Walt Disney & Animation

The word Animation has some magnetic power. Starting from a child of hardly three years to a mature man - all fall in love with the mesmerizing effect of animation. Animation is nothing but the display of a 3-D or 2-D images on the screen and that too done in a serial order. It had been said that the invention of animation film is a much earlier invention than the feature films. People always love to get entertainment in any way and in any form.

From the Victorian Age the experiments were carried on the animation. In those times these were the most popular form of entertainment. Belgian Joseph Plateau, William George Horner, Reynaud tried to make out different method to provide entertainment to the common masses. J. Stuart Black ton presented the first film based on animation--Humorous Phases of Funny Faces 1906. Humorous Phases of Funny Faces in 1906 got huge success in New York.

Different types of cartoon character born in the hands of their creator. They had born many years back. But still they retain their popularity. Who can forget the characters like Mickey Mouse. A small mouse but very intelligent. A very good boyfriend of Minnie Mouse and a good master of Pluto. The maker of these popular characters is Walt Disney. A man who took the world into storm. His company Walt Disney Corporation produces a large number of animated films. The animated films of Disney have the power and full control over the audiences of a large range. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto are very much well known and popular characters all over the world. Mickey Mouse was first introduced with us in the Steamboat Willie (1928). And it is the first animated cartoon with sound. Disney gave his voice for Mickey.

The audience is very much interested in watching the action and reaction of the little characters. Along with Mickey and Minnie other characters like Goofy, Donald Fuck and Pluto receives full attention and interest. The Three Little Pigs is another important animated film. It portrays the hard work of the three pigs against a wolf. The wolf needs courage and guts at the face of economic disaster in 1930's. Disney conveyed the socio-economic problems through which the whole world is facing. Flowers and Trees (1932), The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934) and The Tortoise and the Hare (1935) were produced in colors.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), was the first full length animated cartoon film. The film was produced by the Walt Disney Corporation. Dumbo (1940), Fantasia (1940), and Cinderella (1950) are the other animated film that came into the screen one after another. Besides full length animated series the company started documentaries based on nature, short cartoon films, and programs for television. The Little Mermaid (1989) and Toy Story (1995) are the other important works of the company. Toy Story the first full-length computer-animated cartoon.

Later the Company opened Disneyland amusement park in 1955 in Anaheim, Calif. The park well known for its amusement. And a must see place for the visitors. In 1971 the company opened second and larger complex in Orlando. Walt Disney Corporation is the well known company in the 20th Century that produces a number cartoon films, cartoon characters, amusement parks in many places, hotels and other fun filled activities.

But after death of the leader Walt Disney in 1966 the company got a set back for some time. As we time makes us forget every thing in the same way the company returned with all glory and royalty with new ventures and plans. In 1992 the company owned Euro Disneyland at Marne-la-Vallée. At present the company owned even an entertainment channel Disney Channel in the television.

No one can ever forget the enormous contribution of Walt Disney in the field of animation.

His work is the inspiration of the present day's animators. Walt Disney received Honorary Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the creation of Mickey Mouse. Besides the awards he receives love and well wishes from millions and millions audience through out the globe. He created a history in such a time when the art of animation is really a miracle. He added sound, music and dialogue that too full of fun. It is really fun and wonders to see the small characters are performing and pointing out the social problems at the same time.

Pushpita Ghosh

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Leading to the End of Symbolic Gestures and Taking Action to End Child Labor

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), there is around 158 million children worldwide, aged between five and fourteen who are engaged in some form of labor activities.  While article 32 of the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child states that "the right of the child [is] to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development." the practice is still active on a global scale.  This is despite the fact that the articles of the convention has been ratified by all countries in some form. Most of us have already been brought up to have negative reactions to the very idea of child labor, but in many third world or lesser developed countries, the practice is alive and well and often encouraged. 158 million children being subjected to exploitative business practices is a tragedy and needs to be ended. Showing why child labor is a problem will demonstrate why a solution must be proposed. The solution to this however is not what the standard argument has been for years. Boycotting the companies and firms that are associated with the practice or to make symbolic gestures to condemn the nations that allow child labor to happen makes conditions worse for the children. As a matter of fact, the solution is to the exact opposite of what the traditional argument has been; and despite the shock of those who initially hear the proposal, we must allow child labor to continue to lead to its demise. It may not be what traditionalists want to hear, but it is the only proven way.

Since morals and problems are all subjective it may not be necessary to explain to you the over all problem of child labor, but understanding the key issue behind it all gives the importance of why swift action is needed. In many parts of the world, including in the world's largest democracy, India, children are kept out of school yards, away from swing sets and toys and instead cramped together in dangerous factory or labor intensive settings. While we grew up in air conditioned heavens filled with the latest in toys, games and educational activities, third world children were instead being forced to make those products for us that we grew up enjoying. The very idea of our children being forced to work appalls us, but it is just normal in certain parts of the world.  The major issues are laid out in article 32 as read above.  By working the children are in a state "that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development." America's regulation costs American businesses $1.1 trillion a year; included in those regulations are restrictions on the environment someone may not work in, how long a work shift can be, and what a worker can and can not do. In the nations where children are employed, they do not have nearly a as regulated business industry as we do. So not only are they being put into situations that interfere with their well being, but those situations are also more dangerous and detrimental to their health than what it would be in a nation where trillions is spent on protecting the worker. By being unsafe and interfering with a child's development and well-being, child labor is morally wrong and is indeed a problem.

Since we all believe child labor is a problem, several proposals have been tried out to end it. For years activist groups have taken symbolic gestures and actions to "help" the process along, but their actions have done nothing but been just what it was, symbolic. To end Child labor we need more than "awareness ribbons" and futile boycotts. By examining the old methods versus my proposal of letting the system continue to run and history repeat itself, it will be evident that one will continue to be harmful and nothing more than symbolic and my proposal will work out and lead to the eventual demise of child labor.

This "do-nothing" approach simply allows the industrial and social revolution that America, Great Britain, Germany and the other already industrialized nations already went through to materialize in the nations that currently have a large labor force made up of children. While the naive may believe that simply boycotting the company's that sell products made from factories that employ children will end the problem, they often overlook the obvious facts. If you take away the children's job they are not going to just like magic all of a sudden be enrolled in school, be in a backyard playing and be out of impoverished conditions, as a matter of fact if you take away their jobs their condition gets worse.  In the 1990's the United States boycotted carpet exports from Nepal because the carpets were made through child labor. When all was done 5000-7000 Nepalese children were left with no alternative but to prostitute their bodies (Globalization). If asked, would not you think that the children preferred making carpets than being sexually degraded? Maybe this example would better show the universal response to children losing their job.  Also set in the 1990's, after Senator Harkin proposed the Child Labor Deterrence Act  that as according to his website would, "prohibit the importation of products that have been produced by child labor, and included civil and criminal penalties for violators" 50,000 Bangladesh children were removed from their garment industry jobs and ended up instead resort to jobs that as UNICEF put it included, ""stone-crushing, street hustling, and prostitution." They even went as far as to say that their new jobs were, ""more hazardous and exploitative than garment production." In the same UNICEF study they stated, "[boycotts]  are blunt instruments with long-term consequences, that can actually harm rather than help the children involved." Boycotts are proven to be harmful and actually exploit children more than if they were simply working.

With the most popular idea of boycotting proven to be more detrimental than helpful, the only feasible solution that remains is to let the system continue as is. Think of it this way, if the parents could have the means to save their children from having to work at such a young age, do not you think they would? It is obvious that they would. Our problem is that we are thinking of these economies and nations as just like our own and applying our own standards to them. They are what modern economies were over one hundred years ago. Literally, they are one hundred years behind.  One hundred years ago America was employing children in their workforce, and it was not colored ribbons or these ridiculous boycotts that led to its demise, it was economic advancement.  World famous economist Milton Freidman showed that the industrial revolution led to a decline in child labor as real wages rose, making it more affordable for parents to be able to   send their children to school rather than needing them to work. Thomas DeGregori, a professor at the University of Houston who teaches economics also backs up this belief and said, "it is clear that technological and economic change are vital ingredients in getting children out of the workplace and into schools. Then they can grow to become productive adults and live longer, healthier lives. However, in poor countries like Bangladesh, working children are essential for survival in many families, as they were in our own heritage until the late 19th century." History and renowned economists back up this belief. By letting real wages grow and the technology that comes with it, families have more money and are able to afford to send their children to schools instead of forcing them to work to make a living.  As the wages grow, tax revenue increases as well, leading to more money available to supply those schools with the tools needed to grow future generations of economically sustained individuals. All it takes from us now is to let our history repeat itself in the under developed nations.

"Boycott child labor" ribbons are symbolic and are nothing but futile efforts by uninformed citizens making a statement. The boycott itself has been proven to be not at all helpful and to actually be harmful to these children that the activists claim to be trying to help.  Taking away their jobs lead to them being forced into deeper poverty and resorting to extremes such as prostituting their bodies and taking other hasher jobs. The only feasible solution to end child labor is exactly what I proposed, do nothing for now and allow these countries to developed socially and economically. It may take time, but these nations are not on the same level as us and we should stop applying our standards to them for now. While we may all agree that 158 million children is 158 million too many, we have to be reasonable and allow the economic processes that we encountered as a society over century ago, to start up in the nations that currently employ children. The next time you want to boycott anything, boycott those who boycott child labor. It is the right thing to do.

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At the Gates of Loyang Board Game Review

Loyang has become the new capital of the Han Dynasty in ancient China, and it is time to make your mark At the Gates of Loyang. As a farmer, you need to supply the growing city with your harvested crops. Buy and sell seeds, expand your land, hire traders and experts, and sell your harvested goods to all types of customers. Compete against other farmers on the Path of Prosperity, and become the most successful farmer in this economic strategy board game!

At the Gates of Loyang is a board game by Uwe Rosenberg, the creator of Agricola, one of the most popular strategy board games of all time. Loyang is Rosenberg's 3rd board game with an economic theme, after Agricola and Le Havre, both of which have become hugely popular with legions of fans. Loyang continues this tradition, but this time with a different setting: Chinese farmers out to make as much gold as possible. In addition, the game is less complicated than the other Rosenberg games, with fewer mechanics and victory paths to worry about.

The game is set in ancient China, and you are one of many farmers supplying the new capital city of Loyang. With a rapidly-growing market, this is your chance to make it big and put yourself on the Path of Prosperity, earning oodles of money and ensuring a life of luxury for you and your family. But what is business without a little healthy competition? In Loyang, the winner is the player that finishes the game furthest along on the Path of Prosperity, and thus becoming the most prosperous and successful farmer.

Each player gets a "board", which is basically a T-shaped panel that contains the Path of Prosperity track as well as an individual market shop in which you can buy and sell your crops. You also get a home field card and a stack of 9 semi-random field cards that can be used to plant different types and amounts of vegetables. There are 6 types of vegetables, ranging from the cheaper wheat and pumpkin to the more expensive and rarer beans and leek. The game lasts a total of 9 rounds, and at the start of each round, every player harvests one crop from each of their fields that aren't empty or fallow. They then reveal a new field from their personal stack, ready for new vegetables to be planted.

The next part of the round involves drawing cards from a deck. There are additional field cards which allow you to plant more crops. There are market stall cards that allow you to trade one or more of your vegetables for another specific type of vegetable. There are various helper cards that produce a huge variety of effects which usually involve making your crops more efficient or interfering with your opponents' plans. And then there are 2 types of customer cards. The regular customers accept up to 4 sets of 2 vegetables, paying you each time you sell them a set of vegetables. However, they will get angry if you don't sell to them each round. The first time you fail to sell crops to them, they just get angry. Subsequently, you get charged a 2 gold penalty fee for not being able to supply them. The second type of customer is the casual customer. They are patient, but require a set of 3 vegetables and go away once you fulfil their order.

The act of obtaining the cards is interesting. Each player draws 4 cards, and a drafting session starts. The first player discards an unwanted card onto the table. After that, players take turns to either discard an unwanted card or take one of the discarded cards from the table. Once you take a card from the table, you are out of the draft and must play the card immediately onto your board. At the same time, you must also choose one of the cards remaining in your hand, and play that card too. The rest of your hand is discarded and available for other players to choose from. Each player therefore ends up playing 2 cards each round during this phase.

The next phase is the action phase, and the play order depends on which player played their cards first in the card selection phase earlier. In a unique twist, each player performs ALL his actions before the next player gets their turn. This isn't too bad, since there aren't that many cards that interact or interfere with other players. Available actions include planting crops; buying, selling and trading crops at the market or stalls; using helper cards; selling vegetables to your customers; and paying gold to draw more cards from the deck.

The money you earn here is crucial. It is used to buy more crops to plant, but more importantly is also used to move you along the Path of Prosperity. The Path of Prosperity is a funny mechanic, being harder to advance in the late game compared to the early game. The Path goes from 1 to 20, which represents the cost of moving to that position. So moving from step 1 to step 2 costs 2 gold, while moving from step 15 to step 16 costs 16 gold. However, your first move each round only costs 1 gold. This opens up a few different strategies on how to pursue victory. Once the game ends, the player furthest along the Path of Prosperity wins the game.

Loyang is a very streamlined game. Unlike other similar games, there aren't many different paths to victory here. Money is your main focus, since it is used both as a currency to expand your empire, as well as to gain victory points via the Path of Prosperity. The game is also not too interactive, being similar to games such as Dominion or Race For the Galaxy. You mainly focus on maximizing the efficiency of your farms with little interference from other players. However, a big plus for Loyang is its great production quality. The boards and cards look great, and each vegetable and Path marker has its own well-designed wooden tokens.

Loyang is a fun game that doesn't take long to learn, and acts as a good introduction to the more complex economic strategy games. It is also appropriate for players of all experience levels. You will enjoy At the Gates of Loyang if you like similar farming or economic games such as Puerto Rico and Agricola.

Complexity: 3.0/5.0
Playing Time: ~ 1.5 to 2.0 hours
Number of Players: 1 to 4 players

You can read more about At the Gates of Loyang and check out similar games at http://www.ageofboards.com/loyang.html.

Steven maintains the board game review website at http://www.ageofboards.com/ - a website devoted to the best and latest board and card games. You can read game reviews and customer comments via this website.