Counter Strike Essay -- Video Game

In 1997, a group of college kids gave birth to something that would become a world renowned phenomenon, Counter-Strike. Counter-Strike is an online, team based, first person shooter. In this game, the two teams (terrorists and counter-terrorists) face off against one another using various team-specific weapons and attempt to gain victory by completing team specific objectives. The counter-terrorists must rescue hostages, protect V.I.P.’s, and protect bomb sites from the terrorists. While the terrorists must prevent the rescuing of hostages, assassinate V.I.P.’s, and destroy bomb sites. Counter-strike is host to a large variety of real weapons that are being used in similar situations today, spooky eh? Each player in the game has their own budget and may buy weapons, ammunition and equipment (such as Kevlar armor and grenades). Players earn money for by completing their specific objectives and by defeating opponents. There are five categories of primary weapons for players to choose from, shotguns, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and machine guns. Each of these categories has it’s own strengths and weaknesses and a player’s choice can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Shotguns are extremely powerful short ranged weapons. There are two shotguns to choose from in counter-strike, the M3 Super pump shotgun, and the Bennelli XM automatic shotgun. Both of these weapons are used best during close ranged combat, even though there has been some success using them during medium ranged situations. Shotguns are extremely powerful and are loaded with a deadly 12 gauge shell that can drop and opponent in two shots or less. The pump shotgun’s fire rate is significantly less than the automatic sho... ...rly quickly, and with such a large magazine, the Para is very a very deadly weapon. This weapon can be fired fully automatic, however inaccurate, it provides a very effective suppression fire, for improves accuracy, burst fire is recommended. As one can see, the player has a number of choices when they are selecting their primary weapon in the game counter-strike. All of the weapon classes are good for something different and outperform all the rest in their own fields. Shotguns for close quarters combat. Sub-machine guns for short ranges ranged dominance. Assault rifles for medium and long ranged conflict and taking down armored targets. Sniper rifles for extreme ranged engagements. And machine guns for excellent support and suppression fire. Each player makes a different choice and wields each weapon differently, keeping counter-strike full of surprises.

American Popular Culture on the Global Community Essay

American popular culture and its effects on the global community is a hiding plain site idea. The United States has grown into an â€Å"I want it now† belief system. The United States has somewhat perfected this idea, from our fast food to our fast everything. But should everyone live in such a luxurious attitude, is the United States popular culture and ideal that the rest of the world should live by? Is this just another phase in our modern society’s history? Lane Crothers’ book Globalization and American Popular Culture shows us the history of America’s rise to popular culture power and how most people are wanting to become Americans without living in the United States. But is this what the world needs or is this just another way for America to control the world and spread our democracy. The intention of Lane Crothers’ Globalization and American Popular Culture is to show the reader the connection of American popular culture and the effect it has on the global community. â€Å"By 1998 trade in movies, music, and television programming had become the leading U.S. export†¦this was true even without factoring in the economic and cultural power of American brands like McDonald’s, Levi’s, and Starbucks, American pop culture is a global phenomenon.† Crothers first compares the two ideas, globalization â€Å"†¦the profound economic, social, political, and cultural changes going on in the modern world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and popular culture â€Å"†¦the movies, music, and television programs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  how globalization seems â€Å"†¦heavy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and popular culture seems â€Å"†¦light†¦Ã¢â‚¬  then explains how at the end of the Cold War and the advancements of new technologies â€Å"†¦the internet, cellular phones, and small dish satellites television systems have allowed American popular culture access to an ever bigger global market.† Crothers tells the reader â€Å"American popular culture is the latest in a long succession of bidders for global unification†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which makes the reader think this book is a personal depiction of American popular culture and the effect on the world. Crothers also, provides the link of American popular culture and global politics â€Å"†¦first is the Cold War†¦second is the controversial U.S. Global War on Terror†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which makes the reader, depending on their age, if they are American, if they have been affected by any terror attack, have a personal relationship with this issue. First, during the Cold War, â€Å"The Western bloc advocated relative freedom in personal choice, economic trade, and immigration†¦the Eastern bloc practiced in state control, the limitation  of personal freedom, and government ownership of factories and other productive enterprises.† This is a defining moment in the history of the world, because when country wants to promote individualism and create an integrated free market, that idea is going to spread more quickly to the people, rather than being suppressed by the government. On September 11, 2001, the United States was attack and the world sympathize with us. A French newspaper on September 13, 2001 stated, â€Å"Today we are all Americans,† but this would grow into fear and concern in the world because when the rest of the world found out on how we responded to the 9/11 attacks. Crothers tells the reader, â€Å"Time magazine asked 250,000 people across Europe which country posed the greatest threat to world peace: Iraq, North Korea, or the United States†¦8 percent said Iraq and 9 percent said North Korea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But with all of this fear which the United States has placed on the rest of the world, people were still embracing our popular culture, â€Å"†¦people continued to embrace American popular culture†¦iPods and smartphones†¦led to explosive growth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The United States and the popular culture which we have given the world, whether for better or for worst, has brought the global community more informed about global issue. With the advancement of the internet and the high speed that news travels now, would not have ever been accomplish without the United States pressing our culture to everyone. Crothers states that â€Å"culture is not an all-or-nothing concept in which everyone believes the same thing and behaves th e same way.† This is an important statement because, not everyone is going to strive to become Americans; we are unique. Some of your ideals and products are always going to be reacted in different ways depending on the group of people who are receiving it. We just have to believe that most of the culture we are giving the rest of the world is creating a more unified global community. Works Cited Crother, Lane. Globalization and American Popular Culture. Lanham: Rowan and Littlefield, 2013

Budgeting Policy in Managing a Business

Budgeting is one of the fundamental concepts in managing a business and it is often up to the budgeting policies that the managers decides upon that will conclude where the company is going to make it in the industry or not. The budgeting policy a company decides upon will show the top management team where the money is being spent and, even more importantly, it will show the team prior to the spending actually occurring. If we refer to the four management functions (organizing, planning, directing and controlling), budgeting covers all four of them. Indeed, a responsible manager will be able to apply all four functions in what the budgeting policy is concerned. First of all, the top management will need to determine what the company's budget for the future period of time will be. This will need to take into consideration both the company's possible revenues during this time and the expansion strategy that the team has decided upon. It may be the case that the management team has designed an expansion on the market that will take up more of the resources than otherwise. While this may be the case, the spending must be determined by realistic plans and future achievements. Second of all, the top management team needs to organize the portfolio of projects and the investments it wants to develop in the subsequent period of time. Organizing the portfolio of projects also refers to determining (1) which projects of the portfolio will be done and (2) with what priority. Before the actual spending and investing begins, the company needs to have a organized set of future spending steps. The planning functions intervene in terms of properly determining the evolution of projects' costs in the period to come. Budgeting helps plan projects' costs so that we don't arrive at a situation where the company's finance is overwhelmed by costs during a period of time. In terms of directing, budgeting ensures that the funds are used where they are most necessary. Directing also refers to leading and the budgeting policies are direct means by which the top management leads within the company. Finally, the controlling function is essential in budgeting policies and strategies. Indeed, the controlling function ensures that the budget and the budgeting policies, previously established and decided upon, are fully respected. There is no point in having a healthy financial system within the company, corresponding to a well-planned budget, if this budget is regularly underestimated or overspent. The controlling function will keep track of projects' cost evolution, track down any inadvertence's that may appear and correct them in time. As we have seen from those previously presented, the budgeting function within the company is not only intrinsically linked to management, but the main functions of management are also reflected in a company's budgeting policies. It is essential, as pointed out, that the company properly analyzes what its sources are, how much of them it is willing to spend and, additionally, what future results and added value the investments will bring at a certain point in the future, in terms of the rate of return. A healthy budgeting strategy will lead to a healthy financial situation of the company and a solid development strategy for the future. Budgeting should be where every company strategy should begin.

Free Essays on When I Was Puerto Rican

A Developmental Analysis Of The Main Character In The Book â€Å"When I Was Puerto Rican† By Esmeralda Santiago Negi’s childhood home in Macun was in a community which had few ties with the rest of society. She was an intelligent child who grew up poor, with six siblings, a virtually absent father, and little knowledge of how the world worked. Yet she was driven to shape an identity separate from her family, and in her heart still remain the â€Å"jibara† she was raised as. Negi was a stable child with no significant drawbacks in her childhood that would inhibit healthy growth or development. She seemed healthy and happy. It is hard to consider Negi’s childhood as â€Å"normal† reading about it from an American viewpoint. Reason being she grew up in a country and a culture dramatically different from most people’s in America. Even though her houses were described as one or two room shacks, her bed shared by 5 or 6 siblings, she walked around barefoot outdoors, never visited the doctor, and ate rice and beans almost everyday; in her culture and in her community that is normal. People that have that experience growing up in America would be labeled â€Å"poor† or â€Å"underprivileged†. One must be culturally sensitive and consider the location and context of her childhood to fully appreciate her experience. Regardless of the context of the child, there are a number of general factors to consider when examining healthy development. Negi had a close knit family which provided love and support. Her mother encouraged maturation, education, responsibility, propriety, and respect. Her father, when he was present, promoted her growth by answering questions and bringing knowledge into the home usually in the form of reading material. According to Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman (2004), â€Å"A good family environment provides nurturance, support, guidance, and a safe, secure place to which children can turn† (p.158). Luckily this en... Free Essays on When I Was Puerto Rican Free Essays on When I Was Puerto Rican A Developmental Analysis Of The Main Character In The Book â€Å"When I Was Puerto Rican† By Esmeralda Santiago Negi’s childhood home in Macun was in a community which had few ties with the rest of society. She was an intelligent child who grew up poor, with six siblings, a virtually absent father, and little knowledge of how the world worked. Yet she was driven to shape an identity separate from her family, and in her heart still remain the â€Å"jibara† she was raised as. Negi was a stable child with no significant drawbacks in her childhood that would inhibit healthy growth or development. She seemed healthy and happy. It is hard to consider Negi’s childhood as â€Å"normal† reading about it from an American viewpoint. Reason being she grew up in a country and a culture dramatically different from most people’s in America. Even though her houses were described as one or two room shacks, her bed shared by 5 or 6 siblings, she walked around barefoot outdoors, never visited the doctor, and ate rice and beans almost everyday; in her culture and in her community that is normal. People that have that experience growing up in America would be labeled â€Å"poor† or â€Å"underprivileged†. One must be culturally sensitive and consider the location and context of her childhood to fully appreciate her experience. Regardless of the context of the child, there are a number of general factors to consider when examining healthy development. Negi had a close knit family which provided love and support. Her mother encouraged maturation, education, responsibility, propriety, and respect. Her father, when he was present, promoted her growth by answering questions and bringing knowledge into the home usually in the form of reading material. According to Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman (2004), â€Å"A good family environment provides nurturance, support, guidance, and a safe, secure place to which children can turn† (p.158). Luckily this en...

The Life of Powhatan Indian Pocahontas

The Life of Powhatan Indian Pocahontas Birth: c.1594, Virginia Region Death: March 21, 1617, Gravesend, England Names: Pocahontas was a nickname meaning playful or naughty one. Here real name was MatoakaAfter her conversion to Christianity and baptism, Pocahontas was given the name Rebecca and became Lady Rebecca when she married John Rolfe. Pocohontas and John Smith: When Pocahontas was approximately 13 years old in 1607, she met John Smith of Jamestown, Virginia. They met in her fathers village which was called Werowocomoco on the north shore of what is now the York River. A tale often associated with Smith and Pocahontas is that she saved him from death by appealing to her father. However, this cannot be proven. In fact, the incident was not recorded until Pocahontas was traveling in London many years later. However, she did help the starving inhabitants of Jamestown during the winter of 1607-1608. First Marriage: Pocahontas was married between 1609 and 1612 to a Powhatan named Kocoum. It is believed that she might have had a baby girl who later died from this marriage. However, little more is known about this relationship. The Capture of Pocahontas: In 1612, the Powhatan Indians and the English settlers were becoming more hostile with each other. Eight Englishmen had been captured. In retaliation, Captain Samuel Argall captured Pocahontas. It was during this time that Pocahontas met and married John Rolfe who is credited with planting and selling the first tobacco crop in America. Lady Rebecca Rolfe: It is not known whether Pocahontas actually fell in love with Rolfe before they married. Some conjecture that their marriage was one condition of her release from captivity. Pocahontas converted to Christianity and was baptized Rebecca. She then married Rolfe on April 5, 1614. Powhatan gave his consent and presented Rolfe with a large piece of land. This marriage brought peace between the Powhatans and English until Chief Powhatans death in 1618. Thomas Rolfe Born: Pocahontas gave birth to Thomas Rolfe on January 30, 1615. Soon after, she along with her family and her sister Matchanna and her husband traveled to London. She was well received by the English. While in England she met back up with John Smith. Illness and Death: Rolfe and Pocahontas had decided to return to America in March 1616. However, Pocahontas got sick and soon thereafter died on March 21, 1616. She was only 22 years old. There is not real evidence to the cause of her death. She died in Gravesend, England, but the site of her death was destroyed years later when the church where she was buried was being rebuilt. Her son, Thomas, remained in England even though John Rolfe did return to America after her death. Many claim to be descendants of Pocahontas through Thomas including Nancy Reagan, Edith Wilson, and Thomas Jefferson Randolph, grandson to Thomas Jefferson. References: Ciment, James. Colonial America. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006.

Strategic Issues and Options of McDonalds Assignment

Strategic Issues and Options of McDonalds - Assignment Example About 80% of McDonald’s restaurants are being owned and operated by local men and women worldwide who are running the business independently. The primary goal of McDonald’s is to become number one and favorite way and place for customers to eat and drink by providing them their core favorites such as Chicken McNuggets, French Fries, Quarter Pounder and Big Mac (Han, 2008). The strategic direction of McDonald’s is its biggest strength which is the alignment between the franchisees, company and its suppliers and it has been the key to success of the company. It is well-known fact that company’s alignment with its suppliers and franchisees which are collectively known as the System has helped McDonald’s in delivering consistent and locally relevant restaurant experience to its customers worldwide. The business model of McDonald’s enables the company to ensure that it fulfills its promise of delivering best quality products and aesthetic fast food dining and eating experience to its customers. According to Fisher (2011), the business model of McDonald’s is to deliver customers’ experiences that are consistent and relevant to the local restaurant ambiance; the aim of the restaurant is to be a part of the communities that are being served by the country. The primary focus of the company is on low-cost leadership and the idea behind this strategy is that it facilitates their ability for identification, implementation, and innovation so that they are able to meet the changing needs and preferences of customers. The strategic direction of McDonald’s is to focus a customer-oriented approach in which the plan is to provide a common framework for its global businesses that allows the strategy to be locally adopted.  

Target market and branding (Bayer Aspirin case) Essay

Target market and branding (Bayer Aspirin case) - Essay Example ne and hence it is always advisable to consult the doctor before beginning the regime Target Market A target market refers to a group which a certain organization has decided to fashion its marketing campaign to address (J & V. 2012). A well established target market is the initial strategy to a marketing strategy. Target markets are usually separated by noticeable and distinguishable aspects. These aspects include geographical segmentation, psychographic segmentation, product related segmentation, and behavioral segmentation. In addition to these segmentations, market researchers are searching for methods to identify defined target groups which are smaller and better. There are four main strategies outlined by marketers for the purpose of satisfying the target market. These include undifferentiated marketing, differentiated marketing, niche marketing and concentrated marketing (J & V. 2012). The target group for Bayer Aspirin is a set of all people suffering from pain related issues of from all ages. In addition, its target group includes patients suffering or with suspected heart attack. Selecting a target market is extremely beneficial to any business as it enables the business organization to direct its products or services to those consumers with high potentials for the growth of sales, product interest and brand loyalty (J & V. 2012). First, it helps in identifying growth potential. A small group of consumers usually afford the firm with a great opportunity to increase sales. Irrespective of size, a target market usually captures those customers that are most likely to increase their sales of the organizations, products over time. Secondly, selecting a target market helps in building interests in the product. Customers in a target market always share different... Marketing plays a particularly significant role in managing a developing organization. It involves communicating the values of products or services to potential customers. Generally, marketing is the overall strategies as well as functions of promoting the products and services to the customers. In addition, marketing helps to manage customer relationships in a way that benefits the organization as well as its shareholders (JFP, 2009). Marketing, as a science assists in choosing target markets through market segmentation and market analysis. Moreover, it does that through understanding the consumer behavior and through the provision of superior consumer value. There are five leading marketing concepts which a firm can choose to carry out their business. These include the product concept, the production concept, the holistic marketing concept, the selling concept and the marketing concept.In conclusion, it is clear that marketing plays a very vital role in promoting products or services of any business organization. Bayer Aspirin needs to be marketed in order for its sales, to increase. Through marketing and identifying the target market, Bayer Aspirin can attract many customers.Branding of Bayer Aspirin has also played a tremendously significant role in increasing the sales of the organization. Images on the packets of Bayer Aspirin give customers a good impression hence attracting customers as well as building customer loyalty. Through continuous marketing and branding, the Bayer Aspirin will attract more customers in the near future