Sacred Texts and Buried Treasures essays

Sacred Texts and Buried Treasures essays Imagine Japan in the earlier part of its existence, before it was as we know it now. What it unified under one ruler or was in made up of many smaller societies? How did people have kinship ties with one another? How did they live? While you contemplate these things others have already extensively researched them, written about them, and taught the history to other people. One such individual, William Wayne Farris, wrote a book called Sacred Texts and Buried Treasures (1998) which attempts to address some parts of Japanese history that are still under debate as well as recent archaeological finding and what they prove. First he discusses Yamatai which is a 3rd century realm that was ruled over by Queen Himiko. Next, he discusses the Korean connection, which refers to the connections that Japanese and Koreans had during this time period (Did the Japanese conquer southern Korea or did the Koreans conquer Japan. Thirdly, he discusses the capitals in Japan, how they were influen ced by the Chinese methods of architecture, and how they were able to build such large cities. Lastly, Farris addresses wooden tablets (a new written resource) and how they effected what we thought about certain parts of Japanese politics and history. Before the book is discussed any further, we will take a look at the author so we can see how credible he is, how much research he did for this book, and how well he knows the material. William Wayne Farris is a professor in Japanese history at the University of Tennessee. He not only teaches Japanese history but also a variety of specialized classes for graduate students. He is a world-renowned expert on pre-1600 population, disease, agriculture, samurai, and historical archaeology in Japan. He received his PhD at Harvard University in 1981 and his field specialties are pre-modern Japanese social and economic history. He has received recieved research grants from the Japan Foundatio...

Japanese Greetings and Parting Phrases

Japanese Greetings and Parting Phrases Learning greetings is a great way to start communicating with people in their language. Particularly in Japanese- a culture that prizes proper social etiquette- knowing how to use greetings and parting phrases correctly will open doors for you as you study the language. The greetings and parting words below include audio files that will allow you to listen to the phrases and learn how they are pronounced. Using Ha and Wa in Hiragana Before studying Japanese greetings, its important to learn how two important words are used in hiragana. Hiragana is a part of the Japanese writing system. It is a phonetic syllabary, which is a set of written characters that represent syllables. In most cases, each character corresponds to one syllable though there are few exceptions to this rule. Hiragana is used in many cases, such as writing articles or miscellaneous words that have no kanji form or an obscure kanji form In Japanese, there is a rule for writing the hiragana for waã‚ ) and ha㠁 ¯). When wa  is used as a  particle, it is written in hiragana as ha. (A particle,  joshi,  is a word that shows the relationship of a word, phrase, or clause to the rest of the sentence.) In current Japanese dialogue, Konnichiwa or Konbanwa are fixed greetings. However, historically, they were used in sentences such as  Konnichi  wa (Today is) or Konban  wa  (Tonight is), and wa  functioned as a particle. Thats why it is still written in hiragana as ha. Common Japanese Greetings  and  Parting Phrases Listen to the audio files carefully by clicking on the links, and mimic what you hear. Repeat this a few times until you are able to pronounce the greetings and parting phrases. Good MorningOhayou㠁Šã  ¯Ã£â€šË†Ã£ â€ Ã£â‚¬â€š Good AfternoonKonnichiwa㠁“ん㠁 «Ã£  ¡Ã£  ¯Ã£â‚¬â€š Good eveningKonbanwa㠁“ん㠁 °Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¯Ã£â‚¬â€š Good nightOyasuminasai㠁Šã‚„㠁™ã  ¿Ã£  ªÃ£ â€¢Ã£ â€žÃ£â‚¬â€š GoodbyeSayonara㠁•ã‚ˆã  ªÃ£â€šâ€°Ã£â‚¬â€š See you laterDewa mata㠁 §Ã£  ¯Ã£  ¾Ã£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€š See you tomorrow.Mata ashita㠁 ¾Ã£ Å¸Ã¦ËœÅ½Ã¦â€" ¥Ã£â‚¬â€š How are you?Genki desu kaå…Æ'æ °â€"㠁 §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€š Tips on Greetings and Parting Phrases Enhance your knowledge of Japanese greetings and parting words by reviewing some basic tips about the various phrases. Ohayou Gozaimasu Good Morning:  If you are speaking to a friend or find yourself in a casual setting, you would use the word  ohayou  (㠁Šã  ¯Ã£â€šË†Ã£ â€ ) to say good morning. However, if you were on your way into the office and ran into your boss or another supervisor, you would want to use  ohayou  gozaimasu  (㠁Šã  ¯Ã£â€šË†Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢), which is a more formal greeting. Konnichiwa Good Afternoon:  Although Westerners sometimes  think the word  konnichiwa  (㠁“ん㠁 °Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¯) is a general greeting to be used at any time of day, it actually means good afternoon. Today, its a colloquial greeting used by anyone, but it can be part of the more formal greeting:  Konnichi  wa  gokiken  ikaga  desu ka?  (ä »Å Ã¦â€" ¥Ã£  ¯Ã£ â€Ã¦ ©Å¸Ã¥ «Å'㠁„㠁‹ã Å'㠁 §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹?). This phrase loosely translates into English as â€Å"How are you feeling today?† Konbanwa Good Evening:  Just as you would use one phrase to greet someone during the afternoon, the Japanese language has a different word for wishing people a  good evening.  Konbanwa  (㠁“ん㠁 °Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¯) is an informal word you can use to address anyone in a friendly manner, though it can also be  used as part of a larger and more formal greeting. Mastering these greetings and parting words is a great early step in learning Japanese. Knowing the correct way to greet others, and to say goodbye, in Japanese demonstrates respect and an interest in the language and culture.

Principles of International Business Management Essay

Principles of International Business Management - Essay Example Having established itself on a firm footing within the domestic markets, the company started looking for avenues of growth in foreign markets. To undertake such an initiative, the company studied took stock of its internal as well external factors which drive its urge for entering a foreign market. Internal factors are of course the strengths of the company while external factors were compiled after doing an environment analysis. In addition the company also undertook an analysis of PESTLE factors for the particular markets, where the company was supposed to go. All such factors were not looked into 'in isolation', because one particular factor might have a spillover effect on couple of other factors and vice-versa. All such permutations and combinations were taken into account while preparing for an expansion strategy. Reckitt Benckiser has over the year successfully implemented the strategy of building strong brands across all its key categories like surface care, fabric care, dishwashing, home care, health and personal care and food. If Lysol is a leading brand in disinfectant cleaning, Calgon holds the number one market position in fabric care in Europe. Similarly placed are the major categories like Vanish (fabric care), Veet (cosmetic depilatories), Mortein (pest control) and Airwick (air fragrance). The company highlighted the brand equity to its fullest potential, while negotiating with foreign collaborators for investing in a new market. This strategy paid off rich dividends for the company with its top 15 brands consistently accounting for a majority of the company's revenues, from 40% of total revenues in 2001 to about 56% in 2005. Such a brand creation in different categories allows Reckitt to; Differentiate its products and earn a price premium and Provides a competitive advantage to the company in the market place. In addition the company also resorted to ambush marketing depending upon the scenario of competition in some of the foreign markets. For example, in one such recent case (23 Nov 2006), the company also won a legal battle against its rival in India, Hindustan Liver Ltd. (HLL), when the courts upheld the contention of Reckitt Benckiser concerning the advertisement of Dettol soap. For marketing the products the company has been dependent on Supermarkets and hypermarkets which form the most important distribution channel, e.g. accounting for 65.2% of the UK market's value and 69.5% of the European market's value. The company used innovation as its core competitive strategy which helped the company in creating product differentiation and providing it the competitive edge. Motivational factors for undertaking foreign investments are mainly; To tap the vast consumer market outside Europe and UK. Markets in India, China and other Asian countries are developing very fast and these markets have immense potential for a company dealing with consumer items. The company had established itself quite well in the home market and wanted to move on in newer markets. Company wanted to take the competitors head on, not only in domestic market but in overseas market as well. To

HR Policy Manual Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

HR Policy Manual - Assignment Example They provide automobile and hybrid-electric batteries and systems engineering. Johnson Controls vision statement is simple: to provide a more "comfortable, safe and sustainable world" (Johnson Controls Website "Vision Statement"). They are located in Glendale, WI and have another office in San Francisco. Johnson Controls is structure as a Corporation. The Equal Employment Opportunity statement tells employees and people outside the organization how the company feels about employing a diversity of people. These statements often include not only the legal definitions of diversity like race, ethnicity or disability, but they also involve statements that are important to the company like sexual orientation, amnesty, marital status or age. Each company will have a different idea of what they should put into their EEO statements. Johnson Controls is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We believe that in order to be sure that our products and services are doing their jobs that we need to be a part of the community. We provide products and services that represent the diversity in the workplace. We look for people in every region who will work well as a team and who are involved in the global marketplace. We are dedicated to attracting, training and developing the best talent that we can find all over the world. Affirmative action is similar to EEO in that it tells what the business plans to do about discrimination. This statement will generally tell the groups of people that the company will cover under their anti-discrimination clause. According to Wordnet, an affirmative action policy is "a policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities". We work to eliminate discrimination and harassment in all its forms, and we are committed to providing equal opportunity in all of our employment practices. By valuing diversity, all our employees can fully

Against Method. Is the approach to science a valid form of inquiry Essay

Against Method. Is the approach to science a valid form of inquiry - Essay Example Paul Feyerabend’s Against Method challenges modern science in various aspects. He believes that contemporary science has been unchallenged for many years, and its methodologies and assumptions require to be reviewed.He asserts that people can comprehend scientific advances by focusing in historical contexts. He analyzes how the philosophy of science has constantly overstressed on practice over method, and believes the potentiality of anarchism replacing rationalism in the field theory of knowledge. Moreover, the American experience movie by Kinsey (2005) explores American sexuality in rather a sloppy and a bit unscientific manner. He tackles the issues of the ignorance of American undergraduate concerning sex in his documentary. Therefore, both Kinsey and Feyerabend are massive in going against the contemporary scientific methods, to highlight their topics and make their stance concerning the production of knowledge. Those refuting the arguments of Feyerabend claim that he opp ortunistically redefines science between process and institution for his own benefits. They claim that he constructs a straw man from the notions that science is based in creating facts as rather than on models. However, as someone who was captivated by the notion of rationality and its correlation to method, Feyerabend constructed a strong case against the belief that there was a correct technique, which people can trust in the production of scientific knowledge. Therefore, he strongly opposed methods in every form and promoted an anarchistic stance concerning the production of scientific knowledge (Brace, 1). ... He chief idea was that immediately after people form a definition of a method they should as well define the constitutes of the correct way of carrying out activities, which involves practicing limit of both what they can obtain and themselves. This is because a certain method, which has accompanying, measures of success, results to given consequences. According to Feyerabend, this means that the consequences of methods are both limiting and oppressive. Thus, when scholars or scientists are permitted to assess the world in an established manner, they reduce the potentiality of finding novel comprehensions and explanations, which might be more informative and richer (Brace, 1). Critics argue that Feyerabend does not tackle critical factors if his notions were to be taken seriously. They argue that he is famous because he ignores the question of what makes a scientific result better than other results because his argument only states that scientific results do not always result in bett er outcomes. However, Feyerabend argues that this aspect does not necessarily result to better results because sometimes people are dealing with a certain given aspect rather than a universal notion. The arguments of Feyerabend are apparent in the scientific documentary Kinsey whereby the role of science in inquiry and inquiry itself is explored. As aforementioned, it is argued that Feyerabend was against the application of methods in science. This was with the aim of avoiding scientific pretentions, which were observable in the scientific scenario. For instance, in the aforementioned film, it appears that the scientific study of Kinsley was motivated by his childhood experiences ( Goodman and Maggio). The struggles of the protagonist in the early stages of his

Stop Playing the Blame Game Essay Example for Free

Stop Playing the Blame Game Essay Growing up children love to eat at McDonalds, Burger King, or their local pizza place. The fast food industry offers prepackaged, unhealthy foods that are marketed through advertisements and media as a kid friendly quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. Many blame obesity in children and young adults in the easy access to fast food. Is it fair to suggest that the numerous fast food places that are available are the leading factor in the increase of obesity amongst children? There are other factors that should be considered such as parents, lack of exercise, numerous amounts of hours spent in front of the television. David Zinczenko’s article â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† supports the hypothesis that the increase in obesity is caused by the easy access, affordable, numerous fast food restaurants that are available. He argues the availability of healthier food options by writing, â€Å"drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit† (Zinczenko 392). He utilizes his own personal story being raised by a single mother who worked two jobs and did not have a large amount of income coming in. Zinczenko notes, â€Å"By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid teenage tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame† (Zinczenko 392). He listed choices such as, Taco Bell and McDonalds as his daily meal choices due to the lack of healthy choices and alternatives that aligned with his situation as a child. Is extra weight he gained as a child Taco Bell’s fault? To some, this claim could be seen as ridiculous and lacks personal responsibility. Helen Lee reports on a study she performed to argue the hypothesis that local food availability such as fast food, and convenience stores explain the obesity increase and risk among school aged children. Helen Lee performed a study on school aged in children in low income and high income households. Lee utilized different tools and resources to report on children’s BMI and how it changes over time. The study brought attention to some astonishing results. Contrary to Zinczenko’s claim that grocery stores and healthier food choices are limited, Lee’s study finds that, â€Å"poor and minority neighborhoods not only have greater access to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores; they also have access to large-scale grocery stores and full service restaurant’s† (Lee). She also confirms from her research study that, â€Å"food outlet exposure holds no independent relationship to child weight gain† (Lee). Obesity in Children cannot solely be blamed on fast food services. Parents play a leading role in what their children consume. Lee provides relevant factors explaining obesity risk among young children: â€Å"For example, poor self-reported parental health is significantly associated with higher risk of weight gain, suggesting a relationship between parental health and child health. Television viewing is a highly significant predictor of BMI gains over time. For every additional hour per day of television viewing, there is a predicted 1. 5 percentile gain in BMI ranking by the end of fifth grade. Physical activity level is also important: increases in the number of days per week the child engaged in exercise significantly reduced their BMI gains†. (Lee) With this information it is safe to conclude that it is time to stop playing the blame game with your children’s health as well as your own. Take responsibility of your actions and live responsibly so that you may teach others to do the same. Works Cited Lee, Helen. The Role of Local Food Availability in Explaining Obesity Risk Among Young School-Aged Children. Social Science Medicine 74. 8 (2012): 1193-1203. Social Sciences Full Text (H. W. Wilson). Web. 24 Feb. 2013. Zinczenko, David. Don’t Blame the Eater. They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing with Readings. Graff, Gerald. Cathy Birkenstein. Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2012. 391-394. Print.

Summary of The First Day :: Battle of Shiloh War History Essays

Summary of The First Day With the loss of Forts Henry and Donelson in February, General Johnston withdrew his Confederate forces into west Tennessee, northern Mississippi and Alabama to reorganize. In early March, General Halleck responded by ordering General Grant to move his Union Army of West Tennessee on an invasion up the Tennessee River. Occupying Pittsburg Landing, Grant had no thought of a Confederate attack. Halleck's instructions were that following the arrival of General Buell's Army of the Ohio from Nashville, Grant would move south in a joint offensive to seize the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, the Confederacy's only east-west all weather supply route that linked the lower Mississippi Valley to cities on the Confederacy's east coast. Assisted by General Beauregard, Johnston shifted his forces and placed almost 55,000 men around Corinth. Strategically located where the Memphis & Charleston crossed the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, Corinth was the western Confederacy's most important rail junction. On April 3, realizing Buell would soon reinforce Grant, Johnston launched an offensive with his Army of the Mississippi. Moving upon Pittsburg Landing with 43,938 men, Johnston planned to surprise Grant, cut his army off from retreat to the Tennessee River, and drive the Federals west into the swamps of Owl Creek. In the light of dawn, April 6, a small Federal reconnaissance discovered Johnston's army deployed for battle astride the Corinth road, just a mile beyond the forward Federal camps. Storming forward, the Confederates found the Federal position unfortified. By mid-morning, the Confederates seemed within easy reach of victory, overrunning one frontline Union division and capturing its camp. However, stiff resistance on the Federal right entangled Johnston's brigades in a savage fight around Shiloh Church. Throughout the day, Johnston's army hammered the Federal right, which gave ground but did not break. Meanwhile, Johnston's attack stalled in front of Sarah Bell's peach orchard and the dense oak thicket labeled the "hornet's nest" by the Confederates. Grant's left flank withstood Confederate assaults for seven crucial hours before being forced to yield ground in the late afternoon. Despite inflicting heavy casualties and seizing ground, the Confederates only drove Grant towards the river, instead of away from it. The Federal survivors established a solid front before Pittsburg Landing and stopped the last Confederate charge as dusk ended the first day of fighting. The Second Day April 7, 1862 Shiloh's first day of slaughter also witnessed the death of the Confederate leader, General Johnston, who fell at mid-afternoon, struck down by a stray bulle.