Viacom Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Viacom formed when FCC rules had forced CBS to spin off some of its cable TV and program operations, this happened in 1971. Viacom then buys WAST-TV in 1979, in 1985 Blockbuster Video is founded, in 1981 the NAI buys majority interest ( Sumner Redstone owns this), in 1994 Viacom announces multi-transponder, multi-satellite agreement with PanAmSat. Also in 1994 Viacom and Paramount announces 8.4 billion dollar merger, Viacom then sells its 33% share of Lifetime. In 1995 Viacom spins off its cable systems for Tele-communications, in 1999 Viacom bought CBS for 50 billion dollars. There are other acquisitions and selling’s through which Viacom became so large, but I did not include every little thing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sumner M. Redstone has been chairperson since 1987, he did not become CEO of the company until 1996. However, Mel Karmazin became president and CEO of Viacom in May 2000. He was previously the president of CBS and he oversees all the operations of the corporation. He joined CBS in 1997 where he was chairperson and CEO and when Infinity merged with CBS radio he was chairperson there from 1981, until Infinity became a full subsidiary of Viacom in Feb. 2001.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Viacom is a leading global media company, with many positions in broadcasting cable, television, radio, outdoor advertising, and online. With programming it appeals to audiences in every category across all media, the company is a leader in the creation, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, music, and comedy. Viacom’s well known brands include CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, VH1, BET, Paramount Pictures, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, UPN, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, and Showtime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the Broadcast and Cable Television that were by Viacom are some of the following: CBS Television Network is the Number one most watched network with more than two hundred stations providing viewers with some of the nation’s best entertainment, news and sports programming. Popular programs include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Everybody Loves Raymond, Survivor, the Late Show with David Letterman and 60 Minutes. Sports stations however, include the NFL and the NCAA Basketball Championship. Daytime drama The Young and The Restless leads a daytime pr... ... however promise by Viacom itself. The $50 billion merger between Viacom and CBS Corporation was completed in May 2000. Viacom is now the second largest media worldwide after AOL Time Warner, with 1999 sales of over $12 billion. The CBS-Viacom merger creates the second largest media conglomerate, controlling more TV and radio stations than any other and the feature of the announced takeover of CBS by Viacom was how little public attention it attracted. There the deal was announced by Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone and CBS President, Viacom now has its eye on synergy, one of the world's largest media companies in the world. Viacom spans movies, television, radio, the internet, and it owns BET (Black Entertainment Television), CBS, Paramount Pictures, the United Paramount Network (UPN), MTV.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, Viacom productions is used everywhere in the world today, many of it’s business are dealt with motion pictures, broadcast television, cable television, radio and outdoor, retail and recreation, publishing, online, and many other things around us. Viacom is one of the best programs I think we have as far as the TV programs much more.

Socrates - Definitions of Piety Essay -- Socrates Plato Philosophy

Socrates - Definitions of Piety   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Periclean age (around 400 B.C.) in Athens Greece there was a man named Socrates. He was considered a very wise man by the Athenians. However there were men in power who did not care for him or his teachings; Claiming that he corrupted the Athenian youth and did not believe in the Greek gods, Socrates was put on trail. On his way to his trial Socrates met a man named Euthyphro, a professional priest who is respected by the "authorities" (those who want get rid of Socrates). Euthyphro is at the court house to prosecute his father for murder. Socrates finds this to be interesting. If Euthyphro can properly explain why he is prosecuting his father for murder Socrates might have an understanding of piety. This would help Socrates to defend himself, for the prosecutors know and think highly of Euthyphro. Socrates could then draw parallels between himself and Euthyphro, who the citizens' highly respect, thus bringing him respect, and freedom. This is where Socrates begins his dialogue with Euthyphro seeking the definition of piety. Socrates wants Euthyphro to teach him the meaning of piety since Euthyphro considers himself an authority on the subject. In this dialogue Euthyphro gives Socrates four different definitions of what he believes piety is, none of which prove satisfactory to Socrates, leaving the question unanswered in the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first definition that Euthyphro provides to Socrates is that "the ..

Opposing Viewpoints- Vegetarianism Essay

When it comes to viewpoints there will always be an opposing side. You must develop your strongly focused opinion with examples and/or reasons. In order for a reader to accept your side you must use clear, powerful, and direct language to really capture them. Express your opinion clearly, and then base it on factual, researched or first-hand information. Hard facts and first-hand experience are so convincing to readers. The way to convince your audience to accept your opinion is through the combination of ethos, logos, and pathos appeals. These appeals are required for successfully appealing to the average reader and getting your point across in the most effective way possible. The vegetarianism lifestyle can be adopted for many different reasons. Aside from the main decision of preventing the cruel treatment of animals, many people choose this lifestyle for health reasons. Winston Craig supports this reasoning in his essay â€Å"Plant-Based Diets Provide Many Health Benefits,† while Ben Kim argues that this kind of diet causes many health problems in â€Å"A Strict Vegetarian Diet Is Unhealthy for Most People.† Their opinions, supported by facts, makes each case convincing. The credibility of these writers and their sources make for a great ethos appeal. Both writers are creditable given that Craig is a professor of nutrition at Andrews University and Kim as a chiropractor having first-hand experience with once being a vegetarian. Craig refers to specific studies and scientific literature to rest his case. While Kim uses his personal experience with vegetarianism. Kim also spent time interviewing someone that was a part of an organization that promotes vegetarianism instead of capitalizing on hard facts. In this aspect Craig was definitely more convincing. As telling as first-hand experience is, when it comes to health each individual is different. Just because Kim experienced these health problems doesn’t necessarily mean every vegetarian will. Kim didn’t use statistics as proof and that really weakened his viewpoint. Another weaknesses in Kim’s argument is that the organization he spent time interviewing was more focused on the prevention of cruel animal treatment instead of human health. Kim should have added just a few statistics to strengthen his standpoint and ethos appeal. Both Craig and Kim use logos as their strongest persuasion device. Craig captures readers by presenting hard facts with percents and numbers. He states that the vegetarian life-style is consistently associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels along with less obesity and heart disease. Craig also refers to studies that prove vegetarians have one-half the risk of cancer and have a 35-44 percent lower risk of overall mortality. This information triples as a logos, pathos, and ethos appeal. This shows Craig’s credibility, its completely logical, and it even gets to the readers emotions a little by making them think about their own diet and how the should improve it and lengthen their own lives by doing so. Craig presents more hard facts such as, â€Å"The total direct medical costs in the United States attributable to meat consumption were estimated to be $30-60 billion a year, based upon the higher prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gall stones, obesity and food-borne illness among omnivores compared with vegetarians†(Craig). That’s a good point that you wouldn’t necessarily think about. Kim states, â€Å"My experiences with my own body and in providing health care to many people over the years have led me to believe that a long term, strict vegetarian diet is likely to lead to the development of nutritional deficiencies and significant health problems for most people.† This sounds reasonable with protein as a necessity the lack of meat would have to have an effect on the human body. He is a chiropractor and maybe he has seen patients with significant health problems from their vegetarian diet, but he didn’t mention anything specific just that he has â€Å"had experience.† Craig mentions dry beans and lentils as great alternatives to meat that will prevent these nutrition deficiencies. Overall Kim’s use of logos appeal could use some work. Another devise they both use to strengthen their stance is pathos. The authors use this device to attract the readers emotions. Kim brings up the cruel treatment of animals raised for food. It is understandable that he was trying to get the readers emotions going here, but honestly it is quite off topic. His point was to inform his audience how vegetarianism is actually not the healthiest choice. He brings up another point that the long term affects are what you have to watch out for. That is a good example of  pathos, the readers don’t want to hear that their eating habits will seriously affect them in the long run. Craig’s use of pathos comes in when he mentioned that over two hundred studies have proved that vegetarians have one-half the risk of cancer. The topic of cancer always pulls on heart strings. Just about everyone knows someone that has been affected by cancer. Both authors mention some information that they know will get an emotion response out of their audience. While both authors discuss the same topic, their valid viewpoints differ. In the end, Craig more successfully convinced his readers to take his side on this issue. His hard facts and his credibility by far outshines that of Kim. Although Kim makes use of the persuasive appeals, overall his perspective isn’t completely clear or reasonable. All in all, Craig did an excellent job developing his strongly focused opinion through the use of pathos, logos, and ethos. Works Cited Craig, Winston. â€Å"Plant-Based Diets Provide Many Health Benefits.† Vegetarianism. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Current Controversies. Rpt. from â€Å"Health Benefits of Vegetarian Diets.† Vegetarianism and Vegetarian Nutrition, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. Kim, Ben. â€Å"A Strict Vegetarian Diet Is Unhealthy for Most People.† Vegetarianism. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Current Controversies. Rpt. from â€Å"Don’t Let Philosophy Become More Important Than What Works.† Chet Day’s Health & Beyond. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.

Minoan Palaces in Crete

The main palace sites in Minoan Crete include those in Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Gournia, and Zakros. The palace at Knossos is the largest, with an area of approximately twenty two thousand square metres. It is located in the valley of the Kairatos River and said to be where King Minos of Ancient Greek mythology lived. It is estimated that the palace of Knossos was palace of Phaistos is the second largest and located on a low hill in the Messara plain. Just outside the town of Malia, which is thirty seven kilometres east of Heraklion, is the third largest Minoan palace. There is also a palace in the town of Gournia which is located on a small hill near the Gulf of Mirabello. Finally, a Minoan palace is located in Zakros, on the east coast of Crete and south of Palaikastro. The palace of Knossos was the largest one of the Minoan empire. Although its actual functions are still not certain, it is thought that the palace was used for both ceremonial and administrative purposes. After it was first built, it is believed to have been destroyed by an earthquake in around 1700 B. C. E and then rebuilt in approximately 1450 B. C. E. Although it is difficult to be sure about the details of the palace, the evidence that does exist suggests that it was essential to the Minoan society. Floor Plan of Knossos Palace Sir Arthur Evans Sir Arthur Evans, a British archaeologist, was the first to excavate the palace site at Knossos. He was born in 1851 and graduated from both Oxford and Gottingen universities. His discoveries were published in â€Å"Palace of Minosâ₠¬  and he was knighted in 1911 for his archaeological work. Evans perished in 1941. The excavation of the palace at Knossos and its surrounding area began in 1900 and continued to some degree for over three decades. Evans used a large sum of his own money on the project. Evans employed many local labourers to join his team and within a few months, had discovered a large amount of what he called â€Å"the Palace of Minos†. His main assistants were Theodore Fyfe and Duncan Mackenzie. Based on his findings at the site, Evans concluded that there must have been a people that existed before those previously found to have lived on Crete. The palace that Evans was in the process of excavating seemed to him to resemble the labyrinth built by King Minos of Greek mythology, and so he named the people that once inhabited the palace and its surroundings ‘the Minoans’ – after King Minos. By 1903, a large amount of the palace had been excavated. During this process, Evans and his team had found many art works and tablets displaying examples of writing, which we now refer to as Linear A. These artefacts revealed a lot about Minoan society, and lead Evans to make many of the assumptions, or ‘educated guesses’, that he did about their civilisation. The methods of restoration of artefacts found in the palace at Knossos by Evans have been questioned since his work at the site. The pioneer excavator used concrete to reconstruct areas and objects of the site, and people were employed to recreate the work on the frescoes found in and around the palace. These restorations are said to have more to do with the imagination of Evans and his team rather than the accurate works of the Minoans. Evans replaced missing fragments of frescoes and other parts of the constructions of the palace with paint and other materials that are considered by many to be inaccurate. His methods have been widely criticised as it is considered detrimental to install materials that are foreign to genuine Minoan architecture, however, he is still recognised as an important figure who contributed a great deal to our knowledge about the Minoan society. The Palace of Knossos Today Today, although the original condition of the palace site at Knossos has been maintained relatively well, there are also modern influences on the area. Located around the site are a gift shop and parking lot as well as a bronze bust of Sir Arthur Evans. Obviously, the condition of the palace itself has decreased since Minoan times due to weathering and other damage, but displays of Minoan culture are still available at the site in various forms. Visitors to the site today are able to make their way around its many rooms via its many corridors and passageways. They are also about to admire the Minoan frescoes that are still displayed at the site. Rooms and Areas of the Palace The palace has several main areas, including the east and west wings and the central court. The palace was built with an estimated one thousand and three hundred rooms and is believed by many to be the actual labyrinth mentioned in the Greek myth, â€Å"the Legend of the Minotaur†. The palace is believed to serve multiple purposes with its many rooms. It was probably an area for storage, crafting, administration, archive keeping and ceremonies as well as sleeping quarters for any royal members of society as well as possible others. The palace has both a north and south entrance and includes several staircases. In the east wing were the domestic quarters, which included apartments where any royalty would probably have lived. It also has shrines and art works as well as reception halls and luxurious bathrooms, and underneath it are storerooms that once housed many treasures and elaborate tombs. Bright murals decorate the areas that are thought to have been inhabited by Minoan royalty. There was also a room in the east wing of the palace in which a seemingly majestic chair stood, thus named the ‘throne room’ by Sir Arthur Evans. In the west wing were the storerooms where the produce of the Minoan trade system was kept. The palace of Knossos was a central location for the Minoan people to store their goods. The central court of the palace was probably used for ceremonial purposes. Records of trade undertaken by Minoans from Knossos were also archived in the palace. The palace of Knossos was probably larger than Minoan palaces found in other areas because the town of Knossos was likely to be the capital of Crete at the time. This means that the palace probably needed the space for all the storage and administration that a capital of an empire must have. The size of the palace is also a symbol of the grand nature of the city of Knossos. Knossos is also thought to have been the most densely populated town, with approximately one hundred thousand people living there. This population is extremely large compared to other ancient towns. Frescoes of the Palace The palace of Knossos is home to a huge spectrum of Minoan art, and a significant amount of works have been found there. Archaeologists think that these frescoes depict Minoan people and the animals, plants and geographical features that they were familiar with, as well as scenes such as sporting events, religious festivals and ceremonies. People are shown going about activities such as fishing and gathering on the frescoes. These people are often youthful adults and rarely children or elders. Women in the frescoes were usually painted to have lighter skin, whereas male figures had skin of a ruddier colour. Military activity is generally not displayed on Minoan frescoes, which sets the Minoan artists apart from others who existed during their time and after it. Perhaps the most famous fresco found in the Knossos palace is the Toreador Fresco, which depicts Minoan people riding a bull like creature in what appears to be some kind of sporting event. These frescoes were not in their original condition by the time archaeologists were able to excavate them due to centuries of weathering and other damage. Despite this, archaeologists and historians have a good idea of what the frescoes are supposed to depict because they are able to use the incomplete images on the works to determine what they may have looked like originally and to restore the art to this state. The importance of the Palace of Knossos The palace of Knossos is important to historians because it provides them with a vast amount of information about Minoan society and what life was like for people living on Crete during the Bronze Age. Much of what is known about the Minoan people is due to the artefacts, architecture and other evidence found in the palace site of Knossos. Frescoes provide insight into the people of Crete during Minoan times and their appearance, clothes, habits, rituals and abilities. Tablets found in the palace inform historians that Minoan people were literate and had a writing system, although its symbols cannot be deciphered today. The general layout and architecture of the palace provides knowledge regarding the Minoans’ ability to build structures, and what methods, techniques and materials they used to do so. The palace also provides evidence supporting the idea that there was Minoan royalty, although this theory is not confirmed. Overall, the palace at Knossos is of great importance to historians because without it, their knowledge of Minoan society would be significantly more limited than it is now.

Political Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political Paper - Essay Example Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer, each being highly respected members of the Supreme Court, have their own distinct views in regards to judicial responsibility and the overall role of the Supreme Court itself. Two justices, while each having the same position of power, bring to the federal bench distinct backgrounds, as well as educations. Such distinctions that shape the ways in which both men look at the greater role of the Court itself. Both of these gentleman, while possessing respective levels of great judicial power, are in their own right distinctive in approach. Leaving to be considered not only the ways in which they view their position in the legal system, but also how they observe the history of the organization since the time of its fruition and its subsequent involvement in the present state of legal affairs and greater discussion occurring in multiple facets of the country. In an interview conducted at The Federalist Society, Justices' Breyer and Scalia are provided with an environment to engage in healthy discussion having to do with their individual interpretations of both laws, as well as the intent behind them. An issue which Justice Scalia addresses is the notion of a "living constitution". One which would grow with society and form itself to the resulting advancement, in such a way that it would be keeping it from breaking and crumbling all together. Breyer says, while avoiding the classification of 'living' in regards to the constitution, the document "adapts to the circumstance in order to keep the values the same," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). After which, Justice Scalia responds with a concurrence that, while he too would believe that the constitution should adapt to new occurrences, he would still not give it the term "living" as part of its classification. While it is not the responsibility of the Supreme Court to interfere with democracy, it is it's responsibility to keep in mind the notion of not going too far in its interpretations and approaches. As for his view on democracy, in part, Scalia says that, "The majority rules," Adding that, "If you don't believe in that, you don't believe in democracy," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). Justice Scalia then details his view that the Bill of Rights acts in such a manner, that it imposes limitations on the notion of majority rule, which are in return placed by those in the court system. "Whenever the judges go beyond the meaning understood by the society that voted for those limitations, whenever it goes beyond that original meaning, it is in effect adding to those subjects that are driven off the democratic stage," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). Breyer's argument of preserving the democratic process is one which many have agreed upon. As is the case with Presidential elections, like Justice Scalia says, the majority does hold a ruling authority and that is in fact part of the democratic process. To have a court that is comprised of entirely different approaches to things, is quite healthy and good, according to Justice Breyer. "It's just my burden to prove its better than anything else," (Breyer/Scalia, 12/05/06). Scalia places the question forward, for greater discussion and debate, as to whether a lawyer is better qualified to understand the issues at hand, in

Apple Computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Apple Computers - Essay Example Yet, as we look forward to a happy ending, earnings taper off and it appears as though the saga may be over after all. However, a feeling of quiet confidence gradually takes over the observer, as both Apple Computers and Jobs negotiate through each downturn with aplomb. Must a company's journey through time be so turbulent This document tries to draw lessons from the Apple experience and to suggest stable ways for commercial firms to manage their planning and operational processes. There are two over reaching factors that seem to have influenced strategic change at Apple Computers. The first is the frenetic pace of technological change. No other industrial sector has witnessed the continuous and rapid improvements in processor speeds, storage capacity, transmission options and software development. This has been a source of strength and an opportunity for the entrepreneurial culture of Apple Computers, but it has proved to be a handful for people such as Sculley who labored so hard to bring a semblance of order and discipline to the highly individualistic style of functioning to which die-hard company employees have become accustomed. A second factor which has affected strategy in this company has been the tumultuous and disorderly change of guard at the top. There is no precedent for such a striking founder to leave his creation while remaining in the business. Even more unusual has been the return of Jobs as a mere consultant to the company which he once owned. These moves, and indeed the manner of Sculley's departure have posed special challenges for the company. Strategy Review Systematic and regular environmental scanning seems to be a lacuna in the planning process at Apple Computers. Every enterprise needs a deep understanding of the values that its products and services deliver in an environment of global competitiveness (Ohmae, 1991, 61-74). The success of Jobs to see the opportunity in the graphic user interface which Xerox apparently missed, did not repeat itself when the company invested resources in Newton. It leads one to suspect that iPod may have come about by chance more than by a designed set of steps to understand dynamic customer needs. Environment scanning is an important and integral part of formulating strategy. We do not know if Apple Computers made the effort to reach out across the world, as for example IBM has always done, to weave market realism and new trends in consumer needs in to they way it thinks and works as an organization. The genius of Jobs could have been a drag for the company he founded, for he is clearly a person who th inks way ahead of his time. The story of Apple's strategy could be seen in the light of essential differences between a University Research Department and the function in a pharmaceutical concern which creates solely for profit. Jobs seems to have erred in mixing business and more visionary roles in a manner that continued to haunt the company long after he had left. We do know from the case that Sculley tried hard to rectify matters, but perhaps his 'sugary water' background prevented him from managing the environmental scanning process with the technological orientation it deserved. This is reflected in IBM and even prime rival Microsoft making good business use of some key Apple innovations! Overall, every business needs sound and

Explore the scholarly literature on the contentious workplace issue of review

Explore the scholarly on the contentious workplace issue of Women in Top Jobs. A recent BBC article demonstrated that - Literature review Example With Thatcher’s prior leadership, United Kingdom was able to join the United States wars. Creating social norms that will reduce gender discrimination (Park, 1996). Further, there are jobs where the female gender is not eager to join. The average female gender does not like to join the army. Joining the army is very strenuous. The officers /leaders of the army rose through the ranks. Rising through the army’s rank entails joining wars. Joining wars include having a life-threatening gamble. The gamble is that the female soldier may be killed by the enemy’s bullets. As the female soldier spends more time with the war, the danger of being killed or maimed is greater (Park, 1995). In the judiciary, there are very female applicants for the juicy judge job. This is also very understandable. The work of the judge is life-threatening. When the judge pens a guilty verdict on the accused, there is a huge probability that the relatives or friends of the convicted felons may avenge the judge’s verdict. The relatives may wait for the judge to cross the street of the courtroom when the judge is in sight, the relatives may murder the judge. In the business sector, there are few female businesswomen. This is again understandable. Society is accustomed to male managers trying to sell the products to the current and future customers. People may look at the female sales person as someone who must try to sell products to the male current and future customers. In stores such as Tesco, there are more female sales persons than the male salesperson. The reason is obvious, current and future customers are more sensually comfortable talking with female grocery store sales persons (KPMG, 2011). In terms of leadership delivery, gender often plays a vital role. There are jobs prohibits that women from daring to excel. For example, In the European Union member states, there is a slow promotion of women into the management level. One dilemma of women is their moth erly role (KPMG, 2011). Women prioritize the rearing of children. Consequently, the home chores discourage women from exerting more time to their jobs. More time includes entertaining current and future customers. Entertaining customers may include engaging them in drinking sprees. Woman managers would find it awkward to entertain male current and future customers inside a dance floor. Likewise, female managers would find it awkward play basketball with current and future customers who love to play basketball. With the home job of rearing the family constantly bothering the female managers, the female managers cannot give their 100 percent to their current work responsibilities. There are differences in the interpersonal relations between men and woman. Men are often linear relationships. The men organize their jobs in component units. Likewise, men normally resolve management issues using the single usage approach leadership (Faugoo, 2011). On the other hand, the process time denot es femaleness. Women are normally busy during their sharing experiences. The women leadership includes sharing their expertise with other people. Because of home responsibilities, many women work using lesser company work hours when compared to men. The female members of our human society are destined to take care of the house chores. The house chores often include cooking the family’s food. The female gender is usually assigned to clean the bathroom