ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The video is all about a captivating story of how the Green Revolution was started so that people in the developing world could be rescued from hunger. Norman Borlaug was the leading scientist in the initiative that began in the 1940s ( The Green Revolution: Waging a War against Hunger) . The scientist is credited with helping about one billion persons to avoid starvation. The Green Revolution was typified by many scientific activities that led to the development of high-producing types of grains, improvement of agricultural systems, and distribution of high quality seeds. Others were modernization of farm management methods, the introduction and expansion of irrigation infrastructure, assembly of farm machinery and the production of pesticides ( The Green Revolution: Waging a War against Hunger) . Although Norman Borlaug maintains that the goal of the Green Revolution was to alleviate famine, which was frequently experienced in the developing world, Nick Cullather does not agree with his statement (Cullather 2). In his book, Cullather provides important information about how the politics were utilized in Asian’s Cold War to champion interests of the US. Thus, the author argues that the objective of the revolution was to control Asia after the Second World War. The US government was committed to transmuting the politics of nations that were characterized by perpetual conflicts into a platform of complex politics that could achieve relatively high levels of agricultural production (Cullather 76). The fascinating story of Cullather highlights the political ideologies that were concealed in fighting against hunger in a post-war Asia. In fact, the author does not only show that the US government was keen on the economics of famine in the continent, but he also demonstrates that it focused on promoting American technology that could go a long way in winning Asian hearts and minds (Cullather 34). It is important to note that Asia was largely using ideologies associated with communism, which were not supported by the US government. It was believed that if Asia continued with communism, then the American government could not control some valuable resources in the continent, such as crude oil. However, by encouraging people to adopt modern methods of agriculture, America could be viewed as a nation that was keen on saving many persons across the world from hunger. Although the proponents of the Green Revolution adopted a complex development policy, it is evident that mixed results of the American engagement with Asian politics were obtained (Cullather 98). The story Cullather tells in his book is different from that in the video. The video concentrates on informing the audience about the positive impacts of modern approaches to farming. The narrator says that the Green Revolution initiative was successful as a result of many reasons, such as support from different bodies ( The Green Revolution: Waging a War against Hunger) . Some of the bodies mentioned are the Ford Foundation, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the In
Introduction Krames’ book What the Best CEOs Know: 7 Exceptional Leaders and Their Lessons for Transforming Any Business gives some of the most successful individuals who incorporate organizations (2003). This essay focuses on some of these individuals in chapters 2 and 5 of the book. It compares and contrasts the experience of Michael Dell who is the founder of Dell computers with those of Andy Grove who represents Intel Inc. Michael Dell and His Contribution in the Field The professional under discussion in chapter 2 is Michael Dell who the former CEO who saw the organization become a multibillion firm. His contribution was in the field of domestic consumer products. Some of the initial products produced were air purifiers that are used in homes and offices. His strategy involved direct interaction with consumers at a time that he was involved in the sale of personal computers in college (Dell & Fredman, 1999). His strategy also involved making consumers the center of his business. With this policy, he ensured that product development, design, and the final production processes were informed by customers’ requirements. The supply chain that he created in the company was also dependent on the customer. The chain continued to be the main strategy for the company. The company adopted the bottom-up approach in the production process. This option was informed by the mass customization that the company had adopted (Dell & Fredman, 1999). As Krames states, “Dell’s direct model of mass customization was not born of any desire to revolutionize an industry. Instead, it was founded on a “bottom-up” strategy based on customers’ needs and preferences” (2003, p.59). Most companies at the time would guess what customers need and use the final products to assess such clients’ preferences. Dell on the other hand used a non-implosive customer approach (Krames, 2003, p. 59). One of the products that were developed because of this strategy is the Olympic computer (Krames, 2003, p. 67). The resistance that Dell Faced One of the challenges and resistance that Dell faced was in the application of the customer-based strategy in the organization since some of the managers who opposed this approach forced their views on the customer (Krames, 2003, p. 59). Andy Grove and His Contribution in the Field In Chapter 5 of the book, Krames focuses on Andy Grove as
Introduction Since the wake of time, man’s actions have been governed by the moral bearing that exists within them. As a result, he is able to separate what is right or wrong using past lessons or experiences through his life. Most ethical predicaments in the place of work are at most complicated by the rationale behind them. An array of ethicists believe that codes of ethics and conduct are to some extent closely related policies and regulations which are used to sort out legal matters. As such, the ethical issues stipulated in the code of conduct can be viewed as laws used to govern the occurrences of such matters. In addition to this, the values which are instigated in order to provide specific guidelines as to how employees conduct themselves are at times considered as moral values. Such values include: respect, integrity, fairness and accountability. The concept of business ethics is understood differently by various people but it all comes down to doing what it right in the workplace as dictated by the set rules and regulations in regard to the conduct’s effects on products, services and the interactions with stakeholders. In light of this, there is no clear method or technique that can be utilized by managers as they try to solve ethical problems that may arise in the course of business. Business ethics has come to be deemed as a managerial discipline, particularly since the dawn of the social responsibility movement in the 60s. During that period, social awareness associations elevated expectations of firms and organizations to utilize their huge financial and social power to deal with the ongoing social problems such as poverty, transgression, environmental degradation, inequality, public health and substandard education. As globalization hit, commerce developed into a more complicated and dynamic topic and organizations realized that they required more regulations to ensure that their transactions and interactions worked towards the common good and did not harm others and thus, the concept of business ethics was developed. Due to the importance of ethics in our lives, all schools are expected by law to have in their curriculum some lessons and training in ethical studies. Over the years, many developments have been made towards the management and monitoring of ethics at workplaces. Good examples of how this have been achieved include the use of codes of ethics and conducts, establishment of ethical committees, policies and procedures all in a bid to resolve the ethical issues and problems that may arise as well as providing training to new employees. However, most people only understand ethics from a plain point of view and do not know the benefits that can be accrued
Islamic faith has evolved in history from the times of Muhammad to present times. The term Islam denotes submission to God’s will. Every object must conform to the will of God/Allah or nature’s law. Reasonable creatures like a human being are free to choose whether to conform or not. The faith teaches that God’s power came to humanity through Quran to Muhammad. Muslims believe that God is all-powerful and all-knowing. God has no equals, peers, beginning or end. The faith declares Muhammad as the only messenger of God. God uses angels to do his works on earth. Quran reveals that God used Angel Gabriel to reveal himself to Muhammad. Muhammad learnt how to pray through angels. Islamic faith notes that the Quran came through messenger or prophet, and Muhammad was the last of such messengers. However, it recognizes other prophets like Noah, Adam, and Moses among others. Strangely, Muslim believes that Jesus was a messenger too. All prophets were equal, and none was above others, and no more prophets will come before the judgment day. The basic tenet of the Islamic faith as stressed by Muhammad is the judgment day, which no one can escape. Muslims believe that everyone will face judgment before the heavenly throne (Goldschmidt, 2002). The principles of Quran and five pillars Muhammad and teachings in Quran have the basic rules guiding Muslims. The religion observes right actions, rules and laws. There are five vital pillars of Islamic faith guiding believers (Goldschmidt, 2002). The first pillar is witness ( Shuhuduh ). This rule stresses that there is only one God and Muhammad is God’s messenger. Believers must mean this pillar. A Muslim who denies God, or has more than one God and does not recognize Muhammad as the prophet is an apostate. Apostasy is punishable by death. The second pillar is the worship ( salat ) or ritual prayer. These involve sets of motions and prostrations believers do while facing in the direction of the Kabah in Mecca with a short recitation of Quran. Salat reminds believers of their relationship to God and take off their minds from worldly affairs. Believers perform salat five times a day. They can choose any suitable place for worshipping. Before any worship occurs, Muslims perform cleanliness rituals on their faces, feet, hands and arms. Fasting ( Saturn ) is the third pillar of Islamic faith done during the month of Ramadan. Devotees refrain from drinking, eating, smoking and sexual intercourse. Refraining from the above acts teaches the rich of what it means to be poor. Fasting trains Muslims to master their appetites, and create a common bond among them. Children, pregnant women, nursing mothe
Social Darwinism is a sociological theory that assumes natural selection and fighting for survival. Despite the fact the approach applied to nature, it spread to human relationships as well. The idea is that only wealthy, educated, clever people deserve to exist within the society. Poor, illiterate people, beggars, and panhandlers were excluded from the range of worthy and decent personalities. However, there is a difference between panhandlers and poor people. It is vital to examine how panhandling may be seen in society and whether it should be outlawed for a better life. First of all, it is essential to understand the differentiation between poor humans and panhandlers. Humans can be poor temporarily for multiple reasons; for example, it can be a job loss, personal tragedy, and many other reasons that make the person stay without money. However, in most cases, poor people try to find a new job, preserve capital, deny themselves simple human pleasures. Beggars and panhandlers might be fired or had never worked; they usually stay in the streets and ask people for some money. Moreover, these people may not try to find a job, as their activity is to beg money from others. Indeed, when a person gives money to a beggar, he encourages panhandling; thus, this activity should become illegal. However, it might be an excellent solution to allow work to both types of these people. It can be a motivation for them to change their lives. The thing which differentiates the poor from the panhandler might be a desire to live better. If a poor person strives to find a job (even a low-paying), the beggar may remain in the street to ask for financial help. It is impossible to judge the value of panhandlers’ life; however, panhandling should be outlawed to give people an opportunity to live a decent life.
The district’s mission and vision closely align with the components of the school improvement plan suggested by Tomal, Schilling, and Trybus (2013). The first and second elements of the plan are probably most related to the district’s vision and mission since they presuppose analyzing the available data and establishing the main factors along with setting the mission, vision, and values of the district. The vision involves the assessment and monitoring of students’ progress, so it is viable to say that there is the alignment with the improvement plan’s components. Other plan areas that are closely associated with the vision and goals include creating the action plan and monitoring its implementation, sharing the responsibilities, and obtaining the approval of the education board (Tomal et al., 2013). With the help of such a plan, it will be possible to keep a constant control over how the district copes with the set goals and mission. By allocating duties to various stakeholders, it will become easier to obtain feedback and monitor the achievement. The faculty are well aware of the mission and vision as the guiding principles of the school improvement plan. All crucial information has been presented to the faculty in the form of a brief report so that they could become acquainted with it and make any remarks if needed. As a result of the improvement plan, several change initiatives have been suggested. The first one is aimed at increasing students’ achievement in reading. The second initiative is focused on boosting students’ performance in math. Finally, there is also an initiative to eliminate the knowledge gap in the two mentioned subjects by enhancing the achievement of trailing subgroups. Commenting on the Peer’s Topic I find your topic rather important since I also believe that ELL students require additional support due to the numerous challenges they experience when studying. I agree with you that school improvement plans can promote the academic progress of such learners. When preparing the transition to higher education, it is crucial to make all possible efforts for the enhancement of students’ opportunities so that they could eliminate the language barrier. Explaining My Topic The needs assessment topic is the improvement of students’ performance in math and reading and the elimination of the gap between conventional and trailing subgroups. The topic is rather significant since the successful realization of the goals that have been set will promote better education outcomes in the district. The first dimension that can help to design specific needs assessment statements is student-centered learning. This aspect presupposes suggesting support to learners that have problems with adhering to the expected standards. The second dimension is resources and instruction, and it involves creating a clear plan of actions. Such a plan has the potential to communicate goals with strategies, which promotes the correspondence with the expectations of the distr
The Pillow Book: What is it? The Pillow Book is described as “genre-bending miscellany of short, largely unrelated pieces” since it consists of numerous essays, anecdotes, lists, descriptions of nature, and poems (McKinney par. 8). However, all notes, represented in The Pillow Book , are united by the fact that they reflect the daily life of the author, her thoughts on contemporary issues. In Japan, such writings are classified as “Zuihitsu genre” (Kasahara par. 12). Most of all, the collection of personal notes resembles philosophical writings and poems in which Sei Shonagon writes about the peculiarities and the essence of everyday life. The diversity of styles is evident since the author writes about nature, the seasons, the conversations between the Empress and the Emperor, the things that amuse and captivate her (Sei 42, 51, 70). What does It Say to the Contemporary Audience? It is necessary to remind that The Pillow Book was not targeted at the audience and was created as a diary and collection of Seis thoughts. At the same time, McKinney admits that Sei “is talking to you, with the full force of her forceful and engaging personality” (par. 9). The most significant point about The Pillow Book is that the author draws the reader’s attention to things that they are used not to notice. For instance, Sei describes the sky, the moon, and the sun in different seasons as well as things that “make your heart beat fast”, “make feel nostalgic”, and “make feel cheerful” (Sei 42-46, 70-71). Since modern-day humans used to live in a hurry, Sei teaches that it is crucial to stop rushing and spend some time contemplating the world. Expression of human consciousness The universality of Sei’s book is presented through the illustration of ordinary’s people behavior. For instance, the writer describes what other people wear depending on their social status and gender (Sei 93, 131, 134, 137). This way, the author reflects such aspects of people’s lives as social divisions that have been preserved to this day and remain relevant to modern people’s lives. Apparently, the goal of Sei’s work was not to stress this issue. Nevertheless, for the 21st century’s reader, this theme becomes evident. Another universal idea of The Pillow Book is the role of nature in the life of people. In the literature of all centuries and epochs, nature has always been an important topic. That is so because this theme is close to every individual and people have always been strongly depended on nature. Cultural significance The Pillow Book not only tells a story about amusing nature and behavior of people, but also describes social, political, and cultural peculiarities of the times of Seis life. Sei depicts how people were dressed and what they ate (88, 93, 131, 134, 137). Apart from that, she immortalizes Heian court culture and emphasizes the importance of secular traditions. Besides, Sei pays attention to the description of prominent figures in
Pepsi’s advertising campaign for its Mountain Dew is directed at the right market segment. The company uses new campaigns in order to attract new consumers. Most of the targeted consumers include young African Americans and Latinos (Stanford, 2012). Pepsi Company appears to attract more consumers in Dakota and Nebraska. The product’s advertising campaign does not define its marketing objectives. The marketing strategy appears to “attract every racially diverse group in urban regions such as New York City” (Stanford, 2012, p. 1). The decision to identify and target this market segment can be profitable for Pepsi Company (Finch, 2012). The use of celebrities such as Lil Wayne, Paul Rodriquez, and Jason Aldean also supports the company’s marketing strategy for Mountain Dew. The biggest concern is whether the company differentiates its product from its competitors. The current level of competition arises from leading companies such as Coca Cola. The advertising campaign does not consider the best strategies in order to differentiate its product from the competition (Stanford, 2012). The advertising strategy identifies the targeted consumer. The company uses the best distribution networks and campaigns in order to promote the product. This strategy attracts more customers from the targeted locations. The advertising campaign for Mountain Dew should also consider the level of competition. The company should also use the best practices (Finch, 2012). The other subject is communicating the benefits of the products to the customers. Pepsi Company utilizes the best advertising campaign for Mountain Dew. This campaign informs every potential customer about the availability of the drink. The marketing strategy also identifies new market segments where the level of consumption is low for the product. The advertising campaign also includes several celebrities in order to attract every targeted African American and Latino youth (Stanford, 2012). The company has also included new distribution channels in order to supply the product in different urban centers. The company will also use different gas stations and convenience stores to market this product. This strategy explains why the company’s advertising strategy will attract more customers. The weakness of this advertising campaign is that it does inform the consumers about the unique benefits of the product. This approach might affect the marketing strategy for Mountain Dew. The above discussion explains why the company should redesign its advertising campaign for Mountain Dew in order to have a universal appeal. The first strategy is using the best communication channels and strategies in order to attract a wide range of consumers. The company should ensure the advertising ca
Illegal or Unethical Conduct If an employee is involved in any form of illegal or unethical conduct, then such an act would of necessity warrant a disciplinary measure from the employer. Whenever such allegation are made against an employee, it is incumbent on the employer to ensure that thorough investigations are carried out concerning the said allegations before any disciplinary measure is taken on the offender. The investigation must give sufficient accurate evidence to prove that the employee did really commit the infraction, as such, if the offence is contained in the code of ethics for the institution, the policies thereby must be adhered to the letter (Morris, 2010, p. 1). Examples of such unethical conducts include but are not limited to; insubordination, theft, fraud and dishonesty, habitual absence without leave, habitual late attendance etcetera. Under-performance or Incompetency Professional incompetency and under-performance on the part of the employee are some of the vices which can warrant a disciplinary action to be taken by the employer. For the employer to establish the validity of these kinds of allegations, it may take a short lived but timely investigation. Having ascertained the truth of the matter, it is incumbent upon the employer to make a documentation of the findings in anticipation of any disciplinary measure or follow up initiative within the immediate future. In a bid to establishing these facts, the employer may compare the said employee incompetency or under-performance with prior infractions associated with the employee in question, alternatively, the employer may consult the upper level of Human Resource management or any other supervisory organ of the institution for an impartial and objective opinion (Morris, 2010, p. 1). For instance, if an employee is involved in such vices as negligence, sleeps during working hours, bullies and harasses co-workers including sexual harassme