Herbert Essays - Herbert Spencer, H. G. Wells, International PEN

Herbert George Wells Herbert George Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, a suburb of London, to a lower-middle-class family. He attended London University and the Royal College of Science where he studied zoology. One of his professors instilled in him a belief in social as well as biological evolution which Wells later cited as the important and influential aspect of his education. This is how it all began. Maybe without this professor Wells wouldn't be the famous author he is today. Most of Wells novels are science fiction and have a great deal of some kind of human society theme, or Darwinism in mind. It is a theme that is seen in his most famous science fiction writings. H.G. Wells seems to convey a sense of Darwinism and change in the future of society in his major works. Wells has been called the father and Shakespeare of science fiction. He is best known today for his great work in science fiction novels and short stories. He depicted stories of chemical warfare, world wars, alien visitors and even atomic weapons in a time that most authors, or even people for that matter, were not thinking of the like. His stories opened a door for future science fiction writers who followed the trend that Wells wrote about. His most popular science fiction works include The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, and The Island of Doctor Moreau. His first novel, The Time Machine, was an immediate success. By the time the First World War had begun his style of writing and novels had made him one of the most controversial and best-selling authors in his time. In the story The Time Machine, Wells expresses his creativity with images of beauty, ugliness and great details. In this novel Wells explores what it would be like to travel in this magnificent and beautiful machine. "The criterion of the prophecy in this case is influenced by the theory of "natural selection." (Beresford, 424) He uses Darwin's theory in the novel and relates it to the men living in the novel. The men are no longer struggling to survive, they have all adapted and there is no termination of the weak. It had practically ceased. His fascination with society in biological terms is also mentioned, "Shows Wells horizon of sociobiological regression leading to cosmic extinction, simplified from Darwinism." (Beresford, 424) He took the idea from Darwin but instead of making it "survival of the fittest", the weak have already died off and only the fittest are left, which leads to the extinction. His fascination with Darwinism was one that had not been thought by many in that time, because there were questions of ethics and religion. "From The Time Machine on, it was generally recognized that no writer had so completely or so perceptively taken Darwin to heart." (McConnell, 442) He wasn't the first man to realize and acknowledge the importance of Darwin's theory for the future of civilization, but he is said to be the first to assimilate that theory into his stories. Concerning society with the future, The Time Machine is said to be seen as "a prophecy of the effects of rampant industrialization on that class conflict that was already, in the nineteenth, century a social powder keg." (McConnell, 438) Wells always touched upon the subject of society, the destruction of it, and how it would become in the future due to this destruction and chaos. His view on society was that the classes would clash and ultimately"they might become two races, mutually uncomprehending and murderously divided," (Suvin, 435) His predictions of future societies were all much alike, war-torn class problems, much like what is seen now a days. The narrator of The Time Machine says of the Time Traveler that he "saw in the growing pile of civilization only a foolish heaping that must inevitably fall back upon and destroy its makers in the end." (McConnell, 439) This is another reference to society's survival of the fittest, as he depicts civilization tearing at each other, and in the end, doing away with their creator. Not all of his predictions and social clashes were horrid and horrendous with violence. In some of his foretelling of what society would do, he recommended things that could be done to avoid such things and maybe in the end reach some kind of peace or togetherness. "That the human race, thanks to its inherited prejudices and superstitions and its innate pigheadedness, is an endangered species; and that mankind must learn-soon-to establish a

Ford Motor Company Case Study Essay Example

Ford Motor Company Case Study Essay Example Ford Motor Company Case Study Paper Ford Motor Company Case Study Paper Ford Motor Case Study Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Issue Identification Environmental and Root Cause Analysis Alternatives and Options Recommendations Implementation Monitor and Control Exhibits 3 4 5 6 8 10 11 12 13 After reviewing Ford Motor supply chain, we became aware of its very complex nature. Due to this complexity we are forced to search for alternatives to overcome the costly supply chain challenges faced by our industry both now and in the future. The present system has an inefficient control of a large database and a vast and complex network of suppliers. We need to change our supply chain in order to make it more cost effective and profitable. After careful analysis we recommend the implementation of a partial virtual integration system, similar to the system used by Dell Computers. With this system, Ford will use information technology and the internet to interact and transact with both their suppliers and their customers. Ford can increase their sales by providing better customer service and faster communication from the supply end through to the manufacturing division and right on to their end user, the customer. This system will be implemented with their xisting supply chain so Ford will cover both markets at the same time. If Ford concentrated only on the virtual system their competition would put them out of business, so by running both systems simultaneously will give them an edge over their competition. Ford Motor Company is the second largest industrial corporation in the world with revenues of more than $144 billion and about 370,000 employees. Their operations span more than 200 countries worldwide. The company has both the design and manufacturing of cars division and they have a financial services division. : Significant evenues and profits are realized in both divisions. The automobile industry has grown very competitive over the last two decades with not only competition being felt from the other two US automakers, General Motors and Chrysler, but also from foreign manufacturers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan. The industry is also facing an increasing over-capacity as developing nations realize the wealth and Job-producing effects of automobile manufacturing, and are encouraged to develop and expand their own export auto industries. The main issue with Ford is the management of their large data base of business artners, in particular their first tier suppliers and their second tier suppliers. When we compare Ford to Dell (See Exhibit 1) we realize that Dell only has about 50 suppliers, but Ford has thousands of suppliers that operate in a very complex network of business relationships. Each Dell computer system is made up of less than a hundred parts, whereas an automobile requires several thousand parts. In addition, where Dell sells directly to the consumer, Ford has a large number of dealerships who are spread through a large geographical area throughout the world. To manage both the suppliers and consumers in a single supply chain is a challenge for Ford. Ford is constantly looking for new ways to better control and to manage its supply chain in a more productive and cost effective way. Another issue faced by Ford is the lack of technology in their first tier business partners. This lack of technology makes it difficult for these suppliers to keep up with Fords demands. It results in a bottle neck situation for the supply chain. This lack of IT technology results in miscommunication and poor coordination between the suppliers which ay result in longer lead times, higher costs and other problems. Because Ford has used independent dealers to sell their vehicles, they dont have control on their end users, the customers. This lack of control, plus the dealers markups, has negatively impacted their ability to control the consumers service experience. Root Cause Analysis Fords main business is the production and distribution of vehicles. Ford also earns substantial revenues and profits from their financial division. These two divisions have resulted in net incomes of over $7 billion and a return on sales of 4% which is rending upward. These results show that Ford has a strong market and financial position. In order to increase their global share, Ford teamed with Chrysler and General Motors to work on the Automotive Network Exchange which aimed to create consistency in technology standards and processes in the supplier network, so that suppliers would not have to manage different means of interaction with each automobile manufacturer. These actions have enabled these American manufacturers to produce better quality vehicles at a reduced cycle time and lower costs due to economies of scale. Ford merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 and in 1999 Ford also acquired Volvo. These mergers have increased Fords database of suppliers substantially. This has also made their supply chain even more complex and expensive to run and even more difficult to manage. In order to manage these supply chain issues, Ford implemented their Ford 2000 plan, which worked to restructure many of Fords key processes like Order to Delivery and Ford Production System. Their goal was to reduce OTD from 60 or more days, down to less than 15 days. They wanted to convert their supply chain from a push type toa pull type (See Exhibit 2). Fords goal was also to reduce the number of their suppliers and in turn create a more cost effective supply chain. Ford worked with their suppliers to help them better manage their own operations. Another initiative started by Ford was the Ford Retail Network which aims to reduce competition among its own dealerships in the same areas, by having one unified dealer who provides the best possible service to their customers. Our decision now is to either implement Dells supply chain model or not! There are a number of approaches we can take to improve our supply chain. We ould design a system that is a mixture of both an online system and our tradition dealership system. We would have to form procedures to enable customization and ordering by customers over the internet, but we would also have to maintain our traditional dealerships as well. The advantages of this two type system would be the customers would have the ability to customize their own vehicles. This would be basically building a vertically integration business model. This would open new markets and attract clients who prefer to shop online. The disadvantages of this system would be the cost. It would be time consuming and require both internal and external changes with would be difficult to handle and integrate with existing systems. Also the independent dealerships would most likely complain that their own supplier is now a competitor for their customers. Also if Fords own suppliers do not have the abilities to keep up with the speed of Fords IT system, there would be cause for more problems. Another option would be to create a virtually integrated system based on Dells model. Ford and all their suppliers would share information between their systems and the internet to coordinate the flow of materials and roduction. The orders would be taken either by phone or on the internet. Basically Ford would be creating a complete pull system. The advantages of this option would be the same as the first option, the customers would have the ability to customize their own vehicles. The customers requirements are met faster with higher profits being realized due to the elimination of the dealers mark up. Also Ford would be able to directly control the customer service. They would have minimal inventory carrying costs and higher order lead times. They would also improve their ability forecast demand. There would also be an improved relationship with both the customer and the supplier. The disadvantages would be that Ford would have to change their traditional processes and production methods in order to take advantage of this new form of supply chain management. This would definitely be a more risky option due to the costly and time consuming processes. Another problem would be the loss of dealerships, which may also result in this traditional shopping customer going to the competition. Our recommendation would be to implement the first option outlined in the Alternatives and Options, which is to extend its virtual business strategy by mplementing a partial version of the Dell model of supply chain management. The dealers would still play a role in the distribution since the experience of buying a car from a dealership cannot be replaced by something virtual like an online system like Dells. Combining the virtual integration model to their existing supply chain will ensure that Ford has a more efficient and profitable future. Their overhead and inventory costs will decrease, and Ford will be in a better position to interact with their customers. Most importantly the success of this recommendation will mainly depend on the performance of the shareholder value. Implementation Plan In order for Ford to implement this new system, their IT systems should be centralized and shared with their suppliers. Since its tier two and tier three suppliers may not be able to update their IT systems, Fords sharing of their system will aid the suppliers to implement this new virtual system. Suppliers would have access to central design database while Ford controls the access and functionality as per their operational requirements. The IT system would ensure a smooth flow of supplies and reduce any congestion and improve the efficiency of the supply chain nd more importantly, give Ford a competitive edge. The dealerships can play a more involved role by forecasting customer demand and Ford should involve an outside company to help them with the forecasting demand and work with each dealer. In order for the new system to function properly Ford must have an IT specialist to coordinate all IT activities with the suppliers in order to ensure a smooth flow of information between the supply chain partners. This IT specialist should resolve any issues as soon as they arise. Lead times on all online orders should be monitored egularly to ensure that the time trom the customer order to delivery is being met at the predetermined optimum time. Another way to monitor the performance of the system is to start an online customer satisfaction program where the customers can evaluate and rate their experience with Ford. The new system should be review semi-annually to ensure the ideal performance is being met, and if not, make recommendations on improvements to senior management. It is also important to ensure the shareholder value is increasing. This could be done through annual meetings with all executives to review the progress of the new system.

Nature as a Construct in Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nature as a Construct in Art - Essay Example Since the beginning of time, nature always takes part and affects the way humans express themselves, and from its inspiration, nature becomes part of our culture and personal identity1. This trend of inspiration continues to survive and generation passes it onto the next generation where it gets improvement, or rather alteration, further distancing it from nature. Natural forests are disappearing, man no longer lives in the jungle, water masses are drying up, pure air is diminishing, wildlife getting extinct, and this authentic of world are being represented in a very new way2. Different regions of the world have embarked on trying to resurrect that diminishing era, which due to its rareness is of great value where found. Nature-man interdependence is at a risk due to the conflict brought by man as he sidelines nature in quest for his own gains, a gap that is widening with the day 3. The environment plays a great role in inspiring contemporary artists. Artists use or include elements of the environment such as naturally occurring stone or wood in coming up with pieces. For instance, Andy Goldsworthy, a famous environmental artist mostly uses ice, vegetation, or snow to create ephemeral artworks such as the Midsummer Snowball project in which large snowballs amounting to thirteen decorated the streets in 2001. Since it was summer, their melting held surprises inside; wool from sheep, pine seeds and berries, rarely seen elements in London streets4. Another artist, Rivane Neuenschwander, draws her inspiration from scenes in her homeland in Brazil where torrential rains mark its wet season and the people align to it. She has a work, Chove Chuva of 2002, where buckets with holes and containing water hang in mid-air letting the water drip into buckets below. This she uses to represent the rains. Sunlight as nature puts it literally dulls and fades color exposed to it- a situation one describes as destruction. However, sculptor Tonico Lemos Auad from Brazil did a piec e (Sunset Seven Seas) in 2007 where he exposes colored card to sunlight and lets part of it fade. The sunlight’s effect, in addition to helping him achieve his piece largely corresponds to his theme. In addition to nature’s role in helping him achieve the Sunset Seven Seas, Tonico directly collaborates with nature when he uses bananas to come up with unique pieces. He gets yellow ripe bananas and makes outlines on them using sharp pins. As the dented pores rot out resulting in black colored spots, they create illusions on the banana skins as per the outlines drawn. During live performances, the feeling of reality comes to life by use of backdrops with representations of real scenes painted or printed on them. For instance, when a play entails war, the backdrops usually have scenes like destroyed buildings, billows of smoke or military equipment. This engages the audience more; giving them the near reality of what a war scene looks and feels like. On the same, playing m usic or applying corresponding sound effects during the performance further brings the audience closer to the real events that occur there. Contemporary artists employ nature in achieving more sensational, realistic art that one can experience being within. Naturally occurring trees, water masses, and stones do not give the impression art to most people. However, some artists bring together naturally occurring elements such as vegetation and stones to create visually appealing scenarios. A good example is Robert Irwin’s maze garden in Getty Center that is a combination of stones, trees, and water that form a maze where visitors can ‘experience’ art. They can touch the elements and experience touchable art, the vegetation has color that appeals to the eye, and the flowers give off

4 short questions for 4 movies Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

4 short questions for 4 movies - Movie Review Example When Yuddy met Li Zhen, he said that they were one-minute friends from that moment. Moreover, Yuddy and his women perceive time unequally, whereas â€Å"love-drug wears off† (Dargis) for him quickly, the women remain fixated at those moments that they spent together and cannot let their feelings go. 3. In a coming-of-age movie of 1957, when a new Chinese society formed, searches of Ge Lan for her biological mother and rejection by her might symbolizes giving up the old way of living and transition to the new stage. According to Lee, â€Å"Kailing can be a symbol of the New Chinese Woman only if she doesn’t have a low-class family history to haunt her†. This means that Ge Lan as a daughter of the West-oriented debonair adoptive parents cannot fit in the society, where her real mother lives. 4. Asia the Invincible is a character, who underwent castration to master martial arts. Therefore, the character might intertwine androgyny (actually, even some gender confusion) and great power to show the genderless nature of power. However, in the course of action, one can see Briggite Lin’s character evolve into a female aggressive warrior (Thomas). Depiction of Asia the Invincible as a fierce transgender woman seems to be paralleled to birth of destructive power similar to Kali’s in Hindu

What Utilitarianism Is by Mill Essay Example for Free

What Utilitarianism Is by Mill Essay Mill, in his attempt to define what utilitarianism is, is also trying to defend the concept against wrong notions. Mill is correcting the wrong idea that utilitarianism could be equated happiness of any kind even as that of a swine or a beast. In asserting that utilitarianism or the greatest happiness principle should be viewed on higher ground than that of the beast, the author points out the comparison with the lower form of animals as degrading since human being’s faculties are higher that of the animal appetites.   Mill explains that by using the different level of happiness, as he points out the great advantage of being human over a satisfied fool or the advantage of dissatisfied Socrates over a satisfied or happy fool.[1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  A wrong notion that utilitarianism is focused on the agent’s own happiness is also another point explained by Mill.   Thus in advocating the greatest amount of happiness altogether for a greater number of people over the agent’s own happiness, which may consists in having some pain, Mill also supports the cultivation of nobleness of character[2] if happiness will come out as result. This is of course with the premise that pleasures or happiness through the intellect or from moral sentiments are of higher value that those from mere sensation.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Mill’s emphasis of the primacy of mental pleasure over those bodily ones should be a strong way to emphasize the significance of the utilitarianism and to avoid comparison of the term with those which cannot have mental pleasures. Work Cited: Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, Routledge, 1863 [1] Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, Routledge, 1863 [2] Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, Routledge, 1863

George Frederick Handel :: essays research papers

George Frederick Handel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George Frederick Handel was born on February 24, 1685 in Halle, Germany. One of the greatest composers of the late baroque period (1700-50) and, during his lifetime, perhaps the most internationally famous of all musicians. Handel was born February 24, 1685, in Halle, Germany, to a family of no musical distinction. His own musical talent, however, expressed itself so clearly that before his tenth birthday he began to receive, from a local organist, the only formal musical instruction he would ever have. Although his first job, beginning just after his 17th birthday, was as church organist in Halle, Handel's musical tendencies lay elsewhere. Thus, in 1703 he traveled to Hamburg, the operatic center of Germany; here, in 1704, he composed his own first opera, Almira, which achieved great success the following year. Once again, however, Handel soon felt the urge to move on, and his instincts led him to Italy, the birthplace of operatic style. He stopped first at Florence in the autumn of 1706. In the spring and summer of 1707 and 1708 he traveled to Rome, enjoying the backing of both the nobility and the clergy, and in the late spring of 1707 he made an additional short trip to Naples. In Italy, Handel composed operas, oratorios, and many small secular cantatas; he ended his Italian visit with the stunning success of his fifth opera, Agrippina (1709), in Venice. Handel left Italy for a job as court composer and conductor in Hannover, Germany, where he arrived in the spring of 1710. As had been the case in Halle, however, he did not hold this job for long. By the end of 1710 Handel had left for London, where with Rinaldo (1711), he once again scored an operatic triumph. After returning to Hannover he was granted permission for a second, short trip to London, from which, however, he never returned. Handel was forced to face his truancy when in 1714 the elector at Hannover, his former employer, became King George I of England. The reconciliation of these two men may well have occurred, as has often been said, during a royal party on the River Thames in 1715, during which the F major suite from Handel's Water Music was probably played. Under the sponsorship of the duke of Chandos, he composed his oratorio Esther and the 11 Chandos anthems for choir and string orchestra (1717-20). By 1719 Handel had won the support of the king to start the Royal Academy of Music for performances of opera, which presented some of Handel's greatest operas: Radamisto (1720), Giulio Cesare (1724), Tamerlano (1724), and Rodelinda (1725).

Project Management and Critical Path Essay

What is project management, and what are its main objectives? What is the relationship between tasks and events, or milestones? What is a work breakdown structure? How do you create one? What are task patterns, and how can you recognize them? Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Gantt and PERT/CPM charts. Define the following terms: best-case estimate, probable-case estimate, and worst- case estimate, and describe how project managers use these concepts. How does a project manager calculate start and finish times? What is a critical path, and why is it important to project managers? How do you identify the critical path? What are some project reporting and communication techniques? What is risk management, and why is it important? In Poor Richard’s Almanac, Benjamin Franklin penned the familiar lines: â€Å"For the want of a nail the shoe was lost, for the want of a shoe the horse was lost, for the want of a horse the rider was lost, for the want of a rider the battle was lost, for the want of a battle the kingdom was lost — and all for the want of a horseshoe nail.† Looking at the outcome in hindsight, could project management concepts have avoided the loss of the kingdom? Explain your answers. At Countywide Construction, you are trying to convince your boss that he should consider modern project management techniques to manage a complex project. Your boss says that he doesn’t need anything fancy, and that he can guess the total time by the seat of his pants. To prove your point, you decide to use a very simple example of a commercial con- struction project, with eight tasks. You create a hypothetical work breakdown struc- ture, as follows: Prepare the foundation (10 days). Then assemble the building (4 days). When the building is assembled, start two tasks at once: Finish the interior work (4 days) and set up an appointment for the final building inspection (30 days). When the interior work is done, start two more tasks at once: landscaping (5 days) and driveway paving (2 days). When the landscaping and driveway are done, do the painting (5 days). Finally, when the painting is done and the final inspection has occurred, arrange the sale (3 days). Now you ask your boss to estimate the total time and write his answer on a piece of paper. You look at the paper and see that his guess is wrong. 1. What is the correct answer? 2. What is the critical path? 3. Create a Gantt chart that shows the WBS. 4. Create a PERT/CPM chart. ————- What are the five questions typically used in fact-finding? What additional question can be asked during this process? What is a systems requirement, and how are systems requirements classified? What are JAD and RAD, and how do they differ from traditional fact-finding methods? What are their pros and cons? What is total cost of ownership (TCO), and why is it important? Provide examples of closed-ended, open-ended, and range-of-response questions. What are three types of sampling, and why would you use them? What is the Hawthorne Effect? Why is it significant? What is a functional decomposition diagram (FDD) and why would you use one? Explain how to create an FDD. What are agile methods, and what are some pros and cons of this approach? To what three different audiences might you have to give a presentation? How would the presentation differ for each? ——– A group meeting sometimes is suggested as a useful compromise between interviews and questionnaires. In such a group meeting, one systems analyst meets with and asks questions of a number of users at one time. Discuss the advantages and disad- vantages of such a group meeting. ——- Elmwood College Situation: The school is considering a new system that will speed up the registration process. As a systems analyst, you are asked to develop a plan for fact-finding. 1. List all the possible techniques that you might use. 2. Describe an advantage for each technique. 3. Suppose the development budget is tight. How might that affect the fact-finding process? 4. What are five important questions to use during fact-finding?