Daikatana
John Romero's Daikatana is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ion Storm for the Nintendo 64, Microsoft Windows, and Game Boy Color. A PlayStation version had been planned but was cancelled during development. The game is known as one of the major commercial failures of the video game industry.
Gameplay
Daikatana is composed of 24 levels (18 in the console versions) divided into 4 episodes, with a varying number of levels per episode. Each episode represents a different location and time period: 25th century Japan in the year 2455 CE, ancient Greece in the year 1200 BCE, the Dark Ages in Norway in the year 560 CE, and near-future San Francisco in the year 2030 CE.
One element that Daikatana stressed was the important role of Hiro Miyamoto's two sidekicks, Mikiko Ebihara and Superfly Johnson. The death of either sidekick resulted in failing the level, and their assistance was required to complete certain puzzles. Due to poor AI implementation, the sidekicks, who were one of the game's selling points, became a focus of criticism.
Katana
Historically, katana (刀) were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (日本刀, nihontō) that were used by the samurai of feudal Japan. Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.
History
The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:
The first use of "katana" (gatana) as a word to describe a long sword that was different from a tachi occurs as early as the Kamakura Period (1185–1333). These references to "uchigatana" and "tsubagatana" seem to indicate a different style of sword, possibly a less costly sword for lower-ranking warriors. The evolution of the tachi into the katana seems to have started during the early Muromachi period (1337 to 1573). Starting around the year 1400, long swords signed with the "katana" signature were made. This was in response to samurai wearing their tachi in what is now called "katana style" (cutting edge up). Japanese swords are traditionally worn with the signature facing away from the wearer. When a tachi was worn in the style of a katana, with the cutting edge up, the tachi's signature would be facing the wrong way. The fact that swordsmiths started signing swords with a katana signature shows that some samurai of that time period had started wearing their swords in a different manner.
Podcasts:
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by Yoko Ono
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Dogtown
by: Yoko OnoOkay
The town's dawning, I'm the only one awake
The streets are whistling, I light my fourth cigarette
I think of my friends, they were once not so dead
What are they thinking now?
One day I'll be just a little stone
Nobody'll know that the stone had such emotions
Anyway I'm always on the run
Someday I'll be remembered for the phone calls I never made
Letters I never mailed
And stories I never finished telling anyone
The town's yawning, I let my dog walk me around
He took a shoot and people smiled
I tried the same and people frowned
Yes, it's a dog, dogtown
One day let's be a pair of trees
Nobody'll know that the trees had such a history
Anyway, wed never be this lonely
Someday I'll be remembered for the fine words I meant to keep
A warm smile I meant to leave
And a true song I meant to finish writing all my life
Yes, it's a dogtown, it's a dogtown
Yes, it's a dogtown, it's a dogtown
Dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dogtown
Peas porridge luck, peas porridge stuck
Peas porridge in the pot nine years old
Some gets paid, some gets grades
Some stays in the pot nine years old
Yes, it's a dogtown, it's a dogtown
Yes, it's a dogtown, it's a dogtown
Dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dogtown
Peas porridge loved, peas porridge spoiled
Peas porridge in the pot nine years old
Some gets laid, some gets slayed
Some stays in the pot nine years old
Yes, it's a dogtown, it's a dogtown
Yes, it's a dogtown, it's a dogtown
Dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dogtown
Dogtown, dogtown, dogtown, dogtown