Maria1004's Blog

?Is Microsoft a monopoly

maria1004 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:42:03 +0000

I read an article on microsoft.

Around the 1990s, Microsoft is a monopoly because it is the leading supplier of operating system for PCs. A monopoly is characterized as a single seller of a product which there are no close substitutes. In the article it stated “Microsoft operating systems account for approximately 90-95% of microcomputer computer operating systems”, proving one of the characteristics of a monopoly. Also, in a document on November 5, 1999 Court Findings of Fact recorded evidence that there are no close substitutes for the operating systems, “a consumer would not obtain a satisfactory substitute for an Intel-compatible PC operating system even if he purchased a server,since server operating systems lack the features and support for the breadth of applications that induce users to purchase Intel-compatible PC operating systems”.Microsoft also engaged in a concerted series of actions designed to protect the applications barrier to entry, which is the second characteristic of a monopoly. According to the article Microsoft used its market power to form anticompetitve agreement with producer that sell computers. As a result in August 2002 Microsoft was forced to release its source code that allowed computer makers to select which Microsoft products would be loaded onto computers that they sell. In conclusion Microsoft is a monopoly.

Sancocho!

maria1004 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:37:55 +0000

I like food because I like to eat a lot. Sancocho is a dominican dish cooked in special occasions because it takes a long time to prepare. Sancocho in english means seven meat hearty stew because it contains seven different types of meat (optional). The main meats are chicken, pork chop, beef, and pork sausage. The main vegetable are yam, plantain, and potato. I like sancocho especially in cold weather; it is like soup with a lot of meat and vegetable. Usually people cook sancocho if there is a party, or a celebration.

End of the Semester.

maria1004 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:13:13 +0000

The semester is over, but before it ended students had to take finals. I took three, and did not like it because I am a bad test taker. I get nervous and forget everything once I have the exam in my hands. I took economics, art history, and computer science. Did not like csc or eco. I forgot everything I learned once I had the exam in my hand. In economics the teacher has knowledge of the subject, but does not teach it well to the class. His examples are hard to relate, talks for the entire time in the class, and the activities are online. Its a big economics class, but he can try to do an activity in class and see how it works out because it a lecture class not an ONLINE CLASS!!!!

The computer Science teacher I like and does use examples that we can relate to. For example, he uses example from the programming class he teaches, from recent events, and of when he was working in another company. The problem with the test was that it was 124 question in total. 56 true or false, and the rest multiple choice. I hate true or false because it is a 50% chance of getting it right, and a 50% chance of getting the question wrong. One misread word and your screwed. Well, lets see how it went.

27 of February

maria1004 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:56:59 +0000

Dominican Independence Day. During February 27 a carnival is hosted. It is called a “El Carnaval Dominicano”. This carnival is celebrated every sunday in february leading ending in the Dominican Independence Day. It is also celebrated three days before the Season if Lent starts.

I remember when my mom, a friend, and I went to the last sunday Carnival in La Vega, Dominican Republic. It was crowded, artists singing, people selling food and toys, and the dance groups marching down the street. The most scary groups for kids, and the most dangerous one for teens and adult is “El Diablo Cajuelo” because their costume is scary for little children. Fangs, red eyes, fake blood, and the costumes they were are scary for kids, but they still like to see them. The “Diablo Cajuelo” go around with “vejigas”, which is a bladder made from cow or pig bladder inflated with air. they hit people mostly in the lower part of the body and run. I was always looking around to see if someone was going to hit me, but I was not the only one almost all the girls were. It is all part of the experience.

New Cheetos

maria1004 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:13:58 +0000

New Cheetos that is healthier and it is called Cheesy Bugs (Marketing, 2009). This is a healthier version of the normal cheetos which will be in the shape of Scorpions, Snakes, lizards and spiders (Marketing, 2009). The idea came about through the idea of using the simple Cheetos brand chips and then create something that was healthier yet still appeal to children (Marketing, 2009). This is good for Pepsi Company because they are able to create healthier products.

Live Gluten Freely

maria1004 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:10:03 +0000

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. When a person has celiac disease, the body reacts to the gluten. Celiac disease is “a nontropical sprue, and gluten sensitive enteropathy” (Medicine Net). The reaction occurs in the small intestine and damages the inner lining of the small intestine. Then, the small intestine is not able to absorb nutrients properly such as vitamins, calcium, protein, and carbohydrates (Medicine Net). General Mills has created a website to provide consumers with information on gluten free products and gluten free recipes.

Teaching myself a course!

maria1004 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:38:01 +0000

In this semester I had a course that I think it should be online. Why bother go to the classroom if all the activities and notes are online? Plus, the example that are provided are the same one as the ones online. This is exactly what my economics class is like. All the activities, notes, and discussions are online. I go to the class just to hear him talk about the material that is online, and give examples that it is hard to relate to. I understand the discussions are online because there are about 250 people in the course, but I do not understand why the materials provided online is the same one he talks about in class. Also, a lot of the questions on the quizzes are not found in the notes and he did not elaborate on the subject. I have to learn the material on my own, but when I had specific questions I asked him during his office hours. It is not good.

Course Evaluation

maria1004 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:27:54 +0000

Course evaluations is handed out at the end of the class for every class. Are course evaluations useful? Do teachers take advise some student write? I know a professor that apparently does not pay any attention because if he would he would have minimized online subject quizzes. Also, he would stop talking so much throughout the entire hour and a half of the lecture class. A lecture class is the class that a lot of student to pay much attention because it is big and tends to get distracted easily. It is hard to follow a professor who talks non stop without drinking any water, and the examples that are provided are hard to relate to. I hope professor take advises from students, and I am not saying that professors in general do not take seriously the evaluation course.

Stress Week!!

maria1004 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:50:14 +0000

Final week of class is known as stressed week. All the homework, projects, and exams come in all at once or one after the order. You worry about finals because it is an important exam that counts has 30% or 25% of your grade. Too much! For example, I have to write two essays and two presentations plus an assignment and then finals. I feel like i have been doing a month worth of work in a week and a half.

“Habichuela con Dulce”

maria1004 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:59:09 +0000

“Habichuela con Dulce”, Sweet Creamed beans is delicious in my opinion. A different way of eating beans. Sweet Creamed Beans is known to be prepared on Good Friday and shared with the family and neighbors. I remember my sister making it. She would start in the morning so that by 2 or 3p.m. the beans are ready to eat. I eat it all day. One serve now, another one hour later, and on and on. Because nobody in the house was allowed to hear music or watch television. My sister, my two cousins and I played Dominos all day long eating “Habichuela con Dulce”. We sat in the Balcony and played until night came. Soon that became your family tradition. Friends from the neighborhood came to play with us too. When someone lost that person had to step out of the game and let the other in. Those memories are still vivid in my mind.