Innovation and Enterpreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Innovation and Enterpreneurship - Essay Example They are also the advantages that a business gains in having an entrepreneur who has the ability to run the business effectively. They include; business growth, competition, company success, among others which are all roles that innovation and entrepreneurship play in a business. The work has also identified barriers that affect the implementation of innovations in a business. These include lack of enough funding, fear of risk taking, and lack of proper and adequate measures. These are the factors that hinder growth of a business. The work also focuses on factors that facilitate or negatively affect entrepreneurial management towards innovation outcomes. These are the factors that help the business to get to the outcomes of the innovations. It also gives a case study on Architas Company and later gives recommendations on possible methods of fighting the challenges faced by organizations towards innovation achievement. Introduction The rising harsh economic conditions have led to a hi gh competition in the business industry. All those people who have ventured in to the business industry are looking possible means to do away with the rise in competition, in the market. Several businesses providing same services to customers exist in today’s market, and it is only the strategically placed and stable businesses that will stand a chance to succeed in the market. Their success will depend on the innovative measures the business takes to beat the competition and the high demand for services provided to the customers. It is these measures that will enable the business to provide services that are rare to other business owners. The work that follows, presents the roles and values of innovation and entrepreneurship in a business, barriers to effective innovations and entrepreneurship, and possible solutions to the problems. Background information Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service to create value or cause customers to pay for it (Dodgson and David, 2010). Any idea invented by a business for satisfaction of customer’s need must satisfy the customer for it to become innovative. Innovation involves a number of activities; imagination of a viable idea that will extract value from the resources, application of possible information, and the process of converting the ideas into useful products. Innovation becomes useful when the company applies the ideas to meet the needs and demands of the customer (Dodgson and David, 2010). It is the ideas successfully applied in organizational outcomes and processes. Entrepreneurship is the process of recognizing and seizing opportunities, converting them into workable or marketable ideas by adding value to them through time, money effort or skills. It is assuming the risks in the implementation of these ideas and the realization of the benefits from these efforts to beat the high competition in the market (Kuratko, 2009: 4). Entrepreneurship is the process of creating increment of wealth through innovative practices and ideas that aim at meeting the demands of the customer in the market. It is the process that leads to the provision of better services and goods according to the line which the business ventures (Kuratko, 2009: 5). Entrepreneurship is an ideological process of change, creation, and vision, which requires application of passion and energy in the creation of ideas and solutions. Roles of innovation and entrepreneurship in the economy Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand, in any business. The viability of a business in implementing its innovative ideas depends on its entrepreneurial ability, that is, whether it has the best human and material resource needed for meeting the goal. Entrepreneurship and innovation play an

Whys is the issue of accounting for leases problematic and would a Dissertation

Whys is the issue of accounting for leases problematic and would a move to principle based accounting standard improve the situation - Dissertation Example L. 2005). Leases are very common in the economic turnover of enterprises, organizations and individuals. Leases are found in the activity of virtually every entity and individual entrepreneurs. The lease gives up and taken it all: property and land, vehicles and equipment, and even entire businesses. On the one hand, in the absence of sufficient resources for the purchase of labour organizations take them out. This will save considerable money by directing them into circulation, if the leased property is no longer needed, simply to terminate the contract of lease. On the other hand, the landlord is not used in the production of the property is not idle, not transferred to the conservation and rent, resulting in additional income. Such a situation is beneficial to both sides of the transaction. Study of economic relations that arise in various forms of lease, and based on this improvement in the organization of accounting are becoming especially important. When lease accounting as on International and international standards for financial services companies have many questions. Is it classified? Who should reflect the assets on its balance sheet - the proprietor or the tenets? How to distribute income and expenses between reporting periods? In this paper, we consider the differences in approaches to solving these problems, which offer IFRS and RAS. (Nagy, A. L. 2005). Often, organizations and businesses renting property from private individuals and, in most cases, these individuals are employees of the organization. Consider the accounting treatment of costs for renting the property at the following example. Assume that the company rented from an employee... At the conclusion of the lease of a vehicle, the employee passes his own vehicle of his project to a temporary hold on a chargeable basis and he does not use it during the lease term. The company has the right to assume the management of the leased vehicle as the owner, which is the lesser or any other person having the necessary qualifications. Lease agreement is compensated, and the company must pay the tenant rent the cost, size and terms of payment, which is determined by the contract. Enterprise The firm must be legally independent in relation to his (her) to the owner. Current accounts of the owner and the firm are separate, and the responsibilities for the obligations of each other do not intersect. We recognized this principle, but not emphasized. In practice, administrators often confuse his and other people. Accounting system effects Effect of IFRS on the accounting systems of the developed capitalist countries is less significant. This is mainly due to the fact that in most industrialized countries have developed their own well-established principles and traditions of accounting, which satisfy the specific requirements of the national market models. (Nagy, A. L. 2005). For example, in Western Europe and Japan, the main financial flows and investment of the economy are made through banking institutions, and not through the stock exchanges. Therefore, a priority, both legislative and proper accounting regulation is to protect the interests of creditors, rather than meet the information needs of shareholders.

Impacts of the 2003 Iraq War

Impacts of the 2003 Iraq War The impact of the 2003 Iraq war on both the war on terror  and the prospects for peace in the Middle East Introduction The reasons for the U.S. led war in Iraq in 2003 were numerous and, as it turns out, rather complicated. But, for better or worse, the U.S. led coalition of nations invaded Iraq with â€Å"shock and awe† in 2003. This war in Iraq was conducted under the banner of â€Å"the war on terror.† This second U.S. led military endeavor into Iraq had a twofold mission, which was combative and aggressive on the one hand, and more conciliatory and democratizing on the other. These were the original intentions. The questions to be explored in this paper revolve around these dual aspects of the 2003 Iraq war. How has it affected the overall and global â€Å"war on terror,† and has it achieved a measure of peace and stability in the Middle East? From the beginning of the recent U.S. led war efforts in Iraq, there has been a twofold mission announced by President George W. Bush. The first mission is centered in the war against all terrorists and those who harbor terrorist organizations.[1] The second has been the desire to plant the seed of democracy in the Middle East; a desire which the President hoped might flourish into an eventual, lasting peace. In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush said, â€Å"We seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror.†[2] In this line, his commitment to a war against terror is evident, but so is his desire to help bring about a peaceful world. The very name of the military offensive dubbed by the Bush Administration was â€Å"Operation Iraqi Freedom.† A â€Å"Just War† and the Necessity of Peace In all recent discussions of Just War theories, scholarship is united at least in the aspect of the theory that involves the attempt at peace following the war. That is, no war can be considered â€Å"just† if the winner merely walks away from the loser of a given war without any attempt to bring about a measure of stability, security, and peace. Much of this reasoning has to do with the ideas bound up within the just-war tradition. There are many scholars, secular, Catholic, and otherwise, writing within this tradition, as it pertains to the 2003 Iraq war. As George Weigel notes in a recent essay, in the writings of contemporary scholars in this tradition (e.g., James Turner Johnson and Michael Walzer), one encounters the essence of an approach to war that is commensurate with the U.S. President’s intentions expressed above. To engage in a war justly is not only to fight those forces of evil that seek to dominate or corrupt one’s society, nor is it merely about how nations ought to engage in warfare. Although those are considerations brought to bear on just-war theorizing, the fundamental underpinning of this approach to thinking about war â€Å"is ultimately about the peace we seek to establish in contrast to the war the terrorists have set in motion.†[3] That is, the overarching goal in all wars (including the war on terror) should be the eventual achievement, not merely of removing immediate threats to national security or of pacification of an enemy, of using war as an instrument to establish peace in a land. Peace brings prosperity, whereas continual war and factionalism never bring about progress or prosperity – only suffering which seems endless to those affected by it. The Successes, Trials and Tribulations of the War Perhaps because we are still so near the beginning of the war and because the operation continues to this moment, it is difficult to gauge the relative success of the war efforts themselves and as regards the broader â€Å"war on terror.† In fact, the situation today is still the reality that the success or failure of the war depends largely on who you ask. The war effort has been a politically polarizing issue, which has certainly affected the press, as well as the scholarly community. A simple survey of the books on the shelves to the articles and essays within journals will reveal this truth. It is therefore somewhat difficult to get a proper understanding of exactly what the ramifications of the 2003 Iraq war may be for the broader war on terror, but there is at least some consensus in a few areas useful for exploration in this regard. There are those who, like Charles Hill, can find little more than wide-reaching success in the current war efforts. He writes, â€Å"Iraq is moving toward the full legitimacy that Saddam Hussein stole from the Iraqi people. Sovereignty has been restored, free elections have been held, and a constitution has been approved.†[4] The press and other scholars have, on the other hand, not been so friendly in their detractions and perceptions of the war efforts. The â€Å"Reviews Responses† section of recent editions of the journal Foreign Affairs have been filled with review essays of books very critical of the war.[5] Sometimes the reviews are sympathetic; often times they are not. All of this is supportive of the difficult task ahead of scholars regarding the effort to separate the hubris from the reality of what implications the 2003 Iraq war may have for peace and the larger war on terror. There is no denying the success of disposing of the Taliban in Afghanistan and of Saddam Hussein and his regime in Iraq. This success was decisive, dramatic, and, in the words of Victor Davis Hanson, â€Å"audacious.†[6] Both of these regimes were legitimately argued to have been the most oppressive and potentially dangerous in the region. This is perhaps one of the most compelling reasons adhered to by most Americans originally supporting both war efforts. The question on the minds of most in the scholarly community is whether there was adequate planning for the immediate post-war environment.[7] However, even for those who were very supportive of the initial decision to invade Iraq, recent events over the last year at least, have been sobering. In an article written for the April edition of the journal First Things, George Weigel identifies four distinct wars that have constituted the entire Iraq war since 2003. The first war was the obvious one of deposing Saddam Hussein and creating conditions for the responsible establishment of an interim government and relative stability. This war was concluded quickly and successfully, most all scholars agree. The second war erupted shortly after the first had ended, and this one was against the Baathist loyalists and recalcitrants. The third war broke out as Jihadists (i.e., â€Å"al-Qaeda in Iraq†) began to flood into Iraq through the under-watched and unprotected borders and tried to disrupt the democracy being established there as well as drive out the â€Å"infidels† from the Gulf. The fourth, and perhaps most danger ous today, is the practical civil war that broke out in earnest between Sunnis insurgents and Shia militias after the bombing of a major Shia shrine in February, 2006. Weigel argues that only the first of these four wars has ended. The other three continue to this day and overlap each other.[8] Is it possible that the U.S. led coalition could have anticipated these mini-wars which followed the success of the first? Is it likely that the coalition did all it could to establish a peaceful, post-war environment? Reconstruction Challenges One of the sharpest criticisms of the 2003 Iraq war, even by those who originally supported it, is that there was not enough planning in terms of rebuilding the nation after the decisive defeat of the Iraqi military. First, by any reasonable standards, the amount committed to the reconstruction of Iraq after the war was not nearly enough. In hindsight, all seem to recognize this. Though the intentions of the Bush Administration were admirable in that they sought the just-war approach, which was to replace the dangerous regime with democracy, freedom, and a re-built nation, the reality was that through the combination of inadequate funds and bloated bureaucracy, the U.S. did not adequately anticipate what would realistically be needed to bring their intentions about.[9] George Weigel points out that only $2.5 billion had been originally budgeted for reconstruction assistance, and this was far away from the actual amount needed, given the dilapidated state of the nation due to Saddamâ €™s misrule and a decade of U.N. sanctions.[10] Peace through Civil War? The war created what most analysts have agreed to be a political vacuum. Once the rule of Saddam Hussein was done away with, there was not a quick enough turnaround time for a new and, perhaps most importantly, legitimized ruling government. The largest looming danger now is the risk of civil war in Iraq, which will almost certainly follow from the near-future withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, as most scholars agree. â€Å"Especially if the United States withdraws from Iraq, the odds are good that a military coup in which some subset of the Iraqi army leadership declares that the elected government is not working and that a strong hand is necessary to impose order will result.†[11] As alluded to above, the civil war began to erupt after the bombing of the Shia holy site in February, 2006. At this point, it seems that the Sunni minority in Iraq, which has been a constant trouble from nearly the beginning, is only exacerbating its violence against the Shia to the south . Under the self-styled leadership of Muqtada al-Sadr, the various Shia militia forces have engaged in gross acts of terror in return.[12] Conclusion In a recent article, Victor Davis Hanson takes a realistic approach to the successes in Iraq. They cannot be underplayed, nor devalued. The overturning of the Iraqi regime, which was the main goal of the war, was achieved and likely the world is better for it. On the other hand, in retrospect the post-war aftermath was not fully appreciated until it was far too late. Three separate wars therefore erupted, and the most significant (the civil war) looms on the not-too-distant horizon. The prospects for peace are still available to the Middle East but only with properly calculated U.S. led coalition strategy for the future. If nothing else, the various shortcomings of the recent war will hopefully serve as a corrective and impetus to future successes in the war on terror. Successes have occurred, to be sure, but so have enormous challenges to peace, world-wide. Bibliography Bottum, Joseph, and Michael Novak. â€Å"The Leadership of George W. Bush: Con Pro.† First Things. March, 2007, No. 171, pp. 31-35. Diamond, Larry. â€Å"The Pressure Builds.† Hoover Digest. 2006, No. 3, pp. 21-29. Dobriansky, Paula J., Henry A. Crumpton, and F. Gregory Gause III. â€Å"Tyranny and Terror: Will Democracy in the Middle East Make Us Safer?† Foreign Affairs. Jan/Feb, 2006. Vol 85, No. 1, pp. 135-138. Fearon, James D. â€Å"Iraq’s Civil War.† Foreign Affairs. Mar/Apr, 2007. Vol. 86, No. 2, pp. 2-15. Feldman, Noah. What We Owe Iraq: War and the Ethics of Nation Building. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004. Hanson, Victor Davis. â€Å"Five Years On.† Hoover Digest. 2006, No. 4, pp. 82-86. Hanson, Victor Davis. â€Å"Hard Pounding.† Hoover Digest. 2006, No. 3, pp. 10-17. Hill, Charles. â€Å"The Rogues are Losing: Why the Rogues of the Middle East Have a Very Short Future.† Hoover Digest. 2005, No. 4, pp. 66-68. Kagan, Frederick W. â€Å"Iraq is Not Vietnam.† Policy Review. Dec, 2005 Jan, 2006, No. 134, pp. 3-14. Weigel, George. â€Å"Just War and Iraq Wars.† First Things. April, 2007, No. 172, pp. 14-20. Yoo, John. The Powers of War and Peace: The Constitution and Foreign Affairs after 9/11. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2005. 1 [1] These commitments are very readily found in his 2002, 2003 and 2004 â€Å"State of the Union† addresses, as well as in his â€Å"Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People,† given on September 20, 2001. All of these speeches are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov. [2] It would seem that there are few who disagree with the President’s intentions in this regard. Renowned Middle East scholar, Bernard Lewis has long argued that the war on terror and the search for freedom are bound up the one with the other. The two must exist side by side and cannot exist one without the other. NYU law professor Noah Feldman argues that â€Å"the most defensible account of our nation-building policies in Iraq 2003–4, and the standard to which future U.S. efforts should be held, is the production of a basically legitimate, functioning democracy there.† What We Owe Iraq: War and the Ethics of Nation Building (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004), p. 20. [3] George Weigel, â€Å"Just War and Iraq Wars,† First Things, April, 2007, no. 172, p. 14. Weigel is here quoting James Turner Johnson. [4] Charles Hill, â€Å"The Rogues are Losing: Why the Rogues of the Middle East Have a Very Short Future,† Hoover Digest. 2005, no. 4, p. 68. In this same essay, he goes on to point out the various ramifications of the initial stages of success of the Iraq war: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon all having positive moves and reactions to the strength of the initial war in 2003. Libya’s decision to give up its arsenal is probably the most dramatic ramification of the initial successes of the war that supporters can point to, as Hill does in his essay. [5] The January/February 2006 edition of Foreign Affairs is a perfect example of this phenomenon. Every single review essay of that edition deals with the Iraq war. [6] â€Å"Five Years On.† Hoover Digest, 2006, no. 4, p. 84. Regarding the progress wrought by the Iraq war, Hanson writes, â€Å"thousands of terrorists killed, Al Qaeda scattered, Europe galvanized about Islamism and sobered about the consequences of its cheap anti-U.S. rhetoric, Iran’s nuclear antics revealed, democracy birthed in the Middle East, Palestinian radicals exposed for their fraud, the United nations under overdue scrutiny, America much better defended at home† came largely as a result of the war on terror, beginning with Afghanistan and culminating in Iraq. There is much significant impact there to be pondered. [7] Victor Davis Hanson, â€Å"Hard Pounding,† Hoover Digest, 2006, no. 3, pp. 14-15. [8] Weigel, â€Å"Just War and Iraq Wars,† p. 15. Frederick W. Kagan agrees with this assessment of the various wars being fought in Iraq, although he believes that Weigel’s second war largely ended with the capture of Saddam Hussein. Cf. â€Å"Iraq is Not Vietnam,† Policy Review, Dec, 2005 Jan, 2006, no. 134, p. 6. [9] Although, to be fair, it should be pointed out that former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, did anticipate that the cost of military operations and rebuilding efforts would amount to $3.9 billion per month in 2003. Cf. John Yoo, The Powers of War and Peace: The Constitution and Foreign Affairs after 9/11 (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2005), p. 157. [10] Weigel, p. 17. [11] James D. Fearon, â€Å"Iraq’s Civil War,† Foreign Affairs, Mar/Apr, 2007, vol. 86, no. 2, p. 6. For concurring opinions see Larry Diamond, â€Å"The Pressure Builds,† Hoover Digest, 2006, no. 3, p. 29 and Weigel, p. 19. [12] Diamond, â€Å"The Pressure Builds,† pp. 26-8.

Hydroelectricity is an Efficient Way to Power the World Essay -- Water

Abstract With nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels being quickly depleted as humans require more energy in the daily lives of modern society, renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly popular. For example, many energy sources such as wind power, solar power, and water power are being used throughout the world. Among these, hydroelectricity, the harnessing of energy from moving water and one form of renewable energy, is an efficient, economical, and nonpolluting alternative to fossil fuels with the potential to provide a larger percentage of world energy in the future. Introduction Hydroelectric energy is generated from moving water and is currently the largest source of renewable energy in the world. (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2005) As shown in Figure 1, small and large hydroelectric energy together constituted over 63% of all renewable energy used worldwide in 2005. Small hydroelectric plants usually encompass plants that generate up to 10 megawatts of power, while large hydroelectric plants can generate thousands of megawatts. (Global Status Report, 2006) http://e67ti2w9ws71al8xmnhsozd3.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/07/renewable-energy-sources-us-eia-2010-jk.jpg Figure 1: Hydroelectricity compared to Other Renewable Energy Sources Since the Greeks used water wheels over two thousand years ago, humans have been using movement of water to create energy. (U.S. Department of Energy, 2005) The development of the water turbine began with French engineer Bernard Forest de Bï ¿ ½lidor in the 1700?s, and the first hydroelectric power plant in the world was built in Wisconsin in 1882. (U.S. Department of Energy, 2005) This power plant was based on a combination of a water turbine and an electric ... ....ren21.net/globalstatusreport/download/RE_GSR_2006_Update.pdf Hydroelectricity: Definition and Much More from Answers.com. (2006, June 6) Retrieved July 29, 2007, from http://www.answers.com/topic/hydroelectricity?cat=technology Pimental, D et al. (2002). Renewable Energy: Current and Potential Issues. BioScience, 50(2), 1111-1119. Retrieved July 22,2007, from http://arec.oregonstate.edu/jaeger/energy/Renewable%20energy%20article%20pimental.pdf Union of Concerned Scientists. (2005, August 25) Renewable Energy Basics. Hydroelectricity 10 Retrieved July 22, 2007, from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/renewable_energy_basics/ U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (2005, August 30). Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program: Hydropower Technologies. Retrieved July 22, 2007, from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_history.html Hydroelectricity is an Efficient Way to Power the World Essay -- Water Abstract With nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels being quickly depleted as humans require more energy in the daily lives of modern society, renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly popular. For example, many energy sources such as wind power, solar power, and water power are being used throughout the world. Among these, hydroelectricity, the harnessing of energy from moving water and one form of renewable energy, is an efficient, economical, and nonpolluting alternative to fossil fuels with the potential to provide a larger percentage of world energy in the future. Introduction Hydroelectric energy is generated from moving water and is currently the largest source of renewable energy in the world. (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2005) As shown in Figure 1, small and large hydroelectric energy together constituted over 63% of all renewable energy used worldwide in 2005. Small hydroelectric plants usually encompass plants that generate up to 10 megawatts of power, while large hydroelectric plants can generate thousands of megawatts. (Global Status Report, 2006) http://e67ti2w9ws71al8xmnhsozd3.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/07/renewable-energy-sources-us-eia-2010-jk.jpg Figure 1: Hydroelectricity compared to Other Renewable Energy Sources Since the Greeks used water wheels over two thousand years ago, humans have been using movement of water to create energy. (U.S. Department of Energy, 2005) The development of the water turbine began with French engineer Bernard Forest de Bï ¿ ½lidor in the 1700?s, and the first hydroelectric power plant in the world was built in Wisconsin in 1882. (U.S. Department of Energy, 2005) This power plant was based on a combination of a water turbine and an electric ... ....ren21.net/globalstatusreport/download/RE_GSR_2006_Update.pdf Hydroelectricity: Definition and Much More from Answers.com. (2006, June 6) Retrieved July 29, 2007, from http://www.answers.com/topic/hydroelectricity?cat=technology Pimental, D et al. (2002). Renewable Energy: Current and Potential Issues. BioScience, 50(2), 1111-1119. Retrieved July 22,2007, from http://arec.oregonstate.edu/jaeger/energy/Renewable%20energy%20article%20pimental.pdf Union of Concerned Scientists. (2005, August 25) Renewable Energy Basics. Hydroelectricity 10 Retrieved July 22, 2007, from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/renewable_energy_basics/ U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (2005, August 30). Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program: Hydropower Technologies. Retrieved July 22, 2007, from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_history.html

Effects of Too Much Technology in Children Essay

The effects of technology can be serious; from children not making it outside to ADD and ADHD. Most children spend more time in front of a television than they do playing outside with friends (â€Å"TV†). As more technology comes out every day, we have to set a limit for children. Being around too much technology can eventually affect you mentally. There are a lot of things now that could bring on ADD or ADHD, but there could be another cause. Studies have shown that technology is starting to play a major part. A study at Iowa State University showed that people who play video games for more than two hours a day have double the chances of developing an attention disorder (Pytel). Using too much technology can definitely affect someone mentally. Another setback about using too much technology is that it’s driving children away from going outside and playing with friends. Some children’s only contact with nature is through Discovery Channel or Nation Geographic Channel. You will barely ever see kids playing at the local park anymore. Not only has too much technology lead to driving kids away from nature, but also childhood obesity, laziness, and addiction to games and internet because of it. Parents need to take action and take their kids outside instead of letting them sit in front of a TV all day long (Mehta). Taking action is a must in order for kids to get away from the technological world. A big part of kids not making it outside is because of the media world advertising things electronic. Nowadays, everything from a cereal box to a TV show or commercial is advertising either a game or a TV show. Something’s advertise online virtual worlds that you can make your own â€Å"you†. Not only could this bring your child to more technology, but let them live in a virtual world and not the real world. Companies make online games that you have to tend to every day or you will lose coins or some sort of virtual money, thus bringing children even closer to the world of technology. Another thing is that television advertisements. On almost every children’s TV show there is a commercial for some video game or TV show that they just have to see. When kids see other kids, for example, playing video games online or off, they think that it’s okay to do that too. Notice that companies never set a limit on how much you can play every day. Instead of advertising video games, why don’t they start advertising getting outside and getting moving? Advertisements are a huge influence on kids. Too much technology usage can affect a child seriously. From childhood obesity and game addictions to ADD and ADHD, technology is starting to effect the next generation of tomorrow in a negative way.

Pirandello: Six Characters in Search of an Author Essay

A theatre company is preparing to rehearse one of Pirandello’s plays, â€Å"which no one understood when it was written and which makes even less sense today† (Director, I). Before they are able to begin, however, the Characters enter and explain who they are, and that the author that created them had not been able to finish their play, and that they were in search of someone who would help them by finishing the job. The director agrees, and the characters tell their story, demonstrating scenes that were to be played. Not long after the first scene is played, it appears that there is some disagreement between the Characters and the Company, regarding the direction that the scenes should take. The Characters argue that they way that the Company play their roles is not â€Å"real† enough, not â€Å"true† enough. Contrariwise, the Director argues that some license must be allowed for the physical and temporal restrictions that stage production puts on their â€Å"reality.† The Characters insist on continuing their demonstration, culminating in the suicide of the Boy. The Company is horrified, some believing the child to be truly dead, others insisting that it was a trick. The Father replies to their questions with â€Å"What do you mean, a trick? It is reality, reality, ladies and gentlemen! Reality!† (Father, III). The Director, horrified and confused, calls for lights. When the lights have come up, the Characters are gone. Exasperated, the Director cries, â€Å"They’ve cost me a whole day of rehearsal!† DRAMATIC ELEMENTS: Point of Inciting Interest: The Characters appear during rehearsal and reveal that they are seeking someone to tell their story. The director agrees to help. Major Crises: *The Director realizes that the Characters are not actors looking to rehearse, and that they expect him to serve as their author and write their play. After some discussion with the Father, he agrees to continue. *At several points during the play, the Director is confronted with situations in which the Characters are unhappy with the scenery or the look or performance of the actors, or the direction that the Director is giving. Each time, there ensues a discussion on the â€Å"reality† of what the Company is portraying, versus the reality of the Characters’ story. Each time, the Characters eventually decide, reluctantly, to accept a less-than-perfect portrayal of their story. These crises have been condensed into one bullet point for conciseness. Climax: The Boy, demonstrating the final scene, shoots himself and dies. Denouement: The Company is horrified. The Father explains to them simply that this is â€Å"reality, ladies and gentlemen!† The Director calls for lights and finds the Characters have gone. He then cancels the remaining rehearsal time and exits. REACTION/ANALYSIS: Pirandello takes on quite a challenging question in Six Characters. This question, of how reality can be defined, goes all the way back to Plato,  with his Allegory of the Cave. While Pirandello does not answer that question, perhaps an ultimate answer is impossible to conceive, he does take it to a different level, and leaves the audience thinking. This universal question, in Six Characters, takes on a great depth. We, the audience, are presented with two realities, and are asked to define which is more â€Å"real† of the two. On one side, we have the Company, composed of â€Å"real† people who create â€Å"fabricated† stories through their work on the stage. However, Pirandello gives them absolutely no depth. It is clear that they are merely vessels for portraying this â€Å"fiction,† creating real stories in their shows, but they seem to have no â€Å"real† stories of their own. Contrariwise, the Characters, who are not â€Å"real† people, i.e. they have been â€Å"created† by some unknown Author; have a story, a life, that is much more â€Å"real† than those of the Company. Conflict ensues when the â€Å"reality† that is created by the Company does not acceptably conform to the exacting standards of the Characters. The problem is that the Company must conform to the physical and temporal limitations inherent in stage productions, and sometimes they do not fully grasp the nature of the Character that they are portraying. This bothers the Characters, as they feel that it affects the â€Å"reality† of their story, to have it altered. â€Å"But that’s not the way it really happened,† seems to be their continual complaint. The question that Pirandello presents to us, and leaves us to ponder at the end of the play, is: â€Å"Which is more real, the â€Å"true† reality of the â€Å"fictional† Characters, or the â€Å"fictional† reality of the â€Å"real† Company? Being a non-dualist, I would personally argue that they are both real, however that is only my opinion. One final item that I will present for consideration is the religious connotation of the creator-deity figure, the Author. It is interesting to note, than when the Author of the Characters’ work is referred to, it is always Author, not author. The Characters are searching for an author to help them bring to life the story that was created by the Author. Perhaps Pirandello is drawing a subtle connection between the Characters’ quest, and our own search for â€Å"truth.† In the end of the play, the Characters vanish after completing their demonstration.  Through their quest for self-definition, the Characters actually achieve self-definition. Perhaps Pirandello is trying to say that, in a circular fashion, it is our human quest to define ourselves that, in the end, defines us.