Breaking the Norm Essay

A norm is something that is usual, typical, or standard of something in society. Some examples of a norm are going to school, taking a bath, sleeping at night, wearing clothes in public, and eating breakfast lunch and dinner. All those things are stuff we do in our everyday lives and don’t think about it, we just do it because it is normal and it has been taught to us since we have been very little. If you end up breaking the norm though, people will look at you differently and you could really stand out from everyone around you. I am going to challenge this and break the norm to see what other people do and think around me. What I am going to do to break the norm is go to the grocery store with my mom and instead of walking everywhere, I am going to skip. I am going to start skipping right when I get out of the car into the parking lot until the time I get back in the car after shopping. I am even going to skip when I am standing in the checkout line. When I do this I think people are going to give me really weird looks and look annoyed that I am skipping everywhere. I also think my mom is going to feel embarrassed to walk with me. When I broke the norm by skipping everywhere in the grocery store I got the weirdest looks from people, but some people smiled and laughed. I did not tell my mom that I was going to do this and I did not tell her that this was a project. At first my mom laughed, but then she got really annoyed and yelled at me and told me to stop but I didn’t listen to her and kept going. At one point she tried walking in front of me because she didn’t want to be seen with me. All the other people just stared at me with weird faces on and when I would look back I could see them laughing and talking about me. At first when I got out of the car I felt kind of embarrassed to do this because it is not the normal thing to do. As I proceeded to do it though it got easier and I knew I was going to be right about all the people looking at me with weird looks and my mom being annoyed of me and embarrassed to be with me. The lady in the checkout line looked very confused and uncomfortable when I was just skipping in place; she looked like she didn’t know what to do. I just kept skipping though and minding my own business and acting like nothing was wrong. People in today’s society do normal things every single day. When we see someone breaking the norm, like I did, you think twice about that person and wonder what they are thinking. If Americans see someone from another country wearing a turban, or seeing the Chinese foot binding, or seeing different tribes from Africa putting copper rings around the girls necks to make them longer we tend to judge them and wonder what they were thinking. Other Countries could think we are different and not normal too when they see us with mohawks or tattoos or piercings. Those things are normal to us but not normal to other people. When you break the norm you get a really good feel on how everyone does the normal things every day and doesn’t think twice about it until you see someone else breaking the norm.

Kurds Identity

Kurds Identity What do we know about Kurds? Read about Kurds identity in this article. Hashtag: #CizreUnderAttack Kurds Identity Before the 1980s, little was known about the Kurds, a large ethnic group living in southeastern Turkey, due to the lack of academic institutions to fund and coordinate research, and other barriers. For instance, as the existence of a Kurdish nation in Turkey was traditionally ignored and being pursued as an official policy, the Turkish government limits the scope of studies on all aspects of Kurdish life. Academic debate and research were also severely suppressed by the hegemonic representation of the Kurds in the state’s discourse as a case of separatism, terrorism, and so on. Moreover, since the basis of this hegemonic representation was a state-sponsored classified research, it prevented researchers from questioning the officially recognized representation of the Kurds or engage in issues related to Kurdish society and culture. However, when the Kurdish national movement emerged and political activism in Turkey increased in the 1980s, studies addressing various issues and focusing on aspects of Kurdish society and politics were freely carried out and published. Some of these studies focus on Kurds origin and identity while others are more interested in conflict analysis, re-emergence, and evolution of Kurdish nationalism. As a stateless people who have been exposed to oppression, suffering, subordination, and forced migration, Kurds history, and origin, according to the literature relates to their struggles to gain independence and freedom. For this reason, the main components of Kurds identity include their homeland, the memory of the past, shared experiences, language, and national symbols. Their homeland, according to the literature is â€Å"Kurdistan†, a territory delineated by the Allies after World War I.   Kurdistan consist of a two hundred thousand square miles of mountainous expanse and some 550,000 square kilometers of land spanning the present state boundaries of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. However, there are no internationally recognized Kurdistan territories and the term â€Å"Kurdistan† has been banned in Turkey since the 1920s. Yasar Kemal Is a Master of Word The delineation of Kurdistan resulted to the dispersal of the Kurds into nearby territories where they need to cope with varying socio-political and cultural conditions imposed on them. The dispersion in a way negates the possibility for the Kurds to have a fixed and essentialist Kurdish identity. Although most Kurds consider themselves as descendants of the ancient Medes, researchers view of Kurds identity still revolved around the demarcation of their homeland due to lack of written historical sources that could link them to ancient periods. Kurdish Nationalism Kurdish nationalism according to literature is one the most  controversial and critical predicaments in the Middle East. For instance, since there are about 20 to 25 million Kurds live mostly in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, Kurds effort to establish their own state not only resulted in numerous clashes with the government of the states in which the Kurds reside but claimed tens of thousands of lives. However, despite being a direct threat to the territorial integrity of the above states, the nature and origin of Kurdish nationalism remain unexplained and poorly studied. As a political ideology, Kurdish nationalism is inspired by collective identities, traditions, self-awareness, and imagined communities. In 1878 for instance, the Kurds who rebelled against the Ottoman Empire and invaded the Urmia region in Iran used the term â€Å"Kurdish nation† and expressed the need to unify the Kurds and create a Kurdish state. A Kurdish poet, on the other hand, edited and republished an epic poem in 1695 containing expressions of an independent Kurdish identity and the need for a Kurdish ruler.   Similarly, â€Å"Kurdistan†, the first newspaper in the Kurdish language published in Cairo in 1898 was a step toward Kurdish self-awareness or awakening possibly leading the creation of a Kurdish state. The Fall of the Ottoman Empire Tells Us about Modern Events The Kurdish question in Turkey is still defined by the separatist tracks of Kurdish nationalism, but with less radical inkling and seeks cultural recognition and political equality within the confines of democracy. In fact, many scholars believed that since violent demands for recognition is often met with equally violent Turkish strategies, Kurdish nationalism needs to be decoupled from ethnic violence and essentialism.

How paintballs are made

How paintballs are made Paintballs are made entirely of non-toxic, food grade ingredients. To make the hallow shell; water is poured into a giant, heated mixing bowl. A sweetener, a preservative and a secret combination of food ingredients are then added. Finally, the key ingredient that gives the shell its shape - gelatin - is introduced.All the ingredients are mixed together for around half an hour before the gel is transferred from the mixer into a heated vat called the "gel tote". Once the filtered gel is securely in the tote it is lowered into a giant blender where food dye is added and blended for about 20 minutes.Elsewhere in the factory, the same method is used to dye what's called "the fill" - that's the "paint" that goes inside the shell of the paintball. It's made of polyethylene glycol, the same inert liquid used for cough syrup, before being thickened with the same wax found in crayola crayons.A pod full of paintballsThe gel and the fill are brought together in what's known as "the feed room". Here the vats of gel and fill feed a soft-gel encapsulation machine one floor below. This machine is the same kind used by drug companies to make soft gel-cap medicines like cod liver oil.First, the machine spreads the gel on to a cooled drum. This creates a continuous, thin sheet of gel called "gel ribbon". The cooling process cures the gelatin to the point where it can be molded into the hollow shell of the ball. The machine presses the gel ribbon into a cast with half-circular pockets, each forming one half of a ball shell.The machine does the next three steps in one shot: it aligns 2 half-shells together.These newly minted paintballs are still quite soft and if they're not carefully dried, they'll lose...

The First Battle of the Marne

The First Battle of the Marne From September 6-12, 1914, just one month into World War I, the First Battle of the Marne took place just 30 miles northeast of Paris in the Marne River Valley of France. Following the Schlieffen Plan, the Germans had been moving swiftly toward Paris when the French staged a surprise attack that began the First Battle of the Marne. The French, with the aid of some British troops, successfully halted the German advance and both sides dug in. The resulting trenches became the first of many that characterized the rest of World War I. Because of their loss at the Battle of the Marne, the Germans, now stuck in muddy, bloody trenches, were not able to eliminate the second front of World War I; thus, the war was to last years rather than months. World War I Begins Upon the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, by a Serbian, Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia on July 28- a month to the day from the assassination.  Serbian ally Russia then declared war on Austria-Hungary.  Germany then jumped into the looming battle at the defense of Austria-Hungary.  And France, who had an alliance with Russia, also joined the war. World War I had begun. Germany, who was literally in the middle of all this, was in a predicament. To fight France in the west and Russia in the east, Germany would need to divide its troops and resources and then send them in separate directions. This would cause the Germans to have a weakened position on both fronts. Germany had been afraid this might happen. Thus, years before World War I, they had created a plan for just such a contingency- the Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan The Schlieffen Plan was developed in the early 20th century by German Count Albert von Schlieffen, chief of the German Great General Staff from 1891 to 1905. The plan aimed to end a two-front war as quickly as possible. Schlieffen’s plan involved speed and Belgium. At that time in history, the French had heavily fortified their border with Germany; thus it would take months, if not longer, for the Germans to try to break through those defenses. They needed a faster plan. Schlieffen advocated circumventing these fortifications by invading France from the north via Belgium.  However, the assault had to happen quickly- before the Russians could gather their forces and attack Germany from the east. The downside of Schlieffen’s plan was that Belgium was at that time still a neutral country; a direct attack would bring Belgium into the war on the side of the Allies. The positive of the plan was that a quick victory over France would bring a swift end to the Western Front and then Germany could shift all of its resources to the east in their fight with Russia. At the beginning of World War I, Germany decided to take its chances and put the Schlieffen Plan, with a few changes, into effect.  Schlieffen had calculated that the plan would take only 42 days to complete. The Germans headed to Paris via Belgium. The March to Paris The French, of course, tried to stop the Germans. They challenged the Germans along the French-Belgian border in the Battle of Frontiers. Although this successfully slowed the Germans down, the Germans ultimately broke through and continued southward toward the French capital of Paris.   As the Germans advanced, Paris readied itself for a siege. On September 2, the French government evacuated to the city of Bordeaux, leaving French General Joseph-Simon Gallieni as the new military governor of Paris, in charge of the defense of the city. As the Germans advanced rapidly toward Paris, the German First and Second Armies (led by Generals Alexander von Kluck and Karl von Bà ¼low respectively) were following parallel paths southward, with the First Army a little to the west and the Second Army a bit to the east. Although Kluck and Bà ¼low had been directed to approach Paris as a unit, supporting one another, Kluck got distracted when he sensed easy prey. Instead of following orders and heading directly to Paris, Kluck chose instead to pursue the exhausted, retreating French Fifth Army, led by General Charles Lanrezac. Kluck’s distraction not only did not turn into a quick and decisive victory, but it also created a gap between the German First and Second Armies and exposed the First Army’s right flank, leaving them susceptible to a French counterattack. On September 3, Kluck’s First Army crossed the Marne River and entered the Marne River Valley. The Battle Begins Despite Gallieni’s many last-minute preparations within the city, he knew that Paris couldn’t withstand a siege for long; thus, upon learning of Kluck’s new movements, Gallieni urged the French military to launch a surprise attack before the Germans reached Paris. Chief of the French General Staff Joseph Joffre had exactly the same idea. It was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up, even if it was a surprisingly optimistic plan in the face of the ongoing massive retreat from northern France. Troops on both sides were utterly and completely exhausted from the long and fast march south. However, the French had an advantage in the fact that as they had retreated south, closer to Paris, their supply lines had shortened; while the Germans’ supply lines had become stretched thin. On September 6, 1914, the 37th day of the German campaign, the Battle of the Marne began. The French Sixth Army, led by General Michel Maunoury, attacked Germany’s First Army from the west. Under attack, Kluck swung even further west, away from the German Second Army, to confront the French attackers. This created a 30-mile gap between the German First and Second Armies. Kluck’s First Army nearly defeated the French’s Sixth when, in the nick in time, the French received 6,000 reinforcements from Paris, brought to the front via 630 taxicabs- the very first automotive transport of troops during the war in history. Meanwhile, the French Fifth Army, now led by General Louis Franchet d’Esperey (who had replaced Lanrezac), and Field Marshal John French’s British troops (who agreed to join in the battle only after much, much urging) pushed up into the 30-mile gap that divided the German First and Second Armies. The French Fifth Army then attacked Bà ¼low’s Second Army. Mass confusion within the German army ensued. For the French, what began as a move of desperation ended up as a wild success, and the Germans began to be pushed back.   The Digging of Trenches By September 9, 1914, it was apparent that the German advance had been halted by the French.  Intending to eliminate this dangerous gap between their armies, the Germans began to retreat, regrouping 40 miles to the northeast, on the border of the Aisne River.   German Chief of the Great General Staff Helmuth von Moltke was mortified by this unexpected change in course and suffered a nervous breakdown.  As a result, the retreat was handled by Moltke’s subsidiaries, causing the German forces to pull back at a much slower pace than they had advanced.   The process was further hampered by the loss in communications between the divisions and a rainstorm on September 11 that turned everything to mud, slowing down man and horse alike. In the end, it took the Germans a total of three full days to retreat.   By September 12, the battle had officially ended, and the German divisions were all relocated to the banks of the Aisne River where they began regrouping.  Moltke, shortly before he was replaced, gave one of the most important orders of the war- â€Å"The lines so reached will be fortified and defended.†1 The German troops began digging trenches. The process of trench digging took nearly two months but was still only meant to be a temporary measure against French retaliation.  Instead, gone were the days of open warfare; both sides remained within these underground lairs until the end of the war. Trench warfare, begun at the First Battle of the Marne, would come to monopolize the rest of World War I. The Toll of the Battle of the Marne In the end, the Battle of the Marne was a bloody battle. Casualties (both those killed and wounded) for the French forces are roughly estimated around 250,000 men; casualties for the Germans, who had no official tally, are estimated to be around the same number.  The British lost 12,733.   The First Battle of the Marne was successful in halting the German advance to seize Paris; however, it is also one of the main reasons that the war continued past the point of initial brief projections.  According to historian Barbara Tuchman, in her book The Guns of August, The Battle of the Marne was one of the decisive battles of the world not because it determined that Germany would eventually lose or the Allies ultimately win the war but because it determined that the war would go on.2 The Second Battle of the Marne The area of the Marne River Valley would be revisited with large-scale warfare in July 1918 when German General Erich von Ludendorff attempted one of the final German offensives of the war.   This attempted advance became known as the Second Battle of the Marne but was rapidly halted by Allied forces. It is viewed today as one of the keys to ultimately ending the war as the Germans realized that they lacked the resources to win the battles necessary to win World War I.

I need a reaction peper for an environmental science class of one page Essay

I need a reaction peper for an environmental science class of one page - Essay Example The study of Dr. Hayes on the effects of Atrazine in frogs is a corollary on an accurate prediction of what could happen on humans. He takes on an almost renegade approach as he goes against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and drug companies for the banning of Atrazine. This herbicide which is used for 80 million lbs. a year in the United States, as he has illustrated, was already banned in many other countries. The primary findings that he proposes are the effects of Atrazine on frogs in different ecological areas including creating controlled groups. He concluded that the frogs exposed have increase in hormonal imbalance and chemically castrating frogs same as how other chemicals cause tumors in rats. Male frogs are actually growing eggs in their testes and they are taking a longer time to metamorphose. This is significant because this can also happen to humans as we drink the very same water exposed to Atrazine. It is undeniable that these same effects already exist in o ur system and this has a generational effect. I ardently believe that in the largeer scale of things, â€Å"it is better to err on the side of caution.† To the end of his talk, Prof. Hayes insisted that it is still the people who now have the power to stop this and in this case time is of the essence.

Compostion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Compostion article - Essay Example Freshman students, including those studying in AUC, also experience the same problem. In addition, since most of the students are Egyptians, English is only a second language. Thus, the present study utilized a hybrid concept/mind mapping online strategy (E-mapping) in order to enhance text comprehension and develop critical reading skills. AUC has a core curriculum course required for all students, Scientific Thinking, which emphasizes on the scientific process and scientific approach in dealing with the world. This curriculum is a basis that students do not usually read texts assigned to them, or cannot analyze the texts. With the use of E-mapping, researchers aim to explore if such strategy could enhance critical thinking and text comprehension, as well as increase student participation in the Scientific Thinking course of the school. Through this study, it will also be determined if the technique would improve the quality and quantity of interaction with text and among students a nd instructors (p. 635). Review and Analysis I. Methods Because graphic strategies are said to aid in visual approaches to reading better than the traditional linear text presentations, the researchers used concept mapping and mind mapping as strategies to help improve text comprehension and retention. ... 635). In two semesters, E-mapping was incorporated into the syllabus of three Scientific Thinking sections, introduced gradually to students due to its unfamiliar approach. Initially using a pen and paper introduction and then shifting to a free online software, the students were exposed to the mapping techniques. Assignments of increasing difficulty were given to the sample of 70 students enrolled in the course. Data gathering techniques used comprised of student E-maps, early and late semester anonymous surveys, and mid-semester small group instructional diagnosis (SGID) (p. 638). Surveys were based on students’ perceptions, the SGID on their suggestions, and the E-maps evaluated their performance. II. Results and Conclusions Outcomes of the research project show that E-mapping has several strengths. The strategy encouraged the students to read the texts assigned, and participate in class discussions. In addition, they were obliged to read the text in a critical manner in or der to come up with maps as representations of the linear text. Through the maps they construct, knowledge, perceptions, or misconceptions regarding a topic are assessed. Generally, the tool has the benefits expected from it, but student’s reaction to the approach differs. The main concern of the students regarding E-maps is the workload it demands from them. They perceive it as time-consuming, and require â€Å"too much work,† concluding that E-mapping is an active learning strategy but not a unique way of testing content or critical thinking, and presenting that such technique permits students to have improved visualization skills important in communicating ideas (p. 645). III. Strengths and limitations The goals of the research project are clearly

What is the Cold War (1917-1991) Discuss its cultural, economic, Essay

What is the Cold War (1917-1991) Discuss its cultural, economic, political, religious, and social dimensions - Essay Example between the two power blocs, which led to an international power struggle with both parties vying for control and dominance, exploiting every chance for expansion anywhere in the world. This supremacy battle led to the Cold War, which was a state of military and political tension after World War II between the Western bloc and the Eastern bloc. This paper discusses how the cold war shaped the socio-political and economic landscape of the U.S. As the cold war came to dominance, most of American policies toward the rest of the world, attitudes about immigration and immigration policies began to change. â€Å"The increasing prevalence of an internationalist ideology led to the passage and implementation of the Displaced Persons Acts of 1948 and 1950, which brought more than 400,000 European refugees into the US...†( McLaughlin & Mary, 15). By the early 1960s, calls to reform U.S immigration policy had increased, majorly because of the growing strength of the civil rights movement. The focus of civil rights movement was the importance of equal treatment regardless of nationality or race; this led many to view the quota system that was in place since 1920 as backward and discriminatory. The Congress debated and eventually passed the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965(McLaughlin & Mary, 76).This Act greatly changed the face of the American population. The US has been involved in many wars with different objectives and results. However, one thing stands out from the wars that the U.S has been involved in, that is, the wars have served as crusades of political instruments. The only war that was exception to these objectives was the Korean and Vietnam wars. The war was a cold war-era proxy war that started in November 1955 and lasted for 20 years. The war had far-reaching consequences for the US. Many lives were lost; â€Å"†¦.US lost more than 58,000 soldiers while more than 150,000 soldiers were wounded† (Hosch, 43). These harsh consequences led the Congress to