Analysis Of Kafka s The Transformation And The...

In one of his letters to longtime friend Max Brod, Franz Kafka stated, â€Å"I usually solve problems by letting them devour me.† Perhaps it is from this close examination and complete immersion into the issues of his own life that such brilliant writing emerges. In writing, Kafka is able to express what he repressed in his life—specifically his difficulties with his father, through the themes of gender and patriarchal power derived from one’s sexuality. In â€Å"The Transformation† and â€Å"The Judgment†, Kafka explores the difficulties within the role of the family patriarch, from troubles in obtaining unwanted power to legitimately being empowered. Kafka’s â€Å"The Transformation† begins with, â€Å"When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect† (Kafka 76). The latter is stated simply, as if Gregor’s transformation into an insect is nothing mo re than an ordinary event of the day’s happenings. But as Gregor continues his life in this new form, it seems that in his bodily cage of an insect he finds freedom from the familial responsibilities of the human world. Within the exposition of the plot it is made evident that Gregor’s family is completely dependent on him. Gregor states, â€Å"If I didn’t have to hold back for the sake of my parents I’d have handed in my notice long since†¦once I’ve got the money together to pay back what my parents owe him†¦I’ll make a clean break† (77). Because of his parents’ debt, Gregor isShow MoreRelatedThe Ideologies Of His Works Essay1551 Words   |  7 Pagesnot voice his ideologies on the Slavic culture, Jewish existence, and bureaucratic system ; however, he still managed to mirror his perceptions of his society in his works. Kafka was born on July 3,1883 and raised in Prague, Bohemia. In the 1900s, societies structured their family through the patriarchal system. Franz Kafka was the first born of six children, consequently, forcing him to shoulder most of the responsibilities and discipline that come with being an eldest child. Kafka’s father inRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturersRead M oreMarketing and E-commerce Business65852 Words   |  264 Pagesgraphics contained herein could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. Microsoft and/or its respective suppliers may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described herein at any time. Partial screen shots may be viewed in full within the software version specified. Microsoft ® and Windows ®, and Microsoft Office ® are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A. and other

Price Control Free Essays

Price Controls Econ 360-002 Sonia Parsa Sparsa1@gmu. edu G00509808 Word Count: 1540 Abstract This paper examines how, in the United States, the government imposes several forms of taxes and price controls and how all individuals are required to pay direct and indirect taxes. It looks at how the approach of taxation and how the constraints of taxation on goods and price controls affect the U. We will write a custom essay sample on Price Control or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. economy. Introduction Regulations have played a huge role in the political and economic world for centuries. There are various different types of regulation. One regulation that the government imposes under its tax policy is price control, which is not considered to be voluntary. Price control can play two different roles, a price ceiling or a price floor. A price ceiling is the maximum price that can be charged in the market for a certain good, causing shortages, and a price floor is the minimum price that can be charged in the market, which then causes surpluses. Measures are usually taken by a government under its regulatory policy to control wages and prices in an attempt to check cost-push inflation and wage-push inflation[1]. However, these policies never help the economy. Instead, it worsens the situation. Governments also impose price controls as an indirect mechanism for taxation. The most well-known price controls enforced by the United States government today are: the policy of minimum wage, rent control, and oil price control. Having enforced price controls generate opportunities for economy failure, i. e. shortages and surpluses, as well as opportunities within the black market, and international arbitrage. The Economic Philosophy When a price control is forced by the government, it’s usually imposed to help or protect particular parts of the population which would be treated inequitably by the unfettered price system. But one must wonder which part of the population, the consumers or the producers? Is it not true that the consumers always feel as if the prices of a good are much higher than their actual value, while producers always feel as if the prices are too low? Price controls are usually justified as a way to help consumers, but whether they actually do is open to debate. Imposed price controls by the government are not only an absolute disaster, but have resulted in dislocating many economies in the past. The key is to recognize that when governments impose price controls; it does not only affect their nation, but also affects parallel imports with their trade partners because of a price â€Å"discrimination,† in regards to tariffs. The Economic Logic The effect of taxation and price controls on the economy vary from the decrease of the supply of goods to an increase in costs and can be demonstrated by a supply-demand analysis (Figure 1). In a free market, the equilibrium selling prices are shown by an upward sloping supply curve (S) with respect to price. The maximum buying prices on the part of the consumer is then shown by a downward sloping demand curve (D) with respect to price. After a quantity of a good is acquired by a consumer, the less important the desire is than before. Therefore, the supplier has to lower the price for each unit as it is sold. Where the supply and demand curve intersects at the margin is called the equilibrium price. In a maximum price control, a deadweight loss occurs in the triangle of a, b, c. pic] For example, when there is a tax imposed on a good like tobacco, there is an increase in the price of the product. This is called minimum price control and the price is not legally allowed to fall below the minimum. This shifts the supply curve of the product to the left. In other words, there are fewer goods available at the same prices than there were before. There is then a decline in the quantity demanded and a new equilibrium between demand and supply is reached. On the other hand when price controls are imposed there is an artificial decline in the prices. At the lower prices, a higher quantity is demanded but the production is insufficient to fulfill that demand and causes a shortage. We can also use the supply-demand analysis to dissect the labor market when a wage-control is placed by the government (shown in Figure 2). By establishing a minimum-wage law, it mandates a price floor above the equilibrium wage; therefore, the rate of unemployment among unskilled workers increases. When wages increase, a greater number of workers are willing to work while only a small number of jobs will be available at the higher wage. Companies can be more selective in whom they choose to employ causing the least skilled and inexperience to be excluded. [pic] Figure 2 assumes that workers are willing to work for more hours if paid a higher wage. We graph this relationship with the wage on the vertical axis and the quantity of workers on the horizontal axis. Combining the demand and supply curves for labor allows us to examine the effect of the minimum wage. We will start by assuming that the supply and demand curves for labor will not change as a result of raising the minimum wage. This assumption has been questioned. If no minimum wage is in place, workers and employers will continue to adjust the quantity of labor supplied according to price until the quantity of labor demanded is equal to the quantity of labor supplied, reaching equilibrium price, where the supply and demand curves intersect. Evidence- Minimum Wage Basic theory says that raising the minimum wage, which is a type of price-control, helps workers whose wages are raised, and hurts people who are not hired because companies cut back on employment. The very first federal minimum wage laws were imposed under the National Recovery Administration. The National Industrial Recovery Act, which became law on June 16, 1933, established industrial minimum wages for 515 classes of labor. Over 90 percent of the minimum wages were set at between 30 and 40 cents per hour. [2] C. F. Roos, who was the director of research at the NRA at that time, estimated that â€Å"by reason of the minimum wage provisions of the codes, about 500,000 Negro workers were on relief in 1934. † Roos added that â€Å"a minimum wage definitely causes the displacement of the young, inexperienced worker and the old worker. [3] By imposing minimum wage rate, free contract in the labor market is shattered. A firm is no longer allowed to pay below the minimum and the laborer cannot accept anything below the minimum that has been set as well. The free-market allows inexperienced workers to obtain entry-level positions, which gives them on the job training, by working for less. With the imposed wage-control, if the monetary compensation falls below minimum, th e trade-off becomes illegal which is a direct violation of a workers liberty to free contract. Thomas Rustici, in his book about minimum wage, makes an excellent point when he states: â€Å"In virtually every case it was found that the net employment effects and labor-force participation rates were negatively related to changes in the minimum wage. In the face of 50 years of evidence, the question is no longer if the minimum wage law creates unemployment, but how much current or future increases in the minimum wage will adversely affect the labor market? †[4] For years we have witnessed the effects of what minimum wages execute, yet we continue to conduct the same mistakes. Conclusion Obligatory price controls by the government are not only an absolute disaster, but have resulted in dislocating many economies all over the world for thousands of years[5]. As economic history has shown us, price controls being effective in a free competitive market are very rare. We either experience shortages or surpluses as a result. Who wins and who loses with an imposed price control? Setting a price control in one country affects other countries around it as well due to parallel imports and personal trafficking. Prices are not just numbers to a free competitive market; they are the expression of the value the supplier sets, no matter how subjective it may be. To regulate or to impose a price control, like any form of regulation, is unconstitutional. In some cases, it either violates the 5th amendment and/or 14th amendment. Price controls, wage controls, and money controls are really people controls. Regimentation at its worst- that is what a socialist dictatorship is all about. I believe that the free market has its own way of equalizing the economy and when the government interferes and sets price ceiling or price floor, it causes a chaos within our economy. Regardless if it results in a dead weight loss or a shortage, the consequences can sometimes be more destructive in the long run. Even if a government believes that price controls are set and affect only their country, it does not; it affects every nation that does any trade with them, exports or imports. The appeal of price controls is understandable. Even though they fail to protect many consumers and hurt others, controls hold out the promise of protecting groups that are particularly hard-pressed to meet price increases. However, when the government has proposed a control, there is a lag in time, causing an economy to become more impaired. References Barfield, C. E. and Groombridge, M. A. â€Å"The Economic Case for Copyright and Owner Control over Parallel Imports. † Journal of World Intellectual Property, Vol. 1 (1998), pp. 903-939 Benjamin M. Anderson, Economics and the Public Welfare: A Financial and Economic History of the United States, 1914-1946 (Indianapolis: Liberty Press, 1979), p. 36. Cambridge Pharma Consultancy. Pricing and Reimbursement Review 2003. Cambridge, UK: IMS Health-Management Consulting, 2004. â€Å"Gas Fever: Happiness Is a Full Tank. † Times Magazine 18 Feb. 1974. 19 June 2009 . Grossman, Gene M. , and Edwin L-C Lai. â€Å"Parallel imports and price controls. † RAND Journal of Econ omics 2nd ser. 39 (2008): 378-402. Princeton. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. . Richard M. Alson, J. R. Kearl, and Michael B. Vaughan, â€Å"Is There a Consensus Among Economists in the 1990’s? † American Economic Review 82, no. 2 (1992): 203–209. Rustici, Thomas. â€Å"Public Choice View of Minimum Wage†. Cato Journal, 5. 1) Spring/Summer 1985: 114. ISSN: 0273-3072 Steenhuysen, Julie. â€Å"Drug price controls may shorten lives: report | Reuters. † Business Financial News, Breaking US International News | Reuters. com. 16 Dec. 2008. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. . The Power of Oil: The Arab Oil Weapon and the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and the United States Roy Licklider International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Jun. , 1988), pp. 214 ———————– [1] Grossman, Gene M. , and Edwin L-C Lai. â€Å"Parallel imports and price controls. † RAND Journal of Economics 2nd ser. 39 (2008): 378-402 . Princeton. Web. 8 Dec. 009. . [2] Leverett Lyon, et al. The National Recovery Administration: An Analysis and Appraisal (New York: Da Capo Press, 1972). pp. 318-19. [3] Benjamin M. Anderson, Economics and the Public Welfare: A Financial and Economic History of the United States, 1914-1946 (Indianapolis: Liberty Press, 1979), p. 336. [4] Rustici, Thomas. â€Å"Public Choice View of Minimum Wage†. Cato Journal, 5. (1) Spring/Summer 1985: 105. ISSN: 0273-3072 [5] Barfield, C. E. and Groombridge, M. A. â€Å"The Economic Case for Copyright and Owner Control over Parallel Imports. † Journal of World Intellectual Property, Vol. 1 (1998), pp. 903-939 How to cite Price Control, Papers

Motivation And Adjustment Of Self-Initiated Expatriates - Samples

Question: Discuss about the Motivation And Adjustment Of Self-Initiated Expatriates. Answer: Collaborative Debate: Research Approaches According to Froese (2012), globalization and universal work portability have given chance to profoundly qualified individuals to work in any nation they want. Individuals who make proper use of this chance is termed as 'self-initiated expatriates' (SIE). This Motivation and adjustment of self-initiated expatriates: The case of expatriate academics in South Korea. investigates the inspiration and culturally diverse modification of exactly thirty number of SIE scholastics in South Korea (Froese 2012). Respondents involved in this investigation were persuaded to expatriate by yearning for universal experience, alluring employment conditions, family ties, and miserable employment opportunities in their nations of origin; a large portion of participants of this investigation were composed. In light of discoveries, the article proposes a theoretical structure connecting inspiration and multifaceted modification of expatriates. According to Chen et al. (2010), passing from accentuation on singular level stress forms in earlier expatriate investigation, this particular research build up a multilevel representation of expatriate culturally diverse inspiration and adequacy (inspiration and viability relating to multifaceted settings) which consolidates impacts of overseas subsidiary level characteristics. Examinations of multiple source and multilevel information gathered from 556 expatriates in 31 foreign auxiliaries demonstrated that expatriate multifaceted inspiration was all the more emphatically identified with work modification (Chen et al. 2010). Moreover, adjustments in sphere of work was probably going to intercede positive connection between culturally diverse inspiration and occupational performance, when expatriates [considered in this research] were doled out to outside auxiliaries marked by bring lesser levels of cultural distance and auxiliary support. Use of Primary and Secondary Data In When does cross-cultural motivation enhance expatriate effectiveness? A multilevel investigation of the moderating roles of subsidiary support and cultural distance. data had been collected from 500 US based multinational companies of energy industry, which supplies expatriates around the globe (Chen et al. 2010). 1028 expatriates were contacted through email for the purpose of this survey and they wrote mainly experiences of international aspects and assignments. Certain measures had been adopted for the purpose of the survey, they are as follows: expatriate cross-cultural motivation, expatriate work adjustment, expatriate job performance, subsidiary support and cultural distance (Chen et al. 2010). The GLOBE project had also been utilized for the purpose of analyzing cultural differences. In Motivation and adjustment of self-initiated expatriates: The case of expatriate academics in South Korea., interviews were recorded, completely transliterated and consequently transformed into qualitative data analysis presentation (Froese 2012). A software too had been implemented for the purpose of coding, investigation and drawing out of significant aspects of the qualitative information. Analysis Owing to multilevel nature of data in When does cross-cultural motivation enhance expatriate effectiveness? A multilevel investigation of the moderating roles of subsidiary support and cultural distance., hypotheses was analyzed utilizing Hierarchical Linear Modeling [HLM]; Confirmatory Factor Analyses [CFA] was also conducted based on seven measures provided by expatriates (Chen et al. 2010). In Motivation and adjustment of self-initiated expatriates: The case of expatriate academics in South Korea., information had been carefully scrutinized by researchers. Furthermore, utilizing a procedure of examination and evaluating information had been structured and classified under certain analytical themes, which had been quantified for regularity of incidence. According to reactions, the respondents were classified as satisfied, somewhat satisfied and dissatisfied (Froese 2012). Presentation of Data Data presented in When does cross-cultural motivation enhance expatriate effectiveness? A multilevel investigation of the moderating roles of subsidiary support and cultural distance., progress towards establishing influencers of expatriate effectiveness. Flowchart and tables had been implemented for the purpose of proper comprehension of methods of analyzing data and factors affecting expatriation (Chen et al. 2010). Data presentation in Motivation and adjustment of self-initiated expatriates: The case of expatriate academics in South Korea., aim at providing aid for local associations involved in hiring expatriates and additionally for expatriate scholars (Froese 2012). References Chen, G., Kirkman, B.L., Kim, K., Farh, C.I. and Tangirala, S., 2010. When does cross-cultural motivation enhance expatriate effectiveness? A multilevel investigation of the moderating roles of subsidiary support and cultural distance.Academy ofManagement Journal,53(5), pp.1110-1130. Froese, F.J., 2012. Motivation and adjustment of self-initiated expatriates: The case of expatriate academics in South Korea.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,23(6), pp.1095-1112.

Zipcar free essay sample

It has a wide range of automobiles for its members to choose from including Volvos, mini coopers, pickup trucks and many more. Each vehicle has a designated parking space in a street or parking spot within the members’ area. It serves over 14 major markets in North America and Europe such as Boston, Portland, Vancouver, London and many others. Members are issued access cards. This allows one to unlock the doors in case the keys are still inside the automobile. They can make reservations online or by making a call. Zipcar allows its members to make reservations even up to a year in advance. It also offers an application on the iPhone. This application enables members to honk the horn so as to locate the car and also to unlock the doors. Zipcar charges an application fee only once along with an annual fee. These are charged depending on the market prices. We will write a custom essay sample on Zipcar or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Reservation rates vary depending on day of the week, model of the vehicle and the market. Gas and parking prices are included in the reservation rates. In 2007, Zipcar combined with Flexcar, a rival company, to build a car-sharing corporation with a nationwide reach. Zipcar has made significant contributions to the environment. This system of car-sharing encourages individuals to use cars only when they need to. Persons with their own cars tend to drive them whenever they want even when it is not necessary. This exposes the air to unnecessary emissions of carbon dioxide. On the contrary, Zipcars enable people to use cars when need arises. Therefore, use of Zipcar services greatly reduces air pollution. Environment In addition to reduction in levels of air pollution, the use of Zipcar services leads to reduced congestion on the roads. It also leads to reduced total mileage on vehicles implying that less fuel is used. The significance of Zipcar to the environment and the local communities is quite apparent in that it has become very important in the metropolitan transportation mix. A number of residents in urban areas have increased their use of public transportation, with a number of them getting rid of their own cars so as to make use of car sharing services such as Zipcar. The most effective way of reducing emission of greenhouse gases into the environment is by reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. This is what Zipcar aims to do through their car sharing services. The more individuals are encouraged to use this car-sharing service the less they make use of their own personal vehicles, thereby reducing congestion on the roads. As Zipcar progresses, it seeks to find even more ways to protect the surrounding and reduce risks that the environment is exposed to. Segmentation Market segmentation refers to the division of the targeted market into subsets so as target prospects that will give the highest returns. A market segment is a section of individuals with like traits that make them demand the same products and services. Market segmentation allows a company to focus their resources on market segments that yield the highest returns. An effective market segment is one that has its own unique needs. Individuals in this segment have the same needs. In addition, reaction of the members of this segment to market stimuli should be the same. Market segmentation can be done on a number of bases. Zipcar has done this on four bases. Its market segments are consumers, businesses, government and universities. It targets the consumers so as to provide them a less expensive hence cost effective means of transportation. Car rentals and car ownership are becoming quite expensive especially in the current economy thus individuals are embracing this system of car ownership (Leboyer, 2009). Another market segment for Zipcar is businesses. Businesses that require a lot of transport for their goods may need cheaper ways to do this. Zipcar provides a cost-effective avenue of transporting items. Zipcar is also available in a number of universities. Students in the campus are constantly looking for ways to minimize their expenditure. It would be very expensive or a student in the campus to maintain a car they own or to rent a vehicle when they need one. Thus, car sharing services such as Zipcar are highly effective in universities and the trend is catching on quite fast. The last market segment for Zipcar is the government. It works with the government to substitute and expand fleets. Before Scott Griffiths became its Chief Executive Officer, Zipcar operated more like a nonprofit organization targeting those close to where Zipcar was situated. Scott Griffiths came up with ways to increase its market base and make it a high profit earning company. Zipcar’s marketing strategy at the time was very costly, and a cheaper means of advertising needed to be found. Though there were advertisements everywhere around the city, individuals were not signing up to enjoy the services Zipcar offered. Marketing Strategy Scott Griffiths came up with ways to minimize advertising costs and reach more people at the same time. In public places such as movie theatres, there are posters of Zipcar and brochures of the organization and what it has to offer are issued out to the public. Zipcar aims to make everyone aware and willing to use their car sharing services. Zipcar has faced a number of challenges and also has many competitors in the same industry. Major competitors include U Car Share, PhillyCarShare and Co-operative Auto Network. They are classified as major competitors because they share the same market and have similar organizational forms. Zipcar operates in many major markets, thus the system of leadership is decentralized. Each market has its own manager and staff. This may lead to lack of proper communication due to lack of direct contact. Different branches may have different organizational cultures. This leads to the difference in opinions and leads to unnecessary disagreements. Lastly, though Zipcar recently added accommodation for disabled persons, it does not provide enough information about it on their website. This may discourage prospective consumers from joining. Zipcar should, therefore, aim at maximize visibility of all options on their website. Awareness is the first stage of customer loyalty and is an inevitable stage if a company a business has to have clients. Zipcar has seen most of its customers passing through his stage. Given the fact that most of the clients in the company are return clients, there is a clear indication that many are aware of existence of Zipcar. What remains to be of concern to Zipcar is the ability to convert those that are already aware of the company and the expeditions it offers. Exploration is the second most important stage in customer loyalty. Taking a look at the Zipcar, we find that awareness is on an average level. This is demonstrat ed by the fact that most of the clients to the company come from neighboring states. Most of, would be customers, fail to develop interests in the using the company services which makes them not to enquire on what the company has to offer. Familiarity is what has made many that are joining the company to always participate in and come back for the services. The fact that most of those that participate in biking come from neighboring states present an issue, which is familiarity. Commitment is the stage that Scott Griffiths would wish to always achieve and maintain. The level of commitment of customers of Zipcar is high. This is demonstrated by the repetitive participation of customers in the expeditions. This means that such customers are satisfied with whatever the company offers. If it were not so, the company would not have been witnessing eighty percent participation of past participants in its motor expeditions (Leboyer, 2009). SWOT and PEST Analysis The company’s strengths include the fact that Zipcar aims to find out exactly what consumers need and how to satisfy those needs. When Griffiths became the CEO of Zipcar, he found that that people were aware of Zipcar and the services they offered but did not trust them. Therefore, Griffiths came up with ways to make Zipcar more accessible to residents. Scott also increased the makes and models they currently had so as to better fit the needs of the younger generation who required fancier cars. In addition to this, strength of Zipcar it the use of technology to satisfy consumer needs. An example of this would be automated access by members using the Zipcard. As explained before, the Zipcard allows members to unlock the doors. Information about Zipcar is available on the internet making it easier for consumers to make reservations and get more information on Zipcar locations. Zipcar has had a number of innovative unions, for example, with the iPhone. Zipcar has an application on the iPhone that allows members to honk the horn to locate the cars and to unlock them, as well. Zipcar collaborated with universities to make their services accessible to students. It got the universities to pay for insurance. However, Zipcar also has several weaknesses as an organization. First, all Zipcar operations are dependent on technology. This includes the billing system, reservations, and many other functions. This suggests that if something were to go wrong with the technology say hacking, for example, then Zipcar would face a lot of damage. Zipcar should ensure protection of its data through constant backups. Zipcar has lots of opportunities in this market if they will take quick advantage of it before their competitors. Consumers aim is to save money. They go for options that are most convenient to their needs. Thus, Zipcar needs to focus on getting non-members to believe that they actually need their car sharing services. They can do this by use of demographics and extensive advertising. Zipcar is mainly used during the night and on the weekends. Zipcar should look for ways to encourage members and non-members to make use of their services during the day so as to maximize their profits. Zipcar can also increase its market base by looking into the opportunity to reserve cars for long distances and one-way trips. Zipcar should also look into ways of retaining student members even after graduation (Smith, 2011). There is also an opportunity for growth in transit connections, Zipcar should, therefore, look or ways of maximizing on that. Zipcar faces a number of threats including competition from nonprofit car sharing companies. Consumers may prefer to join this companies rather than Zipcar which is not a nonprofit organization. Additionally, Zipcar aces threats from rental companies that are now offering car sharing services, as well. The ever increasing fuel prices are also proving to be quite a challenge for Zipcar. This is because even though they transfer additional costs back to the consumer, they cannot charge prices that are too high as they will lose their customers (Leboyer, 2009). Using the PEST analysis, Zipcar also faces a lot of challenges. Zipcar is a company; therefore, it has to adhere to company policies as stipulated by the law. It, therefore, has to keep in line with ever changing laws. Political interference is also an issue. However, the political status of the United States is stable at the moment. The company faces an uphill task of maintaining its neutrality on governance issues especially during the electioneering period. Operating in a federal state, Zipcar faces a great challenge of having to comply with by-laws that may differ from one state to the other (Capon, 2009). The current economy is not very stable and this presents a problem for Zipcar. The cost of living has gone up and people look for ways to minimize costs. Zipcar has to look for ways to attract its customers and convince them that it is the cheaper option. Socially, Zipcar is embraced by the society and with the increase in a variety of cars available to consumers; it has been able to increase its popularity. Zipcar operations depend majorly on technology. It is paramount, therefore, that Zipcar is aware of changing technology and that it changes with changing times. Conclusion Zipcar at the moment has partnered with a lot of companies which has made it easy for them to penetrate the European market. Zipcar has also has also developed an apple application that honks car horns and unlocks some Zipcars. In June 2010, the company filed registration process for the initial public offering. The company finally went public when the first Initial Public Offering in April 2011 raised more than $174 million by issuing 9. 68 million shares. They exceeded their target during this process. Goldman Sachs amp; Co. and J. P. Morgan Securities LLC are acting as the joint book-runners for the offering. Cowen and Company, LLC, Needham amp; Company, LLC and Oppenheimer amp; Co. are acting as co-managers. The reason for going public was to help raise funds for debt repayment and expansion of the business. They needed more working capital to help develop new services, sales, marketing activities, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes. Zipcar has overall membership of over 400,000. This is a sensitive market hence every marketing strategy used by the company reflects in its overall operations. Car sharing reduces parking commotion in cities and provides services to its customers. Since the benefits are intangible, the company focuses on satisfying their customers to maintain and improve its market share. Consumers’ great influence is value, utility, and benefit of the product or service. The decision- making process involves stages that the marketer can influence and intervene to attract customers. Recommendations The marketer should trigger the need of the consumer and know the time to emphasize its product or service to consumers to survive in the market. The marketers should put efforts to establish its distribution channels and the location of the business to access more customers to improve profits. Markets should have a comprehensive marketing strategy to produce better results and acquire customer loyalty. The company should take time to analyze its competitors in order to formulate and implement programs that are customer focused. The marketer should identify changing goals of consumer trends in future consumer behavior to ensure a good future performance of the company. The researcher should conduct effective and reliable market research to help the company making the right decision in the process of marketing its product or service. Zipcar has so far done well with its marketing strategy. However, with increased competition and other challenges, the company needs to devise other ways of marketing its products. This can include short term price concessions. This will enable the company to continue expanding while at the same time maintaining its existing clientele. Price concessions would easily boost up the sales of the company given that Zipcar’s products are price elastic. This strategy would also work well for the company given that its competitors have less financial power to compete on the basis of price concessions (Pride, 2011). Groupon and Linvingsocial is another great resource they should be taking advantage of. These are companies that aim at giving customers services at discounted prices while helping companies create awareness of services they have to offer. These two companies have become very popular to young adults, graduates and new parents. New deals on these sites everyday are sorted out by lots of clienteles who want to enjoy freebies during this recession period. Using such marketing schemes will help build awareness for Zipcar while creating a new set of customers. Zipcar also needs to invest more on e-mail marketing. Zipcar can use e-mail marketing strategy to developed and expand its clientele. This can be done through linking its services and or portal to emails through permission channels. This would make it possible for a person surfing to get more information about Zipcar deposited on their mails. It should be done in a manner that would enable information on up-coming expeditions deposited into the e-mails of subscribers. E-mail marketing of Zipcar should be designed to provide feedback mechanism. This means that hyperlinks and hypertexts should be incorporated in its design to enable bloggers to get into Zipcar portal in the shortest time possible. E-mail marketing would be far much better than print mail advertising. This is because e-mail advertising would provide for. I major advantage they should be exploring is franchising. This will enable them grow very fast in the global market rather than just relying on merger and acquisitions only. Reason why is because the local market knows their customers already and would be easier to convince the community of the benefits of Zipcar. The trust of a local owner in a developing country is highly beneficial for the company who is aiming at going global. The communities will not see Zipcar as a corporation who is trying to impose their eco-friendly values on them but as a business that understand their needs and is ready to offer its services to ease their everyday struggle. Reference Pride. W. (2011). Marketing. New York. Cengage Learning. Smith. T. (2011). Pricing Strategy: Setting Price Levels, Managing Price Discounts, amp; Establishing Price Structures. New York. Cengage Learning. Capon. N. (2009). Capons marketing framework. London. Wessex Publishing Basenese, Louis. Zipcar, Inc. : steer clear of the â€Å"winner’s curse† (Part 2). 2011. Web. June 29, 2011. www. Zipcar. com

Men On The Moon The Apollo Story Essays - Apollo Program, Apollo 10

Men On The Moon The Apollo Story Essays - Apollo Program, Apollo 10 Men On The Moon The Apollo Story For years, man has looked up at the stars and wondered, what power they possessed or from what great God were they born? The answer to this question has always been a dream to man, but the dream is getting closer to reality. Space travel in the 1960s was become a reality, but man went farther with his expectations. Man now wanted to land and walk on the the only one of Earths natural satellites know as the Moon. The splashdown May 26, 1969, of Apollo 10 cleared the way for the first formal attempt at a manned lunar landing.1 The 363-foot-tall Apollo 11 space vehicle was launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:37 a.m., July 16, 1969. It was the United States' first lunar landing mission. The launch vehicle, AS-506, was the sixth in the Apollo Saturn V series and was the fourth manned Saturn V vehicle. After a 2-hour check-out period, the spacecraft was injected into the translunar phase of the mission.2 July 1996 marks the twenty-seventh anniversary of the epochal lunar landing of Apollo 11 in the summer of 1969. Although President John F. Kennedy had made a public commitment on 25 May 1961 to land an American on the Moon by the end of the decade, up until this time Apollo had been all promise. Now the realization was about to begin. Even though Kennedy's political objectives were essentially achieved with the decision to go to the Moon, Project Apollo took on a life of its own over the years and left an important legacy to both the nation and the proponents of space exploration. Its success was enormously significant, coming at a time when American society was in crisis.3 A unique confluence of political necessity, personal commitment and activism, scientific and technological ability, economic prosperity, and public mood made possible the 1961 decision to carry out an aggressive lunar landing program. It then fell to NASA, other organizations of the federal government, and the aerospace community to accomplish the task set out in a few short paragraphs by the president. By the time that the goal was accomplished in 1969, only a few of the key figures associated with the decision were still in leadership positions in the government. Kennedy fell victim to an assassin's bullet in 1963, and science adviser Jerome B. Wiesner returned to MIT soon afterwards. Lyndon B. Johnson, of course, succeeded Kennedy as president but left office in January 1969 just a few months before the first landing. NASA Administrator James E. Webb resolutely guided NASA through most of the 1960s, but his image was tarnished by, among other things, a 1967 Apollo accident that killed three astronauts. He retired from office in October 1968. Several other early supporters of Apollo in Congress and elsewhere died during the 1960s and never saw the program successfully completed. The first Apollo mission of public significance was the flight of Apollo 8. On 21 December 1968 it took off atop a Saturn V booster from the Kennedy Space Center. Three astronauts were aboardFrank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr., and William A. Anders- -for a historic mission to orbit the Moon. At first that mission had been planned as a flight to test Apollo hardware in the relatively safe confines of low Earth orbit, but senior engineer George M. Low of the Manned Spacecraft Center at Houston, Texas, and Samuel C. Phillips, Apollo Program Manager at NASA headquarters, obtained approval to make it a circumlunar flight. The advantages of this could be important, they believed, both in technical and scientific knowledge gained as well as in a public demonstration of what the U.S. could achieve. After Apollo 8 made one and a half Earth orbits its third stage began a burn to put the spacecraft on a lunar trajectory. It orbited the Moon on 24-25 December and then fired the boosters for a return flight; it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 27 December. The public reaction to the Apollo 8 circumlunar mission was enthusiastic. It rekindled the excitement felt in the early 1960s during the first Mercury flights, and set the stage for

What Is a Perfect Square

What Is a Perfect Square SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What is a perfect square? How do you know if a number is a perfect square? In this article, we’ll define perfect squares, provide a list of the first 25 perfect squares (and the integers that make them up), and teach you how to tell if a number is a perfect square. What Is a Perfect Square? A perfect square is a number that can be expressed as the product of two equal integers. What does that mean? Basically, a perfect square is what you get when you multiply two equal integers by each other. For instance: $$5 * 5 = 25$$ 25 is a perfect square because you’re multiplying two equal integers (5 and 5) by each other. You can also express $5 * 5$ as $5^2$. That’s where you get the term â€Å"perfect square† List of Perfect Squares Here’s a list of the first 25 perfect squares. A hint: if you want to create a perfect square, simply square an integer! Square Integers 1 $1 * 1$ 4 $2 * 2$ 9 $3 * 3$ 16 $4 * 4$ 25 $5 * 5$ 36 $6 * 6$ 49 $7 * 7$ 64 $8 * 8$ 81 $9 * 9$ 100 $10 * 10$ 121 $11 * 11$ 144 $12 * 12$ 169 $13 * 13$ 196 $14 * 14$ 225 $15 * 15$ 256 $16 * 16$ 289 $17 * 17$ 324 $18 * 18$ 361 $19 * 19$ 400 $20 * 20$ 441 $21 * 21$ 484 $22 * 22$ 529 $23 * 23$ 576 $24 * 24$ 625 $25 * 25$ How to Tell If a Number Is a Perfect Square You can tell if a number is a perfect square in a couple of different ways. First of all, if you create a square by multiplying two equal integers by each other, then the product is a perfect square. So, $1 * 1$ is a perfect square. So is $10 * 10$ and $1,000 * 1,000$. You can also tell if a number is a perfect square by finding its square roots. Finding the square root is the inverse (opposite) of squaring a number. If you find the square root of a number and it’s a whole integer, that tells you that the number is a perfect square. For instance, the square root of 25 is 5. The square root of 26 is not a whole integer. So, 26 is not a perfect square. Key Takeaways: Understanding Perfect Squares A perfect square is a number that can be expressed as the product of two equal integers. You can tell if a number by finding its square root and seeing if that square root is a whole integer. What's Next? Getting ready to take the ACT? We have a list of31 formulas you must know to conquer the ACT. Taking the SAT instead?Here’s a list of our favorite SAT Math prep books that will help set you on the path to success. Looking to brush up on your fundamental algebra skills?A good place to start is mastering systems of equations.

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS PAPER - Essay Example regulate US commerce in such a way so as to limit the constitutional implications for employees.2 Kudler Fine Foods’ employees are subject to these limitations, particularly with reference to freedom of speech and protection of privacy. These constitutionally protected rights take on an entirely different complexion within the workplace. In general a company is at liberty to monitor employee telephone calls between an employee and a customer for the purpose of quality control. However, once all the parties to the telephone conversation are located in the State of California, the state law makes it mandatory that the parties are aware either by a beep or tone signals or recorded message that the conversation is being recorded.4 This state law is mandated and indorsed by virtue of the Commerce Clause.5 However, telephone conversations between states are subject to Federal law and monitoring without warning is permissible.6 However, there is a national exception that requires an employer to cease and desist monitoring of a telephone conversation once it becomes clear that the telephone conversation is of a personal nature.7 The only real recourse for Kudler’s employees is to use either mobile telephones and/or payphones in order to protect their privacy in respect of personal telephone calls while on company pre mises. The same policy generally applies to email contents. Typically the law recognizes that computers in the workplace are the property of the employer and that will include the electronic mail system. The right to privacy with respect to email messaging in the work place was addressed by the California Court of Appeal in Bourke v Nissan 1993. In this case the California Court of Appeal ruled that an employee who used his or her employer’s electronic messaging system on the work place did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy and no claim for invasion of privacy could be sustained in the circumstances.8 Moreover, by virtue of the Computer

Computers Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Computers Systems - Essay Example The PMS software provides for reservations, guest accounting, sales and catering applications, travel agent accounting, engineering management, and interfaces to central reservation and global distribution systems. The S&C software enables hotel sales staff to evaluate, reserve and invoice meetings and related events for a property. The CRS software allows hotels to coordinate, process, track, and analyze hotel room reservations at a central facility for electronic distribution to the appropriate lodging site. The CIS software allows hotels to efficiently capture and track relevant information of guests. The RMS software allows hotels to manage room rates, occupancy, and the mix of business between corporate and transient customers. The software systems run on PCs. MICROS also offers an Internet based hotel reservation service through its subsidiary called myfidelio.net. This subsidiary's service enables corporations, tourist representation services and consumers to create room reservations directly with Rydges hotel thereby bypassing third party reservation systems. MICROS market its hotel products under the MICROS-Fidelio brand name. The systems run on industry standard Intel-based PCs. The adoption of a complete software suite called Opera has led ... Opera is designed to run on PCs and large PC based servers. All the products are designed to share a common Oracle database. Opera will run under these three operating systems: Microsoft Windows(NT, 2000 and XP), IBM AIX, and Sun Solaris. The Opera software suite is deemed an important product line for Micro's continued growth in the hotel information systems market. The next generation product for European users of Fidelio Version 6.0 and 7.0 is Version 8.0, which is currently being developed in Hamburg, Germany. This product contains certain Internet based features and utilizes the Windows operating system with an Oracle database. Advantages Of GenaRes Engine: Rydges web site is "Powered by GenaRes," thus gaining seamless access to the hotel's central reservation system, providing real-time rates, availability and reservation booking capabilities to web site visitors. GenaRes' Internet booking engine system enables hotel companies to quickly and effectively implement Internet booking capabilities into their web sites without making expensive technology investments. Internet Booking Engine (Companies) are not all the Same Besides the obvious differences in the actual look and feel of the booking engine, there are many things to consider when selecting a company to provide this technology. Every hotelier wants to see GDS reservations move from expensive travel agent driven, airline system bookings to their own hotel web site and that is evident with Rydges Five Star Hotel. However, for the foreseeable future, they will continue to play a dominant role in online travel bookings. GenaRes not only provides great hotel booking engine technology, but also provides a single, easy-to-use, browser-based system that gets you into the GDS travel channel, and lets you

Sources, Biological Effects and its Control Essay Example for Free

Sources, Biological Effects and its Control Essay Noise pollution is a major problem confronting the environment and it people. The problem has existed since years, however, in the recent decades urbanization combined with development of transport and industry has begun to severely plague the society. In most developed countries noise pollution is omnipresent, though much emphasis in not given towards its effect and control. Across the globe, urban population is greatly affected due to noise pollution, with the rates especially higher for the metropolitan cities. Some of the predominant sources of noise pollution are road traffic, jet planes, garbage trucks, construction equipment, manufacturing processes, and lawn mowers (Birgitta and Lindvall, 1995). The roar of the aircraft, thunder of heavily laden trucks and thumps and whines of industry broadcast these noisy and unwanted sounds into the air (WHO, 2001). Such unwanted noise is not only annoying or disturbing but also pose health hazard and are hampering economic development. Noise pollution is problem faced by developed and developing countries alike. According to Kapoor and Singh (1995), the effects of noise are so annoying and worrisome that in certain countries it considered next to crime. In China, till third century B. C. , noise has been used for torturing and punishing criminals with dangerous crime record. Bond, (1996) estimates that 16% of people in Europe are exposed to 40 dB or more of traffic noise in their bedrooms accounting for disrupted sleep. Initiative steps have been taken by various countries to keep the noise level under control. In the United States an initiative has been taken to create sites where human-caused noise pollution will not be tolerated (Geary, 1996). The laws of Netherlands do not permit construction of houses in areas where 24-hour average noise levels exceed 50dB. According to the Noise Act in Great Britain, the local authorities are empowered to confiscate any equipment that can cause excess noise. In addition, people who create excess noise at night are also fined heavily. Very recently, many countries are looking towards ‘porous asphalt’ technology as a good strategy to curtail traffic noise by up to 5dB (Singh and Davar, 2004). Impact on Health The response of the human ear to sound depends both on the sound frequency (measured in Hertz, Hz) and the sound pressure, measured in decibels (dB). A normal ear in a hale and healthy young person can sense sounds with frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz and speech frequency ranges from 100 to 6000 Hz (WHO, 2001). Noise pollution is a deliberate and restrained killer which has become a hazard to quality of life. Even moderately low levels of noise negatively affect human health, causing hypertension, disrupt sleep and hinder cognitive development in children. According to Bond (1999) excessive noise could result in permanent impairment of memory or a psychiatric disorder. Haphazard use of vehicle horn and widespread use of loud speakers in Indian social and religious ceremonies cause various health hazards in urban populations. Associated problems are deafness, nervous breakdown, mental disorder, heart troubles and high blood pressure, head-aches, dizziness, inefficiency and insomnia (Bhargawa, 2001). Singh (1984) observed that the workers exposed to elevated noise levels have a greater frequency of circulatory problems, cardiac diseases, hypertension, peptic ulcers, and neurosensory and motor impairment. WHO (2001) estimates that about 120 million people worldwide are estimated to have disabling hearing difficulties. The reports also that estimates more than half citizens of Europe reside in noisy environment and in the USA the number of people exposed to occupations noise level above 85 dB increased from 9 million in 1981 to 30 million in 1990. In Germany and other developed countries as many as 4 to 5 million working people are exposed to noise levels of 85 dB or more (WHO, 2001). This has resulted in noise-related hearing impairment. Risks of permanent medical conditions, such as hypertension and ischemic heart disease are also higher in communities exposed to noise pollution for an extended period. In adults and in children it adversely affects reading, memory, attentiveness and problem solving performances. Noise above 80 dB may increase aggressive behavior provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behavior (WHO, 2001). Sources of Noise Pollution Community noise High volumes of sound coming from open-air concerts, discotheques, motor sports events etc are non-industrial sources and are categorized as community noise. This is also termed as environmental, residential or domestic noise. The major indoor sources are ventilation systems, office machines, home appliances and neighbors. Other typical sources of neighborhood noise are restaurants, cafeterias, live or recorded music, sports, playgrounds, car parks, barking dogs. In the recent decades there has been a continued growth in transport systems such as highways, airports and railways. This has further accelerated the generation of more noise. Road traffic is another key source of noise in metros. Nagi et al. (1993) observed that household equipment and appliances produce noise level that sometimes reaches up to 97 dB which is more than double the acceptable (45dB) noise level. Several countries have policies on community noise arising from rail, road, construction sites and industrial plants. These policies are based on emission standards. However, very few regulations are available on neighborhood community noise. This is perhaps due to difficulties with its classification, measurement and control strategies. Ultimately lack of sufficient knowledge of noise pollution effects on people prevents further action to prevent and control this environmental problem. Occupational noise Noise is a common occupational hazard in several workplaces. The major sources of noise that damages hearing are impact processes, material handling and industrial jets. Air jets widely used, for example, for cleaning, drying, power tools and steam valves can generate sound levels of 105 dB. Sources of noises in industrial machinery and processes are multi-various. These include: rotors, gears, turbulent fluid flow, impact processes, electrical machines, internal combustion engines, pneumatic equipment, drilling, crushing, blasting, pumps and compressors (WHO, 2001). In addition, the emitted sounds are reflected from floors, ceiling and equipment. Exposure rate is also another parameter to be greatly considered. WHO (2001) estimates that in a cigarette factory in Brazil workers involved in compressed air cleaning were exposed to sound levels equivalent to 92 dB for 8 hours. The sound levels of saws can be as high as 106 dB in the woodworking industry. In industries such as foundries, shipyards, breweries, weaving factories, paper and saw mills average sound level ranges between 92 and 96 dB. The recorded peak values were between 117 and 136 dB (WHO, 2001). Occupational exposure limits spells out the utmost tolerable sound pressure levels and exposure duration times to which workers may be repetitively exposed without undesirable effect or impairment on hearing and their ability to comprehend normal speech. WHO (2001) estimates that an occupational exposure limit of 85 dB for 8 hours should defend the majority of people against a permanent hearing mutilation induced by noise after 40 years of occupational exposure. Control Noise-induced hearing impairment is certainly avoidable. This is possible by protection against perilous noise exposure by means proper hazard prevention and control programs in residential communities and occupation places as well. Noise pollution can be effectively management by several strategies. Firstly, the design and technology of industrial machinery and equipments could be changed to minimize the noise levels. Noise emission levels should be declared on the machineries. This would permit prospective buyers to select the least hazardous equipment and also to calculate the noise impact at workplaces and to further help with noise-control planning (WHO, 2001). When the cost is worked, making noise-generating processed quieter is 10 times less expensive than to make a barrier to screen the noise. The dangers of noise should be recognized upfront, even before workers start complaining of hearing impairments. Secondly, noise levels can be lessened by the use of noise-control enclosures such as absorbers, silencers and baffles and by the use of personal protective equipment, such as earmuffs. Use of noise barriers may help control noise. The third strategy is to defend receptors of sound by protective shields. This can be done by proper insulation of buildings, body and window planes made sound proof. Nevertheless, where technical processes are inadequate, noise exposure may be lowered by putting-off the time spent in noisy environment or alternatively by scheduling noisy operations outside normal shifts or at remote and distant locations. Apart from these strategies, it is quite necessary for the worker to have a clear understanding and knowledge on the machineries and the way to handle them. Noise pollution being a social problem, educating the public proves to be a good alternative. Singh and Davar (2004) suggest that sheer ignorance about the deleterious effects of noise pollution emerges to be a prime factor hindering to reduce and control its levels. Hence an essential element of noise control programs should include education and training of the workers and local public.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun Essay -- essays research pap

Dream’s Recovered   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone has dreams; everyone has goals they want to accomplish. Some know what it is instantly and some take time to realize what they want to do. But not everyone will achieve their dreams and some, because of sad circumstances lose their grip on their dream and fall into a state of disappointment. Langston Hughes poem relates to the dreams of Mama, Ruth, and Walter in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ruth has to listen to Walter’s extravagant dreams of being rich and powerful all the time and know that these dreams will never happen. They are very poor and Travis must sleep on the couch because they only have a two-room apartment. Ruth’s dream of having a baby seems crushed when she finds out that she’s pregnant and realizes they can’t support another in the household. When mama and Walter argue about Ruth getting an abortion Walter says she wouldn’t do anything like that as she walks in, she says â€Å"Yes I would too Walter. I gave her a five-dollar down payment.† (1.2.75). Ruth’s dream of having a baby is dried up when she knows they can’t support another child in the household.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lena Younger has always dreamed of a garden with beautiful flowers in her own yard next to her own house. But she is devastated when she hears that Walter took the rest of money for the house and Beneatha’s school money and gave it to Willy Harris who literally stole the Young... Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun Essay -- essays research pap Dream’s Recovered   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone has dreams; everyone has goals they want to accomplish. Some know what it is instantly and some take time to realize what they want to do. But not everyone will achieve their dreams and some, because of sad circumstances lose their grip on their dream and fall into a state of disappointment. Langston Hughes poem relates to the dreams of Mama, Ruth, and Walter in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ruth has to listen to Walter’s extravagant dreams of being rich and powerful all the time and know that these dreams will never happen. They are very poor and Travis must sleep on the couch because they only have a two-room apartment. Ruth’s dream of having a baby seems crushed when she finds out that she’s pregnant and realizes they can’t support another in the household. When mama and Walter argue about Ruth getting an abortion Walter says she wouldn’t do anything like that as she walks in, she says â€Å"Yes I would too Walter. I gave her a five-dollar down payment.† (1.2.75). Ruth’s dream of having a baby is dried up when she knows they can’t support another child in the household.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lena Younger has always dreamed of a garden with beautiful flowers in her own yard next to her own house. But she is devastated when she hears that Walter took the rest of money for the house and Beneatha’s school money and gave it to Willy Harris who literally stole the Young...

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 6

After returning from the walk, I found myself being sewn into a brand-new suit while Mrs. Sutherland instructed the tailor on where to pin and prod me. I knew I had to leave, but I also couldn't tear myself away from Mrs. Sutherland quite yet. We spent the entire afternoon chatting about my mother and her French relatives, along with my wish to one day travel to Italy to see the Sistine Chapel. Before I knew it, the tailor had made his final stitch, and night had arrived. Even I had to admit that my suit was fantastic. I looked like an urbane prince of industry in my pleated white shirtfront, silk top hat, and cravat. Winfield loaned me one of his pocket watches on a fob covered with a tasteful number of gold charms and gems, and I wore matching gold studs. I looked the very picture of humanity and was ashamed to be enjoying the part so thoroughly. Bridget simpered when I offered her a hand getting up into the carriage. Her skirts were full and cumbersome, an apricot version of the white gown she wore just the night before. Cream-colored silk netting floated over everything, giving her a look somewhere between a dancer in a European painting and a giant pastry. She giggled and tripped and pretended to fall, throwing an arm around my neck. â€Å"Save me again, kind sir,† she laughed, and I reminded myself that I had only to entertain her for another couple hours. Then, no matter the affection I felt for Mrs. Sutherland, I vowed I would make good on my promise to leave the family to their lives, disappearing into the crowd of the dance and returning to my home in the park. After a short ride, we approached another mansion of considerable size. It was solid stone, like a castle, but filled with windows. I helped Bridget from the coach and we took our places in the receiving line. In my human life I had been to many dances, yet I was not prepared for a New York City ball. There was someone to take my coat and hat – and because this wasn't Mystic Falls, where everyone of renown knew one another, I was given a ticket with a number on it to retrieve my things at the end of the evening. We approached the ballroom through a seemingly endless hallway of silver mirrors lit with candles and chandeliers, sparkling as I imagined it must have been like in Versailles. A thousand silvered reflections of Bridget and myself filled the space behind the glass. A full orchestra of violins, cellos, horns, and flutes played in the corner, the musicians dressed in black suits. The room was filled, wall-to-wall, with dancers in the most amazing array of dress I had ever seen. The young women lifted delicate gloved hands with sparkling diamond bracelets, then twirled in gowns that ranged in color from bloodred to dusty gold. Gauzy skirts swished in time with the high-paced mazurka the orchestra played, netting, tulle, lace, and the finest silk petticoats floating like petals strewn across a lake. If my eyes were dazzled by the sight of the dancers, the scents of the room almost overpowered the rest of my senses: expensive perfumes, huge vases of exotic flowers, sweat, and punch, and somewhere someone was bleeding from a pin left in her dress by a careless maid. â€Å"You're supposed to fetch your lady a dance card,† Lydia murmured into my ear as I stood there, stunned by the opulent and overwhelming scene before me. â€Å"Is that . . . is that Adelina Patti?† I stuttered, pointing at a demure-looking woman standing in the corner and surrounded by admirers. â€Å"The opera singer?† I had seen photographs of her. My father had wanted his sons to have working knowledge of their Italian culture and heritage. â€Å"Yes,† Bridget said, rolling her eyes and stamping a pretty, satin-covered foot. â€Å"And over there is Mayor Gunther, and over there is John D. Rockefeller, and . . . can you take me to my seat now? I want to see who asks me to dance.† Lydia let out a polite cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. â€Å"In the South,† I whispered to her out of the corner of my mouth, â€Å"it's considered impolite to dance with your escort overmuch.† Lydia put a gloved hand to her own mouth, covering her smile. â€Å"I've heard that they still actually dance the quadrille in the South and have no parlor games at their functions. Good luck, Mr. Salvatore.† And she glided off into the crowd. Margaret gave me a tiny smirk. She was on the arm of her husband, Wally, a short fellow with a pince-nez and a serious bent. But when she whispered to him, a smile broke out and he was radiant. I felt an odd jab of jealousy. I would never know what that was like, the simple rituals of a close-knit couple. The orchestra struck up a waltz. Bridget stuck out her lower lip. â€Å"And me without a dance card yet.† â€Å"My lady,† I said, inwardly sighing. I gave her a slight bow and offered her my hand. Bridget was a fine dancer and it was almost pleasurable twirling her across the floor. I could forget where and who I was for the few minutes of the waltz: just a man in a tailcoat, feet flying, in a room full of beautiful people. She turned her leaf-green eyes up to me, and for one beautiful moment I could pretend she was Callie, alive and well and getting the happy ending she so desperately deserved. The illusion came to an end the moment the music stopped. â€Å"Lead me by the edge of the dancers,† Bridget begged. â€Å"I want everyone to see us!† She dragged me past the refreshment room, where all manner of exotic food was laid out. Delicate ices made from foreign fruit, real Vienna coffee, blancmange, tiny chocolate cakes, and glass upon crystal glass of champagne to wash it down. For the hungrier set there seemed to be every kind of fowl, from quail to goose, neatly carved into small pieces so a dancer could eat quickly and return to the floor. Once again I wished I was hungry for normal human food. But instead I indulged in a glass of champagne. â€Å"Hilda, Hilda,† Bridget called out in a voice that carried well considering how crowded the space was. A beautiful girl in a rose-pink gown turned from her gentleman friend, face lighting up when she saw Bridget. Her eyes traveled up and down me with a quick flick of her eyelashes. â€Å"This is Stefan Salvatore,† Bridget said. â€Å"He is the one who rescued me!† â€Å"Mademoiselle,† I said with a slight bow, taking her fingertips and bringing them to my lips. Bridget gave me a look that was somewhere between jealousy and pleasure that I was so polite. â€Å"Brooklyn Bridgey! Who's your friend?† A dapper young man with a twinkle in his eye and giant grin sidled up to us. He had a sharp nose and curly black hair; rosy dots appeared on his cheeks that made him look vaguely tubercular. â€Å"This is Stefan Salvatore,† Bridget told him, exactly as proudly and carefully as she had with Hilda. â€Å"He rescued me when I was overcome in the park!† â€Å"Pleasure to meet you! Abraham Smith. You can call me Bram.† He grabbed my hand and shook it hard. â€Å"That was terribly naughty of you, leaving the party unescorted like that, Bridgey.† Bram shook a finger at her and she pouted. â€Å"Brooklyn Bridgey?† I asked, my head spinning a little. â€Å"Why, the Brooklyn Bridge is only going to be the biggest, most fantastic suspension bridge ever built!† Bram said, eyes lighting up. â€Å"No more ferries, no sir. We'll drive ourselves back and forth across the mighty East River!† â€Å"Oh look!† Bridget squealed, pointing in a very unladylike manner. â€Å"There's Lydia and her beau! Let's go talk to them!† I gave Hilda and Bram a helpless salute good-bye as Bridget directed me toward her sister with an iron grip. The Italian count was surrounded by admirers, including Lydia. I caught glimpses of him as we walked closer. His raven hair gleamed, and his black formal suit fit him perfectly. He moved with a careless grace waving his arms as he told his story. The glint of a ring shimmered on his hand. The truth hit me only moments before he turned, as if he'd been expecting my arrival. I did my best to hide my shock when I looked into my brother's ice-blue eyes.

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. 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