English Language Adjectives In The Hobbit By Mark Twain

Mark Twain Opinion Essay People often take grammar seriously, especially English teachers. In the end, we all make grammatical errors. For myself, I consider it difficult to want to understand adjectives, adverbs, etc. Have you ever wondered about why and what people made grammar rules? I certainly have today when I learned more about Mark Twain in class. Mark Twain was an American writer. He came up with a few simple rules that I should share my opinion on. Accordingly, Mark Twain states that you should always â€Å"kill† the adjective. I understand that he might mean he doesn’t want too much description when it comes to writing about something and describing it. However I strongly believe adjectives are great for being†¦show more content†¦An example of evidence that I present to you, is in the book, â€Å"The Hobbit.† I will use the second page as the example. In the book, it says â€Å"The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable.† That is only a sentence, but pay attention to the simple words, like respectable, and considered. Those words are plain and simple. Another point he made, was saying that the writer should say what they have to say, not merely come near it. But I completely disagree with this. I believe it is right to incorporate themes and messages in a story by dropping hints, using irony, and possibly foreshadowing. He is wrong in my opinion. I was always taught to find main ideas in stories. Authors should keep hinting and foreshadowing, it makes stories much more interesting and detailed. The way that it is detailed, can give off hints and adjectives that makes you think and gives you clues to find out the message in a story. Some authors have different writing styles of course. I believe that writers or authors do not have to cut right to the chase. They can incorporate a message in a story instead of cutting to the chase, because it makes reading more fun. Generally speaking, I completely disagree with Mark Twain’s statements that you should: â€Å"kill† the adjective, â€Å"use the right word, not its seco nd cousin,† and â€Å"say what he

The Machine Stops A Cautionary Vision - 906 Words

â€Å"The Machine Stops† – A Cautionary Vision Science fiction is a literary genre that explores potential consequences related to scientific innovations. It is largely based on the idea of writing rationally about alternative worlds or futures. Provided adequate knowledge of the past and present world, science fiction tales provide realistic speculations of possible future events (ReadWriteThink). E.M. Forster’s story The Machine Stops can be regarded as a work of apocalyptic science fiction in that it is a cautionary vision of the future. Through speculation and storytelling literature belonging to the genre of apocalyptic science fiction provides a means of understanding the world. What is chilling about the story The Machine Stops are the similarities that it has to social media, the internet and other technologies. All of which have significantly empowered, disrupted and seduced the modern age. The story The Machine Stops describes an era where humans trade first hand experience for a life situated in front of a screen, known as the â€Å"machine† (Forster 1). In the constructed future Forster describes a life where people are confined to â€Å"a small room, hexagonal in shape, like the cell of a bee [and] it is lighted neither by window nor by lamp, yet it is filled with a soft radiance (Forster 1).† With a touch of a button the machine provides human necessities; food, water, light, and screened social interaction. Human contact is only ever encountered when one travels via theShow MoreRelated John D. Rockefeller Essay1337 Words   |  6 Pageserase the memory of his predatory business practices. Who was Rockefeller? 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Sir Richard Branson Free Essays

Assignment 4: Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study Mysherri Rhodes Instructor: Bess White Bus 520: Leadership and Organization February 25, 2012 Describe Branson’s leadership style in terms of the leadership models addressed in Chapters 10 and 11 and evaluate the likely effectiveness of that style in the U. S. We will write a custom essay sample on Sir Richard Branson or any similar topic only for you Order Now today. Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group Ltd. , has created a multi-billion dollar enterprise, which includes: airlines, records, bridal wear, holidays, vodka, cars, bank accounts, mobile phones, cosmetics, condoms and gyms (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011). The Virgin Group is a globally recognized brand that has approximately 50,000 employees and earns more than $20 billion in sales annually (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011). Sir Richard Branson is known to be one of the greatest entrepreneurs and with that consumers can expect more unique creations from Sir Richard Branson (Boje Smith, 2012). In order for a business to acquire and maintain such exponential growth, a company must have an effective leader. According to Hellriegel Slocum (2011), Branson is a genuine strategist who thinks outside the box and he has achieved many great things despite some setbacks throughout the years. Branson anticipates future trends, inspiring followers to understand and embrace a new vision of possibilities. He develops others to be leaders or better leaders; that’s what makes him a transformational leader (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011). Sir Richard Branson, has a philosophy that is centered on finding people with strong communication and teamwork skills that can be integrated into Virgin Group culture. Once the proper employees are hired, Virgin Group continues the employee’s professional development, allowing the company to promote existing employees. Branson’s philosophy enables him to develop new leaders, which are able to foresee the company’s future and embrace new visions. Hellriegel Slocum (2011), also say that transformational leaders are risk takers and welcome new opportunities. Sir Richard Branson states that it is impossible to run a business without taking risks, and he is no stranger to doing so (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011). Branson publicly admits to three tremendous setbacks: a) the launch of a portable MP3 player (the Virgin Pulse) was crushed by the Apple iPod and lost over $20 million; b) against top management advice, Branson held on to Virgin’s Megastore retail outlets far too long, costing the group financially when the megastores were finally sold; c) Branson created Virgin Cola as an attempt to enter the United Kingdom’s Coca-Cola territory, but Coca-Cola crushed that effort. The Virgin Group has experienced its fair share of failures but that has never stopped Branson from looking for new opportunities. Because of these attributes, Branson is a great transformational leader and is a perfect fit in today’s world. The world is constantly evolving from the old into the new, and this constant change creates the need for companies to adapt accordingly. Based on constant change a company must be able to adapt accordingly. Transformational leadership is such a great asset to today’s world because its leaders are true visionaries. For instance, to his colleagues Branson is known as Dr. Yes because he finds it hard to say no to new ideas and proposals. Being open to new ideas and proposals sets Virgin Groups apart from other companies because they are never afraid to try venture into new areas. Virgin Group prides itself on doing things in an innovative way while aspiring to provide quality services (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011). Visionaries are key to the evolution of today’s world and are important to the generations of the future. Recommend a different leadership style (or combination of styles) that would make Branson an even more effective leader. Transformational and transactional leadership are two of the most popular approaches to leading a businesses (Sadeghi Pihie, 2012). Branson’s keen sense of transformational leadership is great for Virgin Group but could be more effective when combined other leadership styles such as transactional leadership. Transactional leadership is considered a great second style to work in synergy with transformational leadership. Transactional leadership focuses on the interaction and motivation that occur between a leader and his or her followers (Sadeghi Pihie, 2012). Branson’s states, â€Å"If you find people who are good at motivating others and getting the best out of people, they are the ones you want. There are plenty of so-called experts, but not as many motivators of people† (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011; p 344). Branson’s belief in motivating his employees demonstrates his belief in transactional leadership and is an incontestable method ensuring that Virgin Group uses the correct leadership path. Motivating employees is a great way to initiate great leadership but here are some other components of transactional leadership that should be considered: a) transactional leadership provides contingent rewards, which includes leaders setting measurable goals to obtain that are clear and concise; b) it exhibits active management by monitoring work performance of employees and enforcing rules to prevent mistakes; c) it emphasizes that enforced rules are not to be broken and unacceptable performance will result in corrective actions (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011). Determine how Branson would develop and lead a global team working on a major project (e. g. , space tourism) Americans have witnessed the continuous development of the world for decades and Sir Richard Branson has been a part of American history. Branson has continued to push the envelope year after year, and is familiar with the leadership styles that are necessary for leading a global team working on a major project. Branson spoke out, stating that carbon damaging the world is what is causing global warming. As a result, Branson recently pledged to give as much as $3 billion over the next ten years to tackle global warming. The funding for the global warming project will be given from Branson’s personal revenue from his airlines and rail company (Hellriegell Slocume, 2011). Branson’s states: â€Å"We must not be the generation responsible for irreversibly damaging the environment† (Hellriegel Slocum, 2011). In order for Branson to develop and lead a global team for global warming, he must use the core components associated with transformational leadership. According Hellriegel Slocum (2011; p 330), â€Å"the core components are individual consideration: refer to the leaders to anticipate the followers’ needs, perform as a mentor, and listen to the followers’ needs†. Next, Branson needs to intellectually stimulate his team by encouraging them to think outside the box and to not be afraid to take a risk. Then there are inspirational motivations, which is a concept pertaining to leaders creating a vision for the employees to follow. Last but not least is idealized influence which refers to the leader acting in a charismatic way to uplift employees and inspire them (Kirkpartrick Locke, 1996). Branson has stated on numerous occasions that he treats his employees like human beings, which allows him to anticipate his employees’ needs. Branson also feels that an entrepreneur will only succeed if he or she is surrounded by good people and are able to listen to their advice. Because Branson is open to advice he has innately displayed individual consideration. As a leader Branson has always provided attention to the employee’s needs for growth, encouraged individuals to embrace creativity, and placed an emphasis on innovation. Early in Branson’s career he developed a habit of actively reading emails from his employees. Once the email are read, he then responds to employees’ concerns and ideas personally. There has been instances where employees have presented innovative ideas for the company’s future that Branson has implemented, which demonstrates an intellectual stimulation outcome and encourages this behavior in the future. As I stated above, Branson has a vision that involves improving global warming. Branson’s plan to address the problem is by setting up a carbon war room to strategize reducing the carbon output of companies without damaging the company’s profitability. Setting a vision and creating a plan is a great method for providing inspirational motives for individuals. Historically, Branson is well known for his ability to inspire his team, which results in an ideal work environment. Discuss how you can incorporate some of Branson’s leadership qualities into your role at work or school. Sir Richard Branson is an extraordinary individual and worthy of businesses mimicking his leadership style. Branson’s leadership styles includes, but are not limited to: honing in on one’s ability to become a true visionary, taking risk, and providing quality. Branson states that he listens to all new ideals and proposals but ultimately makes decisions based on his intuition (Branson, 2012). One could practice becoming a visionary into their work or school environment by taking an in depth look at a new ideas or roposals and trusting their intuition. Implementing an environment for visionaries allows individuals to bring forth ideas that other individuals may have difficulty visualizing. This method also encourages individuals to speak up and voice their opinions. The next quality that a leader must possess is risk taking. It is impossible for a business to run without taking risks. â€Å"Virgin would not be the company it is today if risks had not been taken† (H ellriegel Slocum, 2011; p 344). In order for a manager to be successful there has to be some degree of risk taking and one could start by thinking out of the box (Hanna Klein, 2011). This could take place by setting aside time for the team to meet, discuss, and implement new ideas that involve more risk. Another one of Branson’s attributes for leadership is to provide quality service to his clientele. According to Hellriegel Slocum (2011), Branson prides himself on his ability to provide quality services to consumers in areas where other companies may not. As a manager, one could raise the bar through implementing higher standards for quality service. This could, as a result, increase the clientele and loyalty to the company. References Boje, D. , Smith, R. (2010). Re-storying and visualizing the changing entrepreneurial identities of Bill Gates and Richard Branson. Culture Organization, 16(4), 307-331. doi:10. 1080/14759551003769250 Branson, R. (2012). Sir Audcity. Inc, 34(9), 72-73. Hanna, J. , Klein, D. S. (2011). Sir Richard Branson: Great Brands, Virgin Brands, Branson Brands. Smart Business Orange County, 6(5), 10-11. Hellriegel, D. , Slocum, J. W. , Jr. (2011). Organizational Behavior 13th ed. ). Mason, OH: Cengage (Learning) Kirkpatrick, S. A. , Locke, E. A. (1996). Direct and Indirect Effects of Three Core Charismatic Leadership Components on Performance and Attitudes. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 81(1), 36-51. Sadeghi, A. , Pihie, Z. (2012). Transformational Leadership and Its Predictive Effects on Leadership Effectiveness. International Journal Of Business Social Science, 3(7), 186-197. How to cite Sir Richard Branson, Papers

The Bieber Equation by Justin Bieber free essay sample

Where to start with the infamous, to me at least, Justin Bieber? Maybe I should start with how he is one of the fastest rising artists of the century. Or maybe I should comment on â€Å"Baby†, the most viewed Youtube video in history? Thing is, it’s hard to write an impartial review about Bieber without being attacked by overzealous fans for being a â€Å"hater†. This is why I’m being as impartial as I can. I’m gonna say it outright, and you can agree with me or disagree, Bieber is a fake â€Å"teen idol†. Too many people are so intoxicated by his young boyish voice that they can’t hear what’s being fed to them. He claims to be a songwriter, yet his songs lyrics are generic are boring. Half the time in â€Å"Baby† he’s just saying â€Å"Baby, baby, baby, oooohhhhhh†. That’s not good songwriting, that’s just lazy. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bieber Equation by Justin Bieber or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have no idea how this is the most watched video ever. If you wanted a song like this listen to Akon, Jonas Brothers, or even Miley Cyrus. You would get the exact same sound and content. Fans claim Justin became famous because his Youtube videos were amazing and he is incredibly talented. No, the reason he became famous was because he was stumbled upon. He was in the exact right place and the right time. There are millions of wannabe singers and actors on Youtube, roughly half of those singers and superior in delivery, voice, and subject matter than Bieber. All Bieber sings about is innocent white boy love, which is boring. Give me five songs sung by Bieber that doesn’t mention a girl. Hard, ain’t it? Finally, Bieber is described pretty well in Evanescence’s song â€Å"Everybody’s Fool†. In it, Amy Lee portrays a model for a company named Lies. The core meaning of the song is that many celebrities today use their looks to make them famous. â€Å"Look! Here she comes now! Bow down and stare in wonder!† This is one of my favorite lines, because it deals with the starstruck feeling. â€Å"And somehow you’ve got everybody fooled.† That is another great line, because Bieber puts himself forward as the perfect role model, which is not true. Everybody has skeletons in their closet. Everybody. Pretty soon, Bieber, like all other teen pop sensations, will be dust in the wind.

Magical Realism in One Hundred Years of Solitude free essay sample

The authors of One Hundred Years of Solitude and The House of The Spirits use magical realism to combine the fantastical world with the real world, using their Latin American cultural influence as a common basis. So what exactly is â€Å"magical realism†? Magical realism is the co-existence of the real world and the fantastical world; a state in which both worlds interconnect to affect each other. For example, the characters may find it perfectly normal for a fantastical occurrence to happen (such as a ghost visit). There are many more aspects of magical realism in these novels. In the book One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, there are many examples of magical realism used. There are many examples of magical realism throughout this book. For example, when Jose Arcadio Buendia is killed, his blood weaves its way through the village as if it has a mind of its own, and makes its way to the Buendia house. We will write a custom essay sample on Magical Realism in One Hundred Years of Solitude or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The blood was hugging the walls so as not to stain the rugs (Marquez 132). This quote from the author personifies the innate and gives it a supernatural touch by animating the blood. Most importantly, this gives the lifeless object a motive: to bring Ursula to the source of Jose Arcadio Buendia’s blood. Another example of this is when Amaranta is visited by an old woman (who is thought to be Death itself) who tells her that she is going to die as soon as she finishes her shroud- which would then be used at her own burial. When Amaranta does finally complete it, the elderly woman’s words come true- and she immediately dies. This not only animates death but makes it so believable that Amaranta dies as soon as she completes the shroud. There are also ghosts, apparitions and visions in this book. A prime example is the spirit of Melquidades. This only adds to the magical realism as Marquez slowly blends the real world and the fantastical world.

Pedaling vs. Peddling

Pedaling vs. Peddling Pedaling vs. Peddling Pedaling vs. Peddling By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a post about the confusion between pedaling and peddling. The only errors I found related to the use of two idioms: â€Å"influence peddling† and â€Å"go pedal your papers†: Incorrect: All I had to do was get close to the power brokers in these foreign countries and report on any  influence pedalling  without compromising my clients confidentiality. Correct : All I had to do was get close to the power brokers in these foreign countries and report on any  influence peddling without compromising my clients confidentiality. Incorrect: She should be in jail for corruption and  influence pedalling.   Correct : She should be in jail for corruption and  influence peddling.   Incorrect: After we  told him  to go  pedal his papers  elsewhere,  he  got on  his  cell phone.   Correct : After we  told him  to go  peddle his papers  elsewhere,  he  got on  his  cell phone. â€Å"To peddle† is â€Å"to sell.† â€Å"To pedal† is â€Å"to push with the foot against a pedal.† influence peddling: the practice of using the influence of wealth or authority to bestow favors or obtain preferential treatment. go peddle your papers: go somewhere else with whatever you are trying to sell. The verb peddle is a backformation from pedlar: â€Å"An itinerant trader or dealer in small goods.† Because a pedlar sells items of insignificant value, the verb peddle connotes disparagement and contempt. Note: The US spelling of pedlar is peddler. The noun pedal, referring to a foot-operated lever on an organ, entered English in the 17th century. The verb pedal, with the meaning â€Å"to push a pedal,† came into use in the late 19th century. When bicycles were invented, the foot levers were named pedals. Two figurative expressions based on the word pedal- soft-pedal and backpedal- derive from two different activities. â€Å"To soft-pedal† comes from music. A piano’s pedals enable the player to soften or muffle the sound produced by the keys. Figuratively, â€Å"to soft-pedal† means â€Å"to reduce in force or effect; to tone down, play down, go easy on.† Here are some examples from the Web: After getting retailers and consumers excited by its commitment to closing the online GST loophole, the Government is again soft pedalling on the issue.   A 1960s movie starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty will resurrect the groundless legend of Bonnie Clyde, part Romeo Juliet and part Robin Hood, soft-pedalling the fact that they killed at least 13 police officers and citizens.   The mob-fueled extremism of the Cultural Revolution has been thoroughly rejected by peasant and plutocrat, alike despite propagandistic soft-pedaling in official media. â€Å"To backpedal† comes from cycling. Back-pedaling is the action of pressing down and back on the pedal as it rises, in order to check the movement of the wheel. Figuratively, â€Å"to back-pedal† is to back down from a previous position. Here are some examples: After likening welfare recipients to stray animals, Andre Bauer, the embattled lieutenant governor, is hastily back-pedalling from remarks his rivals have called immoral. In a Rolling Stone interview, Sienna Miller made disparaging remarks about Pittsburg. She has been back-pedalling ever since. Spelling notes: 1. Although pedaling is US spelling and pedalling is British spelling, I noticed the double-l spelling frequently in US publications. 2. The OED shows the verbs as soft-pedal and back-pedal. M-W shows backpedal and soft-pedal. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowHow to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow

Assignment 3-1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3-1 - Assignment Example There are also individuals who do not prefer the use of Iphone. Some phone features are advantageous for some but not all. For example, the vertical keyboard, for those wanting to type emails, is a downside of the gadget but for some just touching it with one finger is very beneficial. Pop culture and science, which brings fast-changing developments, gets its devotees, fans and admirers because of the individual preferences. Their way of advertising and selling their product can be considered an important factor in reaching different people and the movement of the preference of the masses takes study and research. Pop culture takes advantage of people’s social movement of preferences. A gadget, like the Iphone, makes waves not only for its new and updated features that other cellphones might not have presented before but also because of the interest of the public in something new. And with this, the Iphone becomes a mainstream gadget, finding its way through the hands of many

Self-Reflection Component Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Self-Reflection Component - Essay Example I put forth great level of effort toward completion of the project, as I am a very devoted kind of a student who believes in the attainment of objectives through resolution and perseverance. Working in a group was a totally new and fresh experience for me. I really liked working in the group, as I was able to share my ideas and perspectives with all the compromising and appreciative members of the group. All of us helped each other out, and gave positive feedback and constructive criticism to each other, and hence, although a sense of competition was there but it was very encouraging and fruitful for all of us. We communicated with each other about the goals and objectives of the project, set deadlines, and met those deadlines through willpower. I hope to work on more business related projects in future, as I have gained a lot of knowledge through this project and wish to gain more through group

Timothy McVeigh Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Timothy McVeigh - Research Paper Example Unarguably, the case of Timothy McVeigh is one of the most infamous and heinous crimes ever committed in the United States. It is second only to the damage wrought by the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York in damage to property lives claimed. What made it particularly significant, however, is the fact that McVeigh is an American citizen, which made his terrorist act homegrown as opposed to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which was perpetrated by foreign terrorists. This paper will explore the criminal theories behind his act as well as in the dynamics of the drama that unfolded in the course of his arrest and trial, which culminated in his execution. This is particularly because there was so little effort to comprehend his act and his motivations because there was a collective clamor for his death and nothing else just so he could no longer repeat his feat. The sentiment was understandable, as McVeigh – throughout the whole affair stood unmoved and unrepentant, coldly defending hi s action as rational and calling the victims â€Å"collateral damage† in his twisted notion of things. ... The tragic event, wrote Stein, effectively â€Å"shattered the mythic invulnerability of the American â€Å"Heartland†Ã¢â‚¬ . (p. 51) McVeigh was apprehended a little over an hour later on a different charge – that of transporting a firearm. â€Å"By August 1995, McVeigh and co-defendant Terry Nichols had been charged with conspiracy, use of weapon of mass destruction, destruction by explosives, and eight counts of first-degree murder.† (Greene and Heilburn 2010, p. 189) When McVeigh was apprehended, along with his cohort, Terry Nichols, America was again shocked to find that these clean-cut men, both served in the country’s armed forces, were responsible for planning and implementing an action that would kill hundreds of their countrymen. In the process, they methodically constructed and detonated bombs, with the plan as some sort of revenge and catalyst to his separatist movement. (Disilvestre 2003, p. 64) For this paraphrase, this is the information/d irect quote from the source (I will include the quotes if you want to use it): â€Å"Timothy McVeigh, just 29 years, was the ex-soldier convicted of constructing, planting and detonating the bomb that killed so many of his countrymen. Terry Nichols, 42, was convicted of helping McVeigh plan, purchase and steal materials in order to construct the bomb.† (Disilvestre, p. 64) Criminological Theories Again, it must be emphasized that contemporary interest on the motivational factors for McVeigh’s crime was close to nonexistent as many Americans wanted closure and the sense of security that came with finally putting the man who murdered hundreds of Americans to death. If the public and criminologists themselves bothered to look, there are existing criminological theories that could explain McVeigh’s behavior and

Circumstances under which monopolies can benefit the consumer

Circumstances under which monopolies can benefit the consumer Competition policies are set against monopolies in general. Explain why this statement is true. Are there any circumstances under which monopolies can benefit the consumer? A monopoly is a situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. This would happen in the case that there is a barrier to entry into the industry that allows the single company to operate without competition (for example, vast economies of scale, barriers to entry, or governmental regulation). In such an industry structure, the producer will often produce a volume that is less than the amount which would maximize social welfare. The EU Competition Commission is in charge of monitoring abuse of market dominance by monopolies, and follows the Treaty establishing the European Community: Article 82 of the Treaty establishing the European Community is an anti-monopoly instrument. It outlaws any abuse by one or more undertakings of a dominant position within the common market or in a substantial part of it in so far as it may affect the trade between Member States. Dominant position here means concentration or monopoly power which enables the firm or firms to influence, by independent action as a buyer or a seller, the outcome of the market. However, the article doesnt define what size of market share constitutes a dominant position, as this can vary from product to product. The emphasis isnt on the existence of a dominant position but rather on the abuse of power, primarily in trade between member states. Dominant enterprises are stopped from committing price discrimination in their interstate purchases or sales. Microsoft is often at the forefront of monopoly investigations: In December 1998, Sun Microsystems, another US company, complained that Microsoft had refused to provide information necessary for Sun to be able to develop products that would be able to interface with Windows PCs, so be able to compete on an equal footing in the market for work group server operating systems. The Commissions investigation revealed that Sun was not the only company that had been refused this information, and that these non-disclosures by Microsoft were part of a broader strategy designed to shut competitors out of the market. In 2000, the Commission also began to investigate the effect of Microsofts tying of another product, windows media player, to its operating system. This left other media player firms unable to compete. In 2004, after a 5-year-investigation, the European Commission concluded that the Microsoft Corporation broke European Union competition law by abusing its near monopoly in the market for PC operating systems and for media players. Microsoft had to disclose information to allow other firms to interface with the windows operating system. They were also fined à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 497 million for abusing its market power in the EU. In February 2008 the EU fined Microsoft a further à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬899 million for abusing its dominance of the market. *(skim over dont say all)* This diagram shows the effect of a monopoly on an economy; you can see that consumers are left worse off through the loss of consumer surplus. Policies are set against monopolies in general because of the market failure that Monopolies cause: Monopolies have large barriers to entry which prevent other firms being able to enter the market; this enables them to abuse their market dominance and set prices higher than the market equilibrium. If the product is price inelastic as there are no alternatives too it (such as the motor industry), then the customer has no choice but to pay the higher prices, thus consumers are worse off. They are able to charge Predatory prices which is when the firm sets artificially low prices which competitors arent able to compete with. Monopolies have less incentive to create good products because the customers have little or no alternative to that product. Compared to a normal market structure, a monopoly market skews most of the positive externalities to the producer rather than the consumer. Certain forms or cooperation agreements between enterprises, which are considered beneficial for the consumers by improving production, distribution or technical progress, are deemed not to restrict competition and therefore they are exempted. Cross-border concentrations of community interest, regardless of whether they are brought about by agreement or by takeovers, are also exempted There are a number of potential benefits of monopolies: Its possible that monopoly firms can be efficient: An argument popular with economists of the Austrian School of Economics is that firms who gain monopoly power are invariably successful, innovative and efficient. e.g. Google have monopoly power but who can do it any better? Stimulating Innovation and Investment with Patents: The most obvious field where monopolies benefit society in a great way is that of patents. Patents give inventors the exclusive rights to market their inventions for twenty years, after which these inventions turn into public property. In other words, patents give these inventors the right to keep a monopoly for twenty years. Monopolies are so important in this context because if they did not exist, an inventor would probably not receive any financial compensation for his or her work, since the imitators would steal it and flood the market with copied stuff, making the price collapse along with them. As a result, in a world without patents, a lot less people would invest their time, effort and money required to achieve new things. In order to remedy this situation, the nations all around the world offer inventors monopolies on patents. The result is much quicker innovation; an economic growth much more accelerated and at quicker speeds in the lifestyles. In truth, it is difficult to think about a more beneficial monopoly from the social view of patents. Monopoly and Economies of Scale If long-run average total cost (LRATC) declines over an extended range of output, it is argued that it is better to have a few large firms (and in the extreme case, only one firm). This is known as the natural monopoly argument. Because monopoly producers are often supplying goods and services on a very large scale, they may be better placed to take advantage of economies of scale leading to a fall in the average total costs of production. These reductions in costs will lead to an increase in monopoly profits but some of the gains in productive efficiency might be passed onto consumers in the form of lower prices. The effect of economies of scale is shown in the diagram. Examples of Natural Monopolies include public utilities such as water services and electricity. It is very expensive to build transmission networks (water/gas pipelines, electricity and telephone lines), therefore it is unlikely that a potential competitor would be willing to make the capital investment needed to even enter the monopolists market. Conclusion: Competition policies can be seen as generally set against monopolies, as monopolies can be such obstructions to competition, so the Competition Commission is going to have a lot of focus on managing monopolies; making sure they dont abuse their position. Though, Monopolies arent necessarily all bad as natural monopolies can be the most effective market structure, benefiting both the firm and the consumer. However Competition Policies arent only set against monopolies, as they also have a big focus on aspects such as Mergers, takeovers and collusions of firms like cartels.

Valley Region of the Appalachian Mountains Essay -- Karst Region Virgi

Valley Region of the Appalachian Mountains and Subsequent Karst Regions in the State of Virginia This map which appears on page 402 of Process Geomorphology (1995), written by Dale F. Ritter, Craig R. Kochel, and Jerry R. Miller, serves as the basis of my report on the formation of the Appalachian Mountains and its subsequent karst regions in along the Atlantic side of the United States particularly in the state of Virginia. The shaded areas represent generalized karst regions throughout the United States. The state of Virginia is divided into five major physiological regions based on similar landscapes and relatively static climates, each region being as diverse as the next. From the east to west they are respectively named, the Tidewater which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the fall line, the Piedmont which lies east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains which exclusively extends to the eastern Appalachian Mountains, and finally the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountain chain. In this paper I will pay particular attention to the formation of the Appalachian Mountains and the subsequent karst regions in the western part of the state. â€Å"Ordovician mountain building events in eastern North America are collectively termed Tactonic Orogeny (Stanley, 318).† In short, there were three such orogenic events that helped form the current-day Appalachian Mountains. This was the first of three orogenic episodes occurred when Laurentia, the North American craton, part of the continental crust, collided with the Iapetus which is composed of oceanic crust. The resulting impact caused mountains to rise up in the east. Over thousands of years, through the process of physical and chemi... ...Ridge and Valley Province of the Virginian landscape. Hartley, 2003 Works Cited Hartley, Ralph. Memorial Day Cave. 2003. Montgomery, Carla W. Environmental Geology 6th Edition. Northern Illinois University. McGraw Hill. New York. 2003. Patterson, J.H. North America 9th Edition. Oxford University Press. .New York, 1994 Skyline Caverns. Virginia, USA. Regions of Virginia. 2005. Ritter, F. Dale, Kochel, R. Craig, Miller R. Jerry. Process Geomorphology 3rd Edition. Wm. C. Brown Publishers. Boston. 1995. Stanley, Steven M. Earth System History 2nd Edition. John Hopkins University. W.H. Freeman & Co. New York, 2005 Topographic Map of Virginia. National Geographic Data Center.