Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Honor Thy Father and Mother: an Essay Concerning the Condition of Elderly Care in the United States Essay

In the world we live in, we grow up and get older. It’s a sad and simple fact that we can’t be young forever. When we are growing up, we are cared for by our parents, relatives, and many more people. They care for us because at that point in our lives, we didn’t know how to take care of ourselves. As we grew older we learned how to care for ourselves and no longer necessarily needed the help of those other people. There comes a point in our aging process that we begin to forget how to care for ourselves or lose the means to do it alone. Usually what will happen is the family that you have left will either hire someone to care for you in your own home or move you to a nursing facility. Jean Marcusson is an 88 year old woman. She has three kids (one of which is my mother). In May of 2013 she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Shortly after it became apparent that she wasn’t able to care for herself in her own home. She was having trouble rememberin g who people were, where she was, and sometime she would forget what she was doing. There were instances where she turned on the stove to boil water for tea, but forgot to put water in the kettle. Abother, when she attended my graduation she didn’t know whose graduation it was. It’s tough for her family to help her when they all have their own lives to lead. Her daughters and son have spent a lot of their time this summer taking care of her, but it is growing old. After a month of taking care of her for a month in her home, the doctors decided that she needed to be put in a rehab center. Immediately after that she was moved into the John Knox Rehab Facility. She was confused, nothing seemed right to her. Her first thought was that she was in a hotel. At that point we began to realize that she was suffering from dementia. She couldn’t tell the difference between her children or grandchildren. She couldn’t remember whether or not her husband was alive or where she lived before arriving at the rehab facility. A few weeks into her stay at John Knox, Jean came down with very serious pneumonia. The doctors decided to move her back to Lee’s Summit Medical Center. Speculation led doctors to believe that she caught it at the rehab center. Once she got better, they moved her back into the facility. She seemed to be doing well, until there was a day when she was completely dehydrated and wouldn’t leave her bed. At first they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. My mom was sitting with her that night and found some pills on the floor. It became apparent that when the nurse brought her pills to her in the morning that she would throw them on the floor once the nurse left the room. The whole episode left her family very upset with the quality of care she was receiving. Another incident was when she decided to go to the restroom without alerting a nurse and fell on her way there. Being old and fragile, she bruised very easily and this fall left the right side of her face blackened . The condition she was in at the rehab center left us to wonder how she could ever live by herself at her home again. Insurance only covered her staying in the rehab center until the end of August. For her to live in her home again, we would have to hire full time nurses that would be there 24/7 to look after her. That’s something that just won’t fly for her, plus it’s expensive. For a nurse to be at her house caring for her eight hours a day, it would cost $5,000 a month. So you can imagine how much 24 hours a day would cost. In my opinion, the rehab center didn’t help Jean at all. I would say it made her worse. Her anxiety developed when they made her leave her home and her dementia got much worse from there. In the year 2000, two thousand nursing homes were studied. The findings reported that 44% said they had been abused. 95% said they had been neglected or had seen another resident be neglected. The National Center of Elder Abuse (NCEA) shows the majority of elderly abuse is physically, resident to resident, or psychological. Nearly 1 in 3 nursing homes have been cited for violating national standards for treatment of the elderly. Over 50% of nursing home staff has admitted to mistreating older patients through violence, mental abuse, and neglect, two thirds of those incidents involved neglect. A survey of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) found that 17% of CNAs had pushed or grabbed a nursing home resident, 51% had reported yelling at a resident, and 23% had sworn at residents. A U.S. GAO report to Congress states â€Å"Our work shows that nursing home residents need both stronger and more immediate protections. More should be done to protect nursing home residents.† Another issue I would like to discuss is abuse of the elderly by family or friends. There are some families in this world who have older people in their families who can no longer take care of themselves; to the family these people are vulnerable. The family will begin to care for the elderly person and expect compensation of some sort. Many drug abusers look to take money from the parents or grandparents and are the most likely to abuse a relative. 66% of elderly abuse cases are caused by adult children or spouses. 42% of murder victims over the age of 60 were murdered by their own o ffspring. While we can all agree that abuse of the elderly is a despicable act. It is possible to slightly justify the actions of the abusers. Elderly people aren’t the most enjoyable people to take care of. I can provide a small testimony to that as I work in fast food and I am often given a lot of crap from elderly customers. Honestly, there is no good way to justify elderly abuse, while the actions of the abusers may seem justifiable to them, they aren’t. You can’t justify abusing anyone, but I understand that the abuser had a reason to do what they did that may have seemed right to them. Jean Marcusson’s case is different though, the things she dealt with at John Knox might not have been on purpose. Even if they were, there is nothing we can do to prove it and it would be a waste of time to try. Ensuring that the people that made those mistakes are punished won’t make Jean any better. It severely disturbs me that a person can be okay with hurting a person, especially an elderly one. It amazes me that our parents or other relatives raise us and teach us how to live. Yet when they become old and need our help some refuse because they think that you shouldn’t rely on other people to take care of you. What would have happened had our parents just left us to fend for ourselves and learn the ropes of surviving in this world. We would probably be dead or much different than we are now, that is something I don’t want to imagine. Take care of the elderly as if you were in their position and wanted someone to take care of you. You’ll probably be in that position someday and expect someone to be there to help you.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

How to Get Motivated Essay

Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It’s the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day. It’s the crucial element in setting and attaining goals—and research shows you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control. So figure out what you want, power through the pain period, and start being who you want to be. 5 Keys to Unlock Your Creative Motivation Motivation is a much more complex process than just â€Å"wanting† to do something. When you’re working on a creative project and the going gets tough, if you’re not motivated enough, you’ll quit. And it always gets tough, whether you’re a novelist, artist, musician, or even a creative entrepreneur. In my own research with highly experienced writers, I found that motivators are often combined for best effect. Here, then, are 5 ways to raise your motivation level: 1. Increase the challenge of your project. Try something you’ve never done before. When I interviewed bestselling novelist Diana Gabaldon, she told me that she once gave herself the challenge of writing a â€Å"triple-nested flashback.† For many of us, concocting an ordinary flashback is challenge enough, but those are a snap for her. 2. Change your creative method for the stimulation of a fresh approach. I f you typically write with an outline, try not to. Or begin writing without an ending in mind. If you never write with a plan, see what happens if you plan ahead. Even if it doesn’t work, you’ll learn something. Here’s Wells Tower, author of a volume of short stories, Everything Ravaged Everything Burned: I can never coldly write a story; it doesn’t work. I’ve tried it where I have an outline, and I’ll think this is going to be so easy, but when I sit down of course it’s not. You have to get into a state of autohypnosis and let the story be what it wants to be. 3. Create from a different point of view. Do you always write in first-person? Do you never write in first-person point of view? Try the opposite. Or create something artistic from the point of view of the bicycle, or the car, or the dog or cat, or the new immigrant or the alien from outer space. 4. Look deeper to find your intrinsic motivation. Here’s how poet Ralph Angel put it: As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve learned in recent years that writing, even more than some of the most important relationships in my life, is where I am most in touch with myself, and, worst case scenario, people I love die and my life goes on. But if anything took me away from the work, I would be separated somehow from myself. 5. Forget about the goal and find the fun. This is the most crucial key to entering flow. Put all thought of audience aside for the time being and find something pleasurable about what you’re trying to create. If it’s not fun, figure out why not and make it more engaging for yourself. There’s nothing trivial about fun, as I’ve found in my talks with great creative individuals. It’s one of the many motivators that bring them back to the work they do, day in and day out. The 3 Biggest Myths About Motivation That Won’t Go Away Just Write Down Your Goals, and Success is Guaranteed! There is a story that motivational speakers/authors love to tell about the Yale Class of 1953.Researchers, so the story goes, asked graduating Yale seniors if they had specific goals they wanted to achieve in the future that they had written down. Twenty years later, the researchers found that the mere 3% of students who had specific, written goals were wealthier than the other 97% combined. Isn’t that amazing? It would be if it were true, which it isn’t. I wish it were that simple. To be fair, there is evidence that getting specific about what you want to achieve is really important. (Not a guaranteed road to fabulous wealth, but still important.) In other words, specificity is necessary, but it’s not nearly sufficient. Writing goals down is actually neither – it can’t hurt, but there’s also no hard evidence that writing per se does anything to help. Just Try to Do Your Best! Telling someone, or yourself, to just â€Å"do your best† is believed to be a great motivator. It isn’t. Theoretically, it encourages without putting on too much pressure. In reality, and rather ironically, it is more-or-less permission to be mediocre. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, two renown organizational psychologists, have spent several decades studying the difference between â€Å"do your best† goals and their antithesis: specific and difficult goals. Evidence from more than 1,000 studies conducted by researchers across the globe shows that goals that not only spell out exactly what needs to be accomplished, but that also set the bar for achievement high, result in far superior performance than simply trying to â€Å"do your best.† That’s because more difficult goals cause you to, often unconsciously, increase your effort, focus and commitment to the goal, persist longer, and make better use of the most effective strategies. Just Visualize Succe ss! Advocates of â€Å"positive thinking† are particularly fond of this piece of advice. But visualizing success, particularly effortless success, is not just unhelpful – it’s a great way to set yourself up for failure. Few motivational gurus understand that there’s an awfully big difference between believing you will succeed, and believing you will succeed easily. Realistic optimists believe they will succeed, but also believe they have to make success happen – through things like effort, careful planning, persistence, and choosing the right strategies. They don’t shy away from thinking â€Å"negative† thoughts, like what obstacles will I face? and how will I deal with them? Unrealistic optimists, on the other hand, believe that success will happen to them, if they do lots and lots of visualizing. Recent research shows that this actually (and once again, ironically) serves to drain the very energy we need to reach our goals. People who sp end too much time fantasizing about the wonderful future that awaits them don’t have enough gas left in the tank to actually get there.

Monday, July 29, 2019

H.G. Wells’s Time Machine

The cultural and intellectual climate of the last decade of nineteenth century was dominated by the theory of evolution and socialist ideas. It was an age when aristocratic gentlemen had the time and inclination to discuss and debate upon all kinds of social and scientific things, including time travel. At the very beginning, the novel succeeds in setting a tone of passionate intellectual curiosity and open-minded enquiry.Protagonist’s Journey of Plot and Conflict The Protagonist: The novel’s protagonist, identified only as the Time Traveller, is essentially a scientist and inventor. He is very scientifically minded, and comes out as a character whose life is dedicated to scientific advancement and understanding the nature of the world and life. Reason is central to his outlook of the world. In his investigations, he has stumbled upon some radical insights in the structure of reality, which lead him to build his fantastic time machine.The initial events: The novel begin s as the Time Traveller invites his friends to inspect his new invention – a time machine. He explains the idea to them†¦There are really four dimensions, three which we call the three planes of Space, and a fourth, Time†¦ There is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space except that our consciousness moves along it. (1)Scientists and mathematicians have been talking about a possible fourth dimension before him, but our inventor rightly identifies the fourth dimension not with an extra spatial dimension but with time. He then shows his friends a small model of his invention — a metallic frame with ivory and quartz parts. One lever can propel it toward the future, and another can reverse the direction. He helps one of his friends push the future lever, and the model promptly disappears. Where did it go? It did not move in space at all; it simply went to another time, the Time Traveller explains. His friends cannot decide whether to b elieve him.Next, the Time Traveller takes his friends to his home laboratory, to see his nearly complete, full-scale model. A week later he finishes the time machine, climbs aboard, and begins a remarkable journey to the future. The narrative is recounted in flash back, after the Time Traveller is back from his adventures.Seated in his time machine, the Time Traveller first presses the future lever gently forward. Then he presses the one for stopping. He looks at his lab. Everything is the same. Then he notices the clock: â€Å"A moment before, as it seemed, it had stood at a minute or so past ten; now it was nearly half-past three!† He pushes the lever ahead again, and he can see his housekeeper flit across the room at high speed. Then he pushes the lever far forward.The night came like the turning out of a light, and in another moment came tomorrow†¦. As I put on a pace, night followed day like the flapping of a black wing†¦ Presently, as I went on, still gaining velocity, the palpitation of night and day merged into one continuous grayness†¦ I saw huge buildings rise up faint and fair, and pass like dreams. (1)Eventually, the Time Traveller brings his vehicle to a stop. The machine's dials show that he has arrived in the year 802,701. What does he find?The Conflict: In the distant future where the Time Traveller lands, the human race has split into two species: one, brutish and mean, living below ground — the Morlocks; the other, childlike and gentle, living above ground — the Eloi. The central conflict of the novel revolves around these two groups. The Time Traveller identifies himself with the Eloi, at least to a degree, and among them he finds a lovely young woman named Weena, whom he befriends. Weena can be considered as the protagonist’s love interest. But soon he discovers, to his horror, that the troglodytes living below are cannibals and prey on the Eloi. Several adventures follow. The action scene of peak importance is the Time Traveller reclaiming his Time Machine stolen by the Morlocks escaping.The Climax: The novel has a kind of apocalyptic climax/anticlimax. Escaping from the Morlocks, the protagonist pushes the lever into the extreme forward position. By the time he is able to bring the machine under control, he has moved into the far future. Mammals have become extinct, and only some crablike creatures and butterflies remain on Earth. He explores as far as 30 million years into the future, where he discovers a dull red Sun and lichen-like vegetation; the only animal life in evidence is a football-shaped creature with tentacles. Wells's Time Traveller witnesses the end of the world, and apocalyptic vision that he carries back to the present. His revelation of finiteness implies that we can expect and must accept an end to life, an inevitable doomsday.The Epilogue: The Time Traveller then returns to his own time and to his friends. As proof of his experience in the future, he pro duces a couple of flowers Weena had given him, of a type unknown to his friends. After talking to his friends, the Time Traveller departs on his time machine and never returns. The narrator wonders about his fate. Where did he go? Did he return to the future or go instead to some prehistoric realm?Narration The bulk of the story is told from the viewpoint of the Time Traveller. The substance of the story is, however, framed within the narration of one of Time Traveller’s guests. This guest, the frame narrator, introduces the Time Traveller and lets him relate his adventure in an inset narrative. The frame narrator’s outside viewpoint carries a degree of objectivity and gives credibility to the inventor's   inset narrative. He grounds the story in a reality with which the audience can identify before and after experiencing the wondrous trip in the time machine. With the return to familiar surroundings, the reader, like the Time Traveller, might question the reality of such a strange experience (â€Å"Is it all only a dream? They say life is a dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ), but the presence of an honorable gentleman in the form of frame narrator gives more plausibility to the narrative of the protagonist who is by nature a dreamer and a visionary.Theme and Meaning Wells's inventor's interest in time traveling seems primarily for the sake of scientific accomplishment, to gain knowledge for knowledge's sake. H.G. Wells' story begins with, and constantly refers back to, the time machine itself. However, the machine is simply a device allowing the author to present his own perspective on a possible future. The main thrust of the story lies in this form of forecasting and prediction and also in the social comment about the conflicts between different classes or kinds of society. The main intent is not so much to explore the questions of time, but to illustrate the ultimate possible consequence of social and economic divisions of humanity. Thus, this story can be seen more as a social and political criticism than science fiction.The Time Traveller does not have a definite cause and effect explanation for the Eloi's society. To shape his theories he relies on the scientific method, using empirical evidence to reach conclusion that he reformulates with the discovery of new information. However, his inconclusive conclusions are largely conjectures.   The Time Traveller bases his hypotheses on socioeconomic conditions and theories (especially socialism) prevalent in his own period of the late nineteenth century, and on a metaphorical image of the capitalist and worker.Without knowledge of some causal chain, he lacks definite information to show what other variable elements may have affected mankind to produce the bifurcation of the human species and the predator-prey relationship of the Morlock and Eloi. While such ambiguities raise many unanswerable questions, the message that comes out of them is clear: any kind of widening gap between g roups of human race can prove costly in the end. The novel also answers one thing most directly: Eventually there will not be a trace of humanity left, the earth will become desolate and barren. The vision of the end of the world is perhaps the most haunting and yet the most enlightening aspect of this work, to me. I also wonder how it would have been if the Time Traveller pushed further, if only to catch the briefest glimpse into eternity.ConclusionNo idea from science fiction has captured the human imagination as much as time travel. We seem free to move around in space at will, but in time we are like helpless rafters in a mighty stream, propelled into the future at the rate of one second per second. One wishes one could sometimes paddle ahead to investigate the shores of the future, or perhaps turn around and go against the current to visit the past. The hope that such freedom will one day be ours is sustained when we observe that many feats formerly thought impossible have now been realized and are even taken for granted.When Wells wrote The Time Machine in 1895, many people thought that heavier-than-air flying machines were impossible. But just eight years later the Wright brothers proved the skeptics wrong. Flights to the Moon too strictly belonged to the realm of fantasy – until Apollo program achieved it. Might time travel be similar? Wells's swift-paced classic science fiction tale challenges us to dare to dream the impossible. The idea of time travel gained prominence through Wells's wonderful novel. Most remarkable is his treatment of time as a fourth dimension, which uncannily anticipates Einstein's use of the concept several years later.Interestingly, the Time Machine was Wells' first novel, and enjoyed an instant popularity, rescuing its author from obscurity and poverty. Today it stands as one of the greatest pioneering science fiction tales. I would like to read Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Moon after this.References:Wells H. G . (1898). The Time Machine. Retrieved May 10 2007 from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35/35.txt H.G. Wells’s Time Machine The Protagonist: The novel’s protagonist, identified only as the Time Traveller, is essentially a scientist and inventor. He is very scientifically minded, and comes out as a character whose life is dedicated to scientific advancement and understanding the nature of the world and life. Reason is central to his outlook of the world. In his investigations, he has stumbled upon some radical insights in the structure of reality, which lead him to build his fantastic time machine.The initial events: The novel begins as the Time Traveller invites his friends to inspect his new invention – a time machine. He explains the idea to them†¦There are really four dimensions, three which we call the three planes of Space, and a fourth, Time†¦ There is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space except that our consciousness moves along it. (1)Scientists and mathematicians have been talking about a possible fourth dimension before him, but our inventor rightly identifies the fourth dimension not with an extra spatial dimension but with time. He then shows his friends a small model of his invention — a metallic frame with ivory and quartz parts. One lever can propel it toward the future, and another can reverse the direction. He helps one of his friends push the future lever, and the model promptly disappears. Where did it go? It did not move in space at all; it simply went to another time, the Time Traveller explains. His friends cannot decide whether to believe him.Next, the Time Traveller takes his friends to his home laboratory, to see his nearly complete, full-scale model. A week later he finishes the time machine, climbs aboard, and begins a remarkable journey to the future. The narrative is recounted in flash back, after the Time Traveller is back from his adventures.Seated in his time machine, the Time Traveller first presses the future lever gently forward. Then he presses the one for stopping. He looks at his lab. Everything is the same. Then he notices the clock: â€Å"A moment before, as it seemed, it had stood at a minute or so past ten; now it was nearly half-past three!† He pushes the lever ahead again, and he can see his housekeeper flit across the room at high speed. Then he pushes the lever far forward.The night came like the turning out of a light, and in another moment came tomorrow†¦. As I put on a pace, night followed day like the flapping of a black wing†¦ Presently, as I went on, still gaining velocity, the palpitation of night and day merged into one continuous grayness†¦ I saw huge buildings rise up faint and fair, and pass like dreams. (1)Eventually, the Time Traveller brings his vehicle to a stop. The machine's dials show that he has arrived in the year 802,701. What does he find?The Conflict: In the distant future where the Time Traveller lands, the human race has split into two species: one, brutish and mean, living below ground — the Morlocks ; the other, childlike and gentle, living above ground — the Eloi. The central conflict of the novel revolves around these two groups. The Time Traveller identifies himself with the Eloi, at least to a degree, and among them he finds a lovely young woman named Weena, whom he befriends. Weena can be considered as the protagonist’s love interest. But soon he discovers, to his horror, that the troglodytes living below are cannibals and prey on the Eloi. Several adventures follow. The action scene of peak importance is the Time Traveller reclaiming his Time Machine stolen by the Morlocks escaping.The Climax: The novel has a kind of apocalyptic climax/anticlimax. Escaping from the Morlocks, the protagonist pushes the lever into the extreme forward position. By the time he is able to bring the machine under control, he has moved into the far future. Mammals have become extinct, and only some crablike creatures and butterflies remain on Earth. He explores as far as 30 million years into the future, where he discovers a dull red Sun and lichen-like vegetation; the only animal life in evidence is a football-shaped creature with tentacles. Wells's Time Traveller witnesses the end of the world, and apocalyptic vision that he carries back to the present. His revelation of finiteness implies that we can expect and must accept an end to life, an inevitable doomsday.The Epilogue: The Time Traveller then returns to his own time and to his friends. As proof of his experience in the future, he produces a couple of flowers Weena had given him, of a type unknown to his friends. After talking to his friends, the Time Traveller departs on his time machine and never returns. The narrator wonders about his fate. Where did he go? Did he return to the future or go instead to some prehistoric realm?The bulk of the story is told from the viewpoint of the Time Traveller. The substance of the story is, however, framed within the narration of one of Time Traveller’s gue sts. This guest, the frame narrator, introduces the Time Traveller and lets him relate his adventure in an inset narrative. The frame narrator’s outside viewpoint carries a degree of objectivity and gives credibility to the inventor's   inset narrative. He grounds the story in a reality with which the audience can identify before and after experiencing the wondrous trip in the time machine. With the return to familiar surroundings, the reader, like the Time Traveller, might question the reality of such a strange experience (â€Å"Is it all only a dream? They say life is a dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ), but the presence of an honorable gentleman in the form of frame narrator gives more plausibility to the narrative of the protagonist who is by nature a dreamer and a visionary.Wells's inventor's interest in time traveling seems primarily for the sake of scientific accomplishment, to gain knowledge for knowledge's sake. H.G. Wells' story begins with, and constantly refers back to, the time machine itself. However, the machine is simply a device allowing the author to present his own perspective on a possible future. The main thrust of the story lies in this form of forecasting and prediction and also in the social comment about the conflicts between different classes or kinds of society. The main intent is not so much to explore the questions of time, but to illustrate the ultimate possible consequence of social and economic divisions of humanity. Thus, this story can be seen more as a social and political criticism than science fiction.The Time Traveller does not have a definite cause and effect explanation for the Eloi's society. To shape his theories he relies on the scientific method, using empirical evidence to reach conclusion that he reformulates with the discovery of new information. However, his inconclusive conclusions are largely conjectures.   The Time Traveller bases his hypotheses on socioeconomic conditions and theories (especially socialism) pr evalent in his own period of the late nineteenth century, and on a metaphorical image of the capitalist and worker. Without knowledge of some causal chain, he lacks definite information to show what other variable elements may have affected mankind to produce the bifurcation of the human species and the predator-prey relationship of the Morlock and Eloi.While such ambiguities raise many unanswerable questions, the message that comes out of them is clear: any kind of widening gap between groups of human race can prove costly in the end. The novel also answers one thing most directly: Eventually there will not be a trace of humanity left, the earth will become desolate and barren. The vision of the end of the world is perhaps the most haunting and yet the most enlightening aspect of this work, to me. I also wonder how it would have been if the Time Traveller pushed further, if only to catch the briefest glimpse into eternity.No idea from science fiction has captured the human imaginat ion as much as time travel. We seem free to move around in space at will, but in time we are like helpless rafters in a mighty stream, propelled into the future at the rate of one second per second. One wishes one could sometimes paddle ahead to investigate the shores of the future, or perhaps turn around and go against the current to visit the past. The hope that such freedom will one day be ours is sustained when we observe that many feats formerly thought impossible have now been realized and are even taken for granted.When Wells wrote The Time Machine in 1895, many people thought that heavier-than-air flying machines were impossible. But just eight years later the Wright brothers proved the skeptics wrong. Flights to the Moon too strictly belonged to the realm of fantasy – until Apollo program achieved it. Might time travel be similar? Wells's swift-paced classic science fiction tale challenges us to dare to dream the impossible. The idea of time travel gained prominence through Wells's wonderful novel. Most remarkable is his treatment of time as a fourth dimension, which uncannily anticipates Einstein's use of the concept several years later.Interestingly, the Time Machine was Wells' first novel, and enjoyed an instant popularity, rescuing its author from obscurity and poverty. Today it stands as one of the greatest pioneering science fiction tales. I would like to read Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Moon after this.References:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wells H. G. (1898). The Time Machine. Retrieved May 10 2007 from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35/35.txt

Business Administration class Internal Analysis Essay

Business Administration class Internal Analysis - Essay Example The mission and vision statements of StilSim Company requires the company to acquire respect in the existing market through providing the best or quality services and going the extra mile to meet the clients’ requirements. This mission statement acts as a guide as it states the positions and expectations of StilSim Company. StilSim accomplishes its mission by adopting strategies such as developing long lasting relationships with its clients, exceeding productivity standards, adoption of the best and cheapest strategies, and developing synergistic teamwork within the organization. Furthermore, they also incorporate their core values in ensuring that their mission and vision are realized. These core values are professionalism and integrity other values include leveraging technology, innovation, and teamwork to satisfy customers, decisiveness and embracing growth opportunities and setting meaningful goals (StilSim Personnel , n.d.) StilSim Company envisions itself as being the best in the region. This goal is to be realized in the next three years. The company plans to train it current workforces to use new tools to satisfy his customers’ demands, and improve on it internal communication strategy. These two are the main point for which the company banks on. However, the company is strategizing on various ways of motivating its performing employees. This tool is mainly used companies to evaluate the existing strengths and weaknesses within a business. It serves as a strategic management tool for identification and evaluation of all function areas within an organization. Moreover, it gives an actual picture of how functional business areas relate to each other. There are strengths that facilitate the existence and performance of any organization. StilSim has been operational for more than twenty years. This can be directly attributed to the company’s long history of providing good services to customers. The quality

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Somali Food Security Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Somali Food Security Crisis - Essay Example Based on the UNHCR reports almost a million of its citizens are internally displaced. The food price crisis in the country is on the rise due to a wide range of macroeconomic shocks which are principally driven by the increase in civil insecurity, and conflict which has been the worst the state has seen ever since its collapse in the early 1990s. The most overwhelming macroeconomic surprise is the dramatic devaluation of its currency. Following unrestrained and excessive printing of the shilling currency, notes began to deluge the markets in 2007, quickly increasing the money supply and sending the worth of the Somali currency into freefall. The Somali Shilling deflated by 145% in opposition to the US dollar in 2007 and by 150% in the following year. Due to this, imports have become more expensive, and the amplified costs have resulted in high prices borne by consumers. Apart from the soaring food prices, little rainfall is also to be blamed for the increase in the food crisis. Somal ia is located at the Horn of Africa where little or no rainfall is experienced in the country. Majority of the country’s land is arid or semi-arid within limited areas being fertile for farming. Lack of rainfall coupled with minimal farming activities has resulted in the lack of food that can sustain the population; hence, the crisis. Military conflicts have resulted in mass displacement, in addition to blockades of a number of big towns. This has restrained the availability of both locally produced staples and imported.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring Essay - 1

Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring transformed market, productive and financial performance - Essay Example It can be affirmed that the competition level and the changing preferences of customers have changed the business environment at large. In this regard, the management of the companies have witnessed to face adequate complexities along with challenges in performing operations suitably in accordance with market demand (Froud & et. al., 2006). Subsequently, business organisations adopt corporate restructuring strategy with the aim of enhancing their business performances. Corporate restructuring is utilised as a procedure of changing business process, investment structure or organisational arrangement, so that business operations can be conducted with better competitiveness and effectiveness. Moreover, the strategy also aids business organisations to build flexibility in their operational activities (ABeam Consulting, 2004). Barclays PLC is a UK based multinational banking as well as financial service entity. The company offers various services that include credit cards, investment banking, personal banking and wealth management among others. Presently, the company has undertaken restructuring strategy with the aim of improving its business sustainability and competitiveness in the long-run (Barclays, 2014). With this concern, the essay emphasises analysing the strategy of corporate restructuring and its importance in improving productive functions, market operations and financial performances through using an example of Barclays. In the present competitive and changing market scenario, business organisations are required to adopt effective strategies with the intention of ensuring that their respective operational functions are performed in a profitable and competitive manner. In this respect, the notion of corporate restructuring is utilised immensely by the management team of organisations in order to improve business and operational performances. Conceptually, the notion of corporate restructuring is

Friday, July 26, 2019

Effects of Socioeconomic Influences on Health Assignment

Effects of Socioeconomic Influences on Health - Assignment Example Unemployed people do not have reliable sources of income. Therefore, the individual is not able to cater for his or her basic needs adequately. Healthcare is a basic need for all humanity but requires a certain level of monetary input. Rising levels of unemployment limit people’s access to medical services because they lack funds that would cover their medical expenses. As a result, sick people may not get the medical care they need due to the lack of a source of income. People have different lifestyles, norms, and practices that define them. Some of these lifestyle aspects have severe effects on health. For instance, drug abusers including smokers and alcoholics are at the risk of contracting fatal diseases. Liver cirrhosis is a killer disorder that results from excessive consumption of alcohol. Lung cancer results from excessive smoking. These are diseases that have fatal consequences especially when treatment is not sought early enough. People’s diets also determine their health status. Obesity is common among individuals who eat large quantities of unhealthy food, for example, excessive fatty food consumption. The environment is a crucial determinant of the health status of the societies we live in. Certain environmental settings are characterized by unhealthy factors like pollution. Polluted environments herb various health infections. Respiratory disorders that result from air pollution are common in areas that contain industries that emit harmful gaseous elements into the atmosphere. To avoid health problems, residential premises should be moved away from polluted areas and industries should limit the emission of pollutants into the environment. Healthcare facilities are vital for the provision of medical services. A society that has adequate access to healthcare services is guaranteed an efficient solution to health problems. However, individuals with limited access to healthcare facilities for  example due to scarcity, find it difficult to counter health problems.  

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Contract in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contract in business - Essay Example In the first place, it would be noted that a contract does not necessarily have to be a written document. It is against this backdrop that the society goes on further to mention examples of contract to include â€Å"purchase any goods, buy a house, engage a builder to carry out work on your house, borrow money, order goods or machinery from a manufacturer, or sign up for a telephone plan.† Indeed, in most of these cases, there is no signing of a written document but there still exists a contract. To Simon therefore, he could still have had a contract without having a written documentation. The second and most important aspect also has to do with the fact that a contract but be legally binding between two people. What this means is that all two people or two parties involved must have the word of the other that they are going to deliver their sides of the agreement without fail. However, in the case of Simon, when he sent the order for the purchase, he received no confirmation from Huddersford confirming that Huddersford had put himself in the deal and so would have to fulfil his part of the agreement. In simple terms, there was no binding contract between the two parties. Building on from the last point on the need for a contract to be a legal agreement between two or more parties, it would indeed have been a lot of difference if John had sent the letter of acceptance. If for nothing at all, the letter of acceptance would have constituted the Johns part of the agreement on behave of the bookshop and this would have given Simon much ground to argue for a breach of contract. Having said this, it is important to emphasise that Simon’s only quest for a bidding contract has to do with the single purchase of the â€Å"Fly fishing in the Wye† by J.R. Marple and not the bookshop’s failure to deliver a book to him. If as part of the mailing list that Simon received there was any assurance that any one who placed an

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

American post civil war (1861 - 1865)poet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American post civil war (1861 - 1865)poet - Essay Example on the market in the fifties rather than to, say, Equanil or Valium, gains ominous proportions when put in the perspective of a canvas which makes Lowell see the sun as a feared savage and the white magnolia blossoms as "murderous". True the metaphors are localised and the "rising sun" is symptomatic of the jaundiced imagination of the poet who fears passion and vitality, very much like an Indian savage in "war paint" who "dyes us red.† But what is more important than the intensifying death-in-life existence of the couple as explained by the pun on "dyes", is the association of this feeling of death with the word Miltown in the beginning of the poem. It is now that the word Miltown no longer remains a torment, but goes onto metonymically suggest such terms as Mill town, mill stone, and small town. It becomes an emblem of the space of doubt, of frustration, of angst that loomed large over the American population at a time when the first effects of a looming Cold War was being fe lt. The poets state of anxiety is thus immediately seen as true representation of a larger American dilemma, of a crisis that occurs in Small Town or Any Town in the United States. The image of neurotic fracture is intensified in the second half of the line and the dislocation of humankind is aptly shown in the image of the nuptial bed that has been replaced by "Mothers bed". Lowell seems to imply that this voice of degeneration, of aridity, of being a dislocated whole, is so alike the husband and wife, locked in a social charter called marriage and continuing to feel consummated, exhausted and dead in the relationship. He feels that these shadow lines can only grow larger until of course the marriage falls apart. In a way, the poem, trying to show the failure of the relationship, is an attempt to question the so-called Christian idea of family and happiness. It seems to make a mockery of the Christian values in a world where Miltown, the tranquilliser rules, and a space where, Miltown the

Social Role Exit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Role Exit - Essay Example I accepted a job at one of the popular fast food chains and got very attached to the job. However, I started getting some cues that were not so positive. I indicated to my co-workers that it was time to exit my role as a customer service representative but they tried to convince me to stay. I had some first doubts but it so happened that the recession resulted in lay offs and redundancies and so I was basically forced to leave. I was disappointed and started to seriously look for alternatives. I had started this process already but it had become real urgent. This job was central because it financed some of my basic needs – food and clothes. My first doubts centered on relinquishing my independence. I sought some alternatives and weighed them to determine the pros and cons. I thought about how I would manage. I had taken on a different life style where each week I would have bought myself something, whether it was a piece of clothing or something of some significance. I have ha d some turning points in my life as I felt I had to do something different to catch-up with my former school-mates. My former co-workers hardly communicate with me. This created a vacuum in my life but I have gotten over it as I have managed to get some support from family members.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Outsourcing of Information Technology Services Research Paper

Outsourcing of Information Technology Services - Research Paper Example Dell had a unique business model and was the pioneer in selling computers through their website. They did manage to maintain direct customer contact and eliminate overhead through elimination of intermediaries, through maintaining low inventory, low finished stocks, and their outsourcing customer support and service. However, the reduced overheads can be eroded, as in the case of Dell, when they had to suffer damaged reputation and cash expenditure to restore its position. This was despite their strategy to outsource only subassemblies and have control over the final test and assembly. There was misalignment between the organizational goals and its long-term strategy. IT outsourcing must necessarily be aligned with business goals and have a long-term perspective. Introduction Outsourcing of Information Technology (IT) services has been in practice by organizations for several reasons. Organizations typically delegate their non-core functions to outside service providers on the assump tion that the external service provider delivers the service faster, better and at a cost lower than what the enterprise can achieve by itself (Young, 2010). ... However, an organization would have achieved success and effectively reduce overheads if it can offer product differentiation, reduce costs, maintain efficient supplier relationships, communicate directly with customers, if it can maintain flexible manufacturing to suit individual customer needs, if it has a culture for keeping costs contained while maintaining efficiency. Overhead expenses could include expenses that are not attributed to any specific business activity but nevertheless necessary for businesses to function. These could differ across sectors and organizations but include expenses such as rent, utilities, and insurance. Based on the case of Dell Inc, this paper would evaluate the extent to which outsourcing has changed the effectiveness in reducing overhead expenses. Dell – company strategy Dell has been one of the pioneers in mass customization and a premier supplier of technology for internet infrastructure. They are widely recognized for their built-to-order (BOT) business model. Customers can order customized orders and only when the order has been placed the system is built as per customer specifications. Dell does not stock any inputs but has an extranet that connects it with its suppliers. Dell has a network of 200 suppliers and each of them can access the secure extranet and view Dell’s report on production plan, material demand, material quality, negotiated and forecasted cost reports (Pollard, Chuo & Lee, 2008). Dell outsources subassemblies and standard and non-configurable components. To maintain quality dell retains the key final assembly and configuration processes. It ties up for essential components with suppliers with

Monday, July 22, 2019

Aboriginal Cooking Methods Essay Example for Free

Aboriginal Cooking Methods Essay The traditional ways to cook for aboriginals used to involve roasting their food on hot coals, baking in the ashes steaming in ground ovens. But today theses things have changed the aboriginals have easier ways to cook using technology from today. They have adapted to make the process easier by boiling barbequing. Roasting; When cooking meat, this was the basic technique, which was almost always used. They cooked most meat, fish small turtles. To make sure the meat was cooked through, it was also covered by ashes coals, which also made tough meat softer. The meat would be eaten quickly after roasting. Shellfish were also cooked on the coals on the outside of the fire, this way when they started to froth, they could be removed quickly. Baking Bread damper was cooked in the ashes. When aboriginals made fires, they made sure they used the right kind of firewood, so that after the fire was out, the ashes could be used for cooking their bread. They were very careful as to which wood they used because some woods made to bread taste bad some caused irritation discomfort. Over time, it was the wattle seed that was found to be the most successful for cooking. It gave no bad taste, gave no one irritations produced a fine ash. Witchetty grubs only needed to be quickly rolled over the ashes to be cooked. Then damper was put beneath the ashes then covered. To cook yam, or vegetables, they would dig a small hole, place the vegetable in it, and then cover it with ash. Steaming; In the Wiradjuri areas, steam ovens still exist. The ovens were made by digging a hole in the ground, they were about 90cm long, 60cm deep. The clay left over from digging was then made into smooth lumps then would be placed on top, once the hole was filled with selected firewood. While the wood burned, the clay became hot. The clay would then be removed with tongs. The pit would be swept out then lined with still green leaves grass. Then meat such as possums (because they were small enough) would be lain inside, covered with more leaves then the clay would be placed on top. To stop the steam escaping, the ground that was originally taken out when the hole was dug covers the clay. Wrapping; Wrapping is still used in places like Arnhem Land. Vegetables are wrapped in the moist paper bark from Melaleuca trees then placed in ground ovens. Today Aboriginals use more advanced methods of cooking. They have adapted their old ways to make them easier. Boiling; Aboriginals have now learned to boil foods in galvanized cans, tins, steel drums or whatever items are available. Because of this, ground ovens are being used less less. Barbequing; Although the Aboriginals dont have top of the range barbeques, they have got their own version. It is simply a piece of wire to hole pieces of meat or dough over red coals. Aboriginal Dreaming Although the Dreamtime was in the past, it is the Aborigines religion culture that rules them today. The saying, As it was done in the Dreamtime, so it must be done today, dominates all aspects of the Aboriginals lifestyle actions. According to some Aboriginals, the Rainbow Serpent made the world. It is their belief that that is true. Religion is some peoples way, spiritualism is theirs. The Rainbow Serpent came from the Northern Territory while Australia was still in its dreaming stage. It traveled over the country, creating the mountainous locations by pushing the land into many ranges isolated areas. The Great Dividing Range is a creation of the rainbow serpents movements. Throughout its journey over under the land, it created rivers, valleys, lakes. It was also careful to leave many areas flat. Once it was satisfied with its creation of Australia, spirit people came from inside it moved all over the country to form many different lifestyles, languages different stories. When the land was finally finished, it was ready for people, but there were none .Walya-Nam-Adiki was the woman who walked out of the sea met up with a tribal man. Seen as there were no people, they talked about the problem with having such a wonderful land, but no people to live there. To fix this problem, they had many spirit children together. Walya-Nam-Adiki told all her children to go to all different places across the country to speak new languages, make keep land water management. They were to stay in their chosen areas, to make social kinship systems which would make sure that there would always be people within their tribal boundaries. Other Aboriginals believe that when the world first existed, that giant semi-mortal beings that resembled plants animals rose up from the flat land where they had been sleeping for countless ages. These beings wandered the land aimlessly. As they roamed around, they  performed the tasks that Aboriginals do today. These included camping, making fires, digging for water, fighting each other performing ceremonies. When they became tired of carrying out these rituals, the dreamtime ended. Wherever the creators had been, a natural landform now marks the place. The creators made everything which Aboriginals are in contact with everyday from which they gain their living. Apart from forming the land, they also created the laws that govern the aspects of everyday life, which some Aborigines still live by. Aboriginals in Jail Custody The idea of over-representation of Aboriginal adults in prison is set down early for the younger generation to understand. In Juvenile Detention centers, aboriginals aged 10-17 were 24.2* times more likely to be in custody than non-aboriginal children. For aboriginals aged 18-21 the over-representation rate was 9.6* Indigenous rates of imprisonment in adult prisons varied between about 4* times the non-indigenous rate in Tasmania up to over 20* times in Western South Australia. At almost any time, up to 80% of inmates in Northern Territory Correctional Facilities are of aboriginal descent. Whatever the intent, mandatory sentencing has more effect on aboriginals than any other ethnic group in the NT. Also Police custody rates for Aboriginal Torres Strait Islanders was 26.2* times more likely than people of other races. Aboriginals are 25% of people that are arrested 15% of people who are in jails are also Aboriginal. From data collected, aboriginals are over-represented in offences involving violence, breaking entering, breaches of justice procedures driving offences. Aboriginal people are 12 times more likely than others to be in prison for  homicide and 16 times for breaking and entering. One principle factor is that of the low status of the indigenous side of Australia in socio-economy culture. In 1988, Commissioner Muirhead stated that humanity and our countrys reputation demand a vigorous approach and new initiatives. Years later, Aboriginals still continue to die in police cells prisons. On 10th February, 2000 a 15 yr old boy committed suicide in the Don Dale Correctional Facility in Darwin. He had a mandatory 28jail sentence for petty theft of pens, pencils paint. He was due for his release 4 days after his death. The Northern Territory Chief Minister simply swept aside the death gave a statement There will always be deaths in custody. The death of the boy the Country Liberal Party refused to even consider the re-appeal of the mandatory sentencing laws sent a break of outrage through many leading Australian, International Aboriginal groups. Two weeks previous to the death, a Federal Senate traveled to Darwin, to make a report on the laws. None of the Country Liberal Partys officials was prepared to give evidence at the hearing. The United Nations blasted Australia over these laws, the treatment of the indigenous people to this land. Also saying that Canberra could be in breach of the UN Convention to Eliminate Racial Discrimination. *Based on records in 1998

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Six Sigma Methodology of Engine Overheating

Six Sigma Methodology of Engine Overheating Problem The Six Sigma is methodology for continuous improvement of process quality, operational excellence and minimizes defects by keeping in mind of customer requirements. The six-sigmas aim is to achieve 1.28 process capability per million opportunities in production, design of product and in administration of products. Adaptation of six sigmas in industry can lead to unrealistic improvement. In this paper the author depicts the use of six sigma methodology for eliminating an engine overheating problem in an automotive industry. Its also explores how company can use that methods and move toward six sigma quality level. The DMAIC (Define Measure Analyze Improve Control) method used by the author to solve an underlying problem for process variation and high rate of defects. After implementing this technique, the author found sand fusion and metal penetration were responsible for jamming the cylinder head. Hence implementation of method results into a reduction in the jamming problem observed in the cylinder head and increased the process capability from 0.49 to 1.28. This improvement had an significant impact on financial statement saving ($US110000 per annum). Â   Â   Process Figure 1: Process mapping for cylinder head core making In this case study the main objective was to reduce of water jacket- passage jamming in the cylinder head of an engine. This problem was tackled by six sigma DMAIC methodology. The cylinder head is the cast product used to produced high power that is produced at the bottom surface of the cylinder head and subjects to high heat and vibration. The water jacket passage is a complex passage for water circulation around the engine. The major problem was jamming the water jacket passage leading to customer dissatisfaction. The root cause of this defects has been identified as sand fusion and metal penetration during casting. Sand fusion defects are held by high temperature molten metal fuses with the mould and core. Metal penetration is due to porosity remain in the cores. Thus, it occurs in 13 location as shown in figure 2. Figure: -2 Location of water jacket jamming The main focused on the following process to enhance the customer satisfaction and reducing COPQ (cost of poor quality) from 0.194 defects per unit (DPU) to 0.029 DPU. Sand preparation Core making process Wash preparation and coating After that authors, have been used DMAIC tool to reduce defects and improve the quality of the product. Each stage of DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) is explained below. Figure: -3 Five step methodology of six sigma The Define Phase: This is the first step of the DMAIC in which project goal, scope, boundaries and customer requirement are defined. The projects team member includes a champion, a black belt, a green belt and two graduate engineer. Furthermore, the team member asks certain question in charting sessions such that what is wrong in the production of the cylinder head casting? where is the problem? How big is the problem? What is the impact of the problem. The team make sure that these points should be been investigated prior the measure phase. The main goal of this projects was to reduce defects from 0.194 to 0.029 DPU, which immensely decrease in the cost of poor quality. After this the team conducting destructive test on cylinder head and identified root causes and performing brainstorming to an conclusion that the jamming was due to sand fusion and metal penetration. They also conclude that the major roots cause was the porous core. The main focused on the following process to enhance the customer satisfaction and reducing COPQ (cost of poor quality). Sand preparation Core making process Wash preparation and coating The measure phase: In this phase the teams select one or more products specification, mapping the process, making necessary dimensions and establishing a baseline of the process capability or process performance. This will identify all the value and non- value added steps, key process inputs and outputs. After mapping the process the team member proceed to analysis the causes of defects using cause and effects diagram shown in figure 4. Figure: -4 Cause and effect analysis of the porous core Table 1 Causes and effect matrix Its shows thats the process variables affecting the porous core were sand leakage, blow pressure, the AFS number of the sand, the gap in core box and vent choking. After identifying that contribution of porous core is over 80%, they create cause and effect table 1 showing customer needs with respect to process characteristic that are critical to customer. The next step was to define performance standards according to customer demands. A data collection plan has been establishing to track the project output and standard setting exercise. To identify the source of variation in the measurement system a gauge repeatability and reproducibility (RR) study was conducted. Its necessary to redesign the gauge to train operator how to use new gauge and read the gauge instrument and suitable fixtures were used to help the operator for more consistency. This system is used when there is variability less than 10% od the total process variability. This study is performed to check the accuracy of the workers operating the machine. Table 2 Result of gauge RR Study Thus, the result shows that variation is 6.08% which implies the measurement system acceptable as show in table 2. From the data Cpk value is estimated to 0.49, hence it is clearly indicated that the process performance is poor and improvement needed. The analysis phase: In this phase the first step is to gather data from the process to obtain a better picture of the depth of the porous core under different conditions. Later no the data that are factor affecting are being collected over a period of 36 days from different shits as shown in table 3. This data is further analysed to determine the relationship between process parameters direction of improvement. Table 3 Factors affecting response before improvement The passage jamming tendency relation to location is shown in the figure 5 with the help of Pareto chart. This has been drawn on the bases of day to day monitoring and recording the passage jamming at 13 location were arranged in descending order on X axis of the Pareto chart. Figure: -5 Pareto chart to show location wise jamming tendency The main aim of the project team to enhance the process capability by reducing variation in the process. A regression analysis is performed to determine the significance of process parameters. According the table 4. The variation P values less than 0.05 to 0.01 that are sand leakage, bulk density, and vent choking ratio are need to be further optimised and controlled. Table 4 Result of regression analysis for process parameters The improve phase: In this phase using three process parameters sand leakage, bulk density, and vent choking ratio are identified from the analysis phase. Sand leakage When the door half and the ram half were closely packed due to misalignment of the two halves at that time sand was coming out of the core box, after this the two halves were properly aligned and packing were used to seal any opening ends. The parameter may be varied from 10 to 30g/blow. Bulk density The required bulk density of core sand is between 1.78 and 1.95 g/cm3. To increase the bulk density iron oxide and mill scale was added, the iron oxide composition was accumulated to 3% to realize the required bulk density and to improve the high-temperature thermal properties of the core sand. Mill scale addition of 1.5 % additionally helped to extend the density and thermal conductivity of the sand. Vent choking This has been considered one of the serious problems posed by the foundry men. The resin used for the core sand blocked the gap of vent by sticking during the curing process. This results in the occurrence of porous core because from the core shooter air cannot escape out of the core box and only 30 vents were blocked out of 52 vents. Thinner was used to clean this vents. This cleaning was increased from once to twice a week during each shift break. The following steps were taken to control the process. AFS number Proper care was taken of sand so that only sand grain of 65-70 reaches the hopper of shell core machine. Blow Pressure The pressure gauge was checked to maintain blow pressure range of 4-4.5kg/cm2. Baume of wash According the specification standards (52- 56 Be) the was regularly checked. Fin thickness Using corrective maintenance, the fine thickness of range 0-0.85 was brought. Design of experiment (DoE) was conducted using three process and each process was studied at different levels. To have sufficient degree of freedom each trial condition was replicated as shown table 5 the results of the experiments shown average depth of porous core. Hence, the average depth of porous core was 1.25mm. The figure 6, 7 depicts the main effect plot and the interaction plots to relate this it was decided to construct a normal probability plot of effects. Figure shows 6 the main effects were statically significant at 10% level as well as figure 7 suggest light interaction between vent chocking and sand leakage. From figure 6 it seen that the optimum level of the process parameters for minizine all three defect. Thus, the average depth of the porous was computed to be 0. 80mm. Hence, process capability was improved from 0.49 to 1.28. Table 5 Result of full factorial experiment Figure: 6 Main effect plot for the depth of the porous core Figure: 7 Interaction plot showing the interactions among the process parameters The control phase: In this phase the extensive programme was conducted for the case study. Process sheets and control charts were made to take preventive action before the process went outside of control limits. A complete data base was prepared and proper monitoring of process help to detect and correct the signals before they result into customer dissatisfaction. run charts for the depth of porous core were drawn before and after improvements. The purpose of the run charts was to analyse variability in the porous core. Figure 8, 9 shows all the point are in the specification and that variability in the porous has been reduced. Figure: 8 Run chart for the porous core before improvement LSL, Lower specification limit, USL, Upper specification limit. Figure: -9 Run chart depth of core after improvement Table 6 Comparison before and after improvement based on key metrics As shown in table 10 the comparison before and after improvement the depth of porous and various systems has been improved and control by six sigma. If I were the project leader: In this case study, Brainstorming 5 why SIPOC 5S I would like to use all tools. In first step when team is made, it made by only team member so I would like to take one or two members from outside the plants and who are not from this field. By doing this there may be chance to get different ideas from them. Here author did detail study of whole process and found the reasons of problem and best possible solutions. After collecting data, I would suggest team members to find root causes by doing brain storming and also using Ishikawa Diagram. One the other important tool that authors didnt use that should be used is VSM (value stream map) through which we can easily find bottleneck of the process. I would also have used Poka -Yoke (error proofing) tool to easily find error and controlled production of incorrect parts. Just to apply Six sigma is not sufficient to improve process of product but also maintain the quality is one of the important things in any industry. So if I were the in charge of the project I would suggest to sustain the improvements and motivate team to find more better ways of handling problems.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Food Production: Using Lean Manufacturing Principles

Food Production: Using Lean Manufacturing Principles The main objective of the factories was to achieve high economic growth. The improvement in productivity has become need of food industry to take the competitive advantage of global market. The big problem or challenge to food industry is identifying the wastes and meet the market price by maintaining a good profit. The only solution is to reduce total production cost. Lean manufacturing is systematic approach to identify and eliminate the waste through continues improvements. This paper discusses how the production principles of lean manufacturing can be applied in food production to increased production efficiency and improvement productivity and quality. This paper first presents the lean concept and presents the implementation of lean manufacturing system on some organization. Three main factors that food production factories fear, poor and tacky quality, increase of production cost, increase in lead time. Production improvements should be based on the improvements of processes as well as operation. Problems can appear in any of the basic elements that constitute the production area. (Materials, workers, machines and tools, energy, methods, product). So I focus on lean manufacturing the program can help to improve in this area. Problem Statement Why and how companies should implement lean manufacturing in food production ? 1.3 Importance of the study The main aim of the study is to present the main idea of the Lean manufacturing system, and the benefit of applying it in the field of food production, and identifying the kinds of wastes in production process, and the effect of the Lean manufacturing on food production and presenting some examples of successful companies that implemented the Lean manufacturing. 1.4 Research Questions When organizations implement lean manufacturing, it is more likely to make positive on food production? 1.5 Research Approach The data collected in this research was stemmed from previous published articles. And present a successful example from companies will be achieved good results after implement lean manufacturing program. The main target of this paper is to be applied as guideline to food production companies in Egypt. II. Literature Review: 2.1 History of Lean Manufacturing. Many of the concepts in LM or lean production originate from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and have been implemented progressively throughout Toyotas operations starting in the 1950s. In 1980s Toyota had increasingly become famous for the efficiency with which it had implemented Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing systems. Now, Toyota is often considered one of the most efficacious and influential manufacturing companies in the world and the company that put the standard for best practices in LM. LM has increasingly been applied by leading manufacturing companies throughout the world, lead by the major automobile manufactures and their equipment suppliers. Lean Manufacturing is becoming an increasingly significant topic for manufacturing companies in developed countries as they try to find procedure to compete more effectively versus competition from Asia. 2.2 Lean Manufacturing. Lean Manufacturing is a set of tools and methodologies that aims for the continuous elimination of all waste in the production process. The main benefits of this are lower production costs; increased output and minimum production lead times. Some of the goals include: Utilization of equipment and area Use equipment and manufacturing area more efficiently by eradicating bottlenecks and maximizing the rate of production though existing equipment, while reducing machine downtime. Defects and wastes Reduce defects and unnecessary physical wastage, including surplus use of raw material inputs, preventable defects, and costs associated with reprocessing defective items and dispensable product characteristics which are not required by customers. Flexibility Have the ability to produce a more elastic range of products with minimum changeover costs and changeover time. Labor productivity Improve labor productivity, both by reducing the inactive time of workers and ensuring that when workers are working, they are using their effort as productively as possible Output Insofar as reduced cycle times, increased labor productivity and removal of bottlenecks and machine downtime can be completed, companies can generally significantly increase output from their existing facilities. Inventory levels Minimize inventory levels at all steps of production, particularly works-in-progress between production steps. Lower inventories also mean lower working capital requirements. Cycle Times Reduce manufacturing lead times and production cycle times by reducing waiting times between processing stages, as well as process preparation times and product. Most of these benefits lead to lower unit production costs for example, more effective use of equipment and space leads to lower depreciation costs per unit produced, more effective use of labor results in lower labor costs per unit produced and lower defects lead to lower cost of goods sold. 2.3 The Five Lean Principles The critical beginning point when changing a traditional production line into a Lean process is the determination of value from the customers points of view, which is significant as the goal of the Lean process is a line where every activity adds a specified customer value to the product. Having identified the value of products, the second step is to identify and map the value stream in the production line. Value stream mapping refers to the mapping of a products route and is explained in more detail further. The third principle is the connection of value creating activities in a continuous flow process. Every dilemma or batch and queue process must be avoided to obtain an uninterrupted flow throughout the production. The ideal production Flow is drawn on a map, and existing procedures changed and equipment relocated to reflect this. The fourth principle is not to produce anything upstream unless it is needed downstream. The principle is in contrast to batch and queue procedures, as seen in mass production, and aims to reduce the amount of resources locked up in inventories. It implies that production must be just-in-time, both internally between processes and externally when delivering products to the End-user. The fifth principle is about pursuing perfection through a continuous improvement. This is not only about creating a product that the customer requires with a minimum of defects, but also includes the perfection of every action in connection with the production process. It involves all employees as they know procedures the most and are closest to make suggestions for improvement. The involvement of everyone in the continuous improvement is what makes Lean a philosophy improving working processes is integrated in job routines. (Womack Jones 2003; Bicheno 2004). 2.5 The kind of waste in food production: Overproduction Producing elements for which there are no client requirements. The Lean principle is to use a pull system, or producing goods just as clients order them. Service organizations operate this way by their very nature. Industrialization organizations, furthermore, have historically operated by a Push System, building products to stock, without firm customer orders. Anything produced beyond the customer demand (safety stocks, work-in-process inventories, etc.) ties up valuable labor and material resources and hence is a waste. Waiting Time during production (service) when no value is added to product (service). This includes waiting for material, information, equipment, tools, stock-outs, lot processing delays, equipment downtime, capacity bottlenecks, etc. The Lean principle is to use a just-in-time (JIT) system- not too soon, not too late. Transportation Unnecessary moving and handling of parts. This includes transporting work-in-process long distances, trucking to and from an off-site storage facility. Lean demands that the material be shipped directly from the vendor to the location in the assembly line where it will be used. Material should be delivered to its point of use. Over-Processing Unnecessary processing or procedures than necessary to meet customer demand. Common examples multiple inspecting. Statistical process control techniques can be used to eliminate or minimize the amount of inspection required. Value Stream Mapping is another lean tool that can be used for this purpose also. This tool is frequently used to help identify non-valued-added steps in the process (for both manufacturers and service organizations). Excess Inventory Excess raw material, or finished goods. Inventory beyond that needed to meet customer demands negatively impacts cash flow and uses valuable floor space. Defects Scrap, rework, replacement production, and inspection. Production defects and service errors waste resources in four ways. First, materials are consumed. Second, the labor used to produce the part (or provide the service) the first time cannot be recovered. Third, labor is required to rework the product (or redo the service). Fourth, labor is required to address any forthcoming customer complaints. Total Quality Management (TQM) is one of the lean tools that can be used to for reducing defects. Excess Motion Unnecessary motion of people or equipment that adds to value to product (service). This is caused by poor workflow, poor layout, housekeeping, and inconsistent or undocumented work methods. Value Stream Mapping is also used to identify this type of waste. Tools like 5S, comfortable workspace design can be used to eliminate this waste. Underutilized People Underutilization of mental, creative, and physical skills and abilities of employees of the organization. Some of the more common causes for this waste include organizational culture, inadequate hiring practices, poor or non-existent training, and high employee turnover. 2.6 The Policy to reduce the waste Policy to reduce waste consists of several systems 1- Reduced Set up Time It reduced the time required to adjust the machines to produce a different product. A long time in the control of the machine means the need to produce large quantities of the same product and thus prevents us from reducing the size of the order, which in turn prevents us from inventory reduction and prevents us from the production process of withdrawing. Permission must be reduced machine set time dramatically. 2- Small Lot size Which is the size of the order per batch per production? If the size of each run command (order) significant meaning that we will store a lot of semi-finished materials, which do not want to do because we want to reduce inventory in general 3- Reduced Work in Process An inventory of the materials or parts that have passed the initial stage of production and did not pass to the latter. Reduce inventory this is essential in the philosophy of the policy of reducing losses because of its impact on the coverage of production problems and because it is a money investor. 4- Policy pull Production it means that production on the basis of need for the next stage of production and not on the basis of a specific production plan. The first production engineering stage not only produces and need permission from the production stage next and so on until the end of the production line. There is stacked production between stages. This is also known as Kanban card or card. 5- Quality Control Circles It is a work teams of operators and technicians are studying and solving quality problems and operation and maintenance. These rings are necessary to study the problems and uprooted from their roots and to involve all levels of work in solving problems. Quality control loops is a continuous development of methods Continuous Improvement, which is one of the basics of the Toyota system. 6- Total Productive Maintenance They maintenance system leads to increased availability of equipment and reduce breakdowns. This system is necessary to be able to reduce inventory of semi-finished materials and the implementation of the policy to withdraw production. Must be reduced dramatically sudden failure to implement these policies. 7- Group Technology It is a method designed to manufacture similar products in one place to reduce the transport time and wait in what is known as the cell manufacturing Cells. This method helps to reduce transfer times material from one place to another and make each group of operators responsible for different stages of the production for the same product that they have a kind of full responsibility for the product. 8- Multi Task Employees Meaning that the worker trained to do several tasks instead of one task. This method gives the flexibility to change the functions of working when needed. Note that this system is designed to reach the speed of response to customer requirements and thus there must be flexibility in employment as well so that you can change the functions of Group according to the requirements of the market. This method has a lot to do with technology group, where can one player that is running several machines. 9- Production leveling: Toyota system is designed to reduce the variables and produce small amounts of each product every day, so there is no need to produce large quantities of a product in one day. Reduce the change helps us not to maintain a large stock and makes the production process is running smoothly and regularity without significant changes. 10- Just In Time Purchasing it means of access to raw materials and production supplies when you need them quickly. This procurement policy is needed to reduce inventory and production development and reduce defects in products. To reach that there is a lot of things are applied, such as reducing the number of suppliers and to cooperate with them and compel them specific things in the style of their work. 11- Maintain a work environment 5S: It means arrange and organize and clean workplace and work tools so that you have access to the tools and information is accessible, fast and the site is a good place to work and safe at the same time. This method is called 5S relative to the Japanese words that mean organize and arrange and clean workplace. 12- Total Quality Control: There is a correlation between policies to reduce waste and total quality management both supports the other. To reach to pull production policy has to be to reach high levels of quality. Therefore, Toyota and Japanese companies have applied TQM or total quality control of the most important has been applied is the technical checks parts produced by himself in the sense that the product is scanned during each stage production by the operators themselves. It is the powers of the workers off the production line in the event of a quality problem. 2.6.1 The Benefits of reducing the waste Improved performance indicators such as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ reduce losses to a great extent à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ high product quality (in terms of compliance with specifications) any low percentage of defective products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduced time progress (which is the time to meet manufacturing orders) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ high inventory turnover rate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ very high flexibility to change production from one product to another à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ lower the sudden failure of equipment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ low additional cost Overhead cost à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ increase production capacity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ high accuracy to meet the supply orders on time for supply à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the speed of response to changing market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ improvement of financial indicators in the long term, including the profitability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Improved morale of workers 2.7Quality in Lean Manufacturing 2.7.1. Reducing the Defect-Detection Time Gap The most important improvement that is made by a move from final inspections to successive checks to self checks is in the reduction of the time gap between creation of a defect and its detection. Figure 1 show how this time gap shrinks as one progresses towards self inspection Grinder Drill Lathe Mill Figure 1: the time lag includes all operations that happen In Figure 1, the time lag includes all operations that happen to the part after the defect Has been made and before the defect will be detected (more defective parts can be made During this time if the defect is due to a broken machine tool, improper machining method, Or other problems that do not create simply one isolated defect). Lathe Mill Figure 2: the time gap shrinks In Figure 2 the time gap shrinks to the length of time before the operator of the next Machine handles the part. In a job shop, this may be a significant quantity of time and if Parts are produced in batches; often the entire batch may have the same defect. However, In cellular manufacturing this time lag is small, since the queue is only one unit. Lathe Mill Figure 3: the time lag has shrunk down In Figure 3 the time lag has shrunk down to the amount of time that the operator spends On the given operation before he or she checks the part. Self-inspection produces visibility of the problem after the first defective part is made (if it is detectable). Catching defective parts prevents adding more value to parts that will be scrapped or reworked later. Clearly this reduction in time lag can lead to: quicker and easier detection of what the problem is that is causing the defect, reduction in wasted time in the form of value added to scrapped parts, and wasted time spent assembling a part that will have to be disassembled and then reassembled. Overall, quicker elimination of defect causing problems will result in a reduction of the number and cost of bad quality parts. 2.8 Productivity in lean manufacturing 2.8.1 Introduction The lean manufacturing focus on 20 keys I will present only key number 6 method improvement (Productivity) Figure 4 Relationship Diagram20 Keys 2.8.2 Definition Productivity is about how well resources are used. The other area of general consensus is that productivity is about the relation between output and input in any process producing goods or services. Productivity can be calculated as output divided by input P = O/I Where P = Productivity , O = Output and I = Input Output can be measured in different way tones, Kilograms or even output defined as standard minutes or hours 2.8.3 The components of productivity Productivity basically has two components: Efficiency Utilizations Utilization is about whether the resources available are actually used in producing the product or service. That is a machine might be available but if no product is scheduled to be produced then it is not utilized , or if product is scheduled to be produced for only 85% of the available time then utilization is 85% Efficiency . On the other hand, is about how well the resources are used while it is being utilized. The formula for productivity is then: Productivity = Efficiency X Utilization This formula can be expanded: Productivity = Output / Available hours, that is how much did we produce during the time that the resources were available Efficiency = Output / Hours worked, that is how much did we produce during the time that the resources were actually operating. Utilization = Hours worked / Hours available, that is for what percentage of time did we actually utilize the resources. 2.8.4 People. Plant- and process related issues impacting on productivity It is important to understand what issues typically impact on productivity as you can then look for the causes to why productivity is not at the level it should be. If productivity is not at the target level it can be explained in terms of the two components of efficiency and utilization that it can be either an efficiency loss or none utilizes time. This can be because of people, plant or process related issues. The following summary show typical examples of issues impaction on productivity. Efficiency loss: People Work method Work rate Effort ( motivation issues ) Skills Quality of work Plant / Process Speed ,idling ,minor stoppages Quality of product Non Utilized time People Plant / process Market demand Work rate Downtime Changeovers Table 2 issues impaction on productivity 2.8.5 Productivity Improvement an Integrated Approach Productivity improvement cannot be achieved by only implementing Kaizen operation. Figure 5 Productivity Improvement: An Integrated Approach Productivity increase and excellent quality can be achieved at the same time. 2.8.6 Implementing key 6 Implementing kaizen of operation requires the effective use of the CAPDo cycle. The CAPDo cycle is a simple management system for continuous improvement. One a plane for implementation has been drawn up, the actual training needs must be scheduled it is important to check regularly whether training targets have been met, and if not, the reason for this must be analyzed. Problem identified can then become actions for the next CAPDo cycle. Figure 6 CAPDo Cycle Check Company and every department against the map. Benchmark the company using key 6 map Check current productivity performance Analyze Identify process for improvement. The benchmark score. Productivity performance to identify priority processes to focus on. Plan Use the five steps methodology for process improvement. Put goals for all process Use the five steps methodology for process improvement. Plan the improvement using 20 keys plan. Do Implementing the plan Regular feedback from goals on progress Implement the plan for achieving the target. Check Restart the cycle through Reviewing the results of the plan on monthly basis Reviewing key progress with the map at least every six months Update skills matrix Continue Cycle of CAPDo improvement and celebrate success. 2.9 Actual Cases 2.9.1 Meal production in Glostrup Hospitals main kitchen, Denmark. The main hypothesis of this paper is that where any implement LM it is more likely to make positive on food production so I present lean principles can applied in meal production to increase the efficiency without reducing the quality of meal prepared. All lean principles and tools may not be equally applicable in food production, but it is important to consider this aspect when discussing the implementation of lean in meal production. Glostrup Hospital is situated in the greater Copenhagen area in Denmark. The central Kitchen is situated inside the Hospital grounds in a separate building, and every day, meals for approximately 1000 patients are produced and distributed from the kitchen. In 2005, the hospitals management took the decision that all services should be Lean, and to cut the costs of meal production, the kitchen was forced to replace cook-serve with cook-chill production and reduce the number of foodservice employees from 71 to 54. This brought about a need to review and optimize the production procedures to maintain both output quantity and quality. The change of production system to cook-chill also had an impact on the end-product quality as recipes and production procedures needed adjustments. Therefore, the systematic evaluation and improvement of product quality was given a high priority in the kitchen. The internal working environment in the kitchen was important to the manager as she insisted on maintaining this as a high priority during and after the rationalization process, and that increased efficiency of production processes was obtained by the optimization of procedures and not by making the staff work faster. Because of these reservations, the implementation of Lean was expected to result in both increased efficiency of processes and improved product quality while ensuring a pleasant working environment for the remaining employees. The implementation of Lean in the kitchen began shortly after the change to cook-chill processing and befo re procedures became routine. The kitchen produces most components of the meals themselves including breads, soups and processed vegetables. Previously with cook-serve production, there were separate production lines for hot meal components, vegetables, baked products, desserts and cold products for these meals, all items were prepared, processed and kept warm until service. Initially, when changing to cook-chill production, the separation of production according to meal was maintained with processed meal components being assembled into meals, packed and stored for up to 3 days before final distribution to hospital wards. The packaging was standardised in two, five or seven portions per pack, and the wards received the portion sizes equal to or the closest number above their actual orders. This practice of standardizing packaging was accepted by the management as a pragmatic practice of cook-chill production. The implementation of cook-chill production procedures called for a system atic evaluation of product quality. A graph on display in the production facility showing the daily number of comments on food quality was chosen as an expression of customer satisfaction with product quality. The number of complaints for each meal component, based on feedback received from wards and patients, was totaled and each day marked on the chart. This procedure was chosen as a way to ensure communication of customer product satisfaction to all employees. An internal quality control system was developed to reflect the need for adjusting recipes to improve meal quality after the change from cook serve to cook-chill production. It consisted of a three-color gradation of product acceptability where red refers to not acceptable; yellow, acceptable; and green, good. The testing of product quality was performed internally in the kitchen, and the products had to obtain a yellow to pass. This system was developed to visualize the progress of adjusting existing procedures to cook-chi ll production. As a result of the implementation the hospital realized some quick financial wins. Revenue increased 19%, eliminate wastes meals from 10% to 5% (England al.2009). 2.9.2 Implementing 20 keys in modern bakeries company (Rich Bake), Egypt. In 2008 modern bakeries company management took the decision that some production process should be lean. The company decided implement 10 keys from 20 keys Key1 cleaning organizing to make work easy. Key 2 Rationalizing the system / goal Alignment. Key 3 Small Group Activities. Key 5 Quick Changeover Technology. Key 6 Kaizen of operation. Key 9 Maintaining Machines Equipment. Key 10 Workplace Discipline. Key 11 Quality Assurance. Key 15 Skill Versatility and cross Training. Key 19 Conserving Energy and Materials. Table 3 present the 20key, s evaluation before and after implementing lean on modern bakeries company through 2 years. Key Base Line Level 2008 2010 1 1.8 2 2 1.5 2 3 0.8 1.2 5 1.5 1.8 6 1.5 1.8 9 1 1.3 10 1.5 2.3 11 2 2.5 15 1.5 1.7 19 1.5 1.5 Table 3: 20 keys evaluation Eliminate wastes from 3% to 1.8%. Increase productivity from 16KG Man / Hour to 18.5 Kg Man /Hour. 2.12 The enormous obstacles for food production in terms of adopting LM approaches to improvement. There is some problems face the food production companies to implementing lean manufacturing, generally as follows. Lack of a clear vision of the future Lack of patience and follow. Lack of persistent and challenge in leadership. Failure to link the processes in key 6 kaizen operation with normal work. Failure to perceive that lean is a viable strategy to help achieve competitive advantage. Lack of constant visibility by management. Failure of management to take a whole systems view of business and to see the connections between all processes. Persistent focus only on demanding results without a balance focus improving the processes that achieve the results. III- Research Methodology 3.1 Research Objectives The main aim of the study is to present the main idea of the Lean manufacturing system, and the benefit of applying it in the field of food production, and identifying the kinds of wastes in production process, and the effect of the Lean manufacturing on food production and presenting some examples of successful companies that implemented the Lean manufacturing. 3.2 Conceptual Framework Figure 7: LM Conceptual Framework 3.3 Research Question and Hypotheses 3.3.1 Research Questions Why and how companies should implement lean manufacturing in food production? 3.3.2 Research Hypotheses When organizations implement lean manufacturing, it is more likely to make positive on food production? 3.3.3 Independent Cost reduction, waste rate, revenue gains 3.3.4 Dependent Return on investment, profit in organization. IV Conclusion and Recommendation Conclusion Through the study found that there is a potential for the application of lean manufacturing system in food production and that explained by viewing experience hospital central kitchen in Denmark and experience modern bakeries company in Egypt, where the application of lean manufacturing system to gain increased efficiency ,quality, and productivity through the application of tools for lean manufacturing . . Easy to implementing lean manufacturing in big company that have systems for examples ISO9001, 2200, HACCP Easy to implementing lean manufacturing in small company but focus only 3 or 4 principles in the first stage . 4.2 Recommen

Frankenstein Versus Frankenscience Essay -- Mary Shelley Frankenstein

Frankenstein Versus Frankenscience The story of Frankenstein. A story that I, myself, have been familiar with for a good part of my life. It is most popular among horror film fanatics and becomes one of the most desired stories to be told around Halloween. Some see it as a well-told story of a man and his monstrous creation. But is there something deeper? Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, gives light to many truths about the era of modern science. She is using Victor Frankenstein and the monster to play out the roles in a drama that can become all too real. In this paper I would like to focus specifically on the story of Frankenstein and the three integral parts; knowledge, power and the notion of a god-complex; that can be related to the modern era of science. As the story begins (in the excerpt that is to be focused on in this paper) Victor Frankenstein is telling his story. Victor is a young man who, with great determination, spends two years of his life working to create a being in the likeness of man. He decides that the nature of the being should be tall and large in stature and then, in the pursuit of ultimate success, collects the necessary items to begin his project. With these "fibers muscles and veins," he begins his work (Shelley 231). Victor is determined to create "animation upon lifelessness."(Shelley 232) And yet, he doubts. He doubts himself as being capable enough to take on such a gargantuan task. Yet, he presses on. As the years pass, Victor becomes confined to his work space. Seasons pass and family and friends are left by the wayside. His determination keeps him from giving up in a multitude of failures. It is not until one November night that Victor to life. The thought of renewing l... ...l and scary thing. It has the potential to save lives, cure diseases and, now, create new lives through the act of cloning. Humans are the ones who make these advances possible. They are the creators of science. Therefore, it is relevant to take a closer look the qualities that force humans to act a certain way. Knowledge, power and the notion of a god-complex are three qualities that can posses humans to a capacity that can be both healthy and deadly. Victor Frankenstein provided us with a scenario that can only serve to make us think about our own knowledge about science, the power we hold, and the way in which we let those qualities rule our lives. Works Cited Shelley, Mary. "Frankenstein." The Presence of Others: Voices and Images That Call for Response. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 231-235.