ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Nexus between politics and energy Politics and energy enjoy a close relationship in the sense that leaders will always try to secure safer sources of energy for their citizens, as it is known to determine the success of the economy. The state is concerned with the way energy is utilized since it might result in environmental degradation. This forces many countries to explore the best alternatives that guarantee sustainability (Graves, Ebbesen, Mogensen, & Lackner2011, p. 18). The global regimes concerned with energy use and distribution call on states to stick to commerce when dealing with energy matters instead of mixing it with politics, but it seems the pleas are ignored given the fact many states draft their foreign policies with energy sources and consumption is one of the major factors. Currently, the United States and its European allies have been urging Russia to separate politics from energy (Aalto2012, p. 112). In one scenario, the German minister in charge of foreign affairs suggested that energy should not be used as one of the sources of obtaining power in the global system. The US vice president claimed further that oil and gas should not be the tools of intimidation and blackmail the way Russia and Arab countries have been utilizing it to force the world to abide by their defective policies. A state with oil deposits controls the distribution by manipulating the market, creating a monopoly, and controlling transportation channels (Smith 2004, p. 58). Threats posed by energy Energy is an issue of concern to many states since it poses both short-term and long-term threats to national security. Without sufficient energy policies, the state would be unable to achieve its desired interests, as energy supply determines the performance of the economy in the sense that it is needed for transportation, health delivery, and communication. Research conducted in the United States established that each calorie of food produced in the industry consumes at least ten calories of oil and gas, which is often in form of stimulants, insect killer, packaging, transportation, and operating the machines (Lovins 2011, p. 36). Therefore, the economy is expected to stagnate without sufficient energy p
A new mobile app “Trip Organizer” is meant to help travelers to find all kind of information about the chosen destinations. The app will assist in learning about the culture of the countries, finding the cheapest or the finest hotels, restaurants, bars, and other places for sightseeing and entertainment. By using the “Trip Organizer,” the users may upload their photos on the page of the city of their trip destination, share ideas and opinions, and find other travelers in the area to meet up. Nowadays, traveling is a trend. And while entering the market in a right time, “Trip Organizer” may take an advantage in the industry by uniting the functions of the trip organization with the social activities in one app. It can help the inexperienced travelers to plan the costs and time of their trip in an efficient way, and communicate with the experienced travelers and locals and get their recommendations on the places to visit. Usage of mobile apps is a common practice, and it thus does not require the users to change their behavior. In this way, the app adds the values of convenience, utility, and quality to its users. Moreover, the app helps to fulfill the user’s need for social interactions, communication, and self-realization through gaining positive experiences. Mobile app industry is associated with aggressive growth as it brings new products and services to the market rapidly (Barringer, 2009). Therefore, the competition in the mobile app industry is high. However, the majority of travel apps focus on a particular area of service, i.e. finding tickets, planning, or recommendations. “Trip Organizer” is a multifunctional app, and its multidimensional options distinguish it from other products in the market. Although tt may be difficult to prevent new potential competitors from entry to the market, it is still possible to increase the product’s recognition through design, pricing strategy, and promotion. The pricing policy will make “Trip Organizer” available and appealing to users from the diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. And the collaboration with different social networking websites, thematic websites, and organizations in the travel industry will significantly facilitate the promotion of the app and its effective integration into the market. It is observed that travel apps are associated with one of the highest growth rates per year. In 2012, their growth rate was at 116% while the growth in overall mobile app usage was only 84% (Travel apps lead industries in usage growth, 2012). The indicators demonstrate that the product is important for the customers, and many travelers would like to use “Trip Organizer.” Moreover, the increasing growth in the use of travel apps can help to reduce the number of overall investments and, at the same time, significantly increase the industry’s profit m
The gun control debate in the United Stated is decades, if not centuries, old. This is why this issue was deemed important enough to be included in the Second Amendment of the United States’ constitution. Currently, the debate has been heightened by a series of events that have occurred in the country in recent times. The movie theatre shootings in Aurora and the more recent school shootings are examples of events that have contributed to the increased gun-control debate. This debate is the subject of a recent opinion piece appearing in the Wall Street Journal. The article appears in the February issue and it is jointly authored by Rivkin and Grossman. In the article, the authors contribute to the debate on gun control from a constitutional standpoint. According to the authors, the current president seems uncomfortable around guns. This issue was recently spoofed in a fabricated photo that portrayed President Obama being shot by Skeet in the State House. Other than a president who is against guns, the authors note that this debate has only two major groups on opposing sides. There are those who feel that guns are necessary as tools of self-defense against criminals or political uprisings. The opposing group considers this view as “archaic and subversive”. However, this article dismisses these two groups and focuses on what the country’s constitution states about this issue. According to Rivkin and Grossman, the constitution clearly gives American citizens the right “to keep and bear arms”. A right that was cemented in a 2008 ruling by the Supreme Court in the matter of Heller v. District of Columbia (Rivkin and Grossman 3). The main argument in this article is that the government cannot deny citizens their constitutional right and continue to justify itself using weak and selfish arguments. This paper agrees with Rivkin and Grossman’s argument that there is no justifiable argument that warrants gun control. The reason why the gun control debate has increased is because its proponents seem to have State House backing. Recent utterances by the president indicate that he is in support of gun control. It is not clear whether the president views gun control as a viable solution or like many other gun-control proponents he is just uncomfortable around guns. Recent tragedies involving guns are also acting as another source of fuel for this debate. Last year in July, a gunman entered a fully packed movie theater in Aurora, Colorado with a gun and shot indiscriminately at the crowd. In the process, 12 Americans lost their lives and 58 more suffered gunshot related injuries. Before that, there was the Tucson mass shooting in which six people were killed and fourteen more wounded. This year, a teenager entered a classroom with a gun and shot indiscriminately at teachers and school going children in one of the bloodiest mass shootings witnessed in the country. While all these events need to
Variables fostering cooperation among local governments It is possible to single out several factors that promote cooperation between local governments. One of them is the necessity to overcome common problems, for instance, one can speak about environmental threats (Pierre, 1998, p 88). When local governments face similar difficulties and when individual efforts are not sufficient, they will be more likely to work together. Another factor that is indispensable for cooperation is a mutual understanding of their goals and the strategies that should be adopted to achieve these goals. For instance, in the past, many local governments of the United States implemented similar educational programs because they proved to be beneficial for adolescents (Kenyon & Kincaid, 1991, p 249). It should be noted that the degree of cooperation strongly depends on how local officials view themselves as well as their duties and responsibilities. If they are primarily concerned about their private ambitions, they are less likely to cooperate; yet, if they are interested in the wellbeing of the community, they will be more willing to work together. Thus, we can say concern about community needs is an inherent part of this collaboration. Cooperation among state governments To some degree, these variables are conducive for international cooperation as well. When different countries encounter common dangers, they try to set their differences aside and join their forces. One of the most famous examples is the adoption of the Kyoto protocol that is aimed at reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (Shogren, 1999). However, one should bear in mind that in the case of international politics, the necessity to overcome common problems is not always a unifying force. To prove this point, we can refer to the Kyoto Protocol: the United States refused to ratify this agreement by arguing that it will harm many industrial companies, located in this country (Shogren, 1999, p 13). In part, it can be explained by the fact that state governments view international politics as a zero-sum game, in which countries act like competitors rather than as partners (Shogren, 2002, p 47). This is why such variables common difficulties and even common vision of goals and strategies do not always contribute to cooperation. The initiatives of local governments and media strategies If I were responsible for the development of the message and media strategy for dissemination of a local government’s initiative, I would first try to determine whom this initiative will affect. One has to define this group or population as accurately as poss
Introduction Concrete offers strength and durability and that is why it finds a wide range of applications in walls and floors among other places in a building. Normally, the interior floors of a building constructed with concrete are carpeted. Exterior concrete walls are usually covered with finishing materials such as slate and granite among others. Instead of covering concrete with the above-aforementioned materials, the floors and walls of concrete can be made more decorative as well as functional by use of specialized finishes. This can be achieved by treating the concrete walls and floors with stains and colors or stamping them with patterns and designs resembling natural surfaces to make them look more beautiful. The resulting floor or wall finish is a surface that integrates durability and beauty. When concrete floors are covered with carpets and vinyl, these covers do not last long because these covers are not durable. Carpets are also easily damaged by water. They also need to be replaced every now and then and therefore more costly in the long run. Decorative finishes can be used to coat concrete walls and floors. These form finishes usually last long, bring in beauty and are easy to maintain. There are some ways in which concrete walls and floors can be treated to match the architectural characteristics of the building. Concrete walls can be stamped with patterns to create a natural appearance and also improve surface texture. They can also be stained with colors to offer a colorful shape. For this Small low-cost housing building development, surface finish material for floors and walls recommended for the following places are: Surface finish materials for kitchen and shower rooms (concrete) Integrally Colored Concrete In this approach to floor finishing, usually colorant (in form of liquid or powder) is mixed with concrete at the mixing process. During the mixing, you should ensure that the result is an even tinting. Usually colorants to be mixed with concrete are in powder form but in some cases liquid colorants are used. Admixtures are also added in the mixing process and specifically add plasticity as well as workability into the concrete. In cases where pattern slabs are applied, along workability period is required to finish the mixing process for bigger areas. Colorants to be mixed with concrete are usually offered in standard forms in that a particular amount (bag) is designated to be used for a specific quantity of concrete. When making the colored concrete you must mix colorant first with water and aggregate. Make sure that the mixture is uniform before you mix it with sand and cement. After you create patterns, you must apply integral colorants. The colorants are the base tones that are enhanced by hardeners to bring in mottled natural look. Concrete Stamping (alternative finish) This kind of concrete floor and walls finishing utilizes patterns that are imprinted on the outlines and surfaces of bricks, tiles or timber planks into newly cast concrete floor or wall. The imprinting instruments are a
Introduction Organizations require services that they do not offer and therefore, they have to purchase those services from third parties. These services fall under two major categories, which include generics and professional services. Unlike generics, which are low cost and low risk services, professional services are high-risk services and for this reason, they have the potential for purchasing to add value. Advertisement is one of the most significant services that every organization has to buy. According to researches, the firm’s top management in conjunction with marketing / advertising with little involvement from purchasing makes key decisions regarding the hiring, monitoring and firing of agencies. This paper focuses advertising agencies with the aim of highlighting the fundamental aspects of purchasing professional services as opposed to purchasing of goods. Professional services Purchasing professional services differ from purchasing goods in a number of ways. One of the most common assumptions of these services is that they are intangible. This is because they are actions and no one can see, feel, taste, inspect, or touch them in the same manner as goods. The other characteristic is that they are inseparable from production and consumption and therefore the buyer has a direct contact with the production process. Thirdly, these services are heterogeneous meaning that quality may vary on a day-to-day, customer-by-customer basis and lastly is the fact that the services are perishable since these services cannot be stored or saved. Another important consideration when purchasing professional services is evaluation. A modified industrial product paradigm may classify services into three categories, which include; easy to valuate, intermediate to evaluate and difficult to evaluate. In the desire to compensate for the high risk involved in these purchases, corporate buyers often seek the endorsements of peers and positive word-of-mouth (WOM). The reliability of WOM depends on the theory of perceived risks. Advertisement agencies These corporations generate communication ideas and plans, and implement them. They include advertisement and communication agencies and associated companies like creative, media, public relations agencies, and direct marketing. The following model explains the potential role of purchasing in the agency-client relationship. The model consists of the five roles of “user,” “buyer,” “influencer,” “decider,” and “gatekeeper”. Users are people who use the services of an agency on a regular basis. The influencer on the other hand is the person who influences the selection process while the buyer is the individual authorized to negotiate with the agency. Deciders are the individuals who determine and finally approve the final selection of the agency while the gatekeepers are individuals who regulate the flow of information regarding the selection of agency. Criteria for choosing Agencies The criteria for choosing advertising agencies vary from one organization to another. However, there are three major criteria used in making this choice namely; the quality of people assigned to the account; c
The argument that if Meletus, Anytus, and the jury find him guilty, they will injure themselves more than they will injure Socrates was based on two main elements. The first is the fact that Meletus had argued that all other people had a positive influence on youth in Athens apart from Socrates (Plato, 2021), which was proven to be a lie because other convicted felons were in remand. The second was that if Socrates were to harm the youth of Athens by poisoning their minds, then he would also be hurting himself as he would be poisoning the very community he lives in and depends on (Plato, 2021). These two arguments combined link to the fact that if the jury and the accusers were to punish Socrates, then the youth who he had supposedly led astray would feel injustice and their action would make the whole town suffer. The argument Socrates gave is convincing. This is because he tied it to everyday decision-making by the member of the jury. As stated, he asked which people had a positive influence on the community, and Meletus in an attempt to make Socrates “look bad” stated everyone apart from him (Socrates). This argument was deemed unattainable. It can be argued that Socrates’ position relates to freedom of speech because he had the right to speak with his community members about anything as long as it did not harm anyone in the process. Further, Socrates believed that the state had to permit speech
Problem Statement Every day, many people across the United States are being tested for coronavirus diseases. Many healthcare facilities have to send COVID results to a patient portal manually. Unfortunately, these results may take days to obtain since many facilities are short-staffed and thus patients may take up to 10 days to receive their results. Once received, users usually print results through the patient portal or take a screenshot. Results on paper can easily get misplaced, and pictures from a person’s phone may become stolen and edited with someone else’s name, which causes a security issue. The problem is that there is currently no mobile app that gives people easy access to their COVID results and proof of the COVID vaccination. This problem affects people who have taken the COVID test. More specifically, those who need to travel, go to work, or school because instructions indicate they must quarantine until they receive their results. It also affects those that need proof to attend an event. This app will be beneficial because it will be a less time-consuming way to get a hold of your results. When traveling, this can make the process easier. This app can also be useful to other companies and establishments that would prefer to see negative COVID results or proof of the vaccination before entering the compound. Difficulties when implementing the app include security and compliance as there will be a significant amount of sensitive information on the app, which can be a target for many cybercriminals. HIPPA is a compliance issue because of the sensitive information included within the app. The mobile application would be free to all users. Significance of the Problem Paper vaccination certificates are among the tools that have stayed persistent for over a century from their initial development by the health agencies. During the 1880s smallpox pandemic, several learning institutions required students and teachers to present vaccination cards (Esparza et al., 2020). The World Health Organization introduced the yellow card, which was an international travel certificate during the 1960 yellow fever pandemic (Ardila, 2019). Travelers presently still need to carry their cards in some situations. Many countries across the world, including the United States, are currently distributing vaccines for the COVID-19 virus. A majority of states would require an entry ticket which would be appropriate if it exists in the digital state. Numerous airlines, such as the United, JetBlue, and Lufthansa, would experience effective operation with the use of the app for verifying the passenger’s virus examination outcomes and vaccination (Ardila, 2019). The proposed app is likely to be essential to employers, schools, holiday camps, and entertainment centers. The app will improve the containment measures of the spread and control of the virus. The development of the electronic vaccination and the testing app would positively affect the strategies to control the COVID-19 pandemic while also enhancing the economic re
Although many people argue that culture, which is people’s way of life, is the main determinant of people’s diet, I believe that most instances do not always present this as the case because, based on my observation of people’s dietary methods, I have found a differing relationship between people’s culture and their food preference. For a long time, people’s cultural background has been thought to influence the type of food they eat, as well as the tastes they have for certain foods. Many publications have tried to convince people that the food they eat is a product of their culture and that culture defines the different tastes they have for foods. One question persists, is culture a factor to consider when analyzing people’s eating habits? This essay tries to explain that, even though people claim that culture influences dietary habits, as some people argue, the claim is misleading, as culture is of little significance in people’s dietary decision-making. Arguments As a counter-argument, different cultures have a variety of foods with which they often relate themselves. Some foods are found in only one region of the world and worse off in one ethnic or racial group, which more often has the same culture. This observation has made people conclude that the culture of people delineates the foods available to them, their dietary habits, and their taste preferences. In fact, MacClancy states, “…an ideologically significant part of a culture may well be its distinctive cuisine” (66). Some rules also exist in these cultures about how to cook their foods, as well as the meal combinations that are expected. These resemble the current cookbooks. They restrict the particular cultural group into following these set standards. Some cultures have even gone a step ahead to define the food they eat as their identity. These findings have led researchers and anthropologists to conclude that culture is the main determinant of foods eaten. Contrary to the belief that culture is the main influence on foods, the availability of food and its constant supply in a region are also key factors to take into account. People have often taken food that is indigenous