Portfolio

Your Subtitle text

Portfolio

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.

Personal Essay

Over the last four years, I've spent a good deal of time comparing Milwaukee to Baltimore, the midwest to the east coast, the place where I grew up to the place that I'm, well, still basically growing up. I figured Sunday was as good a day as any to start a more scientific (and by more scientific, I mean, still not scientific at all, but an attempt to build my army of words when preaching why Baltimore and Milwaukee are different and how I'm special because I know) approach to offering a valuable comparison of the cities. You know, in case anyone else in Baltimore is thinking of moving here. (Dont. Just... don't.) But I've known of at least two people that have left here for Baltimore (one eventually landed in New York) and maybe this will be valuable to them.

Due to technological convenience, I was able to browse both cities' Sunday papers in the comfort of my office. Both front pages featured stories of recent murder, although (surprisingly), you had to look a bit harder for the Baltimore story. Both had links directing readers to local takes on national news, such as the coming presidential election and the Super Bowl. Both cities, for both topics, I'm sure, included plenty of cynicism and bitterness. Originally planning to just grab the main headline for each city and contrast and compare (double-spaced, watch your margins!) I was a bit rattled but undeterred. Searching a bit more, I found an article in each paper that I thought would offer me the chance to put each city under the microscope and conclude which is the "better" or at least "better-suited" to me. Baltimore's read "City Targets Trans Fats." Initial conclusion based solely on headline reading by me: "Government, please stay out of what I put into my body. Please allow me to make my food choices based on education and personal interest and do not big brother me into eating only what you deem to be good for me and never learning why I should be eating it." Considering my stereotypical view of Milwaukee's restaurant and food market, prior to even perusing for my Milwaukee headline, I thought Cream City would already be the hands down winner. (Ha! Cream City...Charm City. Both make me smile. After living in both now for a decent amount of time, I'd like to consider myself to have a certain creamy charm. But I digress.)

So, moving on to Milwaukee's headline, I find that the "Water Debate is Heading to the State Capital." "This can only be good!" I think. The water that pours from my faucet here at home, when not a murky sludge, is what I would consider more pus-like than water and tastes like someone died in it. And by died I mean, did all the things that dying bodies do, and then died some more, and then decomposed and then had vultures come and chew away at it and then the vultures died too. In the water. (Sorry, Netflix and I have been on a gore kick this week.) Dave won't give the faucet water to Anais it's so awful. That's right. Our cat drinks bottled water. We're too young to be yuppies though, so it's ok. There are times when I gag when I'm brushing my teeth due to the smell of the water. But it seems wrong to me to swish bottled water around in my mouth and then spit it out. I'm probably rotting my teeth, but spitting $.45 down the drain seems like a fair trade.

I embark on reading both articles. Maryland, it seems, has had some success with banning things in the past. Smoking, Santa Claus, nineteen foot walking fish in their estuaries. They've had minimal luck concerning illiteracy and syphillis, but you can't win them all. Thus, it seems they will succeed with the trans fats. But the article goes on to explain that it will be a gradual phase out of the illeged killer and restaurants have the opportunity to use healthier, more expensive fats. They can pass the higher cost onto the consumer who will gladly pay it, reasoning that eating four pounds of french fries fried in "healthy fat" is certainly worth it. I'm growing conerned, because so far, this doesn't seem unreasonable to me. It sort of seems like survival of the fittest. I would assume (and the article is already long enough without my researching) that the reason trans fats came into existance in the first place for use in food was out of convenience or to save money. I know there are slight taste differences in foods cooked in varying oils, but I'm also assuming when one is consuming a meal of the super value variety, their pallette isn't tuned into the finer nuances of cooking oils. I don't like the word "ban." But I'm partial to the idea of just letting unnecessary crap that doesn't benefit anyone and quite possibly will kill them, just kind of drift off. Smoking brings people pleasure and relaxation and a means to exercise their oral fixations. Santa makes little children giggle and beg. Nineteen foot walking fish provide the Sci-Fi channel with glorious material with which to entertain us. But you know what? We can still eat French Fries and Little Debbie's without trans fats.

It's the bigger picture though that bothers me. I ask myself, "why can't we leave it up to restaurants to provide whatever fat they want and let the consumer decide which they would like and if they're willing to pay for more for said fat?" Require restaurants (and I'm pretty sure they already are) to provide information about their ingredients. (The tiny Ralph Nader in me is cheering right now.) Expect that people will take the initiative to educate themselves about their health and what they are putting into their bodies. Raise the bar a little for society. Say "You have a choice whether or not to eat this thing that will kill you. Learn why it might do so and choose what you would rather do." And then watch as they continue to cram potato skins in their mouths. (Guilty as charged.) But isn't that their responsibility? Isn't the person that thrills from their french fry eating risks just as entitled to that as any sky diver or lion tamer?

But what about the children, you say? And that's where the little bleeding heart hippie in me stands up and screams. I agree with that. I know full well that an increasing number of parents are ignorant to or choose not to share with their children proper eating habits and nutrition. And personal responsibility. And why everything you put into any orifice of your body has an effect and you are responbible for that effect and therefore, you need to learn why said item should or shouldn't be inserted into given orifice. So the army of chunky children heads off to buy Slim Jims and potato chips and then home to play Tekken. (I bet they don't still play Tekken. I bet I just firmly dated myself as an adolescent of the 1990's.)

Muddled by what I now believed about the government's role in fat and cooking styles, I made my way over to the Milwaukee article, already looking forward to the nectar of Mother Earth, cool and crystal clear pouring from my faucet for just under $82 each month. I pictured my skin vibrant, my hair silky, my organs pliable and resilient, each cell round and firm with glistening, clear liquid.

"Several Wisconsin lawmakers have been meeting with state and local officials to draft language for ratifying and implementing the compact here and expect to circulate it later this month." (JSOnline.com) Ok, no mention of clean water there. Nor really, a definition of the compact they refer to. Maybe I'm interpreting it incorrectly. On to the next paragraph.

Paraphrased, it says Democrats for, Republicans against. To the Journal Sentinel's credit, they did throw in two reasons at the end why Republicans are "against clean water." (Which at this point, I'm confused if it's even clean water that is up for debate here. It seems to be focused on a compact that deals with water diversions. I googled water diversions. My first response was a five page Adobe document that included water tables. The second made no sense either. Apparently, I need a degree in geographical water ways of the United States to read a newspaper that's written at a fifth grade level.) Reading the rest of the article cleared up absolutely nothing for me. It reinforced what I already knew. There are a bunch of people in Madison that will argue for the sake of arguing, veto eachother's ideas just to say they did so and spend a good portion of their days pulling one another's hair and stealing eachother's Twinkies in attempt to make their enemy cry. And not a single one of these people seems to care that I may be consuming and bathing in the feces of my fellow Milwaukeeans. Just like the marriage debate of Wisconsin's previous election, the media's goal is to confuse me as much as possible so I no longer know whether I'm actually voting for or against an initiative that bans or supports gay marriage. Trickery. It makes me weary.

And so, in this first study of Milwaukee vs. Baltimore, what have I learned? In my old hometown, the elected officials are making every attempt to extend such complete and absolute control over their constituents, they are now dictating their most personal decisions and shrouding it under the guise of good will and health. And in my new hometown? The elected officials are too busy fighting with eachother to care if I'm eating poop.

Special thanks to both JSOnline.com and Sunspot.net. Each provide me, respectively with the opportunity to gather weekly recipes without spending $1.25 and catch up on the current and continuing misery of my old pals in the pressbox.