ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction China has a long and rich history involving many dynasties, political and military periods, and cultural events. Out of all the dynasties that ever ruled in China, the Song dynasty is known for its impact on the changes in governmental and military approaches to ruling the country. There was a variety of reasons why the war had a great impact on this dynasty. Through the analysis of war evolution, strategic culture, and the interaction between wen and wu , the paper demonstrates how the Song dynasty developed and how it changed its strategies of government under the effect of war. The central argument of the paper is the tensions between civil and military officials. The thesis of the paper is that the importance of the military increased greatly due to security threats faced by the dynasty. The main question raised in the thesis is answered through the analysis of civil officials’ response to such a state of affairs. The Role of War in the Formation of the Song Dynasty The formation of the Song dynasty was greatly impacted by the synergy of politics and war. 1 Thus, the role of war in this dynasty’s development cannot be overestimated. Not only did politics and war frame the government structure and territory of the empire but they also had a strong effect on the dynasty’s culture and character. 2 Whereas these two sources of power were “virtually inseparable” for the first emperor, Song Taizu, they were separated overtime under the reign of the second emperor, Song Taizong. 3 Finally, in the reign of the third emperor, Song Zhenzong, they were almost completely detached from one another. This process has been known as the upsurge of civil power over military power. Still, it is not possible to say that such a shift occurred due to a “prescriptive imperial plan” that was determined to give priority to civil values over military ones. 4 There were some explicit historical arguments for the change. Even though political power was changed to “government bureaucrats,” the irony of the situation was that the civil-dominated government that appeared at the beginning of the eleventh century was known for its politics and led wars for nearly five decades. 5 At the end of the tenth century, civil officials were entitled to power in the government bureaucracy since they had none outside of the central government. At first, the imperial government of Kaifeng did not have much power itself. Political and military control belonged to the emperor whose authority was created by his military accomplishments and personal ties with the generals who were in charge of the central armies. 6 Such personal connections made it possible for Song Taizu to concentrate the military power of the dynasty on conquest instead of fighting. Further, each consequent military achievement allowed the emperor to focus the military power on political consolidation. Eventually, the dynasty was disconnected from the person of the emperor. Due to the success of wars of conquest, the power was obtained by the government. 7 When the central government in which bureaucrats served secured authority, they gained power. At the same time, military conce
Introduction All empires, no matter how great they are, inevitably have to experience the same cycle of gradual development, the possible rise, and the inevitable downfall. The Ottoman (OE) and Safavid (SE) Empires are no exception to this rule. In addition, despite representing different cultures, the two share a range of similarities, which allows for an insightful analysis of the characteristics that great empires share. However, because of the difference in which European influence that the OE and SE experienced, the two states started evolving in different ways, one shaping its traditions significantly and the other balancing between the promotion of cultural identity and the understanding of Western cultural principles. As a result, the economic, political, and cultural choices made by OE and SE were quite different. Religion and Culture Islam played a very significant role in shaping the values and principles guiding OE and SE people’s behavior. However, it should be borne in mind that the SE did not always enforce its religious beliefs or foist them onto its people as the OE did. For instance, during the reign of Shah Abbas II, the principles of religious tolerance were upheld rather highly, thus allowing diversity to bloom. The specified phenomenon stood in sharp contrast to the situation that could be observed in the OE. 1 Thus, although being the offspring of the Military Sufi, the SE managed to introduce rather mature principles of cultural and religious tolerance to its society. Battles and Key Events Being forced to withstand a range of battles to gain independence and political power, the OE and SE witnessed several political challenges and confrontations. Compared to a rather tolerant and open-minded approach toward a foreign policy that the SE adopted, the OE was forced to fight for the ability to make their own choices regarding the cultural development and political evolution of their state. For instance, Napoleon’s invasion left a noticeable mark on the moods of the OE population, as well as the creation of their national identity. Claiming that SE was devoid entirely of other cultural, economic, and political influences would be a mistake, yet the general military stance that the state took since the reign of Shah Ismail I did not allow it to yield to the military endeavors of the opponents. 2 Regress and Downfall However, like any other empire, both the SE and OE eventually had to face their doom. When considering the factors that made the OE fail as a state, one should mention the presence of a large number of wrong economic and sociocultural choices. Particularly, Mahmud II, the last ruler of the OE, refused to recognize the significance of tolerance and cultural acceptance by promoting the Tanzimat reforms. 3 The specif
The challenges of sports presuppose some extent of anxiety and the urge for the victory in the name of a team or something/someone important for a sportsman. That is why arousal anxiety can be counted on when analyzing the examples of those eminent sportsmen who never stopped even with serious traumas or dysfunctions of organism. Moreover, the psychological constituent and the importance of cognition should be taken into account. Many of the researchers in medical sphere are intended to outline that cognitive anxiety is harmful in its ability to make a sportsman overloaded and a performance failed or reduced (Caruso, 2005). Nevertheless, physical activities contemplate the risk of being injured or to get traumas as well. This point is discussed between psychologists and therapists are rallying their thoughts over the question of why sportsmen are so relentless toward their health. This approach is highly depicted by Weinberg & Gould (2007) when they outline that when testing an athlete or a player coaches define the real capabilities of a person and the urge for competition, in particular. This is why there should be a structured plan of psychological trainings which can determine and develop in a sportsman a specific ability to pretend for more under difficult circumstances. This approach is rather effective and easy to imagine in theory, but in practice such steps to demonstrate endurance in competitions help distinctively analyze the whole picture about a sportsman. The game six between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers in 1980 can be evaluated as a perfect representation of how anxiety can be shown in a player. A badly sprained ankle of Kareem Abdul Jabbar in time when he had already scored 40 points did not stop him in making success for the team. Since a prevailing thought touched upon the idea that Kareem would rest during the game six and will be able to continue playing in the game seven, nobody thought of the team high spirits and anxiety at that time. They without Kareem were highly motivated to get more and more points. As a result, due to Jamal Wilkes, Michael Cooper and others, who helped in making LA Lakers the winners of that match. Hanin’s IZOF model is outlined here in terms of a good play which contemplates in-time returning of the rest players playing in zones (Weinberg & Gould, 2007). Tyson-Lewis fight on June 8, 2002 is another good example of anxiety processed in this event. Tyson’s words of blame and other curse-words did not affect Lewis and even made him more aroused about the event. Tyson, in return, wanted and desired to win due to various reasons one of which was his urge for money, and freedom. Tyson’s anxiety was stimulated also by mass media in constant discussions of his life problems. With the flow of time the arousal in Lewis could stop (Weinberg & Gould, 2007). Anxiety of Tyson did not leave him for a second due to perpetual needs. Hanin’s theory points out here that Mike Tyson was out of his state of zone and emotional disorder was an obstacle in this case. Moreover, he was constantly near right zone of his, but impulsiveness was a bad helper for him at that time.
Introduction Lighting in 3D animation is generally performed by the tools available in various software packs. In distinction with 2D animation where every frame should be painstakingly painted and filled in with the required tints, lights, and shadows, lighting in 3D animation is performed by pointing the source of light, while the software provides all the necessary computations of the light and shadow positions, tints and coloring of the lit objects. The aim of this paper is to provide the literature survey associated with lighting techniques and means in 3D animation, as the actual value of using the proper software is explained by the correct computations that will require too much time if performed manually. Lighting Principles In general, lighting is regarded as the most difficult aspect of 3D modeling and animation. In general, it requires a detailed study and is of particular concern for those who are deeply involved in modeling and animation. Basically, the realistic representation of the lighting scene in 3D modeling presupposes sufficient knowledge of light physics. The light in any scene involves at least two main components: the source of light and the ambient light, which should be put in a scene in accordance with the particular rules. Hence, as it is stated by Boughen (2008, p. 345): There is some considerable variation in the control over these lights, but this is not quite enough for realistic effects. A scene using standard lighting techniques simply looks rendered. Those images that are the most realistic use advanced techniques such as ray tracing and radiosity. In ray tracing, each ray of light is followed back from the viewpoint to its origin, in order to determine its color and intensity. Hence, for instance, looking at any object we see the color of the object and its structure. The lighting is seen depending on the angle of light source position, and the dispersion of light. Hence, the light falling on any object may consist of direct light, ambient light, and tint which is originated from reflected light from other objects. Additionally, the light color may be tinted by the objects that were net by the light on its way to the object that we observe: glass, water, curtains, clouds, atmosphere, etc. The aspect of the color intensity depends on numerous factors, as the intensity of direct light differs essentially from the reflected and dispersed light. Hence, the process of tracing the light in 3D modeling and animation requires considering al
The article “All in a days’ work” deals with the essential traits, tasks and skills of managers which make them function as effective leaders. There were several opinions regarding the characteristics that should constitute good leaders and it was noted that a leader should begin with setting “the vision for the organization” which can be done by a thorough evaluation of the market, customers and employees of the company (Tragge-Lakra). While Cynthia affirms that leaders must be able to lead people effectively so that they can energize their employees, Raymond Gilmartin asserts that effective leaders function according to the demands and accomplish tasks in the best possible manner which occurs through a strategic plan and mission in accordance with the market. He emphasizes ethics, dignity and respect in order to have a “healthy organization”. Affirming Gilmartin’s notion of leaders, Abraham Zaleznik states that it is necessary for leaders to “have a sense of direction” to lead the organization in the right direction. Frederick Smith also endorses the importance of values in an organization and affirms that an excellent leader initiates all tasks by communicating to the employees, the “vision and the values” of the organization. According to him, leadership entails the fortification of activities that lead to the success of an organization and restraint of those activities which are not favorable. Managers have outlined the different leadership traits which are vital for the success of organizations and should be present in managers; however, the leadership ideas stated by Raymond Gilmartin and Frederick Smith appeal most strongly to me since their leadership styles are similar to some of the managerial traits which I possess. Smith endorses his belief that leaders must be courageous and must not become powerless in crises but should maintain their
Introduction Rhythm is commonly referred to as movement brought about by organizing musical elements systematically and it can include pace, tempo and meter. According to Findlay (5), “tempo is the rate of speed in which a composition is played,” while rhythm can be defined as “a particular arrangement of note lengths in a piece of music.” Some songs demand slow tempo while others demand fast tempo, and incase the wrong tempo is applied to a song, it may destroy the meaning of that song. Rhythm is an element of music, in that, it contributes to structure; music is also known to contribute to the healing of emotions through its soothing rhythm. Autistic patients mostly respond to music as it causes a relief to them; however, this is made possible using rhythm, which contributes to the flow of music. Rhythm is always evident in the falling of raindrops or clapping of hands, as it is made up of repeated sounds. A rhythm is also evident in our heartbeat, while walking, and tapping toes, among others, as these acts respond to rhythm. A rhythm is accompanied by beats that may be longer, shorter, softer, or louder depending on the type of music (Goodall). How is rhythm used in the control of tension and repose? Music can at times be pleasant to the listener, while at times, it may seem very unpleasant, depending on the sound of it. The pitch, duration, tone, color, and dynamics are some of the properties that are associated with music. The duration of music is essential as it refers to “the length of time the music lasts,” while the pitch refers to “the highness or lowness of the tone and it is determined by its vibrations” (Elements of music, Para. 6). When vibrations are fast, the pitch is normally higher, while when the rate of vibrations is slow, the pitch remains low. Dynamics relate to the degree of loudness or softness in music, crescendo is a sudden increase in sound in terms of loudness, which in return contributes to the rise of the pitch. The tone color is normally evident when distinguishing between two related instruments, such as the flute and the trumpet. Rhythm is one of the elements of music and it is composed of accent, meter, syncopation, beat, and tempo. A beat divides music into units of time and it can be applied in the clapping of hands, flicking of fingers or tapping of the feet, therefore, responding to a certain beat. The rhythm of any music is essential, as it portrays the personality of the melody. The meter represents the repetition of both strong and weak beats, while in cases where the beats are fixed into a fixed number, it is referred to as a measure. A duple meter consists of two beats, for instance, 12, 12, while a measure of three beats is referred to as a triple measure, such as, 123, 123. The presence of different types of meters contributes to the increased level of conflict and tension in music, which causes an increased level of excitement for the audiences or listeners. Rhythm also consists of an accent and syncopation, which involves the stressing of notes, where one note can be played more loudly than the rest, when the accented notes are rele
Introduction The Bottom Billion was authored by Paul Collier and was published in two 2007. In his book, Collier explores the reasons behind persistent poverty in developing countries. The citizens of these countries continue to live in abject poverty in spite of the international aid. He points out that, in more than fifty-eight countries, there are an approximated one billion people who seem to be irredeemably stuck in poverty. Some of this people have never felt the impact of foreign aid. According to him, these people are trapped in poverty. Their living standards are plundering when the living standards of other people in other nations are improving. Life expectancy has sharply dropped to forty years as compared to sixty-seven years in the stable nations. Child mortality has grown up. The percentage of children who do not live to see their first birthday now stands at fourteen percent in comparison with a four percent in developed countries. Collier explains how the western governments give misplaced assistance to the poor nations. He argues that they have to do much more than giving them money. These developed nations and the aid agencies must shift from the traditional approaches of poverty alleviation. The methods have seemingly failed to work. The poverty syndrome has defeated them and, therefore, a new prescription has to be found. He puts forward solutions both to the developing countries and the western powers over what he feels should be done to pull these people out of poverty. Elements Paul Collier believes that these people are trapped. In his examination of the causes of poverty level among the bottom billion, he says that these people are concentrated in Africa and central Asia. He outlines the following as his reasons for stagnancy. The Conflict trap There are persistent civil wars and repeated military coups in these nations. These wars eat too much into funds that would have been directed to other sectors of the economy for development. The wars are extremely costly and incur large economic costs to these nations. Similarly, years after the war or coups are extremely delicate and fragile. These countries easily and painfully slip back due to the wars. This causes a recurrent situation with wars or coups succeeding o
This paper discusses five innovative mobile marketing ideas that served as the basis for brilliant digital campaigns of the world’s most well-known brands such as Starbucks, IKEA, L’Oreal, LG and O 2 . QR Code by Starbucks Starbucks made it possible for its customers to pay for their purchases using QR codes on their smart phones. This way the membership cards that provide benefits and discounts to the regular customers can be downloaded to the digital devices such as tablets and smart phones in the form of a QR code application. This innovation allows the users of digital devices to check their balance and to pay for their purchases at Starbucks with a simple flash of the QR code, which takes the mobile payments to the new level. INOA Color Capture by L’Oreal L’Oreal launched its mobile marketing campaign because the salons were losing popularity. To address the problem the company created a system of benefits and discounts which could be collected by means of a digital application with the use of geo-location and augmented reality. The users were to come to one of 1500 salons participating in the campaign and collect virtual color bubbles which represented free sample packs and services. L’Oreal with its INOA Color Bubbles digital marketing campaign became the pioneer of the mobile marketing within the beauty industry. LG Ticket Hunter LG Ticket Hunter was a very popular mobile campaign initiated by LG to promote the brand and its L-series handset. The company launched a hunt for 25 VIP tickets for the concert of a popular band called One Direction at LG Arena. To get the tickets the participants were to find them. The map with the secret locations of the tickets was connected to the LG Ticket Hunter Twitter account. The map would gradually zoom in to a secret location as people tweeted LG Ticket Hunter hashtag. The campaign created a huge buzz and immensely raised popularity of the company via social media. Catalog Application by IKEA In order to go along with the latest trends and become even more available IKEA has transformed its original “physical” catalog into a mobile application and turned it into an interactive platform. The application works along with the printed catalogs – by means of scanning the pages in catalogs the users can create the virtual presence of the furniture items in their homes by means of accessing extended content. The new catalog application allows the customers of IKEA to bring the retail experience right to their homes. The popularity of the new catalog increased the number of IKEA customers. In total, over six million people installed the new application to their devices. Priority Moments by O 2 The mobile application called Priority Moments launched by O 2 was created to provide discounts and special offers to the regular customers of O 2 . Opening the application a user is offered a list of the discounts from the brands and companies located nearby, selecting an offer a user
The Battle Royal is a non-fictional work of Ralph Ellison and talks of the black people fighting for their freedom in the Whites’ society. The main theme of the story is social Darwinism. It implies that one must work hard to ensure he or she gains respect in society. The words that Ralph use creates imaginary pictures for the readers. For instance, he says, “It was a large room with a high ceiling. Chairs were arranged in neat rows around three sides of a portable boxing ring” (Ellison 1555). The author also uses both metaphors and similes to help readers understand his story. He talks of the boys, who blindfolded boys, moving “like blind, cautious crabs…testing the air like the knobbed feelers of hypersensitive snails” (Ellison 1559). He also uses the first single voice in work, making it more captivating and interesting. The diction used is unpretentious, clear, and straightforward. In addition, there is the use of a modest, sincere, and humble tone in the story. The tone helps pass information to the audience and reveals the author’s past life, failures, and success. Furthermore, Ralph’s diction is average in a way that any average person can easily understand. However, Ralph uses irony as a narration style. The reader can identify the irony where, in the story, the author thinks that he had a painful learning experience of innate things. Hard work is the main social behavior presented in the story. It is common in modern society because human beings work hard to ensure that they succeed in their day-to-day endeavors (Goloboy 537). However, competition is an aspect of human life, and winning is the only means to get respect and good life (Brown and Goetzmann 679). Furthermore, a good life is also embedded in hard work and determines the amount of respect in society. Works Cited Brown, Stephen J. and Goetzmann William N. “Performance Persistence.” The Journal of Finance 50.2 (1995): 679- 698. Print. Ellison, Ralph. “Battle Royal.” The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, 2 nd Edition. Ed. Gates, Henry L, and Nellie Y. McKay. 1555- 1563. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print. Goloboy, Jennifer L. “The Early American Middle Class.” Journal of the Early Republic 25.4 (2005): 537- 545. Print.