The First World Oil War (Book Review) by Timothy C. Winegard

Review of The First World Oil War by Timothy C. Winegar

Cultural Diversity in the Southern Caddo Region

The earliest expression of Caddo culture in the southern portion of the Southern Caddo region is well known. That Alto phase Caddo culture had any effect on coeval societies and the subsequent cultural development in the area cannot be demonstrated. What happened after ca. A.D. 1100 has been much discussed, but the realities of that subsequent cultural development are unknown. It can be argued that what followed was a part of a larger cultural phenomenon of regionalization of societies within the broader Caddoan area. Some researchers have argued that. at least in the extreme southern portion of the Caddo area, this localized regionalization reflects adaptations to changing environmental conditions. It can also be argued that the ensuing regionalization, a fact well demonstrated in the archaeological and ethnohistorical literature, may, at least in part, also be a continuation of a long standing ethnoenvironmental and macroeconomic adaptation that is as much Mossy Grove (Woodland) or even Archaic in its outlook as it is Caddo. I have suggested elsewhere a post-Alto phase phenomena of diffusion of some aspects of Caddo culture to Mossy Grove style cultures, an acculturative process that may have been still viable and ongoing in the early Historic period. The ethnographic literature suggests that southern Caddo cultural denota had expanded or was expanding beyond the traditional Hasinai linguistic area. This article addresses the first part of the discussion, the cultural variability evident in the archaeological and ethnohistoric literature and the possible sources of that diversity

Terrorists Are Always Muslim but Never White: At the Intersection of Critical Race Theory and Propaganda

When you hear the word “terrorist,” who do you picture? Chances are, it is not a white person. In the United States, two common though false narratives about terrorists who attack America abound. We see them on television, in the movies, on the news, and, currently, in the Trump administration. The first is that “terrorists are always (brown) Muslims.” The second is that “white people are never terrorists.” Different strands of critical race theory can help us understand these two narratives. One strand examines the role of unconscious cognitive biases in the production of stereotypes, such as the stereotype of the “Muslim terrorist.” Another strand focuses on white privilege, such as the privilege of avoiding the terrorist label. These false narratives play a crucial role in Trump’s propaganda. As the critical race analysis uncovers, these two narratives dovetail with two constituent parts of propaganda: flawed ideologies and aspirational myths. Propaganda relies on preexisting false ideologies, which is another way to describe racist stereotyping. Propaganda also relies on certain ideals and myths, in this case, the myth of white innocence and white superiority. Thus, the Trump administration’s intentional invocation of both narratives amounts to propaganda in more than just the colloquial sense. Part I illustrates each of the two narratives. Part II then analyzes them through a critical race lens, showing how they map onto two strands of critical race theory. Next, Part III examines how these narratives simultaneously enable and constitute propaganda. Finally, Part IV argues that the propagation of these false narratives hurts the nation’s security

Vulnerability of Archeological Sites in East Texas

A discussion concerning the vulnerable archeological sites in East Texas, or anywhere for that matter, is a serious and complex one, primarily because all archaeological sites are vulnerable. Of course, it must be understood that it is the very nature of archaeological sites to be threatened with destruction

Investigation into the shear behaviour of rammed earth using shear box tests.

Scientific investigations into the structural properties of rammed earth (RE) are gaining momentum and a number of parameters (e.g. suction, particle size distribution and water content), influential on material strength and other properties, have been identified and investigated. Cement stabilisation is undergoing continued investigation, while fibrous stabilisation, also known as fibre reinforcement, is beginning to gain attention. Recent experiments have shown that the addition of fibres such as straw or wool to RE or other earthen materials can improve its flexural strength. Less attention, however, has been paid to the fracture behaviour of RE, and to its shearing behaviour. This paper presents a preliminary investigation into the shearing behaviour of stabilised and unstabilised RE reinforced with waste natural fibres. The Direct Shear Test (DST) is used to obtain peak shear stresses and displacements, from which strength parameters (φ’) and cohesion (c’) are obtained. This paper also presents some scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of these materials. The results show that wool fibres decrease the density and peak shear strength of RE. The effect of water, wool and cement content on φ’ and c’ are also discussed