Psychedelic Music, Its Origins, and Its Effects on Music Today Essay

Psychedelic Music, Its Origins and Its Effects on Music Today Psychedelia in music has been around for a long time and has changed much of the popular music of today. The dictionary definition of psychedelic is, â€Å"of or noting a mental state characterized by a profound sense of intensified sensory perception, sometimes accompanied by severe perceptual distortion and hallucinations and by extreme feelings of either euphoria or despair.† It started in the 1960’s with the discovery of LSD and use of other psychedelic drugs. Psychedelia did not only affect music, it affected people, cities, and the way people think. LSD, which was the catalyst for psychedelic music, was discovered on April 16, 1943, by Albert Hofmann. For months he had been studying ergot, a fungus that grows on rye, and synthesizing lysergic acid for possible use to help migraines. On his twenty-fifth try, he made LSD-25, and after his work he began to feel dizzy. He assumed he had the flu, so he went home. â€Å"I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense kaleidoscopic play of colors,† Hofmann wrote in his biography LSD, My Problem Child. â€Å"After some two hours, this condition faded away.† He then knew that it was not the flu that made him dizzy, so he tried LSD again and got the same results. After this, he and his staff began to use LSD on themselves and soon LSD was used in psychotherapy. Now that LSD was created, psychedelic music would soon follow (DeRogatis 2-4). The birth date of psychedelic rock music, as far as it can be known, was in 1966. Many bands started making songs with psychedelic references. In May of 1966, the Beach Boys released Pet Sounds, which was inspired by their experimentation... ... constantly-changing names, but ravers do not care. Ravers do not focus on the performing artist like at rock concerts, they just listen to the beat of the music, and dance (DeRogatis 431-439). Psychedelic music has expanded people’s minds since the 1960’s. It has given people a way to express themselves, and it has helped people to relate to each other. Psychedelic music revolutionized the way music is recorded, played, and listened to. Without psychedelic music, modern music would not be the same. Works Cited â€Å"Jimi Hendrix Biography.† Biography. 2006. 6 May 2007 search/article.do?id=9334756>. DeRogatis, Jim. Turn On Your Mind. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1996. Scaruffi, Piero. â€Å"The History of Rock Music: 1966-1969.† History of Rock Music. 2002. 6 May 2007

Ritz Carlton Background :: essays research papers

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has achieved so much fame in their marketplace that they have attained what is referred to as â€Å"The Ritz Mystique.† Among the grand hotels of the world, The Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts are famous for luxury, spectacular surroundings and legendary service. They have gained this title with dedication and award-winning hotels that reflect the 100 years of tradition that stand behind them. Discovering the fascinating history of Ritz-Carlton hotels, illustrates their commitment on relentless training to improve their quality in service and their strategy. Ritz-Carlton has achieved a Gold Standard of value and philosophy by which they operate. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. originates with the 1983 purchase of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston by William B. Johnson, and the purchase of rights to The Ritz-Carlton name. The standards of service, dining and facilities of this Boston landmark serve as a benchmark for all Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts worldwide. In 1927, Edward N. Wyner, a local Boston real estate developer, was asked to build a world-class hotel. Wyner agreed because he knew The Ritz-Carlton name would secure immediate success. He received permission from The Ritz-Carlton Investing Company and the Paris Ritz for use of the name and set out to create luxury in the heart of Boston. Edward Wyner died in 1961. However, the Ritz legacy endured with Charles Ritz, son of Cesar Ritz, who was an active board member of The Ritz-Carlton until his death in 1977. In 1983, Blakely sold the hotel and the rights to The Ritz-Carlton name to William B. Johnson, who established The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The company has grown a collection of the finest hotels around the world since. Several of these hotels are historic landmarks, following a commitment of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company to preserving architecturally important buildings. One of these examples is The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa. As a famous Pasadena landmark for nearly 100 years, the Huntington Hotel went through many owners and stages to get where they are today. The hotel was finished with its final rebuilding and renovating stages and reopened as The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel in March 1991. Originally the hotel was constructed in 1906 and opened in February 1907 as the Hotel Wentworth. Financial problems and a disappointing first season forced the Hotel Wentworth to go out of business. Railroad tycoon and art collector Henry Huntington purchased the Hotel Wentworth in 1911, renaming it the Huntington Hotel.

Porters Five Forces analysis of Ford Motor Company Essay

Traditionally ‘maximizing’ profits has been considered to be the objective of any company. Not any more†¦.This criteria has now been discarded. Now companies are supposed to have multiple objectives, monetary as well as non-monetary. There are short-term objectives as well as long-term ones. Strategists are supposed to prioritize all such objectives, keep an eye on the competitors and government policies, so that there is clarity and ease of decision making in situations where there is an apparent clash of objectives. While planning for long term objectives, the company is supposed to remain competitive. It was in 1974 that Michael Porter, who had been working on a new sub-field of economics known as Industrial Organization (IO), prepared a ‘‘Note on the structural analysis of industries’’ which is considered to be the idea behind the five forces model of Porter in subsequent years (Karagiannopoulos et al, 2005). In 1980, he published his first book, Competitive Strategy, which owed much of its success to the ‘‘five forces’’ framework, that this paper focuses on (Porter, 1980). This framework has since been regarded as a strategic tool to figure out the relative strengths of a company, and decide about the possible strategic policies that a company can adopt to make way for a long term survival. The company can acquire competitive advantage on its rivals on account of marketing efforts, brand building, value creation, innovation, operational efficiencies etc. But more important is to sustain the advantage, for which the company will have to take care and devise adequate policies for its customers, suppliers, competitors and other stake holders. The five forces, defined by Porter include; Bargaining Power of Suppliers i.e. to what extent suppliers can have an influence on the policy making of the company. Suppliers play an important part in making quality propositions for the company. The process of value creation encompasses managing quality in the entire chain of processes leading to the production of final product or service. Bargaining Power of Customers i.e. to what extent the customers can affect the policy making and fortunes of the company. Customers are indeed the key ingredients for a company, but the company’s profitability depends upon to what extent customers are willing to pay for the product. Threat of New Entrants often limits the diversification policies of a company. Depending upon such a threat the company decides whether to go it all alone or take the route of merger and acquisition. Such a threat of new entrants often results in a sense of urgency for the company. Threat of Substitute products often leads to steps like enlargement of portfolio, enhancement of quality, reduction in prices etc. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players makes an interesting copy for newspapers and mainline media, as they thrive on the competitive rivalry and the steps and counter-steps being adopted by the competing companies. The level of competition greatly affects the earning potential of the company. In case of Ford Motors Company the Five Competitive Forces can be typically described as follows: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: ‘Suppliers’ comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. Ford is one of the Big Three manufacturing companies in the US with its range of automobiles selling in over 200 markets across six continents. Since the company has manufacturing facilities at more than one place, so the suppliers profile too varies from one place to another. The suppliers too can be categorized in different categories like; Metal/ Body part suppliers: Such suppliers are often not found to be too much of a threat for the company, as there is good amount of rivalry amongst such companies as well. IT/ITES suppliers: The modern cars require a range of technologically advanced features which determine the quality and other distinctive features of the car. Therefore, such companies are in need of regular research and development mode depending upon the requirements of the car manufacturer. For example Sony Corp.’s is one of the suppliers for Ford offering Sony-branded audio systems in Ford and Mercury vehicles. Engine and auto part suppliers: Such companies too hold a good amount of leverage over the car manufacturer. For example, Ford has signed an agreement with Neapco, an affiliate of China’s auto parts supplier Wanxiang Group, to sell its Automotive Components Holding unit’s propshaft operations. In a market where speed to market is extremely vital for beating the competition, Ford’s dependency for such key components on its associate companies with whom it has long term agreements will of course help in warding off any appreciable threat from the supplier side. Ford has been able to maintain good working relations with its suppliers is evident from the statement of Alan R. Mulally, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford during the company’s 2006 annual report when he sought to highlight the outstanding supplier, dealer and union partners (Datamonitor, 2007). Bargaining Power of Customers: Customers of course have plenty of options in the market place. And the customer will weigh all his options before going in for the purchase. Therefore Ford needs to be innovative and rely more on product differentiation. Though Ford has been catering to different customer segments in different measure, but of late the customer seems to have becoming very demanding and asking to have quality product at cheapest possible prices. In fact that includes the desire of having the best mileage providing car. Other car manufactures like GM, Toyota, Rolls Royce threaten to take away its monopoly over the luxury cars with their own version of sleek cars. Threat of New Entrants: Though it is not easy for new entrant to enter the Car and automobile industry as it is a capital intensive business as the economies of scale (minimum size requirements for profitable operations) leaves little room for a new start up company challenging the existing market share, yet the threat emanates from the existing competitors. For example the recent acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover by an Indian car company presents some idea of the future threat emanating from the developing world. Till now, companies from West and the developed world used to dictate the policies and used to acquire companies from the developing part of the world, but the emergence of India and China on the horizon as strong contenders appears to have tilted the balance somewhat in their favor. Tata, an Indian car manufacturing company, is in the final stages of sealing the deal with Ford. Threat of Substitutes: A car’s substitute exists in the form of another car. For example a SUV can be a substitute for an MUV, a mid size car can be a substitute for a small size car etc. Therefore, the threat from substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices and with better performance parameters for the same purpose. Ford faces aggressive competition in all areas of its business. The market design, manufacture, and sale of Cars and related peripheral products has become highly competitive. Moreover this market continues to be characterized by rapid technological advances in both hardware and software development, which results increasing the capabilities of existing products and software. This is resulting is the frequent introduction of new models with much reduced prices and better feature, and performance. Ford needs to keep its R&D activities in motion all the time. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: The car industry is indeed one of the most competitive industries in modern times. With the purchasing power of the consumer on the rise thanks to the globalization and liberalization era, which has tremendously boosted the earning potential of the professionals, particularly in the field so of IT and ITES. Car manufactures have been targeting this very segment with all the resources at its command. The profile of existing players keeps varying with the kind of market that is looked at. For example in US and most of the western part big manufactures alike GM, Rolls Royce, Toyota are the brands that Ford will have to contend with, while in Asia pacific region the local players have a key role. References: Karagiannopoulos, G.D.; Georgopoulos N. and Nikolopoulos K. (2005). ‘Fathoming Porter’s five forces model in the internet era’. VOL. 7 NO. 6 2005, pp. 66-76, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1463-6697. Porter, M.E. (1980), Competitive Strategy, Free Press, New York, NY. Datamonitor (2007). Ford Motor Company-Company Profile. Datamonitor Americas, NY

Pluma: Rizal, Ang Dakilang Manunulat Essay

Jose Rizal, just like any of us, used to live an ordinary life. Just like a normal person, he underwent the mundane stages of human life such as infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Yet, unlike any of us, Rizal inadvertently stood out because he lived by the saying, â€Å"Live life to the fullest.† He made the best out of his 35 years of existence. However, certain events and persons might have inspired him on the first place that eventually transformed his life from ordinary to an â€Å"extraordinary† one. Rizal’s parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, had already introduced to him the value of education. His father owned several books in their shelf in which the young Rizal had a lot of novels to choose from and to read that suits his interest as a child. His mother also served as his first teacher. She taught him how to read and write. At an early age, he already shows brilliance as a writer with a good sense of social awareness. An 8-year old Rizal was able to write his first poem, â€Å"Sa Aking mga Kabata.† This poem highlights love of nationality and Filipino language. Additionally, he excelled academically when he started attending schools in the Philippines, as well as in abroad. Putting his thoughts into writing became his hobby through the years. His works such as A La Juventud Filipina and El Consejo de los Dioses earned him the recognition to the Filipino youth and won an award in Manila respectively. Given the fact that Rizal’s eyes had long been opened to the awful reality during Spanish colonization, he further wrote novels, which include the famous Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed). Most likely, the former includes the story of Sisa, which was said to be inspired by what happened to his mother, Teodora, who was imprisoned due to the accusation of poisoning her sister-in-law. This taste of injustice could have aided Rizal to boost his patriotism. The latter was also written in honor of the memory of GOMBURZA who were executed due to the 1872 Cavite mutiny. With the aid of Paciano who witnessed the execution, Rizal’s eyes became widely opened to the gruesome reality of the Philippine society during their time. In a celebration of the achievement of Juan Luna’s Spoliarium and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo’s Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho, Rizal also realized and proclaimed that Filipinos do have something to be proud of.

Targeted Killings: The Case of Anwar al-Awlaki

The killing of al-Awlaki was a violation of U.S. due process procedures. Anwar al-Awlaki had US and Yemen nationality. Since the American Civil War, this has seemed to be the first time the US government has deliberately killed a US citizen as a wartime enemy without trial. The president's power is not examined. This approach raises the question about who the next target during the president's execution will be and whether the authorities will take similar actions in the United States in the future. There may be a situation where no one knows the evidence and then the government tells everyone evidence what they want to tell. Ben Wizner, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said: â€Å"If the existence of the Constitution is valuable, it certainly means that the President has no power to be unexamined and cannot rashly execute any American citizen who he considers to be a public enemy of the country.† The manslaughter occurred in this killing and violated in International Humanitarian Law. In the process of facing anti-terrorism, misjudgment and missed judgment are problems that cannot be solved in the forecast. The number of people killed in Pakistan due to drone attacks since 2004 has been between 2,500 and 4,000, and most of them have been classified as â€Å"extremists† by the US government. In the years that followed, thousands of innocent people in Pakistan could lead to premature death because of the misjudgment of the drone. â€Å"Anwar Al-Awlaki and Samir Khan were killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen on September 30, 2011. Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki, a 16-year-old boy born in Denver, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen on October 14, 2011, while he was eating dinner at an outdoor restaurant with his teenage cousin.† 90% of the deceased are not the target of the US military, but they are all labeled by the US as â€Å"the enemy that has been killed in action.† Anyone who appears to be near the established attack site is considered â€Å"accomplice† and there is no conclusive evidence that they should be killed. However, when the US military implemented the drone assassination plan, the assassination target was not necessarily a serious threat to the United States. Most of the casualties caused by drone strikes were innocent people, which caused the US government and the Pentagon to be blamed by the outside world. Before the fight against terrorism, the United States did not prove that there were no other non-military ways to choose from. It was more like an after-the-fact retaliation. In the process, the United States over-emphasized its own interests by slogans against terrorism, or the value is imposed on people, and the drone attacking terrorist crimes violates the sovereignty of other countries, making the contradictions even more intensified. Secondly, the U.S. attack on drones does not conform to the principle of proportionality, and it has harmed many innocent civilians while attacking terrorism. The US military still carried out bombing missions while knowing that there were civilian houses in the area where it was attacked. When the target cannot be clearly identified, the US military will call these innocent people â€Å"the enemy of death.† Therefore, the United States' dispatch of drones to the territory of other countries for military strikes against terrorism does not meet the constitutional elements of â€Å"pre-self-defense rights† and cannot be recognized as legitimate. On November 25, 2013, in San Francisco, the demonstrators put on a drone model against Obama's use of drone to counter-terrorism policies. The use of drones had put a lot of pressure on the US government. The use of drones needed to become more rigorous in the future. The US military is trying to improve the technology of this drone. On May 2013, the White House announced a new guide to counter-terrorism operations, placing more restrictions on drone attack plans. In a speech, Obama announced that drone operations will be strictly targeted at those who â€Å"form a sustained and powerful threat to the American people.† Obama also stressed that â€Å"only when the target of the attack poses a threat to US security, the assassination can only be initiated, and it must be ensured that the assassination will not harm civilians.† This incident created a new precedent in how the U.S. propagates its war on terror. The US military is making more efforts on drones to resist terrorism. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the use of drones to combat individuals has become a frequent means of US counter-terrorism operations. These targeted killings are effective in many ways. Military priority policies are expected to bring greater transparency to drone strikes and better coordinate these actions in accordance with the spirit of certain aspects of international law. Since the beginning of the 21st century, drones have rapidly developed into a new type of air power and have shown an increasingly important role in modern warfare. The United States is the world's number one military power. It is currently at the forefront of military drone technology. However, the US military has never relaxed its exploration and development of drone technology. The research institute headed by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the United States. The industry has jointly launched a series of technical projects involving cognitive electronic countermeasures, precision fire support, coordinated navigation and bee colony-enabled operations, etc., providing technical upgrades for the US military's future military drones. Drones have made great contributions to the US military in the war on terror. UAVs are playing an increasingly important role. Being able to fight 24 hours a day, delivering real-time activity videos to control personnel and pinpointing targets, makes drones indispensable in war. Finally, the use of drones in traditional wars, armed conflicts, or counter-terrorism operations with modern characteristics should be applied to international humanitarian law. From the perspective of international law, it is necessary to incorporate drone attacks into the normative system, giving them clear definitions and reasonable regulations, and prevent some countries from exploiting the loopholes and contradictions of international law to undermine the world order. In international law, whether the acts involving drones against terrorists violate the relevant rules of international humanitarian law. Clearing prohibitions should be made to solve the problem of defining too general and vague. Furthermore, peace and stability in the world situation are of paramount importance. As more and more countries use drones, they can hold international conferences about drone attacks and call on relevant countries to sign international treaties.

What is nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is nursing - Essay Example lling a vital role within a given industry or business, the definition of nursing that has been laid out above strictly differs from the definition or â€Å"scope† that many jobs may have (Azuri et al., 2014). As a means of understanding this and delineating what the specific responsibilities and expectations are for nurses, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with a more profound and nuanced interpretation of what the nurse actually does and how they are expected to fulfill their unique role within the medical community. Through such a discussion, it is the further hope of this student that the reader will be able to come to a more informed understanding of the role of the nurse and how this vital position serves to strengthen the outreach and scope that the medical community has. A discussion of what defines a nurse would not be complete without briefly discussing some of the roles and responsibilities that nurses have. Although the following will not be an exhaustive list, as such a list might require a dissertation length response, the core responsibilities that will be defined are generally shared amongst most nurses. Firstly, the nurse is required to directly interact with the patient and gather information that the medical professional, whether a doctor, PA, or other professional, can utilize as a means of addressing issues relating to the health of the patient and their future prognosis. In such a way, the nurse is oftentimes required to engage in a physical exam or a discussion with the patient; as a means of categorizing and seeking to provide actionable information to the doctor or PA (Christiansen et al., 2013). In a more direct sense, nurses are oftentimes required to provide health counseling and education. Although this is sometimes overlooked, in lieu of the fact that this is an expectation of a doctor, the fact of the matter is that a nurse’s extensive medical training prepares him/her to counsel patients with regard to

Road to Perdition Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Road to Perdition - Movie Review Example The movie is based on a graphic novel of the same title by Max Allan Collins. Depression-era Chicago serves as the perfect period in which to set the story of Road to Perdition. The stark grittiness of the early 30's best illustrates and complements the troubled nature of Road to Perdition's story. It provides a backdrop where gangsters rule and where death is an everyday business. The story is set in 1931, which is considered an in-between era since it is a different world from three years before and three years after. Albert Wolsky, costume designer for the film even found it hard to find existing clothes to match the era Michael Sullivan lived in since the 1930's is sandwiched between the flamboyance of the 20's and the fashionable gangsterism of the mid 30's. The early 30's was a time of austerity and depression, and the spirit of this era snugly fits the film's premise. The film, through an excellent use of the era, imposes a heavy, dark cloud of depression on its viewers which only briefly diffuses during the scenes between Sullivans Sr. and Jr. near the end of the movie. Technically and aesthetically, Road to Perdition excels. The film is a wonderful tour de force of some of the most notable figures in directing, acting, scoring, and cinematography. Sam Mendes (American Beauty), in his interpretation of the film, added to the depth of the conflict by using ingenious presentation methods. For example, to emphasize the gap between Michael Sullivan's Jr. and Sr., he employed a method that had both characters talk through obstacles like mirrors and doorposts. This had the effect of alienating both characters from each other since they had to communicate with each other indirectly. Later on in the film, Mendes uses close crops of both characters to symbolize a new found openness towards each other. The way Mendes presents each scene is subtle yet meaningful - a truly subconscious treat. Unfortunately, this may have backfired on many of the viewers, as there has been the comment that the movie left many of the viewers alienated and cold too. It may be that Mendes' plan worked a little too well. The story of Michael Sullivan and his son takes place mainly during winter. The eerie frozen landscape has a telling effect on the movie's plot. Mendes says the snow "symbolizes a frozen world... frozen in the emotional sense. It's a paralyzed family until the father and oldest son are thrown together by tragedy, and they begin to have the relationship they never had before. So out of the bad comes good, and everything that was intended to be set in ice at the beginning begins to thaw."(qtd. in "Road to Perdition Synopsis") The first thing to catch one's attention upon watching this film is the gorgeous cinematography by Conrad Hall. Hall is a master of mood and lighting, and it shows in his work on Road to Perdition. He makes good use of snow and the broke-down alleyways to convey a sense of despair in the film. The viewer gets the impression that beneath the paleness of the snow lies tension that has to be let loose. The film also uses washed out colors to give an aged look. This, in a way, authenticates the period which the film is based on. In one scene, Hall makes clever use of light shining through rained-upon windows to give the impression that the room is weeping. It would be observed that he does not use sweeping views of the backdrop. Instead, he uses pensive shots that are starkly beautiful. The screenplay by David