Sunday, December 29, 2019

How to Bend and Draw Glass Tubing

Bending and drawing glass tubing is a handy skill for managing laboratory glassware. Here is how to do it. Note About Glass There are two main types of glass using in a lab: flint glass and borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass may carry a label (e.g., Pyrex). Flint glass typically is not labeled. You can bend and draw flint glass using just about any flame. Borosilicate glass, on the other hand, requires higher heat in order to soften so that you can manipulate it. If you have flint glass, try to use an alcohol burner, since too high of heat may cause your glass to melt too quickly to work it. If you have borosilicate glass, youll need a gas flame in order to work the glass. The glass wont bend or else will be very hard to bend in an alcohol flame. Bending Glass Tubing Hold the tubing horizontally in the hottest part of the flame. This is the blue part of a gas flame or just above the top of the inner cone of an alcohol flame. Your goal is to heat the section of glass you want to bend, plus about a centimeter on either side of this point. A flame spreader is helpful for a gas flame, but not absolutely necessary.Rotate the tubing to make certain it is heated evenly.​​As you heat and rotate the tubing, apply gentle and continuous pressure where you want it bent. Once you feel the glass start to yield, release the pressure.Heat the tubing a few seconds longer. It starts to bend under its own weight, you have overheated it!Remove the tubing from the heat and allow it to cool a couple of seconds.In a single motion, bend the slightly cooled glass to the desired angle. Hold it in that position until it hardens.Set the glass on a heat-resistant surface to allow it to completely cool. Do not set it on a cold, un-insulated surface, such as a st one lab bench, since this likely will cause it to crack or break! An oven mitt or hot pad works great. Drawing Glass Tubing Heat the tubing as if you were going to bend it. Place the section of glass to be drawn in the hottest part of the flame and rotate the glass to heat it evenly.Once the glass becomes pliable, remove it from heat and pull the two ends straight away from each other until the tubing reaches the desired thickness. One trick to avoid getting a bow or curve in the glass is to let gravity help you out. Hold the glass tubing vertical to draw it, either pulling up on it or else letting gravity pull it down for you.Allow the tubing to cool, then cut it and fire polish the sharp edges. Among other uses, this is a handy technique for making your own pipettes, especially if you find the ones you have on hand are either too big or too small to deliver the desired volume. Troubleshooting Here are some causes and fixes for common problems: Glass Wont Get Soft - This happens if the flame temperature is too low to heat the glass. The solution is to use a hotter fuel, such as gas.Glass Gets Too Soft, Too Fast - This is caused by using too high of heat. Back off on the length of time you put the glass in the heat, hold it further from the hottest part of the flame, or use a fuel source that burns with a cooler flame.Glass Has Bumps or Crimps - This can happen by bending the glass more than once or by letting it get too soft so that its weight starts to pull it down. The solution to this problem is experience and practice since there is a certain amount of art to knowing when to remove the glass from the flame to bend it or pull it. Just know that once you decide to bend/pull, its a one-time deal. If it doesnt work, its unlikely you can reheat the glass and get a better outcome.Glass Tubing Seals - If the inside of the tube seals, its because the glass got too hot. If you are bending the glass, remove it from the heat soone r. If you are pulling glass, let it cool a bit more before drawing it. Note that you may wish to purposely seal the glass. If you do, just heat the tubing in the flame, rotating it, until it seals shut.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

`` Fun Home, By Alison Bechdel - 1163 Words

Part graphic memoir and part psychoanalytical study, Alison Bechdel’s, Fun Home, is a charming story about a girl’s search for identity within an unconventional family. The novel style autobiography frames Alison’s childhood and adolescence as she struggles with themes of sexual confusion, gender identity, and convoluted family dynamics. These ideas are explored through the examination of Alison’s relationship with her father, and their shared passion for literature. Early on in her childhood, Alison came to the realization that her family was different. As individuals, and as a unit, they were just plain weird. Unlike most young girls, Alison lacked a strong bond with her parents, most notably her father, Bruce. Because they both display introverted personalities and had divergent gender identities, Alison and her father never devised a solid relationship. Bruce is described as possessing generally feminine qualities having passion for fine art and sophisticated interior design; whereas Alison claims to have become â€Å"a connoisseur of masculinity at a young age† (95). Neither of them fit their stereotypical role within the family; Bruce didn’t act like a macho-man dad, and Alison wasn’t playing dress up with all the other little girls. Though their personas seem compatible, the stark difference in their gender affiliations was a source of great tension between Alison and her father. Not only does Alison approach herself a nd her father as â€Å"inversions† of each other, but sheShow MoreRelatedFun Home By Alison Bechdel954 Words   |  4 PagesIn her graphic memoir Fun Home, Alison Bechdel records her unusual relationship with her late father Bruce Bechdel and reveals her family secrets. Through Chapter Three she speculates about the reason of her father’s death after first knowing the catastrophe. By applying the allusion between writer Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald’s famous character Jay Gatsby, and her father, Bechdel effectively presents the tragic nature of her father that he lives in the fictional world created by himselfRead MoreFun Home By Alison Bechdel1392 Words   |  6 PagesIn Alison Bechdel s Fun Home, there is a focus on a sculpted perception of gender roles produced by society and a great emphasis on how Bruce and Alison challenge these strict gender specific characteristics. Through Bruce’s femininity and Alison’s masculinity along with their homosexuality, they are able to go against the norms and the collection of rules set by society. It is also through their struggle with gender roles that one is able to understand their sexual orientation. Although Bruce andRead MoreFun Home By Alison Bechdel1551 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel, Fun Home, Alison Bechdel explores the Franciscan value of respecting the unique dignity of each person. Throughout the book, Bechdel’s father often challenges this value in his behavior with Alison. From a child development standpoint, these actions complicate the development of Bechdel’s identity. Fun Home follows Alison Bechdel’s childhood, showing both a prominent father-daughter relationship and Bechdel’s developing identity. Following the potential suicide of her father, the authorRead More`` Fun Home `` By Alison Bechdel847 Words   |  4 PagesAlison Bechdel’s comic book â€Å"Fun Home† is narrated by none other than herself who builds the narrative around her family and her life growing up. Then, years later, her father dies in a car accident, and despite not knowing if it was really an accident or a suicide, she occupies herself with finding a justification for his death. Now imprisoned with the task she put herself to, the narrator blames her father s shame and lack of happiness due to him being a homosexual, which she also discovered herselfRead MoreFun Home By Alison Bechdel1518 Words   |  7 PagesAlison Bechdel’s memoir, Fun Home, is a compelling narrative in which Bechdel takes the reader through her life and gives insight i nto her relationship and the complex lifestyle her closeted homosexual father, Bruce Bechdel. However, her serious topic is told through the narrative of comics, images that literally put the readers into the moments of her life with her. Even though, the graphic images provide visual insight, Bechdel makes a conscious decision to include a multitude of literary allusionsRead MoreThe, Fun Home, By Alison Bechdel Essay2271 Words   |  10 Pagesof autobiography in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. Fun Home is a retelling of Alison Bechdel’s life through the lens of her relationship with her father. However, because of what she considers to have been his suicide, Alison is left with an incomplete picture of who he was in life. By calling Fun Home an autobiography, Bechdel enters an autobiographical pact with the reader that ensures that what Bechdel is telling us is the truth. However, elements out of her control leave Bechdel unable to provide certainRead MoreFun Home By Alison Bechdel920 Words   |  4 PagesIn Alison Bechdel’s first graphic memoir Fun Home, the main focus of the story is Alison’s father Bruce, and her writing wrestles with how both of them came to terms with their sexuality and how they have influenced one another throughout this process. Bechdel does not get to have as many discussions with her father as she would like, however, because Bruce dies shortly after Alison writes home to tell her parents that she’s a lesbian. Aliso n frequently speculates if her father committed suicideRead MoreFilm Fun Home By Alison Bechdel1410 Words   |  6 Pages Alison Bechdel’s comic book Fun Home clearly portrays the importance of gender roles in the society. She mentions in her book incidents which illustrate as to how gender plays a major role in forming a person’s identity. Throughout the book, Bechdel suggests how the society has divided people into different genders on the basis of appearance, duties and behavioural expectations. The society as a whole needs to re-asses these gender roles so that people don’t end up ruining their life thinking aboutRead MoreFun Home by Alison Bechdel Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesFun Home Picking up the book Fun Home, one would imagine that the novel would embellish some sort of comical life story of a misunderstood teenager. Although the short comic-book structured novel does have its sarcastic humor, Alison Bechdel explains her firsthand account of growing up with the difficulty of living of finding her true identity. Alison was a teenager in college when she discovered that she was a lesbian, however, the shock came when she also discovered her father was homosexual.Read MoreAnalysis Of Fun Home By Alison Bechdel992 Words   |  4 PagesAnalytical Essay on â€Å"Fun Home† By: Alison Bechdel Even though a lot of thing events that happened to Bechdel was sad, dark, or scary she manages to use a very witty tone throughout the story reflecting on her personality. She believes dark events are not central to one’s life. She uses this tone as oppose to an angry tone because she never realized her family was any different until she was compared it to others. This strongly classifies Bechdel in the optimistic category of personalities. The

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Designing - Implementing and Improving Processes Professional Success

Question: Discuss about theDesigning, Implementing and Improving Processesfor Professional Success. Answer: Introduction The critical analysis as well as reflection is important for personal as well as professional success. In order to become an active learner it is important to consider, analyze and gather learning from the various incidences. The previous experiences would help me to gain broader as well as deeper understandings regarding the organizational process. It is important to understand the business architectures of an organization which would foster the learning process. The business architecture can be defined as the design of the organization which would enhance the cooperation of the organization and aligns the organization with its strategic goals (Haeckel 2013). This paper would discuss the understanding of the implementation, designing and improvement of the processes in the organization. The importance of the management of the organizational processes is analyzes which would ensure organizational success (Haeckel 2013). The application of the learning process in the workplace would b e discussed. Discussion The subject helped me to understand the details of the organizational processes which would concern with the designing, implementation and the process improvements. My earlier perception regarding the organizational processes was that there is no fixed organizational process; however, it changed completely after I went through the subject. I have learnt that the aim of the business architectures help in the enhancement of the motivation level of the employees and the overall improvement of the operational processes. I understood that it is important to design suitable planning process for maximizing the operational efficiency. It is also important that there is fair utilization of the organizational resources which would help the organization to fulfill the organizational objectives (Cummings and Worley 2014). It is also important to know how to implement the different planning components in the actual organization. This would help in the process improvements in the organizations whi ch would increase the customer satisfaction rates which would eventually help the organization to achieve its mission. When I was being employed in a manufacturing company, initially, I was unable to understand the process of business operations, which was reflected in my work. My colleagues did not perceive me as a knowledgeable person and it created a bad impression of me. However, after studying the subject, I understood the importance of the designing, implementation and the process improvement initiatives that should be taken for delivering excellent performances. This made me to interact with the operational manager and understand the process followed in the organization. I understood the designing of the manufacturing process and how it was implemented in the actual organization. My learning in the subject has caused an increased awareness regarding the importance of the managing functions in organizations in order to achieve organizational success. There have been several reasons for this increased awareness. I understand that the business operations are changing at a rapid rate and these days the business processes are more complicated (Jeston and Nelis 2014). The various industries are evolving to a great extent with the intervention of technology such as mobile computing, cloud computing and social media (Hashem et al. 2015). There have been changes in the company architecture which has been fostered by the industry development (Christensen 2013). I understood that in the critical infrastructure industries such as chemical, manufacturing and the utilities, the relationship between the operations and thee I.T is becoming complex. These evident changes also need to be incorporated in the corporate strategy of the organization (Chang 2016). This makes it imp ortant to effectively manage the organizational processes. I have understood the fact that the management of the processes is important for ensuring the enterprise mobility. The companies are increasingly realizing the importance of good management of the processes since it provides a number of business benefits (Davenport 2013). The benefits may include increased brand awareness, customer retention, increased number of sales and increased productivity (Peppers and Rogers 2016). This has made me realize the increasing importance of the ability to manage the organizational processes. The ability of managing the processes in the organization would help in achieving the organizational goals since there is higher degree of planning and implementation. I have understood that there are different factors which contribute to the organizational success such as production process, assembling process and the efficient organization of the available resources. I have participated in a number of discussions and activities during my professional tenure which has influenced my view towards the designing, improvement and the implementation of the processes. I was involved in a number of seminars and conferences which were focused on the management of organizational processes, process improvements and others. This helped me to gain industry insights regarding the processes and aided me in gathering diverse knowledge from the experts in the concerned industry. There was interactive session which helped me to clarify my doubts regarding the management of the process. During my professional experiences, I have often pondered over certain critical issues and the seminars helped me to clear my doubts. This was also helpful in enhancing my knowledge regarding organizational process improvements. The group activities in my organization helped me to influence my views regarding how to implement the organizational processes. The practical tasks helped me to understand the real processes that take place in the organization and how to deal with them. It helped in the development of knowledge, skills as well as expertise to better manage the processes in the organization. The role plays in the organization helped me to identify how to design the management processes of the organization in order to ensure maximum process improvements. The real situation like role plays helped me to understand how to meet the design requirements of the project and then implement them in an organizational context. The knowledge gained from a number of different sources helped me to improve the processes in the organization. I would use the learning from the subject in improving the operations of the workplace. I would follow a systematic process for the implementation of my learning in my professional organization. The first step would involve the mapping of the operations process and decide on the processes that I want to improve (Kaplan and Atkinson 2015). I would use a flowchart for performing this step and explore each step in detail. The operational process may contain several sub-steps which should be taken into consideration. The second step would involve the analyzing of the process with the help of swim lane diagram so that the operational issues can be identified (Ezeonwumelu Kalu and Johnson 2016). There should be several information that needs to be collected such as bottleneck of processes, reason of frustration of the employees, costs of the processes and cause of prevailing issues in the workplace. This can be done with the help of Root Cause Analysis so that the actual problems can be tr acked. The third step would involve the redesigning of the processes so that the identified problems can be eliminated. This can be done by performing an Impact Analysis so that the ideas of the team can be taken into consideration (Bedarkar et al. 2016). This step can also use the risk analysis in order to identify the possible risks associated with the processes. It is important to identify the failure that may be associated with the operation process and then take corrective actions. The fourth process would include acquiring of the resources which are required to implement the new process in the organization. It is advisable to use a business case to demonstrate this step (Krajewski Ritzman and Malhotra 2013). The fifth step would include the communication and the implementation of the change. The change process should be communicated well to all the stakeholders. The sixth step would involve the reviewing of the processes and measure their potential impact on the organization a nd its resources. The theoretical aspects helped me to understand my capability and how it can be implemented in my future. This subject helped me to gain deeper understanding of the operation process. It would be helpful to me when I would join an organization. I have also learnt about improving the interpersonal relationships in the organization which has great impact on the process improvements. It would be easier for the organizations to initiate a change management process if there is good cooperation between the organizational members. The employee engagement measures would go a long way in improving the organizational processes as they would be motivated to deliver their best performance. Conclusion The critical reflection is important for improving the process management in the organizations. This is based on my previous experiences in the organizations. It comprehensively described the learning events of my life and derived inferences from the various processes related to the business processes. It showed the gradual progress of my learning in the process of designing, implementation and the process improvements. The increased awareness regarding the management of the processes is determined. The application of the learning in the workplace is explained with a step by step approach. This critical reflection would broaden the knowledge regarding process management and the subsequent improvement of the processes. References Bedarkar, M., Pandita, D., Agarwal, R. and Saini, R., 2016. Examining the Impact of Organizational Culture on Customer Centricity in Organizations: An Analysis.Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management,9(2), pp.19-28. Chang, J.F., 2016.Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Christensen, C., 2013.The innovator's dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail. Harvard Business Review Press. Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G., 2014.Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Davenport, T.H., 2013.Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology. Harvard Business Press. Ezeonwumelu, A.N., Kalu, C. and Johnson, E.H., 2016. Development of swim lane workflow process map for sales and inventory workflow management information system: A case study of petrospan integrated services, Eket, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.Mathematical and Software Engineering,2(2), pp.57-65. Haeckel, S.H., 2013.Adaptive enterprise: Creating and leading sense-and-respond organizations. Harvard business press. Hashem, I.A.T., Yaqoob, I., Anuar, N.B., Mokhtar, S., Gani, A. and Khan, S.U., 2015. The rise of big data on cloud computing: Review and open research issues.Information Systems,47, pp.98-115. Jeston, J. and Nelis, J., 2014.Business process management. Routledge. Kaplan, R.S. and Atkinson, A.A., 2015.Advanced management accounting. PHI Learning. Krajewski, L.J., Ritzman, L.P. and Malhotra, M.K., 2013.Operations management: Processes and supply chains(Vol. 1). New York: Pearson. Peppers, D. and Rogers, M., 2016.Managing Customer Experience and Relationships: A Strategic Framework. John Wiley Sons.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Essay on South Park as Parody of Society Essay Example For Students

Essay on South Park as Parody of Society Essay South Park as Parody of Society South Park began airing in 1997. The commercials that preceded it gave the impression of it being another stupid cartoon; however, when I began watching, I realized important issues were being covered through the repeated behaviors and actions of its characters, through the influences these actions could have on the viewers, through the reinforcement and rejections of certain stereotypes, through the long-term effects that could result from watching the program, and through its reflection of social reality. Some of the repeated behaviors and actions of the characters include one of the children (Kenny) dying during each episode (followed by Stan yelling, Oh, my God! Theyve killed Kenny (South Park).); the children ragging the overweight kid; the African-American chef obsessing about sex; and the geneticist performing insane experiments in his spooky laboratory. Kenny has been shot, run over by a train, impaled on a flag pole, beheaded, crushed by Mir, and taken by Death himselfto name a few. Cartman, the overweight kid, has been called fat ass, lard ass, and the fat kid (South Park). There are numerous references to his weight throughout each episode; he eats continuously, thanks to his Mothers cooking and offering cookies, chocolate-chicken pot pies, and Cheesy Poofs. Each time Chef (voice of Isaac Hayes) offers to explain important issues to the kids, he breaks into a song about making sweet love to a woman. This leaves the children wondering just what the heck he is trying to say. There are references to his having sex with every available (and even unavailable) female in the town. There is a take-off of The Island of Dr. Moreau with a geneticistmimicking Marlon Bran. .in most of the episodes these negative actions and beliefs are dealt with in a manner that seeks to alleviate them. Unfortunately, this manner of alleviation is found in the subtext, and most people are not willing to look that far; it requires too much effort. Frighteningly, the show is a parody of society itself. In film, parody is usually the death-knell of a particular genre. Years ago, I read that Ren and Stimpy (another cartoon) was proof of the decline of our civilization because of its attacks on societal norms. Could South Park be further proof of this decline, or is it just a funny cartoon that allows us to laugh at ourselves while dealing with our fears? Bibliography South Park. Prod. Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Comedy Central, New York. 1997. Superman. Dir. Richard Donner. Perf. Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman. Dovemead Film Export, 1978.