Changes to Irish Historiography and Historical Debate

Changes to Irish Historiography and Historical Debate Discuss the growth of Irish historiography and historical debate since the 1960s with specific reference to at least two of the following areas: women’s history, social history, labour history, economic history, local history, the history of the diaspora. There has been without a doubt a growth in Irish historiography and historical debate since the 1960’s. The following will discuss and examine the reasons for the growth of Irish historiography and historical debate. Irish historiography had tended to focus on the relationship between England (and later Britain) and Ireland with its consequences for both countries’ developments and history. Irish historiography also highlighted key events that proved pivotal in shaping the Irish nation. Such events include the English invasions from the 12th century, the reformation, the plantations of Ulster, the consequences of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. Further defining moments were also the development of Irish Republicanism that was shown by the 1798 rebellion and the emergence of the Fenian Brotherhood during the 19th century. The potato famine of the 1840’s would prove disastrous to the Irish population whilst encouraging immigration to Britain, the United States and Australia. Such immigration will as examined lead to the development of the diaspora. The way in which Ireland was partitioned to account for the two versions of Irish nationalism has become the central theme of historical debate. The Civil Rights Movement within the Roman Catholic community of Northern Ireland which inadvertently led to the troubles will be evaluated as to whether that is the prime motivator of changes in Irish historiography and historical debate. Prior to the English involvement Ireland was an independent if divided country. One historical debate is whether the English were good or bad for Ireland. It had been influenced by mainly Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking settlements.[1] Irish culture was Gaelic and Christian in character. The English that came to Ireland were descendants of the Normans that ruthlessly conquered England a century before. In contrast to William the Conqueror these Anglo-Norman invaders did not intend to stay and were invited to cross the Irish Sea to join in with a conflict between Gaelic chieftains. For the Irish the involvement the Anglo-Norman in their affairs was a monumental change in their destiny. From Henry II English Kings came to regard stability in Ireland as in important part of their security. The accident of geography was to lead to the inter relationship between the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish that has brought both benefits and disasters to all concerned. There are people who believ e that the English or British brought benefits to the Irish will tend to stress the good consequences of their involvement rather than the bad. Those who have an anti-English outlook stress the harmful consequences, [2] Henry II himself was not in a hurry to invade Ireland; his possessions in France and England took priority. However once the English arrived in 1172 they would not be removed by the Irish for centuries, and even then not from the whole of Ireland.[3] English control of Ireland was never complete and centred around Dublin. The amount of control fluctuated depending on the power and interest of the King. Strong Kings such as Edward IV and Henry VII attempted to increase their power in Ireland. It was to be Henry VIII that would alter the shape of Irish history as much as he changed that of England. Henry VIII was a man of great ambition, in 1541 he proclaimed himself King of Ireland, thus showing the intention of gaining greater control of Ireland.[4] The Tudors made their control of Ireland effective if not complete yet at the cost of sowing future conflict over religion, politics and the status of Ireland. Henry VIII had already attempted to gain the loyalty of the Irish nobility and gain control over the Irish church. After the break from Rome, Henry was determined to introduce the Church of England to his Irish subjects as well as his English subjects. The Reformation would further complicate the relationship between the Irish and English. The Reformation was slow to take root in Ireland; the Roman Catholic Church maintained its strength in the majority of the island, especially in rural areas. Whilst the Irish parliament faithfully followed the religious legislation roller coaster ride seen in England the Irish did not follow suit. Ironically it was the Roman Catholic, Mary I that came up with the strategy that would change Irish society and economy as profoundly as it affected its politics and religion, the plantations.[5] The Irish did not accept those changes without resisting. The most serious threat to the Tudor hold on Ireland came with the Earl of Tyrone’s rebellion of the 1590’s that was not finally put down until 1604.[6] Despite that rebellion James VI of Scotland inherited Ireland under the crown’s control when he gained the English throne.[7] James I greatly expanded the plantations in particular to the Irish province of Ulster. The protestant settlers gained land off of the Irish population of Ulster in return for their loyalty to Britain. The settlers would be given social and economic advantages by the government that persisted into the 20th century and was deeply resented by the Roman Catholic communities. That resentment contributed to the rebellion of 1641 that attacked the plantations. Irish nationalists and republicans regard the plantations as a prime example of British imperialism whilst Unionists regard them as the foundation of their communities.[8] The rebel lion in Ireland sparked off the English Civil War, there was in effect Civil Wars in England, Scotland and Ireland that would result in much bloodshed and the removal of Charles I. The situation in Ireland was complicated; there were those that supported the English parliament and those that wished to use the Civil Wars as an opportunity to gain independence. All Irish opposition to the English parliament was ruthlessly suppressed by Oliver Cromwell and resulted in the massacre of Drogheda. Oliver Cromwell remains associated with bloody repression and the use of terror to this day, the paradox of an English republican with Imperial policies.[9] The Irish Catholic community would remain loyal to James II who lost his Irish kingdom after his English and Scottish ones. The victory of William of Orange only reinforced the British bias in favour of the Ulster Protestants. The Protestants liked to show their loyalty to Britain through their Orange orders and apprentice boys’ marche s, a source of sectarian friction for more than three centuries. Whilst the Unionists see these as symbols of their British nationality, the Catholic communities see them as symbols of their continued rule from Britain. [10] The consequences of these events were two rival senses of nationalism developed in Ireland. There were many of the Irish population that remained overwhelmingly poor, rural and Roman Catholic wishing for independence from Britain or at least autonomy. The other form of nationalism was that centred on the Ulster Protestants that saw themselves as British and did not want independence and would only accept more autonomy if their special status were maintained. Some of these Protestants were also poor but regarded themselves as better than their Catholic peers. There was an upsurge in Irish nationalism following in the wake of the American War of Independence and the French Revolution that culminated in the rebellion of 1798. The French had done their best to cause trouble in Ireland yet proved incapable of supporting the rebellion. The failure of that rebellion led to rebels such as Wolfe Tone joining the Diaspora and the union of Ireland with Great Britain. The population of Ireland g rew rapidly especially with the introduction of the potato. The economy started to develop especially in Belfast and other parts of Ulster that produced linen and ships. Dublin and Belfast also grew to rapid urbanisation.[11] Potato blight brought famine to Ireland drastically reduced the population through starvation and immigration whilst showing the British government as inept during the crisis.[12] There have certainly been many debates around the Potato Famine, which centred on those that did not wish to become too involved in describing the consequences and the revisionists that its consequences could not be overemphasised. Perhaps one of the most important revisionist works was Cecil Woodham-Smith’s ‘The Great Hunger’ written in 1962 and tried to examine if the famine could have been averted or at least alleviated. The main debate concerns who was to blame for the famine, the British government on its own or others either singly or in various combinations.[13] The Potato Famine of 1845-47 would lead to demands for Home Rule and Land Reform whilst it also convinced Irish Catholics that the British government did not care about them. There had been earlier famines, for instance th at of 1739-41, yet none became as notorious as the one of 1845-47.[14] On balance most historians now seem to edge their bets when apportioning blame for the famine. However at the time many in Ireland blamed the British government for not acting quickly enough. Perceptions can often be more powerful than fact, the image of British indifference has been far more enduring than the countless number of British individuals that attempted to help the Irish.[15] The emigration from Ireland that followed was remarkable, between the start of the potato famine and partition four million Irish left for the United States, Australia and Britain. The Irish –American communities can assert great political influence in the United States which is why Irish Republicans, Ulster Unionists, Irish and British governments will try to influence American policy towards Ireland.[16] Concession from the British government over Land Reform were gained with relative ease which many poor labourers across the country at limited expense to absentee landlords. It was to be the campaigns for and against Home Rule that caused much controversy then much later amongst historians. Home Rule was campaigned for by Irish MPs spearheaded with great skill by Charles Stewart Parnell The Liberal governments led by Gladstone favoured Home Rule yet were unable to make headway against the Conservatives and Liberal backbenchers opposed to it or the Ulster Protestants. Home Rule caused some of Gladstone’s least successful moments. However it was the Asquith government that actually passed Home Rule legislation in the face of almost insurrectionists Unionist opposition only to have it delayed by the First World War.[17] That war saw the majority of Irish back the British war effort. However, it gave the IRA chance to launch the Easter Rising in 1916. The Easter Rising was put dow n by the British Army but gave the Irish Republican Movement martyrs.[18] The war the IRA waged using the tactics of Michael Collins forced the British government to peace talks and the partition of Ireland. The British called the IRA terrorists whilst the Republicans referred to them as freedom fighters. The IRA did not gain independence for all of Ireland just 26 counties. The Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom whilst Civil War broke out in the Irish Free State leading to the deaths of Michael Collins and Arthur Griffiths amongst others. Despite public statements to the contrary even hard-line republicans such as Eamon de Valera accepted the partition.[19] The partition of 1921 showed that neither the British or the Irish Republicans could gain total victory. The Ulster Protestants were content with having Home Rule in Northern Ireland and denying Roman Catholics their civil rights and any real political influence. The Roman Catholic minority in Northern Ireland felt let down by the Republic of Ireland for not fighting for a united Ireland and uninterested in a state they did not want to belong to and did nothing to protect their rights.[20] Despite making a claim to aim towards a united Ireland in its constitution, the Irish Republic left Northern Ireland alone. As for the Republican campaigns of the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s they were ineffective. The harsh economic climate of the depression of the 1930’s did more to set off sectarian violence than radicalism.[21] The 1960’s were to witness a change of attitude amongst the nationalist and republican communities that resulted in the civil rights move ments, a violent backlash from the Unionists. The British Army was brought in to stop sectarian violence yet provided the Provincial IRA with a reason to launch a long running armed struggle. In part the civil rights movement had been encouraged by the attempted political, social and economic reforms of Northern Irish Prime Minister O’Neill, with similar aims of ending discrimination against Catholics. The events of 1969 seemed to catch all sides by surprise.[22] The emergence of the troubles in Northern Ireland did lead to a change in the historiography of Ireland. That occurred either to justify the actions of one faction against the others yet also by others as a means of explaining the conflict. Republicans justified their actions by maintaining that Irish history was dominated by the struggle to be free of British rule. They were merely carrying on the struggle that Wolfe Tone and Michael Collins had given their lives for. More moderate nationalist opinion could point to trying to achieve their objectives through peaceful means, following the sample set by the moderate campaigners for Home Rule of the previous century and the more recent civil rights movement.[23] The Unionists defended the existence of Northern Ireland arguing that it was a just and pragmatic partition of Ireland that maintained their right to remain within the United Kingdom, a right that was theirs as they were formed the majority of the Northern Irish population.[24] Another impact of the Troubles was that it led to a renewed interest in studying the Anglo-Irish War and the subsequent partition of Ireland. Republican opinion had often seen the agreement to the partition as a great betrayal rather than the IRA military leadership getting the best deal it could. However there was the opposing perspective of the British and the Ulster Unionists that partitioning Ireland had been the only viable option as neither the British nor the IRA could decisively defeat the other. Perhaps one important perspective that the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein missed was that circumstances surrounding the Anglo-Irish War were uniquely favourable. The Easter Rising had strengthened the resolve to gain independence whilst the human and financial costs of the First World War meant that the British government did not want a long war in Ireland.[25] Therefore Irish historical debate and historiography has changed as a result of the troubles in Northern Ireland. That was partly due to different sides trying to justify their cause and to historians trying to explain the causes of the troubles and the Irish problem. As explained the roots of the Irish problem can be traced back to the first English invasions of the 12th century. Those who support the Unionist perspective emphasise the positive aspects of British involvement pointing out that Ireland would have been poorer and less civilised without it. Those that examine Irish history from a nationalist or republican perspective tend to blame the British for everything that has gone wrong in Ireland and that there would not have been an Irish problem without British interference. Traditional historical debate usually tried to argue in favour of one perspective rather than another, whilst revisionists have tried to look at all factors involved without apportioning blame or praise to any sole actor in Irish history. Some also tried to look at Irish history from a Marxist perspective. This approach has been most popular with republicans as justification for their struggle against the British. Bibliography Ardagh, J (1994) Ireland and the Irish – Portrait of a Changing Society, Hamish Hamilton Ltd, London Fitzpatrick, D (1998) The Two Irelands 1912-1939, Oxford University Press, Oxford Gardiner J Wenborn N (1995) The History Today Companion to British History, Collins Brown, London Hobsbawm E (1975) the Age of Capital 1848-1875, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London Moody T W Martin F X, (2001) The Course of Irish History, Mercier Press, Cork and Dublin Morgan K O (1989) The Oxford Mini History of Britain Volume II – The Middle Ages, Oxford University Press, Oxford Schama S (2000) A History of Britain 1 – at the edge of the world 3000 BC – 1603, BBC Worldwide, London Schama S (2001) A History of Britain 2 – The British Wars 1603 –1776, BBC Worldwide, London Stewart A T Q (2001) The Shape of Irish History, The Blackstaff Press, Belfast Footnotes [1] Moody Martin, 2001, p.95 [2] Stewart, 2001, p.26 [3] Morgan, 1989, p.24 [4] Moody Martin, 2001, p.139 [5] Gardiner Wenborn, 1995, p.417 [6] Schama, 2000, p.389 [7] Moody Martin, 2001, p.139 [8] Lockyer, 1989, p.302 [9] Schama, 2001, p. 203 [10] Kennedy-Pipe 1998 p.9 [11] Hobsbawm 1975 p. 209 [12] Kinealy 1997 p. 5 [13] Kinealy, 1197, pp.6-7 [14] Stewart, 2001, p.106 [15] Stewart, 2001 p. 153 [16] Ardagh, 1994, p. 305 [17] Kennedy-Pipe, 1998 p. 13 [18] Fitzpatrick,1998 p.59 [19] Fitzpatrick 1998 p. 35 [20] Stewart, 2001 p. 174 [21] Moody Martin 2001 p. 269 [22] Kennedy – Pipe 1998 p. 37 [23] Moody Martin 2001 p. 291 [24] Gardiner Wenborn 1995 p.767 [25] Stewart 2001 p. 171

Netflix Inc Case Study: Emily Heath Part 3- Alternative Solutions

Netflix Inc. ,: Streaming Away From DVD’s Case Study: Emily Heath Part 3- Alternative Solutions To ensure the company will achieve stability by maintaining customer appreciation and satisfaction, Netflix must invest their time and finances into new alternative solutions. The solutions are based on what problems have presented themselves and are in best interest of the customers and the company. The main concerns at the moment seem to be the unreliability and instability of the company as the guidelines for prices and methods of delivery are constantly changing.There are a few possible suggestions that are up for experimentation to resolve Netflix’s problems. 1. Incorporate commercials before and after everything that is viewed on Netflix. One of the greatest features about Netflix is the commercial free streaming that is available. However, to generate more income, including commercials before and after each video and movie will assist with that. Doing it at the beginni ng and the end still keeps that commercial free feel, as its not interrupting what’s being watched every five minutes the way regular TV does.Also, keeping the commercials to a minimum will allow for a quick message from the advertiser to the viewers. Although commercials are reoccurring and usually disruptive, if the customers know they are getting a better movie selection, they will be satisfied. By airing these quick commercials, we are generating more income from advertisers. Solution: Seek potential advertisers that will pay to advertise their products briefly before and after viewing videos.Advantages: Generating income for the company, potentially the reason Netflix may be able to expand its selections Disadvantages: Netflix will not be considered commercial free. 2. Expand the target market. Netflix is directed towards younger viewers (not by choice, due to the selection available, a target market was formed). By adding in a variety of older selection movies and TV sh ows that may appeal to different age groups will broaden the customer base. Also, extending the variety to younger markets.As of now, the limited variety of movies and TV shows do not accommodate extremely young and older potential subscribers. If there is more selection incorporated, we can include all age groups. By incorporating cartoons and shows for young children, we are opening up a door for new customers. Young children will be able to tune in and watch their favorite shows, making it a favorite for parents. By adding in older movies and TV series like Coronation Street that target the older market, we are opening the door to potential customers in an older age group.Solution: Incorporate more variety for a broader age group. Include child friendly TV shows and movies, to increase viewers at a younger age. Incorporate some of the older, less common TV shows and movies that target the elder customer base. Advantages: Opens the door for even younger and older customers Disadva ntages: May be costly for the company to initially start and will rely completely on the outcome. Netflix must be sure they will gain this extra customer base before making the investment. 3. Create a Customer Base (Expand Social Network) to improve the services of Netflix.The entire business relies on subscribers. If they don’t feel as if they are important, they will hesitate to continue paying their fees. Also, being able to communicate with the customers will create a more friendly and personal atmosphere. Starting up a chat room on Netflix to discuss what movies and episodes the subscribers want is a great option to explore. Also, by doing this we can get first hand information and opinions from the source. Letting the customer know we care about them will improve the bond they have with the business.With a way to communicate to the customers, Netflix will be able to expand their customer appreciation and make better decisions to satisfy the consumers. Solution: Create a chat room to incorporate customer feedback. Advantages: This will create a bond with customers, will allow for opinions based completely on the consumer and will allow for Netflix to make accommodating changes to any issues affecting the subscribers. Also this may save some potential investments down the line because with a better understanding from the customers, the company will know which areas to splurge on. Example: knowing what the customers want, allows Netflix to purchase more of the popular demands rather then take the risk with less popular options. Disadvantages: It may be costly to start up. Also, it will require someone always on hand to review the feedback. 4. The biggest problem that is associated with Netflix is the unstable price and payment plan. The reason Netflix is so popular is because that is what the people love. The fact there is a flat rate to watch unlimited movies is the greatest selling point for consumers.Every time Netflix announces a change to their flat rate, the amount of viewers decline along with the reputation of the business. It is the smartest idea to combine everything into one flat rate. A slight increase may allow for a newer and greater selection on Netflix. If customers are aware of the slight price change and understand it will be beneficial for them rather then the company, they will be a lot less hesitant to pay it. Solution: set a fixed price rate and plan for the customers. Advantages: With a straightforward price and plan, it becomes easier to account for.Consumers enjoy simplicity and are more willing to invest/continue paying for something that seems organized and permanent. Disadvantages: Loosing the separate effect of DVD’s and TV shows. Rather then support what Reed wants by keeping it separate, the company must support what the customer wants as it relies on consumer satisfaction. 5. Creating a rewards program for customers will encourage viewers to continue using the service and will potentially increase the time spent on Netflix by the consumers.By incorporating a reward for using the product, it will increase daily views by already existing customers and will open the door to a large amount of new ones. If consumers know that their time spent is valuable to the company, they will be more willing to continue subscribing and potentially increase their viewing times. Solution: Create a reward system that is based on views. (The more videos viewed, the better the reward) For example, if customers view over 30 hours a week on Netflix, a 5% decrease on the monthly payment may take effect. Not an actual set price and reward system for Netflix). Advantages: This increases weekly views and will assure the company a certain amount of views is always being accounted for. This also encourages people to spend more time using the product and attracts new customers. Disadvantages: a potential loss in the beginning for the company if they don’t have the sufficient funds. This is a lso time consuming for the company and will require attention to be spent primarily on rewarding the customers. Fixing Netflix With the 3 P’s (Conclusion)Price: Solution 1 and 4 (above) focus on the price. Netflix must erase competition by fixing a competitive price. Also, they need to make sure they are offering the most for the cost. Promotion: Solutions 1, 3 and 4 (above) focus on the promotion. By promoting itself with a new approach, Netflix can gain new customers and continue building relationships with the previous ones. Distribution: Solution 2 and 5 (above) focus on the distribution. Netflix must make sure its available to everyone and that it is a high demand.Using the solutions suggested will expand the customer base and improve distribution, allowing Netflix more control than other companies. Netflix has the capability to be a great dependable DVD rental and online video streaming service. A few slight changes and improvements made will ensure the business will st ay striving for years to come. Netflix must settle on a fixed rate to offer customers. As a completely customer reliable business, it is necessary to involve them in every way possible. As a company, it should and will be Netflix’s goal to show the customers what they want to see.By opening this two-way road, company workers and everyday customers will be able to discuss and potentially vote for what shows and movies they would like to see more of. Another thing to take into account are the opportunities for advertisements. The more advertisements Netflix can show throughout a day without interruption will improve the variety of TV shows and movies that they can air due to a budget increase. Netflix needs to become dedicated to its customers in order for it to be successful. Following these suggested solutions may help increase overall yearly sales and customer satisfaction.

Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture

Jade is a metamorphic rock that is naturally colored green, red, yellow, or white. When it polished and treated, the vibrant colors of jade can be extraordinary. The most popular kind of jade in Chinese culture is green jade, which has an emerald hue.   Called 玉 (yà ¹) in Chinese, jade is important to Chinese culture because of its beauty, practical use, and social value. Here is an introduction to jade and why it is so important to Chinese people. Now when you browse through an antique shop, jewelry store, or museum, you can impress your friends with your knowledge of this important stone. Types of Jade Jade is classified into soft jade (nephrite) and hard jade (jadeite). Since China only had soft jade until jadeite was imported from Burma during the Qing dynasty (1271–1368 CE), the term jade traditionally refers to nephrite, and so soft jade is also called traditional jade. In preColumbian America, only hard jade was available; all Native American jades are jadeite. Burmese jadeite is called feicui in Chinese. Feicui is now more popular and valuable than soft jade in China today. History of Jade Jade has been a part of Chinese civilization from the earliest days. Chinese jade was used as a material for practical and ornamental purposes at an early period in history, and it continues to be very popular today. The earliest Chinese jade is from the early Neolithic period Hemudu culture in Zhejian Province (about 7000–5000 BCE). Jade was an important part of ritual contexts in the middle to late Neolithic periods, such as the Hongshan culture that existed along the Lao River and the Liangzhu culture in the Tai Lake region (both date between 4000–2500 BCE). Carved jade has also been found in sites dated to the Longshan culture (3500–2000 BCE) by the Yellow River; and the Bronze age cultures of Western and Easter Zhou dynasties (11th–3rd centuries BCE). In  Ã¨ ª ªÃ¦â€"‡è § £Ã¥ ­â€" (shuo  wen  jie  zi), the first Chinese dictionary published in the early second century CE, jade was described as beautiful stones by the writer Xu Zhen. Jade has been a familiar substance in Chinese culture for a very long time. Uses of Chinese Jade Archaeological artifacts of jade include sacrificial  vessels, tools, ornaments,  utensils, and many other items. Ancient music instruments were made out of Chinese jade, such as the yuxiao  (a flute made of jade and played vertically), and chimes. The beautiful color of jade made it a mysterious stone to the Chinese in ancient times, so jade wares were popular as sacrificial vessels and were often buried with the dead. One example of the ritual importance of jade is the burial of the body of Liu Sheng, a prince of the Zhongshan State (Western Han Dynasty) who died around 113 BCE. He was buried in a  jade suit  composed of 2,498 pieces of jade stitched together with gold thread. Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture Chinese people love jade not only because of its aesthetic beauty but also because of what it represents regarding social value. In the Li Ji (Book of Rites), Confucius said that there are 11 De, or virtues, represented in jade: benevolence, justice, propriety, truth, credibility, music, loyalty, heaven, earth, morality, and intelligence. The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth. Book of Rites In the Shi Jing  (Book of Odes), Confucius wrote: When I think of a wise man, his merits appear to be like jade. Book of Odes Thus, beyond monetary worth and materiality, jade is greatly prized as it stands for beauty, grace, and purity. As the Chinese saying goes: gold has a value; jade is invaluable.   Jade in the Chinese Language Because jade represents desirable virtues, the word for jade (yu) is incorporated into many Chinese idioms and proverbs to denote beautiful things or people. For example, å† °Ã¦ ¸â€¦Ã§Å½â€°Ã¦ ´  (bingqing yujie), which directly translates to clear as ice and clean as jade is a Chinese saying that means someone is pure and noble. ä º ­Ã¤ º ­Ã§Å½â€°Ã§ «â€¹ (tingting  yuli) is a phrase used to describe something or someone that is fair, slim, and graceful. Additionally, 玉å ¥ ³ (yà ¹nÇš), which means jade woman,  is a term for a lady or beautiful girl.   A popular thing to do in China is to use the Chinese character for jade in Chinese names. The Supreme Deity of Taoism is known as Yuhuang  Dadi (the Jade Emperor). Chinese Stories About Jade Jade is so ingrained in Chinese culture that there are famous stories about Jade (here called bi). The two most famous tales are He Shi Zhi Bi (Mr. He and His Jade or Hes Jade Disc) and Wan Bi Gui Zhao (Jade Returned Intact to Zhao). The stories involve a man named Bian He and a piece of jade that eventually became a symbol of united China. He Shi Zhi Bi tells the story of Mr. He and how he found a piece of raw jade and tried to give it to two generations of kings, but they didnt recognize it as valuable and cut off his feet as punishment for trying to pass off an unworthy stone. Eventually, the grandson of the first king finally had his jeweler cut the stone open and found the raw jade; it was carved into a disc and named after Mr. He by that grandson, Wenwang, the king of the Chu State, around 689 BCE. Wan Bi Gui Zhao is the follow-up story of this famous jade. The carved disc was subsequently stolen from the Chu State and eventually ended up owned by the Zhao. The king of the Qin State, the most powerful state during the Warring States Period (475–221 BCE), attempted to buy the jade disc back from the Zhao State in exchange for 15 cities. (Jade is known as ä » ·Ã¥â‚¬ ¼Ã¨ ¿Å¾Ã¥Å¸Å½, Valued at multiple cities because of this story.) However, he failed. Eventually, after some amount of political chicanery, the jade disc was returned to the Zhao State. In 221 BCE, the emperor Qin Shi Huangdi conquered the Zhao state, and as the ruler and founder of the Qin dynasty, he had the disc carved into a seal representing the new united China. The seal was part of the royal stores in China for 1,000 years before being lost during the Ming and Tang dynasties. Source Wu Dingming. 2014. A Panoramic View of Chinese Culture. Simon and Schuster.

What I ve Learned At The High School All Four Glorious Years

This speech is all about what I’ve learned here at the high school†¦ all four glorious years. You know, I’m glad that Avon Lake chose me as the student speaker, because I know that some high schools bring in like super awesome extreme sports people to try and inspire their students. But they usually have gotten stuck somewhere, in some far off country, stuck in a freezing mountain, nearly die. But because of his/her awesome MaGyver skills tend to survive, only losing a leg or arm. As a high school student, I know I don’t want to hear about that. I’d want show up to commencement happy, that I finally get to leave, hoping to hear some awesome memories, cry, and leave. And instead I would leave worried about blood flow to my extremities†¦show more content†¦) Don’t look for a meaning when there isn’t one. Luckily I’m not an inspirational speaker like that. I’ve climbed the rocky mountains, and I didn’t lose any limbs, metaphorically or otherwise. And this isn’t my time to give career advice†¦ mostly because I don’t have a career, that’s why I’m going to college. However I have indeed had large groups of people listen to me before, and I’ve given speeches in class that have gotten me A’s, so that makes me perfectly qualified to speak here today. Some of what i’m going to say is boring and I’m going to ramble.. well ramble more, and all of you will forget this within the week. But I shall say it regardless, with all the cheesy jokes, and all the stupid grins, and the stories that will start off well, and end up making no sense at all. So listen to me, or else you’ll end up like the two dead boys who got up to fight, one dark day in the middle of the night. ( great now I see people trying to furiously google that little diddy ) Well good luck let’s begin: 1. You Don’t Have To Have A Dream. If you didn’t know, I was adopted from Russia, so at eight months old, my dream was to wait the four hours for the nurse to feed me. Not all that awesome of a dream. But if you do have a dream, chase it. If it’s a big enough one and you want to spend your whole life chasing it, that by the time you achieve it it has taken