ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The subject of faith is a very controversial and polarizing one. When asked about it, the public is typically split into two large factions – the faithful and the atheists. Agnostics and others remain in the middle, but they are relatively few in number. No one would deny that the influence of the church is not as potent as it used to be for many centuries. One of the reasons for its diminishing hold over the peoples’ hearts and minds is corruption. Everyone knows about the scandals within the Catholic Church regarding pedophilia, power abuse, and greed (Kaufmann 1). Christian communities are often viewed by non-Christians as citadels of arrogance, self-righteousness, and prejudice. Some representatives of the faith dismiss this, saying that all men and women are born sinners. While it is true that nobody is perfect, the true reason for corruption within the church is the crisis of faith (Steinfels 7). The purpose of this paper is to list some of the prevalent acts of corruption committed by the church and its followers and to understand the reasons behind them. Differences between Ancient and Modern Christians Christianity was not always a huge religion with over 2 billion followers (“Global Christianity” par. 1). It started as a small sect that believed in the ideals taught by Jesus Christ, and later, by his followers. The first adepts of Christianity were not like the modern Christians. Of course, the culture, traditions, and level of education and technology were different back then. These first Christians were unfaltering in their newfound conviction. So much, they dared to challenge the official religion of Rome and often paid the highest price for it. The early history of Christianity is full of martyrs, who died horrible deaths but refused to abandon their faith. They followed Jesus’s teachings to the letter. They never stepped away from the morals preached by the Bible. Most early Christians were, for lack of a better term, incorruptible. Lastly, all of them adopted the new faith by choice. Let us move on to modern Christians. They are much more educated compared to the Christians of the past. Modern science has already explained most of the natural, physical, biological, and chemical processes happening on Earth that used to be attributed to God’s miracles. Most Christians were taught the Bible ever since birth. They were brought into a church from an early age, to attend the Sunday school and do other activities. Christianity today is mainstream. In Christian countries, like the USA, you are expected to be a faithful Christian and visit a church often. While some adopt the values they are being taught, others do not. Many children do not enjoy going to churches on Sundays to listen to a man in a robe reading a boring book to them. Many families attend the church because they are supposed to, not because this is what they want. The faith of an average Christian nowadays is much weaker than it used to be. Public Opinion about Churchgoers According to popular polls, Christian communities are often associated with ignorance, pride, and arrogance. They are quick to be prejudiced against those who
Introduction The Aim of Critical Analysis The main purpose of the critical analysis is to disclose the artistic identity in different art forms (film, song, and movie) in order to unveil the topic of love and unreciprocated love. It is also necessary to critically evaluate an array of genre forms through the cultural, historical, and social perspective. Hence, it is necessary to identify cultural epoch within which these art forms were created, social settings, and time spans to integrate the theme of unreciprocated love with different genre forms. More importantly, the paper should thoroughly analyze how those genres are intertwined with the concept of artistic identity. The critical analysis should also disclose the theme in different aesthetic terms and appraise the impact of other disciplines on artistic representations of the problem. Therefore, it is necessary to present the chosen art forms as examples revealing the role of public perception of unreciprocated love in Mariah’s Carey’s song called All Alone in Love , movie Love Actually , and Emily Bronte’s gothic novel Wuthering Heights . Overview of the Theme of Unreciprocated Love as presented in Mariah Carey’s All Alone in Love, movie Love Actually, and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights The artistic genres (song, movie, and film) represent the problem of unrequited love, but the form of representation is supported by different devices (Baumeister and Wotman, 1994, p. 3). Moreover, all sources unveil different triggers of unrequited love within cultural, historic, and social context. It should also be stressed that all artistic genres presented for analysis have their own peculiarities and tools for representing the unrequited love. The divergent representation is also predetermined by different cultural, historical, and social background. Hence, Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights represents unrequited love not as a noble and stoic willing to suffer in the name of love, but as passionate desire to possess the object of love and to take revenge on the sufferings the protagonist had to experience. Due to the fact that the novel is written in the epoch of romanticism and classicism, the book depicts love as being dependent from economic and political aspect. Mariah Carey’s lyrics reveals the problem of one sided love where she provides her personal perception of unreciprocated as presented in hip-hop culture. Finally, a romantic comedy Love Actually represents a contemporary view on love as something deprived of social responsibilities and standards. Segmentation of Love Different historic, social, and cultural contexts influence the stereotypes of presenting divergent displays of love. Nevertheless, in order to grasp the essence of this emotional state, it is necessary to define the factors and components of the love itself. Psychologically viewing the concept, love is composed of intimacy, passion, and commitment, which can be presented in different ratios (Reis and Rusbult, 2004, p. 216). Hence, intimacy identifies the closeness of relationships between people. It also shows the amount of love and affection in male-female relationships. Passion and intimacy
One Piece, Naruto, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Full Metal Alchemist – are just a few examples of manga known around the world. This mysterious Japanese term is translated as “irresponsible pictures” and refers to cartoons or comic strips. First appeared in Japan in the late 1800s, nowadays cartoons and comic strips do not stop arising the public’s admiration and challenging their creators for new ideas and inventions. Though the term implies “irresponsible pictures,” the profession of animator/manga artist requires much from those engaged in it. Creativity and the ability to work hard are the basic skills necessary for this occupation. The constant search for new ideas and ways of implementing them – is an ordinary thing for people of this profession. Their works reflect everything that they find the worth of the viewers’ attention. Once something attracts an animator or a manga artist, they get a pencil at once and starts sketching it quickly. Everything and anything may become the subject of their creatures. Animators and manga artists are expected to use pictures to tell stories that concern topics of interest to a wide range of diverse public. Normally, their works reflect the main events and development tendencies of the society they live in. Therefore, the occupation demands much of the observation skills and knowledge of how to render the results of this observation to the public. As created stories often deal with a wide range of subjects, starting from humor, fantasy, cookery, sports, and going up to business, economics, and policy, their authors need to be all-rounded people. The more they know, the more varied themes they will be able to cover in their works. Also, animators and manga artists should be capable of constant learning, as the industry is rapidly developing and demands more and more knowledge from those involved in it. One can hardly imagine an animator/manga artist without basic knowledge of art classes and other skills like Adobe Illustrator, Flash, Photoshop, etc. People of this profession should not fear experimenting with a wide range of styles and techniques that will help them to render their messages to the audience. It is important that at the beginning of their careers, animators and manga artists should be able to analyze the current trends in the industry and appreciate the works of master artists. It does not mean copying the existing products; it means strengthening one’s artistic skills by gaining knowledge from others and enlarging one’s experience through familiarizing with the results of their work. The ability to work in a team is another constituent of an animator/manga artist’s success. The thing is that these professionals often involve a team of art assistants in their work. Cooperation with specialists in street scenes, architecture, cars, etc., enables them to f
The most common stereotypes related to immigrants are concerns raised by people about economics, culture, and violence. For example, some persons believe that refugees enter the country and take other people’s jobs, thus leaving many citizens without opportunities for employment. Other stigmas deal with supposed violence – the narrative that all immigrants are in the country illegally, and their behavior is criminal. Finally, the aspect of culture and its preservation arises often; people who come from different countries are believed to force their religion and traditions onto others, changing the historical background of the nation. The majority of these stereotypes develop due to the lack of education and understanding of immigration and people’s relocation. For instance, the history of the US heavily focuses on the achievements of white people, while the origins of them coming to the continent are not emphasized. Moreover, the fear of being replaced as the dominant group is also prevalent in discussions. White people believe that by opening the borders and letting other cultures develop, they will lose the opportunity to preserve their own. Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco (n.d.) explain that this fear arises every time a new wave of immigration occurs; it is often based on racist beliefs. One may suggest that the prejudice against immigrants grows when new ideas and traditions challenge one’s worldview. White people of European descent have a particular living experience that may differ significantly from that of a non-white immigrant. Such stereotypes are dangerous on many levels, mostly because they increase interpersonal tension. Fear becomes the foundation for hatred, which, in turn, may escalate into violence and aggression. For example, the portrayal of immigrants as criminals who enter the country illegally has recently brought many problems to the people who wanted to seek refuge in the US. Gessen (2018) provides an example of news outlets showing a large group of people marching towards the US as a dangerous “caravan.” Various news sources declared these people a threat to border security and stated that they are a national emergency (Gessen, 2018). Here, two significant stereotypes are exploited – the belief that these immigrants are committing a crime and that they are violent. Both of these statements are not true; immigration is a legal action, and their peaceful march was a cry for help and not an act of violence. The instances of expressing biases also occur in real life, especially if the conversation concerns the latest news. I can recall an example when one of my friend’s brothers said that because of the immigrants coming into the country, many people would lose their job. I was mostly confused as to why he thought that it would happen. It is clear that people arriving in the country would need a job – but it also means that more people would need services and help. As a result, new jobs would be needed to accommodate everyone’s needs. However, I also felt disappointed in the fact that somebody would deny a person a chance of moving to a place that they perce
Abstract Tesla, Inc. is one of the leading manufacturers of electric cars in the global market. The company’s primary market is in North America and Europe. However, stiff competition in these markets has made it necessary for the firm’s management to explore other untapped markets. In this paper, the focus was on determining how the firm could make a successful entry into the United Arab Emirates’ market. The paper has identified external environmental factors that may affect the firm’s capacity to enter the market. The local car industry in the country has also been analyzed to enable the marketing team of Tesla to understand what to expect. It is suggested that the company should start by selling its luxury cars to create a strong brand in the local market before introducing other products such as solar panels. Exporting cars manufactured in the United States to the UAE would be appropriate given the fact that the country lacks skilled labor that would enable the firm to set up its manufacturing plant overseas. Tesla Inc., previously known as Tesla Motors, is an American electric car manufacturer that has its headquarters in Palo Alto, California. Elon Musk, Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning, J. B. Straubel, and Ian Wright were inspired to start an electric company following the initial trials that had been made by GM. The team founded this company in 2003 target a new market segment that wanted environmentally friendly cars (Doeden, 2015). Since then, the company has experienced impressive growth in the United States market and even considered venturing into the manufacturing of solar panels. Gleam (2014) explains that Tesla has always focused on environmental conservation and its products are designed to have the least possible impact on nature. As the Tesla brand continued to gain popularity in the market, the firm considered moving into the luxury cars market as a strategy to achieve growth. These cars have gained acceptance in North America and European markets. The decision of the management of this firm to explore foreign markets is aimed at enhancing its market growth. The United Arab Emirates offers an opportunity for growth. When entering this market, the management of Tesla should understand opportunities and threats in this market to define appropriate strategies that it can use to achieve success. In this paper, the researcher focuses on how this company can make a successful entry into this foreign market despite the expected challenges. The product of interest in this report is its luxury cars. Distinctive Features of Doing Business in the United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates is currently one of the most preferred overseas market destinations for American companies seeking to expand their operations to the Middle East and parts of Africa. It is important to understand distinctive features of doing business in this country for Tesla Inc. to achieve the desired success in the market. According to Ahmed and Hamdan (2015), one of the distinctive features of doing business in the United Arab Emirates is the unique composition of its populace. Unlike some
The American dream of owning a home is slowly turning into a dreaded concept with all the hardships it brings along with it. Many people have taken mortgages in order to buy houses simply because the incentives given to them by the government are very lucrative. The federal government has promoted home ownership through programs that entail “tax incentives for first-time buyers and mortgage interest deductions” (Depaul 1). Mortgage interest deduction though beneficial to home owners, will have a heavy toll to the tax revenue. Future projections have shown a “$131 billion” reduction in 2012 (Depaul 1). However, the polls carried out by Allstate/National Journal/Heartland Monitor show that the Americans are divided concerning whether the government should continue with these programs or not (Depaul 1). Current statistics prove that home ownership is on the decline. Why is home ownership decreasing? As of February 2011 there were only 250,000 sales made which is a “record low” and this translates to a 16.9% decline in the “annual rate of new single-family home sales” (Depaul 1). There have been different views expressed by experts and analysts some of whom have attributed this decline to: “uncertainty in labor market, falling home prices, tight credits and high unemployment” (Depaul 1). Tom Wilson, Allstate Chairman and CEO, claimed an imbalance between demand and supply. Though the government had all good intentions in encouraging home ownership, this has had a negative impact on some families. It is known that as a result of mortgages, there is increased debt and also “soaring foreclosure rates” which in general destabilizes the community. Deliberations are still being made on the best course of action to be taken. What is the way forward? Jared Bernstein, chief economist and advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, commenting on the issue of governments’ involvement, suggested that government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) should be reduced and that the government’s contribution should have been one that encouraged a more “sustainable home ownership” and not creating more problems for the individuals and even the economy. A unanimous agreement by other panelists was that mortgage- interest deductions should not to be altered at the moment until the housing market is a bit stable. Pete Domenici and Alive Rivlin together in their report on “deficit reduction” suggested that mortgage interest deduction be applicable to loans under $500,000 only. Henry Cisneros, “a former Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development and a member of the Domenici-Rivlin Debt Reduction Task Force” (Depaul 1) on the other hand proposed “replacing the mortgage deduction with a refundable 15% credit” (Depaul 1). He also added that changes on mortgage interest deduction were mainly going to be influenced by the Congress and that he only expects changes to the “home interest mortgage” and not its elim
Kudler fine foods is an upscale food store with an overall objective of maximizing profits. For this to happen, the company is focusing on expanding sales, outsourcing some functions, as well as closing some branches as a strategy. For any company to succeed, environmental factors in which the business operates are to be considered. These are factors such as legal, social-cultural, economic, and technological factors. Technology is an aspect that each and every business must consider in its day-to-day operations. This is because technology helps to reduce the cost of running the business, technology may also be used to increase customer satisfaction by embarking customer online ordering, customers are better satisfied as this reduces time spent on ordering. Most inconveniencies on order, especially costs on paperwork, are also avoided. Kudler has adopted technology as a basis to promote sales. Internet sales online, customer ordering, are just but a few of the different ways technology has created opportunities for Kudler. The number of employees that Kudler is employing has significantly reduced as a result of embracing technology. Legal factors are also to be factored in when analyzing the external and internal business factors (Barnley 246). The legal framework is set by the government regulatory agencies. It may focus mostly on how the company carries out its business practices, whether the goods produced are harmful in any way to the consumers, the health implications on the environment that a business may bring about. Workers’ compensation is also a factor to be considered. The company must be seen to be following its internal hiring regulations as stipulated in its worker’s manual. In case of laying off some of the employees, the company must ascertain that this is in line with the companies policies Economic factors are also present in Kudler’s case. These are factors that involve the purchasing power of customers as inflation. Inflation is a general overview factor that affects the general economy (Michael, et al 89-92). At times of inflation, there is a general increase in the prices of goods. The consumer purchasing power reduces therefore the general business strategy has to be changed. Kudler has grown over time therefore affected by both inflation and deflation. In its course of expansion, the company must consider the economic times, savings of the company must be of the essence as the company must remain afloat. Demand for products will also be affected by weather conditions. During summer, some food products are demanded more than others. Kudler as a firm in food processing must ensure that the food on offer corresponds to the weather in place Social-cultural factors: these are factors that mainly concern the people who live around the company. The target age group that the company focuses on depends on
Media has always been a very important mediator of the political, social, and cultural events of the community and country. However, the news’ role has been changing with the period and nowadays it presents a diverse structure of multiple functions to complement all spheres and facets of life. Media largely resonates but does not depend on the political structures and the industrial ones. The geographic and cultural diversities make the media form into system structures. It has to be noticed that media is a very flexible structure that reacts to any changes from outside by reorganizing the self-substantial domestic policies for a better outcome in the future. It is hard not to mention that media depends on the culture it is created in largely (Klimkiewicz 908). The historical conditions and cultural traditions make it authentic which is good and dependent and sometimes biased which is not very good. One of the first receivers of the media messages is the kids and teenagers nowadays. The kids get involved in the conversations created on the web. One of the extensive online forums is the Australian forum regarded in the article called Multicultural Sociability, Imperfect Forums, and Online Participation. It is said that, unlike those receivers who used to participate in telecommunications back in the days, the forums online allow talking and expressing the opinions on the most debatable topics, like race, for example. This is, of course, a very good experience for the kids and they will start getting used to another through direct debate and talking the issue over without any editing mediators (McClean 1652). However, the only disadvantage found here is the scuffles emerging during conversations. Media is likely to announce about any occasion and any event occur