ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
There are countless various books in the world, and each person can learn something new from most of them. Some books provide knowledge on different religions, such as Center Church , in which the author, Timothy Keller, talks about Christianity and modern ministry. Like many other sources of information, this work brings out discussions and disputes between those who support its main ideas and those who do not. As each person’s opinion is unique, one has to critically analyze a book to share their thoughts and make a point. Summary The first step in analyzing a book upon reading it is summarizing its contents and main ideas. Center Church starts with modern criteria for ministry, which are identified as success, basically meaning popularity, and faithfulness with the focus on ministers being competent (Keller 11). However, the author suggests that ministers these days have to be evaluated based on their fruitfulness implying that the ministry has to meet people’s demands (Keller 14). After the introduction, the book is divided into several sections and parts. The first section is about the gospel, in which the author shares his perceptions of the gospel, referencing various sources and connects it to certain aspects of life. The second section is called “City” and explains contextualization concerning Christianity, cultural differences, and the city with its dual nature. The last section is named “Movement,” and it talks about the mission, problems of the missional church, and how to overcome those problems. As Center Church represents an impressive work on religion, it is challenging to summarize briefly and requires further discussion. Reflection The book contains an intense amount of knowledge as the author refers to multiple various sources explaining his ideas, and some major takeaway points for me may seem not as serious. For example, the author tells how some sermons can be “biblically sound” but too monotonic, so they fail to engage people, which is an aspect that I have not thought as much about (Keller 89). Some other takeaways for me are related to contextualization and different cultures in relation to how to approach those cultures and especially how to challenge them properly (Keller 120-132). One more takeaway for me is based on the connect
In 1865 the U.S. Civil War was ended after the forces of General Lee surrendered to General Grant. The war was not only important because it was fought for the future of the Union but also because of a side-story, the abolition of slavery in America. For centuries, when the British Crown was still the undisputed ruler of the American colonies, a steady stream of African-American slaves was brought to this country. They were treated as if they were mere objects. They were the properties of their masters and most of the plantation owners in the South who used slaves as one would use a beast of burden. It is easy to understand why they were oppressed and why no white man would like to be associated with them. But in 1865 there was hope for change, and yet in 1983, Susie Guillory Phipps sued Louisiana because the state considers her a Negro when she believes that she is Caucasian. America may have abolished slavery, but the specter of racism remains. Introduction The New World was sustained by the blood and sweat of African slaves. In the Age of Reason, Americans believed that they have the right to own slaves, human beings just like them but different only in the color of their skin. This belief allowed them to trade for slaves as if they are merely trading for cattle, spices or other commodities. Even when America was victorious against their British overlords, they continue to believe that there is no connection between the oppressive rule of the Royal Crown and the way they treated Negro slaves. It was impossible for them to understand that they are doing something immoral and downright despicable. American citizens and their leaders even created a Constitution, a symbolic document that asserts man’s equality in the eyes of God but even after doing so they were blind to their sins and continue to believe that there is an exception to what they call as the inalienable right of every person to be free. The Negro slaves were never considered citizens of America, and therefore they do not deserve human rights. The heroes of the American Revolution – the successful War for Independence against British hegemony – went into the battlefield fighting for freedom and equality but after the war, they would go back to their plantations and will never feel the slightest discomfort upon seeing a Negro slave staggering from the weight of his labor. In the South, there is an abundance of arable land making it a suitable place to establish plantations. After America was liberated from the clutches of the British Empire, these plantations became an essential aspect of the new economy. The Northern states were the first to understand the inconsistency of savoring American freedom and yet maintaining a coterie of slaves in their backyard. The Southern states, on the other hand, cannot afford to feel the slightest tinge of guilt. One has to understand that while the Northern states can continue to make money through their factories and other industries, the Southern states had to rely only on their plantations. And without the muscle power and talents of Negro slaves – men, women, and children – it would be impossible to maintain an ag
In the course of the interview, Chyn said that she had certain financial responsibilities. In particular, she was supposed to make sure that the departments could comply with the budget plan developed by hospital administrators. Furthermore, one of her obligations was to ensure the effective use of available resources and supplies. Nevertheless, Chyn also noted that she could not take control of budgeting. It should be noted budgeting can be possible provided that a person is able to project the revenues of an organization (Sullivan, 2012, p. 187). This is one of the factors that prevent nurses from shaping budgeting plans (Finkler 2008). Secondly, Chin is supposed to provide reports showing how resources and costs are used. This activity is a part of her fiscal accountability. Chyn believes that the idea of healthcare as a business has both advantages and disadvantages. In her opinions, healthcare organizations have to compete with one another in order to become more effective. From Chyn’s point of view, healthcare marketing is closely related to the improvement of patient care. So, to some degree, medical organizations should resemble business in order to become more sustainable (Amer, 2013). Yet, businesses have to concentrate mostly on their financial performance, but this approach can dehumanize healthcare. This is the argument that Chyn puts forward while discussing this question. One can say that Chyn is responsible for various aspects of HR management. In particular, she is obliged for the orientation of new hires. In her opinion, this activity is crucial for effective functioning of medical organizations. Moreover, she is responsible for selecting new candidates. Her responsibility is to make sure that the staffing needs of the department are met. Chyn thinks that in this way she can create value for the organization and improve its work. This is the positive aspect of this activity. However, at the same time, she has to struggle with the shortage of time. This is one of the main challenges that affect her work. Additionally, Chyn is accountable only to the nursing director. In particular, she should provide information about the work of other nurses, HR practices, budgeting, patient care, and so forth. Chyn argues that in this case, accountability is closely related to cooperation because the nursing director often makes valuable recommendations to her. Scholars emphasize the idea that accountability is based on the cooperation between various professionals (Sullivan, 2012, p. 132). This is one of the points that can be made. The ideas, expressed by Chyn are closely related to the scholar works examining the work of professionals. For example, the orientation of new hires is vital for the effective work of a medical institution (Wahl, 2008, p. 30). Moreover, effective work of mentors is critical for the retention of medical workers (Hart, 2011, p. 219). Overall, the issues discussed during this interview can be relevant to my professional activities. In particular, this conversation can help me anticipate the challenges faced by nurses. For
Computer technologies are actively used today in the classroom environments to accompany the teacher instructions and to stimulate the students’ attention, memory, and cognition. To enhance the students’ learning activities and development of their literacy skills, it is possible to use such computer technologies as the computer software and electronic books (e-books) at all the stages of learning because different technological tools are designed to address the needs of all the learners without references to their age and level of the skills’ development. From this point, to use the computer technologies effectively, the teacher should pay much attention to selecting the appropriate tool which can contribute to the instruction about the students’ performance level and needs. Thus, to add to the students’ achievements, it is necessary to focus on the aspects of the technological tools used for the children aged 0 months – 5 years and for the students aged 5–8 years. When children only start their literacy education and learn the literacy skills at the Pre-Kindergarten stage, the most appropriate tool to be used is the computer software which stimulates the development of the child’s phonological awareness. Thus, in their research, Zucker, Moody, and McKenna mention such appropriate software as Fast ForWord and Earobics which can be used to contribute to the children’s phonological awareness (Zucker, Moody, & McKenna, 2009, p. 50). The teacher can improve the usual instructions while involving the children in the interactive activities proposed by these tools. To stimulate the children’s work with words, Fast ForWord and Earobics provide the interactive exercises with the alphabet and vocabulary. Children receive the opportunity not only to read words but also listen to them and repeat. Early Reading is the software which is designed to respond to the students’ needs in identifying sounds, letters, and words. Children receive the opportunity to segment and blend the sounds while working with different words (Macaruso & Walker, 2008, p. 270). The discussed technological tools are effective to contribute to the teacher instruction because they are used to demonstrate the opportunities of the interactive exercises (Vernadakis et al., 2005, p. 102). As a result, children can work with sounds and words while satisfying their needs in learning. While using these tools, the teacher realizes the individual approach to the student because of selecting the exercises and resources which are most beneficial for the child to develop his or her phonological awareness and reading skills. During the Kindergarten-Grade 3 stage, students need more developed exercises to improve their literacy skills. To enhance the students’ development and to improve the instruction, such resources as the Da
Introduction In the 50 year span of his career Duke Ellington has composed well over 3,000 pieces of musical composition ranging from the blues, jazz, classical and other forms of contemporary music. The man was a veritable genius when it came to composition and is famous for elevating jazz music to the heights of popularity that placed on par with other forms of music. None is this more evident that in the composition “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue”, where the composition talents of Ellington bring forth a lively and exciting jazz beat that one cannot help but dance or snap your fingers to. It is actually to my great pleasure that I begin a slight evaluation of the 1958 concert in Concertgebouw, Amsterdam where this song was played in order to give my own personal insights on how the tempo, timbre and beat combine into a truly exquisite piece for the years. Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue – Examination Almost immediately listeners are assailed with a fast tempo to the song that alternates between Vivace and Allegro; the sweet sound of trumpets and saxophones lends the song a smooth timbre with an upbeat progression to the music which follows through a gradual decrescendo into a wonderfully soft sax and strumming combination that was a delight to the ears. In fact the initial few minutes of the song itself can be divided into a lively Vivace which slowly tapers off into a moderate allegretto which seems to be the impetus needed to introduce the breathtaking solo of Gonzalez. Words fail to describe the superb playing of Gonzalez during his sax solo, it consisted of Vivace combined with a smooth consonance that when combined with the background orchestra music and the slight clapping by the band gives the solo a striking feel especially when taking into consideration the duration of notes being struck by Gonzalez where you can practically see the veins bulging out of his head due to the sheer difficulty of the solo piece. In terms of the overall loudness of the song I would have to say that it ranges between mezzoforte and forte yet it doesn’t come off as overly loud or too striking rather the smooth tones of jazz music that practically ooze a comforting melody makes the loudness justifiably appropriate for the piece at hand. Overall the piece has a chord progression that is both striking and smooth that draws audiences into the song it
Introduction Zen Buddhism is one of the most spread religions in the world as millions of people follow its principles and norms. The uniqueness of Zen is in rejecting the importance of doctrines and emphasizing the role of the spiritual growth of the person through the practice of meditation. Currently, Zen Buddhism is popular in not only China and Japan where it is highly influential but also in the Western world (McDaniel 54). Although having the origins in China, Zen Buddhism became an important part of the Japanese vision, culture, and the way of living as it is grounded on the idea of developing personal spirituality and achieving the union with the Cosmos. How Zen came to Japan Zen Buddhism became known in Japan in the seventh century. However, despite being taught in the Japanese temples, Zen was not spread in the country until the late part of the twelfth century (Heine 368). The interest in Zen among the Japanese people increased, and the main Zen schools emerged. The first Zen Buddhism school was Rinzai School, and it was founded by Eisai (1141-1215) who visited China several times in order to learn more about the principles of Zen. One more school of Zen in Japan was Daruma School. It was founded by Nonin in the 1190s, and it was based on the Rinzai teachings (Heisig and Knitter 112). In spite of sharing the vision of Zen Buddhism and its main principles, monks followed different paths in teaching, and the other Zen movement was Soto School founded by Dogen (1200-1253) (McDaniel 83-85). All these schools were established in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and their teachings originated from the founders’ interpretation of Zen ideas and principles learned in China. Therefore, these schools differ in their vision of reaching enlightenment or satori as the desired goal (Anderl 22). The followers of Eisai believed that it is possible to achieve satori every moment of life without the additional concentration. On the contrary, the followers of Soto School shared the idea that only the complete concentration and meditation could lead to satori. In order to spread their teachings and visions of Zen Buddhism, the heads and followers of different schools paid much attention to building temples according to the patterns viewed in China. In these temples, the monks declared their own interpretations of Zen Buddhism that were often discussed as even more ‘true’ than the principles of the traditional Chinese Buddhism (McDaniel 112). Having received the experience in the Chinese temples, the representatives of Rinzai, Soto, and Daruma schools believed that their visions of Buddhism could be more related to the philosophy of Zen (Baskind 312). As a result, the variants of Zen Buddhism that came to Japan in the seventh century were completely based on the Chinese interpretations, but those teachings that spread with the establishment of first schools in Japan differed significantly from the traditional Chinese practice of Zen. The development of Zen visions in J
Introduction King George III was in charge of the British Monarch when Britain’s power was unmatched (Brooke, 1972). New lands were discovered and the empire set up colonies virtually everywhere in the world. Thomas Jefferson in making the case for American independence listed a number of abuses by the King on the colonies that he believed gave impetus to the struggle for American independence (Bernsten, 2005, p. 78). Jefferson said that the abuses had been aimed at the colonies for purposes of establishing tyrannical government in North America. Some of the abuses that King George is accused of committing involve taxation with little representation, the sugar act, the tea act, and the quartering act. Abuses Jefferson listed 27 abuses that the thirteen colonies suffered under the monarchy. The first twelve abuses dealt with the denial of the colonies of the right to establish representative governments. He did so by the rejection of the laws proposed by the colonies. The king directed the dissolution of colonial bodies of representation and in their place took the ministers. He also increased his meddling in the judicial process as well as the rights of the colonies. He was also accused of exalting the power of the military over civilian besides forcing civilians to support the military (Bernsten, 2005, p. 98). Thirteen to 22 abuses describe in detail the use of parliament by the King to destroy the colonies’ right to independence. Parliament under the Kings guidance enacted laws that were unfriendly to the colonies according to Jefferson. The taxes levied taxes that discouraged trade, quartered troops, and levied taxes without colonial authority approval. Some of the legislations had taken away judicial freedom and the right to be tried by a jury. The other five abuses according to Jefferson included the use of military force by the King on the colonies. The King unleashed his army and hired mercenaries on the colonies, destroyed the colonies ships and assets and kidnapped the citizen and forced then to compulsory British military service. Amendments In the new republic, the American constitution sought to prevent the occurrence of such acts by pursuing the doctrine of the separation of power. The doctrine advocates for the separation and independence of the legislature, executive judiciary branches of government (Pendergast, et al. 2001, p. 100). This was done primarily to stop the abuse of power as had been witnessed during King George’s time. The drafters of the constitution envisioned the system as one that would have introduced them necessary checks and balances that were crucial for the prevention of abuse of power. The first ten amendments addressed the issues that had led to the abused witnessed during King George’s time (Pendergast, et al. 2001, p. 80). These included the freedom of religion, press, assembly, and petition. There was also the right to posse’s arms, lodging soldiers in private homes, resumption of jury trials, reservation of power to the states, no unreasonable search and seizure, no cruel punishment and the enumerated rights. Rol
Introduction Organizational structure and design is important to every organization. This is because it defines the reporting structure and the job description and this way every employee becomes aware of their roles. Additionally, compensation for work done is necessary in order to motivate the employees since an organization cannot exist without them. However, compensation varies with the ranks whereby the executives receive higher remuneration packages than the employees. This can be demotivating to the employees because they do majority of the work. A company’s management is also expected to represent the interest of its stockholders (creditors and shareholders). Therefore, if the management (agent) uses its position to pursue its personal interests to the disadvantage of the stockholders (principal) it leads to agency problem. The aim of this paper is to analyze Microsoft Corporation, the agency problems facing the company, its job design and compensation packages to its executives and the employees. Essay Body Microsoft Corporation is one of America’s most profitable companies. It was started in 1975 by Paul Allen and Bill Gates. It is the global leader in providing software, services and solutions which assist people and enterprises in achieving their goals. Microsoft’s headquarters are located in RedMond, Washington in the United States. According to Fortune 500 Microsoft is among America’s top 50 largest companies in profits, revenue and shareholders’ equity returns. Currently, the company’s net earnings are at $23,150m and its revenues are $69,943m. Some Microsoft’s products are Microsoft Office, Xbox, Xbox 360 video gaming tools and Microsoft Windows. The company also runs Windows Operating Systems ( Microsoft Investor Relations , 2011). Its mission is to assist people and businesses in the entire globe in achieving their potential. Additionally, its values are honesty, integrity, mutual respect and personal excellence among others. In addition, Microsoft takes passion in technological innovation and it is concerned about the welfare of its stakeholders by striving for the best quality ( About Microsoft , 2012). Microsoft has over 92,000 employees in over 25 countries. In order to manage its operations the company has divisional/group organizational structure whereby every division or product group specializes in particular products. Additionally, every division has research and development, customer relations, Microsoft business, entertainment and sales staff. Every division is represented by one executive who is responsible to the company’s president (Wills, 2010, p. 1). The diagram below is an example of Microsoft’s organizational chart. Agency problem within the company, its causesand how it might be better controlled: Agency problem is also known as principal-agent problem. It refers to conflict of interest that arises between a company’s management and its stockholders. It can occur if the management and the stockholders have differing ideas. The stockholders are the principals of the company. They include the creditors and the shareholders while the management is the agent. The