ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
American president Barrack Obama on the 10 th of September 2009 presented a health care model that sought to overhaul health care in the United States. This was a response to the increased unemployment and the increased premiums charged by the insurance companies. He said that the failing economy was affecting businesses and homeowners and there was a need for decisive action to cut costs and therefore ensure the survival of the Americans by not counting the returns exclusively but putting in the ethical considerations. The uninsured, according to him, was living an accident away from bankruptcy and can’t either get on-job cover or they are private entrepreneurs who are charged higher premiums than they can afford. Others are denied covers due to their preexisting illnesses hence are considered a bad investment by the insurance companies. The covered persons experience a potential risk of losing the cover when they change their jobs, become redundant, or migrate. According to him, the best approach is building on what works and fixing what doesn’t. The stakeholders in the care have come together to set up a workable model that will provide more security and stability to those covered; cover to those not covered and which will eventually reduce the health costs. Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA will retain their customers but serve them better while the preexisting conditions will not be a factor anymore. Checkups will be covered with no additional cost and the quality will be improved at a lower cost. Those not covered will be subjected to the market mechanism of trading cover and will be able to bargain for better prices and quality of cover. He also said that those who could not afford the cover would get tax credits on a need basis or low-cost coverage. Moreover, individuals will be required to have basic cover and businesses will need to take cover responsibility. However, waivers would be provided for those who cannot afford coverage. The cover would not be provided for illegal immigrants but would be geared towards accountability and better services. According to Obama, the plan would not lead to more deficits but would be paid for from the existing health care system and the charges on the insurance companies. Medicare funds would not be used in this although the reduction of wastes and inefficiency in them would pay for the plan. Indeed, putting patient safety first should be emphasized thus he called on his health secretary to act on the same. Basically, his proposed plan would cost about $90 billion per year and he called on the Americans to be united in resolving the health care issue. The health care bill to the congress by Obama did not do much to explain clearly to the public what it entails but rather emphasized the points that would garner its support. It did not meet the expectations of the people that it would address the contentious issues and clear the way for its legislation.
Introduction The rise of Globalization, as socio-economical concept, resulted in creating a situation when more and more people begin to think of humanity as something homogeneous, which in its turn, prompts them to conclude that cultural and economic concepts that are being crafted in the West, can also be applicable in just about any other part of the world with ease. It is being commonly assumed that people’s behavior is being defined by their social status rather then by their ethnic affiliation, and to suggest otherwise, would represent a “politically incorrect” statement. In her article “The March of the Monoculture”, Helena Norberg-Hodge makes a good point when she suggests that: “The world, we are told, is being united by virtue of the fact that everyone will soon be able to indulge their innate human desire for a Westernised, urbanised consumer lifestyle. West is best, and joining the bandwagon brings closer a harmonious union of peaceable, rational, democratic consumers “like us” (Norberg-Hodge, p. 194). However, the objective reality often indicates that it is individual’s affiliation with a particular ethnic group, which defines his or her existential mode more then anything else does. One does not have to be and ardent traveler to realize this simple fact. Since socio-political policies in Western countries became strongly associated with the concept of multiculturalism, we now have a plenty of proof, which suggest that people’s ethnicity affect their purchasing choices. For example, the majority of immigrants from Hong-Kong to U.S. and Canada are very wealthy people, who can easily afford living in mansions of their own; yet, they prefer buying houses and apartments in densely populated areas, simply because living in such areas corresponds to their mentality. In its turn, it substantiates our hypothesis that people’s buying choices in post-industrial era cannot only be discussed within a context of economics alone. Nevertheless, despite the fact that there is plenty of evidence that leaves no doubt as to the fact that people’s cultural differences define their economic behavior, the mainstream economists prefer to ignore this fact. For example, in his article “Economics Rules Return on Investment Dictates Whether Mainstream Ads Include Ethnic Groups”, Patrick Fong suggests that it is inappropriate to think of racial diversification as such that affects the effectiveness of market-oriented advertising in principle: “Advertising, shouldn’t be dictated by multiculturalism, but by economics. If your effort to include cultural groups comes off as corny, harm is done not only to the ethnic community but to the effectiveness of the campaign itself” (Fong, p. 13). Apparently, author does not understand a simple fact that the application of conventional morals, in the field of economics, can hardly be beneficial. In this paper, we will focus on exploring the specifics of Asian mentality, in conjunction with economics, because it will provide us w
The Partners A partnership is defined as an arrangement between two or more parties. Individuals come together to achieve a common goal. The parties involved in a partnership should have a personal stake in the arrangement. In addition, they should be willing to work together towards the common objective (Brandstetter et al., 2006). There should also be an understanding of each partner’s contribution and the value each brings to the partnership. Partnerships are able to advance a cause, access funding, and tackle difficult issues. In a corroborative partnership, none of the individuals should take precedence over the others. Instead, all stakeholders should be treated equally (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 2014). The proposed project aims at improving the dental health of children and the elderly. It will be a partnership between three stakeholders. They include a financier, a dentist, and the County Health Department. The partners will be identified on the basis of their contribution to the organization. Their assessment will be based on the expected state of engagements with each other (Brandstetter et al., 2006). The evaluation should focus on the expected outcomes of the dental project, taking into account the partners’ degree of fit among organizations. The fit is the match between the organizational cultures and values t
When the financial reports were made available after the 1999 fiscal year, it was tough to ignore the ascendancy of a company touted as a Wall Street darling (Keller, 2002). I heard about Enron’s extraordinary story in the past three years, but I never paid attention to the details, because I became a finance journalist following not only the billion-dollar companies, I was more interested in companies that are bringing in innovative solutions in terms of communication, transportation, and knowledge acquisitions. However, the Enron topic keeps coming up in my radar. Last month, after Enron posted historic revenues, I made a decision to write about the company. A quick overview of the last three financial reports from 1999 to 2001 raised a lot of red flags within the inner sanctum of my journalist-trained mind. However, the only thing that kept me sounding the alarm was the auditor’s signature at the end of each report, it says that he works for Arthur Andersen, probably the largest and most respected accounting firm in the planet. Nevertheless, something smells wrong with this company, and my gut instinct says to use all the investigative tricks in my bag in order to uncover the truth. At the end, I came up empty, but it does not mean that others should stop examining Enron’s books in order to reconcile the abnormal numbers the company is probably using to prop up the company’s perceived value. The Revenue Model Alarm bells were ringing in my head when I saw the financial highlights of the report for the 2000 fiscal year. It says that the company was raking in revenues in excess of $100 billion. It is not the fact that the company’s revenue stream was generating that kind of sales, because there are other companies that can also boast the same type of income-generating capacity, albeit Enron belongs to a rarefied group of companies with a revenue model that has this kind of financial power. It is not the $100 billion revenue that really bothered me, but in terms of how Enron was able to reach this point in a relatively short period of time. Four years ago, the company reported a revenue of $13 billion. However, the following year, Enron posted close to 50% growth when the revenue stream ballooned to $20 billion (Lay & Skilling, 2000). The same thing recurred the following year. It seemed to cool off in 1999 when the growth was only 30 percent allowing the company to declare a $40 billion revenue stream. However, the real issue was the report that was made a year later when the company grew more than 100 percent (Lay & Skilling, 2000). The Merchant Model It does not require a math wizard to figure out that Enron needs to justify the multiplication of resources, assets, income generating capabilities, and innovative marketing processes, because the absence of new models or new ways of making money does not satisfy the stringiest critics when it comes to the need to explain the company’s spectacular growth. In simple terms, we need to ask what the company is selling and how is it selling these products, because the only way to justify this kind of growth is to have a great product or having the ability to sell a good
In his article, the perception image, Gilles Deleuze gives varied definitions of how an individual can perceive the image. The first theme is in relation to objective and subjective while the second theme focuses on liquid perception. Therefore, the next discussion gives a simple summary of the aforementioned topics as per Deleuze’s views. According to Deleuze, a perception can result in double terms either objective or subjective. However, the challenge lies in differentiating the two terms especially when it comes to cinematography. The subjective perception of an image is whereby a qualified person identifies an image or secondly an individual who is part of the art. Depending on the observer, the reference point can be in terms of sensory factor, active factor, and effective factor. On the contrary, an objective perception is whereby the observer of an image does not form part of the art (that is, the external). However, this definition is not the only nominal but also seems purely negative and provisional. According to Jean Mitry, sometimes a perception neither falls in the category of objective nor subjective. For instance, in a case where ‘the observer-observed’ that is, an audience sees an individual watching an image, and at the same time, the same audience sees the observer’s perception. Thus, it is hard to categorize the initial image as objective while the second image is neither subjective. Therefore, due to the possibility of extreme contraction of the perception and the ability of the perception to pass from objective to subjective and vice versa, Deleuze calls this description semi-subjective. Furthermore, Pasolini applies linguistic analogy to differentiate subjective and objective perceptions. Intuitively, subjective perception image assumes the aspects of the direct discourse marker while the objective one passes as the indirect discourse marker. Eventually, a cinematographic image falls under the category of free discourse marker. However, these definitions have raised criticisms among linguistics especially Russians and Italians. This is because Mitry’s philosophy of linguistic analogy consists of an enunciation originating from utterances, which solely depend on a different enunciation. Bakhtin a linguist argues that a combination of enunciations is impossible but rather there can be a differentiation of two correlative subjects, which are heterogeneous. In counterargument, Pasolini thinks that cinema lacks both subjective and objective images but rather there exists a correlation between the perceived image and the camera consciousness. Finally, different researchers view the perception in terms of liquid (water). According to the French school, the perception image falls under two categories, molecular/molar perception, and liquid/solid perception. Deleuze draws his arguments from different artists. For instance, Jean Renoir uses water as his predilection and this has drawn attention from many artists like L’Herbier who view water as the solid character while the sea qualifies as a perceptive system, which is different from earthly images like languages. Ther
Problem Statement The article in question addresses the correlation between the value of property prices and the proximity of open spaces. In particular, Neumann et al. examine the association between property value and the proximity of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located in Massachusetts (1011). The authors address two research questions, investigating the possibility of a correlation between the proximity of the NWR and property price premiums. The researchers also examine the extent to which property prices correlate with the proximity of other types of open spaces such as recreational parks, agricultural land, golf courses, conservation land, and cemeteries. An underlying problem (associated with both economic and environmental issues) is related to views regarding taxation. Some believe that the commercial use of open spaces could increase tax revenues, which could lead to a dramatic decrease in the area of NWR lands. Methods Employing the quantitative research method, Neumann et al. use a semi-log linear specification to address the research questions (1013). The dependent variable is the sale price natural log. For the purpose of open space measurements, the researchers use diversity and distance indices, also applying the hedonic method to examine the correlation between property price values and open space proximity. In this study, the researchers assume that residential property prices have been affected by the proximity of open spaces. Importantly, different types of open spaces correlate differently to the prices. Summary of Results The researchers found a distinct association between property prices and the proximity of open spaces. Neumann et al. discovered that property situated within 100 meters of the NWR had a price premium of almost a thousand dollars compared to residential units located farther than 100 meters away (1011). The price value associated with NWR proximity was larger than that of the proximity of cemeteries, as well as agricultural and conservation lands. The values found in proximity to the NWR, golf courses, and recreational parks were similar. Such findings confirm the authors’ assumptions and are consistent with existing research. People tend to prefer living close to open spaces, and this drives the growth of property prices. Economic Reasoning As mentioned, US taxation presents a problem in this scenario. Although NWRs provide certain funds to the budget, some view this kind of revenue-collecting policy ineffective, claiming that open spaces should pay similar taxes to those paid by the owners of commercial spaces. In spite of this problem, Neumann et al. stress that the findings of their study indicate the proximity of open spaces of certain types increases property price values, resulting in significant tax revenues for the adjacent communities. In simple terms, communities receive higher tax revenues even though open spaces render less money in taxes (1011). Thus, the study results can be used in making policy. Policymakers can refer to the research as evidence supporting smaller taxes for open spaces. These lands ofte
Introduction Yuksel (2008) described the attitude that customers create after receiving services from the providers. The description revealed clear positivity or negativity in accordance to the quality of services offered. Primarily, dissatisfaction is associated with poor quality of services while satisfaction relies on good quality of services. Many researchers have performed evaluation on service enterprises to give valid conclusions regarding the relationships of these two aspects. According to Yuksel (2008), customer satisfaction is the most vital attribute that enterprises seek to achieve. After all, there are no concrete explanations revealing why an enterprise could aim on earning profits without satisfying the customers. This paper will link service quality to customer satisfaction by reviewing various finding from researchers and evaluating how service enterprises should consider this link. Market Share and Competition Businesses are subjected to many forces that have facilitated stability and delivery of competitive services. These outcomes arise from competition where businesses are allowed to enter the market. The free markets triggered close monitoring of services to retain customers by maintaining loyalty. Essentially, seeking loyalty arose as a new factor to protect customer satisfaction without creating dependence to quality regulations. This implies that enterprises must provide quality services to earn loyalty from customers and raise their income. For instance, if three companies provide communication services, customers have the freedom to choose between the companies and change in accordance to cost and efficacy. The company providing the best services will draw customers from the others and increase its market share. Similarly, a reverse event will happen to the two remaining companies. They will share a small portion of the market due to loss of customers. Therefore, enterprises must provide quality services to satisfy their customers and attain loyalty. The competitive nature of the world does not give chances to poor quality of services. Additionally, the businesses that have attained loyalty by dominating the market must work to satisfy the customers, follow quality regulations, and avoid ridicule through the media. Reliability Provision of re
Introduction Islam is one of the major religious groups spread all over the world. Just like most religious groups derive their principles from holy books, Islam also follow their principles as enshrined in their holy book, which is known as the Qur’an. The devotees of this holy book deem it the word of Allah. Moreover, Islam adherents regard Prophet Muhammad as the prophet of God and his messenger to the world; they follow his teachings and examples which they regard as normative. Muslims are those individuals who identify themselves with Islam (acquiescence to God). The religious practices of Islam entail what they have been referred to as the Five Pillars of Islam; these concern all facets of life and the society at large (Maqsood, 1995). Islam Relationships in the West It is important to note from the outset that the relationship between the West and Islam has never been sufficiently positive right from the start of the 20 th century. The West has a perception that Islam is a religion mainly concerned with the act of terrorism (Al-Khattar, 2003). The West has therefore become more cautious when dealing with issues that regard Islam. Due to this fact, the relationship between the West and Islam is set to be the characteristic feature in the 21 st century, especially with respect to the Middle East. The questions are the policy makers in the West should engage with the Islamic world, whether the spread of democracy in the Muslim regions stop the military forces that generates terrorism and the Western governments and populace deal with the swelling population of Muslims; and how all these will affect the foreign policies of countries like the United States of America (Bascio, 2007). Moreover, the relationship between Islam and the West has become critical. Both the West, especially the United States, and Muslims have never trusted each other as aggression and terror always come in the mid of the relationship that exists between Islam and the West. The fact is that the Western nations, particularly The United States, have become arrogant to the Muslim world on one hand. On the other hand, the Muslim world has continuously maintained militancy against the Western world. This scenario has placed the relationship in perpetual tension. The tensioned was heightened when the event
Martin Luther King was born Michael Luther King Jr. on January 15, 1929, but later changes his name to Martin. His family was mainly preachers with his grandfather and father being a pastor in the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta (Martin Luther King – Biography, 2011). He was a good student and obtained his BA degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta. He later obtained his doctorate degree from Atlanta University. Dr. King followed in the family’s passion and became a pastor in Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. As a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Dr. King led the bus boycott. This was an act of defiance against the laws which segregated the buses based on the color of the people. Dr. King was arrested by the government on several occasions during the boycott. However, the boycott was successful as the court ruled that the laws requiring the segregation of buses were unconstitutional. Among the ideas which Dr. King fought for vigorously was equal rights of all the citizens of the US regardless of their color. He was mainly focused on the equal right of the African-Americans, people who were greatly oppressed during his time. Among the most notable forms of expressing their dissatisfaction with the system was that he propagated the use of non-violent forms to fight for equal rights for the African-Americans. The civil rights movement which was led by Dr. King led to the abolishment of the laws which were oppressive to the African-Americans. This movement formed the precedence of various other civil rights movements of oppressed groups in other parts of the world. The use of non-violent demonstrations, a practice which is used up to date in the US and other parts of the developed world as Dr. King showed that they were effective.