ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
With suppliers located in China, Vietnam and Cambodia, Wal-Mart is able to provide consumers with products priced at a far lower rate as compared to their product counterparts from manufacturers based in the U.S.(CBC Documentary, 2009). This situation is in part due to the far lower labor cost, material cost and business incentives that production in regions such as Asia brings. What this means for U.S. based consumers is the ability to buy products at a lower rate than they otherwise would have been able to resulting in significant savings over the course of a year (CBC Documentary, 2009). As the world’s largest company and retailer, Wal-Mart has come to be a representation of a distinct shift in the balance of market power wherein retailers instead of manufacturers take a dominant role in today’s economy (Petrovic & Hamilton, N.D.). This is in part due to the effects of globalization wherein the procurement strategies of retailers are no longer limited to a local or regional basis but rather take into account the reality of a global supplier base (Petrovic & Hamilton, N.D.). Yet it must be questioned whether such savings actually helps American shoppers and in a larger context it must be asked whether Wal-Mart is truly good for America or is it detrimental towards the development of the American economy? It must be noted that consumer spending is the driving force behind the American economy. People spending money on products keeps a local business functioning which in turn provides jobs in the local economy giving people the ability to spend. In essence it is a cycle of spending that encourages economic growth and stability. When Wal-Mart came into the picture it presented consumers with the ability to purchase products at a far lower cost per product ratio as compared to other shopping centers (CBC Documentary, 2009). This was done by reducing the pay scale of employees to the bare minimum which as result enabled the company to lower the cost of operations enabling it to lower the price of the products it sold (CBC Documentary, 2009). Their strategy of cutting costs through any means possible in order to keep the price of products low has resulted in local manufacturing jobs to slowly but surely disappear from the landscape of the U.S. (Paruchuri et al., 2009). This of course creates problems for consumer spending resulting in a slowdown of the U.S. economy due to fewer people having jobs. This resulting situation has more people choosing the affordable and cheap products that Wal-Mart provides and as a result this starts a new cycle where instead of continuous economic growth and prosperity there is a slow but sure deterioration of the U.S. economy (Elliot and Powell, 2003). Is Wal-Mart Good For the World? The procurement strategies employed by Wal-Mart are actually a boon for the economies of several countries. The global outsourcing industry has actually fueled the growth of countries such as China resulting in resurgence and growth in their economies. The jobs that were onc
Description of the Present Policy The first part of this essay is a description of the present policy – the supervised injection facility (SIF) policy. The policy facilitated the establishment of a medically supervised injection centre (MISC) in North Richmond where users visit and inject drugs under the supervision of clinical officers to ensure safety and hygiene among substance users. North Richmond has a history of major drug abuse problems, which led the locals to protest and lobby for the establishment of a SIF as a way of reducing harm and fatalities in the area. North Richmond is a leading heroin distribution centre because people from all over the state pass through the region due to its central location with two tramlines and eight train lines. Locals have been witnessing increased instances of drug overdose cases in their neighbourhoods together with ambulance sirens as emergency teams rush to assist the affected individuals. Besides, due to the ever-rising cases of drug abuse in North Richmond, the area is littered with syringes and other unhygienic items, which pose health risks to the locals, especially children. These issues contributed largely to the need to have the SIF facility established in North Richmond. Under supervised injection policy, drug users can walk into the injection rooms with their drugs of choice and receive clean equipment from the staff members before proceeding stainless booths where they inject themselves safely (Parliament of Victoria 2017b). The involved clinicians are not legally authorised to inject drugs to users. The SIF is not designed to encourage people to start or stop using drugs. On the contrary, the policy has clearly stated objective to reduce harm to drug users and communities where they live in by providing safe places for drug injection and use. The impacts of this policy on the community include reducing the number of syringes and needles on the streets and traumatic cases of seeing overdosed people lying around. In addition, the policy would cut down the number of ambulance call-outs to attend to overdose cases, thus allowing such public resources to be used in emergency cases, which ultimately improves their utility (Parliament of Victoria 2017b). Similarly, police officers in the region would be available to deal with matters related to law and order as opposed to going after drug users. To the individual users, the policy ensures that the health risks related to drug use are minimised. For instance, sharing syringes increases the risk of blood transmitted health conditions, such as HIV and AIDS (Rowe & Mendes 2004). Additionally, the policy deals with the problem of overdose, which might lead to fatalities if not addressed in time. Such approaches to drug use have worked successfully in Australia and around the world. For instance, Sydney has one operational SIF. Fitzgerald (2013) argues that SIFs have been successful in countries where they have been implemented and supervised according to the set guidelines. The injection room policy elicited different opinions from diverse societal quarters with proponents and opponents airing their views concerning the issue. Dif
Introduction Authors aim to emphasize the problems relevant to them in their works to enhance the reader’s understanding. Anzaldua discusses the connection between the language a person speaks and his or her identity. The author provides an example of her visit to a dentist as a child, which inspired Anzaldua to think about culture and its connection to the mother tongue (33). Forbidding an individual to speak their language is an oppression of the ability to express feelings and thoughts. Passage Discussion Due to Anzaldua’s origins, she was forced to learn a second language – English: and work on not having an accent. The author was taught that it was the only way to become American, which inevitably would lead to losing connection with her culture. An interesting consideration is that inhabitants of Anzaldua’s hometown developed Chicano Spanish in an attempt to adapt to the pressure of becoming Americans. Another aspect that Anzaldua considers is the difference between attitudes towards men and women in her culture (35). The significance of the text is in the firsthand experience that the author shares. Conclusion Anzaldua’s work provides an understanding of the connection that language has with one’s culture and identity. In addition, the difference of attitudes towards men’s and women’s speaking is highlighted to show unfair treatment of the latter. The author’s life journey and challenges described in this passage illustrate the pressure she experienced as a Mexican growing up in the US and her viewpoint of language as a way to express one’s personality. Work Cited Anzaldua, Gloria. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue.” Fifty Great Essays , edited by Robert DiYanni, 4th ed., Pearson, 2013, pp. 33-45.
Compare and contrast how the Chinese viewed Korea and Japan historically Historically, the Chinese dynasties viewed Korea and Japan as tributaries that needed protection or prizes that needed coveting (Jack, 2013). They viewed them as dangerous land bridges that could harm China. For instance, the Chinese felt that Korea’s status as a tributary in the 19 th century would lead it to war with its counterpart (Japan). The historical Japanese invasion of China is still fresh in the minds of its citizens (Jack, 2013). This confirms the reason why they viewed Japan as a dangerous country. They also believed that the dynastic periods of Korea and Japan were owed to their history. For instance, the Chinese believed that they played a great role in shaping the Korean and Japanese culture, religion, and politics, among other things. In Korea, this is confirmed in the article “Korea in Chinese History: Struck in the Middle,” where the modern Chinese historians argue that the Korean dynastic period is owed to their history (Jack, 2013). For instance, they narrate that the Goguryeo state, which is presently referred to as North China, belonged to the ethnic groups of the Chinese (Jack, 2013). In Japan, the argument about the dynasties of China is confirmed by their culture, which is similar to that of China. In the article “Japan in Chinese History: Cross Currents,” the modern historians continue to argue that their country played a primary role in shaping Japanese politics, literature, culture, and religion (Jack, 2013). China saw itself as the greatest power in Eastern Asia and hence wanted the states of Korea and Japan to be under its control. The Chinese dynasties believed that the Koreans viewed them as cruel. They also felt that they associated them with the wanton invaders. On the other hand, they viewed Japan as a close ally. That is why China shared its culture, religion, and literature, among other things, with the nation (Jack, 2013). The Chinese viewed Japan as one of their own. This is confirmed by the anti-Japanese protests in China, which the country viewed as a loophole that could destabilize its power. In addition, the Buddhism culture and sharing of Chinese words among the Japanese communities confirms the close relationships that existed between the two nations historically (Jack, 2013). Do you agree with the arguments made by these two articles? Why or why not? I totally agree with the arguments made by these two articles. First, the articles provide strong arguments from modern historians supporting the view of how the Chinese viewed Japan and Korea historically. For instance, the author of these articles has explained his argument basing on historical data from all the nations (Jack, 2013). He has included examples showing how both countries emulate certain aspects of the Chinese culture. For instance, the information in the article about language sharing (Japanese culture incorporating Chinese characters), cultural exchange, and religion (Buddhism) clearly i
Running a restaurant business effectively is not an easy task, and a manager needs to learn how to effectively govern the manner in which employees interact and behave. The manager can do this by earning the respect of both his staff and superiors. Respect does not just come easily; rather, it is earned over a period of time. To earn employees’ respect, the manager needs to know his staff and their skills well. Here he needs to know their strengths and weaknesses. This way he will be able to delegate them to the tasks they are best suited for while ensuring they are well adapted to and trained to perform other tasks. The restaurant manager needs to accept responsibility and accountability instead of delegating them to his staff. This means that if his staff is experiencing difficulty in their tasks, he should help them out instead of scolding them. This makes their job easier and also encourages them to perform their duties well. A manager should have reasonable expectations of his staff. If he wants them to do something outside their job description such as extra hours, he should ask them instead of commanding and be prepared to take a no for an answer. This common courtesy among colleagues earns respect and co-operation. Moreover, a manager can earn respect from his staff if he listens and takes interest in the things happening to staff outside of work. This show of compassion and understanding displays his human side and a respected manager helps employees go through rough times. He can make the workplace enjoyable. Restaurants as workplaces can be very difficult for staff that is always at the beck and call of both guests and managers. This can elicit feelings of resentment. A manager can counter that by introducing incentives to make the working environment enjoyable such as rewards, staff parties and generally making them feel they are a family. A manager earns respect from superiors by accepting responsibility and accountability. This is by owning up to mistakes by his staff and helping his staff to do their duties well instead of blaming them This, a manager will do by communicating effectively. This means he gives information clearly, takes time to listen and clarify issues, and ‘talks straight ‘when necessary. If as a manager the superiors tell you of their plan, whether you agree or not say so and provide reasons for your answers. This shows he has opinions and is able to focus on potential results and obey orders, that is, he can take issues head-on when necessary with good judgment and is sensitively anchored in the culture of the business. Moreover, a manager should be flexible and with good judgment. Juggling tasks from financial decision-making to aesthetic and staffing in the restaurant business is not easy, and a manager who is able to do this earns respect from his superiors. It is correct to follow the attribute that employees’ respect in a restaurant manager does not differ much from the superiors’ respect in managers, onl
Introduction This paper provides an architectural analysis of the plan to build a cathedral on the eastern part of Ile de la Cite in Paris, France. The Cathedral will be named ‘Notre-Dame de Paris’ or simply ‘The Notre Dam’. The assumption is that the building is not in existence but is set to start as soon as possible. The plan is to build one of the finest examples of the European Gothic Architecture comparable to the Romanesque designs. In addition, it will compete for fame with major gothic churches and cathedrals in Rome, Milan and other parts of Western Europe. Exterior The Cathedral will have a number of unique features on its exterior parts, including the roof. It will make use of the modern technology that allows buildings to use flying buttress as exterior support with additional aesthetic function. The building will occupy a space measuring 128 meters long and 53 meters wide 1 . Its height is about 110 feet. It will stand on a foundation 30 feet below the ground 2 . The entire foundation will be made of fine and precisely cut hard stones to give it the required strength. It will have two towers each measuring 69 meters in height, but the highest aspire will be 90 meters 3 . The design includes several rose windows that are large, decorated and significantly attractive. One of the windows will be a massive feature of the cathedral with a diameter of 13.1meters. The plan is to make this window one of the most significant aspects of the building. In addition, chapels will be inserted between the exterior buttresses. The compound will be large enough to accommodate large congregations, viewers as well as any sculptural or artistic donation with religious meaning or value. The Notre Dam Cathedral will have three main levels or layers. The lower level will be designed to provide with an entrance. Three gates for the congregation will be set on this level. This will be the main arcade and the ground floor of the building. It will also hold a number of positions to accommodate numerous religious portals based on the bible. Most of these will be sculptures of various kinds, which will form the main source of aesthetic value and biblical inspiration to the people entering the church. For instance, we plan to line up a number of delicately curved sculptures at the middle of the main door to represent the biblical story of “The Last Judgment” 4 . The second layer is the Clerestory, which will be separated from the main arcade by another prestigious gallery. The Clerestory will have round rose windows with numerous decorative colors. The two towers will form the third level of the cathedral. The south Tower will form the main point of capturing the panoramic view of Paris, giving the visitors and the congregation a chance to watch the beautify city. Interior Inside the building, heavy pillars will hold the roof-vaults. These vaults
Definitions and explanation of terms Technology has evolved since the emergency of microprocessors. The sizes of computers have reduced rapidly over time due to innovations in technology. With the reduction of the sizes of the computers, software development has followed the same trend. An operating system (OS) “is an integrated set of programs that is used to manage the various resources and overall operations of a computer system which is designed to support the activity of a computer” (Das 2010, p. 88). A team of programmers work together with microprocessor engineers to design a set of programs that work together to avail various resources of a computer. In fact, the most important part of the computer is the operating system. While a typical boot process doesn’t call the operating system right away, it hands over to the operating system before any real work can be done (Watson 2008, p. 60). Despite the fact that a computer system constitutes of the hardware, live ware and software, the operating system is the most important software that the computer system must contain. The operating systems have been developed from time to time. The major differences in the operating systems revolve around the interfaces each operating system use. There are three major types of interfaces namely: command driven, menu driven and graphical user interface based operating systems. In the market today, there are a number of operating system software developers. The most common personal computer operating system software developers or operating systems are: Windows by Microsoft Corporation, Mac by Apple computers, Solaris by Oracle, Linux and others. Old operating systems like MS DOS were command driven types of operating systems which are not reliable because of the difficulty encountered in remembering the commands. The menu driven operating systems were an improvement of the command driven operating systems. This led to the invention of the graphics interface based operating system. Operating systems have two modes namely, user mode and the Kernel mode. The user mode is what the human being interacts with while the Kernel mode is what interacts with the computer hardware. Microsoft operating system has penetrated most of the markets and is considered to be the most popular of the operating systems in use today. The Microsoft Operating system (OS) has also been changing the look and feel of the graphical interface and addition of some functions. Microsoft Windows 95 gave way to Windows 97 and Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2003/ XP and Windows Vista. The latest versions of Microsoft windows are the windows 7 and anticipated windows 8. The following statistics illustrate the trend in market penetration of the operating systems. Charts showing the market share of the operating s
Introduction United States occupies a distinguishing position in global affairs. Never in history has a single country conquered the international arena to the extent that the U.S. does today, courtesy of its foreign policies, which continue to draw mixed reactions, ranging from admiration to envy and hatred (Cameron, 2005 p. xvi). However, admirers and critics of U.S. foreign policies are often in agreement that no matter what the indicator – military might, economic vitality, democratic principles, political persuasion, and cultural model – the country is indeed in a league of its own. The U.S. is the only superpower in the world and the only country able to project power and influence in every part of the world (Glenny, 2000), a fact reinforced by Cameron (2005), who notes that the U.S. has been involved in resolving conflicts on every continent since the early 1990s either through military engagement or peaceful negotiations. This demonstrates that contrary to assertions made by critics to the effect that the U.S. does not have sound foreign policies (Kavalski, 2005), it is indeed in the frontline when it comes to expediting its values and interests in foreign countries. This paper will critically evaluate the U.S. foreign policy in the Balkans, both during the cold war era and also in post-cold war period. According to Cameron (2005), “…foreign policy refers to a consistent course of actions followed by one nation to deal with another nation or region, or international issue” (p. xvii). In the context of this paper. Therefore, the U.S. foreign policy would refer to the values and interests projected by the U.S. in the Balkans, a region largely made up of a number of countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia (US Department of State, 2011). Apart from Kosovo, which was considered as a province in Serbia, the other countries were considered as republics under the Yugoslavia federation during the cold war era, not mentioning the fact that they heavily leaned towards communist principles and ideologies perpetrated by the former USSR immediately after the Second World War (Eskridge-Kosmach, 2009). These political and ideological leanings towards communism greatly affected United States relations with Eastern Europe, and it was not until the collapse and disintegration of the USSR and communist ideologies in 1991 that real progress in the U.S. foreign policy in the Balkans began to take shape (Trachtenberg, 2008). US Foreign Policy in the Balkans during Cold War Era Immediately after the Second Worl
Creating a film about a genius is far more complicated a task than one might have thought. Although the life of a genius is much like a tracer bullet, watching the path of the one whose works once shattered the world is not an easy job to do. It takes a genius of a filmmaker as well to make the audience see the entangled story full of inner contradictions and misconceptions as it is, making the false legends come off like a snakeskin changing. Despite the complicity of the plot, it is often not even the story itself that creates obstacles on the way of the filmmaker, but the specific effects used to add the specific flair of the reality to the film, persuading the audience that the story of the genius described is no more a myth, but a true story of a man enslaved by the great talent of his, both a martyr and a blessed man. In his movie Amadeus, Milos Forman suggested a new image of Mozart, quite unusual to the public. Getting used to see Mozart only as a figure almost mythological, whose entire life can be split into twp periods, before being a recognized genius and the period of his incredible glory, the audience was rather surprised with seeing the backstreet of Mozart’s life, the tragedy within him which led to creating the amazing pieces of music which now are considered doubtlessly as the timeless classics. Forman creates another image of Mozart, a man unhappy and torn by the conflict within. What helped Forman to depict Mozart this artfully, make the audience naturally feel the torments of the lead character with the tips of their fingers? Naturally, only the music could. The sound effects used in the movie areas important as ever, since the entire movie is all about a man whose life was a musical composition created by someone else – by God, perhaps? Although sound effects are often considered a question of minor importance in film-making, it proves one of the elements which make the film complete. Most people treat the visual image as the key aspect of the film, but in fact the sound is. Creating a film, one must not