ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The “sex and the city” concept may be interpreted in a variety of ways considering racial, gender, age, social, and other factors. As a rule, such images are whitewashed and cannot be properly treated due to the existing prejudices. The example of the first black Miss America, Vanessa Williams, proves that even if the mistakes were made in the past, they can influence the present and even define the future. Still, such concepts like female sexuality, fame, the desire to achieve something and become someone in the city remain to be of the same importance and are characterized male desire to gain control over the situations, especially even these situations touch upon the women of color and their abilities to survive in spite of everything. The scandal swirling around Vanessa Williams is one of the examples of how people are able to mix up past, present, and future, fame and shame, nudity and beauty, power, and control. As soon as Williams became popular and proved her rights to be Miss America, regardless of the color of her skin, she faced a number of problems, threats, and necessities with defending her rights. She got to know that the “sex and the city” concept did exist and did have much power, and it was impossible to achieve success and avoid some jealousy, envy, or competition. To prove her rights, Williams had to be ready to use any possible means, her talents, and her abilities not to lose a chance to succeed. She had to sacrifice her career as a model to avoid the consequences of her scandal with Penthouse magazine. However, it was not the end. Harris admits that “in show business, revenge is a dish best served in cold, hard numbers, and lately, Vanessa Williams has become a master chef” (par. 1). Williams demonstrated her best skills and became a famous woman in the American society as well as in the whole world, and the person, who betrayed her and tried to use her weaknesses against her, died several years ago because of his health problems proving that destiny was something that could not be avoided. In fact, women of color face many challenges in their lives when they try to achieve success and demonstrate their talents. However, they are as challenged as all other people are regardless of their colors of skin, age, ethnicity, and social background. If people are strong enough to solve their problems and overcome the challenges, they will be ok. If people, even the “whitest” people, are weak or uncertain, they can hardly avoid the curse of the “sex and the city” idea and will be absorbed in the dust and mud of the show business world. Respond: Women of Color and Their Place in a Society Many people truly believe that women of color are usually treated differently in the world of show business in comparison to white women. Of course, it is possible to remember the case of Vanessa Williams and her scandal with the Penthouse representative because of her nude photos that led to the
Threats of the Global Market With the increase in the pace of the globalization process, the significance of using the global frameworks of operation has increased significantly. Indeed, by adopting a single framework that all subsidiaries have to comply with, an organization provides the set of rules that introduces order to the corporate environment. As a result, the essential processes can be run at a comparatively fast pace and the information analysis remains uninterrupted. However, one must admit that the global capital structure has its problems, and the local one is often preferred as the superior one in the context of the global market. The reasons for the identified phenomenon include the necessity to adapt to the unique characteristics of the legal, political, social, and economic environment of the target country. Indeed, when carrying out the essential financial transactions in an unfamiliar environment, a company is likely to find the specifics of the local legal standards rather convoluted. A firm that adopts a flexible “local” approach and can customize its operations of the realm of a particular state is likely to avoid a variety of misconceptions with the representatives of the market, the legal system, the buyers, etc. (Eitemann, Stonehill, & Moffett, 2013). Thus, building the competitive advantage that will help the firm take over the market and attract as many customers as possible will become an opportunity once the organization is not bound by the lack of knowledge of the essential regulations, traditions, communication specifics, etc. Therefore, it is imperative that a local capital structure should be viewed as the priority when aiming at exploring the global economy realm (Dinger, 2013). Stock Market Issues By applying the local framework, the leaders of the company will also be able to place their stocks in the specified country successfully. In fact, when carrying out business transactions with multinational corporations, one may prefer the local capital structure as opposed to the global one even when the financial situation is comparatively stable. It should be borne in mind, though, that the choice between the global and the local capital structure hinges on the characteristics of the state in which the financial transactions are carried out to a considerable degree. For instance, even when the global capital structure of the organization under analysis can be deemed as more balanced than the local one, the company may still prefer the latter to the former because of the underdevelopment of the stock market in the identified country (OECD, 2013). Furthermore, the issues associated with a rise in the exchange rates need to be addressed when choosing between the two options. It is true that when using the local capital structure as the foundation for the trading processes, as well as the associated transactions, one must bear in mind that the identified step exposes the company to a high interest rate on debt. Nevertheless, by borrowing in dollars, one is likely to cause the company to face a
Hate crimes are a serious issue in modern society. Based on prejudice and often involving violence, this type violates the most basic human rights. Despite being constantly addressed by different activist groups and getting the response from the legal system, hate crimes are still reported on a regular basis with varying frequency, mostly due to the lack of understanding by the victims and the uneven coverage by law. The state of Maryland is usually performing well when it comes to the percentage of hate crimes (TRNN, 2015). Nevertheless, when it comes to assessing the statistics, the numbers do not always show positive tendencies. For example, the total number of verified hate crimes have decreased by 35% from 2011 (78 instances) to 2012 (50 instances). However, in the next year, the number has grown the same amount, returning to 78. Among these, half of the crimes were conducted on a racial basis (39), and 28% on religious grounds (22). This latter number has also risen dramatically since 2012, which had only seven verified instances. The third leading cause is sexual orientation (16%), and the remaining 6% is based on ethnic prejudice (O’Malley, Brown, & Brown, 2014). However, the reasons behind the increase in the crime rates are complex. While there is no doubt that racial and religious discrimination remains the sole reason behind the majority of the cases, the growing number of reported crimes does not necessarily mean the growing number of abuses. The hate crime is a relatively recent development in a legal system, and its classification is still undergoing changes. Thus, the crimes which previously fell under other categories, are now classified as hate ones. Additionally, the statistics only show the number of reported cases, which do not necessarily correspond to the actual number of abuses. Finally, the numbers are still susceptible to the biased judgment, with the majority of cases being misattributed to the hate crime variety by the victims, either because of their lack of understanding of the concept or as a result of trying to gain an advantage by claiming to be a victim of discrimination. The statistics show more than 300 percent difference between the reported (252) and confirmed (78) number of instances, with the tendency being the most obvious among the crimes of racial origin (39 confirmed cases out of 156 reported ones, or a 400% rate) and a 200 to 300 percent in other fields (O’Malley et al., 2014). Of the 78 confirmed cases, only one was conclusively proven to be conducted by a group with a race-bias ideology (O’Malley et al., 2014). This tendency also remains persistent throughout the years, with only two incidents associated with such groups in 2012. Apparently, the overwhelming majority of crimes are conducted by individuals who exhibit bias on the personal level rather than a part of membership in some group. This conclusion suggests several ways of addressing the issue. First, awareness needs to be continuously raised regarding the situation. This includes organizing educational campaigns, forming activist groups, bot
As a person who has and might never be a star, understanding stardom may prove to be tenuous, still an attempt can be made and the best way would be to watch or read a biography. Well, that is a thought! I believed and attempted to do the same. The case in the study, as many others would believe, is about the greatest star of them all-Jimi Hendrix. A Room Full of Mirrors is a biography by Charles R Cross, one of the better rock biographers of the day on Jimi. (Gamble, 2001) Stardom, we believe, always comes at a price and it is all because the person chose to rise above the ordinary. It’s all about making it big, living the “American Dream”, maybe for monetary reasons or social status or acceptance or having a special place in history, and no man has done it all with as much panache as Jimi. In addition, personally is believed, it is also because some people have sleepless nights thinking that their talents are not being put to their proper use and choose to tread the path less traveled (Nambisan, 2007). Throughout the book, which has been based on over 300 interviews, one gets to feel that all the above applied to Jimi and more. He was the El Magico, the dreamer, the magician who is a short span of 27 years fought against poverty, racial discrimination and prejudices, a troubled childhood with an abusive father and the loss of his mother, an oscillating life ranging from sheer genius to life in small-time crime and drug abuse and transcended all barriers to reach the apex. Indeed, he lived the American dream and successful he was, but it also was a struggle for existence. (Cross, 2006) If he did not choose to do what he did, he might have been just another washed-up person. The fact that he lived the life and was highly successful was just fringe benefits. What mattered to him was music and how he could change the world with his guitar. It was about proving a point more to oneself than to others, that he was indeed gifted. I believe that he was just playing his music; the position of an idol was more thrust upon than craved for. He had missed all the finer things in life and basic ones too and when he rose he wanted to catch up with the things he missed, be it love or money and he splurged and did everything, be it love or drugs, to excess. Self-preservation it seems is for lesser mortals. (Lee, 2002) Cross mentions in his book that though he had it all there was a lack of fulfilment in his life and finally Jimi found solace in God. He mentions how Jimi wrote “Jesus Saves” beneath the title of the draft of Purple Haze. How he “ kept [the Bible] open in his house, and he was reading it closely, probably for the first time in his life, ” (Cross, 2006) just months away from his death. Ironic though because common perception is that star
Introduction Medical research of the past years has shown that the mind and body are one thing, an idea that has been confirmed by current medical research. This research is aimed at helping individuals understand how their bodies and minds are related and how they work together to ensure their well-being. In his book, “Healing and the Mind,” Moyers interviews people who are concerned and are taking a new look into the meaning of sickness and health, mainly the therapists, patients, physicians, and scientists. Moyers’s investigation was mainly directed towards patients with stress and depression. On the other hand, John Santrock, in his book, “Human Adjustment,” emphasizes how people can regulate their own selves so that they can be able to manage the everyday challenges and stress of life. His major emphasis was on how individuals can acquire knowledge and understand the strategies and resources that we need to develop in order to manage our daily lives’ challenges and stress. Relaxation techniques are tools that an individual can use to manage his or her stress. They, therefore, assist in slowing down the body and cooling the mind to ensure long-term health. It can be observed from the above information that Moyers book “Healing and the Mind,” Santrock’s book, “Human Adjustment,” and the study and practice of relaxation are all related in the sense that all of them emphasizes individual health and especially how one can improve his or her health through the elimination of stress. In addition, they develop each other’s ideas in the process of healing. In this essay, therefore, I am going to discuss how our thoughts and feelings can influence our health and how we can get healing through collaboration with our body tha
Article: “Ergonomics for Telecommuters and Other Remote Workers” by Jessica K. Ellison. Introduction to the article In a peer-reviewed professional journal, the introduction should first address the research problem by stating the general area of concern. Additionally, the introduction should highlight what is contained in the rest of the journal, and brief statistics should similarly be provided to show the prevalence of the research problem (Aguinis & Henle, 2002). The research questions should then be answered by describing the general study area explaining the reasons why such a method is significant to the overall field under study (Gravetter & Forzano, 2011). When needed, sub-headings should be used to point out where investigative data can be found. Most of the essential parts of an introduction are ignored in this peer-reviewed professional journal. However, the introduction part is very clear on what the journal is all about. A statement of the research problem The criteria for a good research were not followed throughout this section since the specific objectives and problems being addressed were not clearly indicated. A good research should have a problem statement as a subheading in the introduction section. This is important because the research objectives and questions are usually drawn from the problem that necessitated the carrying out of a specific study (Aguinis & Henle, 2002). The omission of this section makes it diffi
Abstract In this paper, issues based on the mode of transportation and the changes taking place in those areas together with the impact of global as well as local factors on the trucking, railroad and airways industries of the world have been discussed. Deregulation of the transport industries pertains to not allowing government interference of any sort in the running of the industry. There are many issues being faced by both the trucking and the railroad industries ranging from both global and international issues to local issues such as the economic issues and the union issues. The Impact of Deregulation on the Railroad Industry Deregulating the railroad industry has become significant and necessary because of the near collapse of the re-regulated railroad industries. By the late 1960’s, almost one-third of the railroad industry had either collapsed or gone bankrupt or was nearing bankruptcy. The reasons for such huge collapses in the regulated railroad industry were firstly, government interference and its promotion of other transportation modes such as the airways at the expense of the railroad industry. Secondly, the accepted economic theories of monopolistic control were being challenged by the contestability theory which was based on the concept of preventing the monopolist from charging high prices if it was facing a threat of entry from other firms. In regulated markets, the regulators prevented this and so these policies were given to the legislators and they decided that a solution based on relaxing the regulatory standards was required and hence the Staggers Rails Act of 1980’s came into being when the deregulation of t
The type of negotiator I am a principled negotiator who is focused on seeking integrative solutions to conflicts. I am not committed to certain positions in conflict and this enables me to give fair and impartial views regarding amicable solutions. My general philosophy My philosophy of negotiation is the separation of people from the problem. Thus, I perceive problems as independent issues that could be solved to help parties to resolve their differences. This helps in reaching solutions based on standards that are not influenced by personal views (Amgoud & Vesic, 2012). A natural negotiator I exhibit a high degree of a natural negotiator and I analyze issues based on wisdom rather than morality. Thus, I just not fulfill my duty of being a negotiator, but I ensure that I enable parties to reach long-term solutions. As a natural negotiator, I reserve my resources to be used where they could produce better results. I like to negotiate I like to negotiate a lot. Negotiation gives me a chance to explore issues in detail in order to understand their origin and factors that could make them affect parties negatively. Also, if I conflict with my friends and/or colleagues, then I try as much as I could to resolve the issue because I know that it could adversely affect my relationships with my friends and/or colleagues. Relevant issues It is important for negotiators to address relevant issues in conflicts so that amicable solutions could be found. First, it is important to address the main problem in conflict so that could understand why parties are conflicting. Second, it is essential for negotiators to consider the other contributing factors that could not be the main cause of conflict. Third, it is important to address the issue of personal motives so that a negotiator could comprehend the expected outcomes of all parties (Amgoud
The Most Appealing Ideas Expressed by the Author In Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning , Jan Chappius provides a well-organized study guide for educators that could help improve their professional practices. To be more precise, the author presented seven strategies for learning assessment that are, in turn, subdivided into three categories in accordance with the following questions: “where am I going?”, “where am I now?”, and “how can I close the gap?”. The seven strategies outlined and explained by the author represent the ideas that I found particularly appealing about this book. First of all, it is important to note that the strategies in the book did not propose anything groundbreaking that is not already known or done by most educators. However, the way in which they are organized creates a detailed plan ready to be implemented as a whole or broken down into separate parts. One of the most practical elements, in my opinion, is the strategy number two that advises educators to rely on examples of strong and weak work. In particular, this practice allows for a clearer presentation of instruction that would help to ensure the learners’ understanding of their tasks. There is no better way of explaining new information to students than using visual aids and examples of what the expected work needs to look like and what kind of errors students should avoid making. Moreover, several strategies are focused on the facilitation of self-reflection and self-assessment among students. I find this idea very appealing because it stimulates critical and analytical thinking and promotes independent evaluation of own work – a skill that is valuable in adult life. Overall, the approach taken by Chappius in the attempt to simplify the task of an educator by means
Introduction The twelve member- countries that make up the European Union (EU) formed in the year 2002 have for a long time now been using the euro as their common currency. The use of this currency was implemented at Maastricht with an aim of strengthening the European Union as a key player in the world economy as well as to decrease the distortions and uncertainties that have been attached to the many currencies that have been used in the market 1 . The 1997 adoption of the euro zone took place with an aim of ensuring that budgetary discipline was maintained within the EU. Germany was during this time the greatest influence towards the implementation of the agreement (Williamson, 600). As a way of ensuring that the European Monetary Union (EMU) effectively performed its role, the 12 member countries came to an agreement referred to as the rule or the special international institution also referred to as the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The role of this rule was to enhance as well as ensure that there was economic homogeneity among all country members of the EMU before they introduced the use of the Euro as a common currency as well as internal stabilization of the Euro zone 2 . The use of the Euro by the member states was a way of agreeing that all money spent and borrowed is kept under control as a way of enhancing the stabilization. By maintaining budget discipline among the member countries, the pact seeks to ensure that it prevents excessive deficits and debts thus promoting monetary stability. Here, economic policies within the member countries are coordinated at the European level. The pact has more often been discussed during the past as well as the current times with debates ranging on whether it has been a success or not. Some countries such as Germany, France and Portugal have continuously been found to fall short of the criteria set by this pact and have instead used their strong political power over other countries to reduce the strength of the pact. It is the poor and unequal performance of the Euro among these member states led to the reformation of the SGP in 2005 as a way of seeking more flexibilities within these states 3 . This paper explores on the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact with focus being on its various functions and importance to the members of the European Union as well as to the global economy. The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) of the European Union (EU) History The history of the European Union dates back to the early years of 1969 when governments and presidents made a decision to create a monetary and econ