Research Article
Maps have been used by political campaigns as far back as the beginning of politics. Maps are an easy means in which to organize the the population of voters and track patterns and trends that allow for educated strategizing.
At the national level, politicians are faced with the challenge of communicating their message to a wide variety of people. Their ultimate goal is to keep their message consistent, while still appealing to the the widest variety of people. Often, the best way to communicate that message is based on regional concerns. The most organized way in which to evaluate regional data is by using a map.
At the beginning of a campaign, a team of campaign advisors will research and evaluate voting trends by region over the last several years. Based on their conclusions, they will create a liquid schedule that will ensure their candidates spends the greatest amount of time in the regions where they would have the most influence.
For instance, in the 2004 presidential campaign, advisors determined that the middle prairie states had tended to vote Republican in previous elections over the last twelve plus years. All of the polling data suggested the same trend would continue in the 2004 election. Therefore, very few visits were planned for campaigning to these states, versus several visits to swing states who's votes were on the fence until the last minute, such as Wisconsin or Ohio.
Once the campaign is in full-swing, advisors will use maps to track issues and determine future campaign plans based on patterns. A large amount of income goes into a presidential campaign, and it is important to track donations by region. Politicians will want to target regions taht show above average donations to keep the excitement and support going, and the money rolling in.
One of the most important tools a campaign has at their disposal is advertising. States that have been determined to be at play in an election will be inundated with ads leading up to the election. Maps have been further developed in recent years to breakdown issues on the county by county basis.
This allows advisors to micromanage their communication on an even greater level. In any one particular state, issues can vary widely. For instance, in a state such as Wisconsin, which is considered in play for the 2008 presidential election, the lower south-eastern portion of the state may be concerned with issues such a Great Lake environmentalism, while the north-western part of the state will be influenced more by gun education and control issues. If a presidential candidate can organize the regional issues and tailor the campaign to those issues, the candidate stands a better chance of gaining votes.
The Boston Globe developed a newer method of mapping dividing the US into regions. What this did was allowed the ability to track election results in a more accurate manner, removing the geographical weight that is often misleading. By dividing the country this way, the Boston Globe showed that evenly weighted regions voted in certain ways, allowing candidates to target regions in future elections, instead of jumping randomly from state to state.
These examples show how viewing the country via large-scale, regional maps and small county to county maps can be equally valuable to campaign planning. By utilizing maps, politicians are able to communicate their message in specialize terms that will allow them to reach more specific groups.
Research Article
Spas have long since been a part of the history of civilations with leisure time. Social bathing was a part of ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and possibly as far back as prehistoric times. It is commonly believed that the word "spa" from the town of Spa in Belgium. It was there that illnesses caused by iron defiencies were treated with water from natural springs. Others have asserted that the word is an acronym for Latin terms such as "Salus Per Aquam” or "Sanitas Per Aquam," meaning "to heal with water." Wikipedia points out though that acronyms were not used until the 20th century, so the development of the word spa from these Latin terms is merely coincidence.
It is believed that spa rituals were observed as far back as prehistoric times. Artifacts that could be associated with ritual purification have been found near hot and cold natural springs.The Ayurveda, the earliest known medical philosophy, originally passed through generations verbally. Over time, written documentation was created and show that sweating was considered so important to health that its induction was prescribed through bath and various other methods. From this, rituals such as sweat lodges, saunas, and hot spring baths evolved.
Greek mythology asserted that certain tidal pools were blessed by gods. During ritual bathing, people would leave offerings to these gods, and they believed that there were special healing powers to the blessed waters. From Greek writings, we have learned that as far back as 500 BC Laconeca, or baths, were used to bathe, purify, and socialize. These later grew into the Roman Balneum, which were larger and more ornate, and then later, around 25 BC, Roman Thermae, the largest and most ornate of the baths.
The Romans were possibly the first culture to make ritual bathing a part of popular culture, as opposed to the more religious undertones of previous civilazations. They built baths across their entire empire, from Englad to Africa, that largest of which could fit 6,000 people. The thermae grew to be elaborate destinations and were designed like entertainment complexes that included sports activities and restaurants. A Roman might enjoy a strenuous workout, move to a steam room, and the progressively more intense steam rooms, until it was time for a massage, skin scraping and a few relaxing hours in the library or lounge. This was a social activity for Romans, as well as a chance to increase health and experience pain relief.
The Roman empire fell, but spas continued to spring up around the world, often near natural water springs. In the 1500's writings began to surface about the healing properties of water, and in the 1890's, Sebastian Kneipp developed herbal treatments that he claimed, and many believed, had special healing properties. The Kneipp philosophy is based on five pillars which are plants, water, exercise, nutrition and balance. There are modern-day herbal product developed under the Kneipp philosophy, and the company continues to educate about the healing properties of nature, and specifically water.
By the 20th century western medicine had taken hold and replaced much of the healing aspects of spas. Spas were able to adjust though and began offering luxury services. Many of the same activities still existed, but they were selling beauty as opposed to healing. A spa weekend meant rejuvination, youth and good looks, but the underlying principles were still the same. Today, spas have managed to evolve and incorporate philosophies of health, healing, beauty, and holistic living through their products and services. While many people may think a visit to the spa is an indulgence they do not need, they need not look further than history to see the value in spa treatments.