The Orfalea College of Business is giving its MBA class the opportunity to go on a 15 day business trip to India this summer. As a pre-requisite to the trip, we must complete assignments related to the trip throughout the academic year. This assignment is a book review of Fareed Zakaria's "The Post American World". I hope you find it enjoyable and informative.
You can access the review by following this link to my Google Virtual Portfolio, then by clicking on the "Book Review" page.
http://sites.google.com/site/jasonsilvervitrualportfolio/
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Hollywood versus Bollywood
One of my favorite activities during my leisure time is to go see movies at the theater. I love movies for their visual, emotional, and artistic impact. The main sources of movies I have seen come from Hollywood, California. Hollywood has been the center of the movie world since the “Golden Age of Hollywood” from 1927 to the late 1950’s, which has persisted to this day. However, Hollywood is not only recognized for its glitz and glamour, its also recognized for the financial impact it has on the world economy. The Hollywood Film Industry churns out on average 520 movies a year, with growth of 1.8% per year. The domestic box office returns in 2008 reached $9.8 billion, at a growth rate of 1.7% from 2007. The international box office returns of 2008, which accounted for 65% of total revenue, reached an all time high of $28.1 billion, rising 5.2% from 2007. Hollywood is not only the heart of the American film industry, it is the center for home movie and television production as well. When you incorporate home movie and television production with the film industry, this Hollywood giant contributes close to $80 billion to the U.S. economy.
Recently, another player in the world film industry has stepped up to challenge Hollywood for a share of the world cinema market. This film industry, which is located in India, is known as Bollywood. Bollywood is known for its theatrical productions that include music, dancing, and singing. This movie hub releases close to 1000 movies per year, double that of Hollywood. However, Bollywood movies have been plagued by poor funding, stagnant story lines, and complacent producers and directors. Starting in 2006, a revolution has taken place to create better movies, which includes a shift in business ideology from a cash-flow to profit-loss. Directors and producers were solely worried about if they could get money to work on their next film, whether or not their current project flopped. Once the industry began looking at movies from a profit-loss perspective, the standard of movie making in Bollywood began to rise. With the Indian economy growing greatly, more and more Indian businesses are entering the movie market by funding higher priced films. These budget increases allow film makers to spend more time in pre-production, cast better actors and actresses, pay them accordingly, and to film higher quality movies.
With the increase in Bollywood’s quality over the last few years, Hollywood has taken notice of the new competition. Hollywood recognizes that Bollywood is a growing force, so much so that some movie houses are creating joint ventures in order to gain capital funding and to work on bigger and better project. One of the most notable collaborations to date has been the merging of DreamWorks, run by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider, with one of India’s largest entertainment conglomerates, the Reliance ADA Group. With this cooperation between Hollywood and Bollywood, how much growth can the two movie giants sustain? What will be the impact of these international mergers on the U.S. and Indian film industries? Will Bollywood take jobs (especially post-production) away from the Hollywood due to lower costs in India? These are all questions to consider. For more information please refer to:
• Newsweek
• Wall Street Journal
• Motion Picture Association of America
-Jason Silver
Recently, another player in the world film industry has stepped up to challenge Hollywood for a share of the world cinema market. This film industry, which is located in India, is known as Bollywood. Bollywood is known for its theatrical productions that include music, dancing, and singing. This movie hub releases close to 1000 movies per year, double that of Hollywood. However, Bollywood movies have been plagued by poor funding, stagnant story lines, and complacent producers and directors. Starting in 2006, a revolution has taken place to create better movies, which includes a shift in business ideology from a cash-flow to profit-loss. Directors and producers were solely worried about if they could get money to work on their next film, whether or not their current project flopped. Once the industry began looking at movies from a profit-loss perspective, the standard of movie making in Bollywood began to rise. With the Indian economy growing greatly, more and more Indian businesses are entering the movie market by funding higher priced films. These budget increases allow film makers to spend more time in pre-production, cast better actors and actresses, pay them accordingly, and to film higher quality movies.
With the increase in Bollywood’s quality over the last few years, Hollywood has taken notice of the new competition. Hollywood recognizes that Bollywood is a growing force, so much so that some movie houses are creating joint ventures in order to gain capital funding and to work on bigger and better project. One of the most notable collaborations to date has been the merging of DreamWorks, run by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider, with one of India’s largest entertainment conglomerates, the Reliance ADA Group. With this cooperation between Hollywood and Bollywood, how much growth can the two movie giants sustain? What will be the impact of these international mergers on the U.S. and Indian film industries? Will Bollywood take jobs (especially post-production) away from the Hollywood due to lower costs in India? These are all questions to consider. For more information please refer to:
• Newsweek
• Wall Street Journal
• Motion Picture Association of America
-Jason Silver
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Comment to Lindsay Leaver's "What about Kashmir? (and I don’t mean the sweater…)"
The debate raging over the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan is now reaching new heights. It is in the best interest of both countries to solve the issue diplomatically, however little is being done because they both are demanding more and more of each other. As of December 2nd, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that in order to reach a peace accord between the two nations, they must settle the dispute over the Kashmir territory. The issue of terrorism has put a new wrinkle into the debate over the region. India will not sit down with Pakistan to discuss Kashmir unless Pakistan agrees to prosecute the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who carried out the Mumbai attacks just over a year ago.
We can now draw a similarity between the two conflicts mentioned, in that terrorism is a reality that must be dealt with. Peace will never be reached unless the terrorism stops. The Israeli’s must deal with constant suicide bombings and a Palestinian government ruled by people who seek to wipe them off the face of the planet. India must now deal with a state that harbors terrorists and should not seek to commence peace talks unless the plague of terrorism is exterminated.
Modern Indians are tempted to put their country’s history with Pakistan behind them, but it is impossible to do so with terrorism threatening a possible attempt at peace of Kashmir. It will take time to solve this issue, but once the threat of terrorism is reduced or eliminated, the two countries will be able to sit down and constructively work towards peace in the region.
We can now draw a similarity between the two conflicts mentioned, in that terrorism is a reality that must be dealt with. Peace will never be reached unless the terrorism stops. The Israeli’s must deal with constant suicide bombings and a Palestinian government ruled by people who seek to wipe them off the face of the planet. India must now deal with a state that harbors terrorists and should not seek to commence peace talks unless the plague of terrorism is exterminated.
Modern Indians are tempted to put their country’s history with Pakistan behind them, but it is impossible to do so with terrorism threatening a possible attempt at peace of Kashmir. It will take time to solve this issue, but once the threat of terrorism is reduced or eliminated, the two countries will be able to sit down and constructively work towards peace in the region.
Comment to Chase Janvrin's post, "To eat, or not to eat; that is the question?"
To answer Tim’s question, it seems that the most prevalent food borne illnesses in India are diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera. We all know what diarrhea is, and it’s a symptom of the following two illnesses. Dysentery is the inflammation of the intestines that could be potentially fatal if left untreated. Cholera is an infection of the gastrointestinal system, attacking the stomach and small intestine. Cholera can also be deadly if left untreated, but prompt rehydration treatment and restoration of electrolytes is the common treatment.
Enough with the doom and gloom, I want to focus on the joys of eating abroad. This trip will offer an amazing opportunity to become familiar with cuisines that have been around for centuries. I personally love food, and relish (no pun intended) the occasions to eat new and exciting fare. Indian food has normally not been part of my diet, but I think that is about to change. My introduction to Indian food at the few restaurants here in San Luis Obispo has made me a fan.
Throughout my travels, I have made it mandatory to eat street vendor food, in order to feel more like a local. My vendor experiences have only strengthened my wish to consume the food in India. With all the discussion about food borne illnesses, I feel it is important to take every precaution on my end to ensure my food safety, even if that means passing on one sub-par vendor to look for a cleaner vendor option. With that said, I cannot wait to get to India and experience its culinary history and deliciousness.
Enough with the doom and gloom, I want to focus on the joys of eating abroad. This trip will offer an amazing opportunity to become familiar with cuisines that have been around for centuries. I personally love food, and relish (no pun intended) the occasions to eat new and exciting fare. Indian food has normally not been part of my diet, but I think that is about to change. My introduction to Indian food at the few restaurants here in San Luis Obispo has made me a fan.
Throughout my travels, I have made it mandatory to eat street vendor food, in order to feel more like a local. My vendor experiences have only strengthened my wish to consume the food in India. With all the discussion about food borne illnesses, I feel it is important to take every precaution on my end to ensure my food safety, even if that means passing on one sub-par vendor to look for a cleaner vendor option. With that said, I cannot wait to get to India and experience its culinary history and deliciousness.
Comment to Fred Peemoeller's "Is India the next untapped resource for Major League Baseball?"
I would have to back Will up and say that it is entirely possible for Indians to become the next source of Major League Baseball players. I am an avid sports fan and remember when ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) and Sports Illustrated both reported on this story. Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel are listed as pitchers on the current roster on the minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Gulf Coast League Pirates. The statistics show that both players have played sparingly and with mixed levels of success. It normally takes a few years of development in the minor leagues for a player to be ready for “The Show.” These players are still works-in-progress, so only time will tell if this gamble pays off.
However, India is a country that boasts roughly one sixth of the world’s population, so one can make the argument that with enough money, time, and resources, India could become a hotbed for MLB stars. Many Major League teams invest in training academies and independent leagues in the major baseball nations, so that they can spot talented players early, and then grow them into potential stars. A similar program in India would be the necessary first step if baseball teams were to seriously consider acquiring Indian talent.
The World Baseball Classic tournament is an annual competition that brings together teams from around the world to compete to see which country reigns supreme. The usual suspects like the United States, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Japan are included in the field. While countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, Australia, and China are also fielding teams for this international event. This is a testament to the growth of baseball internationally and the ability for a sport that isn’t culturally relevant, to become accepted within a nation’s sports landscape. With this example, it doesn’t seem too far fetched for India, a country with a sport very similar to baseball, to make the transition to next adopting baseball.
-Jason Silver
However, India is a country that boasts roughly one sixth of the world’s population, so one can make the argument that with enough money, time, and resources, India could become a hotbed for MLB stars. Many Major League teams invest in training academies and independent leagues in the major baseball nations, so that they can spot talented players early, and then grow them into potential stars. A similar program in India would be the necessary first step if baseball teams were to seriously consider acquiring Indian talent.
The World Baseball Classic tournament is an annual competition that brings together teams from around the world to compete to see which country reigns supreme. The usual suspects like the United States, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Japan are included in the field. While countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, Australia, and China are also fielding teams for this international event. This is a testament to the growth of baseball internationally and the ability for a sport that isn’t culturally relevant, to become accepted within a nation’s sports landscape. With this example, it doesn’t seem too far fetched for India, a country with a sport very similar to baseball, to make the transition to next adopting baseball.
-Jason Silver
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