₦airaland Forum

NiceLegs:
"People" and a "69yr old first time Canada visiting Nigerian woman" are not the same.

chinchum:
let her get aspirin except if she is not advised to take one for the long trip. I expect she is taking about 20 hrs trip and blood clot embolism is common for her age, she can take that aspirin mid flight. She should bring blood pressure monitor possibly and get her vitamin D and ensure she uses the vitamin D everyday. Advised she holds the rail all the time she may have to climb the stairs in the house or outside.

Make sure she takes occasional strolls to receive sunlight possibly at least once a week. It may be snowing when she comes, prepare the warm jacket and keep the house warm and well heated. She should bring Nigerias panadol and treat Malaria once she arrives with malaria tablet.

Get Nigeria youtube movie subscriptions and music handy. If possible get her a small Tv just for her.

In the US, meat processing is in the hands of a few corporations. For beef, it is JBS, Tyson, Cargill and Marfrig that together control 85 percent of the market. JBS, Tyson and Hormel account for 66 percent of the pork, while Tyson, JBS, Sanderson Farms and Purdue handle 51 percent of the chicken.

Today, there is more extreme income and wealth inequality, and it is more difficult for small and medium-sized businesses to survive in the United States than at any time since the Gilded Age. For example, in the 1960s—the decade known as the “Golden Era of Antitrust”—the income flowing to the top one percent of earners was eight percent of national income. Now, the top one percent earns nearly a quarter of national income and controls nearly 40 percent of national wealth. [3] Furthermore, the World Economic Forum has found that over the last quarter century, 75 percent of American industries have become more concentrated, and far fewer firms and industries have come to control a far larger share of global wealth and market influence. [4]

The legal embrace of trusts that began with Reiter has resulted in the gradual re-establishment of an economy marked by extreme market concentration and economic inequality that has not been present in the United States since the Gilded Age. With just two monopolies dominating the telecommunications industry, three monopolies controlling the cable industry, the consolidation of the pharmaceutical industry into just ten firms, and one corporation controlling over seventy percent of beer sales, one might expect that such egregious statistics would precipitate the enforcement of antitrust laws. However, tech giants such as Google, Meta, and Amazon have undertaken a combined 372 unchallenged acquisitions in recent years to establish market control in the social media industry, which generates over $50 billion in annual revenue. Therefore, it is possible that the American economy is on its way to becoming even more concentrated than it was in the original Gilded Age.

With harm to consumers through rising prices replacing harm to corporations through limited competition as the essential element to successfully enforcing antitrust laws, it has become increasingly difficult for the federal government to prove consumer harm and to regulate big business. Currently, the DOJ’s Antitrust Division is in a legal battle with Google over the claim that the corporation has used their control of over 90 percent of the internet search market to monopolize their digital advertising technologies and thus increase ad revenue while decreasing consumers’ media choice. Google’s market power rivals that of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust, which came to control 90% of the Gilded Age oil industry through horizontal integration. On the first day of the trial, the Justice Department argued that Google had paid tech platforms, including Apple, over $10 billion a year to ensure its dominance as the default search engine on the iPhone and other devices. [20] However, because this anticompetitive behavior monetarily harms competitors and not consumers, it will be incredibly difficult for the DOJ to emerge successful. Although the FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division have become far more aggressive since President Biden took office, they have lost every major merger and antitrust case that they have brought against the tech giants because of the difficulty of proving consumer harm.

Congress must write and pass new antitrust legislation that not only applies to our time and the nuances of tech monopolization, but also specifically offers a legal framework—one that the Supreme Court could accept—that invalidates Bork’s legally illogical arguments that have frozen the federal government from antitrust action for far too long.

Media Conglomerate #6: Sony
Sony is one of the oldest companies on this list since it was founded in 1946. It also has one of the most recent CEO changes. In 2012, Kazuo Hirai became CEO of the entire corporation, which might be the most well-known electronics brand on the planet. But Sony is so much more than an electronics company.They have interests across almost all media industries, and Hirai has helped keep the company current and competitive.

Head: Kazuo Hirai
“Kaz” Hirai started work at Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 1984, and he’s been with the company ever since. He climbed Sony’s corporate ladder quickly, eventually culminating with his CEO appointment on April 1, 2012. Since then, Sony has had some problems, but it’s also had some successes. Most notably, Sony recently posted a 666% increase in profit as it launched a turnaround plan. The announcement came almost exactly four years after Hirai become CEO. At 55, Hirai is one of the youngest leaders of a global conglomerate. But still, he clearly knows what he’s doing. For his vision, Hirai earns about $4.9 million every year.

TV and Film Assets
Sony has a hand in dozens of television and cinema companies. Sony works in production, distribution, and just about every other phase of the television and film processes. So it makes sense that Sony owns media outlets in lots of different countries, most notably Japan and the United States.

Music Assets
Sony’s music arm is well-known throughout the world. Their music arms work in both support for their television and film production branches, but they also publish music from artists.

Internet Assets
So-net is Sony’s Internet service branch. It’s only available in Japan, and offers double speeds of Google Fiber for less money. That makes So-net one of the most generous ISPs in the world in terms of speed.

Non-Media Assets
Sony also owns non-media assets, including a bank, financial holdings, and a creative suite. These non-media assets don’t publish information, but they certainly play a major role in Sony’s financial success.

Investments
Last, Sony has a portfolio of investments, much like other media companies on this list. As with our other companies, Sony’s investments give it control over more areas of the media industry without attempting risky projects themselves. If it fails, Sony only loses a fraction of what they would lose if they had attempted a project themselves. If it succeeds, Sony has an interest — even a controlling interest — in how the new company develops.

Media Conglomerate #5: News Corp
News Corp is the media conglomerate best known for its line of Fox companies. Those include Fox News, FX, and pretty much every other company with the name “Fox” in it. The company generated more than $33 billion in 2012, and it controls a huge number of print products compared to other media conglomerates. To get a better grasp of News Corp, let’s check out their CEO Rupert Murdoch.

Head: Rupert Murdoch
While News Corp underwent a split in 2013, Rupert Murdoch remains the head of most of News Corp’s current assets. With a hand in television, film, music, and print, Murdoch is perhaps the most successful Australian entrepreneur to build an international empire. As a result, Murdoch earns something to the tune of $22.3 million per year.

TV and Film Assets
News Corp owns the Fox brand, which means they control a borderline-unreasonable amount of media outlets via television and film. There’s not much more to say about it — News Corp just owns a lot of outlets.

Music Assets
On top of TV and film, News Corp also owns a handful of music assets. It’s not News Corps’s biggest branch, but it works for their needs, which is typically supporting the TV and film divisions with music (Fox Music). Wireless Group PLC, on the other hand, is an Irish radio broadcast corporation — one of the biggest in the country.

Print Assets
News Corps’s foundational asset is print. The company owns hundreds of national, regional, and local newspapers around the world. The most famous is probably the Wall Street Journal, which fits the mold of News Corps’s focus on financial information. News Corp also owns HarperCollins, which owns the Christian-niche Zondervan, making News Corp a major player in retail books as well.

Media Conglomerate #4: Comcast
Comcast is one of the few remaining Internet service providers in the United States. They also provide cable television and phone services to residential and business customers. In 2013, Comcast expanded its reach into entertainment by purchasing NBC and pretty much all of its properties. While most people know NBC as just a television station, it also has major stakes in media companies around the world. That makes Comcast a major contender in global media, especially in the United States.

Head: Brian L. Roberts
Brian L. Roberts became President of Comcast in 1990, back when the company only earned $657 million in annual revenue. That may sound like a ridiculous figure to use with the term “only,” but under Roberts’ leadership, the company now earns $74.5 billion annually. As a result, Roberts is compensated well. He earns $40.8 million per year.

TV and Film Assets
With the acquisition of NBC, Comcast expanded its repertoire of TV and film assets many times over. TV programming from NBC, cinema from Universal Pictures, and next-gen publishers like AwesomenessTV are all integral to Comcast’s growth and sustainability over the next few decades. Even their religious niche branch — Big Idea — plays an important part in Comcast’s continued success and increased competitiveness in the media world.

Internet Assets
Most famously, Comcast is known as an Internet provider. It’s a direct competitor to TimeWarner Cable, and it’s the primary (or only) ISP in dozens of regions in the United States.

Ventures
Last, Comcast has a laundry list of ventures that it launched (or helped launch). This gives Comcast an interest in dozens of seemingly-unrelated companies as an investor and potentially a future shareholder for the most successful branches.

Media Conglomerate #3: TimeWarner
At the time of publication (11/7/16), it’s possible that ATandT will soon buy TimeWarner for around $80 billion. If that happens, ATandT will acquire everything below and more. In the meantime, let’s take a more in-depth look at TimeWarner and what it owns.

Head: Jeff Bewkes
Jeff Bewkes is the CEO of TimeWarner. He makes $32.5 million per year.

TV and Film Assets
TimeWarner owns an incredible amount of television and film properties. The most famous is probably Warner Brothers Animation Studios, which owns properties like Looney Tunes. Along with that, TimeWarner has joint ventures in The CW and Hulu, along with ultra-niche TV programming for medical waiting rooms. TimeWarner has also played a big role in comic book adaptations into movies, most notably with Batman. Last, TimeWarner’s HBO branch achieved global renown with its runaway fantasy drama Game of Thrones, an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Needless to say, TimeWarner’s television and film branches — including joint ventures like Hulu and CW — are doing pretty well these days.

Print Assets
On top of its incredible TV and movies, TimeWarner also controls several big-name print assets, including TIME (obviously).

Investments
TimeWarner has one of the most diverse investment portfolios of any media company. Their investments act as controlling interests in lots of companies, some of which aren’t related to media. But no matter what they are, each investment gives TimeWarner a stronger foothold in media.

Video Game Assets
As the owner of DC Comics, Looney Tunes, and tons of other fictional characters, it makes sense that TimeWarner owns a list of accomplished video game studios. The most well-known is probably NetherRealm, which owns and publishes the controversial (and popular) Mortal Kombat series. They also own Rocksteady, which is responsible for many of the latest Batman games.

Music Assets
TimeWarner doesn’t own a lot in music, but they have enough to ensure musical support for their other properties. WaterTower Music might be the better-known business of the two enterprises, but Warner Music Group is still an essential part of the TimeWarner brand.

Internet Assets
Finally, TimeWarner is the first company on our list that also acts as an Internet service provider. TimeWarner Cable is a major ISP in the United States, and it regularly competes with Comcast. While its reputation differs from person to person, TimeWarner Cable is wildly profitable, and it’s become a major pillar of TimeWarner’s success.

Media Conglomerate #2: Disney
Disney is probably the most well-known media name on this list. The company has a hand in just about every medium in the world from children’s cinema to sports. When it comes to television and film, there’s a good chance you’re watching something owned by the Disney company — even if it doesn’t have Disney’s name. Why? They own so, so much. Let’s start with the company’s leader.

Head: Bob Iger
Disney announced Bob Iger as CEO on March 13, 2005, following the departure of Michael Eisner. Since then, Iger has run a campaign of mergers and acquisitions to expand Disney into an even greater media powerhouse, especially with the acquisition of Marvel ($4 billion) and Lucasfilm ($4 billion). His published salary is $44.9 million.

TV and Film Assets
First, let’s look at the bread and butter of Disney — television, and film. Considering they have theme parks built to their entertainment assets, it’s clear that Disney is best known for its TV and film properties. There are so many different companies that you really just have to see it for yourself (see attached image).

Print Assets
Disney’s print assets are a mix of proprietary publishers, Lucasfilm acquisitions, and Marvel properties. The mix gives Disney a controlling interest in massive publishing niches, especially comic books, and science fiction novels. Disney also owns ESPN, which has its own publishing arm for all things sports.

Video Game Assets
Finally, Disney owns a few video game assets. They’re not huge, but they’re enough to keep Disney mildly competitive and up-to-date in the video game industry (especially mobile gaming). GameStar, a subsidiary of Disney Interactive Studios, is one of the best-known video game developers bought by Disney.

Media Conglomerate #1: National Amusements
Unless you’re directly involved in business and / or entertainment, you’ve probably never heard of National Amusements before. The company owns movie theaters throughout the world — about 950 total — but it owns much more than just movie theaters. NA’s huge collection of properties is staggering. Whether they own a company entirely, possess majority shares, or even own minority voting shares, the scope of NA’s reach is enormous for a company that’s known less than its subsidiaries. To start our look at NA, let’s check out one of the biggest names in modern business — Sumner Redstone.

Head: Sumner Redstone
Sumner Redstone is the current owner of National Amusements and all of its properties. While his daughter Shari has the title of President, Sumner Redstone retains most of the control over the company. NA was first founded by Sumner Redstone’s father Michael Redstone, making National Amusements one of the most powerful and successful corporate dynasties in the United States. None of the Redstones publish their salaries. After all, National Amusements is a private company. However, finance experts can guess at Sumner Redstone’s overall net worth. His net worth refers to the total financial value of what Sumner Redstone owns, minus any outstanding debts. As he nears his 94th birthday in 2017, Sumner Redstone (and his estate) is worth an estimated $4.6 billion, according to Forbes. While a decent amount of that value comes from his stake in National Amusements, much more of it comes from the companies that he owns.

TV and Film Assets
The most famous assets of National Amusements are almost all Viacom and CBS properties. Combined, they make up the lion’s share of NA’s television and film acquisitions. Still, that’s only a portion of what NA owns.

Print Assets
National Amusements has a modest collection of print publishers, but they’re pretty well-known. The most well-known is Simon and Schuster, which National Amusements acquired when it purchased Viacom in 1999.

Video Game Assets
Along with other entertainment assets, National Amusements controls CBS Games. Since its acquisition, CBS Games has rebranded to CBS Interactive, which now controls well-known gaming websites that we’ll look at next.

Internet Assets
With CBS Interactive, National Amusements controls giant chunks of the video game news and sports news industries. These brands include GameSpot, Metacritic, c|net, and 247-Sports.

cococandy:
They’ve turned this guy into a marvel character 😭

Initial treatment usually includes rest to relieve stress on the spine and painkillers such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve or Tylenol to help with pain and reduce inflammation. If over-the-counter medications aren’t enough, doctors may prescribe corticosteroid medications or a cortisone injection.

Once the time for rest has passed, specific exercises can strengthen muscles in the abdomen and lower back to better support the spine. A brace or corset may also be needed, especially if the problem was caused by a fracture that needs to heal.

The only way to actually move the bone back into place is with surgery, and that may be necessary if serious problems persist. The goal of the surgery depends on the cause of the patient’s spondylolisthesis, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. If a fractured bone is to blame, surgeons can shore it up by fusing it to another vertebrae using screws and rods. Mangione had spinal fusion surgery in 2023 after living with pain for a year and a half. He shared a picture of a post-operative X-ray with one of his former roommates from his time in Hawaii. The image “looked heinous, with just giant screws going into his spine,” the ex-roommate, R. J Martin, told CNN. On Reddit, the user believed to be Mangione reported that the surgery was a success. “Within 7 days of the fusion I was on zero pain meds,” he wrote, according to ABC News.

If a fracture isn’t the problem but a misaligned disk is compressing nearby nerves, surgeons may perform a laminectomy. That procedure removes part of the bone and nearby ligaments to create more space for the nerves.

Sometimes surgical patients have both treatments, the academy says.

Although Mangione seemed pleased with the results of his surgery, he was not happy that it took so long for him to receive it. The Reddit user said he had feared he would be “destined to chronic pain and a desk job for the rest of my life.”

He advised other Reddit users to exaggerate their symptoms — such as pretending they couldn’t lift the front of their foot or urinating in their clothes on purpose — in order to get surgery sooner.

Having one of the 33 bones in his spine out of alignment by less than half an inch apparently diminished Luigi Mangione’s quality of life to the point that his lower legs felt like they were on fire. At other times, the 26-year-old charged with murdering the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare seesawed between pain and numbness in his lower back and genital area.

Social media posts believed to be written by Mangione indicated he was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, a back condition that emerged during childhood and became debilitating after an accident during a surfing lesson in 2022.

“My back and hips locked up after the accident,” wrote a Reddit user whose biographical details align with Mangione’s. The user, whose account has been deleted, also complained that “intermittent numbness has become constant.”

“I’m terrified of the implications,” the user wrote, according to CNN.

In Mangione’s case, the symptoms seem to have kicked into high gear while surfing in Hawaii in 2022. The Reddit user said he “experienced sciatica for the first time” while on the water, according to Business Insider, though it’s not clear whether the painful condition caused his accident or resulted from it.

Things went from bad to worse a few weeks later, when he “slipped on a piece of paper,” he said. “My right glute locked and right leg shut down for a week. Couldn’t support any weight on it.”

He also experienced a “near-constant burning/twitching in both ankles/calves.”

Pain isn’t the only symptom of spondylolisthesis. With a part of the spine out of place, patients may have back stiffness, be unable to stand for more than a few minutes, or have trouble walking.

These problems can get worse if left untreated. Other potential complications include urinary or bowel incontinence, the Cleveland Clinic says.

cococandy:
Did you read the research you’re quoting from?
Because it sure as hell demonstrates the widening income gap between the lower middle class, middle class and upper class.