Chinese Footbinding Essay -- China Culture Cultural Essays

Chinese Footbinding In addressing the subject of footbinding, one primary difficulty becomes apparent - that much remains within the realm of the unknowable. Any factual knowledge about the practice may only be drawn from 19th- and 20th-century writings, drawings or photographs. In addition, many of these documents represent a distinctly Western point of view, as they are primarily composed of missionary accounts and the literature of the various anti -footbinding societies.[1] The historical origins of footbinding are frustratingly vague, although brief textual references suggest that small feet for women were preferred as early as the Han dynasty. The first documented reference to the actual binding of a foot is from the court of the Southern Tang dynasty in Nanjing, which celebrates the fame of its dancing girls renowned for their tiny feet and beautiful bow shoes.[2] The practice apparently became the standard for feminine beauty in the imperial court, spreading downward socially and geographically as the lower classes strove to imitate the style of the elite. [3] In its most extreme form, footbinding was the act of wrapping a three- to five-year old girl's feet with binding so as to bend the toes under, break the bones and force the back of the foot together. Its purpose was to produce a tiny foot, the "golden lotus", which was three inches long and thought to be both lovely and alluring.[4] It is believed that the origin of the term "golden lotus" emerged in the Southern Tang dynasty around 920 A.D., where the emperor Li Yu ordered his favorite concubine, Fragrant Girl, to bind her feet with silk bands and dance on a golden lotus platform encrusted with pearls and gems. Thereafter, women inside and outside the court ... ...ive (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990). Jaschok, Maria. Concubines and Bondservants (London: Oxford University Press, 1988). Ko, Dorothy. "The Body As Attire: The Shifting Meanings of Footbinding in Seventeenth-Century China". Journal of Women's History. Winter 1997, Vol.8:4. Levy, Howard S. The Lotus Lovers: The Complete History of the Curious Erotic Custom of Footbinding in China (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1992). Llewellyn, Bernard. China's Courts and Concubines (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1966). Lloyd, Carol. "These Shoes Pinch". New York Times Magazine. Oct. 27, 1996. p. 25. Mackie, Gerry. "Ending Footbinding and Infibulation: A Convention Account". American Sociological Review. December 1996, Vol.61, Issue 6. Paulshock, MD, Bernadine Z.. "Chinese Footbinding". Journal of the American Medical Association. August 12, 1992.

Home Depot and Lowes Essay

Case Summary Value Line Publishing analyst, Carrie Galeotafiore had followed the retail building-supply industry for approximately three years. Within a week the investment-survey firm will be publishing Galeotafiore’s quarterly findings on the industry along with the five-year financial forecast for the industry’s leaders, Home Depot and Lowe’s. In an effort to increase their top and bottom-lines, Home Depot and Lowe’s have implemented strategies like improving customer service, attracting professional customers, and introducing a more favorable merchandise mix. Combined sales from the two companies accounted for more than a third of the industry’s sales. In the mean time, smaller hardware stores struggled to remain in the game. Galeotafiore reports shows confidence in the methods Home Depot deployed to achieve their goals and attributed Lowe’s margin expansion to their thrust into the major metropolitan markets. This case will mainly focus on the strategic issues involved with Home Depot and Lowe’s, the industry trends, the financial outlook for the respective companies, and whether or not Galeotafiore has the depth of knowledge and experience to make a correct call on the companies’ performance.Finally, the report will be substantiated with financial ratios comparing one company with the other, showing possible alternatives and proposing recommendations. Case Analysis This segment will narrow down the major issues of the case, along with the quantitative perspective showing historical trends and the projected level of economic activity. In 2001, the Economist Intelligenc Unit (EIU) estimated the retail building-supply industry to be approximately $175 billion with stores similar to Home Depot and Lowe’s capturing one third of the 51% of sales in their category. Despite the slump in the economy in 2001, growth was at 4.2% which representd a decline from 7.7% in 1998. Strategic issues for Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Depot’s CEO, Bob Nardelli’s goal was to increase their margin through declining cost in product review, opening more tool-rental centers and improving purchasing aspects. All of the above were an effort to remain  competitive. Galeotafiore stated in her report that stores which provide programs similar to the Service Performance Improvement offered by Home Depot tend to fear better in operating margins, inventory turnover and productivity, than the do-it-yourself establishments. Jefferies’ analyst Donald Trott downgraded Lowe’s, due to a declining housing-market bubble and, based on an opinion that their stock price was richly valued compared to Home Depot’s. However, on the brighter side, Lowe’s management told analysts that over the next two years, it expected to maintain sales growth between 18% and 19% and over the next three years from 2002 to 2004 it is expected to open 123, 130 and 140 stores respectively entering metropolitan m arkets with populations over 500,000 like the Boston and New York markets.

10 Potassium Facts (K or Atomic Number 19)

Potassium is a light metallic element that forms many important compounds and is essential for human nutrition. Here are 10 fun and interesting potassium facts. Fast Facts: Potassium Element Name: PotassiumElement Symbol: KAtomic Number: 19Atomic Weight: 39.0983Classification: Alkali MetalAppearance: Potassium is a solid, silvery-gray metal at room temperature.Electron Configuration:  [Ar] 4s1 Potassium is element number 19. This means the atomic number of potassium is 19 and each potassium atom has 19 protons.Potassium is one of the alkali metals, which means it is a highly reactive metal with a valence of 1.Because of its high reactivity, potassium is not found free in nature. It is formed by supernovas via the R-process and occurs on Earth dissolved in seawater and in ionic salts.Pure potassium is a lightweight silvery metal that is soft enough to cut with a knife.  Although the metal appears silver when its fresh, it tarnishes so quickly that it normally appears dull gray.Pure potassium usually is stored under oil or kerosene because it oxidizes so readily in air and reacts in water to evolve hydrogen, which may be ignited from the heat of the reaction.The potassium ion is important for all living cells. Animals use sodium ions and potassium ions to generate electric potentials. This is vital for many cellular processes and is the basis for the conduction of nerve im pulses and stabilization of blood pressure. When not enough potassium is available in the body, a potentially fatal condition called hypokalemia can occur. Symptoms of hypokalemia include muscle cramps and irregular heartbeat. An overabundance of potassium causes hypercalcemia, which produces similar symptoms.  Plants require potassium for many processes, so this element is a nutrient that is readily depleted by crops and must be replenished by fertilizers.Potassium was first purified in 1807 by Cornish chemist Humphry Davy (1778–1829) from caustic potash (KOH) via electrolysis. Potassium was the first metal to be isolated using electrolysis.Potassium compounds emit a lilac or violet flame color when burned.  It burns in water, just like sodium. The difference is that sodium burns with a yellow flame and is more likely to shatter and explode!  When potassium burns in water, the reaction releases hydrogen gas. The heat of the reaction can ignite the hydrogen.Potassium is used as a heat transfer medium. Its salts are used as a fertilizer, oxidizer, colorant, to form strong bases, as a salt substitute, and for many other applications.  Potassium cobalt nitrite is a yellow pigment known as Cobalt Yellow or Aureolin.The name for potassium comes from the English word for potash. The symbol for potassium is K, which is derived from the Latin kalium and Arabic qali for alkali. Potash and alkali are two of the potassium compounds known to man since ancient times. More Potassium Facts Potassium is the seventh most abundant element in the Earths crust, accounting for about 2.5% of its mass.Element number 19 is the eighth most abundant element in the human body, accounting for between 0.20% and 0.35% of body mass.Potassium is the second lightest (least dense) metal after lithium.Three isotopes of potassium occur naturally on Earth, although at least 29 isotopes have been identified. The most abundant isotope is K-39, which accounts for 93.3% of the element.The atomic weight of potassium is 39.0983.Potassium metal has a density of 0.89 grams per cubic centimeter.The melting point of potassium is  63.4  degrees C or  336.5 degrees K and its boiling point is  765.6  degrees C or  1038.7 degrees K. This means potassium is a solid at room temperature.Humans can taste potassium in aqueous solution. Dilute potassium solutions to taste. Increasing the concentration leads to a bitter or alkaline flavor. Concentrated solutions taste salty.One lesser-known use of p otassium is as a portable oxygen source. Potassium superoxide (KO2), is an orange solid used to release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide in the respiration system for submarines, spacecraft, and mines. Sources Haynes, William M., ed. (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.Marx, Robert F. (1990). The history of underwater exploration. Courier Dover Publications. p. 93.ï » ¿Shallenberger, R. S. (1993). Taste chemistry. Springer.