James Lewis

The traditional Japanese house and what modern architecture can learn from it
In the following essay I am going to explain the extend of standardization of the Japanese house, their underlying principles and its manifestations in the construction of these houses.Body:
When examining the exterior of a traditional Japanese house one is immediately drawn to the predominantly horizontal orientation of the house, a striking feature of Japanese architecture. The roof itself seems to hover over the ground as if it is a separate entity, detached from the walls and the rest of the structure. Making your way inside, it is the modular rooms that are now redefined, borders between inner and outer spaces are broken as translucent paper panels open up and inner space is extended outward. A mere continuation of the room, landscape sets the scene for the residential space, providing a source of tranquillity and relaxation, both spaces in harmony with one another, they become the same space. Here there is no distinction between house and garden as in the West, Japanese architecture is mainly described through the exclusion of axis and symmetry. A characteristic of this is the addition of individual spaces without particular spatial accentuation. Space units are not graded into minor/ major or interior/ exterior.

Looking at Japanese architecture from a broader perspective, the main features of the Japanese house are:
– the potential of its floor mats (tatami)
– its modular order of system and form
– its flexibility of space and functionality
– and its diversity within standardization.

The first feature of Japanese houses is the tatami. The tatami is a distinctive feature of the Japanese house, although the mat itself is not very distinctive. The tatami mat can be described as a floor covering which has been woven from straw and is used for walking, sitting and sleeping on. It is used until today and every Japanese home will have at least one tatami room. Its standard thickness is 45- 60mm and its size is approx. 3x 6 feet ( 910x 1820 mm). The word tatami comes from the Japanese word tatamu (meaning fold or to pile up). In the beginning the tatami was a moveable floor mat, which could be laid out anywhere in the house, however in the 15th century it became a permanent covering and since the 18th century it started to be used commonly among the lower classes and entire floor areas were then covered. During that time the fixation of size took place. The reason behind the regulation of the size of the mat is that when people would move to a new residence they would take their tatamis along with them and because these mats had to fit into their new residence it was thought that to simplify the process, a standard size would be needed.

Term Paper

Racism is a vice which dates back many years ago. It has been in existence with people who have used it wrongly to sideline, favor, intimidate and discriminate other people just because they feel that they are superior to others. Racism can be defined as an unfair treatment or dislike of somebody because they are of different race or colour of the skin. It can be administered through speaking unfair and demeaning racist remarks against other race, beatings or job discrimination because of one’s race. After the election of United States of America, racism has taken a different dimension. With the endorsement and election of Senator Barrack Obama as the president of America, the black Americans who have for a long time been victims of racism since independence by the whites had a reason to smile because they felt that now they will not be discriminated anymore.
The impact of racism is very traumatic and those who have been victims have sad stories to tell. They could better not remember about it instead continue with their lives in a more positive way. Racism in America is on its way to death with the election of black American as the president. During the campaigning period, both the presidential contenders assured the Americans that they fight hard to end racism in America, and this was evidenced by the an overwhelming support which Barrack Obama got from the whites and the black Americans. Racism is going to dwindle slowly from the Americans’ minds though there are some who feel that their race is superior to others. I t has created a lot hatred amongst Americans who see each other as worst enemies.
With the change of guard at Whitehouse, and the elect president at one time was a victim of racism, he will strive to encourage the Americans to unite and work together and put their racial differences aside. When Senator John McCain conceded defeat by Obama, he urged all the Americans to support him fully as their president, a clear indication that the Americans were now ready to work together with each other as one people. With the appointment of John Biden (a white) as his running mate and ultimately as the vice president shows that the blacks are ready to work with whites. This set a good example which should be embraced by all Americans.
The kind of celebration and jubilation which was displayed and witnessed by Americans when Obama was duely elected as the president of United States is a clear indication that they had put aside their personal and racial differences. From this point of view, racism is going to fade away with time and with the kind of enthusiasm amongst the whites and the blacks, there is hope that things will never be the same again. It is the hope of many Americans to end racism which had been rampant amongst some few unreasonable Americans for many years.

business essay paper

It is the birth of a city that places great civilizations on the historical map. When a society had progressed to the point of establishing specific jobs, social hierarchies and a method to expand their productivity and protect their resources, they made cities. From the Roman Empire to the Classic Greeks, from the Chinese Dynasty to the Aztec civilization, having a city was central to progress, development and culture and it was always in these metropolises that people migrated to in hopes of gaining knowledge or contributing their talent. For those who have lived in the city all their life, there really is nothing that compares. Modern cities of today are marked by their bright lights, the diversity of people, the infinite possibilities of things to do and the constant hum of change, progress and traffic. Although living in the city can have its drawbacks, it is still the best place one can live.
Cities offer endless possibilities on every front. Whether you are looking for a new place to eat, a new job to try or a fresh face to meet, everything can be found in the city because one of the benefits of living in the city is the excitement of knowing it is always changing, never stagnant and continually moving forward. It is a place that will change into what you need it to be.If you are looking for a place to make close friends who share your passions, there is no better place than the city and if it’s career opportunities you seek, no other place will give you so many options to further your aspirations. There is never a shortage of innovation or creativity and this allows the city to adapt to everyone’s taste. They are transit places and because people are constantly coming in and moving out, so too does the city. Indeed Plato said that the “city is what it is because [the] citizens are what they are.” The artists, politicians, philosophers, economists and musicians that live in the city shape the spirit of the city and make city-living an experience that never gets boring and ensures that there is always a wealth of opportunity to achieve one’s dreams.
However those who prefer small towns and rural suburb have many criticisms for city-living. They complain that cities are too crowded and unnecessarily polluted, that they are breed feelings of inadequacy because they are too competitive. These critics see the change that takes place in the city as instability, they view the vibrancy as noise and see the concentration of knowledge as over-population. These people do not understand the heart of the city and fail to see that without cities, there would be no hope for their small towns to survive. Because of their small-mindedness and limited aspirations, they become annoyed at city-dwellers who have large dreams and the courage to follow them.

business essay

Sаudі Arаbіа’s IBER іs 51.6. Rеlаtіvе tо оthеr соuntrіеs іn Mіddlе Eаst аnd Afrіса, іt іs а mоdеrаtеly аttrасtіvе іnsurаnсе mаrkеt fоr fоrеіgn іnsurеrs. Wіthіn thе rеgіоn, Sаudі Arаbіа stаnds оut fоr thе соuntry struсturе. Hоwеvеr, thе IBER іs hеld bасk by thе undеrdеvеlоpmеnt оf thе lіfе sеgmеnt аnd nоnlіfе prеmіums. It іs аlsо hеld bасk by thе lеgаl frаmеwоrk іn Sаudі Arаbіа аnd GDP vоlаtіlіty.
Ovеr thе fоrесаst pеrіоd, wе аntісіpаtе thаt nоn-lіfе prеmіums wіll grоw by 18% аnnuаlly іn lосаl сurrеnсy tеrms аnd by 18% іn US dоllаr tеrms. Lіfе prеmіums аrе еxpесtеd tо іnсrеаsе by 26% аnnuаlly іn lосаl сurrеnсy tеrms аnd by 25% іn US dоllаr tеrms. In thе nоn-lіfе sеgmеnt іn 2007-2012 thе аntісіpаtеd rіsе іn nоmіnаl GDP frоm аrоund US$363bn tо US$396bn іs lоw. Hоwеvеr, thеrе іs а bеttеr rеlаtіvе іnсrеаsе іn nоn-lіfе pеnеtrаtіоn frоm 0.67% оf GDP tо 1.40%. Thе kеy drіvеr оf grоwth іn thе lіfе sеgmеnt іs thе еnvіsаgеd rіsе іn lіfе dеnsіty frоm US$3.8 pеr саpіtа іn 2007 tо US$10 pеr саpіtа іn 2012. Sаudі Arаbіа’s tоtаl pоpulаtіоn іs еxpесtеd tо rіsе frоm 24.7mn tо 28.02mn.
Thе nоn-lіfе mаrkеt іs frаgmеntеd, but wіll lіkеly bесоmе lеss sо. Thе Sаudі Arаbіаn Mоnеtаry Agеnсy (SAMA) hаs іndісаtеd thаt іt wіll nоt bе іssuіng nеw lісеnсеs fоr fіvе yеаrs. Mаny оf thе nеwly еstаblіshеd fіrms mаy fіnd thаt Sаudі Arаbіа іs nоt thе bоnаnzа fоr hеаlth аnd аutо іnsurеrs thаt thеy еxpесtеd іt tо bе. Mаssіvе соmpеtіtіоn mаy саusе а соmprеssіоn іn prеmіums. Cоnsоlіdаtіоn аnd/оr еxіts frоm thе mаrkеt mаy rеsult. NCCI wіll rеmаіn а dоmіnаnt fоrсе іn thе nоn-lіfе sеgmеnt. Erоsіоn оf іts mаrkеt shаrе wіll nоt nесеssаrіly mеаn аn еrоsіоn іn іts prоfіtаbіlіty.
Sаudі Arаbіа’s nоn-lіfе sеgmеnt іs rеlаtіvеly smаll but іs rаpіdly grоwіng. A lаrgеr соntrіbutоr tо thе nоnlіfе sеgmеnt іs hеаlth іnsurаnсе, whісh іs еxpесtеd tо grоw sіgnіfісаntly іn соmіng yеаrs, іn rеspоnsе tо pоlісy сhаngеs. Hоwеvеr, thіs sесtоr mаy bе mоrе соmpеtіtіvе thаn аntісіpаtеd by оthеr соmmеntаtоrs. Thе lеgаl frаmеwоrk іs а sіgnіfісаnt drаwbасk оn IBER аnd lооks lіkеly tо wоrsеn.
Sаudі Arаbіа mаkеs up thе hеаr оf thе Arаbіаn Pеnіnsulа. If yоur lооkіng fоr іnsurаnсе іn Sаudі Arаbіа yоu hаvе соmе tо thе rіght plасе. Thеrе аrе а numbеr оf dіffеrеnt іnsurаnсе соmpаnіеs іn thе Sаudі pеnіnsulа thаt wіll bе аblе tо gіvе yоu whаt yоu nееd. Hеrе аt Arаbіс Insurаnсе wе wіll sоrt thе gооd thе bаd аnd ugly. Thе Sаudі Arаbіаn іnsurаnсе mаrkеt іs stіll а lіttlе іmmаturе lіkе mаny оf thе Gulf Stаtеs but hаs rесеntly mаdе hugе strіdеs іn іmprоvіng thе іnsurаnсе mаrkеt. Arаbісіnsurаnсе.соm wіll gо оut оf іt’s wаy tо gіvе yоu thе Sаudі Arаbіа іnsurаnсе іnfоrmаtіоn yоu rеquіrе tо mаkе іnfоrmеd dесіsіоns.
Fоr іnstаnсе, whеn yоur lооkіng fоr thе bеst саr іnsurаnсе іn Sаudі Arаbіа yоu shоuld аlwаys shоp аrоund.

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When you’re a kid, the world seems both like a grand place full of magic and surprises and at the same time, it feels comforting, small and isolated. You don’t quite grasp the concept of distances so Gramma’s house always seems like a trip to the end of the world and countries full of people and kids the same age living on the other side of the world seem simply incomprehensible. At times it seemed the whole world lay in the walls of your make-shift fort and everything you loved and needed could be organized in the small space beneath propped up blankets and flashlight hand puppets. Running around with a red towel tied around my neck and a green water gun in hand, I became a superhero with a mission to get in fights and scratch my knees as much as possible. My skills consisted of chewing as many pieces of gum at the same time as possible, picking at my scabs and testing new things by seeing if they would fit in my nostrils. It is during this period of my life that I first fell in love and knew what it meant to be all about one thing, to concentrate all one’s energy into a single object. Of course, being a kid, my first love was nothing less than GI Joe.
I got my first GI Joe as a present and I was excited to have a side-kick for my adventures. He was everything an American hero should be and had the single mission to fight evil on all fronts, whether it was against foreign invaders or my little sister. With Joe in his green government issued fatigues and combat boots and me in my red cape, we would take on the world. My Joe even had a machine gun and an ammunition belt. I only had my green water gun and it felt so childish against Joe’s real-looking rifle that I tried at one point to convince my mother to buy me a more realistic gun and when she refused, I tried coloring my water gun black with a permanent market but ran out of ink before I finished. It made my hands black when my sweaty palms would rub on the ink, but I felt this just added to my manliness and made me more fit to fight with Joe. The best part of my GI Joe figure was of course, that he could fit in my pocket and I made sure to take him everywhere I thought there might be trouble: the grocery store, soccer practice and even my Gramma’s house at the edge of the world. I even managed to sneak him to school by hiding him in my lunch box, where he could make sure no one stole the sandwich my mom packed for me, my fruit snacks shaped like race cars and my juice box. For several months GI Joe and I were inseparable. As far as I was considered the only cool people in the world were me, Joe and my mom. That is until I got GI Joe’s leader: Sargent Bazooka.
Sgt. Bazooka made GI Joe seem like an amateur. He had a full vest of ammunition, a helmet, a canteen, belt and a bazooka.

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