7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Groups First Meeting

7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Groups First Meeting 7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Group’s First Meeting 7 Agenda Items for Your Writing Group’s First Meeting By Mark Nichol This is the third post on our series about writing groups. You can read the first one here and the second one here. Now, you’ve done it. You’ve launched a writing group, or you’re about to. What now? It’s time to organize. Here’s what to do at the first meeting: 1. Break the Ice Give each member a few minutes to introduce themselves, or try the team-building game Two Truths and a Lie: Have members come prepared to present, with a straight face, three interesting things about them; everyone else votes on which two items are true and which is false (though it can be a variation on the truth or an aspiration). 2. Set a Schedule How often will the group meet? Every week is probably pushing it, so vote on whether sessions will be held every two weeks or monthly. Agree on meeting duration. (Two hours is a good block of time.) Ask members to commit to attending regularly and arriving punctually. 3. Establish Goals What do you and the other members want to get out of the group? Is everyone determined to get published, or is the experience just a way to solicit feedback in a supportive environment and work on writing skills? Make sure everyone has a common ambition. Consider creating a mission statement. 4. Determine Protocol Briefly discuss meeting structure: Does everyone read every time, or do members alternate every two or three meetings? Do members email work in progress in advance so that others can prepare critiques, or do they give cold readings? Will your group alternate between both strategies? Consider having members take turns preparing mini-tutorials based on their experiences or research, like describing the different archetypal characters or sharing a list of plot pitfalls. Or give each person a chance to share an advice tidbit from an accomplished author. 5. Take a Break Allow five or ten minutes halfway through the session for a snack and small talk, but don’t let it drag out. 6. Read Samples Give everyone a chance to read briefly from a work in progress. Have members start right off without a preface and then take a moment to talk about the story. Save critiques for subsequent sessions this is just a chance for everyone to get a taste of others’ writing styles. 7. Plan Ahead Agree on what to do next time: Have everyone email an excerpt to the group a week before the next session, prepare a short selection to read aloud, or plan to bring hard copies of a sample passage to hand out. (Materials for cold readings by writers or others should be no more than a couple of pages; excerpts sent in advance can be longer). Decide what the focus will be each time: crafting an opening scene, establishing character, etc. Focus on technical aspects for a while before delving into content. Coming up: How to run a writing group. 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 Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and Tricks40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

Commentary on The Poem of the Cid essays

Commentary on The Poem of the Cid essays Poetry played a vital role in the dissemination of information during the Crusade period. It provided a compact, easily memorized way of spreading news in a time bereft of the benefit of mass printing. According to Michael Routledge, who penned a chapter on Crusade songs and poetry in The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades, poetry was not only a way of recording and spreading news of current events, but also served to record and extoll the virtues and values of the ruling Medieval aristocracy. These values included commitment to one's lord, and an acceptance of the feudal duties of auxilium (armed help in time of attack by enemies) and consilium (counsel and rendering of justice) (Routledge 97). A fine example of poetry's use in the above context can be found in Paul Blackburn's translation of the medieval Spanish epic Poem of the Cid. The poem is a fictional account of the life of the eleventh-century adventurer and military commander Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. The poem's title derives from Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar's Arabic title, Sayyidi (the Cid) or "My Lord". The poem's content describes a series of events transpiring after the main character, the Cid, is exiled from his homeland. Within the body of the poem, situations extolling the medieval virtues of commitment to one's lord, auxilium, and consilium are revealed. The theme of commitment to one's lord is prevalent throughout the Poem of the Cid. Initially, the Cid is exiled because his enemies have turned his lord, King Alfonso, against him. Despite being banished from his home and family, the Cid uses every opportunity that comes his way to show his valor and loyalty to Alfonso. In reality, being exiled should have turned a man like the Cid into a freebooter who had the right to earn a living however possible for himself and his followers. As a free agent, so to speak, the Cid would have been able to claim authority over whatever territory he conquered, and could even...

PERSONAL STATEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PERSONAL STATEMENT - Essay Example As a citizen of United Kingdom, I wanted to deliver all of my faculty to the safety of the country. This is the sole reason why I educated myself in criminology . I have seen in many neighbor hoods of UK, people are killed and plundered and they are less helpful about this. I always have pondered why crime occurs and what the real reason behind it is. For understanding that, I have questioned my dad and he told me it is mainly illiteracy and ignorance triggers crime. But in my mind ,I was assuring that some people are born with criminal instincts. But these people are a small percentage and the real criminal gangs are conditioned by the society. This inquisitive nature of mine led to the research of crime and the working of criminal minds .In my youth I used to go to the library and pick up books which elaborated about crime .Then I found that I had an unquenchable thirst within myself to know everything about crime and criminal acts. Graduall, I understood that drug abuse is also a primary reason for the increase of crime in the country. It is not only the men who are indulged in crime but even the women are indulging in it. By research and reading , I acknowledged that ,illiteracy and ignorance of family can detoriate the infrastructure of a well bred society. The crime based statistics showed that, the crime occurs more in the black and Hispanic neighborhood. And it is a known fact that people of these regions are illiterate from generations. One day for my experience I visited the black and Hispanic neighbor hoods to acknowledge the information I had was true. . After my undergraduate studies, I discussed with my mother and father about my urge to join Bachelors in criminology. My father was amazed knowing my excitement towards learning criminology. For this very same reason, I underwent an evaluation and assessment of the aftermath of criminology study. I really had to plan my future based on this studies. I was always keen on providing social service to m y society and I believed that graduation in criminology would definitely confer to my mission. It is when I studied criminology I realized that world needs more from me. It is around the second year of criminology graduation, I thought about joining master in International relation. I understand that international relation will take me to the position which I always wanted to hold. I always wanted to hold a position where I can use my skills and knowledge to eradicator drug abuse, illiteracy and poverty from my country and the world. During my study of International relations, I can acquire knowledge about the role of government in the progression of a nation and world as a whole. In my criminology study I learned that the role of government in upgrading the status of the society is crucial. My ambition is to get employed in an International body like WHO or UNICEF where I can analyze the intricate elements which provoke crime and violence in a society. I believe that my graduation in criminology will allow me to acknowledge that crime is a man made affair and it is the duty of every man to wipe out this hellish attitude from the face of earth. With masters in international relation, I can study the foreign policy agenda of the country and also regulate non –

Immigration law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Immigration law - Essay Example In Ameer’s case, an understanding must prevail between him considered as a party and the United Kingdom that is also considered as a different party. In order to coin a rational judgment, all the relevant provisions of the law have to be obeyed and it is through a critical understanding that an effective decision can be reached. Here, an effectual decision is the decision reached that fulfils all the demands of the law and manifests concern to the respect of human rights. The United Kingdom has to ascertain that the asylum seeker actually fears the persecution3. Under ordinary situations, individuals in fear of persecution must have to originate from a particular social group that is likely to be persecuted. In cases of countries such as Afghanistan, the sources of persecution might incorporate race, religion, political affiliation or nationality. Hence, the united kingdom have to ascertain the probability of the asylum seeker’s origin and the probability of originating from the above stipulated groups and the impending reasons being influential to the actions considered adverse to their lives4. Ameer fears for his life and that of his family and that is perceived as the primary cause of his escape to the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, his case is quite complicated afterwards since he develops a kidney condition that is of a potential harm equally. Therefore, it is imperative to understand that besides him faced by external or the national problems, he is faced by personal and health problems. However, the law provides for both conditions and it is upon the law enforcement teams to follow the law provisions to their maximum to achieve a credible solution to the situation5. Concerning the human rights, Ameer’s life has to be respected in his capacity as a human being that is entitled to safety and healthy welfare. The law has to regard the health condition of the asylum seeker and pursue all the activities within its docket to provide its best to aid in the situation. The United Kingdom has to establish that Ameer is unwilling or incapable of subjecting himself to the protection provided by his country, Afghanistan. The United Kingdom has also to determine in case the refugee is not associated with any nationality or is not willing to go back to his country of habitat and from which the refugee originated6. Ameer’s situation is relevant in two provisions of vast law contexts that is, Article 3 and article 8. Article 8 demands consideration of Ameer’s personality and the components surrounding him. This provision regards the applicant’s private life, family life home as well as that of correspondence.6 Basic interpretations of article 8 provide that concerning private life, the bodily integrity has to be upheld. The applicant should be granted all the medical opportunities he deserves; again the treatments should never be restricted. The applicant is entitled to personal autonomy and is liable to make all his decisions without any external influence unless requested. The applicant has the right to hold information and can also demand information held by an institution concerning his affairs and personality. Again the aspect of home has to be accorded the due respect to mean that Ameer’s current dwelling has to be recognized as his home and there is no essence in searching for him home even if it does not exist. The article 8 is relevant in this case since Ameer has developed a fatal health condition. Therefore he has to be

Creons tragic Downfall Essay Example for Free

Creons tragic Downfall Essay Creon is the tragic hero of the play, Antigone, by Sophocles, and suffers the greatest downfall. It all begins when he maes his public announcment as the new king. He states his message loud and clearly to everyone, that if anyone feels the need to bury the body od Polyneices, they will be going against the law and will be sentenced to death. In this powerful speech, he shows the need for control and order in the way he plans to rule. At the same time, he is showing arrogance in the way he insures all of his choices in judgement are correct. Creon is told that someone has gone against his words and burried the body of Polyneices; he becomes outraged and orders the sentry to find him and turn him over at once. The sentry watches as he sees Antigone come out to bury her brothers body for a second time. He catches her and she is presented to Creon. Creon questions her, and she does not deny what she has done. He orders her to death. She tells him her reasons for her actions, but they are completely ignored by Creon. Antigone is going to be taken toa vault and left to die. Creon, being stubborn, wont even listen to the pleas and threats of his own son, but when Teiresias enters, he listens to what will happen if he does not change his decisions. So he takes a drastic turn. He pushed all of his arrogance aside, along with his stobbornness and he asks for help, what shall I do? At this moment he becomes weak in front of his people. Creon the king, asking for help? He is suppose to know it all! He is then told to go quickly and free Antigone from her vault and build a tomb for the body of Polynieces. Creon is ordered to do exactly what he stated was against the law, but in order to save himself, he follows everything that he is told. Immediately he performs a burial for Polynieces and digs out Antigones vault, in hopes of saving himself from the proce of paying flesh for flesh. Asking for help is not an easy thing to do, especially when youre so head strong like Creon, but asking for help in a situation where you know you need it shows incredible courage. If only Creon had done it a little bit  earlier. After doing everything he could to change his stubborn choices, he fails. Mourning over what destruction he had caused, the deaths of his wife, son, and Antigone are his entire fault. He has tragicallu ruined himself, and now instead of dying,je os fprced to live in shame and in great pain in front of the people he ruled for his short time as king.

Violence In Romeo And Juliet Essay -- essays research papers

Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, is a play which shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence. Prejudice leads to violence shown in the play when the feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets, fight. In each case, disruption, fighting, injuries and death occur. Also, the prejudice between the two families never was resolved, because they were enemies. The feuding started in Act 1 Scene 1, when the Capulets and Montague servants confronted each other. The Capulets’ servants insult the Montagues and this leads to a street brawl of the two families. Furthermore, in Act 3 Scene 1, the hatred between the families gets worse. When Tybalt wanted revenge against the Montagues, he then confronted Romeo and Mercutio and started a duel. In addition, the feud between the families got even worse, when Tybalt killed Mercutio. Also, in Act 5 Scene 3, Tybalt challenges Romeo to fight and Romeo kills him. The street in Verona, a public place, is where the feuding starts between the two families. In Act 1 Scene 1, Sampson and Gregory, servants for the Capulets, insulted the Montagues’ servants, Balthasar and Abraham. This leads to a fight, which involves the Lords of both families and the Prince. No death occurred, but the families’ attitudes against each other were worse than before. This created hate between the families, which lead to violence. In like manner, another duel between the two feuding families starts up, again, in the street of Verona in Act 3 Scene 1. When Merc...

Crucible- Abigail Williams Essay

Due to our nature, the human race will do astonishing things in the name of love and fear. Abigail Williams in â€Å"The Crucible† is a fantastic example of this. Not only are her actions absurd to try and gain John Proctor’s whole hearted affection, who was her lover, but also to gain submission of an ample portion of Salem due to fear. A large part of the submissiveness was gained by her ability to manipulate others, especially those she knows well. She starts the fire of hatred, for witches and the townspeople, within Salem. The fuel was already there; all that was needed was the last spark to get the flame going. Abigail was this spark, created by her insatiable lust for John Proctor. She instigated the witch trials, and used the produced hysteria in an attempt at personal gain, using a step by step plan. This plan developed through the play, feeding Abigail’s ambition and power. Step 1. Manipulate the town’s girls into doing witchcraft in the woods. Abigail convinced some of the teenage girls in Salem to join her in the woods. Being unmarried teenage women in this time period, they had little to do, minimal social status, and undoubtedly yearned for adventure. There were only two people lower than them in status, and that would be Abigail and Tituba because Abigail was an orphan, and Tituba a black slave. She convinced Tituba, to sing songs from Barbados about witchcraft. Abby then persuaded Ruth Putnam to believe that Tituba would be able to conjure up the spirits of her dead siblings. If it worked then she could bring to light the mystery behind all of her dead siblings. In getting others to do it with her, she will not be the only one to be punished, therefore spreading the blame across many, and if caught the blame could be transferred to the one with the least status, the slave- relieving Abby of punishment. Step 2. Drink a potion to acquire John. While in the woods Abigail drank a charm in an attempt to kill Mrs. Proctor, which in her eyes is the only person between her and John. â€Å"You drank blood, Abby! You didn’t tell him that!† (Betty, A.1, p.1244). This quote begins to give the reader an idea of what Abigail will do to gain Proctor. It would take quite a drive for someone to willingly drink blood, and in drinking it, wish death upon another person. This was a very Puritan society, and all of her actions would be looked down upon by the townspeople. First she entered the forest (the place of the Devil), then she danced (unacceptable for women of that age), then she drank a charm of blood (not accepted by society), and lastly in drinking that charm she is wishing ill upon her ‘neighbor’ which is going against one of the Commandments. The Bible was the law at the time, and going against its foundation was disgraceful. Step 3. When discovered, blame Tituba. When Abigail is being questioned by Parris, the day after being caught, about the girls’ doings in the woods, she gives away little. She reveals â€Å"We did dance, uncle, and when you leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And there’s the whole of it.†(Abigail, A.1, p.1238). This sentence shows an insight to Abby’s manipulative power over Parris. Fainting from fright from being caught by her father doing an illegal activity could be an explanation for Betty’s inactivity. Abigail admits to what he saw, but makes it hard for him to push the question further when she says the finalized statement ‘there’s the whole of it’. The affirmation also denies any other doings, saying the girls are innocent. Parris then grasps at another chance to question Abby, this time about possible rumors of her in the town. She skillfully maneuvers around the interrogation, and then is saved by the entrance of Mrs . Putnam. Goody Putnam reveals her and her daughter (Ruth)’s desires to figure out what caused her children to die in infancy. Step 4. Exploit Tituba’s weaknesses, while hiding behind lies. When questioned Abigail turns the accusation to Tituba saying she was alone in conjuring the spirits of Ruth’s siblings. This brings the pressure off of Abigail and onto two other people. She can then sink into the background, becoming invisible while Parris and Hale interrogate Tituba. Tituba is the unhappy slave, with witchery songs, low status, and desiring to be free and return home. Due to this, Parris and Hale break Tituba down till she admits to contracting with the devil. In a frenzy to bring pressure off herself and avoid hanging, Tituba then goes on to state names of women in the community. Sarah Good and Goody Osburn are first. Then Abigail stands up from the shadows seizing the chance of being able to accuse people and bring the attention to her in a positive way by saying â€Å"I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I dance for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!† (Abigail, A.1, p.1263). These exclamations go against what she has previously sworn, yet no one seems to notice anything besides her confession and the names she says. Abby repeated the names Tituba already said, along with another, therefore strengthening the accusations while playing on the slave’s incompetence of missing one of the people, which strengthens her own position. Step 5. Use newfound status to demolish those who oppose her. Since there are so many people being accused, the town gets an aura of being unsafe and corrupt by the Devil. This causes the accused to accuse others, from old rivalries and suddenly having a chance to comeback, or from being interrogated till they give up names, multiplying the numbers, while they also believe the accusations out of fear. Fear of being accused, of being witched, or of getting hung for disbelieving the court and the Bible. In Act II sixteen people had warrants sent out for their capture. Abigail continuously accuses people who confess, adding to her credibility. She also has fainting incidents, trances, and other public displays which she credits to others using demonic powers on her, sending the message that she is an innocent orphan being harmed by the Devil because she is standing against him. This helps her gain pity, and brings more citizens to her side. An example is when Mary Warren tries to testify against Abigail, Mercy, and Susanna. The girls exclaim that Mary has sent her spirit out in a wind to make them cold. This is proven by their exclamations. Mercy: â€Å"Mary, do you send this shadow on me?† Susanna: â€Å"I freeze, I freeze!† Abigail: â€Å"It is a wind, a wind!† Danforth: â€Å"Mary Warren, do you witch her? I say to you, do you send your spirit out?†(A.3, p.1307) Danforth’s question seems to state what the other girls were implying. This goes to show what some acting can bring upon a girl and a town. By faking a wind, the girls make Mary’s testament against them invalid, therefore increasing Abigail’s power within the court, and getting rid of another challenger. Step 6. Secure Goody Proctor as a witch using credibility established within the court. After accusing Elizabeth in Act 2 because of alleged use of poppets, Abigail has to make sure there is no way out for her. When this is done and she is hung she can finally have her love, John Proctor. The townspeople generally ignore evidence and support her claims of witchery, most likely out of fear of her power. John Proctor is one of the few willing to stand against her. After many attempts, all of which failed, John resorts to drastic measures. He admits to committing adultery. â€Å"I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name- you will believe me, Mr. Danforth! My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!†(Proctor, A.3, p.1309) In this statement, Proctor not only admits to adultery, and tries to protect his wife; he also calls Abigail a harlot. Abigail is astounded by his reveal, and undoubtedly worked up by his language towards her. This is the point where Abby seems to realize that Proctor does not love her and that she won’t ever be with him, even if Elizabeth dies. Her plan has failed, and everything she has done was for nothing. Her astonishment turns to resentment, for she then makes no attempt to same John when he is sentenced to hang. Her only thoughts now seem to be of self preservation. She was the ring leader of the witch trials, and with them coming to the end, and no chance of being with John, her power will soon be gone. She steals her uncle’s savings then flees the city. She lost a love she never truly had, and in the process left behind a broken, manipulated town. Love and fear are two of the most influential emotions, and in â€Å"The Crucible† both are experienced firsthand through Abigail. The author, Arthur Miller, uses this to his advantage making the play and characters relatable to the audience. These universal themes are relevant at all times in history which is why the play is still shown to this day. Abigail is not only a great example of those traits, but also reflects a maniacal manipulator existing in many societies. This along with other traits makes her the most important character to the play, along with the witch trials which she helped instigate for personal gain. It’s amazing what a teenage girl in a small town can do with a few words and manipulation.

Factors of Chinese Art Market Essay

The Chinese possess the longest continuous cultural history of any of the peoples of the world (Sickman. L, 1968). In recent years, pushed by the huge economic growth in Asia, the fine art market rise sharply within Asia, especially China, changed the geographical structure of the global art market. The Chinese government set up some preferential policies to promote the fine art market because they see the great economic potential in this flied. In 2011, China has a 49% growth of artworks in auction revenue, becoming the first global marketplace for the sale of art. Although the transaction volume of China (10.8%) was behind USA and France, the auction revenue (41.4%) was the first of the world (Artprice, Trend of art market 2011) . This means China is becoming the central of high price fine art market. In 2011, a painting with calligraphy which was painted by Qi Baishi, †Eagle Standing on Pine Tree; Four-Character Couplet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  was sold for 4.255 Yuan(about 65 million US dollars) in Beijing by China Guardian auction company, a record high for contemporary and modern Chinese paintings and calligraphy(China Guardian Auctions). As Chinese fine art market growing quickly in last few years, more and more researches and studies have been done by both Chinese and other foreign people, this essay will focus on some factors behind the market and analysis how the factors influence the Chinese fine art market. And the analysis can be dividing into four sections, cultures, history events and policies, buyers and marketing channels. First of all, this essay is going to find out the difference between the western countries people and the Chinese people in culture of collecting aspect and work of art aspect. There is some strong culture which is really to be changed in any country and this will completely change the way people treat art works in a country. Just because people treat art works differently, every country’s fine art market culture is unique, and this can influence the market automatically. For example when Chinese people selling antiques, they always leave a large gap between the quote and the deal price to wait buyers to bargain because Chinese people believe buyers will feel happy and they have brought the antique in a cheaper price. Secondly, history events and policies linkage to the Chinese fine art market will be mentioned. Through the history events (such as the reform and open up in 1978 and joining the WTO in 2001) and policies (like import and export trading policies) to analysis how these events and changes influence the Chinese fine art market. A cultural repatriation has been in the spotlight a great deal from 2000, with the sale of the Yuan Ming Yuan bronze fountainheads, then the Chinese government has attach more importance to the fine art trade after it(Wang. A, 2012). Actually, modern Chinese fine art market starts after the reform and open up in 1978 and today becoming the first place of the marketplace for the sale of art. Also according the Tariff implementation plan 2012 of China, the import duty of art work decreased from 12% to 6% (General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China), this promoted the fine art market, in the first half of 2012, the trading amounts reach 210.8 billion Yuan (Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China), which means China has been overtaken the USA, becoming the top art market. Then, this paper will explore different kinds of buyers and find out their purchasing intention. In this section, it will be a case study about the different buyers by having an interview with an antiquary and a staff of an international auction company. Antique buyers have different purchasing intention; some of them are shop holders or agencies buying art works for selling, some of them are art fanciers buying art works for collecting, some of them buying art work as investment, and there are some people just want to show their social status or financial position through buying expensive art works. Through the interview, more purchasing intention will carry out so that it will be more clear that how different buyers can influence the fine art market all around the world differently. The last section of this essay will talk about the marketing channels aspect. Chinese antiques can be seen in auction houses, trade fairs, art galleries, fine art shops all around the world(Artprice, Trend of art market 2011), People come together to appreciate or buy antiques. Furthermore, some private trade happens a lot without noticed by the mass. Different marketing channels have its own characteristics and price levels so that it could attract its own target audience. Although the market of Chinese antiques is growing in a very high speed, some scholars still have some issues to worry. As Audrey Wang mentioned (2012), some speculators believed that Chinese art market is an indomitable force and become the first place in volumes of sale of fine art. On the other hand, sceptics claim that the current trend as merely a bubble and today’s China is not ready yet to experience a full economic cycle of growth and decline. When a group of Chinese curio dealer visit the 25th of TEFAF which hold in the Nederland, they were not only shocked by the fine art work’s quality and authenticity, but also the seller’s integrity and normative. When they ask for some background and information about an antique, the vendor just read from the testimonial but not making an attractive story. The Chinese fine art market is still not mature because more standard rules or policies are needed. Lastly, the high speed growth of the Chinese fine art market might cause some mislead about the art. Quite a lot of people will regard high price as high quality in the fine art market, this is completely a misunderstanding for the art works. Therefore some scholars argue that the great growth could destroy the culture and art, this will be also discussed in this essay. Bibliography: Sickman, L (1968) The Art and Architecture of China, Yale University Press, London Wang, A (2012) Chinese Antiquities, an introduction to the art market, Lund Humphries, Surrey. TEFAF https://www.tefaf.com/ Artprice, Trend of art market 2011 http://imgpublic.artprice.com/pdf/trends2011_en.pdf (2013-01-07) China Guardian Auctions http://english.cguardian.com/ (2013-01-07) Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China http://www.chinaculture.org/index.html (2013-01-07) General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China http://english.customs.gov.cn/tabid/47800/Default.aspx (2013-01-07)

Biography of Queen Min, Korean Empress

Biography of Queen Min, Korean Empress Queen Min (October 19, 1851–October 8, 1895), also known as Empress Myeongseong, was an important figure in Koreas Joseon Dynasty. She was married to Gojong, the first ruler of the Korean Empire. Queen Min was highly involved in her husbands government; she was assassinated in 1895 after the Japanese determined that she was a threat to their control of the Korean Peninsula. Fast Facts: Queen Min Known For: As the wife of Gojong, the Emperor of Korea, Queen Min played a major role in Korean affairs.Also Known As: Empress MyeongseongBorn: October 19, 1851 in Yeoju,  Kingdom of JoseonDied: October 8, 1895 in Seoul, Kingdom of JoseonSpouse: Gojong, Emperor of KoreaChildren: Sunjong Early Life On October 19, 1851, Min Chi-rok and an unnamed wife had a baby girl. The childs given name has not been recorded. As members of the noble Yeoheung Min clan, the family was well-connected with Koreas royal family. Although the little girl was an orphan by the age of 8, she went on to become the first wife of the young King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty. Koreas child-king Gojong actually served as a figurehead for his father and regent, the Taewongun. It was the Taewongun who selected the Min orphan as the future queen, presumably because she did not have the strong family support that could threaten the ascendancy of his own political allies. Marriage The bride was 16 years old and King Gojong was only 15 when they married in March 1866. A slight and slender girl, the bride could not support the weight of the heavy wig she had to wear at the ceremony, so a special attendant helped hold it in place. The girl, small but clever and independent-minded, became Queen Consort of Korea. Typically, queen consorts concerned themselves with setting fashions for the noble women of the realm, hosting tea parties, and gossiping. Queen Min, however, had no interest in these pastimes. Instead, she read widely about history, science, politics, philosophy, and religion, giving herself the kind of education ordinarily reserved for men. Politics and Family Soon, the Taewongun realized that he had chosen his daughter-in-law unwisely. Her serious program of study concerned him, prompting him to quip, She evidently aspires to be a doctor of letters; look out for her. Before long, Queen Min and her father-in-law would be sworn enemies. The Taewongun moved to weaken the queens power at court by giving his son a royal consort, who soon bore King Gojong a son of his own. Queen Min proved unable to have a child until she was 20 years old, five years after the marriage. That child, a son, tragically died three days after he was born. The queen and the shamans (mudang) she called in to consult blamed the Taewongun for the babys death. They claimed that he had poisoned the boy with a ginseng emetic treatment. From that moment on, Queen Min vowed to avenge her childs death. Family Feud Queen Min began by appointing members of the Min clan to a number of high court offices. The queen also enlisted the support of her weak-willed husband, who was legally an adult by this time but still allowed his father to rule the country. She also won over the kings younger brother (whom the Taewongun called the dolt). Most significantly, she had King Gojong appoint a Confucian scholar named Cho Ik-Hyon to the court; the highly influential Cho declared that the king should rule in his own name, even going so far as to declare that the Taewongun was without virtue. In response, the Taewongun sent assassins to kill Cho, who fled into exile. However, Chos words bolstered the 22-year-old kings position sufficiently so that on November 5, 1873, King Gojong announced that henceforth he would rule in his own right. That same afternoon, somebody- likely Queen Min- had the Taewonguns entrance to the palace bricked shut. The following week, a mysterious explosion and fire rocked the queens sleeping chamber, but the queen and her attendants were not hurt. A few days later, an anonymous parcel delivered to the queens cousin exploded, killing him and his mother. Queen Min was certain that the Taewongun was behind this attack, but she could not prove it. Trouble With Japan Within a year of King Gojongs accession to the throne, representatives of Meiji Japan appeared in Seoul to demand that the Koreans pay tribute. Korea had long been a tributary of Qing China (as had Japan, off and on), but considered itself of equal rank with Japan, so the king contemptuously rejected their demand. The Koreans mocked the Japanese emissaries for wearing western-style clothing, saying they were no longer even true Japanese, and then deported them. Japan would not be so lightly put off, however. In 1874, the Japanese returned once more. Although Queen Min urged her husband to reject them again, the king decided to sign a trade treaty with the Meiji Emperors representatives in order to avoid trouble. With this foothold in place, Japan then sailed a gunship called Unyo into the restricted area around the southern island of Ganghwa, prompting the Korean shore defenses to open fire. Using the Unyo incident as a pretext, Japan sent a fleet of six naval vessels into Korean waters. Under the threat of force, Gojong once again folded; Queen Min was unable to prevent his capitulation. The kings representatives signed the Ganghwa Treaty, which was modeled on the Kanagawa Treaty that the United States had imposed on Japan following Commodore Matthew Perrys 1854 arrival in Tokyo Bay. (Meiji Japan was an astonishingly quick study on the subject of imperial domination.) Under the terms of the Ganghwa Treaty, Japan got access to five Korean ports and all Korean waters, special trading status, and extraterritorial rights for Japanese citizens in Korea. This meant that Japanese accused of crimes in Korea could only be tried under Japanese law- they were immune to local laws. The Koreans gained absolutely nothing from this treaty, which signaled the beginning of the end of Korean independence. Despite Queen Mins best efforts, the Japanese would dominate Korea until 1945. Imo Incident In the period after the Ganghwa incident, Queen Min spearheaded a reorganization and modernization of Koreas military. She also reached out to China, Russia, and the other western powers in hopes of playing them off against the Japanese in order to protect Korean sovereignty. Although the other major powers were happy to sign unequal trade treaties with Korea, none would commit to defending the Hermit Kingdom from Japanese expansionism. In 1882, Queen Min faced a rebellion by old-guard military officers who felt threatened by her reforms and by the opening of Korea to foreign powers. Known as the Imo Incident, the uprising temporarily ousted Gojong and Min from the palace, returning the Taewongun to power. Dozens of Queen Mins relatives and supporters were executed, and foreign representatives were expelled from the capital. King Gojongs ambassadors to China appealed for assistance, and 4,500 Chinese troops then marched into Seoul and arrested the Taewongun. They transported him to Beijing to be tried for treason; Queen Min and King Gojong returned to the Gyeongbukgung Palace and reversed all of the Taewonguns orders. Unbeknownst to Queen Min, the Japanese ambassadors in Seoul strong-armed Gojong into signing the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1882. Korea agreed to pay restitution for the Japanese lives and property lost in the Imo Incident, and also to allow Japanese troops into Seoul so they could guard the Japanese Embassy. Alarmed by this new imposition, Queen Min once again reached out to Qin China, granting them trading access to ports still closed to Japan, and requesting that Chinese and German officers head her modernizing army. She also sent a fact-finding mission to the United States, headed by Min Yeong-ik of her Yeoheung Min clan. The mission even dined with American President Chester A. Arthur. Tonghak Rebellion In 1894, Korean peasants and village officials rose up against the Joseon government because of the crushing tax burdens imposed upon them. Like the Boxer Rebellion, which was beginning to brew in Qing China, the Tonghak or Eastern Learning movement in Korea was anti-foreigner. One popular slogan was Drive out the Japanese dwarfs and the Western barbarians. As the rebels took provincial towns and capitals  and marched toward Seoul, Queen Min urged her husband to ask Beijing for aid. China responded on June 6, 1894, by sending in almost 2,500 soldiers to reinforce Seouls defenses. Japan expressed its outrage (real or feigned) at this land-grab by China  and sent 4,500 troops to Incheon, over the protests of Queen Min and King Gojong. Although the Tonghak Rebellion was over within a week, Japan and China did not withdraw their forces. As the two Asian powers troops stared one another down and the Korean royals called for both sides to withdraw, British-sponsored negotiations failed. On July 23, 1894, Japanese troops marched into Seoul and captured King Gojong and Queen Min. On August 1, China and Japan declared war on one another, fighting for control of Korea. Sino-Japanese War Although Qing China deployed 630,000 troops to Korea in the Sino-Japanese War, as opposed to just 240,000 Japanese, the modern Meiji army and navy quickly crushed the Chinese forces. On April 17, 1895, China signed the humiliating Treaty of Shimonoseki, which recognized that Korea was no longer a tributary state of the Qing empire. It also granted the Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands to Japan, and agreed to pay a war indemnity of 200 million silver taels to the Meiji government. As many as 100,000 of Koreas peasants had risen up late in 1894 to attack the Japanese as well, but they were slaughtered. Internationally, Korea was no longer a vassal state of the failing Qing; its ancient enemy, Japan, was now fully in charge. Queen Min was devastated. Appeal to Russia Japan quickly wrote a new constitution for Korea  and stocked its parliament with pro-Japanese Koreans. A large number of Japanese troops remained stationed indefinitely in Korea. Desperate for an ally to help unlock Japans stranglehold on her country, Queen Min turned to the other emerging power in the Far East- Russia. She met with Russian emissaries, invited Russian students and engineers to Seoul, and did her best to stoke Russian concerns about the rising Japanese power. Japans agents and officials in Seoul, well aware of Queen Mins appeals to Russia, countered by approaching her old nemesis and father-in-law, the Taewongun. Although he hated the Japanese, the Taewongun detested Queen Min even more  and agreed to help them get rid of her once and for all. Assassination In the fall of 1895, Japanese ambassador to Korea Miura Goro formulated a plan to assassinate Queen Min, a plan that he named Operation Fox Hunt. Early in the morning of October 8, 1895, a group of 50 Japanese and Korean assassins launched their assault on Gyeongbokgung Palace. They seized King Gojong but did not harm him. Then they attacked the queen consorts sleeping quarters, dragging her out along with three or four of her attendants. The assassins questioned the women to make sure that they had Queen Min, then slashed them with swords before stripping and raping them. The Japanese displayed the queens dead body to several other foreigners in the area- including the Russians  so they knew their ally was dead- and then carried her body to the forest outside the palace walls. There, the assassins doused Queen Mins body with kerosene and burned it, scattering her ashes. Legacy In the aftermath of Queen Mins murder, Japan denied involvement while also pushing King Gojong to posthumously strip her of her royal rank. For once, he refused to bow to their pressure. An international outcry about Japans killing of a foreign sovereign forced the Meiji government to stage show-trials, but only minor participants were convicted. Ambassador Miura Goro was acquitted for a lack of evidence. In 1897, Gojong ordered a careful search of the woods where his queens body had been burned, which turned up a single finger bone. He organized an elaborate funeral for this relic of his wife, featuring 5,000 soldiers, thousands of lanterns and scrolls enumerating Queen Mins virtues, and giant wooden horses to transport her in the afterlife. The queen consort also received the posthumous title of Empress Myeongseong. In the following years, Japan would defeat Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and formally annex the Korean Peninsula in 1910, ending the Joseon dynastys rule. Korea would remain under Japans control until the Japanese defeat in World War II. Sources Bong Lee. The Unfinished War: Korea. New York: Algora Publishing, 2003.Kim Chun-Gil. The History of Korea. ABC-CLIO, 2005Palais, James B. Politics and Policy in Traditional Korea. Harvard University Press, 1975.Seth, Michael J. A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present. Rowman Littlefield, 2010.

Glory The Movie

Glory The Movie GLORY Film review by Sean Lagace Ethnic Studies The ultimate heroic legend that contributed more than just a live is without doubt, Colonel Robert of the Fearless 54th regiment. Throughout young Robert's life he guided his path through the eyes and dreams of his notable father, but this unexpexted young man did not expect such a duty as well as honor to the Americans whom he served. The 54th was previewed as blacks who could not stand up to the white mans war but in the end expressed what this so called white mans war was truly fought for. The determined black men who entered the 54th came to it with a smile expecting equality in warfare as well as wages, which neither was properly provided. Robert's emotions along with the love that he felt for the regiment soared him throughout the newspapers for his command of materials such as shoes and clothing, as well as honesty, respect, and bravery by putting his own life on the line so one day the states may become united as one.Expedicià ³n de Robert Falcon Scott en el Polo Sur ...Many of the black soldiers who were shown hatred and betrayal through out their lives doubted Robert's words of honesty and promise. It was until that day the shore lines of Fort Wagner where blacks and whites for the first time stood as one with each other to obtain that meaning of equality. That single word "equality" brought courage to the 54th that morning while their lives flashed before them while the most arousing gleam of light began to approach over the sea, each of those men in the 54th knew that this day is worth more than a single life. This day meant freedom will soon ring upon every mountainside. To Colonel Robert and the others who found themselves looking right...

Reaction Paper On The Picture Wind Chime After Dream By Pierre Huyghe Essay

Reaction Paper On The Picture Wind Chime After Dream By Pierre Huyghe - Essay Example This picture was taken from a horizontal close-up position, thus clearly capturing the tree trunks at horizontal positions and the suspended chimes at an elevated angle. From the photographer’s angle, one can see only six of the 47 chimes mounted on the trees. In addition to the mentioned contents, the root section of each tree is covered with dried vegetation as opposed to the rest of the lawn, which is covered with green grass. Tree trunks and branches are dark and gray while the leaves are greenish-yellow in color. Behind the trees are five whitish structures of what appears to be concrete pillars. Having acknowledged the visible contents Pierre Huyghe’s picture, subsequent sections of this report analyze individual elements of art as they appear on the portrait. Keen focus on each element forms the basis of critical analysis in the art. It is through appraisal of individual components of the picture that one conclude on the success or failure to meet its aesthetic objectives. Basically, elements of art include line, texture, shape, and color among others. Each of these elements plays a significant role in creating unique attributes of a portrait. Variation of lines and texture allows an artist to manipulate contents in order to achieve the desired meaning. Variation of lines and shape enables the audience to develop concrete perceptions of space. On the other hand, manipulation of texture and color unearths aspect of time, which enhances the creation of intended theme by an artist.... Tree trunks and branches are dark and grey while the leaves are greenish-yellow in color. Behind the trees are five whitish structures of what appears to be concrete pillars. Having acknowledged the visible contents Pierre Huyghe’s picture, subsequent sections of this report analyze individual elements of art as they appear on the portrait. Keen focus on each element forms the basis of critical analysis in art. It is through appraisal of individual components of the picture that one conclude on the success or failure to meet its aesthetic objectives. Basically, elements of art include line, texture, shape and color among others. Each of these elements plays a significant role in creating unique attributes of a portrait. Variation of lines and texture allows an artist to manipulate contents in order to achieve a desired meaning. Variation of lines and shape enables audience to develop concrete perceptions of space. On the other hand, manipulation of texture and color unearths a spect of time, which enhances creation of intended theme by an artist. These elements must appear in every piece of artwork, whether it is two-dimensional or three-dimensional. In this regard, Pierre Huyghe’s picture incorporates some of these elements in depicting the wind chimed field. Elements of Art in the Picture Line and Shape Pierre Huyghe’s wind chime picture adopts a combination of both horizontal and vertical line techniques. These two techniques cumulatively facilitate creation of a path where viewers can perceive the aspects of space. Horizontal lines in the picture delineate those sections of the lawn and trees which extends into the adjacent space outside the camera’s coverage. In this context, Pierre

Knowledge Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Knowledge Management - Coursework Example Knowledge management is highly reliant on people. The staff, the employees all carry knowledge about the company and they are the ones that carry out knowledge management. At the end of the day information technology does play a great part but the human factor is way bigger and way more necessary. Information technology will help in developing a knowledge management system and the success will depend on how well the information is organized and stored. The information however comes from the human beings. It is important for them to be encouraged by the organization. There should be a very caring, social and interactive organizational culture for knowledge management to thrive. Often companies used to restrict access to information; often employees would not bother sharing information with others with regards to their own personal promotion or job safety. But now organizations have modernized, they take concrete steps to make sure that the culture is more open, more relaxed and everyo ne is more at ease. Knowledge sharing only takes place when the culture is open to it, people are at enough ease to open their minds up and share their knowledge with superiors and inferiors both. Knowledge rather than capital or labour is the only meaningful resource a company has according to Drucker(1993). Capital and labour are actually pretty volatile resources when you think about it. They provide you with stability but there is no guarantee that they won’t leave you. Capital can be lost when faced with a crisis, employees leave and all of them don’t stay for a long time but knowledge is one factor that is constant. It can be stored in repositories for ages; it can be further analyzed and disseminated. Every human process result is a key success factor which should be stored. All the developed economies are now moving from industrial to knowledge based economy as they realize the importance. Defined broadly â€Å"KM is the process through which organizations ext ract value from their intellectual assets† (Kaplan, 2002). Intellectual assets in this case are their employees and managers not the information technology systems that a company has. Employees spend a lot of time in a company; they learn the inputs, processes, outputs. The experience they gain is extremely valuable though intangible. This true information has to be stored somewhere; an employee can leave anytime and can take the expertise to another organization. Knowledge management is made in two dimensions. One is to manage the existing knowledge by creating repositories, knowledge compilation, arrangement and categorization. The second is the activities of knowledge acquisition, creation, distribution and application. (Stenmark, 2001) Knowledge management also consists of administering the knowledge assets of the organization which is the human resource. Knowledge modelling is a process that helps in achieving those goals. Knowledge management includes identifying and map ping knowledge within the organization. The end objective is to generate enough amount of knowledge that the business can gain competitive advantage. Knowledge management also observes the whole lifecycle of an organization, from the beginning to the possible end. It sees how the organization has changed over time, how it has adapted to the external environmental challenges and how it became successful (Mathi, 2004).