Brand New Concert free essay sample

To promote their new album, â€Å"Daisy,† alternative rock band Brand New embarked on a U.S. tour for six months. Every time Brand New comes to town, fans anticipate a promising experience. Whether frontman Jesse Lacey plays â€Å"Degausser† twice halfway through the set and storms off early or plays old favorites in an encore, something intriguing and unexpected is bound to occur. So after being shoved around for 30 minutes in an annoying crowd, I finally made my way near the front as Brand New was about to begin. They started with â€Å"You Wont Know,† a song that comes in softly, then hits the chorus hard with energy. The fans surrounding me were singing so loudly that I could hardly hear Lacey. Despite the solid sound, the band didnt seem too into it, which isnt unusual, as their emotions really tend to come out in more recent songs. The first number they played off â€Å"Daisy† was â€Å"Vices,† their most aggressive song. We will write a custom essay sample on Brand New Concert or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was sure Lacey would go bonkers! But the band looked almost bored, which perplexed me. When they finished their set and exited the stage, the lights came on immediately before the crowd could even think to chant â€Å"One more song!† Is this it? No encore? No emotion? I hate to say it, but I wished that Lacey had been miserable. At least then we would have witnessed some raw emotion or maybe even seen him throw his guitar at the drum set as he has in the past. I wondered if he was too happy to let his melancholy songs affect him. This was not the Jesse Lacey that fans have come to know. I was hoping to have something to talk about with my friends who missed the show. But now, all I can say is that they played and performed well – good for a music fan, but disappointing for a longtime Brand New fan.

The Sopranos

The Sopranos: Peppers Paul McCartney, Wingspan: Hits and History Various artists, Moulin Rouge (Soundtrack) Emmylou Harris, Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years The late Eva Cassidy's incredibly soulful, powerful voice takes flight on Songbird. From the traditional "Wayfaring Stranger" to Sting's "Fields of Gold" and Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," Cassidy makes each song her own. More Cassidy in Folk: Get Editors' Recommendations by E-mail Sign-up for our Music Delivers, and we'll e-mail you expert recommendations and info on the latest releases by your favorite artists. And if you sign up for our Rock or Alternative Rock Delivers today, you could win a copy of R.E.M.'s brand-new Reveal CD autographed by all three members of the band! Here are our sweepstakes rules. The Sopranos: Peppers Paul McCartney, Wingspan: Hits and History Various artists, Moulin Rouge (Soundtrack) Emmylou Harris, Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years

Mobile telephone ( listening and reading, with vocabulary ) Assignment

Mobile telephone ( listening and reading, with vocabulary ) - Assignment Example In cases of emergencies such as accidents, mobile phones can be used to call the police. On the other hand, mobile phones also provide us with entertainment such as music or videos and they are also capable of storing a lot of data such as music videos, contacts as well as pictures. The mobile phones also have other applications such as word, spreadsheets, internet, alarm, camera, convertors and many other functions. As such, I chose this topic because mobile phones help us in different ways in our daily lives. 2 What was it about? Both the video and the article selected are about the importance of mobile phones in our lives. The video uses attractive pictures of the cell phones which show different models of phones available on the market. The video shows different types of cell phones and specific features about them and the article in particular outlines the important functions of cell phones. 3 Did you read or listen first? Why? Do you think the order you chose helped you or not? How many times did you need to read & listen before you felt confident about understanding the topic and vocabulary? How do you feel about this topic, e.g. positive or negative feelings? Do you agree/disagree with the ideas?† I listened and watched the video then proceeded to read the article. I repeated the process so as to get a clear understanding of the message presented in the article as well as the video clip as well. The vocabulary used in the video and the article is very simple. I did not find any new word that was confusing since the vocabulary used was easy to understand. I felt confident after reading the article and watching the video. This topic is very interesting and I have positive feelings about it given that some of us cannot live without cell phones. I have also discovered that cell phones have become an important part of our lives since we can use them to communicate or perform other work since they have many functions similar to computers. In the modern day, we use mobile phones to do a lot of things which are related to our work and social needs. I agree with the ideas suggested in the video and the article about the importance of mobile phones. 4. Did you learn anything new from this reading & listening? What? Since I also use a mobile phone on a daily basis, I did not learn anything new about this topic. 5. Was this topic connected in any way to your future studies and if so, how do you think you can find out more about it? Somehow, the topic is connected to my future studies since I use the mobile phone to perform a lot of functions such as researching different subjects related to my area of study. 6. What was easy/ difficult about it? The topic was easy to understand since the article was written in simple terms and was straight forward. The video also showed attractive images and it explained in detail the advantages of using a mobile phone in our lives. I realised that the mobile phones can enable us to reach people in diff erent parts of the world from anywhere. We use cell phones every day so I did not discover anything new about this topic. I can safely say that the topic was not difficult in any way. 7. Which was the more challenging aspect, the reading, or the listening? Why? There was nothing so challenging in reading the article and watching the video. The article in particular outlined more details that were clearly explained

Benefits of Going Green. Improving the Environmental and Ethical Image Essay

Benefits of Going Green. Improving the Environmental and Ethical Image of a Restaurant - Essay Example It is practically one of the biggest business trends of the last quarter of a century alongside adoption of computers and the internet. This then begs the question; what has prompted organizations to take up green ways? Investigations into the issue point to the fact that going green is not just empty trend, but a powerful strategy to gain competitive advantage for organizations in modern times. It enables a company to create a good corporate image and reduce costs thus maximizing profitability. Although there is evidence to support this, several companies have still not found going green a strategy worth pursuing. Hence, this part of the paper explores what going green entails and the benefits it accrues to businesses especially in the automobile industry, the food industry and the accounting/audit industry, which can be extrapolated to any other businesses. What is â€Å"Going Green?† Going green in a business is usually defined as the practice of monitoring, reducing and measuring the environmental and social costs of conducting business (Polimeni et al. 2010). Going green generally involves reducing wastes, decreasing use of energy and adoption of recycling techniques. Depending on the industry, strategies for going green include cutting on paper work, encouraging employees to car-pool, giving incentives to employees to adopt green technologies such as buying hybrid vehicles, reusable water bottles and using alternative sources of energy among others. A company that wishes to go green needs to make it a policy and communicate this to its employees. The policy should contain the company’s commitment to go green and the proposed strategies of doing this as appropriate to the company. The management should be committed to adopt these strategies in order to make employees follow suit. Benefits of Going Green The benefits of adopting green strategies are wide and varied across all industries, especially with the recent global economic melt-down. Case examples of industries that have adopted these strategies and the benefits they have accrued are studied and general benefits accrued discussed at the end. One of the biggest sectors that is directly affected and directly influences all other organizations in terms of the environment is the automobile industry. Vehicle manufacturers are at the forefront of adoption of green technologies, and thus the increasing emphasis on hybrid and electric vehicle. Robinson’s and Schroelder’s (2009) study of Subaru Indiana Automotive Inc. illustrates that through green principles and efficiency improves not only environmental conservation but also profits plus competitive advantages. Employees at every level in the company continuously pursue strategies to increase efficiency, reduce production of wastes and also reduce energy consumption. The strategies have resulted in 14% reduction of ele ctricity consumption since the year 2000, plus the company has not taken any wastes to the depository since 2004 as of 2009. The company has saved on costs in both long term and short term basis, with habits such as dimming lights when workers are on a break reaping immediate savings on costs. Other strategies such as redesigning processes initially increased costs but they have over time resulted in cost-saving. The two authors also found out that going green in the company involves detailed scrutiny of operations and new perspectives, which lead to innovations that create competitive advan

Do Nurses' Empathy affect the outcome of care Literature review

Do Nurses' Empathy affect the outcome of care - Literature review Example This section of the research study, will provide a comprehensive understanding with regard to the theoretical aspects of the study with the assistance of various facts, information, as well as opinion gathered from secondary sources such as journals and literatures.Thus, this chapter of the study will provide an in-depth and comprehensive view regarding the role of empathy within the healthcare sector along with improving the outcome of care in healthcare practice. According to Decety (2010), empathy is regarded as the one’s ability to understand and respond to other’s perception through properly understanding what others are thinks and feels. Besides, in the human life empathy plays an important role in providing effective and motivational base to eradicate key issues prevailing within an individual. Similarly, Battarbee & et. al. (2012) affirmed that empathy is the ability to become aware, sensible, understand and sensitive towards other’s feeling, behaviour and attitudes. McColgin (2012) highlighted that empathy is intellectual identification of the situation in the similar manner as other’s are identified. Besides, it can also perceive to be sharing the same set of emotion with different people altogether. Additionally, it has also been affirmed that weather people feel empathy over other or not they all are dependent on different aspects amid each other. The level of empathy differs on the basis of individualâ €™s behaviour and societies. The personal contacts among the people and the experiences that they share among their group are also among the most significant factors that builds empathy among people. Besides, with the advancement and transformation of technology and its impact over different stakeholders has also augmented the importance of the concept of empathy in the real practice, as one’s perception will have immense impact over the others (McColgin, 2012). On the other hand, Decety (2011)

Historical Investigation Into The Bomb Dropping In Japan History Essay

Historical Investigation Into The Bomb Dropping In Japan History Essay This historical investigation will examine the Manhattan Project and the use of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Why did the United States pursue the Manhattan Project, and why did the United States decide to drop the atomic bombs on Japan? This investigation is conducted using qualitative analysis of articles and books about the development of the atomic bombs and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Articles were chosen from media and scholarly sources, including the New York Times and the Journal of American History. In addition, a recent book published about the bombing of Japan was chosen for its relevance to the investigations central questions. These sources were all chosen because they provide impartial evidence and facts and present numerous sides of the issues. Summary of Evidence Beginning in 1945, and completed during the same year, The Manhattan Project was basically defined by the development of the most dangerous bombs known thus far to the world: nuclear weapons that could destroy more land and more citizens than the world had ever considered possible. The Project was rushed, mainly because of Trumans desire to avoid an invasion of Japan, which would have resulted in a catastrophic number of casualties. As a result, Truman chose to stop the war altogether through the use of the largest bomb ever used in warfare, also referred to as the A-bomb (Gewen, 2008). But prior to the building of the atomic bomb, Japan was on the verge of collapse anyhow. The Germans knew they were defeated, but continued to fight to the bitter end. According to most historians, the only thing America had left to do was drop the bomb on Hiroshima, and then Nagasaki, in order to absolutely ensure the surrender of Japan, and the end of World War II (Gewen, 2008). Opinions about whether or not America should have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima vary. Arguments for and against the bombing continue even today. The bombing of Hiroshima has been referred to as Americas Auschwitz, by many, because of the mass genocide in Hiroshima that happened when the bomb was dropped (Gewen, 2008). New York Times writer Gewen points out how American mainstream society was absolutely ecstatic over the development of a bomb that could instantly destroy the enemy. Like Truman, America desperately wanted to see the war come to an end, and the new weapon meant a faster victory for America. It also meant the likely scrapping of a planned invasion of Japan with its incalculable loss of lives (Hiroshima, 1995, para. 7). Prior to the bombing, the number of United States soldiers casualties was already astoundingly high. In Okinawa alone, by the summer of 1945, United States casualties were huge. There were 12,500 soldiers dead, and another 36,600 wounded (Hiroshima, 1995). As a result, Trumans strategy to end the war with newly created nuclear weapons was, in general, embraced by the American public. Government officials wholeheartedly agreed with the decision as well (Hiroshima, 1995). For example, Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, and Trumans new Secretary of State, James Byrnes, agreed that the new nuclear weapon would be very useful in relations with Moscow after the war ended, but they disagreed on whether or not changes needed to be made to Americas unconditional surrender policy in order to allow for the possibility of peace between the two countries (Hiroshima, 1995). Thus, the rush to create the A-bomb began. Evaluation of Sources Hambys article in the Journal of American History is essential for this investigation because it provides a varied account of the numerous sides in historical scholarship about the dropping of the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Hambys article notes that there are scholars who believe that the United States could have ended the war with Japan without a land invasion of the homeland and without dropping the bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In other words, hundreds of thousands of civilians who died from the nuclear blasts could have been spared if the U.S. pursued diplomacy with the Japanese leadership. However, Hamby also documents the evidence in the historical scholarship that contradicts this premise. There is strong evidence, Hamby notes, that the Japanese leadership never would have surrendered, and thus an invasion of the Japanese homeland would have been required, killing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Max Hastings book, Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-1945, claims that the myth that the Japanese were ready to surrender anyway has been so comprehensively discredited by modern research that it is astonishing some writers continue to give it credence (Hastings, 2009, p. xix). However, Hastings does not believe this justified the use of the atomic bombs against civilian populations. Rather, he simply states that the Japanese military leadership would never surrender without an extraordinary military defeat, or the demonstration of the atomic bombs. Hastings thus suggests that the United States could have tested the bombs on military targets rather than civilian targets. Yet the most interesting premise of Hastings book is the fact that the American people desired retribution against the Japanese. The U.S. and the Allied powers had already killed nearly 1 million German and Japanese civilians through air bombings, so the use of the atomic bombs was not considered barbaric but rather the equivalent of firebombing major cities with the same results as an atomic blast. This sheds light on the mentalities in the United States about the targeting of civilians during World War II. It was accepted as necessary retribution. Analysis One of the questions that plague many historians are whether or not Japan would have surrendered even if they had not been bombed (Hiroshima, 1995). The question has initiated many heated debates among scholars. For instance, author and historian, Gar Alperovitz has studied the attack on Japan and the affect it had on post-war Japan extensively, and wholly disagrees with the decision. His latest project, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb and the Architecture of an American Myth, in which Alperovitz argues against the atomic bomb, has drawn wide attention (Hamby, 1997). Alperovitz argues that the atomic bomb was unnecessary to end World War II for many reasons. First, his thesis espouses that Japan was ready to surrender at the time the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and that the motives behind the bombing were therefore dishonest and self-serving (Hamby, 1997). He espouses that Japan would have likely surrendered sooner, if only the United States had enacted a modified surrender policy that ensured the continued Japanese Emperors reign on the throne (Hamby, 1997). In addition, Alperovitz points out that when the USSR entered the picture and allied with the United States in August of 1945, Japan would have more than likely surrendered shortly thereafter (Hamby, 1997). Alperovitz criticizes the failure of the government to implement a new version of Americas surrender policy, and the lack of public support for the modification in general. The decision, he states, was too rushed; this attitude simply kept the war going, when it could have been concluded far earlier than the use of the atomic bomb was deemed necessary (Hamby, 1997). In fact, Alperovitz espouses that the real reason Truman chose to approve the two bombings was largely done in order to show the Soviet Union how powerful America had become (Hamby, 1997). Mostly, America was concerned about possible interests the USSR had in Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia (Hamby, 1997). The monopoly of other countries by the USSR frightened the United States. More recently, writer Max Hastings has suggested that the bombing on Japan was a necessary action if the war was to stop, and limit the number of US casualties. This was, in part, due to the strong and powerful Japanese defenses that were often intimidating to American soldiers. In return, US soldiers found it necessary to bomb large areas of the city, despite being told to restrain themselves from massive firepower (Hastings, 2009, p. 137). The difference in cultures between the Filipinos and Americans was ignored. Conclusion Hastings claims that America at times considered avoiding civilian bombing out of respect for humanity and their moral standing with the Far East (Hastings, 2009, p. 137). Much to the chagrin of President MacArthurs subordinates, and as proof of Americas desire to show their respect for humanity, MacArthur refused to employ air bombings over Manila (Hastings, 2009, p. 137). It was only when the United States suffered 235 casualties in a single day that McArthur changed his strategy, allowing the troops to really go to town (Hastings, 2009, p. 137). In other words, according to Hastings argument, the United States had tried almost everything to establish some sort of peace with Japan, even if it was within the confines of war. As such, it was the Japanese who propagated the war, not America; therefore, America was forced to go to the extreme by using nuclear weapons. This example shows how retribution was firmly entrenched in the American mentality toward the Japanese, who started Wor ld War II with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Americans cared more about ending the war without another American soldiers death, not about deaths of Japanese civilians.

The Portrayal of War in Charge of the Light Brigade and Dulce et Decoru

The Portrayal of War in Charge of the Light Brigade and Dulce et Decorum Est Both "Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Lord Tennyson and "Dulce et Decorum est" by Wilfred Owen are poems about war. However, they were written in two very different contexts and about two very different wars. Charge of the Light Brigade describes a doomed cavalry charge made by British soldiers during The Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War (1854-1857). Dulce et Decorum est, on the other hand, tells the story of a group of soldiers who were caught in a gas attack returning from the trenches of World War I (1914-1918) towards their "distant rest". Alfred Lord Tennyson was the "Poet Laureate" at that time and wrote the poem after reading about The Battle of Balaclava in the "Times" newspaper. This could have influenced how he portrayed the battle as he used secondary information which could be unreliable. In contrast, Wilfred Owen had first hand battle experiences from World war I, and so you would expect his information to be more reliable, However he could have emphasised certain points for poetic effect. In Dulce et Decorum est Wilfred Owen uses a variety of similes metaphors and other poetic techniques to describe the actions, appearance and mental states of the soldiers. Owen describes the soldiers as "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags", this simile shows that the war has had a very large effect on the soldiers as it gives the impression that they have aged prematurely and are in a very bad state of health. Owen also says that they limped on "blood-shod, all went lame, all blind", also giving the impression that the soldiers are in a very bad state of health, this emphasi... ...rge of the Light Brigade Tennyson gives the impression that the British soldiers were fighting a loosing battle. Tennyson gives the impression to the reader that he is not against the war even if they were going to loose but he still praises the soldiers for what they did. In Charge of the Light Brigade Tennyson contradicts Owens views, and instead says that it is honourable to die for ones country even if you loose the battle. In general I prefer Dulce et Decorum est because of what the poem stands for, Dulce et Decorum est give the views that war is a terrible thing and Owen is very against it whereas Tennyson seems to be a lot more pro war. Works Cited L. Bensel-Meyers. Literary Culture: Reading and Writing Literary Arguments. New York: Pearson Custom P,2000. Napierkowski, Marie Rose and Mary K Ruby. â€Å"Poetry for Students.† Vol 1 Detroit: 1998.

Arugment for Less School Hours Essay

Most students drag themselves out of bed every morning only to find themselves deparately waiting for that last bell to ring, marking the end of a school day. Increasing hours and the days students have to attend will destroy students and cause problems for them. The result would be taxes increasing, extracurricular activities getting cut and an increase on stress for kids. Most teens do not come from a wealthy background. Therefore, they have to provide for themselves as well as save up for college. If schools were to be longer, many teens that need to work to help support themselves would have difficulty finding a job that will fit to their schedule. It may also be hard for teens to hold that job. Another reason why schools should not be loner is because longer days would mean little extracurricular activities. This is very crucial, since it is one of the key factors that help many teens get into their choice of college. Colleges not only look at their grades in high school, but also any activities they have done out of school. Additionally, no extracurricular activity prevents kids from exploring their true passion, limiting their opportunities. Finally, when students miss a few days due to sickness, they end up having to make to piles and piles of work. Now if student were to have longer days, there would be more work. This might unmotivated students, as they are overwhelmed by work. Many Naive people would say yes to lengthen the school days and try to argue that students would learn more because this would mean longer instructional time. However , studies show there is no correlation between the length of the school days and the student’s academic achievements. According to Amanda Morin, it is not about how long kids are in the classroom; but how engaged in learning they are. Also many people state that lengthing the school years would allow parents to save money, as they would not have to send their kids to day care or hire a babysitter, or have to pay for the expensive childcare or hire a babysitter, or have to pay for the expensive childcare programs. However, lengthening the school year would mean a dramatic increase in taxes on parents who are sending their children to school, in order to cover for the pay in teachers and the increase on staff to help run the school. There are many reasons why the school day should not be extended including the maintainance cost, extracurricular activities and keeping hold of jobs. Many students are already stressed out, therefor adding more days would increase that stress. Having school 35 hours a week is plenty and it would be absurd to change school hours or days.

Russia history essays

Russia history essays In reading Peter McPhee's book The French Revolution 1789 - 1799 he makes the argument that as he put it ...creating the environment within which capitalist industry and agriculture would thrive.1 There are two ways in which the revolution created this environment, first by maximizing the capital in which the merchants, manufacturers and farmers would have to spend to fuel this new economy. The way in which the facilitated this was to abolish the tithe, feudal dues, and tolls on internal trade, and to set up a laissez-faire and laissez-passer economy. The second way is by making resources cheap and available to all. In an agrarian society like France was in the years of the revolution the only resource you need is land, and this was made available trough the taking and selling of church lands, and through the clearing of forest and expansion into the wastelands. All of theses helped created the institutional foundations on which capitalism could thrive.2 Furthermore, help j ump-start the industrial revolution, which had already started in the north of England and was soon to start in the United States. France during the 1780's was a seigneurialism economy in which the king and the nobles acquired their wealth. Placing a burden of the taxation firmly on the shoulders of the peasantry and the rising bourgeois. Many cities were ringed by wall not for protection, but to limit the access to the city so a toll could be collected on goods entering the city.3 This was not only just a hindrance to the movement of goods. The toll made almost did not promote a laissez-passer and national market. Besides this inconvenient of the toll system in the large cities of France the rural peasantry have tithe placed on their crops. In the countryside the church draw its vast wealth from the rural peasantry, which worked the land, upon which the Catholic Churched owned. The Church owned up to ten per cent of t...

Documentary films

Documentary films Free Online Research Papers A documentary film is a broad category of filmmaking practice that tries to document reality. It is a film genre that attempts to portray realism in the sense that it presents ‘actual’ people, places, activities and events. The fact that it documents ‘actual’ means that documentary films deal with fact and not fiction. A documentary film primarily ‘documents’ some aspect of life and usually involves narration, interviews, and facts and figures. This is in contrast to narrative (fictional) cinema comprising film genre such as action, comedy, adventure, horror, drama etc which creates the events, phenomenon, human behavior or conditions utilizing scripts. Encyclopedia Britannica defines a documentary as a ‘motion picture that shapes and interprets factual material for purposes of education or entertainment’. Documentary films are by nature not scripted, even though the scenes are selected and arranged through after-shoot editing. The ‘cast’ in a documentary film are not actors. These films may or may not have voice-over narration, depending on whether there is a need to describe what is happening in the film. A documentary will also include interviews with the people in the film. Another tenet is that a documentary must be objective and should not have a point of view although critics now argue that all forms of exposition do have a point of view. There is also no place for reenactments in a documentary film. The word ‘documentary’ was first coined in 1926 when documentarian John Grierson reviewed Robert Flaherty’s film ‘Moana’ and wrote that it had ‘documentary value’. Griersons view of documentary was that it provided a new way of observing life by way of casting ‘original’ actors and ‘original’ scenes vis-a-vis fictional films and considered that materials taken from the raw ‘actual’ footage were better than the acted ones. Grierson’s definition of documentary as a ‘creative treatment of actuality’ has generally formed the basis of depicting documentary films. In a nutshell, we can describe a documentary film as one that attempts to tell the truth realistically, by presenting factual evidence in its originality, with no reenactments and in an objective manner. Documentary films comprise a broad and diverse category of films. These include biographical films, expose films, a concert or rock festival, live performances, sports documentary, compilation films and ‘making of’ films of feature films. Documentary filmmaking has evolved over the decades. Early films such as Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North, used cumbersome equipment to produce rather imperfect images while today’s digital technology allows filmmakers to capture instant perfect images that objectively reveal the truth about subjects who may not be aware that they are being filmed. The cinema verite (literal French translation of ‘cinema truth’) or direct cinema (as it is known in the US) approach was the mode of documentary filmmaking in the late 1950s and 1960s. It took advantage of technological advances by using hand-held cameras and synchronized sound to capture their subjects and record events as they happened. It is a style of documentary filmmaking where there is no narration, and the filmmaker follows the happenings, shows authentic dialogues, natural action and minimum of rearrangements. It used the least directive approach to collecting film footage. The whole idea was to make the camera less of an intruder and allow the subject to behave more normally, though it must be borne in mind that the subject is aware of the recording. But really, the notion of documentary films has evolved since its inception to take many controversial facets. In the past 20 years, in particular, the nature of documentary films has extended upon the cinema verite or direct cinema tradition of the 1960s. Films incorporating reenactments as in The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris and directorial manipulation by Michael Moore in Roger and Me has led critics to question whether they are truly documentaries although they are classified as one. The point of view has also become increasingly visible in documentaries as in Michael Moore’s controversial Fahrenheit 9/11. Don’t Look Back is a 1967 black and white documentary which covered Bob Dylan’s concert tour of England in April –May 1965. The subject is the man behind the music, one who was to become the father of modern folk rock. The film shows viewers a glimpse of Dylan, who has been labelled as an anarchist, poet, folk singer, and other names. It educates viewers as to the philosophy of Dylan, why he writes the songs the way he does, how he views the world. It also shows how his friends, colleagues, and even fans expose his personality. The author (auteur in French) of this acclaimed film was D. A. Pennebaker, who used his creative personal vision to direct and shoot the film in cinema verite style. Pennebaker had said that ‘nothing was staged or arranged for the purposes of the film’. It played out in hotel rooms, limousines, backstage rooms and concert halls. The film explored Dylan through public media interviews and concert footage, and private exchanges with his entourage. At the time of its production, Don’t Look Back was the first of its kind, an in-the-moment documentary rather than a constructed one. It was a ‘fly on the wall’ genre, a major tenet of cinema verite or direct cinema, utilizing hand-held camera, long takes, no lighting equipment, shaky camerawork and occasional loss of focus, thereby displaying authenticity and bringing to the viewer a picture of reality. This is especially so, as throughout the film, we see the camera frantically following the events as they happen. Some scenes show how the camera needs to refocus on an object of interest, be it Dylan, his manager Albert Grossman, Joan Baez or an adoring fan inviting him for a holiday. While other music films of the 1960s which dealt with fantasy have become irrelevant, Don’t Look Back still retains its sense of relevance into its fifth decade as it is considered to depict the most objective portrait of Bob Dylan ever made. The objective of the film, as with all documentaries, is to show truth. It is a raw presentation of press conferences and interviews, business negotiations, backstage and hotel room happenings. There was no narrator involved and no script. As Chris Buck said, ‘Shoot and discover the story within’. It filmed only what happened as it happened, reflecting objective truth. Pennebaker, the author himself remarked, ‘My first serious film†¦I felt in the end that I hadn’t had to compromise anything, that it was as rough and raw and mean as it had to be’. Essentially, Pennebaker and his camera followed Dylan across his tour of England to get the raw footage. Don’t Look Back is not a rock documentary. It is also not a concert documentary as there were only a few live numbers and more than half the film focused on the person. It is really an expose of a personality of the day. It is a portrayal of Dylan as an arrogant, intriguing person. Don’t Look Back captures the moment with spontaneity, in true cinema verite fashion. As Mark Nichols said, ‘Instead the camera acts solely as a fly on the wall and for 96 minutes the viewer watches Dylan’s ongoing evolution as performer and personality’. It is quite a revealing take on the mind of Dylan, to educate people about Dylan. It shows him being confrontational and direct and openly critical and aggressive. It justifiably laid claims to bringing to audiences a raw picture of reality backed by the style of filming by Pennebaker. It was an exploratory form of documentary with no script, just shoot and see the story as you see it. This is evident for instance in the relationship between Dylan and Joan Baez. With no text or commentary, their relationship is shown but not told. Hence, the viewer has to deduce the significance of Baez’s disappearance half way through the film that there was a strain in their relationship. While the highlights of the documentary were indeed the many press conferences and interviews, Pennebaker’s film shows the true self of Dylan – an angry, awkward, sarcastic, and confrontational man as when he asks, ‘Who threw the glass in the street? Who threw it?’ and his relentless heaping of scorn on the journalists. When a female reporter asked,’What is your real message?, Dylan responded awkwardly, ‘Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb’. That Don’t Look Back is a true documentary is attested to in this remark made by Michael Rowin, ‘Part of what makes Don’t Look Back so incredible is that it might be the first public record of a celebrity openly, and with full knowledge of how his behavior might be perceived, acting like a complete jerk even when a camera is right there documenting his every movement for the world’. This was the first time ever the cinema verite or direct cinema technique was employed to project a raw, revealing insight into a well-known musician’s mindset and backstage at that. As Michael Rowan put it, ‘†¦ Don’t Look Back remains the first and only essential one for keeping Dylan in its sights with an almost obsessive intensity and letting the man perform the truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. But one can also question whether it is a documentary in the truest sense of the word. In a span of three-and-a-half weeks during Dylan’s concert tour of England, Pennebaker shot some 20 hours of film. But after editing, the ready for viewing footage was reduced to just 96 minutes. Also, virtually absent are the standard documentary rules of archival or interview footage. It appears as though Pennebaker was an unobtrusive observer, impartial and outside the happenings through the notion of ‘fly on the wall’, which has been considered as an ideal in documentary filmmaking. This was in keeping with the cinema verite goal of excluding the filmmaker from the film, the idea being that ‘the intrusions of the direct would detract from the reality of the subject’. However, some critics are of the view that impartial observation while filming is not achievable. Hence questions have been raised as to whether the mere presence of the filmaker will still make it possible to get a true picture of reality. Some are of the view that his presence means he cannot be an objective observer which is a key tenet of a documentary being perceived as an accurate portrayal of events. As Chris Buck says, â€Å"You have a set of values of ‘looking glasses’ the moment you interact with a subject and the selection of a subject is value laden†. But then there have been documentaries made, such as the Paul Anka biography, Lonely Boy (1962) where the film footage included Anka interacting with the filmmakers, which was acceptable to another school of thought as being part of the reality of filmmaking process. The direct cinema philosophy by which Don’t Look Back was produced drew plenty of flak. Critics Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael touched on the notion of objectivity, specifically citing the performative elements of the film, the influence of the camera on the actions of the subjects and the impact of editing, montage and shooting decisions. Sarris viewed the film as contrived documentary. Although direct cinema professes objectivity, Don’t Look Back was edited and structured and combined an observational approach with a personal perspective and biased editing. Documentary directors select the shots they feel will tell the story, edit those that are not needed and build an entire film on his personal bias. Through editing, the director can latch on a single aspect such as frustration on the part of the subject and proceed to show how the subject behaves or acts in such a way. For instance, Pennebaker wanted to show Dylan’s frustrations about how he is protrayed in the news. He included Dylan’s encounter with the Time reporter and also showed how he questions the interpretation of the other journalists regarding his music and performance. For the most part, the Time reporter’s comments are omitted while Dylan’s is retained, ending with Dylan saying, ‘I know more about what you do, and you don’t have to ask me how or why or anything, just by looking, than you’ll ever know about me, ever’. Hence, we can argue that there is a presence of bias as in narrative cinema. The selection of content elements reflects the director’s personal choices, philosophy, logic and reasoning. As the author, the actual content will be determined by him. Also, if we analyze the infamous opening sequence showing Dylan displaying the cue cards as the song ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ is played, with poet Allen Ginsberg lurking in the background, we can interpret this as staged and constructed with both of them clearly ‘acting’ the part. If we consider this as a ‘posed’ shot, we can question its true documentary status although the rest of the film can indeed pass off as a documentary. We can say that Don’t Look Back extended the category of documentary films to music and MTV videos as we know today. The opening simple sequence showing Dylan discarding a series of cue cards with phrases of some of the lyrics of the song , ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ as though trying to put the message across, is certainly an early reflection of the more sophisticated music videos we see today of the sound, image and the performer synchronized. This is one of the most imitated sequences in the history of rock/music documentary. Although it was not intended to be broadcast as a music video, Subterranean Homesick Blues’ can be seen on MTV today as a video of a single album from Don’t Look Back. The opening sequence in Don’t Look Back and Pennebaker’s point-and-shoot handheld direction set the standard for future music documentaries to follow. All said, Don’t Look Back is an excellent documentary which has allowed us a peek into the life of Bob Dylan. Through it, we understand the motivation, frustrations and aspirations of Dylan. While he is aware of the filming and that viewers would be peeking into his life, he allows it. It also gives us a degree of comfort that Dylan does not know who we are, or why we are even interested in knowing what he thinks or does. (2366 words) Research Papers on Documentary filmsWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Project Managment Office SystemThree Concepts of PsychodynamicIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Spring and AutumnBringing Democracy to Africa

Stem Cell Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stem Cell Research - Essay Example Different perspectives: There are different opinions to the argument whether stem cell research should be encouraged or not. Many religious and pro-life organizations have voiced ethical concerns regarding the intentional killing of a defenseless human life (2 week-old embryo) for the possible benefits of others. Other ethical dilemmas concerning this research are the use/disposal of surplus stem cells, the use of cloning in obtaining stem cells and the fact that a potential life is created for research or therapeutic purposes. Scientists and researchers see stem cell research as an answer to help all those suffering from chronic, degenerative and acute diseases such as Type-1 Diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and Cancer amongst others (Erin Williams, 2006). My Opinion: Having studied the different ethical and scientific perspectives on stem cell research, I believe that the research has tremendous potential to relieve the sufferings of thousands if not mill ions of people. If research is undertaken within the bounds of law (looking into the purpose of embryo creation, egg procurement etc), the pursuit wil help scientists understand the biology behind current incurable diseases and hence save many important lives.

Humanitarian logistics during the indian ocean tsunami in the andaman Essay

Humanitarian logistics during the indian ocean tsunami in the andaman and nicobar islands - Essay Example Placed within this supply chain is logistics – moving material from one place to another, which further comprises of inbound, outbound and/or reverse logistics (Figure 1). SUPPLIERS INBOUND LOGISTICS INTERNAL OPERATIONS OUTBOUND LOGISTICS RETAILERS /DISTRIBUTORS INTERNAL INTERFACES EXTERNAL INTERFACES From this profit-oriented point of view, logistics now finds itself on humanitarian grounds where a different war is waged and a different victory is aimed at – the victory of saving lives, minimizing destruction, and assuaging helplessness caused by disasters. Humanitarian logistics is an emerging field with functions similar to business logistics yet with different outcomes. Two main streams of humanitarian logistics can be distinguished: disaster relief and continuous aid work. The focus of disaster relief operations is to transport the immediate requirements of affected communities – first aid material, food, equipment and rescue personnel – where they are needed and to evacuate affected people to safe places rapidly (Barbarosoglu et al., 2002). Continuous aid is focused on re-building lives and re-establishing livelihoods and infrastructures. The Fritz Institute defines humanitarian relief logistics as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people† (Thomas and Kopczak, 2005). Humanitarian logistics encompasses a range of activities including preparedness, planning, procurement, transport, warehousing, tracking and tracing, and customs clearance (Thomas and Kopczak, 2005).