ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Drug trafficking is a criminal offense that refers to the importation or selling of illegal substances. While this particular offense is mostly punished when the drugs are exchanged for money, trafficking may also refer to manufacturing, transportation, and distribution. These actions are less noticeable and can remain fairly private, which is why most drug trafficking charges are based on selling the substances. Drugs often come from countries with higher poverty rates, corruption, and criminal potency. Moreover, criminal groups often become incredibly powerful due to the trafficking connections and the subsequent financial gains. An individual that became globally infamous for his drug-related charges and the significant income from trafficking illegal substances was Pablo Escobar. Pablo Escobar created the largest drug cartel in the world, and the criminal activities affecting the population at the time still negatively impact the community (Naef 1). Currently, the more strict approach to such issues does not facilitate the highlighted presence of drug lords. However, this does not mean that the problem of drug trafficking has disappeared. Pablo Escobar has left a negative footprint on his hometown and on all the territories where the cartel was operating. This exemplifies the legal, social, political, and moral connotations of drug trafficking. While manufacturing, importing, exporting, and selling drugs is illegal and may lead to a significant prison sentence for the perpetrator, the issue remains present and relatively concerning. Drug trafficking, like any other drug-related offense, is most often addressed with severe punishments, yet drugs keep coming into the country from various continents. The severity of the problem is illustrated through the influence of the industry itself and the empires built on such criminal activities, as exemplified by Escobar. Works Cited Naef, Patrick. “‘Narco-Heritage’ and the Touristification of the Drug Lord Pablo Escobar in Medellin, Colombia.” Journal of Anthropological Research , vol. 74, no. 4, 2018, pp. 485–502., Web.
Introduction Foxtel is a vibrant and fast growing pay TV service provider in Australia that offers cable, IPTV as well as direct broadcast satellite services. Over the years, the company has been making milestones in the industry that includes, among others, the delivery of up to 20 channels over Telstra’s Hybrid Fibre Coaxial network, the acquisition of Galaxy satellite television in 1998 as well as the imminent take over of Austar, formerly one of Foxtel’s fiercest competitors, set to be finalised in 2012 (Foxtel, 2012). This merger will have far reaching consequences in terms of business performance of other players in the same media industry. These implications are identified and explained in detail below. Issues Resulting from the Merger Weakening or killing competition Austar and Foxtel intended merger will see the companies spend a hefty combined budget of $500 million each year on content originating from Australia. Apart from content, the company will also be bidding for technology as well as conducting national campaigns. $500 million is a huge amount of money that can hardly be raised by other players in this same industry due to their capacity in terms of market share. In essence, Austar and Foxtel could be creating some sort of monopoly by virtue of their sheer expenditure value (Goldenberg, 1973). They will be able to acquire the best and most expensive technology and buy almost the entire TV programs prepared in Australia. Even if the competitors would, somehow, acquire rights for other local contents, it would most likely be less lucrative and less attractive. Ethically, content producers may deny other TV companies like SWM the chance and opportunity to acquire their content simply because they will be anticipating for better prices offered by Austar and Foxtel. This ‘hoarding’ is not healthy for any business environment as it favours only one side or player at the behest of the others. Similarly, all top cream broadcasters and other professionals will be lured by the handsome sums dangled by these two companies right at their faces. However, Foxtel and Austar’s rush to self-imposition as the market leader could open up many gaps that competitors could use against them with much success. It will require some time before their internal working structures and systems are fully merged before producing as expected (Ferguson, 2011). Untenable prices The merger between Foxtel and Austar, if unchecked, could easily force other players in the market into folding up and quitting altogether. This is due to a number of factors which would work against other players while largely favouring Foxter and Austar. For instance, with a huge combined spending of $500 million per year, the margin of economies of scale that these companies
The surrender at York town is one to be reckoned in American history as the beginning of independent life. It marked the end of a long American Revolutionary war under strong comradeship with France which is evident even today. The war employed numerous tactics like bombardment and assault on redoubts, with the greatest strength being the unity there was between France and American troops, the Americans led by George Washington and the French by General Jean Rochambeau. The war had lasted six years and surrender by Cornwallis, the then British commanding officer in New York, albeit reluctantly left the administration in the UK with no choice but to surrender too. This essay seeks to answer questions from the article with Dr. Thatcher’s observations of the day, the latter having been a witness to the surrender ceremony. To start with, Thatcher tells of General Cornwallis’ refusal to attend the surrender proceedings as the latter was ‘not feeling well’. In his not feeling well, the British Band played ‘The world turned upside down’, perhaps a sarcastic expression of their stand and that of their leaders in the act of surrender. He talks of how disappointed the folks were for not meeting the ‘object of peculiar interest and solicitude’- reason given being that he was unwell. We can however conclude that he was not willing to swallow his pride and lead his troops in acknowledging their/his defeat. Again, his substitute General O’Hara could as well be blamed for the surrender- ‘turning the world upside down’ probably a show that he was not alone in the war, hence not alone in the surrender-too much humiliation for him it was (“The British Surrender at Yorktown” p. 1). Secondly, it is evident that the British soldiers surrendered resentfully. First, Thatcher says that the soldiers exhibited disorder and not so soldierly act in their marching. Their ranks were broken a number of times while their steps seemed irregular to the spectators. Second, anger was clearly seen when proclaiming ‘ground arms’ by some officers while others piled the arms ruthlessly. They used violence in giving up their duties even at defeat, it seems they wanted to have those arms malfunctioned from the way they surrendered them. Third as mentioned earlier, their general commander failed to show up for the surrender ceremony, a clear show of his attitude however sick he was. If he was that ‘unwell’, it would have been courteous to pass the information earlier and not the material day of the ceremony. This is something that his subordinates must have borrowed hence the drama they had. Thirdly, it is worth noting the high degree of integrity and maturity exemplified by the Americans and French. Thatcher says that the number of civilians watching the ceremony was more or less that of the military. You would expect them to shout in jubilation for a war successfully fought and apparent independence but they do not! “but universal silence and order prevailed’ are the words t
Introduction Every organization depends on good communication strategies to achieve its goals and missions. When an organization masters basic communication routines, it can achieve a lot of progress through good interactions between its employees. Communication is vital in the realization of the set goals and targets. Besides, good communication enables organizations to achieve growth by incorporating their employees into their missions and successes. Communication is an important tool for any leader who wishes to acquire success on behalf of his/her organization. Research has indicated that good communication is the most important ingredient in a functional employer-employee relationship (Adair 52). When good communication methods are put into practice, it is easy to maintain productivity in an organization. On the other hand, ignoring good communication patterns within an organization makes it impossible for an entity to maneuver through different operational challenges. Achieving good communication is a priority for several organizations. Furthermore, entities are required to keep updating their communication patterns to cater to both their interests and those of their employees. It is in an organization’s best interest to pursue good communication within its working environment. This paper explores how communication practices are manifested in a real work environment. The paper will present a study of how communication relates to an organization’s overall productivity about employee satisfaction. Consequently, this paper will focus on several employer-employee relationships at King Abdul-Aziz Senior House in Saudi Arabia. My knowledge of King Abdul-Aziz Senior House comes from my experience as a volunteer in that organization. Basic Volunteer Experience This paper is based on my experience as a volunteer at the King Abdul-Aziz Senior House, an establishment that accommodates senior citizens. The senior’s house is based in Saudi Arabia and its main goal is to provide services to the elderly people who might not be in a condition to take care of their wants. The organization is mostly populated by incapacitated, frail, sick, and mentally incompetent individuals. Therefore, the organization’s main priority is to provide safety, wellness, and healthy upkeep to its clients. Saudi Arabia is a society that upholds good care and respect for the elderly.
Background The eBay Company has been in existence for 18 years. The company provides an online marketing platform for used, refurbished and new products across the globe. Besides, the company offers the online money transfer service called the PayPal. Due to stiff competition from other online marketing companies, the growth of eBay has been unsteady since 2007. At present, eBay wishes to reclaim its lost glory as the market leader. Specifically, the company’s C.E.O Mr. Donahoe is facing the dilemma of balancing expansion and sustainability as more competitors penetrate the online marketing industry. Recommendations The first recommendation is to adopt an operation efficiency strategy to reduce cost of running the company so as to increase the net profit. Secondly, the eBay company should adopt consumer centricity strategies to tailor its products to the preference of consumers. Thirdly, the company should carry out content development and intense advertisement in the media to create awareness of its new products. Finally, the company should create a dynamic and functional team within its expansion structure to ensure sustainability of the gains made. Basis for the recommendations Operation efficiency Operational efficiency and market niche provide an indication of how well the company manages its resources, that is, how well it employs its assets to generate sales and income. It also shows the level of activity of the corporation as indicated by the turnover ratios. The level of activity for the eBay has remained relatively stable despite the threat of competition, and constant change of taste and preference. In order to stay afloat, the company should streamline its operational costs and introduce freelance marketers paid on a commission. These markete
Product Issues Features: Key features of the products are Ambermatic, legends collection, rare prints, craft, carbon fiber, flip out, and light-ray (Ray-Ban 1); Ray-Ban has the largest portfolio in this industry and main product categories are New Release, icons, Tech, Limited Editions, Rare Prints, Ray-Ban Kids, other Sunglasses, and Virtual Mirror; at the same time, popular styles include Aviator, Clubmaster, Jakie Ohh, and Wayfarer, etc. (Ray-Ban 1) As the company has a business operation in the international market, it is essential to concentrate more on research & development to introduce new sunglasses with the excellent features of the products; however, it invests more in R&D. Distribution Ray-Ban has a powerful distribution network throughout national and international market and it had followed the Uppsala internationalization model to enter a foreign market, for example, it has an operation in Africa (only in South Africa), America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the USA) in 26 countries of Europe, and 20 countries of Asia. As a manufacturer, Ray-Ban distributes products through wholesale and retail market all over the world and it has a number of retail centers in each place, for instance, it has more than a thousand dealers across 195 cities in India. The differentiating
Introduction In this paper, the business network of Peet’s Café will be analyzed. Peet’s is a local café that offers coffee, desserts, and snacks for its customers, housed inside a facility capacity of 100. In addition, the customers can also avail themselves of wireless internet facilities and host poetry and art events/galleries. The Business Network Peet’s business network comprises suppliers, customers, and internal employees. The suppliers are local bakeries, coffee vendors, and other food items. In addition, there is the Internet service provider as well. The internal management consists of the café manager, his assistant manager, serving staff and sales reps, chefs, and helpers. Although simple, the network still requires attention and communication needs. To promote interest in the betterment and improvement of the system, one strategy is to get the entire network links involved in forming the strategy and improving the network itself. The suppliers, employees, and even customers need to be involved, and their suggestions/opinions must be considered. It must be communicated to them that with an efficient network, the business will benefit, but each of them individually will be in a better and more profitable position. The goals and visions of the improved network need to be communicated to the network members regularly and effectively. There can be different ways to do this. Weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings need to be held between all employees, management, and the suppliers to assess and evaluate their performance. All members can sit and discuss their performance figures and activities since the last meeting and can address possible issues, areas of consideration, new ideas, weaknesses, anything at all. Apart from evaluation, each session can have a themed discussion. For example, one of the meeting themes could be efficient routes for suppliers, quality of ingredients, seating inside the café, and location ambiance. This would allow an in-depth, focused discussion on a particular topic with all aspects considered. Topics and themes should be settled beforehand so that the participants can prepare material for effective communication of their ideas like slideshow presentations, charts, outlines, discussion cards, and written material. The people who must communicate the policies and ideas to others in the network must have proper and efficient communication skills with command over computer and internet applications, presentation makers, and writing skills. The practices outlined above will allow the communication of objectives, ideas, policies, and procedures to be conveyed verbally and effectively. Apart from t
It was the first time in the world literature when the hero of the narrating becomes the contemporary society. That is why reader does not feel the great distance between the characters and themselves. The form of the work itself is not new. At the beginning of the work there is a description of the terrible disease of that time – plague. It was a sad reality of the epoch. Many people died and there was not another way out than to leave the city. Florence was empty because all the inhabitants tried to escape or just were ill. Many people understood that it was impossible to avoid plague and the only way they had was entertaining. The young people who gathered at the church at the beginning of the story decided to do so; to leave the city was their only was to escape from reality. It should be mentioned that Boccaccio uses real geographical places, socio-political atmosphere of that time. The problematic of Decameron is very various: internationsl events (the wars), the theme of love. The Decameron by Boccaccio touches many problems such as the problems of family relationship, the problem of decent love and betrayal, the problem of relationship between people, the problems of friendship, etc. It should be mentioned that Decameron is full of abstract characters. The heroes have very typical features. In general, The Decameron brought a great glory to its author. Many
The article in question, entitled “Understanding Genetically Modified Foods,” is written by Sereana Howard, Amanda Sokolowski, and John Allred and published in 2016. The article dwells upon the peculiarities of genetically modified organism (GMO) technology associated with food production, as well as the major concerns on the matter. Howard et al. note that GMOs are mainly aimed at improving the properties of foods and decreasing costs (par. 1). One of the major points made in the article is the belief that GMOs can be used to create items that are rich in certain nutrients, which is essential for developing countries. The authors also provide insights into health-related issues linked to GMOs stating that 37% of consumers “feel that GMO foods are safe” and almost 90% of scientists “say” that these products are “safe” (Howard et al. par. 15). Finally, it is argued that the recent changes in legislation regarding labeling are appropriate while some problems still emerge, especially when it comes to consumers’ right to know what they buy. The article under consideration can be regarded as credible because it is supported by reputable sources, although it still lacks information that can address people’s concerns related to GMO safety. The authors’ point about the nutritious value of GMOs is accurate and evidence-based. Howard et al. are unbiased and provide complete data on such products’ way to public use, which is consistent with the conclusions they make, arguing that further research is needed (par. 14). Another point is less detailed as the authors focus on allergies as major issues leaving out other public fears, such as the long-term effects of GMOs on people’s health. At that, the data is credible and supported by reliable sources. The point associated with labeling is the most detailed and evidence-based as Howard et al. include diverse viewpoints on the issue referring to reputable sources (par. 23). The two aspects considered above support the authors’ conclusions regarding the need for further investigation. The article in question is informative, but since it lacks important details, it needs certain improvements and should be accompanied by other sources if used in academic papers. Work Cited Howard, Sereana, et al. “Understanding Genetically Modified Foods.” Ohioline: Ohio State University Extention . 2016. Web.
Contending Visions of the Middle East is a sophisticated, comprehensive explanation of what Lockman describes as “the politics of knowledge.” It endeavors to represent the deep roots of Orientalism, challenging that the conflict between Islam and the West actually commenced more than nine hundred years ago, predominantly in 1095 with the initiation of the First Crusade in response to Pope Urban II’s appeal to Christians “to unite, mobilize and attack the enemies of God.’”. In response to this call, “the First Crusade” by the Christians on Muslims was a success, primarily because the Muslims were not prepared for this attack. They, however, managed to fight back the attack and reclaim their sacred lands of Jerusalem and Palestine. Subsequently, the second and third crusades launched by the Christians proved unsuccessful. The Western church scholars had developed an attitude of “know your enemy” towards the Muslims in their attempt to obtain a more accurate knowledge of Islam in which a major role was played by ‘Peter the Venerable (C.1094-1156)’, who felt that the knowledge of Islam was crucial in order to destroy it. A team of scholars was set to convert the Holy ‘Koran’ into Latin, thus completing the first translation of the Koran by ‘Englishman Robert of Ketton in 1143’. The prime purpose of this task was to prove that the Koran was not an authentic source of Islam and, by doing so, to stop the Christians from converting to Islam and to attack the Muslim faith, thus instigate them to accept Christianity. Nevertheless, nothing they said or could move the Muslims from their firm belief in Muhammad, their Prophet, and their religion Islam. During this period, the European scholars began to visualize the Muslim world as intellectually rich as compared to their “impoverished” culture and gauged that they might benefit from the Muslims if they attempted a comprehensive study of their culture. As a result, translation, study, and dissemination of volumes of Arabic-language writings on a variety of subjects like medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy were attempted. This proved to be the first means of access to the Europeans, to the Greek works which had been missing in antiquity by the West but had been preserved in Arabic translation. These translations of Arabic writings were used as textbooks for many years in medieval Europe, and the powerful impact of Arabic writings on Western languages can be understood by the numerous scientific and mathematical terms that are used in the European languages, for example: “alchemy,” which is the basis of the word ‘chemistry, as also ‘algorithm, algebra, alcohol, alkali’ etc., and many names of stars. Many philosophers of the Latin Church were also profoundly influenced by Islamic philosophy and drew their knowledge of language and concepts