Microsoft has to pay a record fine to European Union in rate of 1.4bn dollars for after it failed to comply with a 2004 ruling that it abused its dominant market position.
The ruling said that Microsoft was guilty of not providing key code to rival software makers.
EU regulators said the firm was the first to break an EU anti-trust ruling.
The fines come on top of earlier fines of 280m euros imposed in July 2006, and of 497m euros in March 2004. I think the Microsoft should not be fined, they are a unique company and have right to be the no.1.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7266629.stm
Vocab #5
- Embezzle (verb) - To take (money, for example) for one's own use in violation of a trust.
- Emaciate (verb) - To make or become extremely thin, especially as a result of starvation.
- Obsolete (adjective) - No longer in use
- Obviate (verb) - To anticipate and dispose of effectively
- Penchant (noun) - A definite liking; a strong inclination.
- Paucity (noun) - Smallness of number; fewness.
- Sycophant (noun) - A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.
- Taut (adjective) - tight
- Tenuous (adjective) - Long and thin
- Tenacity (noun) - The state or quality of holding or tending to hold persistently
Book Report
Camus Albert, The Stranger, France
Librairie Gallimard, France
Reason, Type and Setting: I chose this book, because it caught my attention by its name, sounds misteriously. This novel is a crime drama, takes place in Algeria before WW2.
Plot: The narrator, a young man named Meursault gets an urgent telegram reporting his mother's death. After his mom was burried, he meets his ex-coworker Marie Cardona, they spend the night together, but she's gone in the morning. He gets home and his neighbor asks him to write a letter for him, which would convince his mistress to come back to him. He wants to beat her up, for cheating on him. The neighbor gets arrested for beating her up, later Marie Cardona asks Meursalt to marry her. Later on, they go to the beach, where they meet Raymond's(neighbor) mistress's brother. Meursalt shoots him, for no apperant reason. He get into a jail and after a lost trial he is sentenced to death. A chaplain tries to convince him to believe in God, but Meursault refuses. He embraces the idea that human existence holds no greater meaning.
Character:Mersault - the main character, pretty young. He kind of loses his mind after his mother's death, and shoots a man. He often thinks of the morality of the world. I selected this character, because he seemed to be the most active in the plot. I was interested by his thinking after all the things he went through. He totally changed my expectations of the end of this book, I expected something different.
Evaluation: Well, honestly, I expected more of this novel. It has a really good beginning, which caught my attention, but then they started focusing on morality of the world, which kind of bored me. However, it showed my how can we look at today's life values, I've never thought of them in this way. In spite of fact, that this novel was written in late 40's, it still applies to today's world. Being or not-being moral has always been a discussed issue. I personaly think, that not many people would like this book, because it gets really slow in the middle. Maybe it's just my opinion... . If I had to put myselft into the plot, I would have no reason to kill a man. However, I can't really tell, since both of my parents are fortunately still alive.
Author, Context and Trivia: Albert Camus is a Frech writer, who won a Nobel prize in 1957. He wrote a couple of novels, such as The Plague, The Fall, A Happy Death, The First Man...I think I'm gonna look for one more book from him to see, if every book of his is this philosophical.I did't like this book that much, as I said earlier, it was too boring for me.
Librairie Gallimard, France
Reason, Type and Setting: I chose this book, because it caught my attention by its name, sounds misteriously. This novel is a crime drama, takes place in Algeria before WW2.
Plot: The narrator, a young man named Meursault gets an urgent telegram reporting his mother's death. After his mom was burried, he meets his ex-coworker Marie Cardona, they spend the night together, but she's gone in the morning. He gets home and his neighbor asks him to write a letter for him, which would convince his mistress to come back to him. He wants to beat her up, for cheating on him. The neighbor gets arrested for beating her up, later Marie Cardona asks Meursalt to marry her. Later on, they go to the beach, where they meet Raymond's(neighbor) mistress's brother. Meursalt shoots him, for no apperant reason. He get into a jail and after a lost trial he is sentenced to death. A chaplain tries to convince him to believe in God, but Meursault refuses. He embraces the idea that human existence holds no greater meaning.
Character:Mersault - the main character, pretty young. He kind of loses his mind after his mother's death, and shoots a man. He often thinks of the morality of the world. I selected this character, because he seemed to be the most active in the plot. I was interested by his thinking after all the things he went through. He totally changed my expectations of the end of this book, I expected something different.
Evaluation: Well, honestly, I expected more of this novel. It has a really good beginning, which caught my attention, but then they started focusing on morality of the world, which kind of bored me. However, it showed my how can we look at today's life values, I've never thought of them in this way. In spite of fact, that this novel was written in late 40's, it still applies to today's world. Being or not-being moral has always been a discussed issue. I personaly think, that not many people would like this book, because it gets really slow in the middle. Maybe it's just my opinion... . If I had to put myselft into the plot, I would have no reason to kill a man. However, I can't really tell, since both of my parents are fortunately still alive.
Author, Context and Trivia: Albert Camus is a Frech writer, who won a Nobel prize in 1957. He wrote a couple of novels, such as The Plague, The Fall, A Happy Death, The First Man...I think I'm gonna look for one more book from him to see, if every book of his is this philosophical.I did't like this book that much, as I said earlier, it was too boring for me.
Vocab Week 5
lucidity - easily understood
conciliatory - tending to conciliate
countermand - to cancel
acumen - quickness of judgement
insurrection - The act or an instance of open revolt against civil authority or a constituted government.
conciliatory - tending to conciliate
countermand - to cancel
acumen - quickness of judgement
insurrection - The act or an instance of open revolt against civil authority or a constituted government.
fidelity - Faithfulness to obligations
complicit - choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act
steadfast - Fixed or unchanging; steady.
emancipation - the act of being free from bondage, oppression, or restraint; liberate.
bolster - A long narrow pillow or cushion.
complicit - choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act
steadfast - Fixed or unchanging; steady.
emancipation - the act of being free from bondage, oppression, or restraint; liberate.
bolster - A long narrow pillow or cushion.
Documentary Guide
style: interviews vs. footage
I watched a documentary on World War 2 named The WAR and I was focusing on two facts. One of them was the content of the movie, basically historical facts from the early 40s. The second one was the structure of the movie as a product. I mean the way they created it. I personally liked the was they did the interviewing, with a purely black background, which was in my opinion pretty original, and I like the ways the used the virtual maps to show the progress of the allies and the Nazis back in those days- I don't think we'll we able to create something like that though...
Unfortunately, the second documentary movie named World War 2 was pretty much the same, because it was diercted by the very same person. The only change I noticed was that in the first movie they focused on reasons why the war had started while in the second movie they analyzed the consequences of the WW2.
I watched a documentary on World War 2 named The WAR and I was focusing on two facts. One of them was the content of the movie, basically historical facts from the early 40s. The second one was the structure of the movie as a product. I mean the way they created it. I personally liked the was they did the interviewing, with a purely black background, which was in my opinion pretty original, and I like the ways the used the virtual maps to show the progress of the allies and the Nazis back in those days- I don't think we'll we able to create something like that though...
Unfortunately, the second documentary movie named World War 2 was pretty much the same, because it was diercted by the very same person. The only change I noticed was that in the first movie they focused on reasons why the war had started while in the second movie they analyzed the consequences of the WW2.
Current Event 02/15/08
MARTINSBURG, West Virginia (CNN) -- Hardly a day that goes by that you won't find Tracey Wygal working out at the gym.
The 30-year-old middle-school teacher does cardio exercise, strength trains and follows what she calls a "clean diet."
That's quite a change for a woman who tipped the scales eight years ago at 295 pounds.
Wygal first started gaining weight in her early teens. A fast-food diet and little to no exercise helped her pack on the pounds, and her weight ballooned to over 200 pounds.
"It was my first year out of college, and that number, along with being diagnosed as morbidly obese, was very frightening," remembers Wygal. "I went to several doctors, trying to get them to prescribe a weight-loss pill."
But none of her doctors would give her the quick fix she was looking for. Instead, a physician handed her a 1,600-calorie-a-day diet and told her to start moving.
At first, Wygal was shocked and refused to begin a diet that she thought was too restrictive. Even though her weight was rapidly approaching 300 pounds, she believed she had a pretty good diet and an active lifestyle.
As her weight crept up, Wygal grew more frustrated, and eventually she decided it was time to gain control of her life.
She started by keeping track of her daily calorie intake in a food diary and soon realized that her eating was worse than she thought.
"I was amazed by how many calories I was eating," Wygal said. "The food diary showed me that I really needed to get my food intake under control and helped me maintain my diet realistically."
She also started exercising.
At first, Wygal says, she was too embarrassed to go to a gym, so she bought an elliptical machine and started working out 15 minutes a day in her apartment.
"It was all I could do at first. I didn't give up, though," she said. "Gradually, my endurance improved. After losing about 30 pounds, I decided to join a small gym."
Several months later, Wygal was ready to take the next step. She hired a trainer and began a short strength-training program.
That's when something clicked.
Instead of feeling intimidated, Wygal started to love her workouts and the physical changes taking shape with her body. Ready to take the next step, she joined a larger gym, began researching different workouts and got into weight training.
Over the next three years, she lost 120 pounds and dropped seven dress sizes. Wygal, who's 5 feet 10 inches tall, says the fear of gaining weight motivates her to stick to her diet and exercise regimen because she never wants to look like she did at 295 pounds.
Now comfortable with her weight, which she says fluctuates between 170 and 180 pounds, Wygal works out at least five to six days a week. She says the key to losing weight and keeping it off is being honest about what you eat, writing it down and staying consistent. She wants people to know they can do it, but there are no quick fixes or easy outs -- just hard work.
"It won't happen overnight," Wygal advises. "Know that it will take time but it is worth it in the end."
source: CNN.com
I think that even America is kind of fat, even fatties CAN lose a lot of mass.
The 30-year-old middle-school teacher does cardio exercise, strength trains and follows what she calls a "clean diet."
That's quite a change for a woman who tipped the scales eight years ago at 295 pounds.
Wygal first started gaining weight in her early teens. A fast-food diet and little to no exercise helped her pack on the pounds, and her weight ballooned to over 200 pounds.
"It was my first year out of college, and that number, along with being diagnosed as morbidly obese, was very frightening," remembers Wygal. "I went to several doctors, trying to get them to prescribe a weight-loss pill."
But none of her doctors would give her the quick fix she was looking for. Instead, a physician handed her a 1,600-calorie-a-day diet and told her to start moving.
At first, Wygal was shocked and refused to begin a diet that she thought was too restrictive. Even though her weight was rapidly approaching 300 pounds, she believed she had a pretty good diet and an active lifestyle.
As her weight crept up, Wygal grew more frustrated, and eventually she decided it was time to gain control of her life.
She started by keeping track of her daily calorie intake in a food diary and soon realized that her eating was worse than she thought.
"I was amazed by how many calories I was eating," Wygal said. "The food diary showed me that I really needed to get my food intake under control and helped me maintain my diet realistically."
She also started exercising.
At first, Wygal says, she was too embarrassed to go to a gym, so she bought an elliptical machine and started working out 15 minutes a day in her apartment.
"It was all I could do at first. I didn't give up, though," she said. "Gradually, my endurance improved. After losing about 30 pounds, I decided to join a small gym."
Several months later, Wygal was ready to take the next step. She hired a trainer and began a short strength-training program.
That's when something clicked.
Instead of feeling intimidated, Wygal started to love her workouts and the physical changes taking shape with her body. Ready to take the next step, she joined a larger gym, began researching different workouts and got into weight training.
Over the next three years, she lost 120 pounds and dropped seven dress sizes. Wygal, who's 5 feet 10 inches tall, says the fear of gaining weight motivates her to stick to her diet and exercise regimen because she never wants to look like she did at 295 pounds.
Now comfortable with her weight, which she says fluctuates between 170 and 180 pounds, Wygal works out at least five to six days a week. She says the key to losing weight and keeping it off is being honest about what you eat, writing it down and staying consistent. She wants people to know they can do it, but there are no quick fixes or easy outs -- just hard work.
"It won't happen overnight," Wygal advises. "Know that it will take time but it is worth it in the end."
source: CNN.com
I think that even America is kind of fat, even fatties CAN lose a lot of mass.
Vocab Week 3
Disseminate (v) - To scatter widely, as in sowing seed
Eloquence (n) - Persuasive, powerful discourse
Austere (adj) - Severe or stern in disposition or appearance
Baleful (adj) - Harmful or malignant in intent or effect.
Bigot (n) - One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
Relapse (n) and (v) - To fall or slide back into a former state.
Repudiate (v) - To reject the validity or authority
Resilience(adj) - The ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune
Renovate (v) - To restore to an earlier condition, as by repairing or remodeling
Current Event 02/05/08
MYSPACE OPENS DOOR TO DEVELOPERS
MySpace will open its doors to software developers allowing them to create games and media-sharing applications for the popular social network.
MySpace will open its doors to software developers allowing them to create games and media-sharing applications for the popular social network.
MySpace will formally launch its "Developer Platform" next Tuesday but is already allowing people to sign up.
The tools have been developed with Google and will allow programmers to create programs similar to those used by millions on rival site Facebook.
Facebook opened up its site to outside developers last year.
It has since had great success, with nearly 15,000 applications written for the site.
These include photo-sharing and music recommendation tools as well as games such as scrabble.
However, despite its popularity, Facebook still lags behind MySpace in terms of overall users.
MySpace has around 200 million registered users, compared to 63 million who use Facebook.
MySpace was bought by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp for $580m in 2005.
Last October it announced that it would join OpenSocial, Google's platform designed to allow developers to build applications that will work on any website.
Other networks such as Bebo, LinkedIn and Orkut already use the tools.
The tools, available from 5 February, will allow developers to build applications that make use of MySpace member profile information and their connections with other users.
According to Amit Kapur, chief operating officer at MySpace, developers will also be able to make money out of their applications.
"I will be focused on making a platform for developers to monetize and promote their applications," he told Reuters.
www.bbcnews.com
I think it's a really good idea from MySpace to allow developers to create a modern games and programs, because in my opinion MySpace is except for messaging, really really boring. You can't do alomst anything entertaining on it.
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