ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction When people think of South Africa they remember Apartied, Nelson Mandela, and Soweto Township. Although these places, names, and events are part of South Africa they are only a small part of what South Africa is today. South Africa is still recovering (or discovering) itself from a history that includes extreme poverty, extreme racism, and extreme separation of peoples (Apartied). South Africa is a nation that continues to struggle with poverty and racism. Families still live in shantytowns with no electricity and running water. Most countries are much more developed than South Africa and South Africa needs all the help it can get to bring itself up to the standard of living of other countries. State of Affairs In his May 9 th , 1994 inaugural speech Nelson Mandela alluded to the current conditions in South Africa. The African National Congress (ANC) had successfully become a major political force that had advocated for the end of Apartied. Although Apartied is officially over there remains a lot to be done to bring the standard of living up and equal to what whites had under partied. In his speech, Mandela mentioned that South Africa was moving forward with the goal that there would be equal protection for all citizens regardless of “color, gender, religion, political opinion, or sexual orientation”(Mandela, p1). South Africa has major problems associated with severe poverty in its townships and inner cities, a rising crime rate, a high rate of HIV infection, and a high rate of children entering school not prepared to learn. It is these issues that South Africa needs to deal with to increase the standard of living of all people in South Africa. In 1994 Nelson Mandela vowed to commit $800 million of the 94/95 budget to (Shepherd, 1-6):   * Free medical care for children under 6 and pregnant mothers in all state hospitals and clinics where such needs exist.   * A nutritional feeding scheme is to be implemented in every primary school where such a need is established.   * The electrification of 350,000 homes   * A public works program directed at unemployed youth. Children In South African slums and shantytowns, children grow up too fast. They often play the role of a parent lost to HIV and AIDS. Toys do not litter the floor of homes as they are not as important as food and clothing and so are not purchased. Children raised in poor townships and shantytowns enter school not ready, willing, or able to learn because their poor environment at home has not prepared them to enter school. These
Introduction The play “How I learned to drive” is written by the playwright Paula Vogel and won her a Pulitzer award for drama in 1998. The play revolves around the theme of social and familial relationship where there is sexual predation and manipulation. The play follows the sexual relationship that goes on between Lil’ Bit and her Uncle Peck from the time she was eleven years old. Their relationship is strained, with her uncle seeking sexual favors from her while she manipulates him wanting to learn how to drive. Her aunt, Peck’s wife, is in denial of her husband’s behavior and does little to stop this molestation (Vogel 19). The book also follows issues on misogyny and alcoholism, which seem to be dominant in the family. Does the time and place in which the play takes places have any additional relevance? The play is set in the 1960’s a period where family life was based on the traditional setting where a husband, male in the house, was dominant over the rest of the family. This is significant because it explains why Uncle Peck’s wife did not intervene though there were clear signs that his intentions towards Lil’ Bit were questionable. This is also shown through the relationship her grandparents had. Her grandfather was a sexist while her grandmother was a god fearing former child bride. The play is also based on family relationships. The play shows how the family members can be their own worst enemies. In a family it is expected that the older generation should take care of the young one but in the case of Lil’ Bit her uncle preys on her sexually and even proposes to marry her under the disguise of waiting for her to turn eighteen. What techniques used to move the plot forward make it interesting and/or unusual? The playwright delivers her work in an uneven mixture of several styles. She uses flashbacks, narration, and monologues. This helps to make the story more interesting and at the same time deliver the themes of the play in a unique and interesting way. The play starts with Lil’ Bit as a grown up adult and shows her giving a talk on how to drive. She then describes her town Maryland during her young age in the 1960’s and follows this with a setting of her and her uncle sitting in a car in 1969. The then seventeen-year-old Li’l Bit moves next to Uncle Peck who acts like a little child and tells her he has not drank alcohol in a week. As a reward for his behavior, she rewards him by letting him undo her bra. After leaving the parking lot, Li’l Bit is the one driving the car. In one of the flashbacks, Li’l Bit recalls of a family dinner in 1969, where the dinner conversation revolved around how big her breasts had become. Her sexist grandfather makes jokes about her breasts size and this makes her to flee the room. Uncle Peck follo
Introduction Falsifiability or ‘refutability’ is a characteristic of hypothesis, conjecture or theory to be proved false through observation or an experiment. An idea being falsifiable does not directly translate into it being false. This is due to the fact that the idea can be proved whether it is false by observation or conducting an experiment. For example a statement such as “all swans are white” can be proved to be false when a black swan is seen. However, a statement such as “there is a black swan somewhere” can only be falsified by making an inspection of all swans and failing to identify the black swan (Debunking Primal Therapy, n.d, para. 1-4). Falsifiability is an important concept in science as introduced by Karl Popper who was a British philosopher. Karl concluded that a theory is considered to be true if it can be scientifically proved. He proposed falsifiability to be a procedure for classifying what is science and what is not. In addition, he held that psychological theories such as the Freudian psychoanalysis were not science due to their non-falsifiable nature. For example, a patient who differs with his physician is simply denying the truth and any divergent discussion or behavior by the patient can be attributed to the patient’s effort to strengthen this denial (On Philosophy, 2007, para. 7). Discussion Falsifiability and Science Falsifiability is an important idea in philosophy of science since it dictates that a theory cannot be to be scientific if it does not allow the possibility of being proved false. Karl Popper suggested this criterion as a basic method for empirical sciences and insisted that authentic scientific theories are not normally completely confirmed since falsifying these theories is always possible no matter how far the confirmation process has gone. Science commonly uses procedures based on falsifiable hypotheses developed through systematic empiricism. Those hypotheses that do not give room for disapproval are rejected for not being real science. Most scientists believe that a hypothesis can never be proved but is only falsified (Rossman, 2009, p. 3). Systematic empiricism is an organized observation in an attempt to understand an idea better. Organizing an observation helps one in obtaining all or most out of an experiment. Since there are many errors that can be encountered in the course of performing an experiment, a close observation and knowledge of what one is look for during such observations reduces chances of errors occurring. The ideal way of observation is to have two hypotheses and run tests on both to see whether they wer
Introduction The U.S government wants to put up the high speed rail system. The system should be of high speed and efficient in its means of transportation. The system should be able to meet the demands of the people in the society as far as gender is concern. The use of the rail transport should first and foremost be safe mode of transportation. This will make it be preferred means of transport which will increase the revenue being collected from its service. The rail system also should be in a position to meet the requirements of the environment such as less pollution such as the noise and the air. The transport system should have the best services which will favor all the people being transported to and for. The transport system should be in a position to have in place excellent management team which has all the skills at their disposal to increase the revenues and the service being delivered to the customers. The system should be organized in a way that its meets the requirements of the society and be able to overcome the competition challenges that it may be facing. Discussion There are several methods which have been used to get the whole details of the performance of the rail system in the country. The various methods are as discussed below. These include the interviews, the observations, listening among others. The interviews were conducted among the people of the public who were using the old rail system on the services they use to get and the efficiency of the rail means of transport. The ideas on the speed of the rail system were gathered. Listed below are the questions which were used to conduct the interview.   * How do you find the speed of the rail system?   * How reliable is the rail system?   * What’s the main predicament that is being faced in the rail system? Another method that was used is the observation. The analysts spent some time with the public observing how comfortable they are with the old rail systems. Participating also or utilizing the service also as one of the commuters is necessary to the availing of the relevant information. This has been the best way so as to have the accurate data relating to the performance of the service. Listening is another method that has been used
Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in the U.S. There is a steady trend for an increase of children with weight problems that were noticed as early as the 1980s (Wang & Lim, 2012). Today, according to Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Flegal (2014) the percentage of obese youth reaches 17 percent. The more detailed data states that for children aged from 2 to 19 years body mass index (BMI) has not changed significantly from 2003 (Ogden et al., 2014). By the age of 24 months, the normal weight of a child should constitute 28 pounds (Berger, 2016). Obese children weigh 20-40% more, which boosts the risk of being obese later in life. In comparison to European countries, obesity levels in children are higher by 5-10 percent. From the geographical point of view, the East South Central states such as Tennessee and Kentucky have the highest number of obese children whereas it was long believed that the south holds the leadership position by that criterion (Bakken, 2013). Discussion With such a serious prevalence of obesity among children, the younger generation of the U.S. could become less and less productive as compared to their parents and grandparents. Their poor health could prevent them from performing effectively at physically active jobs such as industrial climbing, cleaning, police service, and other places of employment where having a healthy body is advisable. I firmly believe that there is a need for a policy that is aimed to combat obesity. However, the process of the introduction of such a policy could face some challenges. Among the most significant barriers are the enormously developed fast-food industry and the poor availability of healthy food. The U.S. Agriculture also needs a significant shift towards healthier production. Judging by the amount of attention from public health organizations and the media coverage the steady demand for healthy nutrition can be established. Provided there is support from the U.S. government headed by the president, such policy could pass and make the lives of small Americans health
Today we are living in a competitive environment, where market forces determine the prospects of a company, the products and services. Globalization and liberalization has provided alternatives to the customer, with companies from different parts of the world competing with each other to secure the attention of the consumers. It is now almost mandatory for the companies to present themselves as socially and ethically responsible in their behavior in order to gain the confidence of all stakeholders in the business. It is quite clear from the case study that managers of Johnson & Johnson and Dow Corning have differing viewpoints in regard to ethical behavior. While on the one hand Johnson & Johnson believes in behaving ethically to earn goodwill for the sake of a sustainable business, but Dow appears to be working with a narrow vision of maximizing the profits. The profit motive used to be one of the predominant one in earlier days, but in today’s context, responsible corporate houses are supposed to value all types of earnings like customer’s loyalty, shareholder’s goodwill, proximity with the social issues of the government etc. Cyanide content was found from the Tylenol capsules from Johnson & Johnson. The case was indeed very serious, and in all likelihood this might have been done by some unscrupulous elements with ulterior motives. But, once the name of a reputed brand name got involved in the incident, the company managers started thinking about taking appropriate step. The FBI must have investigated the case and then only came out with the suggestion that the company need not take any action as no clue was found about company’s involvement in the incident. But, the company management started thinking beyond the legal position; while putting in place the efforts to take all precautions, they wanted to establish themselves amongst their customers, as a responsible and sensible company not immune to public concerns, even at the cost of millions of dollars. With this objective Johnson & Johnson recalled all supplies of Tylenol capsules in the U.S. market. This certainly resulted in loss of millions of dollars to the company but it helped in gaining lots of goodwill, which cannot be measured in simple monetary terms. On the other hand, Dow acted with short term benefits in sight. The company’s behavior smacked of the behavior of a small time corner shop where the shop-owner desires to have immediate returns on all of his investments. Dow Corning not only resorted
Psychological Foundations in Instructional Design Learning is a process that takes place through various interactions. Skinner, a behavioral theorist, supported this assertion by further confirming that a person could entirely understand, explain, and predict learning based on observable events (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012, p.35). I support this theoretical perspective since learning is more enhanced though experience. Experience is developed when a learner interacts with real physical objects and problems where solutions must be provided as opposed to dealing with theoretical constructs. Hypothetical constructs take much time to develop mental schemas, which invoke the knowledge of a given individual on a particular subject. Attempting to understand learning from the perspective of observable events implies also that the learning process involves engagement of a number of participants. This strategy not only creates an environment that favors brainstorming hence making learning easier but also fosters information and knowledge sharing among the participants in the learning process. Indeed, one can consider learning as a cultural process that is driven by instructional processes that are aimed at creating awareness for issues that are to be learnt. Therefore, the roles of articulation of the real observable events with the knowledge being developed are pivotal in helping to build mental images that serve as blocks for easy reference in the mind of the learner (Proctor & Vu, 2006). This case underlines the significance of Skinner’s theory that learning is best understood via observable events. Another important paradigm for understanding the learning process is by considering Gallwey’s contextualization of the game theory. The psychologist argues that all games are composed of two main elements: inner and outer game elements (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012). The main difference between these two games is that the outer game is played against opponents while the inner is played within the mind of the player. Its principal obstacles are self-doubt and anxiety. This premise can be best understood in the context of the learning process by considering the information processing theory that identifies four main pillars for information processing in human beings. These are thinking, stimuli analysis, situational modification, and obstacle evaluation (Proctor & Vu, 2006). Thinking practice encompasses various actions that entail the discernment of incentives that people acquire from the outer environment and then program and amass them in the cerebral recesses. Stimulus analysis is “the process by which the encoded stimuli are altered to suit the brain’s cognition and interpretation processes to enable decision making” (Proctor & Vu, 2006, p.253). Situation modification involves the ut
In general, the economy of most States in the United States of America has been experiencing irregular fluctuations. The observed abrupt economic changes could probably be due to the rapidly changing economic trends of the global economy. These economic changes can also be attributed to changes of economic policies within the United States as well as in the local Federal States as each States adjusts its financial planning to meet the needs of their respective population. As such, each Federal State in the U.S displays its unique economic indicators although the overall feature of such economic indicators can be more or less similar to those of the United State’s national economy (Forgue & Garman, 2011). In our case, we will digress extensively into the performance of local federal banks with St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank located in St. Louis City serving as our reference local federal reserve bank. St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank shows the key economic indicators in details for the most recent past, thus we can interpret this basic financial information so as to ascertain how the economy is doing currently. Moreover, appropriate determination of the current federal State’s economic situation can give us an insight in prediction of the future economic status of the U.S Federal States as well as for the National U.S economy. Basically, there are six main economic indicators and these are also the key ones that St. Louis Federal Reserve Banks has highlighted on: because any precise determination of the economic status of any state or nation relies primarily on these six factors. According to St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Consumer Price Index (CPI), Industrial Production and Interest Rates are considered as some of the major economic indicators useful for evaluating the economic status of the States. In addition to the above four economic indicators, the bank includes change in Non-Farm Payroll and Unemployment Rates as significant economic indicators useful determining the national economic trends (Rittenberg & Tregarthen, 200
The O.J. Verdict Video shows clearly how Simpson’s murder case was one of the most publicized legal trials in the history of the United States. From a personal perspective, I would state clearly that the trial was a “watershed” in the country’s interpretation of the law. The video shows the nature of United States’ cultural and legal systems. The case placed the issue of injustice and racism squarely before the people of America. The video shows how the problem of racism continues to affect the country. The O.J. Simpson trial was a clear indication that the American people had never changed their minds about the issue of racism. After the media started to give the trial much attention, it was evident that the case was going to divide the country along racial lines. From the very start, the whites strongly believed Simpson was guilty while the blacks thought he was innocent. The unfolding events and trials led to different positions and views about the case. Throughout the trial, it was evident that the experiences of the African Americans with the country’s criminal justice system would definitely have a great impact on the direction of the case. According to the African Americans, O.J. Simpson was yet another victim drawn into the country’s unfair legal system. For very many decades, the country’s criminal justice system has been unfair. Simpson was rich and capable of fighting back. As observed in the video, the whites were certain that O.J. Simpson was guilty and therefore it was necessary to imprison him. However, Simpson had already hired the “right” people to defend him in court. The counsel of prosecution failed to present enough evidence against the suspect. This is a clear indication that the “abuse strategy” used in the country was not going to work anymore. Fuhrman’s discovery of gloves stained with blood was a major issue. As a result, the people raised new questions over Fuhrman’s acts of racism and incompetence. There were concerns that the prosecutions might have planted the evidence against Simpson. From the complexity of this case, it would be agreeable that the American justice system has always failed to protect the minority citizens. During the same time, the country’s news outlets continued to cover the trial. The outstanding fact was that the whites strongly believed O.J. Simpson was guilty. On the hand, the African Americans believed that Simpson was innocent. The video explains how race has been a major factor in the country criminal justice system. Studies have clearly indicated how most of the African Americans encounter numerous challenges such as unfair trials and discrimination. Alth