they began to call themselves the Aztec, named for the legendary location, Aztlan, from which they believed they had come. Eventually the Aztec’s would subjugate most of the societies of central Mexico. Tenochtitlan became a city of hundreds of buildings interconnected by a canal system. It is estimated that a quarter of a million people lived in Tenochtitlan, with at least that many living in the surrounding suburbs and villages (Bentley, 2008, p.319, Waldman, 2000, p. 14). The Mexica had succeeded in creating a viable social and political structure capable of supporting a large population as well as durable enough to survive severe crop failure or several crisis in succession (Brumfiel, 1983, p. 267).   At the height of the Aztec Empire, it is thought to have encompassed anywhere from five million (Waldman, p. 15) to twelve million people (Bentley, p. 319).

 Religion lay at the core of Aztec culture.  Many of the same gods worshipped by earlier Mesoamerican societies had its own cult (Allen, p. 19). Huitzilopochtli was a tribal war god of the Aztecs, who forced his worship on conquered peoples (Allen, p. 95). Human sacrifice became even more important than it had been among the Toltec. The bodies of the sacrificial victims were often consumed, especially during important religious holidays (Allen, p. 105). As the supreme god of the Aztec political entity, Huitzilopochtli guaranteed the prevailing social order just as he did the authority of the Aztec Empire (Allen, p. 104). To exactly what extent the worship of Huitzilopochtli was out of belief and loyalty rather than fear is difficult to ascertain, though the ease with which the Spanish erased him suggests the later (Allen, p.105).

 War rather than trade drove the Aztec Empire. Tribute was extracted from conquered people in the form of slaves and material goods. Nearly 500 various subjected territories paid these tributes to the Aztecs (Bentley, p 319). The Aztecs did not establish a bureaucracy or administer these territories, if a given society wished to rebel the Aztecs would simply re-conquer them, taking many prisoners for sacrifice.

These native societies made advances independently of other societies in the world at large. There was no Silk Road along which information and technology could be shared over vast distances. They invented complex, accurate calendars for time keeping. Large stone buildings were built in the middle of tropical jungles. Ingenious means of agriculture were devised. Large military forces were organized. Government was invented, everywhere else in the world it was borrowed or copied from Mesopotamia.  Yet when Columbus and his fellow Europeans arrived, all they saw were savages in need of civilization, European civilization.

 While wrong about so many things, Columbus was correct when he reported the native peoples used no iron. When natives on San Salvador in 1492 cut themselves through ignorance, they showed themselves to be unaware of the sharp cutting edge of iron (Parker, 2004, p. 132). Iron and steel metallurgy would be one of the keys to the European conquest of the Americas, the other being disease. Though the Aztecs and their allies were able at times to halt and even occasionally defeat the Spanish, which suggest a powerful and highly motivated fighting force, their fate was sealed (Parker, p. 134).  Not because they were uncivilized, but because they lacked a sufficient counter to the technological advantage and deadly diseases of the Europeans.

Cut off from the societies of Africa, Asia, and Europe the civilizations of the Americas developed independently from them.  Though certainly not the only civilizations too flourish in the Americas, these four are an example of how one cultures beliefs and traditions can be reflected or even admired and emulated in successor societies. From the ball courts, temple pyramids, and human sacrifices started by the Olmec, one can see their influence on the societies that followed with each culture adding its own improvements or refinements.

References

Allan, T., Lowenstien, T., Laughton, T. (1997) Gods of sun & sacrifice: Aztec & maya myth. Duncan Baird: London.

Bentley, J., Ziegler, H., Streets, H. (2008). Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.

Brumfiel, E. (1983). Aztec state making: Ecology, structure, and the origin of the state. American Anthropologist 85(2), 261-284. Retrieved July 31, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/676313

Mann, C. (2005). 1491: New revelations of the Americas before Columbus. Random House: New York

Parker, G. (Ed.). (2004). Cambridge illustrated history of warfare. University Press: Cambridge

Waldman, C. (2000). Atlas of the north American Indian, revised edition. Checkmark Books: New York

Conan The Barbarian

If you don't know who Conan the Barbarian is, then I'm guessing the chance of you going to see this movie in the theaters is virtually nil. Many will remember the film from 1982 staring the Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

That's right THE Arnold Schwarzenegger. Because lets face it, the guy is bigger than life. Maybe not quite Elvis bigger than life, but somewhere near on the scale. Conan the Barbarian was his first big hit. Which leads to Terminator and then its off to the races. The dude became Governor of California, a state that would rank in the top ten of global economies if it were its own nation. So if your going to This "reboot" of Conan the Barbarian because of fondness for the Halcyon days of the Arnold Schwarzenegger's portrayal of the Cimmerian then your going to be sadly disappointed, because no film can possibly live up to those expectations.


If however, you just hope for a good Conan story you are not going to be disappointed.

Just as the first film was Rated R for umm the violence, nudity and James Earl Jones as Thulsa "I turn into a snake" Doom, This Conan is quite violent. Just as Conan is supposed to be. Oh and there is gratuitousness background nudity in a couple scenes, Which is Awesome, but its never the focus of the scene. The characters pay no heed as well, for that it the way of things in Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age.

 The Movie begins in the very Traditional Fashion with a narrator starting thusly,
"Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas." Blah blah blah Evil Guys With Evil Mcguffin, blah blah blah, Uprising, blah, blah, Prophecy, and that's the mix. Except its Morgan Freeman doing the voice over, which is always cool.

The following is a clip from the opening act of the film. please do not watch if you are in any way squeamish about violence. Seriously. Not Kidding. Young Conan goes all sorts of reaver badass on a group of Picts . 

The rest of the movie can be summed up as follows: It's Conan Smashing skulls of those who defy him. Oh and he wins. Sure he might get captured, or have to face down a horde of Sand Zombies and what not, but lets face it, He is Conan. What ever Obstacle Conan comes up against, violence is his goto answer. Conan's skill set does not include much in the way of diplomacy.

Fight choreography is good, but editing was a little erratic at times. There are some Dethklok worthy Brutal Moments.

Ron Perlman was most excellent as Conan's' father. Though I would have preferred if the forging of the sword scene included instructing Conan about Crom. One of Conan's salient points is his devotion, such as it is, to his cultures god.

The Evil Mcguffin which this time takes the form of a bad ass bone mask is rather Meh. Looks cool, commands phenomenal necromantic power, but still rather Meh.

Acting was pretty much average, nothing stand out at any rate. Though the script really did not allow for much acting regardless. By Crom!, its Conan do you really expect there to be much?

Costumes were well done. Sets were pretty decent.

All in all, id say wait for the DVD if this movie at all interests you. Otherwise take a pass.

If on the other hand you are a fan of Conan the character this movie is pretty damn good. I  would have rather the producers had adapted one of the original stories or stayed a bit more faithful to the Hyborian background, (which is rather vast, consisting of 20+ Stories and novels written by Howard himself,  50+ works by various authors within the Hyborian Setting, and 275 issues of The Savage Sword of Conan in addition to another 400+ other comics by Marvel and Dark Horse. The Fluff in that 'verse is thick and remarkably consistent.)  This story fits rights in. Overall Execution on a nerd scale would be a B- sliding quickly to a C+. Entertaining if all one wants to see is Conan kicking ass from one set piece to another.



 -Mix

The Crusades

Yep. The Crusades. Such a wonderful moment in world history. Rampant warfare, disease, destruction, and the whole litany of mans inhumanity to each other. Yet taken as a whole, they represent an era which shaped the course of reality. This week on my World Civilizations discussion board there was a response so bone headed I had to respond.

First the Discussion Question: Discuss the development of the Roman Catholic Church.   What effect did it have on society?   Why did the church call for a Crusade, or holy war? What were the overall results of the Crusades?   Were they a successful military venture?   How was the holy war perceived by other societies?

My classmates response:

Discuss the development of the Roman Catholic Church, and what effects did it have on society?

The Catholic Church was outlawed until the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious toleration throughout the Roman Empire. Only then did they slowly start to have an effect on other societies.

It continued to united the early societies under a central power, as the Roman government loss increasing power in those societies. The Roman Catholic church had become more Romanist in its organization and held similar laws by this time

It continued to united the early societies under a central power, as the Roman government loss increasing power in those societies. The Roman Catholic church had become more Romanist in its organization and held similar laws by this time.
The church encouraged the development of local rulers that had adopted Roman Christianity and were loyal to the Church. This eventually lead to the Holy Roman Empire.

Why did the church call for a Crusade, or holy war?
To free Jerusalem from Islam.

Were they a successful military venture?   How was the holy war perceived by other societies? Wars are never successful, and there were no other societies of note who cared.

So I had to respond. Usually I wouldn't even consider doing so, but being that I'm feeling rather confident as of late, I couldn't let this naivete and disregard for even attempting to do the homework slide. Why pay for school if one is not even going to try?

Melodye,

I respectfully disagree with your conclusions to the final two questions. You stated, “wars are never successful.” There are many wars that have been successful, that have shaped the nature of our reality. Without the victory of the thirteen colonies over the might of the British Empire or the bloody sacrifice of the American Civil War, would there be a United States of America? How different would a world map look if the Allies had not won Second World War? Even the war in Vietnam was successful if one looks at it from the point of the North Vietnamese. However, I suspect your response to the question is more in regards to the humanitarian cost of war. In those regards, I think we are in total agreement. The destruction and loss of life is deplorable. No sane person thinks that what the world needs is more wars; yet true world peace seems to elude us as a species.

The original discussion question was, “Were the Crusades a successful military venture?” I sure in the eyes of those who fought it, thought it was successful when they captured Jerusalem. However, 900 years later we know this to be a temporary victory. These wars were fought over a time span of centuries and facilitated an exchange of ideas, trade goods, and technologies (Bentley et al, p.314). So while not militarily successful in the end, the Crusades did help to strengthen the emerging successor kingdoms of the Western Roman Empire and the Catholic Church. 

You further stated, “there were no other societies of note who cared.”  The Muslim societies of the time certainly had reason for concern, as did the Byzantine Empire. The Turks, Egyptians and other Muslim societies became more unified because of the Crusades (Bentley et al, p. 314). The Crusades were the beginning of the end for the Byzantines. The crusaders captured territory and even conquered Constantinople before being expelled (Bentley et al, p. 189). The last remnant of the Roman Empire and bastion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity was faced with Muslim nations that were becoming more powerful because of the Crusades. In a larger sense, societies as far away as China may not have had any direct interest in the actual outcome, but certainly would have noticed the increase in trade and communications coming from Western Europe and Mediterranean Basin.

Again, no disrespect intended.  -Josh  

 Bentley, J., Ziegler, H., Streets, H. (2008). Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.

To Harsh? Nah. Seriously though. Assuming there is a humanity to look back at this era 900 years from now, what will they say of our own Crusades?

Mix

What The? Part II

It's that time again. I am back in a 100 level course. The Fact that it is History 103 World Civilizations makes me happy. That the discussion boards have more moronic drivel on them makes me decidedly unhappy. And sometimes one comes along that needs to be shared and made fun of.

This discussion topic involves humanity's transition from a  nomadic, hunter-gather lifestyle to a settled agricultural society. This occurred roughly 10,000 years ago, during what is known as the the Neolithic Era.

Here is the Direct Cut and Paste:

Discuss the transition to agriculture. The transition to agriculture is the fact that they find out that they didn’t have to hunt for animals to survive and they started to distinct difference types of food that they could produce that emerged an became a wide range of early civilizations and is now today some of the most important crops.

 What influenced the transition?I would have to say humans influenced the transition to agriculture. We as people influence one another that’s a big transition is us as people getting a long better with each other know matter with color your skin is.

 How did it alter the life of an average person and shape society? I think it altered life and shaped society by expanding and it shape society by them learning how to survive and continue 

What affect did it have on the size of the population?The affect it had on the size of the population is that their a higher population mean more agriculture developed and more crops are planted.

 How, in turn, did that mold the development of government? In turn of the development of the government they love seeing hunger in society I don’t trust the government they full of it.

 Include data from your textbook and supplementary readings to support your response. “That transition to agriculture led to a population explosion, which enabled human communities to establish themselves in far greater numbers around the world than ever before (Bentley, Ziegler, Streets P. 6)”. 

Let's Break that Down:
 
1.Discuss the transition to agriculture. The transition to agriculture is the fact that they (They who?)find out that they(?) didn’t have to hunt for animals to survive and they started to distinct difference types of food (What like McDonald's or Burger King?) that they(?) could produce that emerged an became a wide range of early civilizations and is now today some of the most important crops.(Glad to see you finally found the period on your keyboard! Seriously, what the hell?)

2.What influenced the transition?I would have to say humans influenced the transition to agriculture.(Really? That's the answer your going with? No F'N kidding) We as people influence one another that’s a big transition is us as people getting a long better with each other know matter with color your skin is. (Grammar Nazi alert! Though if being generous, yes cooperation is important among the early pioneers of agriculture, though they would be suspicious of any stranger regardless of skin color (Bentley et al, p. 7)

3. How did it alter the life of an average person and shape society? I think it altered life and shaped society by expanding and it shape society by them learning how to survive and continue. (So your premise is agriculture altered the life of the average human by expanding and society was shaped by humanity's continued survival?  I'll buy that. But that is rather shallow. Maybe mention the difficulties associated with early agriculture or mention that a surplus of food meant individuals could begin to specialize in things other than food production i.e. development of arts and technology.)

4. What affect did it have on the size of the population?The affect it had on the size of the population is that their a higher population mean more agriculture developed and more crops are planted.  

(Once again I concede your point. Agriculture did indeed lead to higher populations, but a little more information would be nice, that and better sentence structure. Something like: 

Scholars estimate that the population of humanity prior to the invention of agriculture was around four million (Bentley, p. 8). By 500 B.C.E., after agriculture had spread to most of the worlds regions, the population had risen to about 100 million (Bentley, p. 8). As humanity began living in larger and larger groups, the neolithic peoples developed new forms of social structure. As these populations became completely settled and abandoned a migratory lifestyle, the increasing specialization of labor provided the first opportunity for individuals to accumulate wealth. Land ownership is the ultimate source of wealth in an agricultural society. When successful individuals and families managed to hold onto wealth for several generations, clearly defined social classes emerged.)


5. How, in turn, did that mold the development of government? In turn of the development of the government they love seeing hunger in society I don’t trust the government they full of it.  

(Whoa! That's way outta left field. I don't even know how to begin to address this one. Are you some sort of time traveling student? The government of Ur or Kish loves seeing hunger in their society? What government are you not trusting and what are they full of? Pretty sure you went off topic here a bit, scratch that, fell head first into an Abyss of Imbecility)

6. Include data from your textbook and supplementary readings to support your response. “That transition to agriculture led to a population explosion, which enabled human communities to establish themselves in far greater numbers around the world than ever before (Bentley, Ziegler, Streets P. 6)”. 


(Yeah ok, you did it. You found one piece of information that you wield like a club. Rather than write something that resembles a well thought out and reasoned response using information from the assigned readings throughout, you just figured you would throw this at us. If I'm grading this post you get a D-. And that's being generous because at least you read the first few pages.)

Am I being an intellectual snob? Maybe. But trust me when I say that this fellow students piece comparing and contrasting  Mesopotamian civilization with the Hittites is even worse. 



References
Bentley, J., Ziegler, H., Streets, H. (2008). Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.


Mix

Field Trip!!

For those who may not know, I have three daily Goals: 1. Do not drink alcohol. 2. Make someone laugh or smile. 3. Learn something new. I figure if I can complete these three things in a day, every thing else is just a bonus. In furtherance of goal number three and my own curiosity, I embarked upon an adventure to be a truck driver for a day. Well, ok, not really an actual driver, nor even navigator. Basically, I just sat in a super sweet chair and observed.

If I tried to convey my excitement for the day's activities you probably wouldn't believe it. But the best metaphor is, I was like a kid who couldn't sleep because tomorrow is Christmas. So after a few hours rest, I proceeded to the appointed meeting spot. I arrived at 4:40, precisely at the time I intended, as I would rather be twenty minutes early than five minutes late.  Besides you just never know, if the Universe has decided its your day to stand in line behind the old lady in the convenience store while she counts out change.


My friend and guide for the day, Bob, arrived precisely on time; 5 AM. I watched and asked questions pretty much after  saying "Good Morning Sir Bob, What's The Mix?"

Here is what I knew about truckers and trucking at the start of the day:
A. Trucks are big.

B. Truck drivers provide an essential service to industrialized societies by transporting finished goods and raw materials over land, typically to and from manufacturing plants, retail and distribution centers.

C. Trucking is hard work, with many hours.

My initial impressions of the vehicle during those early moments of the morning, were "Damn that truck is huge! and rolling with a tanker. After starting the vehicle and beginning the days paper work, Bob did an inspection of the vehicle. Once on the road, I learned of the cargo we would be transporting. Leachate. Leachate comes from the breakdown of various things in the trash and when it rains, water seeps through the landfills and is trapped by liners so it does not seep into ground water.The leachate drainage system is responsible for the collection and transport of the leachate collected inside the liner.  So we were headed to a Landfill. And trust me I was excited.

Road Warrior Style!

During the first half of the day, We made four trips between a land fill that is exclusively for construction debris and a near by water treatment plant. Bob had it down to a science, and answered all of my questions while we waited for 6000 gallons of leachate to fill the tanker.I found it  kind of odd standing next too a man made mound, that I knew contained rubble, wood and lumber, sheet rock, shingles and other assorted construction debris. There are various control boxes, valves, and pumps that dot the entire mound. I tried to get a picture but alas the camera on my phones sucks when facing into the sun. The other thing I noticed  was the Methane burner. Not a huge one, but still kicked out serious BTU's.

The waste treatment plant was a fun visit. It was at local  city's sewer and water facility. You may or may not recall that earlier this year, one of the courses I completed was an environmental studies class.  If you want to learn more. its not to hard to get a basic overview on wiki. The set up at the water treatment facility was of a sub surface flow constructed wetlands. Basically, after being screened for  floaty bits, the water is passed through artificial wetlands to screen out impurities.

Yeah, it smells a bit.

But not as bad as you think.

After 4 tankers at 6000 gallons each, the leachate tank at the landfill was nearly empty, or at least did not contain enough to make another full tanker-load. Bob called in to see if there was anything else on the docket for the day. Sure enough, a run to the East Central Solid Waste Commission Sanitary Landfill near Mora was still in the cards. This was much longer run than the short hops we had been doing. This landfill is a general waste facility, where your garbage goes once it leaves the curb. Once again the first thing I saw was huge man-made mounds, though these had roads built in, in addition to pumps, valves and what not.

 

The Trailer has a moving floor that slides the garbage out

One the way in Bob's truck was weighed in at 30,140 lbs. After loading 6000 gallons of dirty water it was 80680. After crunching some numbers, I estimate there was approximately 469 lbs of suspended material and contaminants in the water. Another way of thinking about it would be adding a  little under a Tablespoon of Dirt  to a bottle of water. (Assuming my calculations are correct)

This sites Leachate was stored in an above ground lagoon. It smelled alot like the Primary screening lagoon at the waste treatment facility.

Fence Added though i'm guessing no one is going for a swim.

After Filling up we drove to south St. Paul and delivered the lechate to the Metropolitan Council's Sewage Treatment Facility. Its hard to get an idea of how massive this facility is from a crappy cell phone pic but trust me, its big.

After this we made for home and missed the worst of rush hour traffic on 494.

It was a great day. Not only did I get to learn about trucking, I also added some practical experience to go with the academic knowledge I acquired earlier in the year regarding landfills and sewage treatment.

Conclusions drawn from  The Experience:

1. Seriously people WTF? Its a big vehicle coming down the road are you in that much of a hurry to die? On at least 6 occasions people in teeny tiny cars and suv's thought pulling out in front of a semi was a good thing. Bob was ever the pro, downshifting and employing brakes as necessary, but usually eliciting a grumble. And Who can blame him? I took high school physics, I know enough to confidently state that an 80,000 lbs vehicle traveling at 60mph has enough Kinetic Energy to turn most anything it hits into paste. Car Drivers appeared to be oblivious to this fact. Hell, even I have been from time to time. I would not suggest it.

2. Big Rigs have Blind spots! Yes I guess I knew this before, but actually riding in one gives you new appreciation for this fact.  And if its raining turn on your damn headlights! The trucker seeing you is your only defense if you insist on driving like a complete Jack Ass.

3. Truckers have thier own form of Office Politics.

4. Truckers do everything they can to ensure safety on the road, its those of us driving in the much smaller vehicles that make it difficult for them, NOT the other way around.  So you might be slowed down by a truck at a stop light or you might view being behind one as a general speed impediment, Tough. We need trucks and trucker drivers to keep our society going, Give them a break. And when you see one signaling for a lane change, THAT IS NOT A GOOD TIME TO TRY AND SPEED AHEAD OF THEM!

5. Everyone and I mean Everyone should visit a land fill. Hell we should make it a required school field trip for Juniors and Seniors. Its one thing to understand the concept or see a land fill on television or movies. But much like the difference between a photo of the Grand Canyon and the real thing there is a huge difference. Of course natures beauty is something we actively seek out for recreation. Witnessing what we are doing to nature may not be a pleasant experience but one that I think people can learn from. I know it has me thinking.

6. By the same token, a Visit to a water treatment facility is also a worth while learning experience, especially if they were to have tour guides.

I'd like to thank Bob for putting up with my incessant questions over the course of the day. Truly it was a great experience.

As I have been reviewing the day in my mind and writing this, I've also been thinking about history. No, not what we perceive as history, but how this era, this moment in time will be perceived generations from now.  What will they say about our garbage heaps buried in the earth? Will they find our era of waste and environmental destruction repugnant ? Will they be locked in the same cycle?  Will the planet have to be abandoned?  Regardless, there will still be truckers.


Mix

Story Part 3

The final installment, or at least for now it is.

 Part III

The Avatar turned its burning gaze on the Daemon, silently responding to its mocking challenge. The slow drip-drip-drip of blood from its left hand intensified. Its blade glowed brightly in its clenched right fist.

Kelmon sensed that they had reached the crisis point of the battle. Two mighty probability waves were about to clash, one bringing screaming terror and defeat to his people, the other joyous victory. The outcome was uncertain. Forces beyond his ability to comprehend had been unleashed here.

The Daemon led its followers down the ridge. The Eldar charged to meet them. Great clouds of dust rose around the combatants. Now all subtlety was thrown aside in the primal fury of conflict. The fighting became close and deadly as the two forces mingled. The Avatar and the Keeper of Secrets ploughed towards each other, leaving destruction in their wakes. The Daemon rent two Exarchs asunder before it confronted the Avatar. 

The ground shook as the two mighty beings clashed. The Avatar and Daemon wrestled each seeking advantage. Auras of power flickered around them as they dueled with blades of psychic force.  The daemon's claws locked tight on the Avatar’s armor, striving to crush the being contained within. The Bloody Handed One’s left hand closed on the Daemon’s throat as it sought to strangle its foe.

Kelmon felt a surge of power as the Warlocks entered the fight. Their witchblades flashed, cutting into the daemon's hide, distracting it for a second as it lashed out in fury, breaking bodies with each terrific blow.

For a long moment, the conflict stood in balance. The Avatar and the Daemon stood locked, straining to their uttermost, neither able to break the deadlock. Kelmon sensed the total nature of the combat. Here were two beings driven by burning hatred battling on every level, physical, mental, spiritual; re-enacting an age-old cosmic battle. Around them, the struggles of man and Eldar were dwarfed by the energies unleashed. It was like two giants fighting in an ant pile.

Slowly, painfully, the Avatar forced the Daemon back. The Daemon attempted to hold its ground, but was forced to sway, curving its back away from its foe. The Avatar seemed to grow as it exerted itself more fully. Suddenly, with a final desperate surge it lifted the Daemon and broke its back over one armored knee. A terrible psychic scream rang out. The feedback through the runes nearly caused Kelmon to faint.

The Avatar stood now in the center of the battle and raised its blade in triumph. The cultists moaned, having seen their god destroyed. The Avatar glared around. Its gaze fixed on one man who fell to his knees screaming. The Avatar reached out with its bloody hand. There was a great splintering of bone as the man’s heart burst out through his chest and floated into the Avatar’s grasp. The cultists fell back demoralized.

The battle was over. The massacre began.

Part IV

Solara walked across the plain of ash. All around Bonesingers in wraithbone armor loomed from the twilight, their ornate helmets and baroque armor turning them into ominous spectral figures.  They stood over the bodies of the Eldar dead, singing the Requiem for Fallen Heroes.

A thousand points of light glittered in the shadows transforming the battlefield into a carpet strewn with tiny stars. Each small fire was a way stone, pulsing with the soul of a slain warrior, a refuge against the ultimate death. Slowly the lights winked out as the Bonesingers reverently collected them for merger with the Infinty Circuit in the heart of the Craftworld. 

Solara passed the burned out remains of a fallen Wraith Lord. The machine was shattered beyond repair, its external carapace pitted with blast craters, its head fused to molten slag.It lay on its side like the skeleton of a fallen giant. 

He remembered the Wraith Lord as it marched to battle among the wraithguard, striding like an elegant thoroughbred, spider silk pennons aflutter.  He mourned its passing. Another artifact of ancient times destroyed, another object of irreplaceable beauty ruined, another soul removed from the universe by the forces of senseless destruction.

He stepped over a human corpse. The man looked small and pitiful now that he was dead, hands outstretched, begging for mercy he never received. His eyes were open, looking up to the unforgiving sky with an expression of shock. The Warlock bent down and closed his eyes gently, thinking that no one, not even a human, should gaze out into the darkness forever.

Shocking quiet had fallen over the field now that the battle was finished. Solara found it hard to believe that only hours earlier he had been trapped in a roaring melee, partially defened by the clamor of battle. Now his ears seemed to ring with the absence of sound. 

Nearby a Dire Avenger sat cross legged by the body of her fallen comrade. She had removed her mask and bright crystal tears ran down her face. He knew her name was Kshatriya. He placed his hands on his own mask and toyed with the idea of removing it. He did not.

He knew that when he did so, the last remnants of his fighting persona would fall away and he would have to confront his own reaction to the battle. Then he too would weep. At the moment, armored in the role of Warlock, he could ignore the worst of his sorrow.

He stalked through the aftermath of carnage, wondering if it was always like this, the grief and the hollowness of the heart. He began to understand why some Eldar became trapped on the warrior path. Dealing with the sight of so much ruin could be to much to bear.

We have won the battle, he thought, but we can never win the war. In the end, this ceaseless conflict will destroy us. Every fight leaves us diminished, a few more souls lost to the Warp forever. He thought of Kratithiel, the Banshee whose waystone the daemon had devoured. That bright joyous girl would dance no more at the Feast of Forgotten Sorrows. She was gone now and a small part of the Eldar race had departed with her. The universe is colder for her passing, he thought.

All the bloodlust and the bright madness of battle had gone now. It was as if the Avatar had taken it with him when he vanished back to his nether realm in the bowels of the Craftworld.

Contemplating the darkness of spirit that the Bloody Handed One’s presence had revealed to him, Solara almost hated the creature. Part of him had enjoyed the battle, had reveled in the taking of life and the terrible excitement the being had led them into. The Avatar is a part of us, he thought. We cannot escape the fact or shift the blame to him. We created him and we summoned him. His destructive potential is part of every Eldar. The Avatar’s presence was simply an excuse for unleashing our darker selves. He is only our reflection, an incarnate nightmare of violence and death made real by our desires.

He reached the center of the field where the remaining troops had gathered. Most of the Aspect Warriors had removed their masks, were becoming themselves again. Some sat quietly, some wept, some laughed. The faceless precision of the Aspect Squads was gone, replaced by the reactions of individual Eldar. 

A group had gathered around the Farseer. Among their ranks Solara could make out the face of his mentor, Bressa. Kelmon emerged to be greeted by their quiet approbation. His face was flushed, triumphant. He was raised on high by two Guardians, who lifted his thin, wasted body easily and was taken down towards the bulk of the army.

Somewhere, someone struck up a tune on the splinterpipe. The wild melody drifted over the battlefield, moving slowly from a mood of melancholic sadness to exultant triumph. It was the music of survival, of people who had passed through the inferno of combat unscathed.  It spoke of the strange joy of victory, of the simple gladness of being alive. It mourned the passing of the dead yet spoke to the hearts of the living. It said tomorrow we will grieve but tonight let us give thanks for our lives. All things pass, life goes on.

“It is over, Solara,” Bressa said. “The time for heroes is past.”

For a long time he looked at her, wondering whether he could face being a simple mortal again, a dying thing in a dying world. The music and the message of her eyes reached out to him and Solara took of his mask.

He became truly himself again and wept.

Mix