ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
This article discusses ways that are used by most owners of old houses to restore and devote their houses in order to make them new again. In the article, the author quotes that William Polk of Lincoln once said that old houses, which had been upgraded with paint as well as other decorations, fetched more money than the new houses (Cotton 152). It should also be noted that despite the age of a house, restoration and improvement of the house increase the value of the house. Holding factors such as location, taxes, accessibility to social amenities among other factors that may influence the cost of a house constant, an old house is a better purchase than a new house. This is because the architecture of an old house is very different and unique from that of a new house. Old houses normally have historical overviews that make them have unique architectural styles, which are held as souvenirs by most people. Therefore, just as this article depicts concerning restoration, when an old house is restored it is better than a new house. This makes this article significant in this research. This book talks about the high demand for new houses being constructed using the old houses’ designs in this century. The authors note that most people have been getting inspiration in old houses about the themes used and their authenticity when constructing new houses (Versaci and Kvalsvik 40). This is therefore an indication that old houses are far much better than the new houses being constructed in modern society. This is attributable to the fact that having most people go back to the architectural designs of the old houses in a bid to try to build their houses similarly, is a clear indication that the old houses are more advantageou
The emergence of media conglomerates in the media is barely newsworthy. This trend has arisen from the environmental factors affecting media houses. The most significant driver of this trend is the convergence of technological tools used by the media to reach their audiences (Mather 6). This paper examines the emergence of News Corp as a media conglomerate. News Corp has several interests in the media and has a hand in almost all forms of print and electronic media. It presents a very exciting case study on the emergence and impact of conglomerates in the media. Background of the Conglomerate News Corp is currently a holding company for several publishing outlets. Its current disposition arose from a reconfiguration of the conglomerate into two main areas of focus after a scandal in one of its outlets. The companies that made up the News Corp Conglomeration before the split were News Limited (publisher of The Times, The Sun, and News of the World), Dow Jones & Company (publisher of the Wall Street Journal), HarperCollins, and the Fox Entertainment Group (News Corp). In 2012, the company chose to split its holdings into two companies. One company retained the name News Corp and it currently controls the publishing interests of the conglomerate. The other company took on the entertainment interests of the conglomerate under the name 21 st Century Fox. As a result of this decision, News Corp currently consists of News Corp Australia, News UK, Dow Jones, New York Post, HarperCollins Publishers, Amplify, and News America Marketing (News Corp). The media and social trends that drove News Corp to move towards consolidation included the following. First, the world has been undergoing rapid globalization in the last two decades (Perry, Chase and Jacob 42). An effective response to the demand for information requires the development of global communication networks. In this sense, the quickest way to grow a media business is to buy shares in different media companies with complementary competitive advantages. Secondly, there has been increased competition in the media driven by an increase in the technological options available to media outlets. For instance, the emergence of the internet as a means of sharing information has led to an increase in information sources for consumers. Large corporations no longer have a monopoly over breaking news. This means that media houses with the largest footprint are more competitive because of their ability to reach a wide audience. Social Trends The first social trend responsible for the emergence of media conglomerates is the transition from passive reception of news to active search for news. Before the internet, all news
Introduction In the summer of 1786, citizen’s discontent within Western Massachusetts counties began to manifest itself in the form of organized forces which forcibly disrupted court sessions. These rebellious actions, known as Shay’s Rebellion, were attributed to impoverished Farmers and other rural debtors. However, data suggests that the rebellion was more broad based socioeconomically, driven by citizens rejecting a “tyrannical” and elitist government. Characteristics of the Shaysites, and why did they took up arms against the Massachusetts government Shay’s Rebellion was an expression of discontent with state government by various groups of citizens in close knit communities. For example, Daniel Shay who led the largest insurgent regiment was a landowner and prominently served in the American Revolution. In contrast to historical portrayals of the rebels, there was a low correlation between counties with high number of debtors and concentrations of supporters for the rebellion. The Shaysites were a mixture of farmers, revolutionary war veterans, and prominent townsmen. They lived in tight-knit communities and felt it is their duty to pursue afair form of government. The 1780 constitution and government did not fairly represent Western Massachusetts. The state government paid out value of the debt in full, mostly to Boston speculators instead of reducing its postwar debt burden following the precedent of other American states. Onerous state taxes to support this debt and a nonresponsive court system exacerbated financial difficulties. Ultimately the failure of the legislature to address citizen’s grievances led to armed rebellion. [1] Shay’s Rebellion supporters sought to ratify a new state constitution that provided a responsive and fair government. Shaysites, in the spirit inspired by the American Revolution, sought to restore government to the people boldly stating their purpose for “suppressing of tyrannical government” (Leonard 63). But, the significance of Shay’s rebellion was not recognized because they were poor servants. Conclusion Shay led an unsuccessful armed rebellion against the state of Massachusetts. The reason why they acted in a rebellious manner is because they were treated unfairly especially when paying their taxes. Though they were unsuccessful, their action changed the course of American History. Shay’s Rebellion was the beginning of a great move that would bring freedom to the Americans. Works Cited Leonard, Richards . Shays’s Rebellion: The American Revolution’s Final Battle . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002. Footnotes  1. Leonard L. Richards, Shays’s Rebellion: The American Revolution’s Final Battle (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002), 63.
Introduction Just like every other area in life that has movements which advocates for the rights of people who have subscribed to the movement, the concept of art also has its own movement which is known as the aesthetic movement. The core values that govern this movement have no strict definition with the movement encompassing the various art fields like metalwork, woodwork, fine art, literature and textiles. The argument that was fronted by this movement was that art was not established or did not come into being for the purpose of being useful in the practical perception but instead was meant to be an independent or autonomous part of human life which ought to be allowed to exist independently as such. The cult of beauty on the other hand is an exhibition that is one of its kind which hopes to showcase the various types of artistic nature in various parts of the world and also seeks to show that art is a part and parcel of the day-to-day life. This discussion takes an in-depth look at this exhibition while it is analyzing its form and content. Key Characters of the Aesthetic Movement According to pioneers of the aesthetic movement art needed not be didactic. This means that art need not serve any particular purpose but it only needs to be beautiful. There was a lot of emphasis as far as feminine beau
Research Problem and Purpose The article in question, “Comparison of Nurse Burnout Across Army Hospital Practice Environments,” endeavors to explore a problem that has recently elicited the attention of nursing scholars. The problem is known as nurse burnout. It refers to the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion experienced by nurses due to work related challenges. The authors of this article correctly note that American Army nurses have been deployed to some of the most dangerous parts of the world in the recent past due to the heightened need for global vigilance. They often end up working in austere environments, which are further aggravated by the constant risk of enemy attacks. By highlighting the dire conditions in which army nurses operate, the article describes the research problem. Its authors also describe the purpose of their study quite clearly. Their intention was to examine the environments in which Combat Support Hospital (CSH) nurses practice and how these environments contribute to burnout. The study then compares burnout among CSH nurses and nurses who serve in army hospitals back in the U.S. The study is significant and relevant to the nursing profession because there are numerous army hospitals across the U.S. As such, the nurses who serve in these hospitals form a significant fraction of the country’s nursing fraternity. Additionally, the fact that it explores burnout under the worst possible scenario makes it easier to find a solution for normal hospital settings. The study was resource intensive because CSH data were obtained from selected CSH units in Iraq. A parallel study was also conducted for U.S. based nursing personnel. Consequently, researcher expenses were significant. The level of commitment was, however, encouraging because the necessary training and orientation were strictly adhered to. The researchers were also ethically considerate because they informed participants about every necessary detail of the study before it was conducted. Based on the number of subjects who volunteered to participate in the study, it is evident that the ethical requirements were satisfactorily met. In the overall sense, the study was feasible. Literature Review The literature review highlights several pertinent studies and shows their significance to this study. At the end of the literature review, an average reader can have a clear concept of what burnout is and the circumstances that surround its incidence. The Structural Process Model of Burnout, developed by Maslach, Jackson and Leiter (1996) was incorporated in the review to make it easier for a reader to understand the concept. In an attempt to make the review comprehensive, the authors also reviewed studies that had been conducted barely a year earlier.
One of the Most Urgent Environmental Issues Environmentalists have been trying to draw public’s attention to the problems associated with the climate change for decades. Nonetheless, people used to turn their backs on this problem as they kept saying that scientists were exaggerating. Now lots of people can literally feel the changes which have been taking place. One of the most conspicuous illustrations of the climate change is the amount of snowpack in the world, and in every part of the globe. According to a variety of surveys and researches, snowpack is steadily declining due to a number of reasons. Importantly, even those, who claim that some estimates are erroneous and somewhat exaggerated, admit that the problem exists and it needs to be addressed. Thus, snowpack is steadily declining and this has a number of effects as it negatively affects such businesses as ski resorts and, what is more, it has a negative impact on farming as water supplies are decreasing. Declining Snowpack A hundred years ago, people could hardly predict that their descendants would lack for snow. In the twenty-first century, it is an alarming reality. For instance, the USA has been witnessing a dramatic change in snowpack throughout the last 50 years (see Fig. 1). Thus, Oerlemans claims that glaciers have retreated significantly since the beginning of the twentieth century (“Worldwide Glacier Retreat” n.p.). It is possible to take a closer look at a particular example. A glacier on Mt. Baker, which is in Washington D.C., can be such an example as the increase of temperatures of only 1°C results “~2 km retreat of the glacier terminus” (“Worldwide Glacier Retreat” n.p.). Another estimate is also quite alarming. According to research conducted by an Oregon State University, the “average snowpack in the Cascades has declined 50 percent since 1950 and will be cut in half again in 30 years” (“Has Pacific Northwest Snowpack Declined?” n.p.). Notably, the estimate has raised a lot of questions as it focused on a specific (and quite limited) territory and only a few variables were taken into account. However, researchers agree that the trend does exist and it is vital to start addressing the problem. Fig. 1. N. American Summer Snowpack (1967-2011) Kunkel et al. also note that the extreme snowfalls have been changed as extreme low-percentile snowfalls become a norm for many US states (6215). The researchers note that the estimate is rather rough and the data obtained can be regarded as statistically insignificant (Kunkel et al. 6215). Nevertheless, the research reflects certain trends which exist in the USA as well as in other parts of the globe. Therefore, it is important to start addressing the problems associated with the decrease of amount of snowpack. Possible Causes for the Snowpack Decline Admittedly, many people keep saying that global warming (or rather the level of carbon dioxide) is the major reason of the snowpack decline. However, the problem is more complex and there are many factors contributing to the decrease of snow. Of course, increased global temperature is one of the major reasons of the change in the amount of the snowpack. Clearly, t
Every organization has goals that it needs to achieve. However, with the increasing number of projects in which companies are involved in the need for an appraisal process often comes into light. According to Chen (2011), lack of commitment, discipline, and follow up is often found in a number of companies that do not have the right project appraisal process in place. These companies do not often meet their strategic goals thinking that all the projects are of the same importance (Hawes & Eng 2011). In Chen’s works, he continues to define the term project as a plan that is usually presented by a company for a careful consideration to be worked upon depending on the resources it utilizes. In addition, projects are often investments that are after developing certain facilities or giving of services to the clients in a given area over a period of time. There are often projects to develop mobile handsets, provision of network, marketing plans, or communication. Hawes & Eng (2011) continues to state that therefore, companies involved in the project appraisal process often manage a group of current or proposed projects based on the organization’s strategic goals, the hard economic measures, or the technical goals. In order to analyze a given project, the question often arises: what is the project’s expected total cost? What is the cost of the resources being involved in its development? How much time is expected in order to complete the project? Alternatively, what is the relationship between the projects in question with the others? Thus getting to know the project that a given company should invest in depending on a number of criteria dictates the benefits the company should expect (Kester, Hultink & Lauche 2009). Managers are mostly the ones in charge of projects and more often keep track of these projects to know the ones that are worth the time of the company. Project Appraisal is thus a process designed to help organizations acquire and keep track of all its projects that it is involved in and to arrange them according to their importance. In addition, the projects can be prioritized in order of their strategic values, amount of resources they consume and the cost of investment that helps the company determine whether to proceed with the project or not. Moreover, every project manager would want to have enough resources available to complete more projects that are important within time and budget (Melik 2008). Project appraisal is more of a structured analysis of a project using various project appraisal techniques (Killen, Hunt & Kleinschmidt 2008). Therefore, the need to use various techniques to analyze the viability of a project is vital more so in cases where the resources both financial and human are scarce. Some of the techniques used in appraisal process include Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Project Risk (PR), payback period, value added, capital output ratio, proceeds per unit of outlay, as
Description The given Capstone essay aims to describe, analyze, and reflect on two key programs provided by the Island Senior Resources (ISR). They are Meals on Wheels (MOW) and the Aging and Disability Resources Program (ADRP). These programs are designed to thoroughly assist older individuals, who are primary clients of the organization. The first interviewee’s position is a practitioner, whereas the second one is an administrator. They both have a nursing professional background, but their responsibilities differ. The practitioner is in charge of taking care of older adults, and the administrator is involved in greeting and guiding the clients. The primary sources of funding for Island Senior Resources are governmental aid and donations. The former source ensures that basic functions are supported, whereas the bulk of charitable events and works are funded by donations from citizens. Analysis The mission of Island Senior Resources is to give resources, which enhance social, emotional, and physical well-being among adults with disabilities and seniors. It appears that the current goals of the organizations are perfectly aligned with their mission. The main reason is the fact that MOW aids physical needs, ADRP helps with social needs, and Time Together Adult Day Services assists with emotional needs. The ever-increasing relevance of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) forcing ISR-like organizations to develop and improve workforce retention and recruitment methods to sustain their programs at the highest level possible (Miller, 2012). It is important to note that ACA was a massive boost to broadening the range of care options in nursing homes (Reinhard, Kassner, & Houser, 2011). To understand the value of these programs, it is essential to overview the interests of senior citizens. The problem of older people as a whole is multifaceted and includes knowledge in the field of medicine, sociology, cultural studies, psychology, economics, jurisprudence, and others. Such a variety of information necessary for high-quality work with older people creates objective difficulties in obtaining it by specialist gerontologists in the traditional way when participating in conferences and acquainting oneself. In such a situation, professional programs and resources can provide invaluable assistance. Seniors layout an individual lifestyle for themselves and are determined to depend on the given lifestyle, occupation, profession, preferences, social circle, and some hobbies appear already at retirement age. Having reached a certain age, a retired person can spe
The Article The article “Framing Class, Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption” I feel I understood pretty well after reading. The end of the article threw me, however. I am not sure what the writer, Diana Kendall, was trying to accomplish in the section entitled “The Realities of Class.” In the first paragraph of the article Kendall refers to class framing in a manner that is ambiguous. She says that the now canceled show The Simple Life “sums up a recurring theme of Framing Class: The media typically take ‘the heaviest of topics,’ such as class and social inequality, and trivialize it” (Kendall 229). After reading this sentence, I was left without a clear understanding of what the theme of framing class is. Is it the act of the media trivializing heavy topics, or is it the specific act of trivializing social inequality? Though this is clarified after further reading, I found it difficult to discern here. I also found Kendall’s questions at the end of the introduction difficult to understand clearly. “How do media audiences understand and act upon popular culture images or frames?” (Kendall 230). The terms “act upon” denote that we are going to find out how audiences impact popular culture images or frames, something that I do not think is actually addressed explicitly in the rest of the text. The middle portion of the article I found clear, insightful, and important. I understood it all pretty easily. The last portion of the article on “The Realities of Class” I felt was forced into this essay. It seemed like one huge non-sequitur. Why are the statistics of class and wealth being discussed at the end of this article? Are we insinuating that it is the media’s fault that this information does not reach the public? If that was Kendall’s meaning, it was left unclear to me and would have been in poor taste. The logical end to this passage is a series of practical suggestions about how the media can begin to accurately and responsibly portray the classes in a fashion that would be appealing to the middle and poor classes of today. Action Plan My eagerness to grasp everything being discussed as soon as it is mentioned is part of my problem when it comes to understanding terms as they are presented in the beginning of reading material. If I do not understand it immediately, I panic, when in most cases the terms are introduced in the beginning of the work, and explained more deeply in the work’s body. This seems like common sense as I write it here, however this is the most important thing for me to realize as I re-read the article. My frustration with the term “framing class” was truly unnecessary as Kendall makes it perfectly clear that the act of the media being admonished is the act of framing classes in ways unreflective of reality, not the media’s general tendency to trivialize disturbing issues. If I simply allow the writer to do his or her job, continue