ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Outline The main idea that is being promoted throughout the book Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle, is that, as time goes on, people grow increasingly depended on technology – even within the context of how they go about addressing their socialization-related anxieties. To justify the validity of her suggestion, in this respect, Turkle points out to the phenomenon of more and more individuals deciding in favor of robots/robotized dolls, as their intimate companions: “We come to see what robots offer as relationship. The simplification of relationship is no longer a source of complaint. It becomes what we want” (Turkle 27). The author also brings readers’ attention to the fact that the Internet has long ago ceased being solely the instrument of informational transactions – as of today, it became nothing less of an ‘alternative reality’ for many individuals, who clearly prefer it to the surrounding de facto reality. According to Turkle, the earlier mentioned state of affairs can hardly be considered thoroughly appropriate, because it results in the increased ‘atomization’ of Western societies, which in turn undermines these societies’ structural integrity from within. Moreover, according to Turkle, the fact that humanity grows increasingly dependent on the technology’s ability to simulate the ‘desirable reality’, has a negative influence on the measure of the affected individuals’ mental adequacy. As she pointed out: “I believe that in our culture of (technology-induced) simulation, the notion of authenticity is for us what sex was for the Victorians – threat and obsession, taboo and fascination” (Turkle 16). This, of course, adds to the overall spirit of ‘technological pessimism’, emanated by the book in question. Critical Remarks Even though Turkle indeed deserves to be given a credit, on the account of the book’s line of argumentation being discursively legitimate, there are nevertheless a number of drawbacks to how the author argues her point. The main of them can well be deemed the implication that, as it appears from the book, Turkle happened to believe that people’s obsession with the companionship-simulating technological gadgets/virtual reality is something necessarily ‘unnatural’ and therefore – counterproductive, in the psychological sense of this word: “Online, we can lose confidence that we are communicating or cared for. Confused, we may seek solace in even more connect
Advances in Medical Technology and Ethical Issues Among the most ambiguous advances in medicine, one might point out the genetic engineering and technologies enabling one to perform DNA interventions. Many specialists believe that the relevant inventions contradict largely with the basic laws of nature. Specialists note that such discrepancies are typical of technological advances (Volti, 2014). Thus, genetic engineering represents a true ethical dilemma. One should admit that it is highly problematic to say whether one has a right to interfere with natural processes in such cases as changing the genes of a future child, for example. Patients Number and Resources Availability When the number of patients exceeds the amount of available medicines or medical technologies one has to set a criterion that would assist in selecting the candidates. As a rule, the priority in such cases is given to those who are most likely to benefit from receiving the relevant procedure. The most controversial point about it is that one experiences difficulty in estimating potential benefit due to the novelty of the implemented technology. As a consequence, an ethical question arises whether anybody has a moral right to supply some patients with innovative treatment and deprive others of a chance to receive it. The Use of Genetic Modification of Food Genetically modified food has caused numerous public debates. The supporters of such food believe that it helps producers eliminate potential allergy complications. Moreover, they assume that GMO products are initially resistant to possible diseases and pests. Meanwhile, their opponents suppose that regular indigestion of such products makes the organism resistant to antibiotic medicaments, reducing their effectiveness significantly. They also state that gene modification can result in the appearance of new diseases. Eugenics Movement and the Ethical Issues Eugenics Movement advanced the idea of selective breeding in the prospect of receiving the best traits. The main ethical problem consists in defining whether any human has a moral right to decide which trait is positive and which is negative. The idea of the dominance of better humans over the worse ones made people associate the movement with the Nazi ideology. Nowadays, selective breeding is still a highly controversial problem in modern medicine (Bouche & Rivard, 2014). Genetic Discrimination The question of inherited and acquired diseases is rather unpleasant for all the employer
Ann Richards’ road to governorship Family history and early life Ann Richards was born to a somewhat humble family in 1933. Her father, Robert Cecil Willis worked for a pharmaceutical firm and married Mildred Iona Warren (Reid, 2013). Together they had one child and lived in a one-bedroom house. At birth, Richards was given the name Dorothy Ann Willis (Texas State Historical Association, n.d.). The family residence was located at the current Lacy Lakeview in Texas. Lakeview is only eight miles from Waco. During World War II Robert Cecil Willis was among the draftees. He was relocated to San Diego and his family moved with him. However, the family went back to Waco with the culmination of World War II (Reid, 2013). Educational training Ann Richards started her schooling in Waco and attended Waco High School. During her high school years, school debates were highly emphasized. It is worth noting that Ann Richards was a vocal debater and represented her school well in interschool debates. Her debating proficiency led to her being chosen for the Girls’ State and Girls’ National debates. In 1950, she graduated from high school and was admitted to Baylor University. Notably, she was awarded a university scholarship due to her debating skills (Reid, 2013). Marriage and job history Ann married David Richards and they resided at Austin where her husband was to enrol for a degree in law. She enrolled for a certificate in education in the University of Texas. The couple together had four children, three boys, and a girl. Ann Richards got her first teaching job at Fulmore Junior High School (1955-1956) (Reid, 2013). Richards was actively participating in Texas politics, especially on Democratic Party. She was a president of North Dallas Democratic Women and assisted a number of Democratic candidates in their campaigns. For instance, she was part of Sarah Weddington’s successful campaign and she would later work as Sarah’s administrative assistant (Reid, 2013). The successful running for Travis County commissioner’s post in 1975 was Richards’ breakthrough and beginning of full political participation in state and federal governance. She served on many committees while working as a commissioner, including the President Advisory Committee on Women. Later, she worked as the Texas Treasurer where she gained fame and her reputation was highly regarded due to her good job. For instance, her determinations to help people of Texas were recognized in the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1985, an honor that was given to powerful women of Texas such as Barbara Jordan (Rogers, 2000). It is worth noting that Ann and her husband separated and later divorced. Richards’ gubernato
Introduction The current essay’s purpose is to evaluate and analyze the following reading materials in terms of feminist studies and women’s movements: Adichie’s Ted Talk “We Should All Be Feminists” and the first chapter of Shepherd’s book “Gender Matters in Global Politics”. First of all, short summaries of the texts will be provided, and then the analysis will be produced by answering the assignment’s questions. “ We Should All Be Feminists” by Adichie The author presents her experience of sexism and explains what she understood from it, how it affected her life. Adichie argues that the word “feminism” carries negative connotations, and, consequently, affects the deep meaning of the concept badly. She talks about children’s education in terms of feminism; the difference in men’s and women’s experiences of the term, and understanding the issue; the recognition of gender inequalities. Concerning my personal experience with the word “feminism”, I share Adichie’s central argument that the concept carries several negative meanings. Mainly, it can be felt in conversations with older people. Some people see it as a threat to family institutions and traditional values. Others point out the exaggeration of the issue and do not believe that men and women are still not treated equally in many spheres. These common misconceptions can only be dispelled through education processes. It is crucial to explain from the early ages what exactly feminism is. It is vitally important to mention that the term “feminism” is surrounded by numerous myths. However, if we look at the universal definition, it represents feminism, as the theory of economic, political, and social equality of the sexes. However, some other scholars highlight the fact of the female’s oppression in defining feminism. In my personal view, these two approaches do not contradict each other, as the conversation of gender equalities implies that the sexes are not always seen as equal. Thus, I hold the opinion that feminism is the belief that all people should have the same rights regardless of their sexes. Feminism and Development Another crucial topic in terms of the women’s rights discussion is the role of women in development. Women have only been included in gl
Executive Summary This is a case study report regarding Red Lobster, which is a company that deals in food products. The paper looks into the marketing functions of the company. It analyses the development of marketing strategies implemented by the company in the decade starting 2000. The assesses the market positioning activities that the company has been doing and the effect that it has had on the growth in customers and the company image as viewed by the customers. The market positioning changes have taken place under different marketing leadership plans. Therefore, these plans are discussed in the paper and a view given on whether they have been efficient or not. Lastly, the paper assesses the benefits of focusing on experiential and why this is important for Red Lobster. Introduction Marketing is important for business firms. Most business firms that have attained quick development and expansion have had good marketing practices. Without proper marketing management, it becomes challenging to sell the products of a company which means that the company operations will be paralysed. Lack of sales means no income for the company and thus the company cannot sustain operations when there are no finances to do so. Therefore, marketing lies at the centre of the company operations (Groucutt, Forsyth and Leadley, 2004). Red Lobster is one of the companies that have undergone a lot of transformations all in the name of improving marketing. Red lobster is a United States based company that deals in foodstuff. The company has been in operation for over 40 years. It operates in the form of casual full-service dining chain stores. Therefore, this paper discuses various changes in the company, which have aimed at improving the company’s services and attracting more customers (Lamb, 2012). Change of Positioning Since its establishment, the company’s main goal has been the provision of affordable seafood to the Americans. However, in the recent times, the company has changed the management. The new management has been developing on its value position and incorporating freshness in its mission. Fairness has thus been incorporated into the position of the company. Affordability only did not auger well with the customers of the company as they associated the position with low quality. The new position, which includes freshness, is being implemented without adjustment in prices as this could affect the customers. There has been an increase in price promotions. The new management has been working on winning a significant number of customers by way of diversifying the service to customers in a remodelling exercise (Bell and Riis, 2010). The growth of the Red Lobster restaurants up to when a change in the leadership of the company occurred can be attributed to sales promotions. It can be noted that, in 2004, Lopdrup took over as the president of the company. During this time, there was a lot of competition in the sea food sector with many competitive players like Olive Garden, Applebee’s and Chili’s emerging. The other restaurants had lower prices of their food as compared to Red Lobster as the company only
The Notorious BIG – Things Done Changed The song Things Done Changed by The Notorious B.I.G explains the changes in day-to-day living within the ghettos between the artist’s childhood and the present (Abe n.p). He also talks about his mother succumbing to breast cancer. In some ways, the hook of the song can be said to be borrowed from Dr. Dre’s track Lil ghetto boy . In the latter, the artiste had the line Things done changed on this site in one of his verses. In the line “if I wasn’t in the rap game, I’d probably have a key knee-deep in the crack game” (Oohla lyrics n.p), B.I.G explains that rap has in a way protected him from doing drugs. Tupac — Hit Em Up Tupac’s track Hit ‘em up was a dis song directed at a number of rappers from the East Coast (Abe n.p). It was, however, mainly directed at his archrival, the Notorious B.I.G, and Puffy. The line “Fuck you, die slow motherfucker, my fo-fo make sure all y’all kids don’t grow!” (Oohla lyrics n.p), has been directed at Jay-Z though it has been omitted in some versions of the track. Method Man feat Mary J Blige – You’re All I Need The song You are all I Need by Method Man and Mary J. Blige is inherently a love song (Abe n.p). Most of the lines from the song praise the person that the song is dedicated to. For instance, the line “Like sweet morning dew I took one look at you, and it was plain to see you were my destiny” shows how much the singer is in love. Juvenile Hot Boyz – Bling Bling The track Bling Bling by Juvenile and The Hotboys presents the artists as die-hard roughnecks (Abe n.p). The rappers brag about their jewelry and other possessions. For instance, B.G. in his verse says, “I be that nigga with tha ice on me, If it cost less than twenty it don’t look right on me” (Oohla lyrics n.p). This just shows how expensive his rings and chains are. Outkast – Elevators The song Elevators (Me and you) by Outkast tells the story of the rappers from life at the bottom to becoming self made millionares (Abe n.p). The line “Like freeze, we makin the crowd move but we not makin no g’s” (Oohla lyrics n.p), explains how promoters and club owners oppressed them by not paying them enough. They claim that when they were broke no one was interested in what they were doing but now that they have money people want to be associated with them. For instance in Andre’s verse, he talks about how someone stopped him in the mall and claimed that they knew each other from school. The artistes claim that their wealth was obtained from their musical careers. Foxxy Brown Jay Z- Aint No Nigga In the song Aint no Nigga Jayz heaps praise on his abilities as a lover (Abe n.p). For instance he says “I got more black chicks between my sheets than Essence” (Oohla lyrics n.p), just to show how much of a player he is. Foxxy Brown in her verses also affirms Jay-Z’s attractive traits. She says that she does not mind the fact that he cheat on her as long as he is home to take care of her needs. Puff Daddy – I’ll Be Missing You Puff Daddy’s I’ll Be Missing You is love trac
Introduction Criminal justice systems the world over are always faced with the challenge of balancing the rights of society with the rights of the accused. As a result, countries often enact laws that ensure that the society is safe while at the same time ensuring that the accused persons’ rights are not jeopardized. In Canada, the issue of establishing a balance between the rights of the accused and those of the society became more apparent with the enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. This law aims at upholding the accused’s rights as well as the society’s rights and freedoms (Boyd, 2007, p.320). The enactment of the Charter was however met with sharp criticisms that mainly focused on the possibility of reducing the police authority over crime control. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Before the Charter was enacted in 1982, police in Canada had great powers and authority over crime. Police power was hardly ever frowned upon by the public. In short, Canada used to adopt the crime control model of policing. The police had discretion in all matters concerning policing, including apprehension, questioning, search, and seizure. As a result, little concern was shown towards the rights of the accused. The laws in Canada at that time hardly restricted the police in crime control. This was contrary to many other countries the world over, and especially Canada’s neighbor, the United States in which the rights of the accused were and are still overtly protected by the law. In fact, the police and police agencies advocated strongly for unlimited powers and limitations of the courts in ensuring justice prevails in society. Moreover, this opinion of unlimited police power also had its support from the courts which asserted that the work of the police should not be interfered with under normal circumstances. Thus, the only exception was extreme situations in which the rights of the accused were severely violated. In trying an accused person, the courts did not bother to check the manner in which the evidence brought against the accused was collected as long as the evidence was appropriate. The only exception to the admissibility of evidence was an involuntary statement given by the accused. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the powers of the police were liberal. The powers of the police were limited to a small extent. In addition, there was also the protection of the rights of the accused by some statutes and doctrines but these rights were not guaranteed. Policing in Canada after the introduction of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms When the Charter was originally introduced, it was met with substantial condemnation by the majority of the police officers and agencies such as the Canadian Association of Police. The police officers argued that the Charter would unreasonably limit their abilities to carry out their work. The frustration of the police with the Charter was evident following the Askov case in which the court ruled that a six-month delay of trial violated the Charter. Fo
Introduction School participation (SP) and other forms of participation have been shown to be rather challenging for children with disabilities due to multiple barriers that still exist in schools, which are supposed to be inclusive (Anaby et al., 2013; Coster et al., 2013). At the same time, participation is not only beneficial for children; it is also one of their human rights (Egilson & Traustadottir, 2009, p. 264). As a result, specialists that work with children with disabilities have been searching for the means of improving the inclusiveness of their schools and fostering SP for their students. One of the features that can apparently have an effect on SP is supportive relationships (SR) (Colver et al., 2012, p. 2159), and the effects that SR can have on SP for children with disabilities is the focus of the present study. The present paper offers a review of literature that can shed some light on the information that modern research has accumulated on the relationships between SR and SP with particular attention paid to the way SR can affect SP. The work includes a discussion of the methodology of the literature review and its limitations with a summary of the reviewed articles; the analysis of the key themes in the articles, the implications for future research and practice, and some conclusions that are based on the findings of the research. In particular, it is established that the present study seems to prove the previously raised concerns that there is a lack of studies that are devoted to the participation of children with disabilities and that there is some evidence to various types of SR being beneficial for SP, but more investigation could offer more extensive practical advice on SR and SP promotion. Methodology and Limitations The present study employs the methodology of a literature review. It reviews the studies that focus on, consider, or mention the three major topics of this paper: participation (preferably SP), SR, and children with disabilities. The study used the topics as keywords while searching for appropriate literature; as a result, twenty-three articles were considered acceptable for the review. It is noteworthy that not all of the papers reflect the topics to the same extent. Only four articles directly focus on SP while the majority of the works only consider it among other things. Another seven articles focus on SR; unfortunately, there is no article that focuses on both. Sixteen articles focus on children with disabilities, and another six works regard the topic very extensively while comparing SR and SP (or other participation types) for children with and without disabilities. Only one of the selected studies does not consider children with disabilities, but it does not exclude them and is included because of its extensive focus on relationships and SP. Four other studies are characterized by low attention to SP, and three of the