Cornflakes's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=Cornflakes2003-05-22T16:22:08ZCabaret (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes/writeups/CabaretCornflakeshttp://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes2003-05-22T16:22:08Z2003-05-22T16:22:08Z<i><!-- close inline tag into block --></i><p align="center"><i><!-- reopen inline tag after block -->This was an essay I had to write for my history class, discussing the topic "For all its show of fun and careless self-indulgence, Cabaret confronts some dark and serious issues." It's about the movie, not the play, and may give away a few key moments in the film, so read at your own risk if you haven't yet seen the movie. (Also, any constructive criticism is *very* welcome).</i>
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<i>Cabaret</i>, an enchanting spectacle full of good times and playfulness, manages to do what most <a href="/title/musical">musical</a>s do not – it mixes its entertaining numbers with the serious and disturbing issues that were significant during the time that the musical takes place – the decadent <a href="/title/Berlin">Berlin</a> of <a href="/title/1931">1931</a>.
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From the first scene we are lured in a cabaret, the Kit Kat Club by the <a href="/title/Master+of+Ceremonies">MC</a>. We are told to 'leave all your troubles outside' and that 'here, life is beautiful'. Indeed, things are tempting inside the club, and we are introduced to the dancers, orchestra and main protagonist of the<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…VX (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes/writeups/VXCornflakeshttp://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes2002-12-07T07:37:59Z2002-12-07T07:37:59ZThe <a href="/title/nerve+agent">nerve agent</a> VX is one of the most <a href="/title/deadly">deadly</a> <a href="/title/chemical">chemical</a>s existing in our world today. Despite often being referred to as VX <i>gas</i>, it also comes in a <a href="/title/liquid">liquid</a> form. In its liquid state it is oily, odourless and colourless (<i>although some references claim it can appear <a href="/title/amber">amber</a> in colour</i>).
The fact that it is so <a href="/title/persistent">persistent</a> makes VX even more <a href="/title/hazard">hazard</a>ous. It can remain around ground level for 3-4 weeks, or even months in very cold weather, and its rate of <a href="/title/evaporation">evaporation</a> is <i>at least</i> 1500 times that of <a href="/title/water">water</a>.
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VX was developed by <a href="/title/chemist">chemist</a>s in <a href="/title/Port+Down">Port Down</a>, <a href="/title/Wiltshire">Wiltshire</a>, <a href="/title/England">England</a> in <a href="/title/1952">1952</a>. These chemists were actually searching for new <a href="/title/insecticide">insecticide</a>s when they made their discovery of chemical compounds that were extremely dangerous and <a href="/title/lethal">lethal</a> to humans. In <a href="/title/1953">1953</a>, the British traded these findings with the <a href="/title/US+Army">US Army</a> in exchange for information on <a href="/title/thermonuclear">thermonuclear</a> <a href="/title/weapon">weapon</a>s. The US Army decided to categorise the chemical in its own class, <a href="/title/V">V</a>, because it was much more persistent<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…The long-necked women of the Paduang tribe (person)http://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes/writeups/The+long-necked+women+of+the+Paduang+tribeCornflakeshttp://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes2002-11-10T12:03:07Z2002-11-10T12:03:07ZAlong the border of <a href="/title/Thailand">Thailand</a> and <a href="/title/Myanmar">Myanmar</a> live a small tribe known as the <a href="/title/Paduang">Paduang</a>. With each new day they are greeted by both foreign and domestic <a href="/title/tourist">tourist</a>s and are asked to strike poses for numerous <a href="/title/camera">camera</a>s. Every year 10,000 tourists pay a small fee of 250 baht (Approx. US$6) to see the Paduang <a href="/title/women">women</a> and marvel at them. In turn, the tourists are allowed to mingle and photograph the girls and purchase some of their handmade <a href="/title/trinket">trinket</a>s. The reason for such an interest in these people lies in the bizarre <a href="/title/custom">custom</a> of <a href="/title/neck+stretching">neck stretching</a> that they practice -- one that was also on the brink of dying out not too long ago.<p>
This custom involves <a href="/title/brass">brass</a> rings around 1-1.5cm thick in diameter being wrapped around a girl's <a href="/title/neck">neck</a> at the tender age of 5. At this stage the coils weigh as much as 6 1/2 pounds. As her neck grows, more rings are added, keeping the <a href="/title/chin">chin</a> pressed up and the <a href="/title/collarbone">collarbone</a>s and <a href="/title/ribs">ribs</a> pushed down, giving the illusion of an abnormally long neck. In time the body adjusts and the<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Kanggangsuwollae (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes/writeups/KanggangsuwollaeCornflakeshttp://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes2002-11-03T00:53:29Z2002-11-03T00:53:29ZKanggangsuwollae (<i>meaning 'watch or guard the surroundings'</i>) is a traditional <a href="/title/Korea">Korea</a>n dance performed by <a href="/title/women">women</a>. It is performed at <a href="/title/Chusok">Chusok</a>, one of Korea's most important <a href="/title/holiday">holiday</a>s. Ten to twenty women will join hands and form a <a href="/title/circle">circle</a>, while one stands in the middle. All the women are dressed in <a href="/title/hanbok">hanbok</a>s, the traditional korean dress. <p>
Slowly, they start to move around in a <a href="/title/clockwise">clockwise</a> fashion. They move around faster and faster until they're all <a href="/title/whirl">whirl</a>ing around at a lively pace. While doing this, the woman in the middle sings a <a href="/title/song">song</a>, also called 'Kanggangsuwollae'. <p>
The lyrics to the song begin like so:<br>
<i>In the <a href="/title/heaven">heaven</a>s there are many <a href="/title/star">star</a>s. Kanggangsuwollae.<br>
<a href="/title/Friend">Friend</a>s are great, <a href="/title/gardens">gardens</a> are <a href="/title/beautiful">beautiful</a>. Kanggangsuwollae<br>
There are many <a href="/title/pine+tree">pine tree</a>s, there are many <a href="/title/pine+needle">pine needle</a>s. Kanggangsuwollae<br>
There are many <a href="/title/bamboo+tree">bamboo tree</a>s. Kanggangsuwollae</i><p>
The song is about Chusok, the celebration of the year's <a href="/title/harvest">harvest</a> and more importantly it<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…coast (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes/writeups/coastCornflakeshttp://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes2002-11-02T14:02:41Z2002-11-02T14:02:41ZA coast is a margin of <a href="/title/land">land</a> where the land meets the <a href="/title/sea">sea</a>. It is area of varying width which includes the <a href="/title/offshore">offshore</a>, <a href="/title/foreshore">foreshore</a> and <a href="/title/backshore">backshore</a> zones. The <a href="/title/coastline">coastline</a> is the line where the land and sea meet -- the average <a href="/title/tidal">tidal</a> line, whereas the coast itself includes the continental shelf and the coastal plains.<p>
Other terms used to describe coastal areas include:
<li><a href="/title/Shore">Shore</a> - the area between low and high <a href="/title/tide">tide</a>.
<li><a href="/title/Beach">Beach</a> - the accumulated loose sediments of <a href="/title/sand">sand</a>, <a href="/title/shell">shell</a> and <a href="/title/rock">rock</a>s of the fore and backshore zones.
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There are many different kinds of coasts (eg. <a href="/title/sandy">sandy</a>, <a href="/title/rocky">rocky</a>, <a href="/title/cliff">cliff</a>ed, <a href="/title/muddy">muddy</a>). Most people prefer the sandy beach as it generally offers more to the user, like safer and cleaner swimming areas and soft, clean sand for <a href="/title/sunbaking">sunbaking</a>.<p>
As mentioned before, the three zones of the beach system are the offshore, foreshore and backshore areas. The offshore extends from <a href="/title/low+tide">low tide</a> out to a depth where wave action doesn't disturb the sediments on the <a href="/title/sea+floor">sea floor</a>. The<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></li><!-- close unclosed tag --></li><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…desert (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes/writeups/desertCornflakeshttp://m.everything2.com/user/Cornflakes2002-10-20T00:00:13Z2002-10-20T00:00:13ZA desert is an area with very little <a href="/title/rainfall">rainfall</a>, usually receiving no more than 250mm (10 inches) a year. They can be either extremely <a href="/title/hot">hot</a> or extremely <a href="/title/cold">cold</a>. <a href="/title/Water+shortage">Water shortage</a> in the desert is due to low rainfall, <a href="/title/humidity">humidity</a>, and lack of <a href="/title/cloud+cover">cloud cover</a>. Without the cloud cover, the surface is exposed to direct sunlight, causing rapid <a href="/title/evaporation">evaporation</a> of water. The rates of evaporation are then in turn too high for any rainfall to be able to replenish. Interestingly, evaporation rates in deserts can be 20 times that of the annual <a href="/title/precipitation">precipitation</a>. This is because most rain evaporates before it ever hits the ground. Some deserts won't receive any rainfall for years. Infact, in the Atacama desert in Chile, no rain fell for over 40 years!<p>
Deserts occur in 6 of the world's 7 continents, with Europe being the only continent without a desert. <a href="/title/Antarctica">Antarctica</a> is entirely a desert and <a href="/title/Australia">Australia</a> is almost completely a desert, having some <a href="/title/fertile+land">fertile land</a>s along the east coast. Deserts cover almost one third of the<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…