ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The Setting of Blade Runner The movie is set in a gloomy futuristic city, a metropolis in a period of societal decline. The opening remarks tell the audience that the setting of the movie is Los Angeles and the year is 2019 ( Blade Runner) . At the beginning, this industrialized city appears wet and overpopulated; its dimly lit streets are filled with people of all races. The city is in perpetual darkness as only neon street lights and billboards light the streets. A rise in pollution and crime forces humans to leave this city in search of a new life on another planet. A multinational company, Tyrell Corporation that has its headquarters in the city, builds genetically engineered beings called replicants to provide labor in their industries. However, some replicants rebel against the slavery and become outlawed on earth. They later return to claim Tyrell Corporation and a blade runner called Deckard sets out on a quest to hunt and kill them. The Urban Landscape The opening images show a heavily industrialized city with billowing smoke, towering buildings and a highly polluted environment. The neon-lit billboards signify a commercial city and provide light that illuminate an otherwise dark city. Flying cars dominate the skies with people from various backgrounds filling the soggy streets below. The urban landscape in this movie projects a capitalistic city dominated by giant corporations whose distinguishing features include overcrowding, pollution, authoritarian rule and crime. As people begin fleeing the city, littered streets and abandoned houses dominate the landscape of this city Urban Dystopia The nightmarish visions in this movie portray a dystopian landscape facing the consequences of capitalism. Thematically, Blade Runner has several dystopian features. It is based on an imaginary story that explores future possibilities and instabilities of the modern capitalistic society and corporate capitalists. The movie also artic
Introduction According to Herman Melville, human being cannot live for themselves. This means that their lives are connected in numerous ways that are invisible and along these connections; their actions act as causes and then the outcomes or reactions come as results. Agreeing to Melville’s philosophy when addressing service learning means that students must have action on the community and then these causes bring results. For instance, through serving learning, a college student can impact positively on the lives of people he/she will be serving and thus cause a positive change. In final assessment, this student is likely to benefit from the service learning by attaining contentment and hands on experience. An experienced optician can help a student optician to ma eye examinations in poor neighborhoods. However not everyone believes that service learning is a good venture and they oppose it terming it as self serving since students and professional are used to accomplish the same tasks. Again even the activities that are not entirely helping the students to learn his/her future career can still have positive outcomes. This paper addresses the impact that service learning has on the students and the community to gauge whether it would be viable to make it a requirement for learning or not. Students Serve the Community While Learning College administrations have in the past made remarks that the current generations of graduates do not have civility or community worth ethics. They claim that these young adults have gotten too self absorbed and are now loosing the sight of community good. Caret Robert however does not think this is true. At Towson University, students just like many others across the country are positively engaged in the community and are making a big impact on the community (Egger para. 2a). September usually has a week of serving the community and during that period students raise awareness of the greater god that results from serving learning. Service learning can be described as the teaching method which involves service to the community as part of its curriculum. It offers the students practical experience in the real world regarding specific fields of study and at the same time, it meets the needs of the community being served (Egger para. 2a). The teachers involved in such programs are qualified professionals in community-oriented practice (Egger 189b). They provide the best way for students to reflect and integrate their community experiences into their wider educational knowledge perspective. Through these experiences, the students are above to discover how events in politics, economics and general social lives affect the community and programs running in real life. They start thinking about creative strategies that are linked to their knowledge in theory but not bo
In life, everyone has memories or events that they hold dear to their hearts. These memories normally build and define who a person is and define their inner selves. People also tend to use these memories to have a purpose and goals in life. “How to tell a true war story” by Tim O’Brien is a story told about the encounters and experiences of war veterans during the Vietnam War. In the essay, we try and look at some self-defining moments for these soldiers and how they use their experiences to define themselves. We also look at some important events that the soldiers find definitive. In the story, the writer brings out the value attached to memories; memories that define people and give them sound emotions. Some memories are so unforgettable that they can almost be re-lived. This is demonstrated when Rat Kiley describes his friendship with Curt Lemon. He describes Curt as a great buddy, a daredevil, and ‘crazy’.Emphasis must however be put on how he describes the craziest things he thinks Curt ever did. He tells of how Curt went fishing with a crate of hand grenades and goes on to say it’s one of the funniest things in the world. Rat also describes vividly how they used to play a game they had invented in the shed of quadruple canopy trees. He even remembers the smell of moss. They used to call each other names ascertaining how good their friendship must have been. He stresses on by saying “it’s all true”. The aspect of memory here entails a cognitive process, reflective thinking, and processes of reasoning focused on making a decision on what memories to hold dear and how to speak our truths as we reminisce. It is a tool of inquiry used for interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and making inferences on past occurrences. Through the selection and the interpretation of certain memories, people can give a story and express feelings. In the scientific perspective, the process of thinking critically and reminiscing includes acquiring the information and evaluating it to arrive at well-justified conclusions. Rat remembers most of these details because they must have been really special to him. The ability to define who we are has to embrace skills for critical thinking and perfecting the art of suspending a judgment. If for example one is reading a story like the one being told by O’Brien, they are bound to adopt a perception and suspend a judgment. Acquiring the skills also requires that one accepts that everybody can have subconscious bias. It is therefore normal to doubt and question any tale that might be told. From the story, it is clear and is submitted by O’Brien that it’s hard to tell a war story (O
Introduction Refreshing sleep is critical for good health and well-being. Sleep presents the human body a period of time to restore energy, grow, repair cellular damage, detoxify vital organs, including allowing the brain a much needed opportunity to dream, generate neurotransmitters that are essential for stable mental health, and assimilate newly learned information (Vukovic, 2010). More importantly, recent studies have identified a positive correlation between adequate sleep and enhanced capacity to cope with stress, while sleep deprivation have been positively associated with increased mood disturbances and impaired mental, emotional, and physical performance (Levy et al, 2006). The need to understand about normal sleep and sleep disorders, therefore, has never been so urgent. It is the purpose of this paper to argue and demonstrate evidence that sleep disorders have a negative impact on our ability to handle stress and whether caused by stress or simply adding to our stress, they have a profound impact on our work life and our home life. There exists compelling evidence to demonstrate that sleep research had been neglected for decades as this important facet of our own being was viewed to be of no germane consequence to the wellbeing of humans, and therefore was dropped back into a void (Sleep Mechanics, 2010). Yet, new studies underscore a huge transformation in the way psychologists, scientists, and sleep researchers have taken a keen interest on sleep and sleep disorders (Carey, 2007). Human beings sleep for one third of their life (Levy et al, 2006), and the devastating effects caused by sleep disorders are too painful to imagine, necessitating a keen interest on this broad topic. There has been a convergence of interest for many researchers on the topic of sleep disorder and stress. Indeed, among a multiplicity of factors affecting healthy sleep, a wealth of literature has reported the unfavorable influence of psychological stress and psychiatric disorders (Brand et al, 2010). Some researchers are of the opinion that sleep disorders occasions psychological stress, while others support a more liberal view that sleep disorders and stress are geometrically related and affect each other proportionately depending on the variables at play (Overeem & Reading, 2010). The situation is further compounded by the fact that it is exceedingly difficult to define stress as it encompass all types of stimuli of varying intensities and duration , not mentioning the fact that divergent types of stressors brings with them diverse impacts on sleep (Eui-Joong & Dimsdale, 2007). What is known at this stage is that sleep disorder and stress are inexorably linked, and both are associated with undesirable outcomes. Normal Sleep and its Positive Effects For decades now, it has proven difficult for researchers to offer an objective and unified definition of what normal sleep entails (Lichstein et al, 2004). Sleep researchers, aware of the complexities
Introduction Even with the high performance, every organization may face during its operations, there is still the need to attain stability in the competitive world of business. This would require dealing with issues on the ground for their preferences to help identify past defects that led to recession rather than handling them en bloc. This should include incorporating modernity in all those spheres of operation as well as managing the new systems before the business transactions can be expedited in an atmosphere of certainty. In the case of Cisco management, critical principles needed to remedy the situation would include adopting modern technology and project management. Work Design The key to any successful redemption of any organization that is already in recess demands a working design. This is a method by which the organizational performance should first be improved by good human relations aimed at addressing technical issues facing the operations from the human perspective. The management team must consult with their staff in the spirit of democracy so as to make them part of the intended decision. This would help foster job satisfaction, improve quality and reduce the employee’s problems. At Cisco, the better history has been tainted with the employment of casual labor force and their demoralization caused by low wages against mammoth initiatives as Peter Solvik, Cisco Systems chief information officer pointed out. Due to this, Solvik foresees the danger ahead of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation strategy that is dependent on both the disbursements and reimbursements of workers, or else it risks becoming a dash and abandons the project. In redesigning work at Cisco, an all-inclusive strategy that entails qualified human resources, good information flow, and of no less importance, the incorporation of monitoring and evaluation strategies, must be true. As a quick way of redesigning work at the already established Cisco, Elizabeth Fee, an implementation team recruit has tactfully used the chance to handpick workers based on merit and as a way of advancing their careers rather than those ch
Introduction Once a refugee has received acceptance in New Zealand, they qualify for a permanent residency, although they could also apply to be awarded citizenship. The laws in New Zealand have always been somewhat friendly to refugees. For example, way before the member countries of the United Nations embrace and adopt the 1951 convention on refugees, New Zealand; a signatory member to the UN Convention on refugees was already accepting refugees. In the 1930s, a total of 1100 Jews sought refugees’ status in New Zealand. In 1944, another 837 refugees arrived in New Zealand; a majority of who were children. From 1949 to 1952, Europe sent over 4,500 refugees, all of whom found permanent residency in New Zealand. In 1960, New Zealand complied with the UNHCR Convention (Bagaric, Boyd & Penny 2007). Consequently, the refugee policy comes about due to the flow of obligations courtesy of the 1960 UNHCR Convention, that is to say, the provision of refugees’ protection. This research study focuses on Ali, a citizen of the Republic of Iran, who sought refugee status in New Zealand, on grounds of political persecution. Upon arrival at the airport in New Zealand, Ali claimed that he was fleeing from political persecution for his support for the “unsuccessful” Iranian candidate in the disputed June 12 2009 elections, Mir Hussein Mousavi. It is on such a basis then, that Ali managed to secure a six months visitor permit while waiting for the processing of his refugee claim. However, upon meeting with Ali, he revealed to this researcher that he had lied to obtain refugee status in New Zealand. The truth is that for 10 years, Ali has worked with the Basij Militia, which is a pro-government paramilitary group. The Basij was responsible for the arrest and imprisonments of the protestors who were disputing the June elections. Ali has also worked on prisoners’ records, under the direction of Sepah Pasdaran, compiling the files of prisoners that had been incarcerated by Sepah Pasdaran on political grounds. The files that Ali worked for contained information regarding the transfer, admission, release, as well as death details of these political prisoners, Ali has also handled prisoners who signed “confessions” over suspected political activities. The reason why Ali opted to seek political asylum is that he was not in a position to suddenly withdraw from the Basij, without arousing a lot of suspicion. Fearing for his life over his action, he then decided to seek political asylum here in New Zealand. It is, therefore, the intention of this research paper to explore the circumstances that surround Ali’s intention for filing for refugee status, and whether, the terms that have been stipulated by the Refugee’s Conventions, A
A liberal representative democracy should be understood as a form of democracy where we have people who are elected to represent others. In this case, representatives hold some power that is always regulated and defined by the constitution. In fact, the constitution in question prioritizes the protection of different liberties. The rights of minorities on an individualistic aspect are also taken care of and protected as far as liberal representative democracy is concerned. There are a lot of rights that are guaranteed under this form of democracy and this is commendable. For instance, freedom of speech and assembly are important rights that minorities and the whole society at large are supposed to be assured of (Scheb 56). This is well taken care of under this form of democracy. Equality before the law is something that has been synonymous with liberal representative democracy. Liberal representative democracy lays more emphasis on the due process when it comes to matters that deal with law. As far as this form of democracy is concerned, any elections that are held in a given country should be free and fair for all. This means that the ensuing electoral process should be as much competitive as possible. As a matter of fact, liberal representative democracy may take various forms as it has been practiced in different countries. In this form of democracy, everybody is granted the right to vote irrespective of his gender, race or the property that they own. This therefore implies that there is a lot of universal suffrage that is embraced. Liberal representative democracy is determined by the country’s constitution. In the long run, this will ultimately define the character of the state in question. The constitution in this case limits the powers that a given state will exercise over its citizens. This means that proper separation of powers has been well elaborated. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of checks and balances to ensure that the rights of citizens are not trampled upon (Chua 89). Most liberal representative democracies have always emphasized that the state should follow the rule of law for long term sustainability. This is as far as guaranteeing the existence of a given state is concerned. Therefore, the authority of the government should not be exercised using unknown laws as everything is supposed to be done in accordance to written, known and existing laws as per the constitution (Scheb 18). In fact, legitimate authority is enforced through known and acceptable procedures. Public disclosure of laws is the driving force behind liberal representative democracies because everything should be done to the knowledge of the public. The constitution has always acted as a guard in maintaining such forms of democracy. This is a representative democracy and it should emphasize on the liberty of its citizens as time goes by. The constitution should always act in the interest of the majority and this can be well achieved under this form of democracy. This means that the
Not Ignorant, Not Helpless is an article written by Lorraine Ali. In this essay she presents a gentler side of Islam that the western cultures do not realize and the media also fails to present. Ali argues that the western cultures have stereotyped Muslim women as hapless creatures with no rights. They picture them to be under restitutive cultures which command them to be always covered from head to toe, while in the actual sense these women enjoy their rights to the fullest. As she mentions, some are lawyers, others cops patrolling the streets and still others have ventured into the field of medicine. The article generally talks about the changing world of women in Muslim societies. While the western communities continue to focus on uttermost oppression cases of Muslim women in nations such as Afghanistan which is dominated by Taliban, Saudi Arabia which is under the rule of Wahhabi and the radical Iran; there is actually another Muslim world out there where women are professionals. Many women like the late Doria Shafik have been offended by the way that the west and the fundamentalist Islam portray them (Ali). Modernity is one of the issues brought up by Ali. In discussing the clothing worn by Muslim women that covers them from head to toe, a picture of backwardness is perceived by the western people. This is more so because, current societies have progressively moved toward modernism and hence the social statuses of Muslim women may be considered inferior as a result of the conservativeness of their religious and cultural roles, rights and even dressing. Dress codes and rights are especially found on a conservative regime placed by religion upon women as Ali mentions: “Under those regimes, women were and are ordered to cover” (Ali). Having to wear a veil and not have the right to choose what to wear is oppressive and outdated. According to Islamic norms, women are always expected to wear long-loose fitting garments which cover their entire body parts, while men on the other hand, can only cover their bodies beginning from the belly button to the knees. Though Ali states that women in some parts of Islamic regions “argue politics with men at the dinner table in Bagdad, slap husbands on the back of the head for telling off-color jokes in Egypt…” (Ali 1) this still does not justify the fact that they are stuck to Islamic traditions. Otherwise, why would they not dress as they wish? All the same, every society has some mode of dressing that distinguishes men and women in some manner but in my opinion, the way of dressing in today’s dynamic world, should be left to an individual. Inequality in roles, rights and duties, is yet another issue established in Ali’s work. Women are dying to have equal rights as men. They want change, as depicted by Ali’s statement; “If reform is to come, they will surely be the ones who push it forward.” They liv
Introduction The dancer whose name elapsed throughout the world in the second half of the twentieth century, Rudolph Nureyev won all hearts of ballet admirers. This charismatic figure in the world of dance made changes that followed the contemporary performance of the ballet art. His mastership and his graceful ability to make viewers feel what they should feel distinctly emphasized his talent worldwide. The talent of Rudolph Nureyev should be considered through his hard work, charisma, virtuoso play, and a deep desire to establish male ballet, as a renovation of old practice in art with new shaping. In this respect the discussion in the paper touches upon three main ideas. The first concerns Nureyev’s desire to renovate the participation of male choreographers. The second premise presupposes his perfectionism while surpassing expectations of Western major ballet companies. Finally the third point is that Nureyev provided substantial changes in the domain of ballet art. All in all, his autobiography was the result of his passion in career prospects and in the occupation which he was devoted to. First premise on Nureyev (male part in ballet) Looking at the biographical data, Nureyev is permanently the one who attempted to reshape dancing art significantly. His persuasion lay in his hard-working trainings first auditioning in Bolshoi Theater, Moscow, then, in Kirov Theater, Leningrad (The Editors of Chase’s 174). Nureyev was highly motivated to combine the firmness of the male body with a grace implied in dancing. Despite generally used arrêté, pointé, and cinquième, Rudi wants male choreographers to follow “grande batterie, on the assemblé, insisting on clear, precise, visible performances, on the double “rond de jamb” and always, of course, on the lower leg work” (Nureyev). Thus, his implications for the future performance of the male part in theater were rather extensive and pervasively full of passion and self-perception on the part of an actor. With the start of his career in The Royal Ballet, Nureyev pointed out the male roles through and through up to the end of his life. Second premise on Nureyev (participation around the world) Since the escape from the USSR in 1961, Rudolph familiarizes himself with Margot Fonteyn and their long partnership goes through many Western Ballet Companies. Thereupon, it is vital to admit that each time Nureyev provided performance he was pleased by viewers and directors as well as connoisseurs of dancing. He might have known the language of people with whom he worked. It hereby was not a big deal to him, as the maestro of dance. Western choreography is in most points related to the style of dancing (Fandel 15). Hence, he worked with Martha Graham and Paul Taylor, directors of dance schools in the United States. He was apt at finding out something new or peculiar about dancing. He studied dancing (Bournonville style) with Eric Bruhn in Copenhagen (Nureyev). He was everywhere and traveled much in order to deliver the manifestation of movements encompassing p