Critique of Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Mr.. Vase Critique of Picasso at the Lapin Agile Written by Steve Martin and directed by Brine Lang, Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a play located at the Lapin Agile, in Paris. Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, both young, headstrong and passionate, come together in a fictitious meeting devised in the comic mind of Steve Martin. It's bohemian Paris, at the turn of the century and everything has fallen quiet to listen to a conversation of exquisite topics. Does art matter? Can science touch the heart? Is beauty truly in the eye of the beholder? DidEinstein and Picasso really only excel in their chosen fields in order to get girls? With a little help from a mysterious, visitor from the future (based on order of appearance) these topics get debated in one of the best possible environments, the bar of the â€Å"scurrying rabbit†. Steve Martins sense of humor is very immense in size, based on the bars name. By calling it the Lapin Agile (meaning scurrying rabbit) Martin is foreshad owing an unattainable theme to his play. He has a great sense of humor by calling it this and is very organized throughout the play, by placing hints all throughout the play, about he message of his play.Freddy is the bar tender of the Lapin Agile and is set on stage directions. When Einstein walks in, he realizes something was off and he points out later that, â€Å"In order of appearance. You're not third. You're fourth (11)†. By breaking that third wall between the audience and the play, Martin makes a very humorous act and allows one of his characters to use the play pamphlet to site the location of the casts' order of appearance. With his successful attempt to achieve humor by breaking the wall between the audience and the actors, Martin can be understood to be triumphant at his attempts to create humor.Then, after Freddy citation to the cast in order of appearance, that wall between the actors and audience is set back in place. This is some funny stuff. When Einstein wa lked in, he spoke of meeting a woman, but he never told her the place where they were going to meet. This was Einstein theory that everything happens as an accident and that if something is bound to happen, it will no matter the place or the time. I happen to disagree with the statement because of the face that the world is big and time passes no matter what we are doing. It's hard to Just run into someone who you want to meet, without having a plan first.People these days are busy and they are not always where we think we are. As the play progresses, Germane, a waitress and Freddy girlfriend, speaks about two pieces of work being of the same value. This is a great point that Martin brings forth in his play. But expressing his feelings about how two pieces of work can be seen as one, it makes me thing of two things that are similar in genera, but different in style. I could only think of music. There are many different love songs out their and they are all pertaining to different ki nds of people.But on the other hand, you have many songs that are popular. Is it popularity that is the decision maker in our minds or is it something else? This question is something martin brings forth a lot. Martin has a way of telling Jokes that I have never heard before. When the part comes about the foretelling of the future, Freddy and Germane predict some futuristic creations that they believe to lay ahead. Germane makes some precise predictions that have come true, but the people around her make fun of her and tell her that her thoughts are not real.On the other hand, Freddy makes some predictions such as cloths being made of wax and the French being the almighty rower of Europe, and he is seen as the sane one. Martin is trying to point out that no matter how crazy the idea, it might come true because Germany's theory was seen as a crazy one, yet it came true. It makes me thing of what out future will hold!!! Will there be a possibility of Jet pack and robotic houses that c lean them selves? Germany's ideas were crazy for her time and mine are the same, one never knows if their futuristic predictions will come true.Not only is martin good at making Jokes, he is good at conveying theories, through pieces of work that one would never believe had a deeper meaning than the surface crust. When Einstein and Picasso are having an argument between them about science and say they don't have the same meaning, martin is trying to express his feelings by say that both science and art are connected directly. You have to be an artist to be able to think of the vast universe and there is a science behind drawing a face. It's hard to believe that if you're good at science then you should be good at art as well and vice-a-versa.I still can't color for s*&% even though I am good at science, I don't know how that works out! Later on in the play, Freddy tells a Joke that no one understands. Einstein tryst to interpret the Joke using, his talented scientific thinking, to t he others, but many people still chose to choose their thoughts about it. This brings to me another idea that martin is trying to convey. He is saying that surrealism is interpreted differently to different people and no one answer is correct to a complex surreal question. It's based on the persons understanding to the concept and past experience with the topic on hand.So to me the Joke doesn't make any sense and I would replace the letter â€Å"e† with the letter â€Å"O† because pies are supposed to be circular and BIG. Later Freddy and Einstein have a debate about an â€Å"icebox† laughter. Based on their discussion, a laugh can happen at anytime. It could be that one didn't understand the Joke or moment and decided that it wasn't funny. Then later on, that person laughs about the topic and sometimes it happens without thought and wonder what it is you were laughing about. That has happens to me a lot of times.Later on in the play, another very funny aspect t o martins play is his perception of Picasso as being a womanlier. Germany's assessment of the word womanlier very well fits Picasso' character. Being a profound painter of the twentieth century, Picasso has his hands on many women, of different characteristics. He can have as many as he wants, whenever he wants, which is why Germany's remark of Picasso as being a womanlier is a correct one. I would have said that he is the kind of guy who can be described by the phrase, â€Å"hit-it-and-quit-it†.This man, is one of those who takes women for granted and will do one when he wants, Just to satisfy his lust and will forget about her the next day. What a guy. In my opinion, women should be cherished. They are better to deal with when they're happy, which meaner you have to do less work to please them and they will make you happy as well. On the other hand, if one is to take advantage of women, then they will lose their trust and may lose them forever. That is something that I woul d never want to happen. As the play continues martin introduces many new ideas of his, one being the idea of how beautiful love is.Picasso says he â€Å"would give it all up if [he] could sing songs about love. No more paints or more brushes†¦ Just the moonlight, the June light, and you† (66). By being able to sing, people have the ability to touch your souls. They sing a song that are related to the public and that's how they touch people. Another season why Picasso might want to become a singer, if he could, is because it makes people dance, enjoy them selves, and sing to the beat. Best of all, it captures a lot more attention than paintings and more people can relate to song, rather than paintings.A moment of perfection is something that everyone wants to feel, a time when everything feels like its perfect and that nothing can make you feel bad. Picasso had his moment of perfection, when he saw the painting that was revealed by the visitor. The painting made him have a moment of perfection, where nothing else mattered but the painting. Hard to know when its happened till its over† (72). Moments of perfection are times when you feel like you would do anything to stay and be with the person you're with or to continue a special task of yours, will it satisfies your mind.At the end of the play they are all giving a toast to the new century and Germane stays with Freddy. It's funny how martin leaves Germane with Freddy and doesn't hook her up with Picasso. I guess he is trying to convey the way we should treat women again. He first states this in Germany's comment of Picasso as being a womanlier. By leaving Freddy and Germane together, martin is conveying the Hough that you don't have to be a rich famous person to be with someone, you Just have to be gentle and considerate.He also tries to get across the thought that we shouldn't treat women any different than we treat ourselves. WOW, what a message! Only a guy like Steve Martin would be able t o present such a complex misunderstanding in real terms, with a comical piece of literature. For a guy who used to make a living with fake arrows through his head, a great play. The complex idea within the simple short play is a great way to catch the publics' eyes and attention. Great Job STEVE!

Political Science Essay

†¢ State and local governments are directly involved in our daily lives. †¢ The story of states and localities over the past two decades has been one of transformation. They have shed their backward ways, reformed their institutions, and emerged as capable and proactive. †¢ State resurgence is exemplified in improved revenue systems, the expanded scope of state operations, faster diffusion of innovations, more interjurisdictional cooperation, and increased national–state conflict. †¢ Several persistent challenges dog states and localities: fiscal stress, interjurisdictional competition, and political corruption. †¢ The United States is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. The increase in population in Sunbelt states such as Nevada and Arizona outpaces the rest of the nation. Meanwhile, negative growth characterized North Dakota and Louisiana from 2000 to 2008. †¢ An outbreak of culture wars is redefining the politics of some communities and states. †¢ As a whole, the states are diverse, competitive, and resilient. Their increased capacity to govern effectively has been sorely tested in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Chapter 2 U.S. federalism is an ongoing experiment in governance. †¢ A fundamental question is, what is the proper balance of power and responsibility between the national government and the states? †¢ Actions of the courts, Congress, and the executive branch have expanded powers of the national government. †¢ Over time, the trend has generally been in the direction of a stronger national government. Beginning in the early 1980s, however, there was a resurgence of the state and local governments as political and policy actors. †¢ The power relationships among the three levels of government are described by various models, including dual and cooperative relationships among the three levels of government. federalism. The operative model is cooperative federalism, under the variant known as new federalism. A key concept in federalism is intergovernmental relations, particularly financial relationships among the three levels of government. †¢ The national government imposes certain controversial requirements on grants-in aid, including mandates and pre-emptions. http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/federal.shtml †¢Executive Branch The executive branch of the government is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land. The president, vice president, department heads (cabinet members), and heads of independent agencies carry out this mission. †¢Judicial Branch Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws and how they are applied. They also decide if laws violate the Constitution—this is known as judicial review, and it is how federal courts provide checks and balances on the legislative and executive branches. †¢Legislative Branch Article I of the Constitution establishes the legislative or law making branch of government. It has a two-branch Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—and agencies that support Congress.

A Kuwaiti Investor's Market Analysis of New York Assignment

A Kuwaiti Investor's Market Analysis of New York - Assignment Example Cultural analysis of the State of New York: New York is arguably one of the most important and famous cities in the world and has been an important center of trade for numerous years. Geographically, it lies in the north eastern region of the USA, bordered nationally by the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Long Island and Rhode Island. It also shares an international border with Canada in the north (Sutcliffe 67). New York’s climate is described as humid continental with diverse weather patterns across the state and at different times of the year. It has humid summers and long cold winters. Two aspects describe the topography of New York; Appalachian highlands and low lying areas where the most important cities are. New York City is situated on the coastal lowland (Silverman et al. 2). The social description of New York can begin with the family setting where it is observed that nuclear families abound in the urban and suburban areas whi le extended families reside in the rural areas. A single description for the dynamics of the family in New York is impossible given the diversity present though generally parents share the responsibility of raising children and ensuring the wellbeing of the family. In most cases especially in the cities, both parents are employed or seek jobs to take care of their family. In terms of education, New York has one of the lowest teacher-student ratios in the USA besides also being the biggest spender per student at the elementary and secondary levels (Scott, 2010). New York bears the largest public university system in the USA in State University of New York (SUNY), a series of top ranked universities covering 64 campuses, over a million students and annual enrolments of half a million students. The education system is thus well established. The political system of New York integrates into part of the federal US government and a state government (Ward 2). The state government has an exe cutive, a bicameral legislature and a judiciary (95). The urban areas are major Democrat strongholds while the non-urban areas are more inclined to Republican politics (Schneier, Murtaugh and Pole 60). The state government deals with internal affairs including state laws and bylaws, regulation of trade and law enforcement among other issues. The legal system of the state is based upon common English law (Ward 161; Manz, Gibson and Spencer 7). The Federal Trade Commission handles most patenting and marketing issues. The diet and nutrition of New Yorkers also varies according to whether one is in the urban or farmland regions. The trends in the city revolve around eating out and fast food chains are quite popular. The typical meals in this state are mainly fast foods; pizzas, French fries and burgers among similar foods. There however are other foods available from the farmlands including vegetables such as lettuce and whole meals but all constraints in the supply chain mean that most urban New Yorkers can only access fast foods easily. Economic Analysis: According to the 2010 census figures, New York has a population of 19.3 million and is ranked the third most populous state in the USA. Distribution of

Seminar paper (Sydney Harbour Bridge) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Seminar paper (Sydney Harbour Bridge) - Essay Example of the Sydney Harbour Bridge; and how the author uses the theories of Roland Barthe to explain the depoliticisation, as well as the aura and allure of the bridge. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, opened in March 1932, was a spectacular event in Sydney’s history1. It was one of the major engineering feats of the twentieth century, and is the largest though not the longest one-bow bridge in the world. The construction of the bridge was a remarkable accomplishment in the years of the Great Depression, using labour-intensive technology. The Bridge crosses from Dawes’ Point on the downtown side to Milsons’ Point on the North Shore2. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate what Carl Hooper means by the ‘depoliticisation’ of the Sydney Harbour Bridge; and how Hooper uses Roland Barthes’ theories to explain this depoliticisation, and the aura and allure of the bridge. harbour†3. A steel deck hangs from the arch, and each side are five steel truss approach spans. The hinges or bearings support the entire weight of the bridge, and allow it to move with expansion and contraction of the bridge, with temperature changes. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was part of the Bradfield Plan, named after the engineer John J.C. Bradfield who conceptualized the detailed and comprehensive plan4. Besides solving Sydney’s transport problems of that time, he foresaw the city’s future transport formulating the plan, he took care to orient the Sydney Harbour Bridge towards the future. There is provision of four railway lines, six-lane roadway for vehicular traffic, and two wide footwalks. â€Å"Adequate transport facilities between the city and Northern suburbs enable 1,000,000 people to reside on the northern side of the Harbour without unduly congesting traffic†5. With a view to overseas developments and their impacts on the local waterway traffic, adequate size of the vessels and ample waterways for the mammoth liners of the future were provided for6. Carl

Research Issues in Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Research Issues in Human Resource - Essay Example "Bullying usually includes acts or verbal comments that could mentally hurt or isolate a person in the workplace and it has been described as the assertion through aggression" (CCOHS) Bullying has its adverse effects on the individual as well as the work place. Workplace bullying always poses multiple challenges to the HR professionals in dealing with their occurrences. HR Management always includes Workplace bullying prevention programs aimed to safeguard the potential victims of bullying. Such prevention programmes require the commitment from the management as an important component. In this context this paper attempts to present a detailed account of the challenges being faced by the HR professionals in dealing with bullying at work. An academic definition of Workplace Bulling as provided by Einarsen et al reads "Bullying at work means harassing, offending, socially excluding someone or negatively affecting someone's work tasks. In order for the label bullying (or mobbing) to be applied to a particular activity, interaction or process it has to occur repeatedly and regularly (e.g. weekly) and over a period of time (e.g. about six months)." Bullying is considered an ongoing process of abuse during which the person subjected to bullying becomes weak and inferior in feeling by becoming the victim of negative social act. It may be noted that an isolated event cannot be characterized as bullying. Similarly when the parties involved in the conflict are of equal strength the act can not be termed as bullying. (Einarsen et al 2003:15) The International Labour Organisation has defined the work place violence that bullying. The definition goes like "any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circ umstances relating to their work. These behaviors would originate from customers, co-workers at any level of the organization. This definition would include all forms or harassment, bullying, intimidation, physical threats/assaults, robbery and other intrusive behaviors." (Canada Safety Council)It is observed that workplace bullying is found to be more prevalent in work places than other disorderly behaviours like sexual harassment and racial discrimination which are dealt with by legislative measures. It is often observed that when bullying at the work place takes place the victims usually receive the immediate focus to provide the support and no efforts are being taken to provide advise, guidance or support to those who has indulged in such bullying activities. According to a report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) the employers usually train their HR managers in tacking issues related to workplace bullying. But the line managers are not provided with the necessary training in this regard. The report indicates that while 75 percent of the employers take efforts to train the HR managers to tackle the harassment to workers out of bullying only 55 percent of them provide such training to the line managers also. As per the 2004 research of the CIPD the conflicts relating to workplace bullying costs nearly 450 days of managements' time each year which is equivalent to the full working time of two managers. It was also estimated that the bullying related complains constituted

The Learning Curves Theory Review of the Pizza Store Layout Simulation Essay

The Learning Curves Theory Review of the Pizza Store Layout Simulation - Essay Example The first assumption evaluates the time that a business requires to complete routine tasks (Anderson & Parker, 2002). They further explain that the second assumption measures the degree of improvement that reduces when volume is increased. Lastly, the learning curve theory estimates the rate of predictable improvement in an organization over a set period. Mario Pizziera’s management team increases the number of tables in tables of four and two to 10 and 8 respectively. The team also increases the waiting staff to a total of six employees who serve customers and three kitchen staff to prepare Mario’s tasty pizzas. The overall output of these changes in the restaurant increase table utilization by 93.85 % in the tables that four customers occupy. Previously, table utilization was 99.56% on tables that a batch of four customers occupied in the restaurant. The total number of customers that balk in tables of four is 37. Mario’s restaurant tables are distributed and i ncreased to ten and eight in tables of four and two respectively to increase productivity and profits. The tables that four customers occupy in the restaurant upsurges to 107 groups of customers but 17 groups walk out without receiving Mario’s service and pizzas. Tables that host a batch of two customers increase in utilization by 88%. The number of groups in tables that two customers occupy increases to 69, but 2 groups balk. The time that customers wait for services and food are 5.63 minutes and a queue length of 2.46 minutes. The profits during this organizational change amount to $1,308 but lost sales are worth $540. Mario wants more profits and sales, which prompts for an adjustment in the pizza layout simulation process. ... Mario Pizziera has only two manual ovens that function well. The processing time for pizza increases to 15 minutes while the time that time that waiting staff utilize in serving customers increases to 13 minutes from 8 minutes. Mario’s management team improvises a new menu order that is automatic. They also purchase two new Plax ovens that process faster than the manual ovens. Two Plax ovens increase the number of groups of customers that occupy tables for two by 68 groups, but 2 groups balk without Mario’s pizza. Tables that host groups of four customers increase by 108 groups, but 10 groups walk out without pizza. The tables that host a batch of four customers per table has a decrease in utility by 80.40%. However, the waiting time for customers decreases to 3.96 minutes and 2.44 minutes for queue length. Mario’s waiting staff utility level increases by 90.83% but the kitchen staff experiences under utility by 68%. The new Plax ovens need less of the staff effo rts in preparing pizza. Mario Pizziera’s profits increase to $1,665 and lost sales decrease to $330. Mario implements a promotional strategy that will market the pizza restaurant to potential customers and increase demand. He creates a take-out counter and cream puffs as new products and services in the restaurant. Tables that host a batch of two customers in each table hold 98 groups but 9 groups walk out without Mario’s pizza. The eight tables that host two customers in a meal have 79.86% utility. Tables that host a batch of four customers accommodate for 141 groups, but 19 groups balk. The utilization of table four in the restaurant is 79.84%. The take-out counter does not have any customers. Mario’s wait staff increase utility

Biochemistry Discussion - Fats and Proteins Assignment

Biochemistry Discussion - Fats and Proteins - Assignment Example Fats can be broken down to yield energy by lipolysis, after which beta-oxidation takes place in the mitochondria to give acetyl CoA that continues to the Krebs cycle yielding ATP, water, and carbon dioxide. Ketosis happens in extended starvation when large amounts of fat are broken down for energy instead of carbohydrates. This is because the rate of ketone formation surpasses the ability of the liver to oxidize them. The three types of ketone bodies that arise from acetyl CoA are acetoacetate, acetone, and beta-hydroxybutyrate (Butterly & Shepherd, 2010). The brain uses these ketone bodies for energy during starvation. Under normal conditions, the liver usually uses ketone bodies in the synthesis of lipids through the process of lipogenesis. Too much ketone bodies circulating in the body causes ketoacidosis, a state that lowers the pH of the blood to harmful levels, which may interfere with the physiology of other processes. Proteins are essential components in the body because they serve numerous structural and functional purposes. Some proteins function in body movement and others function in protection against germs (antibodies). Biological processes are catalyzed by enzymes, which are protein in nature. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is the least amount of nutrients needed to meet the daily nutrient needs of an individual. However, the RDA for protein â€Å"is calculated on an average person’s ideal weight because protein is needed mainly for lean body tissue, not fat† (Protein, n.d.). This is about 0.8 grams of proteins per kilogram of body weight. For normal males between the age of 14 and 18, this value is 52 grams whereas the value changes to 56 grams for people above the age of 18. For females, it is 46 grams for everybody above the age of 14 (Protein, n.d.).

Composing self Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Composing self - Essay Example Though this was quite satisfying at the moment, I was still quite curious why one can take so much of the proteins yet their body size remain to be small. The belief must have been fallacious or there must have been other aspects I did not understand. I started changing my perception to the belief on realizing that despite the fact that we were served the same food at home, my younger brother tended to grow quite faster and surpass me body wise. Having no explanation to this and with my lame background in biology I had to partly believe in my fallacious reasoning with the people I sought information from not giving me a comprehensive version that I could adopt. However, as my background in biology became firm I realized that growth is in fact a very complex process. The process as I learnt starts with the introduction of food into the alimentary canal through the mouth. This food, take for instance meat is broken down to small units called amino acids. These are the building blocks for the mass of flesh that we eat. The next process involves the use of those amino acids to repair the injured body parts as well as ensuring growth occurs. Since a person is made up of microscopic units called cells the amino acids take part in the replication of those cells with the increase in number leading to the increase in body size. I changed my earlier thinking after researching on the issue and engaging more people who were informed to help in demystifying the mystery. Beliefs being part of the knowledge we have can be misleading or based on fallacy. In my case, the belief was based on assumption and so with time I embraced a better approach that can be used to get the correct facts. This being just one of the beliefs I had I my early age I have realized that to get the correct facts, one has to engage various sources or else you may end up holding strongly on the wrong ideals. The only way to explain my earlier belief is through the

Potato Chip Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Potato Chip Industry - Essay Example Often, there are barriers to the entry of new competitors, specifically potato chip products. The barriers include government laws that ensure one entity’s sole status in the current market segment. Often, the government offers a franchise the entity the right to exclusively operate in a new market economy (Miller, 2012, p. 533). There are several advantages in the 2008 potato chip monopoly environment. Wongs, the exclusive manufacturer of Wong potato chip products in the Northwest, has no competitors. Since there are no competitors, the seller, including Wonks, can dictate the price of the products. Wonks can price its products at ten percent above cost. Wonks can also increase its current potato chip products’ prices by 20 percent. Wonks can raise its prices in order to allocate funds for research and development of new potato chip –related products. The company can sell strawberry-flavored potato chip products. The company can sell vanilla-coated products. Won gs can sell the potato chip products in different sizes to fit the customer’s budget. Virgile Chassagnon emphasized â€Å"From the 1930s to present day, the industrial landscape has changed considerably. The modern firm has evolved in parallel with the rise of the competition, globalization and financialization that began in the early 1980s (2011, p.35).†Likewise, the current and future customers are at the mercy of the monopolistic entities, like Wonks. The clients cannot search for competitors to sell the same quality product at lower prices. However, Mizan Rahmann (2011) proposed the government must promote perfect competition. Perfect competition has more benefits compared to the monopoly market environment. For the government to benefit from the monopoly, Doyle observed â€Å"When governments intervene in markets truly open, competitive free markets do not exist. There are many examples of how competition is limited by the entry of new firms being blocked or in s ome way made more difficult (Doyle, 2005, p. 199).† The government intervention can be the best alternative to prevent entry of prohibited competitors. The government can set a limit to the number of competitors in any local industry. In addition, Deanna Malatesta (2011) reiterated the government can institute laws that control the abuses. Malatesta observed the government counters the credible threats of opportunists, franchise violators, in the monopoly economy with more effective laws. Further, the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace council’s call for the establishment of a â€Å"world political authority† that is vested with the power to control both global financial transactions and the world’s economic activities, especially controlling the outright abuses of the monopoly organization’s unreasonably high prices. The council’s call answered the United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair’s assessment that the c urrent disadvantageous turmoil of the current European Union economy threatened both the military preparedness of the allies and their capacity to share humanitarian help to the poor and neglected members of the global society (Justice & Economics, 2011). The government benefits from monitoring and controlling only one potato industry entity, Wonks, by spending less monitoring time and costs. However, some other businesses will not benefit from the

My Philosophy of Nursing Essay Example for Free

My Philosophy of Nursing Essay The main purpose of the paper is to express my personal philosophy of nursing. The paper provides an observation of a framework of my personal practice of nursing and the reasons why I choose nursing as a profession. The issue is extremely important to be studied, researched, and analyzed as it represents the theoretical basis of each nurse and highly supports one’s life philosophy and the system of interaction the nurse has with the rest of the society. Special attention is paid to the attitude that nurses have to their patients, family members, other nurses, and health care professionals as this has the major impact on the nursing practice in general. In order to define a personal philosophy of nursing, it is very important to understand the meaning of the term â€Å"philosophy†. As for me, this issue can be perfectly addressed with the definition that presents philosophy as a specific attitude towards life and reality that evolves according to the beliefs of each nurse (Edwards, 1997). This definition is really useful as it gives the freedom to use my own beliefs and experience to talk about this issue. The real nature of nursing is quite diverse, and it has been always a subject for a discussion among professionals trying to define whether nursing is a science or an art. I see that there is a place for both these terms when we talk about real nursing practice (June, 2004). The attitude towards nursing in my personal life has been forming through the years, beginning with my first dreams of becoming a nurse that were motivated with the desire to wear white uniform like people that I saw on television. However, as the time passed, my vision of nursing has gone through serious changes. I understood that nurse is not just a person in a uniform, but a professional who can make differences in a patient’s life. During the period when I was trying to make my final decision about the future professional career, I was lucky to be able to talk to and followed by real professional nurse that was trying to teach me and my family members how to look after my grandmother. This outstanding experience showed me the real meaning of this profession; therefore, I was able to see what I was going to be in future. As it is known, some researchers see nursing as an art. This tendency began with the first comparisons trying to see nursing as an art in metaphorical sense, not in the way we see fine art. These definitions were present in the works of Florence Nightingale in the end of the 19th century, when the  scientists were trying to adhere to nursing quality. The main issue then was the question whether there is a highest and most desirable level of nursing practice (Austgard, 2006). These thoughts and ideas are now developed in the works of Benner as this researcher also evolves the importance of quality level of nursing and caring (Benner, 1984). It is extremely important to pay attention to caring and the level of interactions between professionals and patents, their family members and the other medical workers. My personal way of interacting is based on the personal experience of taking care of my grandmother; therefore, I try to build my attitude to patients on the basis of trust and partnership. I find these aspects extremely important for the successful nursing practice. The same refers to the attitude I have towards my coworkers. As it can be seen, the nursing practice is an extremely complex issue that requires close attention and proper analysis. It is crucial for every professional to develop one’s own philosophy of nursing. This process is long and can take the whole life. It also requires attention to such factor as the character of interacting with the patients, their family members, and coworkers. This issue is so important, because the successful nursing professional can play a decisive role in patients’ life. References Austgard, K. (2006). The aesthetic experience of nursing. Nursing Philosophy, 7(1), 11-19. Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice (2 ed.). Menlo Park, CA: Addison Wesley. Edwards, S. D. (1997). What is philosophy of nursing? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(2), 1089-1093. June, K. F. (2004). Towards a philosophic theory of nursing. Nursing Philosophy, 5(1), 79-83.

An Analysis Of Turkish And Kurdish Tensions Politics Essay

An Analysis Of Turkish And Kurdish Tensions Politics Essay Since taking office in 2002, the Justice and Development Part (AKP) has introduced a series of reforms to democratize the social, economic and political life in Turkey. After being elected one more time in 2007, the AKP government has committed to solve Kurdish issue which can be seen as one of the most intractable conflict of Turkey continuing for over 30 years. Popularly known as the Kurdish opening (Kà ¼rt Aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±lÄ ±mÄ ±) process, the initiative is the first systematic attempt to get through identity-based discontents of the Kurds. This study presents a brief history of the conflict, the windows of opportunity that supported the AKP government, the analysis of the Kurdish opening process. In order to provide a holistic perspective, the historical, political, socio-psychological, legal and cultural dynamics of the Kurdish issue will be touched here. At the end, a series of recommendations are also discussed that are consistent within the analytic perspective of the paper. II. HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT The conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK (Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan)  [1]  can be seen as an intractable one that been continuing for over three decades and caused more than 30,000 deaths from both sides. Basically, the conflict is the byproduct of the Turkish nation building process. The beginning of the politicization of Kurdish cultural identity corresponds to the shift from multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural realities of the Ottoman Empire to the nation-state model.  [2]  According to Ergil, the Turkish official state policy was based on the idea of civic nation referring to the geographical region in which all the peoples of Turkey lived, rather than ethnic-nation (the dominant Turkish ethnic group). However, soon after, the ruling military elite, intellectuals, and bureaucrats shifted from this civic nation idea towards homogenization which acquired meaning in the Turkification policies which also became a major source of the Kurdish issue in Tu rkey.  [3]  After the major Kurdish rebellions of the 1920s and 1930s in Turkeys southeast where the population were predominantly Kurds, Turkish governing elites began viewing the utterance of a separate Kurdish identity as a threat to the nation-state.  [4]   Change in the governance style at the beginning of the Republic might prevent the escalation of conflict in the country. Instead, the structural violence emerged in the form of assimilation policies; Kurdish people were resettled, places and peoples names were changed, the use of language was restricted, and the very existence of a Kurdish identity was denied  [5]  . Burton emphasizes that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to go one step further and to eliminate structures and policies which generate conflict, violence and crimeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦societies would need to be transformed from centralized systems, top-down administrations, to centralized, bottom-up decision makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [6]  . In that line, the decentralization that would have the potential of strengthening the local administrations could not be tolerated in the nation building process. Under these assimilation policies, the Kurdish resentments had turned into a reaction in the form of Kurdish movement against the state. On the relationship between the state development and social movements, Tarrow argues that some aspects of state development facilitated the rise of movements.  [7]  In Turkey, the consolidation of centralist and unitary state ideology facilitated the Kurdish resentment. The Republican repressive and exclusionary politics in social, economic, cultural and political life against Kurds propelled those people into a collective movement.  [8]  1970 and 1980s military coups and their spatial repressive policies incited the Kurdish contentious politics into an emergence of distinctive nationalist/secessionist armed movement of Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK)  [9]  . The conflict peaked at the end of 1990s and the death toll had reached over 30,000 in total-half of them PKK militants, one-fourth civilians, and the remaining one-fourth members of the security forces.  [10]  The conflict was seen as a zero-sum game and emergency military measures instead of parliamentary decisions were seen as the only legitimate way of responding the PKK attacks. In that sense, the Kurdish reaction had to be responded by repression. The conflict between Turkish state and the PKK, therefore, should be analyzed in a chain of action-reaction model. Metin Heper analytically defines the theory of change in this conflict as (a) the Turkish state has relied on forced assimilation of ethnic elements, including Kurds; (b) that Kurds have resisted the states efforts to force assimilation; and (c) that in response to the rebellious elements, the state has used suppression.  [11]  The thing worthwhile to think about the AKP governments new initiative of Kurdish openin g is that the theory of change in the state policy related to the resolution of the conflict is changing. There is an observable shift from military solution to a political solution and the dynamics supporting this shift has to be analyzed. III. WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY AND THE KURDISH OPENING Turkeys larger aims of becoming a regional power cannot explain the underlying logic behind the Kurdish Opening policy. Turkeys internal and external dynamics, which can be seen as a windows of opportunity, support the government in this process. Removing the PKK from Turkeys political equation, however, is not a novel endeavor. However, international and regional circumstances have never been favorable to that objective. At the current juncture, there is a more favorable environment to addressing the many challenges of the Kurdish question. The Turkish leadership as well seems to have grasped the new situation and has thus changed its conventional perception of the problem. 1) Domestic Since the early days of the Republic, all Turkish governments have refrained from upsetting the balance of power that favors the political role of the military over that of democratic reform that may be reacted by the military. According to Çandar, any sort of Kurdish opening would have either been doomed to failure from its very beginning, or deterred from starting at all.  [12]  The only path for democratic reforms that will reduce the power of the military in politics is through very strong domestic and international backing.  [13]   Such domestic support is enabled by the Ergenekon Case, which was aimed at eliminating the closed, dark, intolerant and secret communities friendly with the military bureaucracy and state officials but insidiously devoted to destroying the government  [14]  Firmly grasping the influence that these elements have on state establishments through the Ergenekon investigation has given way for the governing AKP to create a platform through which the Kurdish issue can be discussed without military means.  [15]   As Cizre discusses, the question now is whether the AK Party can emerge from the Ergenekon episode newly positioned to renegotiate a robust role for itself and articulate a new relationship between Kurdish actors and Turkish politics.  [16]  The political arena in Turkey is now in the hands of the AKP government, as it received 55 percent of public support in the last referendum. Other political actors appear to be excluded from the Kurdish Opening.  [17]  The steps taken until now are being debated by many, as with this public support behind the government comes a greater expectation for the government to take bolder steps toward the solution. 2) International Since Turkeys EU candidacy was entered into consideration in 2005, the EU has had a tendency to see Turkeys Kurdish issue from a human rights perspective in that the minority rights of the Kurdish population must be granted as a pre-requisite for membership. Along those lines, Turkey has sought to meet the Copenhagen criteria for membership and supported reforms in cultural rights. EU membership became a democratization tool in the hands of the government against the state establishment. The EU praised the government by indicating that the reform process in Turkey and the accession process are closely linked to each other, as argued by EU term president and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt during the annual Turkey-EU Troika meeting in Istanbul.  [18]   After the initiation of the new policy, both the West and East supported and appreciated the AKP governments democratization. After initiation of the Kurdish Opening policy, the economic ties between Turkey and Iraqs Kurds increased. Washington and Baghdad agreed to work closer with Turkey on the rapid intelligence  [19]  that is believed to weaken the position of the PKK. The democratic credentials of Turkey are increased in the eyes of the West, and according to Somer and Evangelos, the Kurdish question is an important piece of what Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄÅ ¸lu has dubbed the zero problems with neighbors policy.  [20]   Kurdish Opening Making choices in a conflict plays a significant role in the escalation-de-escalation of the conflict. Tjosvold argues that the conflict does not just happen nor does conflict escalate by itself. People make choices that escalate conflict of lead to more constructive outcomes (Tjosvold 2006, 91). The AKP government, with the help of public support, decided to transform the conflict by taking bolder steps toward bring fundamental solutions to the Kurdish issue. The policy popularly known as the Kurdish Opening was launched at the end of the summer of 2007.  [21]  The government published a report entitled The Democratic Opening Project with Questions and Answers: The National Brotherhood Project  [22]  in order to publicize the benefits that democratic opening would bring to Turkey. In the booklet, some of the issues mentioned included the imprisoned leader of the PKK, Ocalan, would not benefit from any type of amnesty, military operations against the PKK would continue unless its members are disarmed, the ideal of unitary state, nation and flag would be maintained, although unitary nation does not mean a nation composed of a dominant race, and the official language would be Turkish forever. Although the government was framing the policy with this broad approach, some sections of society were discussing bolder steps that had to be taken by the government for a permanent solution to the Kurdish issue. This included negotiating with the leader of the PKK and cooperating with its political extension, the Democratic Society Party (DTP)  [23]  . AKPs Double-Discourse Turkish political scientist Kirisci has defined the initiative as several confidence building measures,  [24]  However it is unclear what building confidence means for peace. Pruitt discusses working trust as one of the necessary preconditions for peace, which is a belief that the other party also wants to escape the conflict and has reasonable or flexible aspirations  [25]  . Looking at the parties, it can be argued that both the AKP government and the PKK sought to abandon armed conflict and begin a peace process. However, this process is quite complex for both sides. The PKK has sought to case armed conflict, arguing that with violent means, the Kurdish people living in Turkey will not get their rights. The imprisoned leader of the PKK, Ocalan, who also sees himself as a mediator between the state and the PKK, is continuously sending messages arguing for peace. According to him, we are in favor of disarmament in principle as long as legal-constitutional safeguards are provided.  [26]  The organization also wants to see the pro-Kurdish political party, DTP, at the negotiation table with the government for the advocacy of Kurdish rights.  [27]   Alternatively, however, many unclear questions regarding the communication between the PKK and the AKP have arisen. As Ocalan is arguing that the biggest obstacle in front of the peace is the AKP,  [28]  and the approach of the state is much more positive than the AKP government,  [29]  questions of who is the state and who is the government are emerging. According to Pruitt, making secret contacts with the other side is one way to motivate for the peace process. The government is clearly deferring to public support, choosing to use two different discourses in order to guarantee both public support and success in the peace process. The government has received strong reaction from the public after the Habur incident in May of 2009. Pro-Kurdish DTP supporters welcomed a group of PKK members arriving in Turkey with excitement, chanting slogans in favor of the PKK and its jailed leader Abdullah ÃÆ'-calan.  [30]  All media channels portrayed the event as a part of the Kurdish Opening process. The minister of the interior announced at a press conference that the return home is part of the democratization process and that there would be more good news soon.  [31]  However, the leader of PKK, Ocalan, declared his leave from the movement at the end of the month. It is unclear what has happened after the Habur incident and why Ocalan declared his leave from the movement, but the PKK called an end to the ceasefire that was declared earlier in the same month. After the Habur incident, the government was forced to re-evaluate its strategy and choose instead a double-discourse strategy. Since that time, the conciliatory signs between the government and the PKK have reduced. The government understood that trust-building between the parties regarding the Kurdish issue may taken a long time, as it requires a transformation of a war system into a peace system, inspired by a quest for the values of peace and justice, truth and mercy.  [32]   Timing The timing of the governments Kurdish Opening policy also deserves a brief discussion. One of the most widely respected ideas about the timing of the initiation of the peace processes comes from the Zartmans idea of ripe moment moment in which the parties perception of a mutually hurting stalemate, optimally associated with an impending, past, or recently avoided catastrophe.  [33]   Launching the Kurdish opening policy has nothing to do with ripe moment, however. The ripe moment in Turkish Republican history is the AKP governments ascension to power. If the history of the conflict is considered, the 1990s were the era in which the parties should have sought a way out since the parties found themselves locked in a conflict from which they couldnt escalate to victory and this deadlock was painful to both of the parties.  [34]  However, domestic and international conditions did not allow the governments to achieve a way out at that time. The conditions that ripened the conflict and made it open ot resolution corresponded to the domestic and international conditions that led the AKP government to speak about Kurdish Opening. In that sense, the conditions that prepared the AKP to initiate steps toward democratization are an objective reality rather than a perceptual event, as Zartman identifies  [35]  . The major motivational factors in the Kurdish Opening included pressure from the EU, Turkeys ambitious zero-problem policy with neighbors in order to be a regional power, and Turkeys internal dynamics, including the Ergenekon case and decreasing power of the military in politics. In that sense, the Kurdish opening can be seen as the beginning of a peace process since, as Pruitt identifies, what is necessary for the peace process is the motivation (that is, a goal) to end the conflict, which is fed by (a) a sense that the conflict is unwinnable or poses unacceptable costs or risks and/or (b) pressure from powerful third parties such as allies.  [36]   Conciliatory Signs According to Pruitt, another significant factor for the peace process is that optimism is about the outcome of conciliation and negotiation.  [37]  Conciliatory gestures are critical messages given by both parties to build trust. As discussed above, the government has begun using different discourses, as the general elections are approaching. However, at the beginning of the process, it was publicly supporting peace. For example, the leaders of both the AKP and the DTP, which is believed to be the extension of the PKK in the Turkish Grand Assembly,  [38]  had a meeting in May of 2009 right after the announcement of the governments Kurdish Opening policy. The leaders discussed their optimism and motivation for the future of the project.  [39]   Corresponding to the moves from the government, the PKK has declared a ceasefire that was to comprise of the dates between August 12th and September 20th, 2010, to end before the religious month of Ramadan and the referendum  [40]  . This ceasefire was aimed at amending the constitution, which was written by the military authority after the 1980 military coup. Ceasefires are important for the peace process, as according to Pruitt, if conciliatory gestures between the parties increases in strength, the partys behavior becomes increasingly conciliatory and may eventually take the form of a cease-fire and entry into negotiation.  [41]   In October of 2010, Ocalan sent a letter to the leader of the PKK, Murat Karayilan,  [42]  and the government, asking for an extension of the ceasefire that was declared on August 12th. Karayilan argued that that we extended the unilateral ceasefire against Turkey after receiving a letter from Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan till 2011 general elections in Turkey.  [43]  Although Ocalan, in his latest messages, has been arguing that the state is more candid than the government for the peace process, it is unclear why he initiated the extension of the ceasefire until the general elections, which is directly related the future of the AKP government. It is still unclear what this final ceasefire means for the peace process. According to Aydintasbas, the Kurdish Opening was started based on reciprocal distrust between the parties of the Kurdish Conflict. When the Habur incident turned into a festival, public rage interrupted the peace process. This latest ceasefire will lead to the continuation of the process and a return home for the PKK, which also strengthens Oclans position for the movement.  [44]   Concrete Steps The EU Commissions 2010 Annual Report for Turkey  [45]  is the most valuable tool in order to see how much progress the government could make. As the report indicates although the AKP government made public statements of commitment for the progress in Kurdish initiative, there is no actually strong evidence that the democratic opening was followed through. Seen developments as the Report mentions; As regards freedom of expression, an increasingly open and free debate continues on a wide scale in the media and in the public on topics perceived as sensitive, such as the Kurdish issue, minority rights, the Armenian issue, and the role of the military.  [46]   As regards cultural rights, the Regulation on the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) was amended in November, removing all restrictions on broadcasting in Kurdish and other languages by private and public channels at the local level.  [47]   For the first time, the DiyarbakÄ ±r Municipal Theatre staged a play in Kurdish. In June, the State Minister for EU Affairs invited all EU embassies to a Kurdish literature event in the village of Bahcesehir (Van). Mardin Artuklu University established the first Kurdish and Assyrian language departments, and began accepting students to post-graduate programs organized by these departments.  [48]   The amended law on fundamental principles of elections and the electoral registry entered into force on 10 April 2010, de facto allows the use of Kurdish in election campaigns.  [49]   RECOMMENDATION Identity-related conflicts such as the Kurdish issue have deeply-rooted historical, cultural, emotional, economic and political dimensions; therefore, there is no magic solution to address all these issues. There are, however, many potential steps that would help eliminate obstacles to social and political reconciliation. Although legal and political reform is crucial for eliminating structural inequalities, there is a need to initiate a holistic reconciliation process over the long term by also continuing conciliatory gestures that are likely to address certain cultural and psychological sensitivities. Along those lines, the recommendations outlined below for the continuation of the peace process and establishment of a peace agreement are aimed at providing a perspective for a multi-layered and multi-actor intervention. Transforming the public discourse Transforming the public discourse is critically important during the peace process. As this conflict has been used by politicians for years as a tool to gain public support, discourse based on enemy images and dehumanizing on both sides pervades the peoples cognition. In order to institutionalize the socio-psychological infrastructure  [50]  , the healthy exchange of information between the parties, the use of cultural products to eliminate enemy images, and changes in educational materials will be necessary. The Truth and Reconciliation Commissions established to investigate mystery murders in 1990s will help to transform the discourse as well. The role of the civil society is quite important in this process of discourse transformation with the help of the media. Understanding that the Peace Process is non-linear During the peace process, due to a lack of information exchange or misunderstanding gestures, the conflict may escalate or deescalate, or ceasefire may continue and further steps may not be taken. In any situation, including a change in leadership, the stakeholders in the process should stay in the process and move forward. Solving Spoiler Problems As Stedman argues, a correct diagnosis of spoiler type is crucial for the choice of an appropriate strategy of spoiler management.  [51]  Regarding Kurdish initiatives, the most critical opposition to the government comes from the opposition parties in the Assembly.  [52]  It is also known that there are some factions in the PKK that do not seek disarmament.  [53]  Therefore, if the AKP government and the PKK are in fact targeting a peace agreement, they must both learn how to manage opposing groups and create a grand peace coalition that includes all parties related to the issue. Having a Perception of the peace process is a win-win situation In order to be optimistic about the future, each party must lower its aspirations and see how a compromise will be beneficial to both. The results that are aimed at must be divisible into small pieces. Walter cites that, if the stakes are chiefly indivisible, so that neither side can get most of what it wants without depriving the other of mots of what it wants, negotiations are less apt to be successful.  [54]  Although the Kurdish armed movements goals are less rigid than before, focusing more on a rights-based discourse, there is always a question about the secessionist ideals of Kurdish nationalism among non-Kurdish populations. Therefore, instead of discussing unrealistic territorial demands, the ethnic-cultural rights appear more feasible at the negotiation table. International and National Legal and Political Arrangements Those reforms must include both international and national reforms, as widely addressed by TESEVs latest report.  [55]  International instruments and mechanisms have a significant role in the protection of human rights through their effectiveness and functionality. Regarding the constitution, any phraseology based on Turkish ethnic identity must be eliminated from all articles, as it is against the pluralist nature of Turkish society.  [56]  Moreover, a comprehensive review of the legislation must be undertaken and references to Turkish ethnic identity in various laws must be removed.  [57]   Positive Economic Discrimination for South-East Anatolia The relative economic deprivation is quite clear in the Kurdish regions in comparison to the rest of Turkey. Sustainable economic development projects must concentrate on such regions and positive economic discrimination must be provided for the region. CONCLUSION Addressing the Kurdish demands should not just be a matter of political pragmatism for the AKP government; it is rather a historical opportunity to appease the tensions continuing for a long time. It is not clear whether the AKP government will be able to accommodate the Kurdish requests during their tenure because of the enduring social, political, legal and psychological obstacles. And it is also unrealistic to expect a resolution of complex historical problems within a relatively short period of time. However, if the Kurdish opening process is managed constructively, the peace process will have a positive impact at the political as well as at the grassroots levels.

Themes of To His Coy MIstress by Andrew Marvell :: essays research papers

Response: To His Coy Mistress To His Coy Mistress is an argument poem about a man trying to persuade his shy mistress to give into his physical desires. He starts off by saying that if he had all the money and time in the world he would spend it all on dating and impressing her. As the poem progresses, he becomes more and more urgent and forceful with his words. The man begins to tell her that she will be old and ?dusty? soon so she should just give into him at that moment. He essentially tells her now or never. However, the larger idea of the poem is not about having sex before you get old, it is about seizing the moment and not taking time for granted. At the beginning of the poem the man tries to persuade her by explaining to her that, if he could, he would devote all of his time to her. He tells her he will spend ?thirty thousand? years adoring her body, because that is the state she deserves. He also tells her that they could flirt over a vast area, from the Indian?s Ganges to England?s own Humber. Space and time are exaggerated in an attempt to impress and persuade her into his selfish desires. The speaker is not really going to spend any time with her, he is solely driven by his lustful desires and has no intention of staying with her. He begins by saying he will wait for her, but the following lines prove otherwise. He makes it clear that he always hears a ?winged chariot hurrying near? and that in a few years she will no longer be beautiful. With the lines, ?The grave?s a fine and private place, but none, I think, do there embrace? he brings up the idea that if they do not act on their love, she might die without any love at all. Although the author is without a doubt talking about sex, the theme of the poem is really to seize the moment and not take time for granted. The author keeps a lot of emphasis on death and the grave. He is trying to tell her that she will not have eternity to look as youthful and beautiful as she does now, so she should value her looks while she still has them. By talking about the worms in her grave, he is trying to say that her virginity and beauty will do her no good there, but in this present day and time she can get some use out of them.

Gender of Nature: Mother Earth :: Essays Papers

Gender of Nature: Mother Earth â€Å"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the wind longs to play with your hair.† -The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran There is no voice more comforting than Mama’s. In the womb we are suspended in safe warmth, hearing every noise that Mama makes. And we don’t just hear her voice. We feel its vibrations, its muffled hum, through our ears and our entire forming bodies. It’s no wonder that that is often the only voice that can comfort us in the distress of our new little lives. Yet, what of the mother who cannot speak? Can she still comfort her baby? Yes, because it is much more than vocal chords that connect a baby with its birth mother. After all, Baby eats all that Mama eats, breathes Mama’s air, knows Mama’s way of moving and laughing†¦Baby feels every surge of adrenaline that Mama feels. Bonds don’t get more intimate than that. Even after Baby is born, this bond is strengthened through long bouts of staring into each other’s eyes, through feeling the lulling rhythm of Mama’s breathing while sleeping against her chest, through time spent together saturated in touch and play. This phenomenon of intimacy is so powerful that it surpasses any blindness or handicap Mama could possibly have. Not only do we all have this precious connection with our Mama’s, we also have a strong, and similar, connection with Earth. Philosopher, Roger S. Gottlieb, tells plainly of our connection with Earth, saying, â€Å"We all live and breathe and drink the water and receive the food from the soil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We are dependent on Earth, like infants depend on Mama, for life itself. It daily sustains us, in body, as well as in spirit. It is a tragedy that we have lost sight of our connection with Earth. In his book, Vocation: Discerning Our Callings in Life, Douglass Schuurman says, â€Å"Some dullards have no curiosity or sense of wonder at the harmony and beauty of creation; others have had it drummed out of them by suffering or deadening educational systems. But traces of the sense of wonder and the quest for meaning survive in most human beings. (65)† Perhaps it can be said that some dullardshave no curiosity or sense of wonder at the harmony and beauty of their Mama, the one in whom their life began.

The Last Spin by Evan Hunter

The Last Spin by Evan Hunter Short Story Analysis How does the author position the reader towards the major theme using the narrative elements? Gangs affect everyone lives especially the people in the gang because other members make you do things that you don’t want to do or that is dangerous towards you or yourself. ‘The Last Spin’ by Evan Hunter is a short story about two boys from opposite gangs that were forced to settle an argument over territory. They did this by playing an extremely dangerous game (Russian roulette).What they didn’t expect though was that they would become closer by having conversations in between shots and finding things that they have in common. They don’t realise this for long however because there was a sudden end to one of their lives. I’ll be analysing how the reader is position by using the narrative elements. The setting for this short story is in the early 1960’s when gangs were common in America. Gangs were usually identified by the colour of their jackets (Dave wore a blue and gold jacket, and Tigo wore a green and orange one) and each had their own territory which the other was not allowed to cross into.When one gang would venture into another gangs territory the night before it would be decided how one member from each gang would settle the score. The author has placed Dave and Tigo in an enclosed basement to play the game; this creates a powerful and intense environment for the reader. The boys also try not to show any sign of fear because if they do it would make them feel incapable and powerless in the game. â€Å"’We going to sit and talk all night, or we going to get this thing rolling’ Dave asked†This quote shows that Dave is showing no sign of dread to Tigo, so that he looks and feels aggressive. The last spin gave descriptions of the two main and only characters in the story, which were Dave and Tigo. Tigo has large brown eyes and thick black hair. He also wears his gang’s jacket which is a green silk jacket with an orange stripe down each of the sleeves. Dave is a nervous, paled faced boy with dirty lips. His gang’s jacket is blue and gold. The author has described the jackets because it emphasizes that they are enemies. The jacket told Dave that Tigo was his enemy. The jacket Shrieked ‘Enemy, Enemy! ’ This quote shows how Dave knew Tigo was an enemy because of the colour of his jacket. This story keeps the reader in suspense as they don’t know when the gun will go off. They should also feel horrified at how the gangs in America used to settle arguments and that the boys kept adding bullets into the gun, putting their life at risk just so that they wouldn’t let the other gang members down. â€Å"He broke open the gun again, and slipped the second cartridge into the cylinder. Now we got two cartridges in here,’ he said† This quote reinforces how the gangs brainwash people to think that they have to take these kinds of risks just so they can be popular. The length of this sentence is used so that the reader can fear for the boys because they know the dangers of this game. The main theme in the short story ‘The Last Spin’ by Evan Hunter is gang culture. The gangs in the story make the careless decision of putting one of their fellow member’s lives at danger.The boys didn’t seem to care that they were going to play this game at first, then as the game went on they realised what a bad mistake it was so they make a deal. They would have one last spin before they end this terrible game. Unfortunately this last spin was the one that ended Dave’s life. â€Å"The explosion rocked the small basement room, ripping away half of Dave’s head, shattering his face. A sharp cry escaped Tigo’s throat, and a look of incredulous shock knifed his eyes.He then put his head on the table and began weeping. † This quote shows us that the intense atmosphere in the basement and the hope that the gun would click one last time made the sound of the shot become so real and the outcome unbearable for Tigo. It was also very powerful emotionally when you picture how Tigo reacted to realising he had just lost a friend. Tigo was devastated and knew that all of the plans that they had promised they would do together after the game, he would never be able to do with Dave.

Teenage Wasteland

Anne Tyler’s short story â€Å"Teenage Wasteland† illustrates a mothers struggle to understand and help her child. The story takes place in a middle class neighborhood, where the protagonist Daisy, is a mother of two and a housewife. Daisy tries to help her son Donny, a stubborn and misunderstood teenager. Donny is a troubling teen who is rebellious and always causes misfortune. When Daisy gets a call from the principal of Donny’s private school requesting a conference about Donny’s poor grades and immature behavior, she does everything she can to help Donny grow and mature by hiring a tutor.Unfortunately, Daisy discovers that Cal, Donny’s tutor, didn’t help Donny raise his grade, but instead made his grade drop. Daisy noticed that Donny has showed some improvement in his behavior and attitude in school. Anne Tyler reveals that being a parent is never an easy job, some parents, like Daisy and Matt, have no control over their kids. Throughout Daisy’s life she has tried to get a better understanding of Donny, she wants to be around him and wishes to know what he’s really like. As a mother Daisy is caring and interested in Donny’s well-being, she is insecure because of Donny, and Donny is Daisy’s main priority.Like all mothers Daisy is interested in her child's well-being. In this case, Donny’s well-being is all that she cares about. Daisy has gone through so much trouble in the past couple of weeks just for Donny to be happy. Daisy is very curious about Donny, he is very secretive and likes to keep things on the low. â€Å"Well? What did you think? †(Tyler. 260). Daisy asks for Donny’s opinion, she’s wants to know how he feels. Also, it’s as if his decision is the only thing that matters to her, she wants to know what his standards are.Daisy cares for Donny, she wants to communicate with him and get to know him. Daisy is insecure about herself because of Donny ’s behaviour towards her. Because of the way Donny treats her, Daisy feels no confidence even with the way she dresses. In this case, she is self-conscious because she feels that Donny is uncomfortable being around her. She becomes self-conscious over the slightest things that don’t mean anything. â€Å"Daisy held in her stomach in and gave Mr. Lanham a firm, responsible handshake†(Tyler. 258). Daisy tries to suck in her stomach when giving a handshake, thinking that she is  overweight.â€Å"She wished she’d worn nylons instead of knee socks†(Tyler. 257). Also, she is insecure about the tiniest things like the way she’s dressed, she gets concerned over socks thinking that they make her look unprofessional and ignorant. She tries the cover and hide the parts where she is insecure about, like the things that may embarrass her. Daisy’s main person of interest seems to be Donny. She finds Donny intrigueing, he confuses her with his mixe d emotions. In this case, Daisy wants to get to know Donny he confuses her alot, all mothers are curious about their children.When she picks Donny up from Cal’s he’s having a great time, smiling and laughing which Dasiy has never seen that side of, but when he gets in the car he becomes mute and irritated a bit. Donny is causing trouble which is gaining him attention, shes putting all her care into him. â€Å"She had always told Donny he had talent, was smart, was good with his hands†(Tyler. 258). Donny has always been Daisy's main priority, until his younger sister was born. But even after, he was still her main person of interest.Daisy puts all her attention into Donny, she tries to figure him out in every way she can, but she can’t break him. She doesn’t understand Donny and the cause of his actions. Donny tries to avoid his parents in any way he can, he ignores them and gets annoyed over everything they tell him to do. The start of all of Donny ’s ruckus is what brought Daisy to care about him, and what made him her main person of interest. Throughout Daisy’s life she has tried to get a better understanding of Donny, she wants to be around him and wishes to know what he’s really like.To conclude, Daisy’s desperate struggle to understanding and getting along with her son, Donny, comes down to them becoming even more like strangers. Daisy’s plan on getting along with Donny fails terribly due to the cause of her hiring Cal, Donny’s tutor. Soon she discovers that the cause of Donny acting rebellious, is because she didn’t care too much about him before. If Daisy would have accepted Donny the way he was, and focused more on other things than him it would have probably turned out differently and he wouldn’t have run away.

Opinion essay †video games Essay

Video games are usually considered an excellent electronic with the mainly purpose to propose entertainment. For different kinds of persons, from children that probably have more time to play it, until adults who usually have fun after their work. Technological advances in video gaming software have created a rapid evolution from 1970’s arcade game technology to today’s role playing games, featuring an almost life-like level of realism, which mirrors the natural world in all of aspects, sometimes showing some graphic violence. With critical unproven scientific really, there are criticisms from the media that directly reflect the thinking of the parents of many children who play video games, one of the entities that can change this is the industry of video games censored you need to start acting. According to Entertainment Software Association (ESA), there is a thought about censoring videogames: â€Å"Blaming video games for violence in the real world is no more productive than blaming the news media for bringing crimes of violence into our homes night after night. † The news media usually controls what most of people will think about new video games but most of times they have bad things to show like violence, drugs and sex in live for everyone. They don’t reveal that violent crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically since the early 1990s. During the same period of time, video games have steadily increased in popularity and use, exactly the opposite of what one would expect if there were a causal link. Some researchers are always trying to prove that players of violent games may be influenced by bad behavior and, implicitly, will apply who watched the game in real life. According to Ferguson, Christopher J. and John Kimburn: â€Å"This analysis does not find support for either a causal or correlational link between violent media and subsequent aggression in viewers. Why the belief of media violence effects persists despite inherent weaknesses of researches somewhat of an open question. † This shows how most of the time the researchers are misguided. Another prove of how these researches are misguided can be clarified in what Salonius-Pasternak, Dorothy E. and Holly S. Gelfond has to say: â€Å"Most research on electronic play has focused on its possible negative effects for children and adolescents, and contextual factors such as socioeconomic status and culture are rarely considered†¦. The study explains how electronic games may also have potential benefits for young players that include providing children with the opportunity to negotiate society’s rules and roles, allowing children to experiment with aggression in a safe setting without real world consequences, and facilitating children’s development of self-regulation arousal. † Another interesting point that no one knew is that usually the parents are present when games are purchased or rented 93 percent of the time. Ratings and parental controls already help parents make appropriate entertainment choices for their families. Just as with other types of entertainment, there is a wide variety of content available in computer and video games to suit the wide variety of individuals who play games. The industry has also voluntarily established numerous tools and policies to help parents make educated choices and ensure that retailers only sell games to those whose age is appropriate for the game in question. Computer and video games are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), whose system includes age recommendations and content descriptors. In addition, a June 2012 study conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates found: 85 percent of parents with children who play video games are aware of the ESRB ratings; 70 percent of parents regularly check a game’s rating before making a purchase; and 88 percent of parents feel the ESRB rating system is either â€Å"very helpful† or â€Å"somewhat helpful. † All new video game consoles include parental controls that limit a child’s access to games based on their ESRB ratings. According to a 2013 study, 86 percent of parents believe parental controls are useful. Parents impose time usage limits on video games more than any other form of entertainment: 79 percent of parents place time limits on video game playing; 78 percent of parents place time limits on Internet usage; 72 percent of parents place time limits on television viewing; 69 percent of parents place time limits on movie viewing. Therefore, before video games children have been playing violent themed games in the streets and will continue to do so well into the future. As you can clearly see I am against censoring video games, I think that if someone is going to get influenced to do something violent because of a game, then there must have been some underlying issue that the person had before playing a violent game. As the generation that grew up on modern videogames becomes parents themselves, attitudes will change and conservative hysteria will hopefully be relegated to amusing background noise. However, the videogame industry must become active in protecting its own collective interests to mitigate any damage that could occur before attitudes calcify. Media outreach, governmental relations, symposiums, and other visible efforts to educate the public are critical at this unique juncture in the videogame industry’s development. This will drive a wedge between reasonable parents and hysterical censors. If the videogame industry speaks for parents along with children, and is perceived as their ally, the elements of censorship will be left with no support. Works Cited Ferguson, Christopher J. and John Kimburn. â€Å"The Public Health Risks of Media Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review. † Journal of Pediatrics 154 (2009): 759-763. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. Grimes, Thomas, James A. Anderson and Lori Bergen. Media violence and aggression: Science and Ideology. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc. , 2008. Print. Salonius-Pasternak, Dorothy E. and Holly S. Gelfond. â€Å"The Next Level of Research on Electronic Play: Potential Benefits and Contextual Influences for Children and Adolescents. † Human Technology 1. 1 (2005): 5-22 â€Å"Essential facts about games and violence. † Entertainment Software Association. Inc. , 2012. Lawrence G. Walters/ Weston, Garrou, DeWitt & Walters. â€Å"Sex, Lies and Videogames. † 2016. .

Global video games market Essay

?Introduction The global video game market, or the so called interactive entertainment industry, is the economic sector which focuses on the development, marketing and sales of video games. The worldwide video game sector includes video game console hardware and software, online, mobile and PC games and has reached $ 93 billion in 2013, up from $ 79 billion in 2012. Currently, the video game industry is a massive source of development; profit still stimulates technological advancement which is then applied by other industry sectors. Though not the main driving force, casual and independent games proceed having a considerable incidence on the industry, with sales of some of these titles such as Minecraft exceeding millions of dollars and over a million users. While outgrowth for consoles and PCs is not inert, development of mobile games is still active. As of 2014, newer game companies arose that vertically incorporate live procedures and publishing, rather than relying on a traditional publishers, and some of these have increased to significant size. The computer and video game industries have expand from small-scale markets to mainstream. They took in about US$9. 5 billion in the US in 2007, 11. 7 billion in 2008, and 25. 1 billion in 2010 (ESA annual report). The video game industry settled in 1971 with the launching of the arcade game. The insertion of video games to the domestic market with the release of the early video game console was effective the following year. Nevertheless, the video game crash of 1977 was the result of a one game domination and a market’s saturation, sparking a renascence for the video game industry and paving the way for the golden age of video arcade games. The game’s success influenced arcade machines to become widespread in mainstream locations such as shopping malls, traditional storefronts, restaurants and convenience stores†¦ By the end of the 1970s, the personal computer game industry initiated designing from a hobby culture, when personal computers just set out to become broadly available. The industry augmented along with the headway of computing technology, and often drove that progress. Modern personal computers owe many advancements and innovations to the game industry: sound cards, graphics cards and 3D graphic accelerators, faster CPUs, and dedicated co-processors like Physx are a few of the more notable improvements. Sound cards were promoted in addition of digital-quality sound to games and only later mended for music and audiophiles. Since the beginning, graphics cards were displayed for more colors. Subsequently, graphics cards were valorized for graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and games; GUIs drove the necessity for high resolution, and games led off using 3D acceleration. They also are one of the only pieces of hardware to enable numerous hookups (such as with SLI or CrossFire graphics cards). CD- and DVD-ROMs were instituted overall for mass distribution of media, notwithstanding the capability to store more data on inexpensive readily distributable media was instrumental in driving their ever higher speeds. Modern games are amongst the most demanding of applications on PC resources. Many of the high-powered personal computers are purchased by gamers who seek the rapidest equipment to power the latest cutting-edge games. Thereby, the inertness of CPU improvement is due partially to this industry whose games require faster processors than business or personal applications. The first part of the decade acknowledged the lift of home computing, and home-made games, particularly in Europe and Asia. This time also saw the uprise of video game journalism, which was later expanded to include covermounted cassettes and CDs. In 1983, the North American sector crashed due to the output of too many gravely marketed games (quantity over quality), resulting in the drop of the North American industry. The industry would ultimately be regenerated by the launching of the Nintendo Entertainment System, which resulted in the home console market being overpowered by Japanese companies whereas a professional European computer game industry also began materializing with great sized companies. Segmentation The global video games’ market can be divided into several parts according to several criteria. Technical factor-different platforms: Table 1: global video game sector revenue (Data source: GLOBAL GAMES INVESTMENT REVIEW 2014). The platform refers to the specific combination of electronic components or computer hardware which, in conjunction with software, allows a video game to operate. 1 Based on this technical factor, we can separate the whole market specifically. The global video game has 4 types. It follows console games, online games, mobile games and PC games. Currently, the console games is prominent in the market because of higher revenue. In every subset market, the competition is very fierce among international and domestic corporations. Geographic factor: Table 2 : regional video game market revenue. (Data source: GLOBAL GAMES INVESTMENT REVIEW 2014) Regarding the geographic location, generally in business and administration, lots of global corporations tend to segment the market into four parts: North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America. From the view of market revenue, we can see that video game market in Asia Pacific has increased significantly. It is also a huge potential market to develop. World video game market Key Success Factors The video game industry is balanced with an important growth, but many sectors have already matured. Video games are a vast and expanding market. Our goal is to highlight the major sectors, which are interesting for reasons including significant technological evolution, high growth rates, new products’ development. The core hardware and game software markets are quite mature. The best markets for investment are those that supply valuable goods and services to game developers, publishers and gamers themselves. These are the areas that will build out the industry as it undergoes significant growth. Key success factors of Console games: Brand: It’s a tautology, but the brand is important. 10 years ago, before the advent of the Playstation, we can say that Nintendo and SEGA were synonyms of â€Å"console videogames†. When Sony decided to â€Å"attack† the console market, they pushed on marketing, on brand valorization, on advertising. They made a lot of investments to become popular in this market too. And they were successful. The same did Microsoft 5 years ago, with their first XBOX. Nintendo strategy was different and the result was that both the XBOX and the Playstation brand became really popular. Nintendo lost some of their popularity, but thanks to the portable console segment they were able to â€Å"survive†. Now, these 3 competitors can count on greats and strong brands, which make really unlikely the arrival of new comers. Costs: Costs are critical. Even if we are talking about big companies, this aspect should be taken into consideration not to transform a well-done strategy into a failure. Nintendo kept the productive costs low, so to make revenues from each console sold and at the same time being aggressive on the price. Microsoft did a long-time strategy. Their console cost more, but they took advantage from being the first in the market. Unfortunately their hardware is not reliable, obliging the company to spend a lot in free assistance. Sony did the worst: they produced an expensive console, with expensive components. Exclusive games: Each company has its own game and it makes difference to the other. For example, Nintendo can benefit from their own games (maybe the best in terms of gameplay). Plus a set of exclusives like the RE: Umbrella Chronicles and Monster Hunter 3 by Capcom, Microsoft worked hard on exclusives. Apart from halo3 or Mass Effect or Bioshock, Microsoft was able to steal a lot of titles to Sony: Devil May Cry 3, Ace Combat 6. Sony is losing advantage, and this is mainly due to Microsoft efforts. But the game is not over: Little Big planet, Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4 are titles that no real gamer should miss. Innovation: There are a lot of ways to innovate: game play, graphic, audio, online†¦ Microsoft and Sony focused on the last 3 aspects, while Nintendo made the game play the basis of their strategy (and the result was Wii and its incredible Wii remote). Online features: No console can be considered successful without an online platform. Even Nintendo had to admit it. Microsoft has the lead, with its Xbox live service. Sony is trying to reach Microsoft, with a free service (Playstation Network) but still to be improved. Nintendo is only tasting the market, with a light. Price: Value for money or Premium price? Nintendo chose to sell hardware less powerful, but at low cost. Sony did the opposite. And Microsoft positioned their product in the middle, thanks to the modularity of the Core and Pro versions of their console (†¦WI-FI only optional†¦). Technology: It’s clear: games must be more and more beautiful to see. However, with the Wii, Nintendo demonstrated that this is â€Å"only one key success factor†, not â€Å"the only one†. And everything depends on the market segment to be covered. For example, Sony and Microsoft focused on hardcore gamers. Timing: Timing is fundamental. Microsoft was the first this time, and they benefited from that. Imagine what could have happened if Sony had been able to be in the market during the same time, with a console more expensive, ok, but reliable. We can say that Microsoft were both good and lucky. There would be a lot to say about â€Å"timing†. Key success factors of mobile games : Compatibility: Playing a mobile game as an activity might meet the needs of a specific consumer group, including commuters with time to spare. Facilitating conditions: Payment options impact adoption, billing conditions and support options might impact on users’ willingness to adopt. Trialability: Mobile gaming has a level of â€Å"addictiveness†. Free trial might lead to addiction and subsequent adoption. Self-efficacy: Due to device limitations, a large group of potential â€Å"aged† gamers might not be able to play and also, technical serviced need to match the requirements need of different customer segments. Complexity: The ease of use of an entertainment application is of utmost importance as it is expected to be an enjoyable experience. In mobile game playing clear navigation influences response time and might have implications for the decision to play. Trust: Perceived fear of privacy invasion and/or lack of security might influence consumer choice. Relative advantage: The ubiquity and accessibility of mobile entertainment may satisfy the demand for a â€Å"killing time† and relaxing â€Å"fun† service. A technology based advantage is the offer of interactive multi-player games. Observability/ communicability: Refers to the ability to communicate with a peer group; to be observed playing which might be of social importance. Image: The personalized use of a mobile phone might lend its owner status-related features. Normative beliefs: Playing the same game as one? s friends might facilitate social acceptance; social pressures influence customer perceptions and decision making and facilitate building a critical mass. High-speed networks conjugated with the technological capabilities of smartphones (delivery of data). Key success factors of PC games: Sociable: The PC games enable to socialize with some friends for cybernetics with a combination of fun. Accessible: It is more common for people to have a pc at home that a console and almost everyone has at least one computer in their home. Low cost: Only need to buy the game to play, however, to play with console the cost increases because you have to buy the console and games separately. PC games make it so real that people feel they belong to play to that reality, for example, when playing car race people also feel that adrenaline you feel when driving a real car. Key success factors of online games: Ability to quickly adopt new technology: Being online can make any changes or updates directly Aggressive marketing/franchising: Now everyone remain constantly connected which is easier and faster to get to them to publicize products or services. Also, when you are playing you can go to receive more information or upgrade without having to resort to a place Accessible and cheaper: You can buy and purchase the game wherever you are, because you only need to be logged in and you don’t have to go to a specific place to buy the game and the machine. Safe time: Since you only need to be logged in, you save time to find a store where they sell and then go there to buy it. Massively Multiplayer Onlie Games (MMOGs) allow players to participate in all worlds’ areas. The derivatives’ sales (â€Å"advergaming†) represent a vast part of the market through advertising that encourage primary gamers to buy products related to the reality of each game. Geographic factors: Key success factor of video game in Asia: IP, part one: Major licenses may be easier but be aware of the localization and culturalization challenges. Major brands do carry significant weight in Asia, but not all western brands will succeed there. IP, part two: Original IP needs great design and technology. Using proven engines and middleware would be an option worth considering. Experienced development teams: If you’re not from Asia, then allow Asian companies and players to be involved in early testing. Listen and understand their comments. Funding: You must allow enough money for changes to the game later on. Incorporating Asian MMO traits will make the game ultimately better for the western markets too. Great Asian contacts: Look for contacts across multiple markets. There are different elements and requirements to be learned from each major market. Partnering in Asia: Find companies you can have shared goals with and trust. The ongoing support of the market partner for beta testing, updates and specific changes is absolutely critical. Support and listen to them. Openness and local help: The ability to communicate across different languages and cultures is critical. Unlike single player games, you do not walk away from them after launch. The development and support needs to be market focused and ongoing. Time: Unfortunately funding can direct launch timing. As with most games there is no second chance. Developers use various technologies to ensure faster and cheaper conception of online games: there is real opportunity to explore new kinds and methods of gameplay. Key success factor of video game in Latin America and North America: In the mid 1990s when Latin America privatized its telecommunications industry and saw the return of important flows of investment into the region for that specific area (Inter-American Development Bank Annual Report 2000). Significant amounts of capital were allocated to telecommunications, media and computing sectors, especially in Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Argentina. Latin America is today one of the fastest growing regions in the world, even though is still a marginal market in comparison to the US, Europe and Asia. Latin America is interested in developing manufacturing lines and infrastructures to satisfy the local market, since US high-tech companies are interested in both the current potential of the local market and the future use of Latin America as a platform to export to the US and Canada. Latin America not only lies with the market itself, but also with the unrealistic perception of the region as a possible platform for exporting and improving global sales. Latin America could respond more to its potential as a low-cost producer and exporter rather than to its potential as a consumer-market like North America. Latin America has important social disparities of income from one social stratum to the other, â€Å"the patterns of consumption are very similar to the developed world. † (Euromonitor International, 1999) Latin America has knowledge, technology and a manufacturing capability to develop hardware. The model of the Maquila has been operating since the 1970s and takes advantage of the potential of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which not only facilitates access to cheap labour, but also provides exporting facilities based on a substantial reduction of tariffs to the US market. Evidence suggests that companies such as Microsoft and Nintendo are investing in Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil in order to develop low-cost production centers capable of exporting to the US market using the opportunities that NAFTA and other inter-regional agreements provide. Key success factors of video games in EMEA: The production costs of video games are growing, as is increasingly required greater technical and visual quality. Despite this, note that the cost of sequel is significantly lower due to the reuse of components and technological developments of the previous versions. Merger of companies: For example, buying video game developer Activision by the French company Vivendi to merge with its subsidiary video game Blizzard, becoming the largest game development company in the world or the merger of Parmenion and solutions group. Low cost: Its production is technically simpler and therefore cheaper, also can be produced in large quantities allowing entry into this sector to smaller companies. Have casual games that are simple, both in game play and developing and easy to learn. Launched innovative product, targeting new demographics (adult female audience†¦). French Foreign Ministry created an internet portal called FRANCE GAME which aims to promote French videogame industry abroad. Competitive System Matrix Console games Mobile games PC games Online games Brand Compatibility Sociable Quickly adopt new technology Cost Facilitating conditions Accessible Aggressive marketing/franchising Exclusive games Trialability Low cost Accessible and cheaper Innovation Self-efficacy Real effects Safe time Online features Complexity Price Trust Technology Relative advantage Timing Observability/ Communicability Image Normative beliefs Competitive system analysis: †¢ Console games: – Relatively strong differentiation(Brand,Cost,Exclusive games,Innovation,Technology) – Strong advantage †¢ Mobile games: – Strong differentiation (Compatibility, Facilitating conditions,Complexity, Device advantage, Observability/ Communicability) – Relatively strong competitive advantage (As mobile devices continue to grow, mobile game category will show the biggest growth) †¢ PC games: – Relatively weak differentiation (sociable and accessible, technology) – Relatively weak competitive advantage (more common for people to have a PC than console at home) †¢ Online games: – Relatively strong differentiation (quickly adopt new technology and Aggressive marketing/franchising) – Relatively strong differentiation (â€Å"online revenues set to reach US$30bn in 2017, consumers are merely shifting from pay to own to pay to play†). Conclusion Nowadays, the video game industry has a considerable incidence on the economy through the sales of significant and complex systems and games. Over the next five years, video games will extend at a CAGR of 6. 5% to attain US$86. 9bn in 2017, up from US$63. 4bn in 2012. Consumers’ spending on console games will increase by a CAGR of 5% from US$24.9bn in 2012 to US$31. 2bn in 2017 as Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s rumored new Xbox console revive appeal in console gaming. That development will lead to North America surpassing Western Europe to regain in 2014 its number one position in console sales. â€Å"In many entertainment and media segments, China will overtake Japan in terms of size by 2017; in some cases, it has already. This is not the case in video gaming, however, because Japan will retain its position as the world’s second-largest market, at US$13. 7bn in 2017, behind the US at US$18. 2bn but ahead of China at US$11. 4bn. Although PC revenues remain stagnant, consumers are not abandoning the platform. With online revenues set to reach US$30bn in 2017, consumers are merely shifting from pay to own to pay to play. Online spending will increase by an average of 8% per year over the next five years. By 2017, the online platform will have almost reached parity with consoles; and US$97 will be spent on online games for every US$100 spent on console games. Driven by strong mobile gaming and video game consoles and software sales, the market is forecast to reach $ 111 billion by 2015, it added. The research firm said mobile games are the fastest growing segment of the (gaming) market, with revenue set to nearly double between 2013 and 2015 from $ 13. 2 billion to $ 22 billion. As mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) continue to grow, mobile game category will show the biggest growth due to the entertainment value provided by games compared with other app categories. This growth is fuelled by healthy sales of premium mobile devices globally and consumers’ desire to play games on these multi-function devices that are capable of displaying increasingly sophisticated game content, he added. 2013 was an important year for the game industry as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are releasing their next generation video game consoles to a market that may be moving in another direction due to the popularity of mobile devices†(quotation, see the bibliography). Sony and Microsoft have released their game consoles in November 2013 and a repressed demand for them has caused a temporary reduction in console hardware sales during the last year. But, the augmentation will restart in 2014 and sales of existing console hardware are foreseen to increase from $ 15. 9 billion today to $ 22. 7 billion in 2015. Video game industry customs are comparable to those of other entertainment sectors (e. g. , the music recording industry), but the video game industry in particular has been charged of handling its development predisposition poorly. This promotes independent development, as developers leave to establish new companies and projects. In some notable cases, these ingoing companies grow extensive and impersonal, having endorsed the business habits of their forebears, and ultimately perpetuate the cycle. However, unlike the music industry, where modern technology has permitted a wholly professional yield to be scheduled exceedingly inexpensively by an independent musician, modern games necessitate crescent amounts of manpower and equipment. This dynamic makes publishers, who fund the developers, much more important than in the music industry. The industry insists on software piracy being a proper issue, and implement repressive measures to struggle against this widespread phenomenon. Nonetheless, digital rights management and other restraints have proved to be obviously unpopular among gamesters. Bibliography http://www. pwc. com/gx/en/global-entertainment-media-outlook/segment-insights/video-games. jhtml http://www. gartner. com/newsroom/id/2614915 http://www. wikinvest. com/industry/Video_Games http://www. theesa. com/games-improving-what-matters/families. asp http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Video_game_industry Gretz, R. T. 2010. Hardware quality vs. network size in the home video game industry, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Palmer, R. a. and Millier, Segmentation: Identification, intuition, and implementation, Industrial Marketing Management T. N. S.and Project, M. B. A. F. The Video Game Industry: an Industry Analysis, from a VC Perspective, Online Smith, Product differentiation and market segmentation as alternative marketing strategies, Journal Of Marketing http://www. wepromite. com/2007/10/14/strategy-analysis-of-the-console-market-%E2%80%93-part-1-key-success-factors/ http://www. irma-international. org/viewtitle/32750/ http://www. gamasutra. com/view/feature/132098/a_path_to_western_online_games_. php? print=1 http://www. gamestudies. org/0202/lugo/ http://www. pymesonline. com/uploads/tx_icticontent/R02403_lbvideojuegos. pdf.