ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction European countries have witnessed great political and economic integration with a Union of 27 European countries being currently in existence. This vibrant European Union can trace its roots to the post World War II years when integration among European nations was seen as necessary to end the devastating wars between neighbours. The European Union has achieved significant growth from an initial membership of 6 nations to the current membership of 27 nations. It has emerged as a major political and economic force in the world, even threatening to compete with the traditional superpower, the United States of America. Of the 27 members making up the European Union, the UK has set itself apart as the nation that has a problematic relationship with the EU. While the other nations have a good relationship within the union and mostly support its policies, the UK continues to have a mostly adversarial relationship with the union. This paper will set out to discuss the major reasons for the difficult relationship between the UK and the rest of the EU. Reasons for the Difficult Relationship The UK is more concerned with the economic aspect of the EU than the political dimension. From the onset, the UK has been reluctant to foster stronger political ties with other European countries instead emphasizing on the economic dimension of the union. This is in contrast with the view of the other EU countries that view political goals as being equally important for the union (Chalmers 23). The main motivation of the UK to join the union was economic and the country never strived for political integration. Margaret Thatcher who served as the British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 expressed the concerns that Britain had regarding political integration. Thatcher stated that British was constantly losing her independence and sovereignty as more decision-making power was transferred from the British Parliament to Brussels. The UK’s lack of commitment to political integration, which is a core aspiration for the other EU member states, has increased the difficulty in relationship between it and the EU. Britain’s relationship with the EU is complicated by the fact that Britain was not involved in the founding of the European Union. When the six European countries, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg, founded the EU, Britain choose to isolate herself from this union. British did not feel the need to engage in a union with other European countries since her economy was larger than that of countries such as Germany or France. Therefore, Britain disregarded the opportunities she was given to participate in the process of establishing the EU during its formative years. Watts and Pilkington note that because of this disregard, Britain had excluded itself from the decisive events taking place on its doorstep (21). This created a hurdle for the UK since it did not have a part in the setting up of the basic rules that gov
In civil proceedings it is often the case that misfortune happens, causing wrong to the victim who consequently sues for a redress of the costs incurred. Typically, the wrong happens due to certain wrongful actions of the other party, who acts as the defendant in the case. Therefore, one of the main objectives of a rightful justice rendering is to determine the right defendant who should be liable for the wrongs caused to the victim. When shifting the costs from the victim to the respondent, then in one case the damages may be ascribed to a whole social group or community; in another case, particular individuals may be held responsible for indemnifying the losses; still, in another case, there could appear both of the aforementioned defendants. The controversial and disputable situations which ensue from a certain confusion and ambiguity in choosing the right defendant often present a stumbling block for a successful course of the case. Consequently, there arises a burning issue in the legal practice concerning the questions of who should bear the responsibility for causing the harm, what kind of responsibility should be imposed on the guilty party and which laws should be used as guidelines for deciding on the liable person, the type of liability and the resulting judgment of the court. The present paper considers the case which clearly illustrates the difficulties concerning the choice of the defendant who would take on the duty to repair the wrongful losses. While being on vacation, a man decides to take part in a trail ride through a desert. The ride is sponsored and advertised by the posh resort which accommodates the holiday-makers, and the initial impression created by that kind of travel is that of calm and peaceful observation of the local landscape. It especially suits the man in question as he has had no previous experience with horses — the information which he readily shares with the guides, Ted and Rex, in order to secure a tranquil ride for himself. However, driven by their rollicking temper, the guides decide to play a joke on the novice and give him a self-willed mare which throws him down on the ground without any prior notice and runs off, back to her stables. Such careless treatment of the inexperienced rider results in his several bones being broken and a concussion caused by the fall, which constitutes bodily harm and creates the grounds for starting a legal procedure against the party at fault. However, one should bear in mind that despite the obvious and direct complicity of the two guides in the accident, there are two other
Terrorism is one of the saddest phenomena existing in the modern-day world. Each day people hear numerous reports featuring the most mind-blowing messages concerning unbelievable cruelty which the victims of this terrible realia of contemporaneity had to face. In the following paper, current developments in the area of combating terrorism will be examined along with particular details of the situation with terrorism in the world. Generally, after the evaluation of the facts related to this serious problem, it appears that though the world is fighting with terrorism resorting to the use of the most effective and thoroughly elaborated measures and strategies, this problem appears to be ever-growing and more and more complicated from day to day and evolving more and more territories which were not affected before along with significant complications of the situation in the lands where the fight with terrorism had been led during decades. First of all, speaking about terrorism as the world’s pain and the main developments behind this notion, the legal aspects of terrorism are to be addressed. Even since the days of Julius Caesar, there existed a strict system of punishment for those participating in this terrible practice. Nowadays, a row of strict measures is also developed in order to prevent terrorism. According to Kis-Katos, Liebert & Schulze (2010, p. 32), political “systems have coercive apparatuses that inhibit or reduce terror operations… [and still] their felt grievances may not be reduced substantially through democratic means of opposition”. Thus, legal measures against terrorism and their constant update are to be taken seriously. Criminal justice professionals thwart or disrupt terrorist activity through the legal investigation of suspicious activity and crimes as it can be often heard in numerous reports in the newscasts. For instance, the success of such important measures can be seen when as a re
Tim O’Brien’s collection of short stories “The Things They Carried” is often being referred to as such that contains a strong anti-war message. However, we can only agree with such point of view to a certain extent, because author does not describe the concept of war as being wicked in its essence, but rather as something that helps people affected by it to realize their true selves. During the time of war, the artificial notions of Christian morality that are being instilled into soldiers, when they were growing up, loose their value, within a matter of an instant. This appears to be the main motif of O’Brien’s book and it is readers’ existential mode that prompts them to look at “The Things They Carried” as literary piece that promotes an anti-war sentiment or as something, which actually glorifies violence, as an essential component of manhood. In his book, O’Briens does describe the horrors of war, but it cannot escape our attention that he only discuses these horrors within a context of how civilian population is being affected by hostilities. The sight of soldiers executing their duties at the frontline does not appear as utterly unnatural to the author. For example, when Ted Lavender gets shot in the head, while being high as a kite from smoking marijuana, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross refers to this incident as being beneficial to Lavender, because it did rid him of his drug addiction once and for all. This shows that, despite the fact that “The Things They Carried” cannot be discussed as truly autobiographical account of one’s war experiences, author does know how it feels dealing with the prospect of being shot on daily basis. At the frontline, the value of individual’s life is being adjusted to its actual worth. The classical anti-war novels and movies portray soldier’s death in terms of universal tragedy, because the pacifism, as ideology, has its roots in Liberalism, which sanctifies one’s life as something that has value in itself. O’Brien’s book, on the other had, does not promote such philosophy. While reading “The Things They Carried”, we get to look at soldier’s death in the line of duty as something quite natural. It is only when we get to read about civilians being tortured and killed, which strikes us as something truly horrible. This is because, during the time of war, civilians become war’s objects, whereas soldiers remain war’s subjects – they give and accept death as part of their work. O’Brien seems to be well aware of this fact, which is why “The Things They Carried” can be referred to as anything but pacifist in its essence. As it is being revealed in the book, the only reason why O’Brien decided not to escape to Canada, in order to avoid draft, is that he realized that, had he acted otherwise, he would have to be dealing with the
Since the innovation of the flip phones the iphone is the other gadget that has taken tech to the next level. This refers to a type of a Smartphone that was established and is sold by Apple incorporated. It has a variety of internet apart from multimedia applications that set it apart from other gadgets of its caliber. The main features that it does posses include camera, music player, and voicemail just to mention but a few. One can check mail, browse or utilize Wi-Fi connectivity. In enhancing the user interface, the gadget has a multi touch screen with a virtualized keyboard. The sophistication of the iPhone is reiterated by Jacko (422) who is of the opinion that the exquisite look of the gadget coupled with the touch screen effectiveness has made many other firms come groping for the success of this firm. The order by Apple’s CEO that touch screens be investigated formed the grounding for the invention of the iphone. In collaboration with AT&T, Apple came up with the iphone in a deal costing about 150million dollars in the period running to over 30 months. The initial design was rejected before Cingular gave Apple the discretion to produce the iphone in house. Unveiling of the iphone to the public happened on 9 th of January 2007. However, sales for the gadget started out on June 29 th 2007 in the US. In the spring of 2008, the gadget found its way into the Germany, France and UK markets. At the inception of the iphone in 2007, there wasn’t many features save for the fact that it was cute looking and one could see the caller. With further updates, persons can stream music videos directly from MTV, get their way in new locations by the use of GPS and has created better utilities for online shoppers. Of late one can order commodities online at the comfort of their palms. Online banking is now very possible with the new updates on the iphone. Previously, security was an issue in terms of concerns raised by depositors as they could not trust engaging in online transactions. Payments can now be made easier just as much as account balances can be confirmed online. Facilities have now been incorporated in the iphone so that the gadget can detect noise and automatically time out. This benefits parents who would not want their unknowing children messing up with the gadgets. Puzzle solving is now backed up by music plus a horst of other games that are 3D. Since the inception of the iphone, insurance can be done to guard against theft of the iphone at the click of a button. Now if you thought you were going to queue at your insurance firm for this, be relieved. The gazillion exquisite applications available on the iphone cannot all be mentioned here. This is just but a tip of the iceberg. According to the Wall Street Journal (1), Apple has plans of coming up with an even faster iphone. Moreover, one can easily
Book Review Matt Ridley is a science author of various books such as “Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters” and “The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature.” His latest book, which will be reviewed in this paper, is “The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves.” The book focused on history of humanity, where it talks about the reasons human species has been successful and how people should reflect the future. The key thesis of Ridley in his book is that human development has been highly elaborated by Adam smith based on the theories of Charles Darwin. It was not the volume of people brains which permitted them to create better steps ahead, he asserts, but trade that showed people that they should emphasized on what they were good at. Hunting and gathering progressed into a practice where the participants focused on the things which they considered as good to them and raising production of human at the detriment of its opponents. According to his views, history of human species has been a fight between survival and occupation (Ridley 7). As system of exchange of goods edge towards the appropriate figures, resources and management structures release the strength of those delightful engines of success and modernism are called market. Every bust of trade strength pushes humanity up a mark, but all are pulled down by war and increasing population. Ridley creates a well-built instance for this thesis and he directs the readers from the hunters and gatherers period who initially ventured past Africa until the current magnates of Silicon Valley, and portrays the manner in which humanity has created innovation on innovation in its unlimited hunt for new things which every person will desire to purchase. From this viewpoint, specialization is the real meaning of humanity and self-reliance a mistaken fable. If somebody should create all the things themselves, they would return into old days, digging all everywhere with hand axes. Even though I differ with the author’s analysis in his book concerning some crucial matters which are experienced in the present world, this broader description is derived on two concepts which are essential disputed that people achievements as a species, in preference to previous hominids, stemmed from natural characteristics which let people to do exchange of goods. A while after the existence of Homo sapiens, people were using rare tools which were far-off from the original ite
When designing any communication platform, it is crucial to acknowledge the role that the audiences play in the process of disseminating digital news. They may be passive or active participants. Singer’s (2014) article titled ‘User-generated visibility: secondary gate-keeping in a shared media space’ responds to these two crucial questions in the field of media studies, specifically in an environment of internet and technological mediations that have led to new roles of the audiences in media platforms. Identifying the key aspects of research requires the 5W model that has been historically deployed in media research. The 5Ws (what, why, who, where, and when) define the fundamental aspects of any good news. Media studies are done in a cultural, political, or in a social context. This situation underlines the significance of “how” in media research approaches. Singer (2014) explores the implications for transitioning to an environment in which the audiences become secondary gatekeepers of any digital information that is published in newspaper websites. The reason (why) the researcher conducted the study is that in an environment of technological changes, news users or audiences have a probability of mediating the information consumption process, including determining how such updates are consumed once they are published. To this extent, Singer’s (2014) article emphasizes the “assessment of the contributions by other users, communication of the perceived value or quality of user and journalist-produced content, and the selective re-dissemination of that content” (p.56). This focus presupposes a new dimension in media studies and research in which editorial decisions that lead to the incorporation of an item into the final product (news) are accompanied by an increment or decrement of the visibility levels of the item by various secondary audiences on digital publication of the news. This claim reveals the ‘why’ aspect of the 5W model in media studies. The reason why the research is conducted is determined by who the researchers are, where they live, and/or when they are conducting research. Jane Singer works in the University of Lowa, the USA in the School of Journalism. Hence, the author has an interest in identifying changes in journalist paradigms to meet new anticipations of effective dissemination of news. The changes influence the development of new schools of thought in the profession of journalism. The new ways include not only historical perspectives, but also the current and the expected future dynamics. Jane Singer researches in a time when technological changes such as Web 2.0 applications are playing different roles in shaping media studies. Therefore, it is not surprising that the research focuses on the mediation of technologies such as social media whose operations are reco
Abstract Corporate “downsizing & restructuring” is essential to overcome challenges in modest business marketplace. Most companies carry out restructuring and downsizing in accordance with the requisite of their businesses. This is aimed at enhancing the aspects of competitive advantages and critical business strategies. Evidently, some organizations do this through acquisitions, mergers and divisions as well. There are other organizations that make structural alterations and conduct resource optimization in an organization. However, there are some issues and challenges related to downsizing and restructuring. In this report, these issues and challenges are analyzed based on information from already established works. Introduction Since 1980s, different organizations and companies have embraced various strategies to minimize costs and maintain competitive advantages (Shiva 1999). Approaches like downsizing and restructuring were intended to change organizations from unproductive formalities and embrace the aspects of active client-driven businesses. However, professionals have been questioning whether these strategies are effective in both short term and long term objectives of the business. Research conducted on various organisations that adopted downsizing and restructuring without proper communication of their intentions, visions and missions indicate that they failed. Most firms have embraced downsizing and restructuring as a means of conserving resources and minimizing expenses. Concurrently, the market has become fiercely competitive, profitable, and with significant reforms. There has been a raging debate on whether restructuring and downsizing are necessary for competitive advantage of a business. However, in spite of the benefits of these strategies there are issues and challenges associated with them, which forms the basis of this report. This research seeks to find out the benefits as well as challenges of implementing these strategies with relation to gaining a competitive advantage (Alkhafaji 2001, p. 151). Background information Sometimes in the past, the management of corporations and organisations showed very little concern on their HR departments. This was a critical observation following its ability to affect the business progress and the general prosperity of the organisation. The trend was meant to downsize, restructure or right-size the business with an aim of producing more returns from its investments. One of the most effective way of generating short term profits was to decrease head count to enhance overhead savings (Karake 1999). Corporations sought for ways of making profits
Introduction Various business traits determine the techniques that are used in managerial accounting decision-making processes. For example, during a business start-up phase, management accountants may deploy budgeting and capital investment techniques. However, in case of a business that is in the mature phase, such accountants may depend on cost management and quality control to make their ultimate decisions. However, irrespective of the technique, the decisions should enable an organization to achieve short-term and long-term goals and objectives. Hence, managerial accounting is an important aspect of the decision-making process within any organization. This section provides an overview of managerial accounting. Defining Managerial Accounting Management accounting is an important tool for making decisions in an organization. The Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA) defines management accountants as people who deploy their proficient knowledge and talents to prepare and present financial information in a way that makes it possible to arrive at requisite decision on policy construction, development, and control (Clinton & Anton, 2006). Hence, management accounting refers to the provision and deployment of accounting information by various organizations’ managers to arrive at subtle decisions that can permit them to advance their management and control functions. Role of Managerial Accounting and Management Accountants in an Organization To arrive at an appropriate decision, it is important for decision makers to have a realistic prediction of deals, outlays, cash flows, and procurement net margins among other costs. With such forecasts, Porteous and Tapadar (2005) assert that managers make important decisions concerning the future of an organization, including, “decisions on the level of employment, investment, salaries, sales, stock levels, debtors and creditors, and overdraft requirements among others”(p.72). Indeed, management accounting is responsible for making such forecasts. Accounting management professionals act as strategic partners with the organizations they serve (Sebastian, 2000). They also act as risk management partners. Risk management entails developing practices and frameworks for risk documentation, quantification, risk alleviation, and reporting in the attempt to attain organizational objectives and goals (Sharman, 2003). As performance managers, management accountants focus on the development of business decisions, which make it possible to increase an organization’s performance. Ethical Issues/Concerns in Managerial Accounting Management accountants have the responsibility to observe various ethical issues or concerns in their work. The Institute of Management Accountants prescribes proficiency, concealment, reliability, and believability as key ethical issues of consideration by all financial and accounting managers. Credibility requires accounting managers to communicate objectively and fairly. They should disclose important information for enhancing users’ understanding of