Beijing, Wade-Giles romanization Pei-ching, conventional Peking, city, province-level shi (municipality), and capital of the People's Republic of China. Few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. The city has been an integral part of China's history over the past eight centuries, and nearly every major building of any age in Beijing has at least some national historical significance. The importance of Beijing thus makes it impossible to understand China without a knowledge of this city.
More than 2,000 years ago, a site north of present-day Beijing was already an important military and trading centre for the northeastern frontier of China. In 1267, during the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty (1206–1368), a new city built northeast of the old—called Dadu—became the administrative capital of China. During the first five decades of the subsequent Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Nanjing (Nanking) was the capital, and the old Mongol capital was renamed Beiping (Pei-p'ing; "Northern Peace"); the third Ming emperor, however, restored it as the imperial seat of the dynasty and gave it a new name, Beijing ("Northern Capital"). Beijing has remained the capital of China except for a brief period (1928–49) when the Nationalist government again made Nanjing the capital (although the capital was removed to Chongqing [Chungking] during World War II); during that time Beijing once again resumed the old name Beiping.
The city remained the most flourishing cultural centre in China despite the frequent political changes in the country throughout the early decades of the 20th century; Beijing's importance was fully realized, however, only when the city was chosen as the capital of the People's Republic in 1949, and this political status has added much vitality to it. Indeed, few cities have ever had such rapid growth in population and geographic area, as well as in industrial and other activities. Combining both historical relics of an ancient culture and new urban construction, ranging from fast-food franchises to plush hotels for foreign tourists and corporate travelers, it has become a showplace of modern China and one of the world's great cities. Renewed international attention focused on Beijing after it was chosen to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Area city, 1,763 square miles (4,567 square km); Beijing municipality, 6,500 square miles (16,800 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) city, 8,580,376; (2009 est.) urban agglom., 12,214,000; (2010) Beijing municipality, 19,612,368.
Although much of Beijing's older and more picturesque character has been destroyed in the drive since 1949 to modernize and industrialize, some parts of the city are still redolent of the past. Many fine monumental buildings, old restaurants, and centres of traditional Chinese arts and crafts remain, and the central government has taken measures to prevent the city core from being further industrialized. Broad new boulevards, replete with even newer commercial ventures, have displaced the colourful stalls and markets for which the city was once famous, but the neighbourhood life of old Beijing can still be glimpsed in the narrow hutongs (residential alleys), with their tiny potted-plant gardens, enclosed courtyards, and (decreasingly) coal-burning stoves—some of which are still guarded by carved stone lions at their gates.
People in Beijing commute by subway, bus, automobile, or bicycle and on hot summer evenings sit outside their apartment blocks to catch cooling breezes and to chat. The citizenry has a wide range of leisure pursuits, particularly those considered good for health. The ancient art of tai chi chuan (taijuquan; Chinese boxing) is widely practiced, singly or in groups, along roadsides and in parks. Locals as well as tourists are attracted to the many nearby historical sites, such as the Summer Palace, the tombs of the Ming emperors, and the Great Wall. Older people, especially the men, like to huddle in tiny restaurants and tea shops. Young people are drawn to the city's many cafés and nightclubs, where the entertainment can range from DJ-run dance music to Chinese rock bands.
For all the vicissitudes of its history, Beijing continues to be a source of great pride for its inhabitants. Their obsessions are, as they have been for centuries, food and knowledge: they eat heartily when they have the means and read voraciously. Food stalls on the streets, selling a variety of cooked treats, are well patronized, as are newspaper and magazine kiosks. The ambition of most families is to provide their offspring with a higher education or, if not that, a good job.
The city was built at the mouth of this embayment, which opens onto the great plain to the south and east, and between two rivers, the Yongding and the Chaobai, which eventually join to empty into the Bo Hai (Gulf of Chihli) in Tianjin municipality, some 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Beijing. To the south of the city the plain spreads out for about 400 miles (650 km) until it merges into the lower valley and the delta of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). On the east the plain is bounded by the sea, except for the break caused by the Shandong Hills; on the west it is flanked by the Taihang Mountains, which constitute the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau (loess is loamy material deposited by wind).
Because Beijing stands at the apex of the triangle, it is a natural gateway on the long-distance land communication route between the North China Plain and the northern ranges, plains, and plateaus, and routes running across the great plain naturally converge on the city. In addition, since the dawn of Chinese history, the Yan range has constituted a formidable barrier between the North China Plain to the south, the Mongolian Plateau to the north, and the Liao River Plain in the southern region of the Northeast (historically Manchuria). A few passes, however, cut through the ranges—the most important being Juyong (northwest of Beijing), Gubei (northeast), and Shanhai (east in Hebei, on the Bo Hai)—and are so situated that all roads leading from Mongolia and the Northeast to the North China Plain are bound to converge on Beijing. For centuries, therefore, Beijing was an important terminus of the caravan routes leading to and from the vast Central Asian hinterland.
No large streams flow through the central city, although the municipality is drained by the Chaobai and Yongding rivers. East of the city, the Chaobai flows southward out of the Miyun Reservoir (itself formed by the combined inflows of the Chao and Bai rivers) in the northeastern corner of the municipality. The tumultuous Yongding, which drains the Shanxi uplands and northwestern Hubei before entering the municipality, is to the west. After following a twisting course through the mountains, it reaches the Beijing plain, passes under the Marco Polo Bridge, 9 miles (14 km) southwest of the central city, and then turns southward to meet the Grand Canal north of Tianjin. The flow of the Yongding is irregular; in the rainy season it rises rapidly, carrying with it large quantities of silt, which raise the level of the riverbed considerably. At the Marco Polo Bridge it is 50 feet (15 metres) above the level of the city, thus constituting a hazard when the river is in flood but also facilitating canalization and irrigation.
Since the early 15th century, the city of Beijing and its surrounding territories have been organized as a metropolitan district of enormous size, having a governor—formerly appointed by the emperor himself—equal in rank to a provincial governor. This special district organization was continued by the Qing (Manchu) dynasty (1644–1911/12) and, since 1949, in the People's Republic. The present metropolitan boundary was established in 1959. The metropolis may be divided into three concentric zones, based on urban functions. The central zone coincides with the central city; it is occupied mainly by old palaces, government buildings, commercial districts, and old residential areas and makes up roughly 1 percent of the total metropolitan area. The second zone, the near suburb, immediately surrounds the old walled city and is the site of the newer factories, schools, government buildings, and workers' dormitories. The outer fringe of this zone is intensively cultivated and supplies vegetables and fruits to the population of the central zone. The near suburb accounts for about 8 percent of the metropolitan area. The third zone, the far suburb, constitutes the remainder of the metropolitan area. This zone functions as the economic base—supplying coal, lumber, construction materials, vegetables and fruits, dairy products, water, and some grain crops to the urban population in the central zone and the near suburb.
Though Beijing is a relatively short distance from the sea, the general air circulation in the region is mainly from the northwest throughout the year; maritime effects on the region's weather are meagre. The climate is clearly of the continental monsoon type that occurs in the temperate zone. Local topography also has a great effect on Beijing's climate. Because it lies in a lowland area and is protected by mountains, the city is a little warmer in winter than other areas of China located at the same latitude; nonetheless, the mean monthly temperature drops below 50 °F (10 °C) for five months out of the year. In addition, wind direction in Beijing is influenced by topography, with changes occurring from day to night. Generally, there are more southerly winds in the day but northerly or northwesterly winds at night.
The annual mean temperature of the city is 53 °F (12 °C). The coldest month is January, when the monthly mean is 24 °F (–4 °C), and the warmest month is July, when it is 79 °F (26 °C). In an average year, the city experiences 132 days of freezing temperatures between October and March; the mean annual precipitation is 25 inches (635 mm), with most of the total falling from June to August. July is ordinarily the wettest month of the year, with an average of 9 inches (230 mm).
One of the characteristics of the region's precipitation is its variability. In 1959—an extremely wet year for Beijing—the total precipitation amounted to 55 inches (1,400 mm), whereas in 1891—an extremely dry year—only 7 inches (180 mm) fell. The average number of rainy days per year is about 80, and the average relative humidity for the city is 57 percent.
Winter in Beijing is long and usually begins in late October, when northwesterly winds gradually gain strength. This seasonal wind system dominates the region until March; the Siberian air that passes southward over the Mongolian Plateau and into China proper is cold and dry, bringing little snow or other precipitation. The monthly mean temperature from December to February is below freezing. Spring, the windiest season, is short and rapidly becomes warm. The prevailing high spring winds produce an evaporation rate that averages about nine times the total precipitation for the period and frequently is sufficient to cause droughts that are harmful to agriculture. Dust storms in the region, exacerbated by increasing desertification in Inner Mongolia, are common in April and May. In addition to being the season of torrential rains, summer is rather hot, as warm and humid air from the southeast often penetrates into North China. Autumn begins in late September and is a pleasant, though short, season with clear skies and comfortable temperatures.
Although the city of Beijing with its surrounding districts is one of the most densely populated parts of China, portions of the municipality (notably in the mountainous hinterland) are much more sparsely settled and support a wide variety of vegetation. The municipality's mountain areas are within the temperate deciduous forest zone, while the more southerly plains area is part of the wooded steppe zone. Continuous deforestation by humans for centuries, however, has stripped the woodlands in most sections of the metropolitan area. Mixed forests—composed mainly of pine, oak, and Manchurian birch—now cover only mountains in the northeast and the west. Distinct vertical forest zones can be seen at higher elevations. The lower slopes of many hills to the west of the city, being the most accessible to humans, have lost their original forest cover; only bushes and shrubs now dot the landscape there. A variety of species grow on sunny slopes between elevations of about 2,300 and 5,600 feet (700 and 1,700 metres), including Manchurian birch, Dahurian birch, trembling poplar, Mongolian oak, and Liaotung oak. Between 5,600 and 6,250 feet (1,700 and 1,900 metres), a mixed forest of truncated maple and trembling poplar replaces all other species. Above 6,250 feet, goat willow becomes the dominant tree.
The larger part of the lowland areas of Beijing has been either cultivated or occupied by various settlements, and, for the most part, it is bare of any natural vegetation. Occasionally, some small groves of planted trees may be seen in the vicinity of villages; these are composed mainly of mixed woods consisting of oil pine, Chinese juniper, Chinese cypress, willow, elm, and Chinese locust. In addition, the government has made a concerted and sustained effort to plant trees in and around the central city.
The traditional core of Beijing essentially consisted of two walled cities (the walls no longer stand), the northern inner city and the southern outer city. The inner city, also known conventionally as Tatar City, lay to the southwest of the site of the Mongol city of Dadu; it was in the form of a square, with walls having a perimeter of nearly 15 miles (24 km). The outer city, also known as the Chinese City, was added during the reign of the Ming emperor Jiajing (1521–66/67); it was in the form of an oblong adjoining the inner city, with walls that were 14 miles (23 km) in length, including 4 miles (6 km) of the southern wall of the inner city. Within the inner city was the Imperial City, also in the form of a square, which had red plastered walls 6.5 miles (10.5 km) in length. The only remaining portions of that wall are on either side of the Tiananmen (Tian'anmen; "Gate of Heavenly Peace"), the southern, and main, entrance to the Imperial City that stands at the northern end of Tiananmen Square. Within the Imperial City, in turn, was the moated Forbidden City, with walls 2.25 miles (3.6 km) long. The Forbidden City contains the former Imperial Palaces, which are now the Palace Museum.
Beijing represents, better than any other existing city, the heritage of Chinese architectural achievement. During each dynasty in which the city was the capital, care was consistently taken to preserve tradition when it was rebuilt or remodeled. Few cities in the world can thus rival Beijing in the regularity and harmony of its city plan.
The urban plan, based on traditional Chinese geomantic practices, was composed about a single straight line, drawn north and south through the centre of the Forbidden City, on which the internal coherence of the city hinged. All the city walls, important city gates, main avenues and streets, religious buildings, and daily shopping markets were systematically arranged in relation to this central axis. Because the central axis has historically signified the authority of the ruling dynasty, many official buildings, public grounds, and city gates were located along this line. From north to south this line passed through the Bell Tower (Zhonglou); the Drum Tower (Gulou); Jingshan Park; the Forbidden City, including the Imperial Palaces; Tiananmen Square; Qianmen (Front Gate); the Tianqiao neighbourhood; and (no longer standing) Yongding Gate.
The symmetrical layout of the city to the east and west of this line is quite striking. In front of the palaces, the Temple of the Imperial Ancestors (now in the People's Cultural Park) on the east side of the axis is balanced by the Altar of Earth and Harvests (now in Zhongshan Park) on the west. Farther away from the palaces, the market area of Dongdan to the east was balanced by the Xidan market to the west; these still form two of Beijing's main business districts. The Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park to the south of the inner city is counterbalanced by the Ditan (Altar of the Earth) Park to the north of the city. Of the 16 city gates constructed in Ming times, 7 were located on each side of the north-south line, and 2 were situated on the line itself. Only a few of the old gates still stand, but the city streets adjacent to their sites continue to carry their names.
The main avenues of the old city, whether running north-south or east-west, connected the gates on the opposite walls and divided the whole city into a rectangular grid. Within the walls, buildings were constructed around a courtyard or series of courtyards, with every important building facing south. Buildings often stood behind one another along the north-south line, with small courtyards in between. This prevailing southern orientation of buildings has a climatic functional basis, but it also appears to have been sanctified or conventionalized early in the Bronze Age in connection with ancestral ceremonies and with the worship of heaven and earth.
Since 1949 the greatest changes in Beijing's appearance have been the extension of its streets immediately outside the former old city walls and the accelerating pace of new construction throughout the city. On the west side of the old city, an area extending about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the spot where the Fuxing Gate stood has become an extension of the avenue Xichang'an Jie and is used primarily for government offices. Toward the Summer Palace, to the northwest, is the Haidian district, where the most important universities and research institutes of the country are located. To the north of the city, the outlying districts have been developed as a housing area adjoining the educational district in the northwest. The eastern suburb is an industrial district dominated by the manufacture of chemicals, automobiles, and agricultural machinery. Vegetable fields in the southern suburb are gradually being supplanted by industrial plants. More recently, the look of the central city, especially in the eastern sections, has been transformed by growing numbers of high-rise office and apartment buildings. This construction increased rapidly from 1995, reaching a fever pitch in the years leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games.
To cope with the rapid population growth, a number of housing projects have been constructed for office and factory workers since 1949. In the mid-1950s housing projects were concentrated in western areas of the city, where apartment buildings were erected near government offices outside the Fuxing Gate site. Subsequently, a large number of multiunit housing estates were built in the northern districts between the Anding Gate site and Desheng Gate, centring on the residential neighbourhood of Hepingli. The Hepingli housing development contains primary and secondary schools, nurseries, hotels, and recreational facilities, as well as scores of four- or five-story apartment buildings. In addition, there are many groups of single-family houses in the northern suburbs, with associated parks, theatres, and recreational centres. All these buildings were supplied with water and natural gas as they were constructed, in contrast with structures in the older parts of the city, where it took longer to provide such services.
In the area outside the Jianguo Gate site, to the east of the central city, apartment buildings accommodate the families of office workers employed in nearby government office buildings. This area has also become the diplomatic district, containing many foreign embassies and a number of Western-style houses for diplomatic representatives and their families, and a locus of high-rise construction.
Many dilapidated houses have been pulled down in the older districts inside the former city walls and have been replaced by multistory apartment buildings. Urban-renewal projects, however, have been unable to match population growth. As a consequence, many traditional living compounds—originally designed centuries ago to house the families of officials during the Qing dynasty—have been repaired or renovated and subdivided to provide quarters for three or four families per compound. Each family in a compound faces a public courtyard and shares a common front gate with other families.
Many factories in the eastern and southern outskirts of the city have erected apartment buildings to house workers as a way to reduce commuting traffic in the metropolis. These workers' residences constitute independent communities and are located so that they are easily accessible from the place of work yet are far enough away to minimize noise and smoke. Satellite towns also have been developed in the rural counties in an effort to disperse population and industries from the central city. Industries have been established in rural areas in order to absorb surplus labourers and to supplement farmers' incomes.
Beijing's heritage of Chinese architectural achievement is exemplified by both private housing and public buildings. As the whole city was laid out in a rectangular street pattern symmetrically arranged around the palace compound, almost every dwelling in the city is also rectangular in form, with the four sides squarely facing the cardinal directions. Most houses in the inner city were designed as residences for former officials and their families, and almost every dwelling compound is surrounded by high walls, with an open courtyard in the centre flanked by houses on the eastern, western, and northern sides, usually one story high. The former residences of high-ranking officials were composed of two or three compounds, interconnected along a north-south axis.
Just inside the high wooden sill of the front gate of a large compound was a brick screen wall, a structure that was supposed to shut off intruding evil spirits as well as prevent curious passersby from looking inside. Beyond the screen was the outer, or service, courtyard, flanked by houses to the east and west. In former days, these structures held the compound's kitchen and the living quarters for the gatekeeper, servants, and any visiting guests and relatives. A red-painted gate led through the north wall of the outer court into the main part of the house, built around three sides of the main courtyard; the courtyard, usually shaded by a large tree, was the centre of the family's life. All the windows looked inward to it, and a double door opened into it from each of the three wings. The windows extended from about three feet (one metre) above the ground up to the deep, overhanging eaves. As they faced south, the rooms in the main building got the maximum possible sunshine in winter, and the eaves provided a pleasant shade in summer, when the sun was high. The wing at the northern end of the court was intended for the head of the family and his wife. It was divided into three compartments: the central one was the living or community room, and the smaller rooms at either side were the bedroom and study. The rooms facing east and west—three on each side of the court—were for married sons and their families. This was the basic plan of all the old houses in Beijing. Larger families built an extra courtyard behind the main house, because the traditional ideal was that all the existing generations should live together. Since 1949, however, a great many of the old-style houses have been adapted for use by several families.
While the style and architecture of private dwelling units are uniform throughout the city, the public buildings and temples are characterized by a variety of designs and structures. Beijing, the country's political and cultural centre for more than 700 years, has more buildings of historical and architectural significance than any other contemporary city in China. Since 1949 many new government and municipal buildings, combining both traditional and Western architecture, have been constructed.
The Imperial Palaces (Palace Museum) of the Forbidden City, with their golden roofs, white marble balustrades, and red pillars, stand in the heart of Beijing and are surrounded by a moat and walls with a tower on each of the four corners. The palaces, collectively designated a World Heritage site in 1987, consist of outer throne halls and an inner court. North of the three tunnel gates that form the Wu (Meridian) Gate (the southern entrance to the Forbidden City), a great courtyard lies beyond five marble bridges. Farther north is the massive, double-tiered Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), once the throne hall. A marble terrace rises above the marble balustrades that surround it, upon which stand beautiful ancient bronzes in the shapes of caldrons, cranes, turtles, compasses, and ancient measuring instruments. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest wooden structure in China.
North of it, beyond another courtyard, is the Hall of Central (or Complete) Harmony (Zhonghedian), where the emperor paused to rest before going into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Beyond the Hall of Central Harmony is the last hall, the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian), after which comes the Inner Court (Neiting). The Inner Court was used as the emperor's personal apartment. It contains three large halls, the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqinggong), the Hall of Union (Jiaotaidian), and the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity (Kunninggong).
The Palace of Heavenly Purity is divided into three parts. The central part was used for family feasts and family audiences, audiences for foreign envoys, and funeral services; the eastern section was used for mourning rites and the western section for state business. The other two palaces, one behind the other, were imperial family residences. The three throne halls in the Outer Court and the three main halls in the Inner Court lie along the central axis. On either side are smaller palaces, with their own courtyards and auxiliary buildings. Behind the buildings, before the northern gate of the Imperial Palaces is reached, lies the Imperial Garden. Each palace, its courtyard and side halls, forms an architectural whole.
Among the historical and religious structures in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan), located south of the palace compound in the old outer city, is unique both for its unusual geometric layout and because it represents the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture. In 1998 it too was designated a World Heritage site. A path, shaded by ancient cypresses, runs about 1,600 feet (490 metres) from the western gate of the temple to a raised passage about 1,000 feet (300 metres) long. This broad walk connects the two sets of main buildings in the temple enclosure. To the north lies the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qiniandian) and to the south the Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and the Circular Mound Altar (Huanqiutan), all three built along a straight line. Seen from the air, the wall of the enclosure to the south is square, while the one to the north is semicircular. This pattern symbolizes the traditional Chinese belief that heaven is round and Earth square.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, built in 1420 as a place of heaven worship for the emperors, is a lofty, cone-shaped structure with triple eaves, the top of which is crowned with a gilded ball. The base of the structure is a large, triple-tiered circular stone terrace. Each ring has balustrades of carved white marble, which gives the effect of lace when seen from a distance. The roof of the hall is deep blue, resembling the colour of the sky. The entire structure, 125 feet (38 metres) high and about 100 feet (30 metres) in diameter, is supported by 28 massive wooden pillars. The four central columns, called the "dragon-well pillars," represent the four seasons; there are also two rings of 12 columns each, the inner ring symbolizing the 12 months and the outer ring the 12 divisions of day and night, according to a traditional system. The centre of the stone-paved floor is a round marble slab that has a design of a dragon and a phoenix—traditional imperial symbols. The hall has no walls, only partitions of open latticework doors.
The Imperial Vault of Heaven, first erected in 1530 and rebuilt in 1752, is a smaller structure some 65 feet (20 metres) high and about 50 feet (15 metres) in diameter. The circular building has no crossbeam, and the dome is supported by complicated span work. Its decorative paintings still retain their fresh original colours.
South of the enclosure lies the Circular Mound Altar, built in 1530 and rebuilt in 1749. The triple-tiered white stone terrace is enclosed by two sets of walls that are square outside and round inside; thus, the whole structure forms an elaborate and integrated geometric pattern. The inner terrace is 16 feet (5 metres) above the ground and about 100 feet (30 metres) in diameter; the middle terrace is about 165 feet (50 metres) across and the lowest terrace some 230 feet (70 metres) across. Each terrace is encircled by nine rings of stones. Both the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Circular Mound Altar were erected to portray the geometric structure of heaven, as conceived by the architects of the Ming dynasty. After 1949 the whole enclosure of the Temple of Heaven was repaired; it is now a public park.
To the east of Tiananmen Square within the People's Cultural Park is the Working People's Cultural Palace (formerly the Temple of the Imperial Ancestors), where the tablets of the emperors were displayed. The temple, like the Imperial Palaces in style, was built in three stonework tiers, each with double eaves. On either side are two rows of verandas surrounding a vast courtyard large enough to hold 10,000 people. Exhibitions of economic and cultural achievements, both of China and of other countries, are frequently mounted in the three halls. Lectures by leading scholars on science, literature, and the arts are also held there.
Perhaps the most imposing structure constructed in the heart of the city since 1949 is the Great Hall of the People. The Great Hall is located on the western side of Tiananmen Square and is an immense building with tall columns of gray marble set on red marble bases of floral design. It has a flat roof with a golden-yellow tile cornice over green eaves shaped like lotus petals. The base of the building is of pink granite, and its walls are apricot yellow. Its frontage is 1,100 feet (335 metres) long—about the equivalent of two city blocks—and its floor space is some 1,850,000 square feet (172,000 square metres). Inside the building, the ceiling and walls are rounded. The grand auditorium, with seating for 10,000, is where the National People's Congress holds its sessions; the focus of the room's lighting system is a red star in the ceiling surrounded by golden sunflower petals. Other components are a banquet hall that can hold 5,000, huge lobbies, and scores of meeting rooms and offices for the standing committee of the congress.
The extraordinary pace of building construction in Beijing since the mid-1990s produced a vast number of new and gleaming medium- and high-rise buildings. Many of these structures are commercial—banks, corporate headquarters, hotels, and apartment blocks—and, although most of them are fairly conventional towers, a number of them were built with innovative and eye-catching designs. Of note are the China Central Television (CCTV) Building, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas; the National Centre for the Performing Arts complex, featuring an enormous egg-shaped dome that houses an opera house, a concert hall, and a theatre; the new National Stadium, built for the Olympics and popularly called the "Bird's Nest" because of its irregular interlocking outer framework; and the National Aquatics Center, also built for the Olympics and distinctive because its exterior resembles a giant cube of water.


Trending represents statistics from over 70 hotels and includes hotels in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Dublin, Waterford and Kilkenny.
The Irish hotel market has achieved incredible growth with the vat incentive of 9%. The lower vat has yielded significant revenue growth which has resulted in a larger employment pool which ultimately has provided a significant increased tax take.
Another contribution to government tax revenue largely missed is the indirect taxes that hotels contribute in the form of council rates. Hotels that are located in city center locations are liable at the highest rateable charge. Also for service providers like Trending, there are a lot of service company's surviving and thriving from the hospitality Industry.
So what are the growth levels for hotels?
2017 ended with a national occupancy of 77.1%. Due to very limited changes in supply over the last 10 years there has been a very strong rate increase perhaps greater than expected, in some way due to some fantastic initiatives like the Wild Atlantic Way.
At Trending we would feel that any change on the vat rate would have a negative impact on hotels at a time when they are now going to be dealing with a significant increase in competition.
Lower taxes have always increased the overall tax take – Hospitality has been no exception to this economic principle.


SSI and Marriage | ConductDisorders - A soft place to land for battle weary parents.
Discussion in 'General Parenting' started by Momslittleangels, Aug 25, 2006.
Does anyone happen to know if an adult who is permanently disabled and on SSI gets married, will they lose their SSI? Will they now take the spouses income/bank accounts into consideration in deciding the disabled persons' future payments? Or do they consider the individual's disability separately (since they are permanently disabled, their regular payments would continue, as long as they remain disabled)?
Hope that made sense. Thank you!
In terms of if they don't get legally married then it's the "living arrangements" that would be the issue.
Bottom line answer to your question is that the spouse's income and assets count. The length or severity of the disability is not relevant for these purposes.
if it is for sure SSI then yes, marriage can complicate things. If it is ssda....based on what a person paid in and how many quarters they worked etc..it should be less of a complication.
Sorry for the delay in responding, but thank you for the information.
Dreamer: They receive SSI/Medicare due to the lingering disability. I was just wondering if that person got married, would they lose their SSI?
OTE: What about if the new spouse brings assets "into the marriage". Would that now count too?? It doesn't seem right that they would stop them from receiving the payments, just because they got married. It is such a small amount to live on and they can't expect that the their new spouse could support them without their contribution too.
Unfortunately, yes, they do expect the new spouse to support them. Remember that it's a matter of degrees. Suppose the new spouse was Malcolm Forbes. Should the gov't be paying Forbe's wife "Federal welfare?" Wouldn't we all be appalled?
So, yes, the new spouse's assets that exist today come into the rules re "resources" and income. In terms of getting rid of those assets before the marriage I don't know. There are definitely rules about disposing of assets in contemplation of welfare, medicaid, SSI. There's a "look back" test at a minimum.
I also forgot to mention that there are rules about common law marriage.
If there are a lot of assets involved they need to see a lawyer.
Wow. Gay marriage is the law of the land.
Threw step son out. Marriage struggling.


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Texas women's swimmer Madisyn Cox. RALPH BARRERA/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
BEVO BEAT Swimming & Diving
Texas breaks school record in 800-free relay in Day 1 of the NCAA swimming, diving championships
sports@statesman.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Texas broke school and Big 12 records in the 800-yard freestyle relay Wednesday night in the opening session of the NCAA Division I women's swimming and diving championships.
Senior Madisyn Cox, sophomore Joanna Evans, freshman Claire Adams and senior Tasija Karosas swam the relay in 6 minutes, 54.83 seconds, well under the school and conference mark of 6:56.52 set by the same quartet last November at the Texas Invitational.
The relay placed fourth overall at 6:54.83 and delivered 30 points for the Longhorns. Stanford won the event with an NCAA record time of 6:45.91.
Texas opens the second day of competition at 9 a.m. Thursday; finals are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
"This was really important because it sets the tone for the meet," said fifth-year Texas head coach Carol Capitani. "That's the best we've ever been by two seconds, and it's the best we've been in the relay in this new meet format. It's really fun to start off with four great women having some fun and being even better than they've already been."
Next story: 50 in 50: When Texas football's offense dominated
Haley Mills, Greta Voelker lead Texas golf to fifth-place finish in Hawaii
50 in 50: When Texas football's offense dominated

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Although you can't check out the Encyclopedia Judaica you can read it online through the Library's databases.
If you go to the Religion Databases, scroll down until you find the Encyclopedia Judaica, open it up and search. The online version is the exact same as the print version.


text:
OSI Brief: Deceptive publishing
March 19, 2019Rick AndersonOSI Issue Briefs
Deceptive publishing (also known as predatory publishing) has been a growing problem in scholarly publishing for years now. What do we know about it? What do we still need to know about it? How should the scholarly community respond?
OSI Policy Perspective: Plan S & the quest for global open access
March 13, 2019Glenn HampsonOSI Issue Briefs
Plan S is an ambitious, EU-based effort attempting to accelerate the global transition to open access. While this plan isn't the only one trying to improve open, or the first, it has generated much interest and discussion. Some in OSI support Plan S as written. Others support it with minor changes. Still others support the...
'It is all a bit of a mess' – observations from Researcher to Reader conference
January 19, 2017OSICommunity
Danny Kingsley, Head of Scholarly Communication at University of Cambridge recaps an annual academically related, publisher oriented conference held in central London early this year. The take presents an interesting kaleidoscope of issues, comments and conversations charting various aspects of scholarly publication through a 2-day conference that develops important perspectives beyond the faculty lounge and...
Preface to the OSI2016 Workgroup Papers
June 28, 2016OSIOSI2016 Reports
Scholarly publishing has been in a state of transition for several decades now, driven by the rapid evolution and expectations of our digital society, the explosion and specialization of research over this period of time, and importantly, a concerted effort—led in large part by the open access movement—to make more of the world's research information...
Report from the Repositories & Preservation Workgroup
Abstract Repositories are a vital tool in modern information management and a key component of preservation and long-term availability. They are not well-suited, however, to the current challenges posed by our information-rich society and the multitude of stakeholders involved in the modern scholarly publishing system. Strengthening repositories and standardizing preservation processes are critically important. This...
Report from the Evolving Open Solutions Workgroup (1)
OSI2016 Workgroup Question Are the scholarly publishing tools we're using today still the right ones? Is the monograph still the best format in the humanities? Is the journal article still best in STM? These products can be difficult to produce and edit, nearly impenetrable to read, and—as in the case of clinical research information—they aren't...
Report from the Information Overload Workgroup
Abstract The duality of information overload and underload is a defining issue of our age. Scholarly information is abundant but not universally accessible to all scholars and learners, thereby hindering or prohibiting equitable engagement in ongoing scholarly conversations. Access is a core aspect of the issue of overload and underload—both access to research materials and...
Report from the Participation Workgroup
OSI2016 Workgroup Question Do researchers and scientists participate in the current system of scholarly publishing because they like it, they need it, they don't have a choice in the matter, or they don't really care one way or another? What perceptions, considerations and incentives do academicians have for staying the course (like impact factors and...
Report from the At-large Workgroup
Abstract / OSI2016 Workgroup Question The At-Large workgroup was the largest and most diverse in terms of stakeholder representation. At-large delegates observed workgroup conversations during the meeting and contributed to these conversations while letting the workgroup teams answer their questions. At-large delegates met during the conference and convened online both before and after the conference...
Report from the Impact Factors Workgroup
Abstract A small, self-selected workgroup was convened to consider issues surrounding impact factors at the first meeting of the Open Scholarship Initiative in Fairfax, Virginia, USA, in April 2016, and focused on the uses and misuses of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF), with a particular focus on research assessment. The workgroup's report notes that the...


Art is cathartic, and allows us to see nothing but ourselves within it, believes this creator. A noted name in the Indian contemporary art landscape, Jaideep Mehrotra has wowed audiences the world over with his canvases. But there comes along a moment in every artist's life when he wishes to venture into something completely unexplored — and so it is with Mehrotra, who is showcasing his abstract creations for the very first time in Reflections In Mercury. Back with a solo show in Mumbai after a gap of six years, the artist talks to Verve about all things creative….
Reflections In Mercury is on display at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai from September 23 to October 22, 2017.


Thanks to my sister and my brother in law I have some pictures from the Run to the Pub race Saturday.
Prerace, waiting for it to be time to load the buses out to the start line, we had to take a picture in front of a Bobcats sign.
At the start line, trying to decide if I should take off my green pullover or not.
About 6 miles in, so happy to see my husband not only for the mental pick me up but so I could toss him my green pullover. I was tired of having it tied around my waist!
Coming in to the finish, so happy to see the finish line!
and I better pass one more person before the end. I like how I am heel striking in the first picture here, but it doesn't appear to be a heel strike in the second picture.
the after party. A free beer. I had the Guiness and showing off our hard earned medals. You maybe can't tell, but I was FREEZING here. I went and got my coat and pants on shortly afterwards.
Sunday I rested and did some yoga.
Monday I got out and did an easy 5 mile run with some walking mixed in on some cow trails. I also did a 30 minute circuit workout that was part ZWOW 60 and part I made it up.
Great pictures of you at the finish! Even when I'm exhausted there's just something about having to pass someone at the finish that makes me find some more energy. Wonderful job to both you and your sister!
Those are some awesome finish line pics!! Yes it feels awesome to pass someone right there in the end! I love the medals...they're huge.
Those are some awesome pictures. I always look like I'm on the brink of death in my race pics.
Great pics, you look awesome!
I love your race pictures. Your outfit was so cute!
You look so strong and fasssst in those pics. Great job!
How ridiculously cute are YOU!?!?! OH MY GOSH! It should be illegal to be that adorable! :) Way to rock it, woman!
loved the outfit and your awesome medals. Heel strike or not, you have a great stride!
Love the pictures! Love the outfit! Congratulations on a great race!
Love your outfit! Perfect for a St Patty's race. Love all the great pics. It's so nice if you actually have someone at the race to take pics!
Love the outfit!!! Green looks good on you!!! You look strong at the end!!!
I love your outfit! You've got spirit! That looks like a lot of fun! I always get cold at the start and I want to wear my sweatshirt and I always regret it. I am nervous about that for Boston because I was going to wear a throwaway sweater but then I will probably be cold at the end!
Great pictures! You look fabulous in all your green attire :)and that medal is awesome!
These are some awesome pictures! Great photographer!
Go the great sparkle! I layered my green and orange for a little irish spirit!


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During the college and university years, we all ask older students or graduates for advice. They share their experience, give tips regarding the communication with professors and writing certain assignments, which is always useful, as wisdom must be passed on to the new generations. Such exchange is priceless when working on a med dissertation, as doing a work of such significance is impossible without help from someone who knows what to do. This is why, with the aim of helping those who are struggling with med dissertation writing, we have interviewed a former medical student who went through the whole process and ended up defending the dissertation excellently. The suggestions of this graduate discussed in this article will definitely make the writing process easier and smoother.
The topic has to be interesting for you personally and intersect with your major subject.
Before writing the dissertation, you can map out the proposal in order to see what structure and content is most suitable for it. In addition, the proposal needs to be approved by your professor, which means that you will get the comments and suggestions from an authoritative source before even writing the thesis.
Make a detailed plan of the sections and chapters that your dissertation will include. Take several days to arrange it properly and make it suitable for the current topic and word count. Also, remember to include the major terms in the names of subsections.
Reviewing the existing works on this same topic is a part of the writing process, but it is especially useful to analyze the dissertations made by other students on the same theme. Having an access to theses from all over the world, it is easy to find the needed ones and see how a good paper should be organized.
Deadlines are the major problem for students of all courses and departments, and when it comes to lengthy papers like dissertations, it becomes even harder to work on it gradually and not postpone the writing till the last month. Do not fall into procrastination trap: plan a weekly working schedule and stick to it throughout the whole year. This way, in the end you will have ample time to proofread it and hand it in without any stress.
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The general rule while writing a conclusion is - do not mention any new information. You need to address the key ideas, support the initial thesis statement, and give other researchers an inspiration for further analysis.
Master of Education dissertations (M.Ed. dissertations) are the final requirement needed to gain your qualification. Many academic institutions use the MEd as a means of qualifying a student's ability to express their understanding of a topic, their ability to carry out concise research, and their ability to express themselves through original work.
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Humans and El Niño Team Up to Create a Record Jump in CO2 Pollution
The world may have seen the last of air with CO2 levels below 400 parts per million
By David Biello on April 14, 2016
Remember 2016—it is the infamous year that has already recorded the largest annual change on record in the makeup of the air you breathe. Fueled by people's pyromania and the El Niño global weather phenomenon, carbon dioxide concentrations reached 409.44 parts per million on April 9 at an air-sampling station atop Hawaii's Mauna Loa, a rise of more than five ppm since the same date last year. And it could get worse.
"Where you assign the peak will depend on whether the focus is on daily, weekly or monthly averages. The monthly peak is certainly still ahead of us," says Ralph Keeling, a geochemist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California who measures atmospheric CO2 every day at Mauna Loa and other stations, carrying on the work his father started in 1958. "The recent daily values were extraordinarily high, however, so perhaps [they] won't be overtaken."
The previous record year-on-year increase was 3.7 ppm in 1998. CO2 concentrations typically peak in spring, just before trees, plankton and other plants across the Northern Hemisphere awaken from their winter slumber and begin to greedily suck CO2 out of the sky to fuel photosynthesis and the growth of leaves and cells. But even that titanic greening will not be enough to pull CO2 below 400 ppm ever again, Keeling suspects. The fall of 2015 could be the last time the reading dipped below that mark at Mauna Loa—which has become a kind of global bellwether as the first place where CO2 concentrations were actively monitored—and, perhaps, at the 12 other sites where Keeling's program now makes the same measurements from the Arctic to the Antarctic.
Atmospheric CO2 has risen by nearly 100 ppm since Keeling's father, Charles David Keeling (pdf), took the first measurements at Mauna Loa in March 1958—and concentrations have jumped by nearly 30 ppm in the past decade alone, propelled by a historic increase in the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. "The atmospheric and oceanic CO2 increase is being driven by the burning of fossil fuels," says Pieter Tans, a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory, who leads the U.S. government effort to monitor global greenhouse gas levels. "When the burn rate is high, the CO2 increase rate is also high."
A 100 ppm, or 0.01 percent, rise in CO2 levels may not seem like much but it has already been enough to warm the globe by roughly a degree Celsius over the past century. More warming is expected as CO2 invisibly accumulates in the sky, where the molecule persists for centuries, and then traps more heat as it insulates the planet. And although Earth has seen CO2 levels much higher in the remote past, the human species has not—and our penchant for burning may continue to alter the climate that has allowed our civilization to flourish.
There is hope, however, as CO2 from burning fossil fuels and other human activities appears to have leveled off in 2015 at roughly 40 billion metric tons of CO2 liberated into the atmosphere. But in recent years massive brush fires deliberately set to clear land in Indonesia and a general increase in forest fires around the world likely helped spur the historic jump in levels from 2015 to 2016. El Niño—a warming of tropical Pacific Ocean waters that changes weather patterns across the globe—causes forests to dry out as rainfall patterns shift, and the occasional unusually strong "super" El Niños, like the current one, have a bigger effect on CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The previous super El Niño, in 1998, saw the earlier record CO2 jump of nearly four ppm. "During an El Niño, there are 'anomalous' patterns of temperature, precipitation and drought over many regions of the Earth. We have observed that the CO2 rate of increase gets an extra boost during an El Niño," Tans explains. "We also know that most of the extra boost is provided by terrestrial ecosystems, not by the oceans."
The current "Godzilla" El Niño is already weakening—and forests in Indonesia or elsewhere can regrow and resume absorbing CO2. But fossil fuel burning will keep pumping out more CO2 year after year, pushing concentrations of the greenhouse gas higher and higher. Last year saw CO2 rise by three ppm from the previous year, among the largest increases on record. Unfortunately, 2016 looks set to top that.
David Biello is a contributing editor at Scientific American.
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I was born and raised in the town of Brno in the former Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. The surrounding region is an ancient wine growing area with Templar castles and picturesque villages.
My earliest influences were the natural beauty of the countryside and the unique botanical patterns that each village uses in their stone carving and embroidery. Despite the attractions of the countryside, living in the Soviet Empire was a nightmare of repression and censorship.
After completing secondary school I studied film, TV and animation until I couldn't bear it any longer and decided to escape to the West. This gave me a new life, joy in living and a commitment to oppose anyone who wants to take our freedoms away.
I would list my influence as the old masters, film, animation, communist propaganda, advertising, the natural environment, sailing and the sea, urban grunge, street art and of course, St Kilda which has been my home for the last 30 years. This eclectic combination underpins my work.
I am of the opinion that the visual environment is so complex that it can longer be taken in as a whole. People are searching for meaning in visual chaos and contradiction. I try to represent what can no longer be explained, by showing the crazy visual urban archeology we live in.
Wood is my preferred material to work on because it has its own irregular organic surface. I will often use found pieces which have their own unique shape and finish, creating texture by applying multiple layers of paint and then stencil, burn, cut, scrape, sand, and stencil again and repaint to create depth and texture. My work is built up with layers, each obscuring the earlier ones, much like our culture that is continually overwriting itself before the last layer has dried.
moments from an unknown movie.
I paint because I have to, I dream images in colour, and I need to capture them before they fade from memory.


EDO NSW has expressed significant concerns about the implementation of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and associated regulations and orders. This latest proposal on the detail of how future mine rehabilitation can be counted as biodiversity offsets continues the process of undermining protection for biodiversity in NSW.
We re-iterate our opposition to the use of mine rehabilitation as an offset for biodiversity destruction. In our opinion, there is no independent, scientifically verified evidence that mine site rehabilitation can replicate the biodiversity values that are lost through mining. Further, there are strong community expectations that any approval to undertake mining activities should be accompanied by requirements to rehabilitate the land to a pre-mining equivalent condition, quite separately to the need to compensate for the loss of biodiversity caused by the mining activity.


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Home » Everyday Meals » 2022 will see a third of Britons switching to a plant-based diet
For 43 percent, the need to eat meat simply isn't there, and 30 per cent just want to try something new. Saving the plant is the biggest incentive for half of those up for ditching meat – while almost a quarter reckon it'll boost their social media profile.
However, fish and chips, an English fry up and pizza are among the meals Brits think they'd miss most.
Taste is one of the top barriers for people fully committing to a plant-based diet, while for 42 percent, it's the expense.
And 56 percent say they would miss their favourite dishes too much.
Deborah Blaser from Nurishh, a plant-based alternative to cheese that commissioned the survey, said: "These survey results reveal a growing trend in our society.
"The premise behind our range is to cater for the one in three that want to go plant-based but don't want to compromise on flavour.
"Plant-based category sales have doubled in the last five years, yet products that stack up in taste and support flexitarian-curious Brits planning to make the switch are in small numbers.
"We hope Nurishh will make it easier for people who want to really try and stick at their new year's resolution."
The study also found that regardless of this being a new resolution for 2022, two-thirds of adults have already attempted to be greener in the kitchen at least once before.
And 63 percent admit it's something they try at the start of every year, with almost two-thirds considering being a vegan to be 'trendy'.
A quarter thinks it will be difficult to make the switch but 50 per cent claim it will be an easy transition.
Shockingly, almost half (46 percent) confess to being likely to pretend to still be a plant-based eater even if they've failed at it.
Generally speaking, more than a third admit to giving in to temptation too easily with reasons being lack of willpower (72 percent), getting bored too quickly (47 percent) and having the fear of missing out (43 percent).
It takes 32 per cent of those polled just a week to fail at the first hurdle, while 21 per cent can manage one whole month before giving up.
It also emerged that smoking (28 percent), chocolate (18 percent), bad habits (16 percent) and alcohol (15 percent) are among the things that have been the hardest to give up in the past.
And a fifth of those polled via OnePoll has lied about sticking to something even though they secretly gave it up already.
Nurishh have teamed up with chef and TV presenter, Joe Hurd, who said: "Making changes to our diet can have a profound knock-on effect in other aspects of life such as feeling happier, time spent preparing meals, improving our health and even performing better in our jobs.
"I am flexitarian so eating and feeding my family plant-based meals has become second nature.
"Technically plant-based alternatives to cheese are the most challenging to replicate so it was great to see people at Spitalfields genuinely wowed as they tasted plant-based versions of their favourite dishes created by chef Paul Hannigen."
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Serendipitously, two very fine Korean movies open today in New York.
In the same manner as Gray's poem, there is a muted but recognizable rejection of industrialism's benefits. Choi refuses to use insecticide because it threatens to poison his ox. He also refuses to use a rice-harvesting machine because too many grains will be lost. Even though he is in his 80s, he prefers to gather up the rice by hand. His wife, who is forced to work alongside him, nags him throughout the film. Sell the ox. Get a machine. Use insecticide. He ignores her all the while, facilitated no doubt by the fact that he is nearly deaf. Meanwhile, the only sound he strains to hear is the bell attached to his ox's neck that provides a kind of soundtrack throughout the film. Its constant tinkling reminds you more of a Buddhist temple than hard labor, accentuated by the sight of the beast's oddly beatific gaze.
Choi travels everywhere in a cart drawn by his beloved ox, even to the nearest city where he observes a demonstration by local activists against the importation of American cattle. They chant "No to Mad Cow!" Choi says not a word as he trudges slowly by, but it is clear that he is in sympathy, as is the film's director no doubt.
Where did the idea from the movie come from? Why do you think it was important to make this film?
I happened to visit a cattle market for coverage in 1999 where I saw an ox shed tears looking at his former owner as he was being pulled away by his new owner. That moment reminded me of my father's ox from my childhood.
Before industrialization, the business of the Korean countryside was the sole domain of oxen and our fathers. They were heroes, idols and the driving force of Korean agricultural development. Since industrialization, however, they had nothing to do. Oxen became only beef; our fathers retired and aged with an aging town.
The situation makes me sad. So I wanted to recollect the devotion and beautiful sympathy of farmers and oxen in this film, and the scenery might be the last moment of this age. This film is dedicated to the oxen and our fathers devoted to this land.
How did you meet this farmer?
For five years, I traveled around the nation to find a proper ox and farmer. In early 2005, someone told me there was a proper man and an ox in a small town in Bong-wha. I was so lucky to encounter them.
What elements of the South Korean culture are portrayed in the movie?
Before the introduction of farm machinery to the countryside, our farms totally depended upon oxen. This film portrays the core of Korean agricultural practices. Also, it shows aspects of traditional Korean culture, such as patriarchy, unequal conjugal relationships and the commitment of parents to educate their children at any cost. It also shows the affection for oxen, who are considered family members and collaborative partners, not just animals.
While "The Chaser" could not be farther apart from "Old Partner" in mood and subject matter, it too expresses the supreme filmmaking talents coming out of Korea today. Directed by Na Hong-jin, this is an ultra-noir tale of a detective-turned-pimp's attempt to track down a serial killer who has made victims out of a couple of his prostitutes and has rendered a third close to death with his favorite weapon, a hammer and chisel.
Jung-ho, the pimp, is anything but a hero. His main motivation is to track down who has been dragooning his prostitutes and selling them on the flesh market, refusing to believe that a serial killer is at fault, even after he has apprehended the man quite by accident—literally so through a fender-bender. As the cops come upon Jung-ho who is standing over the bloodied victim, he demands to know where Young-min—the killer—has sold the girls. Even after Young-min confesses that he is indeed a mass murderer at the local police station, Jung-ho refuses to believe his ears. It is clear that this cynical flesh merchant, who his now half-dead call girl nicknamed "Filth" on her cell phone, can only see things in terms of money. As such, he is the quintessential denizen of a society that has lost its moorings.
The public's interest for serial murder cases which brought fear to a society is immediately forgotten even before the tears of the victims or their families have dried up. In an individualistic society indifferent to others and centered on individual materialistic gains, questions such as, "What kind of people were the victims? What efforts have I or society has made to save them?" have never even crossed the minds of what society has become today. This type of society which has come about and looked at by one ordinary person is the starting point for THE CHASER. Not simply exaggerating the subject matter of a shocking serial murder case, this film paints one man's breathless shocking efforts to save one person whose precious life is at stake while fighting against preposterous circumstances and a faulty social system.
It is not hard to understand why Korean filmmakers would embrace the noir genre. In the United States, it reached its zenith in the post-WWII years as Hollywood screenwriters, especially leftists like Abraham Polonsky, discovered that the optimism of the New Deal was giving way to the Cold War and conformity.
In Korea, there is evidence everywhere that the once bright future of a star Tiger economy has been dashed. The first hammer blow took place in the late 1990s and a new round of contraction appears inevitable.
Leaving aside the socio-political backdrop, "The Chaser" is a tightly wound thriller that avoids the typical clichés of Hollywood slasher movies even though it is not above some truly gruesome images. As Jung-ho, the detective turned pimp, and Mi-jin, the serial killer, Kim Yoon-suk and Ha Jung-woo turn in bravura performances.
"The Chaser" opens today at the IFC Theater in New York and is strongly recommended.
I do look forward to seeing both films. I've been mining recent Korean cinema and it's been quite a nice discovery. I'm especially looking forward to Thirst. Contemporary South Korean cinema beats the hell out of Hollywood's crop of remakes and adaptations–adaptations based on Transformers and GI Joe. I wish Adorno was around for the Transformers films, I think he'd set fire to California with some sort of latent pyrokinetic power.
article about film review on Old Partner.
I am a graduate student in S. Korea. My name is Jung.
or anyone who watched Old Partner can answer my surveys.
My research is about the shared values of Koreans and foreigners in film Old Partner.
It won't take long time. I attached my survey question files.
It would be really nice if you can answer me with how many people can fill out the survey!
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You are here: Home » Communication and mass media » Media Studies; Understanding TV through queen's coronation and royal wedding.
The Society, in the twenty-first century, whether we choose to refer to it as national, global, or local, is imbued with Television. The entire society is dependent on Television to gain information about the essential events and vital values in our society (O'Dnneil, 2003). Television media assume the responsibility of covering important events in one way or another provided that there is one dominating center of power in society.
Television plays an extremely crucial role in educating the society, representing the country, boosting cultures, and preserving citizenship. Television advertisements influence our decisions making. For instance, if a favourite celeb is promoting a particular product it has to be good for the plain fact that that pop star is endorsing it.
The royal wedding and coronation event reveals a more intense Television coverage. The mass media (TV) constructs the royalties not just as power holders or sovereigns but rather as members of the viewer's family (Elihu, 1992). It is interesting how the journalist takes the role of household's dominant symbol. They act as well-informed and inquisitive uncle or aunt who discerns every single detail about everyone and is ecstatic to share this with anybody who cares to listen. The built familiarity shows a vibrant intention to create a substantial connection between media, subjects and the royalties.
The mass media endeavor to satisfy a community demand for swift and steady access to newsworthy occasions such as royal weddings and coronation. The royal family on the other hand benefit from the Television technology by solidification of their place in the national focus (David, 1983). The Coronation was an event of integrating the society and expressing its moral center. The Coronation event of 1953 has been construed according to the mass media's (BBC) own frames. The Television broadcast took a reverential view of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II was placed in an imperial milieu and constructing a coronation event characterized by reverent magnificence.
Television coverage is viewed coronation as a problem free event of national integration and unity. The candid fact that not every person felt at home is overlooked. It is evident that there existed a small percentage of individuals who differed on the message of national celebration and unity (David, 1983). Therefore, it is erroneous to conclude that the event was primarily positive and integrative just because the BBC Television only featured contented society. BBC never gave any attention to the problem areas.
The core problem connected with the Coronation is how to ensure a fruitful performance and smooth functioning (Elihu, 1992). Another problem is the audience clogging up streets and possible littering and consequently dirtying the environment and causing delays. These issues are not given any media coverage.
The conventional wisdom of media research is that unity is a less probable leitmotif for news. The items on the news mostly pay attention to the conflicts and problems. Still, news will concentrate on anything that can capture the attention of the audience. This is because it will lead to increased sales, subsequently an essentially conflict-free treatment of significant media events and celebrations comes as no surprise. The Coronation event also lent itself readily to personification, another imperative measure for newsworthiness.
David, C., 1983. Performance and Meaning of Rituals. The British Monarchy and the Invention of Tradition, 1(12), pp. 1820-1977.
Elihu, D. D. &. K., 1992. Media Events. The Live Broadcasting of History, pp. 25-119.
O'Dnneil, N. B. &. H., 2003. Media, Monarchy, and power. 1 ed. USA: Intellect- European Studies Series.


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Jobless helped to get fit to get a job in Devon scheme
Private companies running the government's work programme in Britain are looking at innovative ways of getting some of those without jobs back to work.
Max Cotton reports on a Plymouth scheme aiming to help people get fit to get get a job. He spoke to personal Trainer Saul Rodgers, job seeker Martin Walmsley and Ed Atter from Working Links.
MORE FROM THE DAILY POLITICS
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Jobless helped to get fit to get a job. Video, 00:02:28Jobless helped to get fit to get a job
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THIS CHARMING UNIT IS JUST WAITING FOR YOU!! This charming villa has everything you need just bring your toothbrush! Located in the 55 plus community of Village Woods in Beacon Woods, this end unit brings in lots of natural light. 2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms are separate from each other so you can have privacy from your guests. New windows, carpet and laminate. The enclosed sunroom over looks the golf course! Washer and dryer are conveniently located off the sunroom. Open floor plan as the kitchen overlooks the living and dining room. Walk in closets in both bedrooms and additional closets provide lots of storage. Tasteful, coastal Furnishings included! Perfect Florida getaway is close to hwy 19, so you will have easy access to beaches, shopping and dining.
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MORAGA, Calif. – Santa Clara men's soccer kept Saint Mary's high-powered offense in check for the majority of the match but a Gaels free kick goal in the 97th minute proved to be the difference, losing 2-1 in overtime to the second ranked team in the nation on Sunday. For the Broncos, it was the fifth loss in seven overtime matches this season.
Saint Mary's (14-0, 3-0 WCC) came into the match outscoring its opponents 41-4 during its 13 match win streak, conceding goals in only two of its matches to ascend to the No. 2 ranking in the College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer polls.
The two teams played to a scoreless first half with the best scoring chance coming in the 25th minute for the Broncos (4-8-1, 0-3 WCC). Sam Agosti who entered as a substitute only minutes earlier dumped the ball from the left side to Javier Ruiz Duran whose left-footed shot inside the box was kick saved by Gaels goalkeeper Remi Prieur, rolling just to the right of the post.
The Gaels broke the scoreless deadlock in the 54th minute on a penalty kick goal by Stephen Dougherty.
The Broncos got the equalizer in the 72nd minutes on a header by Andres Jimenez. Alex Achramowicz used his speed and quickness on the right side, dumping the ball to Nate Shue who was cutting diagonally from left to right into the box. Shue then delivered a service in front of the net that Jimenez headed in.
Playing in its seventh overtime match of the season, the Gaels drew a penalty seven minutes in just outside the 18 on the right side. From there, Filippo Zattarin struck a free kick over Bronco goalkeeper Dakota Havlick's head, finding the left side netting for the game-winner.
Santa Clara hosts Gonzaga on Friday at 7 p.m. in the final home stand of the season.
• Santa Clara fell to 1-5-1 in overtime matches this season.
• The Broncos started an all freshmen backline of Alejandro Perez, Sakari Carter, Emil Christensen and Martin Aasen for the first time this season.
• Dakota Havlick started in net for the Broncos seeing his first action since Sept. 15.


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Kristin Hart is a Florida based artist. Her work investigates the human relationship to nature, initially focusing on color, and then on the physical and emotional response to the piece. Kristin's pieces have a sense of calmness and dreamlike, almost otherworldly beauty. Instead of a paint brush, she uses her lens to capture the mood and the beauty of what she is seeing. Often while editing she adds washes of soft pastel color and accentuates the light to help express the emotions that she felt in that moment in time. Kristin's photography is a self reflective and emotional journey, a way for her to document and visually express what is inside of her with the primary objective of making the viewer feel a sence of peaceful and spiritual elevation.
The artists in this show are linked by their interest in the ephemera and residue created by the movement of human life. Using art as a way to process it.


Get ready for back to school with these printables, activities, and teaching advice. Our icebreakers, classroom introduction lessons, and worksheets will help students and teachers learn about each other and feel more at ease in their new setting. Games, printables, and tips will help you learn and remember students' names. From greeting your students to outlining educational objectives to establishing classroom rules, you'll find the tools you need to prepare for your first day.
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