ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Situational analysis Abberly Village is an apartment complex company that operates within the US. Over the years that it has been in operation, the firm has managed to attain an optimal market position by offering luxurious apartments. Additionally, the firm offers a variety of apartments which include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three bedroom apartments (Abberly Village, 2011, para. 2). In an effort to increase its occupancy rate, the firm has effectively designed its apartments. One of the ways through which the firm has achieved this is by ensuring that its facilities are clean and up-to-date. Additionally, Abberly Village has a well trained staff that ensures that the clients are well served. The recent economic recession has made the US housing industry to be very challenging. For example, the cost of purchasing a home has become prohibitive. This is due to the fact that it has become hard to access credit finance from the financial institutions. This has stimulated potential homeowners to consider alternative means. One of the alternatives which they are considering entails renting apartments. In an effort to attain an efficient market position, Abberly Village management team is committed at increasing its occupancy rate. Market Summary The US apartment industry is a core component of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Approximately 30.6% of all US households live in rented houses. According to National Apartment Association (n.d, p. 2), the annual revenue collected from the apartment industry averages $ 155 billion which is equivalent to 2% of the country’s total GDP (National Apartment Association, n.d, p. 1). Over the past few years, the US apartment industry has experienced significant growth. In February 2011, the national occupancy rate was 93.6% (Wood, 2011, para. 3).Despite the adverse effects of the 2007 economic recession, it is expected that the apartment industry will grow with a rate of 5.5% in 2011 (Wood, 2011, para. 4). The growth is expected to arise from improvement in the country’s economy (Foong, 2011, para. 1). Foong (2011, para. 8) asserts that the growth in the US apartment industry is determined by the level of employment. Over the past few years, the US job market has undergone a modest growth. It is also expected that it will take a number of years for the US to recover the 8 million jobs lost. This means that the market growth will be relatively slow. Despite these changes, there has been emergence of a positive perception towards rental housing in the US in the recent past. According to Haevens (2007, para.1), a significant proportion of potential home buyers in the US are considering renting apartments rather than buying a home. A survey conducted by Harris Interactive in 2010 revealed that 76% of US consumers prefer renting a
Background From a historical perspective the Walpole Inn is considered to be one of America’s oldest inns since it was constructed in the early 1760s and then subsequently renovated by the latter half of the 1990s. Not only that, the inn itself is conveniently located in a corridor near Boston, New York City and Montreal making it an ideal get-away that isn’t too far away from the normal hustle and bustle of city life. Further enhancing the appeal of the business is the fact that many of the old homes and scenic vistas from the 1700s have been well preserved lending the area a historic feel which permeates the environment. This makes the inn an ideal place to stop, relax and enjoy a short vacation away from the stresses induced by living in a city. Current Status The Walpole inn enjoys a well established reputation within the state of New Hampshire as one of its most historic yet comfortable locations to spend the night. Upon further investigation it was seen that the previous owners of the Walpole inn had significantly improved the infrastructure of the inn by adding in a variety of modern conveniences and comforts to the historic site. This comes in the form of in-door air-conditioning, modernized bathrooms, internet connectivity and even cable television. The inn even comes with a private tennis court and billiards room which shows the level of dedication that went into making the inn as comfortable as possible for a wide variety of guests. Industry Characteristics Gross (2010) notes that one of the more interesting outcomes of the 2008 financial crisis which spun the U.S. into an economic downturn which lasts to this very day is the fact that this has subsequently changed consumer behavioral trends regarding vacations (Gross, 44). Many Americans have become hesitant in taking international vacations due to the perceived higher cost and the current environment of economic uncertai
Art has always been an integral part of the history of humanity. Serving as the way to express feelings and emotions, it had been developing according to new demands and methods which human beings created to practice in the art. Photography appeared later than other known classic kinds of art, however, there is no use denying the fact. that it had obtained great importance and ability to impress people not less than some masterpieces of classical art. There are some photos which are known all over the world and which are not less popular than Mona Lisa or the Last Supper. These photos gave fame and popularity to photographs, who can be called real artists. One of such geniuses of photography was Lewis Hime. Being born at the age of great changes and stresses, Lewis since his childhood was interested in the imprinting of some great moments of the history of American society. He had followed his dream and became one of the most outstanding American photographers of the 20th century. Very often Lewis Hime is said to be the person who managed to document the age (The Orchard Movies). Due to his photos, people now have an idea about the erecting of the Empire State Building or the problem of child labor, or a huge wave of immigration which was peculiar for America of the 20th century. In his works, Hime tried to show the moment and imprint the most important aspects of social life. His first works were devoted to the problem of immigration in the USA. He made photos of poor, depressed and lost people, which had nothing to eat and to wear, though hoping for a better future at least for their children. Being not indifferent to problems of people and children, he devoted almost ten years of his lie making photos of horrible conditions under which people worked at plants. Moreover. the photo of a small girl, working at the factory has become a masterpiece which served as the manifest of the struggle with the child labor. However, in 1920 the focus of his works changed. He showed not the conditions under which people worked. However, he tried to show the complexity and importance of the work they did. The main aim of these photos was to inspire the rest of the workers, promote the appearance of the spirit of unity and pride for their work. This idea coincided with the main aim of the majority of journals of that time. They tried to develop cooperation between workers and in this way, increase their loyalty to a firm (Seixas 400). That is why the majority of magazines willingly printed Himes works on their pages (Brown 136). Being popular, Hime influenced the selling of these issues, is the best advertising for them. Magazines which had the work of Lewis Hime on their pages were sold out. Works of Lewis Hime could be seen everywhere and he was one of the most saleable photographs of that age. In conclusion, it should be said, that being a brilliant photographer, Hime promoted the development of such feelings like pride and appreciation of their work among people. His works were printed in a great n
Introduction The need for information technology in today’s business world is indubitable. Within Information Technology, aspects of data storage, retrieval and security are of great regard (Chatzopoulou, 2001, p 1). Data or information is supposed to be stored in the most effectively organized manner in form of records. This now calls for not only any kind of database system but a particular one. The fact is that not all database systems are reliable depending on the nature of the business undertaken. Failure to have a reliable database system can be the start of information related problems within the organization. This is because situations may arise in which systems that heavily rely on background databases stop to work. The worst may happen in the case of loss of vital information of the business (Wang, 1998, p 4). It is common knowledge that some small businesses may shy away from use of databases. In this case they opt to use traditional methods of data storage with an excuse of the huge costs involved in acquiring database system. It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that this business runs the risk of fraud due to the fact that the information is unmanageable. In this case the dishonest employees usually take advantage on such circumstances. The stated benefits of databases, particularly relational databases are just a few. Let us have a deep look at the benefits that come with the use of a relational database. Benefits of using a relational database In relational database system the data is made to tally by use of characteristics which are common (Lee, 1998, p 3). These characteristics are mainly seen in data set. In this case the groups of data are quite well organized. This makes it possible for many people to comprehend. A very good example can be transactions on real estate in a given place. Here the transactions can be grouped in various ways. One of the groupings can be in order of the surnames of the customers (Jiang, 2009, p 14). The other groupings can be in terms of the figures of the amount paid in a given transaction. Also the grouping can be done as per the year in which the transaction was carried out amongst many other forms of groupings. In our case where the enterprise is operating a motor driving school we can equally have same kind of groupings. For instance, we can have students being grouped as per their admission numbers. Also they can be grouped into groups which have settled their fees and those with arrears in their fee payment. This grouping usually uses what is called the relational model. The relational model is also referred to as schema by the experts in the field of software engineering. This gives the name relational database system. The relational database management system is the software which is used in doing the groupings. The relational database system has currently dominated the software industry. Their services in storage of the records on finances are outstanding (Banks, 2001, p 2). Also the relational database can reliably store information on manufacturing and logistics of a given business. The storage of personal information among many others can be effectively and efficiently
Introduction Homeschooling has grown in size and popularity in all the fifty states of America. The increase in homeschooling in the U.S. has resulted in national lobby groups pushing for its legalization. According to Cooper and Sureau, there are approximately one and a half million children in the U.S. currently under official homeschooling (110). American parents prefer home schools for a myriad of reasons. Despite the rapid rise in homeschooling, critics view it as an assault on the public interest in education. The current paper will discuss the phenomena of homeschooling in America. Despite its increased popularity, homeschooling is not a good way to educate children. Why homeschooling? There are various reasons why parents in America enroll their children in home schools. In a recent study in America, it was found that eighty-five percent of parents enrolled their children in home schools because of fear about the environment of other schools. There were fears that public schools would expose children to a harmful environment such as exposure to drug abuse and negative peer pressure. Other reasons cited by parents for preferring home schools include; provision of religious instructions (seventy- two percent) and frustration with academic content in other schools (Princiotta and Bielick 12). According to Gaither, homeschooling in America was made possible by factors such as suburbanization, feminism, political radicalization, and the increased secularization of public schools (332). The author argues that suburb homes offer better learning environments cause of their comfort and techno-rich interior. The traffic and ugliness of the outer environment make homeschooling appealing (333). Feminism has contributed to a rise in homeschooling. A good number of educated women in the U.S. believe that they should channel their education and talent into training their children at home (Gaither 335). Ma
Introduction Portrait of an Ideal world was written by Mencken in the 1920s, a period in which the sale of alcohol in the United States was prohibited. In this period which commenced around the 1920s and ended in the 1930s, all alcohol related business operations such as the manufacture, importation, transportation, exportation, distribution and sale of alcohol were illegal and where allowed they were strictly restricted. Laws passed to this effect were contained in the Eighteenth amendment and upon their effect; the police were mandated to enforce them. The Laws were meant to minimize social problems associated with alcohol consumption such as corruption and crime and at the same time improve the health status of Americans. This was however not the case as people started engaging in illegal ways in a bid to carry on the prohibited activities. As a result, corruption in the police force and crime levels soared in such an alarming rate that the justice and prison systems became overwhelmed by the level of cases they had to deal with (Thornton, 1991, para. 6-8) This era significantly altered the way Americans viewed alcohol and alcoholic beverages and there was a general realization that not even the state control mechanisms could handle alcohol consumption, meaning that the choice of whether or not to take alcohol was individual at best. Plot Summary The article begins by describing what alcohol is, how it is generally believed to affect the human body and why people consume it. Mencken also describes how alcohol makes people act and in effect the reaction consumers elicit from the people around them. For example he says it makes people generous, tolerant, sympathetic and humorous as opposed to portraying their real characters when they are not under the influence of alcohol. (Mencken, 1924, pp. 201) He goes on to describe those who have taken alcohol as being less competent in their work, work they would otherwise do competently when sober. He is careful not to use the word drunk to describe people under the influence of alcohol and instead describes them as “gently stewed”, pp. 201. Mencken then goes ahead to argue out that those who consume alcohol are not responsible for the wrong that takes place in the country but such wrong doings such as wars and corruption are perpetrated by those who are sober and teetotalers. He then criticizes people who come up with statistics to show that alcohol consumption shortens peoples’ lives by arguing that it is better for people to live shorter but happier lives as opposed to living longer unhappy lives such as the one that is prevalent at the time which he describes as brutal and harsh (Mencken, 1924, pp. 203) Mencken also points out the fact that there are those who consume alcohol and still manage to live as long as those who do not consume it. His conclusion is that people as they are at the time are suffering from the actions of oppressors and not from the effects of alcohol as no alcohol consumer would behave the way th
Characterization is an important part of literature because authors rely on this device to create functional and significant characters. On the other hand, good characterization translates into interesting and excellent stories. Characterization as a literary device is used to support all the other elements of a short story. Consequently, the author will address a character’s behavior and continue by using other literary elements to offer useful insights into this character. After being introduced to a character, the readers are offered a chance to learn more about his/her nature through his/her opinions, ideas, relationships with other characters, and thought process. In the history of literature, attention has always shifted back and forth between “dominance of plot over characters and vice versa” (Burroway and Weinberg 23). There are two main types of characterizations that are often used by authors when they are constructing characters. The first type of characterization is known as direct-characterization and it mostly involves one character informing the audience about other characters. The narrator style of literature is a good example of direct characterization. The other form of characterization is indirect-characterization where “the audience has to deduce the characteristics of the character by observing his/her thought process, behavior, speech, way of talking, appearance, and way of communication with other characters” (Dimino 20). In a dramatic environment such as in films and stage performances, it is easy to lose some elements of characterization. Short stories have utilized various elements of characterization to develop their other aspects. This essay explores characterization as it is used in three short stories; “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Scarlet Ibis”, and “Thank You Ma’am” to complement the other four elements of these stories. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” adheres to the confines of direct characterization where the narrator informs the readers about the characters of various individuals. In “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the author starts by giving the readers a harrowing monologue by the main character. Interestingly, one of the initial statements in this story is “why will you say that I am mad?” (Poe 1). This statement by the narrator is a significant tool of characterization because it reveals that the main character is insane. However, this characterization can only be deduced from the words of the narrator. For example, the author uses incomplete and sometimes confused speech to outline the insanity of the main character. The narrator is also important in revealing the character of the old man. The old man does not have any
The most important data of a gambler to a casino is the knowledge of how much he or she spends in rival casinos. This is important because they can value their customers. Customer data is hard to come by, because casinos are one of the strongholds of cash, alongside drug dealers, flea market, and tug sales. This means that most gambling is normally done in cash. The only means of solving this is to be able to know a gambler’s money transactions through ATM withdrawals, cash checks, and credit/debit cards. Thanks to a publicly-traded company known as Global Cash Access (GCA), it is possible to access customer data through a service known as Casino Share Intelligence (CSI), this is possible. In 2013 GCA dispensed $20.2 billion to more than a thousand casinos. Gamblers draw 60 percent to 70 percent of cash within casinos via ATM withdrawals, credit/debit cards, and cash checks. GCA claims to have data of over nine million gambler’s credit/debit card transactions, ATM withdrawals, and cash checks. Casinos need to know what their customers are doing outside their walls. This enables casinos to know how much the customers are spending elsewhere and also be able to recognize the top players thus attract them to their establishment. As the CMO of Ceasar Entertainment Corporation, I would heavily rely on external information. This information will ensure customer valuation. From this, I would create a system that would enable me to come up with promotional ideas to attract and maintain customers. A prepaid cashless system such as a branded card would ensure safety and easily follow up of customers. For example, if a customer buys ice cream from a stone-cold creamery using the card, we would be able to know and thus come up with a promotional package that rewards the customer with free ice cream for gam
Introduction General The inherent characteristics of construction projects present a number of risks associated with project execution and make the construction projects vulnerable to financial risks (Bunni, 2003). There are a number of risks identified with the progress of construction projects. Palmer (1999) categorizes these risks in the areas of  1. timing,  2. project nature,  3. approvals,  4. owner structure,  5. project delivery,  6. project controls. Timing risks are associated with not only the time spent on preplanning of a construction project but also the time taken by the project during its progress. Time is the essence of any construction project, and without proper preplanning, the project cannot be physically completed within the agreed time. Because of lack of time, if the construction is done in a fast-track manner, quality problems may arise on completion of the project, which will give rise to various claims. Therefore, in this case, the level of risks is higher for possible disputes on design and quality of construction. Project nature relates to various attributes of the project in terms of type, size, complexity, location and completeness of design plans which go to define the overall scope of the proposed project. The chances of problems arising out of commercial buildings designed to meet normal specifications are much less as compared to the construction of industrial process plants which are built to unique and specialized designs. However, each risk factor affects the progress of the project in varying degrees of intensity based on the circumstances and also provides chances for more claims on the project. For instance, the construction of an office block in a new geographical area with an incomplete design specification may also pose larger issues to resolve. ‘Approvals’ is another area which might cause hindrance to the timely completion of the construction projects. In a construction project approvals are required at various stages of completion and even before the construction starts. Especially, construction projects that are supposed to meet stricter environmental regulations are likely to result in more time delays and cost overruns than other normal projects. This is because of the fact that the provisions in the construction to meet the environmental standards are to be reviewed by different government agencies at vari