ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The article under consideration is written by Robert Lucky (2010) and entitled “To Twitter or not to Twitter?” The author dwells upon the role social networks play in people’s lives. The author does not explicitly point out his viewpoint on the matter. However, he makes the reader understand that social networks like Twitter have two sides. On one hand, Twitter is a great means of rapid exchange of information. On the other hand, it is often used for quite meaningless communication. Lucky (2010) does not explicitly state that he thinks Twitter is a negative phenomenon. Nevertheless, the author focuses on the negative effects of Twitter as the author evokes certain ideas and even feelings concerning the dark side of the social network. Positive Effects of the Social Network As has been mentioned above, Lucky (2010) claims that twittering has negative as well as positive effects. In the first place, it is important to focus on the positive side of twittering. Thus, Lucky (2010) points out that the development of social networks and the wide popularity of these resources can be explained by the development of technology and, to a certain extent, by the development of contemporary society. The author claims that “natives”, i.e. people who were born when the Internet played an important role in people’s lives, have been surrounded by the cyber world (Lucky, 2010, p. 244). The author concludes that it is but natural that young people have acknowledged the advantages of communication via the Internet. Furthermore, the author states that many people find this kind of communication quite effective. More so, such social networks help people to “feel a sense of connectedness” (Lucky, 2010, p. 245). Therefore, social networks help people to feel safe and connected to others. The author also claims that twittering is not a kind of entertainment for young people. It can be used during conferences and lectures to make more people involved in the discussion. However, Lucky (2010) expresses concerns that many people, especially older ones, may become distracted from the topic. Negative Effects of Social Networks Nonetheless, the author also reflects upon the negative effects of twittering in more detail. Notably, this is not just about being distracted during a lecture. The author notes that twittering can have far more serious negative effects. Admittedly, nowadays many people prefer online communication to real-world relationships. Another problem associated with Twitter is concerned with time. The modern world is rapidly changing and people do not have much time, so they simply cannot afford to waste it. However, social networking steals precious time since many people are absorbed by the cyber world. Thus, Lucky (2010) claims that people often waste their time. For instance, the author provides an example of the youth who says that he twit
Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is the Japanese animated film directed by Isao Takahata, and it is a vivid example of the Japanese anime on the topic of the war. The young boy Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are the main characters who are depicted living in Japan during World War II. The fate of the children’s father, an officer in the Imperial Navy, is unknown, and the children’s mother died from injuries received during the firebombing. The first scenes of the anime present Seita dying from malnutrition. Seita’s spirit meets the spirit of the dead sister in the form of fireflies released from the tin of drops. The audience can follow the children’s story presented in flashbacks from the moment of firebombing, when children loose their mother. Then, Seita and Setsuko come to their aunt who is rather sympathetic, but she is sure that children should work to receive food. The children leave the aunt’s house to find the shelter where they release the cloud of fireflies, but these fireflies die shortly, making Setsuko ask about the nature of death. Although Seita and Setsuko strive to survive, they die from malnutrition (“Grave of the Fireflies”). However, the final scenes of the anime represent the happy children rounded by fireflies, making the end rather open. Thus, the main topics discussed in the anime are the war, firebombing, individual sufferings, struggle, and death; and the director achieves the necessary dramatic effect with the focus on such symbolic images and icons as fireflies and the tin of fruit drops. Grave of the Fireflies can be considered as one of the popular Japanese animated films discussing the problem of war which are characteristic for the post-war period. This period in Japan resulted in the focus of the Japanese culture and art on the problems of the war as the most significant ones to explain the issues observed in the modern Japanese society. In spite of the fact that the topic of the war is significant for anime, Grave of the Fireflies is rather unique in presenting the aspects of the war because of focusing not on general issues, but on the role of the war for persons’ fates. Thus, Grave of the Fireflies demonstrates how the life of the whole family is destroyed due to the war because the mother dies as a result of firebombing, the fate of the father is unknown, and two young children die from malnutrition (“Grave of the Fireflies”). The film’s authors focus much on providing the vivid graphic depictions of the war realities in order to create the necessary atmosphere, but more attention is paid to represent the individual characters of Seita and Setsuko who are depicted as innocent victims of the dramatic situation. The graphic descriptions made in such animated films as Grave of the Fireflies are effective to create the detailed images because of the anime’s focus on flexibility and creativity. The film presents the individual story
One of the most outstanding features of the book “Maus” is its graphics. It is quite peculiar that Spiegelman uses only the black-and-white color – perhaps, this is another means to emphasize the gloomy atmosphere of the Nazi invasion and the reign of the anti-Semite ideas. With help of the shades of black, white, and grey, the author managed to reprint the exact spirit of World War II, with all its despair and suffering. It seems as though the sun stopped shining, and the entire world is hiding in the shadow of fear now – the fear of being trapped into the Nazi machine and being tortured, beaten, and killed. With every single gesture, phrase, or facial expression of his characters, Spiegelman makes it clear that each creature under the impact of the Nazi regime turned into a miserable, petrified terrorized nothing – hardly anyone who passed the ordeal and stayed alive managed to preserve his/her personality and stay complete. Because of the specific graphics, each piece of the comic book is filled with pain and sorrow. The grief-stricken characters, their helpless gestures, and their fragile bodies are the despair itself. Piled on each other, the corpses scare the reader out of his/her wits – the realistic pictures make one forget that the lead characters are not even human being, and make people focus on the key idea of the comic book. Another remarkable feature is how the characters move. Due to the sharp, almost chaotic graphics of the book, the author creates an impression of a true Apocalypses erupting. There are no calm scenes in the book, even the relatively quiet ones contain the element of tension within, expressed either with a gesture, or with a pose, or with a facial expression. It seems that even the words in the cloud are torn apart by this intense feeling of something frightening and inevitable coming. Concerning the words, one must mark that the air of tragedy in the comics does not affect the style of the letters – they are never the same, their size and color changing depending on the emotions of the speaker. Another peculiar way to communicate the incredible violence of the Nazi regime, this manner of writing in the clouds sets a striking contrast to the overall mood of the book. With help of the shifting from lower case to the higher and vice versa, Spiegelman manages to convey the emotions of the lead characters, which is as important for the book
Introduction While writing the novel ‘Frankenstein,’ Mary Shelley was influenced profoundly by romantic poets such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Percy Bysshe Shelley, her beloved husband, also influenced her largely. Although the dark and horrific motifs of Frankenstein may appear to contrast with the bright tones and subjects of such poetry, there is a clear connection, as established in the text, between the poetry of such poets and the general narrative of Frankenstein. This influence is evident in the text whereby Shelley often refers to such poetry or even goes ahead to quote some of the passages directly. Because of this influence, some critics such as Guyer (2006, p.77) claim that Frankenstein is considerably more sophisticated compared to the prose of other romantic writers. This paper aims at evaluating the influence of the poetic texts, as used by Shelley in ‘Frankenstein,’ to inform and enrich the narrative. Analysis of Poetic Texts in Frankenstein As argued by Fite and Bloom (1985, p.24), the moment that Shelley represents in ‘Frankenstein’ aims at achieving transcendence, which is similar to the quest of nearly all the other romantic poets. This aspect follows in the sense that it does not come from her personal experiences nor in the narrative voice, which drives her plot. Poetry, as used in the text, enhances the unfolding of the plot. For instance, the phrase “or if I should come back… as the ‘Ancient Mariner’” (Shelley, 2004, p. 6), and the following lines drawn from Coleridge’s poem titled the Rime of the Ancient Mariner come in as part of the narration made by the character Victor Frankenstein. “Like one who, on a lonely road, Doth walk in fear and dread, And, having once turned round, walks on, And turns no more his head; Because he knows a frightful fiend Doth close behind him tread” (Shelley, 2004, p. 36). The poem by Coleridge plays an integral part of the narrative in that it informs the plot of the story. The poem tells the tale of a mariner who faced an unfortunate fate after he killed an albatross. His voyage suffers complete destruction at the end of the tale. The poem was richly themed to highlight the importance and beauty attached to everything on the planet earth. Mary Shelley uses this poem by both quoting it directly and paraphrasing it in Frankenstein. Using this poem in the story, Shelley makes it known to the reader her admiration of romantic poetry, which informs the flow of her story. The poem blends with the narrative, which gives the reader an outward context of the text as a romantic novel. Shelley uses Coleridge’s poem at different points in the text in an effort to align the misguided monster to the ancient mariner. It is through this venture that Shelley is capable of tying her novel to one of the most authentic Romantic works. The poem also creates a connection between Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton, in addition to enriching the text. The extent to which Victor Frankenstein feels alienated only a few moments after the creation of his monster relates to these lines draw
Summary Operation management (OM) includes organizational processes such as technology (information and engineering), accounting, finance, and human resources. Procurement and inbound logistic as well as warehousing and outbound logistics are examples of macro operations of operation management. Other operations include customer service, marketing, and sales. Operation management also involves the planning, execution, and control of inputs, process, and outputs. Inputs include materials, labor, and overheads while process involves value creation through production of goods and services. Systems used in operation management should be effective and efficient. Operation management aims to achieve efficiency in performance, manufacturing and service product-process matrix. OM has evolved significantly due to changing industry dynamics that include power shift toward customers and the growth of the digital economy. The pre-industrial, industrial, post-industrial, and digital ears have experienced different levels of evolution. Business drivers (value, velocity, and volatility) have played key roles in the evolution of OM. Increased customer expectation, shorter product cycles, and increased competition have necessitated the pursuance of efficiency, value, and flexibility in OM. There are several operating business models that aim to achieve service, operational, and innovation excellence. Different companies adopt these models for varied reasons. Two Important Points Evolution of OM and Competition-Performanc
Introduction It is important to evaluate a company’s position in the market. There are four most common areas used to analyze a company: strengths, weakness, opportunity, and threats (SWOT). Carrying out a SWOT analysis on a company makes it possible to evaluate the progress that the company is making. Evaluation should be done from a qualitative perspective such as evaluation of completeness, internal consistency, rationale and suitability. More so, the quantitative point of view should also be put into consideration, including the strategic and financial outcomes for the company (Sanchez & Heene, 2010). Evaluation of an organization is important because it shows whether an organization’s competitive capabilities and core competencies are strategically relevant. These are most logical and appealing building blocks for companies. Most of the companies use resource-based strategies to exploit company resources in ways that offer value to their customers. The best and most potent strategies are those which are competitively rare, hard to imitate and hard to be trumped by substitute resources. A good strategy to size up a company’s resource strength is through carrying out a SWOT analysis. It is powerful in determining the company’s strengths and competitive deficiencies, opportunities and other external threats thus making it possible to find ways of empowering its future (Thompson et al., 2010). This paper will conduct a SWOT analysis for Apple Inc. It will also investigate the core and distinctive competencies of RIM which makes Blackberry mobile phones. It will discuss the resources and core competencies of Dell and lastly identify why competitors find it difficult to imitate Dell’s direct sales model given that its products are based on standard industry technology. The SWOT Analysis of Apple Inc There are various activities, which add value and competitive advantages to Apple Inc. However, the value, rarity, inimitability and organization (VRIO) of an activity or resource determines its sustainability. SWOT analysis refers to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a firm, in this context, Apple Inc. According to the case study, some of the Apple Inc. strength includes the stability and user friendly product lines. Its technical savvy is one of its kinds. Arguably, Apple Inc. makes and sells iPod music players ranked among the best technological devices of the time. iPod is based on propriety standards and retailed through Apple’s retail stores (Huzefa et al., 2009). Strength Its strengths include its abili
Introduction Fire safety is a state of protection of an individual, property, and society from fires. It includes a set of measures aimed at securing property values ​​and people from the risk and likelihood of hazardous fire situations, including the consequences of a fire. Special conditions of a social and technical nature, established for the purpose of ensuring safety, are critical aspects to comply with both at the organizational level and at home. The importance of fire safety lies in an opportunity to protect against unforeseen situations and prevent casualties or loss of property as a result of careless handling of fire or flammable objects. Principles of Fire Safety The principles of fire safety established within the framework of both an individual organization and society as a whole are regulated by the relevant supervisory authorities. According to McNay et al. (2019), these rules “are a result of a consensus between rule givers (i.e. regulators) and rules takers (i.e. operators, designers)” (p. 102859). In the context of responsibility for safety, special training is carried out regularly in organizations of different profiles. Its main goals are to convey to employees the basic requirements of behavior, study the fire hazard of technological processes of production and equipment, introduce fire protection means, and identify people’s actions in case of a fire (McNay et al., 2019). At the same time, even when delegating responsibilities, control measures are competencies of heads and administrators. This means that some individual parties are responsible for the safety of property and people, which explains the accuracy and regularity of relevant training briefings. Therefore, special regulatory rules exist for both workers and citizens and for those who supervise the appropriate observance of fire safety standards. Importance of Following Fire Safety Measures One of the key reasons explaining the urgent need and importance of following fire safety measures is the high risks associated with neglecting these rules. In addition to the elementary standards, certain principles require specialized knowledge, for instance, when working with electrical appliances. Kodur et al. (2019) emphasize the importance of educating the population at the present stage of development when the mass of electrical appliances assembled in multi-storey buildings increases the risks of hazardous fire situations. With the appropriate knowledge of how to act in case of a fire and what steps to take to help others, people are safer. Therefore, Kodur et al. (2019) argue that “developing cost-effective fire suppression systems and rational fire design approaches, characterizing new materials and developing performance-based codes” are crucial tasks to introduce (p. 1). Otherwise, numerous human casualties
Organizing the educational process in a class with diverse students is a very responsible task. It demands consideration of the separate groups’ interests and needs, including physical, social, psychological, etc. Another task in this case is making the students of different races, social statuses, and physical abilities work as a team. In addition, it is important to remember, that the process of education is interdependent with the process of upbringing, which makes the task more challenging. The issue of educating diverse pupils is discussed by a number of authors. For instance, one of them argues that in such classes the standardized tests are unacceptable, as far as they “discourage us from seeing that […] the point of education is ought to be to make the world better and more just” (Bigelow, 206). Such statement can be justified to some extent, as the universal tests are not suitable for the modern diverse society. However, in my opinion, the tests should not be excluded from the studying process. After all, they just summarize what the student remembers from the exercising. That is why, I think that the implementation of alternative assessment should be combined with tests. Another author, Grant, asked a rather topical question related to the topic. Specifically, he was concerned “to what extent is instruction available in the language of linguistic minorities, including American Sign Language?” (Grant, 215). This question seems to be provocative in the modern educational system, where the sign language is implemented only in some establishments. Indeed, this problem creates a bound between the normal and disabled students. Therefore, it is worth considering the development of sign language application in regular schools. One more author, Nieto, studies the issue of multicultural education. One of the mentioned idea surprised me; namely, the author states that “controversial topics such as power and inequality are rarely discussed in schools” (Nieto, 53). In my point of view, the modern schools are more democratic than the author treats them to be. These topics, for instance, were often discussed in my class. Having read the articles, and having reviewed my essay, I found out that my suggestions for diverse class work organization were not developed enough. For instance, in my essay I suggested implementing a more interactive method of teaching, aimed at involving all students and encouraging communication. However, this idea should correspond to the fact that the communication in a diversified class has a specific character. Some pupils may feel uncomfortable because of being special or different
Introduction Trifles, a play written by Susan Glaspell, is one of the most famous works of literature published in the United States. It touches sensitive issues which are burning for the American society, particularly during her life time. The play is a one-act piece, and seeks to illustrate woman’s sorrow when the main character is trapped in a relationship with her husband. Susan Glaspell also tries to present the nature of woman’s intelligence. On the other hand, the play, Trifles, depicts men as insensitive and judgmental. Prejudice prevents them from making the right decisions in their quest to resolve a case of the murder (Mael 21). Eventually, the women determine the course of the investigation by concealing the evidence that can incriminate a fellow woman. They understand the suspect’s situation and circumstances under which she might have committed that crime and killed her husband. Through the drama, it is possible to see the attitude of the author to the issue as well as her views since her literature presents her feelings and her opinion on the sensitive social matters (Smith 36). Susan Keating Glaspell’s background Susan Keating Glaspell was born on July 1, 1876, and died the same month 72 years later. By the time of her death, she became a well-known poet, a novelist, a playwright, and a screenplay director who won many prizes. It is evident that Susan Glaspell’s plays and novels have a deep meaning and sympathetic characters that many people thought to be a result of her personal life ex