Findings and Analysis Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Findings and Analysis - Dissertation Example Fig. 4.1 Key Themes The findings and analysis shall also include basic information on employees of B&M and their views on how they think management of B&M can improve on recruitment and selection process in the future and how management can retain workers who come into the company. 4.2 PRESENTATION AND DESCRIPTION OF RESULTS/FINDINGS Background Information on the Company and Workers B&M is a non profit organisation that offers free advice on issues relating to housing, money, debt, and welfare benefits services to the members of community. The company is located in London. It has been operating for more than forty (40) years and has been supported by the government such as The Home Office, City Council, and Community Initiative; Local Housing Association and Charity donations. The company recruits both paid and unpaid workers from the community and it has been run by voluntary committee of Management. The size of the organisation is very small consisting of operation manager, money a dvisor, debt advisor, administrator and volunteers to deliver the service. The sample for the interview was made up of five out of six workers of the company who were all females. ... On the role of workers in the company, all two (2) student-workers are trainee case workers. One (1) fulltime worker is a case worker, one (1) is a senior case worker and the other one (1) is the operations manager of the company. All participants acknowledged that their roles were very important in the running of the company. Among the five workers interviewed, the two student-workers have worked in the company for three and four months respectively. All the three full time workers have worked in B&M for three years. It was however revealed that the operations manager has over twenty years of experience working in similar work set up. Recruitment and Selection Methods and Processes used by B&M Recruitment as the recruitment is the process of identifying and hiring best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization) for a job vacancy, in a most timely and cost effective manner (www.businessdictionary.com). When a company recruits from among its existing workers, we s ay they are practicing internal recruitment. On the other hand, when the company involves people who are outside its staff base in the recruitment, it is said to be undertaking external method of recruitment. Because of the staff size of B&M, the organisation uses external recruitment and selection method exclusively to get applicants to apply for vacancies. The mode of advertisement for vacancies, according to participants was mainly through the use of local community newspaper and university career employability. Reasons given by fulltime workers on why the organisation uses of community newspaper was that the organisation did not have enough funds to run expensive and wide range advertisement. It was also

Gorbachev and the Fall of Soviet Communism Essay Example for Free

Gorbachev and the Fall of Soviet Communism Essay From the failure of Khrushchev’s Virgin Lands program, to Brezhnev’s economic stagnation, to the final dissolution of the Soviet system, the organisation of central planning went though a slow death agony. When the former Minister of Agriculture, Mikhail Gorbachev, took over in 1985, the system seemed to have a certain spark left in it, though this was to prove to be illusory. Gorbachev announced that the Soviet state will not bail out failing enterprises, some limited market reform will be instituted and that limited press freedoms will be countenanced. Gorbachev did not satisfy anyone, including US policymakers. Liberals such as Boris Yeltsin thought reforms needed to go farther, while hardliners like Boris Pugo thought Gorbachev was selling out the Great Experiment. While Gorbachev cannot be held responsible for the dissolution of the USSR, he did unleash forces that eventually led to its demise. First, admitting defeat in Afghanistan, he shook the confidence in Soviet military might, unleashing a storm of protest from the â€Å"mothers movement,† embarrassing the USSR worldwide. Second, by letting up on police pressure, the huge black marketeers came to the surface, with money and local influence. Third, after Chernobyl, Ukrainian nationalism found new life in the RUKH movement, supported by a strong and large Ukrainian diaspora in America and Canada. Fourth, with the USSR clearly weakening, Islamic powers began to proselytize in the southern part of the USSR, such as in Azerbaijan and throughout the Caucuses. Fifth, the Baltics, sensing a weakening USSR, began to agitate for independence with substantial western–notably Swedish–help. Sixth, by retaining a hard line with Ronald Regan at the Iceland conference, the US began construction of a missile shield that forced the USSR to eventually backpedal on previous bellicose statements. Seventh, Gorbachev made it clear, just as he was not going to bail out failing enterprises, he also was not going to bail out failed regimes in Europe, starting with Ernst Honecker’s East Germany . Eighth, by proclaiming some sort of limited market, foreign goods rushed into the country, and new local elites began to form. Ninth, the reign of glasnost’, or openness, permitted activists more and more access to Soviet files, proving corruption and mismanagement. The fall of the USSR, based on the above events (and much more), had substantial implications for European politics. Firstly, the Swedes sought, successfully, to make economic colonies out of the Baltic states, especially Estonia. Their independence meant cheap and educated labor, and a new market for Swedish goods. Secondly, Germany was to be unified peacefully and without substantial protest. Again, this meant for Germany another economic colony of both cheap and educated labor, with a strong technical labor force. German investment eastward irritated France, seeing Germany ideally placed to take advantage of new Slavic investments in Poland, Russia and the newly formed Czech Republic (Czechia in Europe). France, as a result, sought to enlarge both NATO and the European Community (at the time) by bringing in new eastern states, including Turkey so as to counterbalance German expansion. The American response was typical. George Bush waffled on major issues, providing statements both for and against the independence of the Baltics and Ukraine. War flared up between newly independent Armena and Azerbaijan, as Islamic fundamentalists and drugs from Central Asia flooded the Caucuses on their way to markets in Europe and America,. Yugoslavia, a short time, later broke up along the same lines as the USSR under the incompetent leadership of Slobodan Milosevic, whose inability to control inflation led to the final destruction of that experimental state. US policymakers realized that they needed to move fast, while the USSR was prostrate, to begin monopolizing oil and gas resources throughout the country. The CIA began to step up its efforts in the Caucuses, making sure pro-American government were installed and properly trained. George Soros was a strong supporter of this move, and became a major political player in the region. In the mind of the US elites of both major parties, the fall of the USSR meant a green light for unlimited intervention in the affairs of former Soviet clients such as Iraq and Syria, and the Soviet backed regimes of Angola and Ethiopia were themselves were soon to fall to pro-US forces. Because of this, the latter nation fell apart into, like Yugoslavia, its original component parts. The New Left in the US, France and England scrambled to find another raison d’etre, and found it in diversity and multiculturalism. Great fear developed in the west when it became clear that Soviet (nuclear) scientists were not being paid, and were leasing out their considerable abilities to regimes opposed to US global rule such as Iran and Algeria. While all of this was happening, the US, and Harvard University, working with the World Bank, began implementing â€Å"shock therapy† to the liberated nations of eastern Europe. The rapid privatization in nearly all former Soviet satellites (except Belarus, who has maintained a high standard of living precisely by ignoring such moves ), led to mass impoverishment, rigged auctions, the rise of a nearly all-powerful mafia (with strong ties to Israel, and hence, to the US), who then assisted in the development of Russian â€Å"political parties. † Billions of dollars left the former USSR and its satellites, finding its was to Swiss banks and elsewhere, as wealthy organized crimes figures such as Symon Mogilevic began buying heavily into western economic life. There seems to be two distinct forms of former satellites. Those with direct and motivated patrons had an easy time of adjustment, as they became a part of western economic life quickly. The Baltics (Sweden), Slovenia (Germany, from Yugoslavia) and, clearly, East Germany, fall into this category. With a stable and wealthy patron, substantial investment and currency support came quickly and easily by comparison with the remainder, such as Ukraine, Uzbekistan or Armenia, that struggled with poverty and disinvestment. Bulgaria fell under Mafia rule, while labor unrest struck Romania. The influence of the fall of the USSR on Europe is incalculable. All the old rules of the game changed. What had once unified Europe now divided it, and old rivalries began to develop. While Russia has begin to function again on the global stage, the world will never quite recover from the end oft he cold war. Bibliography: â€Å"Man in the News: Skillful Party Climber Boris Pugo. † New York Times. August 8, 1991. â€Å"Erich Honecker, ruler of East Germany for 18 of its Last Years, Dies at 81. † New York Times. May 30, 1994. Bohdan Nahaylo. The Ukrainian Resurgence. University of Toronto Press, 1999 â€Å"Moscow Looks with Concern at NATO, Eu Enlargement. † Voice of America News. February, 17 2004. Matthew Raphael Johnson â€Å"A Look at the Judeo-Russian Mafia: From the GULAG to Brooklyn. † The Barnes Review. (May, 2006. ) Ariel Cohen. â€Å"Schevardnadze’s Journey. † Policy Review. No. 124. (April/May 2004). Stewart Parker. The Last Soviet Republic: Alexander Lukashenko’s Belarus. Trafford Publishing, 2007 US Department of State. â€Å"Romania. † Country Reports on Human rights Practices,Washington D. C. 2/25/2004

Free Essays - Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie :: Glass Menagerie essays

Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie In life we face many obstacles in which we must deal with in order to move on. Many times we unattach ourselves from reality in order to keep our hopes up. In The Glass Menagerie, every character but that of Jim O'Connor experiences a loss of reality due to the difficult situation they live in. To some degree, Jim also does but he is the most realistic character in the play. We as human beings always seem to look back on our youth as the "glory days" of our lives. Amanda Wingfield, Tom and Laura's mother, frequently recalls her youth to the point that Tom knows exactly what story is coming. Her lust to relive the past and her hope that Laura will one day follow in her footsteps controls most of the plot of the story. Amanda regularly speaks of the seventeen gentlemen callers she received while living in Blue Mountain (Gale 127). She describes the men as if they are either wealthy or have died tragic or heroic deaths; but the man she married is regarded as unsuccessful and irresponsible (Gale 128). The fact that he left them plays an important part in developing the story. Mr. Wingfield is viewed as the cause of the misery they live in and Amanda is often worried that Tom will follow in his father's footsteps. It seems whatever it was that drove Mr. Wingfield away was destined to finally drive Tom away. While there are those who view their past as the best days of their lives, you will find many who focus on the future and what happiness it shall bring. Tom has many dreams he wants to fulfill but he is held down by having to care for and support Luara and Amanda. Free Essays - Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie :: Glass Menagerie essays Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie In life we face many obstacles in which we must deal with in order to move on. Many times we unattach ourselves from reality in order to keep our hopes up. In The Glass Menagerie, every character but that of Jim O'Connor experiences a loss of reality due to the difficult situation they live in. To some degree, Jim also does but he is the most realistic character in the play. We as human beings always seem to look back on our youth as the "glory days" of our lives. Amanda Wingfield, Tom and Laura's mother, frequently recalls her youth to the point that Tom knows exactly what story is coming. Her lust to relive the past and her hope that Laura will one day follow in her footsteps controls most of the plot of the story. Amanda regularly speaks of the seventeen gentlemen callers she received while living in Blue Mountain (Gale 127). She describes the men as if they are either wealthy or have died tragic or heroic deaths; but the man she married is regarded as unsuccessful and irresponsible (Gale 128). The fact that he left them plays an important part in developing the story. Mr. Wingfield is viewed as the cause of the misery they live in and Amanda is often worried that Tom will follow in his father's footsteps. It seems whatever it was that drove Mr. Wingfield away was destined to finally drive Tom away. While there are those who view their past as the best days of their lives, you will find many who focus on the future and what happiness it shall bring. Tom has many dreams he wants to fulfill but he is held down by having to care for and support Luara and Amanda.

Government-operated Gambling

Over the past few years, government operated gambling has grown into a massive business, there has been much controversy around the topic of weather or not Gambling should be regulated. In this essay I will explain my point of view on this topic and give examples that support my ideas. So, what should the state’s policy towards gambling? I believe that the state should not regulate gambling because of three main reasons. My first reason is people’s rights and freedoms.Second, Gambling has grown into a major industry over the pas few years; the centre for addiction and mental health stated in their Gambling Policy framework in 2011 â€Å"Government-operated gambling has steadily expanded in Ontario in the past two decades, revenues reaching $4. 7 billion in 2009. † (2). This shows that Gambling has grown to become a major industry in today’s economy and by doing so it has helped society in several different aspects, the growth of the gambling industry has l ead to an increase in revenue for the government, thus resulting in more social benefits towards the public.Finally, The gambling industry has lead to many job opportunities in north America, offering a beacon of hope to those in need of jobs during a recession. In modern society, freedom is not only supported but also cherished, people should be given the freedom to live their lives as they please, weather they choose to live their lives in a healthy way or not that is up to them. However, they must be given the right to live as they please. In the United States, groups such as the KKK are protected under the first amendment, which protects their freedom of speech, no matter how ludicrous it may be, they have the right to say as they please.The same should be applied to life. People should have the choice to live their lives as they please without being watched over by the government. Since gambling does require participants to be of legal age, we know that the people gambling are adults. These grown ups should be able to have control over their own lives, its their responsibility to understand the chances they are taking when gambling. Some may argue that certain people can’t control their gambling problems and have gotten too addicted to gambling and that casinos take advantage of these people.These claims are supported by some statistics given in the centre for addiction and mental health, which states, â€Å"it is estimated that between 30% and 40% of Ontario’s gambling revenues come from the 3% of the population with gambling problems† (2). This statistic shows that the gambling industry does heavily depend of the people addicted to the game. I would respond by expressing two points. First, the people with gambling problems of which they cannot control are a minority, in Jonathan Wolff’s â€Å"Ethics and public policy A Philosophical inquiry†, the author states that â€Å"between 0. and 0. 8 of the UK adult population could be classified as problem gambles† (59). Furthermore, in the centre for addiction and mental health’s Gambling Policy framework in 2011 that â€Å"just over 3% of the province’s population experiences moderate to severe gambling problems. †(57). These numbers do not justify having to discipline an entire industry that would affect hundreds of thousands of people that work in it and making their living off jobs in that industry.Second, increasing government regulations on casinos and lotteries will not stop these problem gamblers from gambling. Jonathan Wolff states â€Å"in the late 1950s there were towns about 25 percent of the adult population gambled illegally on a regular basis. †(55). Taking this point into perspective, it could be inferred that if the government increases the regulations on legal casinos and lotteries that would make it harder for people with an addiction to gamble, these people will find other ways to feed their addictio n.This is a severe problem because when these people begin to gamble illegally they will put their money into other illegal activities, which could include drugs, weapons or violence. In fact, many large gangs could use this opportunity to fund their illegal activities, which would lead to more trouble in society; another point to be made towards this issue would be that of money, not only would these gamblers be putting their lives at risk when gambling illegally and dealing with gangs, but they could also be keeping this money out of the government’s hand which could go government programs to help the less fortunate.This brings me to my next point and that is that gambling has become a major source of revenue for the government. Government regulated gambling has grown into a massive industry which generates a significant amount of revenue each year of which most ends up in the government as funding for many different organizations. in the paper named â€Å"Gambling: Its Pl easure and costs† by Lorne Tepperman it states that â€Å"The industry group’s report †¦ says 57 per cent of gambling revenue – $8. 7 billion- supported government services and charities. (9). Tepperman also states that gambling is the â€Å"most financially significant† (9) segment in entertainment and that it contributes â€Å"$15. 3 billion a year to the economy, according to the Canadian Gaming Association. † (9). Ronald Pavalko also states in his paper titled â€Å"gambling and public policy† â€Å"State revenues from casino taxes totaled nearly $3. 5 billion. † (336). The reality is that today, we are in a recession we can’t afford to decrease that revenue by implementing harsh restrictions on gambling.It is argued that even though gambling is a major source of revenue for the government, it is also a source of misery for people with gambling addictions. The centre for Addiction and Mental health states that â€Å"F or these individuals, a range of harms may occur, resulting in heavy social, economic, and health costs such as crime, dysfunctional relationships, and bankruptcy. † (2). However, the solution to this problem is not adding restrictions to gambling but is actually using the money made from gambling towards a better cause.As I have previously stated, people addicted to gambling will not be cured from their addiction by regulating legal gambling because they will find other means to feed their addiction. I believe that the best solution to these people’s gambling problem would be using the revenue that they generate for the government in taxes could be used to create social programs for people with serious addictions to gambling that would help them quit.I believe this solution would be ideal because the minority of people with gambling addictions will be treated in a proper healthy way in order to get over their addiction, the left over revenue could still be used in othe r social programs and finally, the money and profit that the casinos and lotteries generate will still flow which would result in more jobs, another source of income to the economy and would prevent people from getting fired from their jobs if harsh restrictions were to be applied to gambling agencies.My final argument for this essay is that of employment. As previously stated, gambling generates a huge amount of revenue for the government, Gambling is a growing industry and with its growth it creates several opportunities for jobs for people in need. Gambling generates many jobs that help the economy grow in this time of need. Gambling generates jobs of all sorts, from the engineers and architects that build and design the casinos, to the people who sell lottery tickets, to those who actually work in casinos.All of these people generate their income because of the gambling industry. Tepperman states that in Canada gambling accounts for â€Å"267,000 full time jobs. † (6). Pa valko also states in his paper that in only eleven states a total of 370,207 people are employed in casinos, In a country with a current unemployment rate of 8%, the Gambling industry should be seen as a source for solutions to a much more serious problem than an addiction to gambling. Expanding the gambling industry will in return create more job opportunities and help decrease the unemployment rate dramatically.However, if the government begins to set harsher policies towards gambling and casinos are required to cut costs, the unemployment rate might increase which would create even more social issue, which could result in protests and riots from the workers who have lost their jobs due to the harsh policy towards gambling. Some might argue that Gambling still creates harm towards many people and even though it can create jobs it can also result in many people losing their jobs. I would respond by quoting Lorne Tepperman â€Å"A majority of adults gamble responsible; only a small minority of the population experiences gambling related harm. (1). I believe that gambling will create more jobs that it will end and that that is just a minor side effect that could be easily cured by the revenue that gambling will generate for the government, this money could be put back into society and produce new projects that create new job opportunities and these jobs could be offered to those who had lost their previous jobs. In conclusion I would say that I do not believe that the government should regulate gambling because of the reasons that I have stated earlier in this essay.First, Gambling is a choice and freedom. It a civil right and the government should not be able to decide weather or not you are allowed to gamble or how much you are allowed to gamble. Second, Gambling has grown into a major industry and has become a major source of revenue to the government. Gambling has helped fund many government programs used to help the less fortunate, even though gambling do es create certain people who are addicted to it, they are nowhere near as many as the people whom gambling helps.In this situation the pros drastically outweigh the cons and as previously stated, the revenue generated from gambling could go towards social programs made to help people with gambling addictions, that way these people will eventually cure themselves of their addiction and the hundreds of thousands of people whom depend on gambling a source of income would not be affected, which is what I believe is a win-win situation. This brings me to my final argument, employment.The gambling industry has created hundreds of thousands of job opportunities to many of those who need it, especially in a recession where millions struggle to find an income support for them and their families. I would say that the government should encourage gambling businesses to grow. However, as Christiane Pouline states in his paper titled â€Å"Gambling† that â€Å"Decisions on policy pertaini ng to gambling need to be based on a full accounting of the health, economic and social benefits and costs of gambling. (1208). Which is why the policy towards gambling should be set to help both the gambler and the Casinos. That policy should state that a majority of the profit that is generated from Casinos should go towards social programs that will benefit society; these social programs should include programs made to help gambling addicts with their problems. James Doughney perfectly sums up this policy in his book titled â€Å"The poker machine state†.Doughney says, â€Å"Try to do good; but even when you cannot at least do not knowingly cause harm. † (1). Over the past several years, gambling has grown into the largest sector of the entertainment industry, creating the most amount of revenue to the government. Our society should be scared of this phenomenon and try to regulate it, we should actually take advantage of it and use it to help make the most the most of this opportunity by using the money made from gambling to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.

Improve Counselling Skills Essay

For this assignment you need to keep a journal for the first few weeks of the module. The aim of the journal is to reflect on various aspects of professional practice, study challenges, or any other feature of counselling work or study. You do not hand in the journal. Using the information gathered during this process you will write the practice task reflecting on your professional practice that includes three professional practice goals. It is recommended that you make a brief entry in your journal everyday in which you record events, situations, information and your insights related to counselling. Ensure that identities are protected and the focus is ultimately on you and not on others. Journal Writing Guidelines: Each daily entry should cover: the events that occurred on that day which relate, whether directly or indirectly, to your professional practice and study of counselling how you felt about these events what skills you observed that you demonstrated what skills do you think require further attention and growth the element of professional practice or study that you most struggled with on that day the element of professional practice or study that you felt most comfortable with on that day Your Reflective Practice Task requires you to examine the following aspects of your professional development: 1. Overview of 3 events from your journal 2. Your current knowledge base (this does not necessarily have to be in the counselling field. Most of you will be tapping into volunteer experience, work experience, lived experience – like relationship / parenting, or prior study experience in which your skills are transferrable to counselling). 3. Your breadth of experience to date and what you have learned from these experiences 4. Your professional practice strengths and weaknesses 5. Your professional aspirations 6. You will need to set three professional practice goals for yourself, with each goal statement demonstrating an adherence to the SMART process. You MUST apply the SMART MODEL when setting your goals. 7. How do your goals align with your values in relation to your practice 8. Lastly describe a goal for self-care protection in relation to counselling Lecture notes, articles and other reference materials will be beneficial to this process, and your ability to build on and reflect on your professional practice. Referencing In academic writing referencing is critical. Referencing is about ensuring that the sources you have used (authors, journal editors) are honoured. The ACAP manual or the Educator cannot be used as references as we are merely conveying information that others have published. It is NOT compulsory to reference and you will not be penalised for not referencing. I am just suggesting that it is an excellent study habit to get into. Although ACAP and other universities use the APA6 referencing style – I do not care what style you use – even if you put the author in brackets that’s great. See the VET 2012 Referencing Guide Link : http://my.acap.edu.au/moodle/pluginfile.php/27484/mod_resource/content/1/Reference%20Guide%20%20for%20VET%20students%20%20v2.pdf Structuring Your Reflective Practice Task This task allows you to use 1st person writing – that is using pronouns like I, We, They, Us, Them etc. I suggest that you use the following headings or use the question numbers to help you focus and stay within the word limit: Current knowledge base This does not necessarily relate to direct counsellor experience. Reflect on the other ACAP subjects you have studied to date, other courses you have completed in the past, work experience, personal experiences (parenting, your own counselling experiences as a client, relationship, volunteer work, previous studies, etc). You are wise and bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the module and field. Breadth of experience to date and what you have learned from these experiences I expect that many of you will not be currently working in the counselling field so your professional breadth of experience may be fairly limited. It is important to honour all the work and lived experience you bring to the course and field. It is okay to acknowledge that your experience to date may be professionally limited but identify areas in your current work environment or personal life where counselling experiences are present. Remembering that skilled conversations with others involve using counselling skills like active listening, empathy, unconditional positive regard, attending, etc.

Free Essays on Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa Carlton is a new young artist that has come a long way in a very short amount of time. She got a four star rating on her debut album, Be Not Nobody. That says a lot for a young artist these days. She not only has a beautiful voice, but she can play the piano like Beethoven. She even writes her own lyrics and Alicia Keys influenced her. Although people may say that they sound alike, they are entirely different artists. Stephen Erlewine, the writer from allmusicguide.com, says that she has the soul-searching of Fiona Apple and the precise intricacies of Rick Wakeman. Her style is very laid-back and relaxing. She uses a lot of orchestral background music to help aid her Spring-like voice. The result is something quite surprising: it has an overwhelming, sweet, multi-layered appeal to people of all ages and cultures. The first person who actually introduced me to her music was one of my guy friends. He is only twenty and he is African American. I was surprised to hear that he moved out of his normal rap music and actually paid attention to someone like Vanessa Carlton. When I first heard her voice, I thought she was about twenty-six years old. I was soon startled when I found out that she was only my age. You may wonder why people are so infatuated with her and her music. The answer lies within her unique voice and engaging melodies. She is not the normal â€Å"self-centered† diva. She isn’t the average â€Å"buy my music because I have a young sexy body,† appeal either. She just has the â€Å"oomph† that you need to have to become a good artist these days. If our class were to divide into two groups of people who like her music, and people who don’t like her music, I am almost positive that the majority of our class would be on the side of the room that does like her music because she is so incredibly talented. Her album debuted in April of 2002 and has done extremely well in album sales. As Erlewine s... Free Essays on Vanessa Carlton Free Essays on Vanessa Carlton Vanessa Carlton is a new young artist that has come a long way in a very short amount of time. She got a four star rating on her debut album, Be Not Nobody. That says a lot for a young artist these days. She not only has a beautiful voice, but she can play the piano like Beethoven. She even writes her own lyrics and Alicia Keys influenced her. Although people may say that they sound alike, they are entirely different artists. Stephen Erlewine, the writer from allmusicguide.com, says that she has the soul-searching of Fiona Apple and the precise intricacies of Rick Wakeman. Her style is very laid-back and relaxing. She uses a lot of orchestral background music to help aid her Spring-like voice. The result is something quite surprising: it has an overwhelming, sweet, multi-layered appeal to people of all ages and cultures. The first person who actually introduced me to her music was one of my guy friends. He is only twenty and he is African American. I was surprised to hear that he moved out of his normal rap music and actually paid attention to someone like Vanessa Carlton. When I first heard her voice, I thought she was about twenty-six years old. I was soon startled when I found out that she was only my age. You may wonder why people are so infatuated with her and her music. The answer lies within her unique voice and engaging melodies. She is not the normal â€Å"self-centered† diva. She isn’t the average â€Å"buy my music because I have a young sexy body,† appeal either. She just has the â€Å"oomph† that you need to have to become a good artist these days. If our class were to divide into two groups of people who like her music, and people who don’t like her music, I am almost positive that the majority of our class would be on the side of the room that does like her music because she is so incredibly talented. Her album debuted in April of 2002 and has done extremely well in album sales. As Erlewine s...

US Democracy essays

US Democracy essays Is the Unites States Political System a Legitimate Democracy In any system which claims to be democratic, a question of its legitimacy remains. A truly democratic political system has certain characteristics which prove its legitimacy with their existence. One essential characteristic of a legitimate democracy is that it allows people to freely make choices without government intervention. Another necessary characteristic which legitimates government is that every vote must count equally: one vote for every person. For this equality to occur, all people must be subject to the same laws, have equal civil rights, and be allowed to freely express their ideas. Minority rights are also crucial in a legitimate democracy. No matter how unpopular their views, all people should enjoy the freedoms of speech, press and assembly. Public policy should be made publicly, not secretly, and regularly scheduled elections should be held. Since "legitimacy" may be defined as "the feeling or opinion the people have that government is based upon morally defensible principles and that they should therefore obey it," then there must necessarily be a connection between what the people want and what the government is doing if legitimacy is to occur. The U.S. government may be considered legitimate in some aspects, and illegitimate in others. Because voting is class-biased, it may not be classified as a completely legitimate process. Although in theory the American system calls for one vote per person, the low rate of turnout results in the upper and middle classes ultimately choosing candidates for the entire nation. Class is determined by income and education, and differing levels of these two factors can help explain why class bias occurs. For example, because educated people tend to understand politics more, they are more likely to vote. People with high income and education also have more resources, and poor people tend to have low political efficacy (...

Commensalism Definition, Examples, and Relationships

Commensalism Definition, Examples, and Relationships Commensalism is a type of relationship between two living organisms in which one organism benefits from the other without harming it. A commensal species benefits from another species by obtaining locomotion, shelter, food, or support from the host species, which (for the most part) neither benefits nor is harmed. Commensalism ranges from brief interactions between species to life-long symbiosis. Commensalism Definition The term was coined in 1876 by Belgian paleontologist and zoologist Pierre-Joseph van Beneden, along with the term mutualism. Beneden initially applied the word to describe the activity of carcass-eating animals that followed predators to eat their waste food. The word commensalism comes from the Latin word commensalis, which means sharing a table. Commensalism is most often discussed in the fields of ecology and biology, although the term extends to other sciences. Terms Related to Commensalism Commensalism is often confused with related words: Mutualism - Mutualism is a  relationship in which two organisms benefit from each other. Amensalism - A relationship in which one organism is harmed while the other is not affected. Parasitism - A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed. Theres often debate about whether a particular relationship is an example of commensalism or another type of interaction. For example, some scientists consider the relationship between people and gut bacteria to be an example of commensalism, while others believe it is mutualistic because humans may gain a benefit from the relationship. Examples of Commensalism Remora fish have a disk on their heads that makes them able to attach to larger animals, such as sharks, mantas, and whales. When the larger animal feeds, the remora detaches itself to eat the extra food.Nurse plants are larger plants that offer protection to seedlings from the weather and herbivores, giving them an opportunity to grow.Tree frogs use plants as protection.Golden jackals, once they have been expelled from a pack, will trail a tiger to feed on the remains of its kills.Goby fish live on other sea animals, changing color to blend in with the host, thus gaining protection from predators.Cattle egrets eat the insects stirred up by cattle when they are grazing. The cattle are unaffected, while the birds gain food.The burdock plant produces spiny seeds that cling to the fur of animals or clothing of humans. The plants rely on this method of seed dispersal for reproduction, while the animals are unaffected. Types of Commensalism (With Examples) Inquilinism - In inquilinism, one organism uses another for permanent housing. An example is a bird that lives in a tree hole. Sometimes epiphytic plants growing on trees are considered iniquilism, while others might consider this to be a parasitic relationship because the epiphyte might weaken the tree or take nutrients that would otherwise go to the host. Metabiosis - Metabiosis is a commensalistic relationship in which one organism forms a habitat for another. An example is a hermit crab, which uses a shell from a dead gastropod for protection. Another example would be maggots living on a dead organism. Phoresy - In phoresy, one animal attaches to another for transport. This type of commensalism is most often seen in arthropods, such as mites living on insects. Other examples include anemone attachment to hermit crab shells, pseudoscorpions living on mammals, and millipedes traveling on birds. Phoresy may be either obligate or facultative. Microbiota - Microbiota are commensal organisms that form communities within a host organism. An example is the bacterial flora found on human skin. Scientists disagree on whether microbiota is truly a type of commensalism. In the case of skin flora, for example, there is evidence the bacteria confer some protection on the host (which would be mutualism). Domesticated Animals and Commensalism Domestic dogs, cats, and other animals appear to have started out with commensal relationships with humans. In the case of the dog, DNA evidence indicates dogs associated themselves with people before humans switched from hunting-gathering to agriculture. Its believed the ancestors of dogs followed hunters to eat remains of carcasses. Over time, the relationship became mutualistic, where humans also benefited from the relationship, gaining defense from other predators and assistance tracking and killing prey. As the relationship changed, so did the characteristics of dogs. Reference:  Larson G (2012). Rethinking dog domestication by integrating genetics, archeology, and biogeography. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109: 8878–83.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Human Resource Management - Essay Example It is essential to have a workforce that understands cultures of various regions and markets; therefore, a multi-talented and multicultural workforce is necessary in modern businesses. As a human resource manager in the business, I would ensure that recruitment policies allow admission and employment of multicultural workers. This will make the business able to penetrate different markets and regions in its expansion approaches. One of the advantages of this index is that it provides the human resource department with various financial-performance metrics. In addition, it helps business managers to make effective assessments of their investments in human resources. Alternatively, the index is essential in testing the belief of whether it is profitable to manage human capital effectively in a business. This way, the business can determine the most reliable pay structures for its human resources and other benefits for them to be productive. In the business practice, I would make use of the index in determining efficiency of employees in order to know the pay structures that should be assigned to different workers. This will be essential in paying employees and giving them benefits commensurate to their abilities and dedication to the business. Outsourcing, as a business practice is defined as the act of contracting out various business processes to other external parties. In some case, the process of outsourcing requires transferring the employees of a business, as well as its assets to another firm. As businesses expand, the need to focus on its core competencies becomes paramount; in this case, its human resources can be strained. Outsourcing some of the business practices becomes essential in helping the business to put emphasis on its core competencies to succeed. In the human resource department, I can use outsourcing to ensure that as the business grows, some of its activities like product promotion are outsourced to other expert groups so that

Business Finance Paper- Scott Equipment Organization Essay

Business Finance Paper- Scott Equipment Organization - Essay Example It is found under the series of financial leverage. It measures the rate upon the shareholders’ total accumulated investment value in a corporation. The formula to compute this percentage is given as follows: Net income (per annum) *100 Shareholders’ equity It is from the income statement of a company that this information to compute return on equity is obtained. It is usually dubbed as an artificial measure compared to other types of measurements. Firstly, because the shareholders’ equity has no relationship to the dividends paid to them from the company’s earnings. Secondly, is due to the fact that the shareholders’ equity has no relationship with what such share would be disposed off at in the open capital markets. However, it is not all irrelevant. It is essential as a nature of financial leverage since it shows the earning power of a company. It also enables comparison between companies and eventually in stock selection. (Siciliano, 2003 p111) (A)EXPECTED RATE OF RETURN ON STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY FINANCING POLICY EBIT(USD) COST OF DEBT(USD) INCOME TAX 40% EAIT EQUITY E.R.O.E (%) AGGRESSIVE 6000000 1707692.37 1716923.052 2575384.578 40000000 6.438461 MODERATE 6000000 1190769.24 1923692.304 2885538.456 40000000 7.213846 CONSERVATIVE 6000000 733846.14 2106461.544 3159692.316 40000000 7.899231 Working capital Working capital is one of the major reasons people need information from the balance sheet of any given company. It is also an expression sometimes referred to as current company’s position. It usually shows in detail the condition, financially, of any business in focus. This communicates to the users by telling them about what would be left in a company’s short term assets subsequent to the payment of short term liabilities. Therefore, if working capital is high, this shows that the company is facing minimal strain financially. By studying the situation of the company as portrayed by this ratio, one can tell if it owns resources vital to make internal expansions or if there is need to borrow. Working capital = current assets – current liabilities (Kennon, 2011) (B) NET WORKING CAPITAL POSITION FINANCING POLICY CURRENT ASSETS SHORT TERM DEBT WORKING CAPITAL AGGRESSIVE 30000000 11076923 18923077 MODERATE 30000000 8307692 21692308 CONSERVATIVE 30000000 5538462 24461538 Current Ratio Current ratio measures the proportion of current assets against current liabilities. Current assets are made up of assets easily convertible into cash and cash. The assets which can be easily converted into cash are those assets which can be sold within a period of one year and such amounts used as a financing source for the day-to-day business operations. Current liabilities are obligations for which the business requires cash in a period of less than one year to fiance. Current ratio simply is a way to show how a firm is able to pay its short term liabil

The Reflex Arm of Behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Reflex Arm of Behavior - Research Paper Example We should thus not treat cats, or animals in general, badly if they happen to do something to hurt us. Most likely, they were only responding to the environment as they sense it, and they did not mean to cause any harm. Why Study Cat Communication? The most important drive for the study of cat communication, particularly those of domesticated cats (Felis catus) is the prevention of untoward incidents between these pets and their owners. Despite their advanced communicating skills relative to other animals, theirs is still primitive as compared to humans. Thus, they are still incapable of giving explicit signals for the message they want to give out. As will be mentioned later, they have similar behavior for two different emotions. Idiosyncrasies of Cats One of the most characteristic traits of domestic cats is its knack for going for long periods without face-to-face encounters with other cats. They may not tolerate long periods of interaction. A moment of showing affection is fine; although cats may feel agitated once they feel they are confined to such for a long time (animal.discovery.com). ... Thus, domestic cats are capable of moving from being fully man-dependent, through commensalism, to total independent existence just within a few generations. One implication of this change within a few generations is that the ancestral, wild side of domestic cats is still retained, as evidenced by the occasional mouse-hunting inside their owners’ homes. The retention of their wild side is also influenced by the fact that most of the time, the home-made foods given to them by their owners are not enough to provide for the nutrition they need as obligate carnivores, such as arachidonic acid, niacin and taurine. They need to retain their hunting abilities to provide for the other nutrients that the food man provides lack (Bradshaw et al., 1999). What is interesting about cats, the owned ones especially, is that they are not really particular with the breed of their mates. Except for the purely domesticated, totally human-dependent Persian and Siamese cats, populations of domestic cats are free to interbreed with one another. However, the isolation of these pure breeds may have been artificially induced. In cases in which a Persian or Siamese cats mate with other cats, the pure breed genes that have penetrated the general pet population do not stay for long, because the phenotype of the interbred progeny, particularly their shortened jaws and long coats, is not ideal for a free-ranging lifestyle (Bradshaw et al., 1999). Fear and Aggression Despite being seemingly different, fear and aggression illicit a similar response of showing superiority over the object of fear or aggression. That is why both behaviors are the ones most difficult to

The Implementation of Total Quality Management in Libyan banking Essay

The Implementation of Total Quality Management in Libyan banking sector - Essay Example Continuous improvement is a key element which enables the organisation to meet customer requirements, but it can be achieved when all employees understand what and how they are supposed to do and in what direction. Hence it is the responsibility of the management team to generate opportunities for continuous improvement. Although many strategic management theorists agree that internal and external factors affect the way organisations are managed, but, there are times when some important factors remain unnoticed by contemporary TQM theorists and gurus. TQM philosophy shows that countries such as USA, Japan and the majority of countries in the European Union have already adopted TQM as a basic business management approach. However, this does not seem to be the case with many developing countries. Crosby (1979) proposed 14 steps for attaining quality improvement and his approach is more focused on quality. He says : "we all believe that the problem belongs to management, prevention is the way to get it and we are all impatient that everyone is not leaping into what we see as a sensible mature philosophy of doing things, . Deming (1986) says that quality should focus on the worker, since worker is also the internal customer and that his needs, which, is job satisfaction should be met. Improvement in quality cuts down costs and increases the profit margin of organisations. He also emphasises the importance of commitment and determination of management to improve quality and argues that employees cause only 20 percent of all the defects in an organisation. Juran (1995) too shares the opinion expressed by Deming, by saying that 80 percent of all quality defects are caused by factors which are directly under control of management. He is also emphasizing the fact that top management should remain involved and must try hard to eliminate

Innovation in the public sector - The extent to which innovation in Literature review

Innovation in the public sector - The extent to which innovation in the public sector affects public service quality - Literature review Example This definition seems straightforward and lucid in its meaning, but it conceals the actual intricacy of this subject, as with majority of the definitions of innovation. It was observed that the innovation process is social, interactive, and extensive; numerous individuals with various resources, competencies, and capabilities have to come together in order to successfully innovate (Leadbeater, 2003). Forty years of studying innovation within the private sector and nearly twenty years of curiosity for the innovation within the public sector has demonstrated that innovation is a complex trend that comes out in the context of many interceding factors, and there exists no universal formula that can be implemented to guarantee its success (Borins, 2001). Why Innovate Within the Public Sector? At least potentially, common to all companies are political motives for innovation (Mintzberg, 1989). However, these political motives are, by nature, less acquiescent to analysis and rational planni ng. When taking into account the more strategic, economic motives, these are ostensibly more pertinent in the private sector than the public. Public companies are not likely to survive within markets where the level of competition is high. Compared to business, public companies generally exist within a more complicated social system, with values and objectives that are more vague and hard to put a figure on (March & Olsen, 1989; Lewis & Hartley, 2001, Denis, Hebert, Langley, Lozeau, & Trottier, 2002). There are also other restraints, including the desire or need to avoid â€Å"rocking the boat† for susceptible service users. On the whole, the risks are usually greater and the motivations to innovate are lower in the public sector than in the private sector. Innovation in the public sector may thus come to be regarded, at least in some situations, as an â€Å"additional burden or optional extra† (Mulgan & Albury, 2003). Then again, there are essential drivers and conten tions in favor of innovating within the public sector. The image and reputation of local and national governments can be enhanced by exploiting innovation in three key approaches. First, currently and in the UK and USA (Moore, 2005) in particular, public companies are attacked on a regular basis for their efficiency levels and service quality. They may be critically compared to private institution working in the same subject areas. Second, administrations are eager to send off a public image that will attract private investments and increase global appeal. One example can be derived from the field of academic research. This impetus is also intensely apparent in the embracing of â€Å"e-government† strategies and/or ICTs by the government and other public companies (McLoughlin et al, 2004). Third, the government must call for votes, and/or be interested in the fulfillment of manifesto obligations or austerely, in marking their identity on the public sector as an outcome of ele ctions or observed changes in public opinion. In a dynamic society, innovation is critical factor in the effectiveness of public service management (Hartley, 2005; Walker, 2004; Mulgan & Albury, 2

Logitech International SA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Logitech International SA - Case Study Example The ability to innovate is a key success factor which determines the performance of a business organization (Logitech Annual Report 2007). Bringing the products in the market at the right time enables a company to outperform its competitors and survive in a very risky market. Logitech is operating in a global landscape exposing it to the fluctuations of exchange rates (Logitech Annual Report 2007). This exchange rate risk makes the company vulnerable to the changes in value of currencies. For instance, the weakening of the dollar due to the economic recession makes its income in the United States lower when expressed in Swiss franc. This in turn can make investors wary in investing in Logitech noting that exchange rate fluctuations can shrink the company's revenues and profits when expressed in Swiss francs. Economically speaking, the company is also exposed to the recession in the United States and the food crisis happening in Asia. It should be noted that these are Logitech's major markets. As the disposable income of consumers in these regions is squeezed, IT products become unappealing as they turn to allocating budgets for basic necessities like food and medicine. The whole IT industry is poised to benefit from the economic development of countries like China and India.

Innovation in the public sector - The extent to which innovation in Literature review

Innovation in the public sector - The extent to which innovation in the public sector affects public service quality - Literature review Example This definition seems straightforward and lucid in its meaning, but it conceals the actual intricacy of this subject, as with majority of the definitions of innovation. It was observed that the innovation process is social, interactive, and extensive; numerous individuals with various resources, competencies, and capabilities have to come together in order to successfully innovate (Leadbeater, 2003). Forty years of studying innovation within the private sector and nearly twenty years of curiosity for the innovation within the public sector has demonstrated that innovation is a complex trend that comes out in the context of many interceding factors, and there exists no universal formula that can be implemented to guarantee its success (Borins, 2001). Why Innovate Within the Public Sector? At least potentially, common to all companies are political motives for innovation (Mintzberg, 1989). However, these political motives are, by nature, less acquiescent to analysis and rational planni ng. When taking into account the more strategic, economic motives, these are ostensibly more pertinent in the private sector than the public. Public companies are not likely to survive within markets where the level of competition is high. Compared to business, public companies generally exist within a more complicated social system, with values and objectives that are more vague and hard to put a figure on (March & Olsen, 1989; Lewis & Hartley, 2001, Denis, Hebert, Langley, Lozeau, & Trottier, 2002). There are also other restraints, including the desire or need to avoid â€Å"rocking the boat† for susceptible service users. On the whole, the risks are usually greater and the motivations to innovate are lower in the public sector than in the private sector. Innovation in the public sector may thus come to be regarded, at least in some situations, as an â€Å"additional burden or optional extra† (Mulgan & Albury, 2003). Then again, there are essential drivers and conten tions in favor of innovating within the public sector. The image and reputation of local and national governments can be enhanced by exploiting innovation in three key approaches. First, currently and in the UK and USA (Moore, 2005) in particular, public companies are attacked on a regular basis for their efficiency levels and service quality. They may be critically compared to private institution working in the same subject areas. Second, administrations are eager to send off a public image that will attract private investments and increase global appeal. One example can be derived from the field of academic research. This impetus is also intensely apparent in the embracing of â€Å"e-government† strategies and/or ICTs by the government and other public companies (McLoughlin et al, 2004). Third, the government must call for votes, and/or be interested in the fulfillment of manifesto obligations or austerely, in marking their identity on the public sector as an outcome of ele ctions or observed changes in public opinion. In a dynamic society, innovation is critical factor in the effectiveness of public service management (Hartley, 2005; Walker, 2004; Mulgan & Albury, 2

Human development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Human development - Essay Example As stated Metelev et al (2015), the focus of human development is on improving the lives of people rather than improving the economy and assuming that economic growth will automatically lead to wellbeing of the people. Human development is therefore an alternative approach that is based on social justice as an approach to determining human progress. Capabilities are central to understanding of the concept of human development. Capabilities refers to what people can do and what they can become hence are the equipment that individual has to pursue life. According to Burman (2012), access to knowledge, quality healthcare and quality standard of living are regarded as the basic capabilities that one need to be successful in life. Other capabilities that may influence individual’s wellbeing include; ability to participate in decisions that affects one’s life, freedom from violence, have fun and have control of person’s living environment. For instance providing high quality education for a girl would ensure he acquire the necessary skills to succeed in jobs, however, if that girl is denied job opportunity then her education will not be useful. Another scenario is when such girl is not provided with quality education that matches the labour market then her education will not be useful. Metelev et al (2015) outlin es three foundations for human development, access to resources and knowledge and: healthy, creative and long life. According to Bilbao-Ubillos (2013), the basic foundations mentioned above then open up other opportunities that creates favourable conditions for human development and includes: human rights and security, environmental sustainability, gender equality and participation in community and political life. Human development is also fundamental about choices because as opportunities increases, it creates various alternatives for people to choose from. According to

Democracy & sacred term Essay Example for Free

Democracy sacred term Essay Democracy is a sacred term associated with freedom. Freedom is an issue that has been fought for by a lot of nations worldwide. Freedom is a result of being independent, of possessing self-respect and dignity. Democracy is associated with freedom and vice versa. A true democracy is said to exist when the people of a given country are not deprived of their rights to vote, to express their feelings with the use of proper channels and when they can freely chose their leaders. The people sitting in government have a responsibility to its people, most especially to those who are oppressed and uneducated. It is often the case that during election time politicians gives out promises about the programs that they want to implement such as providing education for the poor. But, once these candidates are already proclaimed as winners they forget about their promises and do nothing about fulfilling them. There is an underlying reason for this and it is worse than what people think. In most third world countries, the reality is that politicians do not exert too much effort in alleviating the plight of the poor because they are afraid to educate the poor or make them literate. When these voters become literate or have gained knowledge, they would be able to vote wisely and this would mean that some politicians would not be put into office. The votes of the poor are the only things that matter to them and most of the politicians do not have a real concern about these illiterate people. The number of illiterates equate to the number of votes by which a potential candidate can use for his candidacy. The poor or the illiterate are segments in society that candidates and politicians alike would never give up on because they know that these people could help a lot in ensuring their success in elections. Thus, it can be said that there cannot be a true democracy if the people who compose the government are illiterate. (Bove, Carol. 2008. The Educational Theory of Jonathan Kozol. Retrieved from website http://www. newfoundations. com/GALLERY/Kozol. html). The reason for this is that these illiterate are deprived to choose the best people who would govern them. Education and knowledge are very important tools to the success of a nation. A government which deprives its constituents of the opportunity to learn cannot call themselves as living in a state of democracy. Instead, the opposite is true that without knowledge and education the government is destroying the lives of its people. The lack of education brings about many untold sufferings in a society and it is also the root cause of many problems. For one, the lack of knowledge or good education is the cause of poverty. Poverty is the evil that destroys the lives of many because many people use this problem as an excuse to commit crimes. This is the reality that gives life to the quote given by James Madison saying â€Å"A people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. † It is very important for any government that seeks to impose democracy to breath life and meaning to it. A democratic government should start by investing in the education of its people so that it can really be said that the former is a government for the people and by the people. The people and the government should work together if a true democracy really exists. The government should show that it is giving utmost importance to the participation of its people by taking into consideration the suggestion of the latter in making laws, rules, or other important functions. Douglass and Kozol are both correct in their observations and opinions that the cost of illiteracy is high and the damage are great. As already pointed out earlier, the problem on illiteracy deserves more consideration and in-depth study of how it would be addressed. An educated person is given endless possibilities in life to become the best that they can be, this privilege and opportunity is taken away from the illiterate who merely depend on what others tell them out of fear or desperation. Thus, these people who are illiterate are deprived of the freedom to live out their life as they please because they lack the knowledge on how to maximize their full potential. Kozol was correct in saying that â€Å"democracy is a mendacious term when used by those who are prepared to countenance the forced exclusion of one third of the electorate† since the educated and powerful people use the weaknesses of the illiterate to their advantage. The reality existing in society today is that good education is available only for those who can afford to pay for it. The government of the United States provide for free or low cost education which is not of good quality. Private schools in the country are very expensive thus the students enrolled therein are given the best that money can buy. Although the state provides for public education it is not as good as those being received by the students enrolled in private schools. Thus, there is an inequality at this level. The argument of Kozol that there should be a shift in the quality of education in that it should be made at par with those of private schools is within the concept of ‘malign neglect’. In essence, ‘malign neglect’ wants to give out the message that there seems to be neglect in the quality of education being received by the students of public schools. There should be equal opportunity of education to be received by all. (Kozol, Jonathan. May 23, 2002. Malign Neglect. Retrieved on May 6, 2009 from website http://www. thenation. com/doc/20020610/kozol. ) A high quality of education would help the government and the society to produce better individuals who can compete globally for the advantage of everyone concerned. The quote by Kozol saying that â€Å"This is the society which most of us did not create, but which our President and other leaders have been willing to sustain by virtue of malign neglect† is very accurate because the problems on illiteracy and poor education has been in existence for a very long time. Therefore it is a great challenge today to try to change the way on how things are at present as a result of the mistakes committed in the past. But, it can be done. If only the government would cooperate and listen to the needs of the people, changes could be proposed and implemented for the good of the society. It is not impossible to educate the illiterate or to give quality world class education to all children. It is not unknown to many that a lot of countries worldwide have fought for democracy to the point of shedding thousands of lives to achieve freedom and independence. A country which calls itself as a democratic nation should live by the true meaning of the word ‘democracy’. There is true democracy if the government is composed of people who were chosen by its people because they believe in their officials and not because they were lured by the latter to vote them as a result of false promises brought about by their illiteracy and poverty. Another aspect that deserves consideration is the need to upgrade the quality of education being received by students. There should be a proposal for the government to provide for an adequate budget for a good education for everyone without regard as to the social status of an individual. Without these aforementioned criteria’s, democracy remains to be a word that exists only in theory. Reference: 1. Bove, Carol. 2008. The Educational Theory of Jonathan Kozol. Retrieved on May 6, 2009 from website http://www. newfoundations. com/GALLERY/Kozol. html. 2. Kozol, Jonathan. May 23, 2002. Malign Neglect. Retrieved on May 6, 2009 from website http://www. thenation. com/doc/20020610/kozol.

Jean Jacques Audubon :: Expository Essays

Jean Jacques Audubon Realizing that the natural environment requires protection from the wiles of the human race, individuals have organized societies that work to support the protection of species around the globe. I have always loved and supported those that support the environment. So, when I would hear of the National Audubon Society, I instinctively pictured Audubon as a wildlife conservationist and someone I liked very much. I heard about Jean Jacques Audubon before, and at least I thought I knew him very well. But my perception of Audubon always stemmed from his association to the society named after him, not from the writings of the man himself. Needless to say, I liked him very much when I knew less about him. Or so I thought†¦ Never have my feelings toward an individual fluctuated as much as they have in the past two weeks. Upon reading excerpts from Audubon’s journals, I could not help but dislike certain aspects of the individual. How could any society uphold the name of a man who would shoot birds by the dozen and stick wire through them to paint them? Artists are supposed to appreciate the natural world, not destroy it. At the same time, how could he depict reality, if his specimens were manipulated into specific positions, positions that met the painter’s eye and not reality at all? These thoughts and many more spiraled through my mind as my stomach squirmed in indignation of Audubon’s atrocities. I was livid at the fact that the plentitude of living species he described are no longer plentiful today. I could not believe that a naturalist was among the first to contribute to the decline of the species of my home state. Even the name of his pilot, Egan, sent chills through me wh en Audubon wrote that Egan was the ‘professional hunter of Sea Cows or Manatees for the Havana market’. I could not believe my eyes and cringed at the idea of reading any more about the famous Audubon expedition. In my mind, Audubon registered, not as a painter, but as a hunter, who was hell-bent on getting his studies done in time to meet the expectation of his American and European patrons. Dollar signs, not the sun, glittered in his eyes. I found myself rooting for one hundred and seventy-two year old birds, hoping that they would hear me and fly away before Audubon arrived. Jean Jacques Audubon :: Expository Essays Jean Jacques Audubon Realizing that the natural environment requires protection from the wiles of the human race, individuals have organized societies that work to support the protection of species around the globe. I have always loved and supported those that support the environment. So, when I would hear of the National Audubon Society, I instinctively pictured Audubon as a wildlife conservationist and someone I liked very much. I heard about Jean Jacques Audubon before, and at least I thought I knew him very well. But my perception of Audubon always stemmed from his association to the society named after him, not from the writings of the man himself. Needless to say, I liked him very much when I knew less about him. Or so I thought†¦ Never have my feelings toward an individual fluctuated as much as they have in the past two weeks. Upon reading excerpts from Audubon’s journals, I could not help but dislike certain aspects of the individual. How could any society uphold the name of a man who would shoot birds by the dozen and stick wire through them to paint them? Artists are supposed to appreciate the natural world, not destroy it. At the same time, how could he depict reality, if his specimens were manipulated into specific positions, positions that met the painter’s eye and not reality at all? These thoughts and many more spiraled through my mind as my stomach squirmed in indignation of Audubon’s atrocities. I was livid at the fact that the plentitude of living species he described are no longer plentiful today. I could not believe that a naturalist was among the first to contribute to the decline of the species of my home state. Even the name of his pilot, Egan, sent chills through me wh en Audubon wrote that Egan was the ‘professional hunter of Sea Cows or Manatees for the Havana market’. I could not believe my eyes and cringed at the idea of reading any more about the famous Audubon expedition. In my mind, Audubon registered, not as a painter, but as a hunter, who was hell-bent on getting his studies done in time to meet the expectation of his American and European patrons. Dollar signs, not the sun, glittered in his eyes. I found myself rooting for one hundred and seventy-two year old birds, hoping that they would hear me and fly away before Audubon arrived.

The Human Genome :: essays research papers

You may think that you have full control over your body, the way you may look, how you dress, and even how you do your own makeup. You have control over your hair color, how much knowledge you have, and even how strong you can be, but could you imagine having control over how tall you would like to be, the color of your eyes, and potentially the color of your very skin? Can you imagine altering EVERY aspect of yourself, including the omission of disease? These are some of the questions that the USDE hoped to find solutions to through The Genome Project. The Genome Project has been an ongoing project sense 1990 and was finally completed on April 14th , 2003. The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health were the ones directing the Genome Project. The progress of the Genome Project is still unknown because the project was completely finished, but scientists are still going to be researching the Genome Project for many years. The project is like a master blue print of the body. The scientists estimated to find about 100,000 genes in the human body but only found as few as 30,000. There are 4 chemical components that make up DNA, cytocine (C), thymine (T), guanine (G), and adenine (A), these 4 components make up who you are. There are a few goals that scientists were trying to reach, such as finding the structure and function of a genome. Kristin... when ever you get the hell on... call me, i want to know what you wanted to talk to me about... well hurry the **** up. lol, talk to you later. If anyone needs to talk to me for any ****** reason call me... 546-2019   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. Department of Energy is helping the genome project mostly because of how it is taking in so much money. The U.S. Department of Energy had started to help the Human Genome Project in the early 1990’s. The National Institute of Health was helping the Human Genome Project by giving it as much support that it needed complete the Genome Project. The National Institute of Health had started to help the Human Genome Project in the early 1990’s. Both of these company’s were both trying to complete one of the biggest accomplishment in all of history, to try and map out the entire Human body, and both companies had succeeded.

Duckett family Essay

The current trend of journalism organizations to hire â€Å"screaming journalists† like Nancy Grace and others is a disservice to the Fourth Estate and threatens the very notion of a free press. Grace and others of her ilk are not reporters seeking the news for its value to the general public nor are they attempting to inform. These confrontational entertainers are more interested in high ratings and controversary than in the news. Furthermore, their lack of general human compassion is endangering the entire profession. Never is this more clear than in the case of the family of Melinda Duckett vs. CNN and Nancy Grace. In September, 2006, Melinda Duckett’s two-year-old son was reported missing and Duckett agreed to appeared on Grace’s show in an effort to promote the manhunt for her missing child. Grace was belligerent and in the woman’s face, screaming at her because she would not discuss her whereabouts when the child disappeared and accusing the woman of having something to do with her child’s disappearance. (Smoking Gun, 2006). Duckett’s son has still not been found, but a day after the interview with Grace, the woman shot and killed herself with a shotgun. In the days following Duckett’s death, Grace not only aired the original interview berating the distraught woman, but she went on the nightly news herself, defending her interviewing techniques. â€Å"Former prosecutor turned talk show host Nancy Grace is unapologetic about her aggressive approach to a mother who committed suicide after an interview about the woman’s missing son,† ABC News reported (â€Å"Nancy Grace says ‘Guilt’). Grace showed no human compassion for the mother in the interview or in the days after her death. Drawing on her history as a criminal prosecutor, Grace attacked in a manner more appropriate for a courtroom than a newsroom. That is not to say that reporters should not ask tough questions, but they should not browbeat an interviewee and speak over them as is reported Grace did. Reporters have a responsibility to seek out the news not make it. In her attacks on Melinda Duckett, Nancy Grace went beyond the level and stepped back into her prosecutorial role, attempting to find the criminal. â€Å"†How is that questioning doing anything but making a person in a desperate situation feeling even more desperate? † said Hub Brown, a professor at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. â€Å" (ABC News) Grace defended her unrelenting questioning as a serach for truth and said police later agreed with her that Melinda Duckett is a suspect in her son’s disappearance. What police actually said was that in a child disappearance, the parents are always the initial suspect. Almost a year later, Duckett’s son has still not been found. What has happened, however, is that Grace has put all legitimate journalists in danger of having their rights revoked due to her drive for ratings. In November, 2006, the parents of Melinda Duckett filed a lawsuit against Grace, CNN and Duckett’s estranged husband who helped arrange the Grace interview (Smoking Gun). And, in June, 2007, a Florida court ruled that the case had merit and would be tried in federal court because the participants reside in multiple jurisdictions (â€Å"Ruling in†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). By bringing this kind of unwanted spectacle to the media, Grace is causing a chilling effect that will lead to fewer people wanting to cooperate with the media and could ultimately lead to a restriction in the rights of journalists. Her lack of basic human compassion is more relevant than whether Melinda Duckett killed or abducted her own son. The role of the media is not to determine the truth, but to report that truth after it has been exhibited by others. While some investigative journalists might argue this point, the reality is that even investigative journalists do not draw their own conclusions about the news. They search for facts and report them. Nancy Grace took facts not in evidence and applied them to the Duckett case, making herself judge, jury and prosecutor of Melinda Duckett without giving Duckett the benefit of a defense attorney. Grace, however, insists her line of questioning was reasonable. â€Å"In an exclusive interview with â€Å"Good Morning America† today, Grace said that she takes no responsibility for Duckett’s suicide. â€Å"If anything, I would suggest that guilt made her commit suicide,† Grace told ABC News’ Chris Cuomo. â€Å"To suggest that a 15 or 20 minute interview can cause someone to commit suicide is focusing on the wrong thing,† she said. â€Å" (ABC NEWS) Grace’s attitude in the wake of Duckett’s suicide is another black eye for the face of journalism. Her unapologetic accusations against the dead woman seemed to indicate that she believes her questioning was appropriate even if it did contribute to Duckett’s death. Her claim that â€Å"even the police agree with me† (ABC News), does little to redeem Grace in the eyes of the general public. Instead, she is seen as so concerned about her ratings that she would put them above human safety. That attitude seems to be in evidence on her webpage. Grace actually advertises for crime victims to call her show and become part of the entertainment value of the news (CNN. com) Though she places her calls for tips in the framework of helping crime victims seek justice, her show advocates her â€Å"Cross Exam† and her prosecutorial drive to find the answers to crime. If Ms. Grace believed that rooting out crime was her calling, she should not have left the prosecutors office for the media. Her style of â€Å"journalism† is an insult to those who attempt to keep the Fourth Estate free of bias and predetermined opinions. Instead, based on her experience, Grace makes judgments calls about people’s guilt as she did with Melinda Duckett and â€Å"reports† the news based on her interpretation of events. She had an exclusive interview with the mother of a missing child, a child police still presume to be alive. Instead of carefully crafter questions designed to help authorities and the general public find the missing boy, Grace decided that badgering Melinda Duckett would mean better ratings. For the sake of the industry, one can only hope that the Duckett family attorneys cannot prove that greed and not news was Grace’s motivation. If they prove that she sought ratings over the truth and therefore did contribute to the death of Melinda Duckett, the chilling effect on all media will be extreme. Her unreasonably harsh questioning methods place all media attempts to get to the truth in danger and violates the most basic tenet of the Fourth Estate: to inform. Nancy Grace has no intention to inform the general public of anything the day she interviewed Melinda Duckett except for her own conviction that Duckett was responsible for her son’s disappearance. This kind of action has no role in journalism, but belongs in editorial and opinion pages, not disguised as news. WORKS CITED ABCNews. com. Nancy Grace says ‘Guilt’ Likely Made Mother Commit Suicide† , June 24, 2007. Nancy Grace Homepage. http://www. cnn. com/CNN/Programs/nancy. grace/, June 24, 2007. â€Å"Ruling Made in Duckett-Grace Case† , June 24, 2007. The Smoking Gun, â€Å"Nancy Grace Sued for Wrongful Death† , June 24, 2007.

Inspector Goole

Inspector Goole in Priestley’s play An Inspector Calls’ is arguably the most important character. An agent of change and a voice and a voice of personal and social conscience he delivers the main message of the play in his parting speech challenging the Birlings, and the audience, to â€Å"Remember† that there are â€Å"millions and millions† of people like Eva Smith, all â€Å"linked† in some way. Clearly at this stage his examination of the Birlings behaviour and the investigation of the suicide of Eva Smith proves he is the voice of morality.Goole states â€Å"we don’t live alone† and are â€Å"responsible for each other†. This message is in direct contrast to the one delivered by Arthur Birling at the start of the play where he claims a man has to â€Å"look after himself and his own† I believe it is no coincidence that Inspector Goole joins the play at this point and sets the tone for the conflict the two are going t o have throughout the entirety of the play.The way that Inspector Goole conducts his â€Å"investigation† of sorts not only exposes Eva Smiths tragic â€Å"chain of Events† which leads to her eventual suicide but also enables the audience to understand each individual characters role in Eva’s death for Sheila getting her fired from her last steady job and Arthur Birling caring to much about â€Å"lower costs and higher prices† than his workers welfare.Goole is very clear when informing the Birlings and Gerald Croft of the way he like to â€Å"go to Work†! He states he will use â€Å"one line of inquiry† at a time. He feels to do otherwise would result in a â€Å"muddle†. Certainly his way of investigation highlights his polar opposite opinion to Arthur Birling whereas he believes in a â€Å"butterfly effect† where each character has individually contributed to the downward spiral of Eva Smith’s life. Goole exposes the gu ilt of each character.The Birlings seem, at the beginning of the play to be a respectable â€Å"up market† family even Gerald Croft comments that they appear a â€Å"nice well behaved† family, but Goole shows this too all be a fake disguise when he reveals through his research methods that they are actually a family which thinks they are â€Å"socially† superior and one that is totally centred around power this statement is proved when Arthur Birling says â€Å" ex Lord Mayor† and â€Å" I was on the bench† and this so fought over power is abused many times in the book by the haracters for example when Gerald Croft uses his monetary advantage to abuse Eva for sex and when Sheila uses her father’s name to get Eva fired from her job at Millwoods. The Inspector quickly creates a conflict between the age generations with the elders staying â€Å"stuck in their ways† and not taking any kind of responsibility for their role in Eva Smithâ₠¬â„¢s death, whereas the younger generation know they have to â€Å"share the guilt† respectively as they are all to blame for Eva’s death.When Priestly wrote this play I believe he invented the character Inspector Goole to spread his message of â€Å"responsibility† through his dialogue this point is proved on many occasions when the inspector speaks to the Birlings about how they must â€Å"take responsibility† for their actions† and â€Å"share the guilt†. He also has a massive speech just before he leaves the Birlings house to round off everything he has tried to get them to learn. Which even though they later find out he was not actually an Inspector teaches the younger generation at lesson about â€Å"responsibility† and the effect their actions had on others.

Leonardo vs. Michelangelo

Leonardo versus Michelangelo Violet Jane Greeley Art Appreciation ART 101 Carrie Ann Wills November 13, 2012 Da Vinci versus Michelangelo Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simone shared many similarities. Both were painters, sculptors, and poets. They both had a tendency to leave their works incomplete. Both artists quickly surpassed the talents of their instructors and achieved fame with ease. In addition, both artists were known to have studied anatomy by dissecting human cadavers [ (Bambach, 2002) ].Together they make up two thirds of the Renaissance’s three greatest artistic minds of all times, the other being Raphael. In this paper, I will first give a brief biography of each artist, then compare and contrast three works of art by Leonardo with three works of art by Michelangelo, followed by a discussion on how each artist made their own personal influence on the world of art in Italy and Europe during the 16th century, and provide supporting examp les. Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452 and passed away on May 1, 1519 [ (Helicon, 2005) ].Leonardo’s first painting and sculpting instructor was Andrea del Verrocchio, with whom he was apprenticed to and even surpassed in skill [ (Vasari, 2006) ]. During his apprenticeship to Verrocchio, Leonardo excelled at many skills including painting, sculpting, architecture, engineering, and mathematics [ (Vasari, 2006) ]. Still further, he studied subjects such as botany, geology, geography, zoology, anatomy, hydraulics and mechanics [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 and passed away on February 18, 1565 [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. When Michelangelo was fourteen years old, he was apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandajo in April, 1488 [ (Vasari, 2006) ] [ (Gombrich, 1995) ]. Before long, Michelangelo excelled in his artistic ability, surpassed his fellow apprentices, and at times even rivaled his master’s abilities [ (Vasari, 2006) ]. Additionally, he achieved exemp lary skills in architecture, poetry, and engineering, but was most fond of sculpting above all else [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].Although Michelangelo wasn’t apparently influenced by Ghirlandajo in artistic methods or styles, his attitude and behavior reflected that of his master more prominently by his frequent displays of vigorous work ethics and an impatient temperament [ (Gombrich, 1995) ]. While under the tutelage of Ghirlandajo, Michelangelo carefully analyzed old and new artists and their techniques. These included but weren’t limited to Giotto, Masaccio, Donatello, Ghiberti, Benedetto da Majano, Mino da Fiesole, Antonio Rossellino and Jacopo della Quercia Rolland [ (Rolland, 1921) ].Florentines whose influence can be seen in Michelangelo’s works are Giotto and Masaccio [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. A year after his apprenticeship to Ghirlandajo, he was also introduced to Bertoldo di Giovanni (who was himself once a student of Donatello) through Lorenzo the Magnificent, an d was instructed on the art of sculpture in the Garden of Medici as well as being influenced by Lorenzo de Medici [ (Kleiner, 2010) ] [ (Rolland, 1921) ].His original intent in joining with Giovanni was to gain experience with the tradition of Donatello and to enhance his knowledge of antiquities, but the most precious asset Michelangelo acquired from Giovanni was access to and the friendship of the Medici family [ (Rolland, 1921) ]. From 1492 to 1494, Michelangelo obtained an extraordinary opportunity to study anatomy in the hospital which was adjoined to San Spirito [ (Nickerson, 2008) ]. Vasari stressed the importance of studying antique forms and the significance of such in the work of all of the most highly regarded master artists in the High Renaissance era [ (Johnson, 2000) ].Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo were no exceptions to this rule, and Michelangelo especially applied himself in that aspect [ (Johnson, 2000) ]. Leonardo was a major contributor to the art world in t he late 15th and early 16th centuries and a predecessor of many other artistic marvels including Raphael and Michelangelo. Here I will discuss St. Jerome in the Wilderness, The Last Supper, and Mona Lisa. St. Jerome in the Wilderness was begun in 1480 and is one of many of Leonardo’s unfinished products [ (Classics, 2012) ]. St.Jerome resides in the Vatican Museums in Rome [ (Classics, 2012) ]. St. Jerome withdrew from society into the Syrian Desert and became a recluse [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The painting illustrates a far off crucifix on the right side of the picture and St. Jerome kneeling down all the while fixing his eyes on the distant crucifix [ (Classics, 2012) ]. A rock can be seen in St. Jerome’s hand and a lion is close by [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The rock represents the object with which St. Jerome uses to punish himself for the purposes of atonement [ (Classics, 2012) ].The lion is indicative of the companion St. Jerome acquired after healing an injury to the l ions paw. A cardinal’s hat together with the lion and the stone are common traits associated with St. Jerome. Also on the right is a church between the rocks, the existence of which could indicate St. Jerome’s Doctoral position [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Leonardo used a fresh, new technique in positioning St. Jerome in a disproportionate way so that his figure was vastly different than that of the lion [ (Classics, 2012) ].Through the passage of time, this painting has endured separation and the process of reassembly [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The Last Supper came into creation beginning in 1495, was improved upon in sporadic periods, and was finished it in its entirety in 1498 [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Duke Ludovico Sforza and Duchess Beatrice d’Este commissioned The Last Supper who wanted it to be the centerpiece for the Sforza family mausoleum [ (Classics, 2012) ]. However, the painting now serves as the wall covering for the dining hall in the monastery Santa Maria del Gr azie [ (Classics, 2012) ].The Last Supper was an elaborately detailed representation of Jesus’ life as it neared its end in the Gospel of John chapter 13 verse 21. Jesus revealed his awareness of the upcoming betrayal from within his beloved discipleship as the Bible described the scene in the book of Matthew chapter 26, verse 21 [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. The reactions of the disciples ranged in varying degrees of outrage, shock, horror, grief, and disbelief as continued in the book of Matthew chapter 26, verse 22 [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].Another reference to Biblical doctrine included in the painting was the initiation of the Eucharist in the book of Luke chapter 22, verses 19 through 20 [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. In the painting, Judas was clearly stunned at the announcement of his plot [ (Classics, 2012) ]. In a state of reservation, he was grasping the money purse containing the silver which had been obtained in trade for the betrayal [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Some observers of the painting argue that the purse could also be suggestive of Judas’ status as treasurer of the group as well [ (Classics, 2012) ].Close observers may take note of Judas tipping over the salt shaker, which may be a cleverly disguised reference to a phrase which signifies the betrayal of a master [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Peter appeared to be perturbed all the while wielding a knife; this could have been a deliberate inclusion of the painting in order to give observers a sense of foreboding, a reminder of the violence to come in the midst of Jesus being arrested [ (Classics, 2012) ]. John was painted in a manner portraying him in the throes of a fainting spell [ (Classics, 2012) ].As was commonly practiced at the time, Leonardo positioned all of the disciples and Jesus on one side of the table for the purpose of being able to see them all [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Some other painters during later periods of time occasionally separated Judas from the other disciples by either seating him on the opp osing side of the table or by neglecting to give him a halo like the others in the painting, an obvious indication of his fall from grace [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Rather than denoting Judas in that way, Leonardo uses the shadows as a safe haven for the villain to conceal his own guilt in [ (Classics, 2012) ].Jesus could be seen in the painting as he pointed toward the bread and persisted in foretelling pending events by stating that the traitor would break of the bread simultaneously with himself as is suggested in the book of Luke chapter 22, verse 21 [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Judas reached for the bread as predicted because he was distracted by the conversation between John and Peter [ (Classics, 2012) ]. In this painting, the artist used a definitive method of manipulating the lighting which in turn naturally brought the observers eyes to the central focal point of the painting behind Jesus’ head [ (Classics, 2012) ].Because Leonardo used an alternative method of painting, The La st Supper rapidly began deteriorating [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Although efforts have been made to maintain its integrity, the quality of the painting has suffered substantially [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The deterioration so compromised the painting it can only be speculated upon that Leonardo originally intended for the positioning of Jesus’ feet to be suggestive of the forthcoming crucifixion [ (Classics, 2012) ].It’s quite apparent in this art piece that Leonardo did extensive research with the help of models and close observational skills to create a psychologically provocative and visually pleasing scene [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Mona Lisa otherwise known as La Gioconda was a portrait conceived in about 1503 and was completed in 1519 [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The commissioning was initiated by the woman in the painting, Lisa del Gioconda and her husband who was a prosperous silk merchant in Florence [ (Classics, 2012) ].In the beginning of its existence, Mona Lisa may have been h oused at Chateau Fontainebleau, but was then relocated to the Palace of Versailles, then to the Louvre where it remains to this day [ (Classics, 2012) ]. No other work of art in the world is more famous than Mona Lisa [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Lisa del Gioconda was a member of the Gherardini family, who were prominent Florentines [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The painting of this portrait was motivated by the acquisition of the couple’s new residence as well as in celebration of their second son having been born [ (Classics, 2012) ].Factors that aided in the promotion of this portrait gaining such colossal fame were the vague facial expression, the delicate method of painting the shapes, and the enormity of the composition [ (Classics, 2012) ]. In creating the Mona Lisa, Leonardo used a pyramid shape as a basis of effortlessly positioning the subject into the space permitted, with her hands folded demurely taking the shape of the obverse corner [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The lighting of the p ortrait gently caressed her in various places including her breast, hands, neck, and face, giving the painting added fundamental dimensions [ (Classics, 2012) ].Lisa held an erect posture, and her fixed stare was another distinct feature that gave the portrait its signature quality. The darker elements of the painting such as Lisa’s hair and veil along with the encompassing shadows help to add radiance to her face that might otherwise have been less noticeable [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Leonardo’s absence of outlining particular facial features enhanced the liveliness of the subject. As was typical of Leonardo, the comprehensive landscape, the general calmness, theatrical use of lighting and shadows, and the obscure outlining all contributed to this masterpiece [ (Classics, 2012) ].It’s important to note the background contained a visual illusion in that one side was significantly higher than the other which would be unfeasible in reality [ (Classics, 2012) ]. Howeve r because of the discrepancy, Lisa seemed to move or smile if the viewers eyes shifted from one side to the other [ (Classics, 2012) ]. The painting survived a number of attacks over a period of time including theft, an acid spill, stone throwing, and other such mishaps, but has been minimally damaged and on occasion repaired [ (Classics, 2012) ].Michelangelo created many great works in his time, and in conjunction with Leonardo and Raphael defined the artistic era of the Renaissance. I will focus on two of his statues; The Pieta and David, and one of his paintings; The Last Judgment. Before discussing Michelangelo’s statues, I’d like to restate that he’d previously gained extensive knowledge of human anatomy by secretly dissecting cadavers, which aided his ability to create accurate portrayals of human physique while sculpting and painting [ (Hartt, 1989) ].Since this practice was illegal as well as being considered morally corrupt behavior, having done so put him at an advantage over many other artists [ (Hartt, 1989) ]. Work on the Pieta, a life-size statue made of marble was set into motion in between 1498 and 1499 and reached its fruition in 1500 [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. It was the French cardinal, Jean de Bilheres Lagraulas who commissioned the Pieta to be done so that it might enhance the appearance of the chapel in Saint Peters where he was intended to be buried [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].This statue, his first masterpiece was a representation of Mary holding Jesus after his crucifixion [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. Controversy surrounded this work of art regarding Mary’s appearance of being younger than Jesus [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. However the artist was able to portray Mary’s loveliness as well as her grief in an intensely vivid manner [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. The artist’s intent in portraying such youth in Mary was that he’d been attempting to use that feature as a method of defining Mary’s purity.As a result of the you thful and tranquil appearance portrayed in the Pieta, Michelangelo’s statue was unique in comparison to other artists portrayals of the same scene in which their Mary was much older and broken-hearted. Michelangelo created such detailed imagery that the Pieta quite visibly displayed a variety of textures including hair, fabric, and flesh [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. This particular piece of artistry in addition to David has been replicated by numerous other painters and sculptors.It’s been said that Michelangelo wasn’t initially in the habit of signing any of his pieces of artistry. However, upon hearing observers crediting other artists with his accomplishment he began doing so with the Pieta. The Pieta originally was destined to occupy Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, however it is now located in the church which took the place of Saint Peter’s [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. Michelangelo’s David wasn’t the first statue of the biblical hero, bu t it was the most impressive one which has ever been created thus far [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].David was a popular biblical theme about a young shepherd boy purportedly the underdog who volunteered to enter into battle with a much larger adversary [ (Lee, 2004) ]. In this story, David defeated his enemy with a slingshot, his skill, and his courage as the only weapons at hand, without even being protected with armor [ (Lee, 2004) ]. Upon his return to Florence in 1501, Michelangelo received a warm reception regardless of his previous association with the Medici family [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. He began sculpting David immediately and completed this work in 1504 [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].Donatello and Verrocchio both had previously created statues of David; however unlike Michelangelo, theirs were symbolic of the hero after his battle with Goliath [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. Michelangelo created his personification of David to represent the events prior to the battle with Goliath [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. He use d David’s anatomy to imbue strength, anticipation, and reserved energy [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. He even added the minute detail of engorged veins to emit a sense of the physical process of an adrenaline rush and the psyche which accompanies it [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].David’s facial expression was indicative of having already decided to do battle, but not yet having completed the task. Clearly it was Michelangelo’s intent to portray David in the very moment in which the slingshot was about to be raised [ (Nickerson, 2008) ]. Michelangelo’s David possesses a poignant connection with an imperceptible presence [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. It was unlike any other because of its overall size and slender physique, and to this day can be surpassed only by Michelangelo’s Pieta.Upon completion, this masterpiece further solidified Michelangelo’s reputation as a master sculptor and artist in all of Italy [ (Nickerson, 2008) ]. David is now located in Florence, and stan ds at an impressive fourteen feet high [ (Hartt, 1989) ]. Michelangelo’s knowledge of anatomy, balance, and proportion are prevalent, along with an aura of superhuman magnificence [ (Hartt, 1989) ]. David is but one example of Michelangelo’s personality which exemplified divine humanity [ (Hartt, 1989) ]. Divine humanity represented developing values in the Renaissance era [ (Hartt, 1989) ].The Renaissance began a movement away from centuries of control over human affairs on the part of the church and a restoration of humanistic values of the contemporary world [ (Hartt, 1989) ]. It was firmly held by Michelangelo that the human body was the living embodiment of God’s divine power [ (Hartt, 1989) ]. He successfully articulated man in its ultimately heroic status in creating his David sculpture [ (Lee, 2004) ]. The spiritual closeness Michelangelo held to was in direct contrast with the scientific approach of Leonardo [ (Hartt, 1989) ].Michelangelo began painting The Last Judgment in 1536 and completed it in 1541 [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. In the midst of his work, the counter-reformation was in full force [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. An important issue affecting the world of art was the difference in religious beliefs between the Catholics and the Protestants [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. The Catholics valued artwork for its power to manipulate the people toward piety [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. Protestants, on the other hand found artwork to promote idolatry and distraction [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].To alleviate controversy regarding this issue, the Catholic Church reached an agreement that images should be visually and theologically unambiguous [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. The uproar of the counter-reformation was instrumental in Michelangelo’s decision to paint the altarpiece of the Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment as a way of depicting the controversial times. The central figure of the altarpiece was the Lord, and all around the Christ figure were nudes. God was the unyi elding authority over his human subjects, and physically gestured his intent to utterly annihilate humanity [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].It’s quite clear that the Lord had complete control over the destiny of all of the spirits around him. The Heavenly hosts emanated their unease, while angels trumpeted, and the Lord discerned between the just who ascended to Heaven and the damned who were thrown into the pits of Hell [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. Michelangelo further purveyed horror by including rising dead figures and demons provoking great suffering and agony upon the damned souls [ (Kleiner, 2010) ]. Other known figures which complement this masterpiece were Saint Bartholomew and who was either the good thief or St. Andrew [ (Kleiner, 2010) ].The works of da Vinci and Buonarroti significantly influenced the world of art in the 16th century in Italy and Europe in numerous ways. The two artists shared many similarities in talent and scope of knowledge; however it was their individual uniquen ess that magnified their works to the status of masterpieces in their lifetimes and beyond. In 1476, Leonardo was permitted to paint an angel in Verrocchio’s Baptism of Christ, in which he impressed his master with his superb display of talent [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. By that point in time, he’d already been elected to be a painter into the painter’s guild [ (Jacobs, 1968) ].Other contemporaries alongside Leonardo under Verrocchio’s tutelage included such notable artists as Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi [ (Johnson, 2000) ]. By the year 1481, Leonardo’s talent was known all over Italy, and he was commissioned by the Saint Donato monastery to paint their altarpiece which is now known as The Adoration of the Kings [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. However as was Leonardo’s tendency, he neglected to complete the altarpiece and sought employment with Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. His first work for the Duke was to create a statue of Ludovicoâ⠂¬â„¢s father.Approximately in 1496, Leonardo began planning and painting his famous Last Supper located in the Santa Maria delle Grazie, which took about two years to complete [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. Around the year 1500, he created the painting known as The Battle of Anghiari, and soon after embarked on his most famous work, Mona Lisa [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. Francois I was among the first patrons to passionately support the coming of the Renaissance to France and commissioned Leonardo to work around the year 1516 along with other prominent figures such as Rosso Fiorentino [ (Johnson, 2000) ].Following this event, he then created two more paintings for the French viceroy in Milan, The Virgin of the Rocks, and Saint Anne with the Virgin and the Infant Christ that ended up being his last masterpieces [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. Almost two centuries later, another artist known as Diego Velazquez would use similar painting techniques to Leonardo in which he wasn’t as concerned with every minute detail of a subjects being so much as capturing their characteristic impressions [ (Gombrich, 1995) ].Leonardo was also the mastermind of a device known as sfumato which was used by many other artists who followed him even centuries later in order to overcome the problem of naturalism and perspective creating a rigid and wooden appearance on the subjects of the paintings [ (Gombrich, 1995) ]. Unfortunately, another problem arose which this technique could not accommodate. The shadows used by Leonardo didn’t naturally occur in the light of day, therefore Impressionist artists had to resort to blurring some aspects of their painting to prevail over the dilemma [ (Gombrich, 1995) ].Michelangelo learned the fresco technique from his original instructor, Ghirlandaio [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. Later on, he was sent to the Medici Garden where he learned from Bertoldo di Giovanni [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. While in the presence of the Medici family, Lorenzo de Medici encouraged Michelangelo to in volve himself in conversations with many of the most renowned men of the time [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. He achieved recognition for his talent in approximately 1492 when he constructed his first masterpiece The Battle of the Centaurs, which was a marble relief [ (Johnson, 2000) ].This statue remains unfinished as are many of Michelangelo’s works of art. By 1499, Michelangelo succeeded in creating a superb statue known as Pieta, which was completed in 1499 and caused him to gain world-wide recognition [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. In the next few years, he occupied his time by creating a statue of David, in the Accademia, Florence [ (Jacobs, 1968) ] [ (Johnson, 2000) ]. Michelangelo’s depiction of David dwarfed those of Donatello and Verrocchio in ability, and talent. His next project, the tomb of Pope Julius II was to be the longest lasting one of his life, taking a full forty years to complete [ (Jacobs, 1968) ].One statue included in this great endeavor is Moses, arguably the most e xcellent work exhibited by this particular sculptor [ (Johnson, 2000) ]. The tomb also includes The Atlas Slave (incomplete), The Dying Slave, and a statue of Lorenzo de Medici, along with two supporting nudes below [ (Johnson, 2000) ]. In the midst of his work on the tomb of Pope Julius II, he worked on the Sistine Chapel ceiling from May 10, 1508 until October 31, 1512, this also being done for Julius II [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. This particular masterpiece is to this day incomparable to any other work of art [ (Rebman, 2000) ].Pope Julius II chose to employ Michelangelo for this task because his reputation throughout Italy and Europe was that of an outstanding sculptor who had an exceptional talent for using physical forms to express his own feelings and emotions [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in its entirety contains nine major panels; God Separating Light from Darkness, The Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, The Separation of Land from Water, The Creation of Adam, The Creation of Eve, The Temptation and Fall of Adam, The Sacrifice of Noah, The Flood, and the Drunkenness of Noah [ (Rebman, 2000) ].Twenty four years later, Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Paul III to paint a mural above the altar of the Sistine Chapel which was to be a companion piece to the ceiling; The Last Judgment [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. This altarpiece took him six years to complete beginning in the summer of 1536 and reaching its completion on October 31, 1541 [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. According to records, Michelangelo employed a single assistant for this project; Urbino, a talented artist who showed a significant ability with the foreshortening technique [ (Rebman, 2000) ].Numerous authorities on the matter believe Michelangelo’s source of inspiration for The Last Judgment was derived from a poem, The Divine Comedy written by Dante who mentioned a Charon and Minossis both of whom are included in the painting [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. Much praise and criticism was hea rd for this painting, ranging from amazement and wonder to abhorrence for the scandalous nudity [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. Biago da Cesena was one of the first among many who offered scathing disapproval of the nudity of the figures [ (Rebman, 2000) ].As a result, Michelangelo painted the face of Biago on the figure of Satan and a serpent slithering about the body while biting the groin area of Satan [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. Despite Biago’s complaints to the Pope, the painting remained as it was [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. Unfortunately, due to so much criticism over the nudity of the painting, modifications were later made by Daniele da Volterra, who was hired by the church officials to paint clothing on the genitals of the nude figures [ (Rebman, 2000) ]. However, another artist, Martino Rota made an engraved replica of the original Last Judgment prior to the alterations [ (Rebman, 2000) ].Similar to the habits of Leonardo, Michelangelo frequently abandoned his paintings before completing them , and the only known finished easel painting is The Holy Family [ (Jacobs, 1968) ]. Michelangelo’s reputation was far superior to those of his contemporaries in sculpture, even including the next generation [ (Johnson, 2000) ]. Many new and upcoming artists studied Michelangelo’s methods with great intensity, and strived to imitate his level of distinction by painting nudes in their own works of art as he had done [ (Gombrich, 1995) ].These artists seemed to have overindulged themselves in this practice, and such behavior took away from the meaning of the paintings rather than adding to it [ (Gombrich, 1995) ]. This fashion became known as Mannerism. In closing, I’ve mentioned a few similarities common between both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simone. In addition, I gave a summary of each artists lives, compared a few of their art pieces, and finished off with a discussion on how each artist made their own personal influence on the w orld of art in Italy and Europe during the 16th century with supporting examples.References Bambach, C. (2002, October). Anatomy in the Renaissance. Retrieved from Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/hd/anat/hd_anat. htm Classics, D. (2012). Masters of Art: Leonardo da Vinci. Delphi Classics. Gombrich, E. H. (1995). The Story of Art. Hong Kong: Phaidon Press Limited. Hartt, F. (1989). Art: A History of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture 3rd edition. New York: Harry N. Abrams. Helicon, P. (2005). The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. Abingdon , Oxfordshire, GBR: Helicon Publishing. Retrieved Nov 4, 2012, from http://site. brary. com/lib/ashford/docDetail. action Jacobs, D. (1968). Master Painters of the Renaissance. New York: The Viking Press, Inc. Johnson, P. (2000). The Renaissance: A Short History. New York: Random House Inc. Kleiner, F. S. (2010). Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. United States: Clark Baxter. Lee, S. (2004, Sep 2). Turning 500: The Meaning of Michelangelo's ‘David': Final Edition. Retrieved from Proquest: http://search. proquest. com/docview/357580072? accountid=32521 Nickerson, A. (2008). Journey into Michelangelo's Rome.Birkley, California, United States: Roaring Forties Press. Retrieved Nov 4, 2012, from http://site. ebrary. com/lib/ashford/docDetail. action? docID=10289907;p00=paintings%20michelangelo Rebman, R. C. (2000). The Sistine Chapel. San Diego, California: Lucent Books, Inc. Rolland, R. (1921). Michelangelo. New York: Duffield and Company. Vasari, G. (2006, Feb). Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. Retrieved from ebrary. com: http://site. ebrary. com/lib/ashford/docDetail. action? docID=10124952;p00=lives%20excellent%20painters%2C%20sculptors%2C%20architects