ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Description and History Overview HOME, Inc. is a non-profit organization with a 36-year history of success in spreading knowledge about technology and media and promoting their uses in instructional strategies. HOME’s activity began from managing the Bates Arts Resource Center and implementing strategies to keep its studios more affordable for local artists (HOME, Inc. & Scholastic Media Association, n.d.a). Formerly known as the Joshua Bates School at 731 Harrison Ave., the BARC has been serving as an “arts incubator” and a place to provide studio space for Boston’s artists and video creators since 1976 (HOME, Inc. & SMA, n.d.a, para. 1). For more than forty years, this 12,000 sq ft building has been used to support the organization of art exhibitions, amateur theatrical activities, lectures and workshops, and multimedia content production in Boston. (HOME, Inc. & SMA, n.d.a). It suggests that supporting the local representatives of creative professions was among the central reasons behind the establishment of HOME. Detailed information regarding HOME’s initial founders is not accessible from their website. However, focused attention is drawn to Alan Michel, who has been leading the organization for the past thirty years and is known as its co-founder (Michel, 2019). A graduate from Tufts University in Massachusetts with a Master’s degree in Fine Arts and an ex-board member of the National Association of Educational Communications and Technology, Michel (2019) takes an active part in staff supervision, project implementation, and partnership development tasks to promote the organization’s mission. Mission Being an abbreviation for “Here-in Our Motives Evolve,” the organization’s name points to HOME, Inc.’s key mission relating to community improvement through focused and accessible education. Michel (2019) broadly defines HOME’s mission as making “a positive difference in the lives of young people,” which involves teaching media analysis and supporting creative and critical thinking (para. 2). One of the most recent and prominent steps aimed at fulfilling the mission is the Media Literacy and Health Project conducted by the organization in collaboration with th
Introduction Man has always been viewed as a social being and his interaction with others plays a very pivotal role in his personal growth and development. According to Keen (2002), man’s need to feel a connection with others is so intense that he will go to great extents, including having make-believe friends just to feel connected. It can therefore be stated that man cannot wholesomely exist in solitude and his encounter with others, be it by chance or otherwise is very important for his well being. It is due to this fact that depression which at times threatens to infringe mans well being has to be given due consideration. In this paper, I shall aim to expound on the meaning of depression all the while using psychological underpinning to explore its origin and probably effects be they adverse or otherwise. What is depression? Depression can be deemed as a form of mental disorder that brings about feelings of isolation, guilt, a general loss of interest, a decrease in self-worth and suicidal tendencies (Keen, 2002). These feelings are often accompanied by the feeling of emptiness. It should be noted that this isolation need not be physical in nature but can also be emotional. Contrary to popular belief, depression does not necessarily equate to being lonely and hence it would be perfectly non-contradictory for a depressed individual to describe him/herself as not being lonely. This perhaps stems from the fact that while depression simply implies being emotionally low, it has a physical and mental side and hence is more of a state of mind and needs psychiatric interventions if the patient is to recover fully. Evolutionary psychology and depression By definition, Buss (2005) describes evolutionary psychology as one of the many biological approaches used by psychologists in a bid to further our understanding on human behavior. According to the author, all bodily functions are organized and designed to serve the purpose of survival and reproduction. In this regards, it can be argued that cognition too, has a structure that help in the attainment of these purposes and that this functional structure has been developed over time as a result of natural selection. Bearing this in mind, Buss (2005) asserts that evolutionary psychology has its focus on the evolutionary properties of the human nervous system. To further explain this, the author states that all tissues in the human physiology are functionally interconnected so as to fulfill the key purposes (survival and reproduction) and that this organization of tissue functions is an evolutionary process rooting from natural selection. This means that the brain is also functionally organized and connected to other body functions and that it can therefore be best explored by applying evolutionary perspectives. With such underpinnings, it can equivocally be stated that the brain should not be viewed as an organ with a single function but rather, as a collection of functional parts serving psychological adaptations (functions) designed to serve survival and reproduction. As such, using the ideas formulated by evolutionary psychologists
The US debt limit has sharply come under scrutiny in the recent past and is considered a significant issue due to its impacts. The legislatures need to take an immediate action to avert a situation which would lead to the whole of the US economy being negatively affected. Currently attempts are being made to ensure that the debt limit is raised to avoid possible defaults being realized as this will certainly negatively impact the economy. The only challenge is the arm twisting being witnessed between the two parties with each of them turning down the proposals of the other. Despite this challenge, officials from both parties “have expressed cautious optimism about the chances of raising the US debt limit by Tuesday and averting possible default” (BBC 1). This issue of US debt has literary been covered by all media houses due to the significance it holds. President Barrack Obama is doing all he can to ensure that debt default does not occur. Different views have been aired with different people making suggestions through television channels as well as radio stations. The issue is current as its effects will be felt immediately if a solution is not found by Tuesday i.e. second of August. It can be argued that the issue is associated with a lot of emotions and suspense significantly because of the way it will likely impact the economic. Literary every sector of the economy is likely to be affected if the legislatures failure to raise the debt limit in time. It should be noted that the value US dollar will likely lose value to foreign currencies and this will adversely affected business people especially those engaged in international business. The Kenyan Famine The Kenyan famine is another piece of news which has hit the international headlines in a significant way. It is reported that Kenyans in a region called Turkana have been dying of hunger while the government is said not to be doing enough about the situation. The local newspapers and media houses have comprehensively covered the event with some of the images shown been quite emotional. Officials from various developed countries have visited the region and have expressed much concern about the event. Local corporate bodies have joined hands and started a project dubbed Kenyans for Kenyans whereby citizens of the country including the corporate bodies are making an attempt to raise 500 million Kenyans shillings for food purchase to feed people in that region (Ngumo 1). The government leadership has been sharply accused of laxity. This was especially triggered by the government spokesman who claimed that no person had died of hunger in Kenyan as there was no documentary evidence to show that. It is quite contradicting that in the same country there are regions which have realized huge harvests of potatoes and cabbages that the same are being fed on animals because there is no one interest
Introduction Providing examples of difficulties in mega projects, Eurotunnel and Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T), also known as Big Dig, are two examples, which largely represent to an extent a similar range of issues. In that regard, both e projects provide an example of unprofitable structure, where different factors ranging from political, financial, and technical resulted in that both projects at the current state are not expected to pay off any time soon. The present paper contrasts the main factors behind the difficulties in both project, providing a recommendation on the approach program management, which would provide a higher return on investment (ROI) within a reasonable time period. The Factors The main and the common factor in both projects is the underestimation of costs. In that regard, according to Bent Flyvbjerg of Aalborg University, such a factor is the rule rather than the exception, where 9 out of ten projects are underestimated. The root cause in the Big Dig project, in addition to the underestimation of costs, can be seen in the long span in the construction, during which the re-estimation of costs, combined with the inflation, were paralleled with funding issues, which continued up until the opening of the project. Accordingly, it can be seen that the update on the financial costs as well as new occurring factors was taking long spans, up to 3 years. The Eurotunnel project can be distinguished in that the factors contributing to the root cause of the project’s difficulty were also associated with the political division of the project. Such division between the two countries, which combined with the absence of a parenting company that would outline the shareholders and the dependence on the political changes within each country forced difficulties on the project. It should be noted that an important common attribute between the two projects can be considered its low ROI in the long term. Recommendation The main directive in the management of both projects can be seen through the establishment of a project management office (PMO), which will help in executing the objectives of the project as well as improving the practice and results of project management (Kendall & Rollins, 2003). The processes governed by the PMO should be conditioned with the implementation of the PMO value-oriented throughout put model, rather than the cost-containment model. It can be seen as the cost being the factor, and at the same time the underestimation of the cost being a rule, the focus on costs is likely to fail. In that regard, the throughout put model would fulfill the lesson in reporting the annual costs, while being focused on the objectives, rather than the ways to reduce costs. The throughout put model will be used to generate the data that will be used to assess the projects and accordingly will receive opportunities “that must be evaluated relative to current projects” (Kendall & Rollins, 2003, p. 28)
Borrower’s risk and mortgage residential lending Borrower’s risk in mortgage business refers to the uncertainties faced by the borrower when engaging themselves in mortgage. Mortgages are taken with an aim of acquiring residential houses and just like any other loans; they have to be paid back with a specified rate of interest which varies from one lender to the other. In Saudi Arabia, mortgages are available to borrowers from all classes’ of people, only which they are not that easy to obtain. This brings about the link between the borrower’s risk and mortgage residential borrowing in the region. The borrower is expected to deposit a large amount of money as down payment before they are guaranteed of being provided with the mortgage. The repayment period is also stated in short terms to ensure that the borrower is dedicated to clearing the debt. This saves the lenders from the problem of having to declare most of the debts as bad, owing to default payments on the part of the borrower. From this, it is clear that residential mortgage lending refers to the process of providing funds to individuals or groups for the purposes of constructing residential houses. These funds are to be paid back within a specified period of time and at a specified interest rate. At the expiry of the repayment period, the borrower is faced with the risk of having his property auctioned by the lenders so that they can redeem back their money. Before committing to take a mortgage, it is advisable for the borrower to have in place a payment plan that will ensure he is able to clear the debt within the specified time. This will save them from the possible trouble of losing their property. The lending institutions have a way of assessing the financial abilities of their clients before deciding on the amount of money to invest in their projects. In Saudi Arabia, most of these institutions provide a short repayment period after which the property is prone to being auctioned (Mortgage and Housing Corporation 98). This is a strategy that in addition to reducing the number of people committing to these mortgages, it also ensures that the few who obtain them are able to pay within the shortest time possible. This also ensures that they are able to recover their money more quickly hence being able to make more investments. Relevant factors in the determination of borrower’s risk Loan information It is always ad
Tom Nagle presents the argument that there has been a shift in how prices are set, from using pricing policies to the customers setting Prices, a trend that started in the eighties and which he refers to as negotiated pricing. He says that on the part of managers, who were only interested in profit margins however minimal, this was a wrong move. To determine the price for the customer, it is imperative to understand how much value the product is to the customer. With this value in mind, one can set a price with confidence that the customer who also appreciates the value of the product, will be willing to pay for it. Nagle points out that a seller should not be cowed into negotiating large discounts that do not reflect the true value of the product because once this happens, a wise customer will keep pushing this advantage. The seller should state firmly that his/her pricing is fair and that it is worth paying for what he/she has to offer. Another suggestion Nagle offers to deal with customers is ‘unbundling’. This is stripping the product of features that customers supposedly dismiss as not being important, and then offering the same product at a lower price. However, Naggle notes, there should be different pricing systems for different quality goods and different price valuing systems for different customers depending on size of purchase, commitment and service requirements. Nagle’s last recommendation on dealing with pricing is being able to turn down a deal that asks for too large a discount or that simply does not reflect on the value of the product. Nagle further recommends that sale persons should be motivated by being given incentives. Nagle outlines a couple mistakes that companies should avoid such as discounting the price increase by giving a smaller price increase to those who buy in bulk, discounting for buyers who purchase greater volumes, undermining the importance of value over volume, signing contracts which strongly favor one side and lastly determining price by looking at the performance of a product. Nagle concludes that the fundamental principal remains understanding the true value of the product offered, and then ensuring that the customers appreciate this value as well so that they know what they are paying for and do not hesitate to pay for it. Price negotiations results in loss of sense of value of the product, argues Nagle, and that it also undermines the importance of pricing. There are companies that have successfully used the approach of understanding the value of their product and setting their prices accordingly. Sears is one of the companies that opted to go down this road with very profitable results. By raising their prices by just one per cent, there was a corresponding 100% increase in profits. Sears did this by streamlining their s
The word ministry is from a Greek term diakomeo which means to serve. In the New Testament, ministry implies service to God and to people in the name of God. The New Testament further declares that the Lord came to this world to serve and not to be served. Christians are therefore encouraged to serve other people with love and humility just as Christ did. They should minister to God’s people with dedication and it does not matter whether the people believe in the ministry or not. They should minister for the sake of other people and the ministry should be served unconditionally. (Freedman) Today the ministry is using more of a professional meaning in the sense that pastors are referred to as “ministers” this means full time service to God. The pastors devote their lives to serve others in the ministry but they are not the only ones who are concerned with the ministry. In the New Testament and even in today’s world, every Christian is given the opportunity to help others in the service of God. The ministry does not deal with practical issues only but it concerns itself with spiritual matters. The ministry should make great efforts to help people accept Christ in their lives as well as sharing the word of God with everyone. Christians are brought together by the fact that they are universally devoted to Christ. They are dedicated to the work of Christ by helping others find their way to Christ. The church is supposed to help Christians to express their gratitude and love to God. (Samuel) The work of the ministry is through the free will of an individual and no one can force a person to take up an office in the ministry. The work should be
Introduction Although researchers have quantified the extent of gender pay inequality in the workplace, they hold different opinions regarding the best strategies to use in addressing the problem (Abendroth et al. 2017). This paper compares two strategies for reducing the gender pay gap in China. They include the introduction of a skills-based approach for approving pay increments and the inculcation of a transparency culture in the workplace where people can see how managers make decisions to increase pay. The context of this review is within the transport department of the Chinese government. At the end of this report, one strategy will emerge as the best. The effectiveness and public acceptance of this strategy define the two main evaluative criteria for selecting the best plan. However, before delving into the details of this analysis, it is first important to understand the background of the topic. Background Gender inequality in the workplace is a thorny issue in human resources circles. The gap in pay between male and female employees has particularly drawn the attention of intergovernmental organizations and observers, including the European Commission (2012) and the Economist (2017). Statistics reported by the European Commission (2015) reveal that men have consistently out-earned women across the board. These statistics have shown consistent patterns of bias in many countries. For example, a report developed by Calfas (2018, p. 1) revealed that up to 80% of companies operating in the United Kingdom (UK) paid women less than they did their male counterparts. The median pay gap between both genders is estimated to be 9.7% (Calfas 2018, p. 1). These statistics represent the same outlook in America because women earn about 80 cents for every dollar paid to a male colleague (Wolfe 2018, p. 1). In China, the same pattern is reported because the earning gap ratio has worsened from 75% in 1988 to 82% in 2009 (Gu 2017). This pay gap is largely attributed to existing biases in the gender labor division (Gu 2017). Several options could mitigate this problem. Introduction of Options Using Skill-Based Assessments A skill-based assessment structure is one that approves pay increases based on an employee’
Introduction Children are very important since they represent the community’s hopes, ambitions and its future. As such, they are cherished and most parents try to provide a quality life for them. Even so, some live lives full of hurt as a result of child abuse which is one of the most heinous crimes. This crime sometimes leads to children being traumatized for life or physically damaged. It is therefore of great importance to stop it from happening. In an attempt to stop this abuse, forms of punishment have been devised for retribution and deterrence purposes. This paper will argue that harsher punishment should be imposed for perpetrators of child abuse. The paper will reinforce this proposition by delving into the merits of harsher punishments. A case for Harsher Punishments The most desirable function of any form of punishment is deterrence. The ideal situation is one where punishments do not have to be executed since their presence causes people to abide by the rules. Harsh punishments provide deterrence since they invoke fear to anyone who intends to engage in this despicable act (Hoffmann-Engl, 2006). For example, giving child abusers harsh punishments such as a life sentence will act as deterrence to people who can easily afford to pay the fines imposed. As such, future offenders would be forced to think twice about the results of their acts. Harsh punishments also have the advantage of protecting the society from child abusers. Cunningham (1999) reveals that child abusers display high levels of impulsivity and aggression. These are attributes that are undesirable and if such persons are given modest punishments such as community service or short prison terms, they will reenter society and continue harming children. By giving long prison sentences or even imposing capital punishments on such offenders, the society will be protected from these child abusers who would reenter society sooner if punishments were lenient. Demerit of Harsh Punishment While harsh punishments appear to offer a solution to the problem, this measure may be detrimental to the welfare of the child in the case where the abuser is its guardian. DfES (2003) reveals that many cases abuses are committed not by strangers but by the people who are closest to the children. Imposing harsh punishments on these perpetrators will therefore leave the child without a guardian. Children may therefore end up suffering more as a result of the harsh punishments than they would if the punishment were more lenient. While this may be true, leaving the child at the mercy of the abuse just because they provide for its basic needs is the greater wrong. As such, harsh punishments should be imposed at the same time taking care to ensure that the child is provided for after the abuser has been imprisoned. Conclusion This paper has argued that impo