Biography Of Verrocchio s The Great Leonardo Da Vinci ...

As one of his earlier works, The Annunciation shows resemblance to Leonardo’s teacher, Verrocchio’s sculpture work. Verrocchio’s teachings in sculpting could have stimulated young Da Vinci’s mind enough to desire the anatomically correct form of his artwork. What couldn’t be deemed, as the teachings from Verrocchio would later turn into the signature styles of the great Leonardo Da Vinci. The uses of realistic studies, linear perspective, and religious symbols are just some of the techniques used in The Annunciation. For a while The Annunciation was thought be have been painted by another artist, historians later discovered that it was in fact a piece by Da Vinci. While the most useful pieces by Leonardo speaking in the historical and scientific sense, may not have been the Mona Lisa or any of his paintings; but his sketches, and notebooks. Pieces of theses sketches still exist today and show how tirelessly Leonardo worked to have all the aspects o f this piece be as realistic as possible. Using science to represent this realism becomes the key factor in how many of his paintings became both aesthetically and historically recognized. Of course over time many of Leonardo’s journals and sketches have been lost or destroyed over the years. The ones that have survived have been studied to gain more knowledge of the Renaissance man himself. These are also used to prove that Leonardo was or wasn’t the artist, likewise these sketches stressed how detailed Da Vinci wanted everyShow MoreRelatedLeonardo Da Vinci1629 Words   |  7 PagesHistory 101 | Leonardo Da Vinci | Renaissance Pioneer | | Luis Quelhas | 11/13/2012 | | Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452. His father was a wealthy notary, named  Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci. His mother Caterina was a sixteen year old peasant girl. Leonardo had no surname when born and took the name Da Vinci meaning from Vinci, the small town in Florence where he was born. Throughout his life Leonardo faced many hardships. From 1457 he lived in the household ofRead MoreLeonardo Da Vinci : The Most Famous For His Art1448 Words   |  6 PagesCarly Henry S. Martinez English IV - 1st hour 3/29/16 Leonardo Da Vinci When hearing the name Leonardo da Vinci, what comes to mind? For many people it will be his artwork. This is because of all of the accomplishments da Vinci has, he is most famous for his art. What many people don’t know was that he was also a scientist, inventor, and philosopher. Da Vinci lived in a time period known as the Renaissance. This was a time of knowledge and enlightenment, and it gave birth to many of the world’sRead MoreThe Last Supper By Leonardo Da Vinci1938 Words   |  8 Pages Leonardo da Vinci Tony Warren Globe University Introduction Leonardo da Vinci is best known for his painting of the Last Supper (Figure 1) and most noted as an artist but is also known as an architect, inventor and chronicler of science. The Last Supper painting depicts Jesus hosting his last supper with his disciples before he is crucified and this painting can be found in many churches and homes across the world. This is also a symbol of Communion or Eucharist as Jesus performed

Meditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes

In Meditations on First Philosophy, Renà © Descartes philosophies made a substantial advancement in enabling us to understand the world around us by querying many of the Aristotelian doctrines that are still being discussed in philosophy today. He attempts to answer the question; can you fully trust your senses? Descartes uses methodological doubt, which is a process of being skeptical about truths of someone’s belief to revoke from his senses. In Meditation One: Concerning Those Things That Can Be Called into Doubt, he argues that people cannot rely on their senses for full truths. Descartes says we must question everything and doubt everything because everything in this world is subjective as opposed to objective. He begins to argue by saying how when he was a child he believed certain things to be true but then later found out the real truth. Within his first meditation he uses an example of dreaming to prove how our senses deceive us. In Meditation Two: Concerning the Nat ure of the Human Mind: That the Mind is More Known Than the Body, Descartes starts off by questioning God and Heaven and provides another example of the ball of wax to support his ideas of how our senses cannot be fully trusted. Descartes does a fantastic job proving that the mind and body are disconnected and therefore we cannot trust our senses. In Meditation One: Concerning Those Things That Can Be Called into Doubt, Descartes reflects on everything he thought to be true as a child. He then goes on toShow MoreRelatedRene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy1234 Words   |  5 Pages In Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes does and experiment with wax to try to prove that things actually exist in this world. This essay is going to prove how we can tell that things actually exist and what can perceive the wax. Rene Descartes starts off with a description of the wax so he can prove to us the changes that will happen throughout his experiment. â€Å"Let us take, for instance, this piece of wax. It has been taken quite recently from theRead MoreMeditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes Essay839 Words   |  4 PagesPrà ©ciso of Meditations on First Philosophy Through his series of books, Meditations on First Philosophy, Renà © Descartes enlightens his philosophical ideas about knowledge in which we should discard all belief we aren’t absolute certain about and establishes what we know for sure. In the introduction he clarifying the main ideas of each of the 6 books and using to them build up to his belief. Starting with the First Meditations, he discusses about doubt. He believed that there are no real foundationsRead MoreThe Meditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes916 Words   |  4 Pages The Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes is a thorough analysis about doubt. Descartes describes his method of doubt to determine whether he can truly know something. One of his major arguments is the proof of the existence of God. In this paper, I will attempt to unravel the flaws in Descartes proof that God exists. In the meditations, Descartes evaluates whether or not everything we know is a reality or a dream. Descartes claims that we can only be sure that our beliefs are trueRead MoreRene Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy1758 Words   |  8 PagesPerhaps the most startling conclusion reached by Renà © Descartes in Meditations on First Philosophy is his proposed disconnection between the Mind and Body. Striving to separate the spiritual from the corporeal to enable scientific examination of the earthly without interference from the divine, Descartes conceives that the two basic human substances, Mind and Body, are distinct and therefore able to exist separate of one another in his [in]famous claim of substance dualism. His conclusions rest uponRead MoreEssay on Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes1561 Words   |  7 Pages In his work, Meditations on First Philosophy, Renà © Descartes writes to rid pre-conceptions, and disprove all belief in thoughts that are not certain, accepting only what can be known for sure. In his Meditation VI: Of the Existence of Material Things, and the Real Distinction between the Mind and Body of Man, he discusses his belief that the mind and body are two separate substances, claiming that the nonmaterial mind and the material body, while being ontologically distinct substances, causallyRead MoreRene Descartes s Meditation On First Philosophy802 Words   |  4 PagesRenà © Descartes objective in Meditation on First Philosophy is to construct philosophy as a solid methodical study and discipline alike the sciences. To do so he must first suspend belief in all things doubtful and from their go about verifying the true concepts of the world. In meditation II he verifies that he is a thinking thing and finds that the certainty of the cogito â€Å"I think therefore I am† lies in the distinct perception of what he affirms. From this he generates a general rule of evidenceRead More Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy Essay1946 Words   |  8 PagesRene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy Rene Descartes’ third meditation from his book Meditations on First Philosophy, examines Descartes’ arguments for the existence of God. The purpose of this essay will be to explore Descartes’ reasoning and proofs of God’s existence. In the third meditation, Descartes states two arguments attempting to prove God’s existence, the Trademark argument and the traditional Cosmological argument. Although his arguments are strong and relatively truthfulRead MoreEssay on Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy2121 Words   |  9 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Descartes believes that knowledge comes from within the mind. This is a single indisputable fact to build on that can be gained through individual reflection. While seeking true knowledge, Descartes writes his Six Meditations. In these meditations, Descartes tries to develop a strong foundation, which all knowledge can be built upon. In the First Meditation, Descartes begins developing this founda tion through the method of doubt. He casts doubt upon all his previous beliefs, including â€Å"mattersRead MoreAnalysis Of Rene Descartes s Meditations On First Philosophy 1399 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy Essay 1 Rene Descartes was born in in La Haye, France, in 1596 and he studied at La Fleche Jesuit College and University of Poitiers. Descartes also lived in Germany, Holland and Sweden. He then worked in the army as a private councillor and then as a court philosopher. Descartes book ‘Meditations on First Philosophy’ was first published in 1641. The edition used to write this essay was edited by John Cottingham and was published by the Cambridge University Press in 1996. Descartes wasRead MoreAnalysis Of Rene Descartes s Meditations On First Philosophy1066 Words   |  5 Pageswhat is reality? Among these writers were Renà ¨ Descartes and George Berkeley, who respectively argued that everything perceived must be real due to God being unable to deceive, and that the physical world only exists in one’s mind. In my view, it is not certain that the physical world is real, but one should act as if it is. Renà ¨ Descartes, in Meditations on First Philosophy, wrote each section after successive â€Å"meditations.† In Descartes’s first meditation, he claims it is unable to be proven whether

China vs. american economy Free Essays

China’s economy will become the biggest in the world sometime very soon. According to the World Bank, the size of China’s economy is $10. 1 trillion, compared with $14. We will write a custom essay sample on China vs. american economy or any similar topic only for you Order Now 6 trillion for the U. S. , based on purchasing power parity (which adjusts exchange rates to account for the different prices people pay for goods and services across countries). But China is narrowing the gap in a hurry. Over the past 10 years, the annual real growth of China’s gross domestic product averaged 10. 5 percent, compared with 1. ercent in the U. S. The Chinese economy increased at an annual rate of 9. 6 percent in the first half of 2011, vs. a rate of less than 1 percent in the U. S. America’s days as top dog of global output are numbered, at best. Should we care? People from Thomas Friedman to Niall Ferguson cite the looming change at the top of the world economic rankings as a bellwether of broader American decline. â€Å"We are the United States of Deferred Maintenance. China is the People’s Republic of Deferred Gratification. They save, invest, and build. We spend, orrow, and patch,† complained Friedman in a recent New York Times column. And yet having the world’s largest economy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be†and you need look no further than the history of China and the U. S. to see that. The swelling size of China’s economy may be a source of pride to the Chinese people, but America is still by far the better place to live†and will remain so for a long time. Although economists are skeptical about China’s ability to sustain its current levels of growth, most agree it is only a matter of a few years before the Middle Kingdom’s How to cite China vs. american economy, Papers

Competitive Strategy

Question: Discuss about the Competitive Strategy. Answer: Introduction Pankaj Ghemawat, from the Harvard Business School, very recently proposed the AAA Framework, a three-dimensional framework that can be used to describe international strategy (2007). It expands on the integration-responsiveness tensionfurther and Ghemawat argues that if it is assumed that the main tension in the case of global strategy lies between economies of scale and local responsiveness pushes organizations in giving a cold shoulder to the other functional response in opposition of cross border integration: arbitrage. Several companies have found big opportunities in the form of value creation in exploitation instead of just bending to or surmounting the variations they come to face at the borders of their different markets. The three dimensions encompassed in the AAA triangle are: Adaptation: It has an intention of increasing sales via optimal exploitation of the local demand. Aggregation: It has an intention of reaching economies of scale via creation of global operations. Arbitrage: It has an intention of exploiting diverse countries via establishment of different value chain parts in different locations. Figure 1. AAA Framework Source: (Ghemawat 2007) Companies with AAA Framework In the Australian airlines industry, both Qantas and Virgin Australia are big names. In the international airspace, Qantas enjoyed substantial presence before the growth of the Middle Eastern and Asian carriers. The new low-cost modern capacities that came up in Europe routes captured Qantas market share and kept on eroding it. Qantas moved towards irrelevance and oblivion and decided they need to take dramatic steps to diminish their cost base and remodel their global strategy (Bartholomeusz 2013). Qantas had been suffering huge losses in their international business while their European services stopover point was Singapore. To adapt to the needs of their business, they struck a deal with Emirates airlines and decided to replace Singapore with Dubai to overhaul their loss making overseas business. The two airlines co-ordinate pricing, sales and flight schedules and even have a profit sharing agreement concerning the flights operating between Australia and UK. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce described the event to be a huge step ahead in an effort to bring back profitability for their international business. In Middle East and Asia Qantas faced huge competition from other carriers, along with the rising fuel prices. Qantas traditional model was put aside to get into a new arrangement, the first of its kind for the organization. Further, they decided to remove existing code sharing agreements in Europe and close down services in Frankfurt (Hume 2012). It can be seen that Ghemawats arbitrage dimension is in play here. Virgin Australia of the Virgin Group, resides as one of Australias top three best airline carrier with Qantas and Air New Zealand. Very recently last year the carrier faced an issue when their chief executive, John Borgetti, came face-to-face with a crisis in the form of a major shareholder who attempted ousting him over his refusal in reining Virgin expensive growth strategy. He retaliated by joining hands with two new Chinese shareholders, HNA Group and Nanshan Group (Smyth 2016). Like Qantas, using the arbitrage strategy, Virgin Australia put a step ahead to maintain its position as a viable competitor to Qantas, and at the same time use the boom in travel and tourism to its advantage. Virgin has been looking for growth and China, being the future for inbound travel, has been a strategic choice to unite with. Reports showed that in 2015 100m Chinese travelled overseas, and there has been significant rise in the investments into overseas lifestyle and services business over the las t few years from the Chinese people (Thomson 2016). The two new shareholders would now equally share the burden of Virgin Australia along with the carriers other shareholders. Borghetti wanted to put to good use the fastest growing source of tourists from China and thus struck a deal with HNA Group, who bought 13% stake of the Australian carrier. According to forecasts, the Chines tourist numbers in Australia is calculated to go up to 4m a year by the year 2030 and the projected growth potential is remarkable (Janda 2016). Coming to a very different industry, retail, an Australian retail company that has incorporated elements of Ghemawats AAA framework is Wesfarmers. Wesfarmers had been faring well in the Australian market, unlike its rival Coles. Even though Coles had a huge market base, they lost out significant number of customers and submerged in debts . Wesfarmers was looking for market expansion and they saw a lucrative opportunity in Coles. Their main motive was, as Richard Goyder, said was to give back Coles its rightful position in the retail business in Australia, and the fact that it would be a substantial and attractive addition in the Wesfarmers business added more viability to it. With Coles was added the vast expanse of the retailers business. The shareholders had an added interest they wanted to end their uncertainty and keep Coles as the Australian-owned business that it was and its staff benefitted from a revitalized retail force. Along with Coles came a significant growth in the ope rational base of Wesfarmers and a large number of new employees (King 2015). After the acquisition in 2007, Coles Group officially suspended their shares from close of trading on the ASX in the same year (Coles acquisition 2017). In this act by Wesfarmers, Ghemawats adaptation strategy can be seen in play, as Wesfarmers attempted to remodel their firm by including Coles in the operations and at the same time they wanted to focus on the local strategies and local conditions and adjust their strategies accordingly for maximum profitability. Harvey Norman is considered Australias finest retail electronics and furniture chain, with a vast history of retailing behind them. They experienced the worst retail turndowns of the decade and decided not to open any more stores in their domestic market (Carruthers and Cleary 2012). The retail market has shifted largely in the last decade, from the internet to overseas competition from online retailers. Their business model of direct property ownership and franchising has worked for long, serving customers, vendors and shareholders properly (Bell 2014). However, they needed a new model and they moved outside Australia into Ireland, Croatia and Malaysia. Malaysia was chosen as the country boasted of an increasingly wealthy population which is growing at 4 per cent annually. They did not close their domestic stores though. Harveys simple solution was to invest outside Australia and increase the number of overseas stores. That is exactly what they did (Korporaal 2016). Halting the stor e openings in Australia the firm focused on overseas expansion to chart new waters and exploit the diverse economics, exactly like the arbitrage strategy of Ghemawats AAA framework. One very important reason the renowned firm concentrated on overseas business instead of the domestic one was the poor articulation of the government regarding where the economy is going for the retail industry. They knew repositioning their business would be tough and that its too late, but they set their eyes on remodeling and that they did (Korporaal 2016). Experienced Outcomes Coming to the success and failure story of the four firms discussed above, AAA framework has played a big role a positive role. Ghemawats strategic dimensions bought in profitability for all the four firms, in different measurements. For Qantas, who followed the arbitrage strategy, the success with the Dubai port was historic. The partnership between Qantas and Emirates brought in a tectonic shift in the global aviation industry and it reformed the entire landscape for Australian travelers. Dubai became the Flying Kangaroos center spot for international network, reducing time and expense for the travelers. It brought scores of European destinations within the one-stop away purview from the Emirates Dubai hub. Together the carriers are taking more travelers to more different places, sharing customers and destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. In addition, the joining of the two opened up the Emirates flights for the Qantas loyalists out of Australia, who received t he benefit of booking flights under their QF numbers only and earn the Qantas frequent flyers points full serve along with status credits. The frequent flyer card can also allow access into almost all Emirates lounges, making its special and different for loyal customers of Qantas (Flynn 2015). Using arbitrage strategy of Ghemawat, even Virgin Australia gained success. Their partnership with Chines giant HNA opened huge doors for them. It put virgin in the second position after Qantas, even after repeated financial losses for a couple of years. Putting Virgin in the competition again, the adoption of the strategy turned it into a viable competitor to Qantas, even though Qantas has hold of 63% of the domestic airline market. The Chinese airlines had for long held international ambitions for their carriers and were seeking partners for exploiting the rising tourism boom in the country. With the venture, a significant growth opportunity for both the countrys airline business came in with the opening of international routes. The tourist numbers are expected to rise exponentially in the near future (Palmer 2016). The strategy has reformed Virgin into a full service airline, making it leave behind its budget carrier tag and compete directly with the Flying Kangaroo. The Australia n customers have benefitted significantly, who have reaped benefits of lower domestic airfares in the duopoly market. The implementation of the strategy was a success in the financial aspect also, with Chines shareholders contributing huge support to the cash-strapped Virgin. The cooperation has extended to sharing of codes, frequent flyer programs and mutual lounge access. It has also made interesting dynamics within the management team, even after being challenging for both the parties (Hatch, Freed and Smith 2016). The objective Wesfarmers had in acquiring Coles for themselves was fulfilled after the full remodeling of the Coles side of operations. The iconic brand of Coles underperformed for full ten years. With a bloated head office and a poorly managed business, all the aspects of the firm was in a downfall. The adoption of the adaptation strategy was a bold move from Wesfarmers side a risky acquisition. But the business today is unrecognizable. Under the leadership of Ian McLeod the profits doubled and the business went on to outperform its direct competitor Woolworths for consecutively four years. More than $2 billion of free income has been come back to Wesfarmers and for the shareholders huge value has been created. Costs have been decreased for Australian purchasers and the nature of fresh food expanded with enormous changes in the benchmarks of produce-developing and animal farming. It is most likely the best performing global top 30 food retailer in the course of recent years (Norman 2013). A similar success story can be seen in the case of Harvey Norman. The company expanded into new countries and explored new economies, which has brought a long awaited success and revenue spike. The 13 Irish stores recently experienced growth by more than 10% and the online sales by 38%, backed up by the recent acceleration of the Irish retail economy. They also reaped benefits of their investment program in its Irish estate at the time of recession. The success has boosted their confidence, encouraging them to open more stores in the region. The adaptation they have adopted and the expansion they have done has brought in the much needed success for the well-known retail firm. They got the experience of the benefits of model change and how adaptation to modern procedures can actually improve their competitive advantage in the market (Paul 2016). Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said the Ghemawats AAA framework has proven to be extremely profitable and successful for the four organizations discussed Qantas, Virgin Australia, Wesfarmers and Harvey Norman. The organizations might not have incorporated all the dimensions of the framework, but seven the adoption of single dimensions has proven be largely beneficial for them. Organizations can invoke inspiration from such cases and implement these strategic dimensions in their operations, singularly or all three, to reap benefits and gain competitive advantage in the global market. References Bartholomeusz, S., 2013. Qantas's international strategy. [online] Theaustralian.com.au. Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-spectator/qantas-flying-high-with-international-strategy/news-story/a57f45e8fdbe85f35f906871150b2034 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Bell, N., 2014. Why Harvey Norman has run out of steam. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/why-harvey-norman-has-run-out-of-steam-20140124-31db5.html [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Carruthers, F. and Cleary, A., 2012. Go Harvey, go overseas, says Gerry. [online] Financial Review. Available at: https://www.afr.com/business/retail/go-harvey-go-overseas-says-gerry-20120108-j3mme [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Coles acquisition, 2017. Wesfarmers - Investor Centre - Coles acquisition. [online] Ir.wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://ir.wesfarmers.com.au/phoenix.zhtml?c=144042p=irol-coles [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Flynn, D., 2015. The Qantas-Emirates alliance: two years on.... [online] Australian Business Traveller. Available at: https://www.ausbt.com.au/the-qantas-emirates-alliance-two-years-on [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Ghemawat, P., 2007. Managing Differences:The Central Challenge of Global Strategy. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2007/03/managing-differences-the-central-challenge-of-global-strategy [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Hatch, P., Freed, J. and Smith, M., 2016. Virgin Australia sells stake to China's HNA Aviation Group. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/virgin-australia-enters-agreement-with-chinas-hna-aviation-group-20160530-gp7peo.html [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Hume, N., 2012. Qantas agrees alliance with Emirates. [online] Ft.com. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/7ba99556-f7c3-11e1-ba54-00144feabdc0 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Janda, M., 2016. Virgin Australia strikes partnership with China's HNA. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-31/virgin-australia-strikes-airline-deal-with-hna-aviation/7461902 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. King, M., 2015. Wesfarmers Ltd: A retailing giant. [online] Motley Fool Australia. Available at: https://www.fool.com.au/2015/06/11/wesfarmers-ltd-a-retailing-giant/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Korporaal, G., 2016. Harvey Norman turns a page. [online] Theaustralian.com.au. Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/harvey-norman-turns-a-page-in-singapore/news-story/2fcfd61d4d071720ca50cb699fc14ff2 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Norman, A., 2013. Against the odds Wesfarmers has taken Coles to the top of the supermarket tree. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/against-the-odds-wesfarmers-has-taken-coles-to-the-top-of-the-supermarket-tree-20130128-2dgvb.html [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Palmer, D., 2016. Chinas HNA grabs Virgin stake. [online] Theaustralian.com.au. Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/chinas-hna-to-nab-13pc-stake-in-virgin-australia/news-story/23243736ff2970cef930128b60912944 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Paul, M., 2016. Harvey Norman seeks expansion as sales rise 10% to 170m. [online] The Irish Times. Available at: https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/harvey-norman-seeks-expansion-as-sales-rise-10-to-170m-1.2774756 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Smyth, J., 2016. Virgin Australia makes its China move. [online] Ft.com. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/b5d3b812-3453-11e6-bda0-04585c31b153 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Thomson, A., 2016. Chinas HNA group snaps up stake in Virgin Australia. [online] Ft.com. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/27810a4e-2687-11e6-8b18-91555f2f4fde [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Bibliography Harveynorman.com.au. 2017. Harvey Norman | Shop Online for Computers, Electrical, Furniture, Bedding, Bathrooms Flooring | Harvey Norman Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.harveynorman.com.au/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Qantas.com. 2017. Fly with Australias most popular airline | Qantas AU. [online] Available at: https://www.qantas.com/au/en.html [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Virgin Australia. 2017. Virgin Australia | Book flights holidays with Virgin Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017]. Wesfarmers.com.au. 2017. Wesfarmers. [online] Available at: https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2017].

War And Society Essays - Culture, Structure, Cultural Studies

War And Society Keeleys is attempting to prove that primitive warfare throughout history has been effective and occasionally more successful than civilized methods. Throughout Chapter five of War Before Civilization, evidence is displayed showing the different success rates of primitive warfare compared to its civilized counterpart. Two examples that offer proof to Keeleys theory are: 1. Julius Caesars Roman legion was incapable of conquering England, which was defended by the undisciplined, barbarian hosts of Celts and Germans. Raids and ambush tactics demonstrated by the barbarians deferred a Roman triumph for a century. (A.D.9.) (Pg.72) 2. During the Battle of Little Big Horn, two hundred U.S. soldiers led by Colonel Custer were ambushed and defeated by one thousand and eight hundred Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. (1866) (Pg.73) Certainly, aspects of primitive warfare have had high success rates throughout war and history, yet the majority of Keelys examples are only of individual battles. The majority of Primitive societies lack the required population, food, and artillery to win the war. Attempting to differentiate the success rate of primitive and civilized warfare is an unattainable task. While particular historical battles have proved the effectiveness of uncivilized warfare, economic and social resources should be considered in every individual case. Keelys illustrations and examples of past war patterns disprove the myth that primitive societies will always be defeated by civilized armies in time of war. Proving primitive effectiveness is clearly Keelys aspiration in Chapter Five. (Pg.71) Keelys various examples from different centuries demonstrate that primitive warfare has occasionally been victorious in opposition to civilized societies. History Essays

Shapes and Texture Essay Example

Shapes and Texture Essay Example Shapes and Texture Essay Shapes and Texture Essay Roman copy after an original Greek fresco of c. 300 b. c. Mosaic, 106. ? 201. in. (271 ? 512 cm). Also known as the â€Å"Alexander Mosaic†. In 2D, actual textures are found in collages which may glue on a surface real objects such as newspaper clippings, tickets, cloth, coins as elements of the composition. Girl with a Mandolin Pablo PicassoTexture from the artist’s handling of paint and brush Impressionist and Expressionist paintings possess an immediate physical presence that invites TOUCH. Alfred Sisley, Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne Vincent Van Gogh, The Red Vineyard TEXTURE IN 3D Actual texture can be found in the natural quality of the medium. The sculptor may also choose to enhance or to modify the original qualities of the material. Praxiteles enhanced the marble medium which he polished to a high sheen, giving the marble a sensuous glow to simulate the texture of the skin. Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus French sculptor Auguste Rodin turned away fro m the classical â€Å"finish† and cultivated a rough and lively surface to the effect the interplay of light on the sculptural form. He often leaves a part of the work unfinished for the viewer to complete in his or her imagination. The Walking Man T’ang potters (618906) usually leave the lower section of their jars unglazed to bring out the contrast between the glazed area and the even neutral biscuit of the body. Two traditions can be distinguished in the study of textures in art. – Ideal of the finished surface.Long dominant tradition of placing value on smooth, lustrous textures that are associated with costly materials accessible to the elite, such as different kinds of marble, gold, precious silks. – Zen aesthetics of Asian art. The zen concept of sabi (the values of rustic unpretentiousness of archaic imperfection, apparent simplicity of effortlessness in execution) The ideal of the â€Å"finished† surface The European beaux arts academi es strengthened the old tradition by formulating a hierarchy of materials in art. Marble was the most favored material in sculpture. Oil on canvas for painting. Donatello, â€Å"David† Only works in these media could be considered for salon competitions, and those in other materials were not deemed to merit serious consideration. Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin The ideal of imperfection Sabi literally means â€Å"loneliness† or â€Å"solitude† In Zen aesthetics, irregularities of form, imperfections of glaze, slight damages and scars, and a certain air of incompleteness show that â€Å"beauty is not captive to perfection† CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES TO TEXTURE Modernist artists (Impressionists, Cubists and Futurists) reacted to the structures of the academy. They released art from the obligatory conventions of medium and opened endless artistic possibilities in terms of new materials and textures, as well as techniques producing textures. Fuma ge in which the paper is darkened or smoked with soot from a flame. Wolfgang Paalen’s fumage One can create art from all kinds of materials and textures, that the artist does well to respect and appreciate the natural beauty of materials derived from the living environment. It is best to work with locally available materials to convey the character of the natural and social setting.SHAPES Shapes are twodimensional or threedimensional. Two-dimensional shapes exist as planes having length and width. Three-dimensional shapes possess length, width, and volume. Classification of Shapes Geometric (rectilinear or curvilinear) Biomorphic Free inventions – As signifiers, their meanings are often derived from cultural codes and symbolic systems. GEOMETRIC SHAPES Rectilinear Angular geometric shapes Made up of straight lines and angles Generally hard, firm and more cerebral, unemotional, impersonal than curvilinear shapes. Definite, measurable, predictable, masculine in character. Basis of stability of the universe. In symbolism, the cube stands for the earth or the material world of the four elements. It also symbolizes unyielding structures, whether reason or law. The broader its base the more stable. Small base = sense of precariousness and danger, since it becomes mentally associated with sharp points, spikes and slivers of glass. Signifies stability when it rests on its base with the apex pointed upwards. Symbolizes fire and the aspiration of all things toward a higher unity.Curvilinear Circle as a selfcontained form without angles or corners signifies perfection, eternity, a closed universe or the state of oneness. No beginning nor end Represents circular movement. Other curvilinear shape are oval, cylinder and cone. GEOMETRIC SHAPES IN DIFFERENT CULTURES Mandala – geometric shape used as an aid to mental concentration and meditation. Three basic principles: – Center – Symmetry – Cardinal points The c ircle or disc as emblem of the sun, the primal source of light and energy. Yin-Yang signifies the interactive dualism or dialectics.Idea of opposites. Islamic Art Molded tile panel, 13th–14th century lkhanid period; Iran, Nishapur Ceramic with turquoise and cobalt glaze A perfect expression of radiation from a central point, the star is the most popular design element in Islamic art. The six-pointed stars in this pattern are molded with a lotus design from China, an important influence on Islamic art. GEOMETRIC SHAPES IN CONTEMPORARY ART Paul Cezanne advanced the theory that the entire universe can be reduced to three shapes: – sphere, cone, cylinder Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1904-6, Oil on CanvasBridget Riley, â€Å"Pause† 1964 Victor Vasarely, â€Å"Gestalt 4† 1970 BIOMORPHIC SHAPES Biomorphic shapes are derived from living organisms. Some are microscopic and unicellular – amoeba Egg, internal organs, are also biomorphic shapes Leaves, flowers, and fruits are biomorphic shapes of an infinite variety. Shape implies a defining outline, â€Å"form† implies structure as well. Nature in Art Rococo decorative design characterized by floral and plant motifs forming garlands and wreaths. Egyptian column with papyrus leaves for motif.FREE SHAPES Found in painting and sculpture or the visual arts in general as inventions of the artist. They are neither geometric following mathematical definition nor biomorphic following patterns of organic growth and the shapes of living things. Often found in abstract art where they may suggest fantasy and whim. Also related to doodling and automatic writing of Surrealist art which draws images from subconscious level of mind. Joan Miro, â€Å"The Garden† Wassily Kandinsky, â€Å"Composition no. 7† Alexander Calder Cow, 1926 Elephant, 1928

Boiled Frog Phenomenon in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Boiled Frog Phenomenon in Business - Essay Example The veracity of this phenomenon is however, a suspect. Scripture (1897) informs that " a live frog can actually be boiled without a movement if the water is heated slowly enough; in one experiment the temperature was raised at a rate of 0.002C. per second, and the frog was found dead at the end of 2 hours without having moved." Many other scientists though debunk this concept (Gibbons, 2002). The "Boiled Frog" syndrome is often used in business, politics, environment, and other day-to-day activities. In strategic management, this refers to the inability of the companies to detect slow and gradual changes, which could be detrimental to its businesses. While most companies are adept at identifying sudden changes, gradual changes are difficult to detect. Polynice (2009) infers that "the frog metaphor for organizations is that we as a whole should try and identify the threats of our survival at an early stage when we still have time to plan rather than react to that particular threat; which will be too late. Furthermore, we must also learn how to reduce our threshold of change in order to be able to identify smaller changes that are occurring in our environment." This phenomenon can occur in all fields of business, viz., operations, external environment, business acquisition, logistics, etc.. InInstances analogous to "Boiled Frog" often occur in the business environment. In fact, the term was first used by Roger Ford (2002), columnist for Modern Railways magazine while describing privatization of British Rail. A business example of such a situation is the British Railways after privatization. The company Railtrack plc (Railtrack, 2009) took over the railway infrastructure from the government after privatization in April 1994. This new company owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and almost all the stations of in UK. It is believed that the company abused its near monopolistic position, and did not commit itself to necessary improvements in infrastructure and safety. Regulators were appointed, but Railtrack resisted regulatory pressures to improve its performance. The performance of the company deteriorated gradually, but there was no recognition of it within the company. Finally, a few crashes, particularly the Hatfield (Hatfield rail crash, 200 9) crash on October 17, 2000 exposed the deep-seated safety and maintenance problems of Railtrack. Though only four fatalities occurred in the crash, it exposed the lack of proper management practices and set into motion a chain of events, which finally led to the sell-off of Railtrack to government owned Network Rail in October 2002. While the root-cause-analysis revealed the root cause of the Hatfield accident to be "Rolling Contact Fatigue", there were several other contributory factors. This included divesting of much of the engineering knowledge of erstwhile British Rail into maintenance contractors. The record keeping of Railtrack was also not adequate. On investigation, several similar potential track problems were discovered. At the