Thursday, December 26, 2019

ABBOTT Surname Meaning and Origin

The Abbott surname means abbot or priest, from the Old English abbod or Old French abet, which in turn derive from the Late Latin or Greek abbas, from the Aramaic abba, meaning father. Abbott generally originated as an occupational name for the chief ruler or priest of an abbey, or for someone employed in the household or on the grounds of an abbot (since celibate clergy usually didnt have descendants to carry on the family name). According to a Dictionary of American Family Names it may also have been a nickname bestowed on a sanctimonious person thought to resemble an abbot. The Abbott surname is also common in Scotland, where it may be of English origin, or possibly a translation of MacNab, from the Gaelic Mac an Abbadh, meaning son of the abbott. Surname Origin: English, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings:  ABBOT, ABBE, ABBIE, ABBOTTS, ABBETT, ABBET, ABIT, ABBIT, ABOTT Where in the World is the ABBOTT Surname Found? The Abbott surname is now most commonly found in Canada, especially in the province of Ontario,  according to WorldNames PublicProfiler. Within the United Kingdom, the name is most common in East Anglia. The name is also fairly common in the U.S. state of Maine.  Forebears surname distribution data places the Abbott surname with the greatest frequency in the former British Caribbean colonies, such as Antigua and Burbuda, where it is the 51st most common last name. It is next most commonly found in England, followed by Australia, Wales, New Zealand and Canada. Famous People with the Last Name ABBOTT Berenice Abbott - American photographer and sculptorGrace Abbott - American social worker best known for her work improving rights of immigrants and advancing child welfareEdith Abbott - American social work pioneer; sister of Grace AbbottSir John Abbott - former prime minister of CanadaJeremy Abbott - U.S. national figure skating championGeorge Abbott - American director, producer and playwrightBud Abbott -  comedian best known for playing the straight man of Abbott and Costello   Genealogy Resources for the Surname ABBOTT Abbott DNA ProjectIndividuals with the Abbott surname or any of its variations are invited to join this Y-DNA surname project of Abbott researchers working to combine traditional family history research with DNA testing to determine common ancestors. The Abbott Family GenealogyThis site compiled and written by Ernest James Abbott collects information on primarily Americans with the Abbott surname, and includes sections on authors, occupations, famous descendants, courses, and Abbotts in the military and ministry. Abbott Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Abbott surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Abbott query. FamilySearch - ABBOTT GenealogyExplore over 1.7 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Abbott surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ABBOTT Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts a free mailing list for researchers of the Abbott surname around the world. DistantCousin.com - ABBOTT Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Abbott. The Abbott Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the common Abbott last name from the website of Genealogy Today. -- Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings -- Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. ----------------------- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Classroom Management A Special Education Resource Room...

Classroom Management Philosophy Classroom management has a lot of the same characteristics of a general education classroom as it does a special education resource room class. In a special education resource classroom it is important to maintain general classroom management techniques like a welcoming safe environment, seating charts, attention getters, routines and procedures. However, it can be just as important to have a well organized classroom, seamless transitions, tight routine schedules and built in procedures for behaviors that can quickly escalate. It is important that the day runs as smoothly as possible in order for the students to achieve remarkable progress in reaching their goals. In my classroom creating a welcoming†¦show more content†¦Routines and procedures for turning in homework, bathroom breaks, lockers, getting their attention with attention getters, what to do when they finish their work early are just a few that will need to be in place. The mor e structure that can be clearly outlined and practiced the more functional a classroom will become. Being a classroom that potentially will have students with autism, attention deficit disorder and other disabilities these routines and procedures can be a make or break on how well these students function in the classroom. For a classroom that has students with many differences of skills and abilities, it is also important to consider organization to be a regular part of classroom management that needs to be addressed daily. These students will most likely be distracted easily or could have some severe behavioral issues if organization is not addressed. Keeping the classroom visual and tactile to a minimum will help these students be better students! It would create a classroom that would be less distracting for them allowing them to function better. Being organized should also include daily schedules that are consistent and part of the routine for the day. Schedules should b e displayed and gone over everyday to keep things from being a surprise for students. The more the schedule can remain the same the less behavioral problems will be displayed in the classroom. A classroom will also see less behavior problems if theyShow MoreRelatedEducational Achievement Of Students With Disabilities878 Words   |  4 Pagesacceptance of it, the teacher, how the class operates, the amount of disabled verses nondisabled students, and so many other things. If inclusion is accepted and done right, there will be â€Å"no significant differences in the academic performance†¦ of students without disabilities enrolled in inclusive classes and those who [are] not† (Disher, Mathot-Buckner, McDonnell, Mendel, and Thorson 224). â€Å"The presence of students with developmental disabilities in general education classes [does] not negatively impactRead MoreInclusion Is Not Everyone Getting The Same Thing996 Words   |  4 Pagesat work, and even in a schoolâ⠂¬â„¢s classroom. Inclusion in the classroom is the idea that all children, including special education students, should and can learn in a regular classroom. It does not have a set look and will look different depending on each school and student. Inclusion is a framework that gives special education students the support they need while they learn along with their general education peers. As a teacher I will have many students in my classroom, and my students will not allRead MoreClassroom Management and Pull-out Services: Research questions and Personal View on the Research Topic1706 Words   |  7 PagesSupporting Resources Through my research, I created fifteen interview questions related to my topic of choice. Each of my research articles directly address my topic for this project, however some are specifically related to a particular aspect of my topic. 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The first deadly sin is teachers having negative perspectives about inclusive program. Teachers have negative perspectives of the inclusive program because it is â€Å"difficult to achieve a high level of success† (Worrell 2008, p.44). Worrell states teachers can avoid negative perspectives by starting the day off by stating something positive creating a positive schoolwide climate. Teachers can make a positive environmentRead MoreStudents That Are On Behavioral Programs1194 Words   |  5 Pages 3.3 Class Profile Social/behavioural (BME) There are two students that are on behavioural programs in Miss Dowson’s class. Jeremy and Jorja are in individual behaviour programs. The basis of these programs is that each student has a written program to which they are to follow. The students and teacher agree on these programs and acknowledge it by a signature. They then gain a tick on their individual chart per section of the day, morning, midday and afternoon that they are working and behaving properlyRead MoreThe Target Student With Ebd And Ld889 Words   |  4 Pagestarget student was seated at the back of the classroom, so that he will not distract the entire class. The learning support teacher was standing next to him, encouraging him to play. With her support, the student participated very well during the activity and stayed on task longer with less misbehavior. Unfortunately, when she was absent for a brief time, the student was distracted and did not engage with his classmates. Plus, he kept looking around the room until the learning support came over to helpRead More Technology in Education Essay985 Words   |  4 PagesTechnology in Education Today, if you enter an average elementary classroom you might find a computer cart with twenty or thirty lap tops, all with hook-up to the internet. The teacher usually has either a desk top or lap top computer, sometimes both, for keeping track of important information. Technology has, in many ways, positively impacted the educational field. Michigan has made using technology a necessity. With help from the Freedom to Learn Program, improvements in classroom technology,Read MoreEffectiveness Of Current Behavior System1431 Words   |  6 Pagesgreatest strengths of this classroom, as indicated by the self-assessment, is the clear and consistent routines. This category received an overall average rating of 85%, with no single criteria falling under an 80% rating. Consistent routines can help prevent management problems because the activities run smoothly and efficiently and students are familiar with the expectations associated with each routine activity (Scheuermann Hall, 2016). This is apparent in this classroom as most students are onRead MoreLearning in the Classroom Interview1881 Words   |  8 PagesLearning Disabilities and the Classroom Week 1Assingment: Learning Disabilities and the Classroom Interview Essay Topic: Education for Learners with Special Needs: Organization and Planning Course Contents Shannon Titus Due Date: May 26, 2013 SPE-359 | Education for Learners with Special Needs: Organization and Planning Instructor: Colleen Walsh I have created a Special Education (SPED) Team for this course. That includes Mrs. Chain a special education teacher and Mrs. Robinson a third

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Business Communication Problem

Question: Write an essay on Business Communication? Answer: Problem: Email Sub: Planning meeting to discuss about an advertising campaign for a new line of sunglasses Hi all, This is for your kind attention that we are launching a new line of sunglasses in the market. Before the launch, the advertising campaign needs to be planned out. Since this is a new product line, we need to carefully plan the advertisement so that we can grab the notice of maximum number of people. As indicated to each one of you, Amy Purcell has called for this meeting. I am fixing the meeting on October 19, 2015 from 2 p.m. till 4p.m. in the conference room 1st floor (A203). The agenda should be as follows: 1) Describing policies in effect in other companies 2) The existing market for sunglasses 3) Identifying possible alternatives 4) Selection of the media to advertise 5) Evaluation of the possible alternatives 6) Rough estimate of the budget on the advertisement 7) Scheduling future meetings Before the meeting is held, I would appreciate the fact of consulting the matter with your colleagues so that we can reap the benefits of consultation during the course of our meeting. Thanks and regards, (Name) Process a) The purpose of the meeting is to set the agenda for the advertisement campaign to be undertaken for the launching of sunglasses. A lot of issues are to be discussed regarding the campaign. If there is a gathering of a lot of people, there will be various opinions. We can arrive at a consensus after analyzing the various opinions. A meeting provides an open discussion which helps us to arrive at the correct decision (Bargiela-Chiappini Nickerson, 2014). b) Purcell asked the participants for suggestions about the agenda in advance of the actual meeting due to a specific purpose. If the participants discuss among themselves in advance, it will provide them a correct platform in the meeting to put forward their opinions. c) The time, date and venue of the meeting should be stated in the email message. The specific points to be covered are also to be mentioned (Grunig, 2013). Product: Subject Line: Planning meeting to discuss about an advertising campaign for a new line of sunglasses Points to be included: a) The time, date and venue of the meeting should be stated. b) The agenda should include the following: 1) Describing policies in effect in other companies 2) The existing market for sunglasses 3) Identifying possible alternatives 4) Selection of the media to advertise 5) Evaluation of the possible alternatives 6) Rough estimate of the budget on the advertisement 7) Scheduling future meetings (Bovee Thill, 2013). Answers to exercises: 1) Face to face: a) Nose: Disagreement b) Lips: Happiness c) Eyebrows: Surprise d) Tongue: shame e) Eyelids: boredom, disinterest f) Eyes: happiness, anger g) Forehead: surprise 4) Job interview: Non verbal behaviours we should exhibit: a) Eye contact: It is crucial to maintain eye contact during interview. b) Good posture: Correct posture should be maintained while sitting, standing and walking. c) Smile: A smiling face is always welcome (Guffey Loewy, 2012). Non verbal behaviours we should not exhibit: a) Shaking of legs: This expresses nervous tension. b) Clearing of throat: It should be avoided. c) Gloomy look: One should bear a cheerful look. 5) Entrepreneurship: While discussing the application for $35,000 business loan, Marty should be positive in her approach. She should bear a smile while speaking. The tone of her voice should be filled with gratitude. Maintaining eye contact is important. References Guffey, M. E., Loewy, D. (2012).Essentials of business communication. Cengage Learning. Bargiela-Chiappini, F., Nickerson, C. R. (2014).Writing business: Genres, media and discourses. Routledge. Bovee, C. V., Thill, J. V. (2013).Business Communication Essentials 6th edition. Prentice Hall. Grunig, J. E. (2013).Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The opening scenes Essay Example For Students

The opening scenes Essay Explore how effectively the first six pages of making history prepare the audience for an understanding of the character of ONeill.  To the audience the opening scenes, portray different sides of ONeills persona which later become important, e.g. his preoccupation with the truth and the way he phlegmatically deals with certain issues. These aspects of his character are varied and although crucial at the end not so influential on the audiences perception of ONeill. Hugh ONeill, the main character, is introduced immediately to the audience as the high status leader of the Gaelic Irish. We of his importance because The archbishop Lombard had to wait three days to see him and that many other high status characters would have his attention, for example The lord Deputy or The Lord Chief Justice. His importance is further later when we find that by the Irish he is referred to as The ONeill and that he was crowned upon the crowning stone at Tully-Hogue(later destroyed by the English to erase the Irish royal heritage) . We will write a custom essay on The opening scenes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In these opening moments we see ONeill as a laid-back person who would rather tend to his flowers than attend to his duties as leader, although later we see how seriously he has taken his role, for example when talking to Mabel he says I have spent my life trying to do two things. Holding together a harassed and confused peoplemaintaining a life of dignity. This is an insight into ONeill as a person he not only has do deal with politics but his personal life and juggling both is a difficult task. However ONeill must not only deal with the politics of Ireland but also of Europe. He could even possibly be accused of taking his position of The ONeill for granted when he ignores the warnings from Lombard that the Spanishs interest in Ireland is practical and political, and that they will only do whats best for Spain. With that in mind it is not such a surprise that he ends this life as a Soured emigree after loosing all he holds dear in the fateful battle against a victorious English army. Eventually unable to even afford a bottle of wine and yet he is still, in his mind at least, the high status man who held the attention of others of similar or higher status. A man who was once able to match Queen Elizabeth in financial matters at least, for example the finger watch that he bought Mabel, the only other person who I know who has one is queen Elizabeth. Brian Friel uses parallel conversations to emphasize upon the contrast between politics and home life in the opening pages and at the end he uses the same technique to compare Lombards true history of ONeill and ONeills version of the truth. We see how ONeill can manipulate a conversation to suite what is currently on his mind we see this with Mary in scene 2 where he takes control and directs her response. Catholicism versus Protestantism is the key aspect of the play and we learn early on that ONeill is, clearly, a catholic and yet he marries an English girl, Mabel (whos brother is the reigning queens Marshall) under a protestant bishop. This cause outrage, and Hugh ODonnell (ONeills brother in law) threatens to not talk to him because of it. This is almost an act of heresy and yet ONeill doesnt seem to think it matters at all, just like his vow to the queen, its just a token gesture that is politically quaint and it means nothing  He is a very good politician and understands that he has to try and keep people happy and if that means swearing an oath to the protestant queen, even though your plotting her death, then so be it. .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 , .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .postImageUrl , .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 , .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92:hover , .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92:visited , .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92:active { border:0!important; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92:active , .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92 .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaf055baa02f5f4da7fec48f68c98fb92:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Good Woman of Sezuan EssayAnother key issue is the fact of ONeills upbringing. Brought up by an English family, his Irishness is diluted, e.g. accent, however he remembers one little remark made when he was a child that spoilt all the good years and times he had.  Those Irishmen who live like subjects play but as the fox which when you have him on a chain will seem tame; but if he ever gets loose, he will be wild again the English, Sir Henry, knew what would become of him and he has remembered the feeling of that trivial little hurt for so long. This could explain his rashness and his rushed sense of preparation for the battle of kinsale. As Mabel pointed out to Hugh calculation deliberation- caution had always been his plan, his way. However the thought of getting back at England, at the Protestants was too much for ONeill the possibility of a victory for a Catholic Confederation. After twenty years of using tact, politics and his brain he abandons them in a vain attempt to unit A bunch of squabbling chieftains. The Book is the focal point of the play and the audience hear of ONeills distaste of it early on, however he becomes more and more involved with it as the play goes on focusing on his concept of the truth and what he thinks the book should be like. The contrast between his views and Lombards often angers him but Lombard always evades his view of what the truth is but tells the naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve ONeill what is history if not a story. This issue of truth runs through out the play and ONeill is obsessed towards the end about whether Lombards truth will be the total truth, this naivety is one ONeills major flaws. This naivety is also present when Mabel tries to tell him that England will throw everything into this war ONeill replys so will Spain. His inability to listen in these situations is what cost him everything twice he was told, by people he would normally trust, that Spain is only interested in whats best for Spain however ONeill refuses to accept this.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Great Opportunities From Our Website

Great Opportunities From Our Website Additional Services Why Progressive Delivery is the Best Option for Managing Bigger Orders is accustomed to handling large assignments and we tend to consider these to be any writing project that is 20 pages or more in length. However, where assignments are typed in single-spacing, papers of 10 pages or more can also fall into the category of large assignments since double-spacing can easily inflate a 10+-page paper into a 20+-page one. In any case, these assignments can prove unwieldy and difficult for the customer to manage. This is where progressive delivery can help and it is one of the useful services you get when you choose as your writing partner. Get Your Assignment(s) Delivered in Parts or Sections the Main Benefits:Assignments will be expertly written by a knowledgeable writer while one of our meticulous proofreaders or editors will review it to ensure it is devoid of error. Orders are rendered more manageable getting an order delivered in sections makes it less difficult to monitor and track. Also, it provides the recipient with enough time before they have to hand in their entire paper by the deadline their tutor has set to check each part. For example, adjustments may be needed i.e. if the recipient does not instantly approve the work. A lot more time 30 days instead of 2 days (in the case of standard delivery) for getting papers revised/corrected free-of-charge. Order lifecycle overseen by personal manager who a) facilitates smooth two-way communication between customer/writer and b) ensures order is completed to high standard and to customers satisfaction. How sections/drafts are delivered*:Time to complete order = four days (4 days) or a timeframe not greater than four days: Once the time allowed nears 50% completion, our company sends 25% (Section 1) of the customers assignment to them. (Suppose, therefore, a customer orders an assignment equaling 20 pages from and they have allowed 2 days for us to complete it, then we should send that customer 5 pages of their order by the time 1 day of the agreed time has elapsed). Time to complete order five to eleven days (5 to 11 days): Once the time allowed nears 25% completion, our company sends 25% (Section 1) of the customers assignment to them. When the time allowed nears 50% completion, our company sends 50% (Section 2) of the customers assignment to them. Time to complete order = twelve days (12 days) or a bigger timeframe: ) Once the time allowed nears 25% completion, our company sends 25% (Section 1) of the customers assignment to them. When the time allowed nears 50% completion, our company sends 50% (Section 2) of the customers assignment to them. And, finally, when the time allowed nears 75% completion, our company sends 75% (Section 3) of the customers assignment to them. As is normal practice, adds a small fee to the cost of regular delivery for this service in this case +15%. Remember, you can always contact our friendly agents or your personal writing manager if you find this way of delivering an order does not fit with your expectations i.e. if you have other preferences and/or requirements. On all occasions, our representatives will do everything in their power to find a solution that is satisfactory for our company and our customers. Additional Services Suitable for Orders Less than 20 Pages i.e. Short Orders! Drafts In the event you request a draft from our company, we will be happy to provide this but we can only do so once 50% of the mutually-agreed deadline is expired. Consequently, if we agree a mutually suitable deadline of 2 days, we will provide you with one of the following types of drafts once 1 day has expired: a) a 1-page draft comprised of 600 words if it is required in single line spacing or b) a 1-page draft comprised of 300 words if it is required in double line spacing. Summaries In the event you request a summary from our company, we will gladly provide a 1-page summary that lets you (and, if appropriate, your readers) see the main ideas/points/information from a bigger paper. Summary papers can be particularly helpful in certain circumstances (e.g., someone engaged in a piece of research work with a requirement to report progress or provide periodic updates to a supervisor (or tutor, etc.)). In these situations, summaries are an option that strongly recommends. Extended Revisions While offers (and even guarantees) free revisions to all customers, these are only available for a limited period following order delivery where our standard service applies. At present this timeframe is 48 hours. This free revision period can, however, be extended to 14 days if desired and/or where necessary.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Diversity Quotes

Diversity Quotes When the news reports cover ethnic wars and cultural domination on a regular basis, it is easy to miss out on one important lesson: diversity is a positive thing, in the world, in business, and in education. In the U.S., diverse cultures will soon be in the majority. Public conversations on the challenges of a diverse nation make the nation stronger. In business, diversity in an organization increases its responsiveness to its diverse clients and customers. As businesses become  ever more globalized, diversity becomes more important. In education, diversity provides a range of experiences in a class that would otherwise not exist and prepares students for life in a diverse world. Read what leaders, activists, and writers have said about the importance of diversity. Diversity Quotes Maya AngelouIt is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.Cesar ChavezWe need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community and this nation.James T. EllisonThe real death of America will come when everyone is alike.Catherine PulsiferWe are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity, life would be very boring.Mikhail GorbachevPeace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, in the comparison and conciliation of differences.Mahatma GandhiI do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stifled. I want all the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.Hillary ClintonWhat we have to do... is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.Anne FrankWe a ll live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. John F. KennedyIf we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.Mark TwainIt were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races.William Sloane Coffin Jr.Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.John HumeDifference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth, and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.Rene DubosHuman diversity makes tolerance more than a virtue; it makes it a requirement for survival.Jimmy CarterWe have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.Jerome NathansonThe price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of peoples d ifferences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Conflict Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Conflict Resolution - Essay Example Conflict is ideally one of the greatest challenges in organizations if not tackled appropriately and in the appropriate time. The conflict could indeed be an element of developing a healthy environment. As such, organizational conflict plays a significant role in an organization, whereby its impact depends on the manner of its management. Such roles include the provision of an opportunity for organizational management the working style of the employees as well as aspects pertaining to culture. The conflict also provides an opportunity for employees to drain their feeling and associated emotions in addressing various aspects of differences in an organization. Additionally, organizational conflict provides an opportunity for the employees to learn more about themselves and others, and appreciate the diversities that exist amongst them. As such, conflict proves to be a significantly important aspect of the operations of an organization by influencing changes directed towards improving t he working conditions in an organization as well as a means of addressing differences.On a similar perspective, competition has a substantive role that it plays in an organizational setting. One critical aspect of organizations is the fact that they work for survival purpose in the highly competitive market environments. For an effective competition, every organization must streamline its operations to better standards as compared to the competitors, in order to capture a wider market and enjoy a better competitive advantage for success.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Opera in the U.S. by American composers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Opera in the U.S. by American composers - Essay Example Opera in the U.S. by American composers Answering the question that many people have not been able to answer since the 1960’s, Opera in the United States of America supports performance and creation of new works by American composers especially those from the northern side. OPERA America’s online education core, which is the learning centre, features information, which not only focuses on frequent operas but also houses an inventory that has proven to grow of composers from north America as well as their operas for use by opera lovers, artists and administrators. Therefore, Opera finds synopses, biographies of librettists and composers, historical essays and other research as well as other multimedia excerpts. Jazz composers for example, which happens to be the genre subject in this paper, started way back in the 1960’s and up to date the composers still rely on Opera for research work. In the Opera, there is the voice workshop and the composers’ series, w hich is a competitive biannual fellowship, offered to composers especially those of jazz and composer/librettist teams (Gilbert& Chase, 26). The notion behind fallacies as outlined by major philosophers asserts that in order to be a rational thinkers and composers, then one should avoid the illogicality in fallacies and carry out an examination to gauge one’s level of thinking. While composing, development for Rational Persons involves Viewing Development in Stages; the composer tries to explain the basic concepts that would help in becoming a rational jazz composer. Librettists like mark Campbell places in the mind of the audience stages of evaluation through which one can become a more rational thinker. While at Opera and in stage one, composers assert that it is of primary importance to accept that since humans are always working towards being more rational thinkers, we should accept that shortcoming characteristic of humans and work towards better realization of relevant thinking. The second stage helps composers realize that unless they accept to being irrelevant thinkers, only then can they proceed to being rational thinkers. Stage 3 asserts that composers first question the belief of their reasoning before actually bringing it out to other people. When a composer gets to this stage, then he or she can be referred to as ‘beginning thinkers’. In the fourth stage, a composer is able to have a clearly defined outline of his or her thinking formula. One is able to have an organized line of thought even in arguments. According to Opera, There are 4 different kinds of fallacies. I. Non sequitur is the form of thinking where the composition may be right or wrong, but the premise from which the conclusion is born does not have clear outlay. II. Faulty analogy asserts some level of irrelevance during composition. For instance, if B has content, same as V and V has same composition as Q; simply assuming that therefore B and Q have same properti es without founded conclusive finding is irrelevant and illogical. III. Hasty generalization: in this form of fallacy, a composer simply draws conclusion based only insufficient evidence. If in a list of 12 people, 10 have passed in an exam, simply assuming that the remaining two also have passed in an exam holds no ground for a sufficient conclusion. IV. Equivocation simply implies the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Happiness Paradox Essay Example for Free

Happiness Paradox Essay This chapter, titled Feeling Free, is all about freedom and humans need to feel it. Ziyad Marar begins the chapter comparing happiness to freedom, saying how â€Å"[freedoms] current expression has a relatively recent and local† (Marar 39), which is similar to his view on happiness. Marar goes on saying how people have been striving for freedom, but claims more freedom brings bad consequences. People are blinded by mass media, the consumer society, management gurus, therapists and Hollywood who all relentlessly preach about freedom and self-expression. He ends the first section by stating that people need to â€Å"celebrate freedom without denying its corrosive qualities; even to admire those very qualities† (Marar 43). Since freedom is a something humans naturally strive for, and the main driving force in modern civilization, it has a strong impact on most things that humans do (Marar). The next two sections talk about how humans find freedom in the wild and in self-creation. Society is a form of conformity, which â€Å"loses you time and blurs the impression of your character† (Marar 46) and it is human nature to not be held down by conformity. This creates a need to be in the wild, away from everything society has to offer, an escape. Marar connects this to the idea of becoming lost in one’s imagination, or the lack of it. As children we are consumed by our world of imagination, using our creativity and self-expression in its purest form, something lost in adults. Children are free to do and say as they please, they are not tied down by the conformity that adults are. This lack of freedom and expression in adults can be compared to a restriction of our humanly instincts, since it is human nature that we find the need to be free (Marar). Marar goes on to relate freedom to sex, death, and the ‘search for strange’. â€Å"Perversion, obsessions, the apparent mutability of the most mundane objects into the stuff of erotic fantasy, all remind us that the realm of eroticism is dominated by the need to walk on the wild side. † (Marar 53). Sex is something that, like freedom, is something humans instantly strive for, and like freedom is restricted through civilization trying to make us conform to the social norm. Humans seek freedom in sex, it is a time when our inner most instincts come out. This freedom comes in two forms, the freedom to and the freedom from. We all have the freedom to discover, create, and fantasize, but only some are free from structures, schemes, codes, and above all other people. Freedom of people opposes the claim that humans need to feel justified, since justification is all about other people. The section ends by stating how death is the ultimate form of death, and agrees with Freud and his though of the death instincts and how all human life is striving towards death, for it is the final escape to freedom (Marar). The last section of the chapter is about the freedom from language, or the perspective of others. He uses the holidays as an example, the way we remember them though pictures and stories. Through retelling we move away from the personal aspect the memory has, it seems â€Å"to create a concept to flee from language† (Marar 57). To pursue this freedom, to the point when you are uninterpretable to others, is when people start to see you as crazy or insane. This is where the paradox lies, for we seek freedom and justification but to be free is to stop caring for the justification of others. On the other hand with justification of others you are giving up your freedoms (Marar).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Ethics in Machiavellis The Prince Essay -- Machiavelli The Prince

Ethics in Machiavelli's The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian statesman and political philosopher. He was employed on diplomatic missions as defence secretary of the Florentine republic, and was tortured when the Medici returned to power in 1512. When he retired from public life he wrote his most famous work, The Prince (1532), which describes the means by which a leader may gain and maintain power. The Prince has had a long and chequered history and the number of controversies that it has generated is indeed surprising. Almost every ideology has tried to appropriate it for itself - as a result everyone from Clement VII to Mussolini has laid claim to it. Yet there were times when it was terribly unpopular. Its author was seen to be in league with the devil and the connection between 'Old Nick' and Niccolo Machiavelli was not seen as merely nominal. The Elizabethans conjured up the image of the 'murdering Machiavel' [1] and both the Protestants and the later Catholics held his book responsible for evil things. Any appraisal of the book therefore involved some ethical queasiness. Modern scholarship may have removed the stigma of devilry from Machiavelli, but it still seems uneasy as to his ethical position. Croce [2] and some of his admirers like Sheldon Wolin [3] and Federic Chabod [4] have pointed out the existence of an ethics-politics dichotomy in Machiavelli. Isaiah Berlin [5] postulates a system of morality outside the Christian ethical schema. Ernst Cassirer [6] calls him a cold technical mind implying that his attitude to politics would not necessarily involve ethics. And Macaulay [7] sees him as a man of his time going by the actual ethical positions of Quattrocento Italy. In the face of s... ...erlin, Isaiah. The Question of Machiavelli. New York Review, November 4, 1971. 6. Cassirer, Ernst. Implications of the New Theory of the State (from The Myth Of The State) 7. Macaulay, Thomas Babington. Machiavelli http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1850Macaulay-machiavelli.html 8. Berlin, Isaiah. Ibid. 9. Machiavelli. Il Principe Ch XVIII 'Yet as I have said before, not to diverge from the good if he can avoid it, but to know how to set about it if compelled.' Trans. Marriott. The Project Gutenberg Internet Edition. 10. Erasmus. The Education of a Prince, quoted in J. R. Hale, Renaissance Europe 1480-1520 p. 309 11. Hale p. 308 12. Macaulay. Ibid. 13. Whitfield, J. H. Big Words, Exact Meanings. 14. Aristotle. Nichomachean Ethics. [trans. Sir David Ross] 15. Machiavelli. Discourses on Livy Ch XXVII, Project Gutenberg Internet Edition

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Teaching Preschool Children Reading

Phonological awareness is an important aspect in the fundamentals of reading. It is the first step in literacy. Children can learn phonological awareness in a variety of ways. Rhyming, sentence and word recognition, sound knowledge, phonemes, letter identification, spelling, and games which require active listening are a few of the techniques used by teachers in the classroom. All of these methods help in a child’s reading and speech fluency.All children need to learn how to read and write in order to survive in today’s society. There have been many different methods used in order to teach phonemic awareness to preschool children. Phonemic awareness is the capability of an individual to differentiate, identify and manipulate specific sounds. An example would be a child combining and blending the sounds in the word cat. Many people believe that phonics and phonemic awareness are the same thing. However, phonic awareness is recognizing that words come from sounds with in turn make up a language. Phonics is knowing that sounds are composed of letters which compose a writing style.In order to teach a child phonic awareness and to read, a teacher must comprehend the procedure that the brain formulates in order to understand the printed data. The brain undergoes three functions which facilitate understanding. First, there is information retention which has to deal with spurs of the environment. Second, language articulation is where a child uses prior knowledge in order to associate its meaning; and the third process is modeling and making connections with former information . Reading comprehension occurs in the frontal lobe of the brain. When this process takes place, it leads to an understanding and knowledge of what a person has seen and read.Phonological processing is a person’s ability to listen and  comprehend dialect as well as printed terms. Hence, it is to say that the child recognizes the sound each letter makes. Mechanically our brai n unconsciously processes verbal communication. Instantly a child gathers phonemes in order to pronounce the word and decomposes it to grasp the oral language. In contrast to speech, reading involves a child’s knowledge in the process of associating written words with the alphabet and in turn producing spoken words. Therefore, a child has to be of conscious mind in order to learn reading. A teacher must instruct a child in the phonological sequences of letters in order for the child to acquire phonological processing.There are many different techniques a teacher can utilize in order to build phonological awareness. One technique would be merging words and sounds collectively in order to construct new words. The words composed can be silly or factual. This technique facilitates the child’s use of phonemes, which was a study conducted by McCandlies, Cohen, and Dehaene in 2003 . Having a child combine letters and then separating them is another form of building phonologic al awareness. It will also help them in recognizing the letters of the alphabet. Examples of the activities mentioned above are having a child say the first sound in the word â€Å"rat† and then saying each letter sound individually. Blending would consist of telling a child say ‘at’ and then stating to them to put an ‘r’ in front and say the new word.These activities can been done with a variety of materials such as chalk, boards and markers. Remember preschool children are very visual. The more movement they utilize, the better they retain the information. Image is a phonic awareness 3 letter word game.Many people do not see imaginative play as a means of learning. However, it is during play that children are at their most influential developmental stage according to Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist. Since the children are imaging different situations, they are associating everyday activities and assigning meaning to them. During this time, individ uals and items can transform themselves into different things. For example, a child can become a cat, or a baby and a piece of construction paper can be converted into a notepad for taking orders in a restaurant. Through the children’s interactions and language, they gather and exchange knowledge, experiences,  and vocabulary which enhance their verbal communication through mutual exchange (Genishi and Dyson, 2009).Collaborative songs and games can also be a means to teach phonological awareness. Nursery rhymes can be utilized as a tool for phonological awareness. Rhyming activities such as asking a child which words rhyme or which ones do not rhyme will enhance their awareness. A teacher may also say a word and ask a child which word rhymes with it (Phillips, Clancy-Menchetti, Lonigan, 2008). Some examples would be: this old man, head shoulder knees and toes, one two buckle my shoe and Humpty Dumpty. Games that constitute phonological awareness do not have to come from a b ook. They can be invented from one’s everyday activities. Examples of these activities would be a trip to the grocery store or beauty salon.Children can be asked which items in the store begin with the same letter sound or which nail polishes have the same letters in them. If a child does not respond or say the correct answer, be sure to mirror the correct response and not state that they were wrong. The teacher should support the child through the learning process. The following illustration explains the steps of phonological awareness.Activities which implement pattern recognition are also efficient at phonological awareness. This is an excellent tool to utilize in the classroom due to the fact that children learn how to read by identifying patterns. When a child associates words from letter patterns and connects the sounds, this is called patterning. A teacher should replicate, rehearses, and observe the children when teaching pattern recognition in order to determine the child’s advancements in this area. Assessments should cover word subdivision, sound combinations, and sorting new data into patterns. Repetition is the key in the learning process.Preschool children have a short attention span; therefore, keep activities fun and exciting in order to facilitate the best learning environment. Not all children have the same literacy background and predisposition; they come from a variety of environments and cultural upbringings. Consequently, teachers must adapt to each individual child’s style of learning and pace. There will always be  variations in the learning process.Technology is a part of our everyday lives. Children have computers, iPhones, iPod’s, and tablets. Since technology surrounds children twenty -four hours of the day, seven days a week, parents need to take advantage of the situation and use the time wisely. There are many games online which can help children build their phonological awareness. Websites which par ents can utilize are: starfall.com, PBSkids.com, ABCmouse.com, learninggamesforkids.com, sheppardsoftware.com, and ezschools.com.All these websites provide educational games for preschool children. They have a variety of subjects such as math, reading, and science. Also they cover the fundamentals of the alphabet, phonics, sounds, and blending. These games are especially interesting for those children who are visual and auditory learners.Percentage of children who are going online daily for educational purposes As stated above, there are many different techniques that a teacher can employ in order to educate a child. Other methods such as repeated reading, modeling fluency, and leap frog are also useful tools in phonological awareness. Children imitate and mimic adult behavior. Therefore, it is vital that a teacher speaks to a child in the appropriate grammatical matter. They will store the information and use it later in other situations that arise. Although a preschool child does not know how to read, they do make associations with words. Hence, reading every day for thirty minutes will build a child’s vocabulary.Books which have tape recordings and CDs are also good sources for vocabulary buildings, rhyme, and word segmentation. In these days, parents are not concerned about their children’s education. They spend fifty or more dollars on video games instead of providing educational support. It is ignorant for them to believe that programs like VPK and Head Start are providing a child to play and interact socially. Although social interaction is vital to a preschool child, education stimulation is also crucial. Teachers go through countless training sessions in order to provide their students with high standards. There are a variety of sources that parents and teachers can use. Computer games, internet sites, books, rhymes, music and movement, and activities created by the teacher or parent are all ways to provide phonological awareness.Parents and teachers alike have to remember that every child is  different and each child has his or her way of thinking and processing information. Thus, educators and parents have to learn their child’s learning style whether it is audio, visual, or kinesthetic in order to provide a grade a learning environment. Reading, writing, and spelling are the principles of fluency. If children are provided with the proper tools now, they will be better equipped for the future. Remember, the children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow!

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Distribution At American Airlines Essay

American Airlines is a major United States airline. It was formed in 1930 as a passenger airline and merged with different carriers since its formation. American Airlines’ operations grew rapidly after World War II. In 1921, American‘s corporate predecessor had only five small airplanes for transporting airmail. In 1946, American ordered 220 new planes. 1952 – American introduced the Magnetronic ― â€Å"Reservisor†, a mechanical console installed on each desk to help automate inventory control. The Reservisor offered major productivity improvements: A trial in the Boston reservations office served an additional 200 passengers daily, with 20 fewer reservations staff. American and IBM collaborated on the design of an improved inventory management system, ultimately called the Semi-Automated Business Reservations Environment (SABRE). IBM provided the hardware, while American and IBM jointly built the software. The initial investment was comparable to half a dozen Boeing 707 jet airplanes. Competitors make their own distribution system and later, certain circumstances open the industry to Global Distribution System allowing AA’s own system to be access by those customers of competitors. TIME CONTEXT In year 2006, when American Airlines faced the impending expiration of its three-year contract with its four then existing GDS. POINT OF VIEW Lead negotiator Charlie Sultan and co-lead negotiator Chris Degroot. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM American Airlines was unable to shoulder the fees set by GDS due to struggled with fuel prices and increased competition from new entrants. OBJECTIVES Must: To continue attending to customers’ requirements as well as preserving the relationship with travel agents. To maintain easiness in accessing American Airlines’ services through supporting their existing GDS. To overcome possible threats brought by the changing environment (fuel prices and new airline entrants). Wants: To become the leader company in airline industry. To obtain more profit intended for supporting the database services and other related activity. To preserve the trust given to them by their customers as well as their partner travel agencies. AREAS OF CONSIDERATION (SWOT ANALYSIS) Strengths One of the pioneer airlines to have an electronic distribution system (SABRE). Expertise in airline industry proven by their years of operation overcoming past challenges, Weaknesses Unable to maintain their existing GDS (Global Distribution System) when it comes to its expenses. Not able to anticipate future problems. Opportunities Since they already collaborated with IBM with their SABRE and obtained knowledge in software development, they may expand their business of having an integrated airline services and engage in developing software. Opportunities for growth in the industry. Threats The implementation of Source Premium policy may result to travel agencies’ switching to other airlines. Possible new entrants in the airline industry might be more technology-based and modern allowing American Airlines’ existing customers to consider switching services from them. ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTION ACA#1 – Limiting American Airline GDS Involvement to One. This will enable AA to focus into one GDA only while taking actions into garnering solutions for acquiring funds in supporting the remaining GDS. For the meantime, while AA resolves the insufficiency, the company may not be able to sacrifice the  relationship with its travel agents. ACA#2 – Pushing the Idea of Source Premium Policy. Although the risk will be losing of referrals with travel agencies, the idea is still essential. It is letting the travel agency subscribing to AA shoulder the excess charges set by GDS. Travel agencies, anyway, may pass the charges to customers who is willing fully accept AA’s policy. ACA#3 – Partnerships with Existing and Well-Known Travel Agencies. This will strengthen the relationship between AA and travel agencies and create a mutual understanding. AA’s experience through the years could guarantee the travel agency a continuous growth of the industry. On th e other hand, the travel agency could put trust to AA and be able to work for AA’s continue offering of services. RECOMMENDATION The student recommends ACA#3 Partnerships with Existing and Well-Known Travel Agencies. ACTION PLAN In doing the recommended alternative course of action, the following actions should be fully implemented effectively. 1. Create a plan for the possible business structure that may arise. That may include blueprint on how will be a partnership being structured. 2. Make a draft of possible guidelines on both parties in partnerships. The conditions should include mutual benefit. 3. Seeking of trusted and well-known travel agencies and doing a background check on the prospects. 4. Conducting a meeting with the travel agencies that has been chosen. In a meeting, AA should effectively persuade the agency, stating the mutual benefit. 5. AA should allow the agency to revised or add on the guidelines in setting the conditions for he partnership. 6. Agreeing party should also consider the existing AA business policy. AA should also give a favorable condition to the agencies. 7. Executing the planned structure in the business with the official travel agency partners.

Friday, November 8, 2019

case study trans-european plastics Essay Example

case study trans case study trans-european plastics Essay case study trans-european plastics Essay 1) Rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) is an electromechanical transducer that provides a variable alternating current (AC) output voltage that is linearly proportional to the angular displacement of its input shaft. When energized with a fixed AC source, the output signal is linear within a specified range over the angular displacement. Long life High reliability High accuracy Repeatable performance Robust, compact construction Custom electrical and mechanical designs available ) hall effect transducer: The Hall element is constructed from a thin sheet of conductive material with output connections perpendicular to the direction of current flow. General features of Hall effect based sensing devices are: True solid state Long life (30 billion operations in a continuing keyboard module test program) High speed operation over 100 kHz possible Operates with stationary input (zero speed) No moving parts Logic compatible input and output Broad temperature range (-40 to +1 500C) Highly repeatable operation 3) magnetostrictive transducer Magnetostrictive materials transduce or convert magnetic energy to mechanical energy and vice versa. The reciprocal effect, the change of the susceptibility [response to an applied field] of a material when subjected toa mechanical stress, is called the Villari effect. Two other effects are thus related to magnetostriction: the magnetostrictive material when subjected to a torque and the Wiedemann effect is he twisting of these materials when a helical magnetic field is applied to them. ) Orifice Plate The orifice plates are simple, cheap and can be delivered for almost any application in any material. Venturi Tube 1. Physics a device for measuring fluid flow, consisting of a tube so constricted that the pressure differential produced by fluid flowing through the constriction gives a measure of the rate of flow. 2. Also called venturi a tube with a constriction used to reduce or control fluid flow, as one in the air inlet of a carburettor

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Sediment Grain Size Chart for Rocks

Sediment Grain Size Chart for Rocks The grain sizes of sediments and sedimentary rocks are a matter of great interest to geologists. Different size sediment grains form different types of rocks and can reveal information about the landform and environment of an area from millions of years prior. Types of Sediment Grains Sediments are classified by their method of erosion as either clastic or chemical. Chemical sediment is broken down through chemical weathering  with transportation, a process known as corrosion, or without. That chemical sediment is then suspended in a solution until it precipitates. Think of what happens to a glass of saltwater that has been sitting out in the sun.   Clastic sediments are broken down through mechanical means, like abrasion from wind, water or ice. They are what most people think of when mentioning sediment; things like sand, silt, and clay. Several physical properties are used to describe sediment, like shape (sphericity), roundness and grain size. Of these properties, grain size is arguably the most important. It can help a geologist interpret the geomorphic setting (both present and historical) of a site, as well as whether the sediment was transported there from regional or local settings. Grain size determines just how far a piece of sediment can travel before coming to a halt.   Clastic sediments form a wide range of rocks, from mudstone to conglomerate, and soil depending on their grain size. Within many of these rocks, the sediments are clearly distinguishableespecially with a little help from a magnifier.   Sediment Grain Sizes The Wentworth scale was published in 1922 by Chester K. Wentworth, modifying an earlier scale by Johan A. Udden. Wentworths grades and sizes were later supplemented by William Krumbeins phi or logarithmic scale, which transforms the millimeter number by taking the negative of its logarithm in base 2 to yield simple whole numbers. The following is a simplified version of the much more detailed USGS version.   Millimeters Wentworth Grade Phi (ÃŽ ¦) Scale 256 Boulder –8 64 Cobble –6 4 Pebble –2 2 Granule –1 1 Very coarse sand 0 1/2 Coarse sand 1 1/4 Medium sand 2 1/8 Fine sand 3 1/16 Very fine sand 4 1/32 Coarse silt 5 1/64 Medium silt 6 1/128 Fine silt 7 1/256 Very fine silt 8 1/256 Clay 8 The size fraction larger than sand (granules, pebbles, cobbles. and boulders) is collectively called gravel, and the size fraction smaller than sand (silt and clay) is collectively called mud.   Clastic Sedimentary Rocks Sedimentary rocks form whenever these sediments are deposited and lithified and can be classified based on the size of their grains. Gravel forms coarse rocks with grains over 2 mm in size. If the fragments are rounded, they form conglomerate, and if they are angular, they form breccia.Sand, as you may guess, forms sandstone. Sandstone is medium-grained, meaning its fragments are between 1/16 mm and 2 mm.  Silt forms fine-grained siltstone, with fragments between 1/16 mm and 1/256 mm.  Anything less than 1/256 mm results in either claystone or mudstone. Two types of mudstone are shale and argillite, which is shale that has undergone very low-grade metamorphism.   Geologists determine grain sizes in the field using printed cards called comparators, which usually have a millimeter scale, phi scale, and angularity chart. They are especially useful for larger sediment grains.  In the laboratory, comparators are supplemented by standard sieves.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Appendix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Appendix - Essay Example The entrepreneur spirit is present throughout the organization. The firm offers a stock option plan to all the employees. Due to the successful implementation of the employee stock option plan all the employees care a lot about the well-being of the business organization. The stockholders have voting rights. The company has been effective in the past at raising large sums of money which has been invested for expansion purposes through the sale of stock and bonds. The managers of the company provide great leadership to the organization. The executive management team including the CEO is often seen talking with the floor employees. The company provides managers with monthly training and development sessions. The lines of communication are always open between the employees and managerial staff. The managerial style of the CEO is charismatic leadership. The managers abide by high ethical standards in their decision making process. The managers are very fair and they have delegated some responsibilities to the floor employees to empower the workforce. Change management has been used effectively by the managers to keep up with the latest trends in the industry. The managers have the power in the organization. The company does not suffer from agency problems. The managers are responsible of keeping with good interpersonal relations with all major stakeholder groups. The employees of the company feel they are a part something special. The firm’s generous stock option plan has help develop a tremendous corporate culture. The employees achieved acceptance and synergy. Synergy occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The workforce of the organization is very productive. The firm evaluates the performance of the employees twice a year. Different groups of employees report to various supervisors. The firm offers its employees great benefits including medical plan. The managers receive

Friday, November 1, 2019

Article critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Article critique - Essay Example Participants/Subjects The participants/subjects consisted of 22 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 from a school for children suffering from physical maladies. The students were selected from a random population sample and divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were subjected to a three month training program which proceeded three times each week. Tests measuring walking speeds, gross motor skills and muscle tone were conducted both prior to and after the program commenced and ended. The control group’s program consisted of treatment and traditional physiotherapy which involved three exercise regiments with balance, gait, mat and â€Å"functional gross motor activities† (Chrysagis, et. al., 2012, p. 747). The experimental group’s program consisted of treadmill training without the use of support for body weight and with a â€Å"comfortable speed† (Chrysagis, et. al., 2012, p. 747). Findings At the conclusion of the three month program research findings indicated that there were appreciable differences between the experimental group and the control group in terms of GMF and walking speeds. In both cases, the experimental group’s GMF and walking speed scores were greater than those for the control group. There was no significant difference in the muscle tone outcomes between the two groups. Thus results of the study indicate that treadmill training may contribute to an improvement in walking speeds and GFM of ambulatory adolescents with cerebral palsy without having a negative impact on muscle tone. Limitations of the Study The study is limited by the fact that it was conducted among a relatively small population sample. The population sample consisted of only 22 adolescents and when divided into two groups further narrowed the sample down to 11 in each group. The validity of the results among such a small population is further compromised by the fact that the students were selecte d from the same school. Selecting all students from one facility where they share the same physical education regiment indicates that the results of the study may very well be related to other physical education activities shared by the group at school. The difference in the outcome may have been mere coincidence since the sample sizes were so small. A larger sample population among students from different schools would have made the results more valid. Authors Acknowledge Limitations The authors pointed out limitations of their own. The acknowledged limitations included the observation that the student participants were not tested for muscle strength and endurance and that the results of the test may have been influenced by muscle strength and endurance. The authors also noted that interventions and support during the training program by physical therapists might have contributed to the results of the study as well. Implications The study can be useful to physical education teacher s who train ambulatory students with cerebral palsy. It indicates that the treadmill can be a safe alternative for students with cerebral palsy to possibly improve walking speed and GMF, if used with the help of physical therapists or with close supervision. Next Study Based on the results of the study and the limitations reported I would conduct further research on the impact of the treadmill on muscle, tone, strength and endurance, GMF and Walking Speed of adolescents with

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Review - Article Example Consequently, the market experiences a disequilibrium condition in terms of either surpluses or scarcities (Yetter, 2013). Given that, supply and demand assessment can be quite complex, the newsletter helps the reader to separate changes in both demand and supply from activities alongside supply and demand curves. The newsletter offers a practical meaning regarding two forms of government interventions within the markets, comprising price controls and quantity controls. One major supposition deduced from the newsletter is that government price floors tend to form surpluses, since they place prices higher than equilibrium price. As a result, the quantity of goods or service supplied surpasses quantity demanded. On the other hand, government price ceilings tend to form shortages since they institute prices lower than equilibrium, and as a result, the quantity demanded surpasses quantity supplied. However, Mishkin & Eakins (2012), observes that the semi-strong outline in efficient marke t hypothesis is the one that makes the present market prices to mirror information already present in the public domain. This is because market prices tend to adjust to any good information or bad news contained in the performance of the economy. Therefore, if a price ceiling imposed by the government becomes greater than market equilibrium price, then the price ceiling would have no effect on the economy. Nevertheless, Yetter concurs with Mishkin & Eakins that in current market economy, prices serve the duo purpose of sending signals regarding relative scarceness of both goods and services (2012). This is more so through the provision of incentives to both buyers and sellers. Therefore, there will be no supply restrictions or encouragement in demand. Both observe that the price ceiling will hold, only when the equilibrium price is higher than the price ceiling, and coupled with a shortage of the service or goods. Furthermore, the newsletter asserts that, if government makes market prices to be higher than equilibrium prices, then a surplus will follow. This is because more people will offer the services at a minimum price, compared to the number of people willing to pay for the service. Yetter argument can be observed in the current health-care market, whereby states governments, which incur most of their residents’ health-care bills, have made prices to increase (2013). Consequently, the high prices make the state governments to implement price controls, such that massive physician shortage takes place and which leads to massive queues and patients waiting lists. As such, only price caps enforced by government will only force the healthcare prices to return to liberated market rates. Therefore, the issue becomes whether government intervention will affect the demand and supply of healthcare considering the far-reaching government regulations such as Obama-care. Yetter in the newsletter observes that any increase in anticipated price will change the su pply-curve towards the right (2012). Yetter points out that in the case of airlines baggage, if government enforces a price floor due to increasing charges, then passengers will increase the number of baggage considerably, such that airlines can make available space to be relatively fixed while refusing to inspect additional baggage. Therefore, in healthcare paid by government, most people will be obliged to purchase insurance instead of buying as you go, and which

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Evaluation of Restorative Justice Programs

Evaluation of Restorative Justice Programs It is simple to suppose that prisoners are not human beings. In some way once an individual is found guilty of a crime and incarcerated, they become, in the sense of the law, almost more like an object than a person. Many prisoners suffer the loss of not only their independence, but their right to vote, their ability to settle with victims of their crimes, their right to personal safety, their right to parent, their right to be assumed innocent until proven guilty and indeed their right to dignity. A requirement for punishment and retribution is the compelling philosophy behind our penal system. But is incarceration always necessary for those who have committed a crime and, moreover, what of those defendants who will not repeat the crime? Furthermore, the adult prison population in England and Wales has grown from 36,000 in 1991 to 62,000 in 2003. Indeed, this is one of the central problems facing contemporary penal policy and another reason why we should seek alternatives to incarce ration. This essay considers the need for restorative justice as a substitute for incarceration in many cases. Restorative justice is one of the most commonly considered advancements in the region of crime and justice. Its proponents argue that retributive justice, society’s conventional answer to crime, neither meets the needs of crime victims nor prevents re-offending. Instead, it supposes a disconnected, adversarial procedure and ‘sees crime as a violation of the state, defined by law breaking and the establishing of guilt. It determines blame and administers punishment in a contest between the offender and the state.’[1] As an substitute, they suggest, should be restorative justice, in which families and communities of offenders persuade them to take responsibilities for the consequence of their conduct, express repentance and restore the destruction that they have caused: Restorative justice encourages all of us involved in the criminal justice system to see justice in a new light. In many cases it helps victims of crime have a say in what happens to an offender. It can also be part of the rehabilitation process for offenders themselves. Restorative justice is about helping every victim get over the crime they’ve suffered. When a victim chooses to meet the offender it often helps them feel safer and more satisfied that justice has been done. So as we reform the criminal justice system to put victims and communities first, restorative justice should have a key place at the heart of our reforms.[2] The fundamental rudiments of restorative justice symbolize a procedure based, among other things, on values of participation, respect, honesty, accountability and empowerment.[3] As established by the Home Office, restorative justice is not a ‘unified concept.’[4] Restorative processes concern victims, offenders, their families and the community, to cooperatively recognize and address harms, needs and requirements, so as to heal and put things as right as possible. This was recognized in Johnathan Carter’s case, where the restorative justice process resulted in an agreement that went some way to remedying the harm caused to the victims, whilst also understanding the harm that the offender had brought upon himself. Johnathan Carter’s case is a classic example of a crime that was committed but will never be repeated. It is submitted, in agreement with the principle established in this case, that restorative justice is a valuable alternative to incarceration, where the crime will never be repeated. The driver, Johnathan, of a car had been drinking that afternoon but had felt fit to drive. About fifteen minutes into the drive, the driver failed to drive the vehicle around a severe bend and he lost control. As a result, the car hurtled into a bank and Aaron Calvert, one of the passengers, was thrown out of the car and died at the incident. Soon after the disaster, the Johnathan was tested for alcohol consumption. The test revealed a blood alcohol reading in excess of the legal limit. He stated that he was guilty to a charge of driving with surplus blood alcohol causing death. Throughout sentencing, the Judge had to reflect on the appropriate sentence for a man who had killed ‘his lifelong best friend.’[5] The law at the time of the sentencing imparted that the maximum sentence was five years imprisonment.[6] On the other hand, preceding sentencing, Johnathan had agreed to take part in a restorative justice conference. During the conference an understanding was reached recommending definite results to the sentencing Judge. However, the Judge’s ruling was constrained by legal standards and legislation which did not then require him to take into account restorative justice effects. During the time of the case, a sentence of incarceration almost always resulted in a charge of alcohol-related driving causing death.[7] All the same, directing his comments to Johnathan, the sentencing judge conveyed the following, sensitive declaration: To hear the effect of the death of their eldest child on his parents would draw tears from stone. Even more moving, was their heartfelt and tearful plea, made in Court, that you, who have been like a brother to their son, and in some ways like a son to them, not be imprisoned. For them, that would be a second tragedy on top of the first, and would achieve nothing.[8] Subsequent to an appraisal of all the concerns, the Judge determined that a fair result was 18 months imprisonment. He suspended that sentence for the duration on the grounds that Johnathan was quite young, he had a previous ‘almost spotless’ record, he needed rehabilitation, had ‘diminished culpability,’ had been accommodating with the Police, was repentant and there was loving family and community support. The results of the restorative justice conference were taken into contemplation. Employing the conference agreement, the Court suspended Johnathan’s license for three years, ordered him to contribute $4,000 towards the headstone, perform two hundred hours of community service and to address specific assemblies at five secondary schools in his neighbourhood relating to the dangers of drinking and driving. Jonathan Carter’s case represent a feasible process of dealing with crime in our communities and an improved way to consider the victim’s interests. It also demonstrates how restorative justice procedures are not fundamentally an alternative for, but can also act in combination with the current retributive methodology. The conference acknowledged the needs of the family, some of which were at odds with sentencing practice at that time, and balanced these with the needs of the community. Restorative justice is therefore process rather than outcome driven. Increasing empirical evidence demonstrates substantial settlements of restorative justice, with benefits prevailing over harms. From a crucial account, known as the Reintegrative Shaming Experiments (RISE), carried out in Canberra, Australia over five years, from 1995 to 2000, offenders who recognized accountability for one of two categories of crime- personal property crime executed by juvenile offenders and middle-range violent crimes committed by offenders aged up to twenty-nine years, were allocated at random either to go to court or to act at a restorative justice conference.[9] The conference concerned a meeting assembled by a trained facilitator between offenders and their family and friends acting as supporters, collected with the victims and their supporters. At the conference, members deliberated what had happened when the offence took place, who the offence had influenced and in what regard, and what could be done to reinstate the harm caused. In the sequence of the confer ence, often a highly representing encounter, victims explained candidly to their offenders the total consequences of the offence. Offenders had the possibility to take accountability for their actions and understand the result in means not available in the courtroom. The conference concluded with an outcome agreement intended to repair the harm caused by the offence.[10] The appraisal of RISE test was incorporated into understanding of the conferences and court measures, interviews with the victims after their cases were organized, and reassessing of official information. The assessment provides evidence of the benefits, and harms, that victims and offenders experienced from restorative against conventional justice. Restorative justice conferences are under test in the United Kingdom.[11] In none of these procedures have offenders lost rights or had legal procedures abused because of their voluntary contribution in restorative justice procedures. While there is mounting discussion of sentencing offenders to meet with victims as a requirement of a community sentence, as a substitute for imprisonment, it is not obvious that this solitary procedure would abuse the rights of an offender permitted to choose imprisonment rather than a meeting with a victim. While offenders reported in the above study that restorative justice conferences are stressful, stress as a solitary reason is not an infringement of human rights and prosecution and incarceration are also stressful. The stress or disgrace of restorative justice may be a required part in the reforming process that eventually benefits the offender.[12] Offenders derive an increased sense of respect from restorative justice processes. When they are d iverted to restorative justice preferably than being imprisoned, they can evade a criminal record and its related disabilities. In order for this alternative to incarceration to work however, it is fundamental to restorative justice that everyone at present, including the victim and offender, is there voluntarily. If this is not case then alternatives and incarceration is more favourable. In supposition however, it is determined and consistent punishment of crime that discourages offenders from committing crime. In common economics, the fundamental mechanism of this theory is a reasonable choice in support of cost-benefit ratios of compliance with the law, relative to cost-benefit ratios of breaking the law. Until very recently, restorative justice has been regarded chiefly as an innovation to be used with young offenders to dissuade them from pursuing a criminal career. However, research has revealed that in opposition of this conventional wisdom, restorative justice is more useful in deterring violent crime than property crime, for example.[13] It seems that the higher level of emotional engagement in these conditions is relative to reducing re-offending. It is submitted that imprisonment should be ruled out for minor offences and instead replaced with restorative justice. Furthermore, there is the controversial issue of when offences cannot and will not be repeated. An example was the case illustrated above, where restorative justice was combined with methods of incarceration. In the grey area of euthanasia and mercy killing, this system could be used, depending on the individual circumstances of the case in question. Owing to prison overcrowding and the notion of unfairness connected with incarceration for one off offences, restorative justice appears to be in a superior position to improve that problem. Furthermore, in consequence of the substantial evidence of injustice and contempt in reference to victims by criminal justice, restorative justice appears to be in an effective alternative. Arguments may be made against an assertion in theory, but the evidence from practice provides little assistance to the theoretical objections. The more rapidly criminal justice opens its doors to restorative justice, the sooner we can begin to restore a positive and just system of criminal justice. Bibliography As per footnotes and Ashworth reference provided by customer Footnotes [1] Helen Bowen and Jim Consedine, Restorative Justice- Contemporary Themes and Practice (Ploughshares Publications, Lyttleton, (1999) 18 [2] Baroness Scotland QC, Home Office Minister for the Criminal Justice System and Law Reform, Restorative Justice Annual Conference in London, March 16 2005 [3] Restorative Justice in New Zealand: Best Practice (May 2004, Ministry of Justice, Wellington) 24 [4] United Kingdom Home Office, An International Review of Restorative Justice, Crime Reduction Series, Paper 10 (London 2001) [5] Police v Carter (unreported, District Court, New Zealand 2001 April) [6] Section 30AB Transport Act 1962 [7] R v Brodie [1999] 2 NZLR 513 [8] Section 21(A) Criminal Justice Act 1985 repealed [9] Ibid [10] http://www.aic.gov.au/rjustice/rise/index.hgtml [11] http://www.crim.upenn.edu/jrc/faq.html (2001) [12] Nathan Harris, Shaming and Shame: Regulating Drink Driving, 73 Alfred Blumstein and David Farrington eds 2001 [13] Ibid

Friday, October 25, 2019

Future Of Education :: essays research papers

Technology and the Future of Formal Education The responsibilities for the formal preparation of students for education in the future are dynamic and diverse. What priorities are most important for the future of the Australian education system? The mission statement of The Cathedral School is to be a caring, Christian community in which students are challenged and inspired to explore, learn and grow so they will be equipped to make wise decisions as informed members of society. The Aims of The Cathedral School is; To be a centre for academic excellence. To encourage an understanding that the spiritual and moral aspects of life are central to our humanity. To affirm the unique worth of the individual. To inspire our students through creative, purposeful, enjoyable learning to reach their full potential. To develop attitudes which are anticipatory, visionary and reflective. To educate our students to be discerning, sensitive and responsible. Both the mission statements as well as the aims are very thorough, but they lack the understanding of the information age. They do not mention technology or the future ahead. The change to the culture of the classroom environment with the introduction of technology is a serious matter to look at. Overall the introduction of technology in the classroom is a great benefit to students, giving them access to word processing applications, as well and access to the World Wide Wed and CD-ROM’s. This large amount of knowledge flowing from the computer to the brains of the students is very overwhelming. Students will have to learn how to sift though this large amount of information to find what is important, trust worthy and also most importantly, relevant. The importance of information technology literacy in the information age is a vital life skill. In order to be able to handle and access information a student will need to have the ability to use a computer well. If a student has not had experience with computers, it will seriously disadvantage them in their study as well and the classroom environment. The role of technologies distance education is an ex citing and interesting topic. Information can be sent and delivered in seconds, which breaches the gap between teachers and students. They are always new products becoming available to help in the advancement and ease of distance education. One major problem with the use of technology is the cost element. To establish a network of computers and information databases to be used by the average student is a extremely large task.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Horizontal Integration

Competition DG Information, communication and multimedia Media Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law Miguel Mendes Pereira* â€Å"The ICT and Media Sectors within the EU Policy Framework† U. L. B. -SMIT (Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunications) CEAS-Norwegian School of Management, Oslo Telenor Broadcast Brussels, 7 April 2003 OUTLINE Introduction I. Convergence and integration 1. Technical convergence 2. Economic convergence 3. Efficiencies II. Competition issues 1. The competitive arena 2.Foreclosure 3. The dominance test III. Vertical integration 1. 2. 3. 4. The gate-keeper issue Foreclosure of input markets Leveraging Network effects IV. Horizontal integration 1. General assessment 2. The Newscorp/Telepiu case 3. The EMI/Time Warner case V. Remedies 1. The balance between efficiencies and foreclosure 2. Remedies in the Newscorp/Telepiu case 3. Remedies in the cases Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus, Vizzavi and AOL/Time Warner Conclusion * Administrator, European Commission/DG Competition/Media Unit. Lecturer at the Law School of the University of Lisbon.The opinions expressed are purely personal and only engage the author. â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish first of all to thank the SMIT Center and Telenor for inviting me to speak here today. I intend to give you a brief overview of the competition issues raised by vertical and horizontal integration of companies in the media sector. I will start by referring to the convergence trend in the media and telecommunications sectors and its link to the concentration wave we have witnessed during these past three years.I will then highlight the main competition issues which this type of operations raise from a theoretical point of view. I will subsequently address the issues linked specifically to vertical as well as to horizontal integration, and c onclude by illustrating how the European Commission has dealt with these problems by means of remedies accepted as a condition for the approval of this type of concentrations. In so doing, I will refer to a number of cases recently assessed by the Commission such as AOL/Time Warner, EMI/Time Warner, Vizzavi, Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus and, decided just last week, Newscorp/Telepiu.I. CONVERGENCE & INTEGRATION Convergence has become all too familiar to most of us as one of the main driving forces behind the recent changes occurred in the media and telecom industries. However, as it so frequently happens with notions that turn into â€Å"buzzwords†, the many meanings attributed to the term â€Å"convergence† are often ambiguous and, as such, unhelpful in order to describe the evolution of the media and telecom industries. Let me therefore turn, first of all, to the two meanings of the term â€Å"convergence† that I consider to be most relevant from a competition la w point of view. . Technical convergence Technical convergence mainly concerns the possibilities offered by digital technology. Those possibilities are reflected, for example, in the infra-structures required to deliver contents like movies or music. With the current digital technology, huge amounts of data may be transmitted to a high number of users through different networks (mobile networks, Internet, satellite). This allows for the dematerialization of media products traditionally sold as physical products (newspapers, films, CD’s) by transforming them into packages of bytes.At the same time, digital technology allows for the convergence of traditionally separate media into a single product, putting together text, sound, video and voice in what has become known as multimedia. Access to TV broadcasting, or rather webcastig, on the Internet is already nowadays a reality and listening to an MP3 music file on a cellular phone is nothing new. 2. Economic convergence Audio-vis ual products were never cheap but the growing competition induced by the proliferation of TV channels has inflated production costs. For example, the by now famous saga â€Å"The Lord of the Rings† has had reported costs of â‚ ¬ 278 million.In order to have an idea of the recent increase in the price for audio-visual contents it is sufficient to compare, for example, the price paid for broadcasting rights of the Football World Cups of 1990, 1994 and 1998 – 241 million ECU – with the price paid for the same rights in respect of the World Cups of 2002 and 2006 – 1,7 billion Euro. Only large companies seem to be able to afford such astronomical costs. 2 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira In face of economic barriers of such dimension, media companies have shown a trend towards concentration. . Efficiencies What appeared to be particularly new about these alliances and mer gers in the media industry was the search of not only the traditional economies of scale but, above all, the search of economies of scope. This translated into an attempt to use the same product in a number of different ways: pure entertainment and telecommunication, or entertainment and information, or information and telecommunication. From an economic point of view, economies of scope basically translate in lower Average Total Costs as a result of producing a wide range of products.The main feature of this type of concentrations is the vertical integration of the different levels of production and distribution of media products that leads to companies which are able to, for example, produce films or music, register them in DVDs or CDs and distribute them not only to â€Å"brick and mortar† shops but also through the cable, satellite or mobile telephony networks they own. Vertically integrated companies are in a position to exploit their products at every single level of th e value chain. „Create Once, Place Everywhere! seemed to be the motto for the media industry during the Internet bubble, illustrating the need for media producers to place their products in the largest possible number of different platforms. This was the underlying reason for alliances and mergers between companies which are active in sectors of the economy that used to be separate like television and telecommunications. Operations like AOL/Time Warner, Vivendi/Universal, Vivendi/Vodafone for the setting up of portal Vizzavi or the acquisition of Dutch entertainment producer Endemol by the Spanish telecom company Telefonica clearly illustrate this trend.It should be said that, to a large extent, the ratio underlying some of these operations was a deep faith in the Internet potential and a strong belief in the synergies resulting from cross-supply between different technical platforms belonging to the same vertically integrated company. The burst of the â€Å"dotcom bubbleâ₠¬  showed how some of these expectations were possibly premature. We now start seeing some of the vertically integrated groups selling off some of their units (AOL/TW or Vivendi/Universal) and witness consolidation caused by heavy losses incurred during these past few years.Such is the case of the pay-TV industry, as illustrated by the merger in Spain of the platforms Canal Satelite and Via Digital and the merger in Italy between the platforms Stream and Telepiu, approved by the Commission just last week. After a period of extensive vertical integration, we now witness a reflux of horizontal integration dictated to some extent by financial reasons. II. COMPETITION ISSUES 1. The competitive arena Turning now to the competition issues raised by integration of companies, the first step required in order to understand the forces at play is to determine the perimeter of the competitive arena.What do media companies compete for, whom do they try to sell their products to and how do they intend to do it? Media companies compete for – essentially – three things. First, they compete for content, which is what they will ultimately sell to their customers. Access to content produced by third parties or the establishment of production facilities is a sine qua non condition for entering or staying in business. Secondly, they compete for the best way to deliver such content to customers. Access to delivery channels owned by third parties or 3 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M.Mendes Pereira the possibility to establish their own paths to the customer is what allows media companies to distribute their output. Finally, they compete for the obvious ultimate addressee of all this competition: the customer. But this is a contest which goes beyond the obvious competition for a onetime sale. Some of the businesses in the media & telecom sector (e. g; pay-TV, Internet access), like most IT-driven b usinesses, are based on a durable relationship with the customer. An established customer basis allows for the progressive development of new services and products and for the consequent increase in ARPU1.Access to potential clients managed by third parties or the build-up of their own client basis is the ultimate target of media companies. 2. Foreclosure Foreclosure of the competitive arena is a central concern of EU competition policy in relation to vertical agreements and mergers. Restricted access to input markets (copyrights or contents) or to sales markets (customers, at retail level) may limit inter-brand competition. The extreme example is where a company, as a result of a vertical or horizontal integration, succeeds in simply barring the access to a given market to its competitors.However, in real life foreclosure does not arise in such simplistic terms and mostly materialises by indirect means. For example, by raising rivals’ costs, by raising barriers to entry or b y engaging in tying/bundling. Tying is particularly relevant in the media and telecom sectors given that it is often present in explicit (and in most cases, legitimate) commercial offers: for example, a bundled offer of pay-TV and Internet access, or both plus fixed telephony (so called â€Å"triple play†). The ability to raise rivals’ costs may easily arise where a dominant firm is in a position or acquires such position as a result of a concentration) to control the access by competitors to a given infra-structure or input (a technology or a copyright) and where it has the possibility to charge supra-competitive prices for such access. In the media sector one could think about, for example, access to a satellite platform for TV distribution or to a proprietary standard for Conditional Access System. A company in these circumstances is commonly referred to as a â€Å"gate-keeper†. A central element in the assessment of market power of a company and its possibil ity of foreclosing a given market is the concept of barriers to entry.Where entry barriers do not exist, easy entry will quickly eliminate the problem, even where the incumbent holds large market shares. Entry barriers might be described as â€Å"the advantages of established sellers in an industry over potential entrant sellers, these advantages being reflected in the extent to which established sellers can persistently raise their prices above a competitive level without attracting new firms to enter the industry†2. Although in most cases barriers to entry will indeed have an economic nature, they may in some cases assume other forms.Regulation may function as an entry barrier when it provides for the establishment of special rights, for example when only a limited number of licenses is foreseen. This is the case of terrestrial TV and/or radio broadcasting due to spectrum scarcity. 3. The dominance test Most competition law issues related to vertical and horizontal integrat ion in the media sector have been dealt with by the European Commission under the Merger Regulation, i. e. in respect of concentrations notified under the EC Merger Regulation3. As 2 3 1 Average Revenue per User.J. Bain, Barriers to Competition, H. U. P. 1965, p. 3. Council Regulation (EC) No 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations 4 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira you know, pursuant to Article 2 (3) of the Merger Regulation, â€Å"a concentration which creates or strengthens a dominant position as a result of which effective competition would be significantly impeded in the common market or in a substantial part of it, shall be declared incompatible with the common market. The test applied by the Commission when assessing these operations was therefore a dominance test. The concept of dominance used under the Merger Regulation is equivalent to the one defined by the Court o f Justice in Article 82 cases: â€Å"The dominant position (†¦) relates to a position of economic strength enjoyed by an undertaking which enables it to prevent effective competition being maintained on the relevant market by giving it the power to behave to an appreciable extent independently of its competitors, customers and ultimately of its consumers†4. (†¦) such a position does not preclude some competition, which it does where there is a monopoly or quasi-monopoly, but enables the undertaking which profits by it, if not to determine, at least to have an appreciable influence on the conditions under which that competition will develop, and in any case to act largely in discard of it so long as such conduct does not operate to its detriment. †5 III.Vertical integration The reason why vertical integration is a particularly relevant competition issue in the media sector is because many media companies have during these past years actively sought to take vert ical integration as far as possible. This has been a constant between undertakings, OJ L 395/1, 30. 12. 1989, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1310/97 of 30 June 1997, OJ L 40/17, 13. 2. 1998. ECJ, United Brands, case 2/76, ECR [1978] 207. ECJ, Hoffman-La Roche, case 85/76, ECR [1979] 461. eature of the concentrations in the media sector assessed by the Commission. The multiplication of the presence of a company throughout a number of markets along the value chain of the product concomitantly multiplies the possibilities for such a company to foreclose one or more of the corresponding markets where the company possesses market power. In these circumstances, vertical integration may in itself raise barriers to entry. A number of recurrent competition issues has arisen in the cases dealt with by the Commission, and I propose to address the most significant ones. 1.The gate-keeper A gate-keeper role is played by a company possessing a certain infra-structure, technology or know -how allowing it to exert a significant degree of control in respect of the access to a given market. This degree of control is relevant from a competition point of view only where the market power of the gate-keeper is significant and where the infrastructure is a crucial gateway to the market or where the technology at stake is an essential input for any potential new entrant. A gatekeeper will be able to engage in exclusionary practices vis-a-vis its competitors and/or excessive pricing vis-a-vis its customers.A clear gate-keeper issue arose in the recent Newscorp/Telepiu case6, concerning the merger of the two Italian pay-TV platforms Stream and Telepiu. As a result of the merger, the new entity would become the gate-keeper in respect of the access to the only satellite platform in Italy for the provision of pay-TV distribution services. Furthermore, it would become the gate-keeper in respect of a number of technical services associated to 6 Case COMP/M. 2876 Newscorp/Telepiu. S ee prior notification notice in OJCE, C255, 23. 10. 2002, p. 20; press release IP/02/1782 of 29. 11. 2002; press release IP/03/478 of 02. 4. 2003. 5 4 5 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira pay-TV such as Conditional Access Systems, set-top boxes and Electronic Programme Guides. A gate-keeper issue also arose in the AOL/Time Warner merger7 approved in the year 2000. AOL was the leading Internet access provider in the US and the only provider with a presence in most EU Member States. Time Warner, on the other hand, was one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies with interests in TV networks, magazines, book publishing, music, filmed entertainment and cable networks.The Commission found that the new entity resulting from the merger would have been able to play a gate-keeper role and to dictate the technical standards for on-line music delivery, i. e. streaming and downloading of music from the Internet. Consequently, AOL/TW could end up holding a dominant position on the emerging market for on-line music delivery. This could happen in two ways. First, AOL/Time Warner would be in a position to develop a closed proprietary formatting technology for all the downloads and streaming of Time Warner and Bertelsmann tracks.The formatting language of AOL/Time Warner could become an industry standard and competing record companies wishing to distribute their music on-line would be required to format their music using the new entity’s technology. Because of its control over the relevant technology, the new entity would be in a position to control downloadable music and streaming over the Internet and raise competitor’s costs through excessive license fees. Alternatively, AOL/Time Warner could format its music (and Bertelsmann’s) to make it compatible with its own software Winamp nly, ensuring at the same time that Winamp could support and play di fferent formats used by other record companies. By formatting its music and the music from Bertelsmann to make them compatible with its own software Winamp only, the new entity would cause Winamp to become the only â€Å"player† in the world capable of playing virtually all the music available on the Internet. By refusing to license its technology, the new entity would impose Winamp as the dominant music player as no other player would be able to decode the proprietary format of TW and Bertelsmann music.As a result of the merger, the new entity would control the dominant player software and could charge supra-competitive prices for it. 2. Foreclosure of input markets A given company may hold a significant degree control over the source of the different businesses at stake in the relevant markets, i. e. of the primary input at the top of the value chain of the product. In the media industries, this will generally refer to the company producing the audio-visual product (films, music, TV-programmes) and/or holding the corresponding copyrights.The control exerted at the source will become relevant from a competition law point of view where the amount or breadth of products and/or copyrights is such as to allow the company to gain a competitive advantage by means of exclusionary or discriminatory practices vis-a-vis its competitors. In AOL/Time Warner, for example, the combined entity would not only possess one of the largest music libraries in the world (Warner Music is one of the 5 music majors) but would also, due to contractual links, have preferential access to the library of Bertelsmann Music Group, also part to the group of the 5 music majors.This would result in the combined entity controlling the leading source of music publishing rights in Europe. 6 7 Case COMP/M. 1845 AOL/Time Warner, decision of 11. 10. 2000, OJ L 268/28, 9. 10. 2001. â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes P ereira The problem was aggravated due to the simultaneous notification of the projected merger between EMI and Time Warner8. The preferential access by AOL/Time Warner to the music copyrights of EMI, Warner and Bertelsmann would have put in the hands of the new entity half of all the music content available in Europe for on-line delivery.A similar problem arose in the Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus9 merger in respect of both music and films. Vivendi was a leading company in the telecommunications and media sector, with interests in mobile telephony networks, cinema production and distribution, and pay-TV services. Seagram was a Canadian company which, among other interests, controlled the Universal music and filmed entertainment businesses. In terms of content, the merged entity would have the world’s second largest film library and the second largest library of TV programming in the EEA.It would also be number one in recorded music combined with an important position in terms of publishing rights in the EEA. The position of Vivendi/Universal concerning music rights became particularly relevant in respect of the Vizzavi portal, a portal run by a joint-venture between Vivendi and Vodafone. The Vizzavi joint-venture10 had itself been notified to the Commission just some months before the Vivendi/Universal merger. 3. Leveraging A classic competition concern is the leveraging ability of the parties, i. e. their ability to transpose their market power in a iven market into a neighbouring market, thereby creating or strengthening a dominant position. This problem may become particularly acute in cases where the parties extend their activities into different product or services markets, something that is explicitly sought for by media companies wishing to distribute their products across different platforms. In the Vizzavi case, the creation of the jointventure raised concerns in respect of the ability of the parties to leverage their market power in the market fo r mobile telephony into the market for mobile Internet access.The stated purpose of the Vizzavi portal was to create a â€Å"horizontal, multi-access Internet portal†, providing customers with a range of web-based services across a variety of platforms (PCs, mobile phones, TV set-top boxes). As regards Internet access via mobile phone handsets, the issue arose in respect of the significant market position of Vodafone in the market for mobile telephony in a number of European countries (and of Vivendi in France). Vodafone and Vivendi already had a very significant customer basis in these countries and therefore a solid path to the future customers of the JV was already established.On the basis of their client basis for mobile telephony services, the position of the JV-parties in the market for mobile Internet access would be strengthened by the Vizzavi branded and integrated approach to Internet across various platforms, which would allow for cross-selling and bundling of offe rs. This would allow the new entity to leverage a strong position in the mobile telephony market into a dominant position on the mobile Internet access market.As regards Internet access via TV set-top boxes, a similarly solid distribution channel was also owned by Canal+ in respect of its customer basis for pay-TV services. A similar concern therefore arose in respect of the ability of Canal+ leveraging its strong market 7 Case COMP/M. 1852 Time Warner/EMI, see Press Release IP/00/617 of 14. 06. 2000. 9 Case COMP/M. 2050 Vivendi/ Seagram/ Canal Plus, decision of 13. 10. 2000, OJ C 311/3, 31. 10. 2000. 10 Case COMP/JV. 48 Vodafone/Vivendi/Canal Plus, see Press Release IP/00/821 of 24. 07. 2000. 8 Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira position in the pay-TV market into the market for Internet access via set-top boxes. The overall concern therefore arose in respect of the ability of both Vodafone and Canal+ to m igrate their customer basis from the mobile telephony and pay-TV markets to the Internet access markets by using the already existing distribution channels. Another clear vertical leveraging issue arose in the Vizzavi case, as regards the buying power of the J-V parties.Already before the operation, Canal+ was an important buyer of content for pay-TV, such as TVprogramming, sports and films. Furthermore, it had a large customer basis accustomed to pay for content. The Vizzavi portal would combine a powerful new Internet access mechanism with paid-for content. Given the dominant position that the parties would acquire on the Internet access markets which I mentioned before, the operation would allow the parties to leverage their market power in the markets for Internet access into the market for the acquisition of paid-for content for the Internet.Moreover, the structural link between Vivendi and Canal+ and AOL France (55%) made the concern in respect of the increase in the bargainin g power of the parties even more serious. The leverage allowed for by the operation would naturally work in detriment of the parties’ competitors in the markets for mobile telephony and pay-TV. The concerns identified in the Vizzavi operation were strengthened when Vivendi and Canal+ notified some months later their acquisition of Seagram, the Canadian company owning the music and film business of Universal.The Commission considered that Canal+ would further increase its dominant position on a number of European pay-TV markets at national level. Already before the operation Canal+ enjoyed an almost monopolistic position in respect of the acquisition of the exclusivity on Hollywood films produced by the major studios (in France, Spain and Italy). The acquisition of Universal Studios would further strengthen Canal+’s position as purchaser of Hollywood films, not only in respect of Universal itself but also in relation to other studios due to underlying financial links.Du e to the vertical integration of Universal and Canal+, Canal+ would be able to leverage its position in order to secure the renewal of the exclusive agreements for pay-TV with all of the Hollywood studios and in fact also to enter into new deals. The bargaining power of Canal+ vis-a-vis the film studios would therefore be increased, allowing Canal+ to further foreclose the payTV markets where it already was active. 4.Network effects Let me now turn to another issue that often arises in media cases, most notably since convergence with the telecom industry became a reality: network effects. A network effect may, in simple terms, be described as the self-multiplying power of a network. In economic terms, a network effect occurs when the benefit of an individual who is linked to the network increases with the accession of other individuals. In AOL/Time Warner, the Commission found that the distribution strength of AOL combined with the content of Time Warner and Bertelsmann would create network effects n respect of both content providers and consumers: – for content providers, the AOL Internet community would become an essential outlet for the distribution of their products; – on their side, consumers, would be deprived of any incentive abandon AOL. The network effects would work both ways: more subscribers would bring more content and more content would bring more subscribers. Newcomers would also be attracted to AOL community because the 8 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira arger the community, the more the possibilities to chat and communicate through AOL. The reason for this lies at the critical mass of content owned by Time Warner and Bertelsmann (namely their huge music library) combined with the huge Internet community formed by AOL subscribers and the members to its Instant Messaging services. The critical mass of content owned by TW and Bertelsmann would att ract further music from other record companies. Competing record companies would feel obliged to distribute their products through AOL’s online outlet, which would end up having access to all the available music.Furthermore, AOL would be able to bundle TW and Bertelsmann music content (or filmed entertainment content) with Internet access and other proprietary services and give its subscribers preferential access to that content, allowing for instance its subscribers to access new releases before they were made public through other distribution channels. Attractive content such as music or films could also be used as promotional tools or loss-leaders in order to subscribe to Internetaccess services.Consequently, the more subscribers AOL would attract, the more important it would become as a carrier for content providers seeking to secure maximum distribution. First mover advantages are particularly strong in network industries. It comes as no surprise that, for example, mobil e telephony companies give away, or strongly subsidise, mobile handsets to their customers such as to quickly establish a significant customer basis leading to increasingly stronger network effects.This circumstance justifies a particular attention by the Commission when assessing concentrations in the media & telecom industries. The combination of network effects with a strong market position may significantly raise barriers to entry and consequently lead to market foreclosure. IV. Horizontal integration Competition problems which are specific to the media sector are more likely to be found in cases of vertical integration than in cases of horizontal integration.I would argue that in cases of horizontal integration, the competition issues arising in the media sector are equivalent to the ones to be found in any other sector. The issue basically concerns classic market power and the required exercise translates into measuring such market power with the help of the traditional analyt ical tools: market shares, barriers to entry, etc. Furthermore, there haven’t been that many examples of problematic cases of horizontal integration in the media sector dealt with by the Commission.The two most significant examples are probably EMI/Time Warner and the recent Newscorp/Telepiu. 1. The Newscorp/Telepiu case This concentration was notified to the Commission on 16 October 2002 and was cleared on 2 April 2003, further to the submission by the parties of an extensive package of undertakings. Newscorp, the acquiring firm, is a global media company, which is active in the film and TV industries, publishing (newspapers and books) and a number of other areas.It controlled the Italian (satellite) pay-TV platform Stream jointly with Telecom Italia. Telepiu, the acquired firm, was controlled by Vivendi Universal, itself a global media group. Telepiu is the dominant pay-TV operator in Italy. Its platform started operating via analogue-terrestrial means in 1991 and went on s atellite in 1996. The markets affected by the operation were: a) the market for pay-TV services; b) the markets for the acquisition of contents, namely: 9 Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira G G G G premium films; football events; other sports; TV channels. parties’ music recording publishing11 businesses. and music It should be underlined that experience shows that some of this content, namely premium films and football, is crucial for the success of any pay-TV operation. The notified operation would give rise to significant horizontal overlaps and would have a very strong impact on actual competition.In more concrete terms, the operation would lead to: a) the creation of a near monopoly in the Italian market for pay-TV; b) the creation of a near monopsony in the markets for the acquisition of rights Furthermore, the characteristics of the markets at stake would cause entry barriers to rise signific antly. 2. The EMI/Time Warner case This concentration was notified to the Commission on 5 May 2000. It never materialised given that, further to a statement of objections issued by the Commission, the parties withdrew their notification.Time Warner is a global media company, with interests extending from film production and distribution to TV production and broadcasting, cable systems operation, magazine publishing, book publishing, recorded music and music publishing. EMI is a company incorporated in the UK, its main activities being music recording and publishing world-wide. The notified concentration involved the combination of the There were serious doubts as to the compatibility of the proposed operation with the common market due to the significant horizontal overlaps in the relevant markets.The assessment carried out by the Commission showed a very high likelihood of the operation resulting in a single dominance of the merged entity in the music publishing business and collec tive dominance, jointly with the other four remaining music â€Å"Majors†, in the market for recorded music. V. Remedies Having gone through some of the competition problems raised by vertical and horizontal integration in the media industry, let me now conclude by explaining how the Commission has tried to solve these problems.The Commission had to achieve a balance between two somehow conflicting elements: – on the one hand, the Commission was aware of the reasons that lead companies to seek further integration, namely where these reasons were related to clear efficiencies; – on the other, it became aware of the serious competition problems to which some of these concentrations gave rise, namely the risk of foreclosure of the affected markets. The approach taken by the Commission was therefore not to prohibit most of these operations but rather approving them on the basis of strict undertakings proposed by the parties and accepted as a condition for the approv al.However, the Commission can only accept commitments by the parties when the 11 Music publishing consists of the acquisition by publishers of rights to musical works and their subsequent exploitation upon remuneration, mostly in the form of a commission charged by the publisher to the author on the revenues generated by the commercial exploitation of musical works. 10 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M. Mendes Pereira competition problems are effectively solved.In fact, the underlying objective of any remedy package should be to create the conditions for actual competition to subsist and/or for potential competition to emerge. This aim must be achieved by lowering barriers to entry in the affected markets and through the creation of competitive constraints which effectively operate as a disciplining and restraining factor of the dominant player. The main concern of the Commission in media-related cases was to ens ure access, access to the relevant markets or access to those crucial elements allowing for new entrants to establish themselves in those markets.In parallel, the Commission has often imposed divestitures or the severance of structural links that aggravated the foreclosure problems. 1. Remedies in the Newscorp/Telepiu case In Newscorp/Telepiu, the undertakings accepted by the Commission can be divided in three major groups: a) access to content, via namely a reduction in the duration of exclusivity agreements with premium content providers and the establishment of a sub-licensing scheme through a wholesale offer; b) access to infra-structure, i. . access to the satellite platform for pay-TV distribution as well as to the technical services associated with pay-TV; c) withdrawal from terrestrial broadcasting activities. As regards access to content, with respect to ongoing exclusive contracts, a unilateral termination right shall be granted to film producers and football clubs. Furthe rmore, the new entity will waive exclusive rights with respect to TV platforms other than DTH12 (terrestrial, cable, UMTS, Internet etc. ).The parties shall also waive any other protection rights as regards means of transmission other than DTH. With respect to future exclusive contracts, the new entity shall not subscribe contracts exceeding two years with football clubs and three years with film producers. The exclusivity attached to these contracts will only cover DTH transmission and would not apply to other means of transmission (for example, terrestrial, cable, UMTS and Internet ). Furthermore, the parties shall waive any protection rights as regards means of transmission other than DTH.Lastly, the merged entity shall offer third parties, on a unbundled and non-exclusive basis, the right to distribute on platforms other than DTH any premium contents if and for as long as the combined platform offers such premium contents to its retail customers. Such wholesale offer will be mad e on the basis of the retail minus principle and will imply an account separation and cost allocation between wholesale and retail operation of the platform. The beneficiaries of the wholesale offer shall be free to determine their own pricing policy.As regards access to the infra-structure, the merged entity shall grant third parties access to its satellite platform and access to the application program interface (API) and conditional access system (CAS), according to a fair non-discriminatory pricing formula. The new entity will also have the obligation of entering into simulcrypt agreements in Italy as soon as reasonably possible and in any event within 9 months from the written request from an interested third party. As regards the withdrawal from terrestrial activities, the merged entity shall divest of Telepiu's digital and analogue terrestrial 2 Direct To Home satellite. 11 â€Å"Vertical and horizontal integration in the media sector and EU competition law† – M . Mendes Pereira broadcasting assets and commits not to enter into any further DTT activities, neither as network nor as retail operator. The frequencies will have to be acquired by a company willing to include pay-TV broadcasting of or more channels in its business plan for the operation of the divested business after the switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting in Italy. . Remedies in the Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus, Vizzavi and AOL/Time Warner cases In Vizzavi, the project of the parties provided for the Vizzavi portal to be the default portal on Vodafone and SFR mobile phone customers, as well as on Canal+ set-top boxes. The Commission imposed the possibility of customers changing the default portal on their devices, as well as the possibility of competing telecom operators accessing the customers’ devices.This commitment by the parties prevented them from bundling their offers on a fully exclusive basis and prevented them consequently from l everaging their market power in a way such as to gain dominant positions in the markets for Internet access and Internet portals. In Vivendi/Seagram/Canal Plus, the parties undertook to grant access to Universal’s music content to any third party on a nondiscriminatory basis, therefore reducing the concerns in respect of the Internet portals market and the on-line music market.The parties also undertook not to offer more than 50% of the Universal’s film production to Canal+, thereby reducing the concerns in respect of the foreclosure by Canal+ of the pay-TV markets. As regards the severance of structural links, Vivendi undertook to divest from BSkyB in which it held a 25% stake. The severance of this link to Fox, namely through their joint venture UIP for the distribution of films in Europe, significantly reduced the impact of the acquisition of Universal.In AOL/TW, you may recall that the competition concerns started at the source, due to the breadth of music copyrigh ts that the new entity would control. Warner Music, combined with Bertelsmann music due to crossed shareholdings, and in addition the EMI library (should the EMI/TW merger be approved), would put in the hands of the new entity a huge amount of content that rendered the gate-keeper role played by AOL in respect of music player software and the network effects resulting from the AOL community as serious competition concerns. The abortion of the EMI/Time Warner merger already reduced significantly the competition concerns.Therefore, the attention of the Commission was focussed on the structural link between AOL and Bertelsmann in AOL Europe and AOL France. In this respect, AOL undertook to put in place a mechanism pursuant to which Bertelsmann would exit from AOL Europe. Once solved the problem at the source, the other concerns were partially dissipated. As regards online music delivery, AOL also undertook not to take any action that would result in Bertelsmann music being available on line exclusively through AOL or being formatted in a proprietary format that was playable only on an AOL music player.Conclusion If I had to sum up the Commission’s approach in three words as regards competition in the media markets, they would certainly be: access, access and access! No matter how far media companies integrate, vertically or horizontally, access is crucial. Access to inputs, access to contents and access to infra-structure remains fundamental in order to ensure the freedom of choice by the ultimate addressee of competition policy: the consumer. Thank you for your attention. 12