Counterfeit Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Counterfeit Medicine - Essay Example Because of this demand pharmaceutical companies now face the problem of counterfeit medicine (Cockburn, p. 302). The World Health Organization and the US FDA estimates that ten percent (10%) of the medicines and drugs sold in the United States are counterfeit drugs. These drugs are known to be manufactured overseas, particularly in Asia or Africa where it is reported that the real drugs are being sold along side of the counterfeit ones. These counterfeit medicines when taken in may have serious health consequences. A lot of counterfeit medicines sold today are cheaper or almost the same price as that of the real medicine. This also makes them a competitor for legal pharmaceuticals. One of the serious health implications for ingesting these counterfeit drugs are the possible side effects not reported or present in real medicine. Counterfeit medicines are also known to contain little or a different drug ingredient that has not passed FDA approval (US FDA, para.3). The economic repercussion of having these fake drugs available is that legal pharmaceuticals are losing money. Fake drugs may look and have the same packaging, it is sometimes impossible for the average consumer to know which one is fake or counterfeit. Consumers or patients who get a hold of counterfeit medicine also lose money because they do not get the product that they have paid for, and the medicinal benefit of the drug. Add to that the possibility of getting hospitalized because of the adverse effects of the counterfeit drugs, or worse death (Hope, para. 2). The problem of counterfeit medicine has stemmed from the known income earnings of pharmaceutical companies and commercialism. Companies that are trying to outsell each other may try to get sourcing of their raw materials from third world countries and sometimes these medicines contain little or weak proportions of an active ingredient or worse a different

Rapid Tooling For Technology For Injection Moulding

Rapid Tooling For Technology For Injection Moulding Rapid Tooling describes the process where a Rapid Prototyping (RP) model is used as a master pattern to create a mould rapidly. The Rapid Prototyping model may also be used directly as a tool. The two halves of a tool are referred to as the core and cavity. Rapid Tooling (RT) first evolved in the early 90s with the introduction of RTV silicone tooling from SLA master patterns, the mid 90s saw the introduction of investment casting tooling, direct AIM tooling, sand casting and metal SLS tooling. By the late 90s die casting and laminate tooling were introduced.4 The difference between Rapid Tooling and conventional tooling is: A time reduction of up to 1/5th is made when using Rapid Tooling. Rapid Tooling can cost less than 5% of the conventional tooling cost. Conventional tools generally have a longer life cycle. Larger tolerances for Rapid Tooling than for conventional tooling.  [1]   The two types of RT method available are Direct and Indirect tooling. Direct tooling is a soft tooling method which uses an RP model directly as a tool for moulding whereas indirect tooling is where the RP model is used as a master pattern to create a mould or die. Reasons for Rapid Tooling Within the last 25 years market trends have changed greatly, the product life span of many products such as mobile phones has been reduced drastically with updated models being released as often as every 3 to 4 months. The variation and complexity of products available has dramatically increased with manufacturers under increased pressure to reduce the time to market for these products. Taking all of this into account it is clear to see that parts need to be produced cheaper and quicker, therefore enhancing the need for manufacturers to adopt RT methods.4 Two of the most important things that toolmakers need to consider are if and when to adopt RT methods. RT has many advantages over conventional tooling methods: Speed: The majority of RT techniques offer an increase in speed compared to conventional tooling methods. A tool with ribs and bosses may take multiple operations i.e. CNC programming, CNC milling and EDM; however with RT the same tool may be done in one swift operation.  [2]   Cost effective for complex tooling: With RT methods it is possible to create complex geometries which would not difficult to produce by conventional methods. Automation: Automation of many of the RT processes means tooling can be build 24 hours a day without any human interaction. This improves productivity, and more tools are produced without the increased amount of manpower it would take to produce the same number conventionally. Human error: Human error can be significantly reduced by adopting RT methods and building a tool directly from the master pattern. Conventional methods may incur incorrect CNC programming or misinterpretation of CAD/technical drawings.2 Design possibilities: It is possible to integrate conformal cooling channels into complex tooling inserts when using RT methods. Tool design is not limited to designing tools which can be conventionally machined.2 Figure Rapid Tooling Vs Conventional shows the typical time savings which can be made by employing RT techniques oppose to conventional machining techniques. Rapid injection molding vs. conventional injection molding Figure Rapid Tooling Vs Conventional Tooling  [3]   Direct Tooling Direct AIM Tools Direct AIM (ACES Injection Moulding) is the process whereby tools are created directly on an SLA machine. The tools are initially designed using CAD software and the process involves creating a part by SLA which is basically a shell on the underside. The purpose of the shell is to leave a cavity so that each half of the mould can be filled with a backing material such as an epoxy resin, metal or ceramic. By backfilling the mould a thermal conduit is provided for the heat exchange process and it is also possible to add any cooling channels to the mould at this stage.  [4]   The surface of the moulds is finished to improve the quality of the surface. Using this method it is possible to create up to 100 parts with an accuracy of  ±0.15 0.3mm. Typical application for this type of tool would be for smaller parts, mainly prototype injection moulding tools, low volume wax injection tooling and low volume foundry patterns.  [5]   Advantages A relatively fast process a mould can be designed and built within a 2 week period. Cheap process for small tools, such as mobile phone and mp3 player casing. Building large parts on an SLA machine is not cheap. Disadvantages A CAD model of the tool is required as this has to be saved as an stl file in order for the SLA machine to build the 3D tool. Low durability the complexity of the tool and thermoplastic material used to build the tool all affect its life cycle. Moulds produced this way can create as little as 10 parts. Moulds typically degrade gradually with each part that is moulded on it. Laser Sintered Tooling Tooling inserts made by sintering are initially designed using CAD software and then produced by using DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) or SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) methods. SLS Rapid Steel Rapid steel powder is used to directly build a tool cavity using laser sintering; the powder consists of a stainless steel particles coated in a polymer binder. The parts which are produced are called green parts which are then put into a furnace. The furnace removes the polymer binder and infiltrates bronze into the mould to create a dense 60 (steel)/40 (bronze) part. The tooling inserts are then finished and fitted to a bolster. Advantages A relatively fast process which will produce a strong metal tool. Conformal Cooling channels can be built into the tool. Possible to create complex geometries. Disadvantages Finishing and polishing is required. Poor accuracy. Equipment cost is high. Size limitations, max 200 x 200 x 100mm Copper Polyamide Tooling A Copper and polyamide powder is sintered to form the tool. Only the polyamide particles in the powder are actually sintered. The advantage to this process is the tool strength and heat transfer compared with other methods. Copper provides the tool with these characteristics, allowing the tool to be used at high pressure and temperature.  [6]   This method is suitable for several hundred mouldings.5 DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) Using a laser sintering machine, metal in the form of powder is sintered to produce a tooling insert. The two available materials are Bronze and Steel based, the bronze based material offers a higher definition of features than the steel based one.6 Laminated Tooling Laminated tooling is very similar to the LOM (Layer Object Manufacturing) process as slices of a CAD model are replicated by layers of cut sheet metal. The steel laminations are laser cut or cut with a water jet. Tooling inserts are initially designed using CAD software; the CAD model must represent the cavity of the tool in order to produce the mould. The slices of the cavity are cut in sheet metal which has a thickness of 1mm and then bonded, clamped or brazed together. The use of a thick laminate results in a poor surface finish so the tool must be finish machined.3 Typical application for this type of tool would be large complex tools and aerospace tooling.2 Advantages Efficient use of material due to layers being cut to the exact size required. Conformal Cooling channels can be built into the tool easily if required. Standard steel sheet is used, making the process relatively quick and cheap. Good for large tools up to 2000 x 1000 x 500mm Design of parts can be easily changed by replacing a laminate layer as long as it has not been bonded. Disadvantages Tools have to be finish machined to remove the step like features to obtain accuracy. The joints between each lamination provide the tool with a weak link. Part complexity is dependent upon layer thickness. Indirect Tooling Rigid Cast Resin Tooling This process manufactures a tooling insert using aluminium filled epoxy resin as the tool material. A master RP model is initially manufactured and the part is set up on a split line. The resin is then cast onto the model which is within a bolster. The resin is then left to cure, a release coat is applied to the mould, the shut-off material removed and the process is repeated for the other half of the mould. When both halves of the mould have cured, the shut off material is removed and a bolster and ejector pins are added.2,4 Typical application for this type of tool would be a small sized tool, low volume RIM (Resin Injection Moulding) tools or low volume press tools. Accuracy of the tool is dependent upon each step within the process so shrinkage and deformation must be taken into account when reviewing the overall accuracy. Advantages Quick to produce, 2-3 days. Cost is typically 40% less than with conventional tooling.  [7]   Quick repair on tools is possible. Disadvantages Flash can occur resulting in more effort required to trim mouldings. Difficult and slow to mould Fragile and easy to break. Repairs are not long lasting. Distortion is possible with larger tools due to exothermic processes. Cast Metal Tooling Sand Casting A master pattern is placed in Green sand to create a mould, the pattern is removed and the cavity of the mould is filled with molten metal. The metal is left to cool and the sand mould is broken away to leave a finished casting. Investment Casting A master pattern is created from wax or a material which can be melted. The wax pattern is then dipped in slurry consisting of plaster of Paris, binder and silica repeatedly to create a surface on it. The mould is then heated up in an oven leaving the wax to melt away. The completed mould can then be filled with a molten metal to create the part. Rubber Plaster Casting A master RP pattern is created and shut off, silicone is cast in the shape of the tool. Liquid plaster slurry is poured around the silicone, once cured the silicone is removed. Molten metal is then poured into the plaster mould.  [8]   Advantages Solid metal tools are produced. Conformal cooling is possible. One master can allow multiple tools. Steel tools can be made but with increased difficulty. Disadvantages Tools may need to be finish machined and polished. Difficult to hold tolerances. http://www.crptechnology.com/sito/images/stories/ElementiFissiHome/rapid-casting.jpg Figure Investment Casting, RP model on left.  [9]   Metal Spray Tooling This method is used to produce soft tooling inserts. A master pattern is produced and shut-off; a thin shell of 1-2mm of zinc is sprayed over the pattern, this shell is then removed and backed up with an epoxy resin or ceramic to make the mould more rigid. This is then repeated for the other half of the tool. The surface of the metal shell is usually polished and even sealed. Electric Arc Spraying In this process two conductive metal wires are melted by means of an electric arc. The metal melts, and the molten material is atomised by a gas and propelled on to the surface of the pattern. The molten particles on the pattern rapidly solidify to form the metal coating of the shell.  [10]   High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Metal powder particles are injected into a high velocity jet. The jet is formed by oxygen and fuel combusting and heating and accelerating the molten metal towards the surface of the pattern. Metal coatings produced this way are strong and very dense allowing a thicker coating to be applied to the pattern compared to electric arc spraying.  [11]   Advantages High quality surface finish. Relatively quick. Fine detail such as graining can be achieved. Conformal cooling is possible. Large scale tools can be produced. Disadvantages Line of sight limitations impossible to spray undercuts or narrow slots. Surface is porous so may need to be sealed to reduce infiltration. Any repairs and modifications are very difficult to undertake. Special equipment and operating environment is required. Figure H.V.O.F process  [12]   Electroformed Nickel Tooling Nickel Shell Tooling This method involves a nickel surface being created on an RP model. A master RP pattern is produced and shut-off, the part is then put in an electroplating bath to form a nickel shell on the surface. Once plated, the part is removed from the bath; the nickel shell is removed and backed up with a thermally conductive ceramic material. Cooling channels, typically made from copper can be built into the mould at this time.  [13]   Typical application for this type of tool would be large production vacuum forming tools and composite forming tooling for the aerospace industry. Advantages Detail from the master model is picked up almost perfectly. Nickel provides a smooth surface which is dense and hard. Low thermal stress compared to metal spray techniques. Disadvantages Slow process which can take up to 6 weeks to produce a 6mm shell. Line of sight limitations Nickel Vapour Deposition (NVD) This method converts Nickel Carbonyl gas (NiCO4) into a solid Nickel shell. A master pattern is created from aluminium or steel, and placed into a special chamber which heats the pattern up to 110-180oC. Nickel Carbonyl gas is passed over the pattern, and nickel is deposited onto the pattern to create a metal shell. The pattern is then removed from the chamber; the shell is backed up and removed from the pattern. This process is then repeated for the other half of the mould. Advantages Extremely fast, 0.25mm/hr (20 times faster than electroforming).  [14]   A more uniform wall thickness than electroforming.8 No line of sight limitations. Conformal heating and cooling is possible. Disadvantages A dangerous process which can be explosive. The master pattern must be heated evenly. Indirect Sintered Tooling 3D Keltool Process Keltool is the name given to the powder metal sintering process which involves the infiltration of a fused metal part with copper alloy.  [15]   An RTV mould is created from an SLA master pattern. When the pattern is de-moulded, slurry consisting of A6 tool steel and tungsten carbide is poured into the RTV mould. Once cured this mould is infiltrated with copper and sintered to cure the mould and increase its strength. The completed tool can be machined and has a hardness similar to A6 tool steel.9 Using this process it is possible to create a tooling insert, from master pattern to the finished product in under two weeks. Tool life expectancy can be anything between 100,000 to 10,000,000 shots dependent upon material being moulded.9 Typical application for this type of tool would be small tooling inserts. Advantages Good for complex mould geometry. Extremely fast process. Disadvantages Size limitations 6 in all directions. Difficult to machine detailed designs. Figure 3D Keltool parts  [16]   Tool Considerations When designing a tool, a number of considerations must be taken into account: Wall Thickness. Sliding Cores. Size and location of runners and ejector pins. Gate design. Size and number of cooling channels if required. Split line position. Shrinkage Wall Thickness It is possible to create walls with various thicknesses. A wall with an uneven thickness can cause problems for the tool designer, as thicker walls cool much slower than thin walls therefore resulting in greater shrinkage at the thicker sections. A uniform wall thickness will minimise any defects caused by uneven cooling. Shrinkage will also occur at wall intersections (tees).  [17]   Sliding Cores Sliding cores allow undercuts to be made; sometimes it may be possible to relocate the split line to reduce the number required. Sometimes it may be a case of re-designing a feature in order to reduce tooling costs. Any additional cores will just increase the overall cost and complexity of the tooling insert. Figure Redesigning a feature18 shows a hinge feature which has been redesigned to eliminate the requirement for the sliding core shown on the left. Figure Redesigning a feature  [18]   Ejection Methods Ejector pins are placed in the cavity or core of the mould and push the solidified moulding out of the mould. This is the most common method of ejection, the ejector pins are carried in an ejector plate which is in the mould. These pins should be positioned at points with good strength to avoid any lasting damage to the part.5 Other methods of ejection may use plates or some method of gas or air ejection to ease the part out of the moulding. Gate Design A Gate is the opening in the mould where the resin will enter from. The design and placement of gates is an extremely important factor to consider. Resin is injected into the mould at pressures of up to 20,000 psi. The immense pressure can cause gas to be forced into the liquid resin, which when cooled results in bubbles being formed in the solidified moulding. To eliminate this problem it may be necessary to add vents within the mould to allow air to be displaced as the resin is injected.  [19]   Gates should be positioned at the thicker areas of the part; the thinner areas will lose heat quicker causing the resin to cure before it reaches the thicker areas. Knit lines occur when the flow of resin is split by a core in the mould. Where the resin rejoins there may be a slight defect due to cooling and the two edges not fully merging together to create a smooth blend. This will result in a visible line which may affect aesthetics or structure of the part. A more structured gate placement may improve the resin flow and eliminate any knit lines.17 Conformal Cooling Cooling channels for Moulds are traditionally drilled in a secondary machining operation. These cooling channels are only able to follow straight lines, if a complex cooling channel is required, the mould is split into segments and channels milled into each segment. The segments are then welded back together so the channels align producing a cooling channel which is not straight.  [20]   Conformal cooling channels follow the shape of the mould and allow temperature to be distributed uniformly in the moulded material. This method is only available when using RT methods to create a mould. Conformal cooling can save money when thermal management is extremely difficult via traditional tooling methods. Recent studies have shown a 30-60% reduction in cycle times compared to conventional methods.  [21]   Figure Conventional Vs Conformal Cooling18 shows the same mould with traditional drilled channels on the left and conformal cooling channels on the right. The conformal cooling channels follow the curves of the mould closely. Figure Conventional Vs Conformal Cooling18 Split Line The split line is the line at which the two halves of the mould meet. In some cases the tooling may not be precise allowing the mould halves to open and close without any precision. The high pressure injection process will cause resin to creep into any gaps between the mould halves; this material is referred to as flash. Strategic positioning of the split line is necessary to improve part quality and to facilitate with ejection. 22 shows the same part but with the split line (red line) at different locations. On the image on the left, the walls of the part are in the bottom half and are slanting to allow the part to be ejected. This leaves the wall at the base being much thicker. If conventional methods of tooling are used, the deep narrow cut may have to be made wider to allow the machine tool full operation resulting in an even thicker wall.19 On the image on the right the top half of the tool is the core which forms the walls. This results in walls with a uniform thickness. If conventional methods are used, tooling is made easier as larger sized cutting tools can be used.19 http://www.protomold.com/designtips/2006/2006-05_designtips/images/fig1.jpg Figure Split line at different locations.  [22]   Shrinkage The majority of tooling methods involve a change of phase. A material is transformed from a liquid to a solid or solid to a liquid and back to a solid. In each case, the phase change results in a decrease in volume therefore results in shrinkage.  [23]   All of the tooling processes involve some level of volumetric shrinkage therefore some sort of shrinkage compensation is usually given for each process. It is usually a case of measuring the linear shrinkage for a given material in a particular process and then applying a shrinkage compensation factor to any other part dimensions produced this way. A part is intentionally built oversized so that when shrinkage occurs, the part will be the correct size.20 In principle this sounds great but in practice it is not so easy to achieve precise dimensions through shrinkage compensation. Case Studies Thermoplastic composite (GMT) forming tooling using thermal spraying Zinc.5 The aim of this project was to find a way to reduce the time taken to produce tooling by evaluating a different method using thermally sprayed zinc, backed with ceramic. The GMT floor pan assembly required 5 parts: Main floor, 2 cross beams, battery box and lid. The master pattern was machined and thermal sprayed with a 2mm layer of zinc. The shell was then put in a steel bolster and copper cooling channels were added. The zinc shell was then backed with a chemically bonded ceramic. The die was then ready for moulding. Moulding trials took place with a 1000 tonne press. It took 8 weeks to produce using a metal spray tooling technique oppose to the 16 weeks it would of taken using traditional machined tools. The total cost was  £80,000 a saving of  £170,000.5 Feasibility study of arc spray welding onto a master RP model.  [24]   The model used for this project was a handheld phone. Overall dimensions of the model were 100 x 50 x 20mm. An ABS RP master was fabricated and put into a bolster, and then arc sprayed to create a shell of 1.5mm thickness. Aluminium epoxy was used to back the shell; this took 24 hours to cure. The process was then repeated for the other half of the mould. The surface of the shell was polished to improve surface finishing then it was ready for injection moulding. Tool development cost ITEM COST ($) RP Master 200 Bolster 500 Sand Blasting 100 MMA resin system 500 Arc metal spraying 800 Sprue bushing 200 Reinforcement block 50 PVA 50 Labour ($20/h) 20 x 89hrs = 1780 TOTAL = $4180 Estimated cost of the tool was $4180, a traditional tooling shop quote was between $10,000 -$15,000 for the same tool. An approximate time and cost saving of 50% was achieved, the tool was also completed in less than 2 weeks. Kodak reduces tooling costs.20 A project being run at Kodak needed 25 different plastic injection moulded geometries. By using rapid tooling as a method of bridge tooling they reduced lead times by up to 85% compared with CNC/EDM generated tools. By using a composite aluminium filled epoxy they were able to create tooling inserts capable of moulding in excess of 1000 parts. in some case product development cycles were cut by a year. 20 By employing RT methods, Kodak are typically saving about 25% in tooling cost compared with traditional methods. They are able to: Test, iterate, retest and proof multiple designs far more rapidly. Form, fit and function can be tested with true prototypes which have been injection moulded with the desired end use material.20 Conclusions Rapid Tooling is a growing area which still has room for improvement and development. In the future, reducing the cost of tooling will play an important role in enabling smaller runs of parts to be made as well as allowing more product customisation for niche markets. Developments in Rapid Tooling will mean product development can be initiated closer to market entry time meaning manufacturers can gather more up to date market trends before the product is manufactured. From the research conducted and case studies viewed it is clear to see that time and cost savings can be made and productivity increased when employing Rapid Tooling techniques. The production time of tooling inserts can be shortened by a near fully automatic procedure from start to finish. Rapid Tooling is not however cheap, cost of the RP machine and other machinery such as Arc welding equipment and resins has to be taken into account. The future development of SLA resins and further improvements in Rapid Prototyping machines will only aid in the development of Rapid Tooling. Rapid Tooling still has a lot to offer, this is just the beginning; future improvements in CAD software will allow the whole process to become far more efficient.

Strategic Planning Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategic planning is defined by intestorwords.com as the process of determining a company’s long-term goals and then identifying the best approach for achieving those goals. But this definition is too broad and does not identify the true advantages of strategic planning for large to small businesses. Strategic planning provides the foundation for the policies, procedures, and strategies for obtaining and using resources to obtain the goals of the organization. Some believe that in today’s rapidly changing environment, strategic planning is becoming more difficult and therefore more obsolete because changes are occurring so fast that plans-even those set for just months into the future-may soon be obsolete. The fact is that with the fast changing environment it is even more important to have strategic planning in every business today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First to fully define what strategic planning involves; assessing the current business environment, defining your company’s purpose mission, deciding what you want the business to look like in three to five years, recognizing your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and lastly mapping out a course in which to take the company from its current to its desired position (Policastro). Strategic planning has historically been taken care of by top management every one to ten years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A little history; â€Å"by the early 1980s, as U.S. companies...

Acceptance Speech †Martin Luther King Essay

Acceptance Speech Martin Luther King was an African American activist and leader who dedicated his life to fighting for equal rights for coloured people in America. Grown up in a Baptist family, Christianity held a huge fascination for Martin Luther King, which is often reflected in his speeches. In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements in the struggle for equality and independence for coloured people. When receiving the award, Martin Luther King expresses his appreciation by a speech in Oslo. This speech is slightly different to his other speeches such as â€Å"I have a dream† or â€Å"Eulogy† as he uses less metaphors and alliterations and not only focuses on racial discrimination in the United States of America. He uses high vocabulary, as he speaks to a highly educated non-American audience in a humble tone. Martin Luther King begins his speech with the words: â€Å"The tortuous road which has led from Montgomery to Alabama to Oslo†¦ This can be classified as a metaphor, as â€Å"tortuous road† emphasizes that Negros had to suffer humiliation, exploitation and oppression for many years. But this â€Å"road† gave new hope to the people in the United States, as it is said in the speech: â€Å"This road has opened for all Americans a new era of progress and hope. † This is an extended metaphor that appears throughout the whole paragraph, as he goes on with:† a superhighway of injustice†. These words show that the civil rights movement can’t be stopped anymore and will finally bring justice for Negros. Throughout the speech many alliteration occur such as:†faith in the future† or â€Å"bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood†. These examples show that alliterations point attention to the sentence and help to fix the reader’s mind. It then goes on with the simile: â€Å"Man is more flotsam and jetsam in the river of life†. By these words Martin Luther King wants to emphasize that it is possible for everybody to change something in the world, despite the fact that people do not have the same opinion. Later he says:† I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to Starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality†. By metaphor â€Å"starless midnight of racism† Martin Luther King wants to indicate was considerate to something unsolvable or unchangeable. By the words â€Å"bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood†, he which is also a metaphor, he emphasizes thatpeace and brotherhood will finally be achieved. However, hese metaphor are very effective as they make the abstract or unknown concrete but it also enlivens the reader’s imagination. This sentence can also closely be classified as a balanced sentence, as Martin Luther King tells us what to do and what not to do. However, this helps to persuade the audience so stand up for their rights. Throughout the speech many anaphoras occur such as â€Å"I refuse to accept† or â€Å"I believe that†. This rhetor ical device emphasizes Martin Luther King’s aim for equal rights all over the world. Later on it says: â€Å"I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘is-ness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘ought-ness’ that forever confronts him. † Martin Luther King had a vision for how things ought to be. He shows us to refuse to accept things for how they are, and instead strive to find the solution for how they ought to be. Martin Luther King will always remain one of the most influential and greatest freedom fighters in the world. Though his commitment and persuasion, he achieved a lot for Afro American people in the USA.

Fool Chapter 9

NINE TOIL AND TROUBLE So why is it that we are going to Great Birnam Wood to look for witches?† asked Kent as we made our way across the moor. There was only a slight breeze but it was bloody cold, what with the mist and the gloom and my despair over King Jeff. I pulled my woolen cape around me. â€Å"Bloody Scotland,† said I. â€Å"Albany is possibly the darkest, dampest, coldest bloody crevice in all of Blighty. Sodding Scots.† â€Å"Witches?† reminded Kent. â€Å"Because the bloody ghost told me I'd find my answers here.† â€Å"Ghost?† â€Å"The girl ghost at the White Tower, keep up, Kent. Rhymes and riddles and such.† I told him of the â€Å"grave offense to daughters three† and the â€Å"madman rising to lead the blind.† Kent nodded as if he understood. â€Å"And I'm along because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it is dark and I am small.† â€Å"You might have asked Curan or one of the others. I'm reticent about witches.† â€Å"Nonsense. They're just like physicians, only without the bleeding. Nothing to fear.† â€Å"In the day, when Lear was still Christian, we did not do well by witches. I've had a cartload of curses cast on me.† â€Å"Not very effective, though, were they? You're child-frighteningly old and still strong as a bull.† â€Å"I am banished, penniless, and live under the threat of death upon discovery of my name.† â€Å"Oh, good point. Brave of you to come, then.† â€Å"Aye, thanks, lad, but I'm not feeling it. What's that light?† There was a fire ahead in the wood, and figures moving around it. â€Å"Stealthy, now, good Kent. Let us creep up silently and see what is to be seen before revealing ourselves. Now, creep, Kent, you crashing great ox, creep.† And with but two steps my strategy revealed its flaw. â€Å"You're jingling like a coin purse possessed of fits,† said Kent. â€Å"You couldn't creep up on the deaf nor dead. Silence your bloody bells, Pocket.† I placed my coxcomb on the ground. â€Å"I can leave my hat, but I'll not take off my shoes – we'll surrender all stealth if I'm screaming from trodding tender-footed across lizards, thorns, hedgehogs, and the lot.† â€Å"Here, then,† said Kent, pulling the remains of the pork shoulder from his satchel. â€Å"Dampen your bells with the fat.† I raised an eyebrow quizzically – an unappreciated and overly subtle gesture in the dark – then shrugged and began working the suet into the bells at my toes and ankles. â€Å"There!† I shook a leg to the satisfying sound of nothing at all. â€Å"Forward!† Creep we did, until we were just outside the halo of firelight. Three bent-backed hags were walking a slow circle around a large cauldron, dropping in twisted bits of this and that as they chanted. â€Å"Double, double, toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.† â€Å"Witches,† whispered Kent, paying tribute to the god of all things bloody fucking obvious. â€Å"Aye,† said I, in lieu of clouting him. (Jones stayed behind to guard my hat.) â€Å"Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.† They double-bubbled the chorus and we were readying ourselves for another verse of the recipe when I felt something brush against my leg. It was all I could do not to cry out. I felt Kent's hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Steady, lad, it's just a cat.† Another brush, and a meow. Two of them now, licking my bells, and purring. (It sounds more pleasant than it was.) â€Å"It's the bloody pork fat,† I whispered. A third feline joined the gang. I stood on one foot, trying to hold the other above their heads, but while I am an accomplished acrobat, the art of levitation still eludes me; thus my ground-bound foot became my Achilles' heel, as it were. One of the fiends sank its fangs into my ankle. â€Å"Fuckstockings!† said I, somewhat emphatically. I hopped, I whirled, I made disparaging remarks toward all creatures of the feline aspect. Hissing and yowling ensued. When at last the cats retreated, I was sitting splayed-legged by the fire, Kent stood next to me with his sword drawn and ready, and the three hags stood in ranks across the cauldron from us. â€Å"Back, witches!† said Kent. â€Å"You may curse me into a toad, but they'll be the last words out of your mouths while your heads are attached.† â€Å"Witches?† said the first witch, who was greenest of the three. â€Å"What witches? We are but humble washerwomen, making our way in the wood.† â€Å"Rendering laundry service, humble and good,† said witch two, the tallest. â€Å"All it be, is as it should,† said witch three, who had a wicked wart over her right eye. â€Å"By Hecate's[27] night-tarred nipples, stop rhyming!† said I. â€Å"If you're not witches, what was that curse you were bubbling about?† â€Å"Stew,† said Warty. â€Å"Stew, stew most true,† said Tall. â€Å"Stew most blue,† said Green. â€Å"It's not blue,† said Kent, looking in the cauldron. â€Å"More of a brown.† â€Å"I know,† said Green, â€Å"but brown doesn't rhyme, does it, love?† â€Å"I'm looking for witches,† said I. â€Å"Really?† said Tall. â€Å"I was sent by a ghost.† The hags looked at one another, then back at me. â€Å"Ghost told you to bring your laundry here, did it?† said Warty. â€Å"You're not washerwomen! You're bloody witches! And that's not stew, and the bloody ghost of the bloody White Tower said to seek you here for answers, so can we get about it, ye gnarled knots of erect vomitus?† â€Å"Ah, we're toads for sure now,† sighed Kent. â€Å"Always a bloody ghost, innit?† said Tall. â€Å"What did she look like?† asked Green. â€Å"Who? The ghost? I didn't say it was a she – â€Å" â€Å"What did she look like, fool?† snarled Warty. â€Å"I suppose I shall pass my days eating bugs and hiding under leaves until some crone drops me in a cauldron,† mused Kent, leaning on his sword now, watching moths dart into the fire. â€Å"She was ghostly pale,† said I, â€Å"all in white – vaporous, with fair hair and – â€Å" â€Å"She was fit,[28] though?† asked Tall. â€Å"Lovely, you might even say?† â€Å"Bit more transparent than I care for in my wenches, but aye, she was fit.† â€Å"Aye,† said Warty, looking to the others, who huddled with her. When they came up, Green said, â€Å"State your business, then, fool. Why did the ghost send you here?† â€Å"She said you could help me. I am fool to the court of King Lear of Britain. He has sent away his youngest daughter, Cordelia, of whom I am somewhat fond; he's given my apprentice fool, Drool, to that blackguard bastard Edmund of Gloucester, and my friend Taster has been poisoned and is quite dead.† â€Å"And don't forget that they're going to hang you at dawn,† added Kent. â€Å"Don't concern yourselves with that, ladies,† said I. â€Å"About to be hanged is my status quo, not a condition that requires your repair.† The hags huddled again. There was much whispering and a bit of hissing. They broke their conference and Warty, who was the apparent coven leader, said, â€Å"That Lear's a nasty piece of work.† â€Å"Last time he went Christian a score of witches were drowned,† said Tall. Kent nodded, and looked at his shoes. â€Å"The Petite Inquisition – not a high point.† â€Å"Aye, we were a decade spelling them all back to life for the revenge,† said Warty. â€Å"Rosemary here still seeps pond-water from the ears on damp days,† said Tall. â€Å"Aye, and carps ate my small toes while I was pond-bottom,† said Green. â€Å"Her toes thus gefilted,[29] we had to seek an enchanted lynx and take two of his for replacement.† Rosemary (who was Green) nodded gravely. â€Å"Goes through shoes in a fortnight, but there's no better witch to chase a squirrel up a tree,† said Tall. â€Å"That's true,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Beats the burnings, though,† said Warty. â€Å"Aye, that's true,† said Tall. â€Å"No amount of cat toes'll fix you if you've all your bits burnt off. Lear had him some burnings as well.† â€Å"I'm not here on behalf of Lear,† said I. â€Å"I'm here to correct the madness he's done.† â€Å"Well, why didn't you say so?† said Rosemary. â€Å"We're always keen on sending a bit of the mayhem Lear's way,† said Warty. â€Å"Shall we curse him with leprosy?† â€Å"By your leave, ladies, I don't wish the old man's undoing, only the undoing of his deeds.† â€Å"A simple curse would be easier,† said Tall. â€Å"A bit o' bat spittle in the cauldron and we can have him walking on duck feet before breakfast. Make him quack, too, if you've a shilling or a freshly-strangled infant for the service.† â€Å"I just want my friends and my home back,† said I. â€Å"Well, if you can't be persuaded, let us have a consult,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Parsley, Sage, a moment?† She waved the other witches over to an old oak where they whispered. â€Å"Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary?† said Kent. â€Å"What, no Thyme?† Rosemary wheeled on him. â€Å"Oh, we've the time if you've the inclination, handsome.† â€Å"Jolly good show, hag!† said I. I liked these crones, they had a fine-edged wit. Rosemary rolled her good eye at the earl, lifted her skirts, aimed her withered bottom at Kent, and rubbed a palsied claw over it. â€Å"Round and firm, good knight. Round and firm.† Kent gagged a little and backed away a few steps. â€Å"Gods save us! Away you ghastly carbuncled tart!† I would have looked away, should have, but I had never seen a green one. A weaker man might have plucked out his own eyes, but being a philosopher, I knew the sight could never be unseen, so I persevered. â€Å"Hop on, Kent,† said I. â€Å"Beast-shagging is thy calling and thou surely have been called.† Kent backed into a tree and half cold-cocked himself. He slid down the trunk, dazed. Rosemary dropped her skirts. â€Å"Just having you on.† The crones cackled as they huddled again. â€Å"We've a proper toading for you once the fool's business is finished, though. A moment, please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The witches whispered for a moment, then resumed their march around the cauldron. â€Å"Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips, Griffin spunk and monkey hips, Mandrake rubbed with tiger nads, To divine undoing for the old king mad.† â€Å"Oh bollocks,† said Sage, â€Å"we're all out of monkey hips.† Parsley looked into the cauldron and gave it a stir. â€Å"We can make do without them. You can substitute a fool's finger.† â€Å"No,† said I. â€Å"Well, then, get a finger from that comely hunk of man-meat with the bootblack on his beard – he seems foolish enough.† â€Å"No,† said Kent, still a tad dazed. â€Å"And it's not bootblack, it's a clever disguise.† The witches looked to me. â€Å"There's no counting on accuracy without the monkey hips or fool's finger,† said Rosemary. I said: â€Å"Let us make do and gallantly bugger on, shall we, ladies?† â€Å"All right,† said Parsley, â€Å"but don't blame us if we bollocks-up your future.† There was more stirring and chanting in dead languages, and no little bit of wailing, and finally, when I was about to doze off, a great bubble rose in the cauldron and when it burst it released a cloud of steam that formed itself into a giant face, not unlike the tragedy mask used by traveling players. It glowed against the misty night. â€Å"‘Ello,† said the giant face, sounding Cockney and a little drunk. â€Å"Hello, large and steamy face,† said I. â€Å"Fool, Fool, you must save the Drool, Quick to Gloucester, or blood will pool.† â€Å"Oh, for fuck's sake, this one rhymes, too?† said I to the witches. â€Å"Can't a bloke find a straightforward prose apparition?† â€Å"Quiet, fool!† snapped Sage, who I was back to thinking of as Warty. To the face, she said, â€Å"Apparition of darkest power, we're clear on the where and the what, but the fool was hoping for some direction of the how variety.† â€Å"Aye. Sorry,† said large steamy face. â€Å"I'm not slow, you know, your recipe was short a monkey hip.† â€Å"We'll use two next time,† said Sage. â€Å"Well, all right, then†¦ â€Å"To reverse the will of a flighty king, Remove his train to clip his wings. To eldest daughters knights be dower, And soon a fool will yield the power.† The steamy face grinned. I looked at the witches. â€Å"So I'm to somehow get Goneril and Regan to take Lear's knights in addition to everything else they have?† â€Å"He never lies,† said Rosemary. â€Å"He's often wildly fucking inaccurate,† said Parsley, â€Å"but not a liar.† â€Å"Again,† said I to the apparition, â€Å"good to know what to do and all, but a method to the madness would be most welcome as well. A strategy, as it were.† â€Å"Cheeky little bastard, ent ‘e?† said Steamy to the witches. â€Å"Want us to put a curse on him?† asked Sage. â€Å"No, no, the lad's a rocky road ahead without adding a curse to slow him.† The apparition cleared his throat (or at least made the throat-clearing noise, as, strictly speaking, he had no throat). â€Å"A princess to your will shall bend, If seduction in a note, you send, And fates of kings and queens shall tell, When bound are passions with a spell.† With that, the apparition faded away. â€Å"That's it, then?† I asked. â€Å"A couple of rhymes and we're finished? I have no idea what I'm to do.† â€Å"Bit thick yourself, then, are you?† said Sage. â€Å"You're to go to Gloucester. You're to separate Lear from his knights and see that they're under the power of his daughters. Then you're to write letters of seduction to the princesses and bind their passions with a magic spell. Couldn't be any clearer if it was rhymed.† Kent was nodding and shrugging as if the bloody obviousness of it all had sluiced through the wood in an illuminating deluge, leaving me the only one dry. â€Å"Oh, do fuck off, you grey-bearded sot. Where would you get a magic spell to bind the bitches' passion?† â€Å"Them,† said Kent, pointing rudely at the hags. â€Å"Us,† said the hags in chorus. â€Å"Oh,† said I, letting the flood wash over me. â€Å"Of course.† Rosemary stepped forward and held forth three shriveled grey orbs, each about the size of a man's eye. I did not take them, fearing they might be something as disgusting as they appeared to be – desiccated elf scrotums or some such. â€Å"Puff balls, from a fungus that grows deep in the wood,† said Rosemary. â€Å"In lover's breath these spores release An enchanting charm you shall unleash Passion which can be never broken For him whose name next is spoken.† â€Å"So, to recap, simply and without rhyme?† â€Å"Squeeze one of these bulbs under your lady's nose, then say your name and she will find your charms irresistible and become overwhelmed with desire for you,† explained Sage. â€Å"Redundant then, really?† said I with a grin. The hags laughed themselves into a wheeze-around, then Rosemary dropped the puff balls into a small silk pouch and handed it to me. â€Å"There's the matter of payment,† said she, as I reached for the purse. â€Å"I'm a poor fool,† said I. â€Å"All we have between us is my scepter and a well-used shoulder of pork. I suppose I could wait while each of you takes Kent for a roll in the hay, if that will do.† â€Å"You will not!† said Kent. The hag held up a hand. â€Å"A price to be named later,† said she. â€Å"Whenever we ask.† â€Å"Fine, then,† said I, snatching the purse away from her. â€Å"Swear it,† she said. â€Å"I swear,† said I. â€Å"In blood.† â€Å"But – † As quick as a cat she scratched the back of my hand with her ragged talon. â€Å"Ouch!† Blood welled in the crease. â€Å"Let it drip in the cauldron and swear,† said the crone. I did as I was told. â€Å"Since I'm here, is there any chance I could get a monkey?† â€Å"No,† said Sage. â€Å"No,† said Parsely. â€Å"No,† said Rosemary. â€Å"We're all out of monkeys, but we'll put a glamour on your mate so his disguise isn't so bloody pathetic.† â€Å"Go to it, then,† said I. â€Å"We must be off.† ACT II How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child. – King Lear, Act I, Scene 4