ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
House of Sand and Fog is a tragic novel revealing a story of Massoud Behrani, a former military officer, who exiled from Iranian Revolution. His only purpose is to restore his family and ensure his children’s future. The novel also focuses on the complicated fate of drug-addicted Kathy whose house was taken away due to the unpaid taxes. In order to render the unbearable suspense and fragility of human fates of the protagonists, the author depicts their struggling confined to constantly escalating crisis. At the end of the story, the Behrani’s son tragically dies and the colonel, overwhelmed with pain and frustrated with his fate, decides to kill his wife and himself. By means of powerful narration, the author attempts to render the hero’s pain and inability to adjust to the world beyond war. The tragic end of the protagonists’ endeavors to restore his family’s welfare is predetermined because obsession with material values becomes a challenge. The lost of perspectives, therefore, results in horrible consequences for all the characters in the novel. The death of a family is closely associated with the overall distortion of the societal values, as well as loss of the veritable objectives in life. Massoud Behrahi considers that buying a house can be the only solution for his family to revive their values, beliefs and hopes. Though house itself represents a typical middle-class dwelling, it plays an epic role for the disputants fighting for its possession. The antagonistic confrontation of a former Iranian military leader and young woman abandoned by her husband acquires greater meaning. For a colonel, it is a great opportunity for developing his business and achieving the American Dream. For drug-addicted woman, the house symbolizes her connection to her deceased farther, as well as belonging to American home. Due to the inevitability of achieving these purposes, Behrani fails to cope with his problem by encountering his son’s death. For the hero, the grief of loss is overwhelming because all he lived for becomes senseless, including the house he bought. Probably the Ismail’s death is most unexpected scene in the novel, being the turning point for all the characters. The author, therefore, employs powerful narrative techniques to render the emotional and psychological state of the colonel. In particular, constant questioning and continuous searching for people to be blamed point to the hero’s main deliberations. In particular, many questions start with the same word “how”, signifying the Berhani’s inability to understand what could be done to avert the situation. Constant questioning leads the hero to nowhere and, as a result, he sees no other way but revenge. His decision to kill Kathy, suffocate his wife, and commit suicide demonstrates the total frustration with his life. The colonel’s obsession with the house as the only way to achieving his American dream prevents him from understanding greater values in life. Similar to Behrani, Kathy is also tied to the house as the only value in her life. Losing her husband, she loses herself and becomes addicted to drugs. However,
Introduction According to the article, street patterns have undergone a rapid evolution. They have moved from the Gridiron in the 1900s to the Lollipops on a Stick that came into use in the 1980s. According to the author, when designing roads, one should consider the efficiency of road users so as to maintain road safety. Roads experience congestion during peak hours of the day, and an easy-flow during off-peak hours. The road should accommodate all users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and passengers. A decent road should meet the desires of all its users and must be safe for all ages. Both the able-bodied and disabled should be comfortable when using the road. Roads built with little or no disruption to the community add value to the development of society. It enables members of the community to access the market of their products easily. Roads serve as links between buyers and sellers, hence promote trade. Analysis The author suggests that land should be conserved in order to preserve prehistoric and historic archeological sites. These sites are found on land, and when land is not maintained, they are destroyed. Destruction of land may also affect its drainage system. Drainage destruction can be a health hazard to those living around the area destroyed. Therefore, the land is a multipurpose asset that needs to be protected by all means. As such, when designing roads, activities that create beauty on land should be preserved. Roads should have grades to assist trucks to go down the slope slowly. This is to enhance safety among all road users. When constructing the road, one encounters hills and valleys. A trench from a hill can be cut and used to fill and cover a valley so as to get a level ground for a road to be constructed. Some hills and valleys may be dangerous if left in their natural design. There are various types of roads. They include parkways, freeways, highways, and superhighways that allow speeding. Roads should have facilities such as traffic lights to guide road users. Pedestrians and drivers should use these lights to maintain harmony. When erecting traffic lights, the road constructor should use appropriate colors such as red, green, and yellow. Road users will use the color of traffic lights to understand how they should use the road. Construction engineers should consider putting reflection marks on the road for those who use the road at night. These reflections can guide the road user so as to avoid accidents. Signs are useful on the road since they act as guides when using the road. For example, where there is a school and children are crossing, a road sign will be used to communicate to drivers to slow down. There are three types of highway intersections that one should keep in mind. They include diamond, cloverleaf, and directional interchange. Conclusion Roads tend to wear out when they have been for a long time. Cracks an
Introduction Research question: What is the impact of the development of technologies on such people’s behavior as texting while driving? Working thesis: Although certain modern gadgets can be used to avoid texting while driving, the development of the sphere of mobile technologies has the negative impact on the dangerous trend of messaging while driving a car because people focus on the increased need to share the information and type messages regularly which is caused by the progress of mobile technologies. Angle: Any changes in the sphere of mobile technologies can lead to the consumers’ active usage of them without references to the environments and situations. The development of new mobile devices can lead to an increase in the statistics on texting while driving a car because many young people cannot resist the desire to use a new device. Context The statistics on the number of deaths as a result of car accidents increases. The process of messaging while driving a car is reported as the main cause of accidents more often each year (Neustein, 2010, p. 35-40). This situation requires further examination. I am an active user of mobile devices, and I know much about the risks of using mobile devices while driving a car because of monitoring the statistics regularly. I am interested in the reasons why people choose messaging while driving a car even pointing at the fact that the experience is distracting for them, and I am inclined to explain the reasons with references to the technology development although many researchers state that such technologies as Bluetooth can prevent people from messaging while driving. Audience My primary audience is the young persons who are expected to be the active users of mobile devices and followers of the trends in the sphere; the administrators; and the educators. My secondary audience is my professor and students belonging to my educational community. My audience shares my opinions and values associated with the topic. Evidence Research gathered so far: I have found that many researchers and specialists in the field of car accidents state that the drivers’ distraction is one of the main causes of car accidents which kill more than 3,000 people each year. The usual cause of the distraction is the use of mobile devices while driving a car. Many persons type messages while driving, and the concentration of their attention decreases. This situation leads to car accidents in 20% of cases (Neustein, 2010, p. 35-40). In spite of the fact that the risks of texting while driving are reported and actively promoted in the media, many young persons continue following their dangerous habit because of impossibility to resist the desire to share the information immediately. As a result, many young persons who have the latest models of the mobile devices and have access to the mobile Internet prefer texting and e-mailing while driving (Taylor, Bennett, Carter, & Garewell, 2003, p. 140
Introduction Gender pay equity calculates the average wage of women earnings by determining the percentage of females pay in relation to male earnings. Whether a man is paid hourly, earns after a week, full time employment, or any other sort of employment, gender pay equity states that a woman should get an equal rate as that of the male worker. Gender wage discrimination is a condition that displays the differences between the divisions of wage offers being contrary from the allocations of values of the marginal product between the males and the female workforce. In Australian continent, the situation of wage allocation and employment level among the two genders varies a lot. This paper examines three major reasons for the current gender pay inequality in Australian work force for the last two decades. Discussion An equal remuneration for the work force should be given for equal or comparable value. Research indicates that there are various constructs that explain the gender pay disparities in Australia and that these disparities must no be the main factors that lead to multimarket disequilibrium. The Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia and the leading business organization in the state reported that by 2008, gender pay gap stood at 37% when measured against the average wages that one earns on ordinary times. This displays the various characteristics on the female laborers in Western Australia (Chamber of commerce and industry 2008). Several efforts have been made to establish the reason for the pay disparities. This has even contributed to Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland pursuing several reviews on pay equity. All these efforts have yielded to almost the same conclusion and propositions. Reasons for Gender pay inequalities in Australia (1.) Part time employment is a major contribution of the increased gender pay inequalities in Australia. Over the last bi-decades, the percentage of women employed at part times in Australia grew at a rate of 3.7 per cent for eve
Introduction The world seems to be transforming into a battleground, rather than a peaceful provision to live in. Everyone is seen to be full of greed, deceit, jealousy, and all the other negative elements one can think of, are present in ‘our’ world today. Undoubtedly, war and its forms have been omnipresent since time immemorial, and people have wanted to take over other’s lands, properties, and have commenced war-like situations, or battles. The harshness of people has not ended, and till today, half of the world is at war. A need to help counter war-like situations was felt by some nations, and a defense alliance by the name of NATO came into being on 4 th April 1949. NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a coalition of 26 nations, from North America and Europe, and is attempting to fulfill the terms of the treaty that was signed in 1949 (NATO, 2008). This treaty included the United States, Portugal, Canada, Italy, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland among other member nations. NATO and its Tasks NATO emerged as a defensive body for the people and assured security and safety in times of political turmoil, or in the case of a foreign attack. The treaty contained such commitments with one another, to help in times of dire need, and if any of the member states were attacked by an outside body, they would all be equally affected, and all member countries would help for the defense of the affected zone. This is what NATO functions as, to this date. The question that arises, is that is NATO serving the way it is supposed to, without any biased actions, and whether each country of the world is being tr
Introduction Non Governmental Organizations, also known as NGOs, are voluntary organizations that are legally constituted and operated independently from government’s influence. Non Governmental Organizations may be partially sponsored by the government or fully sponsored by individuals and private organizations. Those that are partially sponsored by the government usually pursue social interests that have political aspects. It should be noted however, that such Non Governmental Organizations, are not political organizations. Thus, they are very different from political parties. On the other hand those Non Governmental Organizations that are fully sponsored by individuals or other private organizations do not have anything to do with the government apart from providing social welfare services to particular communities. Non Governmental Organizations vary in their methods of operations with some acting as lobby groups and others engaging in activities such as conducting programs. Such programs include poverty alleviation in which the Non Governmental Organizations provide people with the necessary equipment and crucial practical skills so that the poor can find food, clean water and appropriate housing by themselves. Lobbyists on the other hand are human rights groups who deal with matters of rights violations. It is crucial to state in this work that Non Governmental Organizations play a primary role in project management. This means that they are directly involved in the management of their programs to ensure openness and thorough implementations. It is in this area of project management that the NGOs get involved in formulation of the structures of decision making and management in various sectors such as urban development. NGOs usually work directly with particularly vulnerable communities in making sure that they access the necessary goods and services for their welfare. Development in a Globalizing World Non Governmental Organizations are directly involved in shaping of socioeconomic structures in a community. They have continued to increase in popularity as means of improving the quality of life among the vulnerable population. This is the reason why Non Governmental Organizations have been considered as advocates for development in a globalizing world (Rugendyke 2007: 5). This fact comes about because of comparative advantages the NGOs enjoy over other organization
An antitrust case is a legal term used to refer to a case brought forward for jurisdiction by parties charged with using dubious strategies and methods to limit or influence to one’s advantage free competition that exists in the market place (Posner 24). One party may be seeking the prosecution of the other or may be seeking the protection of a right to prevent any possible wrongdoing. Recently, the United States antitrust regulators, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), became interested in the Apple and Google business relationship (Dylan 2012). This case involved the use of Google programs and applications as the default settings in mobile devices manufactured by Apple. This has elicited heated debates and criticism because it is anti-competitive and breach of the US free market law. Google and Apple have broken the US antitrust law (Dylan 2012). This law presents legal provisions that promote free competition in the market place by preventing dubious conduct by companies that is anti-competitive. This law protects consumers against price exploitation and low quality products because of a company’s monopoly. Most monopolies present few choices on the range of products in the market (American Bar Association 65). The law does not illegalize monopoly but ensures that the power that is given to a company by a monopoly is not abused (Posner 53). This specific antitrust case has been initiated by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and involves the search engine Google and the Telecommunication giant Apple (Dylan 2012). The commission is demanding for a legal explanation from both firms on the methodology and law followed in allowing Apple incorporate Google’s search engine on the iPhone and iPad as the default search platform (Dylan 2012). The commission has demanded for legal documents such as the agreement that gave Apple the privilege that interfered with the free competion in the market place (Dylan 2012). Google’s bitter rival in the marketplace, Microsoft, has not hesitated to label the agreement anti-competitive. As a result, FTC has intensified its efforts to scrutinize Google’s business operations and conduct. This may lead to a revelation as to whether Google is taking advantage of the fact that it dominates the internet search services to increase its earnings. As the use of internet over mobile phones increases, the default settings become an important aspect.FTC is also investigating the claim that the Mountain View branch of Google that is in California charges more for advertisements presented by their competitors (Dylan 2012). In addition, there is a claim that it favors its own businesses and other businesses that it has affiliations to by ranking their search results highly. Since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010, Google has served as the default search engine (Dylan 2012). The Android operating system is another critical issue.FTC is carrying out parallel investigations as to whether Google is using the Android operating system to influence competition to their advantage. Google and Apple have been on the race for dominance in the Smartphone sector of the mobile phone market since 20
Introduction Tonsils are two stacks of tissue located at the back of the throat section, whose main role is to trap harmful foreign materials that enter through the mouth and the nose from entering in the respiratory system Burton (36). Tonsils are of different sizes from one person to another, though their performance is affected by their size. According to Hareyan (1), tonsils are highly susceptible to most throat infections as a result attack by viruses and bacteria. One of the major infections of tonsils is tonsillitis which is caused by ‘Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci’. It is important to note that, many tonsil infections are more prevalent in children and middle-aged youths. When tonsil infections are not treated in time, they lead to sore throat complications which may make it hard for individuals to concentrate on their normal activities. Common Tonsil Infections Tonsillitis One of the most popular tonsil infections is ‘tonsillitis’ which is caused by both bacterial and viral pathogens. According to Simon (81), the inflammation of tonsils by streptococci bacteria causes swellings and reddening of the tonsils. Since this infection is mostly associated with middle aged youths and children, it has been a major cause of school absenteeism among schooling children since the throat becomes hypersensitive to any solid materials. Quite importantly, swallowing of materials from the mouth becomes a major problem among the victims of ‘tonsillitis’ (Burton 39). Notably, tonsillitis has been revealed to reoccur in most cases, necessitating surgical operations to remove them. However, great care should be taken while removing the tonsils since in cases of poor operations; severe complications are usually experienced by the victims of the infection. On this basis, surgical removal of tonsils should be performed by qualified medical practitioners to avoid secondary complications of the tonsils. As noted by Hareyan (1), tonsillitis is highly contagious through body fluids, thus necessitating limited contact between individuals with tonsillitis with the others. Since this infection is most common among school children, isolation is usually carried out in most cases to ensure low chances of the spread of the infection from infected children to the others. Tonsillitis caused by streptococci bacteria is cured most effectively with penicillin with an aim of preventing the chances of developing sore fever (Simon 85). In most cases, the viral tonsillitis has no chemical treatment, though it heals within a period of about a week after its infection. When the virally transmitted tonsillitis re-occurs highly frequently, its ultimate treatment is usually surgical removal of the tonsils (Wetmore 335). Peritonsillar Abscess Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a complicated condition of tonsillitis where pus usually forms in peritonsillar space besides the tonsils. Peritonsillar abscess is not restricted to age group and can even attack adults, unlike tonsi
Introduction Outdoor events present an environmental health challenge that is complicated by the large number of people involved. The large variety of foods available and the unpredictability of weather present a particular challenge in assessing and preventing any health risks associated with the food. To ensure that the foods served in these kinds of events are safe for human consumption, it is important for the parties involved in organizing the event to come up with a proper food safety policy for the event. This essay details some of the important measures in such an event by creating a food safety policy for a music festival. The event to be discussed is an outdoor music festival organized by a businessperson in neighboring farmer’s fields. Food safety is one of the major health risks associated with the event, as the field is normally used for stock grazing. There is therefore a possibility of having infection-spreading microorganisms in the field, which may have been passed through animals’ stool. The festival is also likely to present a challenge in the number of people involved since it is predicted that about 12,000 people would be attending. The duration of the festival is set at three days. The duration is also likely to complicate the maintenance of hygiene due to a large amount of waste generated. Several food businesses are expected to be at the festival thus posing a threat to the health of the participants should the right measures fail to be implemented to avoid the spread of food-borne diseases. One business will sell burgers and sausage rolls, which have a risk of spreading diseases if not handled and cooked in the right manner. Ice cream is also to be sold at the festival. This food will be from one of the vans that will be on the site. Another outlet to be set up at the same venue will sell pancakes having fruit fillings. The preparation of these delicacies and the hygiene at the stalls will determine the quality of foods to be served. The source of water to the stalls, power, and drainage is important, as there may not be pre-existing ones at the farm. The outlets will also serve canned drinks with one of them selling beer. The particular concern with the foods is their manufacturing, expiry dates, and their storage. Since the businesses are registered with the Annisburgh District Council, they are likely to have met the standards required by these authorities. However, there is a need to emphasize the three days that the event will take place to prevent any health catastrophe. Some of the challenges that the event will face include the provision of clean water for cleaning the large number of utensils used, washing, cooking, and drinking. There is also the challenge of dispo