Thursday, May 31, 2012

May 31

You wrote your Paper 2 on Authoritarian and Single-Party States today in class. For your IB Exam next year, you'll have to be able to write this type of essay in 45 minutes. After the Paper 2 exam, we started watching a video called "Understanding Canadian Government". We'll continue with this video on Monday. Enjoy your long weekend!
You wrote your Economics Final Exam today, and the results were very good! You'll learn how you did on Monday. For this weekend make sure that you keep studying Unit 3 material. Check the wiki for Unit 3 materials (PowerPoints and handouts). Also on the wiki please check out the section entitled Diploma Exam Review. I put a Social 30-1 Diploma Exam Study Guide there (it's about 9 pages) and a detailed chart that compares the old Social 30 essay prompts to the new Social 30-1 essay prompt. I have a theory that they are recycling old prompts for the quotes that appear in the new 30-1 prompts. It's worth a look anyway. You will be writing more "weekly quizzes" next week along with a Political Systems Exam and a Trial Diploma Exam.

The text-based source for the WRA II is written "in-house" by test-makers in Edmonton. In other words, they don't quote famous people like Aristotle, Kennedy, Gorbachev or Reagan. The text-based source would look something like this:

  • "Rights and freedoms are essential to a democracy; however, there may be times when a temporary suspension of rights and freedoms is necessary to guarantee the preservation of democracy."   (January 2010 WRA II essay prompt)
  • "No country should seek to extend its policy over any other country or people; rather, every country should be left free to pursue its own goals. Every country should be unrestricted, secure, and confident in pursuing these goals, regardless of the country’s size or strength." (January 2011, WRA II essay prompt)
  • "Society achieves its finest expression through the self-interest and freedom of individuals. When we adopt these principles, we will lessen the need for government to interfere in our lives." (January 2012, WRA II essay prompt)
Remember, the essay question itself NEVER changes from semester to semester, the text-based source does. The essay question is always: To what extent should we embrace the ideological perspectives in the source?

I will see you at the Graduation ceremony tomorrow, and the banquet as well. Please be safe on Friday!

Please bring a photo of yourself to class next week. I'm going to start making a keepsake book for my IB classes from year to year, so you get to be the first group in it! We'll take a class photo next week so I can put that in the book too.

Ferrari 458 Italia Spider “Perfetto”


Takjub dengan bodi seksi dan kekuatan si kuda jingkrak Ferrari 458 Italia Spider? Tunggu dulu, sebaiknya Anda lihat yang satu ini Ferrari 458 Italia Spider “Perfetto” karya Wheelsandmore. Wheelsandmore merupakan tuner asal Jerman yang sudah tidak asing lagi dalam memodifikasi mobil-mobil “supercar” sejak tahun 1999.

Dan karyanya kali ini yang dilampiaskan pada Ferrari 458 Italia Spider sungguh mengesankan. 458 Italia “convertible” yang mengusung mesin V8 4.5 liter dengan output tenaga 570hp dan torsi 400lb-ft didongkrak menjadi monster yang mampu memberikan output tenaga hingga 647hp dengan torsi 468 lb/ft.


Jika kecepatan maksimum yang mampu ditempuh oleh Ferrari 458 Italia Spider versi “standar” adalah 320 km/jam dengan akselerasi 0-100 km/jam dalam waktu 3.4 detik, bayangkan yang mampu diberikan oleh sang "Perfetto".


Pun pada bagian luar mobil super keren ini, balutan warna hitam pada seluruh bodinya menambah kesan “sangar” namun tetap berkelas. Penambahan komponen terbaru berbahan carbon fiber pada beberapa bagian seperti diffuser belakang, tutup bahan bakar, frame lampu kabut belakang, cermin dan sirip spoiler mengakibatkan bobot mobil ini berkurang hingga 30kg.

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Ferrari 458 Italia Spider Ditantang McLaren MP4-12C Spyder


Pada ajang Frankfurt Auto Show 2011, Ferrari memperkenalkan Ferrari 458 Italia versi Spider. Perbedaan utama yang paling tampak dengan pendahulunya (Ferrari 458 Italia) adalah pada Spider dilengkapi dengan atap yang dapat dibuka (convertible). Hal lain seperti desain body secara umum dan spesifikasi mesin sepertinya tidak terdapat perbedaan yang mencolok. Masih mengusung mesin V8 4.5 liter yang mampu menghasilkan tenaga hingga sebesar 570 hp @9000 rpm dengan torsi 400 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm yang dikawinkan dengan gearbox F1 kopling ganda 7 percepatan.

Kecepatan maksimum yang mampu ditempuh adalah 320 km/jam dengan akselerasi dari posisi 0-100 km/jam hanya dalam waktu 3.4 detik

Seakan tidak ingin kalah bersaing, pabrikan asal Inggris McLaren pun pada akhirnya memperkenalkan McLaren MP4-12C Spyder sebagai penantang 458 Italia Spider.


MP4-12C Spyder pun dilengkapi dengan atap yang dapat dibuka (convertible) seperti pada 458 Italia Spider. Dibawah kapnya bensemayam mesin twin-turbocharged V8 3.8 liter yang mampu menghasilkan tenaga hingga 592 hp. Mesin tersebut akan dipadukan dengan gearbox SSG (Seamless Shift Gearbox) kopling ganda 7 percepatan.


Melalui kombinasi tersebut MP4-12C Spyder mampu berlari hingga kecepatan 205mph (330 km/jam) dengan akselerasi dari keadaan diam hingga kecepatan 100 km/jam hanya dalam waktu 3.3 detik.

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Vencer Sarthe Mobil Sport Terbaru Dari Negeri Kincir Angin


Tidak diragukan lagi, Belanda merupakan salah satu Negara yang memiliki kemampuan dalam mengembangkan dan memproduksi mobil sport super. Sebutlah Spyker, merupakan salah satu contoh mobil sport super yang mampu disejajarkan dengan Pagani atau yang lain. Kini, negeri kincir angin itu memperkenalkan satu lagi mobil super produksi mereka yaitu Vencer Sarthe.

Mobil yang sekilas memiliki bagian belakang mirip dengan NSX, mobil konsep milik Honda ini diperkuat oleh mesin GM V8. Blok mesin ini dibuat di Amerika Serikat namun pihak pabrikan Vencer memodifikasinya hingga mampu menghasilkan ternaga yang cukup mengesankan, 503hp dengan torsi sebesar 480 lb-ft.


Melalui output tenaga yang dikirimkan menuju roda-rodanya melalui gearbox manual 6 percepatan tersebut, Vencer Sarthe mampu melakukan sprint dari posisi diam hingga 100 km/jam hanya dalam waktu 3.8 detik. Adapun kecepatan maksimum yang dapat ditembus oleh mobil baru ini adalah 330 km/jam.

Lalu berapa kira-kira harga mobil baru ini akan ditawarkan? Apakan mampu bertengger bersama dengan mobil-mobil termahal di dunia saat ini? Kita tunggu saja.
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Aston Martin One-77 Urutan Ke-5 Mobil Termahal Di Dunia


Aston Martin One-77 menawarkan lebih dari sekedar desain yang modern dan terkini yang nyaris tanpa cacat, namun juga menghadirkan mesin yang mampu melaju dengan super cepat layaknya mobil-mobil super sport lain.

Menggunakan mesin Cosworth V12 7.3 liter, mobil baru ini mampu menghasilkan tenaga hingga 750 bhp yang dapat membawanya berlari hingga kecepatan 335 km/jam. Hebatnya lagi, kecepatan sprint dari 0-60 mph dapat ditempuh hanya dalam waktu 3.5 detik.


Aston Martin One-77 menempati urutan ke-5 dijajaran mobil-mobil termahal di dunia tahun 2012 menurut majalah Forbes dengan bandrol harga mobil baru yang mencapai $ 1,4 juta.
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May 29

We continued looking at the transition from classical liberalism to modern liberalism. We looked at the development of welfare capitalism, the welfare state and how the Great Depression contributed to the development of modern liberalism. We also reviewed the boom and bust cycle, Keynesian economics (demand-side economics) and supply economics and how they each respond to a recession. Make sure that you keep up with your review of the Unit 2 PowerPoints and handouts, which are all on the wiki. Tomorrow we'll be looking at a command economy, so if you want to get a bit ahead, make sure that you have reviewed the handouts dealing with the command economy and the Soviet economy in particular. On Thursday, you have your Economic Systems Exam, so here is the study guide:

This is a comprehensive exam that covers all of the major economic systems: market economy, mixed economy, and command economy. It is 70 multiple choice questions. This exam will be administered on Thursday, May 31st.
  • study the applicable PowerPoint presentations that I have been posted on the wiki under Unit 2
  • focus on the Soviet Union, and left-wing of economic spectrum (command economy
  • please see the summary notes from the Ideologies textbook: Chapter 7 (Private Enterprise) on the wiki
  • supply-side economics
  • boom and bust cycle/business cycle
  • laws of supply and demand, Adam Smith, invisible hand, market forces
    self-interest, consumer sovereignty, competition, private ownership, profit motive
  • basic economic problems/questions
  • advantages/disadvantages of the market economy
  • causes of the Great Depression
  • FDR and the New Deal
  • understand Democratic Socialism in Sweden (indicative planning, "cradle to the grave" economics)
  • characteristics of a mixed economy
  • nationalization
  • privatization
  • democratic socialism
  • welfare capitalism
  • Keynesian economics
  • the business cycle and fiscal and monetary policies (study all of the notes I gave you)
  • demand-side economics
  • neo-conservatives
  • monetarism
  • trickle down economics
  • supply-side economics
  • Thatcherism and Reaganomics
  • Milton Friedman
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • how Keynesian economics deals with a recession (remember "the percolator": increase circulation of money reducing taxes, increase government spending on "make work" projects, and reduce interest rates, which according to Keynesian economics is going increase demand for goods and services and lead to more money circulating in the economy)
  • how supply-side economics deals with a recession (remember "trickle down coffee maker": government should stimulate the goods and services sector of the economy by reducing corporate and personal taxes, eventually benefits will "trickle down" to the middle class and working class, make connections between supply-side economics and laissez faire economics/classical liberalism)
  • advantages and disadvantages of a mixed economy
  • neo-conservative criticism of government intervention
  • characteristics of a centrally planned economy
  • advantages and disadvantages of a centrally planned economy
  • Marx notes (sent by e-mail)
  • Lenin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Soviet economic system (top-down decision-making process)
  • Lenin's War Communism and the New Economic Policy
  • "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia"
  • Stalin notes (on the wiki)
  • "Changes to Soviet Society After Stalin" notes (this bridges the gap between Stalin and Gorbachev, this is on the wiki)
  • Gorbachev to Collapse Notes (on the wiki)

I started examining American government today. I emphasized the structure of the presidential system, the terms of office for Senators, Congressmen and the President as well as the electoral college system. We'll continue this tomorrow and then transition into the Canadian government.

I'm going to give you a little advice for writing your Paper 2 on Thursday. Some of this advice applies to the actual Paper 2 Exam that you will be writing in May 2013. The actual Paper 2 Exam consists of five topics, we'll deal with three of them over the course of this semester, and next year. The topics that we cover are Topic 1: Causes, Practices and Effects of War, Topic 3: Authoritarian and Single-Party States, and Topic 5: The Cold War. We'll deal with Topic 1 and Topic 5 next year. The Paper 2 that you write on Thursday deals only with Authoritarian and Single-Party States. On the actual Paper 2 Exam, each of the five topics will have six questions, and you will have to answer two of them. For Thursday's Paper 2 you just have to answer one of the questions.

  • For each topic on the Paper 2 Exam, three out of the six questions will be 'named' questions. This means that in Topic 3, three of the questions will refer to particular states or leaders. (ex. Analyze the methods used by either Castro or Mao to maintain his position as the ruler of a single-party state.)
  • For each topic on the Paper 2 Exam, two out of the six will be 'open-ended' or general questions. This means you can choose any suitable example that you have studied. (ex. Examine how and why one leader of a single-party state was able to make a successful bid for power.)
  • For each topic on the Paper 2 Exam, one out of the six will ask about 'social, economic or gender issues'. (ex. Discuss the role and status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.)
Make sure that you know what your IB command terms mean. Please check your IB Skills Handbook for a list of IB command terms (ex. analyze, compare and contrast, discuss, evaluate, examine, to what extent)

For the upcoming Paper 2 on Thursday, make sure that you review Hitler and Stalin. I have posted information on Juan Peron, and I am still working Mao Zedong, but I may not have it up on the wiki in time for this exam. I will continue to post these case studies though.

The themes that you should study for Topic 3 are as follows:

Origins and nature of authoritarian and single-party states
This theme asks you to look at the rise to power of authoritarian and single-party state leaders or the emergence of authoritarian or single-party states. You need to consider what kind of circumstances made it possible for this to happen and what kinds of methods were used by the leader to take power.

Establishment of authoritarian and single-party states
This theme asks you to look at the leader or the state once power has been assumed and other political parties or groups have been suppressed. You need to consider how power is maintained, probably through the use of popular policies and/or terror.

Domestic policies and impact
This theme asks you to look at the way the state is actually structured and what kind of policies are carried out. You need to consider what kind of programme is put into practice and how economic and social policies are created and implemented. You will also need to know something about the role of women, attitudes towards religion and the kind of culture that developed inside the state.

Other pieces of advice:
  • choose your question carefully
  • on the actual Paper 2 Exam, you'll only have about 45 minutes to write each answer (remember you answer two questions for a 90 minute exam)
  • make sure that you do a quick plan for your essay (if it's a compare and contrast question, set up a chart with similarities that two leaders had in common, and their differences in the other column)
Do's:
  • Do read the question very carefully and make sure that you can answer it. If a specific time period is mentioned, do you have enough material to cover it all? If the question asks about social and economic policies, do you know enough about both?
  • Do answer the question that is asked on the exam paper and not a similar one you prepared earlier!
  • Do plan your answer and include this plan on your exam answer sheets.
  • Do begin with an introduction and always refer to the question in the introduction.
  • Do define any key words such as 'totalitarian' or 'authoritarian' if the question mentions these.
  • Do use a comparative structure if the question asks you to compare and contrast.
  • Do include DATES! When you are writing about why something happens, you will usually need to refer to what came before (cause and effect), and so knowing the order in which events happen is very important.
  • Do refer to the question in each paragraph, to make sure that your answer stays focused.
  • Do finish with a conclusion that sums up your arguments.
  • Do include some reference to different historical interpretations, if this is appropriate.
Don'ts:
  • Don't write down everything you know about a topic; you need to select only relevant material.
  • Don't leave out facts and dates. Your arguments need to be supported, so saying that Castro used guerrilla tactics to come to power is fine, but you need to support this statement with evidence of how he did this.
  • Don't just list what historians say about a topic; use historiography to support your arguments not replace them.
  • Don't use quotations to replace your arguments. If you use quotations, explain why and link them to your arguments.
  • Don't use 'I think ... ' or 'In my opinion ... ' but instead write, 'It is clear that..,' or 'Given the evidence. it can be seen that., .' Try to keep an 'academic' tone to your writing.
Introductions and conclusions - don't neglect these!

Introduction

There is no formula for a good introduction. While some students will state very clearly how they will structure their answers, others may simply give some relevant background and their thoughts on the question. Examiners will want to know that you have understood the question and have grasped its implications. Think of it as a 'first impression', leading the examiner to think 'Good, they are on the right track'. Also, if you are answering an 'openended' question that may, for example, ask about the rise to power of a leader, then you can state here what time period you will focus on. In the case of Nasser, for instance. would you begin in 1952 or 1948 or earlier? Also, are there terms that need to be defined? If so, it is a good idea to do this in the introduction.

Conclusion
Here is your chance to make a 'lasting impression'. You will need to summarize your arguments concisely, but not by repeating them one by one, this is tedious add much to the answer. If you have a nice quotation that is relevant (make sure it is!) and sums up your argument, then use it in the conclusion. It may spark the marker's interest and leave a good impression.

BMW Perkenalkan Mobil Konsep Teranyar 'The Zagato Coupe'


Tidak ada pameran mobil yang lebih glamour dan se-eksklusif Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, dimana mobil-mobil terbaru dan terbaik dari berbagai merek dunia menunjukan pesonanya. Salah satu mobil teranyar yang paling dinanti penampakannya adalah BMW Zagato Coupe.

Mobil yang merepresentasikan teknologi terbaru BMW berkolaborasi dengan desain menawan dari Zagato ini merupakan hasil kerja keras tangan-tangan terampil dan terbaik dari kedua perusahaan.


Meskipun hanya diproduksi 1 unit sebagai mobil konsep, namun Zagato Coupe terdaftar sebagai mobil yang memenuhi segala unsur yang dibutuhkan sebagai kendaraan yang layak digunakan dijalan umum. Pihak Zagato menyatakan bahwa mereka selalu membangun desain mobil yang mampu beraksi dijalan atau dilintasan. BMW Zagato Coupe memenuhi philosofi tersebut.


Belum ada keterangan resmi dari pihak BMW mengenai spesifikasi mesin yang ditanamkan dalam mobil konsep terbarunnya ini. Namun, performanya tentu akan sebanding dengan desainnya yang menawan.


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Monday, May 28, 2012

Mobil Sport Penguasa Era 60-70an


Mobil-mobil sport yang berjaya pada era 60-70an memiliki citarasa dan ciri khas tersendiri. Bahkan tidak jarang mobil-mobil yang kini masuk ke dalam kategori mobil sport klasik tersebut memiliki harga yang selangit dan menjadi incaran banyak kolektor otomotif dunia.

Mobil sport klasik yang sepertinya layak dikatakan sebagai penguasa pada era 1960 – 1970an tidak lain adalah Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1969.


Mobil berotot kekar ini layak menempati posisi pertama sebagai mobil sport klasik penguasa jalanan. Diproduksi hanya sebanyak 69 unit diseluruh dunia, mobil ini kini menjadi salah satu legenda yang paling diincar oleh para kolektor.


Salah satu bukti kehebatan mobil ini adalah akselerasinya yang hanya membutuhkan waktu 5.3 detik untuk mencapai kecepatan 60 mph dari posisi diam. Bukan suatu hal yang aneh karena dibalik kapnya bersemayam mesin V8 yang mampu menghasilkan tenaga sebesar 500hp.

Harga mobil baru ini pada eranya ditawarkan pada angka $4,100 hingga $7,300 tergantung spesifikasinya dan harganya kini mencapai $500,000 to $1,000,000 tergantung pada originalitasnya.
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Ferrari 625 TRC Spider 1957


Ferrari 625 TRC Spider 1957 saat ini menjadi salah satu mobil sport klasik dengan harga tertinggi di dunia. Mobil yang hanya diproduksi sebanyak 2 buah ini, laku terjual dengan harga $6.4 Juta pada sebuah pelelangan di Monaco. 


Dilengkapi dengan mesin balap V12 tipe 625 2.5-liter khas Ferrari dikawinkan dengan gearbox manual 4-percepatan, mobil sport ini mampu memproduksi tenaga hingga 320 hp.


Mobil ini dibawa oleh seorang pionir importir Ferrari di Amerika sekaligus pembalap terkenal, John von Neumann dan dimiliki olehnya hampir selama 30 tahun.

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Ferrari SP12 EC Edisi Spesial Eric Clapton



Jika anda seorang yang terkenal, kaya dan berpengaruh. Anda pasti bisa memiliki sebuah mobil sport mewah dengan nama / type yang diambil dari nama Anda sendiri. Seperti Ferrari yang satu dan satu-satunya ini, Ferrari SP12 EC.

EC merupakan inisial dari seorang legenda musik dunia yang sekaligus pecinta Ferrari, Eric Clapton. Mobil sport dengan lambang kuda jingkrak ini didesain oleh Centro Stile Ferrari berkolaborasi dengan Pininfarina. Modelnya dipesan khusus oleh Eric Clapton terinspirasi oleh Ferrari 512 BB dan dibangun atas dasar Ferrari 548 Italia.


Ferrari belum mengumumkan spesifikasi mesin yang ditanamkan sebagai jantung penggeraknya, namun dikabarkan mobil baru ini akan diperkuat oleh mesin V8, 4.5 liter yang mampu menghasilkan tenaga sebesar 562 hpp dengan torsi sebesar 398 lb-ft. dengan tenaga tersebut diperkirakan akan mampu mengantarkan SP12 EC berlari hingga kecepatan 325 km/h dan berakselerasi dari 0-100 km/h hanya dalam waktu 3.4 detik.

Menurut Eric Clapton, membangun sebuah mobil seperti mulai melukis pada sebuah kanvas kosong ukuran raksasa, “sebuah pengalaman yang luar biasa dan suatu hal yang paling memuaskan yang pernah saya lakukan”, tandasnya. Source

Kira-kira berapa harga mobil barunya ini ya?


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