Five Fun Facts About Dolphins

Dolphins have fascinated human observers for millennia. These graceful and playful aquatic mammals are highly intelligent and can interact in meaningful ways with humans and other animals. Here are five little-known facts about dolphins.

Just Whistle

Dolphins use whistles to identify themselves and to locate friends in the wild. Each dolphin develops a unique whistle that serves as its name. Research studies have shown that dolphins can immediately recognize their own identifying whistle and the whistles that represent their pod-mates.

A Sixth Sense

Along with the expected five senses, dolphins also use a form of sonar to detect and identify other creatures under the water. This allows them to distinguish humans and other mammals from the normal predators and prey found in their natural environment.

Tickled Pink

One unusual species of dolphin lives in the larger river systems of South America. Its pinkish hue and tolerance for freshwater sets the Amazon River dolphin apart from most other aquatic mammals.

Just Breathe

Unlike humans, dolphins have no automatic breathing response and must consciously decide when to breathe. This prevents the use of general anesthesia when providing medical treatments for captive dolphins, as they will die from lack of oxygen.

Half Awake

Dolphins shut down just half of their brain's processing power when they sleep. The other half ensures continued breathing and prevents drowning during dolphin downtime.

Protecting the natural habitats of dolphins can ensure the survival of these remarkable creatures.

Why Live, Work and Play Communities are the Wave of the Future

Successful real estate developer, Marco Abel Nordio, has a knack for noticing future trends. One of the strongest trends he sees is the development of live, work and play communities. Designed to reduce pollution and foster a sense of community, live, work and play developments are a growing trend in the United States.

Marco Abel Nordio and his partners’ current project is Hunter’s Run. Located in Watford City, North Dakota, Hunter’s Run is the first live, work and play Master Planned Community in the booming oil town. Encompassing a 294-acre land mass that was once filled with wheat, Hunter’s Run will eventually include commercial development and housing for over 4,000 people. Housing will run from affordable, family housing to higher priced homes. Single family homes, condos and duplexes and apartments will give residents a variety of choices to meet their needs and budgets. The master plan calls for plenty of amenities and supporting services, including parks, shopping, restaurants and green space.

Nordio and his partners chose Watford City because of its close proximity to the Bakken field, the heart of the North Dakota oil boom. Watford City was founded in 1914. Originally settled as a Great Northern Railroad destination, businesses were built and both homes and businesses were moved to Watford from Schafer. Schafer eventually became a ghost town. Watford City became the county seat in 1940.

The 2010 census recorded a population of 1,744 people, but the oil boom is bringing significantly more people to the region. EOG Resources petroleum geologist Mike Johnson discovered the Parshall Oil Field in 2006. Now operating most of the wells, EOG Resources immediately began drilling operations and production continues from is thought to be a continuous oil reservoir.

North Dakota experienced a complete economic reversal due to the discovery of oil. Residents in Mountrail County, North Dakota, have seen their incomes more than double, putting the county in the top 100 richest in the country. Unemployment figures plummeted to 3.5%, giving North Dakota the lowest of any U.S. state. It is now the second-largest oil producing state, after Texas. The rapid increase in people moving to Watford City and the surrounding area created a high demand for housing and supporting services. Because of the continuing nature of the oil-producing field, those moving in are likely to stay not only to work and but to also raise their families. Watford City became the ideal location for development of a work, live and play community. Hunter’s Run is being built in three phases, with a projected completion date in 2016.

Marco Abel Nordio sees changing demographics as a large reason that live, work and play communities are the wave of the future. Current trends show people moving toward a more urban lifestyle. Concerns about the environment also play a key role. People no longer want to commute great distances to work or engage in recreational activities. The live, work and play plan makes it possible for residents to walk to work, restaurants and shopping venues. Golf courses, sports complexes and parks provide ample recreational opportunities.

Who Brought Soccer to the United States?

Many scholars believe that the underlying principles of soccer play were developed by ancient peoples in approximately 2,500 B.C. Both the Greeks and Romans are known to have played a game that involved retaining possession of a ball and keeping it from the opposing side for as long as possible. The Greeks knew this game as Episkyros, while Romans referred to it as Harpastum.

The Chinese also had a significant effect on the evolution of the sport of soccer. Tsu Chu can be loosely translated as kick-ball and was a popular game and sport from 255 B.C. forward.

Games resembling soccer soon became staples of European schoolyards. By the early part of the 16th century, rules were being established for proper play of soccer. European soccer clubs soon formed, but it was not until the early 1800s that soccer made its first real inroads into American culture.

Sports Pioneers

Games similar to soccer were probably played by the first European settlers to the United States. These early colonists may also have come into contact with Algonquian tribes who had independently evolved a game called Pasuckuakohowog. The name translates to “they gather to play ball with the foot,” an apt description of the game of soccer in all its iterations. It is possible that the native peoples interacted with European settlers and explorers prior to their creation of this game. As a codified sport with consistent rules, however, most experts agree that the early 1800s marked the real arrival of soccer in the United States.

The Boston Game

The Oneida Football Club was established by Gerrit Smith Miller in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1862. The announced purpose of the club was to create consistent rules for various games known as football. Miller gathered some of the top football players from secondary schools around the state of Massachusetts and engaged in competitions with other teams in the area. Despite exceptional success on the field, the Oneida Football Club dissolved just three years after its inception. During its brief existence, however, the Oneida Football Club is credited with codifying some elements of the Boston Game, a precursor to modern soccer and a game played by kicking a round ball on the ground.

Football or Soccer?

In its earliest American incarnations, the sport of soccer was generally called football. The first governing body for U.S. soccer was the American Football Association (AFA). Established in 1884, this organization primarily provided oversight and rules guidance for teams in New Jersey and New York. Over time, the scope of the AFA broadened and it began working with teams in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Other organizations were created to ensure consistent rules and to promote the sport. Of these, the most successful was the United States Football Association, first founded in 1913. Now known as the United States Soccer Federation, this organization has continued to provide support for the sport for over 100 years.

Today, soccer is enjoyed as both a spectator sport and as a fast-paced team activity for adults and children. Participating in soccer practices and competitions can help children to develop teamwork and leadership skills while increasing their physical stamina and improving their health.