The Lusiad (Discovery of India) by Luis Vaz de Camoes

In 1572 Luís Vaz de Camões published The Lusiad, or otherwise known as The Discovery of India, about three years after his return. As Portugal was seeking news lands and wealth they naturally came across the culturally rich India. The author was impressed from his voyages and wrote an epic poem about the country of Portugal. 

The poem describes the Portuguese as gods among other men. Their very existence and accomplishments of the past will lead to their success in the future. In a way he sees his people as chosen among the many nations of the world. This time period in which the poem was written is seen as one of the highest times for the Portuguese culture. 

Their empire building began in the early 1400’s with the last handover of Macau in 1999. They had their hands in the Middle East, Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia. They are seen as one of the most powerful countries in world history. It was that perception that in WWII failed to allow them to give up some of their colonies which led to their further decline.

Amazingly, just after the publishing of The Lusiad the nation took a quick dive downward breaking Camoes prediction. The period of 1580 to 1640 under the Habsburg Kings saw a dismantling of their empire. Arrogance within the society was high during this period and conflict with the Netherlands and England found that Portuguese colonies and outposts were much weaker than Spain’s and became prime targets.

Book V:

O thou, whom worlds to Europe yet unknown,
Are doom'd to yield, and dignify thy crown;

To thee our golden shores the Fates decree;

Our necks, unbow'd before, shall bend to thee.

Wide thro' the world resounds our wealthy fame;

Haste, speed thy prows, that fated wealth to claim.

From Paradise my hallow'd waters spring;

The sacred Ganges I, my brother king

Th' illustrious author of the Indian name:

Yet, toil shall languish, and the fight shall flame;

Our fairest lawns with streaming gore shall smoke,

Ere yet our shoulders bend beneath the yoke;
But, thou shalt conquer: all thine eyes survey,

With all our various tribes, shall own thy sway.

Other Reading: 

Gutenberg

The Latin Library

Poetry International

Call for Papers: Multidisciplinary Academic Conference

Conference Date: Date: 5th - 7th January, 2014

Submission Deadline: December 1^st, 2013

The ISIS/IAABR Miami Beach Conference offers the numerous expected participants from around the World the popular ISIS 2 FOR 1 ADVANTAGE: 2 OPPORTUNITIES (an opportunity to publish your accepted paper in one of ISIS peer-refereed publications PLUS an opportunity to present the results of your work at an International Forum) for 1 LOW FEE.

Keynote Speaker of the ISIS-New Year's International Multidisciplinary Academic Conference is Prof. Dr. Ivan Manev, Dean of the University of Maine Business School, USA.

Journals Sponsoring 2014 ISIS-New Year's International Multidisciplinary Academic Conference in MIAMI BEACH:

- Journal of Strategic and International Studies
- Review of Strategic and International Studies
- Journal of Academy for Advancement of Business Research
- Review of Business and Economic Studies
- Review of Social Studies, Law, and Psychology

Papers related to all areas of Accounting, Banking, Business Ethics, Communication and Media, e-Business, e-Government, e-Learning, Ecology, Economics, Engineering, Environment and Life Sciences, Finance, Gender Studies, Globalization, Human Resources, IT, Law and Legal Studies, Leadership, Logistics, Management, Marketing, Political Science, Psychology, Security Studies, Social Sciences, Social Work, Sustainable Development, and Women Studies are invited for the above international conference, which is expected to be attended by authors from nearly all parts of the World. People without papers can also participate in this conference, and they are invited to serve as session chairs or discussants, as well as informal contributors to the academic quality of this international event.

To submit your full paper or abstract for this conference, please email it as an attachment (acceptable formats are .doc and .docx;) to Submission@ISISWorld.org. All conference submissions will be double blind peer-refereed by members of the Conference Review Committee. Authors will be notified of the review outcome within 2-3 weeks after the arrival of their submissions

http://www.isisworld.org/

Google Map Allows You to Watch Worldwide Deforestation in Real Time

High resolutions Google map offers an opportunity to monitor forest growth and decline worldwide.  The University of Maryland offers this interactive map to help people understand how their environment is changing. There was a total of 2.3 million square kilometers lost and .8 million kilometers gained. Brazil was one of the best countries on ending deforestation while Indonesia experienced the most loss.

Such interactive and constantly updating maps offer an opportunity to understand global climate change and pollution reduction effects in history. Each time the satellites pass the earth, they collect pictures of the forest changes. Scientists believe that this information will help policy makers understand the benefits and detractors of certain policies.

The benefit of technology and Google computing power helps solves problems. Even though deforestation can come from many different causes some of the most notable are deforestation and climate change. Sometimes these decisions are based in poverty to create more farmland, coal, and burnable fuel for homes.

Most of the images are taken from the U.S. Geological Survey's Landsat 7 satellite and were offered for analysis. A sort of partnership between government and business. The cost of developing such open systems is declining and some businesses have taken a first hand in trying to understand big problems. This map allows people to see the overall success or failure of decisions on a global scale. We are slowly moving from a local to a global development concept and that may make all the difference. 

Hansen, et. al. (November 2013). High-resolution global maps of the 21^st-century forest cover change. Science, 342 (6160). Read Here

Blog Post on How Trees are Adapting to Climate Change

Blog Post on NASA's Forest Map

Other Reading:

PC

BBC

NBC

Art: Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks

Edward Hicks (1780-1849) painted over sixty different versions of his popular Peaceable Kingdom. As an American painter in folk art, he worked in a style that was uniquely his. At times, a lack of formal training can be a benefit as styles vary from those offered by some of the masters. His unique work and individualized style led to his great art mastery.  His fame as an artist grew by the passion he put within his work.

The Peaceable Kingdom is a rendition of the biblical passage of Isaiah 61: 6-9. As a Quaker, he saw his world through this particular lens and seemed to recreate those concepts on canvas. The passage states, “The Leopard shall lied down with the kid,; and a calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” It was this concept that led to a peace treaty in Pennsylvania with the Natives that became an ideal model for others. The land was purchased and equitably owned as the Quaker mindset was to view all people as human with rights to their own land.

The picture is one of plush looking figures living in harmony and European and Natives talking together. The children are living with the beasts in pure harmony.  What you find is that the forefront creates an ideal perfection that is applied to the political issues of the time as expressed in the background (i.e. Natives and Europeans).

Peace is a homeostasis where want and need does not force unfair actions on others. The problem with this ideal is that people within the world will always have needs just like the lions and the children. If the lions are hungry, the children cannot feel safe. This is an ideal on earth that should be something we strive for even if it may never be realized.

As you can tell from the painting, it is dreamlike with oddly stuffed and soft animals. The children are in white indicating purity. The sun is setting meaning that night is coming. The natives and the Europeans are both wearing hats and feathers.  One European and one Native have their hands outstretched as though they are explaining something to their colleagues. Are they not the same? 

Healthy Living: Low Calorie Holiday Pumpkin Cookies

One of the most difficult seasons for fitness buffs is the holidays. It is the period between Thanksgiving and New Years that causes all of the troubles. The calories beckon at each social event. Egg Nog, peanut butter balls, taffy, chocolate…the list goes on. Not only is there less time to work out but the eating might pull you in a completely different direction. It takes more than will power to keep those sweets where they belong.

The good news is that there are healthy alternatives for those who are willing to get a little creative with their cooking. Pumpkin cookies fit within the holiday spirit and have fewer calories than some of the crackers you might buy from the store. The taste is soft and light and can double as coffee cakes in the morning. With a total of 41 calories, a gram of fat, and 9 grams of carbohydrates and a single gram of protein you are on the right track.

Let us compare some alternatives. A bar of fudge will set you back 170 calories, chocolate covered peanut butter balls another 120, a cup of Egg Nog 400, peanut brittle 480 and pumpkin pie a whopping 500. Healthy eating is about finding alternatives to commonly enjoyed offerings. Sometimes it is helpful to cook those alternatives and leave out some of the most damaging ingredients.

Preparation Time: 5-8 Minutes

Cooking Time: 15-19 Minutes

Amount: 30+ Cookies depending on size.

Ingredients: 

1 cup of white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1 cup of all purpose flour

2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of apple sauce

1 teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract

1 cup of canned or pumpkin

The process of making these cookies is relatively easy. Preheat oven to about 350 degrees. Grease two cookie pans using either a spray or olive oil. Mix the sugars, apple sauce, pumpkin, and extract together. Mix it well as to not leave clumps. Work in the rest of the ingredients. It should have the consistency of cookie dough.

Each cookie sheet should hold about 12-15 cookies. Since this recipe makes around 30+ two cookies the sheets should work fine. Simply use a tablespoon and place clumps accordingly. They will spread out a little as they cook. Once completed, put the cookie sheet into the oven and check at 15 minutes. Cook until a slight discoloration of the edges occurs. Take out and place on a cooking rack for 15 minutes. 

Wine Review: El Coto Rioja

El Coto Rioja is a Rose Wine imported from Spain. It uses Grenache and Tempranillo Grapes harvested in the higher altitudes of the Alavesa district. The result is a clean and dry rose. Pinkish by color and slightly acidy by taste. It is a little dry. A great wine for a summer BBQ or offered with a cheese snack.

The wine is grown on five hundred hectares of mostly clay, sand and limestone near the Najerilla River. The wine is then processed and stored in American oak barrels which heighten its quality.  Growing wine in clay soils leaves a higher mineral content to the vine but also impacts the ripening time.

Rose wine is created from removing the stems and then placing the grapes within the water. The longer the grapes sit within water the more dark the color of the wine becomes. Rose is one of the easiest wines to produce. Because of the light flavoring of the rose it goes with many types of foods ranging from Seafood to Lamb.

Expect to pay about $10 per bottle.

Importer Website 

Free Trade Agreements can Foster Economic Hubs

Free trade agreements are a common economic method of increasing trade. Free trade agreements work best where lower value imports are used to create higher value exports. Global hubs  often work with regional hubs in an international supply chain that continues to develop products for exportation to world markets. Effective economic hubs use intellectual capital to create value that cannot be easily copied by other countries.

According to Chong and Hur (2008) each hub has access through trade agreements to the spokes but the spokes only have access to the hub. This means that the hub can sell more products and services than the spokes can themselves. This advantage gives them preferred trading and profitability standards. It also creates a value chain with the highest hub realizing the most benefits.

Because hubs are central locations, they also can have an advantage in investments (Wonnacott, 1996). Those who seek to maximize their investment opportunities will invest their money through the purchasing of stocks or starting businesses within the hub (i.e. supply chain). They are aware that this is the fastest place for them to grow their capital. This in turn spurs additional economic growth in the area and develops opportunities for product development.

A problem occurs when two mega hubs are not competing on the same assumptions. For example, Chinese tariffs on U.S. made automotive products are designed to protect Chinese budding suppliers (Jian, 2008). When this occurs, one country has an advantage as they are willing to sell their products without tariffs to the U.S. but will not accept American products. The free trade cycle is broken.

In order for the mega hubs to operate correctly individual components of production should be purchased at a lower price and then assembled with intellectual labor into higher value products that are sold on the market. If these products are built else ware and sold primarily within the U.S. there is no export advantage, revenue, or growth. A decline occurs because the consumer culture is soaking up the value locally instead of properly exporting.

Hubs should be creators of wealth. They should use both imported and locally generated resources to develop them into higher value products for export. When this does not occur, it is likely that the export gain will turn into an import loss. Those hubs that export products will grow while those that only distribute imported products are likely to decline. It is the total value of the flow that determines growth or decline in regional development.

Chong, S. & Hur, J. (2008). Small hubs, large spokes and overlapping free trade agreements. World Economy, 31 (2).

Jain, Y. (2008). Wto rips china’s tariffs on imported auto parts. Automotive News, 82 (6295).

Wonnacott, R. J. (1996a), ‘Free-Trade Agreements: For Better or Worse?’, American Economic

Review, 86, 2, 62–66.