ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The book “Into The Wild” written by a famous American writer and journalist Jon Krakauer and first published in 1996 has addressed the theme of the real sense of life including the meaning of success, the value of money, and the concept of happiness based on an itinerant traveler’s, Christopher McCandless, real life example. The movie “Into The Wild” inspired by Krakauer’s book and directed by the brilliant Sean Penn has also focused on McCandless’ experience but its approach is different. The following paper aims to compare and contrast the book “Into The Wild” with the movie “Into The Wild” pointing out key details that are different to one another. Overall, the evaluation of the two works of art suggests a conclusion that the book is more focused on demonstrating the main character’s inner world along with the implications of his world vision that led him to the death, while the movie is more of a celebration of the main character. First, juxtaposing the book “Into The Wild” with the movie of the same name¸ the book by Krakauer is a detailed examination of the main hero’s life and death, while the movie directed by Penn is more focused on McCandless’ celebration. Such difference can be explained by the fact that Krakauer shares his own experience and world vision. To the great extent, his hero represents the author’s own life story. As a result, the readers may see the sincerity of his style and engage in the live dialogue fully imbued with the author’s personal ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Reasoning about his main character living experience, Krakauer associates himself with McCandless because he believes that they share the common vision of the world including the disillusionment of material values and passion for the real values including unity with nature and spiritual growth. In the case of the movie, this unique charm is lost because it is almost impossible to demonstrate other person’s inner world and world vision in such a way that it should be well understood and accepted by the wide public. In this case, the audience may notice Chinese whispers effect. Next, the book is full of the author’s personal reflections, speculations, and comments about the main character and life in general the audience will not find in the movie. For instance, the book has a large portion where Krakauer provides the explanation regarding his hero that he had no intentions to commit suicide. In this section, the author speaks about his main character’s pursuit to find the meaning of life, the essence of self-actualization, self-fulfillment, and harmony with his inner and outer world.
Introduction Currently, the fashion industry plays an important role in many peoples’ lives. Most people in the developed world have heard of brands such as Chanel, Dior, and Dolce & Gabbana, among others. People spend a lot of time and effort in order to perfect their appearance. One of the most important factors that influence the increased level of attention given to appearance is the unparalleled development of media and digital technologies. Due to these technologies, people are in a position to compare their outfits with others. Apparently, people compete with each other in life, and thus they end up buying things because their friends have done it. Another factor that influences the development of interest in fashion is advertising. Combined with digital technologies and media, advertising is among the topmost factors that influence the choices that people make and subsequent behaviors. A study on the fashion advertising processes and their influences on people will help to understand some of the impacts created by increased advertising. Advertising is a complicated phenomenon as it employs a number of aspects in a bid to reach the target market. It takes into account the peculiarities of different people, and this aspect is very important for every advertising company. In a bid to convince consumers to buy goods or services, an advertisement should influence their consciences in order to buy into the idea of that product or service. Therefore, the importance of psychology and its influence on advertising could help to understand the main aspects of its functioning. Another factor in advertising is gender. Conventionally, it is believed that women devote more attention to their appearance and fashion as compared to men. However, nowadays, this belief is changing. In contemporary times, men have started to be conscious and concerned with their appearance. This aspect could have a great influence on advertising due to the different ways of influencing men and women to buy such products. Some brands or names have great significance in the world of fashion such that associating products with these names or brands influences how they are received in the market. Therefore, authority is an important aspect in the world of fashion. Some of the well-known brands such as Chanel or Dior do not need special advertising companies as these organizations are known widely, and they have other ways of promoting their popularity. As advertising involves different factors, viz. the people’s psyche, genders, and popular names, it affects the consumers’ lives in disparate ways. The methods used by the advertisers have to influence people towards the brands being advertised. This paper discusses how advertising affects people’s lives negatively. In addition, the
Today, the mass media plays a fundamental role in not only forming and reflecting the needs and opinions of people, but also connecting diverse perspectives to individuals and reproducing the self-image of society (Crowley, 2006). When these roles are played back to the past, it is evidently clear that the ‘book’ as the first mass medium instituted some major transformations whose effects helped shape society in ways that inarguably influences our very own thought systems, values, and attitudes. It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate some of the social and historical transformations caused by the book as the first mass medium. While it is known that the Sumerians were the first to write using words about five thousand years ago, and the codex – a traditional modern form of the book – has been around for about nineteen hundred years, the first known book not written by hand originated from China just around the ninth century AD (A History of the Book, n.d.). Later day technologies have enabled the ‘book’ to be mass-produced and mass-read using various formats and, currently, the convergence of technology has enabled people to read books online. On the social front, the ‘book’ has caused many transformations, especially in availing a medium through which people from diverse cultural backgrounds could read books to share knowledge and improve their literacy levels (Crowley, 2006). The adage ‘information is power’ has been well documented over the years, and the ‘book’ served well as the first mass medium to disperse knowledge to individuals across diverse geographic locations, thus giving them the power to not only make informed decisions and take control of their lives, but also to have a reference point through which they could effectively find solutions to the everyday problems. This is inline with the fundamental tenets of any form of mass medium. The book, through the reproduction and distribution of standardized knowledge, can also be credited for initializing social coordination (Crowley, 2006). To reinforce this point, books allowed people and societies to use standardized ways and procedures of doing things that had been developed by ancient thinkers through objective and elaborate means, and therefore instituted social coordination. Also, books brought into the fore the aura of enjoyment and excitement, especially to ardent book readers. On the historical front, it is clear that the discovery of the book as the first mass medium led to the storage and transfer of knowledge that clearly informed the decisions made by political leaders, religious leaders and philosophers of that time. According to Frost (1998), “…sectarians in north and eastern Africa adopted the codex book as a medium for their literature as is exemplified by the fourth century Gnostic books found at Nag Hammadi” (para. 2). The knowledge that the codex was also principally used by early missionaries and other sectarians to disperse the Christian teachings in areas such as the Balkan Peninsula, Africa, and Asia Minor has also been well documented. This lead to great historical transfo
Description of Classroom Composition The classroom observation was carried out in a kindergarten class of the Haring Center (located on the campus of University of Washington (Seattle, WA)). The classroom has an observation booth with a small window that enables researchers, educators or even parents observe the activities without attracting learners’ attention. The classroom walls are covered with pictures, numbers, letters, and various objects, which creates a positive learning environment. There is a schedule on the board where all classes are listed. The classroom has several areas including students’ and teachers’ desks, closets for tools and a play area. Types of Activities During the observation, the children were engaged in several activities. The learners were divided into small groups (with a teacher in each group) during the larger part of the class. The activities included playing some toys, playing with plasticine, and listening to the teacher playing the guitar (in a playground outside the classroom). The learners played with cars and pet toys communicating with each other acting as the toy they had. Several girls were playing with plasticine making some objects while the teacher helped them use particular colors, make some shapes, use their rolling pins, and knives. The learners, who listened to the teacher playing the guitar, seemed very engaged as they listened very carefully (with smiles on their faces) though they did not dance or sing. Types of Instructional Strategies Coach modeling and cooperative learning were major instructional strategies used during the class. Teachers were sitting next to the learners engaging them in conversations through storytelling. They also managed to provide assistance and materials needed to complete tasks. The coach modeling strategy involved the teacher asking some questions aimed at encouraging students’ self-reflection. For instance, when the girls were playing with plasticine, the teacher asked some questions that helped the learners choose the objects to make. As for cooperative learning, the teacher and students were building a castle (using Lego blocks). The learners modeled strategies used by the teacher to build the castle. Behavior Management Strategies There were direct instructions. For instance, a girl wanted to come to me, but a teacher followed her and said, “Go back to the classroom.” Another child tried to put various things into his mouth, but the teacher always told him not to do that and explained that the objects were not for eating. The teachers also used an efficient strategy to draw students’ attention when the class was over by switching the light several times. The teacher asked the students (several times) to clean up. Overall Level of Engagement, Type of Teacher
Introduction Achievement of justice by any judicial system depends on a number of factors that include the nature of facts surrounding a case, forces internal and external to the judiciary; for example, politics and societal values, and finally the competence or characteristics of judges handling cases. Although most individuals may argue that, the nature of available evidence is the primary determinant of any court outcome; which to some extent is true, it is important to note that, the sitting judges have also a crucial role to play when it comes to passing judgments on cases. This is because, the court’s final decisions depend on what they pass, after critically listening to the prosecution and defendant’s presentations, which includes analyzing the nature of the evidence that the prosecution presents in court. In this regard, it, therefore, becomes important for all judicial systems to use proper procedures and ethics while appointing judges. This is because; the quality of case outcomes determines the rapport of any judicial system primarily, on how much that judicial system achieves justice for all. Best Practises when Selecting Judge The selection of judges is one of the hardest undertakings in most governments, considering the fact that, in the current world, many political ideologies have interfered with the running of judicial systems. In this regard, it is important for governments to ensure they protect their judges from influence from external forces, because the nature of case outcomes serves not only specific groups in the society, but rather can also affect a country’s reputation (Gambrell, (n.d.), p.109). Common criteria used by most states in choosing their adjudicators include election, selection, or appointments based on ones qualification and competence. Each of this method has its own merits and demerits however, considering the current state of many states; whereby politics plays a major role in almost any governmental undertaking, selection by merit is the only best method of ensuring judicial systems achieves their mandates. This is because, in most election and appointment cases, corruption looms widely, a fact that jeopardizes the quality of judicial systems. The fact that most politicians do not know individual merits of those in the contest makes the whole scenario worse because it puts at stake the credibility of any existing law system. Achievement of justice requires transparency, which i
Introduction Background information Beyond Bank is a firm that operates in the Australian banking industry. The bank ranks as one of the largest customer-owned banks in Australia. The bank’s headquartered are located at the Australian Capital Territory in South Australia. The bank has undergone significant changes with regard to its operations and structure. Initially, the bank operated as a credit union under the name Community CPS Australia. However, the firm transformed its structure into a mutual bank in 2013 through a merger between CPS Credit Union Cooperative Limited and Commonwealth Public Servants Credit Union. In an effort to provide its banking services to a large number of customers in Australia, Beyond Bank has established a number of branches in different territories in Australia such as New South Wales. Currently, Beyond Bank has established 49 branches and it has a total human resource base of 600 employees. Beyond Bank is committed to increasing its customer base in order to achieve a high level of financial stability. It is estimated that the bank had a total customer base of 195,000 by the end of 2013. Subsequently, the bank has managed to improve its financial stability with its total assets estimated to amount to $4 billion. Furthermore, the bank has increased its shareholding to 202,000. In an effort to meet the customers’ needs, Beyond Bank has diversified its product and service portfolio. The bank offers diverse services such as business banking and personal banking. Other financial services that the firm offers to its customers include term deposits, accounting and tax services, insurance, and loans. Furthermore, Beyond Bank provides customers with financial planning services. In the course of its operations, Beyond Bank is committed towards achieving a high level of prosperity. Subsequently, the bank has developed an effective distribution network by developing a comprehensive network of over 3,000 automated teller machines. Moreover, the bank has developed a strong working relationship with various community groups in an effort to achieve social sustainability through corporate social responsibility ( Beyond Bank Australia 2014). The firm seeks to achieve its growth and profit maximisation targets. In a bid to achieve this goal, the firm’s management team appreciates the importance of integrating the concept of internationalisation in its strategic management practices. Pride and Ferrell (2006) argue that internationalisation enables a firm to achieve its profit maximisation and growth objective. This assertion emanates from the view that venturi
Discussion All organizations deal with information from various sources such as; suppliers, customers, government, manufacturers, and others. They must be organized in such a way that they utilize this information to operate efficiently and effectively. The role of information systems in organizations is to manage information, make effective and efficient decisions, and improve execution of organizational business processes. Information systems assists in improving business processes as they are used to increase efficiency of available processes and enable new processes capable of transforming the manner in which organizations conduct business (Rainer, 2009). This paper demonstrates understanding of information systems and how they contribute to forming competitive advantage in business. How Organizational Systems are transforming Business and their Relationship with Globalization Information systems have transformed the world from an industrial society to a knowledge based economy. Managers today depend on information technology in running daily business operations and making strategic business decisions. As instruments of this information age, computers perform complex operations as well as daily tasks like word processing and creating spreadsheets. The speed of change has been accelerated since personal computers became a necessary feature in most computer desks; individual units became part of the networks, accompanied by more sophisticated enterprise wide networks (Laudon, 2009). Powerful desk computers enable most workforces to speed their daily work. Specialized super computer centers also enables workforce to tackle massive computational problems. Jobs or tasks that took years on a personal computer can be performed in just hours on a super computer. Businesses use super computers to improve inventory and production management and product design (Thierauf, 1999). Information systems have had immense impact in transforming global business. Through the internet, organizations get opportunities to collaborate on international scale. This is in addition to computers and internal networks owned by businesses. Managers in organizations are able to share information with many people worldwide as easily as with colleagues stationed at other floors in same building. Today, the internet and the web are critical business tools that facilitate communication within organization as well as customers. The size of electronic trading blocs has improved business thus leading to expansion of global economy. Through advancement of information technology, global electronic trading has gone beyond internet retailing. Special websites such as e-market places facilitate electronic trade between businesses in specific industries. Why Information Systems are so Essential in Running and Managing Business Today Information systems are critical for running and managing businesses today. They are essential in the sense that they support the distribution, processing, management and evaluation of data and information. Today, information systems are traced everywhere. They impact every aspect of people’s
How Zara used corporate business and functional strategies Zara is a strong player in the fashion industry because of its value chain, internationalisation, and operational strategies. When a company is selecting a supply chain strategy, Porter’s value chain theory indicates that one can be a cost-strategy leader, a focus-strategy leader or a differentiation-strategy leader. In the fashion industry, choosing a sweeping cost leadership strategy would hamper a firm’s ability to meet client needs. Zara realised this and chose a focus differentiation strategy. It hires a team of designers who analyse market trends from the internet, campuses, discotheques as well as cat walks and then translate them into wearable garments. This clear emphasis on providing value rather than low prices is what makes the company stand out. The organisation’s approach to internationalisation is highly strategic. According to the Uppsala model, a company internationalises by opening up a small branch in the target nation and then studies market trends in that market through the small branch. Thereafter, the firm can continue to expand its business portfolio using the first branch as a prototype. Zara uses this approach when getting into new markets. A case in point was the firm’s entry into Paris, which anchored growth into other parts of the region. Zara’s operational strategies are customer-driven and stem from the just-in-time model. The organisation works to ensure that it has short cycle times by selecting suppliers who are close to their consumers. The company produces highly specialised products in-house then outsources the standardised ones. Therefore, its vertically integrated supply chain, in certain respects, has helped in meeting customer needs more efficiently. Two competitors One of Zara’s chief competitors is The Gap. The main advantage of choosing casual wear as its core product, at the beginning, was its identification with the masses. Most of the general American public would quickly identify with this choice of products rather than high fashion. To some consumers, Zara might not be as unpretentiousness as The Gap. Outsourcing a large part of the supply chain caused The Gap to dwell on retail, which is the part that directly deals with consumers. It could analyse new trends, know about consumer preferences and study buying patterns more easily than Zara. On the other hand, the internationalisation strategy adopted by The Gap was not as smart as Zara’s. The company downplayed the importance of price pressures in select markets and thus ended up struggling. Furthermore, although the company had outsourced its supply chains, it did not consider the location and coordination needs of target firms. Therefore, cycle times became too long, and the firm lost a large portion of its market share in those international markets. Lastly, if a company started out in the low-end of the market, changing its strategy to become more fashion-driven may confound the company’s image and thus cause buyers to look elsewhere; this is what happened to the Gap within the US market. The