The problem
Corporations come and stay, existing only for profit, having a free reign over politics, the law and the economy, which in turn, affects society and the environment. They are powerful enough to influence political decisions and actions, are able to bend the law and control the economy to any extent that benefits them, regardless of any outcome other than profit. They are able to control, escape and affect society and the environment, the political and legal system and the economy. In short, corporations influence the country and in turn, affect the world.
Effecting society and the environment
Legally, a corporation is an individual person although in reality, it is a group of people. By passing a legislation legalising corporations as an individual, you give it the same civil and political rights a normal citizen would have. You get one ‘person’ with more brain power than a normal person would have, meaning that corporations have more resources at their disposal. Just by passing the legislation, corporations have gained more power than it already had.
The media
The media is not exempt from corporate control, as corporations can influence what media broadcasts. If society was to find out that a certain product had health risks and so on attached to it, it would definitely hinder the corporation’s ability to generate profit.
A commonly use hormone to increase milk production in cows in the US, rBGH, was investigated by reporters Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, both worked for Fox News before being fired. Akre and Wilson refused to change their report on the health risks of rBGH on humans and the cruel effects it has on the animal after Monsanto wrote to Fox News. The result was a legal battle between Fox News and Akre and Wilson, in which Akre won. However, Fox News overturned the verdict and appealed that they did not have to report the truth as policies regarding about reporting truths were not legally binding.
Even if it was for the benefit of the public to know of these risks, Monsanto tried to repress the report. The reason for it is that the products of Monsanto would be questioned of its quality and the method to produce would appear unethical and immoral. Therefore, Monsanto will lose not only profit, but also credibility.
Influencing public view on environmental issues
Global warming is a common issue today, news reporters telling us of melting ice caps and raising temperatures, S+E teachers lecturing their students about it and an international agreement was created to help combat it. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had stated that "the balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on global climate" and the likely result would be "widespread economic, social and environmental dislocation over the next century", a conclusion of 2 500 climate scientists.
However, corporations have paid other scientists, providing them funding, to disclaim this fact, saying that there isn’t enough information to act and it will be incredibly expensive to do so, casting doubt over the issue and consequently make society believe that there is still room for debate as to whether global warming is fact or myth. In fact, a group of corporations had released a video claiming that the rising carbon dioxide levels will actually help the production of crops and feed the poverty-stricken nations. Ironically enough, this group consists of fifty oil, gas, automobile, coal and chemical companies.
Global warming and its consequences
Also, morals and common sense take over on this point. The effects of global warming are common knowledge these days; it destroys the environment, causes animals to die, be displaced and seasonal events have moved out of place because of the rising temperatures. Yet industries seem determined to exacerbate the issue even further. Which begs the moral question: does any one of us have the right to destroy the world? Even if we actually do have the right to do so, corporations seem oblivious to the fact that without the world, there will be no profit.
Corporate power in politics and law
Corporations are able to donate large amounts of money to a political party, especially during election times. In Australia, there is no limit as to how much money is allowed to be donated, but anything over $10 500 must be declared. In the US, there is a contribution called "soft money", which can only fund in general to one party, is unlimited and does not need to be declared, and PACs (political action committees) can donate up to $5 000 per candidate of whichever party they share the same views with. Corporations can also form their own PAC.
Lobbying and paying the government
In today’s world, it is not uncommon for a corporation to give huge amounts of money to a political party of their choice or to the presiding government. However, if a corporation exists solely for profit, why do they bother to give money away? The answer would be to get their way in making profit without obstacles blocking their path to profit. The more money a corporation has, the larger its ability to receive deals for their projects to proceed or continue.
Walker Corp, who deals with property, was chosen for the $400million redevelopment of Kew Cottages into prime housing, donated $100 000 in 2007 (after a substantial time from its last donation of $55 000 in 2000) and had one of his lobbyist contacts to help along the process of an agreement for the continuation of the development, after the government decided to stop the controversial project. An agreement was signed guaranteeing that the project went ahead, just before election time.
Escaping the law
Corporations are in no shortage of money, and can afford to pay legal procedures and better lawyers than their opposition in court. They know that by lengthening court procedure it would make it even more expensive, which the government and other small businesses cannot afford. Most of the time corporate lawyers stand in court only to delay, so that the government and small business do not have enough money to pay for their legal fees and withdraw their complaints.
But there are other ways of waiving their way through our legal system, by exploiting the loopholes. Alan Bond, one of the biggest corporate names, was charged for a corporate fraud worth $1.2 billion. He became bankrupt and was sentenced to seven years in jail. However, the High Court ruled that his sentence was to be reduced to four years due to a legal technicality. Bond was able to pay for a High Court appeal as well as his lawyer’s fees, even though technically bankrupt.
When corporations do get caught and are told to pay the fine, the law is usually on their side and the fine is usually not in the same level as the crime itself. A few examples would be Richard Pratt, fined $36 million for a fraud of $700 million and Steve Vizard, fined $400 000 for a fraud of $3 million. If this is the level of fines corporate CEOs get when charged with fraud, they’re still making a lot of profit.
The economy
The banks
Banks are not just buildings where you store your money; they are also corporations wanting profit. Banks can either approve or disapprove the loans to large corporations, to the extent in which it can lower the price of the company’s stocks. The banks can then buy stocks at a low price, approve of the loan which then causes stock prices to rise and sell them at a high price and thus gaining profit. Adding to that is the interest in which the company has to pay, gaining even more profit.
Bubble bursting
Normally, the government creates the money and circulates it around the economy. The US differs from this conventional mean, as the privately owned Federal Reserve Corporation was given all the power to create money in 1913. By the 1980’s, the US government was in a debt of $1trillion to the Federal Reserve, in which it uses taxpayers money to pay off. However, taxpayers themselves are continually in debt as they borrow money of the banks, with no hope of paying off the principle amount as well as the interest, although they appear rich with the created credit loaned to them by the banks, creating a credit bubble. Finally, the credit bubble burst, severely and globally affecting the economy.
The solution
With these three main factors in mind, I have created a three-point framework to solve this particular problem of countries controlled by corporations.
Firstly, new legislation should be passed, restricting the amount a corporation can donate to a political party or government to $12 000 per anum, and all donations must be reported. This is ensuring that there will be less corporate interference, especially on the large-scale projects which are responsible for many controversies. There should also be a code by which politicians should go by, limiting the amount of time spent around corporations, corporate groups and lobbyist. This ensures that there will be less distortion of facts as well as furthering to ensure that there will be less corporate influence within governments.
Secondly, laws, especially corporate laws, should be reviewed and changed to make certain that loopholes within the legislation are not exploited again by corporate lawyers (such as the Alan Bond case), and legal procedure involving corporations should also have a time limit, which will, to an extent, nullify the money power between the government and corporations.
Thirdly, in response to climate change, the government should move ahead with its plans to combat global warming instead of placating the corporations lobbying against governmental actions. Citizens of the country becoming increasingly concerned about global warming, doing their bit to stop it and supporting actions against global warming should be the main motivating factor for a democratic government to go ahead with their projects, not the unhappy corporations who will sulk over the loss of profit.
But, as usual, there is no plan that will be 100% effective in limiting corporate activities.
However, by limiting the amount that groups can donate will also mean that the government will need to find other sources of funding to provide for the public health, public transport and education sectors as well as for other various activities or projects such as road works. In addition, governments do not always rely on corporations for information, rather, they rely on other groups to come up with the information they ask. Coincidently, some of these groups are heavily funded by corporations.
Although trying to level out the playing field in legal procedures, corporations still have the wealth to pay better lawyers to defend their case. Also, the time limit may not be enough for the judge and the jury to decide on a proper verdict, and new evidence may be revealed after the verdict has been announced, in which a retrial is needed.
Conclusion
All in all, more regulations are needed to ensure that corporations have set boundaries and limits and less power to reign in corporations greed for money, letting society make up its own mind on national and international issues, protect the environment, keep our political and legal system from corrupt intentions and to prevent the economy from crashing down around our heads.
Bibliography:
http://www.polisci.ccsu.edu/trieb/InfluGov.html
http://corpau.blogspot.com/search/label/CF%20-%20Corporate%20Fraud
http://homepage.mac.com/herinst/sbeder/ecologist2.html
http://www.rense.com/general61/bbil.shtm
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s108998.htm
http://www.thecorporation.com/index.cfm?page_id=312
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Threatened Species
9.22
a) Select a species and/or ecological community that is threatened.
The numbat.
b) What are the threatening processes?
Habitat loss and the introduction of new species (such as foxes and feral cats), which wiped numbats in NSW, Victoria, Northern Territory, South Australia and nearly in WA as well.
c) What actions have been taken to save the species or ecological community?
In the past, the WA government had trailed fox baiting which increased numbat sightings by 40. Twenty years ago, a research and conservation program was instilled to increase the population of numbats, and fox-free areas have been reintroduced.
Also, Perth Zoo has been breeding and releasing numbats.
d) How have these actions and decisions affected all species including humans?
The fox baiting may had an affect on the population of foxes, however, foxes do not just prey on numbats, they also prey on other animals. Those animals then had a better chance of survival. But on the other hand, foxes prey on rabbits, a known pest, and actually help the ecosystem from being overrun by fast-breeding rabbits.
The re-installation of fox-free areas may have relieved pressure on the survival of domestic animals (such as chickens), as well as the owners knowing that the animals are safer.
The research and conservation program, plus the breeding program of Perth Zoo, raises awareness in the public.
e) Are there any conflicts of interest? Have they been resolved to preserve biodiversity?
I don't think there are any conflicts, as all actions and decisions have had a positive outcome and are in the best interest of the numbats.
f) What is your view of the best solution in saving these species?
At the moment, I think raising public awareness as well as further action (such as extending Perth Zoo's breeding program) would be able to save the numbats.
Let's save these numbats (which are small and cute)!!!!
xD
a) Select a species and/or ecological community that is threatened.
The numbat.
b) What are the threatening processes?
Habitat loss and the introduction of new species (such as foxes and feral cats), which wiped numbats in NSW, Victoria, Northern Territory, South Australia and nearly in WA as well.
c) What actions have been taken to save the species or ecological community?
In the past, the WA government had trailed fox baiting which increased numbat sightings by 40. Twenty years ago, a research and conservation program was instilled to increase the population of numbats, and fox-free areas have been reintroduced.
Also, Perth Zoo has been breeding and releasing numbats.
d) How have these actions and decisions affected all species including humans?
The fox baiting may had an affect on the population of foxes, however, foxes do not just prey on numbats, they also prey on other animals. Those animals then had a better chance of survival. But on the other hand, foxes prey on rabbits, a known pest, and actually help the ecosystem from being overrun by fast-breeding rabbits.
The re-installation of fox-free areas may have relieved pressure on the survival of domestic animals (such as chickens), as well as the owners knowing that the animals are safer.
The research and conservation program, plus the breeding program of Perth Zoo, raises awareness in the public.
e) Are there any conflicts of interest? Have they been resolved to preserve biodiversity?
I don't think there are any conflicts, as all actions and decisions have had a positive outcome and are in the best interest of the numbats.
f) What is your view of the best solution in saving these species?
At the moment, I think raising public awareness as well as further action (such as extending Perth Zoo's breeding program) would be able to save the numbats.
Let's save these numbats (which are small and cute)!!!!
xD
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Heroes in History-William Wilberforce
Known for the abolition of slave trade and slavery in the British Empire, William Wilberforce was born on the August 24, 1759 in Hull, as a sick frail child, suffering from chronic ulcerative colitis throughout his life. He grew up in a wealthy merchant family, of which his grandfather made most of the family fortune by Baltic trading and also by being elected mayor of Hull twice. He attended Hull Grammar School, and then St John’s College before studying at Cambridge University.
His father died when he was 9 years old and his mother, unable to care for him properly, left him in the care of his aunt and uncle, in which they took him to their evangelical Anglican parish. At church, a young Wilberforce had his favourite guest speaker, John Newton, who was an ex-slaver converted to Christianity. However, Wilberforce was becoming influenced by ideologies that his mother and grandfather didn’t approve of, and sent back for him.
Wilberforce completed his education at Cambridge University and spent 8000-9000 pounds to become a member of parliament in 1780 at the age of 21, representing Hull. In 1784, he became the MP of Yorkshire and was later on the MP of Bramber in 1812.
Upon joining parliament, he made a friendship with William Pitt, who became Britain’s youngest Prime Minister and also the one who encouraged and supported Wilberforce’s plight in abolishing slavery. Wilberforce was on the back bench in parliament, only supporting the issues that went along with his ideals and also noted for his eloquence. At this point in time, his faith became loose and he started to drink and gamble. However, after holidaying in Buxton, he was re-introduced to Christianity, joined the Clapham Sect (which was a leading Christian group) and became so morose that he quit drinking and gambling and wanted to give up politics as well. He was persuaded not to by John Newton, who he went to for council, as Newton said:
“It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation.”
From this time forward, Wilberforce would not participate in parliament activities or issues brought up there if it went against his religion, or would take on the stance that his religion states. He also attended both services on Sunday and urged other politicians to do the same.
Thomas Clarkson was the man who introduced Wilberforce of the issue of slavery, showing the bad conditions in which British ships transported black slaves in. Wilberforce later wrote in his diary:
“So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the [slave] trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.”
Of course, his newly found faith would have influenced his decision to abolish slavery as the Bible states:
“Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”
And also that fact that most members of the Clapham Sect were against slavery may have influenced him to take on his antislavery stance.
Another factor could be that his lifestyle, social and economical status was drastically different to those of the slave, which could motivate him to take on his anti-slavery stance. Another reason could be the fact that Captain Sir Charles Middleton was horrified when he boarded a French slave ship, which prompted him to write to Wilberforce to raise the issue up in parliament.
He and a group of other people, including Clarkson, tried to petition the general populace to take on an anti-slavery stance with brochures containing information and diagrams about how black slaves were transported to Britain in cruel, harsh, and inhumane conditions.
Wilberforce knew that abolishing slave trade and slavery wouldn’t be easy, as it was very common in Britain and also deeply entrenched in society and also the economy (as having slaves would be a symbol of the owner’s wealth as well as having free labour, meaning that the owner has more money to keep for themselves). In 1789, Wilberforce brought up the issue of abolishment of slavery and spoke for 3.5 hours. In 1791, he presented his first bill to abolish slave trade. He lost 163 votes to 88. He presented another bill in 1805 to disallow any British subject to transport slaves; it passed though the House of Commons, but was blocked by the House of Lords. He presented 12 bills and fought for 18 years before in 1807, where his bill was passed through the House of Commons (114 votes to 15) and though the House of Lords (41 votes to 20). The bill became law in March 25, 1807.
As well as working of the abolishment of slave trade and slavery, Wilberforce was also interested in the reformation of society.
During the time where Wilberforce was presenting bill and fighting for the abolishment of the slave trade, he married Barbara Ann Spooner on May 30, 1797, and had four sons and two daughters with her. He also created the Society of the Suppression of Vice in 1802, which began with King George the Third Royal Proclamation in 1787 at Wilberforce’s suggestion, which was "for the encouragement of piety and virtue; and for the preventing of vice, profaneness, and immorality." He was also associated with the Association for the Better Observance of Sunday, which provided children with regular education in reading, personal hygiene and religion. He was also involved in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (which was granted a Royal status in 1840 by Queen Victoria, thus becoming the RSCPA). With all that, he also helped found a lot of other church groups, such as the Society for Bettering the Cause of the Poor, Church Missionary Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Antislavery Society, as well as encouraging missionaries to go to India. There were times he gave away more than his salary to help such groups.
There was a time where he was either a president/vice-president/member of 69 societies while being married with six children and living a devout Christian life. Despite that and his work on abolishment, he always paid attention to his family, playing with the children. Everyone also attended family prayer twice a day. He once said, “The spiritual interests of my children is my first priority.”
Even though he had abolished slave trade, slavery had not finished as there were slaves that were bought before the trade abolishment passed and Wilberforce spent the next 26 years on the abolishment of slavery. However, his health was declining and he quit being the MP of Yorkshire and instead, became the MP of Bramber in 1812 and in the same year, started on the Slave Registration Bill, as if slaves were registered, it could be proven if slaves were recently transport into Britain from Africa. Spencer Perceval, the current Prime Minister, supported the bill but was assassinated. Along with his death was Wilberforce’s support from government. In 1815, he declared that as the government would not support him, he felt that he didn’t need to be bound by their line. From then on, he openly moved to end slavery.
Wilberforce was 56 years old at this time, and his health was worsening (and even more worsen due to the side effects of a strong pain killer at that time, which was a mixture of alcohol and opium), and he could not fight as actively as he did with the slave trade. But this did not stop him from attacking slavery in public meetings and in parliament. However, after 45 years of serving in parliament, Wilberforce retired from politics in 1825 and retreated to Mill Hill. Thomas Fowell Buxton was given the baton to continue the fight against slavery in parliament.
Wilberforce’s last public appearance was in 1830 at the Antislavery Society, which, at Clarkson’s suggestion, he chaired. On July 26, 1833, the bill to abolish slavery passed through parliament. On July 29, 1833, three days later, at the age of 74, William Wilberforce died of influenza.
The house Wilberforce was born in is now the Wilberforce House museum, and a 6-form college is name after him in the east of Hull, as well as a building at the college. There is also the Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio, US, which is the first university to be owned by African-Americans. Wilberforce didn’t only leave behind universities named in honour of him; various churches of Anglican faith have a day of which they celebrate Wilberforce on their calendar.
More obviously, Wilberforce had abolished slavery, which freed a lot of slaves and also saved those who could have been enslaved. He instilled in the mindset of people today that slavery is inhumane and degrading and should not be allowed. The abolition of slavery in Britain and in France may have pushed for the same abolition in America, yet again saving more people from the chains of slavery.
Morals and ideals that he presented to society back then has bleed into society today. Animal cruelty is frowned upon, children should be able to have a good education, good manners should be shown at all times and also to treat others how you’d like to be treated to name a few. The film, Amazing Grace, which depicts Wilberforce and his plight against slavery, shows viewers the strength that Wilberforce had to keep on pursuing in what he believed in. These are the morals that Wilberforce had enforced and are now part of the hegemonic discourse of society today.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Christianity Today”, [1997], http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/special/131christians/wilberforce.html
“BBC”, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wilberforce_william.shtml
“Salt Shakers”, [2007], http://www.saltshakers.org.au/html/P/374/B/376/
“Creation of the Web”, [2007], http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/4932/
“Victor Shepherd”, http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/Heritage/wilberforce.htm
“Brycchan Carey”, [2007], http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wilberforce.htm
“Answers.com”, http://www.answers.com/topic/William-Wilberforce
His father died when he was 9 years old and his mother, unable to care for him properly, left him in the care of his aunt and uncle, in which they took him to their evangelical Anglican parish. At church, a young Wilberforce had his favourite guest speaker, John Newton, who was an ex-slaver converted to Christianity. However, Wilberforce was becoming influenced by ideologies that his mother and grandfather didn’t approve of, and sent back for him.
Wilberforce completed his education at Cambridge University and spent 8000-9000 pounds to become a member of parliament in 1780 at the age of 21, representing Hull. In 1784, he became the MP of Yorkshire and was later on the MP of Bramber in 1812.
Upon joining parliament, he made a friendship with William Pitt, who became Britain’s youngest Prime Minister and also the one who encouraged and supported Wilberforce’s plight in abolishing slavery. Wilberforce was on the back bench in parliament, only supporting the issues that went along with his ideals and also noted for his eloquence. At this point in time, his faith became loose and he started to drink and gamble. However, after holidaying in Buxton, he was re-introduced to Christianity, joined the Clapham Sect (which was a leading Christian group) and became so morose that he quit drinking and gambling and wanted to give up politics as well. He was persuaded not to by John Newton, who he went to for council, as Newton said:
“It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation.”
From this time forward, Wilberforce would not participate in parliament activities or issues brought up there if it went against his religion, or would take on the stance that his religion states. He also attended both services on Sunday and urged other politicians to do the same.
Thomas Clarkson was the man who introduced Wilberforce of the issue of slavery, showing the bad conditions in which British ships transported black slaves in. Wilberforce later wrote in his diary:
“So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the [slave] trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.”
Of course, his newly found faith would have influenced his decision to abolish slavery as the Bible states:
“Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”
And also that fact that most members of the Clapham Sect were against slavery may have influenced him to take on his antislavery stance.
Another factor could be that his lifestyle, social and economical status was drastically different to those of the slave, which could motivate him to take on his anti-slavery stance. Another reason could be the fact that Captain Sir Charles Middleton was horrified when he boarded a French slave ship, which prompted him to write to Wilberforce to raise the issue up in parliament.
He and a group of other people, including Clarkson, tried to petition the general populace to take on an anti-slavery stance with brochures containing information and diagrams about how black slaves were transported to Britain in cruel, harsh, and inhumane conditions.
Wilberforce knew that abolishing slave trade and slavery wouldn’t be easy, as it was very common in Britain and also deeply entrenched in society and also the economy (as having slaves would be a symbol of the owner’s wealth as well as having free labour, meaning that the owner has more money to keep for themselves). In 1789, Wilberforce brought up the issue of abolishment of slavery and spoke for 3.5 hours. In 1791, he presented his first bill to abolish slave trade. He lost 163 votes to 88. He presented another bill in 1805 to disallow any British subject to transport slaves; it passed though the House of Commons, but was blocked by the House of Lords. He presented 12 bills and fought for 18 years before in 1807, where his bill was passed through the House of Commons (114 votes to 15) and though the House of Lords (41 votes to 20). The bill became law in March 25, 1807.
As well as working of the abolishment of slave trade and slavery, Wilberforce was also interested in the reformation of society.
During the time where Wilberforce was presenting bill and fighting for the abolishment of the slave trade, he married Barbara Ann Spooner on May 30, 1797, and had four sons and two daughters with her. He also created the Society of the Suppression of Vice in 1802, which began with King George the Third Royal Proclamation in 1787 at Wilberforce’s suggestion, which was "for the encouragement of piety and virtue; and for the preventing of vice, profaneness, and immorality." He was also associated with the Association for the Better Observance of Sunday, which provided children with regular education in reading, personal hygiene and religion. He was also involved in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (which was granted a Royal status in 1840 by Queen Victoria, thus becoming the RSCPA). With all that, he also helped found a lot of other church groups, such as the Society for Bettering the Cause of the Poor, Church Missionary Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Antislavery Society, as well as encouraging missionaries to go to India. There were times he gave away more than his salary to help such groups.
There was a time where he was either a president/vice-president/member of 69 societies while being married with six children and living a devout Christian life. Despite that and his work on abolishment, he always paid attention to his family, playing with the children. Everyone also attended family prayer twice a day. He once said, “The spiritual interests of my children is my first priority.”
Even though he had abolished slave trade, slavery had not finished as there were slaves that were bought before the trade abolishment passed and Wilberforce spent the next 26 years on the abolishment of slavery. However, his health was declining and he quit being the MP of Yorkshire and instead, became the MP of Bramber in 1812 and in the same year, started on the Slave Registration Bill, as if slaves were registered, it could be proven if slaves were recently transport into Britain from Africa. Spencer Perceval, the current Prime Minister, supported the bill but was assassinated. Along with his death was Wilberforce’s support from government. In 1815, he declared that as the government would not support him, he felt that he didn’t need to be bound by their line. From then on, he openly moved to end slavery.
Wilberforce was 56 years old at this time, and his health was worsening (and even more worsen due to the side effects of a strong pain killer at that time, which was a mixture of alcohol and opium), and he could not fight as actively as he did with the slave trade. But this did not stop him from attacking slavery in public meetings and in parliament. However, after 45 years of serving in parliament, Wilberforce retired from politics in 1825 and retreated to Mill Hill. Thomas Fowell Buxton was given the baton to continue the fight against slavery in parliament.
Wilberforce’s last public appearance was in 1830 at the Antislavery Society, which, at Clarkson’s suggestion, he chaired. On July 26, 1833, the bill to abolish slavery passed through parliament. On July 29, 1833, three days later, at the age of 74, William Wilberforce died of influenza.
The house Wilberforce was born in is now the Wilberforce House museum, and a 6-form college is name after him in the east of Hull, as well as a building at the college. There is also the Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio, US, which is the first university to be owned by African-Americans. Wilberforce didn’t only leave behind universities named in honour of him; various churches of Anglican faith have a day of which they celebrate Wilberforce on their calendar.
More obviously, Wilberforce had abolished slavery, which freed a lot of slaves and also saved those who could have been enslaved. He instilled in the mindset of people today that slavery is inhumane and degrading and should not be allowed. The abolition of slavery in Britain and in France may have pushed for the same abolition in America, yet again saving more people from the chains of slavery.
Morals and ideals that he presented to society back then has bleed into society today. Animal cruelty is frowned upon, children should be able to have a good education, good manners should be shown at all times and also to treat others how you’d like to be treated to name a few. The film, Amazing Grace, which depicts Wilberforce and his plight against slavery, shows viewers the strength that Wilberforce had to keep on pursuing in what he believed in. These are the morals that Wilberforce had enforced and are now part of the hegemonic discourse of society today.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Christianity Today”, [1997], http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/special/131christians/wilberforce.html
“BBC”, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wilberforce_william.shtml
“Salt Shakers”, [2007], http://www.saltshakers.org.au/html/P/374/B/376/
“Creation of the Web”, [2007], http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/4932/
“Victor Shepherd”, http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/Heritage/wilberforce.htm
“Brycchan Carey”, [2007], http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wilberforce.htm
“Answers.com”, http://www.answers.com/topic/William-Wilberforce
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sustainable Society
Introduction
For a society to be a sustainable society, you must take into account in what the said society has done to reach its status. There are factors which should be done and should continue to be done for the society to be sustainable. This report will be dealing with the role of the government, the environmental issues such as adapting to the land, litter management and how to utilize the land as well as trade and security alliances.
Government
Social security
Social security is a way for people to feel better about life. People now no longer worry about working at an old age because there is now pensions. It should keep people happy that the government actually does care for them, and people also know that their tax money is not going to waste. If a country has a good social security that the people like, there would be fewer clashes between the government and the people.
In Denmark and Sweden (amongst other European countries), have high taxes. In Demark, 50% of a person’s wages goes to tax. However, the government spends half of its money on providing benefits such as health care and education, essentially giving back what it took. Sweden has a high level of living, has the same high tax as Denmark and also its social security is very strong. Tuition is free and financial support is provided for going to university. The health care in Sweden is excellent, you need only to pay a small fare to see a doctor and if you are hospitalized, it is for free and services take up 70% of the GDP.
Accepting change
The government accepting change is a major factor to sustainability. To be able to accept change is to understand that the world is changing and we must change along with it. Bhutan is a country that accepted change in its own government. Bhutan was a hereditary monarchy, with the title of King passed down, which is not always a good idea as not everyone in the family is good at leading a nation. It was isolated to the world until 1971, when it joined up with the United Nations and with the help of India, into global scrutiny. Although Bhutan is a very small country and trades mainly with India, it does not change the fact that in 2006, the King had stepped down from his throne and Bhutan became a democracy.
With the changing climates around the world, global warming has become a very big issue for people and governments to think about. While some people say that we should plant trees or try to cut down on green house emissions, others do not believe in it. The whole point of the Kyoto Protocol is to cut down on emissions in a global effort. The Kyoto Protocol can also be read as an acceptance of climate change as well as a way of fighting global warming. It signifies that Japan is well aware of the changes in climate, the results it could have on the world and knows how to battle it in a particular way they think is most effective.
Environment
Adapting to the land
Many societies have tried to change the land to suit their wants. Sheep and cows are introduced species in Australia, and their hoofed feet have contributed to soil erosion. Sheep and cows eat grass as food and as a result, trees have been cut down to grow grass for the cows and sheep. But in cutting down trees, the soil is more likely to be eroded and the water table is allowed to rise and cause salinity. Therefore, for a society to be able to sustain itself the land should not be adapted to the wants of the people, but rather the people should adapt to the land instead.
A way of adapting to the land is the staple food of the people. Instead of fishing, the Greenlandic Norse has bought cows over to colonize, and tried to grow crops that wouldn’t grow in the climate even though there was fish everywhere around them. When the Little Ice Age struck, the grass died and their livestock has nothing to eat. However, this wouldn’t have been a problem if they actually went fishing and it’s highly probable that some saw the Inuit hunting for fish. This is not the case for the Dominican Republic. The staple foods of the people in the Dominican Republic are all native, and most of the agriculture is bananas and sugar cane which can grow easily in their climate.
Sweden has many rivers which were formed from the melted snows from the mountains and by rainfall. These rivers have been utilised, and they have built hydro electrical plants over the rivers. Fifty-one percent of Sweden’s power comes from the hydro electrical plants, as opposed to burning fossil-fuels. Although Sweden has decreased its dependency on fossil-fuels, it still has nuclear reactors which Sweden plans to phase out by 2020. In doing this, Sweden has turned to renewable energy which doesn't harm the environment.
Litter management
Litter management is quite important, as we know if we were to throw out our plastic bags out into the ocean it could possibly cause death to various sea animals. Unless we are using scraps wisely (for example, kitchen scraps as a fertilizer and in other words, recycling), we are most likely putting the environment at risk. Back in the days when people in Europe threw their excretions out of the window onto the streets, they were putting their health at risk. Diseases and illness could roam more freely and widely, and streets would be dirtier. Add in the fact that animals can carry diseases without being effect because of the species barrier, and that they can spread the disease to other animals. In a short amount of time, the whole city could be infected.
Edo Period Japan had managed to avoid this, although the people in the Edo Period probably did not notice what their actions led to. The people reused and recycled everything. There was hardly anything that was not used. If a tool was broken, it would be fixed. If it broke again, it would be repaired again and again until it truly couldn’t be used anymore. Used paper was collected and sold to warehouses that could the turn it into toilet paper or printing paper. People on the streets would collect paper that was rubbish and sell it for money. Umbrellas were made out of bamboo ribs, and collectors bought them and sold them to specialised warehouses. Workers would take the old oiled paper off the bamboo ribs, put a new sheet of oiled paper on, sell the new umbrella and sole the old oiled paper for packaging use. Candles were expensive to make, so the wax drippings was collected, sold and remade into a new candle. Ash was stored and sold to buyers, who in turn sold the ash to farmers who would then use it as fertilizer. Night soil (human waste) wasn’t thrown out; it was stored until farmers (who had a contract with the household and paid or offered crops that they grow) came and collected it and used it as fertilizer, which would keep farmland fertile. All this kept the streets clean and the people were unlikely to have a disease running through town.
Utilization of land
Another environmental factor on sustainability is how the society used the land. If the society is rich in a certain commodity and exploits it too much, it would not survive for very long after the resource has been dried up. The society would then have to use the commodity in moderation or put restrictions or laws on it and to make it last for as long as possible.
An example of this would have to be Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Both are on the same island which was formed by volcanic eruption. But one side is particularly more forested than the other. While the Dominican Republic did not cut deforest its part of the island, Haiti had completely deforested its land. In a result Haiti would not have a large diversity of wild life, poor land for crops and any farming that is done is mostly for local use and hardly any export. On the other hand, the Dominican Republic did not deforest itself, which made it the complete opposite of Haiti, despite being the on the same island. By preserving its forests the trees will continue to prevent the rich soil from erosion and thus, keeping the land fertile. Dominican Republic also has restrictions on timber exports and has set up national parks to protect it land.
Alliances
Trade and security alliances
Alliances help keeps friendly relationships between countries. It lowers the possibility of an outbreak of war between the two and is beneficial to participating countries. Alliances offer protection or a stronger hold in one area amongst others. While a trade alliance is the exchange of commodities, a security alliance could be a defence over a certain area, such as a border.
An example of this would be ANZUS (involving Australia, New Zealand and the US). This alliance was about the defence of the Pacific region. With this, relationships between the three countries strengthened, and ANZUS was beneficial to all three countries. It offered protection to Australia and New Zealand, while it gave the US a stronger hold on the Pacific region. However, New Zealand refused entry to American warships believing that they had nuclear weapons or nuclear-powered. As a result, the US suspended the alliance with New Zealand, although it still continues with the alliance with Australia.
Conclusion
The government should look after its own people in a wise manner and should be able to accept changes as different problems present themselves at different times and must be fixed. Sustainability depends heavily on the environment and how the society uses it. If it were to deforest itself for, say, farmland, the soil will be eroded away and the earth would not be the same as how it first started. If people were to be unhygienic, diseases could be more widespread and it’ll be easier to catch it. Another factor is alliances with other countries. This ensures that outbreaks of battle between the two are unlikely to happen and encourages a friendly relationship between the two. These factors are important for a sustainable society.
For a society to be a sustainable society, you must take into account in what the said society has done to reach its status. There are factors which should be done and should continue to be done for the society to be sustainable. This report will be dealing with the role of the government, the environmental issues such as adapting to the land, litter management and how to utilize the land as well as trade and security alliances.
Government
Social security
Social security is a way for people to feel better about life. People now no longer worry about working at an old age because there is now pensions. It should keep people happy that the government actually does care for them, and people also know that their tax money is not going to waste. If a country has a good social security that the people like, there would be fewer clashes between the government and the people.
In Denmark and Sweden (amongst other European countries), have high taxes. In Demark, 50% of a person’s wages goes to tax. However, the government spends half of its money on providing benefits such as health care and education, essentially giving back what it took. Sweden has a high level of living, has the same high tax as Denmark and also its social security is very strong. Tuition is free and financial support is provided for going to university. The health care in Sweden is excellent, you need only to pay a small fare to see a doctor and if you are hospitalized, it is for free and services take up 70% of the GDP.
Accepting change
The government accepting change is a major factor to sustainability. To be able to accept change is to understand that the world is changing and we must change along with it. Bhutan is a country that accepted change in its own government. Bhutan was a hereditary monarchy, with the title of King passed down, which is not always a good idea as not everyone in the family is good at leading a nation. It was isolated to the world until 1971, when it joined up with the United Nations and with the help of India, into global scrutiny. Although Bhutan is a very small country and trades mainly with India, it does not change the fact that in 2006, the King had stepped down from his throne and Bhutan became a democracy.
With the changing climates around the world, global warming has become a very big issue for people and governments to think about. While some people say that we should plant trees or try to cut down on green house emissions, others do not believe in it. The whole point of the Kyoto Protocol is to cut down on emissions in a global effort. The Kyoto Protocol can also be read as an acceptance of climate change as well as a way of fighting global warming. It signifies that Japan is well aware of the changes in climate, the results it could have on the world and knows how to battle it in a particular way they think is most effective.
Environment
Adapting to the land
Many societies have tried to change the land to suit their wants. Sheep and cows are introduced species in Australia, and their hoofed feet have contributed to soil erosion. Sheep and cows eat grass as food and as a result, trees have been cut down to grow grass for the cows and sheep. But in cutting down trees, the soil is more likely to be eroded and the water table is allowed to rise and cause salinity. Therefore, for a society to be able to sustain itself the land should not be adapted to the wants of the people, but rather the people should adapt to the land instead.
A way of adapting to the land is the staple food of the people. Instead of fishing, the Greenlandic Norse has bought cows over to colonize, and tried to grow crops that wouldn’t grow in the climate even though there was fish everywhere around them. When the Little Ice Age struck, the grass died and their livestock has nothing to eat. However, this wouldn’t have been a problem if they actually went fishing and it’s highly probable that some saw the Inuit hunting for fish. This is not the case for the Dominican Republic. The staple foods of the people in the Dominican Republic are all native, and most of the agriculture is bananas and sugar cane which can grow easily in their climate.
Sweden has many rivers which were formed from the melted snows from the mountains and by rainfall. These rivers have been utilised, and they have built hydro electrical plants over the rivers. Fifty-one percent of Sweden’s power comes from the hydro electrical plants, as opposed to burning fossil-fuels. Although Sweden has decreased its dependency on fossil-fuels, it still has nuclear reactors which Sweden plans to phase out by 2020. In doing this, Sweden has turned to renewable energy which doesn't harm the environment.
Litter management
Litter management is quite important, as we know if we were to throw out our plastic bags out into the ocean it could possibly cause death to various sea animals. Unless we are using scraps wisely (for example, kitchen scraps as a fertilizer and in other words, recycling), we are most likely putting the environment at risk. Back in the days when people in Europe threw their excretions out of the window onto the streets, they were putting their health at risk. Diseases and illness could roam more freely and widely, and streets would be dirtier. Add in the fact that animals can carry diseases without being effect because of the species barrier, and that they can spread the disease to other animals. In a short amount of time, the whole city could be infected.
Edo Period Japan had managed to avoid this, although the people in the Edo Period probably did not notice what their actions led to. The people reused and recycled everything. There was hardly anything that was not used. If a tool was broken, it would be fixed. If it broke again, it would be repaired again and again until it truly couldn’t be used anymore. Used paper was collected and sold to warehouses that could the turn it into toilet paper or printing paper. People on the streets would collect paper that was rubbish and sell it for money. Umbrellas were made out of bamboo ribs, and collectors bought them and sold them to specialised warehouses. Workers would take the old oiled paper off the bamboo ribs, put a new sheet of oiled paper on, sell the new umbrella and sole the old oiled paper for packaging use. Candles were expensive to make, so the wax drippings was collected, sold and remade into a new candle. Ash was stored and sold to buyers, who in turn sold the ash to farmers who would then use it as fertilizer. Night soil (human waste) wasn’t thrown out; it was stored until farmers (who had a contract with the household and paid or offered crops that they grow) came and collected it and used it as fertilizer, which would keep farmland fertile. All this kept the streets clean and the people were unlikely to have a disease running through town.
Utilization of land
Another environmental factor on sustainability is how the society used the land. If the society is rich in a certain commodity and exploits it too much, it would not survive for very long after the resource has been dried up. The society would then have to use the commodity in moderation or put restrictions or laws on it and to make it last for as long as possible.
An example of this would have to be Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Both are on the same island which was formed by volcanic eruption. But one side is particularly more forested than the other. While the Dominican Republic did not cut deforest its part of the island, Haiti had completely deforested its land. In a result Haiti would not have a large diversity of wild life, poor land for crops and any farming that is done is mostly for local use and hardly any export. On the other hand, the Dominican Republic did not deforest itself, which made it the complete opposite of Haiti, despite being the on the same island. By preserving its forests the trees will continue to prevent the rich soil from erosion and thus, keeping the land fertile. Dominican Republic also has restrictions on timber exports and has set up national parks to protect it land.
Alliances
Trade and security alliances
Alliances help keeps friendly relationships between countries. It lowers the possibility of an outbreak of war between the two and is beneficial to participating countries. Alliances offer protection or a stronger hold in one area amongst others. While a trade alliance is the exchange of commodities, a security alliance could be a defence over a certain area, such as a border.
An example of this would be ANZUS (involving Australia, New Zealand and the US). This alliance was about the defence of the Pacific region. With this, relationships between the three countries strengthened, and ANZUS was beneficial to all three countries. It offered protection to Australia and New Zealand, while it gave the US a stronger hold on the Pacific region. However, New Zealand refused entry to American warships believing that they had nuclear weapons or nuclear-powered. As a result, the US suspended the alliance with New Zealand, although it still continues with the alliance with Australia.
Conclusion
The government should look after its own people in a wise manner and should be able to accept changes as different problems present themselves at different times and must be fixed. Sustainability depends heavily on the environment and how the society uses it. If it were to deforest itself for, say, farmland, the soil will be eroded away and the earth would not be the same as how it first started. If people were to be unhygienic, diseases could be more widespread and it’ll be easier to catch it. Another factor is alliances with other countries. This ensures that outbreaks of battle between the two are unlikely to happen and encourages a friendly relationship between the two. These factors are important for a sustainable society.
Bibliography
Books
Hansen (1997) Country Insights Denmark, Wayland Publishers Ltd,
Schack-Nielsen (2006) Countries of the World: Sweden, Evans Brothers Limited
Brownlie (2002) The Changing Face of the Caribbean, White-Thompson Publishing Ltd,
Encyclopaedia
“
“
“
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, www.britannica.com/eb/article-25009/Bhutan
Energy Bulletin, [2003], www.energybulletin.net/5140.html
Australian War Memorial, www.awm.gov.au/korea/origins/anzus/anzus.html
http://www.japanfs.org/en/supporters/paper/A_Sustained_Society-a.pdf
Friday, April 11, 2008
A little bit of randomness can get you anywhere
Ok, well, after finding out that lots of cboxes got spammed (with abuse) last night, I decided to go around and see what was happening. But as you can tell, I still haven't figured it out yet, except for Angelyn is still trying to find out if we won the debate or not. You'd think she'll have a hunch as to why we're not telling her by now . . .
Anyway, I saw this on Sheryl's blog and decided to do it for the heck of it. I mean, why not? It's holidays.
H.O.L.I.D.A.Y.S
Yes. And I am aware that this is a school blog but hey, share the "girlyness" around . .
and this will be a long post, so even better. xD
*****************************************
[ ] You own over 10 bottles of nail polish. <-Nup, only one and it's full of dark purple sexiness. In other words, I've only used it twice.
[x] You own perfume that cost over $60. <- if I do, then I didn't buy. It was either for my birthday or Christmas. But I might . . .
[ ] You had/have fake nails. <- fake nails are rank . . all natural FTW!!
[ ] You have more hair products than you can use. <-lets see what I have:clip, hairbrush, shampoo/conditioner, uhmm . . . hair tie . . I'm running out . .
[ ] You have enough clothes to cover an entire refugee camp. <-no, that's my sister
[x] You have enough pictures to create your own wallpaper. <- on my comp, possibly.
Total: 2
Do you:
[ ] Have/had a hair color that is not your natural color. <- nope, I'll be killed if I did do that . . but maybe later in life, but nothing stupid like going peroxide blond . . eww .
[ ] Have “blonde moments” at least once a day. <-I can go high everyday
[ ] Constantly keep your phone at your side. <- no, no one really calls me, and if they do, it's my sister telling me to tell mum to not cook dinner for her. Can't she just call the home phone?
[ ] Dance around in your room when nobody else is home. <-kinda hard because there's always someone AT home
[ ] Refuse to go out in public without makeup. <- the only thing that can be counted for makeup in my room is my beloved LipIce. But I can go without it . . .
Total: 0 <- hah! take that!
Do you adore:
[ ] Makeup <- . . .
[ ] Glitter <- . . .
[ ] The color pink <- . . .
[x] Shopping <- Now we're talking.
[x] Jewelery <- I don't adore jewellery, I love it. As long as it ain't gold, of course. xD
[ ] Mirrors <- wth? what type of question is this? Is this supposed to test my vanity or something?
[x] Chick flicks <-some of them. The others are too soppy or just plain sad . . .
[x] Shoes. <- HELL YES~!!
[ ] Rainbows <- . . . it's the way it is . . .
[ ] Unicorns <-I never really got the concept of horns on a horse . . .
[x] Disney Movies <-YESH!! I love those fairy tale ones!!
[ ] Candles <-well, I appreciate that they're helpful in blackouts . . .
[ ] Flowers <-I enjoy the prettiness of them, but not adore . . at least I don't think so.
[x] Stuffed Animals <-BULL YEAH!! I LOVE MY TEDDIES!!
[x] Boots <-YESH!! I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT MY AWESOME BOOTS NOW!! WHOOOOOTTTT!!
[x] Starbucks <- Starbucks FTW!! And if you're asking when I had some, HK. HK peoples, HK.
Total: 8
Do you say:
[x] Whatever. <- sometimes
[x] Oh my gosh/goodness/god. <-sometimes.
[ ] Hun/honey. <-very rarely and very sarcastically.
[ ] That’s hot. <-I'm not Paris Hilton.
[ ] Dunzo. <-do they mean "dunno"
[ ] Darling. <-Honey, I'm fine with. But darling? Please, reminds me of Kyoko and her "darling" . . . *shudders*
[x] Psh. <-yeah, more than the others I guess.
[ ] Cutie. <-. . . . I use the word "cute".
[ ] Hottie. <-I use "hot" and very rarely as specimens aren't very "hot".
[ ] Totally. <-. . . .
[ ] Fer Shur. <-Sheryl, the translation: For sure. And no, I don't use it.
[ ] Fabulous. <-I'm no Max Galatica.
[x] Hell yeah. <-I believe I've already used this several times in this post.
[ ] Like. <- . . yeah, like, what?
[ ] Duh. <- I used it today, which is the first in . . . ages.
Total: 4
Do You Read:
[ ] Cosmopolitan/Cosmo Girl.
[ ] Cleo.
[ ] Marie Claire
[ ] Elle.
[ ] Vogue
[ ] Dolly.
[ ] Girlfriend.
[ ] Teen Vogue.
[ ] Famous.
[ ] New idea.
[ ] NW.
[ ] Madison.
[ ] Who.
[ ] PerezHilton.com.
Total: 0
Have you Seen These:
[x] Legally Blonde-yaha, but I was really young so no idea what happened.
[ ] Elizabethtown.
[x] Mean Girls. <-unfortunately, yes.
[ ] Now & Then.
[ ] The Notebook. <-I have yet to watch it and no, I do no remember at Angelyn's house.
[ ] A Walk to Remember.
[ ] Sweet Home Alabama.
[ ] Where the Heart is.
[ ] Just my luck.
[ ] John Tucker Must Die.
[ ] Centerstage.
[ ] Bring it On.
[x] How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. <-that was kinda funny. "Zip", or is this a different movie?
[ ] Mona Lisa Smile.
Total: 3 <- haven't even heard of most of these movies . . .
Are you / Have you been Addicted to…
[ ] LOST
[ ] America’s Next Top Model.
[ ] Project Runway.
[ ] Desperate Housewives.
[ ] The Simple Life.
[ ] The search for the next doll.
[ ] 8th & Ocean.
[ ] Grey’s Anatomy.
[ ] The O.C..
[ ] Laguna Beach/The Hills.
[ ] Nip/Tuck.
[ ] Gilmore Girls.
[ ] Veronica Mars.
[ ] One Tree Hill.
Total: 0 <-I don't watch TV nor do I know half of these series.
Grand Total: 17
COUNT UP HOW MANY YOU CHECKED.
Multiply by 2 = 34%
***********************************************
wow, not far from Sheryl . . . and my inbox has been spammed. T.T
ttyl.
Anyway, I saw this on Sheryl's blog and decided to do it for the heck of it. I mean, why not? It's holidays.
H.O.L.I.D.A.Y.S
Yes. And I am aware that this is a school blog but hey, share the "girlyness" around . .
and this will be a long post, so even better. xD
*****************************************
[ ] You own over 10 bottles of nail polish. <-Nup, only one and it's full of dark purple sexiness. In other words, I've only used it twice.
[x] You own perfume that cost over $60. <- if I do, then I didn't buy. It was either for my birthday or Christmas. But I might . . .
[ ] You had/have fake nails. <- fake nails are rank . . all natural FTW!!
[ ] You have more hair products than you can use. <-lets see what I have:clip, hairbrush, shampoo/conditioner, uhmm . . . hair tie . . I'm running out . .
[ ] You have enough clothes to cover an entire refugee camp. <-no, that's my sister
[x] You have enough pictures to create your own wallpaper. <- on my comp, possibly.
Total: 2
Do you:
[ ] Have/had a hair color that is not your natural color. <- nope, I'll be killed if I did do that . . but maybe later in life, but nothing stupid like going peroxide blond . . eww .
[ ] Have “blonde moments” at least once a day. <-I can go high everyday
[ ] Constantly keep your phone at your side. <- no, no one really calls me, and if they do, it's my sister telling me to tell mum to not cook dinner for her. Can't she just call the home phone?
[ ] Dance around in your room when nobody else is home. <-kinda hard because there's always someone AT home
[ ] Refuse to go out in public without makeup. <- the only thing that can be counted for makeup in my room is my beloved LipIce. But I can go without it . . .
Total: 0 <- hah! take that!
Do you adore:
[ ] Makeup <- . . .
[ ] Glitter <- . . .
[ ] The color pink <- . . .
[x] Shopping <- Now we're talking.
[x] Jewelery <- I don't adore jewellery, I love it. As long as it ain't gold, of course. xD
[ ] Mirrors <- wth? what type of question is this? Is this supposed to test my vanity or something?
[x] Chick flicks <-some of them. The others are too soppy or just plain sad . . .
[x] Shoes. <- HELL YES~!!
[ ] Rainbows <- . . . it's the way it is . . .
[ ] Unicorns <-I never really got the concept of horns on a horse . . .
[x] Disney Movies <-YESH!! I love those fairy tale ones!!
[ ] Candles <-well, I appreciate that they're helpful in blackouts . . .
[ ] Flowers <-I enjoy the prettiness of them, but not adore . . at least I don't think so.
[x] Stuffed Animals <-BULL YEAH!! I LOVE MY TEDDIES!!
[x] Boots <-YESH!! I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT MY AWESOME BOOTS NOW!! WHOOOOOTTTT!!
[x] Starbucks <- Starbucks FTW!! And if you're asking when I had some, HK. HK peoples, HK.
Total: 8
Do you say:
[x] Whatever. <- sometimes
[x] Oh my gosh/goodness/god. <-sometimes.
[ ] Hun/honey. <-very rarely and very sarcastically.
[ ] That’s hot. <-I'm not Paris Hilton.
[ ] Dunzo. <-do they mean "dunno"
[ ] Darling. <-Honey, I'm fine with. But darling? Please, reminds me of Kyoko and her "darling" . . . *shudders*
[x] Psh. <-yeah, more than the others I guess.
[ ] Cutie. <-. . . . I use the word "cute".
[ ] Hottie. <-I use "hot" and very rarely as specimens aren't very "hot".
[ ] Totally. <-. . . .
[ ] Fer Shur. <-Sheryl, the translation: For sure. And no, I don't use it.
[ ] Fabulous. <-I'm no Max Galatica.
[x] Hell yeah. <-I believe I've already used this several times in this post.
[ ] Like. <- . . yeah, like, what?
[ ] Duh. <- I used it today, which is the first in . . . ages.
Total: 4
Do You Read:
[ ] Cosmopolitan/Cosmo Girl.
[ ] Cleo.
[ ] Marie Claire
[ ] Elle.
[ ] Vogue
[ ] Dolly.
[ ] Girlfriend.
[ ] Teen Vogue.
[ ] Famous.
[ ] New idea.
[ ] NW.
[ ] Madison.
[ ] Who.
[ ] PerezHilton.com.
Total: 0
Have you Seen These:
[x] Legally Blonde-yaha, but I was really young so no idea what happened.
[ ] Elizabethtown.
[x] Mean Girls. <-unfortunately, yes.
[ ] Now & Then.
[ ] The Notebook. <-I have yet to watch it and no, I do no remember at Angelyn's house.
[ ] A Walk to Remember.
[ ] Sweet Home Alabama.
[ ] Where the Heart is.
[ ] Just my luck.
[ ] John Tucker Must Die.
[ ] Centerstage.
[ ] Bring it On.
[x] How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. <-that was kinda funny. "Zip", or is this a different movie?
[ ] Mona Lisa Smile.
Total: 3 <- haven't even heard of most of these movies . . .
Are you / Have you been Addicted to…
[ ] LOST
[ ] America’s Next Top Model.
[ ] Project Runway.
[ ] Desperate Housewives.
[ ] The Simple Life.
[ ] The search for the next doll.
[ ] 8th & Ocean.
[ ] Grey’s Anatomy.
[ ] The O.C..
[ ] Laguna Beach/The Hills.
[ ] Nip/Tuck.
[ ] Gilmore Girls.
[ ] Veronica Mars.
[ ] One Tree Hill.
Total: 0 <-I don't watch TV nor do I know half of these series.
Grand Total: 17
COUNT UP HOW MANY YOU CHECKED.
Multiply by 2 = 34%
***********************************************
wow, not far from Sheryl . . . and my inbox has been spammed. T.T
ttyl.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Societal Collapse-The Mongol Empire
Theories have said that the Mongol Empire had fallen because it grew so big that when it couldn’t grow anymore it had collapsed under its own weight, that when the empire couldn’t expand and stopped conquering. Was it because the army grew too weak to be able to conquer? But the Mongol Empire was the most disciplined army of its time, and the fact that they conquered 22% of the Earth’s total land area within less than 80 years is not a feat done solely on land negotiations. There are two ways of interpreting “collapsing under its own weight”. One is that it cannot sustain itself; the other is instability within itself. Looking at the history of the Khans (rulers of the Mongol Empire), there can only be one reason as to why the empire collapsed, civil war.
Temujin had declared himself Genghis Khan, after oppressing the Mongol tribes that opposed him. He declared the existence of the Mongol Empire. And following these declarations, a line of conquests happened, all of them successful one after another. In his rule, he had conquered so much land, that the Mongol Empire had expanded roughly five times its original size. Genghis, himself, led these conquests with an exception of a few, as well setting up an efficient government to retain stability in his empire. At every conquest, the Mongols established a government system there to create stability. He learnt new ways of waging a war, for example, capturing Chinese engineers to learn siege tactics, as well as knowing when to break off an attack. Knowing that his death was coming soon he prepared the government for a transition of leadership for his son, Ogedei and divided his empire into parts for his four main sons to rule over. Genghis believed that Ogedei had the required abilities to become a leader and therefore chose him.
From this we gather that Genghis was a brilliant leader, who had the capabilities to rule a massive empire, created one of the most disciplined armies and understood the needs of his own empire. He carefully transferred leadership to his son, Ogedei, to ensure there would be no revolt against his decision after death. He had divided the empire into four parts for his four main sons, who would be Khan of the land they received, although these lands were still united and acknowledge the Great Khan, or Khakhan.
The first thing that Ogedei did when he attained the rule of the empire was to subdue to the rest of the Kwarazmian Empire, of which the Kwaraz-Shah had enraged Genghis by insulting ambassadors sent for peace negotiations, and his other target was the Jin Empire, who have started to fight the quelling back from Genghis’s conquest of the empire. Afterwards, Ogedei worked on his government for improvement. Batu Khan of the western division realised although he was leader, most of his land was not under Mongol control. He and Subedei, a general from Genghis’s time, ventured into Russia in winter and did the first successful large scale invasion of Russia in winter.
But because of the Mongol invasion into Russia a large number of groups fled to Hungary, which included the Cumans and Kipchaks who were cavalrymen. Subedei split the army and sent one north to Poland and the other half was led by him and Batu to go to Hungary. Subedei and Batu approached Hungary and faked a retreat causing the officials in Hungary to grow conceited, all while the other part of the army was ransacking Poland, defeating a European force led by Duke Henry of Silesia. When the Hungarian King, realised that the retreat was faked and that the Mongols were getting closer, he took a force and confronted the Mongols at Sajo River. After a battle at the bridge Subedei brought a force and went around, crossed the river without being noticed, appearing on the other side, surprising the Hungarian army. Batu and his part of the force soon won the bridge and the Hungarians were surrounded.
Although it did not seem like Ogedei did much and it was mainly Batu Khan who did most of the conquering here and thus expanding the empire, the strength of the Mongol army is once again emphasized. Another thing that is emphasized is the tactics the Mongols deployed.
Batu Khan considered going even further into Europe, but heard news that Khakhan Ogedei had died. He established a capital and transformed his land into a Khanate (the Golden Horde), and other Khan’s did the same, working to establish a political stability in his Khanate to avoid trouble. Although the Khanates will still acknowledge the Khakhan and still be united with the Mongol Empire, they would have political independency. Gyuk Khan was elected to be Khakhan, but died two years later, and Mongke was chosen.
Mongke first aim was to continue conquering land and the first target was the Song Empire in China. Another concern was the Ismailis, which he left for his brother Hulegu to destroy. Hulegu made many conquests, including Baghdad, and just as he was heading over to Egypt, he heard news that Khakhan Mongke died. Hugelu needed to straighten out his land, which became the Il-Khanate. He withdrew most of his army and went back, leaving a small force which then later died to the Mameluks.
Ogedei’s and Mongke’s deaths both stopped further conquests into Europe and Egypt, so that political stability can be established. It can also be said that both deaths had withdrew both armies so that the Khans could achieve power. The more political power you hold, the more influential you become.
Civil war began when Mongke died.. As Berke Khan (the successor of Batu and Khan of the Golden Horse) was annoyed with Hugelu’s conquests (Baghdad’s in particular, as only Christians were spared and Berke is a Muslim). With no Khakhan and no one able to pacify both parties, Berke and Hugelu began to fight for their own ideals, which resulted in breaking Berke’s plan to invade Europe again. Though at this moment, only two Khanates are at civil war with each other, the Berke Khan of the Golden Horde and Hugelu of Il-Khanate, both having different ideals and in the western part of the empire. However, in a Khuriltai (an assembly of Khan’s) held over in the east, Kubilai Khan was chosen to be Khakhan. But, challenging Kubilai’s position as the Khakhan, another Khuriltai was held and his brother, Ariq Boke, was elected to be Khakhan.
Interestingly enough the civil wars stopped when Kubilai was announced as Khakhan, although disunity existed among the Khans.
Kubilai Khakhan based himself in China, becoming a Yuan emperor of China, defeating the Song Empire, Kubilai changed the Mongol way of life, including how they fight. He sent soldiers off to sea to conquer Japan twice, which turned the army away by typhoon both times. Kubilai also sent soldiers to Burma, Vietnam and Java, and each invasion failed. But Kubilai had another issue to deal with, and that was the rebellion of Kaidu who formed a rebel Khanate.
The other Khanates began to self-govern themselves as Kubilai did not bother with the other Khanates besides his own. Once Kubilai died, the Mongol Empire separated and the Khanates were no longer united, and became independent from one another.
I have stated before that there can only be one reason why the Mongol Empire fell, and that was because of the civil war. With the army’s power, why did they stop their conquest? It was the death of the Khakan Ogedei and Mongke. Why did Batu and Hugelu withdraw from battle? It set up stability in their land. The other Khans followed Batu’s example but when Hugelu did so, he had already annoyed Berke Khan which led to a civil war between the two. This is one of the first signs of collapse, two leaders trying to assert their ideas onto another. Ariq Boke and Kubilai fought for power and when one (it doesn’t matter which one because the results would have been the same) emerged victorious, there would be resentment and the gap between the leaders widen. Khanates make up the empire. With these Khanates having wide gaps between them, how can the empire exist?
When the Mongols started their line of conquest, it was Genghis who had a goal of conquering the world and putting it into action, it was Genghis who united the nomadic Mongol tribes under a common cause. After his death, his sons conquered more land, but also got somewhat politically independent with their given land. But then ideals started getting in the way. People favoured the Christians while others preferred to be Muslims, creating a divide between them. Not long after ideals came power. Who wouldn’t want to be the ruler of such a large and feared empire? With these factors it is clear that once the unity is gone and that once people begin to fight within themselves, the collapse is in evident.
Optional Extra
A society similar to the Mongol Empire is the Huns. Both were originally nomadic tribes, both united under a single leader, both did conquests. However, the Huns were more concentrated into tribute and treasures rather than conquering the world. Though what was similar to the Khanates was the dual leadership of Attila and Bleda. Originally, the Khanates regarded themselves as one empire before falling apart. Attila and Bleda considered their two parts of their empire to be one as well but once Bleda died, Attila took control of the entire empire. The theory of Attila’s death was that he did not die in battle, but rather of his wife poisoning him or by a nosebleed on his wedding night. His eldest son, Ellak, was to take up Attila’s position as King. However, Ellak did not have the ability to lead an empire and his brothers challenged him, to which the suppressed nations responded by rebelling against the Huns and thus the downfall. This was not the case with the Mongols as Genghis passed on his title differently. He chose which one of his sons would best be suited, as Ogedei is not the oldest son but rather the third son. And for this, the Mongol Empire lasted longer than the Huns after their ‘father figure’ had died. But one difference with these societal collapses is that while the Mongols declined because of internal problems, the Huns were a mixture of internal and external strife. Leadership was challenged in both empire, but only the Huns were attacked by the ones they conquered.
Contemporary societies can learn from the Mongol collapse is by respecting other opinions. The reason why civil war started was because instead of going “Yeah, I understand where you’re going, but it’s not going change my belief”, they went “I’m right, you’re wrong” which lead to disunity. The same thing is happening/ed in East Timor, Iraq and the American Civil War.
References
Internet:
All Empires, 2007
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=The_Mongol_Empire
All Empires, 2007
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=huns
Encyclopaedia:
"Mongol Empire" in World Book Encyclopaedia, (2007) Vol. 13, pg 719-721
Temujin had declared himself Genghis Khan, after oppressing the Mongol tribes that opposed him. He declared the existence of the Mongol Empire. And following these declarations, a line of conquests happened, all of them successful one after another. In his rule, he had conquered so much land, that the Mongol Empire had expanded roughly five times its original size. Genghis, himself, led these conquests with an exception of a few, as well setting up an efficient government to retain stability in his empire. At every conquest, the Mongols established a government system there to create stability. He learnt new ways of waging a war, for example, capturing Chinese engineers to learn siege tactics, as well as knowing when to break off an attack. Knowing that his death was coming soon he prepared the government for a transition of leadership for his son, Ogedei and divided his empire into parts for his four main sons to rule over. Genghis believed that Ogedei had the required abilities to become a leader and therefore chose him.
From this we gather that Genghis was a brilliant leader, who had the capabilities to rule a massive empire, created one of the most disciplined armies and understood the needs of his own empire. He carefully transferred leadership to his son, Ogedei, to ensure there would be no revolt against his decision after death. He had divided the empire into four parts for his four main sons, who would be Khan of the land they received, although these lands were still united and acknowledge the Great Khan, or Khakhan.
The first thing that Ogedei did when he attained the rule of the empire was to subdue to the rest of the Kwarazmian Empire, of which the Kwaraz-Shah had enraged Genghis by insulting ambassadors sent for peace negotiations, and his other target was the Jin Empire, who have started to fight the quelling back from Genghis’s conquest of the empire. Afterwards, Ogedei worked on his government for improvement. Batu Khan of the western division realised although he was leader, most of his land was not under Mongol control. He and Subedei, a general from Genghis’s time, ventured into Russia in winter and did the first successful large scale invasion of Russia in winter.
But because of the Mongol invasion into Russia a large number of groups fled to Hungary, which included the Cumans and Kipchaks who were cavalrymen. Subedei split the army and sent one north to Poland and the other half was led by him and Batu to go to Hungary. Subedei and Batu approached Hungary and faked a retreat causing the officials in Hungary to grow conceited, all while the other part of the army was ransacking Poland, defeating a European force led by Duke Henry of Silesia. When the Hungarian King, realised that the retreat was faked and that the Mongols were getting closer, he took a force and confronted the Mongols at Sajo River. After a battle at the bridge Subedei brought a force and went around, crossed the river without being noticed, appearing on the other side, surprising the Hungarian army. Batu and his part of the force soon won the bridge and the Hungarians were surrounded.
Although it did not seem like Ogedei did much and it was mainly Batu Khan who did most of the conquering here and thus expanding the empire, the strength of the Mongol army is once again emphasized. Another thing that is emphasized is the tactics the Mongols deployed.
Batu Khan considered going even further into Europe, but heard news that Khakhan Ogedei had died. He established a capital and transformed his land into a Khanate (the Golden Horde), and other Khan’s did the same, working to establish a political stability in his Khanate to avoid trouble. Although the Khanates will still acknowledge the Khakhan and still be united with the Mongol Empire, they would have political independency. Gyuk Khan was elected to be Khakhan, but died two years later, and Mongke was chosen.
Mongke first aim was to continue conquering land and the first target was the Song Empire in China. Another concern was the Ismailis, which he left for his brother Hulegu to destroy. Hulegu made many conquests, including Baghdad, and just as he was heading over to Egypt, he heard news that Khakhan Mongke died. Hugelu needed to straighten out his land, which became the Il-Khanate. He withdrew most of his army and went back, leaving a small force which then later died to the Mameluks.
Ogedei’s and Mongke’s deaths both stopped further conquests into Europe and Egypt, so that political stability can be established. It can also be said that both deaths had withdrew both armies so that the Khans could achieve power. The more political power you hold, the more influential you become.
Civil war began when Mongke died.. As Berke Khan (the successor of Batu and Khan of the Golden Horse) was annoyed with Hugelu’s conquests (Baghdad’s in particular, as only Christians were spared and Berke is a Muslim). With no Khakhan and no one able to pacify both parties, Berke and Hugelu began to fight for their own ideals, which resulted in breaking Berke’s plan to invade Europe again. Though at this moment, only two Khanates are at civil war with each other, the Berke Khan of the Golden Horde and Hugelu of Il-Khanate, both having different ideals and in the western part of the empire. However, in a Khuriltai (an assembly of Khan’s) held over in the east, Kubilai Khan was chosen to be Khakhan. But, challenging Kubilai’s position as the Khakhan, another Khuriltai was held and his brother, Ariq Boke, was elected to be Khakhan.
Interestingly enough the civil wars stopped when Kubilai was announced as Khakhan, although disunity existed among the Khans.
Kubilai Khakhan based himself in China, becoming a Yuan emperor of China, defeating the Song Empire, Kubilai changed the Mongol way of life, including how they fight. He sent soldiers off to sea to conquer Japan twice, which turned the army away by typhoon both times. Kubilai also sent soldiers to Burma, Vietnam and Java, and each invasion failed. But Kubilai had another issue to deal with, and that was the rebellion of Kaidu who formed a rebel Khanate.
The other Khanates began to self-govern themselves as Kubilai did not bother with the other Khanates besides his own. Once Kubilai died, the Mongol Empire separated and the Khanates were no longer united, and became independent from one another.
I have stated before that there can only be one reason why the Mongol Empire fell, and that was because of the civil war. With the army’s power, why did they stop their conquest? It was the death of the Khakan Ogedei and Mongke. Why did Batu and Hugelu withdraw from battle? It set up stability in their land. The other Khans followed Batu’s example but when Hugelu did so, he had already annoyed Berke Khan which led to a civil war between the two. This is one of the first signs of collapse, two leaders trying to assert their ideas onto another. Ariq Boke and Kubilai fought for power and when one (it doesn’t matter which one because the results would have been the same) emerged victorious, there would be resentment and the gap between the leaders widen. Khanates make up the empire. With these Khanates having wide gaps between them, how can the empire exist?
When the Mongols started their line of conquest, it was Genghis who had a goal of conquering the world and putting it into action, it was Genghis who united the nomadic Mongol tribes under a common cause. After his death, his sons conquered more land, but also got somewhat politically independent with their given land. But then ideals started getting in the way. People favoured the Christians while others preferred to be Muslims, creating a divide between them. Not long after ideals came power. Who wouldn’t want to be the ruler of such a large and feared empire? With these factors it is clear that once the unity is gone and that once people begin to fight within themselves, the collapse is in evident.
Optional Extra
A society similar to the Mongol Empire is the Huns. Both were originally nomadic tribes, both united under a single leader, both did conquests. However, the Huns were more concentrated into tribute and treasures rather than conquering the world. Though what was similar to the Khanates was the dual leadership of Attila and Bleda. Originally, the Khanates regarded themselves as one empire before falling apart. Attila and Bleda considered their two parts of their empire to be one as well but once Bleda died, Attila took control of the entire empire. The theory of Attila’s death was that he did not die in battle, but rather of his wife poisoning him or by a nosebleed on his wedding night. His eldest son, Ellak, was to take up Attila’s position as King. However, Ellak did not have the ability to lead an empire and his brothers challenged him, to which the suppressed nations responded by rebelling against the Huns and thus the downfall. This was not the case with the Mongols as Genghis passed on his title differently. He chose which one of his sons would best be suited, as Ogedei is not the oldest son but rather the third son. And for this, the Mongol Empire lasted longer than the Huns after their ‘father figure’ had died. But one difference with these societal collapses is that while the Mongols declined because of internal problems, the Huns were a mixture of internal and external strife. Leadership was challenged in both empire, but only the Huns were attacked by the ones they conquered.
Contemporary societies can learn from the Mongol collapse is by respecting other opinions. The reason why civil war started was because instead of going “Yeah, I understand where you’re going, but it’s not going change my belief”, they went “I’m right, you’re wrong” which lead to disunity. The same thing is happening/ed in East Timor, Iraq and the American Civil War.
References
Internet:
All Empires, 2007
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=The_Mongol_Empire
All Empires, 2007
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=huns
Encyclopaedia:
"Mongol Empire" in World Book Encyclopaedia, (2007) Vol. 13, pg 719-721
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Alien Invasion!!!
well, I just read this article about NASA sending off this Beatles song (Across the Universe, to be exact) out into space.
Now, after watching Independence Day in English, you can all tell this got my interest. So I read it. And laughed.
But I like the picture.
xD
But if people think that something like Across the Universe by the Beatles is going to trigger an intergalactic war, then maybe try send off a song like Are You Dead Yet? by Children of Bodom.
The link to the article is somewhere on my blog. Go find it under "Others".
Or go CLICKY.
Go clickly. I'm going to take the link off . . . or maybe I won't . . .
Now, after watching Independence Day in English, you can all tell this got my interest. So I read it. And laughed.
But I like the picture.
xD
But if people think that something like Across the Universe by the Beatles is going to trigger an intergalactic war, then maybe try send off a song like Are You Dead Yet? by Children of Bodom.
The link to the article is somewhere on my blog. Go find it under "Others".
Or go CLICKY.
Go clickly. I'm going to take the link off . . . or maybe I won't . . .
Monday, February 11, 2008
What history means to me, so far....
To tell the truth, history doesn't really interest me.
Sure, some of it might be interesting or sound foolish at this time of the world, but it's not enough to be significant to me.
History happened in the past, and not in the 'now'. But even then, things now don't interest me so I can't really say anything.
All in all, I'm not too keen on history.
Sure, some of it might be interesting or sound foolish at this time of the world, but it's not enough to be significant to me.
History happened in the past, and not in the 'now'. But even then, things now don't interest me so I can't really say anything.
All in all, I'm not too keen on history.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
OMFG!!!!
crunchyroll doesn't work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well, not on my computer, at least.
THIS
IS
A
CRISIS
IT'S WAR . . . ON WHATEVER BLOCKING ME FROM CRUNCHYROLL.
....
Until ten, no BSM for me...
T.T
well, not on my computer, at least.
THIS
IS
A
CRISIS
IT'S WAR . . . ON WHATEVER BLOCKING ME FROM CRUNCHYROLL.
....
Until ten, no BSM for me...
T.T
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Speaking of Manga . . .
Hello again!
I just updated my frontpage thingy. And I put down 'manga' as one of my favourite books, which reminded me of something I saw at Garden City (yes, I went to Garden City today AND I bought a pair of shoes for $12.55! Beat that!). When my sister and brother went into Myer to get my sister her new laptop, I went into Dymocks (any good shopper would know Dymocks is right outside of Myer in GC), when I saw their crap collection of manga. Within that selection of manga, something caught my eye.
*cue drum roll*
Basilisk!!!
*cue smashing of drums*
Yeah, instant "OMG, I want that!"
But thing is, since it was a crap selection of manga, the only volume there was no. 5 . . . so I didn't get it. If it was the first book then I would of gotten it, but noo, they only the fifth (and final) book. God, what ever happened to a complete set? I mean, how hard can it be?
So yeah, I just added more stuff to my wishlist. And now, there is a total of three items on it. Not bad, either. Seeing how it's all books. The complete set of Jane Austen books, another one that I've forgotten and now, complete set of Basilisk. See? Not bad.
And now I just realized the reason why I created this blog was for school work, but hey! No one didn't say I couldn't use this for my social life! xD
Hope you enjoyed reading this much longer post,
Dark.Angel81
I just updated my frontpage thingy. And I put down 'manga' as one of my favourite books, which reminded me of something I saw at Garden City (yes, I went to Garden City today AND I bought a pair of shoes for $12.55! Beat that!). When my sister and brother went into Myer to get my sister her new laptop, I went into Dymocks (any good shopper would know Dymocks is right outside of Myer in GC), when I saw their crap collection of manga. Within that selection of manga, something caught my eye.
*cue drum roll*
Basilisk!!!
*cue smashing of drums*
Yeah, instant "OMG, I want that!"
But thing is, since it was a crap selection of manga, the only volume there was no. 5 . . . so I didn't get it. If it was the first book then I would of gotten it, but noo, they only the fifth (and final) book. God, what ever happened to a complete set? I mean, how hard can it be?
So yeah, I just added more stuff to my wishlist. And now, there is a total of three items on it. Not bad, either. Seeing how it's all books. The complete set of Jane Austen books, another one that I've forgotten and now, complete set of Basilisk. See? Not bad.
And now I just realized the reason why I created this blog was for school work, but hey! No one didn't say I couldn't use this for my social life! xD
Hope you enjoyed reading this much longer post,
Dark.Angel81
Hello
Welcome to my now-empty blog. Hopefully, it'll be not-so empty soon.
And before you ask, yes, I did make this post so my blog doesn't look so empty . . .
Anyway, feel free to comment on this really short post, ne?
. . .
. . .
Don't make me feel lonely here!! xD
jk
Cyaz!
And before you ask, yes, I did make this post so my blog doesn't look so empty . . .
Anyway, feel free to comment on this really short post, ne?
. . .
. . .
Don't make me feel lonely here!! xD
jk
Cyaz!
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