Japanese Katana Essay -- Art, Sword, Samurai

A popular ancient Japanese saying states that â€Å"The sword is the soul of the warrior.† (Buchanan 120) The warrior in the proverb pertains to the samurai of feudal Japan and the sword refers to their most prominent weapon, the Katana. An ancient blade made through a complicated forging process, the Katana is truly a work of art. Also known as the Japanese long sword or the samurai sword, the Katana is a curved, single-edged blade with ridges along its exterior. It is primarily used as a weapon to cut down or slash its foes (Robinson 28). The ridges along the blade, called the hamon, divides the soft metal components, the shingane, from the hadagane of the hard metal components used to forge the sword to give it its trademark razor sharp edge and flexibility (Turnbull 12). The blade of the Katana is around sixty to seventy centimeters in length and is often likened to the arc of the new moon. With its signature curved edge and its fusion of hard and soft metals, the Katana i s considered to be the greatest offensive weapon ever created (O’Neill 114,116). It is a hallmark of Japanese sword history and is a noteworthy aspect of Japanese craftsmanship. The Japanese Katana is an important symbol of Japanese culture whose significance must be asserted. Stories about war and implements of such can be observed throughout the course of Japanese history. This shows the prevalence of martial training and the profession of arms as a tradition that has not faded since ancient times (Friday and Humitake 13). Japanese sword history spans several centuries. It is commonly divided into five major periods, the Jokoto and Koto periods or the ancient swords, pre-650 A.D, and the old swords from post-650 A.D. until 1596 A.D. when the Shinto... ...h their swords. [†¦] All lived by a code that valued death over defeat. They were the samurai, the elite warrior class who ruled Japan for nearly 700 years, leaving an indelible mark on a land [Japan][†¦].† (O’Neill 101) This quote taken from a National Geographic publication is one of many others that speak of the tenacity of the samurai. Noble and aggressive, the samurai wield their swords with killing intent, confident that a simple strike from their blades can cause certain death to their foes. This was the primary reason the Katana is made in such a way. It is to create a weapon of absolute destruction. An implement comprising of aspects that symbolize elegance and devastation, the Katana not only is the finest weapon ever made, it is also a beautiful work of art (Yumoto n.p.). The elegance of the Katana stems from its shape and the method used to create it.

Mock Exam, English by Norwegian Student.

Mock Exam 1stc 7th of December 2012 By Gard Detlev Oksendal Task 1 1B 1. The three most important differences between the writing styles in the two texts (Appendices 2 and 4) Difference one: The biggest difference between Appendix 2 and 4 is the fact that Appendix 2 is a short novel, which we don’t know if it’s true or not compared to Appendix 4 who is an informative text with clear fact and reasoning. App 2 is taken from the book â€Å"the house on mango street†, which clearly is a novel in contrast to App 4 which is an article from Newsweek, 2011. Difference two: App 2 is written in short sentences with many stops.The text is actually written a bit mysterious way. App 4 on the other hand is a coherent text, where the message of the text is clear. Difference three: In App 4 they use real – life stories to underline their facts. In contrast, App 2 is written out of Sandra Cisneros free fantasy and thoughts. Maybe this story is based on some kind of truth, but it doesn’t say anything about it. 2. The advantages as well as the disadvantages of moving abroad, seen from a young person’s point of view. Here are some of my arguments whether I think it is a good choice or not to move abroad as a young person.As far as I can think, there are much more advantages by moving abroad as a young person, rather than not moving. I have made two lists, one with advantages the other one with disadvantages: Advantages * You learn to know other cultures, which can be really positive. Not just for the knowledge, but also the fact that you as a human really can grow by knowing and accepting foreign cultures. * Of course it depends on the place you go, but let`s say for example that you are an American, who is considering moving to Asia, there are many good reasons to do so: * Asia is the up and coming in the world these days.If you are able to communicate with them in their native language, they often go in with more will in for example a ne gotiation, or simply just a small talk, getting to know the cute girl you saw at the club last night. Another language you might want to learn is German. Germans are some of the most organized and economic people in the world. If you know their native language, most people will meet you with open arms. * When I read through Appendix 4 in the booklet you handed out, I held on to one sentence which describes the situation in the world today in a very good way.Let me quote Jim Rodgers from the text â€Å"How to Raise a Global Kid† by Lisa Miller: â€Å"The money is in the East, the Debtors are in the West. I`d rather be with the creditors than the debtors. † * Even tough, English is becoming bigger and bigger as a second-language despite the big debt problems they have in the US. 200 million Chinese Schoolchildren are studying English, and in South Korea many parents lost their temper recently. The reasoning behind was that they wanted their kids to learn English at first grade, rather than in second as they practice today. Yes, English is really important as a world language up to this date, despite the fact that Asia is growing bigger and bigger, US drowning in their enormous debt that only increases with millions each minute you read this text. So your English will definitely help you when moving abroad. * Asia is just an advice to where you could move, but there are many different places you can go. So my advice to the youth out there who is considering moving abroad: Go for it! Disadvantages: * One of the disadvantages by moving abroad as young is the fact that you don’t get as much safety as you would get growing up in your own country.On some children, this can make a huge impact and even damage to them later in life. * Other cultures may get a bit too exotic, crazy and alien in some ways. You can get shocked; some are able handle it and even learn from it, some people are definitely not. So if you are a bit weak, a bit afraid of the u nknown and other cultures, maybe you should consider it two times before moving abroad. * If you come to another country and don’t know the language, it can be a huge problem. You can’t assimilate and feel as comfortable as in your home country.You don’t get included in the community and you can feel a bit alone at school etc. * Another concern is the money. If your trip goes wrong, something happens, you may be loose a year of school and lots of money. Is it worth taking the risk? * Earlier today, I saw an example of how difficult it could be coming to another country, another culture. The movie â€Å"Bend it like Beckham† by Gruinder Chadha impart this in a beautiful and touching way. And for any of you who haven’t seen it, I’d like to recommend it strongly. Task 2 2BThere are two main historical reasons of why English is the most wide – spoken language today. The first reason is the power of the US – not only in terms of war and economics, but also technology, movies, the internet and science. The other reason is the time where Queen Elisabeth 1st (1558 – 1603) and her England conquered the world. She established a global colonial empire, and introduced English as a world language. English is today the language which by far is the most used as a lingua franca. In more than 60 countries English is the official second language, but that is not the whole truth.The world today is very much based on the internet, and more than 80% of the information stored on computers around the world is in English. Despite the fact that 350 million people use English as their first language today, it is by far not the most spoken first language. However, English today is the most important language in the world because of the simple fact that almost â€Å"everyone† knows a few worlds in English. I can’t stress it enough; English is by far the most important language today. Mandarin is really catching up, but English is still dominant. Mandarin is almost explicit used in China, and not so much as a lingua franca.The biggest factor of why English is as dominant as it is must be the internet. The internet is very much based on English. And the world is based on the internet. I addition to this, it is also used in many other important arenas. My task today is to present to you some of these arenas. * When it comes to business and matters of trade, the English language is really important. By studying English through a respected old school like Cambridge or Oxford, you can expect to be able to easily handle emails, memos, contracts, agreements and other resembling themes.The matter of fact is that when you have an education In English, you are more likely to easy pursue a to a business career. * Probably the greatest advantage of studying English would be in job matters. People who can speak English fluently, In addition to speak their native language are extremely attracted by compa nies of many types, especially the international ones. Courses with at least some quality in it, offer their students the opportunity to improve job prospects, the opportunity to communicate with others as well as the access to information all around the world. Another arena where English can be very useful is when movies or TV-shows. Most of the films made today are made in English, at least the ones from Hollywood. Understanding the plot will be much easier when knowing English. Subtitles in Norwegian or other languages can sometimes cause the meanings of words to be lost in the translation, and they can be a distraction to the action taking place on the screen. In addition to this, movies in other languages are often subtitled by English. * The fourth arena where English very much can be useful is when traveling.Most workers in the tourist line of business know at least a couple words English. From that platform it is much easier to communicate with other people when travelling. * Concerning the education arena, English is not only useful, it is almost necessary to know at bit English. According to the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training, there are more than 800 courses taught in English, just at the University of Oslo. There are lots of books in Norwegian. However, in college or university many of the books you have to read are written in English.According to the book â€Å"Gateways† by Eva Ulven and Audun Raugset two thirds of the world scientific findings are published in English. * The last thing I want to mention is that many manuals are written in English. Let`s say that you have bought a new TV for 30  000 dollars from America, and you don’t understand the manual, it will take a lot more effort and time to get your TV working. The world today is very much based around the mass – media, and most of the mass – media is written, spoken or sung in English. Yes, I repeat; sung. One of the main factors influencing us is the music.American rappers dominate the hit- lists today, and if anyone is even close to their dominance it must be the Englishmen. They aren’t just on the hit lists in their own country, but also in foreign countries like Norway. Another factor is that the community of YouTube and the social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are very much based on – and ruled by the English language and culture. Parallel to the growth of the internet, the power and importance of English is increasing every minute. In my eyes, Norway is one of the countries who are the most influenced by the American culture.We have taken lots of different American traditions, and made them ours. For example Halloween and Valentine’s Day are American traditions we are practicing here in Norway. I my opinion, that is really sad. Before kids used to go â€Å"julebukk†, but now a days people just don’t do â€Å"Julebukk† anymore – just because Hallowee n and other American traditions have taken over. American music is also really big in Norway, and artists like Eminem, Wiz Khalifa and Rihanna is what most of the Norwegian youth enjoy listening to. Gaming and internet is big part of our Norwegian community, and both are very much based on English.The two most played videogames in Norway, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and FIFA 13 are both on English, and have to say that I have learned much English from it myself. In Norway, people watch TV-series a lot, and most of them are in English. Most of them with Norwegian subtitles, but again the fact that they even showcase American series show us how important English is in Norway. So my conclusion based on what I have written, thought and read goes like this: English today is by far the most important language in the world, concerning business, travelling, education, culture and much, much more.However, languages like Mandarin and Indian is starting to catch up, just because of the simple ma tter of fact that the Chinese and Indian are increasing rapidly when speaking of population.. On the other hand, English is still increasing, just because of the western pop-culture. All the things I have mentioned – all the things we base our international community are based – and ruled by English. English is the dominant language in the world today, and I think it will be continuing as consistent as it is today at the top for many, many years in the future.

Charlie Fish

The wife did nothing. I would say that he is the protagonist in the story, because he is doing nothing wrong, the only thing he does is to think evil thoughts. The protagonist is usually the â€Å"good† guy in the story and the main character. I wouldn't say he is good, because he have intentions to kill his wife, but in the end it ‘s her who is the antagonist and let him die. D: Typical for the crime genre is that there often is a crime or someone who breaks the law.For example the woman in the story is breaking the law by not helping her husband, and as it says on the last line â€Å"l fall to the floor. My wife Just sits there, watching. † The main character is often a police officer(the good guy) or a criminal(the bad gay), in our story you could say the main character is both. He's a bad guy inside, but â€Å"behave† on the outside. The tension also plays a major role and there is also often plot twist in the crime genre.In the story we as readers had an idea that he non will kill his wife, but in the end it is her who kills him, it's called a plot twist and the tension is built up. I think It's a good story, because the excitement Is built up and It does not end as expected. The author manages to build something up, although the story Is so short. Charlie Fish By Cannonaded â€Å"Death by Scrabble† by Charlie Fish is a story a husband and his wife. It's the hottest angry at his wife, so angry that he would beat his wife to death.He is Just waiting for he right time. The words they put down on the board, begins to happen in reality. When he puts the word â€Å"QUAKE† down, and she thereafter put â€Å"DEATH†, it all starts to shake and the man gets a piece stuck in his throat, which he had hidden in his intentions to kill his wife, but in the end it's her who is the antagonist and let him I think it's a good story, because the excitement is built up and it does not end as expected. The author manages to build something up, although the story is so short.

No Way Out essays

No Way Out essays I was 15 years old and completely in love. Jeff was my first real boyfriend. He was everything I wanted: fun, cute and utterly devoted to me-practically from the moment we met. After our first date, he wanted to be with me all the time. We spent every minute together. I didn't have to worry that he was cheating on me, and he never blew me off for his buddies. While my friends always seemed to have trouble getting time with their boyfriends, I knew I could always count on Jeff. It was great to feel as though he couldn't live without me. I made him my life. We'd go to the movies, study at "our table" in the library, take long walks. He made me feel so special. The more time we spent with each other, the more he wanted to be with me. He started asking me not to go out with my friends so much, saying he felt they encouraged me to party and flirt, and the thought of me so much as speaking to other guys drove him nuts. I thought his jealousy meant he was really in love with me, so I stopped hanging out with my friends as much. Only Kim thought it was weird and called me on it. In fact, most of my other friends envied me. They thought it was cool that my boyfriend was so intense. Jeff and I had been a couple just over a month when the weather started getting nice, and his parents expected him to spend the weekends at the family beach house-about an hour away from where we lived. The time apart only increased Jeff's interest in me. He demanded to know what I was doing when I wasn't with him: where I went, who I went with, who else was there, how long I hung out, what time I got home. Since I thought it was because he missed me, I didn't realize he was turning into a control freak. He would tell me to "be good" whenever he called me. What did he mean by that? Pretty much that I should have no social life without him. He expected me to stay at home and wait for him to call. It upset him if I went to a party or hung out with a group of ...

What to Do If You Lose a Scholarship

What to Do If You Lose a Scholarship Although you might have imagined it differently, college life tends to have some rather dramatic ups and downs. Sometimes things go great; sometimes they dont. When you have major, unexpected financial changes during your time in school, for example, the rest of your college experience can be affected. Losing part of your financial aid can, in fact, be a bit of a crisis. Knowing what to do if you lose a scholarship and enacting a plan of action can be critical in making sure that a bad situation doesnt turn into a devastating one. Step 1: Make Sure You Lost It for Legitimate Reasons If your scholarship depending on your being a biology major but youve decided to switch to English, losing your scholarship is probably justified. Not all situations are so clear-cut, however. If your scholarship is contingent on your maintaining a certain GPA, and you believe you have maintained that GPA, make sure that everyone has accurate information before you panic. The people awarding your scholarship may not have received the paperwork they needed in time or your transcript could have an error in it. Losing a scholarship is a big deal. Before you start putting the effort in to remedy your situation, make sure youre really in the situation you think are. Step 2: Figure out How Much Money You No Longer Have Access To You may not be completely clear on how much your scholarship was worth. Say you have a $500 scholarship from a non-profit back in your hometown. Is that $500/year? A semester? A quarter? Get the details on what youve lost so that you can know just how much youll need to replace. Step 3: Make Sure Your Other Monies Aren't Also in Jeopardy If youve lost eligibility for one scholarship because of your academic performance or because youre on disciplinary probation, your other scholarships might be in jeopardy, too. It cant hurt to make sure that the rest of your financial aid is secure, especially before talking to someone in the financial aid office (see the next step). You dont want to have to keep going in for appointments every time you realize something you should have known about already. If youve changed majors, had a bad academic performance, or otherwise had something happen (or have done something) that can negatively affect your financial aid and scholarships, make sure youre clear on the entire picture. Step 4: Make an Appointment With the Financial Aid Office You wont have a clear picture of how losing your scholarship has an impact on your financial aid package unless you meet with a financial aid staff member and go over the details. Its okay to not know what will happen during the meeting, but you should be prepared to know why you lost the scholarship, how much it was worth, and how much youll need to replace it. Your financial aid officer can help you identify additional resources as well as possibly revise your overall package. Be ready to explain why you are no longer eligible for the scholarship money and what you plan on doing to try to make the deficit up. And be open to any and all suggestions the financial aid staff has for helping you make that happen. Step Five: Hustle Although it can happen, its unlikely that the money will magically be fully replaced by your financial aid office which means that its up to you to find other sources. Ask your financial aid office about scholarship resources they recommend, and get to work. Look online; look in your hometown community; look on campus; look in your religious, political, and other communities; look anywhere you need to. Although it seems like a lot of work to find a replacement scholarship, whatever effort you put forth now will definitely be less work than it will take for you to drop out of college and try to return at a later date. Prioritize yourself and your education. Put your smart brain to work and do everything and anything you need to in an effort to invest in yourself and your degree. Will it be hard? Yes. But it and you are worth it.

Business Accounts and Users of Financial Statements Research Paper

Business Accounts and Users of Financial Statements - Research Paper Example This paper tells that each of the users  of financial statements has different needs and interest in financial information. First, investors require financial information to assist in making investment decisions. Before putting their resources for investment purposes, investors have to evaluate the performance of firms to establish whether the businesses can enable them to earn their required rate of return (Fess & Warren 1993). This would help them make an investment decision and determine what amount to invest in a firm. Shareholders are also interested in the financial performance of the firm as it determines the dividends they will receive and the worth of their investment. Firms with good financial performance well will have good share prices and shareholders will need this financial information to determine whether to sell their shares or buy more shares (Nikolai, Bazley, & Jones 2009). Lenders are the second users of financial information. Lenders are either individuals or f inancial institutions that offer loans to firms that are need of funds. Before making their lending decision in terms of whether to lend and what amount to give to firms. They have to look at the financial performance to determine the risk of their money. The lenders will be interested in the performance of the firm within the duration of their loan (Fess & Warren 1993). In addition, the employees and their unions are also interested parties of a firm’s financial statement. Employees put their efforts in ensuring that the firm achieves their objectives and therefore need feedback on their performance. They also require the financial statements as a basis for bargaining for their increment in remuneration and other benefits like retirement.  The employees also need financial information to help in the formulation of new strategies that are meant for improving the performance of the organization. Financial information as well is needed by the employees to determine the organi zation continued existence for job security purposes. Creditors and suppliers are also interested in the financial information to determine the ability of the business to pay their owing debt as they fall due. This group is interested in the short term liquidity of the business rather than the long term performance (Deloitte 2011). Firms with good financial performance will have reliable creditors. Moreover, customers are also interested in the financial performance of the business in cases where they are interested in long term relationship with the business. Customers who depend solely on the business for their products will need to require surety of the business continued existence. Notwithstanding, the government authorities be it federal or state need the financial information for regulatory purposes. The security exchange authority will need financial information to determine the policies and to determine the national income of the country (Deloitte 2011). They also require fi nancial performance as a way of determining the soundness of the capital markets. The public may also be interested in the financial performance especially to businesses that affect the general public good. The public closely monitors businesses that are major employers or contribute substantially to the economy (Kravitz 1999).  

Service Journals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Service Journals - Assignment Example In 2012, the company was listed 3rd by Forbes among 10 world’s most innovative companies. This is an indication of good quality services, which is an aspect associated with innovativeness. The rating also reflects consumer satisfaction as it is based on customer feedback data among other parameters. Barnes & Noble Inc. is the major competitor with 1,300 book stores in the US and also sells products online. However, I did not choose the company because the company experienced losses recently in its digital business, which does not give a customer the desired motivation and confidence to engage in Barnes & Noble’s online business (hoovers.com). I expected to download the journals in my computer immediately after making the payment. I also expected to get the correct copies as I had ordered without any missing pages. There was a 25% discount for every third item purchased by the same customer and therefore I anticipated the discount on three journals. Overall, I expected the best service due to the fact that I was purchasing 10 items at once. 4a) Look at the advertisements and web pages (all promotions you can find) for this service. Describe them. Are they targeting the correct markets? How do these ads and promotions impact your expectations for the service? Do they overpromise? How would you change them? (make recommendations—don’t say â€Å"I’d leave them the same†) Amazon.com advertises products in a strategic manner that attracts customers’ attention. For every journal, there was a review of the contents and a background of the authors. This information was helpful in making a purchase decision since it highlighted what to expect and therefore I carefully chose those with the required information thereby avoiding unnecessary costs. The advertisements are targeted at a variety of market segments. Customers visiting the company’s website have the freedom to