ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction It is worth noting that secrecy is an integral part of the work of the Intelligence Community (IC) due to the nature of the tasks it performs. The IC carries out intelligence tasks, prevents and investigates traditional and non-traditional threats to national security, monitors the activities of various organizations, and carries out the protection of certain structures and objects (Lowenthal, 2017). Secrecy gives Intelligence Community a competitive edge in dealing with complex issues, while excessive transparency puts it at risk. For this reason, executing full oversight by the US Congress is challenging. The purpose of this paper is to address several oversight issues and make recommendations for each that could assist in streamlining the Congressional oversight process. Background It should be mentioned that the problem of transparency and accountability of the work of the Intelligence Community is related to Congressional oversight directly. The solution to the majority of issues depends on decisions taken by Congress since it participates in the development and adoption of laws and strategies governing privacy and access to information. Thus, it plays an important role in determining the level of accessibility or closeness of Intelligence activities to public control (Lowenthal, 2017). In addition, Congress not only oversees the work of the Community but also bears the responsibility to society and is obliged to provide citizens with information about the Intelligence Community. For these reasons, the US Congress should discuss strategies and budgeting related to intelligence services in an open regime. Congressional and IC focus on Appropriations instead of Real Oversight One of the main problems associated with the interaction between Congress and the Intelligence Community is the focus on the audit of expenditures, budget allocations, revenues, and financial systems (Schick, 2007). The chambers of Congress carry out control and audit management, which gives them access to any information related to secret f
Abstract Ishmael an adventure of the Mind and Spirit is a type of philosophical book written by Daniel Quinn, which looks into the lives and myths that define the universe and everything in it. The book starts off with the narrator reading a newspaper. His attention is on a personal advertisement about a teacher interested in finding a student for lessons about saving the world. Incidentally, the narrator has been on such a search but was not successful in his search for a teacher who could offer him lessons on saving the world. As such, the narrator decides to look for the teacher and thus traces = the teacher’s address as indicated in the newspaper. Surprisingly, he finds no body in the office but a gorilla in a dark room. The gorilla has the ability to speak. Ishmael is the name of the gorilla from the West African jungles but had been sold to a travelling carnival. Through reading books, Ishmael educated himself. In his education, Ishmael’s main concern was to investigate the theme of captivity among humans. However, his interest grew to feature general humanity and the world. Ishmael introduces the narrator to two groups of human beings; the Takers and the Leavers. According to Ishmael, Takers represent the members consisting of the dominant culture whereby they believe that human beings rule the world. This culture does not have any regulations and aims at dominating the earth and the universe by the help of technology. Leavers, on the other hand, constitute the tribal cultures where they share common features such as simplicity and adherence to governance. Through a critical review of the book, one learns that even though the Takers group appears to be above ecological rules, their culture embraces freefall, with the possibility of crashing upon the depletion of the environmental and biological resources available presently. Critique A critical review of the book, Ishmael an adventure of the Mind and Spirit, shows how the author of the book presents themes in an appropriate manner. The main theme in this book is the desire to bring salvation to the world. However, there are other themes in the book that are evident. For example, Quinn presents themes such as personhood and the analysis on the eventuality of things, which serve as the central question propelling the book forward. First, the author highlights the narrator’s childhood ambition of saving the world. From the analysis, it is evident that such ambitions resulted from lessons on cultural changes of the late sixties. The author capitalizes on the narrator’s passion, as well as the scenario brought about by his passion. Such a strategy helps the author to effectively offer sympathy to an abandoned youthful dream. Through the discovery of a teacher, the author intends to realign the narrator with his childhood dream. Secondly, the author presents the importance of being a person; or having “self”. The author uses this theme in a number of ways. For example, the gorilla’s personhood can be traced from its captivity. While in captivity, Ishmael was interested in knowing his life, and thus developed thoughts that sur
The short story Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence depicts the life and destiny of middle-class women and her family. Lawrence underlines that the woman has “no luck” unable to find the right place and occupation for herself. There is evidence of a desire to concentrate on and emphasize the underlying pattern; the result is a symbolism that is constantly expanding into new significances. Thesis The symbol of horse winner symbolizes the “desire” of a family to prosper and flourish, but at the same time, “desire” is a mirage that disappears and leaves nothing to the family. Lawrence portrays that “desire’ is everything a family has. They dream about prosperity and wealth but do nothing to change their life. Symbolism has become one of the issues in the play. Horse winner serves as a stimulus to find a more sensitive response to the rich potentiality of the image of wealth, and it proves capable of satisfying the need his deficiencies generate. “He knew the horse could take him to where there was luck, if only he forced it. So he would mount again and start on his furious ride, hoping, at last, to get there” (Lawrence 230). Another feature that can be connected with the symbol of desire is an insight into character. Paul’s desire to win brings him some money, but he is really disappointed when his mother spends this money. Desire o change his life brings disappointment and anxiety to all family members. “Paul’s mother only made several hundred, and she was again dissatisfied. She so wanted to be first in something, and she did not succeed, even in making sketches for drapery advertisements” (Lawrence 236). Desire becomes a rattrap for the family. Lawrence portrays characters as individuals who demonstrate through action a professed belief in complete freedom of choice. Also, Lawrence underlines that the triumph of the character over circumstances or forces is not thereby assured, for her life appears to be predetermined by back luck. In spite of this, mother and her son Paul refuse to accept the conditions that make their family a subordinate to money, and, Paul openly opposes the forces, the circumstances, or the predetermined plan that prevents him from prosperity The end of the short story shows that desire is a mirage that never comes true for Paul and his family. “Poor devil, poor devil, he’s best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking-horse
Introduction Plastic pollution primarily affects fresh and salt water supplies. While ocean plastic mostly impacts marine life and human populations living along the coast, the contamination of fresh water supplies poses a danger to all social groups and classes. Nevertheless, impoverished and vulnerable populations are the most exposed to the negative effects of plastic pollution. At the same time, the individuals within the subgroup have the potential of negatively affecting one another, further exacerbating the issue. The purpose of this paper is to analyze formal and informal group pressures within socially-disadvantaged populations. Formal Group Pressures The primary type of formal group pressure within the disadvantaged population groups and coastal settlements comes from the local governments. Since poor communities are associated with higher rates of crime and vandalism, governments often do not embark on ecological initiatives in favor of other infrastructural needs (McKinnon & Alston, 2016). The effects of plastic on human health are generally long-term, mostly associated with infected tap water. According to the analysis of tap water worldwide, 83% of it is polluted with plastic, while in the US, that number rises to 94% (Singh & Cooper, 2017). This type of formal group pressure can be exemplified by the refusal of local governments to enforce bans on plastic cups and bags and the failure to provide appropriate recycling containers to be used by the general populace. As a result, impoverished and coastal communities have no way of reducing their own ecological footprint, which contributes to various health concerns. Informal Group Pressures Impoverished communities have notorious lower standards of education as well as lower healthcare, environmental, and social awareness. As such, individuals are less likely to realize the dangers of plastic pollution and its influence in their everyday lives. According to Singh and Cooper (2017), 80% of all plastic refuse, which consists of bags, plastic cups, and bottles, ends up in the water. At the same time, having a conversation on an informal level about these topics is extremely difficult. Individuals will dismiss it in favor of much more pressing personal problems, such as poverty, unemployment, criminality, and racial discrimination (McKinnon & Alston, 2016). These issues have an immediate and substantial effect on the communities when compared to distant and uncertain issues related to pollution. Thus, informal group pressure forces individuals who are aware and care about the environment to remain quiet about it out of fear of looking irrelevant and blind to the more pressing matters (McKinnon & Alston, 2016). This prevents the spread of information in the most affected communities, leaving the majority of people in the dark about plastic pollution. Social nihilism, which is often the result of low expectations and subpar life
Self-reflection paper: An outdoor leadership experience My recent outdoor experience was significant to me in the sense that it formed a platform for learning about leadership. Our outdoor activity is comprised of a team of fifty students. We took a trip to Australia to study and observe its unique national culture and characteristics. Besides, we were also to learn about the various approaches and attitudes for preparations required by an outdoor leader. Our patron divided us into five groups of ten people each with a leader and with different tasks involving adventurous activities and outdoor pursuits. Being a leader in one of the groups, we were informed that a leader should be in charge of his or her group and is also expected to influence members to be creative, work towards set objectives, and mutually share common goals. One of the positive aspects of the outdoor experience was being in charge of a team. As an outdoor leader, I was expected to be active in providing care, supervising, instructing, and organizing my group. Our outdoor activities in the adventure were varied and included canoeing, rafting, kayaking, bicycle touring, spelunking, orienteering, and mountaineering as well as rock climbing and backpacking. It is worth mentioning that the outdoor activities we involved ourselves in did not include motorized activities like the use of powerboats, motorcycles, or even snowmobiling. The interesting part of the outdoor experience was that every action and outdoor pursuit was aimed at developing our abilities in solving sociological, psychological, and physiological problems. The negative part of the outdoor experience included environmental damages, negative memories, and frequent accidents that came from the various activities we carried out. One of the lessons that I learned from the experience was that any outdoor pursuit requires adequate preparation. To avoid and overcome various challenges, there is a need for team members and especially team leaders to be provided with sufficient education on outdoor leadership. Besides, since an outdoor adventure may involve going to complex locations, team leaders must be adequately prepared. 2 The person who has influenced you more One of the most influential outdoor leaders that I admire most is Rick Rochelle of the National Outdoor Leadership School. In his outdoor leadership, he emphasizes teamwork and cooperation, especially during outdoor pursuits. Since most outdoor adventures are conducted through teams, Rick pointed out that cooperation is critical as it gives a leader an easy time. Besides, it is an important stra
Introduction High blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension (HTN), and it can be defined as a disease in which blood pressure in arteries goes up forcing the heart to perform higher in order to supply blood to blood vessels. It can also be defined as a condition where blood in arteries exerts abnormally high pressure on arterial walls (Al-Nozha & Khalil, 2007, pp. 77-84). The blood pressure in the heart is measured by the quantity of blood the heart pumps and the strength of resistance in arteries. A patient is said to have chronic hypertension if the blood pressure has been consistently high for long. It is vital for both practitioners and patients to have information about hypertension because such information can help in saving lives. This paper defines hypertension, explores the history of hypertension, discusses the prevalence of hypertension in Saudi Arabia, analyzes the symptoms and causes of hypertension, explores ways in which hypertension can be prevented and treated, and suggests ways in which hypertension can be medically diagnosed. History of high blood pressure High blood pressure can be traced in history to as far as 2600 BC. During this time, hypertension was known as heart pulse disease. Great scholars of the past advocated for a method of venesection and bleeding by leeches as a way of treatment. Progress was made in the 20 th century when it became possible to diagnose hypertension. Medical sympathectomy operations were first conducted in 1923. The first effective oral drugs for hypertension were introduced in 1957. Conversion of enzyme inhibitors then followed in the 1980s. New drug inventions have reduced side effects, and improved affordability and accessibility of treatment for hypertension to most patients. Prevalence of hypertension in Saudi Arabia Studies show that in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), hypertension is steadily on the rise because of lifestyle changes. A report by a committee formed to investigate issues related to hypertension among the populace in KSA show an increased prevalence of high blood pressure in KSA among adults who live in urban as well as rural areas. Causes of high blood pressure Causes of high blood pressure can be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary causes are normally associated with structural changes in arteries, and the resultant condition is more prevalent in adults (A.D.A.M, 2012, pp. 1-5). Among secondary causes are changes in hormones as well as diseases of the kidney. Secondary causes account for approximately 10 percent of adult high blood pressure cases. The rest of the percentage affects mostly children under the age of ten. Notably, many cases of hypertension can be linked to diseases of the kidney. The kidney is the main body organ that stabilizes fluids. In case a patient suffers from kidney disea
Rio de Janeiro is associated with the life full of sunshine and vivid colors of the festival. The movie City of God ( Cidade de Deus ) directed by Fernando Meirelles represents the other side of life in Rio de Janeiro which is closer to reality. Rio de Janeiro is characterized by specific planning where the central part of the city is occupied by the wealthiest categories of the population when the poor people are isolated in special surrounding territories which similar to ghettos, and they are known as favelas. The aspects of everyday life in the favela called the City of God are discussed in the movie. The isolated character of the territory contributes to creating the specific social environment within the favela where life is ruled according to the principles of street life and gangs’ laws. Favelas as any isolated slums represent the specific urban ghetto where the population suffers from extreme poverty (Mennel 169). From this point, the rules of the city’s planning in Rio de Janeiro are developed to divide the population into social classes and increase the stratification which affects the development of the social life in favelas. The life of those people living in favelas surrounding the center of Rio de Janeiro differs significantly from the life of the upper social classes. The social stratification reflected in the city’s planning is a result of prolonged governmental policy. Favelas are inhabited by the poor population whose fathers were isolated many years ago because of their social status. These territories are firstly inhabited with immigrants and poor people having no rights to live in the center of the city. The majority of the first inhabitants of favelas are poor people seeking for work in Rio de Janeiro. The period of the 1960s-1980s is characterized by the increase of the organized crime in favelas. Thus, the life of people in these territories during the 1960s-1980s is regulated by the criminal gangs’ leaders. The war of gangs’ leaders is discussed in the City of God , presenting the real aspects of the people’s lives in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. The features of the city’s planning contribute to creating the micro-environments of ghettos or favelas which develop according to such values as violence, crime, guns, and drugs. According to Bromley, cities’ streets provide people with public areas and private spaces necessary for the effective everyday living (Bromley 163). The inhabitants of the City of God are not provided with opportunities to have enough private space because of the limits of the occupied territories. That is why, the lives of all the inhabitants of the favela are closely connected, and the rule of the gangs’ laws is more obvious because of the tight social connections. Thus, the families who live in the slums of Rio de Janeiro suffer not only from the lack of private space and poverty but also from the impact of the youth gangs which regulate the life in favelas. The social system is built about the interactions between gangs and families. In the City of God, the challenges of life in the favela are represented with the help of depicting the conflict between the positions of two yo
Agitation of social emancipation and economic independence has been a focal theme that authors write about incessantly. Essentially, the need to “redeem” the human race from the yolk of mental servitude, oppressive dogmas, and severe conservationism has been very salient in 21st-century literature. Providently, several authors tend to tether their literary publications on the role of women in society. The call to agitate for social reforms and affirmative action through literary discourse has formed the nerve of the thematic content of the contemporary literary discourse. Lauri Kubuitsile explores the effects of racial segregation and the position occupied by the women in the society. In her book, The Rich People’s School , the writer uses the main character, Sylvia, to highlight the issues of class struggles and parenthood in society. Sylvia is the victim of her mother’s irrational decisions. She carries the burden of “rejection” when the mother’s husband, a white man, outrightly rejects her and socially “confines” her to stay with her grandmother. The theme of the story is further developed when Sylvia is admitted to a school synonymous with the rich and opulent in society. She feels rather rejected as other students look down upon her on realizing that her origin is nothing but abject poverty. Kubuitsile uses Sylvia to outline the struggles of the feminine gender in society. The inclement of society hit the woman from all sides yet there is a struggle for recognition in the society. The author also outlines the vulnerability of a woman in society. Henrietta Rose-Innes affirms the need to shape the agitation for social emancipation to focus on redeeming the value of the feminine gender. In all her works, the author seems to be the voice of the voiceless. She talks for tho
Introduction and Background Our daily life revolves around a lot of polymeric materials that are useful but harmful to the environment. People use plastics as store wrappers, product packages, disposable containers for food takeout, and other household products like plates and cups. All these plastic products need disposal after use or when they break, but landfills are becoming fuller and cannot contain any more plastic waste since plastics are non-biodegradable. Therefore, it is better to reuse and recycle these plastics to avoid ruining our environment and find economic value for garbage. This essay reports grade ten students’ class activities involving reducing plastic waste through reusing and recycling. Topic Introduction The topic was introduced by creating awareness on the amount of plastic waste production and its effects on the environment. America is the leading nation producing the most plastic garbage per person worldwide, and waste disposal affects marine life and waterways (Nasr, 2020). Students responded with enthusiasm and engaged in discussions highlighting the effects of marine pollution on organisms and nature in general. Students were then asked to mention some of the plastic materials they encounter daily. Most students said that they use a lot of plastics daily and know their harmful effects on the environment. Since students were now aware of the topic, they could conduct the activity’s objective, which involves identifying different types of plastics, their composition, uses, and strategies to minimize plastic waste. History of Plastics Students went through the history of plastics and their industrial classification. Industrial plastic fabricators categorize plastics as either specialty resins or commodity resins. Historically, the name resin refers to amorphous solids occurring naturally, such as rosin (Nasr, 2020). Commodity resins include plastics made in large amounts at low costs, such as disposable plastic bags. On the contrary, specialty resins are produced in lower quantities and have higher production costs. Specialty resins include plumbing and hardware appliances and consist of polyamide, Teflon, and polyacetal materials (Nasr, 2020). The chemical composition of commodity resins comprises independent molecules that allow movement and easy flow. Thus, the polymeric material can be heated repeatedly and molded into various shapes and containers. Plastics with polyester and polyethylene cannot be reheated and remolded because their chemical composition changes during processing, making them insoluble when reheated. Journaling and interviews Students were required to identify different categories of standard plastics and create a journal entry that summarizes each type of plastic, its composition, and its uses. Through illustrations, students could identify plastics using industrial codes which label each type of plastic. Interviewing students ensured a follow-up in the activi