Prior to the 20th century, women’s acceptance into fighting forces had been patently restrictive on a global scale. The vast majority of countries considered women the ‘weaker sex’, consequently relegating them to the duties of childbearing, raising children, domestic work, and caretaking.
In the 1800s, there were some exceptions to this rule. One notable example is an all-female rebel group during the Venezuelan War of Independence in the 1810s, led by Juana Ramirez. This 100-strong artillery unit was instrumental in resisting Spanish soldiers in their attempt to reconquer Venezuela. …
Eight Latin American countries led by either right-wing dictators or military juntas feared being overthrown by communist insurgencies. They created a pact with each other and with the aid of the CIA, fought back. In this article, we will explore what happened and the dire consequences their actions created. These countries are:
Sometime in the 1940s, the Soviet Union began to use guerrilla insurgencies to overthrow governments that were friendly to the US. Their grand strategy was simply to encircle the U.S. …
The beady eyes shining from the moonlight betray her position on a dark night. As she crawls out of the burrow where her pups are huddled, an assassin patiently awaits. As she sniffs the ground in front of her, the smell of cat urine is ubiquitous and ominous. Unfortunately, for this brown rat, the Toxoplasma gondii parasite invading her system is preventing her from recognizing the bodily odors her predator has left behind. It might even be that these odors are luring her into the clutches of the same perpetrator that spritzed his scent around her dwelling.
The crazy-cat lady who owns the feline stalker and lives in the house no more than fifty yards from the rat’s burrow could also be infected with the parasite. Her behavior has been erratic for years. Her family has noticed a propensity for poor driving habits, even a couple of recent fender benders. Scientist have suspected a correlation between cat ownership in childhood and later development of schizophrenia. Could the rat and the woman who owns the house have a similar parasite in common? …
Before moving on with this article, there is one ethical consideration that we must get out of the way: Is dog sledding ethical? In my opinion, as well as those held by many animal rights advocates, dog sledding in itself is ethical as long as the dogs are treated as equal members of the team. Just as the mushers, trainers, or any other humans involved in the endeavor are treated, so should be the case for the four-legged participants.
They must be treated humanely and must not be euthanized just because they are not able to contribute to the team. Only when a dog is facing imminent death from a painful illness or injury can this final act be performed. They must also not be treated as property. Dog sledding must be seen as comparable to horse riding, or to working with animals on a traditional, sustainable farm. …
It all started on August 16, 1896, when George Carmack, an American prospector looking for gold by the Klondike River in Northwestern Canada near the Alaska border, discovered gold. He had been working the area accompanied by his Tagish wife Kate (Shaaw Tláa), her brother Shookum Jim (Keish), and their nephew Dawson Charlie (K̲áa Goox). George was following a suggestion from Canadian prospector Robert Henderson to look for gold on Bonanza Creek (called Rabbit Creek at the time), one of the Klondike River’s tributaries.
Ethnicity is defined as a category of people who identify with each other on the basis of a common language, ancestry, history, society, culture, nation, race or social treatment. Race on the other hand is mostly defined and determined by physical characteristics. However, there is no gene cluster that determines or differentiates between the black, Asian, white or any other race. For this reason anthropologists assert the notion that “race is a social construct” hence, it is an identity assigned based on rules made by society.
Although the US Census only recognizes seven racial or ethnic categories: white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Amerindian/Alaska native, native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and mixed ethnicity, the reality is a little different. …
Derived from the Latin “cultus,” meaning care, cultivation, reverence or adoration. In the 1600s used as “worship,” “homage,” or “a particular form or system of worship.” In modern times, the word cult has evolved to take on a connotation of extreme beliefs and excessive devotion.
We have all heard the story of the anguished parents who try to rescue children who they feel have been stolen by a cult. Or perhaps the middle-aged children who complain their elderly parents have been turned into “zombies” by a religious group which has totally taken over their lives. …
Influenza virus symptoms are described in texts as early as 2,400 years ago. The first real evidence of the disease goes back to 1580 Russia, when a pandemic surged through Europe and Africa. In Rome, the pathogen killed 8,000 people and nearly destroyed several cities in what is now Spain.
In recent years, globalization has made the spread of a disease such as COVID-19 difficult to contain. However, at the same time, international cooperation and advances in research and medicine have made it less likely a repeat of the death toll experienced during the Spanish flu will happen again.
Nonetheless, it’s important to continue learning about disease control and treatments, as well as staying vigilant while funding research and development in medicine. …
Millions of years ago, in a parallel universe in which our laws of physics do not apply, and where animal and plant life advance through reincarnation rather than evolution, one particular soul came into existence in the body of an amoeba. When it exactly happened, is unknown. Suffice it to say that after its creation, it endeavored to work its way through the hierarchy of beings in search of higher levels of existence. This with the approval of a universe, which in its infinite wisdom, realized the potential of the quiddity that lay within it.
After thousands of years of deaths and rebirths, it came into existence as a female snake. This soul gained favor by guarding her eggs with extreme jealousy. It procreated with vigor within an ecosystem perpetually searching for balance. …
Many of us love to settle into an easy chair, open a book from one of our favorite authors and immerse ourselves into the wonderful world of fiction. We typically allow the author to take us on a journey of discovery, fantasy and dreams; excursions of mental flight we often remember for the rest of our lives. We especially love when the words of a good fiction seem to magically transform themselves into mental images just as if we were watching a movie on an old fashion silver screen.
In many cases, we do not want to know what concoction of word and imagery alchemy the author has constructed. Instead, we want to be led into that world of make-belief living within the pages of the story we are reading. Soon, we find ourselves not only captivated by the story, but somehow part of it. When this happens, the author’s magic has worked. …
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