Saturday, January 18, 2020
Is Mathilde Loisel in The Necklace a Sympathetic Character
Mathilde Loisel is not a sympathetic character in ââ¬Å"The Necklaceâ⬠because of her materialistic and selfish motives. She is not just poor financially but also in character. She is always dissatisfied with her life. Nice clothes, expensive jewelry, a beautiful house, more furniture and rich friends are the only things she loves in her life. Moreover, she is not a sympathetic character because she disrespects her loving husband. In spite of having a kind, generous, loyal and hard working husband she never stops complaining about him. Mr. Loisel works hard in the evening and sometimes at night as well in order make their life easier. Yet, Mathilde is self-centered and never realizes the problems her husband has to go through to ensure her happiness. Mr. Loisel expects his wife to be thrilled when he gives her invitation to the Ministryââ¬â¢s party. Instead, she throws the invitation in his face for not having a suitable dress and jewelry for the function. He buys her a dress with the money he has saved for a gun. Also after the party, he goes to look for the lost necklace at four in the morning and spends his ten years to pay the debt incurred by a lost necklace. He does everything possible to fulfill her demands and to make her happy. But she didnââ¬â¢t feel his love and devotion for her. Also, in the other way she is too proud because she doesnââ¬â¢t tell Madame Forestier about the lost necklace at first. Because of Mathildeââ¬â¢s greed and pride she and her husband have to spend a miserable life. Therefore, the reader should not feel any pity for her.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Marketing Management Case Analysis Essay
Marketing Management Case Analysis Subwayà ® Sandwich Shops Abstract Subwayà ® Sandwich Shops was founded in 1965, and has been franchised into the hearts and stomachs of families all around the world. This highly successful sandwich shop was the dream of high-school graduate Fred DeLuca. Premium1113 Words5 Pages Benefits of Strategic Management ââ¬Å"Research has revealed that organisations that engage in strategic management generally out-perform those that do notâ⬠The connotation of the ancient Greek word ââ¬Å"strategosâ⬠, in its various grammatical forms, implies meaning of skilful manoeuvouring leading to achieving a highly crucial position o Premium2985 Words12 Pages Strategic Management and Policy Case Study of Harley-Davidson Inc Strategic Management and Policy Case Study of Harley-Davidson, Inc. August 19, 2006 Introduction In 1903, a legendary motorcycle company was formed when William S. Harley and the Davidson brothers, William D., Arthur and Walter, handcrafted their first three motorcycles. In 1909, Harley-Davi Premium3037 Words13 Pages Strategic Management APPLIED SUMMARY PAPER STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PREPARED BY RICHARD JOHN Motivational Concepts. The New York City Transit Authority being a public benefit company cannot give economic rewards, for example bonuses, profit sharing, stocks, to motivate its employees, it instead uses being employed by Premium3023 Words13 Pages Strategic Management Strategic Management Introduction To deal effectively with the wide array of factors affecting the ability of a business to grow and prosper, managers need advanced processes they feel will facilitate the optimal positioning of the business in its competitive environment. Such positioning is possi Premium3433 Words14 Pages Taking Sides Case Analysis One Ãâ" Avon Products, Inc.: This paper will discuss and argue Avonââ¬â¢s position on whether the grand strategy, under the leadership of Andrea Jung has its merits and if the grand strategy is properly focused and directed. In addition, discuss and argue the position if the grand strategy of Jung is not optimal and needs to be re Premium816 Words4 Pages How to Write Case Analysis What Is Case Study Analysis? A case study presents an account of what happened to a business or industry over a number of years. It chronicles the events that managers had to deal with, such as changes in the competitive environment, and charts the managersââ¬â¢ response, which usually involved changin Premium5530 Words23 Pages Case Analysis of Citigroup Citigroup Case Analysis The purpose of this paper is to debate the pros and cons of Citigroupââ¬â¢s entry into the Chinese financial market and their ability to adapt to this foreign culture. Team B debated both sides of the case with strong arguments for and against Citigroupââ¬â¢s ability to adapt. The Premium1140 Words5 Pages Starbucks Case Analysis Starbucks Case Analysis ââ¬Å"Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.â⬠Starbucks began with Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Gordon Bowker in Seattle, Washington in 1971. At that time they called it S Premium1171 Words5 Pages Taking Side Case Analysis Starbucks Taking Sides: Starbucks Case Analysis Today, when people say ââ¬Å"Wake up and smell the coffeeâ⬠they are not talking about home made coffee. They are actually talking Starbucks, the worldââ¬â¢s #1 specialty coffee retailer, because it is located everywhere. Starbucks was founded by Howard Schultz in 1985 Premium1094 Words5 Pages Global Strategic Management Global Strategic Management Gwendolyn Yaple MGT485-0601A-02-IP Unit 1 Dr. Jack Aschkenazi January 7, 2006 The most important problem facing the Wallace Group is the micromanagement of the organizations by the CEO Harold Wallace (Wheelen and Hunger 2006 p. 2-1-2-10.) The Wallace Group Premium672 Words3 Pages By Comparison with the Other Factors, Evaluate How Important Stakeholders Are in Strategic Management. The first intention of this paper is to give a clear understanding of key terms used throughout, helping illustrate their meanings and importance. Strategy: Johnson et al (2005, p9) argues, ââ¬Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves an advantage in Premium2690 Words11 Pages What Is the Relevance of the Research-Based View of the Firm to Strategic Management in a Global Environment? What is the relevance of the resource-based view of the firm to strategic management in a global environment? The relevance of the resource-based view of the firm to strategic management in a global environment is the idea that it permits the organization to be seen as a whole. In doing so, the Premium466 Words2 Pages Verizon Communications, Inc. Case Analysis Verizon Communications, Inc. has many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as an organization. This case analysis will highlight the top three for each category and provide a rational for each factor. The SWOT analysis will serve as a tool for identifying alternative strategies for th Premium1863 Words8 Pages Strategic Management Chapter 1- Strategic management, creating competitive advantage Strategic management consists of the analysis, decisions and actions of an organisation in order to create and sustain competitive advantage. 2 main elements of strategy i.ongoing process of analysis, decisions and actions ii.t Premium2004 Words9 Pages Strategic Management Paper1 Contents Question 1Porterââ¬â¢s generic strategies Page 3 Question 2Components of a vision and mission statement Page 5 Question 3Alternative strategies Page 10 Question 4Value chain analysis, different functions of management Page 14 Question 5Value of resources, the resource b Premium4974 Words20 Pages Strategic Management Guajilote was founded in 1991 as an attempt to develop La Muralla National Park. Guajilote Cooperativo was given the right to develop naturally fallen mahogany trees in La Murallaââ¬â¢s buffer zone. People were allowed to live and work within this buffer zone. In 1998, Guajilote started facing major Premium2152 Words9 Pages How to Write a Case Analysis *Once youââ¬â¢ve completed this worksheet, the information from it needs to be condensed into about a 2-page summary for the written case analyses. 1.What is the companyââ¬â¢s mission? Is it a good mission statement? 2.What is the essential company background information? 3.What environmental forces a Premium1008 Words5 Pages Strategic Management and Planning Strategic Planning and Management Development Throughout the business industry the people who are most associated with the business process has found strategic planning and management development ââ¬Å"requires constant shifting back and forth between long-run and short-run thinkingâ⬠(Dess and Miller, Premium3174 Words13 Pages Strategic Management and Business Policy Read ââ¬Å"The Wallace Group,â⬠Case 2 in your text (pages2-1 through 2-10, Appendix 15a) After review, write a 2 to 3 page response to the following question: 1.What is the most important problem facing the Wallace Group? 2.What recommendation(s) would you make to Mr. Wallace, and in what order of prior Premium1342 Words6 Pages
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Oedipus As A Tragic Hero - 1724 Words
In the story of Oedipus, Oedipus is considered a ââ¬Å"Tragic Heroâ⬠because of the tragic fate and effect that he had upon his life. My definition of a tragedy is a great loss that has a unhappy ending to which concluded me to state that Oedipus falls under that category. Throughout the book, Oedipus is leading himself to his own destruction when trying to find the killer of the late King Laios. So when a journal article I found published by The John Hopkins University Press stated that a ââ¬Å"tragic hero is a man who fails to attain happiness, and fails in such a way that his career excites, not blame, but fear and pity in the highest degreeâ⬠( Barstow, Marjorie.) there was no doubt in my mind that the story Oedipus fell under the category. In myâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Oedipus is an act first, think later type of king who sees but only one way is the right way, and that is his way. In the story the readers can see that Oedipus intentions are pure. When he said ââ¬Å"Then Iââ¬â¢ll go back, start fresh, and light up that darkness, Apollo was exactly right, and so were you, to turn our minds back to the murdered man. Itââ¬â¢s time I joined your search for vengeance; our country and the god deserves no less.â⬠(Sophocles) You can see that he is trying to do whatââ¬â¢s best for his people and the gods. Along the way however, he lost his path when he began to let his thoughts and emotions cloud his judgement, to the point where he began to obsess over it. Martin Revermann once stated that ââ¬Å"Sophocles choice of making Apollo physically manifest and omnipresent on stage heightens the uncanny feeling of divine machinations as the driving force behind Oedipus s fate. Conversely, it helps to underline the notion of human autonomy in the face of (literally, given the presenceShow MoreRelatedOedipus As A Tragic Hero1506 Words à |à 7 PagesA true hero does not merely wear a cape, but this individual possesses admirable characteristics. A hero inspires the people around him and he is honorable. Heroes influential individuals from fairytale stories and myths of a real-life hero. Yet, none of these influential people are perfect. The tragic hero is clearly defined by Aristotle as being a person of admirable character, yet completely human with noticeable flaws. Moreover, this individu al is not exempt from suffering. In Sophoclesââ¬â¢ tragicRead MoreOedipus-a Tragic Hero706 Words à |à 3 PagesRunning head: Oedipus-A Tragic Hero Research Paper ENGL 102: Literature and Composition) Fall 2015 Melinda Meeds L26683811 APA Outline Thesis: In Sophoclesââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"Oedipusâ⬠, Oedipus is exemplified as a tragic hero according to Aristotleââ¬â¢s definition because his story appeals to the readerââ¬â¢s humanity in the way he maintains his strengths after inadvertently causing his own downfall. I. Oedipus A. The noble birth. B. Describe Oedipusââ¬â¢ character. II. Tragedy A. DescribeRead MoreIs Oedipus A Tragic Hero?1167 Words à |à 5 Pages2014 Is Oedipus a tragic hero? Aristotle, Ancient Greek philosopher whom did a lot of philosophizing, he believed in a logical reality. Aristotleââ¬â¢s objective was to come up with a universal process of reasoning that would allow man to learn every imaginable thing about reality. The initial process involved describing objects based on their characteristics, states of being and actions. Aristotle once said A man doesn t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfallâ⬠. Oedipus was a mythicalRead MoreOedipus the Tragic Hero1390 Words à |à 6 PagesOedipus; The Tragic Hero In the Fourth Century BC, a famous philosopher named Aristotle wrote about the qualities that a tragic hero must possess. Ever since that time, there have been many examples of tragic heroes in literature. None of those characters, however, display the tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus, the main character from the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus is, without a doubt, the absolute quintessence of a tragic hero. His example shines as clear as a sunny summerRead MoreOedipus, A Tragic Hero1648 Words à |à 7 Pages Oedipus, a Tragic Hero Bob Livingston Liberty University Ã¢â¬Æ' Sophocles presented the world with Oedipus around 2500 years ago. Never-the-less, the story remains among the most riveting of all time. He was, in fact, a man that was driven by a very high internal moral standard. It was that internal moral standard that ultimately entwined him in a sequence of events and circumstances that placed him in the spousal relationship with his mother. Oedipus, in fact, can truly be regarded as a tragic heroRead MoreOedipus a Tragic Hero1516 Words à |à 7 PagesOedipus A Tragic Hero English 102 Literature and Composition Summer B 2011 Terry Garofolo 22816762 APA Sophocles presented the world with Oedipus around 2500 years ago. Never-the-less, the story remains among the most riveting of all time. Unfortunately, today when we hear the mention of the name Oedipus we place negative connotations around it. Oedipus, after all, had an unnatural sexual relationship with his own mother! In actuality, however, this relationship emerged entirely innocentlyRead MoreOedipus As A Tragic Hero1094 Words à |à 5 PagesIn the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus struggles to accept the truth and lets his temper over power him. He can be displayed as a tragic hero. His refusal to accept the truth led to Oedipusââ¬â¢ down fall. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, ââ¬Å"is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.â⬠Sophoclesââ¬â¢ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotleââ¬â¢s definition of a tragic hero. In the play, Oedipus unknowingly has cursed the entire town of Thebes. He was cursedRead MoreOedipus, a Tragic Hero?2158 Words à |à 9 PagesOedipus, a Tragic Hero? Elizabeth Howell English 102- B33 Professor Katie Robinson Liberty University October 12, 2012 Oedipus, a Tragic Hero? Thesis: Using Aristotleââ¬â¢s five different descriptions of a tragic hero, we will show that Oedipus in Oedipus the King is in fact a tragic hero and how his decisions led to his downfall. Outline: I. Introduction and Thesis Statement II. Is the character of noble birth? A. King of Thebes B. Real father was king III. Though the tragic heroRead MoreOedipus, A Tragic Hero1832 Words à |à 8 Pagesmany others will likely fade away. Oedipus Rex is a tragic tale set in Ancient Greece. Greek thinker, Aristotle, said there were certain elements that would make a person qualified as a ââ¬Å"tragic hero.â⬠(Adade-Ywboah, Ahenkora Amankwah, 2012). We think of heroes being larger than life, possessing impeccable honor, integrity, strong leadership and having the higher moral ground. However, tragic heroes are different; they are imperfect and will inevitably face a tragic downfall. Per Aristotle, there areRead MoreOedipus the Tragic Hero754 Words à |à 4 PagesIn the play Oedipus the King we identify the classic tragic hero. The character Oedipus Rex plays the role of the tragic hero perfectly. He shows the three main characteristics being talented and of noble birth, possessing a tragic flaw that causes the downfall and pain of everyone, and the recognition of responsibility. Oedipusââ¬â¢s first characteristic of being a tragic hero is being talented and of noble birth. Oedipus was talented because during his journey to runaway form his curse, the oracle
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Should Animals Be Used For Medical Research - 1872 Words
Should animals be used in medical research? Should animals be used in medical research? Some people say that after so many historical experiences, this is beyond dispute, but I think this is the opposite. With the medicine science and technology developed, the uses of animals in experiments are become more controversial. With the technologies developed, human beings become more powerful and the intention to protect other creatures will be stronger and stronger. In fact, most of the time, some medical researchers are often said to be cruel by those people who want protect the animals. The mainly reason is that the medical researchers make the medical progress at the cost of sacrificing animals. Some people hold the idea that we can replace the method of animal experiments, such as use the method of design model from the molecular level. For example, in the treatment of some serious illness, using animal experiment has missed a lot of treatment. If we modified the illness in molecular level, some diseases can be cured. From the point view of medical researchers, animals used in medical research cannot be replaced. Even if there are really a lot of alternatives to replaced animal testing method, from the medical point of view, these methods can seldom be used for tremendous application. First of all, how can we make people trust the new method? Then, even if the computer can make the experimental model, the final tests still need living body. Without the living body, how doShow MoreRelatedShould Animals Be Used For Medical Science Research?1321 Words à |à 6 PagesIs the use of animals in medical science research justified? Should this be permitted? Why is it allowed that animals have to suffer so a human can use Windex or wear makeup? An estimated 26 million animals are used every year in the United States for scientific and commercial testing. Animal research testing is unnecessary to advance medical research any further. At one time when technology was not caught up with the rest of the world, it may have been useful because without animal testing, productsRead MoreWhy Should Animals Be Used For Medical Research?1520 Words à |à 7 Pages Why should animals be used for medical research? Is it because some animals are similar to humans probably. Even though animals have rights they should still be used for experiments because if scientist experiment on humans and something go wrong they could kill that human being. That is why animals should be used for medical research because they have different blood type and cells from us. Something that can easily kill us might not kill an animal, so with that they can find a way to cure theRead MoreShould Animals Be Used For Product Or Medical Research?767 Words à |à 4 PagesThatââ¬â¢s what animals go through almost everyday. Animal medical research and animal testing has been going on for years and years and needs to be stopped immediately. They have lives just like us and are being treated like their nothing. Animals should not be used for product or medical research. To begin with, the behaviors of animals has become violent because of animal research. A 2013 poll showed that two thirds of respondents oppose testing cosmetics and other consumer products on animals. (ââ¬Å"Is animalRead More An Ethical Dilemma Essay1660 Words à |à 7 Pagesprofessor at the University of Westminster, ââ¬Å"animal testing, or animal research, refers to the use of animals in experiments within academic, research, or commercial establishmentsâ⬠(Christopher, 269). Sounds simple enough, but Swami does not mention how this testing affects the animals or why this is such a controversial issue among the public. M.J. Prescott, from the National Center for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animal Research, makes a very good point when he says that: Read MoreEssay on Animal Research Bill655 Words à |à 3 Pages Animal Testing Bill Section One: This bill will set rules to any make-up company creating cosmetic products for humans. Companies who create the make-up must have the product tested on animals before testing on humans. Section Two: Congress hereby finds and declares that cosmetics has been flawed because of itââ¬â¢s lack of sufficient research. In order to fulfill an efficient research (synonym), cosmetic companies should undergo animal testing. Products created by the company should firstRead MoreEssay about We Must Search for Alternatives to Animal Testing1223 Words à |à 5 Pagesthanks to animal research but is animal research always beneficial? ââ¬Å"Treat others as you would want to be treated,â⬠is what the Golden Rule has taught us for many years. Should we not treat animals the same way we want to be treated in return? The topic of animals being used in medical research has been controversial for many years. One side of the argument says that using animals is the only way to safely test a product before it reaches the public, but others say alternatives should be pursuedRead MoreHow Do The Contributions Of Animal Testing To Global Medical1309 Words à |à 6 Pagescontributions of animal te sting to global medical science justify whether or not it should be banned? According to the Humane Society International (HSI), animal testing or animal experimentation for medical research refers to the experimentation on live animals for the purposes of investigation on diseases, medical treatments, or fundamental biology. Charles Gross, a former member of the History of Neuroscience committee of the global Society for Neuroscience, states that animals were used for improvingRead MoreShould We Use Animals For Medical Research?1503 Words à |à 7 PagesThe use of animals in medical research has been a trend for decades. Animals have been an integral part in scientific experiments. They have also proved to be a trustworthy and effective model in the experimentation process, which is how many medicines and treatments for diseases were developed. Most life threatening diseases are now curable because of successful animal experiments. Moreover, not only human beings, but also animals benefit from these experiments. Although there are several usefulRead MoreSh ould We Use Animals For Experiments?1335 Words à |à 6 PagesAdvance in Medical Science Is a Must For years, people think of using animals for an experiment is an awful thing to do. It may seem to be disturbed to some people, but it helped medical researchers to figure out and create new medicines to cure the illnesses that have not a cure yet. How could animals help us with the experiment? If we cannot use animals, then what or who could replace them? Should we use humans for experiments? Until now, people still argue whether we should stop using animals for experimentsRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned Essay1632 Words à |à 7 Pages Animal Testing Should Be Banned Throughout the decades, animals have been used in medical research to test the safety of cosmetics including makeup, hair products, soaps, perfume, and countless of other products. Animals have also been used to test antibiotics and other medicines to eliminate any potential risks that they could cause to humans. The number of animals worldwide that are used in laboratory experiments yearly exceeds 115 million animals. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
How Advertisements Make A Company Better - 741 Words
Art and Copy is a documentary all about advertising and marketing. This documentary shows the transformation and advancement of all things advertising. It also shows the specific changes in the development of advertising. This documentary does a great job in showing the advertising side, but not what that advertising can make people do. The documentary was filmed in 2009, and directed by Doug Pray who is also known for his documentary films about American subcultures. This Documentary shows the behind the scenes of major advertising companies. fawefagwaerwwer There were many different questions asked in this documentary. One of the biggest questions that were asked multiple times was what are the effects of advertisements. How canâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬Å"Also 75% of global satellite services revenue came from television.â⬠That means that three fourths of revenue for satellites came from viewers watching tv. ââ¬Å"70% of all United States broadcasting revenue comes from ads.â⬠So anytime a company pays to air their ad the money goes towards broadcasting. Companies now a days can spend upwards to thirty three million dollars on their own advertisements. In the 1970ââ¬â¢s, the average city dweller received about one thousand advertisings messages everyday, whether that is on the television, on the radio, or billboards and signs on the streets. This film presents ideas quite fairly. The reason it is fair because it is coming straight from some of the biggest names in advertising. It is not just one company either. Different names in different companies came together to make this. However this documentary could be viewed as biased. It could be viewed as biased because one does get to only see one side of the business for most of the documentary. It shows all the big names on one side of advertising, but you do not really get to see the other side of advertisement, which is the consumer. The consumer plays one of the biggest roles in advertisement. They are the ones that buy the product. Where work forces are many times predominately male, it was good to see that women were key in the beginning of big businesses like these. The other side that this film does not show is the negative
Monday, December 9, 2019
Effects of Acid Rain on Water Essay Example For Students
Effects of Acid Rain on Water Essay The effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in the aquatic, or water, environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes. Acid rain flows to streams, lakes, and marshes after falling on forests, fields, buildings, and roads. Acid rain also falls directly on aquatic habitats. Most lakes and streams have a pH between 6 and 8. However, some lakes are naturally acidic even without the effects of acid rain. Lakes and streams become acidic (pH value goes down) when the water itself and its surrounding soil cannot buffer the acid rain enough to neutralize it. In areas like the Northeastern United States where soil buffering is poor, some lakes now have a pH value of less than 5. One of the most acidic lakes reported is Little Echo Pond in Franklin, New York. Little Echo Pond has a pH of 4.2. Lakes and streams in the western United States are usually not acidic. Because of differences in emissions and wind patterns, levels of acid deposition are generally lower in the western United States than in the eastern United States. Generally, the young of most species are more sensitive than adults. Frogs may tolerate relatively high levels of acidity, but if they eat insects like the mayfly, they may be affected because part of their food supply may disappear. As lakes and streams become more acidic, the numbers and types of fish and other aquatic plants and animals that live in these waters decrease. Some types of plants and animals are able to tolerate acidic waters. Others, however, are acid-sensitive and will be lost as the pH declines. Some acid lakes have no fish. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower pH levels, some adult fish die. Toxic substances like aluminum that wash into the water from the soil may also kill fish. Together, biological organisms and the environment in which they live are called an ecosystem. The plants and animals living within an ecosystem are highly interdependent. For example, fish eat other fish and also other plants and animals that live in the lake or stream. If acid rain causes the loss of acid-sensitive plants and animals, then fish that rely on these organisms for food may also be affected.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Why Microsoft Is A Monopoly Essays - MSN, Internet Explorer
Why Microsoft Is A Monopoly Through a combination of tactics that many people would consider monopolistic Microsoft is now involved in almost every aspect of the computer and computer-related telecommunications markets and is emerging as a major player in Internet commerce and on-line media ventures. As of March 1997, 87% of all the software developers were actually developing the Windows bit 32 platform, which is the operating system for Microsoft. Fifty three percent of 2.4 million US Professional developers use Microsoft's visual basic program as their primary development language(1) Microsoft is playing an increasing role in their technical education, forging commercial partnerships with both commercial and academic training institutions. Microsoft's Internet Explorer desktop browser has overtaken Netscape's software for navigating the Internet. Microsoft also has made many alliances with banks and its financial software, Money and Personal Investor, along with its financial server software, Microsoft is emerging as a key player in shaping the on-line financial transaction system of the future. Its ownership of the Microsoft Network(MSN) and its partnership with NBC, which has created MSNBC venture has given Microsoft strong distribution outlets for its emerging range of media content. Its investment in Dreamworks gives it a position in Hollywood movie and music production that can be assembled into its on-line ventures involving interactive multimedia as computers and television combine in coming years. Also Microsoft is working to control the way people connect to the Internet from work and home. Its $425 million purchase of WebTV gives it control of a major avenue for non-PC internet access. Its $1 billion investment in the cable company Comcast and proposed investments in US West cable now make it a major player in designing standards for accessing the Internet over cable. Microsoft's Bill Gates is in partnership in a $9 billion venture to create a low-orbit satellite system called Teledesic that could give high-speed Internet access to anyone anywhere in the world, an investment supported by the US government through a massive free giveaway of radio spectrum to the company. Microsoft has used that financial clout consistently over the last few years to acquire companies and their software and human assets, while sealing financial alliances with a range of partners. While many of the financial details have not been made public, Microsoft spent an estimated $1.5 billion between 1994 and 1996 on acquisitions.(3) Microsoft has purchased many companies buying or investing in over twenty companies in 1996 alone. Its investment have not only been with the $1.5 billion spent on WebTV and Comcast, the $150 million invested in Apple, and the hundreds of millions invested in additional Internet-related companies, including its key investments in audio and video streaming. It has been acquiring key strategic technologies at a rate of over one per month. Surprisingly Microsoft is not at the peak of an industry's size but at an early stage in markets that are expected to explode in the next decade. If unchecked, there is a real possibility of Microsoft becoming a fin ancial and technological mountain dominating more markets and industries than any monopoly has ever dominated. The nature of high technology makes each individual market linked to other markets through a combination of software standards, training skills, development tools and physical architecture that must all be able to work in combination. The key to the economics of networked technology is that products and markets do not stand alone in these high-technology markets but instead reinforce one path of innovation versus any alternative path. An operating system attracts software developed around that operating system, which discourages new competition since any alternative faces not only the challenge of creating a better operating system but competing against a while array of already existing software applications. Businesses train employees in one technology and are reluctant to abandon that investment in training, while the existence of a pool of people trained in that technology encourages other businesses to adopt that technology. And as desktop software has to be able to work with client-server networks and an array of other technologies, it becomes nearly impossible to abandon an established set of technology standards that tie those different parts together. These so-called ?network effects? give an incredible an ti-competitive edge to companies like Microsoft that
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