Leslie Marmon Silko and Simon J. Ortiz : Pathways to the tradition

Abstract Native American1 literature in North America has been in a self-declared state of renaissance since 1969. This rebirth is perhaps more aptly described as an attempt to recover traditions, beliefs, and even languages that were lost, suppressed, or marginalized during a centuries-long history of conquest that ended near the close of the nineteenth century, at least in military terms. The object of this recovery is to rediscover and revivify an identity uniquely Indian in its cultural and traditional affiliations (for example, Owens 1992:3-16). Native American writers such as Simon J. Ortiz and Leslie Marmon Silko have been at the forefront of this recovery, and both authors have been instrumental in suggesting how Native American oral traditions can be extended into the realm of a comparatively young literature.2 Aside from the great inherent differences between oral traditional and literary modes of expression, this undertaking is rendered problematic by the fact that the majority of Native American literature is written in English. Since students of Native oral traditions have focused much of their effort on delineating an ethnopoetics of those traditions,3 it appears at first blush that scholars of the traditions and the Native American writers who are seeking to extend those traditions may not have much in common even though the traditions are of central concern to both. Certainly their priorities are different. Also, it is clear that a literary tradition, by its very nature, must utilize oral tradition in ways that are convenient to its individualized ends, resulting in an abundance of divergent approaches even within the work of a single writer. Studies in Native American literature are in a creative ferment; the field is very diffuse, and much of the scholarship is exploratory and tentative in nature, as we shall see.Issue title: Festschrift for John Miles Foley. This article belongs to a special issue of Oral Tradition published in honor of John Miles Foley's 65th birthday and 2011 retirement. The surprise Festschrift, guest-edited by Lori and Scott Garner entirely without his knowledge, celebrates John's tremendous impact on studies in oral tradition through a series of essays contributed by his students from the University of Missouri-Columbia (1979-present) and from NEH Summer Seminars that he has directed (1987-1996)

A SWOT Analysis Of Competitive Knowledge From Social Media For A Small Start-Up Business

The analysis of data from social media sites can provide useful decision-making information for businesses; however, can small businesses with limited budgets and limited technical expertise compete in this new social media driven market? This study provides a proof of concept for increasing a company’s competitive knowledge through the use of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) framework model by gathering qualitative data about the use of social media from employee interviews. By increasing the competitive knowledge through evaluating the results of the SWOT analysis, this small start-up company will have a strategic plan for increasing their competitive advantage. The authors present the results of the study in the form of practical recommendations for short-term and long-term implementation. Several of the short-term and long-term recommendations are substantiated through prior research studies. Future research could include a follow-up study of this company using a SWOT framework tool or other methodologies to indicate what social media tools and strategies provide the most beneficial competitive knowledge for a small business, and why. Additionally, comparing the results from this study with a similar study of a different small start-up business could lead to the design of a model for other small businesses trying to increase their competitive knowledge through the effective use of social media

Will We Run Out of Energy or Other Resources? [video]

NPS Defense Energy SeminarNPS Defense Energy Program Presents: NPS Defense Energy Seminar, Will We Run Out of Energy or Other Resources? with Dr. Dave HendersonMany people fear that we will run out of resources. As long as resources are privately owned, we are highly unlikely to run out. It is possible that our consumption of some important energy resources, such as oil, will diminish. But if that happens, it is likely to be because substitutes are more attractive. In this talk, I will mention a famous bet on running out of our resources and a bet of $10,000 that I proposed to Paul Krugman that he did not accept

The medieval English begging poem

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on June 8, 2009)Vita.Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2008.Since the only consistent feature of medieval English begging poems is the fact that they beg, usually for funds due, the form cannot quite be considered a genre. However, the relationships between poets and patrons that provide motivation for the poems' composition have a variety of things in common, primary among them being the social disparity between poet and patron and the overall nature of the social structure that defines that disparity. In the case of the Old English poems, the social structure is termed the comitatus; in the Middle English poems, it is the affinity, the medieval Church, and the workplace. By taking note of poets, patrons, and the transactional nature of poetry that begs, narratives can be constructed that illuminate how begging poems came to be written, as well as the success or failure of their object. Each chapter constructs one or more such narratives.Includes bibliographical reference

Collaboration, Clean Water Act Residual Designation Authority, and Collective Permitting: A Case Study of Long Creek

Water quality degradation in urban watersheds is a pervasive problem, and many urban waterways fail to attain water quality standards set pursuant to the Clean Water Act. Finding mechanisms to close this gap has proven difficult. As traditionally implemented, none of the Clean Water Act’s primary mechanisms for addressing urban water quality has offered consistent and effective solutions. This article discusses an innovative effort to develop an alternative approach. To address degradation of Long Creek, a small urban stream in southern Maine, regulators used the residual designation authority created by Section 402(p) of the Clean Water Act to substantially expand the number of landowners required to obtain stormwater permits. Concurrently, regulators, local governments, local businesses, and other participants in a collaborative planning process developed a collective permitting approach, which should substantially reduce the economic cost of fulfilling the new permit obligations. The initiative holds promise as a model for restoration of other urban watersheds

Along-Strike Differences in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Consequences of Inherited Variation in Rheology

Long- and short-term strain variations along the Australian-Pacific plate boundary through the South Island of New Zealand, including a 300% increase in orogen width, coexistence of oblique thrusting on orthogonal structures, and variability in the locus of orogenic gold deposits, coincide with rheologically relevant geological variation. Our model investigates the consequences of thin, strong lower crust in the north and thick, weak lower crust in the south. Solution of the full 3-D mechanical equations reproduces the larger wavelength strain patterns of the orogen. A 3-D perturbation-based analytical solution leads to the identification of the sensitivity of displacement type to minor stress changes. Transition from boundary-normal thrusting to boundary-parallel thrusting occurs at the transition from strong to weak lower crust and is related to an increase in either tau(yz) (shear stress in the yz plane) or the ratio of the coordinate normal stresses, (sigma(yy)/sigma(xx)), where x and y are in the horizontal and z is vertical. Both mechanisms are compatible with the geologically dependent rheological variation employed in our model. Citation: Upton, P., P. O. Koons, D. Craw, C. M. Henderson, and R. Enlow (2009), Along-strike differences in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Consequences of inherited variation in rheology, Tectonics, 28, TC2007, doi:10.1029/2008TC002353

Aeroallergens in Canada: Distribution, Public Health Impacts, and Opportunities for Prevention

Aeroallergens occur naturally in the environment and are widely dispersed across Canada, yet their public health implications are not well-understood. This review intends to provide a scientific and public health-oriented perspective on aeroallergens in Canada: their distribution, health impacts, and new developments including the effects of climate change and the potential role of aeroallergens in the development of allergies and asthma. The review also describes anthropogenic effects on plant distribution and diversity, and how aeroallergens interact with other environmental elements, such as air pollution and weather events. Increased understanding of the relationships between aeroallergens and health will enhance our ability to provide accurate information, improve preventive measures and provide timely treatments for affected populations