• Home
• About

Subscribe

A True-Life Story of David Versus Goliath

My book, RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM: One Family, Three Revolutionaries, and the Birth of Modern China, is non-fiction, but in order to bring the history alive, I had to bring the characters and places alive. I’ve given some idea of how I wrote three-dimensional characters previously, and now I want to say how important it is to know the places the protagonists had been to.

According to the family lore, Eugene undid what the Allied Powers, led by Woodrow Wilson, had done to China at the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919. They agreed to transfer the defeated Germany’s colonial interests in China’s Shandong to Japan and forced China to accept the Peace Treaty they had drafted, although China had fought with them and so was, also, a victor in the war. This was a true-life story of David versus Goliath, but if I could not find solid documentation, readers might suspect it was family adulation.

From Jack and his siblings, I learned that Eugene, as the legal adviser to the Chinese delegation to Versailles, got hold of a copy of the secret pact signed by Wilson’s Secretary of State, Robert Lansing, and the Japanese diplomat, Baron Ishii. But who gave it to him? Something happened in Paris. What? Jack told me that the two cities Eugene loved most were Peking (Beijing) and Paris. The City of Light, according to Eugene, was lit by Prometheus himself.

I journeyed to Paris. When I walked in the halls of the Versailles Palace, I could not help trembling with awe, as the grandeur overwhelmed the tiny mortal me. Versailles, in 1919, was the Olympus of its time, where the gods gathered to decide the fate of nations, but Eugene wanted to steal their thunder and he did. In the evening I returned to my humble room in a small hotel. I opened the window and looked out. I saw what Eugene had seen, according to what Jack once had told me. “There was a unique light bathing the whole city … it even made magic out of some not-too-attractive streets, lanes, and corners.”

Paris inspired me as it had inspired Eugene. I came home, determined to find out the truth. I found it in John Powell’s MY TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN CHINA (Da Capo Press, 1976). The exposure of the secret pact in both American and Chinese Press stirred up such a furor that for the first time the Chinese diplomats refused to sign an unequal treaty since China had been defeated in the Opium War by Britain in 1840s. The exposure also gave the Republican Senator, William Borah, added ammunition to discredit the Versailles Peace Treaty and Wilson’s pet project, the League of Nations Covenant, and to contribute to the defeat of Democrats in the election year.

Equally important, the exposure ignited the passion that swept China in the May 4th Movement, which the American scholar, John Dewey, lecturing in Peking in 1919, had seen first-hand and wrote: “We are witnessing the birth of a nation and birth always comes hard.”

Yuan-tsung was born in China, and immigrated to USA in 1972. Her first book, THE DRAGON’S VILLAGE, (was published by Pantheon, and) its Penguin paperback sells an average of 3,000 copies per year since 1981. Her latest book (nonfiction), RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM, is now available through the Union Square Press of Sterling Publishing. Visit Yuan-tsung Chen.

Sarkozy Starts Visit to Israel

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, begins a three-day visit to Israel on Sunday in what the press back home is reporting as further proof of an improvement in relations between the two countries.

It’ll be only the third time a French president has visited Israel, and Sarkozy is likely to have a far more conciliatory tone than his predecessors.

That shouldn’t be too difficult. In 1996, during a visit to Jeruslam’s old town, Jacques Chirac lost his rag with Israeli security as he was jostled during a walkabout and famously threatened to take the first ‘plane home.

And in 1982 during a speech to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Fran

Algae Biodiesel: Fuel of the Future

There is no question that alternative fuel sources must be found if we are going to reduce our dependence on oil, lower transportation costs, and stop damaging the environment. Algae biodiesel is a fuel alternative that has many people hopeful for these changes as it creates fuel efficiently without displacing food crops, damaging the environment, and it reduces our dependence on oil.

Corn, soybeans, and waste oil are all known sources for fuel alternatives, but food crops used to produce fuel oil have proven to be counterproductive and waste oils are finite in supply. Corn and soybeans used for making fuel take away from food that would have otherwise gone to consumers. This creates the potential to raise food prices. Food crops used to make fuel are also not as efficient as algae. It takes an acre of soybeans to make about 50 gallons of oil and an acre of corn to make only about 20 gallons of oil. In contrast, an acre of algae will produce about 10,000 gallons of oil over the course of a year. This difference is one of the main reasons that algae biodiesel has gained popularity in the race to produce alternative fuels but there are many other reasons why many people are considering it.

The economical nature of algae biodiesel means that 15000 square miles of algae farms would be able to produce enough biodiesel to power all of the cars, trucks, and other gas powered transportation in the US. If the US began farming operations on this scale we would be able to almost entirely eliminate our need for oil and fossil fuels. This farming figure may seem like a lot, but is only 300 square miles of algae farms per state, and larger states could easily spare more than 300 square miles for such farms. The environmental impact of algae biodiesel is nothing compared to fossil fuel use which means that we would also be helping to solve global warming and other climate issues caused by fossil fuels.

Algae biodiesel is also easy to produce compared with other types of biodiesel that require filtering and titrating. It is even possible to produce algae biodiesel at home which means that consumers would be able to produce their own fuel and reduce their individual need for oil. Individuals can take control of their own fuel needs and take some of the power away from big energy suppliers. This possibility means that energy costs could potentially fall even form the big producers.

Making algae biodiesel at home is not easy, however, but it is possible and very economical. Using algae to create fuel means that there is no waste and consumers can stop depending on oil with its quickly rising prices for their fuel needs. Every consumer has been impacted by the sharp rise in oil prices and if they continue to soar many people will end up not being able to afford their daily commute or will not be able to afford other necessities such as food in order to continue driving. There is no doubt that alternative fuel sources must be developed and quickly; ones that are sustainable and affordable for consumers.

For more information about algae biodiesel and how to make your own algae biodiesel at home visit www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/making-algae-biodiesel.html

The Nicaragua Canal: Will it Ever be Built?

The Nicaragua Canal: Will It Ever be Built?

Everyone knows about the Panama Canal, and how it connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, not everyone knows that the United States originally wanted to build this canal through Nicaragua, information on which can be found in nicafsbo.com. It was only through the efforts of a few lobbyists and the French intention to sell their interests on the Panama Canal that this plan was diverted.

Early Proposals

Like the Panama Canal, ideas for the construction of trans-oceanic canal through Nicaragua had been proposed by Spanish colonial administrations. As for Nicaragua, the Federal Republic of Central America – composed of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica – made the proposal in 1825 to the United States.

In line with its proposal, the Republic made surveys, which showed that the canal would be 278 kilometers long. The canal’s route would be parallel the San Juan River and enter Lake Nicaragua, after which locks and tunnels would be built in order to link the lake to the Pacific Ocean.

Washington, D.C. was impressed with the proposed canal, which prompted a presentation to the U.S. Congress by Secretary of State Henry Clay. However, the Congress rejected it because of the poverty and political instability of the Nicaragua area. The British’s presence in British Honduras and the Mosquito Coast also played a part in the rejection of the proposed canal.

The Nicaraguan government turned to other means, by entering into a contract with Cornelius Vanderbilt which enabled his company the exclusive right to build a canal for 12 years. Vanderbilt’s company, the Accessory Transit Co., would also solely administrate the temporary overland trade route through the Rivas isthmus. However, the canal was not completed because of the Nicaraguan Civil War and William Walker’s invasion of the region.

The Panama Canal is Built

Two more proposals were pitched forward for the construction of the Nicaragua Canal. The first was in 1897 by the U.S. Nicaraguan Canal Commission, and another one in 1899 by the Isthmian Canal Commission. It should also be noted that the second commission gave the U.S. the second option of continuing the French construction of the Panama Canal, which was failing due to inhospitable conditions and high mortality rate among the workers.

The Nicaragua canal faced yet again several oppositions, although several key figures supported the idea like the Nicaraguan minister in Washington Luis Felipe Corea. The U.S. government even entered into talks with Nicaraguan president Jose Santos Zelaya for a lease in preparation for the construction of this canal.

The Nicaragua Canal proposals ultimately lost to the Panama Canal proponents when a Nicaraguan stamp depicting the Momotombo volcano was printed. Lobbyists led by William Nelson Cromwell made use of the stamp to argue that the Nicaragua canal was exposed to the threat of volcanic activity, although such claims were unfounded as Momotombo was significantly distant from the proposed Nicaragua canal.

However, the die was cast. Panama Canal was chosen over the Nicaragua canal and the efforts of Cromwell – who was under the employ of the French Canal Syndicate – paid off. In 1902, majority of the U.S. senators voted for Panama, driven by the stamps and a volcanic eruption in Saint-Pierre, Martinique.

After failing in getting the United States to build the canal, President Santos Zelaya turned to Germany and Japan for financial support. However, the United States opposed the construction, because it would pose competition for the high successful Panama canal.

Present Proposals

The idea of building a Nicaragua canal has once again been revived in 2004. The Nicaraguan government made pitches to build a canal which could be large enough to accommodate modern ships whose capacities made them unable to traverse the Panama Canal.

The proposals met again fierce opposition. This time the opposition came from the environmental sector, who argued that the canal would most likely damage Nicaragua’s rivers and jungles.

Despite oppositions, Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos announced intentions to push through with the Nicaragua Canal plans. According to the official, the Nicaragua canal would work well with the Panama Canal – an expansion of which is also being proposed to answer the new ship capacities – because there is demand to have two trans-oceanic canals to exist in the Central American isthmus.

One of the advantages being cited by Bolanos is that the canal, which is estimated to cost around US$18 billion, can shorten sea travel to and from California and New York by a day. Compared to the Panama Canal’s capacity to accommodate ships having a displacement of only 65,000 tons, the proposed Nicaragua canal can accommodate up to 250,000 tons.

Aside from the Nicaragua canal, there were also proposals to build an overland link made by two companies: the Intermodal System for Global Transport and the Inter-Ocean Canal of Nicaragua. SIT Global’s proposals also call for a combination of oil pipeline and fibre optic cable in addition in addition to a railway.

Attila Z Jancsina is a freelance copy writer. He occasionally writes for Nicaragua Real Estate. Website offers Free FSBO advertisement.

France Faces Fine Over Lack of Hamster Love

Weird but true, France is being threatened with a

Choose Your Plastic Products With Care

People of a certain generation remember when a neighbor whispered a hot tip into the Graduate’s ear, “Plastics.” That was a reflection of the 1960’s excitement over the material that promised to revolutionize manufacturing, industry and household living.

To a large part, that prediction came true. It’s hard to imagine daily life without plastic. I type on my Think Pad made of light and durable plastic; plastic medical instruments, building materials, automobile parts, cell phones, toys and tools make things in America affordable, convenient and portable. A world without plastic is almost unimaginable.

Environmental Impacts

As the cost of oil rises, it’s perhaps time to take a closer look at how and why we use plastic products - and what impact the disposal of plastic items has on an environment we now recognize is in peril. It is difficult to measure how much of oil drilled and shipped to refineries is used in the production of plastic. One estimate is a low as 4 percent and energy experts doubt that, should demand for plastic diminish, there would be less drilling and production of oil.

Once crude oil and natural gas are shipped to refineries, they are separated into many categories of petrochemicals. Some of the ethane and propane are siphoned off for use in the making of plastic pellets - the raw material that’s sent to manufacturers of plastic products. It appears that a significant environmental impact of the plastics industry is in production, transportation and disposal of products. In these activities, the use of gas is significant.

Despite outreach efforts by the EPA and many environmental groups, the recycling of plastic bottles - particularly those made with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - is abysmal. Up to 80 percent of PET beverage bottles end up in landfills where they take 1,000 years to degrade. The same is true of the over-abundant plastic wrapping used on many products - from small toys and cosmetics entombed in many square inches of plastic to electronics and larger items.

More Product, Less Package

The EPA is a strong proponent of packaging that minimizes the use of plastic. Some industries have responded. For example, CD’s and DVD’s once came encased in lots of plastic packaging. Now, the outer packaging has been eliminated or is removed and reused after a sale.

Unfortunately, as one industry seems to get the message, another does not. The popularity of bottled and flavored waters in PET containers has taken the world by storm. We already know the majority of these plastic bottles are left to degrade and pollute natural environments for millennia. But, even when people are conscientious recyclers, the energy needed to transport and transform plastic into new materials takes its own toll on the environment.

Governments and municipalities have done their best to educate people about the benefits of recycling plastic containers - and suggested using alternatives to plastic. These environmental concerns have not been heard by an industry that makes billions from pouring water into plastic bottles or encasing tiny products in massive plastic packaging.

It seems up to the consumer to send a message by making smart choices about which plastic products to purchase and use. People can start by developing new habits - such as purchasing a personal water bottle that’s made of lightweight metal. Lots of bottled water is actually no more than tap water, some treated, some not. Households can be equipped with a variety of water filters if the tap water is unpalatable. Water filters cost a fraction of bottled water and is under EPA quality control.

Plastic Benefits Abound

Clearly, plastic contributes greatly to the convenience and efficiency of daily life. For example, massive water storage tanks - above and below ground - are often made of durable plastic that serve their purpose for decades when other materials crack and rust. Our cars are made from a variety of molded plastic parts that make them lighter and more fuel efficient. Since 1988, the average passenger car has lost about 145 pounds, saving about 21 million barrels of oil. Plastic components help us explore outer space and examine the microscopic building blocks of life.

Our households are switched on by plastic. It’s insulating and thermal properties keep electrical systems in our homes safe. The plastic interior of our refrigerators cover plastic insulating foam that saves up to 30% of energy costs.

Consumer Purchasing Power

It’s clear that plastic is an essential building block of modern life. But, it’s up to consumers to use this manmade resource wisely. On one hand, plastic creates efficiency and savings and can help preserve our natural environment while on the other it can be an instrument of destruction. Thoughtful people will discern the difference and choose alternatives to beverages in plastic bottles and items with more plastic packaging than product. They’ll use plastic products that are durable and not designed to be discarded.

Granted, kicking the plastic throw-away habit probably won’t impact the price at the gas pump. But, it will send a message to product manufacturers that Americans can, through purchasing power, support positive change that benefits the planet’s future.

Visit us to learn more about whether our rotational molding and roto molding products are right for your business.

Ferrari to Return as PPDA is Given the Boot

One of France’s top news anchors, Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, will bid farewell to viewers this summer and be replaced by the darling of the French media, Laurence Ferrari.

PPDA as he is more affectionately known has been a familiar face on prime time news for more than three decades. For Ferrari it marks a return to TF1 – the country’s biggest private television channel - which she left in December 2006 to host a weekly political programme on rival station Canal +.

The change signals something of a revolution in French television journalism. After all PPDA has been more or less the face and the voice of television news for the past 30 years.

In February 1976 he was chosen to present the prime time news on the country’s public channel Antenne 2, which later became France 2. He jumped ship nine years later to join TF1, where he has been ever since.

His tenure has been remarkable in the often fickle world of television in which ratings rule. But a recent drop in viewing figures has been compounded by stories of his autocratic style with newsroom colleagues and the desire by the powers-that-be for a change at the top.

Not surprisingly Ferrari didn’t require that much persuading to return to TF1. Despite a recent drop in ratings, the 8 o’clock evening news still regularly attracts more than 10 million viewers and is quite simply the most prestigious job in television journalism.

The 41-year-old first joined TF1 in 2000 and for the next six years formed one half of the golden couple of TV news along with her former husband, Thomas Hugues. The pair presented a weekly fast-paced news magazine and were regular holiday stand-ins for the channel’s main news presenters - Ferrari for Claire Chazal at the weekends and Hugues ironically enough for PPDA on weekdays.

Ferrari’s move in 2006 to Canal + came as a surprise to many, after all it gave her less exposure to the public at large. But it couldn’t have been better timed professionally speaking, coming as it did at the beginning of the campaign for last year’s presidential elections.

Her weekly political programme, “Dimanche”, gave Ferrari the chance to go one-on-one with some of France’s leading figures. And she won accolades for her pugnacity especially with the two main presidential candidates at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy and S

Black Powder Guns 101

Gun powder also called black powder, is made of pyrotechnic composition which is an explosive combination of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur that flames quickly and can produce a number of hot solids and gases that can be used as a propellant in fireworks as well as fire arms.

Black powder guns are guns that are loaded with black powder. Similarly looks like the common guns that you see today where you put a bullet in and shoot. It is the number one way to shoot something. When you see a black powder gun, Civil War era can come into your mind where you think of the buckskin clad hunters. Most hunters prefer to use this since it is more accurate for long distance shots compared to the traditional guns of today in fact they prefer this than the newer ones.

Today’s hunters are using black powders also known as muzzleloaders, because the majority of the states are implementing a muzzleloader gun-hunting season. In fact, over 200,000 permits were issued to muzzleloaders last year in many states. It’s also used for many years now. The name black powder was created in the late 19th century to make a distinction between the previous gunpowder formulations to the new smokeless powders and semi smokeless powders. During the 1890’s, black powder guns are referred to as gunpowder or plainly powder. It was only named black powder after the white powder was invented so that they can tell the difference between the two. Nowadays, black powder guns and muzzleloaders can be seen in many websites. It is very informative that it can even tell you what powder to use and how to make your own from a kit.

Smokeless powder may require precise loading of the charge to avoid damage due to overloading. Though such damage is still possible with black powder, loading can be performed by means of capacity than exact mass. Usually, high explosives are favored for shattering rock; however, since it has a low shattering effect, all the more that black powder can avoid breakage and thus resulting to more stones with good working condition as compared to some gunpowder. Consequently, the black powder was created to discharge stone marbles and granites which are normally used for monuments. Gun powders are usually used for fireworks. It is mixed with chemical compounds that can produce your desired color.

However, Black powder has fairly low energy density compared to modern smokeless powders and it can produce a thick smoke that can damage aiming or reveal a shooter’s position. Black powder arms must be cleansed both inside and out to remove the residue. Its burn rate can be changed through corning. Through corning, it can compress the fine black powder meal into blocks with a fixed density. After that, the blocks are broken up into granules. Afterwards, the granules are sorted to size to give numerous black powder grades. Black powder uses sodium nitrates that can likely be hygroscopic not like the black powders where nitrate used is saltpeter. Since black powder can be stored unsealed and can remain feasible for centuries provided no liquid is ever introduced, muzzleloaders are known to fire after hanging on a wall for decades in a loaded state, provided they remain dry. Now, powder that normally use sodium nitrate that are intended for blasting should be sealed from moisture in the air to remain stable for a long time.

Gun powders have been classified as Group A or Primary Explosive substance by the UN Model Regulations on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods and National Transportation authorities. It is intended for shipment since it burst into flames so easily. Shipment of this item is under extra precaution since this can cause fire if not given extra care. Safety Measures are of top priority for Black Powder Guns.

For more information on Blackpowder Guns please visit our website.

Towards 2025 – When There Are Fewer Glaciers and Less Arctic Ice

Many of the ice structures like glaciers, ice in mountain areas, and the Arctic icecap are melting. Most of these structures will no longer be in existence by 2025. Much of the Arctic ice has disappeared and many of the glaciers are shrinking. But with all these ice structures so visibly melting why are people not becoming more concerned about a future with almost no ice masses left on land? In fact, most people have not given the consequences of these melting icecaps much thought at all.

The truth is that most people believe the present rate of melting ice mass is a natural occurrence, however, this is not the case. This rapid meltdown is not necessarily the result of man-made processes any longer. This meltdown is speeded up because most of the planet’s ecological structures are no longer functioning in optimum ways. As a result these ice masses can no longer remain in existence while the rest of the ecology is already so damaged.

Many people are beginning to notice the consequences of pollution. The resulting ecological damage is causing much hardship for most people on all continents. With so many severely polluted waterways, atmospheric pollution everywhere, and in some parts of the world the food quality being affected, it is important to become aware and also more proactive about reducing pollution.

It is often overlooked that pollution is the main contributor to the current meltdown. Our severely ecologically damaged environment – with its own environmental processes – can from a higher perspective no longer support these processes in the best possible ways.

It is of utmost importance to look at what can be done to preserve our precious planet, our natural heritage, for our own benefit. This includes all ice structures such as icebergs, glaciers, Arctic ice and ice in mountainous regions, as these are all facets of a whole complex ecological structure.

Most people have not given much thought as to what will happen once these ice masses have disappeared and the molecular structures of all the ice, in particular that on land has changed from a frozen to a more fluid state. What would eventually happen with the climate when there is hardly any ice left?

With humans already polluting most parts of the world, will there be more man-made pollution once the newly gained land is occupied, worsening the never-ending cycle of ecological destruction? Humanity is running out of time and it needs to stop this increasing cycle of polluting the planet.

While this melting of icecaps and glaciers is of concern because of the ecological damage to the environment, this meltdown is also happening as a result of the overall process of global warming. The present meltdown is an intricate part of a whole long chain of events affecting the climate; with this melting of ice structures placed somewhere in the middle. Once all these climate change events have completed, which is expected to be around 2025, the environment will be severely damaged. There will be almost no remaining land ice and in all likelihood constant cataclysmic events happening, resulting in more and more environmental problems.

While most of humanity is not too concerned yet about the melting of these large ice structures, there is a real concern from the Spirit world about the outcome because ultimately, humanity’s own survival is at stake.

While there is still enough time to make adequate change to reverse the never-ending cycle of pollution, few people are looking in that direction, they are often looking in the other direction.

Mia receives information about the planet

Martine Aubry – The Lady In Waiting.

She might have been absent from national politics for the past eight years, but now a one-time leading light of the Socialist party, Martine Aubry, appears to be back in favour.

Aubry is being touted – not least by herself – as a figure behind which activists could unite in the tussle for the leadership of the party due in November.

Many within the party are keen to avoid a high profile media brawl between what are considered to be the two main contenders for the post - S

Next Page »