4 Tips to Ensure Your Job Application Doesnt Get Tossed

4 Tips to Ensure Your Job Application Doesnt Get Tossed Request for employment Essays Many requests for employment necessitate that you answer a broad arrangement of exposition questions, even before you get a meeting. These inquiries may move you back to the times of school exposition applications †days you may have thought were securely behind you. It is safe to say that you are confronted with a rundown of inquiries to reply on an employment form? Peruse the accompanying cautiously: Indisputably the most significant thing you can do †in truth you MUST do †on that application is to respond to the inquiries. At the point when I state â€Å"answer the questions,† I don’t mean compose something in the crate gave. I mean answer the inquiries. Tip #1: Answer Whats Being Asked Appears to be sufficiently basic, isn't that so? Be that as it may, a considerable lot of the requests for employment I audit make a cardinal blunder. Without a doubt, there’s an answer in the crate gave, yet it’s a response to some other inquiry than the one the organization has inquired. For example, one organization solicited the contender to talk from a measure a business had set and to report how he had contrasted with that measure. The applicant expounded on the measure and afterward announced how he had matched others in the organization rather than to the standard itself. Warning goes up †it seems like this competitor is concealing something. Furthermore, he was. I trained him to come clean, and we figured out how to state it with the goal that it despite everything sounded great! Tip #2: Follow the Instructions I once gave a discussion to a gathering of understudies applying to graduate school. I asked them, â€Å"If a school mentioned a 500-word article, would you present a 511-word essay?† One of the potential graduate school candidates said that he would have no issue doing as such. Learn to expect the unexpected. The entrance advisory board would be advocated in deciding not to peruse a solitary one of those 511 words. On the off chance that you were an affirmations official, okay need somebody in your graduate school who couldn't adhere to directions? Tip #3: Dont Go On †¦ and On †¦ and On †¦ Another normal inclination is to give more data than the organization has mentioned. This propensity can push you into difficulty. For example, a paper asked how the applicant had gotten intrigued by the field of news coverage. The competitor drafted very nearly a whole passage concerning why she would not like to be a legal counselor despite the fact that she had gone to graduate school. She had added something extra to the inquiry something that essentially was not there. I ensured she composed an incredible anecdote about her way to reporting, rather than an expression of remorse concerning why she didn't accomplish something different. Tip #4: Get a Second Opinion It’s more troublesome than you may might suspect to respond to questions and to answer them precisely and well. In the event that you are taking a shot at a lot of paper inquiries for a vocation or school application, get a second pair of eyes to ensure your answers have tended to the inquiries posed †no more and no less. Don’t mess yourself up! On the off chance that you genuinely answer the inquiries, you will situate yourself to perhaps get a meeting †where you will get the opportunity to respond to yet more inquiries, and possibly get an opportunity to expand on the things you were so keen to keep separate from your articles. On the off chance that youd like The Essay Expert to be your second pair of eyes, marry be glad to assist you with your application exposition. Snap here to get in touch with us for more data.

Biological Significance of BST2 Overexpression in OSCC

Organic Significance of BST2 Overexpression in OSCC Overexpression of BST2 is related with nodal metastasis and more unfortunate visualization in oral depression malignant growth Conceptual Objective: Bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2) was one of the proteins which were discovered identified with tumor metastasis in our past proteomic study. Presently we need to analyze its clinical job on the oral depression squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Study Design: Individual review companion study and essential research. Strategies: Immunohistochemical investigation, Western smearing, and quantitative ongoing polymerase anchor response were utilized to exhibit the articulation levels of BST2 on 159 OSCC tumors. RNA impedance was used for cell relocation and multiplication concentrate in vitro. Results: BST2 articulation was fundamentally higher in OSCC cells of metastatic lymph hubs and essential tumor cells, contrasted with adjoining ordinary epithelia. Higher BST2 articulation was related with positive N stage, propelled generally speaking stage, perineural intrusion, and tumor profundity (P = 0.049, 0.015, 0.021, and 0.010, individually). OSCC patients with higher BST2 articulation had less fortunate anticipation for malady explicit and sickness free endurance (P = 0.009 and 0.001, individually). Multivariate investigations likewise exhibited that higher BST2 articulation is an autonomous prognostic factor of illness explicit and ailment free endurance (P = 0.047 and 0.013, separately). In-vitro concealment of BST2 articulation in OEC-M1 cells indicated that BST2 adds to tumor relocation of OSCC cells. Ends: The discoveries in this investigation show that BST2 articulation in OSCC tumors is an autonomous prognostic factor of patient endurance and related with tumor metastasis. Catchphrases: oral malignant growth; head and neck; BST2; metastasis; OSCC; tumor marker; squamous cell carcinoma. Level of proof: NA Presentation Oral hole squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most widely recognized head-and-neck disease worldwide and stays a troublesome harm to treat on account of inexact half death rates disregarding ongoing advances in the contemporary administration in the course of the last three decades.1-4 Cervical lymph hub scattering has been for some time viewed as one of the significant poor prognosticators in persistent with OSCC and is a significant obstruction to OSCC the executives. 5-8 Previously, some transcriptomic examines breaking down OSCC tumors have set up the articulation marks of OSCC metastasis.9-13 On the other hand, our gathering likewise utilized a proteomic approach by isobaric labels for relative and outright quantitation to recognize proteins that are differentially communicated between laser catch microdissected essential and metastatic OSCC tumors and some potential markers of OSCC metastasis were accordingly discovered.14 From the applicant proteins got from by this methodol ogy, bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2) was distinguished as one of the potential atoms related with OSCC metastasis and need further approval in the clinical scenario.14 The BST2 quality is situated on chromosome 19p13.2 and codes for a 35kDa transmembrane glycoprotein comprising 180 amino acids. It is otherwise called the HM1.24 antigen, CD317, and tetherin.15,16 BST2 has been seen as communicated on develop B cells yet not on other ordinary tissues of wellbeing individuals.15 The BST2 overexpression has been distinguished in a few malignant growth types, for example, different myeloma, endometrial disease, gastric malignant growth, and glioblastoma multiforme.17-23 Moreover, BST2 was found related with the tumor movement and metastasis by past discoveries from the pancreatic endocrine tumors with liver metastases and the bosom malignant growths with bone metastasis.24,25 In vitro, overexpression of BST2 expanded attack, relocation, cell expansion and apoptosis avoidance in bosom malignant growth cells.26,27 Thus, in light of the discoveries of these past investigations and our proteomic disclosure, we additionally speculated that BST2 is overexpres sed in OSCC and assumes a particular job in tumor cell regulation. As needs be, our examination is intended to research the articulation and the job of BST2 in the OSCC tumors. Immunohistochemical examination and quantitative continuous PCR were utilized to exhibit the articulation levels of BST2 on OSCC tumors. We likewise utilized RNAi methods to stifle the BST2 articulation to research the impacts of BST2 tweak on the OSCC cell line in vitro. Materials and Methods Persistent Characteristics and Clinical Specimens One houndred and thirty-eight male and 21 female were analyzed as OSCC patients at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Tao-Yuan, Taiwan) somewhere in the range of 2002 and 2007 and joined up with this examination. Understanding age at analysis ran from 22.0 to 84.0 years (mean, 51.9â ±12.3). The related subsites of the oral hole were buccal mucosa (62 patients), gum (21), hard sense of taste (5), lip (5), story of the mouth (5), and tongue (61). Patients with at any rate one of the accompanying conditions were viewed as ineligible: unresectable or inoperable disease, other essential malignant growth (coordinated or metachronous), repetitive malignancy, far off metastasis, earlier history of threat, treatment with neoadjuvant treatment, clinical contraindication for medical procedure, or people lost to development. Injuries analyzed as carcinoma in situ, verrucous carcinoma or a histologically basaloid subtype were likewise excluded from the examination. All patients gave educated agre e before study cooperation, and the examination was endorsed by the Institutional Review Board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Patients experienced standard preoperative work-ups as indicated by institutional rules, including nitty gritty clinical history, complete physical assessment, figured tomography or attractive reverberation imaging sweeps of the head and neck, chest radiographs, bone output, and stomach ultrasound. Essential tumors were extracted with satisfactory edges under intraoperative solidified segment control. Careful imperfections were promptly recreated by means of free fold or neighborhood fold by plastic specialists, if vital. Following careful treatment, neurotic TNM grouping of all tumors was set up as per the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual (2007). After release, all patients had standard follow-up visits at regular intervals for the principal year, like clockwork for the subsequent year, and at regular intervals thereafter.28-30 RNA Extraction and Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Detection of BST2 As per the manufacturer’s convention, all out RNA of sixty matched OSCC tumor and contiguous typical tissues was extricated and refinement by utilizing RNAzol B reagent (Tel-Test, Friendwood, TX) and a RNeasy cleanup unit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). 5ug of all out RNA was utilized for first-strand cDNA union and afterward adding to a response blend containing economically available preliminaries (BST2 Hs00171632_m1 and standardization control B2M, Hs00984230_m1 and ACTB, Hs99999903_m1 ; Assay-on-Demand, Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA), TaqMan Universal PCR Master Mix, and without rnase water. 7900 HT Sequence Detection System was utilized for performing quantitative continuous RT-PCR and the outcome was examined with SDS adaptation 2 (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). All investigations were rehashed in copy, and the mean overlap change of each example was determined. Western blotch examination Proteins were separated from culture cells with RIPA cushion (50 mM Tris pH 8, 0.0150 mM NaCl, 2 mM EDTA, 1% Triton X-100, 0.1% SDS, 0.2 % Na-deoxylate, 1x protease mixed drink (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO), and the focuses decided utilizing the BCA protein test unit (Perice Biotechnology) Samples were isolated on 12% SDS gels, moved to PVDF layers (GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Buckinghamshire, UK), and examined utilizing hare monoclonal enemy of BST2 counter acting agent (Epitomics, Burlingame, CA), mouse monoclonal beta-actin immune response (MAB1501, Chemicon, Billerica, MA), and mouse monoclonal GAPDH immunizer (Novus, Littleton, CO). The beta-actin and GAPDH signals were utilized as the stacking controls. Densitometer quantitation was likewise estimated to exhibit the relative overlay contrasts of prtein levels. Protein connected immunosorbent examine (ELISA) estimation ELISA unit for human BST2 (CUSABIO, Hubei, China) was utilized for deciding the BST2 levels in the tried examples. Human recombinant BST2 was utilized as the norm. Quickly, 100 ÃŽ ¼l of tests or standard were added to a murine monoclonal counter acting agent against BST2 covered microtiter plates and hatched for 2 h at room temperature. After the plates were washing with wash spread for multiple times, a biotin-conjugated polyclonal immune response was included and further brooded for 1 h at room temperature. The plates were washed multiple times again and 100 ÃŽ ¼l of horseradish peroxidase-avidin was included at room temperature for 1 h. After the plates were washed multiple times and 90 ÃŽ ¼l of tetramethylbenzidine was added to each well. The response was ended by including of 2 N sulfuric corrosive, and the optical thickness of each all around was estimated by a microplate peruser set to 450 nm. Each investigation was acted in triplicate. Immunohistochemical Staining For immunohistochemistry, formalin-fixed and paraffin-inserted tissues were cut into 4 à ¯Ã¢ Ã¢ ­m segments, deparaffinized, rehydrated, and arranged for antigen recovery. Slides of successive segments were brooded with the proper antibodies: bunny monoclonal enemy of BST2 counter acting agent (weakened 1:30, Epitomics, Burlingame, CA) at room temperature for 60 minutes. After hatching, slides were washed multiple times with phosphate cradled saline, brooded with horseradish peroxidase polymer immune response (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) at room temperature for 10 min, and created by the expansion of 3,3’-Diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride (DAB) reagent (Dako, Glostrup, Denmark) as the chromogen and hematoxylin as the counterstain. A ScanScope CT computerized slide-checking framework (Aperio Technologies, Vista, CA) was utilized for acquiring pictures of recolored slides. Articulation of BST2 was scored utilizing a

Predictive Analytics How to Forecast the Future

Predictive Analytics How to Forecast the Future One of the most popular features of Big Data is predictive analytics. Far from the latest business buzzword, predictive analytics is a set of techniques that have become fundamental to the business strategies of many household name brand firms, such as Netflix, Google, and Amazon. These firms, and many others, dominate their respective markets, due in large part to the significant use of predictive analytics.Predictive analytics is a form of business intelligence gathering, the strategic business use of which is powerful enough to upend an industry. Driven by the tremendous-revenue generating potential of predictive analytics, more firms are investing in the necessary infrastructure, such as data storage and processing hardware and software and both database administrators and data analysts. As they do so, predictive analytics tools and techniques, grow in sophistication and refinement.Moreover, as more firms adopt predictive analytics, and incorporate it into their existing strategi es, they fuel its widespread adoption, as competitors must adopt it or risk losing significant market share. © Shutterstock.com | ImageFlowIn this article, we will cover 1) the definition of predictive analytics; 2) discuss data analysis; and 3) the types of predictive analytics; as well as cover 4) using predictive analytics; 5) the benefits of predictive analytics; 6) the risks of predictive analytics; and 7) a real-life example of a firm using predictive analytics.WHAT IS PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS?Predictive analytics is an assortment of statistical and mathematical techniques used to predict the probability of future events occurring. Fundamentally, statisticians and data scientists combine and standardize a variety of historical datasets to develop correlative statistical models that firms, research organizations, and even governments use to forecast a wide range of phenomena.The field’s origins lie in the beginnings of the computer age in the 1940s, specifically with the U.S. government’s use of computational models during World War II. Notable examples include the development of the Kerrison Predictor in 1940, which automated anti-aircraft weapon targeting, and the use of computer simulations by the Manhattan Project to determine the probable results of nuclear chain reactions in 1944.Just as computers and computing technology have grown exponentially since then, so too has the field of predictive analytics. In 2012 alone, technology users generated 2.5 exabytes of data per day â€" an estimated three-quarters of which is text, audio, or video messages. That’s a lot of data for firms to leverage, and with data storage prices and space requirements having shrunk exponentially since the 1940s (indeed, from even a decade ago), the adoption of predictive analytics is an increasingly cost-effective proposition â€" if not, exactly a simple one.Eric Siegel answers eight questions about predictive analytics DATA ANALYSISIn addition to either developing the necessary infrastructure in-house to leverage predictive analytics, or outsourcing their business intelligence ga thering, a firm must determine what questions they will use predictive analytics to answer. Predictive analytics, whether done externally or internally, is costly in terms of time and labor, as the answers to these questions are the result of intensive research, involving multiple datasets with many variables.It is important for data scientists to be able to link and visualize datasets in order to interpret them better. While computers have gotten faster and better at processing vast amounts of data, human insights lie at the root of the answers to Big Data questions. It is also important to understand that the answers to predictive analytics are, for the most part, correlative, not causative, by nature. This means that data scientists are looking at the probability of an event based on the event happening under similar conditions. A failure to understand the deeper underlying reasons â€" the causes â€" of the event, can lead to inaccurate predictions.TYPES OF PREDICTIVE ANALYTICSTh ere are several types of predictive analytics methods, including predictive modeling, design analysis and optimization, transaction profiling, and predictive search.Predictive ModelingWhen most laypeople discuss predictive analytics, they are usually discussing it in terms of predictive modeling. Indeed, predictive modeling is at the heart of predictive analytics, and has been popularized in science fiction as well as by the financial services industry.It involves mathematically modeling associations between variables in historical data, in order to predict or forecast the likelihood of a future event. Commonly used in the financial services industry to predict the behavior of capital markets, predictive analytics is increasingly being used for sales and revenue forecasting, dynamic pricing, online recommendation systems, strategic planning, and other business areas requiring decision-making about the future.Predictive modeling yields the probabilities of event occurrences based on previous event occurrences; as such there is no guarantee that a desired event will occur (or conversely an undesired event will fail to occur). Understanding this can reduce overreliance on the models.Decision analysis and optimizationDecision analysis and optimization is a subfield of predictive analytics that deals with reducing the uncertainty inherent in decision-making. Specifically, it involves aspects of a decision, and/or multiple decisions to determine the one likely to yield the most success. Firms often use decision analysis and optimization in functional areas, such as supply chain management to ensure the firm’s decisions maximize revenue and result in a firm achieving and/or exceeding other key performance goals.For example, a distribution chain optimization problem might involve determining the ideal mix of online and brick-and-mortar retailers to use to achieve a target revenue goal. Using SAS Analytics, IBM SPSS Modeler, another popular predictive modeling applic ation suite, or internal proprietary software, a data scientist can import multiple datasets (such as historical wholesale prices, local and online retailers, distribution costs by distribution method, and more), build models, and test and retest results.Transaction profilingTransaction profiling involves aggregating and filtering information from transactions involving enterprise software. These can include, but are not limited to, credit card transactions on an online retailer’s website, and logins to a proprietary social network; there are often isolated datapoints. This subfield involves standardizing this data and clustering it with relevant data in ways that can allow a firm to create predictive models of transactional data.Predictive searchPredictive search, fundamentally, involves creating algorithms that take one set of inputs and finds a particular output. However, the increasing sophistication, and in some cases, the incompleteness, of inputs requires algorithms that re turn the best possible answer.To illustrate this, consider two co-workers. The first asks the second for a restaurant suggestion for a business lunch. The second can make the recommendation based on their knowledge of the first co-workers personal preferences, likes/dislikes, and knowledge of the area. A search engine, hypothetically, has realms of data to make a strong recommendation, such as the user’s geographic location, online mentions of personal preferences.Further, the second co-worker might immediately realize, that the first co-worker might actually need a vegetarian restaurant for this particular meeting. Predictive search also involves deep dives into multiple datasets to provide you with a personalized output that gets at the underlying reason for your input. Ideally, a search query might “recognize” that the restaurant recommendation is likely for a particular meeting on your online calendar, further “recognize” that the client is a vegetarian, and return res taurants that fit this need. Predictive search developments will harness more and more data in assessing the best possible answer to return.USING PREDICTIVE ANALYTICSPredictive analytics can be used for a variety of business strategies, and has even give rise to many business models, such as search, search advertising, and recommendation engines. Firms must determine the costs and benefits of developing the in-house capabilities to do this, or outsourcing their Big Data needs to a third-party market research firm. Both approaches have time, cost and labor benefits and drawbacks for any firm; however, with other firms increasingly using predictive analytics, each firm will have to map its Big Data strategy now or in the near future. Once a strategy has been determined, the firm must determine what insights will best inform their strategy and then use predictive analytics to obtain them.BENEFITS OF PREDICTIVE ANALYTICSPredictive analytics benefit any decision by providing executives, managers and other decision-makers with the tools to make the best possible decision. Some applications include, but are not limited to predictions of customer purchasing likelihood, for use in targeted marketing and upselling; sales and revenue forecasting; optimize marketing channel, supply chain, distribution chain, and manufacturing optimization; and new product development.Really, there are no limits to the potential applications of predictive analytics for optimization and forecasting. Even scientific organizations and governments have begun to invest in the resources necessary to leverage predictive analytics.RISKS OF PREDICTIVE ANALYTICSThere are several risks to using predictive analytics, though most stem from overreliance on this set of tools. Executives and managers must understand that predictive analytics involves probabilities and correlation, which are not absolute. Data scientists must strive to filter out all of the noise from datasets to ensure accurate and replic able modeling results. They must further strive to present these results as actionable insights with risk parameters for each choice.Asking the wrong questionsAwash in reams of data, it is critical that firms ask the right questions. Predictive analytics is most efficient when used to determine the answer to a narrow inquiry, such as the likelihood of customer A to buy product X at time Y for price Z, rather than the likelihood of customers buying product X (as might be asked by a layman). Further, data scientists must be able to test assumptions and pivot quickly from erroneous ones. For example, if a question involves the impact of a marketing technique on sales â€" one favored by the CEO and widely assumed to have a significant impact, and later studies determine it has no effect, the data scientist must be able to assess the remainder of the question freely.Data scientists must take the general questions that may come from executives and managers and extract the root business ne ed. To fulfill this need, they must use the data to create appropriate recommendations by determining the appropriate datasets, filter out extraneous information, build models, and test and retest them.Bad dataData scientists must be aware that not all data is accurate, arrive at an estimate of bad data, and correct for it in their studies. Data can be bad for any number of reasons, including self-reporting errors, corrupted files, poorly phrased questions, incomplete data aggregation, and poor standardization methods.It is critical that data scientists quickly recognize and filter bad data from their data sets. They must also make sure they do not create bad data themselves â€" for example through an imperfectly calculated transformation function. Further, they must take the time to improve aggregation and standardization methods to limit the collection of bad data. Without reasonably accurate data, data scientists cannot build predictive analytics models whose assumptions will hol d.Complexity and unpredictabilityBig Data is messy, consisting of everything from social media mentions to traffic camera images to website logs. Predictive analytics, being a set of statistical techniques, requires all data to be standardized and quantified. Quantifying non-numeric data has its own risks and creates uncertainty.Further, data is unpredictable, especially dynamic data. A model that accurately forecasts future events could be thrown into disarray by a sudden unanticipated cascade of events, which were not initially estimated. Such was the case in 2007, when the majority of financial services firms failed in incorporate the possibility of sudden credit defaults, which triggered a series of other events that prior to 2007 would have been improbable.Privacy and securityMany privacy advocates find such data usage invasive and alarming. There is something inherently intrusive about firms collecting information about individuals in order to predict their behavior. Advocacy efforts include lobbying for limitations to data collection types, amounts and methods in nations across the globe. Executives and data managers must be aware of the ever-changing Big Data regulatory landscape.Privacy is a huge concern for another reason â€" security. Hackers target data storage devices and facilities for financial gain, ideological reasons, and thrills. With many nations holding firms at least partially responsible for the damage caused by loss of secured data, firms must ensure they keep up-to-date with the latest data security measures. If they outsource their data analysis to a business intelligence vendor, they are likewise compelled to ensure that the business intelligence vendor secures the firm’s data appropriately.CASE STUDY © pixabay | WikiImagesPredictive analytics are a major source of competitive advantage for Amazon, so much so that Amazon has taken market share from many brick and mortar retailers across the U.S., and even other parts of the world. Amazon uses predictive analytics to power its recommendation algorithms that help the retailing giant upsell, as well as to make its distribution system more efficient.Amazon provides site visitors with product recommendations based on your viewing history. As that viewing history grows, Amazons algorithms, using the increased data, create increasingly useful and accurate recommendations. The firm also offers discounted pricing, and/or package deals in order to entice you upsell, as well as premium pricing when demand is high and inventory is low.Beyond Amazon’s on-screen predictive analytics applications, the retailer has begun to ship products in advance of customer orders, based on the results of its predictive models. Amazon filed a patent on a †œmethod and system for anticipatory package shipping” in 2012, designed to increase the efficiency of its distribution chain. By harnessing this method during peak volume periods, such as the holidays, Amazon, whose predictive analytics models have already demonstrated a high probability of accuracy, can ensure that it has the inventory on hand to distribute and that goods are distributed beforehand, minimizing customer dissatisfaction.Amazon’s use of predictive analytics has been instrumental in its dominance of the online retail space in the U.S., in which it is the market leader as of 2014, with net sales of nearly $60 billion.

Five Pillars Of Islam And Islam - 1119 Words

Five Pillars of Islam All great things are built on a solid and strong foundation. The religion of Islam is no different. The foundation on which Islam was built is known as The Five Pillars of Islam. These are the essential duties that are required of all Muslims. The pillars are the shahadah (declaration of faith), salah (establishment of the five ritual prayers), zakah (almsgiving), sawm (fasting the month of Ramadan), and hajj (pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca). These five pillars are in the central religious text of Islam, the Qur’an, and are presented as â€Å"the framework for worship and a sign of commitment to faith† (Esposito, â€Å"Pillars of Islam†). The pillars are often compared to a creed such as those seen in Christianity. While the two are similar in regards to the first pillar, they differ in that the five pillars of Islam are acts or practices that Muslims must perform while a creed, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a brief aut horitative formula of religious belief. Shahadah, salah, zakah, sawm, and hajj are the five obligations all Muslims have to satisfy to live a respectable life according to Islam. They are the framework and foundation of a Muslim’s life. The first pillar, shahadah, is the declaration of faith. â€Å"La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah†. This translates to â€Å"There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.† This is the shahadah. All faithful Muslims recite this and one must recite this sincerely, withShow MoreRelatedThe Five Pillars Of Islam2378 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿ The Five Pillars Of Islam Subject: Religious Education Name: Nathaniel Hall Date of Submission: April 9, 2014 Table Of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦2 The Shahadah†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.3 The Salat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 The Zakat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 The Sawm†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦6 The Hajj†¦..................................................................Read MoreReligion : The Five Pillars Of Islam944 Words   |  4 PagesReligion: The Five Pillars of Islam Religion, in my words, is a term used to describe a personal set of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices but â€Å"the groups, practices and systems that people identify as religions are so diverse that it is no easy task to bring them all under one simple definition† (Anonymous. What Is Religion? Definitions and Quotes). Religion is considered to be a very important part of life; even people who choose to not practice a religion agree that it is.   No matterRead MoreEssay on The Five Pillars of Islam581 Words   |  3 PagesIslam is a religion of peace. There are 5 pillars of Islam which are mandatory. The five pillars are, Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj, I will define the five pillars now. 1. Shahadah: Beleiving that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad [peace be upon him] is his last messanger. 2. Salat: It is the prayers muslims offer five times a day, Fajr, zuhr, asr, maghrib and isha. 3. Zakat: It is to give 2.5% annually of one’s saving to the needy people. 4. Sawm: Fasting during the month of RamadanRead MoreThe Beliefs Of Islam And The Five Pillars1322 Words   |  6 Pages      Islam is not only religion, but a way of life followed by over 1 billion Muslims. Islam identifies the six articles of faith, central beliefs that every Muslim must believe in order to be a true Muslim. These include the belief in existence and unity of God, existence of angels, God’s revelation to humans in holy books, God appointing prophets to all people, resurrection and life after death, and God’s Will and human freedom of choice (Ewing, 2004, p. 1). The importance of these beliefs can beRead MoreThe Five Pillars to Islam: The Hajj or Pilgrimage to Makkah Essays799 Words   |  4 PagesThe Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the five pillars of Islam arkan-al-Islam†- Its purpose is essentially to facilitate the act of submission to Allah which is pinnacle to all followers of Islam. Perform the pilgrimage and the visit [to Mecca] for Allah Surah 2:196. It has enormous significance, not only for the pilgrim undertaking the Hajj but also for the wider Musl im community, the Umma, as it allows for all individuals to gain unification of faith. Such purpose can be examined throughRead MoreFive Pillars Of Islam, The Most Important Article Of Faith982 Words   |  4 PagesFive pillars of Islam, are spiritual practices that define what it means to be a member of the Muslim community and believe in Islam. Shahadah, is the first pillar of Islam. This is a self-profession of faith, an inner testimony of faith. There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his true prophet. Shahadah is considered the most important article of faith. The Qur’an says that in those with true faith should tell others, giving them information to make an intelligent choice in regards to faith andRead MoreIslam : The Five Pillars Of Islam1412 Words   |  6 Pagesto reflect and cultivate their faith through practicing the Arkan al-Islam - the Five Pillars of Islam. Islam embraces the paradigm of submission to the will of Allah for adherents to understand their place in the universe. The pillars are a foundation for the Muslim faith as evident by Muhammad s statement of ‘Islam is built upon five [pillars]’ recorded in the Hadith 3. This entails the declaration of faith (Shahadah), the five daily prayers (Salat), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting during the monthRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam989 Wo rds   |  4 Pagesimportant Muslim practices are the Five Pillars of Islam. These duties are rooted in the teachings of the Qur’an and in the example of the prophet, Muhammad. Therefore, Muslims are expected to observe them with the utmost respect and devotion. These pillars form the foundation for all good deeds and acts of worship to God. And, carrying out the Five Pillars demonstrates that faith comes first. The profession of faith, shahadah, is the first of the Five Pillars. The shahada is the most fundamentalRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam1439 Words   |  6 Pagestheir faith through practicing the Arkan al-Islam - the Five Pillars of Islam. It is the foundation for Muslim faith as evident by Muhammads statement of ‘Islam is built upon five [pillars]’ recorded in the Hadith 3. This entails the declaration of faith (Shahadah), the five daily prayers (Salat), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm) and the Hajj pilgrimage. The Shahada translated as ‘testimony’ is the first pillar of Islam that involves reciting the testimony of faithRead MoreThe Five Pillars Of Islam1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe five pillars of Islam are five official acts considered mandatory for all Muslims. The  Quran  presents them as a structure of devotion and a sign of obligation to faith. One most accomplish them all to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. These pillars comprise of:  Shahada which means the declaration of faith, preforming the five daily prayers, giving money to the needy and the poor, cleansing the soul through fasting during the month of Ramadan, the pilgrimage once in a lifetime

The Myth Of The Elephant Festival - 862 Words

The Elephant Festival is considered to be one of the most popular events that is celebrated in the city of Jaipur. Since the ceremony was first introduced, this festival has managed to attract a variety of outsiders due to the decor and traditions that are displayed by this animal within the Buddhist culture. This culture believes that a new monk is required to have a good relation with the older monks in order to comprehend the lifestyle and ways in which things function. The older monk must also interact with the younger individuals in order to teach them knowledge, as well as help them understand the doctrines of Buddhism. The Elephant Festival signifies not only the exchange of knowledge between the youth and the elders of their culture, but also the power that was upheld and invested into an individual. This festival celebrates the taming of the wild elephant and also gives thanks to the Gods for producing enough water for their bountiful harvest. This festive holiday is celebra ted in multiple locations but the two most popular attractions are in Thailand, while the other is located in India. â€Å"The festival dates from A.D. 310, when a tooth relic of the Buddha was found and brought from India to Sri Lanka. Before that, the annual procession gave thanks for the harvest and prayed for rain (Lopta, Peg).† During these festivals, hundreds of people are involved in the parades with specific roles to fulfill and tasks to perform. The most important roles are those taken onShow MoreRelatedThe Myth Of The Buddha1131 Words   |  5 PagesThe myth  «Birht of the Buddha » is from the earliest stage of the life of Buddha. This essay will take a closer look on this myth and critically examine what parts might be linked to actual events considering the Buddha. The word  «Buddha », as most people know, is not a name but rather an honorific title indicating a person s enlightenment. In its purest sense,  «Buddha » translates to  «the Enlightened One » or  «the Awakened One ». It should be recognized that the title is most commonly used in relationRead MoreHindu Festivals846 Words   |  4 PagesHINDU FESTIVALS Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion. Its roots date back to 4000 BC. Hinduism is widely spread out in India and around South-East Asia. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, believing in many gods. Most of the festivals in Hinduism are centered on one or more gods. Hindus celebrate thousands of festivals every year at every part of the world. Each of the Hindu festivals is celebrated in a similar manner. They all include chanting prayers to the gods and making sweets or snackRead MoreTaking a Look at Hinduism618 Words   |  2 Pagesand worship. Puja may be done in the home, to occasional temple ceremonies and annual festivals, or even at events such as baby births and weddings. Puja is mainly performed in the home and at temples to mark certain stages of life. Puja is not mandatory and at some temples various pujas may be performed daily at various times of the day (Wikipedia 2014). One God of Hinduism is Ganesh, it is a beloved elephant faced deity. There is a story narrating that Ganesha was created by Goddess Parvati asRead MoreBuddhism And Its Impact On The World And The People Around It910 Words   |  4 Pagespresent in all areas of life.† The greek were curious, intelligent and widely known people who had constructed a religion to explain things like the origins of mankind,they conducted animal sacrifices, and put faces on their gods. They always had festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions. Religion was never too far away from an ancient greek. Also the greek constructed their civility to surround the gods in one way or another. They called on the gods for different occasions, Ares forRead MoreSummary Of Little Buddha 1044 Words   |  5 Pagesplace, and tells them to have compassion for others. In mythology, twenty-give centuries ago, King Suddhodana ruled the land learn the Himalaya Mountains. During a mid-summer festival his wife, Queen Maya took an afternoon nap. During her sleep, the Queen began to vividly dream of angels carrying her into mountains. Then, an elephant, which was adorned in white lotus, approached her and walked around her three times, before striking her on the right side of her body and disappearing into her. When theRead MoreGreat and Little Tradition1887 Words   |  8 Pagescontribution to the study of great and little traditions came from Redfield’s protà ©gà © McKim Marriott (1955) who contrasted Indian village religion with the Sanskritic textual tradition of *Hinduism. Marriott observed that fifteen of the nineteen village festivals celebrated in the village were sanctioned by at least one Sanskrit text. To explain the interaction between little and great traditions he theorized a two-way influence: local practices had been historicall y promoted into the Sanskrit canon in aRead MoreHimalayan Art1766 Words   |  8 Pagesthe Himalayan region. Once upon Many Times is an exhibition at Rubin Museum of Art representing a wide range of visual narratives and reproductions of temple murals, which can be regarded as exceptional examples of Himalayan art based upon Tibetan myths and legends. Furthermore, this paper will analyze the color arrangement, composition, proportion, hierarchy and motifs of the historical narrative Shantarakshita and scenes of his life and the Drowa Sangmo mural represented at the exhibition Once uponRead MoreChildren’s Literature in India Essay1893 Words   |  8 Pagesbookshelves. The past few years, however, have seen the germination of writers who have started to write enthusiastically for the young readers, raising hope that the genre will soon acquire a promising shape. The success of children’s literature festivals has given the much needed boost, diverting the little minds and eyes from the gizmos to the world of words. With the publishers revamping their establishments to form a separate team dedicated to producing substantial reading material with rich illustrationsRead MoreReport on Historical Place-Changunarayan2613 Words   |  11 Pageshistory. Changu Narayan, Patan Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Chitwan and Sagarmatha are some of the historical marvels of Nepal. There are many religion, language, customs, tradition, norms and values, dress, etc. These people celebrate different festivals and worship different Gods and Goddesses. As many people are Hindu there are many temples in our country. In Kathmandu also there are many temples, so it is known as the city of temples. There are many famous temples which are enlisted in WorldRead MoreThree Most Important Composers of the Twentieth Centruy2805 Words   |  11 Pageslanguage would later develop into the sound now associated with Westerns movies and the Wild West. With the education he received in Paris, Copland set out to create a distinctly American aesthetic. He created a musical style that â€Å"combined the myths of the American West and the styles of Latin American music into populist music that spoke to a large segment of American society.† Some characteristics of this music include a â€Å"leanness of texture, starkness of color, and driving angular rhythms

Ad Comparison Soap Free Essays

Nick Barnett Bethann Bowman English 101 October 5, 2009 Soap Over the Ages Many of these advertisements feature soap. It makes you smell great and can even attract a member of the opposite sex. Soap advertisements have been baiting men by bringing attractive women into the ads for decades. We will write a custom essay sample on Ad Comparison Soap or any similar topic only for you Order Now The soap ads of the 1950s and the ads of today are equally effective; both use sex appeal, although the bluntness and textual content vary greatly, the new ads are more explicit and less wordy. The audience of the 1950s needed soft colors and visual images with many meanings. The Lifebuoy ad uses cartoon people and very pale colors. Visually, this allows the few things in a bright color to stand out. The tag-line â€Å"It smells so good now, it makes me wonder†¦ † stands out along with the Lifebuoy box which is also red to grab the attention of the reader amongst the dull colors surrounding it. The woman in the background has a few possible meanings; sex appeal, appeal to women, or maybe even a figure of cleanliness. Text in an ad of the 1950s is a must and tells exactly what is being advertised and why it is better than the competition. The text in the ad builds up Lifebuoy by saying, â€Å"Now you get protection as long as 3 days. † Lifebuoy also announces its discovery of something new called Puritan. Then, Lifebuoy start bashing the competition with words such as, â€Å" New Lifebuoy protects you longer than the old Lifebuoy, and longer, of course, than any leading toilet soap. † The use of italics with the phrase toilet soap is meant to draw your attention to it and make sure you understand how bad all other soaps are. Lifebuoy also guarantees you will like it or you will receive a refund. The text of the 1950s ad is the bulk of the ad unlike the ads of today. This is most likely due to the culture the 1950s had a slower pace of life than the 2000s. The LYNX advertisement of the 2000s is almost entirely based off images. The focal point of the ad is a woman in nothing but underwear covered in mud with the words â€Å"wash me† written on her. The woman is also standing in a shower and looks like she is getting ready to take off the rest of her clothes. This ad is completely based on sex appeal. Sex has been proven to sell, and in this case, sex is selling body wash. Masculinity is provoked by the very opposite, a feminine body in the blue (male) shower with the blue (male) body wash. LYNX selling point is that if you use LYNX, you will have attractive women wanting you. This an effective strategy, but it is also stereotyping women as sex objects. The â€Å"wash me† written on her stomach is similar to what people write on cars and is used to humor the audience. There is only one line of actual text in the ad it says, â€Å"LYNX Shower Gel. Get Dirty. † The text is used to reinforce the image and the sex appeal of the product. In fifty years, soap advertisers have not changed their visual strategy. Both the ad from the 1950s and the one of the 2000s rely on sex appeal to sell their product. The use of women as the sex object from which they are launching their advertising campaign is also the similar. They both are also risque for their time and push the border between what is appropriate and what is not just a little further. They both imply that if their soap is used, then you too will have a beautiful woman almost naked wanting you. They both also have provocative text to reinforce their sexual images. The 1950s ad says, â€Å"It smells so good now, it makes me wonder†¦ † implies that he is wondering something sexual because there is a woman in a towel in the background. The LYNX ad uses the line, â€Å"Get Dirty. † with the dirty woman in the ad this is obviously a sexual innuendo. Both advertisements use sex to sale their product, that is undeniable, but the degree which they do it is vast. The LYNX ad uses just seven words to sell their product, only two of which tell what the product is. The 1950s ad on the other hand has over five paragraphs of text describing the product in full detail. The Lifebuoy ad takes a shot at the competition in their text and even offers a money back guarantee. The LYNX ad does none of these things in its short, seven word ad. The LYNX ad also has a more blatant use of sexuality. These differences are likely due to the difference in time periods. The ad in the 1950s had to do more than catch attention with sex appeal. It had to describe thoroughly why it was better to win over an audience that placed an astounding importance on quality. The 2000s audience however does not have time to read words in its fast paced society making the limited amount of text convenient to the reader. This audience also more callused to sexuality so a more explicit image is necessary to attract the same amount of attention. Ads for soap have changed dramatically over the years. They have gotten less wordy and more colorful. The style of the soap has even changed from bar form to liquid. The thing that has not changed though, is that selling soap is still all about sex. Works Cited Lever Bros. â€Å"It smells so good now, it makes me wonder†¦ † Advertisement. Lever Bros. Lever Bros, n. d. Web 10 Oct. 2009. Unilever. â€Å"Get Dirty† Advertisement. Unilever. Unilever, n. d. Web. 10 Oct. 2009. Works Sited How to cite Ad Comparison Soap, Papers

Japan In Isolation Essays - Samurai, Edo Period, Japan, Nagasaki

Japan in Isolation Japan in Isolation The problem question being dealt with is "To what extent was Tokugawa Japan's policy of isolation a benefit or drawback when examined in terms of social stability, treatment of foreign influences, and standard of living?" The benefits of isolation when looked at by the subject of social stability are numerous. The social stability of Japan during isolation was something to be looked at upon with great respect. Isolation gave Japan stability and internal solidarity at a time when these factors were urgently needed. Under the new system of Tokugawa merchants were at the bottom however, encouraged by the availability of money, they bought, sold, traded and developed a new system of credit and became wealthy. Also during this time of isolation businesses created new farms and mines that strengthened the growing national economy. Finally enterprising farmers who produced a surplus could sell their excess for coin, invest in more land, and grow cash crops like cotton and tobacco. There were some drawbacks of the isolation on the social stability of Japan. Ironically, as Japan became increasingly sealed off, the rest of the world was being opened up to an unprecedented interchange of goods and ideas on comprehensive scale. The rate of social and technological change and development in the West grew dramatically in the two centuries after 1640. In Japan, the rate of change the rate of change was deliberately slowed down by the Tokugawa policy. When Japan reopened its doors after 1853, there was much ground to make up, but the skilled, hard working population was in a strong position to close the gap rapidly. The second criteria for the isolation of Japan are the treatment of foreign influences. Japan was not open to any foreign influences during their period isolation, except for the Netherlands. Some benefits did arise from this, one of the most noted is the perfection of the sword in Japan. The Japanese samurai voluntarily gave up the use of firearms, even after Japanese craftsman had advanced the use of matchlocks (a type of gun). They decided that it was dishonorable to use firearms in combat. Traditional weapons regained their importance. Japan made the best swords in the world. Tests done in the twentieth century showed a Japanese blade cut a European sword and even cut through the barrel of a machine gun. The drawbacks of the isolation when concerning foreign influences are also apparent as well. Christianity was a very disputed topic among the Japanese before isolation took place. The Catholic missionaries came to be regarded as agents of foreign powers. In 1613, leyasu decreed that all missionaries had to leave Japan and that all Japanese Christians had to join a Buddhist sect and prove they had genuinely switched faiths. There were repeated deportations of missionaries from Japan and repeated incidents of oppression of believers up to 1687. The Exclusion Acts of the 1630's included the prohibition of overseas voyages and restrictions on trade. Those living abroad were considered corrupted and not allowed to return. Meanwhile, in 1637a bloody revolution of Christian peasants in Nagasaki, which was brutally crushed, hastened the policy of isolation. Finally another drawback of isolation and the treatment of foreign influences was with no new ideas entering from foreign countries it set them apart and Japan fell behind excessively in technological discoveries. Instead of advancing they digressed. The final criteria that will be looked at is the standard of living in Japan during the period of isolation. There were some great benefits that came along with this plan of isolation for the standard of living, one of them is the fact that with the extra money farmers were making off of other extra crops they could grow cash crops such as tobacco and cotton. With this the farmer could now afford extras like sake (rice wine), fashionable clothes and other previously unattainable luxuries. There were also some Social-climbing merchants who had money and paid to become adopted by a samurai family. There were also some drawbacks to this plan of isolation by Japan when regarding standards of living. For instance it was the samurai who were most drastically affected by Tokugawa peace and stability. The cherished principles of loyalty, simple living, and honor had previously enriched their high social status, but these were earned in a time of war. Peace undermined these virtues. With no major wars to fight, the samurai became listless. Since their wages were fixed at a time when prices were rising, their money bought less. Only the samurai could carry two swords as a sign of distinction, but this did not always compensate for