ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction If California would be considered as an individual country, it could be having an economy larger than most nations. The state used to be fifth on the list of world’s largest economies as measured by GDP (gross domestic product). However, it recently slipped to ninth position behind Brazil, UK and Italy according to a report from the CCSCE (Center For Continuing Study of the California Economy) dated September 2012. By 2008, California’s economy had greatly reduced in terms of per capita income. The economy of California has continued to decline in the recent past (National Affairs, 2009). Lately, the Gross Domestic Product of California has downsized and is ranked 8 th behind Brazil and Italy. Many people believe that California has made significant contribution towards the collapse of the United States’ economy. Most of the positive aspects associated with California have since been swapped away. This has been caused by a number of factors such as increasing cases of unemployment, natural disasters, taxes, foreclosures, increased taxes, increase in rate of crime, and rising tax rates. Such incidences have made many people to vacate the state of California and move to other states where the economy has not been affected. The state of California has been hit by major anti-business socialists leading into the closure of many manufacturing companies in different cities. In terms of health care, several emergency rooms in hospitals are not in a position to accommodate the increasing number of patients who are in need of medical attention. This means that patients have to wait for long hours before being attended to. This scenario increases unnecessary death rates. A lot of blame is placed particularly on the politicians since they are believed to be behind the creation of policies that have increased peoples dependence on the government other than engaging in constructive activities. Most of the political leaders in California do not also portray acts of fairness, while others have engaged in other self centered interests without minding the future of California (Shatz & Public Policy Institute of California, 2003). California has five major sectors that control how its economy operates. These sectors run California’s economy by creating myriads of job opportunities to its residents. California has one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States. It is also the third largest state in term of high unemployment rates in the United States (Gordon, 2007). The chart below shows the contributions of the major sectors in the gross domestic product of California. Figure 1: Gross Domestic Product of California by sector for 2008. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gross_Domestic_Product_of_California_2008_%28millions_of_current_dollars%29.svg From the chart above, it can be noted that the GDP of California is evenly distributed in all sectors. If any of these sectors does not function well, then the whole economy of California may be equally affected. International Trade and Tourism This has been a major source
For centuries on end, mankind has been making an effort to understand the meaning of life and the laws that govern its flow. Striving to conceive the ultimate principles that direct a proper existence, one often arrives at the notion of truth being a foundation of a virtuous life. Behavior characterized by being truthful to people, keeping one’s word, avoiding any falsity, hypocrisy, and insincerity is categorized as the righteous one, and the truth is elevated on a pedestal as the hallmark and the source of all virtue. However, in real-life practice (including that depicted in literary and cinematographic fiction) it is frequently the case that rule of truth is violated, and not only by vicious people but also by those striving to construct positive relations with the surrounding environment and thus resorting to a kind of “lie for the greater good”. In such cases, there emerges a question: what really is the truth, and do people really need pure truth for ensuring their happy existence? This issue is touched upon in multiple works of literature and cinematograph, among which three were chosen for a closer examination in the present paper: Orson Welles’ documentary F for Fake, Mike Nichols’ drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway, — all the pieces linked together by questioning the mere existence and significance of truth in human life. Following the characters line and the way they interpret the course of their life, a hypothesis emerges about truth being only phantom humanity created in a vain attempt to idealize the world around, as what directs and defines human behavior, in reality, is based on illusions people create for their own comfort. Indeed, whoever can estimate what truth is and where is the yardstick and measure of truth and authenticity? F for Fake represents a brilliant provocation presenting a story of fraud, lies, and trickery based on solid facts — a fraud in itself, as firstly, it is a reenactment of possible events in the past, and secondly, the existence and identity of a few characters involved in the story has never been proved. Telling a story of a professional art forger, Elmyr de Hory, Welles actually focuses on the issue dealing with the basis of the art value: does the creator’s personality matter for the true value of a work of art, or the latter represents a value of its own, without the necessity of its creator’s big name? Demonstrating in his film an art forgery of utmost professionalism and skillfulness, Welles attempts to show the unreliability of any assessment, even that done by professionals: “Value depends on
The concept of freedom is often discussed and debated by philosophers, political scientists, or lawyers. It is viewed as one of unalienable rights of a person; yet, it can be restricted due to some reasons or purposes. This paper is aimed at showing that freedom is impossible without some responsibility for ones actions and some restrictions are inevitable. Without these restrictions, the very existence of society can be threatened. On the whole, this issue can be important for individuals, communities, and states. The way in which people understand the notion of freedom affects criminal laws, international relations, and the moral principles of an individual. This is why various aspects of freedom are still worth examining, even though many thinkers have discussed them. First of all, one can ask whether freedom is always a good thing. At first glance, this question may seem outrageous or ludicrous because people usually regard individual liberty as something indispensible for a human being. However, this view can be disputed because under some circumstances the freedom of an individual has to be limited. For instance, criminals are deprived of their right to freedom, because they can pose a threat to other people. Additionally, one can mention traffic rules that are familiar to every person. They are taken for granted even though they do limit personal freedom. Even the most severe critics of the state cannot deny the necessity of such restrictions. Therefore, freedom may not be a good thing if a person completely disregards the interests of other people. Overall, this issue has been discussed by many prominent philosophers. In his classical work Leviathan Thomas Hobbes points out that people who are not bound by any rules, will inevitably enter into conflict in which only the strongest can prevail (Hobbes, 1976, p. 86). He believes that the life of such people will be “poor, nasty, brutish, and short” (Hobbes, 1976, p. 86). Thus, it is possible to say that absolute freedom is hardly possible, because it can be interpreted as ability to anything that a person wants to. There were people who possessed almost absolute freedom, for example, one can mention the dictators of the twentieth century like Hitler or Stalin, but it was based on the use of coercion and violence. This is why people seek not to be free, especially they want to be protected by the law or the state. The very idea of social contract is based on the premise that people forfeit some of their rights in order to create a peaceful community. This necessity to limit ones freedom was discussed in the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2008) who believed that state should act as an arbiter and enforcer of the social contract (p. 39). The existence of such a contract implies that people consent to follow some rules that limit their freedom. The philosophical and ethical aspects of freedom are important for international relati
Introduction The film “The Goddess (1934)” is a cry for female tolerance. It openly criticizes a conservative society that places unrealistic expectations among women without really thinking about their circumstances. Feminism in the film Feminism echoes throughout the plot of the movie through the life of the main character and through the reactions of the people around her. For one to understand the difficulties that the main character in the story went through, one needs to know the context of the narration. This was depression-era China; financial and economic conditions had become almost intolerable (Chan, 2003). What’s more, women had limited opportunities to fend for their families because of societal rules. Consequently, single mothers had to resort to drastic measures, like prostitution, in order to survive. Most films written in the silent era were rarely this bold. The writer of the piece stepped out of the box by choosing such a controversial storyline in order to send a message to his audiences. He wanted to question the self righteousness and moral indignation that Chinese people felt they had upon others especially in relation to women’s roles. It was quite unexpected that a prostitute, of all people, should be made the star of a movie. However, instead of choosing to portray a money-minded and heartless character, the director decided to make her human. She was full of grace and beauty; one would find it difficult to stereotype her. In fact, it was almost as if the writer wanted to ridicule these expectations of women. Furthermore, he chose to give her a very unconventional name at the beginning of the movie, i.e. “The Goddess”. This was a woman whose profession was treated with a lot of shame and derision, yet the author still went on to call her a Goddess. What make the main actress suit that title are the motives behind her actions; she engages in prostitution not because she wants to make easy money, but because she wants to secure an education for her son. These desires are what endear ‘The Goddess’ to her audience. Such a choice of character was a feminist endeavor because 1934 was a time when women were still regarded as moving, walking and talking dolls (Kazuko, 1989). Marriage was something to be arranged and not to be chosen by the parties involved. Furthermore, these women were bound (their feet were tied with bandages into small bundles that made it very painful to walk) from an early age. The practice was instated in order to keep women from running away. In some parts of China, women were sold-off in order to repay bad debts or settle scores with business partners. During their marriage ceremo
This article is a case study of a 20-year-old female patient who presented herself with an abnormal vaginal discharge with a foul smell. The patient reported having multiple sex partners and a sexually active lifestyle since the age of 14 years. The disease was established to be chlamydia. Chlamydia is a type of sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a bacterium referred to as Chlamydia trachomatis (Schuiling & Likis, 2013). It is, sometimes, referred to as a silent infection because infected people rarely realize that they are infected. It is mainly transmitted through unprotected sex with an infected person, whether oral, anal, or vaginal (Tharpe, Farley, & Jordan, 2013). Signs and Symptoms Consistent with STI The patient reported abnormal vaginal discharge that was characterized by a foul smell. The patient also reported an irritating sensation during urination, vaginal bleeding following sexual intercourse, regular bleeding in between menstrual periods, and the presence of a swelling in the vagina. Inconsistent with STI The patient reported experiencing pains in the abdomen, mild fevers, and an urge for frequent urination. Patient Notification The patient was first notified of the fact that chlamydia is a common STI infection that can be cured. She was also informed that the asymptomatic nature of the disease may make it impossible for her to notice an infected person, thereby making the infections more common. As I made the patient aware of the condition, I was also quick to let h
Introduction Hans Jacob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen in 1668 wrote a classic fiction novel in German. The novel is regarded as a classic Baroque style work and is strongly influenced by the 30-year Prussian war that ram between 1618 and 1648. The story he tells us the story that discusses the German culture and societal class in the early 16th Century and provides a vivid account of the social interaction between the noble class, the army and the peasants and their interactions with the trading or the merchant class (Wallich, 1963). This paper provides an analysis of the classic and discusses the social structure of medieval Germany. Grimmelshausen Opinions of Social Class Differences In a translation of the original German works of Grimmelshausen (The Simplicissimus Project 2002), the students of The College of William and Mary have attempted to provide a complete translation of the original work. The story deals with the travels of Melchior Sternfels von Fuchshaim, an adventurer and a vagabond who travelled the war that ravaged Germany. It must be noted that while the population before the war started in 1612 was 12 million and by 1948, there were only 4 million people left. In the novel, the hero is the author who compares the German society of the times to a large forest full of trees. The author has used symbolism and has depicted the roots of the trees to the peasant class, because the peasants are children of the soil, till the land, grow crops and harvest them. In this same social class are the merchants, labourers, carters, donkey drivers, harlots, soldiers and mercenaries. All these people work hard to ensure that the upper class of society live in comfort. The author has suggested that the branches, leaves and fruits of the tree are represented by the upper classes. The roots of the tree and the upper regions of the tree are joined or segregated by a wide, waxy and smooth bark. While there is much interaction between members of the same class and there is sufficient mobility for them to move about in their own class, there is no way that a peasant can manage to climb up the wide and slippery bark. The peasants can only do this if someone from the aristocracy helps them and the nobility will only people they want while the others have to remain content in their own world. Grimmelshausen again speaks disparagingly of certain elements of the lower class who seek to copy the mannerisms of the nobility in the hope that by adopted affected manners and clothing, they can turn into nobility. The opening statement from the work suggests this attitude: “There appeareth in these days of ours (of which many do believe that they are the last days) among the common folk, a certain disease which causeth those who do suffer from it (so soon as they have either scraped and higgled together so much that they can, besides a few pence in their pocket, wear a fool’s coat of the new fashion with a thousand bits of silk ribbon upon it, or by some trick of fortune have become known as men of parts) forthwith to give themselves out gentlemen and nob
Nietzsche is known for his pioneering deductions and highly controversial views on religion, human nature, and ultimately the natural and societal forces and laws that govern the entirety of a person’s life. In truth, historical figures like Friedrich Nietzsche challenge the status quo merely by expressing themselves; however, one of his ideas in particular has made significant resonance – the idea on the origin of morality. Specifically, in regard to this, the collection of essays titled On the Genealogy of Morality has received the grandest share of attention from readers. For this reason, the following work examines the main themes that Nietzsche postulates in the body of the work. Those are the polemic on the etymology of the good and bad and the condition of the modern man connected to his main argument on the origin of morality. The central problem of On the Genealogy of Morality can be found in the first essay titled Good and Evil, where the skeletal structure of the state-of-the-art of morality is depicted by Nietzsche. This particular part of the treatise is often viewed separately from the other two, as rightfully noted by Meredith, for its compelling clarity of discourse that separates it from the other chapters (248). It is also the part that received the most scholarly attention, and surely, not without a reason, however, Meredith says, that the morality principles discussed in the Good and Bad are far from exhaustive (248). Restricting oneself to the first essay inspires to compose distorted and limited interpretation of the concepts proposed Nietzsche. It is for this reason in particular that the current work aims to compile an overview as close and as comprehensive as possible. What appears to be quite obvious for Nietzsche concerning the origin and the true nature of morality
Introduction Corporate tax refers to the tax imposed on corporations that have been registered as legal entities within a country or a territory (Shaviro, 2009). In this light, corporations might be companies, countries or subdivisions of the countries. The tax is imposed on various sectors of the corporations including the income, capital, property, and profit among others. The tax imposition is governed by stipulated tax rules that direct on the taxes to be imposed on the corporations. In this light, the rules consider the foreign and national corporations. In most cases, the rates imposed on the foreign corporations are higher than the rates charged on the internal corporations (Bailey and VanDorn, 1986). This tendency aims at encouraging internal investment and limiting the external investors. As a result, the citizens of the country are prioritized by getting better opportunities for development than the foreign corporations. This paper seeks to touch on the corporate taxation around the world by comparing the corporate taxation system of two countries. In this case, the paper will consider the United Arabs Emirates and Qatar. Therefore, it will discuss the future and current corporate taxations for the two countries. Particularly, it will discuss the types of taxation practiced in the two countries alongside the comparison. Corporate taxes include the taxes that are imposed on foreign corporations, local taxations, and sales taxes among others. Lastly, the paper will touch on the personal evaluation of the taxation system according to the comparison (Shaviro, 2009). Definitions There are various terms that will be used in this paper that need definition in order to ensure that the readers are familiar with them. UAE stands for the United Arabs Emirates. It is a federation that comprises of seven emirates. The emirates include Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai, Fujairah, umm al-Quwain, Ajman and Ras al-Khaimah. The capital city of this federation is Abu Dhabi (Mostyn, 1982). Qatar is officially called the state of Qatar. It is a sovereign state for the Arabian region in Western Asia bordering Saudi Arabia. Also, it borders the state of Bahran and they are separated by the Persian Gulf (Peat, 1991). Corporate Tax in UAE Regarding taxation, the United Arabs Emirates does not rely on taxes as a main source of their revenue. In this light, they rely on oil and natural gases for developing their economy. Consequently, corporate taxation is not widespread in their economic setup. This implies that most Emirates do not charge taxes on their corporations, including the companies that exist in their respective jurisdictions (Mostyn, 1982). In fact, almost all the emirates do not impose the corporate taxes on their corporations. In their perspective, they argue that taking unearned income from somebody is not right. In this light, they consider tax as an unearned income that is taken from the public bodies and individuals. However, they impose taxes on various instances in their e
Introduction Online education has become a common trend in learning institutions, especially in tertiary establishments. Most instructors and students take part in this activity from their computers and mobile devices (Jones 50). There are various variations between online learning and conventional education. However, some similarities exist between the two. For instance, in both, starting a new class or course is regarded as a nerve wrecking experience for both teachers and learners (Bernstorff 252). The observation is mainly attributed to the nervousness associated with the new environment. For this reason, education experts recommend that classes should begin with activities that create a rapport or act as icebreakers between the instructors and the learners. Bender provides a number of activities that can be used to thaw the “ice crystals”, especially with online students (82). One of them, which I have selected for this blog, involves asking the students to state what they hope to learn from the course. The activity can be used to enhance online education. Description of the Activity In this activity, the instructor asks the students to list their learning objectives (Bender 84). The learners are engaged in a discussion that seeks to bring out their views and expectations. Honesty is of great importance to this activity. Discussion topics can range from what the students expect to why they chose the course (Bradford 240). It is an effective icebreaker given that the instructor not only creates rapport, but also gets to gauge the attitudes the students have towards the course. Importance of the Activity with Regards to Online Learning The activity can be used to enhance online learning. First, the information obtained from the learners can be used to improve the course. For instance, an instructor is able to encourage the students to take responsibility when it comes to achieving their stated objectives (Egan 444). According to Bender, the activity can help the instructor and the learners to develop some sort of a learning contract or agreement to achieve the said objectives (84). In addition, the instructor also gets to learn about the students’ interests in areas that are not included in the syllabus. As such, they are able to offer individual research projects that help the learners to achieve their objectives. The activity can also enhance online learning through syllabus reviews (Howell & Hricko 56. The objective is achieved especially if the syllabus is seen to vary significantly from the expectations of the learners. Meeting the Goals and Objectives of the Course Online learning is fairly new compared to physical contact form of education (Howell & Hricko 56). As such, navigating through an online course