ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The relationship between the monstrous and the human in Odyssey is one which showcases there is a thin line between being human and being monstrous. There are numerous instances where this is evidence such as the scene where Circe turned the men of Odysseus into swine, the strangely human like characteristics of the Cyclops Polyphemus as well as the way in which the crew of Odysseus encountered the cannibalistic Laestrygonians. In each stage of the adventure readers are introduced to an ever increasing similarity between what is monstrous and what is man to the point that the line between the two blurs resulting in actions of Odysseus at Ithaca which can be considered monstrous but in fact is a purely human action as portrayed by the story. The Cyclops Polyphemus One of the first encounters of Odysseus with something that was truly monstrous was the Cyclops Polyphemus who ate some of the men of Odysseus and could be considered a truly frightening site with his single eye and enormous size. However, it is interesting to note that despite Polyphemus being a monster he was quite articulate and was able to carry on a conversation not only with Odysseus but with Poseidon himself. His act of complaining to his father (such as when a child would complain to this own father if he/she were being bullied) is very human like and is the first instance where we seeing a blurring of the lines between man and monster. The Witch Circe The second encounter of Odysseus with the supernatural came in the form of Circe turning some of his men into swine (i.e. pigs). In this instance in the story it is implied that men are no different than beasts as implied by Circe through her dialogue in the story wherein she has had bad experiences with men. It is due to this dialogue and her transformation of the men of Odysseus that we see another blurring of the lines between man and monster. Encounter with the cannibalistic Laestrygonians Prior to landing on the island of Circe, Odysseus encounters the Laestrygonians who are mostly human yet are giant in size (i.e. being taller than the average person) these individuals turned out to be cannibals who destroyed the ships of Odysseus (except his own since it was hidden) and ate his men. In this instance we see humans (albeit very tall humans) acting in a distinctly inhuman fashion. At this point of the story the line between what is human and what is monster is further blurred since we now see humans acting exactly like monsters yet having the external appearance of humans. Slaying of the Suitors Towards the end of the story we encounter Odysseus arriving at Ithaca and after a few scenes and tests slays all the suitors of his wife. More about The Odyssey What are the major conflicts in the Odyssey? 4.5 5135 What does Mentor do for Odysseus in the Odyssey? 5 465 What are some of the apparent values in the Iliad and the Odyssey? 5 1197 Which excerpt from part 2 of the Odyssey best supports the conc
Abstract Jemaah Islamiyah is a terrorist network established in the 1990s by two men Abu Bakar Bashir and Abdullah Sungkar. They both had an objective of establishing the group and spreading it to several nations. This was achieved because after being established in Indonesia, the Jemaah Islamiyah group has spread to nations such as Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand just to mentions a few. The group gets its members from willing volunteers who wish to join the group. Once recruited, the members are trained in secret regions. The Jemaah Islamiyah group gets its financial support from the group’s kitty, grants, and proceeds from businesses. The group has however threatened to attack the United States of America. As such, it is important for America to put in place measures that will minimize the activities of the group. Introduction Terrorism is one of the socio-economical problems facing many nations today. Terrorism entails compelling people through coordinated use of fear. Organizations and groups posing threats to others use terrorism as a way of achieving their demands and objectives. Terrorism is characterized by the haphazard use of brutality on the targeted opponents, which could be nations, sects, spiritual groups, and reigning administrations just to mention a few. The United States of America has been in the spotlight for threats posed by terrorists. With most of the terrorist groups coming from the Islamic nations especially those in the Middle East, it clearly explains why terrorist groups target the United States of America (Abuza, 2003). It is however important to note a number of terrorist groups have threatened the entire world. Despite the fact that al-Qaeda group is perhaps the most infamous in the world, other groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) have risen up to pose significant threats to the world (Riedel, 2010). This paper is an in-depth analysis of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group by looking at its establishment and the threats it poses to the United States of America. History of Jemaah Islamiyah Jemaah Islamiyah is a terrorist network that was established in the 1990s. The men behind the founding of the group are Abu Bakar Bashir and Abdullah Sungkar (Barton, 2005, p. 65). The two had the objective of establishing an Islamic state within various regions of the world. Upon realization of the objectives of Bashir and Sungkar, the president of Indonesia Suharto ordered for their imprisonment. This was because Indonesia had suffered previous attacks by terrorist groups such as Jihad Komando. Despite spending several years in prison, the two leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah moved their followers to other nations such as Malaysia re-established the group. The Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group has grown to encompass other nations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand, and Philippines just to mention a few (Barton, 2005, p.42). Past events, current status and future of the group The group first made it attacks in 1999, which were carried out by the first group of the trained operatives. The first training was
Introduction The pyramids of Giza remain one of the most amazing works of ancient times. Aged over 4500 years, it is widely held that their construction was mainly meant to create a burial place for pharaohs and in particular three pharaohs, namely, Khufu, Khfare, and Menkaure (Clarke & Engelbach, 1990). The pyramids are a true revelation and living proof of the excellent mathematical skills, project planning ability, as well as constructional and organizational skills that the ancient Egyptian’s possessed. However, the most astonishing thing is how these magnificent pyramids could have been created without the assistance of the specialized equipment used in modern-day construction. Both theorists and scientists have often attempted to answer these questions. Main body As has already been mentioned, there are vast theories put forth by leading Egyptologists as to the exact ways through which the pyramids were constructed. Most theories are often premised on the supposition that ancient Egyptians would have literally found it impossible to construct the pyramids had they relied on the primitive methods associated with them during the times of construction. Most theories have therefore opted to rather than focus on archeological evidence, premise their arguments on suppositions. One rather outstanding theory is the one proposing the use of ramps in the construction of the Pyramids. The hypothesis proposing the usage of ramps and sleds largely dwells on a hypothesis that there was a large team of laborers who pushed stones with the assistance of wood-made sleds up a single ramp to connect the quarry and the pyramids under construction. However, this theory has been disputed with its critics citing that such sleds would have required more resources than the pyramid itself. Another of the theories is Herodotus’ Lever and Pulley’s theory. In this theory, Herodotus proposes that the stones used to construct the pyramids were lifted using a series of levers and pulleys (Boxer, 1987). Although many have criticized this theory, some proofs have been found to render some credence to the proposition including small wooden gadgets also known as rockers. An interesting and rather fascinating theory of recent times is the one proposed in the book, ‘The Phoenix Solution’ published in 1998 (Alford, 1998). In this book, the author advocates for the adoption theory where he argues virtually all archeological evidence is consistent with the fact that Egyptian kings adopted structures that already existed and used the same as the foundation for the construction of the pyramids. As a matter of fact, he goes further to propose that the Kings in essence only added causeways that ran amidst the mortuary and the valley temples. Considering how taxing this task would have been, the theory amalgamates the fact that the villagers must ha
Coping with Terrorism Fighting terrorism has been the focus of the US since the November 2001 attack. However, the success of the efforts made by the government to reduce terrorism remains a subject of debate. The government has enacted the USA Patriot Act, and the Total Information Awareness (TIA) program has been adopted to gather intelligence concerning security threats (Friedman, 2005). Moreover, surveillance has been improved in various private and public areas such as airports. For instance, all airports in the US have scanners that can detect any weapons hidden in the body (Roskin & Berry, 2010). Another action taken by the government is fighting terrorists abroad by destroying their military base, sources of financing, and hideouts. As a result, no major attacks have been reported in the country after 2001. Improving the Efforts Critics of the government believe that little or no progress has been achieved in the antiterrorism campaign. Despite the efforts made by the US military, terrorism and lack of order is still a major problem in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. This makes the US vulnerable to acts of terror in the future. In this respect, expanding military operations abroad is likely to improve national security. In addition, uniting the citizens to support the fight against terrorism is likely to improve the effectiveness of the efforts made by the government to improve security (Roskin & Berry, 2010). Given the failure of the US to dismantle terrorist groups around the world, a new strategy should be put in place. Specifically, military action should be integrated with effective political and diplomatic solutions. Sources of Success The progress made by the government to reduce acts of terror within the country can be attributed to increased surveillance by the security agents. Currently, the Department of Homeland Security monitors the activities of all citizens in the country to detect any security threats (Friedman, 2005). As a result, several terrorists have been captured and brought to justice. The private sector has also taken measures such as installing CCTV cameras to ensure security within their premises. In addition, several countries around the world have joined the fight against terrorism. These efforts have contributed to improved security in the US. Discussion The argument that the US is losing the fight against terrorism at the global level seems to be true. The four main objectives of the war against terrorism include “fighting the enemy abroad, denying terrorists state support, denying terrorists access to weapons of mass destruction, and spreading democracy” (Perl, 2007). The Obama administration has been
Authored by Milton Ready, the book The Tar Heel State describes the history of North Carolina based on various parameters ranging from its political, social, economic, geology and geography as well as it flora and fauna. He observes, “history of the universe is not made up of atoms but of stories of atoms” (1) implying that he explored all aspects of the North Carolina since the much popular story of the big bang perhaps took place when atoms combined to from minute organisms, which on the other hand evolved into now the extinct dinosaurs. In terms of mineral wealth, Ready says that “although North Carolina has never ranked among the top ten mineral states, it has a times honored history of mineral production” (9). In the early times, it is believed that the better eastern half of the state was completely submerged. Human beings inhabited the land in around 10,000 or some 12,000 years ago with a consequence of about 30 native groups of America settling in the state. “In the 1580s, the British established two colonies in North Carolina, both of which failed. In the 1600s permanent settlers from Virginia began to move to North Carolina, and it eventually became part of a British colony known as ‘Carolina’” (Ready 179). However, the year 1775 saw North Carolina declare independence: being the first state to do so. Soon after revolution of the America, the state became the 12 th member of the union. Ready observes, “In 1861, North Carolina seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy in the Civil War. In 1865, North Carolina troops surrendered, leaving the state to be brought back into the Union in 1868” (297). The historical social evolution of all the American s
Events that formed the American nation What follows in this section of the essay are ten events that influenced the formation of the United States of America as a nation and a people. The Union wins the Civil War (1865) This event gave birth to the racial conflict that still simmers in the United States today. In Lincoln’s words, “one-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war” (Lincoln 98). The economic divisions between blacks and whites, Democrats and Republicans, and progressives and conservatives in the United States all began with this event. Wounded Knee Massacre (1890) In 1890 the US Cavalry and members of the Lakota tribe entered into a skirmish near the Wounded Knee River in South Dakota. The massacre affected mostly women and small children – a few Indian warriors were involved; however, most of their rifles had been confiscated. The civilians were unarmed at the time. The Wounded Knee Massacre ostensibly marked the end of the Indian Wars, with Native Americans finally losing all claims to the United States; this event gave European settlers free reign over the land. World War I (1917) The United States declared war on Germany only one year before the war ended. However, this event remains significant because it marks the beginning of the United States as a military superpower. Prohibition (1919) Congress ratified the prohibition law one year after the end of the First World War. The law prohibited the sale of alcohol in the United States. This event marked one of the first and the largest examples of the conservative religious movement’s involvement in American politics and the mixing of church and state that continues today. Stock Market Crash (1929) Black Thursday – the day the Wall Street stock market crashed – launched the 12 agonizing years of the Great Depression, which caused massive unemployment, loss of homes, and terrible suffering for millions of Americans. New Deal (1933) FDR launched the New Deal in response to the Great Depression. This event is significant because it demonstrated a period of American history where the government took on a caring role toward its people. Pearl Harbor (1941) Two years after Hitler invaded Poland and launched the Second World War, Hitler’s allies Japan bombed the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing over 2000 American soldiers and destroying several ships. The United States declared war on Japan one day after the attack. This event was both negative and positive. Mobilizing for the war helped the United States fully recover from the devastating economic effects of the Depression; however, it also sowed the seeds for the nuclear attack on Japan four years later. Hirosh
Attracting: Recruiting & Selection The impact of increased global competitiveness on human resources is notable. Presently, organizations engage the services of highly skilled and experienced personnel. Consequently, this has immensely impacted on the labor market. Recruitment processes have become more strategic and reformed. The human resources department plays a significant role. Generally, talent, expertise and leadership qualities have gained importance (ARMSTRONG 2010, p. 12). The processes of attracting, recruitment and selection are important. The application of strategic and comprehensive processes enables employers to acquire quality human resource. The potential employees also have the capacity to identify the best employers within the market. It is important to note the impacts of increased competitiveness within the human resource. Workers have also developed interests on capacity building, quality experience and improvement. Organizations must determine the factors that may attract potential and effectively performing workers. Therefore, they must be smart while presenting the available employment opportunities. The potential workers must also strive to learn the ways of detecting the best employers. Organizations have applied different strategies to ensure that their opportunities are competitive. For instance, providing good wages to the workers have frequently been used (ASWATHAPPA 2005, p. 8). The employing organizations have also used other competitive reward and benefit schemes. These have considerably led to increased applications for various available job opportunities. It is upon the human resource and relevant line managers to use a strategic selection procedure. Evidently, it is notable that quality managemen
Introduction The police have a mandate to ensure order, provide security, and manage crime among other duties (Joyce par. 1). These duties and responsibilities are highly risky, as police officers endanger their lives every time they work. Police officers work with a limited budget, unreliable information systems, and technologically advanced criminals. Discussion One of the most important tools in police operations is reliable and easily accessible records. All relevant authorities at federal and state governments need to advocate for reliable public records, as they play a crucial role in the effective management of crime (Joyce par. 3). Information classified under public records includes driving statistics, immigration data, criminal cases, as well as information on occupancy of estates. These records ought to be easily accessible by police officers, thus the need to improve their reliability (Joyce par. 5). Due to technological developments, solving criminal cases using public records is quite easy, as most information is centralized in information storage databases that are easy to use and more efficient (Joyce par. 7). Police investigations involve three crucial elements. The first element is the initial response after police receive a crime alert. The response entails going to a crime scene, gathering relevant information, and advising on any necessary precautionary measures. With the help of public records, police officers establish the criminal record of a location and the people who live there before embarking on a response mission. This is essential in determining the best response to take, as people living in such a location could be armed and dangerous (Joyce par. 8). The second element is investigation. Main activities include verification of information and preparation of witnesses if necessary. Public records are quite reliable when police officers need to verify information gathered from a scene of the crime, as well as streamline the whole process (Joyce par. 9). The third element is an analysis of all information. Although this element can take a lot of time to complete, investigators ought to be patient as it is a crucial part of the investigation (Joyce par. 9). Conclusion Reliable public records play a crucial role in the effective management of crime. The strength of an investiga
Religion is an influential psychological power affecting and controlling an individual’s emotions and behavior. As a result, it has the potential of becoming a robust monitoring tool establishing the needed model of behavior in a community. There are different approaches to building up religions and understanding them. Some religions make emphasis the value of actions, while others promote strict spiritual adherence to and belief in the established rules. This paper will focus on studying Islam and determining its nature. The primary goal of the research is to find out whether Islam is orthodoxy or orthopraxy, comparing it to Christianity and exploring the pillars of both religions. To begin with, it is paramount to get familiar with the primary concepts and provide the background for further research. Both words, orthodoxy, and orthopraxy, come from Greek. Orthodoxy means the right belief. In fact, it is the dimension of believing in the canons of religion (El-Menouar 67). The idea behind the concept is purely moral and, to some extent, ethical. Think, for example, of Christianity. This religion operates on the basis of established canons, which are usually applied to the everyday lives of Christians and used to handle spiritual problems. However, they are not seen as regulatory or obligatory norms or laws. These codes of canons are flexible and can be adapted by every individual in accordance with their inner self. The primary issue is to believe in the Trinity and to deploy them for further spiritual development (Movsesian 874). Orthopraxy, on the other hand, means the right action. It implies following all canons of religion in practice instead of simply believing in them. Similar right actions promoted by the religion might include praying several times a day, reading holy writings, performing good works, obeying the key religious postulates, maintaining the right beliefs, etc. (Pill 3). Sometimes, orthopraxy means that the canons of religion become the laws recognized by the states. So, they are applied to controlling public relations at all levels of state-building. The line between the concepts is visible in theory. However, when they are used for understanding religions, it becomes a challenging experience. Think, for example, of Islam. Most scholars believe that it is orthopraxy because this religion preaches the right actions. However, getting a closer look at the central postulates hints that the answer might be different. Investigating the nature of Islam with the aim of answering the central question will include several steps. First of all, it is vital to highlight that Islam is based on the interconnectedness of three dimensions – Islam (law) , Iman (theology) , and Ihsan (spirituality). It means that the foundation of the religion is finding the balance between submission, faith, and spiritual perfection (Spevack xx). These postulates are referred to as the pillars of Islam. The first dimension, law, is a combination of five pillars promoting ritual and practice. They include fasting during Rama