Economics Coursework - Demand Essay Example for Free

Economics Coursework Demand Essay Manufacturers and dealers want UK to follow Europe into scheme to give cash to drivers who scrap old cars to buy new The government was facing renewed pleas to bail out Britains ailing motor industry yesterday as figures showed sales of new cars had dropped by almost a third year on year. Only 313,912 cars were registered in March a 30.5% fall in sales from this time last year, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed, prompting fresh calls for the government to pay motorists to trade in their old cars for new ones. The motor industry and lobby groups are hoping this months budget will include a scrappage scheme, under which car owners are given a financial incentive of about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,000 to swap their old vehicle for a new greener model. Treasury officials have told the industry they are seriously considering including such a stimulus in the budget a fortnight tomorrow although ministers publicly insist that no decision has been taken. A scrappage scheme in Germany which offers car owners à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,500 (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,263) for getting rid of any vehicle over nine years old has attracted more than half a million buyers, with sales soaring 40% there in March. The SMMT estimates that 280,000 Britons would take advantage of a similar programme over an 18-month period. This would cost around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½560m, a figure the SMMT told the Guardian would involve a net cost of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½150-160m. The rest of the money would come from the VAT charged on new cars. But green groups counselled against such a knee jerk response and said the money could be better used to fund sustainable transport solutions. Some environmental organisations fear funds could be diverted from existing pots of money set aside by the government for investment in green technologies, such as the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½400m earmarked in the pre-budget report for an environmental transformation fund, which supports the development of new low-carbon energy and energy efficiency technologies in the UK. Pro-motoring lobbyists argue that if the government does not move quickly to boost the industry, further jobs would be lost and some manufacturers may transfer their business to other countries. In Whitehall, the debate is still swirling over the wisdom of adopting a scrappage scheme. Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, said in February that his department was examining the experience of other countries, notably Germany, to see whether it would work in Britain and carmakers were asked to produce costed proposals, but no decision has been made. David Cameron told the Guardian in January that the Tories were looking at the idea but he was yet to be convinced. In the meantime, demand for cars has crashed across the world, throwing the global industry into its biggest crisis and forcing American giants General Motors and Chrysler to the brink of bankruptcy. Manufacturers in the UK have also been hit, with factories such as Hondas plant at Swindon mothballed and thousands of jobs cut. Last months decline in sales follows falls of 30.9% in January 2009 and 21.9% in February. March, when new number plates are issued, is a key period for the industry and traditionally accounts for nearly a fifth of annual sales. If things do not improve, the SMMT is forecasting that only 1.72m new vehicles will be sold in 2009, compared with 2.13m in 2008. However, there was one bright note with the rise of the small car segment, where sales increased 84%, indicating a trend towards downsizing among consumers. The top three best-selling models were the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Focus. Yesterday SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt, said: March new-car registrations are a barometer of confidence in the economy, from businesses and consumers alike. The fall in the market shows that the government needs to do more to boost confidence. A scrappage scheme will provide the incentive needed and the evidence is clear that schemes already implemented across Europe do work to increase demand. The UK is the only major European market not to implement a scheme. Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: The latest figures show the stark difference between a country with a scrappage scheme and one without. A vehicle-scrappage scheme has the potential to reduce emissions, reduce accidents and their severity whilst giving a boost to the UK motor industry. There are many benefits from getting older gross polluters off the road. But green groups counselled against introducing such a scheme. Peter Lipman, policy director at Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, said it would be a really, really bad idea, wherever the money is coming from. There are so many better ways of spending government money if you are trying to deal with both the recession and climate change, he added. The RAC motoring strategist, Adrian Tink, said: The introduction of any car-scrappage scheme needs to be contingent on balancing the economic benefits with a concern for the environment. The scheme needs to be as much about getting old, high-polluting cars off the road as it is about stimulating car sales. The dire sales figures bode ill for the economic recovery because new car sales are seen as a key indicator of consumer confidence. When the UK went into recession in the early 1990s, new car registrations dropped for 27 successive months. At one point, sales that had reached an annual peak of 2.3million in the late-1980s dipped as low as 1.5million. IB Economics: Internal Assessment Commentary Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair Darling The article Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair Darling found on the web page of The Guardian discusses the effects of the current recession on the car industry, particularly in the UK. The article states according to the SMMT a 30 % fall in sales from the year before at the same time. In order to take a first step to solving the problem the motor industry hopes to impose the scrappage scheme.. The drop of demand for cars during the recession creates an example of the laws of demand and supply. Demand is the quantity of a good or a service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a given price in a given time period. Supply is the willingness and ability of producers to produce a quantity of a good or service at a given price in a given time period. Consumers being aware of the recession will rather save their money than choose to spend it on luxury purchase. The fall in income due to the recession has, according to the laws of supply and demand and assuming that all other things stay equal (Ceterus Paribus), caused the fall of demand. Although the article doesnt state a percentage of the fall in income of the population, the income elasticity of demand for vehicles can be described as at least unitary if not elastic, the examples will make an attempt to prove this. Income elasticity of demand measures the proportionate response of quantity demanded to a proportionate change in income. The article gives two proves for that: First, the thought of the coming recession has already let people stop buying cars by 30.5% from one year to the other. People wont buy any luxury goods in bad times. And second, subsidising car buyers by about 2000à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (scrappage scheme) will increase the purchases in a month by 40%. The fall in demand will also cause an excess supply even if the motor industry stops production directly. All car producers will hence have a massive amount of cars that are just not being bought because there is no demand. According to the rules of supply and demand, as demand falls, quantity supplied decreases as well. In this particular case, the quantity supplied decreases as well but probably not as much as it could to find a new equilibrium, the price at which supply equals demand. Why this is the case will be explained after the following The following graph will show how a fall in demand will cause the demand curve to shift to the left and therefore a fall in the quantity supplied of cars to find a new equilibrium. It can be seen that cars sales fell by nearly 25 % from 2008 to 2009 As stated above, this development is not quite that what happens in reality. According to the rules of unemployment, unemployment is a lagging factor and the demand for labour depends on the demand for, in this case, cars. That means that it begins to rise some time after the recession began. This is because of several reasons such as that firms want to keep skilled workers and will delay redundancies hoping that things might get better. Since firms want to keep skilled workers they would have to keep up the production to a certain extend. Of course production will decrease what will cause cyclical employment but to a certain extend production will be kept up to occupy the workers. The term cyclical unemployment can be defined as occurring when the economy is growing more slowly than estimated as the demand for labour is interdependent on the demand for goods and services. This situation cant be kept up for long because firms lose money spending more money on workers they try to keep than actually gaining through sales and go bankrupt if the recession doesnt end or if they are not being subsidized by the government. Hence the motor industry searches for ways of pushing demand. A possible solution could be the scrappage scheme which encourages motorists to swap their old cars against new ones by giving the buyer about 2000à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ directly. The effect of the scheme on the demand for cars can be seen on the following diagram: Demand rises again due to the encouragement and shifts the demand curve to the right again. Concluding one can say that the law of supply and demand is displayed in the real world. In the article Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair darling it is clearly shown how recession can affect the demand for cars and how therefore demand for labour interdepends on demand for, in this case, cars. Furthermore it can also be stated that things like the scrappage scheme can encourage demand again.

The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion Essay

The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion Essay When considering the impact or influence that an individual has had on any particular segment of society, it is necessary to review that individuals accomplishments and contributions. This paper will provide the reader insight into the life and contributions of one of the early church fathers Origen (ca. 186 255). As one of the most controversial church fathers in the evangelical community, Origen influenced the church, both the early and modern church, through his intellectual and literary contributions which included: compiling, translating and interpreting Scripture, establishing of the first Christian university replete with the first systematic theology, and writing numerous commentaries, sermons and apologies which have been utilized for reference by numerous generations. A mans contributions are only as good as his reputation; therefore, we must know a little about Origen of Alexandria. One must not reject the influence of a man based solely upon the opinions of others. The evangelical community appears to gloss over the true accomplishments and influence of Origen based on his rogue nature and the fact that he was condemned as a heretic. One evangelical professor even started his lecture on Origen by introducing him as many peoples least favorite theologian. The purpose of calling this to light is that there must be an acknowledgement that we would not be where we are as an evangelical community without the contributions of Origen. There must be an acknowledgement that Origen has been vilified by many, and therefore, when Origen is discussed it is with prejudice. Origen is described as the boy whose mother hid his clothes so that he could not be martyred  [1]  with his father, or the ascetic separatist who castrated himself because he misinterpreted Matthew 19:12.  [2]  The heretic, Origen, is judged with the light of modern thought because of his view that even Satan will be saved  [3]  or his speculation about the fall of mankind. Judgment is often cast during the introduction of Origen, prior to listing all of the accomplishments that Origen made which still impact Christianity today. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify some of those facts (yes, most appear to be factual) prior to investigating this early church fathers contributions and subsequent influence on Christianity. For just a moment, Origen will be defended and revered for his character and accomplishments so that an objective view can be made on his influence on the church. Origen was a man of extreme self discipline, a rogue, who lived an ascetic lifestyle prior to the establishment of monastic orders.  [4]  Origen has some spectacular notations about his life, primarily his castration; however, later he regretted the act and wrote that it should not be done. At the very least, it reveals the strength of his desire to overcome the flesh.  [5]  Additionally, there are numerous accounts that Demetrius the bishop over Origen was extremely jealous of Origen and subsequently used his influence to slander and defame Origen. It is true that Origen had speculation about the fall of man and the ultimate demise of Satan; however, we must remember that Origen never had the benefit of a canonized New Testament. In spite of Origens numerous commentaries on books which would later become canonized into the New Testament, it does not appear that he ever commented on the book of Revelation. This might have been the cause of his speculation which trended toward universalism. Origen was a Biblical genius who revered Scripture and even wrote commentaries on much of the New Testament, many times needing a team of multiple scribes to capture his prolific notes.  [6]  It is an absolute fact that Origen was condemned as a heretic for his beliefs. Posthumously, Origen was condemned for his subordinate view of the Trinity. His condemnation as a heretic came 199 years after his death without the benefit of defense. Origen at the age of 69 had an opportunity to stand for his Christian beliefs where he would earn the name Adamantius meaning made of steel as a result of his persecution for his faith.  [7]  Origens muscles, sinews and joints were ripped as he was stretched on a rack in order to seek a confession.  [8]  Although Origen did not die during the persecution, he died shortly after from complications arising from this torture. Origen died in AD 255, roughly 112 years before the books of the New Testament were listed in Athanasius Easter letter and almost 200 years prior to Origens condemnation as a heretic. It is clear to see that his life had a lasting impact on the church if he was still an active topic of discussion two centuries after his death. With an understanding of the basics of Origen, we have to acknowledge his intellectual and literary contributions which would ultimately have an impact on the church even until today. Origens father, Leonides, schooled Origen with unusual rigor, giving him a fine education that prioritized scripture and also grounded him in the Greek liberal arts.  [9]  After Leonides was martyred, Origen was forced to provide for his family by becoming a private tutor. Soon, Origen became a teacher in the church in Alexandria where he taught new converts in basic theology. Origens career as a teacher and Christian theologian earned him much fame and recognition and he began to travel throughout the region debating and teaching. His brilliance soon became legendary, and pagan intellectuals from around the Mediterranean came to dispute with him.  [10]  With this fame came jealousy and conflict with the Bishop of Alexandria, Demetrius, which ultimately forced Origen to move to Caesarea. It was in Caesarea where Origen began to contribute to Christianity through Scripture translation and formal Theology. In Caeserea, Origen formalized his teaching and training when he established the regions first Christian school of Theology.  [11]  The nature of the school was for the formation of Christian scholars in an ascetic environment; however, some scholars have suggested that Origen developed in Caesarea essentially a missionary school to educate young pagan men out of secular Greek thought and into the true Christian philosophia.  [12]  Origen might have established the first center for missionary training. One of Origens pupils, Gregory Thaumaturgus, captured the nature of the institution in his words Origen was instructing us in theology and the devout character.  [13]  A training institution is more than just the physical structures. It requires vision, doctrine and foundation. Origen provided the vision and the works that became the keystones to Christian Theology. At the cornerstone of the School of Caesarea stood The Hexapla, a six-column Hebrew Greek translation of the Old Testament with Origens annotations. Eusebius writes this about Origens study leading up to the formation of The Hexapla, So earnest and assiduous was Origens research into the divine words that he learned the Hebrew language, and procured as his own the original Hebrew Scriptures which were in the hands of the Jews. He investigated also the works of other translators of the Sacred Scriptures besides the Seventy [LXX].  [14]   The first consolidated work on the Old Testament, The Hexapla would have a lasting impact on Christianity. The Hexapla was used as a reference by Jerome and Eusebius.  [15]  Emperor Constantine would later commission scribes to copy fifty copies of The Hexapla to be sent to the great churches throughout his empire.  [16]  Origen sought to provide the church with a usable translation of the Old Testament with The Hexapala in a language that the literate could understand. In addition to this six-column format, Origen also produced a smaller Tetrapla version of the four columns most likely to be used by Christians.  [17]  The often overlooked impact of his work is that it translated the Hebrew into Greek and provided a reference for generations of Christian scholars. Expounding on the foundation of the Scriptures through the cornerstone established by The Hexapla, Origen wrote the first systematic theology aptly named On First Principles. On First Principles set forth Christ ian theology on a scale previously unknown to the church. He [Origen] argued powerfully for the inspiration and authority of Scripture.  [18]  On First Principles appears to have been equally beneficial for the student as well as for the unbeliever. Origen wrote this handbook on Christianity as a synthesis between philosophy and Christianity which some scholars believe that Origen wished to make available for seekers.  [19]  If accurate, this provides a vision of an Origen with an evangelical nature. One notable feature of On First Principles is Origens focus on and apparent love for Jesus Christ. One needs only to read the opening lines of the preface of On First Principles to derive Origens core beliefs and see his lasting impact on Christianity. Origen writes, All who believe and are assured that grace and truth were obtained through Jesus Christ, and who know Christ to be the truth, agreeably to His own declaration, I am the truth, derive the knowledge which incites men to a good and happy life from no other source than from the very words and teaching of Christ.  [20]   From this passage, one can easily see parallels to teachings which are still present in the modern day evangelical church. Additionally, Origen addresses three core principles in the preface of his work that have remained through millennia of Christian thought: First, that there is one God, who created and arranged all things, and who, when nothing existed, called all things into beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [21]   Secondly, That Jesus Christ Himself, who came (into the world), was born of the Father before all creaturesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ became a man, and was incarnate although God, and while made a man remained the God which He wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [22]   Then, Thirdly, the apostles related that the Holy Spirit was associated in honour and dignity with the Father and the Son.  [23]   These statements alone provide a firm Ante-Nicene view of the Trinity which, of course, has deeply impacted our orthodoxy in the 21st century. Origen argues that all Christian understanding proceeds from the teaching of Christ. Throughout On First Principles, Origen addressed topics such as Christology, anthropology, eschatology, ecclesiology and hermeneutics. Origens thoughts on hermeneutics and freedom of thought within his allegorical interpretive method draws some criticism from the Evangelical community today. However, according to Origen, God had intentionally invested the Bible with multiple layers of meaningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [Where] any verse can become a rich source of Christological truth.  [24]  Origen saw Scripture interpretation as a deeply personal venture into seeking God and seeing Christ on every page. More importantly, why would Origens allegorical method of interpretation have an impact on the church? Prior to Origen, who was not a bishop, tradition had restricted scriptural interpretation in the churches to the ordained clergy, the bishop himself, or one of his chosen presbyters.  [25]  Origen was breaking the mold of interpretation and taking it from ecclesiastical process to personal revelation. Origens life and literary works appeared to be trending toward the individual conscientiousness of the believer to gro w in knowledge and depth; however, centuries later the papacy did much to stifle the believers accessibility to both the Bible and its interpretation. The Catholic Church sought to stifle the believer by withholding the interpretation Scripture at the highest level of the church an apparent contradiction to Origens philosophy of proliferative information on the Bible. It is quite possible that Origens allegorical interpretation of Scripture enabled him to have the freedom to write such a prolific number of literary works. The sheer number of Origens literary works must have affected the formation of Christianity. Origens literary contributions were so vast that some have numbered his works up to 6000; however, Eusebius, an Orgenian scholar, listed around 2000.  [26]  It is important to note that Origens thoughts (conveyed through his literary works), even after being condemned, have permeated Christianity to a degree that they may never be dismissed. All of the greatest thinkers of the patristic age were in his [Origens] debt, and even after his condemnation he was too deeply inserted into the fabric of Christian theologizing ever to be dismissed or forgotten. He had been the founding architect of biblical commentary as a mode of organizing Christian reflection, and no one who took the Bible seriously in the first millennium of the church was able to avoid his groundbreaking writing.  [27]   Since the understanding that Origens literary works had a profound impact on Christianity is well established, it is beneficial to note the types of literary works and their respective influence. Origen wrote a number of commentaries and sermons on both the Old Testament and on the (yet to be canonized) New Testament. Origens Scriptural commentaries were a unique genre of literature, of which he [Origen] is the first major exponent, [he] shows himself to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the text. He is able to cross-register word appearances from all over the scriptural record, an impressive feat in the days before concordances and reference tools were available.  [28]   Origen wrote extensive commentaries on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Isaiah, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes. Origens commentary seeks to bring Jesus Christ to life in the life of the reader, because by means of divine allegory, every word on every page of scripture could be made to speak with overflowing richness about Jesus Christ, the Christian life, and the Christians eternal hope.  [29]  Origens Christ-centric writings read more like a modern day sermon than a commentary. Origen also wrote on much of the New Testament books with a particular affinity to Johnnine and Pauline Scripture, and he wrote a major on the Gospel of John titled the same. It is in Origens Gospel of John that we see that Origen fights for the Scripture; however, he holds the Gospels in particularly high esteem. Additionally, Origen defines that we must say that the good things the Apostles announce in this Gospel are simply Jesus.  [30]  Origen identifies that the whole of the Gospel message is simply in Jesu s Christ. We cannot help but note that Origens views are similar to our evangelical views separated by almost 1800 years. Also concerning the commentary on the Gospel of John, you see that Origen also portrays a keen understanding of the source of power in evangelism. Origen states, [King] David says of the Apostles, perhaps also of the evangelists: The Lord shall give the word to those that preach with great power; the King of the powers of the beloved; teaching at the same time that it is not skillfully composed discourse, nor the mode of delivery, nor well practised eloquence that produces conviction, but the communication of divine power.  [31]   Origens commentary of Matthew takes on the approach of a guide for liturgical preaching. Origen is providing the church with pastoral teaching through his commentaries. The Matthean commentary was composed in twenty-five volumes (only eight remain today), and Origens main ideas of his commentary made their way into more or less all other commentators of the Christian tradition.  [32]  His effect on the preaching through the generations has continued through the pastoral teaching in his commentaries. In one of his most famous commentaries, Origen addresses the Song of Song using his method of allegorical interpretation. In Canticle of Canticles, Origen outlines the mystical union between the Christian church and its Bridegroom. Although most modern thought disregard this interpretation, Christians should at least acknowledge its profound impact on the concept of Christian mysticism.  [33]   In addition to his commentaries, Origen wrote a number of letters, apologies and dialogues explaining his Christian faith and doctrine. Origens apologetic works, the most famous of which is Against Celsus, defend vehemently the Christian faith. Origens Against Celsus, a response to a pagan treatise attacking Christianity, stands as a monument of Christian apologetic.  [34]  Many of Origens dialogues and letters also stand in defense and explanation of the Christian faith. In his letter Reply to Julius Africanus, Origen discusses the matter of principles of establishing the canon of Christian Scriptures.  [35]  The sheer number of commentaries on New Testament books would solidify Origens concern with the canonization of the New Testament, yet he defends the necessity of affirming the works of the apostles in his dialogue. We have benefitted from Origens faithfulness to the New Testament letters through his influence in the canonization process of the New Testament. Origens life might have been ascetic, but his commentaries were opulent and filled with a genuine love for the words of God and the Word of God. At least in some part, Origen has survived through this same passion in the evangelical community. Origen through his intellectual contributions started the solidification of Christian doctrine through the formation of the first Christian university, founded on the first written systematic theology. The foundation that Origen paved established a doctrinal basis which served as a starting point for the early church especially with regard to the Trinity and Christology. Origens passion for seeing Christ in every page of Scripture led him to pursue an allegorical method of interpretation which can still be useful when coupled with current Hermeneutical practices; nevertheless, Origens genius opened up the beauty of the Scriptures and allows Christians to see Christ in difficult texts like Leviticus. Origens prolific commentaries provided a genr e of literary works which have continued to this day and have impacted Christians by providing a guide for liturgical preaching. Origens apologies have stood as the template for defense of the faith. Today we still refer to Origens Against Celsus as an apologetic worthy of emulation. Together with Athanasius Easter Letter, Origens selection of books with which to write commentaries on was instrumental in the canonization of the New Testament as we know it today. Even though the majority of Origens works were destroyed in 543 as a result of being condemned as a heretic, Origens remaining work is still relevant to the evangelical community even for purposes of debate and dispute. Most would find the majority of his work uplifting and possibly even edifying. The character of Origen is a sad reality of the humanity of fallen man. Origen, in spite of his best efforts, was still a man; however, one might challenge whether or not his heart and passion (seemingly even for evangelism) as we ll as his intellectual works are not still present in the modern day church. Origen one of the most controversial church fathers, influenced the church, both the early and modern church, through his intellectual and literary contributions which included; compiling, translating and interpreting Scripture, establishing of the first Christian university replete with the first systematic theology, and by writing numerous commentaries, sermons and apologies which have been utilized for reference by numerous generations.

Artrow of God :: essays research papers

Colonialism is seen as a difficult arrangement that prevents even the best people from acting for the common good. Chapters in which the British officials discuss with one another reveal that while they are not the worst of their type, racism and ignorant condescension more or less come with the territory. On page 174 is a great example â€Å"The white man watched Ezuelu with something like amusement on his face. When the interpreter finished he tightened up his face and began again. He rebuked Ezeulu for showing disrespect for the order of the government and warned him that if he showed such disrespect again he would be severely punished.† The British master plan for governing the Igbo, a plan with which Winterbottom, a seasoned colonial ruler, strongly opposes because it invites exploitation and corruption. The plan is to set up certain African leaders as British spectators. This novel is intercultural because it’s dealing with two different civilizations of society. The two components that exist are modern versus tradition. Achebe is concerned with the toll taken on Igbo people by the replacing of their old beliefs. A lesser son of Ezeulu, Oduchi, is chosen to go a Christian school more or less as a mole to keep his father informed. In a literal and misguided interpretation of scripture, he decides he must crush the head of one of the pythons that are sacred creatures to the Igbo. Achebe is very depictive when writing themes of descriptions of most marriages between characters. He displays this genuine love that exists between the husband and the favored wife, as in the tenderly drawn marriage between Obika and Okuata. On the other hand, the wealthy, greedy Nwaka who opposes Ezeulu at the outset of the book has acquired five wives by the book's end. The position of women within Igbo society is perceived to compromise with polygamy. Older wives often express jealousy of new ones but worse possibilities occur because of the corruption of colonialism. One African elevated to a position of status by the British is said to take any woman he wants without paying the bride price. Within the Igbo culture, women are at highly protected. This is a perfect example of how the language and writing technique communicates to outside readers by using emotions that inform the relations between the races. This novels theme is universal and is capable to relate to readers outside of Africa.

Chiang Kai-shek :: Essays Papers

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek, also known as Chiang Chung-cheng, was the son of a middle-class wine merchant who lived in the village of Chikow in Chekiang Province. When he was fourteen years old, following the Chinese custom of that time, he was arranged to be marry by his mother (the bride’s name is not mentioned). His bride and he did not see each other until his walk down the aisle. He did this without complaints only to please his mother. Once he was married he met his bride’s parents, as was tradition. Due to Chiang’s bad temper, the meeting ended in arguments between Chiang and his bride’s father. Once home he tried to keep his mind off of the marriage and concentrated more on what kind of man he wanted to become. He dreamed of becoming a soldier. He saw adventure in a military career and felt comfortable with the demand for authority, order, and strength. Though his family objected and hoped for him to study law, he went off to Tokyo Military Staff College i n 1907. There he became a follower of the revolutionary leader Dr. Sun Yat-sen. This encouraged him in 1911 to take part in the revolt that established the Chinese Republic. In 1917 when Sun established the Guangzhou government, Chiang was his military aide. Sun sent him to the USSR to study Russia military methods and was more than willing to go. He got a good response from the people there. Not only did they give him advice but they also sent thirty or so military men as help. One of these men, named Michael Borodin suggested that they start a military academy in China. They placed it in Whampoa and named it the Whampoa Military Academy. Their main goal was to demand and deserve respect. Once opened they received 1,500 applicants. It planned to register only 300. Sun began to encourage Chiang’s participation in the Nationalist party. After Sun died in 1925, Chiang became a powerful figure in the it and in 1926 took command of the Nationalist army. This was called the Northern Expedition, entering into Shanghai, Hankou, and Nanjing. Chiang initiated the long civil war between the Nationalist government and the Communists.. This was ended in 1936 by General Chang Hsueh-liang who hoped to unite in defense of the approaching Japanese. Many felt that unity could not be achieved unless Chiang were removed as commander-in-chief even before the expedition was completed.

Dams :: essays research papers

Many people have already dammed a small stream using sticks and mud by the time they become adults. Humans have used dams since early civilization, because four-thousand years ago they became aware that floods and droughts affected their well-being and so they began to build dams to protect themselves from these effects.1 The basic principles of dams still apply today as they did before; a dam must prevent water from being passed. Since then, people have been continuing to build and perfect these structures, not knowing the full intensity of their side effects. The hindering effects of dams on humans and their environment heavily outweigh the beneficial ones. The paragraphs below will prove that the construction and presence of dams always has and will continue to leave devastating effects on the environment around them. Firstly, to understand the thesis people must know what dams are. A dam is a barrier built across a water course to hold back or control water flow. Dams are classified as either storage, diversion or detention. As you could probably notice from it's name, storage dams are created to collect or hold water for periods of time when there is a surplus supply. The water is then used when there is a lack of supply. For example many small dams impound water in the spring, for use in the summer dry months. Storage dams also supply a water supply, or an improved habitat for fish and wildlife; they may store water for hydroelectricity as well.2 A diversion dam is a generation of a commonly constructed dam which is built to provide sufficient water pressure for pushing water into ditches, canals or other systems. These dams, which are normally shorter than storage dams are used for irrigation developments and for diversion the of water from a stream to a reservoir. Diversion dams are mainly built to lessen the effects of floods and to trap sediment.3 Overflow dams are designed to carry water which flow over thier crests, because of this they must be made of materials which do not erode. Non- overflow dams are built not to be overtopped, and they may include earth or rock in their body. Often, two types of these dams are combined to form a composite structure consisting of for example an overflow concrete gravity dam, the water that overflows into dikes of earthfill construction.4 A dam's primary function is to trap water for irrigation. Dams help to decrease the severity of droughts, increase agricultural production, and create new lands for agricultural use. Farmland, however, has it's price; river bottomlands flooded, defacing the fertility of the soil. This agricultural land may also result in a loss of natural artifacts. Recently in Tasmania where has been pressure

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Essay

Title: Balzac and the Little Chinese seamstress author: Dai SijieOriginally published in France by Gallimard, 2000English translation publisher: Alfred A. KnopfCopyright: September 11, 2001Hardcover: 208 pagesA novelBalzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a cogent novel that depicts the impact of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, proves the magic of storytelling, compares ancient and modern, and tells a romantic love story between a mountain girl and two city youths. Two boys are sent to a mountain at the age of 17 and 18 during the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1970s for re-education. The narrator, a violin player, and his best friend Luo both have parents that are doctors and therefore classed as enemies of the people, which is the worst thing that can happen to an intellectual. The chance of going home from this remote village 500 kilometers away from their hometown, the big city Chengdu, is less than three in a thousand. At the mountain Phoenix of the Sky, which is just a poetic way of suggesting its terrifying altitude, they are put into a house on stilts with a sow underneath in the poorest village perched on a summit. Their re-education consists of working in a coal mine and carrying buckets of excrement up and down a mountain. With them in another village is an old friend called Fore-Eyes, because of his glasses. Soon the two discover his hidden suitcase that contains a large number of Western literature translated into Chinese. And when they meet the Little Seamstress, the beautiful mountain girl in need of culture, they decide to steal the suitcase. This partly historical novel tells the amusing adventures of a teenager during his re-education in a humorous, and sometimes sarcastic way, with a lot of black humor in between. A funny example is the day of their arrival. When the narrator played a sonata by Mozart on his violin to convince the villagers that it was a musical instrument, not a toy, he had to call his piece Mozart is Thinking of Chairman Mao to wipe out the headmans suspicion. Another example is Fore-Eyes collecting authentic folk songs from the peasants to publish them in a journal, in order to get out of the village: he adapted and modified them to communistic songs because the text was a little indelicate. The irony behind this is that songs from peasants, who  are the actual communists, had to be altered in order to be published in a communistic journal. The characters are all extremely realistic, whether it is the vigilant, coarse, and harsh village headman who is an ex-opium grower turned Communist saying that spreading out reactionary stories of western Counts (Count of Monte Cristo) is a crime, regardless of the Counts nationality because our revolution will triumph the world over, or the poor Old Miller eating pebbles dipped in salt water with his liquor, which he calls jade dumplings with miller sauce. My favorite character is the superficial and sycophantic Fore-Eyes with his smiling mask: he is the son of a poetess and a writer and therefore also classed three-in-a-thousand. He lives in constant terror of the peasants opinion, hoping that they might give him a chance to go back home: Ive got to work, thats what Im here for. At least thats what the headman says, he says. The Cultural Revolution has not only changed Fore-Eyes. Towards the end of 1968, Chairman Mao launched a campaign that would leave the country profoundly altered: the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Schools and universities were closed and hundred of thousands of young intellectuals were forced to go to the countryside for re-education, meaning working with poor peasants to change their bourgeois minds, to have western decadent ideas re-educated out of them. This book is one of the few that personally describe the suffering of teenagers at the age of growing up working in villages without any culture or civilization, completely blocked from the outside world. The little coal mine already became a threatening word in the two boys vocabulary. Luo once said: I dont know why, but from the moment we got here Ive had this idea stuck in my head: that Im going to die in this mine. As the narrator said, he’s heard â€Å"nothing but revolutionary blather about patriotism, Communism, ideology and propaganda all his life†. Therefore, a suitcase with Western literature that was discovered by chance totally transformed him and his friend in a way that being in the city could never have done because any art or literature that is Western were banned for years at that time. So even though they were supposed to be re-educated, they did read something else than Maos Little Red Book, the only book that was allowed to be read. Besides manifesting the impact of the Cultural Revolution, the story reveals the importance of storytelling. Early in the book, the narrator says: The only thing Luo was really good at was telling stories. A pleasing talent to be sure, but a marginal one, with little future in it. Modern man has moved beyond the age of the Thousand-and-One-Nights, and modern societies everywhere, whether socialist or capitalist, have done away with the old storytellers—more’s the pity. The fact is this story is based on telling stories – from revolutionary movies to Western forbidden books and at that certain time and place, storytelling brought culture and civilization. The narrator was completely changed when he opened the thin book of Balzac, realizing that subjects like awakening desire, passion, impulsive action had all been hidden from him. Like he said: Brushing them with the tips of my fingers made me feel as if my pale hands were in touch with human lives. Somehow, the way he identifies characters and situations that he has never experienced so strongly can be compared to the way this book presents itself: through excellent descriptions the reader is led in a world so new, so different, and so impressive. This wonderful story combines ancient and modern, superstition and civilization in a village, demonstrating an entire contrast between the two cultures. An interesting scene in the book is that sorceresses who came to heal Luo from his bout of malaria were fascinated by the story the narrator told. He said: I embarked on the strangest performance of my life. In that remote village tucked into a cleft in the mountain where my friend had fallen into a sort of stupor, I sat in the flickering light of an oil lamp and related the North Korean film for the benefit of a pretty girl and four ancient sorceresses. Although this book essentially suggests that Western culture is welcomed, the plot hints a drawback. If everyone in China or elsewhere would be educated in a Western way, meaning to leave superstition, religion, tradition and maybe even culture and history behind, what would then the world look like?The book is not only a story about cultural differences; it is also a love story. The Little Seamstress is by far the prettiest girl in the whole region. The moment the narrator and Luo saw her, the beauty of this simple, kind, and genuine daughter of the tailor fascinated them. The narrator asked Luo whether he was in love with her or  not, and he replied: Shes not civilized, at least not enough for me! The story deals with teaching a mountain girl (who is now Luos girlfriend) by telling her Western stories about love and passion. At the same time, it deals a lot with friendship, because the narrator is also in love with the Little Seamstress, who isnt aware of that. He calls himself her secret agent when he goes to protect the Little Seamstress from other admirers following Luos wish when he was gone for a month. He teaches the Little Seamstress and helps her at her daily work, but wasnt supposed to show any kind of affection or jealousy. That is true friendship, in other words. In the end, the story takes a surprising turn with the Little Seamstress leaving them with Balzacs words: A womans beauty is a treasure beyond price.After all, it is a very powerful and convincing book that allows readers to think about this dark and ugly period of Chinese history and at the same time see how hope and optimism never vanishes in times of despair, fear and loneliness, or any kind of terrible situations one might get in.

Magazine Advertisement Analysis: Kotex Essay

This print advertisement for U by Kotex shows a woman driving a convertible in which the written concept takes the edge off the embarrassment some feel about feminine products. (The N.Y. Times, B3)  ·As I looked at the advertisement, it gave me a feeling of calmness with a peace of mind. I felt like I could be that young woman in that car. This advertisement describes the driver holding up her right hand, in a light blue convertible on the highway with the text placed in the sky above the driver, car and the road that reads: â€Å"I tied a tampon to my key ring so my brother wouldn’t take my car. It worked.† (The N.Y. Times)  ·The message takes the edge off the embarrassment some feel about feminine products. In a black block with pictures of the product boxes on the bottom of the page, there’s a question: â€Å"Why are 40% of people uncomfortable with tampons?† Break the Cycle. New U by Kotex. (U by Kotex)  ·Acquiring a new product line, U by Kotex, the brand discreetly constructed its own advertising campaign to speak to these extremely media aware users. The most abnormal advertising technique being used: Kotex accepted the fact that their target market completely understands that they are advertised to or enticed. This way, Kotex made their users dominant, laying order directing in their laps. Being aware of the â€Å"awareness factor† also arranged consumers as brilliant, brand-competent, and witty. (Ad Campaign Analysis) Mitchell 2  ·Wrappers for the individual items come in four bright colors, with the outside packaging is mainly black. Mr. Meurer of Kotex states, â€Å"This has been a institutional type of product, with products that are white and light blue and boring, and what we have is a variety of bold lipstick colors in each pack.† â€Å"What we like to say is, we’re taking the category from institutional care to personal care.† (The N.Y. Times)  ·In general, the inventive arrangement of the advertisement, with the black, grey and white  lettering put together with the apportionment of the scenery, black bottom and the converted images of the products, arranged for an exceptional visual understanding. The surroundings look as if the photo was taken somewhere on a countryside back road, maybe southern California, because of the broad variety of vegetation, and other geographical conditions illustrated in the scenery.  ·Not only does U by Kotex adequately sell their products, but they give much more. Website visitors, UbyKotex.com, which was designed by the New York office of Organic, section of the Omnicom Group, are encouraged to sign a â€Å"Declaration of Real Talk,† pledging to defy societal pressures that discourage women from speaking out about their bodies and health. For every signer, Kotex donates $1 to â€Å"Girls for Change,† a national nonprofit based in San Jose, California, that puts together urban middle school and high school girls with professional women to encourage social change. According to Mr. Meurer of Kotex, â€Å"We’re really out there and we’re trying to touch women and say we care about this conversation.† We’re changing our brand equity to stand for truth and transparency and progressive vaginal care.† (The N.Y. Times)  · The questions are out there in the world, yet they can’t be answered fully. It’s not the 1950’s anymore. Talking freely about many private health problems is no longer taboo. Actually, it’s encouraged, steering toward added awareness and better health care for people everywhere. Society and the media still have not accepted the issues women have below the waist. Sadly, this secrecy and shame about all things Mitchell 3  pertaining to vaginal health have a negative impact on a woman’s body image, self-esteem and overall health. U by Kotex brand wants to help women change the conversation about periods and vaginal care. Help Break the Cycle, so women can begin to feel comfortable their bodies and confident about their personal care. http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/03/16/business/16adco_CA0.html Works Cited â€Å"It’s time to Break the Cycle.† U by Kotex. U by Kotex, 10 June 2012. Web. 10 June 2012. â€Å"Rebelling Against the Commonly Evasive Feminine Care Ad.† The New York Times. The New York Times. 15 March 2010. Web. 10 June 2012. â€Å"Ad Campaign Analysis: Kotex Reveals Ad Strategy, As Strategy.† 23 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 June 2012.