Analysis on China real estate industry Essay Example

Analysis on China real estate industry Paper Land bubble planted a hidden danger for the real estate bubble. Third, financial institutions strong support of the real estate development create very favorable conditions for speculators, resulting in sufficient funds for housing exchange, led to further real estate bubble. Fourth, bank lending gives people good expectation for real estate. Besides speculative demand, it also stimulates peoples consumption demand. People have access to get loans, and participating in purchasing house. Rising demand finally leads to price increasing. (In external business, irrational people need a large number of capital. Financial institutions tend to offer lower interest rates for housing credit using houses as mortgage, considering the prospect of real estate. So, large amount of capital flows into the real estate market. This approach has provided funds for the protection of speculators, and artificially increased the demand for real estate. ) On the other hand, considering the banks own interests, when the bank holds a large number of real estate, its assets would be overvalued, thus enlarge the banks capital base and its asset quality and profitability. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis on China real estate industry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis on China real estate industry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis on China real estate industry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Under these conditions, the bank will further expand housing credit, which further promoted the rise in house prices. 4) Government Factors Defects in land transfer system: In China, the ownership of land belongs to country. While, defects in Chinas current land transfer system also boost the high prices. When the real estate business needs to purchase land, you need to pay land transfer fees to the government. Of these, 70% of the transfer fee to the local government. As a result, driven by political achievements and rise of GDP, local governments sell lands at high prices through bidding, auction and licensed. This directly results rising house prices based on expensive land. In addition, the land transfer system provides a space for the rent-seeking. Rent-seeking costs also contribute to existing price. Related to economic policy: In the year of 2006, the exchange rate of RMB against the dollar increase continuously. So far, the RMB exchange rate has been increased from 1:8 to 1:6. 81. Under the pressure of currency appreciation, Chinese export, which contributes to over 1/3 of GDP and takes advantage of low price, experienced damage. Thus, in the next few years, the central bank lowers interest rates five times in succession. As other economic crisis around the world, the policy of lowering interest rates caused by currency appreciation has not guided capital flows into real economy. Instead, capital quickly enters the real estate industry, which has led to todays high demand for housing and high housing prices. Trends Analysis After discussion the causes, we will predict the trends by comparing the difference between China and Japan under researches and data analysis. 1) Chinese Governments Control on Financial Systems. The efficiency of banking regulation is inferior to Chinese ones, and the enterprises in Japan are more independent than Chinese ones. Before the bubble, the Japan government fails to exert effective regulation and guidance for the commercial banks, while the financial institution are the biggest supporters for the real estate bubble, fueling the bubble for almost 10 years. On the contrary, Chinese government possesses strong power to keep the banks and enterprises in regulation, by guiding the direction of the money, containing the speculation capital at the very beginning, implement policies at proper time, and hurdling the property bubble. Bank of China, the countrys third-largest listed lender by assets, announced this week that profits rose 26 per cent last year to Rmb81bn but, as with ICBC, the growth came on the back of a big expansion in credit and at the cost of falling margins. Both banks said they intended to cut back on lending this year in line with strict government quotas imposed at the start of the year because of worries that rampant credit growth has created asset bubbles, particularly in property. Although the Chinese government started to encourage the mortgage from 2009, to stimulate the real estate investment behavior, especially encourage the construction of affordable housing to ease the difficulty in house buying, the government is persistently strict with supervision of bank business in mortgage. The supervision process is complex and requires assessment in the loan applicants business activities, repayment ability, and study the profitability of investment projects. And at the same time, the mortgage real estate ensures the credit of lenders. Al these actions prevent banks from uncontrolled, low-security lending behavior and also inhibit the real estate market speculation to some extent. In addition, due to the level of Chinese economic development have not reached the level of Japan in late 80s 20th century, and the constraints in financial system, Chinese government is relatively strict with the supervision of financial sector, especially with the object of financing, such as prohibition of loans entering into the stock market. These actions reduce the credit risk of financial institutions and prevent sowing the seeds for the huge amount of irrecoverable debts. China Japan Table 7 However, we must have a clear conscious that, from the second half of 2009, to encourage real estate investment, the Chinese government relaxes the policy requirements for lending, resulting in a substantial growth of domestic lending part of investment and development funding. 2) The Difference of Urbanization The urbanization rate of Japan scaled the height of 76. 7% in 1985, indicating the end of urbanization process; yet China is still accelerating in the progress of urbanization, reaching only 45. 68% in 2008. In comparison with the developed countries with the urbanization rate of 90%, more and more population will be shifted from rural areas to cities. The population of rural areas was only 34% of the total population when the Lewis turning point appeared in Japan in 1960s; and the percentage of rural population is 34% for North Korea when the Lewis turning point appeared in 1980s. China has a long way to go. Whats more, there is a much more vast area of the real estate market in China than Japan, when the risk accumulated quickly in one specific area, the capital will shift to other cities. The development of transportation enhances the shift from first-line cities to second-line cities. Therefore, the breadth and depth of the Chinese real estate market is unmatchable by Japan, with the immense volume of accommodating risk. Figure 3 3) The Difference of Demographic Structure The total population of Japan reaches its pinnacle in 1990, while the total population of China wont reach its peak until 2030. Lewis turning point, the indication of the transform form the rural labor to urban labor, appeared in Japan at the end of 1960s. However, China saw the Lewis turning point around 2007. The demographic dividend (the large portion of potential efficient labor) of China will persist to around 2015 in comparison to Japan, where the demographic disappeared in 1980s. Furthermore, China could achieve a second round demographic dividend through establishing creative systems, social security system, improving the labor market, enhancing the education level and job training, abolishing the household registration system. Figure 4 Economic indicators before and after the Lewis turning point Table 8 (Source:Arthur Kroebor(2010)) 4) Monetary and Exchange Rate Policy The origin of Japans stagnation for the 20 years after its housing bubble burst lies in its failure to stand up to US pressure for the yen to appreciate. Indeed, the yen rose from a low of Y260/$ in February 1985 to Y200/$ 10 months later and on to the high of Y80/$ in May 1995. Japans economic performance in the past 20 years has lagged its potential. In fact, policy counter-measures monetary easing and fiscal stimulus against too-rapid yen appreciation grew stronger in 1986. Monetary easing continued until 1989. Considering what was going on in the property market, this monetary tightening and strong regulatory measures, such as restrictions on loan-to-value ratios, should have been applied much earlier, in 1987 or 1988. The bubble may not be completely avoided purely by monetary tightening, but the damage may be reduced by early tightening and prudential regulations. The Chinese authorities are doing better than their Japanese counterparts in the 1980s. The central bank is tightening regulation of loan-to-value ratios and trying to end easy credit. But they are hesitating to take up the best policy interest rate hikes and appreciation of the Chinese Renminbi. The property bubble is a clear sign of overheating. Chinas reported inflation rate does not show rampant inflation, but that was also the case in Japan in the 1980s. 5) Investment Demand in China The need of investment in property market is huge in China, which should be satisfied. To some extent, the investment need is rigid demand, while the dwelling need is merely soft demand. The unusual prosperity in Chinese real estate market is highly related to the limited channel to invest in China, where the lower tax of household transaction and the demographic structure each play a role. An important reason for the real estate bubble in Japan was due to the aging of the population, when the passion for investment faded. However, the average age of Chinese people is around 32, which is the peak period of investment with overwhelm passion. Therefore, even though the adjustment is made upon the property market, the investors will not be too pessimistic to lead to the irrational plummet of the real estate market. Whats more, the real estate market in China is contained by the monopoly by the government and the storing of real estate companies, while the demand is promoted by the process of urbanization, resulting in the demand over supply. It is quite different from Japan, since the prosperity is backed up by real demand of investors and consumers. Conclusion: As mentioned before, based on our research, comparison and analysis, our point of view is that there is slight bubble in China property industry, which is different from the one happened in Japan and was less severe. Thus, if China government can take immediate and effective action to deflate the bubble, China property industry can still lead a healthy and promising future. Recommendations to Deflate Bubble: Finally, we come up with some recommendations to deflate the bubble. 1) Reinforce the supervision and control of real estate market. On one hand, Chinas transaction system of land and the industry supervision system is still developing, which accelerates the speculation and results in slight bubble. On the other hand, over-investment on property make the overall growth of property industry surpasses the growth of urbanization significantly and results in the imbalance between supply and demand and the increase of housing vacancy rate. Thus, first about how to prevent over-speculation, its essential for the China government to make out specific policies for all-round supervision of the real estate market. No only national policies , but also policies based on different situation of local places, especially those developed cities. Even though speculation on property in China is not as heat as the one in Japan, the first step to deflate bubble is to establish the basis for supervision and control by setting specific and reasonable policies. As for cool down the over-investment on property, the government should keep controlling the scale of property development at a stable speed. That is, first to invest based on local places income level and reduce overstock. Second, to reinforce the supervision on second market and prevent over-speculation. Last is to further develop housing based on real demand, sector with deep insight of property market and make Property the leading industry in China without bubble. 2) Strengthen land resources management Government can keep a good control on housing price through the supply of land resources. The supply of land resources should be based on local market demand and public bids system should be used under supervision. The usage of land resources should also keep a balance between housing and business use. Furthermore, to punish irregular investment and development, keep a close supervision on the developers, and make necessary amendments to the rules and regulations are important. Besides, its necessary to prevent corruption among the government and developers in China as to strengthen land resources management. 3) Build up a sound forecast system for healthy development of property industry As important as supervision and control, building up a sound forecast system is crucial for risk management ,come up with timely reaction and deflate bubble. By collecting analyzing information on property market, predicting and evaluating properly on the market based on analysis and publishing research report by period, the government can make out proper policies and better supervise property market. Also, the investors and developers can have a better and clearer evaluation on the whole property market, which may benefit reasonable investment. 4) Strengthen supervision on finance sector and prevent loan risks There is a strong combination between property sector and finance sector, no matter in Japan or China. To deflate the bubble, it definitely should strengthen supervision on finance sector and take financial strategy to deflate the bubble. For example, China had made several moves in the last month to do just this, including reimposing a sales tax on homes sold within five years of their purchase from this year and increasing the down payment requirement for property purchases to at least 50 percent of the total price. In another move to cool the property market, the Peoples Bank of China, the central bank, announced on Tuesday to raise the deposit reserve requirement ratio by 0. 5 percentage points from Jan. 18 this year. The government also renewed its pledge on Wednesday to stabilize home prices by providing more affordable housing and cracking down on speculation. 5) Keep the RMB exchange rates long-term stability In 1985, Japanese yens appreciation was forced under the great pressure put by America. Then to alleviate depression caused by decreasing exports, Japans government substantially reduced the interest rate to stimulated domestic demand, which Led to the expansion of real estate financing and become the driving force for real estate bubble. Learning from this, China should Keep the RMB exchange rates long-term stability.

Isotopes And Atomic Mass Essays - Mass, Chemical Properties

Isotopes And Atomic Mass Essays - Mass, Chemical Properties Isotopes and Atomic Mass Objective: 1. Determine the average weight of each isotope of the fictitious element vegium. 2. Determine the relative abundance of isotopes of vegium. 3. Calculate from experimental data the atomic mass of vegium. Materials: A sample of vegium on a plastic cupsmall-scale balance Procedures: 1. Weigh all the beans, all the peas, and all the corn. 2. count all the beans, all the peas, and all the corn. 3. Divide all the mass of each by the isotope (beans, peas, and corn) by the number of each isotope to get the average mass of each isotope. 4. Divide the number of each isotope by the total number of particles, and multiply by 100 to get the percent abundance of each isotope. 5. Divide the percent abundance from step 4 by 100 to get the relative abundance of each isotope. 6. Multiply the relative abundance from step 5 by the average mass of each isotope to get the relative weight of each isotope. 7. Add the relative weights to get the average mass of all particles in vegium, the "atomic mass." Note: When you weigh the various types of vegetables, you may encounter some problems. For example, the sample of beans might be too large to weigh on your balance. You might solve this problem by making more weights or by using a larger counterweight on your balance. This approach increases your balance?s capacity. Keep in mind that it also results in a heavier beam, which reduces the sensitivity of your balance. Alternatively, you might weigh a portion of your vegetables, say half, and then multiply your result by two (or a fifth and multiply by five). The beans are various in sizes, so if you weigh just one bean, and multiply by the number of beans to get the total weight of beans, a significant error might result. Weigh a large enough sample so you get a good estimation of the average weight of a bean. Data: BeansPeasCorn Total Mass of each isotope19.2g15.2g36.1g70.5g Number of each isotope68186216470 Average mass of each.2823529g.0817204g.1671296g.15g Percent of each14.468%39.574%45.957%99.999% Relative Abundance.14468.39574.45957.99999 Relative Weight.0408508g.032407g.0768078g.1499985g Analysis: We followed the directions listed in procedures. To get the Relative abundance, we divided by 100. About the same as moving the decimal to the left 2 places. To ensure that the answers were right, the percent of each is supposed to be as close to 100% as possible. We came very close. Conclusion: In determining we found all the averages of the weights of each isotope. In calculating the experimental data the atomic mass of vegium, we answered that question successfully. And in the second determining, we determined the relative abundance of isotopes successfully. SOE: 1. While counting the beans, there were more than 450 total pieces, so while counting we could have miscounted because the half-peas looked a lot like corn. 2. While weighing, we had to tare the beaker, This can sometimes prove to be inaccurate. 3. The percent of each row, the total is 99.999%, to be 100% accurate, the number has to be 100%. This proves that somewhere down the line, we didn?t calculate right. The probable cause for this is that we didn?t list all numbers. The real numbers were over 10 characters long, we used SigFigs.

Answer questions on a scholarly article Assignment

Answer questions on a scholarly article - Assignment Example There are 7 parts in the main text, some of which contain several subheadings. Hence, the article has 3 headings dedicated to characteristics of each chosen research instruments. Also article provides abstract, which specifies purpose of the study. This part is the shortest one compared to others. Furthermore, there is a part called Methods. It has 3 subheadings, such as Sample, Instruments and Procedure and Data Analyses. With a help of these subheadings, it is very easy to identify what kind of information is represented in mentioned parts. The most important part of the article is named Results. Having also 3 subheadings, it reveals figures and explanations concerning disparity in scores between diagnostic groups. The last part, Discussion, is the longest one. It is divided into 5 sections, which present major conclusions in regard to each research method, limitations of the study and further recommendations. Article contains number of in-text citations that are mentioned in Introduction and Purpose part. However, the biggest cluster of references can be found in the first three parts that are dedicated to description of each research instrument. Hence, providing claims of various specialists, authors explain the gist of chosen methods, make examples and reveal importance of medical results. More frequently primary evidence within its analyses is presented through textual description providing relevant equations, final figures and conclusions concerning received indicators. In addition, article includes six tables, which help to structure information in clear and visual way. Authors use combination of parenthetical citations and paraphrasing. There are no any footnotes or endnotes in the article, bibliography of which is presented as a list of references after Appendix. Notes are located right after each quotation. In some parts there are

Police Officer Performance Appraisal and Overall Satisfaction Research Paper

Police Officer Performance Appraisal and Overall Satisfaction - Research Paper Example The research paper "Police Officer Performance Appraisal and Overall Satisfaction" discusses the article "Police Officer Performance Appraisal and Overall Satisfaction" written by David Lilley and Sameer Hinduja and published in the Journal of Criminal Justice in 2007. The research problem it seeks to reflect on is performance appraisals and overall satisfaction in the Police organizations. The hypotheses reveal that higher rate training, wider evaluation standards and more weight to officer development result in higher satisfaction levels among police supervisors. The article further reveals that the external factors like level of policing and the region as well as certain internal factors like the department size do not affect satisfaction levels in the Police. The article provides a review of existing literature on the topic of dissatisfaction with the performance appraisal systems in the police organizations. The article uses a quantitative research method and utilizes survey method to gather data. The survey included both open and closed ended questions. Data were collected from 600 law enforcement agencies on evaluation procedures adopted during the five-month period ending January 2001. The closed-ended questions provided a standard level of satisfaction for each provided question on a scale of 0-4. On the other hand, there were nine open-ended questions about the purpose and use of appraisal processes in the organizational context. And the agencies can gather information from such research papers and surveys.

Response to The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht Essay

Response to The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - Essay Example Upon learning their situation, she remembered her recently deceased grandfather and had a brief look of her life when â€Å"there is war† in her hometown, the Balkan City. Natalia recalled that like any other little girl, she also loved and grew up listening to her grandfather’s stories. She remembered the two stories of her grandfather with memorable mythical characters: the tiger’s wife and the deathless man. The tiger’s wife is the story of a lonely deaf and mute woman, who lived in an isolated mountain village. She was married to an abusive butcher, where in she always suffered beating. The woman was named by the villagers â€Å"the tiger’s wife† because of their malicious thinking. The woman’s affection and too much kindness to the tiger that escaped in the zoo during the war, had been maliciously mistaken by the villagers for something indecent. They thought the woman married the tiger. This rumor had led the villagers to plan fo r the killings of the tiger. However, as Natalia narrated, they were saved and protected by her grandfather. The story of the deathless man was based from the story of Natalia’s grandfather, who was a Christian married to a Muslim from Sarobor.

Alien Hand Syndrome: Causes and Effects

Alien Hand Syndrome: Causes and Effects Nia Helyar What is Alien Hand Syndrome and why does it occur? Discuss in relation to one or more case studies. Alien hand syndrome is an intermittent involuntary disorder whereby the hand acts of its ‘own free will’. However, alien hand syndrome is not consistently or precisely defined. Alien hand syndrome describes complex, goal-directed activity in one hand that is not voluntarily initiated by the individual but is well executed (Mark, 2007). This syndrome is an extremely puzzling phenomenon experienced by brain-damaged patients whereby their limb performs purposeful actions without the intention of the patient (Biran, et al., 2006). The patient is unable to explain the exact source of movement from the hand and may actually consider the hand to have a mind of its own (Mark, 2007). It is caused by lesions to the frontal lobes and corpus callosum (Banks et al., 1989) and generally follows acute focal cerebral injury. The most common causes are cerebral hemispheric stroke, severe brain damage or damage to the corpus callosum such as in surgery, which is used to treat severe epilepsy. The corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres, therefore surgery to this area of the brain can lead there to be less or no communication between the hemispheres which can lead to limbs acting of their own accord. Alien hand syndrome can also be seen in patients who suffer from a variety of degenerative, dementing cerebral disorders such as Alzheimer’s (Mark, 2007). Due to the numerous different causes of alien hand syndrome there are many variations of the condition. Therefore, it has been that alien hand syndrome is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of symptoms (Chokar et al., 2014). There have been reports of patients who were unable to stop their alien hand from grabbing and seizing nearby objects without any willing from their body (Kumral, 2001). This can be seen by the study of patient JC, a 56 year old man who had suffered from a left hemispheric stroke, with damage extending to the corpus callosum. Four weeks after his stroke he complained of peculiar uncontrolled movements of his hand. His hand would do things â€Å"as though it has a mind of its own† such as playing with light switches, grasping and holding things. In many situations the patient found themselves in the situation where the right hand opposed the left hand without the patient choosing to do so. Furthermore, the alien hand caused the patient difficulty in eating because of the opposing behaviour of the right and left hand (Biran, Giovannetti, Buxbaum, Chatterjee 2006). Often, a patient has to use their other willing hand to prise open their fingers and release the object which the alien hand has grasped (Kumral, 2001). Patients observe and experience their own limbs carrying out purposeful behaviours over which they have no or very little control. In one case it was noted that a patient had picked up a pencil and begun scribbling with the right hand. She indicated she had not initiated the action with the right arm, she experienced a feeling of dissociation from the actions of the right arm, stating that `it will not do what I want it to do’ (Goldberg et al.1981). This alien limb may disrupt movements of the other limb that is actually responding to the intentions of the patient (Akelaitis, 1944-45). Patients can experience their limbs acting without being guided by their own will (Bogen, 1993, fisher, 2000). Bogen, J. E. (1993) found his alien hand undoing the buttons of his shirt even as his â€Å"healthy† limb tried to button the shirt. The errant limb is known to not even rest during sleep in some cases and patients with alien hand syndrome have woken up to find their alien limbs choking them (Banks et al, 1989). In one case the patient’s `left hand would tenaciously grope for and grasp any nearby object, pick and pull at her clothes, and even grasp her throat during sleep . . . . She slept with the arm tied to prevent nocturnal misbehaviour.’ However, she never denied that her hand belonged to her (Banks et al. 1989). This is an important part of this syndrome; that the patient does not deny responsibility for the han d or the behaviour that it carries out. Two types of behaviour are displayed with this syndrome, repetitive involuntary grasping and unilateral goal-directed limb behaviour. Patients clearly recognize that there is a discrepancy between what the hand is doing and their desired actions. The patients are upset by the actions of the hand and will often try to prevent it from moving by grasping it firmly with the other hand (Frith, 2000). MP was a patient who had an operation to repair a ruptured aneurysm of the anterior communication artery. Within two years she was unable to live independently with her family due to the way in which the alien hand syndrome was affecting her life (Sala, 1998). An alien hand sufferer can feel normal sensation in the hand, but believes that the hand, while still part of their body, behaves in a manner that is totally distinct from them. They feel that they have no control over the movements of their alien hand but that, instead, the hand has the capability of acting independent of their conscious control. Alien hands can perform complex acts such as removing clothing which can be seen from examples above. Sometimes the sufferer will not be aware of what the hand is doing until it is brought to his or her attention. Patients frequently report astonishment and frustration at these errant limbs. Overall, alien hand syndrome is difficult to explain as there are many different causes and symptoms that can be described as this condition. However, one symptom that is apparent throughout the many case studies is that the alien hand acts against the willing of the patient. The condition is extremely complex and even though many causes are symptoms are known there is still a lot to learn about it. Further research is therefore required. Word Count: 987 References Akelaitis, A. (1944–1945). Studies on the corpus callosum. IV. Diagonistic dyspraxia in epileptics following partial and complete section of the corpus callosum. American Journal of Psychiatry, 101, 594–599. Biran, I., Giovannetti, T., Buxbaum, L., Chatterjee, A. (2006). The alien hand syndrome: What makes the alien hand alien?.Cognitive Neuropsychology,23(4), 563-582. Chokar, G., Cerase, A., Gough, A., Hasan, S., Scullion, D., El-Sayeh, H., Buccoliero, R. (2014). A case of Parry–Romberg syndrome and alien hand.Journal of the neurological sciences,341(1), 153-157. Farrage, A. D. Alien hand syndrome. http://the-medical-dictionary.com/alien_hand_syndrome_article_5.htm Fisher, C. M. (2000). Alien hand phenomena: A review with the addition of six personal cases. The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 27, 192–203. Frith, C. D., Wolpert, D. M. (2000). Abnormalities in the awareness and control of action.Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,355(1404), 1771-1788. Goldberg, G., Mayer, N. H. Toglia, J. U. 1981 Medial frontal cortex and the alien hand sign. Arch. Neurol. 38, 683-686. Kumral, E. (2001). Compulsive grasping hand syndrome: A variant of anarchic hand. Neurology, 57, 2143–2144. Mark, V. W. (2007). Alien hand syndrome. InMedLink neurology(pp. 418-421). MedLink Corporation San Diego. Parkin, A. J. (1996). The alien hand.Methods in madness: case studies in cognitive neuropsychiatry, 173-183. Sala, C. M. S. D. (1998). Disentangling the alien and anarchic hand.Cognitive neuropsychiatry,3(3), 191-207. 1

The Rivers Of France :: Geography France Rivers Water Essays

The Rivers of France The Rhà ´ne system The Rhà ´ne is the great river of the southeast. Rising in the Alps, it passes through Lake Geneva (French: Lac Là ©man) to enter France, which has 324 miles of its total length of 505 miles. At Lyon it receives its major tributary, the Saà ´ne. In eastern France the direction of the main rivers is predominantly north-south through the Alpine furrow. The regime of the Rhà ´ne is complex. Near Lyon the Rhà ´ne and its important Isà ¨re and Drà ´me tributaries, draining from the Alps, have a marked late spring-early summer peak caused by the melting of snow and ice. While this peak is generally characteristic of the river as a whole, it is considerably modified by the contribution of the Saà ´ne, of the Durance, and of some tributaries in the Mediterranean south as a result of the fall-winter rainfall peak. Thus the powerful Rhà ´ne has a remarkably ample flow in all seasons. The course of the river and the local water tables has been much modified by a series of dams to gener ate power and to permit navigation to Lyon. The Rhà ´ne also supplies cooling water to a series of atomic power stations. West of the Rhà ´ne, the Bas Rhà ´ne-Languedoc canal, constructed after World War II to provide irrigation, has proved to be an essential element in the remarkable urban and industrial development of Languedoc. East of the Rhà ´ne the Canal de Provence taps the unpolluted waters of a Rhà ´ne tributary, the Durance, supplying Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Toulon, and the coast of Provence with drinking water and providing impetus for urban expansion. At its delta, beginning about 25 miles from the Mediterranean, the Rhà ´ne and its channels deposit significant amounts of alluvium to form the Camargue region. The Rhine system The Rhine forms the eastern boundary of France for some 118 miles. In this section its course is dominated by the melting of snow and ice from Alpine headstreams, giving it a pronounced late spring-summer peak and often generally low water in autumn. The Ill, which joins the Rhine at Strasbourg, drains southern Alsace. The Rhine valley has been considerably modified by the construction on the French side of the lateral Grand Canal d'Alsace, for power generation and navigation. The eastern Paris Basin is drained by two tributaries, the Moselle, (partly canalized), and the Meuse; the former reaches the Rhine by way of Luxembourg and Germany, and the latter, as the Maas (Dutch), reaches the Rhine delta at the North Sea by way of Belgium and The Netherlands.

Feminism and Sexuality in Eudora Welty’s Delta Wedding Essay

Eudora Welty’s Delta Wedding is a very complex novel, in spite of the apparent simplicity of the plot: at first sight, the story only describes the family life of the Fairchilds in the Mississippi Delta. The book only covers approximately one week of the year 1923 and revolves around the preparations for the wedding and the wedding itself of the prettiest daughter of the family, Dabney Fairchild to Troy Flavin. Although the plot is quite simple, the book is crammed with numerous characters and the intricate web of relations between them, and has a rich symbolism. First of all, the text reveals Welty’s ideas about knowledge and the perception of reality: the numerous voices in her fiction have different ways of looking at reality and of knowing, and the author emphasizes these differences. Ellen and George seem to be the characters that have a way of looking at the world which comes very close to that of Welty herself. Her fiction imitates the same pattern of knowing, by leaving out reason and systematic thought, and apprehending the surrounding universe in its wholeness, as when one contemplates a landscape without thinking of anything else, as nine year old Laura does, when she looks out of the window of the train: â€Å"Thoughts went out of her head and the landscape filled it.†(Welty, 1946, p. 4) Thus, Welty’s fiction seems to borrow the technique of photography by capturing in a single shot both the apparent reality and the essence of this reality. As Welty notices in her essay, Writer’s Beginnings quoted by Carson (1992), the role of writing is to make one single picture of the inner and external aspect of every thing, or as Carson puts it, to put two pictures in a single frame: â€Å"A lamp I knew of was a view of London till it was lit; but then it was the Great Fire of London, and you could go beautifully to sleep by it. The lamp alight is the combination of internal and external, glowing at the imagination as one; and so is the good novel. Seeing that these inner and outer surfaces do lie so close together and so implicit in each other, the wonder is that human life so often separates them, or appears to, and it takes a good novel to put them back together.†(Carson, 1992, p.17) The world of the Fairchilds, as described in Delta Wedding, is rich and complex precisely because the reader constantly gets the impression he is looking at more pictures in a single frame at the same time, or at more layers of reality: the glimpses into the inner lives of all the characters which seem to appear on the scene all at once plus the picturesque descriptions of the Southern world, with its customs and traditions make up a very complex tableau, which perfectly imitates the impressions we may have when reviewing our day-to- day lives. The world of the Fairchilds which seems to be so particular and impermeable as to be a world in itself, with its own spirit, can be extended in fact as a picture of human societies in general. The world of the plantations is a world dominated by women, by their culture and femininity, which resemble that of Virginia Woolf. This is not to say however, that the women actually have the power in since their rule is limited to the life of the household and the family, while being completely separated from the rest of the world. Still, the limited universe of the household is like a matriarchy, in which motherhood, nursing and all the trivial affairs related to daily life, like cooking are the most potent symbols. It is very important to note thus that Welty’s feminism consists precisely of maintaining the traditional in her fiction and, at the same time opening the ways to freedom for the women, be that sexual or intellectual. There are many signs of the assertion of female sexuality, especially in Robbie’s relation to George for example, or in Shelley’s rejection of marriage and implicitly, of male domination. Sexuality, as the affirmation of the female body, best represents the idea of freedom and liberation of the woman, who no longer avoids her own identity. Robbie’s desire of finding her place in her own marriage through her sexuality is very significant for Welty’s presentation of the women. Thus, Welty represents a powerful feminine world, in which, although all the traditional patriarchal patterns are still preserved, the women impose their own modes of thinking and their own identity through the very traditions which are considered to be the reason for their enslavement. Thus, in many parts of the story the traditional way of thinking of the aunts imposes itself over and over again. For example, although the aunts know that Dabney is probably pregnant and is forced to rush into the marriage with Troy, they keep silent on the theme, not being willing to inquire further than the mere surface of facts, as Dabney complains:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"They don’t make me say if I love Troy or if I don’t, Dabney was thinking, clicking her heels in the pantry. But by the time she came back to the porch, the flowers in a Mason jar of water, she knew she would never say anything about love after all, if they didn’t want her to. Suppose they were afraid to ask her, little old aunts.† (Welty, 1946, p.48) As Carson comments, the aunts’ attitude is cause exactly by the way in which the Fairchilds are used to look at the world: they always stay on the surface of things and relations, seeing happiness and love everywhere, without really being aware of their or of the others’ identity as individuals: â€Å"One of the reasons the family fails to know each other as individuals [†¦] is that they are so conscious of each other as part of the family.†(Carson, 1992, p. 78) This way of knowing seems to be proper of the Fairchild spirit, and is the same as Carson (1992) describes as ‘tyrannical’, attempting at categorizing and dividing everything, instead of looking for the essence of reality:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The knowledge that deals only with facts; the knowledge that aims at control and manipulation; the knowledge that puts things and people into boxes and bottles and categories–this is tyrannical knowledge, and it is the way of knowing that most people settle for. George’s knowing is different. He â€Å"could have lifted a finger and touched, held the butterfly, but he did not† (p. 37): without possessing the butterfly–and thus perhaps killing it–he makes it part of himself.† (Carson, 1992, p. 83) As Ellen perceives it, the essence of life consist of the repetitions and the cycles and even the monotony of everything: â€Å"The repeating fields, the repeating cycles of season and her own life–there was something in the monotony itself that was beautiful, rewarding–perhaps to what was womanly within her. No, she had never had time–much time at all, to contemplate [†¦] but she knew. (Welty, 1946, p. 240) This negation of reasoning, and the impressionist way of looking at reality are again a sign of the femininity that dominates the world Welty describes. It is clear then, that in this restricted social circle the women are powerful precisely because they dominate through their pattern of thinking as well as through their mastery of the household: â€Å"[†¦]the women of the Fairchilds who since the Civil War, or – who knew? – since the Indian times, ran the household and had everything at their fingertips – not the men.†(Welty, 1946, p.8) Ann Romines who discuses feminism in Delta Wedding emphasized the recurrence, among the other symbols for the household, of the cakes and recipes, which are somehow blended with the women’s thoughts: â€Å"To read Delta Wedding, one must follow the cues suggested by the Delta women’s culture: one must read the cakes. The novel’s women are practiced in such reading. Next day, when offered a slice of Ellen’s completed cake, Aunt Tempe takes one bite and exclaims, â€Å"Oh, Mashula’s coconut!† (Romines, 1997, p. 603)Thus, the recipes which blend with women’s thoughts in the text signal a strong female culture, which does not however deny the traditional role of the woman in society. The feminism of the novel is constructed thus without departing from tradition and Welty points thus to the fact that a feminine culture has always existed, even if it manifested itself differently from the male culture. Reference List: Carson, B. H. (1992). Eudora Welty: two pictures at once in her frame. Troy: Whitston. Romines, A.(1997). Reading the cakes: ‘Delta Wedding’ and the texts of Southern women’s culture. The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Mississippi Quarterly, 50 (4) 601-609 Welty, E. (1946). Delta wedding. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

Not Nice At All

Not Nice At All Not Nice At All Not Nice At All By Sharon My high school English teacher banned the use of the word nice. She said it was a lazy adjective. Although she was a bit harsh, there was some truth in what she said. It is said that nice originates from the Latin nescio meaning I dont know. So what Mrs C was getting at was that if you used the word nice, you probably didnt know what to say. Even after Roman times, nice just wasnt a good word to use. In the 13th century it meant foolish, so saying someone was nice was insulting rather than complimentary. Through the centuries nice had different meanings, including timid, extravagant, elegant, wanton, dainty, strange, thin, modest, shy and precise (this last meaning still survives in the phrase nice and early). By the 18th century the meaning had started to change to the more modern sense of agreeable or kind. That still didnt cut any ice with my English teacher, though, who remained opposed to using nice all through my school career. How many synonyms can you find for nice? 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeFor Sale vs. On SaleConversational Email

Spain and the New Laws of 1542

Spain and the New Laws of 1542 The â€Å"New Laws† of 1542 were a series of laws and regulations approved by the King of Spain in November of 1542 to regulate the Spaniards who were enslaving the natives in the Americas, particularly in Peru. The laws were extremely unpopular in the New World and directly led to a civil war in Peru. The furor was so great that eventually King Charles, fearing that he would lose his new colonies entirely, was forced to suspend many of the more unpopular aspects of the new legislation. Conquest of the New World The Americas had been discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus: a papal bull in 1493 divided the newly-discovered lands between Spain and Portugal. Settlers, explorers, and conquistadors of all sorts immediately began heading to the colonies, where they tortured and killed the natives by the thousands to take their lands and wealth. In 1519, Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico: about fifteen years later Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca Empire in Peru. These native empires had much gold and silver and the men who participated became very wealthy. This, in turn, inspired more and more adventurers to come to the Americas in the hopes of joining the next expedition that would conquer and loot a native kingdom. The Encomienda System With the major native empires in Mexico and Peru in ruins, the Spanish had to put a new system of government in place. The successful conquistadors and colonial officials used the encomienda system. Under the system, an individual or family was given lands, which generally had natives living on them already. A sort of deal was implied: the new owner was responsible for the natives: he would see to their instruction in Christianity, their education and their safety. In return, the natives would supply food, gold, minerals, wood or whatever valuable commodity could be extracted from the land. The encomienda lands would pass from one generation to the next, allowing the families of the conquistadors to set themselves up like local nobility. In reality, the encomienda system was little more than slavery by another name: the natives were forced to work in fields and mines, often until they literally dropped dead. Las Casas and the Reformers Some opposed the ghastly abuses of the native population. As early as 1511 in Santo Domingo, a friar named Antonio de Montesinos asked the Spanish by what right had they invaded, enslaved, raped and robbed a people who had done them no harm. Bartolomà © de Las Casas, a Dominican priest, began asking the same questions. Las Casas, an influential man, had the ear of the king, and he told of the needless deaths of millions of Indians- who were, after all, Spanish subjects. Las Casas was quite persuasive and King Charles of Spain finally decided to do something about the murders and torture being carried out in his name. The New Laws The â€Å"New Laws,† as the legislation came to be known, provided for sweeping changes in Spain’s colonies. The natives were to be considered free, and the owners of the encomiendas could no longer demand free labor or services from them. They did need to pay a certain amount of tribute, but any extra work was to be paid for. Natives were to be treated fairly and given expanded rights. Encomiendas granted to members of the colonial bureaucracy or the clergy were to be returned to the crown immediately. The clauses of the New Laws most disturbing to the Spanish colonists were the ones that declared forfeiture of encomiendas or native laborers by those who had participated in civil wars (which was nearly all of the Spaniards in Peru) and a provision that made encomiendas not hereditary: all encomiendas would revert to the crown upon the death of the current holder. Revolt and Repeal Reaction to the New Laws was swift and drastic: all over the Spanish Americas, conquistadors and settlers were enraged. Blasco Nuà ±ez Vela, the Spanish Viceroy, arrived in the New World in early 1544 and announced that he intended to enforce the New Laws. In Peru, where the former conquistadors had the most to lose, the settlers rallied behind Gonzalo Pizarro, last of the Pizarro brothers (Hernando Pizarro was still alive but in prison in Spain). Pizarro raised an army, declaring that he would defend the rights that he and so many others had fought so hard for. At the battle of Aà ±aquito in January of 1546, Pizarro defeated Viceroy Nà ºÃƒ ±ez Vela, who died in battle. Later, an army under Pedro de la Gasca defeated Pizarro in April of 1548: Pizarro was executed. Pizarro’s revolution was put down, but the revolt had shown the King of Spain that the Spaniards in the New World (and Peru in particular) were serious about protecting their interests. Although the king felt that morally, the New Laws were the right thing to do, he feared that Peru would declare itself an independent kingdom (many of Pizarro’s followers had urged him to do just that). Charles listened to his advisors, who told him that he had better seriously tone down the New Laws or he risked losing parts of his new empire. The New Laws were suspended and a watered-down version was passed in 1552. Legacy The Spanish had a mixed record in the Americas as a colonial power. The most horrendous abuses occurred in the colonies: natives were enslaved, murdered, tortured and raped in the conquest and early part of the colonial period and later they were disenfranchised and excluded from power. Individual acts of cruelty are too numerous and dreadful to list here. Conquistadors like Pedro de Alvarado and Ambrosius Ehinger reached levels of cruelty that are nearly inconceivable to modern sentiments. As horrible as the Spanish were, there were a few enlightened souls among them, such as Bartolomà © de Las Casas and Antonio de Montesinos. These men fought diligently for native rights in Spain. Las Casas produced books on the subjects of Spanish abuses and was not shy about denouncing powerful men in the colonies. King Charles I of Spain, like Ferdinand and Isabela before him and Philip II after him, had his heart in the right place: all of these Spanish rulers demanded that the natives be treated fairly. In practice, however, the goodwill of the king was difficult to enforce. There was also an inherent conflict: the King wanted his native subjects to be happy, but the Spanish crown grew ever more dependent on the steady flow of gold and silver from the colonies, much of which was produced by slave labor in the mines. As for the New Laws, they marked an important shift in Spanish policy. The age of conquest was over: bureaucrats, not conquistadors, would hold power in the Americas. Stripping the conquistadors of their encomiendas meant nipping the burgeoning noble class in the bud. Although King Charles suspended the New Laws, he had other means of weakening the powerful New World elite and within a generation or two most of the encomiendas had reverted to the crown anyway.

American Poetry Interpretation Paper Research Proposal

American Poetry Interpretation Paper - Research Proposal Example It is quite intriguing to know that the speaker in this poem questions through several inquisitive remarks the need for building walls to his laconic neighbor, but at the same time the speaker takes the initiative every year to let his neighbor know about the wall-building task. Besides that, the speaker also repairs the walls that have been destroyed by the hunters. It is also shocking the way the seemingly peaceful neighbor is described by the speaker 'like an old-stone savage armed' (1914). John C. Kemp explains the irony in this poem as follows: 'Ironically (and there is much irony in this poem), although the speaker complains about his neighbor's unfriendliness, his own susceptibility to subjective vision and his willingness to let his imagination run away with him predispose him also to prejudicial attitudes.' (Kemp, 1979, in Modern American Poetry, 2002a). It is obvious that "Mending Wall" is concerned with the state of incommunication between the neighbors (Montiero, 1988, in Modern American Poetry, 2002a), but a central theme of this poem is related to the critical spirit of the speaker that echoes some kind of influence from authors like Emerson and Thoreau. Analyzing the speaker's attitude towards his neighbor, Racher Hadas makes the following assertations: 'What he objects to is not so much the sentiment itself as the unwillingness or inability of the other to think for himself, to "go beyond his father's saying."' (Hadas, 1976, in Modern American Poetry, 2002a). Furthermore, the use of irony, ambiguity, and critical thinking in Frost's poetry can be understood from his remarks in the essay "Education by Poetry" as follows: 'Poetry provides the one permissible way of saying one thing and meaning another. People say, "Why don't you say what you mean" We never do that, we being all of us too much poets. We like to talk in parables and in hints and indirections--whether from diffidence or some other instinct.' (Frost quoted by Raab, 1996, in Modern American Poetry, 2002a). On the other hand, in "The Road Not Taken" there is a subtle irony hidden through some ambigous lines that many readers fail to understand in their right dimension. The speaker had been faced with the challenge of choosing between two paths that in essence are equivalent ('...Then took the other, as just as fair...', '...really about the same...', '...equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black...' (Frost, 1916)). The final stanza can be interpreted with a deeper meaning that the one that lies in the surface as Jay Parini points out: 'My guess is that Frost, the wily ironist, is saying something like this: "When I am old, like all old men, I shall make a myth of my life. I shall pretend, as we all do, that I took the less traveled road. But I shall be lying."' (Parini, 1988, in Modern American Poetry, 2002c). Indeed, the speaker chose the "road less traveled" but this doesn't mean that it was in fact the best decision in the long run (Richardson, 1997, in Modern American Poetry, 2002c). For Robert Faggen, the hidden implications of this poem can be found in the fact that 'It parodies and demurs from the biblical idea

The Emerald Buddha Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Emerald Buddha - Research Paper Example The Emerald Buddha, a dark green statue is in a standing form, about 66 centimeters (26 in) tall which is carved from a single jade stone in the meditating posture in the style of the Lenna School of the northern Thailand. Due to the holiest nature of the statue except for the Thai King, no other person can be allowed come close or to touch the statue who cloaks it three time a year during winter summer and rain season which is a powerful ritual carried out to welcome good fortunes in the country in each season. Wat Phra Kaeo is believed to be the holiest temple in the kingdom, due to the diminutive Emerald Buddha is the holiest image in Thailand. The coming to be of the image is in dispute among experts where some say it was made in Sri Lanka as believe that it was crafted during the 14th century to what is now Thailand. It is believed to come with good fortune to whoever possesses it, and thus it has been fought over by several kings and empires for legends claims that miracles use d to occur in different places it has been interned. Since 1784, the Emerald Buddha has been in its present shrine in Wat Phra Kaeo thus making the Buddha image and the temple remain a fantastic focal point due to the historic royal ceremonies. Other people believe e that ‘†Wat Phra Singh† Bangkok is the holiest temple since it was first to host emerald Buddha despite the many argumentative explanations few people have came into concession about this (Subhadradi,, 25-36). Main Body #1 Emerald Buddha is made out of the finest gems ever known and has some of the most miraculous powers. In Thailand, an image of the Emerald Buddha which is made of gem and stone carving is been associated with extremely uncommon power for along time. This Buddha images has been used as object of ventilation and religious worship in the community. Due to their miraculous power the image of Emerald Buddha has been shown to appear on office and altars in homes, schools, and temples. The im age is believed to be a sign of affectiousness of religion from the effective cognition of the ontological communication. The affection is delivered from the ritual of consecration of the can lead to personal presentation. Therefore, it represents the inherent of of the relationship between the inherent and beholder as a simple of contemplation. (Swearer 8-31) Main Body #2 Anthropologists and historian have put across several arguments that the Buddha can go where it is designated to go is where it shall choose. According to the case of sinhale Buddha case the image of the emerald Buddha it travels according to the kingship and kingdom making for it was placed in the inner cycle of the palace. In this case, the travel of Sinhala Buddha is a remarkable occasion for it is associated with the first appearance of pure pali budhisism. The travel of the buddha statue provides a chain of 0geneology of the kingdom and politic which the statues legitimate. It provide a map for the political arena made of the number if principalities changing boundaries and affiliations thus identifying the virtues of commitment to the religio-political ideology. The statue of Buddha is a product of the circumstances of which it’s making, and authenticity is given by its maker (Timbiah 1-15) V. Main Body #3 Emerald Buddha has seen many kingdom and empire fight over it due to it holistic nature. It is believed that the kingdom