Jackson Pollocks and Yunhee Tohs Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jackson Pollocks and Yunhee Tohs Painting - Essay Example One of the most striking similarities between Pollock and YunheeToh in their paintings is that both of these artists took a divergent painting approach as compared to the common painting methods. Toh abandoned the materials that are usually used in painting, which were pencils and brushes and used her hands in creating this painting. Toh used her hands in an attempt to create artistic expressions that were accurate and direct. She opted to use her hands on this painting because she felt that graphite drawings were more time consuming and did not bring out the art form that she desired. Pollock on the other hand, was a liquid painter who later used paint pouring as an emerging technique on his canvases, which became his signature ‘drip’ technique. In this painting, Pollock paved the way for what was later to become the action painting term where the artist deviated from painting on a mounted canvas to working on it on the studio floor. The similarity between these two pai ntings is that the creation of both of them happened from new dimensions as these artists challenged the Western tradition of using the painting brush and easel. Pollock was an extremist, especially because he went against the conventional painting techniques meaning that he was not afraid to explore. The One: Number 31, 1950 is a unique painting as Pollock did not make his painting brush to interact with the canvas through the strokes being able to create the elements of art. Additionally, Pollock’s painting was quite extreme.

Dream Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dream Vacation - Essay Example Hawaii is a place that millions of people around the world dream of visiting but we’re actually going to do it. For the first time in a long time, we have the means and the willpower (I hope!) to take a much needed vacation abroad. It’s winter at home and the sunny shores of Waikiki are within our reach. Why Hawaii, you ask? As the eastern-most portion of the United States, Hawaii has also had a mythical hold over my imagination since I was young. Hawaii is a series of islands which have a distinct history, culture and language from the rest of the United States. Hawaiians are also very proud of their way of life and have taken many steps to preserve their unique and fascinating culture. Think of it, we can go spend time on Waikiki beach or go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, just on the other side of the Diamond Head volcano. We’ll also go hiking up Diamond Head and take in a luau or two while we are there. Did you know that Barack Obama was born in Honolulu? Yes, the first African-American President in the history of the United States was born just off the coast of Waikiki beach and spent his formative early years growing up on the tropical island of Hawaii. We can also visit the Pearl Harbor memorial to the east of the island or visit the Palace of King Kahemahema back when Hawa ii was a kingdom and it was governed by monarchs for centuries. Hawaii has so much history, so much to see, read and learn about. We really all deserve a vacation and now is the time to get away from the winter, kick back and have a pina colda on the beach. Who needs snow when we could be on the beach? (Tabrah, 1984). The sunny tropical conditions of Waikiki are calling us. Let’s go away for the winter. Instead of permanent snow and walking through slush every morning to get to work, lets go spend a few weeks on the beach. The time has come to take our long overdue holiday before the kids leave

What photography can and should document

What photography can and should document The social crisis of our time, however, calls for a redefinition of what photography can and should document. Obviously, not all documentary photography has to be didactic in pointing to a possibility of social change. But there is a need for discourse among documentary photographers about the content of work, and its relationship to the social movements of our time. The social movements of our day are more complex. Its often harder to find the sense of political certainty which filled the vision, and inspired the dedication of these artists who came before. Photojournalism relies upon the notion that photography captures an objective record of reality for viewers. Yet, at the same time, a clearly defined system of rules and conventions governs the professional practice of photojournalism, delimiting the range of appropriate images and shaping the form those images take. Paradoxically, news photographs are valued as neutral records at the same time that they are admired as carefully crafted pictures. Photojournalists earn kudos not only for what they show, but also for how well they show it. Documentary photography was tied, historically, to both exploration and social reform. Some early documentarians worked, literally, documenting features of the natural landscape. Others worked, like Lewis Hine for the great social surveys of the early part of the century. Their work was used to expose evil and promote change. Their images were, perhaps, something like those journalists made but, less tied to illustrating a newspaper story, they had more space to breathe in. A classic example is Hines image of Leo, 48 inches high, 8 years old, picks up bobbins at fifteen cents a day, in which a young boy stands next to the machines which have, we almost surely conclude, stunted his growth. Documentary photography supposed to dig deep, get at what Robert E. Park (a sociologist who had worked as a journalist for daily papers in Minneapolis, Denver, Detroit, Chicago and New York) called the Big News, be concerned about society, play an active role in social change, be socially responsible, worry about its effects on the society in which its work is distributed. Photographers like Hine saw their work, and it has often been seen since, as having an immediate effect on citizens and legislators. Today, we see this work as having an exploratory, investigative character, something more like social science. Contemporary documentary photographers, whose work converges more consciously with social science, have become aware, as anthropologists have, that they have to worry about, and justify, their relations to the people they photograph. Photographs get meaning, like all cultural objects, from their context. Even paintings or sculptures, which seem to exist in isolation, hanging on the wall of a museum, get their meaning from a context made up of what has been written about them, either in the label hanging beside them or elsewhere, other visual objects, physically present or just present in viewers awareness, and from discussions going on around them and around the subject the works are about. Documentary projects typically go on for years, often focus on social issues rather than news events, and are usually independently conceived and financed by the photographer, rather than commissioned by a publication. Documentary is often assumed to be subjective, to have a point of view on the subject being investigated, but it is also presumed to be honest reporting and photographers in this mode do not generally resort to setting up shots. These sort of projects are sometimes sold in pieces to magazines but with the decline of mass circulation magazines like Life, the usual goal has become to publish the whole project in book form. Photojournalism is used here to refer to the coverage of current news events in an extended format, both in the investigation and shooting stage and in the final story product which normally consists of more than one photograph. Because these projects are time-sensitive, they may take months but not years to complete. Photojournalism is usually commissioned by a publication, such as a magazine or newspaper, but will sometimes later appear in book form as well. While documentary projects are usually driven by the personal interests or convictions of the photographer, photojournalisms subject matter is generally determined by what is deemed news-worthy by the media. The question of whether an image appropriately â€Å"reflects reality† is an issue that documentary photography and photojournalism has contended with throughout their histories. The global audience is changing, and photography needs to reflect this in order to remain effective. Readers are disillusioned at the manipulation they are slowly becoming aware to via pseudo-documentaries on society and politics by filmmakers. That the camera cannot lie is true only in the sense that the images it captures must have existed in one form or another at some particular time. We are familiar with historical photos that have been retouched to include or exclude political figures. We are less familiar with the potential of new technologies for falsifying images, particularly those that appear in newspapers and magazines. Photojournalism, photography that accompanies stories intended for newspaper and magazine readers, has a long and cherished tradition of truthfulness. The faking of photographs, either through stage direction by the photographer or through darkroom manipulation, unfortunately, also has a long tradition. However, computer technology puts photographic faking on a new level of concern as images can be digitized and manipulated without the slightest indication of such trickery. If the manipulation of photographs is accepted for any image, the public will naturally doubt all photographs and text within all publications. Scoopt, the citizen photojournalism arm of Getty Images, claims to have experts who carefully screen images to ensure no digital tampering has occurred. As Far id points out, however, tampering is becoming increasingly difficult to detect with the naked eye—particularly for understaffed organizations trying to push through photos of breaking events. Yet, human beings continue to die from war, murder, natural disasters; to be born, now in litters as large as seven or eight: to live in harmony and conflict. Newspapers and photojournalism have survived the onslaught of electronic media, continuing to report the human maelstrom of a global citizenry as if it were a vivid reality play m the midst of the non reality o turn-of-the-millennium culture. Almost drowned within media criticism have been the voices of those professionals whose appreciation of the subjective nature of observation and reportage has led to more sensitive and sophisticated practice of visual journalism. In daily practice, digital-imaging technology has led to increased awareness of the ease of manipulating visual reportage, in turn leading to higher not lower ethical standards. At the same time, new technology has made visual coverage faster, easier, and more prolific via digital distribution. More and more photojournalists are asked to also be advertising photographers shooting fashion, food, architecture, portrait, and editorial illustration assignments. These assignments take photojournalists away from doing meaningful documentaries about social conditions in their community. These economically driven assignments are fuelled by news directors, publishers, and photographers who dont necessarily distinguish between magazine and television commercial advertising and classic photojournalism documentation. When a young photojournalist is expected to split her time between news and corporate controlled images, its hard for her to take herself seriously as an on-call visual documentarian. Issues and debates surrounding truth will continue as long as media is reported. Even with the saturation of so-called amateur journalists, there will always be motives of greed, a human trait that is undeniable in our society. Some critics have predicted that in a few years, images whether still or moving will not be allowed in trials as physical evidence because of the threat to their veracity created by digital alterations. Most consumers of the media can easily tell the difference between an advertisement and a news story. But sometimes the distinction is so subtle, only highly observant readers can tell the difference. But no matter how the tools of journalism change, fundamental ethical concerns still apply. Displaying violent, sensational images for economic reasons, violating a persons privacy before the judicial process can function, manipulating news-editorial pictures to alter their content, stereotyping individuals into pre-conceived categories and blurring the distinction between advertising and editorial messages were journalism concerns in 1895, are important topics in 1995 and will be carefully considered issues, no doubt, in 2095. Now, as we witness the dramatic transformations to the print journalism industry, these questions not only reveal how the idea of visual journalism has congealed but also indicate the kinds of issues that both photojournalism practitioners and their audiences will need to resolve in a world in which the printed periodical is no longer the favoured institution through which these images are mediated. Over the last fifteen years or so we have witnessed the emergence of new kinds of visual story-telling. Digital photography gave us instantaneous feedback; camera phones gave us ubiquitous photography; picture-sharing sites gave us a developing social milieu in which these instant and ubiquitous pictures could be shared. As a result we have new formal models for presenting visual information. There is more documentary feature production than ever before. Still images are organized as slideshows, browse-and-enlarge albums, or in an irregular temporal flow. Reuters Bearing Witness: Five Years of the Iraq War is a brilliant use of multimedia that is not a linear display of images. These new formal properties will redefine visual grammars and inform how and of what photographers make pictures, but they will also be subject to the new contexts and frameworks that will continue to emerge. The value of information increases not only when it is controlled and withheld but also when it is given shape and purpose, when value articulates with meaning. We may not remember many of the facts that led to the brief student uprising in Chinas Tiananmen Square in 1989, but you can never forget the image of the lone protester standing defiantly in front of a line of menacing, green Chinese tanks. Words and pictures become one powerfully effective communicative medium inside your own mind. Professional photojournalists cannot be in the best places at the right times in order to capture events as they unfold. The future of photojournalism lies with the new breed of moral and aware consumers. The Internet offers us the chance to reinvent photojournalism by enabling us to blend the best practices from still photojournalism, broadcasting, and independent films. The Internet permits us to blend still photographs with audio, text, video, and databases to make compelling content that is far richer than print or broadcasting typically deliver. This new world of visual story telling gives us a chance to reinvent the form and to adapt integration of various media types to tell the most compelling possible story. Visual journalism on the web offers the chance to tell narrative stories that speak powerfully to underlying truths of the human condition. The traditional model of print distribution and direct editorial funding has been unravelling from the 1970s onwards, ever since weekly pictorial magazines like Life folded. This demonstrates photojournalism that required an editorial paymaster was in trouble long before the Internet was an issue or the global recession added to its woes. It involves seeing oneself as a publisher of content and a participant in a distributed story, the form of which helps reshape the content of the story. Rather than just producing a single image or small series of images to be sold into another persons story, multimedia on the web has numerous advantages for visual storytellers. â€Å"Both media are time-based, as opposed to space-based. A print layout is about space — the eye wanders; the viewer controls the time and rhythm. Time-based, of course, means the show is driven by the audio and is viewed over time,† â€Å"good slideshows, I think, have a very different rhythm than video — less literal. Slideshows need to lean on the strength of the still image — these punctuated moments in time that visually meld with the audio.† As a result, photojournalism at the beginning of the 21st century find itself maturing beyond the naive idealism of early and mid-20th-centur positivism, and even beyond the dark cynicism of late-20th-century post modernism, toward a profound sense of purpose: Good visual reportage may very well be the only credible source of reasonably true images in decades to come. The heart of photojournalism is reporting human experience accurately, honestly, and with an overriding sense of social responsibility. The key to earning and maintaining public trust is increasing awareness of the process of visual reporting and its potential to inform or misinform. Published in Life magazine in 1937, Robert Capas photograph shows in one instant the suddenness and loneliness of an anonymous soldiers death. It has been suggested that the photograph was either a chance occurrence by the photographer shooting blindly, or it was staged for the benefit of the camera. He photographed in China, on the beaches of Normandy, in Israel, and finally in Vietnam, where he was killed by a land mine./10 Capa consistently produced images with strong emotional impact and high technical expertise. Those Capa images that have been chosen by his brother Cornell Capa and by Magnum to represent his lifes work emphasize the qualities of drama and heroism and thus have had a crucial role in sustaining the Robert Capa legend. Robert Capas saying, often quoted, that â€Å"If your pictures arent good enough, youre not close enough,† has helped reinforce the important elements of drama and the heroic photographer that have been emphasized in the Magnum style. Capas most famous photograph, â€Å"Death of a Loyalist Soldier, Spain 1936,† often celebrated as the greatest war photograph of all time, creates drama with a close-up depiction of the moment of death and conveys a macho persona with the clear implication of Capas decision to place himself in close proximity to danger. His choice of a type of lens that closely resembles normal human vision, probably around 50 mm, gives the feeling that we are right next to the soldier as he falls. The fact that the viewer can see the landscape around and behind him indicates that Capa is clearly not hidden safely far away with a telephoto lens (which would compress and narrow our view of the background), but is closely engaged with the action.43 Capas photographs of D-Day where he is obviously in the surf with the advancing troops has a similar effect of dramatizing events by being as close as possible to the action, and thereby also endowing the photographer with even more daring and courage than the heroes of the moment, the invading soldiers, since he had a choice that the soldiers did not: to photograph from up close or from afar. While many of Robert Capas photographs of war, such as â€Å"Death of a Loyalist Soldier, Spain 1936,† do not seem particularly dramatic viewed now, in the 1930s they were hailed as the finest pictures of front-line action ever taken.44 Certainly, this kind of close-up view of war was relatively new to viewers who were more used to images of fightings aftermath. However, captions applied by the picture magazines certainly played an important role in the creation of Capas images as dramatic. As Fred Ritchin notes, Capas Spanish Civil War photographs were often accompanied by captions such as In the Heart of the Battle: The Most Amazing War Picture Ever Taken, and You can almost smell the [gun] powder in this picture, and the most famous, This is War! in the British magazine Picture Post.45 Robert Franks book, The Americans. Frank traveled around the United States on a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1955/56 taking photographs of people at funerals, on the street, at drive-in movies, in restaurants, driving cars. Rather than rely on neat geometrical compositions to create abstract patterns, he focused on fleeting, contemplative facial expressions or included empty space to lend his photographs a sense of sad loneliness and of disjuncture between people. In his photograph Elevator Miami Beach the young elevator girl looks wistfully off into the distance as her rich-looking patrons blur past her out the door. Its not possible to know whether it is her sadness the photograph conveys, or Franks. While the documentary aspect of Franks work in The Americans is highly subjective, like much of Magnums own work, he uses the element of artistic expression to create a whole different visual style, leading viewers to conclusions about his subjects at odds with the conclusions drawn from work in the Magnum style.

Essay --

Almost everyone seems to believe that we live in a world with objective norms; norms about we should and shouldn’t do, norms about what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong. We are always interested in discussing what is morally right or objectively valued but do we ask whether anything is anyhow valued? The error theory already asked whether norms exist at all and what we may mistake as an objective value. Error theory rejects the idea that there are objective moral norms, values, and rights that are independent of us. Moral claims are generally understood to be objective and controlling. An objective claim is a claim about the way the world is, it is the truth of the world out there, independent of what people think about the world. If it is a norm says that killing is wrong, then killing would remain wrong even in civilizations that permit it or force it. To say that a claim is objective is to say that it exists objectively and does not claim anything about us. What we mistake to be an objective claim is only a personal demand but enclosed in a mistaken normative language. If we say: ‘Don’t allow abortion’, this is what we demand. But if we say ‘Abortion is wrong’, we are saying that there is some independent fact, an objective norm created not by us or by anyone. It just exists objectively. But moral claims only arise when people demand and recommend, and demands could never be objective. But what is really going on when people make moral judgments? The moral judgments we make are things we think are true, things that we think we are doing, what we intend to do. A group of persons, or even every person on earth can be mistaken about some accepted beliefs, but it makes no sense to say that all of them are... ...nk that if we are not guided by norms, we will be guided by selfish or cruel motives. We are instinctively influenced by self-interest and anger, but thanks to centuries of preparation of civilizations to respect other people, we have developed sensitive and friendly personalities. As we begin our day we normally follow laws, and we rarely think about consequences or about what norm require us to act. Our daily decisions are made of our instincts, desires, habits, feelings, and beliefs. Selfishness and normative beliefs play a small role in this world of decisions but what we end up doing is the product of countless and often imperceptible reasons. The moral error theory is not widely believed, but the error theory is closer to our common sense because it does not require us to hold on to false and doubtful claims, or to waste time arguing about our own projections. Essay -- Almost everyone seems to believe that we live in a world with objective norms; norms about we should and shouldn’t do, norms about what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong. We are always interested in discussing what is morally right or objectively valued but do we ask whether anything is anyhow valued? The error theory already asked whether norms exist at all and what we may mistake as an objective value. Error theory rejects the idea that there are objective moral norms, values, and rights that are independent of us. Moral claims are generally understood to be objective and controlling. An objective claim is a claim about the way the world is, it is the truth of the world out there, independent of what people think about the world. If it is a norm says that killing is wrong, then killing would remain wrong even in civilizations that permit it or force it. To say that a claim is objective is to say that it exists objectively and does not claim anything about us. What we mistake to be an objective claim is only a personal demand but enclosed in a mistaken normative language. If we say: ‘Don’t allow abortion’, this is what we demand. But if we say ‘Abortion is wrong’, we are saying that there is some independent fact, an objective norm created not by us or by anyone. It just exists objectively. But moral claims only arise when people demand and recommend, and demands could never be objective. But what is really going on when people make moral judgments? The moral judgments we make are things we think are true, things that we think we are doing, what we intend to do. A group of persons, or even every person on earth can be mistaken about some accepted beliefs, but it makes no sense to say that all of them are... ...nk that if we are not guided by norms, we will be guided by selfish or cruel motives. We are instinctively influenced by self-interest and anger, but thanks to centuries of preparation of civilizations to respect other people, we have developed sensitive and friendly personalities. As we begin our day we normally follow laws, and we rarely think about consequences or about what norm require us to act. Our daily decisions are made of our instincts, desires, habits, feelings, and beliefs. Selfishness and normative beliefs play a small role in this world of decisions but what we end up doing is the product of countless and often imperceptible reasons. The moral error theory is not widely believed, but the error theory is closer to our common sense because it does not require us to hold on to false and doubtful claims, or to waste time arguing about our own projections.

Humanities: Art and Visual Arts Essay

The word humanities comes from the latin humanus, which means human, cultured and refined. To be human is to be have or show qualities like rationality, kindness and tenderness. It has different connotations in different historical eras. Today, however, we know of humanities as a loosely defined group of cultural subject areas. Unlike other subjects, it is not a group of scientific or technical subjects. The Scope of Humanities The humanities is a many-faceted subject. It is consist of the visual arts, literature, drama and theater, music, and dance. 1. Visual Arts The visual arts sre those that we perceive with our eyes. It involve not only painting and sculpture but include such things as clothes, household appliances, and furnishing of our homes, schools, and buildings. They may be classified into two groups; graphic arts (flat or two-dimensional surface) and plastic arts (three-dimensional). a. Graphic Arts Broadly, this term covers any form of visual artistics representation, especially painting, drawing, photography, and the like or in which portrayals of forms and symbols are recorded on two-dimensional surface. Printers also use the term graphic art to describe all process and products of the printing industry. b. Plastic Arts This group includes all fields of the visual arts in which material are organized into three-dimensional forms. 2. Literature The art of combining spoken or written words and their meanings into forms which have artistics and emotional appeal is called literature. 3. Drama and Theater A drama or play is a story re-created by actors on a stage in front of an audience. 4. Music The art of arranging sounds in rhythmic succession and generally in combination. Melody results from this sequence and harmony from the combinations. Music is both a creative and a performing art. The common forms are song, march, fugue, sonata, suite, fantasy, concerto and symphony. 5. Dance Dance involves the movement of the body and the feet in rhythm. Some important types include ethnologic, social or ballroom dances, ballet, modern and musical comedy. Method of Presenting of Arts Subject 1. Realism In painting, this is the attempt to portray the subject as it is. Even when the artist chooses a subject from nature, he selects, changes, and arranges details to express the idea he wants to make it clear. Realists try to be as objective as possible. Here the artist’s main function is to describe as accurately and honestly as possible what is observed through the senses. However, in the process of selecting and presenting his material, he cannot help being influenced by what he feels or thinks. 2. Abstraction It means â€Å"to move away or separate. †Abstract art moves away from showing things as tey really are. The painter or artist paints the picture not as it really looked. The picture is not just like life. It is not â€Å"realistic. † This is used when the artist becomes so interested in one phase of a scene or a situation thet he does not show the subject at all as an objective reality, but only his idea or his feeling about it. 3. Symbolism A symbol in general is a visible sign of something invisible such as an idea or a quality. It can be simply an emblem or sign like: % to represent percent, a lion to represent courage, a lamb to represent meekness. Fauvism This was the first important art movement of the 1900’s. the fauves flourished as a group only from about 1903 to 1907 but their style greatly influenced many later artists. Henry Matisse led the movement and other important fauves included Andre Derain, Raoul Dufy, George Rouault, all from France. 5. Dadaism A protest movement in the arts was formed in 1916 by a group of artist and poets in Zurich, Switzerland. The Dadaist reacted to what they believed were outworn traditions in art, and the evils they saw in society. 6. Surrealism This movement in art and literature was founded in Paris in 1924 by the French poet Andre Breton. 7. Expresionism A manner of painting and sculpting in which natural forms and colors are distorted and exaggerated. This method was introduced in Germany during the first decade of the twentieth century that is characterized chiefly by heavy, often BLACK lines that define form sharply contrasting over the vivid colors. 8. Impressionism A style of painting developed in the last third of the 19th century characterized by short brisk strokes of bright color to create the impressionism of light on objects. It portrays the effect of experienced upon the consciousness of the artist and audience. Elements of Visual Art 1. Line It is an important element at the disposal of every artist. Through the lines of painting or sculpture, the artist can make us know what the work is about. Line always have direction. They are always moving. Lines, as used in any work of art, may either be straight or curved. 2. Color Of all the elements of art, color has the most aesthetic appeal. Delight in color is a universal human characteristics. Color is a property of light. The light of the sun contains all the colors of the spectrum: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. These colors are so blended that they yield no sensation of color. 3. Texture It is a color element that deals more directly with the sense of touch. It has to do with the characteristics of surfaces which can be rough or smooth, fine or coarse, shiny or dull, plain or irregular. Texture is best appreciated when an object is felt with the hands. It is found in all the visual arts. 4. Perspective It deals with the effect of the distance upon the appearance of objects, by means of which the eye judges spatiaql relationships. It enables us to perceive distance and to see the position of objects in space. There are two kinds of perspective: linear and aerial perspective. To get depth or distance, an artist uses both linear and aerial perspective. 5. Space In painting, as in architecture, space is a great importance. The exterior of a building is seen as it appears in space, while the interior is seen by one who is inside an enclosing space. Painting does not deal with space directly. It represents space only on a two-dimensional surface. Sculpture involves verylittle space relationship or perception of space. 6. Form Form applies to the over-all design of a work of art. It describes the structure or shape of an object. Form directs the movements of the eyes. Since form consists of size and volume, it signifies visual weight. 7. Volume The term volume refers to the amount of space occupied in three dimensions. It therefore refers to solidity or thickness. We perceive volume in two ways: by contour lines or outlines or shapes of objects, and by surface lights and shadows.

Mao Zedong: Man, Not God

â€Å"Mao Zedong: Man, not God† by Quan Yanchi was first published in 1992, book is translated to English from Chinese by Wang Wenjiong and edited by Gale Hadfield. The book is based on the recollections of Li Yinqiao, Mao's bodyguard for many years. Highlighting the book are photographs of Mao with his relatives and Li, published for the first time. This book can help anyone who is new to China or know just a little about this country to get more familiar with who Mao for Chinese is. They love him so much, and the main aim of author of the book is to show to reader hidden situations of his life.The book is divided into 20 chapters by their theme. It ranges from Mao's relationship with different people to things that made him cry. Author was worried that not all of his questions will be answered by Li, despite Li is his friend. He thought some questions may embarrass Li, as they were about Mao's likes and dislikes, his fears. But to his fortune Li did his best trying to rememb er everything in details. Mao is well-known around the world as the greatest man China produced in this century. The author supports this impression and also tries to show that Mao was not like a robot,but ordinary human feelings are not alien to him.He had some habits which characterize him as a person who doesn't really like changes. As he choose Li to be his bodyguard's commander, they spent about 15 years together and after Li left Mao didn't have any new bodyguard commander. There are lots of situations while Mao afield. During the war he shows himself as a good commander and great strategist. He is very principled, sometimes it almost costed him a life. There were only few occasions when he refused his words and changed the order of things. But in some cases we should have thanked Li that Mao stayed alive.He was so dogged, he didn't worry about his own safe, he was just following his desire or whim like as he said so he would do so no matter how it would finish. For me persona lly was very interesting chapter about things that make Mao cry. I didn't even expect that such a thing as Beijing Opera could make him cry so much. One of his favorite plays was â€Å"The Story of the White Snake†. This tragic story never failed to move Mao to tears. This episode shows Mao not as Chairman or army leader,but more humane, as a small vulnerable child which starts to cry from emotions when he sees something perfect in its kind.Tragedy took Mao inside the play, he was losing connection to the real world, he became a part of play, he didn't care about other people's opinion. Another episode is also very emotional. Mao used to have one bodyguard from each province, so about twice a year he was sending them back home for family reunion, but also they had to bring Mao information about what was going on in the country, especially in distant parts. He didn't want them to be spy or guerrilla, he wanted to know the situation. He was not indifferent to destiny of people in China.Author keeps very detailed, he describes everything so vivid that reader gets an impression that he is sitting next to Mao, can hear his breathe, and feel the same disgust when Mao throws away a butt. Sometimes it can make you bored, but at all I find it necessary. Without all this details the text would be just retelling of history, only dry facts and would make you asleep within a minute. As the text is divided into chapters, Quan Yanchi starts each chapter with statement and after gives an example which supports the statement given in the beginning.As there can be some confirmations he goes from one to another, doesn't mix them up, so even if you stop reading for sometime and then come back to book you will easily get back to the event described. Book leaves its sign on you, it is impossible that you will not change your opinion about Mao. He presented from very different point of view than we, foreigners, used to think about him. Mao is God for Chinese, but he totally d eserve it. During his life he did lots of good to China and now its time for China pay him back.

Faulkner a Rose for Emily essays

Faulkner a Rose for Emily essays One of the themes suggested in William Faulkners short story a rose for Emily is that an extremely overbearing parent can lead to the mental and emotional breakdown in the child. There are a few scenes that demonstrate this however the two key ones are when the women show up at Emilys home to offer condolences following her fathers death and following her own death when the townsfolk look around at her home. William Faulkner suggests Emilys instable mind by presenting the story in fractured time. The story jumps from Emilys death to her middle age to younger years. An early scene following her fathers death hints at some emotional instability. For three days she refused to allow her father to be buried. She had no feelings of grief or pain. She had been so emotionally scarred by her fathers dominance that she didnt want to let go of the only thing she had. At first read this seems like a defense mechanism in dealing with the death. Upon further review and placed in context with the final scenes, it foreshadows her future skewed attempt at self-actualization. Faulkner holds our interest throughout the story by delayed fulfillment. The reader follows Emily through the eyes of the town, never knowing her inner workings. The scenes after her death finally reveal everything. The ladies discovery of Homer Barron's rotting remains in the bed is the one time Faulkner shows Emilys mental problems clearly manifested. The murder was Emilys attempt at being dominant like her father was with her. Homer was not the marrying type of man so Emily killed him and forced a wedding upon him to spite her father. Evidence that suggests this is the woman discovering the room furnished for a bridal. Also the removed collar and tie suggest the honeymoon that followed. Emily seemed to go insane with her desire to spite her father by doing things that were extremely unethical. The last line sugge...

Pompeys Wives

Pompey's Wives Pompey the Great appears to have been a faithful and passionate husband. His marriages, however, were probably made for political convenience. In his longest lasting marriage, he sired three children. Two of his other marriages ended when Pompeys wives died in childbirth. The final marriage ended when Pompey himself was killed. Antistia Antistia was the daughter of a praetor named Antistius whom Pompey impressed when he defended himself before the praetor against a charge of possession of stolen property in 86 B.C. The praetor offered Pompey his daughter in marriage. Pompey accepted. Later, Antistias father was killed because of his connection with Pompey; in her grief, Antistias mother committed suicide. Aemilia In 82 B.C., Sulla persuaded Pompey to divorce Antistia in order to remarry his stepdaughter, Aemilia. At the time, Aemilia was pregnant by her husband, M. Acilius Glabrio. She was reluctant to marry Pompey but did so anyway and soon died in childbirth. Mucia Q. Mucius Scaevola was the father of Pompeys 3rd wife, Mucia, whom he married in 79 B.C. Their marriage lasted until 62 B.C., during which time they had a daughter, Pompeia, and two sons, Gnaeus and Sextus. Pompey eventually divorced Mucia. Asconius, Plutarch, and Suetonius say Mucia was unfaithful with Suetonius alone specifying the paramour as Caesar. However, it isnt clear why exactly Pompey divorced Mucia. Julia In 59 B.C. Pompey married the much younger daughter of Caesar, Julia, who was already engaged to Q. Servilius Caepio. Caepio was unhappy so Pompey offered him his own daughter Pompeia. Julia miscarried a few days after she had fainted in shock at seeing blood-stained clothing that made her fear her husband had been killed. In 54 B.C., Julia was pregnant again. She died in childbirth as she gave birth to a daughter who lasted only a few days. Cornelia Pompeys fifth wife was Cornelia, daughter of Metellus Scipio and widow of Publius Crassus. She was young enough to have been married to his sons, but the marriage appears to have been a loving one like the one with Julia. During the civil war, Cornelia stayed on Lesbos. Pompey joined her there and from there they went to Egypt where Pompey was killed. Source:The Five Wives of Pompey the Great, by Shelley P. Haley. Greece Rome, 2nd Ser., Vol. 32, No. 1. (Apr. , 1985), pp. 49-59.

Chapels and Chaplains

Chapels and Chaplains Chapels and Chaplains Chapels and Chaplains By Maeve Maddox Because I think of chapel as word with distinctly Christian connotations, I was startled to hear a radio spot announcement for a â€Å"Jewish Funeral Chapel.† Naturally I headed straight for the OED. Chapel has an interesting history and several meanings, including one that can mean â€Å"any place set aside for private worship or meditation.† Chapel derives from Latin cappella, â€Å"little cloak† and took on its religious significance from a saint’s relic: the cloak of Saint Martin of Tours (316-397). Born in Hungary, Martin was conscripted into the Roman army and deployed to Gaul (now France), On his way to Amiens on a cold day, Martin came upon an nearly naked beggar. Impulsively, he whipped off his military cloak, sliced it in two with his sword, and gave half to the beggar. From a big cloak, it had become a little cloak. Martin went on to become Bishop of Tours and a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. The Merovingian kings of FranceClovis, Dagobert, Pepin and that lotpreserved what they believed to be Saint Martin’s capella. They kept it in a reliquary in a royal oratory near Tours. It was considered to be so holy that oaths were sworn on it. Sometimes it was carried into battle by the king. On those occasions, small temporary structures were built to house it; people took to calling these shelters capella, because of the little cloak that lay within. The priest who travelled with the army to look after the relic was called a cappellanu. Eventually, any priest who traveled with the military to attend to their spiritual needs was called by that name, which has evolved into the English word chaplain. A chapel can refer to a free-standing structure or a room in a house, embassy, college, school, prison, funeral home, or any other institution. It can be a place of worship for any religious group. In the 18th century, chapel referred to the meeting houses of sectarians outside the established church, such as Roman Catholics and Methodists. In Silas Marner by George Eliot, the title character belongs to a chapel in an industrial city. Chapel can also mean a religious service. For example, â€Å"All students are required to attend chapel in the auditorium on Thursdays.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to AvoidIn Search of a 4-Dot EllipsisContinue and "Continue on"

Universal Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Universal Health Care - Essay Example The current system of healthcare basically seeks community and society influences to make healthcare better for the average consumer, but some critics who advocate universal healthcare say that the system of managed care is run not by concern for the customer, but by the bottom line of profits. It is therefore not a community healthcare organization necessarily, but a consumer one. â€Å"Patients expect the managed care provider to help them manage their relationship with their health plan. Providers should supply patients with information about health plan changes by their employer and assistance in discussing their health plan preferences with their employer. The provider can encourage patients to take responsibility for their relationship with the health plan, but also should have processes in place to assist the patient in working with the health plan to address issues such as care denials or other service issues† (Tomczyk, 2002). This addresses customer service principles rather than general wellness. consumer care, such as currently existing programs like Medicaid and Medicare that provide programs that increase accessibility for the poor and elderly. Other countries such as Canada have made medical care universally accessible to everybody in the country. Accessibility, as well as education, is an important goal. If a person is poor or elderly, they are going to be less likely in the US to get quality healthcare and have insurance, and in many cases, it is a problem of access as well as opportunity. For poor minority immigrant families for example, â€Å"reducing Medicaid eligibility for these children will not necessarily save money as long as children remain eligible for costly emergency care† (RAND, 2002). Many immigrant families find it hard to navigate the existing pattern of federalized programs on a state and local level in terms of eligibility and access. educational programs

Abstract Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Abstract - Article Example The author uses the term â€Å"new public management† to refer to a number of public sector reforms being carried out in a number of developed countries in Europe and North America. Kaboolian (2012) notes that it would be difficult to tell whether the reforms taken in public sector management across countries can be termed as a paradigm shift. He points out that there ought to be a scientific study to ascertain whether the changes can really be termed as a paradigm shift in the true scientific sense. Kaboolian, (1998), notes that most countries are using the market as a model for administrative relationships. He notes that there are three factors that are influencing reforms in public management all across the board. These are transaction cost economies, public choice model and the principal agent-theory. The study notes that, although the amount and the depth of reform being carried out differ from one country to the other, almost all countries carrying out the reforms have similar goals. â€Å"While reform movements are different in depth and scope and success by country they are remarkably similar in goals,† (Kaboolian, 1998, p. 190).The study also found almost all the parties were utilizing similar technologies in carrying out the reform. All management reforms aim to improve the responsiveness of the public service to the needs of the public. Kaboolian (1998) calls for separation between policy making and service delivery. Another article on public management, titled â€Å"Public Management and Government Performance: An International Review† assess the popularity of measuring performance in public management among various governments around the world. In the article Forbes (2005) notes that governments are more interested in performance as opposed to implementation of policy goals. Generally most governments have taken a performance orientation. Countries

Virtual Tour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Virtual Tour - Essay Example French Baroque did not follow the same deigns as did its Italian counterparts. This was evident when Louis XIV held the opinion that the Baroque as it was practiced in Italy was not in French taste. He proved it by rejected Bernini's famous proposal for redesigning the Louvre. Thus, the Palace of Versailles proves to be an ardent display of this new classicism which seeped into the traditional Baroque form. It began construction under Louis XIV who aimed to use propaganda and art to glorify the French. The Marble Court, Garden Faà §ade and Hamlet of Marie Antoinette are just a few building that followed this kind of architecture under Louis XIV’s rule. Versailles was chosen as the fixed housing of the sovereign kings in 1682, two years after its completion. It began an ardent display of Baroque architecture which represented a world of civilization and pleasure. A magnificent Hall of Mirrors reflects this form of Baroque art as it allowed the king to bestow his power. Coupled with this were various salons. Amongst them was the Salon of Hercules which was decorated with beautiful ceiling fresco paintings. The Salon of Abundance was similar in its design as a Baroque piece of architecture. This classical form of architecture was further complemented by the construction of extensive gardens which surrounded the area. The Hampton Court in England plays its role as a palace for King Henry the VIII. However, at the end of his reign he was replaced by various Kings and Queens who continued to live. in his lavish apartments. It was during the reign of William and Mary that Sir Christopher Wren was given a commission to redesign the lavish palace. He rebuilt them using a beautiful Baroque style which is prevalent even today. The work done by Sir Wren is evident in the East Front and South Front of the Court. The magnificent East and South fronts were constructed in red brick with Portland stone carvings. The structure's forms were intended to rival Louis XIV's r ebuilding of Versailles. This building too possesses displays of strength and power to glorify the force of England. Similar to the Versailles it has a great stone centre piece, the focal point for the design of the East Front. This is surmounted by a massive pediment containing Caius Gabriel Cibber's relief of Hercules triumphing over Envy. Along with

Runology in Scandinavia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Runology in Scandinavia - Essay Example This alphabet uses only sixteen runes, and in many cases one symbol is used to represent many sounds. Even when dealing with the Younger Futhark, there are several related but slightly different alphabets that vary by place and time. These can be roughly divided into two main types: the first is the "long-branch" or normal Younger Futhark, which are sometimes referred to as the "Danish runes". There is also a variant known as the "short-twig runes" in which the forms are simpler, also called the "Norwegian-Swedish runes". "Shorthand" versions of these futharks appeared, as did hybrid variants. What exact form was used depended on exactly what date one is looking at, and what region. By the Middle Ages, as the language changed and so did the runic alphabet. Gradually symbols were changed, and new symbols adopted, resulting in a 16-rune alphabet plus extensions. Most of the surviving Viking Age runic inscriptions come from rune-stones, which were erected as grave markers, memorials, and cenotaphs most often. By the middle ages in Scandinavia, runes came to be used occasionally to record Latin inscriptions (approximately 10% of all medieval runic inscriptions are Latin) and these usually invocations of saints or prayers. Occasionally runes are found on various wooden items such as crosses. In Bergen, Norway, 110 "ownership tags" have been found, shaped in many cases so that they can be easily attached to goods or merchandise. Several runic "business memos" have also been discovered in Bergen, usually on a wooden stick which has been whittled flat on at least one side, with the most usual type having four flat sides for inscription. Since the runes occurred in a fixed order, carpenters and construction workers used them to label wooden roof beams for churches so that they went up in the correct order. The oldest runes discovered in Norway date from 400 AD. They were based upon the 24 - rune Elder Futhark of Germanic origin. Two of the runes in the Elder Futhark, Pertra and Eoh, have never been found in any Norwegian rune text. From 550 AD to 700 AD there was a transition period between the older 24-rune Futhark and the newer 16-rune Futharks. By the end of this period, the 24-rune Futhark went completely out of use and the 16-rune Futharks had prevailed. Then, about 900 AD, the Shorttwiggs-runes were introduced from Sweden. Shortly thereafter, from 1000 AD, Futharks with more than 16 runes became more prevalent, as these were more consistent with the Latin alphabet. These types of runes were used in Norway up to 1800 AD. After the end of the Viking period the runes became more and more in common use by ordinary people. A lot of rune inscriptions from the end of 1100's, 1200's and 1300's, the so-called town runes, show that it was not only the professional scribes who wrote runes. Even the ordinary people had learned the art of reading and writing runes because runes were the most accessible tool for them and were useful in their mercantile trading. "Training sticks" have been found which were used to learn runes, showing that more people could write and read than one had previously believed. It is interesting that knowledge of runes

Women like Chanel Bags Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Women like Chanel Bags - Essay Example In a period when luxury products have been the subject of intensive discussion and debate, current consumers are willing to offer considerably higher amounts of money for luxury products as a display of a particular product brings prestige to the owner apart from the functional utility. Luxury items are becoming a necessity as more than 51 percent women in Tokyo purchase Chanel bags. It is further important to mention that luxury consumption is influenced by factors such as brand image, quality, fashion, store atmosphere and patron status. There are contrasting views from Vigneron and Johnson who believe that categorization of luxury products, hedonist and perfectionists are more interested in pleasure derived from the use of luxury products and less interested in price rather than the quality of product, and its performance which leaves the debate open for discussion whether luxury products are bought for quality or just for the sake of prestige. The market for a luxury product is increasing with increasing income among the middle and high society which forces the manufacturers to provide fashionable items to its consumers which are durable and utilized optimally. Schroeder (1291) mentioned that typical turns in an art, artists, and aesthetics in management and marketing often involve ill-defined groping for innovation, creativity or play. The viability of a fashion brand is dependent upon the efficacy and appropriateness of the decisions of those responsible for its management.

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Humanities - Essay Example It was an age of migrations, missionaries and raiders, in which ideas as well as many different trade goods were exchanged across huge territories. One important consequence of the ransacking of Rome by the Germanic tribe called the Vandals in CE in 455 was that Germanic laws, based on local strong leaders rather than a centralized state apparatus, now became the norm ( Fiero, 2010, p. 251). These were enhanced also by a new social order which came to be known as feudalism, based on the majority of the people being tied in to service of these same chiefs and lords. The nomadic and shifting nature of these up and coming tribal encouraged the perfection of a number of portable art forms, such as engraved weapons, fine jewelry and practical utensils, all of which were found, for example in the Sutton Hoo burial in East Anglia, England, dating from ca. 630. (Fiero, 2010, pp. 253-254). The technique known as cloisonne allowed Viking craftsmen to embed semi-precious stones and colorful ena mel into their objects, and thus vividly represent their lifestyle based on hunting and adventure, with many zoomorphic motifs. The Christian religion advanced across the continent under the protection of Charlemage. New techniques of manuscript production spread from Irish and British monasteries in the north west and instead of the rather clumsy and plain Roman style, a new elegant Celtic writing style became popular. It was known as the â€Å"Carolingian minuscule† and it was a rather small, but neat and legible script, with helpful punctuation and occasional elaboration through patterns and imagery drawn from the Celtic and Viking cultures. The world famous â€Å"Book of Kells† which is an eighth century Latin gospel, finely adorned with elaborate capital letters and celtic patterns, represents the finest example of this literary innovation. The influence of this script can still be seen in modern typefaces used in printing and on computers. Christianity influenced also the creation of liturgical objects of great value such as cups and plates used for the Eucharist, and magnificently carved ivory objects. Metalwork was adapted to the Church in the form of richly adorned clasps to hold the heavy pages. The copying of texts in the scriptorium of each monastery, was a key feature of the monastery culture that grew up in this period. It resembles the modern inter library loan system with the only difference, that of course production and transport of books took much longer in those days. More practical inventions such as the stirrup for horseriding (brought in from China via the nomadic tribes sweeping across Europe), rigging gear for sails (developed by the Vikings, and iron horseshoes revolutionized transport in the Dark Ages, paving the way for the expansion which then blossomed after CE 1000. Far from being a dark and ignorant age, this period was filled with new ideas and a passion for learning. Category B. Question B2. The Epic of Gilgamesh , as the title suggests, represents the ancient literary form of the epic. This implies a sweeping historical narrative, with heroic human figures seeking out their destiny against a background of worldly conflict. There is a strong divine element in this tale, and the notion of a quest for meaning and identity is key to the narrative. The hero of the Epic of Gilgames

Women like Chanel Bags Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Women like Chanel Bags - Essay Example In a period when luxury products have been the subject of intensive discussion and debate, current consumers are willing to offer considerably higher amounts of money for luxury products as a display of a particular product brings prestige to the owner apart from the functional utility. Luxury items are becoming a necessity as more than 51 percent women in Tokyo purchase Chanel bags. It is further important to mention that luxury consumption is influenced by factors such as brand image, quality, fashion, store atmosphere and patron status. There are contrasting views from Vigneron and Johnson who believe that categorization of luxury products, hedonist and perfectionists are more interested in pleasure derived from the use of luxury products and less interested in price rather than the quality of product, and its performance which leaves the debate open for discussion whether luxury products are bought for quality or just for the sake of prestige. The market for a luxury product is increasing with increasing income among the middle and high society which forces the manufacturers to provide fashionable items to its consumers which are durable and utilized optimally. Schroeder (1291) mentioned that typical turns in an art, artists, and aesthetics in management and marketing often involve ill-defined groping for innovation, creativity or play. The viability of a fashion brand is dependent upon the efficacy and appropriateness of the decisions of those responsible for its management.

The Red Tsar of all Russia Essay Example for Free

The Red Tsar of all Russia Essay Introduction There is no doubt that Josef Stalin represents the ultimate figure of paradox in the world of communism, as this man of steel was early on concurred as the safe gray blur yet later acknowledged as the Red Tsar of all Russia. How did this pedestrian man, who was illustrated by Leon Trotsky himself as the most eminent mediocrity 1 rise to develop into the epithet, the Red Tsar of all Russia? The multifaceted and ironic process of his ascension to supremacy defines Stalin as an exceptional phenomenon. His rise to the top is remarkable on the grounds that Stalin was neither a philosopher nor a cogent orator, but managed to administer his way to the top. Many maintain that his rise was a combination of political genius and sheer luck. But when we examine the factors of luck, it can be clearly seen that it was due to this dynamic that Stalin was able to rise to the top. Without the factor of luck as an underlying basis to his accomplishment in succeeding Lenin, Stalin would not have been able to use his abilities and skills to rise to the top in any case. The perplexities of Stalins rise can be narrowed to an inquiry of manageable proportions; from investigating the luck he experienced in securing his grip on the USSR and the extent of his political genius. The foundations of Stalins triumph which were laid before Lenins death played into his hands, including the luck considerations that embrace the nature of the State, the death of Lenin and another key figure, new policies from which Stalin benefited and Stalins nature and skill considerations as an opportunistic politician armed with political and economical pragmatism, correct timing, building of alliances of convenience and manipulation of political resources and available supporting state of affairs. III. Background Information Stalin, born Josef Vissarionovich Djugashvili in 1879 in Georgia, had Slavic, humble beginnings. In 1912 Djugashvili became a member of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party and changed his name to his famous pseudonym, Josef Stalin, meaning man of steel. Lenin had been impressed by Stalins organizing ability and blind loyalty, describing him as that wonderful Georgian. 2 Stalin played relatively minor roles in the October Revolution and an inconspicuous part in the Civil War.3 After the Bolsheviks secured their position in Russia, Stalins non-Russian background proved invaluable, landing him the post Commissar of Nationalities. From there he became the Liaison Officer between the Politburo and Orgburo and Head of the Workers and Peasants Inspectorate in 1919, and General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1922 until he became the Lenin of his day according to his official biography. 4 Stalins posts enabled him to know by heart the works of the government and personnel, record Party policy, build up personal files on all members of the Party and appoint supporters and later purge his rivals.5 Lenin died in 1924, at the time Stalin was forty five. At that juncture, Stalin was not in the lead to succeed Lenin. He was considered as less of a threat than Trotsky, who was thought of as a Bonapartist threat who would, if given Lenins preeminence, commence a military dictatorship. This led to the alliance between Zinoviev, Trotsky and Stalin that was finalized in the form of a triumvirate in order to marginalize Trotsky by blocking his policies, defeating his debates and preventing his advance.6 By pursuing their policy of Socialism in One Country which was based upon the more Leninist approach of the continuation of the NEP in order for the USSR to first focus on the USSRs problems then build a modern state, the triumvirs were able to outmaneuver Trotskys radical Perma nent Revolution which believed in the export of revolution to achieve true revolutionary socialism. 7 Then between the years 1925-1927, Stalins conflict with Zinoviev and Kamanev led to their assembling of a New Opposition with Trotsky whom they now considered as a lesser threat. Opportunistic Stalin simply aligned himself with the Partys rightists Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky. The alliance accordingly secured the expulsion of the New Opposition members. Yet in 1929, the Rightists were in turn attacked, when Stalin removed his them, proving himself as the consummate player in this political chess game of power manipulation. 8 IV.A. Luck: The Nature of the infant Bolshevik State Unintentionally, the Party had assisted Stalin in assuming supremacy. When Lenin and the Bolsheviks assumed total control of Russia after the 1917 Revolution, they realized that they were not a traditional form of Russian government; they were unskilled and untrained in matters concerning government due to the fact that all their original efforts and actions were inclined towards just pure revolution. When all other forms of government could count upon precedent or tradition as a guide to governing their countries, Lenins Party faced the fact that their revolutionary government did not possess such advantages. Additionally the highly radical degree of the Russian Revolution was a first in history, assuring the chastity of the Bolsheviks in matters of government. This was much supported by the growth of bureaucratism in the Party, whereupon traditional Tsarist practices were becoming standard procedure in the USSR to which Lenin himself had opposed strongly. The Party had no policies in the beginning, thus the Bolsheviks touched and felt their way through, which created opportunities for individual advancement. Stalins rise would have been obvious in other traditional forms of government and because of this, perhaps even deterred.9 IV.B. Luck: The Nature of Josef Stalin Another fortunate factor that enabled the Party to believe that Stalin was the safer alternative was the general perception of him at that time, as he was Slavic in origin and was isolated from the outside world, speaking no other language than Russian and having no contact with European culture. This proved advantageous when Trotskys Permanent Revolution failed, as seen, for instance, in the short-lived Hungarian Bela Kun regime. This boosted Stalins nationalistic and Leninist Communism in One Country program, proclaiming that Russia needed to first overcome their agricultural and industrial problems unaided, and by doing so he won the most favor as his pure Russian origins comfortably assured the Russian people. IV.C. Luck: The Death of Yakov Sverdlov (1919) One of the decidedly significant pillars of Stalins successful rise to power is the death of Yakov Sverdlov, a highly respected influential Bolshevik who continually supported Lenin and developed a reputation as one of the Partys most excellent orators. Sverdlov was reputed as one of the supporting pillars of the armed uprising of October. Sverdlovs role proved significant in the Party as he persuaded leading Bolshevik figures to put down the lid on both the Constituent Assembly and to sign the Brest-Litovsk Treaty despite its controversial nature. Despite his young age, Sverdlov was expected to be Lenins choice as the partys next leader. 10 This was most almost certainly due to his nature as an influential Bolshevik whom Lenin had laid his trust upon to the extent that Lenin had an eye for Sverdlov in promoting him as the next General Secretary. Yet Yakov Sverdlov died aged thirty-three in March 1919. Had Sverdlov not died in 1919, Stalin would not have stood a chance to become General Secretary, a highly significant post in which Stalin exploited and manipulated to gain supporters and purge his rivals.11 IV.D Luck: The 1921 Ban upon Factionalism Policy One luck aspect that was in Stalins favor was the 1921 ban upon factionalism, a policy issued by Lenin in order to ban organized factions at the Tenth Party Congress which sprung up due to the Partys squabbling over the perplexities over the civil war, revival of capitalism through the issuing of the NEP and the shock of the Kronstadt rising. 12 When scratching beneath the surface of this action, we can see that this frustration over criticism inevitably meant that any form of criticism towards the party was extremely condemned, furthermore suppressed. This is definitely a noteworthy luck element in Stalins rise to power as this issue provided him with the means to readily resist challenges to his criticism-inviting authority. IV.E Luck: The 1923-1925 Lenin Enrolment Another luck factor that played into Stalins hands was the Lenin Enrolment, a recruitment campaign made to increase the number of true proletarians in the Party.13 Whereas at the Tenth Congress the Party had only 732,000 members, by 1930 this had grown nearly to a million members.14 As supervisor for the enrolment in the years 1923 to 1925, Stalin purged members that were potentially hazardous to his campaign. With his power of patronage, Stalin admitted workers at the bench, ill-educated people who were less ideologically aware of their beliefs and surroundings. New proletarian party members favored and supported the more down-to-earth Stalin who spoke their language with practical and understandable directives rather than his scholarly comrades. 15 What was impressed on the new members was that that blind loyalty and absolute obedience was required to achieve privileges. This was inclined to come from loyalty to those who had first admitted them into their appointed positions, and in that case, General Secretary Stalin. E.H Carr described this as being a change from the elite party of Lenin to the mass party of Stalin. 16 With this knowledge, Stalin was able to control the current of support in the Party; carefully choosing new members that he was aware would support him. IV.F Luck: Stalin versus Lenin, Lenins Death (1924) the Failure of Demoting Stalin Another fact that can be counted as luck involves the certainty that Stalin would have been demoted on the basis that he had proved himself a power-exploiting danger to Lenin himself due to his criticism-inviting actions. Stalin, whom Lenin had previously respected aroused Lenins distrust which led to a conflict between the two. Lenin allegedly believed that Stalin was as responsible as anyone for the bureaucratic existence of traditional Tsarist elements in the Partys standard procedures. 17 When in 1922 Stalin supported the idea of independence of Transcaucasian Georgia, his homeland, that sought to become an autonomous republic, Stalin was in fact dismissive and discourteous towards his national spokesmen to the extent that Lenin himself was obliged to intervene to resolve the situation and even sided with the injured party of the Georgians, when in fact as the Commissar for Nationalities Stalin was essentially responsible for relationships with local bodies within Russia. Exacerbating his head-to-head clash with Lenin, Lenin dictated a letter to Stalin warning that he would break off relations if he did not apologize to his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, whom he had personally insulted, calling her a syphilitic whore for allowing Lenin to write a letter to Trotsky four days after the Central Committee placed Stalin in charge of Lenins health. 18 Stalins actions could lead us to a perception that Stalin did want power badly and that he did have tendencies of rebellion despite being referred to a pedestrian. However, again luck seemed to favor Stalin. If Lenin had not been ill and died in 1924, Stalin could have been relieved of his post, absolutely ruling out any possibility to his rising up to power. The failure of reading out Lenins Testament a year before Lenins death in 1923 as he had requested and its neutralization after his death in 1924 definitely played a significant role in the failure of having Stalin removed from his post. Concerned of what might happen after his death, Lenin wrote a Testament in which he acknowledged the strengths and weaknesses of Central Committee members. Reflecting back on Stalins policies towards national groups, most significantly Georgia, Lenin was clearly concerned over the power that was currently in Stalins hands and how he had the potential to misuse his power, 19 Lenins codicil unquestionably proved his concern over Stalin which reached it paramount point just previous to his death, by requesting that Stalin to be removed from his post and to be replaced by appointing another man in his stead who in all other respects differs from comrade Stalinmore tolerant, loyal, polite and more considerate to the comrades, less capricious etc 20 This w as a definite deterrent to achieving supremacy for Stalin. Yet Lenin was not able to convey publicly his final thoughts before his death due to his illness that restricted him from taking active part in Bolshevik politics. The too-damning nature of the harsh criticisms of major Party personalities contained in Lenins Testament consequently kept his wishes held in reserve until the following Congress in the following year. Furthermore, Lenins Testament was also neutralized by Kamanev and Zinoviev; cleared of elements that would uplift Trotskys name in order to prevent Trotsky, personally Lenins most capable man in the Party, 21 from rising to power. Another error that Lenin made before his death is that he did not officially hand down his position to anyone of his comrades, thus a game of tug of war for supremacy was quickly commenced right after his death in 1924. With these elements combined, emphasizing the shelving of Lenins Testament until after his death, not publicizing it and its neutralization positively played a noteworthy role in the failure of conducting the supposed act of removing Stalin of his post as had been firmly requested by Lenin in his addendum. IV.G Luck: The Attitude Towards Trotsky and his Errors The negative attitude towards Trotsky, the most likely successor of Lenin again proved as one of the facets of luck on Stalins side. Trotsky was known as the most significant and likely successor of Lenin. Nevertheless his comrades thought of him otherwise; Trotsky was considered as a Bonapartist threat largely due to his behavior in which he had built the successful Red Army during the period of the Russian Civil War of 1918 and 1921. Trotsky was also a Jew in a society of deeply engrained anti-Semitism, essentially undermining Trotskys image. Trotsky was also known as a man of complex personality, famous for his excessive self-assurance, as mentioned by Lenin himself in his Testament. At times he also suffered diffidence and lack of judgment, especially in the error of turning down Lenins offer of putting Stalin as deputy chairman of the Sovnarkom thus gaining for himself the most senior and second-in-command after Lenin in 1922. 22 Had he accepted the position, he could have undermined Stalins rise to power through his authority. Another serious error that Trotsky made was that he handed over Lenins notes to the Politburo at the beginning of the struggle, thus leaving himself left with no documentary proof of Lenins growing opposition to Stalins actions. To the advantage of Stalin, Trotskys errors, miscalculations and origins further weakened his already suppressed position in the Party and society, therefore increasing Stalins chances of rising. V.A Introduction to Stalin and his Skills As it is too simplistic to ponder upon luck alone as the driving force of Stalins rise, one must acknowledge Stalins skills as a brilliant politician and his own nature that provided him with the means of assuming power. Stalin was originally a pedestrian, the eminent mediocrity as referred by Trotsky. A significant quality that Stalin possessed was that he had dogged perseverance and willingness to undertake and endure the laborious work demanded by his posts. 23 By managing to stay patiently in the background, Stalin used his timing skills waited for when the time was opportune after Lenins death to strike out his opponents, as of when he outmaneuvered the Partys Left and with his skill to form alliances, such as the Triumvirate which marginalized Trotsky, then afterwards the Duumvirate with the Right to oust the Left. V.B Skill: Stalin as General Secretary of the Bolshevik Party (1922-1929) As a part of Stalins own adroit nature, he took advantage of his position as General Secretary which controlled the passage of business in the Politburo and the appointment of people to positions in the Party. Stalin could even manipulate the membership of the Party itself. 24 Stalins supporters were given the incentive of filling vacancies of those moved above them, usually his rivals. 25 Furthermore Stalins position enabled him to appoint supporters to the Orgburo and the Secretariat, which had power over local bodies. Hence Stalins appointees developed a sense of gratitude and obligation to Stalin, and through this he gained strong influence over the regional party apparatus that led to control over delegate selection for the annual Party Congress. Therefore one of the skill aspects of Stalins eventual victory also lay in the influence he had over the Partys personnel. V.C Skill: Stalin as the Orator at Lenins Funeral in 1924 and Active Support of Leninism As the orator at Lenins funeral, Stalin used his manipulating skills to assure the public that he was the right successor of Lenin by presenting himself as Lenins disciple, not equal. Although many others sought to define Leninism, Stalin made the first move by delivering a remarkable speech at Lenins funeral, for whoever was perceived to be the best Leninist would be the one best placed to inherit Lenins authority. 26 Stalin even set out to define Leninism through six lectures about the foundations of Leninism. Historian Martin McCauley, author of Stalin and Stalinism, states that Stalins uninterested attitude to ideology was utilitarian, whereupon Stalins incursion into ideologyserved two purposes: to provide a simple, accessible exegesis of Marxism-Leninism, and to outmaneuver his opponents. McCauleys book proves to be a reliable source as it has hardly any presence of bias, as the given arguments are based on facts. The high credibility and value of this book can be judged when evaluating its abundance of critical assessments, new brought up issues, and detailed information. Yet a limitation is found in this book on the basis that the information given of Stalins rise to power was not adequately provided, as the bulk of the book itself mainly focuses on the Stalin years and not his journey to the top. Hence by skillfully presenting himself as the continuer of Lenin, Stalin gained unimpeachable authority by implying to the public that he was the right successor. V.D Skill: Stalin Takes Advantage of the Attitude Towards Trotsky: Permanent Revolution versus Socialism in One Country Furthermore in respect to Stalins skills, Stalin cleverly took advantage of the attitude towards Trotsky as well by constantly reminding the Party of Trotskys Menshevik past and pointing out the flaws in his so-called anti Lenin ideas, especially that of the Permanent Revolution. Under this banner, Stalin placed Trotsky as an enemy of the Soviet Union as Stalins Socialism in One Country was of a more Leninist, nationalist approach. This proves that Stalin had the ability to rally support and silence opponents at critical moments by taking on the role of the Great Russian patriot intent on saving the nation from its internal and external enemies. 27 V.E Skill: Stalins Economic and Political Pragmatism Another variable that contributed to Stalins rise in respect to his skills was Stalins economic and political pragmatism that enabled him to outmaneuver the Left and Right while always staying with the majority in the Politburo. After having Trotsky removed from his position, Stalin drastically changed his Socialism in One Country policy to a Trotskyist repressive collectivization and industrialization program to solve local-level problems. Alan Todd, author of The European Dictatorships: Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini, argues that It can be said that Stalins policies were consistent and also in tune with the majority of the party membership, who desired stability most of all. Alan Todds book proves to be a credible and valuable source of historical information for there is hardly any presence of bias in his writing as many arguments are based on facts that are evaluated by gathering assessments from various historians. The lack of bias definitely proves the source reliable. It is hard to find any limitations to this useful historical source for Alan Todd balanced opinion and fact in chronological order showing how Leninism eroded into Stalinism, then evaluating it based on historians arguments. As Stalins last deterrent to supremacy laid in the figure of the Rightists after he had outmaneuvered the Left with the Duumvirate, Stalin began attacking his fellow Duumvirate Rightists by abandoning Bukharins economic policy that agreed the continuum of the NEP using the argument that the policy had failed and industrialization must take precedence over agriculture. 28 Fearful of creating factionalism, the rightists hoped to win the Party without creating deep divisions. Yet Stalin portrayed the Rights as a dangerous clique by manipulating the Rights supporters who were largely responsible for drafting and distributing Party information. 29 Stalin progressively and politically crushed the Rights, pragmatically securing his position as leader by sending two Politburo members to undertake purges in the trade unions, the Rights only remaining power base, and to purge local Party members. 30 VI. Conclusion It seems that it was to a large extent that Bukharin was right about Stalin being the New Genghis Khan. Stalins school of falsification 31 ensued after and even before his succeeding Lenin through dynamics that played into his hands and that were controlled by him. One may argue that there should not be any questions about whether Stalins rise to power was based on luck or skill. Yet it is comprehensible that Stalins mixture of luck and skill along with both planning and opportunity produced inevitable results: power that was left for him to take over. Luck and skill inform each other to such a degree, that, on the basis of its contributions to Stalins rise to power, they cannot be separated. But when examining the relative importance of luck and skill, it can be concluded that luck was most significant as it provided Stalin with the grounds and basis for him to rise. Another may argue that Stalins rise to supreme authority was purely on the basis of his skills, maintaining that without the skills Stalin exercised, he would not have been promoted to his posts through which he manipulated central organs of the Party that eventually crowned him with triumph. However, considering many crucial factors that were based purely on luck, such as those of the death of Lenin that saved Stalin from a certain demotion and Yakov Sverdlovs death in 1919 which placed Stalin in the chair of General Secretary, an essential position which we can refer to as the ultimate catalyst to Stalins triumph, we may argue that without these essential luck factors, Stalin would not have had the chance to use his adroit aptitudes to manipulate his way to the top. Hence in reality Stalin did prove to be the consummate player in the game of politics, along the way verified himself to be the cleverer politician by outmaneuvering his rivals through the use of many unintentional read ily available resources provided by the Party and by exploitation of his rivals miscalculations which made him look positive and constructive while making his opponents look negative and destructive. Despite the findings, a new issue could be raised regarding Stalins head on clash with Lenin that led to the request of Stalin to be removed of his post, why did the grey blur clash with his leader? Couldnt he have acted as the obedient cohort and wait for the wounded lion to die before challenging some of his views? 32 Does this prove that Stalin had tendencies of rebellion, fighting to justify his beliefs despite considerable political risks? Nonetheless, Josef Stalin was a lucky inheritor, ascribing luck as the basis of his rise. So many if onlys could have saved Russia from the so-called grey blur, whom, with the aid of time, would be referred paradoxically as the Red Tsar of Russia. VII. Bibliography 1. Thomas, David and Mcandrew, Mark. Russia Soviet Union 1917-1945. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 2. Marcombe, Margot and Fielding, Mark. Spirit of Change: Russia in Revolution. Australia: McGraw Hill, 1998. 3. Todd, Allan. The European Dictatorships: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 4. Lynch Michael. Stalin and Khrushchev: The USSR 1924-1964. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2001. 5. McCauley, Martin. Stalin and Stalinism. Essex, England: Longman, 1995. 6. Yakov Sverdlov. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSsverdlov.htm Accessed: 10-02-04. 1 Lee, Stephen .J. Stalin and the Soviet Union. London: Routledge, 1999. p. 3. 2 Lynch, Michael. Stalin and Khrushchev: The USSR 1924-1964. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2001., p.8-9. 3 Lee, p. 1. 4 Lee, p. 13. 5 Pauley, Bruce. F. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini: Totalitarianism in the Twentieth Century. Wheeling, Illinois, U.S.A: Harlan Davidson, 1997. p. 20. 6 Marcombe, Margot and Fielding, Mark. Spirit of Change: Russia in Revolution. Australia: McGraw Hill, 1998. p. 178. 7 Lynch, p. 2. 8 Lee, p.1-2.. 9 Lych, p. 11. 10 Yakov Sverdlov. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSsverdlov.htm. Accessed: 10/02/04. 11 Todd, Allan. The European Dictatorships: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press, 2002. p. 21. 12 Todd, Allan, p. 36. 13 Lych, p. 13. 14 Lych, p. 13. 15 Thomas McAndrew, p. 126. 16 Lych, p. 13 17 McCauley, p.14. 18 McCauley, p.14. 19 Marcombe Fielding, p. 177. 20 Marcombe Fielding, p. 177. 21 Thomas McAndrew, p. 123. 22 Lych, p. 15. 23 Lych, p. 11. 24 Thomas McAndrew, p. 123. 25 Lee, p. 4. 26 Thomas McAndrew, p. 126. 27 Lych, p. 22. 28 Thomas McAndrew, p. 124. 29 Stalins Rise to Power, p. 26. 30 Stalins Rise to Power, p. 26. 31 Todd, p. 58. 32 McCauley, p. 14.

Differences between Organic and Non Organic Food

Differences between Organic and Non Organic Food ORGANIC AND NON ORGANIC FOOD. Many people today are often brought to this question when entering a grocery store. Its something countless doctors are talking about and recommending to their patients. Are organic foods really any different than non-organic foods? My answer to you is yes, but you dont have to take my word for it. I have plenty of information that will not only show you the difference between the two but will also prove that organic foods are better for you. Organic foods are produced by the techniques that follow the standards of organic farming. Organizations that produce these foods are free of artificial additives, methods, materials, and conditions. Also, some organic food corporations restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in farming. In addition, animals that are used to create organic products like eggs, cheese, meats, etc., are raised eating organic feeds. That means that their food does not contain antibiotics, hormones, and growth-enhancing substances such as steroids. Many people have been saying that organic foods   are really good for your health. Theyve even helped people when trying to diet and losing weight. The benefits dont stop there either. Studies have shown that they can also have a lot of nutrients. The Los Angeles Times covered a study with a headline expressing Organic foods are more nutritious, according to the review of 343 studies. Then an article stated Research is first to find wide-ranging difference between organic and conventional fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Non-organic foods contain chemical fertilizer to encourage plant growth, farmers also spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease, use chemical herbicides to manage weeds, and give animals hormones, drugs, etc., to prevent disease. I personally would not consider this food to be healthy.   Id rather stick with organic foods because I feel more comfortable and its more healthy. Not only that, but it is also more safe. Nowadays non-organic foods cant be trusted because you dont know what theyre really doing. People feel more drawn to buy non-organic foods because theyre reasonable prices. Buyers of non-organic foods have ate these products their whole lives so its what theyre used to. We like familiarity so of course its easier for us to chose groceries weve ate our whole lives versus groceries that were just learning about. Non-organic foods tend to be consistent in taste, texture, and quality. Fast food falls under the category of non-organic food. The thing about restaurant food is that restaurants are not required to reveal everything their food contains. So technically we dont really know what were eating. For example, the meat that most restaurant chains sell contains antibiotics. Although now you can buy a salad at a fast food place, there are still much more unhealthy things on the menu. Obesity, High Cholesterol, and so much more are leading causes to deaths. 1There have been cases where people have died from eating these foods. For example, a couple of years ago there was a case where a four year old boy passed away. He ate three burgers from Jack in The Box then suddenly wasnt feeling good. The boy started having a lot of diarrhea mixed with blood. His parents started getting concerned so they made a doctors visit and found out that their son had E Coli. Twelve days later the boy died. People may not realize it now, but all of those things that are in the food we eat effect us. My girlfriend made a doctors visit about 8 months ago because she was having some health problems. The doctor advised her to stop eating non-organic foods. Of course that didnt cure her from what she had or anything but it did help massively. After looking more into it she is now slowly trying to eat mainly all organic products. E.coli was discovered in 1884 and is known to be very bad disease.   I could tell you many things about it but Id rather just stick to the basics for now. Its an infection, poisoning, septicemia, neonatal meningitis and gastroenteritis. The way the infection starts for E. coli is, it releases toxins into your body that will harm you. This makes the bacterium to bind to the lining of the gut. Feeding the animals food youre not supposed to feed them, not only affects them but it affects the environment. If our fields were pesticide free think about how much that would help the grass and plants. Since no synthetic chemicals are used while farming organic fruits and vegetables it does not pose any risk of soil and underground water contamination. Another fun fact is that organic food production helps preserve local wildlife. Keeping away the toxins helps the wildlife be in its natural habitat. In conclusion this is why we have to stay away from non-organic food. Want to live longer ? Start eating organic food. These pictures tell you a lot, the very first one on the top left about the strawberries is very true because the darker the strawberries are the more flavor they have. The light ones arent too sweet. Bottom left picture of the apples is also very true. You can already tell because the price on the apple. Top one on the right about the chickens, just look closely, look at how healthy the chicken looks on the left side looks and look at the one on the right. Those chickens on the right dont look like theyre in a healthy environment. They are dying from all the steroids and antibiotics they put in their food. All those chickens on the right are just full of chemicals and thats what you want to eat? Thats why we cant eat non-organic food. Last but not least, look closely at the picture on the bottom right. Now this is a good example of organic and non-organic food. That s what your body looks like when you eat healthy food versus when you eat non-healthy food.

Essay --

Adams E,et al., (2003). Food insecurity is associated with increased risk of obesity in California women. Journal of Nutrition. Arimond, M. and Ruel, M.T., (2004). Dietary diversity is associated with child nutritional status: Evidence from 11 demographic and health surveys. Washington. International Food Policy Research Institute. Cook J., (2002). Clinical implications of household food security: definitions, monitoring, andpolicy. Nutritional Clinic Care. 2002. Brown, L, R., (2004). World food security deteriorating: Food crunch in 2005 now likely. Earth Policy Institute, Washington, DC, USA. Deb, K., Nageswara Rao, Y. Mohan Rao and Slater R., (2002). Diversification and Livelihood Options: A Study of Two Villages in Andhra Pradesh, India. Debebe Habtewold, (1995). Food Security: A Brief Review of Concepts and Indicators. Food Security, Nutrition and Poverty Alleviation in Ethiopia: Problems and Prospects. Proceedings of the Inaugural and First Annual Conference of the Agricultural Economics Society of Ethiopia, DFID, (1999). Sustainable livelihoods guidance sheets. London. UK: Department for International Development (DFID). Ellis, F., (2000). Rural Livelihoods and Diversity in Developing Countries. Oxford University Press. FAO, (1996). Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action. World Food Summit 13-17 November 1996, Rome. FAO, (2003). Food Security in Complex Emergencies: building policy frameworks to address longer-term programming challenges. Tivoli, 23-25 September 2003 FAO, (2008). The state of food insecurity in the world 2008. Rome 2008 FAO, (2009). Global agriculture towards 2050. Rome 12-13 October 2009 FAO, (2010). The State of Food Insecurity in the world: Addressin... ...isconsin, Madison. Wiesmann, Doris, Bassett L, Benson T. and Hoddinott J. (2009), Validation of the World Food Program’s Food Consumption Score and Alternative Indicators of Household Food Security, International Food Policy Research Institute Discussion. Paper 870, Washington DC. Wooldridge, J. M., (2002). Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press World Bank, (1986).Poverty and Hunger: Issues and Options for Food Security in Developing Countries. A World Bank Policy Study. Washington, D.C. World Bank, (2006)a. Poverty and Hunger: Issues and Options for Food Security in Developing Countries. World Bank, Washington, DC. Young H, Jaspars S, Brown R, Frize J, and Khogali H., (2001). Food security assessments inemergencies: Livelihood approaches. Humanitarian. Network Project (HPN), Overseas Development Institute, London.

A lesson from a truck driver :: essays research papers

A Lesson from a Truck Driver   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This story is about a lesson that my friends and I learned from a truck driver. It was a fine day when two of my best friends and I were walking home from school. We were in second grade and just immature as everybody else in our age. As we were walking on the sidewalk I found a big sucker on the ground. I wanted to have some fun and told one of my friends, Junghee, that if he is brave enough, he could throw that sucker and hit a car driving by. He hesitated for a while and I started to make fun of him for being such a chicken. I could see that he was about to do what I asked him to, but he was still hesitating, afraid of getting in a trouble. I said,  ¡Ã‚ °Come on, I throw small rocks at cars all the time. You will be just fine. And what else the driver is going to do, huh? They are not going to stop and run after us. And even if they do, we can still run away from them. We are pretty fast. ¡Ã‚ ± He agreed with me and he threw the sucker high in the air. I di dn ¡Ã‚ ¯t see any car coming at that very moment, but within a second, a loud noise startled my ears when the sucker hit this blue truck ¡Ã‚ ¯s windshield. The truck driver kept going for a second so I thought nothing was going to happen. However, he suddenly hit the brake and stopped in front of the police station. The first thing I had in my mind was that he was going to go into the police station and tell the police officer what we did, and that ¡Ã‚ ¯s what scared me for a second. Fortunately he did not go into the police station. In spite of going into the police station, he looked at us and started running toward us. That ¡Ã‚ ¯s when I said,  ¡Ã‚ °Run! ¡Ã‚ ±   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We started running towards our apartment area, which was about 1000 meters away from the police station. I turned back when we were running, and saw that man ¡Ã‚ ¯s mad face. His face was so red that I thought he was totally drunk. As soon as I reached the main entrance of our apartment, my friend and I hid behind the trees and bushes. However, Junghee was a little bit behind us.

Consumer Association of Bangladesh

1. Introduction Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), a non-government Non-political and non-profit voluntary organization was founded in February, 1978 at the initiation of some dedicated residents in Dhaka who was imbued with the ideas of consumerism, a movement that already took shape in many advanced countries in Europe and America. Primarily started as a social group to protect consumers from commodity adulteration and artificial price-hike it has gradually widened its scope to establish and safeguard consumers’ rights and interests in social, economic, health and environmental issues.CAB was registered with the Department of Social Services, Government of Bangladesh vide reg. No DHA-01247 dated 14 March 1983 and with the NGO Affairs Bureau vide reg. No. DSS/FDO/R-197 dated 2 March 1986. CAB is also a full member of Consumers International. It is funded by membership fees and by grants from donors. Organization Profile: Organization Name: CAB (Consumers Association o f Bangladesh) Member no: 761 Joining date: 15 Mar 1981Region: Asia Pacific Address: 8/6, Segunbagicha, Dhaka- 1000 Location: Bangladesh Type of Work: Campaigning and/or lobbying, Consumer Advice, Consumer Legislation, Dispute Resolution, Networking, Product Testing, Publishing, Research/Policy analysis. It has 500 regular and 100 associate members. Its mission is to empower Consumers with the knowledge and skills for the effective protection of their rights and interests.The major areas of CAB activities are: Consumer Information & Education, Surveillances & Monitoring on market prices and quality of essential commodities and utility services, consumer’s complaints handlings, campaign for safe foods and commodities, ethical drug promotion and safe environment, studies & research on consumer issues and problems, Advocacy and lobby with the government and policy makers for enactment of Consumer Protection Law. 2. Objectives of CAB: The major objectives of CAB are to: 1. make co nsumers aware of their rights and responsibilities; 2. romote consumer education, aiming at raising awareness of consumers against exploitation, and providing them with technical knowledge and support for real protection; 3. focus on consumers' problems and develop a spirit of mutual co-operation and understanding among different groups, associations, institutions, NGOs and government agencies functioning in the interests of the welfare of the people; 4. exchange information and knowledge of various actions about consumer protection with national and international organizations; 5. organize and set-up consumers associations and groups at the districts and thana level 6.Undertake research studies on consumer issues and problems. 7. Generate awareness among the consumers about their internationally recognized rights and responsibilities as consumers 8. Promote consumer education aiming at empowering consumers with the knowledge and skills on protection of their rights. 9. Enable consu mers to organize themselves in establishing and protecting their rights and interests through organized action. 10. Arrange for testing of products and commodities to make the market places safer and consumer friendly. 11.Provide mediation and legal support to the aggrieved consumers related to violation of their rights and interests involved in the purchase and use of commodities and services. 12. Foster and develop contacts and liaison with the national and international organizations having similar objectives. 13. Publish educational materials and feed consumers with information and knowledge on consumerism, consumer issues and problems. 3. Achievements: CAB activities in consumer education include mainly the publication of a monthly bulletin in Bangla titled Consumers' Voice to provide consumers with information of various consumer issues and problem.CAB also publishes a quarterly bulletin in English, which it distributes to different organizations at home and abroad. In additio n, it occasionally publishes pamphlets, folders, and leaflets on various consumer issues and problems and regularly prepares features and press releases for dissemination through the mass media. CAB regularly monitors the market prices of essential commodities and services to show the actual price situation in the market and keep prices within the purchasing power of general consumers.It runs a market monitoring cell, which regularly conducts market surveys and supplies relevant information to consumers through national dailies. CAB launched a ‘Dirty Dozen Campaign' against 12 most harmful pesticides. Earlier, there were no guidelines on the marketing of pesticides and it is because of the pressure created by CAB that the government had to formulate guidelines on the marketing of pesticides and publish them through a gazette notification. CAB also carried out studies on household insecticides and labeling of pesticides on packets.The organization was very vocal and active in c reating demand for formulating a National Drug Policy (NDP) and played an active role in the process of enactment of the NDP in 1982. Since then, CAB has been regularly monitoring the implementation of NDP and organizing promotional activities, especially relating to issues of inadequacy and poor services in the delivery of public health care. CAB started an anti-tobacco campaign in 1981. CAB is active in lobbying with the government for banning smoking in selected public places. CAB is also monitoring the implementation of the Breast Milk Substitute Ordinance enacted in 1984.CAB carries out campaigns in support of breastfeeding. CAB activities include organization of seminars, workshops, and group meetings, street processions, distribution of posters and leaflets, and publication of features in newspapers on environmental pollution and degradation as well as on safe road and transport systems. A routine activity of CAB is the formation and development of consumer for expansion of c onsumer movement at the division, district, thana and peripheral levels. These groups keep liaison with the national level and deal with consumer education and motivation and handle local consumer problems and issues.CAB runs a Complaint Centre to receive complaints from consumers and extends technical and legal support to them for redress. With a view to keeping the consumers informed about the daily market situation and other consumer issues and problems CAB runs a Consumer Information Centre, which has a small library attached to it. It conducts studies on important consumer issues such as commodity prices, use of BMS in hospitals and clinics, tobacco consumption, road accidents, violation of BMS ordinance, drug abuse and the like.It has been looking for the formulation of consumer protection laws in the country for a long time. CAB now concentrates its activities in the districts of Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Manikganj, Bogra, Khulna and Barisal but has plan s to expand the activities in other districts of the country, too. Some of the achievements of CAB are as follows: The Milk Vita Company used to mix imported powder milk with cow’s milk and then market it as the cow’s milk.CAB exposed this malpractice, following which the company had to change its policy; CAB created considerable awareness among the people about harmful and unnecessary drugs long before the enactment of the National Drug Policy, which after being formulated, was popularized by CAB through a vigorous campaign; Since 1984, CAB has been conducting campaigns for the promotion and protection of breast feeding and has been an advocate for enactment and implementation of Bangladesh Breast Feeding Substitutes (marketing regulation) Ordinance, 1984; CAB was instrumental in the declaration of the Code of Pesticide Marketing and assisted in the creation of a committee to evaluate price situation, in the re-organization of the Bangladesh Standard Institute and pub lication of lists for standard certificates, and in creation of a committee to assess the adulteration position in edible oils; CAB was instrumental in the re-organization of the government's Environmental Pollution Control Department. The anti-tobacco campaign by CAB resulted in the introduction of warning against hazardous effects of smoking in cigarette advertisements; and CAB has been recognized as representative of consumers in numerous committees (both government and non-government) formed on different issues and subjects.CAB, however, faces a number of constraints such as inadequacy of funds, and a relatively slow response from communities and population groups that prevent consumer movement from gaining a solid ground, and a general weakness of consumers in terms of their awareness level and bargaining strength in purchases. CAB's success, therefore, remains minimal as their programmers often go against the interest of the business community, who enjoys near monopoly and has the opportunity to organize syndicated trade. 3. 1 Research Studies: Several research and survey works on consumer’s affairs are undertaken by CAB. Information dissemination to the stake holders and to the relevant government authorities are the routine practices. It helps the decision makers to take action and make remedial future action plan for assuring the rights of consumers in the country. Survey and research on â€Å"Awareness to the sellers and consumers regarding BSTI, and the certification marks system of BSTI† in the year of 2000. †¢Survey and research on â€Å"Awareness and the status of Bangladesh on keeping the consumers right† in the year of 2000. †¢Research on â€Å"Market food and packaged food† in the year of 2003. †¢Survey and research on â€Å"Unpackaged food in Dhaka city† in the year of 2003. †¢Survey and research on â€Å"Health service: The present status of Bangladesh (1. 5 years)† in the year of 2005. †¢Survey and research on â€Å"Public sentiment of sellers and consumers† in the year of 2005. †¢Survey report on â€Å"Livelihood expenses and pricing of product† in 1982- 2007). †¢Yearly survey report on â€Å"Accident on road and river transport† in (2000-2004). Survey and research on â€Å"The use of indigenous medicine† in the year of 2005. 3. 2 Campaign for Safe Environment: Women and children are the worst sufferers due to increasing environmental degradation and CAB undertakes programs to promote public awareness and their participation in the environmentally sustainable development. Campaign activities in the form of seminars, workshops, group meetings, rallies and street processions, production and distribution of educational materials, writing of features, press release etc. against air and water pollution, environmental degradation and other social abuses are organized on regular basis. 3. 3 Campaign against Tobacco:CAB h as been campaigning against production and marketing of tobacco since 1981 and it is through the continued and persistent endeavors of CAB that advertisement of cigarettes in Radio and TV has been banned and health hazards warning signals on cigarette packs has been introduced. CAB is a member of the Bangladesh Anti-tobacco Alliance and has been lobbying with the government for enactment of laws putting ban on smoking in public places as well as on advertisement of cigarettes in print media. This has, however, resulted in the enactment of Bangladesh Tobacco Control Law 2005. CAB has now started lobbying with the government for effective implementation of law and organizing campaign for raising public awareness on tobacco menace to bring about tangible reduction of tobacco use in the society. Read also: Padma Bridge