ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
In spite of being a young upcoming artist, Ryan Lambright is a skilled performer and world-class Euphoniumist whose name is increasingly gaining fame in the world of Music. Over the recent times, Lambright has been furthering his career by advancing his music education major while intermittently using his music prowess to perform in live concerts—especially in recitals. It is based on his razor-sharp music skills that he was recently honored by presenting his Senior Euphonium Recital at the prestigious Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall—courtesy of the University Of South Alabama Department Of Music. This recital—which I attended—was scheduled for Saturday, October 15, 2011 starting at 7: 30 p.m. Since admission to the concert was free of charge and open to the public, a large crowd was anticipated. I, therefore, made sure that by 7.00 p.m., I was already seated at front row of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall eagerly waiting for the performance to start. Before delving into the performance intricacies of this concert, it is worth noting that the report below is essentially based on the examining the performances of music by music of George Frideric Handel, Gordon Jacob, James Barnes and James Niblock which were done by Mr. Lambright (as the main performer) and Dr. Robert Holm (as a collaborative pianist). As expected, Ryan Lambright was on time and after a brief introduction by master of ceremony, the recitals began. Worth noting is that most of the performances were in English since majority of the composers (Gordon Jacob, James Barnes and James Niblock) to the recitals were of English-speaking countries. It is only in the case of doing recitals composed by George Frideric Handel (a famous German-British Baroque composer) that Mr. Lambright used some German. During this one case, we were given handouts with the lyrics printed on them and their translations of the performance for ease in understanding. The performances done by Mr. Lambright together with Dr. Holm ranged from piano, opera orchestras, chamber music, concertos, choral works, symphonies and poems. Effectually, this gave a good blend of musical content and style to the visitors. This, probably, is the reason everyone at the concert was very attentive during the entire performance. The only time the deafening silence of concentration was broken was in moments when the audience applauded Mr. Lambright’s performances. Moreover, Lambrights’s style of performance combined the maturity of classical opera and concert performers like Mozart with the modern-day form of recitals—which entail the usage of modern accompaniments. According to observers and critics, this timelessly unique style of blending modernism and classism is the major reason his performances normally appeals to a wide range of audiences. Remarkably, the way Lambright performed the recitals emphasized various thematic concerns and various
Introduction In the process of a firm making decisions regarding internationalization, comparative advantage is one of the considerations that the management of the firm has to consider. There are various strategies that the management of the firm can adopt in venturing into the international business. One of them includes Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The capability of a country or a film to produce either goods or services at a lower cost, compared to other countries or firms is called comparative advantage. In conducting its internationalization process, the management team of Dunavant Enterprises has considered the concept of comparative advantage. The enterprise is located in US and is privately owned. Over the years, the firm has managed to become the largest merchandiser of cotton globally. The firm has ventured into the international business by owning a number of real estates in various continents. One of the continents that the firm has intensively invested in is Africa. Appropriateness of investing in Africa The decision by the firm’s management team to invest in Africa is appropriate for the success of the firm. This is due to the fact that Africa has a relatively high comparative advantage in the production of cotton compared to countries such as US, China, and India. In addition, Africa has vast acreage of land that can support the production of cotton. This will enable the firm to increase its textile production in the future. According to Forrest, there was increased reduction in the acreages for cotton production during the period 2007-2008 in US. This was experienced in the major cotton producing areas such as Arizona and California. The decline in acreage declined with a margin of 30% to approximately 11 million acres. This trend has also been witnessed in 2008-2009 with acreage declining further with a margin of 13% (Para. 3-5). Most of the African countries are increasingly venturing into the production of Cotton. Examples of these countries include Zimbabwe, Sudan and Uganda. Zimbabwe is ranked as the 6 th producer and exporter of
Overpopulation in cities has become one of the most critical problems of our time. This is both an environmental and a social problem. The city cannot grow indefinitely and provide decent workplaces for every resident. The ecological burden is also increasing. Uncontrolled growth in the number of cities leads to the unchecked spread of pollution and the escalation of poverty. However, there are several preventive measures that the Government can implement to combat this problem. First of all, overpopulation in cities is congestion and traffic jams, which lead to serious pollution problems. Atmospheric pollution is the most serious in cities, and its primary source is road transport, which emits sulfur dioxide and nitrogen into the air in huge quantities. The second main problem is poverty: disadvantaged groups in rural areas live in poverty (Innes et al., 2019). Some of them decide to settle in the city because they believe that they can easily find work. Their main goal is to provide for their family, but almost none have the necessary education for a good job. These people come to the city and become a service class. They suffer from the prejudice of indigenous people, poverty, and worse working conditions. Another inconvenience due to overcrowding is the garbage from residents, which is difficult to dispose of (Namberger et al., 2019). In many European countries, this problem is solved thanks to separate garbage collection (even in houses, there are separate garbage cans). Then some of the garbage is recycled, some are incinerated at incinerators. In conclusion, to solve traffic and air pollution problems, people should use public transport as often as possible, rather than using their car. The government should build more roads and improve public transport to solve this problem. Poverty is now lower than at any time in human history, and all trends demonstrate that we will have consistent successes in the fight against poverty
Opportunities of Target in Canada Target already had an experience of opening its network of stores in Canada, yet its venture was not successful due to a variety of problems that need to be discussed separately. The retailer first announced that it was going to enter the Canadian market in 2011, and after securing a lease from the failing company Zellers, it launched its operations in 2013. Yet, despite an ambitious plan, over the total four-year period, the business registered yearly losses, which at the beginning of 2014 reached more than three hundred million dollars. Figure 1. Notes: Target’s losses in Canada (Jain, 2015) The main issues faced by Target in Canada were its poor planning and supply chain management, as well as the local laws which caused it to increase its prices. The company instantly opened more than a hundred stores and three distribution centers, yet they were often placed far away from another, which resulted in delays and shortages and negatively impacted customer satisfaction (Megits & Schuster, 2015). Additionally, Canada had different laws, which led to an increase of overheads for Target, for example, the business needed to introduce customized packaging which contained information about product identity both in English and French. Moreover, according to Canadian laws, as a foreign company, Target was prevented from having its own distribution network and had to hire Eleven Points Logistics to manage its distribution channels (Martell et al., 2014). The pricing strategy was another factor that contributed to Target’s failure in Canada since the increased tariffs, packaging expenses, and staff wages made it impossible for the retailer to offer products at the U.S. price level. This, in turn, led to a situation where the Canadian clientele familiar with Target’s prices in the U.S. were disappointed with the company and refused to continue shopping there. Nevertheless, Target can take into consideration the unfavorable experience in Canada and use it to improve its operations during its second attempt to establish itself there. According to the 2020 index of economic freedom, Canada was considered the best country in terms of economic freedom in the American region (“Canada,” n.d.). Recently, Target invested heavily in its online infrastructure and allowed its customers to order products online. In Canada, retail e-commerce sales have been rising for the past four years and reached four hundred million Canadian dollars in May of 2020 (Fig. 2). Moreover, its retail market had shown steady growth over the past seven years and increased by nearly one hundred billion Canadian dollars since the moment when Target decided to leave the market (Fig. 3). This information shows that Target has potential in the Canadian market since the country’s retail market is still growing. Figure 2. Notes: E-commerce vs. in-store sales in Canada (Aston et al., 2020) Figure 3. Notes: Retail trade in Canada 2012-2019 (Statista, 2021) The growth of Canadian retail, especially in terms of e-commerce, indicates significant c
Genetically engineering/modified food (GMFs) Scientific and technological innovations have been used to solve major disasters facing the world; hunger is one of the oldest social disasters facing the human and animal race. Different countries have varying views on whether genetically manufactured foods (GMFs) are a lasting solution to the world food of problem or they are a solution that creates another problem. Supported GMFs perceive innovation in technology and science as the healer of world economic, social, and political problems. GMFs results from plants or animals whose growth and development has been facilitated by insertion or deletion of some natural genes; the main aim is to have animal and plants maturing fast for consumption. GMFs were first introduced in the market in early 1990 however, different viewpoints on whether they should be fully adopted or not have limited their adoption. Some of the early-modified foods include potatoes, tomatoes, nuts, peas, and pigs. This paper, in the form of a dialogue between Nathalie, a protagonist of GMFs, and Ricky, an antagonist of GMFs, discusses the opposing sides of GMFs. Writer’s position I support the production of GMFs in large quality; I hold the opinion that they can offer a lasting solution to food problems facing the world. I take this opinion after analyzing the potential of the world in producing food naturally and the population growth rate. As much as there are environmental and health implications, GMFs can offer the world a food breakthrough. Dialogue ( Both parties sitting down and taking a deep breath ) Nathalie: ( clearing his throat ) with the current world population growth rate, natural resources have been strained, and expecting that they will support the world’s food needs without taking on measures to facilitate and fasten production is not being realistic. I agree that there have been measures to restore, conserve, and manage the environment; however, the success of set problems is wanting. Take an example of South Africa and the United States of America that have accepted the production, they have been able to feed their population better than countries like Kenya, which debates whether to accept them or not are ongoing. Ricky: (rubbing his hands together) Nathalie, I understand your concerns, however, GMFs are short-term solutions that will cause more danger than good in the end. Decisions made by countries like Austria, France, Germany, Greece, and Luxemb
Harriet Jacob’s narrative reveals the unique brutalities inflicted on enslaved women such as enslavement, degradation, and sexual exploitation. Harriet Jacob goes ahead to point out that American slavery is more revolting than that which is generally seen, as it entails terrible suffering inflicted upon the woman. Having been a slave, Harriet Jacobs reveals the various humiliations and experiences she had to endure in that unhappy state. Despite her woes, she had to carry on with her life. Just like Jacob’s work, Whitman’s poetry flows in syncopation to life around him such as how he related with other people and the problems he saw some people undergoing. ‘Song of myself’ is a poem about several subjects including protests about the civil war, how humans work more efficiently ideas were facilitated by the opportunity he witnessed in America and reinforced by what he saw in his country. Contrary to the lack of hope and future for a slave girl’s life, Whitman shows great optimism and a future for every person. His optimistic ideas are evidenced by the following line in the poem “All truths wait in all things, they do not need the obstetric forceps of a surgeon” Whitman saw imperfections all around him from his family life to city life and had confidence in the notion that evil was part of a universal design and that everyone had a chance for a better future in their next life. This is unlike the life of a slave girl where there is no chance for a better future as everybody else discriminates against them including their employers. Inequality is a major aspect seen in the life of a slave girl. Harriet Jacobs says that young women often face more abuse than their male counterparts, and even though they are both punished by the slave owners, women’s punishment is more brutal and extreme. Inequality is also demonstrated in the fact that racism was practiced during that time in America and the blacks were punished and abused more than the whites and the Europeans. This was during the full reign of the racism era. Whitman on the other hand demonstrates the idea that we are all part of a large whole, he explains, “And the pismire is equally perfect, and a grain of sand and the egg of wren”. Whitman’s texts lend support to the sense that all things are equal. For a better future for every person, he suggests that ‘all is one and people should be there for one another. What becomes clear through Jacob’s narrative is that slavery is much more than just brutality, rape, and sexual coercion by white men and slave owners. is common. Black women such as Jacobs, often faced with poor or no choices and could spend the rest of their lives trying to save their children from a similar fate. Many white mistresses were exceedingly cruel, maybe because they felt threatened as they thought their husbands would be attracted to the female slaves. Whitman, in his poetry, refused to be censored and he celebrated the body and sexuality, he embarrassed the invis
It is of fundamental importance that the essential elements and characteristics of art periods be understood especially after the noteworthy realization that these periods marked or were caused by important social conditions and events in historical context. There exists numerous art periods in the history of civilization, with some evolving as a continuation of earlier art periods while others evolved as a response to preceding art periods (Minor, 1999). It is the purpose of this essay to compare two such art periods, namely Baroque and Rococo, with a view of establishing their characteristics, social triggers and the relationship between the two. Although no major contemporary books on the baroque artistic style and period has been released in the recent past, it still remains an important era in the historical calendar of art. Conceived in Italy in the late 16 th century, the style was adopted by other European countries such as France, Germany, and Spain, culminating to its replacement by a subsequent art period in early 18 th Century (Laurie, 2001). Baroque covers a broad spectrum of styles and artists. According to Minor (1999), Baroque art period was characterized by intrinsic artistic consistency, grandeur, and distinctiveness. It is imperative to note that the demands for new forms of art in 1600 led to what is now identified as the Baroque. As such, the Baroque artistic style and period was a reaction to previous artistic styles, specifically the Mannerist art of the 16 th century, which appealed to the witty and intellectual qualities only (Laurie, 2001). Unlike its predecessor, the application of Baroque artistic style turned deliberately to an intuitive appeal designed for the senses. According to Laurie (2001), although Baroque artistic styles bears the characteristics of simplicity, sensuous richness, and obviousness on the outside, it is powerful, direct, awe inspiring, resplendent, and dramatic within. The art and architecture of this particular period echo an often peculiar style characterized by ornamental decorations and flamboyant concepts especially in churches and palaces. During the Baroque era, the aesthetic ideal penetrated practically all facets of the European way of life – from architecture to music, furniture designs and fashion (Laurie, 2001). Baroque artistic works generate a sentiment of movement, energy and tension. According to Palmisano (n.d.), the arts present strong contrasts of both light and silhouette, with an immeasurable amount of space being clearly manifest. In addition, Baroque art is characterized by passionate spirituality and realism. Painters during this art period used monochromatic color to draw paintings with an infinite distance to represent eternity. The Baroque period of art was initiated by a multiplicity of social conditions, namely “…the Protestant Reformation, the rise of the Mercantile System, absolutism or imperialism in government
Milestone one The major challenge facing ABC Company is the inability to capture, store and access infinite customer data. The organization lacks adequate information about its customers, which contributes to high cost of data collection. Therefore, the company continues to collect and store these types of data in a manual manner regardless of the extensive costs and security issues associated with the method. The current system does not allow for multiple entries with different data types capable of describing the customers. Brief overview of ABC Company ABC Company started its operations about five years ago as a financial service’s provider. The organization has since made substantial steps in increasing the quality of its services over time. In an ordinary sense, organizational growth is a welcome aspect desired by many firms. However, it is worth noting that growth always arises with some challenges, which inherently affects the operations of an organization. Strategic expansions envisioned by most firms end up posing multiple problems that potentially stall this desired trend. ABC as an organization experiencing rapid growth does not fail to operate under these growth-related challenges. The company posted a 75% increase in its customer base coupled with an increased portfolio owing to its product innovations aimed at meeting the needs of the market. Based on this trend, the company’s level of transactions has skyrocketed to unmanageable limits because of a limited capacity delivered by its data system. The costs of collecting data, storage, evaluation and access have continued to strain the company’s profitability. Business issues Owing to the challenges associated with data-storage system, ABC continues to count endless costs and losses. One of the major implications facing ABC is the lack of adequate customer information capable of ensuring that it complies with generally accepted standards of “Know-Your-Customer” (KYC). Although the business has continuously posted profits and revenues, lack of a proper system has resulted in its slow growth. This draws from the inability to quickly evaluate and process loan requests. Delayed processing of loans has negatively affected the level of customer service, which is the core of its service provision. Increased IT cost remains an eminent feature of the current system used by the organization. Additionally, the company slowly grows its sales turnover as occasioned by low transaction rates. Lack of a systematized data system reveals the inability to achieve objectivity in the processing of loans by its staff. Subsequently, it has generated huge losses owing to increased delinquency rates because of non-automation of management of
Introduction Management of any organization commences with good planning leading to adoption and articulation of workable processes which ultimately lead to achievement of the set objectives. Organizational behaviour could be defined as the study and use of information associated with peoples behaviours at workplaces. Normally it focuses on certain features which include; individual, group, structure, technology and environment features (Hackman and Oldham, 1975). Main features of Organizational behaviour Organization is made up of individual employees forming the core of its functioning processes. Employees normally focus on excellent working for the purposes of satisfying specific needs, egos as well as gaining experience (Davis, 1967). The various needs surrounding each employee’s, physical, psychological or social are normally fulfilled or rather satisfied by involving his/her own traits and experiences. Several factors such psycho-social and economic also determine people’s behaviour at workplaces. Efficiency and effectiveness of individuals within work places could be improved through the application of above mentioned factors (Newstrom and Davis, 1993). The second feature is the group behaviour which culminates from individual behaviours. Overall performance of a group is normally found to be more effective compared to individual performances. Groups can always be converted to productive teams whenever provided with appropriate instruments and leadership. Groups are known to have the ability to synergise and synthesize vast information as opposed to energy and mentality of an individual. Structural relations within organizations play big roles in modifying employees’ behaviours at work place. Out of the structural relationships several domains and norms are created which includes formalised policies, procedures, organizational culture, responsibilities as well as hierarchical authority. Organizations normally operate on both formal and informal structures which all contribute towards effectiveness and efficiencies of the organization. At the same time organizational goals are set based on principled structures which ultimately determine the structural behaviour of individuals and groups within the work place (Knoster et al, 2000, 93-128). Then there is technology, which ensures that better work is produced since it provides base for application of necessary technical skills incorporating specialized knowledge. Technical skills ensure individual satisfaction at work places since it helps in developing and reinforcing human and conceptual skills. Environment as a feature has got ways of influencing people’s behaviour at work. This is connected to stipulated beliefs from religious, family and social background. Government policies, economic conditions as well as numerous external factors have the capability of strongly influencing individual behaviour at work place (Yukl and Van Fleet, 1992). Challenges and opportunities that leadership and motivation has towards organization management The nature of leadership alw