ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The show chosen for this assignment is Glee since it has diverse characters and demonstrates different kinds of relationships. Glee is an American musical satire drama TV series that was broadcasted on the Fox Network in the United States from May 19, 2009, to March 20, 2015. It centers around the made-up William McKinley High School Glee Club, New Directions , which consists of divergent individuals who deal with relationships, sexuality, and social issues and want to become successful. Glee is often seen as a regular high school musical with elements of drama since it addresses acute topics such as teenage pregnancy, homophobia, alcohol or drug abuse, and other relevant issues. The show has a cliché segment of secondary school students who attend the Glee Club. The first character is Rachel Berry, an ambitious young lady aspiring to perform on Broadway. She dates Finn Hudson, a school-leading quarterback aiming to have a regular life. The next character is Quinn Fabray, a young lady who attends cheerleading classes and dates many guys throughout her school life. Brittany and Santana are Quinn’s best friends; they often gossip and intrigue others against the school’s outcasts. Two young ladies are constantly battling for the primary spot, and Brittany is always depicted as foolish. Noah “Puck” Puckerman, a soccer player notorious for his love affairs, Kurt Hummer, the first open homosexual on the show, and Mercedes Jones, a black diva, are among other most significant characters in Glee . There is some division among the Glee Club’s members: there are seven men and nine ladies, every one of whom is the principal character. Even though the show was produced respectively recently, characters’ archetypes have long been present in the media. The show primarily focuses on relationship development throughout the entire plotline. The main characters always encounter lies, betrayal, a sense of true love, and gratitude towards their partners. Most of them date each other for experience and to identify their sexuality. This paper primarily focuses on two couples: Rachel and Finn and Quinn and Noah since their relationship line is curious to trace throughout the series. The first two did not find each other attractive initially because Finn considered Rachel to be an outsider and would often harass her. Rachel was raised in a same-sex family; her fathers instilled much self-confidence and pride in her. Thus, it can be observed that her desire to express herself overweighs her will to love and be loved. Meanwhile, Finn grew up in a single-parent family since his father passed away. Therefore, he sought to become a reliable man; yet, the absence of fatherly attention made him insecure about his adult life. For instance, once he could not figure out what to do after high-school graduation and felt frustrated because of limited occupation options. However, after practicing singing together in the audience, they exchange a brief kiss, proving their mut
Interpretations rarely happen to be exciting, mostly because they render the source material that has already been well trodden by at least one author. The given rule, however, does not apply to Faust , seeing how the timeless classic story has become an inspiration for a number of amazing works of literature. Speaking of the latter, Los Faustinos must be the least remembered of them, which is truly a shame, since the play offers a very interesting social commentary on the present-day political structure of most states. By using a unique methodology and incorporating the elements of a community-based theater, the author of the play managed to make the idea of the government assuming the role of Methesto, or Mephistopheles. First and most obvious, Solano mixes the elements of two cultures in order to capture the specifics of the Los Angeles reality and trick the audience into paying attention: “Lucha constante y dolorosa./Pain and struggle burning through the night” (Solano, 1994, p. 2). Although, much like the plot and the concept of the play, the given approach is not new, it works relatively well in the play, since it does not turn the atmosphere into something out of the ordinary and, therefore, does not shift the emphasis from the focus of the play, i.e., the social issues and the conflict between the authorities and the citizens. Solano’s symbolism is also a strikingly simple yet very efficient method of conveying the key idea of the play. For example, the price that the Faustinos clan pays for the soul of each member is embarrassingly consumerist. Methesto buys the souls of the family members at quite a bargain by offerin
Tracking the occurrence of endangered species is extremely important to keep their population stable and prevent these species from extinction. An important tool used to define the specific occurrences of a certain species, spatial prediction can help locate the natural habitat of the Spotted Jumping Slug ( Slimus swansonii ) and, therefore, help the given species become numerous again. With the help of the given analysis, one can possibly distill the strategy to restore the population of the Slimus swansonii and, thus, help the Spotted Jumping Slug survive. According to the existing records concerning the Spotted Jumping Slug, the following characterizes the given species habitat:   * Forests of 100 and more years old;   * Areas above 400 m of elevation;   * Northeast-facing (0–90º aspect) slopes. Speaking of the obtained data, it is necessary to mention that the “eaeldem” data set was the Digital Elevation Model of the Eatonville-Elbe quadrangles of raster structure, with 10 m pixel resolution, meters being used as key units. Another data set, “stands07.shp” provided the
Introduction The relationship between nature and nurture has constantly raised controversial debates about the roles of the two factors in heredity and external behavior of a person. As a result, there has been confusion about the functions of nature and nurture in shaping human personality. Some psychologists have shown strong support for nature as a crucial factor that shapes human behavior due to genetic inheritance. However, other psychologists believe that nurture is responsible for the development of personality. This essay explores the nature and nurtures debate in an attempt to provide an insight into the factors that shape the personality of a person. Historical Background of Nature and Nurture Debate Nature and nurture debate has been going on for centuries. However, Francis Galton is deemed responsible for coining the nature versus nurture debate in 1869 (Stiles, 2011). Since then, psychologists have engaged in many studies to establish the role of nature and nurture in shaping the characters of individuals. Each side of the debate has brought forth substantial evidence to support their arguments. The availability of evidence to support each side of the debate has almost resulted in an impossibility to reach a consensus. As a result, the question of the roles of nature and nurture in the determination of human behavior has remained a dilemma amongst psychologists. Scientists are still pondering on the subject by employing the latest technological proficiency to study the impact of nature and nurture on people in an attempt to establish how the two factors influence personality traits. In the context of this essay, nature signifies the effect of genes in the DNA structure that are transferable from a parent to the offspring. The nativists, who are the proponents of nature, base their argument on the fact that behavior and personality are transferred to the offspring through the same biological principles (Stiles, 2011). Nurture is used to describe the conditions that characterize the environment in which a person grows. The kind of experiences that people go through since their birth has significant effects on personality traits. The empiricists, who are the proponents of nurture, believe that a person is born with a blank slate or tabula rasa. Eventually, different experiences fill the tabula rasa with diverse knowledge. The Impact of Charles Darwin’s Natural Selection Theory on the Debate Charles Darwin is a great psychologist who is recognized for his famous work on the evolution theory. In his popular ‘survival for the fittest’ ideology, Darwin categorically pointed out that any creature must adapt to the changing environment to survive (Davidoff, Goldstein, & Roberson, 2009). In 1871, he developed an explanation of the emotional expressions in both man and animals based on evolution. In this context, expressions refer to the behaviors that are expressed by human beings that can be attributed to evolutionary bio
Introduction In several parts of the world, immigrants have in most cases been perceived to be in competition with indigenous communities over one thing or the other. This has at times created a feeling of not being wanted among the communities within which they are living. However, the situation has conspicuously changed over time especially with the advent of globalization, civilization and adoption of accommodative systems of governance and in particular political democratization of societies. Naturally, both the immigrants and the host communities have their own feelings and ideologies with regards to all these issues and in order to restore parity between these two groups, there have been attempts of tracing, retaining and even replanting ones roots. It catches one’s attention that across all cultures, there seems to be an urge to closely guard what they define as their cultures and practices, at times going to great lengths to trace their roots of origin. 1 In Smith’s book The White Teeth, for example, the idea of being assimilated into a new community does not seem to go down very well with Samad and Clara and consequently, they find it difficult to smoothly get adopted into the British culture which leads to their sense of lack of roots or a background. No matter how much they try, they are unable to firmly replant and even cement their roots in a new territory. 2 In this context, they seem to be in search of an identity they can proudly associate with meaning, in a way, trying to cultivate a sense of belonging. This foundation, thus, provides us with a basic scope of why this proposal is important in interrogating the themes presented in the works of Smith and Kureishi. Arguments on the Themes There is ultimate an agreement that Smith and Kureishi’s works present debatable subjects both individually and collectively in relation to the differences in cultures or even to the lengths of sexuality and masculinity. At the same time, there exists a set of theories and arguments in relation to these subjects as presented through the available literature like Bhabha’s, The Other Question, Stereotype, Discrimination and the Discourse of Colonialism and even in Halla’s Cultural Identity and Diaspora . These debates, perhaps, assist us to accelerate discussion in post colonialism, more than any other period before, as a result of the awakening
This paper will tend to analyze the impact the U.S. dollar depreciation has on both the Chinese and the U.S. economies. This depreciation could impact both negatively and positively on the U.S. economy, this may benefit the Chinese economy as the prices of the imports from China will drastically become higher while the value of its exports to China would increase. The paper therefore addresses both scenarios as bellow. The effect of U.S. dollar depreciation relative to Chinese yuan Devaluation can simply be defined as the decrease in the value of a country’s currency relative to that of a foreign country. The U.S. currency depreciation can be traced back to the period between 2002 and 2008. This depreciation, however, has not been on a steady move, for example, in the years preceding the 2002-2008, the decline was so massive that it was felt greatly against the major currencies, among which are the euro, the Japanese yen, the Mexican peso, and the Chinese yuan (Elwell 1). Elwell argues that since the mid of the year 2009, the US dollar fell massively against the other major currencies recording a fall of about three percent against the yuan (1) The effect of dollar depreciation on the U.S. economy Depreciation of the U.S. dollar relative to the Chinese yuan will make the U.S. exports cheaper and imports more expensive; by doing so, the products in China will become more competitive against the third country’s products whose currency is pegged to the dollar (Fan 3). Fan points out that, ‘depreciation can also lead to improved economic growth by stimulating import’ which can also lead to an increase in the demand of import, and benefit the Chinese export’ (4).
Introduction Branding is regarded as a process of assigning a specific differential name to a product for the reason of differentiating the product from competitive products of similar characteristics (Meenakshisundaram 2006). Visual interpretation is an important element in branding. This means that design also plays an important role in branding. Thus, it is obvious that design is the visual articulator of the brand’s expression just as Davis & Baldwin (2005) suggest. In the electronics industry, there are a number of branding strategies used to increase a products sales volume in the market. They include price reduction, discounting and increasing the number of loyal customers for the brand. An organization must consider the factors that affect branding in order to come up with the best brand. Some of the factors include role of the brand, internal conventions, brand legacy and birthright. Branding comes with its advantages as well as disadvantages to an organization. Branding strategies used in the industry Brand positioning Brand position is clearly a strategy for competitive advantage. Developing a brand statement should occur after an extensive research of the market has been done. This statement must be easily understood by the target audience. Its context must be properly presented to demonstrate its relevancy in the market. Brand positioning must promise the customers that which it has to offer. If the existing customers get what the brand promises, they will help in marketing the brand. This will help to increase the market share and thus increase the volume of the product. Brand positioning should also have the ability to deliver the unexpected because an engaging and unique message to the customers always attracts them to the brand. Customers will expect the organization to offer good services or standard products. This means that if an organization has to increase its market share, it must offer quality services or products that are above the standards of other similar products to enhance competitive advantage (Bloise, 2011). Brand positioning is therefore not about running more ads because this does not actually increase the number of customers of the brand. The most important thing that branding should be able to demonstrate is to differentiate itself from other competing products in the market (Sengupta 2007). Brand name selection Different brands have different effects on the customer’s image. For instance, some customers may recognize high quality brand names for their electronic devices. It is thus very important to display such names so that
Theology refers to the rational and systematic study of religion and the factors that influence religion. There are two schools of thought that aptly define theology; process theology and secular theology. Different theologians have based their philosophies on either of these two categories. This paper will address the connection between process theology and the thoughts of theologian Paul Tillich. Additionally, the paper will discuss secular theology and the relation it has with the philosophy of Bonhoeffer. Finally, the paper will discuss the validity of the views on God as presented in process theology and secular theology. Process theology, refers to the school of thought that was developed by Alfred North Whitehead. It is therefore greatly influenced by his philosophy of metaphysical processes. Process theology considers God to be fully involved in temporal processes. Additionally, the theory supposes that God is affected by such temporal processes. The traditional notion of theism differs from process theory in several ways. First it suggests that God is eternal and unaffected by temporal processes (non-temporal). It also suggests that God is immutable (does not change), impassable and not affected by temporal processes. However, process theory does not completely deny the fact that God possesses aspects of immutability and impassibility. However, it does not concur with the classical view that suggests the temporality and mutability of God (Grenz and Olson 1993). Paul Tillich, a Christian existentialist philosopher expresses two sentiments about the nature of God. To begin with, Tillich suggests that God is a ‘being’ and that God is the ultimate concern for man. Tillich views the ultimate concern as a means of describing the greatest commandment of all; “the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind and with all your strength.” According to him, this commandment requires the complete devotion and dedication of man to God. Secular theology is a theological school of thought that combines both theology and secularism. It goes against the idea that holiness can only be attained through the church. It suggests that people can attain holiness through other avenues that are worldly and have nothing to do with the church. It is advanced by several theological philosophers such as John Shelby Spong, Soren Kierkegaard and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Secular theology supports a nuanced view of the scripture rather than the blatant biblical literalism proposed by the church. However, it argues that the nuanced approach be accompanied by compassion and scholarship which are consistent with Christian values and an understanding of th
One of the themes of Post-colonial theory deals with identity in a personal and social context. The way an individual thinks of their own character and how they interact with the surrounding environment and society, has a major impact on the whole population. The theoretical perspective or “lens” is described as a set of attributes and assumptions that are made about the reality of the world and how it functions. It is closely tied to the culture, social structure, people’s roles within a nation, but most importantly, the unique characteristics that each person brings into the common collective. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest” clearly illustrate the internal battle of a person with own “demons”, as well as with the surrounding world. In “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, the main character is shown to be sure of his own strength and righteousness of feelings and thoughts. Gilgamesh takes what he wants without considering the personal feelings of women, who he forcefully abuses. His character is made up of human and God characteristics, which can be said about the modern people also, as everyone is a part of nature and divinity of the universe. Often, people struggle between what a person wants for themselves, in a selfish and careless way, in relation to the greater truth and help that can be devoted towards other people. Gilgamesh goes through several epic changes within himself and the world he lives in. When Enkidu is sent to control Gilgamesh’s temper, they battle, but later, become friends and this is a clear indication of the change that takes place in Gilgamesh’s character. He realizes that there are more important things in the world than own wants and needs. Eventually, he loses his friend to an illness and learns the true value of friendship, pain and loss. This is very much true in the modern world, as even though the times have been modernized, people still learn through pain and suffering. This is one of the reasons the story of Gilgamesh is applicable in the current days. Another connection to the present is the search for immortality. People want to become immortal without really appreciating the moments that must be valued every day and each instant. “The Tempest” also describes a person’s character and the struggles one goes through in life. In the play, Antonio is Prospero’s brother but acts as a person who does not care about family and all he thinks about is greed and power. He will step over any obstacle to follow his own goals without paying attention to others. The first instance the audience experiences his character is when he hides his fear by blaming others. He focuses all his attention on the faults and mistakes that other people make without giving much consideration to his own actions. This shows that a person has no want or need to think about own character and instead, thinks about other people and w
Racial discrimination is a harsh reality. The research focuses on the movie, and the song Strange Fruit . Lynching is a harsh reality of the American past. Summary. The film Strange Fruit touches on the issue of racial discrimination during the 1930s. The scene takes place in South America. A gay African American, William, is shocked to see his boyhood friend lynched by the White Americans. He realizes that racism and lynching were still present in the 1930s. The White Americans cheered and celebrated whenever a lynching occurred. The social issue of the movie Strange Fruit focused on White supremacy over African Americans during the year 1932. The documentary shows graphic pictures of several dead African Americans hanging on trees, just like fruits (Kliment 91). The movie is about the African American’s protest against lynching of African Americans. Both writer Abel Meeropol and African American singer, Billie Holiday, used a new venue for protesting the prevailing act of lynching African Americans after the emancipation of the African Americans until 1940s. They used pop music to spread their racial discrimination protest. Further, the song was created by Abel Meeropol in response to seeing two African American men, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith lynched. He was moved by the graphic pictures of the lynching. Whenever Billie Holiday sang the song in Café Society, the waiters would stop working and turn off the lights to listen to Billie Holiday’s last song, Strand Fruit . In addition, Rev C. T. Vivian stated the song helped in the anti-racism protest movement. The folk singer Pete Seeger gave the criteria for a good protest song. Mr. Seeger emphasizes that a protest must focus on a popular issue. He wrote protest songs to persuade the government to disarm its weapons of war. Mr. Seeger also wrote songs that focused on the issue of civil rights. Lastly, Mr. Seeger crafted popular songs that centered on compliance with environmental issues. In addition, Dr. Miles White was interviewed. He stated that the pop culture song rose to sentimental political protest against lynching of African A