The Twelve Chairs by Ilf and Petrov free essay sample

Tatiana Peltzer Madame Petukhova (Vorobyaninov’s mother-in-law) Victor Proskurin Nicolay Kalachov Mark Prudkin Bartholomew Korobeinikov Michael Svetin Engineer Bruns Nicholay Skorobogatov –Tikhon refuse-collector Oleg Tabakov Alchen blue thief Lydia Fedoseeva-Shukshina Madame Gritsatsuyeva Elena Shanina Ellochka-cannibal The plot: In the Soviet Union in 1927, a former member of the nobility, Ippolit Matveyevich Vorobyaninov, works as a desk clerk. His mother-in-law reveals on her deathbed that her family jewelry had been hidden from the Bolsheviks in one of the twelve chairs from the family’s dining room set. Those chairs, along with all other personal property, had been expropriated by the government after the Russian Revolution. He becomes a treasure hunter, and after the â€Å"smooth operator† and con-man Ostap Bender forces Kisa (Pussy, Vorobyaninov’s funny childhood nickname, which Bender prefers) to partner with him, they set off to track down the chairs. This ultimately helps Kisa, who doesn’t possess Bender’s charm and is not as street-smart. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twelve Chairs by Ilf and Petrov or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The two comrades find the chair set which is put up for auction, but fail to buy it and afterwards find out that the set has been split up and sold individually. They are not alone in their quest. Father Fyodor took advantage of the deathbed confession, and has also set off to recover the fortune. In this search for Mme Petukhova’s treasure, he becomes Vorobyaninov’s main rival. While in this enterprise Ostap is in his element, Vorobyaninov is not so happy. He’s steadily abandoning his principles and losing self-esteem. Through the process of elimination, the two finally discover the location of the 12th and last chair, the one hopefully containing the treasure. To avoid splitting the loot, Vorobyaninov murders Ostap. He then discovers that the jewels have already been found and that they have been spent on erecting a new public building. The analysis: I was 12 when I had read this book first. It became my favorite novel immediately. Then I interested to watch its screening. To tell the truth, I was sure I would not like this film because usually all the screenings of favorite books seemed miserable. But when I’ve watched 12 chairs I could not say it was good because it was so perfect and so exciting! I could not believe that screening can be as interesting as the book. In my work I’ll try to discover the secret of film’s popularity. I think, Mark Zakharov raised the direction to a new level bringing to it an element of theatricality (Interesting moment with actor’s peeking in the camera). As for me, a theatre is always more interesting than a cinema, so it’s positive side of such vision of the novel. The director tried to be as close as possible to the text of 12 chairs, that’s why he even have put a role of the author in the filmscript. I appreciate it very much because in such way the film does not lose Ilf and Petrov’s particular style. The novel is full of deep psychologism and gentle subtle humor. I am amazed the authors’ ability to write so kind and gentle but in the same time to expose the evils of society. The actors’ play even strengthen its effect. Despite the small size of 12 chairs here we can find a lot of vivid characters of that time: a former nobleman, a romantic swindler, a prist keen on the wealth and many others. The director have brought together the most talented actors of Soviet Union such as A. Mironov, A. Papanov, R. Bykov, G. Vitsin, S. Kramarov, L. Fedoseyeva-Shukshina, A. Abdulov, N. Karachentsov Even the secondary roles were given to famous actors. Everyone plays perfect, everytime during the watching of film it seems like they play their last roles. I suppose, that’s why we can see outstanding representatives of that period of time as large as life. The star of the film is Ostap Bender, certainly. Bender is a complex character: while displaying the traits that would befit a social parasite in Soviet official terms, he frequently seems to adhere to several Marxist tenets, and is clearly an atheist. To put in simple terms, he is a con artist. All of this is especially intriguing, as Benders ideal in life is to quit the Soviet Union for good. Ostap Benders origins are mysterious; he mentions only that his father was a Turkish subjectand that his full name is Ostap-Sulayman-Berta-Maria-Bender-Bey. In the comments to the Complete Works of Ilf and Petrov by M. Odessky and D. Feldman, this phrase is explained as a hint to his Jewish origin from a port city in Novorossiya, most probably Odessa, where many Jews claimed Turkish citizenship to evade discrimination and conscription for military service. While some of them indeed held the Turkish citizenship. Ostap Bender dreams of travelling to Rio de Janeiro, the city of his dreams, while admitting the futility of that obsession. Bender spawned a number of Russian catch phrases, including: The ice has broken, ladies and gentlemen of the jury! , said to declare the onset of a progress in something after a period of deadlock, uncertainty, or stagnation; I will be commanding the parade! , semiformally uttered upon taking charge of something); and Perhaps youd also like the key to the apartment where the money is stashed? , in response to unreasonable requests. Andrey Mironov always played good boys but he was very convincing in this role. He’s so charming when he is confident that  «stealing is sinful », but in the same time he does it in more sophisticated way than his companion in the swindle. First of all Ostap Bender is an actor who is not understood by the public, he is hamstrung with the Soviet system of philosophy. He is so bored with life that he makes his operations under the code name the ice is broken not only to become rich but also to get an excitement of the process. Ostap is the last melancholic romantic swindler of his time because there is no any worthy opponent in talent, intelligence, imagination or flight of ideas. This his feature is implemented excellent by A. Mironov and it is impossible to repeat it. Vorobyaninov is a former marshal of the Nobility. He is not talented, not adapted for independent living, vicious inside. People say about such kind of people  «still waters run deep ». He makes fraud with selfish motives because considers money is the measure of everything. He can be younger, more beautiful and more attractive for women with the help of money. Although, in fact, he was an old man who need to eat good looking for the recipe for eternal youth. He is offended by the Soviet system because of the rule Take away and divide. Papanov showed us this character so bright, his play was very vivid. Theodore prist is a typical example of an opportunist. An ecclesiastical capacity is only a mask for him. Actually he is mercenary and conscienceless person. Rolan Bykov was very talented in this role. I remember his songs in Old Slavonic and his altercation with Vorobyaninov, these two are worthy of each other rivals. The qualities of this screening can be listed endlessly. And despite the fact that this film is criticized for an extreme musicianship, theatricality and low budget the staff of very talented actors could make a masterpiece even with a small amount of money. This screening first comes to mind when we hear the phrase  «12 chairs ». The director really managed to make a good film. I think this film is immortal and even our descendants will be interest to watch it.

Admission Rates at Ivy League Business Schools

Admission Rates at Ivy League Business Schools If youre planning to attend business school in order to obtain an MBA, few universities offer more prestige than those of the Ivy League. These elite schools, all located in the Northeast, are private institutions known for their academic rigor, outstanding instructors, and alumni networks. What is the Ivy League? The Ivy League isnt an academic and athletic conference like the Big 12 or the Atlantic Coast Conference. Instead, its an informal term used for eight private colleges and universities that are some of the oldest in the nation. Harvard University in Massachusetts, for example, was founded in 1636, making it the first institution of higher learning established in the U.S. The eight  Ivy League schools are: Brown University  in Providence, R.I.Columbia University  in New York CityCornell University in Ithaca, N.Y,Dartmouth College  in Hanover, N.H.Harvard University  in Cambridge, Mass.Princeton University  in Princeton, N.J.The University of Pennsylvania  in PhiladelphiaYale University  in New Haven, Conn. Only six of these elite universities have independent business schools: Columbia Business School (Columbia University)Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management (Cornell University)Harvard Business School (Harvard University)Tuck Business School (Dartmouth College)Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania)Yale School of Management (Yale University) Princeton University does not have a school of business but does award  professional degrees  through its interdisciplinary  Bendheim Center for Finance. Like Princeton, Brown University does not have a business school. It offers business-related study through its  C.V. Starr Program in Business, Entrepreneurship, and  Organizations). The school also offers a joint  MBA  program with the  IE Business School  in Madrid, Spain.   Other Elite Business Schools The Ivies arent the only universities with highly regarded business schools. Private institutions like Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and Duke University, and public schools such as the University of Michigan and the University of California-Berkeley all regularly make lists of the best business schools by sources like Forbes and the Financial Times. Some overseas universities also have programs that are competitive internationally, including  the China Europe International Business School  in Shanghai and the London Business School. Acceptance Rates Getting accepted to an Ivy League program is no easy feat. Admissions are highly competitive at all six Ivy League business schools, and acceptance rates vary from school to school and from year to year. In general, between 10 percent and 20 percent of applicants are granted admission in any given year. In 2017, the acceptance at top-ranked Wharton was 19.2 percent, but just 11 percent at Harvard. Non-Ivy school Stanford was even stingier, accepting just 6 percent of applicants. There really is no such thing as a perfect Ivy League business school candidate. Different schools look for different things at different times when evaluating applications. Based on profiles of past applicants who were accepted at an Ivy League business school, a successful student has the following characteristics: Age: 28 years oldGMAT score: 750Undergraduate GPA: 3.8Undergraduate degree: Earned from an Ivy League universityExtracurricular activities: Alumni participation, community service in an underserved area, membership in multiple professional associationsWork experience: Five to six years of post-undergraduate work experience at a well-known firm such as Goldman SachsRecommendations: Letter of recommendation written by a direct supervisor; letters of recommendation that speak directly about leadership potential or experience (with specific examples) Other factors that can affect a persons chance of admittance include application interviews, essays, and portfolios. A poor GPA or GMAT score, an undergraduate degree from an obscure or noncompetitive university, and a checkered work history can all have an impact as well. Sources Badenhausen, Kurt. Wharton Tops 2017 List of Americas Best Business Schools. Forbes.com. 25 September 2017.Ethier, Mark. Acceptance Rates At Top 50 MBA Programs. PoetsAndQuants.com. 19 February 2018.Ortmans, Laurent. FT Global MBA Ranking 2018. FT.com. 28 January 2018.

Business strategy of US Airways Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business strategy of US Airways - Case Study Example US Airways initiated a merger with American Airways which was completed in 2013. The merger is a cost leadership strategy in addition to boosting profits and strategically positioning themselves for stiff competition with other industry leaders. According to analyst (Staff, 2013), the company can benefit from $600 million cost reduction under the new deal. US Airways employed a no-frills strategy to lure cost sensitive customers. Though its West Coast flights are within the United States, it operates a full slate of European flights from its East Coast hubs. US Airways has also employed differentiation strategies in a bid to attract a certain segment of the market. US Airways has considerably few international flights but is concentrated in Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix and Philadelphia. Unlike American Airlines, US Airways has little presence in Los Angeles with only a strong presence in outlying airports such as Ontario, Burbank and Long Beach. The merger is a strategy that will make US. Airways presence in Los Angeles significantly felt hence a boost on its performance. Under the new merger, the Group president Scott Kirby indicates that they anticipate targeting corporate customers as they can spend thrice as much as leisure clients, qualifying them as a lucrative segment on the airline market (Staff,

Nano tecnolgy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Nano tecnolgy - Research Paper Example Theoretically, the ability to construct multiple devices that maintain components of nano-scale would make it feasible to install, literally, billions of different minute-size transistors onto only a single chip that are able to operate at gigahertz frequencies (Drexler). Such chips represent the physical technology of nano-tech that have the capability of producing valuable information machinery. It was in the early 2000s that the functionality and opportunities of nanotechnology came into the forefront of the scientific community consciousness. In the year 2000, American President Bill Clinton enacted the National Nanotechnology Initiative which provided federal funding for nanotechnology research and development. This funding represented a $422 million budget allocated toward this research, illustrating a massive 56 percent funding increase from 1999 (Roukes 2002). This prompted the launch of 30 different nanotechnology research centres in the United States and prompted the development of inter-disciplinary teams to teach and develop nanotechnologies in universities (Roukes). Today, this nano-mania has spread beyond the United States with the European Union committing to a â‚ ¬100 billion investment through the year 2020 (Nanowerk 2012) and Japan investing 750 million USD to facilitate advancement in nanotechnology (The Daily Star 2012). Nanotechnology, theoretically, maintains many different opportunities in multiple domains of knowledge and science. Research is being conducted to utilise nanotechnology in the production of solar cells (for solar energy), to construct what are referred to as nano-pillars designed to contest the rising costs of Silicon commonly utilised in solar energy research. Nano-pillars consist of various nanostructures that are combined together in a lattice formation that is much more efficient in capturing solar light as compared to silicon (Heng 2011). Nanotechnology is also emerging in the medical field for more efficient drug

Research paper that will explore the resiliency of elders of the Asian

That will explore the resiliency of elders of the Asian cultrue - Research Paper Example Conversely, recent indication is provoking the supposition that elderly people are solely recipients of support, or that they obtain more assistance from their adult children than they give to them. Older people though are crucial sponsors of assistance to their children as well as their grandchildren, together with providing financial aid, baby-sitting assistances, housing, advice, and emotional support. Older people nowadays are more probable to afford accommodation for their sons and daughters, than they are to afford accommodation for them. This tendency has developed in recent years as older folks have turned out to be more financially secure while their children are less stable. Most lately, the fact of "boomerang" children -- going back to the parent nest because of unemployment and divorce -- is somewhat accountable for this development. An outline of give-and-take exchange where aging parents obtain more assistance from their adult children than they offer to their adult children--or responsibility reversal--naturally upturns with age, yet it cannot be assumed a characteristic of older parents in general. Findings have revealed that older parents are essentially net suppliers of assistance up to their 80s. Additionally, when responsibility reversal ensues, the swap tends to ensue for contributory more than responsive types of assistance. Several viewpoints on the elderly family indicate that getting too much assistance (over-support) from children or getting assistance from children, which cannot be countered may trigger distress amid older people. Most African American older people choose to stay functionally independent for as much as it is conceivable before depending on children for assistance. Findings display that the aging generally anticipate less assistance from their own children than they (children) are eager to offer. Certainly, at high points of strength, intergenerational social

Significant Changes of Toyota

Significant Changes of Toyota Our choice to pick Toyota was due to the significant changes it has gone through over the years. When Toyota first came into the market; nobody was willing to buy this Japanese car that they knew nothing about. But as time has gone by they have proved themselves to be one of the most reliable cars that can be found in todays market. A radio producer in Kenya once said every car in front of you and behind you is a Toyota (Juma, 2002) and indeed it is true. Toyotas decision to make this hybrid car was driven by both internal and external forces. It has been noted that the hybrid Camry will be the first commercially available hybrid vehicle built in Australia. The decision was announced in June 2008 to begin manufacturing a hybrid version of the Camry Sedan at the Altona plan in Melbourne from the beginning of 2010 (www.toyota.com.au). Looking at the internal forces first Toyota is committed to developing hybrid systems as a core technology. Globally, the goal is to reach one million hybrid sales per year during the 2010s. Toyotas worldwide goal is to approach zero impact on the environment in all our activities, including vehicles and production. While we may never be able to achieve zero impact, we always strive to do better and hybrid technology is an important part of that effort (www.toyota.com.au). There is constant need to improve their cars-not that they need that much improvement but in the sense of safety and efficiency for it s customers. External forces are the need to stay on top of the competitive market. All automobile companies are constantly making a new car or adding features to a new car. For Toyota to maintain its name and customers and attract new customers the hybrid was the best way to go about this. 2. DRIVING FORCES The forces which has no or minimal control by the Toyota Production System (TPS) are termed as External factors. These can be further classified into three categories. 1.Technological developments 2.Competitive environment 3.Social and Political pressure 2.2 Economic With the current global financial crisis hitting virtually the entire world, and as mentioned above the fluctuating fuel prices, there is bound to be a change in the consumer spending and price of most commodities will definitely be affected. It is in this aspect therefore those organizations will have to change so has adapted to the dynamism of the ever rapid globe and become relevant to the consumer in both product and services that they do offer in the market. 2.3 Social The current social trend is go-green which basically means being environmental cautious more of the eco-solution lean towards the conservation the earth- less pollution. The trend particularly in the automobile world is the one moving from fuel guzzlers cars to eco-friendly cars more of hybrid cars which the Toyota organization has done well to rebrand themselves as the automobile industry of the future. 2.4 Technological Environmental factors have driven TPS (Toyota Production System) to excel in their Technological developments. As a result TPS introduced hybrid vehicles, which are more fuel efficient and eco friendly. This external factor has transformed TPS from an ordinary passenger car manufacturing company to a Technology innovative company. With the new innovation particularly in the fuel conservation, Toyota Australia leads in the domestic market through its variable value timing intelligent technology (www.toyota.com.au , 2009). The VVTI technology makes it stand out from the other car manufactures. The organization is also distinctive in its development management styles such as the just-in-time and Toyota production system (www.toyota.com.au , 2009) which are incorporated by the Toyota Australia. 2.5 Competition Competitors in the automobile industry have been a key player for TPS development. In order to sustain in the market TPS reengineered some technological advancements and gadgets from their competitors such as Cruise control, Auto gearing in their products. (Driel, Dolfsma, 2009) Competitors in the automobile industry have been a key player for TPS development. The automobile industry has the most furious competition in the world, with the greatest Toyota competitors being, Honda which is from Japan. Toyota however stands alone due to its capability to change its technology and conform to its changed environment, particularly the fuel efficiency aspect 3. CHANGE PROCESS MODELS Following the strong desire that both the Federal and Victorian governments had for new environmental friendly technologies; Toyota decide to come up with an eco-friendly car, the hybrid. In addition to that; the growing demand for our Prius hybrid also confirmed that there is a need for more hybrid models in our line up (www.toyota.com.au). As purported by the equilibrium theory of change (Abernathy Utterback, 1978; Imai, 1986; Tushman Romanelli, 1985) comes the crucial fundamental understanding that change occurs in a series of radical and incremental changes (Abernathy Utterback, 1978; Imai, 1986; Tushman Romanelli, 1985). With emphasizes from (Kofoed, et al.2002) stating in other words that the above theory claims that an organisation-just like an organism- is pressured by periodic environmental events to change dramatically or else perish. So strong is this notion that it is further illustrated without any reasonable doubt by the Toyota organisation worldwide and to be specific Toyota Australia too. The Toyota Australia has conceptualized the essence of the equilibrium theory of change (Abernathy Utterback, 1978; Imai, 1986; Tushman Romanelli, 1985) more so by embarking on radical changes that are all geared towards the improvement of structural process and systems within the organisation. The Toyota Australia uses both the continuous improvement process and re-engineering process. 3.1 Continuous improvement process The essences of Toyota Australia continuous improvement process is its quality management programmes and to be emphatic Toyota production system (www.toyota.com.au). The organisation through the Toyota production system (www.toyota.com.au) are enabled to provide its customs with the highest quality cars and at the same time services. At the heart of this system is the Kaizen (www.toyota.com.au) which is the absolute elimination of waste and helps workers to be more efficient (www.toyota.com.au). 3.2 Re-engineering process As mentioned before, Toyota Australia makes use of this process because it has identified its distinctive competences that differentiate itself from other auto-motive industries are the fuel efficient cars that they produce. The organisation emphasises is on high-quality performing fuel efficient engine cars, at lowest possible cost, in a timely manner with the shortest possible lead times and its Just-in-time management schemes, (www.toyota.com.au). The car prices are relatively cheaper in comparison to other brand of cars from different industries. The core process without any doubt is the ability to come with a hybrid car of the future, since customers are keener about other alternatives of fuel consumption. The ability of such innovation adds value to customers thus the perception that, Toyota Australia is a series of processes from strategic planning to after-sales, (Robbins Judge, 2007). 3.3 Lewins three step model Lewins three step model of unfreezing, movement and refreezing can be noted in the change cycle used by Toyota. Unfreezing is the process of overcoming pressures of both individual resistance and group conformity (Robbins, 2007, p651). This is the status quo that all automobile companies share. Then comes the movement stage that transforms the organisation from the status quo. Toyotas movement stage was to develop the hybrid that has both petrol engine and an electric motor which recharges itself as the car is driven. The refreezing stage involves stabilizing the change model. This is quite evident in Toyota as seen in the success of the Prius. Sorensen adds on by telling us that companies with strong cultures excel at incremental change (2002). The Prius has been recognised globally as a clean vehicle achieving many awards and certification to the toughest environmental standards in the world. Many other engine technologies are yet to achieve emissions low enough to satisfy these emerging low emission standards (www.toyota.com.au). This is bound to bring about a competitive advantage over its rivals. Imitation of this may be quite costly and take Developing such a change has involved a lot of processes, knowledge and most importantly costs. Toyota is still very committed to its customers and maintains that trust by developing this new car that not more efficient but also environmental friendly for our future. To show its loyalty customers are guaranteed to an after sales service for three years or up to 600,000kms. As we have been told by Toyota; We are committed to sound environmental management for a sustainable future which in turn improves our business performance. Toyota Australias environmental performance, initiatives and technologies are further explained throughout this site (www.toyota.com.au). 3.4 Organisational development model Toyota Australia is an organisation whereby people are given respect and this aspect of the organisation is enshrined as part of its core value thus making it different, more of a standalone auto-motive industry. The other aspects of this change model that are used by Toyota Australia are trust and openness. These two characteristics are nurtured through having authenticity, openness and a supportive climate (Robbins Judge, 2007) in the organisation. Team building is also another characteristic that is embedded in the Toyota Australia organisation and in the processes helps in managing change. Last but not the least is the characteristic of confronting problems with again Toyota organisation having a notion of not ignoring or shrugging of problems. On the contrary these problems are dealt with amicably with innovation for a better organisation presently and in the future always in mind. 4. CONCLUSION If an organisation needs to survive, it must respond to changes in its environment. When competitors introduce new products or services, government agencies enact new laws, important sources of supply go out of business, or similar environmental changes take place, the organisation needs to adapt (Robbins, 2007). Toyota has realized that early enough and brought out a car that will be very helpful in the future as it is now. This success and competitive edge has kept Toyota in the worlds top ranking. REFRENCES Abernathy, W.J, Utterback, J.M (1978), Patterns of industrial innovation, Technology Review, Vol.80, pp 40-7. Busk Kofoed, L (2000), Experimentarium as arena for common learning during change processes, Processes in Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing, Driel V Hugo, Dolfsma Wilfred (2009), Path dependence, initial conditions, and routines in organizations, The Toyota production system re-examined, Journal or Organizational change Management, Vol. 22 No.1, 2009, pp. 49-72. Imai, M, (1986), Kaizen, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Robbins, S. P and Judge, T. A, (2007), Organisational Behaviour, 12th Edition, Prentice Hall, upper Saddle River, NJ. Sorensen, J. B, (2002), The strength of Corporate Culture and the Reliability of Firm Performance, Administrative Science Quarterly, pp 70-91. Tushman, M.L, Romanelli, E (1985), Organisational evolution: a metamorphosis model of convergence and reorientation, Research in Organisation Behavior, pp 171-222 Anonymous (2000), CI Changes: From Suggestion Box to Organisational Learning Continuous Improvement in Europe and Australia, Toyota: www.toyota.com.au (Accessed on 19/08/2009) CIA factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html (Accessed on 24/08/2009) Juma, Emmanuel, Radio Kiss fm, Nairobi 6th June, 2002. 10.30am.

Teaching Practices Essay -- Education, Politics

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role that state standards play in the classroom. The topics that I will include in this paper will be an overview of the usage and role that state standards play in the teaching and learning of students and a summary of a discussion with my guiding practice teacher about standards and data from observing him. In addition, I will analysis how my guiding practice teacher uses standards to help instruct his students. Furthermore, through the lens of the reflective cycle, I will reflect on the intelligent action I plan to incorporate into my future classroom. Role That State Standards Play in the Teaching and Learning State standards impact the way that teachers’ instruct in the classroom in a control manner. The standards are state mandates for the topics that need to be cover in the class. The standards serve as an outline of topics for the teachers to teach to the students. They are uniform instruction of a subject that covers all public schools in the state. Additionally, the standards should provide a structure-learning environment in the classroom. Standards help teachers by providing an outline of instruction for the class. Falk (2000) suggest that â€Å"the capacity of standards to provide guidance toward and images of possibility of what quality work can be; the opportunity that standards present to initiate collective conversations and inquiry about shared values, purposes, goals, and expectations† (p.164). Standards help the teachers find a starting point for an instructional lesson. Standards also help to create uniform instruction across the district as well as the state. According to Ravitch (1991), â€Å"[curriculum] must teach the core democratic values that enable ... ...learning as the students need (p.234). While teaching my lesson, I must be present in the moment. I do not need to be thinking about the last class period, next period, or what needs to be done for tomorrow classes. I need to focus on the instruction that on the class that I am teaching to help them be successful. Another intelligent action, I would include in my classroom is feedback. I would include structure feedback in my lesson. At the end of instruction, I would ask the students what they have learn today in class. I would do this as a way to assess their learning and see what the students receive from the class lesson. Additionally, I would ask the students what could I have done better in class or what they believe did not work in class. This would help me plan future lessons to know what work with the class as well as what did not work with the class.

Microsoft Corp.’s Pricing Policies Essay

Executive Summary This case study focused on the Microsoft Corporation and charges made by their competitors, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice of antitrust violations and a monopoly of the computer operating systems and applications software, software development tools (e.g., programming language software), and hardware peripherals (e.g., Microsoft Mouse) that Microsoft specializes in. It focused on numerous issues that would lead one to believe that Microsoft was in fact monopolizing the entire industry they were in. . In order to adequately discuss and analyze the issues of this case, I have broken this paper up into four separate sections. Section 1 – Key Terms & Concepts: Description of the key terms & concepts that pertain to this case Section 2 – The Case Against Microsoft: Identify the facts and information that support my case against Microsoft Section 3 – The Defense of Microsoft: Identify certain facts and information that support a defense of Microsoft Section 4 – Discussion: What I have learned from the case After reading this case study, I went back to the email that I received from you and went over the questions that you suggested we consider. The first question was: If you were the DOJ how would you build a case against Microsoft or a dominant leader? I will attempt to do this in Section 2 – The Case Against Microsoft. The second question was: If you were Microsoft how might you defend yourself against DOJ claims? I will cover this in Section 3 – The Defense of Microsoft. I will attempt to show why it was very necessary for the DOJ to bring a case of monopoly and antitrust violations against Microsoft. In doing this, I will attempt to put myself into Microsoft’s shoes and defend their claims that they have not created a monopoly. Section 1 1. Key Terms & Concepts The reason I decided to include these terms and concepts was to make it easier for me to write this paper and use certain terms without describing them each time I used them in my paper. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division: The Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, a presidential appointee, ran the Antitrust Division of the DoJ. When the Division thought the evidence was sufficiently persuasive, it brought criminal charges. The Division also entered into negotiations with businesses to end litigation in exchange for consent decrees in civil cases, or nolo contendere (no contest) please in criminal cases DOJ: Department of Justice: The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is a Cabinet department in the United States government designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans (http://en.wikipedia. Org /wiki / United_States_Department_of_Justice) DOS: Disc Operating System FTC – Federal Trade Commission: The FTC enforces federal antitrust and consumer protection laws by investigating complaints against individual companies initiated by consumers, businesses, congressional inquiries, or reports in the media (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Trade_Commission) ISVs: Independent Software Vendors MS-DOS: Microsoft Operating Systems NDAs: Non-disclosure agreements OEMs: Original Equipment Manufacturers OS: Operating Systems PC: Personal Computer Sherman Anti-Trust Act: it made illegal any form of contract or combination between entities in regards to trade and commerce that would have the effect of restraining trade. And it also put responsibility on government attorneys and district courts to pursue and investigate trusts http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Sherman _ Antitrust_Act) The Clayton Act of 1914: The Clayton Act was designed to prevent monopoly in the beginning rather than to remedy its effects. To accomplish this goal, Congress authorized antitrust prosecutions whenever business practices â€Å"may†¦substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce, in any section of the country.† Section Two of the act forbade sellers from discriminating in price – selling goods of like grade and quality to different buyers at different prices – when such differences were neither cost justified nor necessary to â€Å"meet competition.† Section Three limited the use of tying and â€Å"exclusive dealing† contracts. Tying contracts required purchasers or leases to acquire a second, separate product in order to obtain the desired product. Exclusive dealing contracts obliged a purchaser or lessee not to deal in products of competitors Vaporware: is software or hardware which is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge, either with or without a protracted development cycle. The term implies deception, or at least a negligent degree of optimism; that is, it implies that the announcer knows that product development is in too early a stage to support responsible statements about its completion date, feature set, or even feasibility (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware) Section 2 2. The Case Against Microsoft In order to make my case against Microsoft and prove that they are most assuredly in violation of monopoly and anti-trust regulations, I will answer the following questions: 1. Is this a case of monopoly? 2. Is this case a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act? Is this a case of monopoly? When I began considering my approach to this paper, I first thought about situations where I was absolutely sure I had been the â€Å"victim† of a monopoly. In order to do this, I first had to make sure that I fully understood exactly what a monopoly was. The American Heritage ® Dictionary defines a monopoly as â€Å"Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service†. In simpler terms, I have always thought of a monopoly as a big corporation doing its best to â€Å"screw-over† the little guy (A.K.A the customer) by doing its best to make as much money as possible. The first situation that came to mind when I thought of a monopoly was how the Comcast cable company had a virtual strangle-hold on the cable service in my home’s area. Since they had â€Å"exclusive control †¦of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service†, in this case they were the only cable provider in our area, you were forced to settle for Comcast’s service unless you had satellite television or you were willing to settle for the wonderfully fuzzy reception from the antiquated â€Å"rabbit ear† antennas of years past. As a result, we unfortunately had to deal with Comcast’s horrible service and always rising rates. Luckily for us, another competitor came in to the picture when WOW! (Wide Open West Internet-Cable-Phone) set up service in our area. We switched cable providers almost immediately and we couldn’t have been happier. They have provided excellent customer service and their rates are consistently lower  than Comcast’s. As a consumer, we definitely benefited from the increased competition and eventual abolishment of the cable company monopoly in our area. With that out of the way, I was forced to look at whether or not Microsoft had a monopoly in their particular industry. Based on the information in this case, I cannot say that Microsoft has a monopoly on any single entire industry. Do they dominate the majority of endeavors that they choose to participate in? Of course they do. Just look at some of these numbers: As you can see from Table 1, Microsoft dominates the market shares of suite software in the United States. The only problem with these numbers is the fact that they are limited in their time range. In my experience, three years is a long enough time to make an approximate forecast for future happenings, from a financial standpoint. However, that is from a transportation and supply-chain perspective where the main variable happens to be the customer’s shipping fluctuations. In a volatile and constantly evolving market such as software development, these numbers could sway tremendously with the introduction of a new and sought after product or changes in consumer wants and desires. Table 2 shows the financial numbers of Microsoft and three of their competitors: This also tells a lot about Microsoft’s market dominance, but this time from a financial standpoint. Two things that stand out to me in this table are the fact that Microsoft has almost twice as much net revenue than their nearest competitor (Microsoft has 4,649 and Novell has 1,998). The second thing that jumped out to me is the fact that all of the competitors show an increase in net revenue from 1984 to 1994. Based on the growth of Microsoft’s competitors (which there are more than one), I feel confident in saying that Microsoft does not have a monopoly in their industry. They do not meet the standard set forth by the simple definition in the dictionary of â€Å"Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service†. As you can clearly see from the tables, Microsoft  does not have exclusive control of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service. However, Microsoft does in fact hold a monopoly on many other counts, one of which is that Microsoft Windows, the Microsoft OS, is installed on most personal computers that can be purchased from Dell, Hewlett Packard, Compaq, and the like. Because this OS comes pre-installed, we as the consumers do not have much of a choice and there is not much of an alternative for us to go with unless we want to switch to an Apple Macintosh OS. Although Microsoft isn’t a natural monopoly in the classically defined or economic sense that I’ve identified above, it is a natural monopoly in the land of cyberspace. Microsoft is the path of least resistance for government, consumers, and programmers alike. Microsoft may have many faults, but they make a lot of things easier too. Most of us are willing to accept a monopoly such as Microsoft has for increased convenience and usability. Microsoft is a one-product company, no matter how it may sometimes appear. Their success is fundamentally due to the success of Windows. It rose to power with one product, and it resides there because of the success of that product. Unfortunately for us, this is not only the best product on the market, it is the only true alternative for us to use. In my book, regardless of the textbook definition, this constitutes a monopoly by Microsoft. Is this a case a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act? As I stated in Section 1, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act makes â€Å"illegal any form of contract or combination between entities in regards to trade and commerce that would have the effect of restraining trade†. Based on this case and the readings from week #7, there is proof that Microsoft did violate the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, particularly Sections 1 and 2 of the Act. Section One prohibited contracts, combinations and conspiracies â€Å"in restraint of trade† while Section Two outlawed monopolies and attempts to monopolize. Microsoft violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act by illegally using its market power to restrain trade in the high tech industry. A filing from the DOJ on December 19, 1999 stated that â€Å"Microsoft engaged in illegal conduct in five separate ways: * by tying browser sales to sales of the operating system; * by using its market power to illegally maintain a monopoly; * by attempting to monopolize the browser market; * by imposing exclusive dealing arrangements between itself and Internet service providers and/or developers; and * by imposing first boot-up and screen restrictions on computer makers.† http://news.com.com/2100-1001-233992.html The DOJ filing in December of 1999 shows exactly why Microsoft was in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Some of the things that Microsoft has done that clearly violate the act include, but are certainly not limited to: Microsoft customers upgrading their copies of Microsoft Office at the Microsoft website, but using the competition’s web browser, are greeted with a message insisting on the use of MSIE for the â€Å"full edition† of the update. On November 18, 1998 the digital greeting card company Blue Mountain Arts discovered that beta versions of Microsoft’s Outlook Express (which comes free with Internet Explorer) were automatically filing Blue Mountain’s e-mail greeting cards into the â€Å"junk† folder rather than the â€Å"inbox.† Shortly afterwards, Blue Mountain Arts discovered that Microsoft’s WebTV service was blocking their e-mail greeting cards as well. When the courts ordered Microsoft to ship Windows without an integrated Internet Explorer, the company â€Å"complied† by offering a non-functional version of the OS, claiming that the browser was now so completely  integrated into Windows to remove it was tantamount to â€Å"breaking† the operating system. -All three of these examples were taken from the following website: http://www.vcnet. com /bms/departments/dirtytricks.shtml To summarize, I’ve identified the following facts: Microsoft does have a monopoly in their industry Microsoft did violate Acts 1 and 2 of the Sherman Anti-trust Act It is convenient for Microsoft to say that their success is solely based on them being able to produce good products. Although they do devote extraordinary resources to improving their technologies, they also work diligently to stifle growth and in-roads from their competition. Section 3 3. The Defense of Microsoft – I am not going to spend a great deal of time attempting to defend Microsoft. They have spent millions and millions of dollars working tirelessly to do it themselves. Furthermore, I firmly believe that they have established a monopoly and that this monopoly serves to futher one parties interests: Microsoft’s. However, I did some research online and came up with the following paragraph from an article titled â€Å"The Microsoft Antitrust Suit† written by Peter Tracey. In it, he wrote â€Å"The persecution of Microsoft is an assault on the free market, and on the intelligence of the American people. It is the result of long-held envy by Microsoft’s competitors, including Netscape and Oracle. It is in violation of the constitution, being both ex post facto and vague (Getman). The governments persecution of Microsoft should be stopped, moreover, the antitrust legislation that has exposed business to unfair and unreasonable practices should be repealed.† (http://www.levelthreesolutions.com/ peter/msantitrust.html) In Microsoft’s opinion, the government should not get involved in determining what means a company uses to produce their products. They feel that they have been able to succeed through hard work, tenancity, and superior products. Although it may be â€Å"unfortunate† for their competitiors, Microsoft feels that â€Å"if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.† In essence, Microsoft makes the most money doing what they do by taking solid ideas from other people, such as the Disc Operating System, and making them better. Microsoft doesn’t monopolize the industry. They simply work harder, take risks, and capitalize where other companies have floundered. Section 4 4. Discussion – Before I discuss this particular case study, I must tell you that I have always been a big fan of Microsoft and Bill Gates. I have enjoyed the relatively cheap cost of Microsoft’s software such as Microsoft Excel and Word. I have also felt that with each successive upgrade of these products I have only been able to improve my performance both at work and school. I also thought it was impressive that Bill Gates could take his ideas, push forward with his undefeatable will, and become one of the richest people in the entire world. However, this case study and the analysis that I’ve done with it has really opened my eyes to the â€Å"seamy† side of Microsoft and Bill Gates. I was so moved by this case that I even went and downloaded one of Microsoft’s few internet browser competitors, Netscape, to compare it’s product with Internet Explorer. When my wife asked me what my paper was I about I told her it was about Microsoft and whether or not they were a monopoly in the industry. Her very quick and wry response said it so perfectly: â€Å"Duh, of course they are. Even I know that.† I think this says it all so succinctly. Do I think Microsoft needs to be disbanded or separated in to two different operating companies? Not really. Like I said before, I enjoy Microsoft’s products and I use them constantly. In fact, I am writing  this paper using one of Microsoft’s products, Microsoft Word. I just honestly think that fair competition and a level playing field for Microsoft’s competitors would only benefit the consumer in the long run. More people with new insights will be given the chance to expand the technology already in place. Too many companies are skittish about taking on Microsoft because of the monopoly and the fear of being annihilated. Finally, I have learned that cases of anti-trust and monopoly are not always as clear cut as one may think. I always thought that Microsoft had a clear monopoly and that there was nothing any of us could ever do to remedy it. I also really didn’t care as long as they continued to improve Windows and the accompanying Office Suite. I can see now that competition in all economic arenas, whether it is cable television or fast-food or computer software, is important, no vital, for lower prices and increased technological growth.

Postal Codes in Canada Information

Postal Codes in Canada Information In Canada, postal codes are used as part of every mailing address. They are designed to help Canada Post, the Canadian Crown corporation which provides postal services in Canada, sort mail efficiently and accurately, whether its done mechanically or by hand. Note: postal code is an official mark (OM) of Canada Post Corporation. Look up Postal Codes for CanadaLook up postal codes for street addresses and rural addresses, or find a range of addresses for a postal code. Postal code locator tool from Canada Post. Find an Address for a Postal Code in CanadaFormerly called Reverse Search, Canada Post helps you find full address information for a postal code you enter in this tool. The Format of a Canadian Postal Code A Canadian postal code has six alphanumeric characters. There is a single space after the first three characters. Example: ANA NANwhere A is a capital letter of the alphabet and N is a number. The first character in a postal code represents the province, or part of a province, or territory. The first set of three characters is the Forward Sortation Area or FSA. It provides the basic geographic sorting for mail. The second set of characters is the Local Delivery Unit or LDU. It could indicate a small rural community or in urban areas a location as specific as an individual building. The Canadian Postal Code in an Address Label In address labels, postal codes should be placed on the same line of the address as the name of the municipality and abbreviation of province or territory. The postal code should be separated from the province abbreviation by two spaces. Example:NAME OF MEMBER OF PARLIAMENTHOUSE OF COMMONSOTTAWA ON K1A 0A6CANADA(Note: Canada is not required for domestic mail) Handy Uses of Postal Codes As well as making the sorting and delivery of mail more efficient, postal codes are used for a variety of other purposes in Canada - in marketing for instance. There are many ways for postal codes to be helpful in day to day life. For example: Use a postal code to find the nearest postal outlet.Find your federal riding and member of parliament.Find a Service Canada office near you to access information on federal government programs.The Web sites of major stores in Canada provide store locators to find the nearest outlet using a postal code.Most Canadian banks also have  online tools that use postal codes to find the nearest bank branches and ATMs and bank machines. Did You Know? Here are a few little-known facts about Canadian postal codes. The Canadian postal code was first introduced in Ottawa, Canadas capital, in 1971. For other significant milestones in the development of postal services in Canada, see The Chronology of Canadian Postal History (since 1506) from the Museum of Canadian History.In 2011, there were approximately 834,000 postal codes in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.Santa Claus has his very own postal code. See Write to Santa.All members of parliament have the same postal code - K1A 0A6. International Postal Codes Other countries have similar postal code systems. In the United States, ZIP codes are used. In the United Kingdom, they are called postcodes.

William the Conqueror essays

William the Conqueror essays William the conqueror was an extraordinary man. He reigned over England from 1066-1087.During this time he achieved many great things. Winning the battle of Hastings, the Domesday book and so on. People described him as a fine soldier a great administrator and NOT a cruel man by the standard of his age. Read on and discover how he seized complete control of England! William the conqueror had spent months preparing all his armour, weapons, boats and training his army. He was going to invade England and kill the new King on the throne, Harold Godwinson, who had taken an oath to give William the throne, but had gone back on his word. As soon as William reached English shores, he began burning everything in sight, so that Harold would race down from wherever he was to try and stop William, but in the process leave half his army behind. On October the 14th the famous battle of Hastings took place. Harolds army were worn out for they had just fought a battle in the North. They were on top of a hill, and had an advantage, because they were keeping a tight shield wall, when all of a sudden they made a fatal mistake! Saxons broke away from the shield wall, and Williams army massacred Harold and his army, showing no mercy. William then seized control of the throne and became King of England, as all Saxon leaders were dead there was no one to stop him. Now, with William on the throne, he had to work fast before the Saxons rebelled. There were 10,000 Normans and a 1,000,000 Saxons. William had to get complete control, and fast. He started by building instant castles all over the country. These were called Motte and Baileys. They consisted of a mound of earth which was the Motte, and on top of this some Normans ( Williams army) lived in a Keep, a wooden kind of castle. The Bailey was flat ground, a kind of village, where Saxons lived. William did this so he could show Saxons who was boss! Stone castles were built late ...

Politics of Int. Law - humanitarian intervention and human rights Essay

Politics of Int. Law - humanitarian intervention and human rights - Essay Example The interference in an independent state by another with the aim of ending or decreasing affliction within the first state is considered as humanitarian intervention. The suffering may be of civil war, hunger or genocide. Humanitarian intervention should not invade the state, nor change the state's territorial integrity but with the intention to reduce the suffering of civilians in that state. The humanitarian intervention is justified primarily by its moral and ethical approach towards human sufferings such as civil war, hunger or genocide. This idea is emphasized in the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ written in 1948 and empowered United Nations Security Council, a super-national body, to act and protect the human rights. The United Nations Charter forbids nations from attacking other independent states in the pretext of solving the human rights violations. Such incidences of humanitarian military interventions by strong powers or coalitions with the intentions of their own geopolitical interests are not uncommon in the world history.

The Sixth Sense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Sixth Sense - Essay Example The building sound effects greatly added to the anticipation and excitement on impending spine-tingling eventualities. Actors make up was done satisfactorily and not in exaggeration especially on the ghostly characters. Dramatic extreme close-ups on the actors presented audience the convincingly genuine emotions of the characters. Costume Designer Joanna Johnston displayed an excellent job in adding to the establishment of the principal twist of the story. It may seem inconsequential at the outset but it was a very clever detail that Dr. Crowe oddly wore the same set of clothes throughout the whole film unlike the rest of the characters. The audience would certainly fail to notice that important aspect but once you get to understand the gist of the story and get the chance to view the film once again, one will be amazed by the designer's genius. Also in the part of Kyra's wake, there was already the suggestion of the mother being the perpetrator as she was the only one wearing inappropriately bright red outfit in contrast with the somber-clad family and guests. Overall, The Sixth Sense is an outstanding film. But to truly enjoy it, it is imperative not to inquire for hints before watching the movie for it would certainly spoil the whole story.