Time Warner Essay

Time Warner Essay Time Warner Essay Time Warner EssayIn actuality, Time Warner is one of the leading media companies in the US holding a strong position in the publishing and cable television. However, at the moment, the company undergoes considerable changes and restructuring in terms of the development of new effective marketing strategies which can help Time Warner to enhance its competitive position and provide the company with an opportunity to accelerate its business development. At this point, one of the main issues that the company faces at the moment is the merger of Time Warner Cable with Comcast, which opens wider opportunities for the further business development of the company. At the same time, the company attempts to separate its publishing business, which has become unprofitable for the company in recent years and now is one of the major causes of the slowdown of its business development. Therefore, Time Warner undergoes consistent changes aiming at the improvement of its marketing performance through r eorganisation, structural changes, separation and the merger that the company expects to lead Time Warner to the new stage in its business development and help the company to break through in the highly competitive business environment.Recently, Time Warner has announced the merger of its Time Warner Cable with Comcast, the leader of the cable television (Quain, 2). In fact, the deal will involve the sale of Time Warner Cable to Comcast. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that, at the moment Time Warner still consist of two major units, the publishing business and cable television unit. Time Warner Cable represents the cable television unit of the company and this unit plans to merge with Comcast. This is an important decision in the business development of the company because it opens new opportunities for the business development of the company after the merger. The merger will involve Comcast, the largest cable television company of the US, and Time Warner Cable, the second largest cable television company in the US (Quain 2). Therefore, their merger will put them in the advantageous position in the US market, while their rivals will hardly be able to reach such a market share as the merged company uniting two behemoths of the industry.In fact, consequences of the merger are apparently very attractive for both Comcast and Time Warner Cable because the new company will have about 70 million subscribers nationwide that is about 30% of the total market share in the US (Quain, 3). The consistent market expansion opens wider opportunities for Time Warner Cable after the merger because the new company will control almost a third of the US cable television market. Therefore, the company can set the pace in the industry, while its further growth and expansion will enhance the position of the new company in the market even more.In such a situation, rivals of the company turn out to be in the absolutely disadvantageous position because not a single rival of the merged company, such as Charter Communications for instance, can even challenge the position of the merged company, while outpacing it is virtually impossible, at least in a short-run perspective. The dominant position of the new company opens wider opportunities for the faster market expansion and taking even a larger share of the market. As a result, Time Warner Cable can make a breakthrough in its business development in the cable television market, in case the merger with Comcast completes successfully. This is why both companies are so interested in the merger because, instead of the fierce rivalry, they can unite their efforts to take not just the lead in the industry but to become the company dominating over the cable television industry.Furthermore, the merger apparently secures the position of the company in the market because rivals will be unable to outpace the company, unless they introduce innovations that will revolutionize the industry. At the moment, there are no such rivals of the company and Time Warner Cable can take the lead after the merger with Comcast. The company can also raise barriers to entry that will decrease the risk of the emergence of new rivals that can potentially threaten to the position in the company and tighten the competition in the industry.On the other hand, the merger may raise the problem of the possible monopolization of the cable television market by the merged company since the company will take the consistently higher share of the market compared to rivals. Moreover, in a long-run perspective the company can increase its market share even more and take dominant or monopolistic position in the market. The monopolization can occur faster, if the company continues the strategy of mergers. However, the monopolization of the market or taking the absolutely dominant position raises the risk of the violation of the anti-trust law and investigation of policies conducted by the company. Therefore, in case of unfair on unreasonable policies of the company, when it takes the dominant position in the market, the company can face the risk of the investigation of its policies under the anti-trust legislation. The company may also face the risk of lawsuits, if its policies will breach existing anti-trust regulations and legal norms. If the company sets unreasonably high price or forces customers to buy extra-products which they do not want to buy, the company is likely to face considerable problems because of the violation of the anti-trust law, as was the case of Microsoft, for instance.However, Time Warner attempts to optimize its performance not only through the merger with Comcast but also through restructuring. For instance, Time Warner Cable spinoff has actually nothing to do with Time Warner since Time Warner Cable has focused on its own development, while Time Warner is a different company now (Flint, 1). Nevertheless, neither company plan to change their name so far, unless the merger agree ment of Time Warner Cable and Comcast may require such a change (Flint, 3). At the same time, the merger is a part of the large scale plan of Time Warner to undergo consistent restructuring. The merger is one of the key elements of the restructuring which allows the company to accelerate its business development through focusing on the cable television market mainly and taking the lead in the market through the merger. This strategy is efficient because Time Warner prioritizes the most profitable part of its business and, more important, enhances its position in the market through the merger.Moreover, Time Warner is also considering the separation of its publishing business, although at the moment, the company is the largest magazine publisher in the US. Nevertheless, the company decided to separate Time Inc. last year (Team, 2). This decision complements the decision of the company to merge Time Warner Cable with Comcast. To put it more precisely, the company refuses from its publi shing business which future may be uncertain for the company and focuses on cable television market entirely. Such a shift maximizes profits and benefits of the company.At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the move to separate Time Inc. was, in all probability determined by the steady decline of the publishing business of the company. In such a way, the decision to separate Time Inc. from Time Warner was driven by the attempt of the company to preserve only the most prospective elements of its business and become a pure media company. In fact, this means the separation of Time Inc. from Time Warner is a strategically important step, especially in the light of the upcoming merger with Comcast. When the company has just started the procedure of separation, experts (Team 6) believed the separation was driven by pragmatic concerns of Time Warner and its attempts to save costs and attract investors due the better financial performance of the company free of the publishing business burden. What is meant here is the fact that initially, experts (Team, 6) stood on the ground that Team Warner is just trying to save costs and make its financial performance healthier. The step was quite reasonable in light of the declining publishing business which slowed down the business development of Time Warner.On the other hand, cable television was and still is profitable business for the company. More important, cable television is more attractive market for the company and the business of Time Warner in this market keeps growing (Flint, 5). This is why the refusal from the publishing business of the company allows Time Warner to focus entirely on the cable television market. At the moment, the separation of Time Inc. is not completed so far but the company has already started negotiations on the merger with Comcast and this step reveals the intention of the company to accelerate its business development through the enhancement of its position in the most profitabl e industry. Moreover, unlike publishing business, cable television is likely to keep growing in the future. This is why the company can maximize benefits from the merger and shifting its business to the cable television industry mainly.In such a context, the recent merger of Time Warner Cable is a reasonable step since after the completion of the separation of Time Inc. which is likely to be completed this year, the company will merge its more perspective unit, Time Warner Cable, with Comcast becoming one of the leaders in the industry and enhancing its position in the market. This step is strategically important for the company because it elevates the company to the new level in its business development and helps the company to take the lead in the industry and keep growing in the future since the cable television industry is growing.However the merger with Comcast is driven not only by business concerns but also by the lobbying power of Comcast which can accelerate the further bus iness development of Time Warner Cable after the merger (Shields, 3).At the moment Comcast invests abundantly into lobbying and the company has increased the number of lobbyists in the 2000s consistently. The merger with such a company opens new opportunities for Timer Warner Cable to enhance its marketing position, enter new markets and increase its market share.In such a context, there is no surprise that Charter Communications, another behemoth of the media industry, has failed to negotiate the merger with Time Warner Cable and has lost the deal to Comcast (Fung, 4). Charter Communications does not have such a strong lobby as Comcast and, therefore, cannot offer Time Warner Cable such good prospects for the further business development as Comcast does.On the other hand, the merger of Time Warner Cable and Comcast can raise substantial difficulties in face of both companies because the merger will inevitably involve the restructuring of the new company. Comcast and Time Warner Cab le have their own organizational structure and culture, while the merger will raise the problem of their mutual integration. In such a situation, the risk of conflicts within the new, merged company arises because employees working in the company may be resistant to changes or oppose to changes. As a result, the risk of the failure of the merger arises because if employees of the company resist to the change, the company may face substantial difficulties with the overall successful implementation of the change.Furthermore, the restructuring of the company may raise the problem of job cuts and loss of well-qualified professionals, who, in face of the uncertainty in their future after the merger, may just transfer to another company, where they can be absolutely certain in their future. The loss of well-qualified professionals may also create substantial difficulties which the new company will have to overcome. Therefore, the merger is not always the right choice and, in spite of the obvious certainty of Comcast and Time Warner Cable in the overall success of the merger, there are still some risks and threats which may lead to the failure of the merger. At this point, it is possible to refer to other cases when mergers have failed, such as the case of Daimler-Chrysler which was considered to be one of the most prospective and strong alliances in the automotive industry but eventually ended up into the split of the two companies.Thus, at the moment, Time Warner undergoes substantial changes. The company has initiated the separation of Time Inc. which comprises the publishing business of the company. At the same time, the company is about to merge with Comcast that means the shift of Time Warner from diverse business to the relatively narrow focus of the company on cable television business mainly. In such a situation, the refusal from the publishing business is reasonable to enhance the financial performance of the company. Moreover, the merger with Comcast will allow Time Warner Cable to take the leading position in the cable television industry that keeps growing. Therefore, the company will not only optimize its performance but also become the leader of the fast growing industry that will shift the business development of Time Warner to the new, upper level.

How to Water a Tree and When You Shouldnt

How to Water a Tree and When You Shouldn't Few tasks for homeowners are more complicated than knowing if, when and how to water a landscape tree. Much of it depends on the type of tree, your climate, current weather conditions, and a host of other variables. A watering schedule that works well for one tree species in one region of the country can be disastrous for a different tree species or in a different climate region.   Water is the single most essential resource for a trees survival and growth, far more important than fertilizing, disease and pest control, or any other biological need.  Most of us understand the need to water trees during dry times, but what we often forget is that a tree can also be harmed by too much water. Unfortunately, the symptoms for a water-starved tree can appear to be the same as symptoms caused by water-logged tree roots. A tree that is beginning to wilt may be shutting down because too much water has introduced a vascular fungal disease into the roots, for example. In many cases, a homeowner then responds by watering more frequently and more heavily, which can lead to much bigger problems.   Symptoms for both under-watering and over-watering can be the appearance of wilted and scorched leaves. Both conditions can prevent tree roots from effectively transporting water to the top of the tree and the tree will react by wilting. In addition, too much tree water can also shut down sufficient oxygen to the roots. Some tree species can handle wet feet but many trees can not. Always read up on your tree species and learn what it wants and doesnt want in terms of its environment and watering needs.   Trees known for vibrant fall color will show disappointing color in the fall if you overwater them. Bright leaf color is triggered by the naturally dry conditions that occur in the early fall, and a tree that receives too much water during this time of year may respond by disappointing you with its leaf color. To maximize the fall display, keep the tree well-watered during the main part of the growing season, but withhold water in the late summer and early fall. Once the trees leaves have fallen, do water the soil adequately, because you want good soil moisture to be present in the ground going into winter.   How To Water a Tree Supplemental watering during drought conditions can prevent tree decline, pest problems, and non-recoverable damage to tree roots and the  canopy. Young trees recently planted in the landscape and certain drought-prone species need regular watering during dry periods. This essentially means that most trees that have seen no rainfall in a given week should get a hand watering. This is not a hard and fast rule, though, because many native species are adapted to local conditions and may not need extra watering. Consult with a nursery specialist or a member of your state universitys Extension service to learn the needs of your trees.   Depending upon soil texture, the density of water-competing plants found around the tree, daily temperatures, and recent rainfall amounts, about one inch of water per week should keep a tree healthy. Trees should be watered once or at most twice a week in the growing season if there has been no significant rainfall. A few slow, heavy (high-volume) waterings are much better than many short, shallow waterings, because long, infrequent waterings encourage the tree to send out deep, robust roots. Frequent shallow waterings will encourage the tree to rely on shallow, weak roots, which is not to the long-term benefit of the tree.   However, to say that a tree needs deep watering does not mean dumping huge quantities of water on it in within a few minutes. When this is done, much of the water simply sinks through the soil layer past the trees roots and is never taken up by the roots at all. The best deep watering is a slow watering left in place for an hour or so. Turning a garden hose on so it produces a small trickle and leaving the end of the hose a foot or so away from the trunk is ideal. Another excellent method for watering young trees is to use one of the tree-watering bags available. Made from dense flexible plastic or rubber, these bags fit around the lower tree trunk, and when they are filled with water, they allow a slow, steady trickle of water to run down into the earth. This provides the deep, slow watering that is ideal for trees.   All landscape trees should be properly mulched, which means blanketing the area directly under the tree canopy with a 2- or 3-inch layer of organic material, such as shredded wood or compost. This layer of mulch will cool the soil and keep moisture trapped in place. But dont pile the mulch up against the tree trunk, because this will encourage pests and fungal diseases.   Dont Over-Water a Tree! As mentioned, if the trees leaves look wilted or scorched even though you have faithfully been watering, its quite possible that there is too much soil moisture for the tree to handle. This can be a problem in landscape with automatic watering systems that apply water by timer even during weeks when rainfall amounts have been good. The best way to check for wet soil is to dig down 6 to 8 inches and feel the soil. The soil should be cool and slightly moist but not soaking wet. Examining the soil with your hands may also tell you much. You should be able to press most non-sandy soils into a ball with your hands and have it stay together without falling apartthis indicates proper soil moisture.  If the soil ball falls apart when squeezed, then the soil may not have sufficient moisture. If the soil ball you just made will not crumble when rubbed, you either have clay soil or soil that is too wet to crumble. This is an indication of too much water, so watering should be stopped. Neither loose sandy soils nor dense clay soils are ideal for growing most trees, although you may be able to find species well adapted to these soil conditions. In general,  sandy soils will adequately support trees adapted to droughty, low-moisture conditions, while clay soils will work well with trees known to thrive in wet, boggy environments.

Cynthia Cooper and WorldCom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cynthia Cooper and WorldCom - Essay Example This expose elucidates on the appropriate decision that Cynthia should take to deal with this issue. From the onset, it is crucial to point out that the right decision for Cynthia would be reporting these fraudulent acts to her superiors without making the information public. In order to make her case strong, Cynthia should use the findings from the additional investigations she carried out in order to ensure that the exposure has enough merit. However, it is crucial for her to seek another job before taking any action since the decision taken might leave her jobless. Any decision that one might take in such a situation has various implications. One such implication would be on the families affected by the whistle blowing in case of termination of careers and effectively the source of livelihood. Cynthia Hooper is no exceptional and has to consider her career and family and the careers of other employees, something I would do in her shoes. According to Sissela Bok, â€Å"Would-be whistleblowers confront the conflict inherent in all dissent: between conforming and sticking their ne cks out. The more repressive the authority they challenge, the greater the personal risk they take in speaking out† (as cited in Donaldson & Werhane, 2007). In this regard, there is a big risk of one’s livelihood and that of the family and the career of the whistleblower in case the superiors view such acts as dissent. Donaldson and Werhane (2007) further support this idea by stating that, â€Å"When audiences are not free to receive or to act on the information-when censorship or fear of retribution stifles response-then the message rebounds to injure the whistleblower.† The most important reason for reporting the extra findings indicate that Cynthia is showing responsibility by indicating the extra steps taken towards unearthing the truth. When making this decision however, it is crucial for her to remember that she may face accusations

Worker attributes needed in the new economy Assignment

Worker attributes needed in the new economy - Assignment Example However, that is not the case for a large number of students who clear from college or university as hopefuls. There are a number of attributes that have contributed to this job decreasing trend, the major one being the global economy. The global economy in most countries had taken a turn for the worse and in some instances, some nations’ economies have become worst where the labour market has been completely affected and there are no jobs that come by easily. A good example is the USA; over the past few years the economy has been affected by a variety of events such as financing of US soldiers to different parts of the world in a bid to propagate peace, interest accumulations from debts and the changing trends of the global economy in terms of access to energy and natural resources. The extent to which the labour market has been affected is not reversible. This is due to the reason that more and more graduates are completing school and falling into the same problem. Additiona lly, a majority of graduates who graduated almost two years ago are still looking for their preferred jobs. Even those who manage to get their first job out of campus still do not get satisfied with the salaries scale. In a 2009 to 2010 study that was conducted based on the salaries that fresh graduates received after a four year college course, it was realized that on an annual scale, a majority of these graduates earn approximately $ 27,000. When compared to the same survey that was conducted in 2006 to 2008, there was a $ 3,000 decline (Rampell, 2013, p. 175).

Bill Gates And Steve Jobs Essay Example for Free

Bill Gates And Steve Jobs Essay Many people look at Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as two rivals. A lot of opinions can be expressed regarding these two geniuses. The two are celebrities at their own right. Their similarities and differences are emphasized probably because their contributions to the society are both important but are different relative to the other. People were divided as fan of PC and as a fan of Mac. Many people argue that one is better than the other. One type of computer-user says that one is better depending on how you use your computer. For example, gamers find it troublesome to use the Mac while other computer-users find the PC more troublesome than Mac. Although Gates is not Microsoft, as Jobs is not Apple, people commonly think of Gates when we talk of Microsoft, and of Microsoft when we talk about Gates. The same is true for Jobs and his Apple. But how do Gates and Jobs differ from each other? Both were not able to get a college diploma. Despite of that, they were able to become successful and are now household names. They created their own companies which are big companies now, and that goes to show that the two has excellent leadership and managerial skills. Perhaps, their difference lies on their personality and on how they drive their companies to suit the needs of the people. Jobs went to Reed College while Gates went to Harvard. Both Jobs and Gates were college drop-outs. After dropping out from college, Jobs got a job as a technician in a video game manufacturer, Atari. Jobs was given a break when Atari gave him the task to create a circuit board for a video game and he was able to fulfill this task with his friend Wozniak. He got a nice pay with this work. Gates first experience with computers was when he and his friends hack Computer Center Corporation (CCC) to get extra time with the computers. They were caught and were banned by the CCC but, later, CCC hired them to find bugs for their system. Although their job was only to find bugs all over the system, they use their spare time to study about the machines. Jobs did Apple while Gates created Microsoft. The Apple was the first computer to have a graphical user interface and an on-board ROM. Microsoft, as we all know, is very popular software. Both, now, are very wealthy since the day they established their companies. Jobs has CEO position of his company which is a large innovator when it comes to computers, operating systems and softwares. During the beginnings of the apple, Jobs was only a shareholder. Although he was seated as the chairman, the decision of the company was not solely his. He has once left the company to focus not on hardwares but on softwares so he built NextStep. He wanted to have a solution to some computer problems at that time. He wanted to satisfy the needs of education with computers and has once envisioned his new sets of computers to be the computers of college students. He failed on this in a way that the consumers did not want to spend for the latest technology at that time and the NeXTstep computers were really expensive. But the software really helped out programmers so he got good reviews. He, then, formed partnerships with different companies. Apple, then, was getting weaker when Jobs left it. Jobs later returned to Apple some reconsideration. Gates, meanwhile, is a major shareholder of Microsoft. He had never left Microsoft in any way. He was focused on making it big on the market and he was very successful in that. Jobs was focused on innovating. He wanted solutions to problems. He is thinking of the needs of the people when he does his creations. This is his biggest difference with Gates. Gates and Microsoft are interested on marketing. Microsoft is concern on, at least, getting at par with their competitors. If a competitor has done something brilliant, Microsoft would find its way to have a better version of that something brilliant. Gates was often criticized as being more of a businessman than a computer genius. Jobs has once said that it is hurting the computer industry that Microsoft is killing its competitors because that also kills innovation. In fairness to Gates, he gives a lot to those who are needy. He gave millions to institutions in which he believed in. They call Gates a philanthropist for all of his donations to charity. This is one thing admirable to Gates. He has not forgotten about other people. He was sensitive. He gives back what he receives. As a leader, they are both very efficient to create such big companies. They were both able to drive these two companies to success in spite of the many competitions that are coming. They were very good in analyzing the needs of the company and the market. These two individuals show that success comes from determination, right timing, and the drive to attain it. We now have MacBooks with Microsoft in it. In their TV interview, Jobs said that the competition is over between them and that it is time to think of innovations for the future. We should be thankful to these two individuals, who have changed things since their time. We may find them as competitors, but that would be fine for competitions are healthy and it has really made them strive harder to be on top. The competition between the two, if there is, has benefited us. We can expect more from these companies in the near future. Hopefully, they would come up for more things that will make everything more convenient and a solution to security problems. Work Cited: Apple Inc. 2008. Steve Jobs. Retrieved from http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/jobs. html. Brightman, Jason. 2007. After Bill Gates, Five Possible Futures for Microsoft. Retrieved from http://www. pcworld. com/businesscenter/article/147518/after_bill_gates_five_possible_futures_for_microsoft. html. Cobweb Publishing Inc. 2008. The NeXT Years: Steve Jobs Before His Triumphant Return To Apple. Retrieved from http://lowendmac. com/orchard/06/steve-jobs-next-years. html. Mirick, John. 1996. William H. Gates III Before Microsoft. Retrieved from http://ei. cs. vt. edu/~history/Gates. Mirick. html#microsoft.

Television as We Know it Today Essay -- Essays Papers

Television as We Know it Today The Power Rangers, RoadRunner, Bugs Bunny and Yo Sammity Sam. What do all of these have in common? They are all shows upon which we build our child’s playtime. You sit your child in front of the television for hours at a time. They stair at the screen with glossy eyes and total amazement. Yet what is it that they are learning from these shows? It is the hidden message of violence and dysfunction, which keeps children entertained. If you look at all of the shows, which I have mentioned above, they seem to have a common theme. Violence. Whether this message is intended or not is another issue, however, the violence is there. The Power Rangers for example, their mission is to save the planet from evil space monsters. How do they achieve this? By killing the monsters, thus becoming heroes. The RoadRunner, every week he tries to kill Wielly Coyote. He instead gets killed each time, but it is only temporary. Finally we come to Bugs Bunny and Yo Sammity Sam. Each time, Yo Sammity Sam, tries to kill Bugs Bunny, chasing after him with a shotgun. What type of message is this sending to our youth? Children see violence as their entertainment. As adults we know the difference between what is real and what isn’t. Do children know this difference as well? When a character dies but only for a second, do children know this is not how it really is? In one study by a scientist named Linne (Condry p.89) it was found that television these cartoons do effect how children think. Cartoons how the person with power to come out on top as the triumphant winner-of - all. After exposure to violent cartoons children were less likely to share with one another and more likely to use aggression as a means to... ...following that pattern out of belief that we too posses these characteristics. By constantly viewing violent shows we have learned to believe that we live in a violent culture. It allows us to view our own acts of violence as well as others as being normal and acceptable. When we turn on the television we turn on more than just entertainment. We turn on a part of ourselves that is almost subliminally derived. We allow ourselves be impressed upon by the notions of violence being common and acceptable. This notion is something that we keep with us. You may push a button on your television set and watch the screen go dim. However the ideas in your head will long remain once the show is done. Works Cited Condry, John C., The Psychology of Television. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., New Jersey. 1989. www.geocities.com/dreampackers, April 20, 2000

Leni Riefenstahl: Took advantage of events or swept along Essay

People are swept along by events. Some individuals use events to advantage. This is evident with Leni Riefenstahl as from the earliest accounts of her career it is clear that she was prepared to use others to benefit herself, although while at other times such advancements were not within her control. Historian Steven Bach argues in his book, ‘The Life and work of Leni Riefenstahl’ that Riefenstahl was obsessed with her career and moulding her image. He believes she knew more about Nazism than she would have liked people to believe. Riefenstahl was so driven to be worldly famous and recognised that she didn’t care what the cost. Through the exploitation of people and their money and the use of her beauty and charm Riefenstahl would never have been so artistically successful and innovative. Riefenstahl was willing to do whatever it takes in order to achieve success and accomplished this by exploiting people for their money. In 1923, Riefenstahl acquainted herself with a Jewish banker, Harry Sokal, who manipulated exchange rates. Sokal continually asked Riefenstahl to marry him, but she had no desire to although she acknowledged his wealth and continued the relationship. Riefenstahl used Sokal to finance her dancing career by paying for halls, advertising, and the musicians. Sokal also paid critics to sit in the audience in attempts to gain positive reviews. In order to achieve success Riefenstahl acknowledged that she needed to allow Sokal to finance her and therefore, she took advantage of Sokal when it suited her best. Sokal financed her dance career, but Riefenstahl wanted to get rid of him. Although this would not be the last time she exploits him and his money. Therefore, while Riefenstahl allowed Sokal to finance her movements she was clearly being opportunistic and used events to her advantage. Further evidence of Riefenstahl’s exploitation of people is shown with her clear intentions to succeed within the creative arts industry. After seeing the film, ‘Mountain of Destiny’, Riefenstahl sought out famous film director Arnold Fanck in attempts to establish a career as an actress. Once again financed by Sokal, she travelled to the Dolomite Mountains in order to find Dr. Fanck. Riefenstahl met one of the film’s actors, Luis Trenker, and claimed that â€Å"I’m going to be in your next picture†. Someone who is swept  along by events does not, as Riefenstahl did, plan future actions. Even though she was not in a relationship with Sokal, she further exploited him for his money in order to find Fanck and would again turn to Sokal at times when it was beneficial for advancing her career. Historian Audrey Salkeld offers a different account of events and she doesn’t mention Riefenstahl travelling to the Dolomite Mountains using Sokal’s finance. She says it was a sightseeing tour that turned out to be her â€Å"destiny†. Salkeld suggests that this was Riefenstahl being swept along; opposing the more credible argument that Riefenstahl exploited Sokal in order to find Fanck. Riefenstahl’s willing independence to seek out Fanck and exploit those around her supports her opportunism, however, Riefenstahl’s early relationship with Fanck also acknowledges Salkeld’s claims of being swept along by events. Riefenstahl was not hesitant to exploit tennis pro, Gunther Rahn, who was â€Å"hopelessly in love† with her. She used him to her advantage in arranging the meeting with Fanck that would launch her into the film industry. Fanck instantly admired Riefenstahl’s beauty and, according to Riefenstahl, just three days later he visited her in hospital with a script titled ‘The Holy Mountain, written for the dancer, Leni Riefenstahl’. Once again, Riefenstahl used Sokal to finance the film. Although in Riefenstahl’s defence, Salkald suggests the degree of Fanck’s fascination with her was not within her control. He considered himself her â€Å"Pygmalion† or sculptor, who hoped to make her the â€Å"most famous woman in Germany†. Without Fanck’s dedication to Riefenstahl she would never have been successful in her acting career and would not have learnt how to direct films, thus never being projected to Hitler’s attention. Therefore, in this way Riefenstahl was swept along by events. Some historical perspectives of Riefenstahl, concerning her first project as director on The Blue Light, present her as an opportunist. Riefenstahl exploited scriptwriter Bela Balacs, Fanck as editor and once again Sokal for finance. In order to ensure all creative control was with her, Riefenstahl created Leni-Riefenstahl-Studio-Film GmbH. By making the film through this new company Riefenstahl was ensured all copyrights and credit. Then, while admitting she could not pay him Riefenstahl sought the work from film  theorist Bela Balacs to write the script. Balacs was not resistant to her feminie charm and beauty, which Riefenstahl was never hesitant to use to achieve her goals. When Balacs threatened to sue her over debts, Riefenstahl referred the case to anti-Semitic Julius Streicher. Her letter to the district administrator transferred â€Å"power of attorney in the matter of the claims of the Jew Bela Balacs.† (Bach) This shows that Riefenstahl was opportunistic by playing on the fact that Balacs was Jewish and ensured she would never have to pay him. Therefore, Riefenstahl exploited whomever she could for her own personal gain. Riefenstahl’s willing attendance at a Hitler rally supports her opportunism, discrediting claims that she was swept along by events. At the rally she found Hitler intriguing, describing the experience â€Å"like being struck by lightning† (Bach). While Riefenstahl claimed she â€Å"rejected his racial ideas† she wrote to Hitler just days before an important press event on her film ‘S.O.S Iceberg’. Riefenstahl agreed to meet with Hitler on May 22 at Wilhelmshaven. This excitement to meet with Hitler supports the idea that she saw within the Nazis an opportunity, whether it was based on anti-Semitic ideals or purely artistic. Riefenstahl says that during the meeting Hitler announced â€Å"once we come to power you must make my films.† Riefenstahl claims to have denied the request, but it is unlikely as she fought and seduced to get the film role. Salkeld says that Riefenstahl was being an opportunist as this stage, commenting â€Å"she had the ability to create opportunities for herself, to fashion her own destiny†. Therefore, Riefenstahl was caught up in the exhilaration of the Nazi movement, however, exploited the momentum to establish her position within the Nazi movement for the time when Hitler would take power. Riefenstahl’s self-interested motives continue to be exposed during her direction of the award winning Triumph of the Will. From Riefenstahl’s first meeting with Hitler in 1932, she claimed she could not make his films because she needed â€Å"a very personal relationship with the subject matter. Otherwise she couldn’t be creative†. (Bach) Riefenstahl’s direction of Triumph of the Will would suggest that she did have that â€Å"personal relationship with the subject† which is supported by historian Susan Sontag,  arguing that â€Å"Riefenstahl was glorying Nazism not only from direction of her superiors but from her own personal fondness for the party and their ideals.† This explains why Riefenstahl acted so opportunistically to accept the project months in advance. Walter Traut, production manager on Triumph of the Will, also supports this idea in stating â€Å"Leni Riefenstahl was not ordered†¦ She asked to do this picture.â €  (Bach) Therefore, Riefenstahl used events for her own benefit. Riefenstahl exploited both Hitler and Goebbels in order to receive the huge budgets she demanded which is presented through her film of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Olympia, where she negotiated with Goebbels and the Propaganda Ministry to secure 1.5 million reichsmarks. Due to her bad book keeping and unnecessary expenditure she spent all of the money before production of the film had concluded. In attempts to secure more money, Riefenstahl exploited her ability to go directly to Hitler himself. She â€Å"wept unrestrainedly† to persuade him to give her an additional half a million reichsmarks. Therefore, this shows her using events for her own benefit by exploiting others around her, including the Fuhrer himself. Varying historians’ perspectives present Leni Riefenstahl in many ways. While many regard Riefenstahl a Nazi propagandist, an opportunist, others see Riefenstahl as a female pioneer, responsible for incredible cinematic innovation. Within her life there are many occasions where Riefenstahl showed opportunism in order to advance herself, while at other times such advancements were not within her control.

My First Morning At School

It was the 17th March 1997. My first day of school. I dragged myself out of bed at 7:30 am. I went to the toilet to wash my face, where I saw a big red spot on my forehead: that was the first sign of bad luck. I heard my mum coming out of her room:, â€Å"Are you ready for your big day?† â€Å"No†, I moaned anxiously, pretending to be sick. â€Å"You are going to school today, so don't even try it!†. My mum could see right through me, and knew I wasn't sick. I was really scared as I stepped through the front gates of what was about to be my new school, counting every step I took. My mum led me to the general office; we were 20 minutes late. I was really scared. I started to shake. My heart started beating twice as fast. I knew all of the children were already inside the classroom. They were going to watch every move I made. We were kept inside the office for about half an hour. Shortly after came a frightening old women with grey hair, who looked remarkably like Cinderella's step mother. She came in and said to my mother, â€Å"Are you Miss Omar?† â€Å"Yes†, my mum said, sounding like a robot boring and repetitive, a blank expression on her face. â€Å"Come follow me. Right this way,† the women said, very happily. My mum and I followed her as she led us to my new classroom. She opened the door really slowly, causing the old and rotten door to make a terrifying noise. This attracted all the students' attention. I was really embarrassed as I stood outside of the classroom. She went in and called the leading classroom teacher outside for a moment, to have a word with my mum. I was told to introduce my mother and myself, and teacher introduced herself; her name was Ms.Willis. I went inside the classroom with my teacher. Even though I was taller than most of them I felt as though I was surrounded by giants. Ms. Willis told everyone to sit on a nasty dirty carpet that had chewing gum all over it, which was at the back of the classroom, and told me to introduce myself to introduce myself to everyone. We were told to sit in alphabetical order: I was told to sit next to three girls. I was really nervous because they kept on looking at my forehead. I got really angry, and said, â€Å"Stop it!† in a really deep and angry voice. They were shocked and had puzzled expressions. My teacher came to me with a blank exercise book and a reading book, â€Å"Can you read?† I nodded my head knowing little of what she meant. â€Å"Read this book for me†, Ms. Willis said. I read the book with an awkward accent. She gave me the exercise book and told me to write my name, maths and 5W, because that was my class's name. It was 12:00 pm. My teacher shouted out, â€Å"Stop what you are doing and line up outside†. I followed everyone as they stopped and lined up outside, and stood at the back of the line. My teacher came out locked the door and led us to this big shiny stairwell. It was so clean and shiny you could see your reflection on the floor. I stepped inside the stairwell: it was reeking of expired food. Every step I took, the smell was getting worse and worse. We finally got inside the dinner hall. It was big: there were 14 long tables inside it. You would have to be quiet to get your lunch but my table was noisy so we didn't get to go first. We eventually got there I felt humiliated by the food the school was offering. It looked like food that was cooked yesterday. That was the final humiliation of the day.

Definition and Examples of Common Case in English

Definition and Examples of Common Case in English In English grammar, common case is the ordinary base form of a noun- such as a cat, moon, house. Nouns in English have only one case inflection: the possessive (or genitive). The case of nouns other than the possessive is regarded as the common case. (In English, the forms of the subjective [or nominative] case and the objective [or accusative] case are identical.) See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: CaseInflectionNotes on Nouns Examples and Observations The one thing that doesnt abide by majority rule is a persons conscience.(Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960)A mans character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.(Mark Twain)Peoples backyards are much more interesting than their front gardens, and houses that back on to railways are public benefactors.(John Betjeman)Common Case and Possessive CaseNouns such as man inflect not only for number but also for the distinction between genitive case and common case. The uninflected form man is in the common case. By contrast, in the mans hat, mans is said to be in the genitive (or possessive) case. The term case is a traditional term in the description of classical languages, where it is a topic of much greater complexity than it is in English. For instance, in Latin, there are as many as six different case distinctions for nouns. English nouns have very little variability of this kind; we must guard against attributing to English nouns as many ca ses as there are for Latin ones.(David J. Young, Introducing English Grammar. Hutchinson Education, 1984) The Vanished Case[A]ll nouns are said to be in the common case- the grammarians way of pronouncing them caseless. His common means that the one form serves every possible use- subject, object of verb, indirect object, object of preposition, predicate complement, appositive, vocative, and even interjection. The grammarian is in effect asserting that case, except as it survives vestigially in a few pronouns, has disappeared from English. . . .Common case describes nothing and analyzes nothing. But grammar is essentially analytic; it names things not for the fun of having a nomenclature but so as to understand the relations of working parts. One can analyze an English sentence without using the word case; what matters is to know that a given word is subject or object, and of what it is the one or the other.(Wilson Follett, Modern American Usage, revised by Erik Wensberg. Hill and Wang, 1998)

Hierakonpolis (Egypt) - Largest Predynastic Community in Egypt

Hierakonpolis (Egypt) - Largest Predynastic Community in Egypt Hierakonpolis (City of the Hawk and known anciently as Nekhen) is a large predynastic and later town site located 113 kilometers (70 miles) north of Aswan on a 1.5 km (.9 mi) stretch of the west bank of the Nile river in Upper Egypt. It is the largest pre- and proto-dynastic Egyptian site discovered to date. Hierakonpolis was first occupied at least as long ago as the Badarian period beginning about 4000 BC. The predynastic part of the site includes cemeteries, domestic areas, industrial zones and a ceremonial center, called prosaically HK29A. The city contained multiple complex settlements, with dwellings, temples, and cemeteries. Most of the Predynastic occupation of the site dates between about 3800 and 2890 BC, during the periods known as the Naqada I-III and the first dynasty of Old Kingdom Egypt. It reached its maximum size and importance during Naqada II (Naqada is sometimes spelled Nagada). Predynastic Chronology Terminal Predynastic (Naqada III or Proto-Dynastic) (ca 3300-3050 BC)Late Predynastic (Naqada II or Gerzean) (ca 3650-3300 BC)Middle Predynastic (Naqada I or Amratian) (ca 3900-3650 BC)Early Predynastic (Badarian) (ca 5000-3900 BC) Buildings at Hierakonpolis Perhaps the most famous building in Hierakonpolis is an elaborate Gerzean period tomb (3500-3200 BC), called the Painted Tomb. This tomb was cut into the ground, lined with adobe mud brick and its walls were then elaborately paintedit represents the earliest example of painted walls known to date in Egypt. On the tomb walls were painted images of Mesopotamian reed boats, attesting to Predynastic contacts with the eastern Mediterranean. The Painted Tomb likely represents the burial place of a proto-pharaoh. The more typical residential structures at Hierakonpolis are partly intact mudbrick-constructed pottery kilns and post/wattle-construction houses. One particular rectangular Amratian house excavated in the 1970s was built of posts with wattle and daub walls. This dwelling was small and semi-subterranean, measuring roughly 4x3.5 m (13x11.5 ft). Ritual Structure HK29A Discovered in the 1985-1989 excavations by Michael Hoffman, HK29A is a complex of rooms surrounding an oval open space, believed to represent a predynastic ceremonial center. This set of structures was renovated at least three times over its uselife during the Naqada II period. The central courtyard measures 45x13 m (148x43 ft) and was surrounded by a fence of substantial wooden posts, which was later augmented or replaced by mud-brick walls. A pillared hall and a tremendous number of animal bone suggests to researchers that feasting took place here; the associated refuse pits include evidence of a flint workshop and nearly 70,000 potsherds. Animals The wild animals found in and around HK29A include moslluscs, fish, reptiles (crocodile and turtle), birds, Dorcas gazelle, hare, small bovids (sheep, ibex and dama gazelle), hartebeest and aurochs, hippotamus, dogs and jackals. Domestic animals include cattle, sheep and goats, pigs, and donkeys. While ceremonial feasting almost certainly did occur within the halls of KH29A, Linseele et al. (2009) argue that the presence of large, dangerous and rare animals suggests a ritual or ceremonial presence as well. Additionally, healed fractures on some of the wild animal bone indicate they were held in captivity for a prolonged period after their capture. Cemetery at Locality 6 The Pre-dynastic cemetery at Locality 6 in Hierakonpolis contains not just Egyptians but a wide variety of animal burials, including wild anubis baboon, elephant, hartebeest, jungle cat (Felis chaus), wild donkey, leopard, crocodile, hippopotamus, auroch and ostrich, as well as domesticated donkey, sheep, goat, cattle, and cat. Many of the animal graves are near to or within larger tombs of the human elite of the early Naqada II period. Some were buried deliberately and carefully in their own graves either singly or groups of the same species. Single or multiple animal graves are found within the cemetery itself, but others are near architectural features of the cemetery, such as enclosure walls and funerary temples. More rarely, they are buried within a human tomb. Some of the other cemeteries at Hierakonpolis were used for burying elite personages between the Amratian through Protodynastic periods, a consistent use of almost 700 years. By about 2050 BC, during Egypts Middle Kingdom, a small community of Nubians (called C-Group culture in the archaeological literature) were residing at Hierakonpolis, and their descendants live there today. A C-Group cemetery at Locality HK27C is the northernmost physical presence of Nubian culture identified in Egypt to date. Excavated in the early 21st century, the cemetery has at least 60 known tombs, including a few mummified individuals, within an area measuring 40x25 m (130x82 ft). The cemetery shows distinctive architectural features of Nubian society: a stone or brick-ring around the burial shaft; the placement of of Egyptian and hand-made Nubian pottery above ground; and remnants of traditional Nubian dress, including jewelry, hairstyles, and fine colored and perforated leather garments. Nubian Cemetery The Nubians were enemies of the Middle Kingdom elite Egyptian power source: one of the puzzles is why they were living in the city of their enemy. Few signs of interpersonal violence are evident on the skeletons. Further, the Nubians were as well fed and healthy as the Egyptians living at Hierakonpolis, in fact both males and females were more physically fit than the Egyptians. Dental data supports this group as being from Nubia, although their material culture, like that of their home country, became Egyptianized over time. The HK27C cemetery was used between the early 11th Dynasty through the early 13th, with the most burials dated to the early 12th Dynasty, C-Group phases Ib-IIa. The cemetery is to the northwest of the rock-cut elite Egyptian burials. Hierakonpolis and Archaeology Hierakonpolis was first excavated in the 1970s and 1980s by the American Museum of Natural History and Vassar College under the direction of Walter Fairservis. An international team led by Renee Friedman has been working at the site, detailed in  Archaeology  magazines  Interactive Dig. The famous  Narmer palette  was found in the foundation of an ancient temple at Hierakonpolis, and is thought to have been a dedicatory offering. A life-sized hollow copper statue of Pepi I, the last ruler of the 6th Dynasty  Old Kingdom, was discovered buried beneath the floor of a chapel (Illustrated in the photo). Sources By all means, see the  Hierakonpolis project site  for detailed information about ongoing studies at the site. This article is part of the guide to the  Egyptian Predynastic period. Friedman R. 2009.  Hierakonpolis Locality HK29A: The Predynastic Ceremonial Center Revisited.  Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt  45:79-103. Friedman R, Judd M, and Irish JD. 2007. The Nubian cemetery at Hierarkonpolis, Egypt. Results of the 2007 Season.  Sudan Nubia: The Sudan Archaeological Research Society  11:57-72. Hoffman MA. 1980.  A Rectangular Amratian House from Hierakonpolis and Its Significance for Predynastic Research.  Journal of Near Eastern Studies  39(2):119-137. Irish JD, and Friedman R. 2010.  Dental affinities of the C-group inhabitants of Hierakonpolis, Egypt: Nubian, Egyptian, or both?  HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology  61(2):81-101. Linseele V, Van Neer W, and Friedman R. 2009.  Special Animals from a Special Place? The Fauna from HK29A at Predynastic Hierakonpolis.  Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt  45:105-136. Marinova E, Ryan P, Van Neer W, and Friedman R. 2013.  Animal dung from arid environments and archaeobotanical methodologies for its analysis: An example from animal burials of the Predynastic elite cemetery HK6 at Hierakonpolis, Egypt.  Environmental Archaeology  18(1):58-71. Van Neer W, Linseele V, Friedman R, and De Cupere B. 2014.  More evidence for cat taming at the Predynastic elite cemetery of Hierakonpolis (Upper Egypt).  Journal of Archaeological Science 45:103-111. Van Neer W, Udrescu M, Linseele V, De Cupere B, and Friedman R. in press.  Traumatism in the Wild Animals Kept and Offered at Predynastic Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt.  International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.

Fundamentals of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Fundamentals of Leadership - Essay Example This paper presents a report on the leadership within the BMW Group in relation to various models and theories of leadership. Joachim Milberg, BMW’ CEO is a pragmatic leader who has led the company to achieve the most successful period in its history. The Great Man theory of leadership is a characteristic quality of leaders whose qualities lead to a great positive transformation of a company or business organization. The description of the qualities of leadership by Northouse (2010), illustrates that it is through the good attributes of a leader that positive change is made possible. The changes which have been brought about by Milberg especially in car production and the significant increase in sales of the company’s brands apparently illustrates that he is a great leader. Milberg can also be described in relation to the trait theory of leadership because it is through his unique traits that have made him to be a successful leader in causing positive change within the company. Milberg’s leadership traits demonstrate that he is a sensible leader who is also level headed in making leade rship decisions. It can be argued that the special traits of this leader are inherited because they are explicit and unique when compared with the previous CEO as demonstrated by his excellent performance as the CEO of BMW Group. As a result of his god leadership traits, Milberg is very respected by all members of the BMW Group. The participative theory of leadership is described by Northouse (2010) as the kind of leadership style which gives due consideration of the opinions and needs of those who are led in reaching decisions. Milberg’s leadership in the company encourages democratic or team leadership in which the management gives the employees a chance to give their views and ideas on various project issues before reaching the final decision. Therefore the company’s CEO engages the company in participative leadership. Seminars and workshops are held in the

The rewards of living a solitary life by May sarton Research Paper

The rewards of living a solitary life by May sarton - Research Paper Example She notes that the man shockingly discovered that he could enjoy himself alone just as much as he would have been in the company of people (Pike and Acosta). In retrospect, Sarton wonders what the man had been afraid of all along. Nevertheless, having found himself alone, Sarton observes that the man is on the brink of adventure to explore himself and to launch himself into his own inner space. She likens the experience to that of an astronaut in outer space. She posits that the new experience will bring to him freshness that would seem original in the beginning. Moreover, she interjects that anyone able to see for himself using his naked eye becomes a genius for a moment or two. On the other hand, when our perception is influenced by other people’s ideas, the original impact becomes diffused or gets lost (Pike and Acosta). One may ask, are we alone or do we exist as a single cell in a population of a billion other cells in the universe? We may argue that it all depends on what life one chooses to live and what benefits one the most. May Sarton opines that solitude is the salt that flavors personhood. Arguably, solitude helps one discover himself or herself away from the interferences accrued from interacting with other people. She retorts that being alone does not necessarily mean that one is lonely. Furthermore, people do feel lonely even in the company of others. She observes that people feel lonely in the company of their lovers and others because people suffer from their differences in taste , mood and temperament. Human interaction demands that people soften their perception and withdraw at the fear of hurt. However, being alone enables one to explore oneself wholly at whatever place, whichever time (Pike and Acosta). Quite a fascinating luxury, if I may add! May Sarton provides a description of her life and apparently her schedule throughout the day. It