ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Abstract One has to study a lot to understand what Western music is all about. But far more time is required to learn how to understand Non-Western, particularly Japanese, music. Japanese musicians utilize musical instruments different from the European ones, which results in absolutely different sound and musical compositions in general. Introduction: Music as Eternal Value Music, just like art and literature, is immortal because it is able to go through the centuries without losing its value and beauty. Eternal musical pieces perpetuate an unbelievably wide range of their creators’ emotions starting with everyday joy and happiness and ending up with sufferings caused by love and death. Music can be likened to language for it is also an encoded piece of information which can be deciphered only by those who are able to interpret its secret signs. Like a language has standards for grammar, spelling, and pronunciation, music possesses its own standards for melody, meter, harmony, form, tuning, counterpoint, etc. Music cannot be written or read; it can be only created and felt. The one who does not know the real value of music, who does not want to learn how to feel it, will never be able to comprehend the secret codes of mystique sounds which transfer human feelings and emotions. Music is often divided into Western and Non-Western; Japanese music belongs to Non-Western music and it has a number of peculiarities all of which should be discussed in order to present an ethnographic report on Japanese Traditional Music Performance . Western and Non-Western Music In the modern world most of people listen to European, or Western music. This is predominantly connected with the fact that during the colonial era the Europeans used to take their music with them whenever they went. This resulted in European music being listened to even in such countries as Australia and the Americas where people are well-acquainted with European culture and European languages. It is difficult to define what exactly the European music is all about and what distinguishes it from other kinds of music. In short, “Western music is generally tonal, based on major or minor scales, using an equal temperament tuning, in an easy-to-recognize meter, with straightforward rhythms, fairly strict rules on harmony and counterpoint, and not much improvisation”. (Schmidt-Jones) These rules, or standards, for defining Western music have been long argued upon, but with time they started to be accepted as traditional ones, since namely these rules make Western music understandable and recognizable. Non-Western music is any other kind of music which does not correspond to the standards of European music. It is clear even to a non-specialist that Non-Western music is completely different from the European, with the main differences being mostly in musical instruments used. Due to the different musical instruments, the Non-Western music sounds may seem a bit exotic to a listener who got used to European music. “This comes from the use of different tuning systems, different scales, different vocal styles and performance practices, and different app
According to Andriyenko (2010), culture refers to a set of principles, attitudes, and routines that a particular group of people identifies with. Therefore, culture shapes our communication, work, and other interactions (Hammond et al., n.d). The major aspects of one’s culture include language, religion, family customs, traditions, food, and mode of dressing (Hammond et al., n.d). On the other hand, reality construct is a sociological concept that explains how people perceive and present themselves in a social context (Connexions, n.d.). Consequently, reality construct dictates our culture. Therefore, individuals construct reality through the various dealings between them and others. Additionally, there is no better place for studying cultural interaction than in a business. This is because business practices are characterized by cultural attitudes. This essay presents an insight into reality construct and also explains how one’s construct helps define his perceptions of others. Reality construct occurs when people internalize realities related to their experiences (Wehr, n.d.). They later act in accordance with these realities. This happens regardless of whether all people are in agreement or not. However, the conflicting parties later work together in finding a middle ground. This turns their conflicting interests into a problem that can be solved. Reality is, therefore, constructed through interactions (Connexions, n.d.). Consequently, societies are constructed through human interactions (Connexions, n.d.). This is what is referred to as habituation (Connexions, n.d.). In this regard, any action that is repeated regularly becomes a pattern. This pattern is replicated again in the future. Understanding one’s culture starts with values learned from childhood (Andriyenko, 2010). For that reason, one’s culture is shaped by what he learns from society. A child is likely to repeat what he learns today in the future. The World Business Culture (n.d.) adds that how one is raised and trained to believe determines how he presents himself, perceives others, and how other people perceive him. In a nutshell, an individual’s perception of reality depends on his beliefs and background. Our beliefs and background constitute our culture. Therefore, culture shapes who we are. However, since other people created our cultures before us, we accept them as they are. This happens with little or no modifications to these cultures. For instance, my college appears like a college and not just a house because I and others ha
Political parties have existed in the United States since its formation. However, the public have been viewing them negatively due to the many ills that they have been associated with. Such disdain goes back to the days of the tenure of George Washington, who warned that parties were filling the U.S. citizens with jealousies that were ill-founded. Despite this negative image that political parties have, they play a vital role in the political system of the U.S. This paper is an investigation of the positive roles that political parties play in the political system of the United States. If political parties were not part of the political system of the U.S., citizens would have to go through cumbersome elections. It is common knowledge that parties are the ones that select candidates for some elective positions. This helps in making elections less involving because voters would indubitably be overwhelmed by elections if the people vying for elective offices had no party labels. For instance, if parties were not there, citizens would probably have to vote for the vice president and other posts in the government. This would complicate the electoral process. In addition to this, parties usually present voters with policy alternatives. This is especially helpful for voters because they may not know candidates individually. There have been cases of straight tickets being chosen by voters. That is, voters choose party representatives during the elections rather than the candidates themselves. Parties have also played a critical role in checking the excesses of reigning parties. If a party is not the majority party in Congress, then it ensures that the other party does not have complete control. Party leaders have often come out openly against measures implemented by a president elected by the other party. This role of parties has been widely criticized by American citizens because many of them view it as self-serving and petty. It is however an important role because it ensures that the reigning party does not change the law or implement contentious policies at will. Members of a given political party share their stands on certain issues of public concern. In general, these stands are not the same for the main political parties, Republicans and Democrats. This therefore implies that when Republicans win the Presidential election, Democrats criticize their points of view on certain issues. On the other hand, if Democrats win the Presidential election, Republicans criticize their points of view on certain issues in their turn. For instance, the Republican Party has taken a tough stance on the issue of same sex marriages while Democrats have b
Introduction The Gettysburg Address is a speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln, the then president of the United States of America, on November 19, 1863. It was delivered during the American civil war, at the consecration of the Soldiers National Cemetery; it was four and a half months later that the union armies defeated those of confederacy during the battle of Gettysburg. Main body New York City draft riots, 1863, are about “the largest and deadliest city riots in American history that took place in New York on July 13-16, 1863” (Denver, p. 435). They originated from the fear of cheap black labor competition which posed a threat to Irish unskilled workers. They were “a culmination of the mounting economic, political and social tensions that existed among New York’s so-called melting pot of cultures” (Blankfein). Lincoln started his address with the words “four score and seven years ago”, referring to America’s great revolution of 1776 in which the founding fathers had set foot of democracy that “ the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” (qtd. In Wikipedia). He viewed those principles in the context of the civil war. The ongoing civil war had made it difficult for President Abraham Lincoln to raise enough troops to run the war. Therefore, using the powers granted to him by the Militia Act of July 17, 1862, and by the overwhelming show of support by the U.S. Congress on March 3, 1863, the first conscription law was passed that forced all-male between age 20 and 45 be eligible to be drafted into military service. Many Americans viewed the law as a violation of their rights of freedom on which the country was founded. To soften the populace, a commutation fee of $300 was introduced, that any draftee capable of paying such amount would avoid service in the military, and instead, his fee would be used to pay bonuses to volunteers. To add to that, the emancipation proclamation of January 1, 1863, that freed the slaves, most of the black community, was viewed by many critics that it had changed the characteristic of war from saving the Union to saving humans from bondage. Considering that then, America’s populace was filled with immigrants of either skilled Germans or unskilled Irish who had come to America on the promise of leading a good and better life and instead found the promise to be false, and therefore, they became frustrated. In addition to that, the gap between the rich and poor was huge. The rich were viewed as exploiters of the poor, and as Jobs became scarce for the lower classes and hence competitions for similar jobs became fierce, these ser
Introduction Dramatic increases in the prices for bitcoins lead to endless discussions about their nature, benefits, their effect on the future developments in the financial sector, as well as possible adverse implications. Bitcoin is a new digital currency that was anonymously created in 2009 and was extensively studied by researchers to assess its efficiency. The key features include direct transactions that do not require the participation of banks and thus do not impose fees on monetary transfers. In this analysis, relevant research literature will be synthesized to find points on which authors agree or disagree as well as gaps in research that should be addressed in further studies. Popularity of Bitcoin According to Dwyer, electronic currencies have been gaining popularity in the recent decade and captured the attention of economics and computer science circles. Bitcoins currently embody a significant innovation in the sphere of e-trading as a “peer-to-peer network that validates transactions and finalizes them, with no trust in a central authority required” (Dwyer 90). Since there are no debilitating flaws in the design of bitcoins and other currencies such as litecoin, ripple, and others, their use brings such outstanding results. What is important to mention is that bitcoin trading is unique within the context of modern financial market infrastructures, and the rise or decline of prices for them cannot be explained thoroughly. There is also a substantial variance of bitcoin prices between countries based on commercial prosperity or difficulties in the financial sector. A notable feature of bitcoins on which researchers usually agree is that their exchanges are less costly tools for currency trading compared to other vehicles that consumers can use. For instance, when an individual possesses several accounts in different currencies, it usually costs less to carry out a digital exchange in a digital currency compared to obtaining a foreign exchange (Dwyer 90). Nakamoto also supported the use of bitcoins as a more efficient and less expensive method of transferring digital money (2). However, the researcher pointed out an issue with such transfers: the payee cannot verify whether the owner did not spend the coin twice. A solution to this issue may be the introduction of a central authority that could check each transaction for double-spending; however, it is possible that the introduction of central authority could limit the freedom of bitcoin transfers that do not require the participation of a “mint” (Nakamoto 2). Thus, with regards to the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of bitcoins transactions, researchers agree that there was a need for a new method for verifying whether coins have not been double-spent. Perspectives on Bitcoin Mining When speaking about the topic of electronic currencies, it is impossible to avoid the discussion on bitcoin
The international community has embarked on a course to compel different industries in the nations across the world to reduce their carbon footprint. Over the past two decades, the global society has been actively engaged in campaigning against the emission of greenhouse gases by various companies. The advocacy efforts are geared toward reversing the effects of global warming on the climate and promoting a cleaner environment. It is apparent that the world has focused on targeting big companies and industries in the quest to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and the pollution of the environment. It is, however, clear that every individual in the world has a role to play in the reduction of environmental pollution. People have failed to take their responsibility in reducing the rate of environmental pollution, and they always blame pollution on the companies that produce the commodities they consume on a daily basis. I have recently been acquainted with information about the need for every individual in the world to take re
Introduction There have been several improvements in my city over the years due to the dynamics of the changing technology and the need for efficiency in service delivery. The city where I dwell can be described as a hybrid metropolitan area that is characterized by a continuous network of communication and transportation infrastructure. Due to continuous population growth, the local authority has made some changes to make the city more accommodating and smart to serve the interests of the dwellers within the technological and transportation needs of the twenty-first century. This argumentative treatise attempts to explicitly describe the two smart ideas of the internet and eradication of traffic jams as having contributed positively towards improving the quality of life for the city dwellers. Specifically, the treatise explores the current situation of the two ideas and before the identified changes were implemented as part of the practical comparative analysis. Free Internet in the City The local authority has created hotspots for free WIFI internet through the city. Since the advent and mass adoption of the fiber cabling technology in the year 2007, the local authority announced that they would introduce free internet within the city by creating hot spots for free wireless internet. In the year 2013, the local authority finalized the implementation of the free wireless internet within bus stations, public places, parks, and institutions across the city. As a result, any resident of the city who has a laptop or a smartphone can access free WIFI internet. The hotspots support internet access up to the speed of 100mbps, depending on their position (Townsend 2013). The fastest speed is at the city library and institutions of learning. As a result, the residents of the city have been able to access digital platforms for research, recreation, and managing their businesses. At present, just by a click of a button, anybody within the city who has a smartphone is not only able to access fast internet but also do so at absolutely no charge. The major beneficiaries are college students who have taken advantage of this free service to carry out online research at their convenience within any corner of the city (Townsend 2013). Before the introduction of free internet, the residents of the city had to rely on data bundles, pay internet providers, or cybercafes to access the internet. The internet service providers could not meet the demand and were sometimes very unreliable despite charging exorbitantly for slow internet. Besides, the users of the internet were at the mercy of the providers who would employ pricing games at the expense of the masses. However, after the advent of the free internet in the city, there has been robust growth in technology adoption with many residents opting for smartphones to access free WIFI inter
Introduction The United States of America dollar is the most used currency and therefore suitable for carrying out international trade America holds about 59% of the world’s total reserves. Therefore when the American economy is affected by anything be it a boom or the recession the effect is likely to trickle down and then the world is most likely to experience the same because the supply and demand of the dollar is also affected. As the world’s strongest economy since 1944 today America has a GDP of over $ 14.3 trillion and furthermore home to approximately 40% of the world’s billionaires the United States economy founded upon the principles of capitalism and free market therefore encouraging free trade and expansion among investors, businessmen and entrepreneurs (Hynson 2010). American economy is a key participant in international trade and therefore any happenings in its economy will ultimately affect other countries that are its partners. America also is home to approximately to 140 of the words largest companies this is approximately twice the number of companies from any other country thus, it generates almost 80% of its income from its multinational companies. It therefore means that during the recent recession coca-cola was forced to re-strategize its operations in order to adjust to the 2007-10 recession, this meant that the business slowdown that affected America spread to Coca-Colas multinational franchises (Hynson 2010). Furthermore the collapse of the American financial systems which caused a shortage in the supply of the dollar had a big impact on all the facets of international trade and like an infected wound the effects spread across the world, consequently plunging the world’s economy into the mud. “America sneezes the world catches a cold become famous after the American global slowdown spilt to the rest of the world” (Graham 2008). Adopted From Hynson, (2010). The credit crunch. Diagram Showing the Level of Activity between Imports and Exports That America Gains In International Trade Activities Together With Changes in the Dollar 2000-09. The United States of America is home to the greatest companies and insti
Among all social issues that abound the United States in the modern times, there is nothing more alarming than the current state of ecological degradation. Virtually, most human activities can lead to irreversible environmental degradation and resource depletion. In the article of Carter Bale and Richard Duke (Sept-Oct 2008) in Foreign Affairs magazine, they are as alarmed as we all are at the current state of our environment. They presented alarming facts like: “the level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere exceeds preindustrial levels by nearly 40 percent and is rising rapidly”, “(these) heat-trapping gases is already largely responsible for increasing the earth’s average surface temperature by 0.7 degrees Celsius”, and “if current fossil-fuel-consumption trends continue, average surface temperatures could rise by as much as 6.4 degrees by 2100”. Armed with the data garnered from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), their reason for being alarmed are convincing enough to be credible. This is why they are urging that the United States government should take the lead in “launching an effective regime for containing climate change”. They believe that it is not only a great opportunity for the United States, but it is a challenge also that our nation should match what Australia, Canada, the European Union, and Japan has done in committing to sharply reduce their air pollution emissions. Reading through the article of Bale and Duke (Sept-Oct 2008), this bolstered my perspectives on how the government can exert political will to curb environmental degradation. With all the data available, it is not just to convince us about the facts that might endanger our health and our future, but it needs a veritable action from the United States government. It is not just our national role to reduce pollution, but it is our global responsibility to do so in order to do our share of what has to be done in curbing this global problem. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are six major pollutants that pose a threat to air quality: ground-level ozone, particle pollution, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and lead. Although the levels of these six pollutants are consistently declining since the 1980s, the EPA admitted in their latest report that “ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution (PM 2.5 – particles with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm) continue to present challenges” in numerous US cities (EPA, 2007). Doing further research on this matter, I garnered more information that EPA declared in 2004 that “one-third of all Americans — including residents of the District of Columbia, large swaths of Maryland and much of northern Virginia — live in areas with dangerous levels of soot pollution in the air” (Eilperi A20). Eilperi (2004) further repor