Vidal Business Strategy Overconfidence

Vidal Business Strategy Overconfidence Presentation During the yearly marketable strategy meeting with respect to the shower gel brand Vidal, it was chosen for 2017 to decay the 1+1 promotion amounts with an end goal to accomplish better productivity versus a year ago. From the contentions that were introduced, I accept that the group has overestimated the likelihood for the last situation to occur, since the choice may has been affected by presumptuousness. The point of this report is a) to introduce contentions that legitimize the last mentioned, b) to distinguish the wellspring of this inclination and c) to suggest de-predisposition procedures that will be demonstrated valuable additionally for what's to come. The case Vidal, in a brief timeframe turned into the third player into the section, with a nonstop development. A year ago it picked up +3.5 focuses as far as piece of the overall industry and a +30% expansion in esteem deals. Directors pointed that the key drivers of accomplishment were: a) the extraordinary incentive for cash item b) the most noteworthy pace of 1+1 promotion power c) the speculation on dispersion and customary publicizing. The group presumed that the target to infiltrate the market was finished and there is a chance to accomplish better gainfulness and ROI toward the finish of 2017. This could occur by a 20-25% decrease in 1+1 promotion amounts. Following this methodology, directors evaluated that they can hold at any rate a years ago worth deals, which in blend with the lower cost of selling products will improve the brands productivity. The best partner that will bolster the last is items greatness and buyer devotion. All the more explicitly, they thought about that the mix of items low value (2ndlowest) and quality is interesting to such an extent, that by diminishing the 1+1 promotion, shoppers will be coordinated towards the ordinary item. In addition, after the conveyance extension the group assessed that the items predominance versus rivalry will pull in new buyers. I feel that the two situations are arrogant and their probabilities ought to be reconsidered for the accompanying reasons. At first, the discoveries of a subjective exploration demonstrated that Vidal is an incentive for cash item, yet at the same time needs terms of bundling. Most buyers considered the bundling as antiquated and associated it with Private Label. Also, they showed some pragmatic issues during the utilization which are skilled to control the two clients experience and perceptional quality. From a quantitative viewpoint, it was seen that 55% of Vidals incomes were created from the 1+1 amounts though the customary item introduced a sharp increment in 3 out of 5 changes, mostly on account of conveyance development and not from picking up buyers from different players. Private Labels are pioneers into the portion while in 2016 introduced a considerable development. From the information report, I saw that the subsequent player had around - 40% lower cost during certain periods that are not upheld from their 1+1 promotion wave. From the last I speculate that they may put resources into value decreases so as to oblige PLs development since they are increasingly costly. As a result I might want to underline that: Private names are developing fundamentally in a value delicate section. Possibly by lessening 1+1 amounts we may push our customers towards them, since we are exceptionally associated and increasingly costly. Palmolive may has understood the danger of PL and might has adjusted its technique by offering value decreases. The activity to lessen our venture under these conditions may likewise outpouring customers towards them. I believe that the group has overestimated the normal items upper hand contrasted and rivalry and belittled the significance of 1+1 promotion. I accept that the wellspring of this predisposition is created by the groups inspiration to improve benefits since its a key exhibition pointer for both the companys and chiefs development. During this exertion chiefs realized that isn't achievable to build interest so as to support deals and thus they considered a cost decrease methodology. The underlying input about the generally excellent outcomes may helped their certainty, while the way that the brand has encountered just victories may obliged them to think about elective situations. So as to improve the dynamic procedure I might want to suggest a few methods of diminishing arrogance. The first is connected about the significance of counter-argumentation. This implies directors when taking a choice ought to consider reasons why this choice may turns out badly. On the off chance that the last is troublesome, at that point they could ask from untouchables to communicate their sentiment. For instance for our situation before endorsing the choice all the colleagues is prescribed to list various reasons why the 1+1 decrease couldn't prompt expanded productivity. In the event that that nobody could consider any explanation at that point, the Sales power ought to give some contribution, since they have phenomenal feeling of the market and its elements. Furthermore, I would show the significance of criticism. The organization is working since 1970 while is comprised structure experienced and new individuals. It is an extraordinary chance to abuse the companys information by making a contextual analysis library that will have all the companys past victories and disappointments. When a year we could arrange the Sarantis-Training-Academy, in which administrators will be doled out with cases, and they will be approached to give their contribution to every system by allocating probabilities about their supported speculation. Subsequently, they will be educated about the genuine result and directors will know whether they are careless or not. At last starting now and into the foreseeable future, I suggest that the Brand supervisor ought to be responsible for each choice. After each field-tested strategy meeting he will be capable to introduce the recommendations on the top managerial staff. The way that he should introduce the plans to seniors and experienced individuals may assist him with enhancing both self and gathering analysis and decreasing presumptuousness. End The promoting group may has overestimated the likelihood of their situation with respect to the brands methodology of 2017, though this time has ignored additionally the standardizing approach. The brilliant dispatch in blend with the way that Vidal has encountered just triumphs may supported the degree of certainty. So as to improve the choice procedure this report has proposed 3 debias methods (criticism, consider-the inverse and responsibility) that as indicated by the conduct research appear to wipe out carelessness. Part B Presentation Pomposity may be demonstrated an injurious component for the dynamic procedure since it doesn't just brings out individuals to overestimate their probabilities about the supported situation however it likewise can cause cataclysmic outcomes. For instance, in an investigation that analyzed the impact of pomposity on newsvendors conjectures, demonstrated that the higher the arrogance the quicker the benefit misfortune (Crosson and Ren, 2009), while these days carelessness is by all accounts a key driver for some, fire up disappointments. This report depends on past investigations, and expects to underline the makes that activated carelessness the Vidals advertising group while in equal is centering to give a progression of debiasing methods with an end goal to dispose of its impact. Arrogance and Success In Vidals case I feel that the fruitful dispatch among with the wide acknowledgment of the groups endeavors, may have helped their degree of certainty. This connection among progress and pomposity has part of similitudes with the instance of Ducati. All the more explicitly, in 2003 Ducati entered the bike hustling circuit MotoGP without having elevated requirements. During this exertion, the group was concentrating on information investigation and was gathering ceaseless criticism from the drivers for its improvement. Toward the finish of the primary year, Ducati outperformed each desire and assembled the second spot, though for one year from now the group focused on the first spot. This time the separated point was that the group quit looking profoundly into the information and accepting criticism. They thought about that now their experience was sufficient so as to make a far superior motorbike. When a colleague demonstrated you investigate the information to comprehend whats turning out badly and not why you are performing admirably. The following year Ducati didn't secured desires and performed surprisingly more dreadful than the earlier year. (Gino and Pisano,2011). Thus, as on Ducatis case, it is surprising how the Vidals advertising group after its effective dispatch didnt look profoundly into the information, since so far it was a key standard earlier making any move. Moreover, the group appeared to be presumptuous about their expectations as well as about the items qualities and execution. There are discoveries which show that achievement can motivate pomposity. For instance in an ongoing report, Hilary and Menzly (2016) found that examiners turning out to be pompous when they accomplish exact conjectures as they will in general depend more on private data and to disregard markets response. As an outcome they perform less exact forecasts later on. Also, when a broker accomplishes fruitful exhibition he gets careless as he will in general modify his perceptional aptitudes higher than the normal. The last leads him not to utilize significant data despite the fact that he may has a decent database (Gervais and Odean, 2001). Walter and Ferrier (2004) expressed likewise that achievement could create pomposity while it makes chiefs narrow minded on new possibilities. Since, achievement rouses arrogance, it is significant for administrators to inspect and comprehend the reasons for progress (Gino and Pisano,2011). Definition and Sources of Overconfidence Plous (1993,p.217) expressed that no judgment choice is more pervasive and more disastrous than arrogance. So as to help this basis in his book are a few instances of the negative outcomes of presumptuousness. One

Force generated by a muscle Essays

Power produced by a muscle Essays Power produced by a muscle Essay Power produced by a muscle Essay Assess Force-Angle Relationships using EMG and Force Measurements Q1. From the single normal informations [ table 1 ] we got by normalization ( As % of Maximum using as cleanser esteems: FORCEmax=117.2 N, EMGmax=306.8 millivolt ) the balanced single informations [ table 2 ] . Q2. Electromyography is the procedure for entering changes in the electrical intensity of a musculus when it is caused to shrink by an engine nervus ask ( Barlett, R.1997 ; 228 ) The EMG signal profile and in actuality the EMG is the electrical sign profile distinguished by a cathode on a musculus. At the end of the day is the progression of the activity power of the external muscle-fiber film ( the sarcolemma ) . [ 3 ] : Power produced by a musculus is dictated by two boss factors: the figure of engine units ( MUs ) effectively invigorated at a similar clasp and the frequence ( terminating rate ) at which the MUs are terminating. Other than the abundancy of the EMG signal relies upon both the figure of dynamic MUs and their fire rates. Since both EMG plentifulness and power expansion as an impact of similar instruments, it is normal that musculus power can be evaluated from surface EMG examination. This is non rather obvious yet only in isometric withdrawals, where musculus electrical action and musculus power have a similarly added substance relationship. [ 3 ] This is the main ground why EMG is the strategy for pick for power examination. Q3. Utilizing Normalized EMG and Joint Angle data from [ table 2 ] , the mentioned chart is appeared underneath [ diagram 2 ] Assess Force-Angle Relationships using EMG and Force Measurements Q4. From the line informations for the entire gathering we ascertain the normal standardized qualities as in [ table 3 ] . Utilizing informations for Max isometric power and EMG from [ table 3 ] , the mentioned diagram is chart 3 underneath. Q5. Assess Force-Angle Relationships using EMG and Force Measurements Assess Force-Angle Relationships using EMG and Force Measurements Q6. Utilizing the free-body graph ( fig. 1 ) at a conventional edge? we sketch the powers proceeding onward the lower arm during flexure against a known resistance. These powers are the resistance R, the mass of the lower arm G, the endeavor E of the musculus and the joint response power Fj. The joint response compel as go throughing from the focal point of rotating movement has no part to the moment at the joint and thusly is disregarded. Accepting latent harmony at each point, the measure of minutes proceeding onward the lower arm at the cubitus peers zero: SMj = 0 Mj = ME MR MG [ 1 ] MR = R Lf mischievousness? [ 2 ] , where Lf is the length of the lower arm. MG = medium recurrence g LCM mischievousness? [ 3 ] , where LCM is the separation of the lower arm s focus of mass from the joint and medium recurrence is the mass of the lower arm and manus. ME = E? LE where E? is the rotational constituent of the endeavor E. ME = E LE sinf [ 4 ] , where degree Fahrenheit is the edge between the long pivot of the lower arm and the line of utilization of the endeavor power and LE is the endeavor arm ( typical separation between the purpose of introduction of the musculus on lower arm and the joint ) . Subbing the different minutes [ 2 ] , [ 3 ] , [ 4 ] in condition [ 1 ] we acquire, using the shows of the imprints: Mj = E LE sinf Roentgen Lf devilishness? medium recurrence g LCM fiendishness? [ 5 ] To figure the Torque using condition [ 5 ] we should cognize Lf, LE, LCM, degree Fahrenheit, medium recurrence ( R, E and? known, g = 9.81 ms-2 ) . Condition [ 5 ] figures the torsion using latent balance at each edge and assuming that the length of the musculus stay unchanging as joint point changes, which is non valid. For an increasingly precise calculation we other than need to cognize the connection between constriction power and obliged musculus length. Assess Force-Angle Relationships using EMG and Force Measurements Q7. Normalization is the numerical look of the sufficiency of the EMG signal as a proportion to the plentifulness of a constriction esteemed to be maximal ( top EMG from an isometric maximal deliberate compression ( MVC ) of a similar musculus ) . EMG signal has an unpredictable nature and the record that just the figure of dynamic engine units and their fire rates can affect it is semplicistic. In world anatomical, physiological and capable components have impact on the electromyographical signal. In a reappraisal of such factors ( De Luca, 1997 ) assembled them as causative, moderate and deterministic. A portion of these variables are: musculus fiber width, figure of musculus filaments, terminal skin interface, signal molding, figure of dynamic engine units, tissue entirety, good ways from skin surface to muscle fiber, musculus fiber conductivity speed, musculus blood stream, basic cathode separating, fiber type and area, engine unit terminating rate. [ 2 ] As a result of the above variables furthermore for grounds of direct contrasting of EMG signals recorded and flags from a similar musculus on various events or from various musculuss and various people we use standardized EMG flags rather than total qualities. Notices Barlett, R. ( 1997 ) Introduction to Sports Biomechanics, Taylor A ; Francis e-Library, 2002. Carl J. Payton, Biomechanical Evaluation of Movement in Sport and Exercise, Taylor A ; Francis e-Library, 2007. Hamill, Joseph ; Knutzen, Kathleen M. , Biomechanical Basis of Human Movement, third Ed, Lippincot A ; Wilkins, 2009.

Blog Archive Friday Factoid Sloans Charity Auctions

Blog Archive Friday Factoid Sloans Charity Auctions Twice a year, in the fall and in the spring, MIT Sloan students organize charity auctions. Each “ocean” (the 60-person cohort with which students take their first-semester core classes) selects a charity to support and identifies items to be auctioned, from lunch with a professor to a home-cooked meal by a student to more unusual offerings, like having a professor chauffeur you to class in his classic car. First-year oceans compete to see which one can raise the most money, and second-year students organize a similar auction. All together, the auctions raise close to $100K per year for such charities as the California Wildfires Fund and Children of Uganda. The 2008 beneficiary of the auctions was the Friday Night Supper Program (FNSP), a Cambridge-area nonprofit organization that serves free meals to approximately 200 guests every Friday, which received over $8K.   In 2009, the oceans raised between $4K and $16K each for such charities as Community Water Solution, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, The Wellness Community of Greater Boston, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.    Items up for bid included shaving a classmate’s moustache; access to a classmate’s beach house in Brazil, another in the Dominican Republic and another in the Cayman Islands; three female classmates coming to class dressed in Hooters costumes; an afternoon with an interior decorator redoing your apartment; and a VIP package at a local pub. As you submit your application to Sloan, you may want to also consider what you can offer up for the auction and start preparing your bids! Share ThisTweet Friday Factoids Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)

The Bloody Slaughter On The Slaughter Essay - 1674 Words

â€Å"In twelve seconds or less, the knocked cow — unconscious, semiconscious, fully conscious, or dead — moves down the line to arrive at the â€Å"shackler,† who attaches a chain around one of the hind legs and hoists the animal into the air.†(Foer 117) Foer’s vivid description of the bloody slaughter on the killing floor reveals the cruelty in the animal industry and evokes criticism of inhuman treatment and the terrible circumstances animals live in. During class, some of us reached an agreement that massive slaughter of animals raised for meat is unethical and should be condemned, while eating meat from animals that have peacefully passed away seems acceptable. In both situations the animal is dead, so I start to wonder what really differentiates these two cases. Does dying painlessly really matter? In this paper, I would like to explore death and humanity in killing animals by investigating a fundamental question: for animals, what’s th e difference between painful dying in the slaughter houses and being killed in nature by predators? Compared to killing in slaughter houses, hunting and being hunted are common in nature. For instance, prairie dogs, who depend on the white-tailed jackrabbit as a food source, bloodily kill hundreds of rabbits everyday. However, for those poor rabbits dying miserably and painfully, we never question the ethics, nor do we try to stop prairie dogs from killing them; instead, we call it natural selection. We justify this instinct ofShow MoreRelatedThe Story of the Crusades1082 Words   |  5 PagesCrusades were a bloody war that the church deemed holy and necessary for salvation of the knights soul. The Crusades are a highly controversial and very dark stain on the Catholic church and Hierarchies past. The war was brought to the church from there Roman allies who they had tense dealings with. The where seeking aid in the fight against the muslim turks. The church decreed there act holy and justified. The people who were under the churches thumb had no objections to the slaughter that their belovedRead MoreGrendels Monstrosity747 Words   |  3 Pagesit is said of Grendel that, â€Å"Grendel hunted when they slept† (Beowulf 2: Line 56). None can say that someone is innocent of slaughter when they wait until the dead of night, when their targets are asleep, to bring them to an even deeper sleep. It is extremely evident that Grendel knew what he was doing and how to kill, but it is even more evident that he enjoyed the slaughter. â€Å"The monster s thoughts were as quick as his claws: He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirtyRead MoreDeath And Humanity Of Animals Essay1677 Words   |  7 Pages† who attaches a chain around one of the hind legs and hoists the animal into the air.†(Foer 117) Foer’s vivid description of the bloody slaughter on the killing floor reveals the cruelty in the animal industry and evokes criticism of inhuman treatment and the terrible circumstances animals live in. 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He laments that God has banned him from taking his own life, and his despondency ultimately stems from the inability to control his destiny.Such violent word choice has quite the negative connotation, and reveals a bit of Hamlet’s underlying savagery. Unlike the gentle slide of melting and settling, slaughter involves bloody decimation. Often, the word slaughter is used in reference to cattle. This could imply that Haml et feelsRead MoreMacbeth Is a Play About Loss Essay790 Words   |  4 Pageshis very nemesis. Macbeth loses his conscience after murdering King Duncan, sold his soul to the devil and loses his life to his acts of evil that doomed him. By the end of the play, Macbeth loses all his humanity and transforms into a ‘ruthless’, bloody ‘butcher’ who has changed drastically from the â€Å"noble† and â€Å"valiant† warrior he once was because he loses his human characteristics of conscience and remorse. Macbeth loses his conscience after murdering King Duncan. Initially, Macbeth is consumedRead MoreEssay on Hamlet1352 Words   |  6 Pagesover analytical character that impedes him from taking any significant action. By constantly questioning every aspect of a possible action, Hamlet ultimately finds a reason no to act. He is constantly contemplating on the possibility of self-slaughter. This is evident in his soliloquies and disregard towards life. Hamlet expresses his sentiments, regarding the fact that his dear mother married his uncle only two months after the death of his father, by saying these lines: â€Å"O, that thisRead More Escherichia coli 0157:H7 Essay examples1059 Words   |  5 Pagesoutbreak of gastrointestinal illness. The organism is also called enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) because it causes abdominal pain with diarrhea that may contain blood. It lives in the intestines of healthy cattle and can contaminate meat during slaughter. It is believed that the widespread use of antibiotics by American farmers has promoted the horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenicity islands that has led to the creation of new pathogenic strains such as E. coli 0157:H7Read MoreLord Of The Flies Reflection Essay867 Words   |  4 Pagesand function like a normal society. However, as the novel progresses, we see the boys slowly revert to savagery at different paces. One of the first examples we face is when Jack kills his first pig, before that point he could not bring himself to slaughter one. But when he does, it proves that he is gradually changing as a person. Ralph, the protagonist and leader, faced many challenges as the novel advanced, but his first, and biggest issue was dealing with Jack. After losing the election, Jack wasRead MoreThe Unknown Slaughter : Animal Slaughter1945 Words   |  8 PagesXandria Minnitt Eng. 132 Sec. 1 Dr. Deal Spring 2015 The Unknown Slaughter Many people in the United States view dolphins as something more than just another aquatic creature. There is something very human like about them; their intelligence, curiosity, and kindness are all characteristics that people can appreciate. To many people across the world dolphins are the fun and loveable mammals of the sea; and most of all, humans are fascinated by their intellect. However, all across the globe dolphins

An analysis of porters value chain - 1188 Words

To analyse the specific activities through which firms can gain a competitive advantage, it is useful to model the firm as a chain of value creating activities. For this purpose, Porter identified a range of interrelated generic activities common to a wide range of firms. The resulting model is known as the value chain. According to Porter (1985), Competitive Advantage arises out of the way firms organise and arrange discrete activities. Through using the Value Chain, the activities performed by a firm competing in a particular industry can be grouped into categories as shown in the model below: Upstream Activities Downstream Activities Porter distinguishes between primary activities and support activities. Primary activities are†¦show more content†¦As mentioned, gaining competitive advantage requires that a firms value chain be managed as a system rather than a collection of separate parts. Reconfiguring the value chain by relocation, reordering or even eliminating certain activities can often lead to a major improvement in competitive position. Upstream and Downstream A firms value chain links to the value chains of the upstream suppliers and downstream buyers. The result is a larger stream of activities known as the value system. The development of a firm specific competitive advantage not only depends on the firms value chain but also on the value system of which the firm is a part. In most industries, it is rather unusual that a single company performs all activities from product design, production of components, and final assembly to delivery to the final user by itself. Most often, organisations are elements of a value system or supply chain. Hence, value chain analysis should cover the whole value system in which the organization operates. Within the whole value system, there is only a certain value of profit margin available. This is the difference of the final price the customer pays and the sum of all costs incurred with the production and delivery of the product/service. It depends on the structure of the value system, how this margin spreads across the suppliers, producers, distributors, customers, and other elements of the value system. Each member of the system will use itsShow MoreRelatedPorter Value Chain Analysis882 Words   |  4 PagesPORTER S VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS The porter’s value chain is a model that helps to analyze specific activities through which firms can create value and competitive advantage. There are two activities in value chain which are: Primary activity – directly concern with creating and delivering a product. Support activities – not directly involved in production, may increase effectiveness or efficiency. 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Precisely nine processes divided in five primary activities and four support activities that help the business to gain its competitive advantage. The primary activities are composed by â€Å"Inbound Logistics†, â€Å"Operations†, â€Å"Outbound Logistics†, â€Å"Marketing Sales† and â€Å"Service†, whileRead MoreAnalysis Of Porter s Value Chain1945 Words   |  8 Pagescreates value based on the projects that the organization completes for its clients. Not just completing project deliverables can be used to measure the customer’s satisfaction, but can also be used to increase the business generated by the customer by creating additional opportunities. When looking at the business value chain, the each one of the activities can be tied to the steps taken within a project. 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The value chain analysis was popularized by Michael Porter in 1985. Porter investigated the sequence of activities that are required to bring a product or service from concept through different stages of production, distribution, and to the final customer. Porter wroteRead MoreHilti cut or Fasten?1339 Words   |  6 PagesThis case review was executed about a case study that was discussed in class on the operations of Hilti and its surroundings – Hilti is a global corporation based in Lichtenstein that is a market leader in drills, saws and fastening products. The analysis looks at the development of Hilti ever since it was founded, and the different strategies which have been implemented to get them to where they are now. For a company that has been very successful which is now going thr ough a period of recession

The Iliad And The Odyssey - 1730 Words

Homer had once said â€Å"In youth and beauty, wisdom is but rare!† a very relatable quote to the story of the Iliad. But who exactly is Homer? For starters, Homer was a poet who lived from 800 B.C.E and died in 701 B.C.E. He was from Greece, and to be specific he had lived somewhere along the coast of Asia Minor according to biography.com. Also, he is most famous for his epic poems which were The Iliad and The Odyssey. Now as for whether he truly existed or not is still quite a mystery. Some scholars â€Å"believe him to be one man; others think these iconic stories were created by a group. A variation on the group idea stems from the fact that storytelling was an oral tradition and Homer compiled the stories, and then recited them to memory† (biography.com, 2016). The story of The Iliad, however, was one filled with a lot of love, betrayal, and you guessed it –war. Part of the reason that this epic poem focused so much on these three topics is because in ancien t Greek dramas those topics had the ability to receive the most attention from its viewers. To begin with, a little background on the Iliad itself. The story was written over a span of 24 books total. It all begins during the middle of the Trojan War according to David Silverman. And in quick summarization, the Trojan War all began because Menelaus’s wife Helen was wooed by Paris of Troy into running away with him which ruined the alliance between Troy and Greece and beginning the war. So at the beginning of the Iliad KingShow MoreRelatedThe Iliad And The Odyssey1060 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.† (The Iliad pg.405) The quote is relevant to the stories Homer created during the period of the Trojan War. Homer orally performed two of his best works The Iliad and The Odyssey. Homer’s stories are old and probably translated differently than their original telling. Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey still show the basic human emotions and are an inspi ration to other authors, poets, and oral presentersRead MoreThe Iliad and the Odyssey1510 Words   |  7 Pages The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by Homer. Within these two stories the roles of the gods are very important to the story line and how they affect the characters throughout. In the Iliad, more gods are involved with the characters whereas in the Odyssey there are only two major gods that affect two major characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad are through two different stances of immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the OdysseyRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1317 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Iliad and The Odyssey, both Achilles and Odysseus go through intense acts of heroism, internal and external hardships, and fluctuations in confidence. During the epic, The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, has to endure many hardships which show. He has to show tremendous amounts of heroism and confid ence just to keep his crew and himself alive. He has to rival and face many gods that despise him along with many humans. This theme can also be reflected from Homer’s The Iliad, where theRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1297 Words   |  6 Pages2. The Iliad and the Odyssey were written by a poet or poets known as Homer. They were stories written about heroes in Mycenaeans times. Homer focused on one important event to base the stories after, the Trojan War. The story was about Paris Prince of Troy, taking Helen of Sparta from her husband. A war started to get Helen back to her husband because her husbands honor was hurt. The story told in the Odyssey is one of the king of Ithaca trying to return to his wife and son after being gone forRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey977 Words   |  4 Pagesplot or storyline, or the theme of the myth. Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey are two prime examples of this. Within both epics, the gods constantly intervene in the lives a nd situations of the characters, molding them to the desired outcome. Without the influence of the gods in either of the epics, however, the ending might have been very different. There was a great deal more divine intervention in The Iliad in comparison to The Odyssey, however, as there were more godly characters in that textRead MoreThe Odyssey And The Iliad1060 Words   |  5 PagesHomer was one of the first great authors in Western culture. He was known for creating the two Greek epics The Odyssey and The Iliad, which. The Odyssey tells of the ten-year journey by Odysseus to Ithica from Troy to be reunited with his beloved wife. The Odyssey was written in a with illustrative language. The Iliad was written in a. It depicted the end of the Trojan War and the siege of Troy. This event occurred centuries before Homer was assumed to have been born. Although both epics were writtenRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1657 Words   |  7 Pagesduring the Greek Dark Ages was Homer, who I believe was the most influential writer of his time, and a writer w ho had truly made an impact on the evolution of Greek Culture following the Dark Ages. Two of Homer’s most famous poems were the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were Ancient Greek epic poems which covered a couple of weeks during the Trojan War. Although there were plenty of influential authors inspired by the Trojan war, Homer was by far the most influential; Nevertheless, This paper arguesRead MoreIliad and Odyssey1825 Words   |  8 Pagesand cinema of a certain era. The epic poems, The Iliad and Odyssey, give scholars and historians an idea how the Ancient Greek lived their everyday lives. By reading the two novels, the reader is able to experience the three thousand years old society of Homer. The various similarities between our society and the societies depicted in the Iliad and the Odyssey are surprising profuse. To name a few: the superfluous violence in Iliad and Odyssey, the characterization of Odysseus, the obscureRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1498 Words à ‚  |  6 PagesAn Influential Poem The Iliad is a poem that provides important stories with insight into early human society. It was an ancient story written centuries ago about two civilizations that battled against each other. â€Å"The Iliad tells the story of the clash of two great civilizations, and the effects of war on both the winners and losers† (Homer 222). In addition to its influence on Greek poetry, the Iliad is a great Homeric epic that has long helped shape critical schools of thought. It is notRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey Essay1270 Words   |  6 PagesAncient Greece, as found in the books of the Iliad and the Odyssey, is a place entranced in mystical beings, powerful gods and goddess, and heroic men. The role of women in society is greatly concentrated on their body with little regard to their soul and mind. However, in the Odyssey, it is Penelope’s soul and mind that are vital to the success of her husband’s nostos and the imperishable fame she will receive. Due to her husband’s long absence, Penelope is placed in a predicament in which she must

Job Analysis For Application Of Online Chat-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Job Analysis For Application Of Online Chat? Answer: Introduction Automation and technology are related to each other, which improves the quality of life and business performance. Mechanization and automation in the business reduce the workforce besides that it also reduces the working capacity of the human being (Frank et al. 2016). One of the examples of automation in business is the rise of chat bots that communicates with the clients in a business. This study deals with the effect of automation and mechanization on the business as well as human resource management. Discussion of how the field of HR is evolving Rapid use of technology reduces the work pressure of human being that also discards the necessity of the human being in the workplace (Morris et al. 2017). As for example use of chat, bots are a big approach to automation that decreases the workload as well as the responsibility of an HR. On the other hand, the emergence of artificial intelligence reduces the workforce of an HR as they complete their task through the technology. Changes occur in the HR technology that leads the HR to focus on the various fields in a business apart from the recruitment. Maintenance of the employee insurance is another part of HRM in the recent years. However, based on the market demand the role and skills of the HR are changing over the time to meet the business objectives. Challenges for the HR management that use robots in the organization Huge automation decreases the workforce of the human being as a result technology takes place of the human being in job sectors (Spinks et al. 2017). As a result, it becomes difficult for the HR to recruit people in an organization. There are fewer requirements for the full-time employment in an organization due to the rapid emergence of the automation and mechanization in the business sectors. As a result, people lose their interest to do work. Hence, such situation is difficult for an HR to manage the employees and to reduce the employee turnover. Use chat bots marketing the HR less functional as they have no need to communicate with their clients, which is done by such chat bots technology. Apart from this such automatic technology solves the query of the human being through communication, which is the main responsibility of HR. As a result is a big challenge for the HR to manage their responsibilities and existence in their professional career and Evaluation of the use of diaries Use of diaries is important for the employees those are attending calls in the banks call center (Pak et al. 2017). However, the job profile includes expertise that has good knowledge in handling the call and solving the issues of customers and clients. The applicant should have good communication and writing skill as they have to make a note in a diary according to the requirement of the clients, as well as they, have to put the customer's details in their diary. Applicant should be flexible and extrovert in nature as they have to communicate with the clients and o provide them assurance to solve their issue. Maintenance of diary will help this employee to make a tracker about their work and the customers details, which keeps a transparency in their work. Use of machine in job design Manual handing that means the use of diary in a call center may create the error in the work while the use of technology and automation process will make the work fast and error free (Wajcman 2017). As for example, an employee often fail to communicate with the clients and to solve their query in a call center, on the other hand, use of chat robots makes this process easier. Chat robot is a computer program that communicates with clients and resolves their queries through automation process. In order to make an effective communication and reduces the error in the work machine should be used in the call center instead of manual handling. Therefore, it also reduces the work pressure of the employee and makes the work faster as manual handling is a time-consuming process. Job description of a manager who uses the chat bots and humans for customer dealing The manager should have the good technical skill to utilize the effectiveness of the chat bots to communicate with the customers (Kaushik et al. 2017). Therefore, this manager should have good communication power to motivate the employees in their work to improve their performance. On the other hand, conversational skill and good writing are skill required to use the chat bots for dealing with clients. Conclusion Use chat bots in an organization allow the organization to build automatic communication with the clients. Chat bots is a computer program that communicates with the human being in business context. Hence, this type of automation in business reduces the workforce of the employees and employees require good technical skill to use the chat botst. References Frank, M.R., Sun, L., Cebrian, M., Youn, H. and Rahwan, I., 2017. Small cities face greater impact from automation.arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.05875. Kaushik, A.K., Goyal, A., Rohilla, P.K. and Acharya, V., 2017. accounting Impact on Indian Steel Industry.International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics,12(1), pp.13-20. Morris, K.C., Schlenoff, C. and Srinivasan, V., 2017. Guest Editorial A Remarkable Resurgence of Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Automation and Autonomy.IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering,14(2), pp.407-409. Pak, R., Rovira, E., McLaughlin, A.C. and Baldwin, N., 2017. Does the domain of technology impact user trust? Investigating trust in automation across different consumer-oriented domains in young adults, military, and older adults.Theoretical Issues in economics Science,18(3), pp.199-220. Spinks, J., Jackson, J., Kirkpatrick, C.M. and Wheeler, A.J., 2017. Disruptive innovation in community pharmacyImpact of automation on the pharmacist workforce.Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy,13(2), pp.394-397. Wajcman, J., 2017. Automation: is it really different this time?.The British Journal of management,68(1), pp.119-127.

Thalassemia Essay Example

Thalassemia Paper Beta Thalassemia Beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by the abnormal production of a blood protein called hemoglobin. This condition is caused by a mutation within the gene that is responsible for the healthy production of hemoglobin. In healthy people, hemoglobin carries oxygen to tissues and cells throughout the body. Patients with beta thalassemia do not have adequate levels of oxygen within the blood, which can cause anemia. There are two main types of beta thalassemia with symptoms that range from mild to severe. Beta-globin is produced by two genes, one gene from each parent. The severity of the condition correlates with the amount of normal beta-globin production. Beta Thalassemia Minor The individuals with thalassemia minor have only one copy of the beta thalassemia gene. These individuals are said to be heterozygous for beta thalassemia and will have mild anemia. This situation can vary closely resemble that with mild iron-deficiency anemia. However, people with thalassemia minor have a normal blood iron level. No treatment is necessary for thalassemia minor. In particular, iron is neither necessary nor advised. Beta Thalassemia Major The child born with thalassemia major has two genes for beta thalassemia and no normal beta chain gene. The child is homozygous for beta thalassemia. This causes a striking deficiency in beta chain production and in the production of HBA. The clinical picture associated with thalassemia major was first described in 1925 by the American pediatrician Thomas Cooley. Hense, the name Cooleys anemia in his honor. At birth the baby with thalassemia major seems entirely normal. Anemia begins to develop within the first months after birth. It becomes progressively more and more severe. We will write a custom essay sample on Thalassemia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Thalassemia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Thalassemia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Chromosome location The gene controlling beta chain production is located on the short (p) arm of chromosome 11 at position 15. 5. More precisely, The HBB gene is located from base pair 5,203,271 to base pair 5,204,876 on chromosome 11. Characteristics of the Disease Beta thalassema major is characterized by severe anemia that can begin months after birth. In the United States and other developed countries, beta thalassemia is identified and treated early and effectively. In untreated, beta thalassemia major can lead to severe tiredness, jaundice, and growth and developmental delay. The body attempts to compensate by producing more blood cells in the bone marrow. However, this is ineffective without the needed genetic instructions to make enough functioning hemoglobin. Instead, obvious bone expansion and changes occur that cause characteristics facial and other changes in appearance, as well as increased risk of fractures. Severe anemia affects other organs in the body such as the heart, spleen, and liver. This can lead to heart failure and enlargement of the the liver and spleen. When untreated, beta thalassemia major generally results in childhood death, usually due to heart failure. Fortunately, in developed countries diagnosis is usually made early, often before symptoms have begun. This allows for treatment with blood transfusion therapy, which can prevent most of the complications of the severe anemia caused by beta thalassemia major. A compelet blood count will identify low levels of hemoglobin and other red blood cell abnormalities that are characterized with beta thalassemia. Since thalassemia trait can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from iron deficiency, tests to evaluate iron levels are important. A hemoglobin electrophoresis is a test that can help identify the types and quantities of hemoglobin made by an individual. This test uses an electric field applied across a slab of gel-like material. Hemoglobins migrate through this gel at various rates and to specific locations, depending on their size, shape, and electrical charge. In addition, isoelectric focusing and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) use similar principles to separate hemoglobins and can be used instead of or in various combination with hemoglobin electrophoresis to determine the types and quantities of hemoglobin present. Hemoglobin electrophoresis results are usually within the normal range for all types of alpha thalassemia. However, hemoglobin A2 levels and sometimes hemoglobin F levels are elevated when beta thalassemia disease or trait is present. Hemoglobin electrophoresis can also detect structurally abnormal hemoglobins that may be co-inherited with a thalassemia trait to cause thalassemia disease or other types of hemoglobin disease. Sometimes DNA testing is needed in addition to the screening tests. This can be performed to help confirm that diagnosis and establish the exact genetic type of thalassemia. Treatment or Management of the Condition The most common treatment of all major forms of thalassemia is red blood cell transfusions. These transfusions are necessary to provide the patient with a temporary supply of healthy red blood cells with normal hemoglobin capable of carrying the oxygen that the pateints body needs. While thalassemia patients were given infrequent transfusions in the past, clinical research led to a more frequent program of regular blood cell transfusions that greatly improved the patients quality of life. Today, most patients with a major form of thalassemia receive red blood cell transfusions every two to three weeks, amounting to as much as 52 pints of blood a year. Because there is no natural way to the body to eliminate iron, the iron in the transfused blood cells builds up in a condition known as iron overload and becomes toxic to tissues and organs, particularly the liver and heart. To help remove excess iron, patients undergo iron chelation therapy, in which a drug introduced into the body which binds with excess iron and removes it through the urine or stool. In 2005, FDA approved an oral chelator, Exjade. This is a pill which is dissolved in water or juice once a day. Molecular Genetics Beta thalassemia is caused by mutations in the HBB gene. More than 250 mutations in the HBB gene have been caused beta thalssemia. Most of the mutations involve a change in single DNA building block within or near the HBB gene. Other mutations insert or delete a small number of nucleotides in the HBB gene. HBB gene mutations that decrease beta-globin production result in a type of the condition called beta-plus thalssemia. Mutations that prevent cells from producing any beta-globin result in beta-zero thalssemia. Without proper amounts of beta-globin, sufficient hemoglobin cannot be formed. A lack of hemoglobin disrupts the normal development of red blood cells. A shortage of mature red blood cells prevents these cells from carrying and delivering enough oxygen to satisfy the body’s energy needs. A lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues can lead to poor growth, organ damage, and other health problems associated with beta thalassemia. Genetic Testing DNA analysis is available to investigate deletions and mutations in the beta-globin producing genes. Family studies can be done to evaluate carrier status and the types of mutations present in family members. DNA testing is not routinely done but can be used to help diagnosis thalassemia and to determine carrier status. Other relevant information Being a carrier of the disease may confer a degree of protection against malaria, as it is quite common among people of Italian and Greek origin, and also in some African and Indian regions. This probably by making the red blood cells more susceptible to the less lethal species Plasmodium vivax simultaneously making the hosts red blood cell environment unsuitable for the more lethal strain Plasmodium falciparum. This is believed to be a selective advantage for patients with the various thalassemia traits. More information can be found at: * Medline Plus * Genetics Home Reference * Cooleys Anemia Foundation References Beta Thalassemia. Genetics Home Reference. U. S. National Library of Medicine. July 2009. April 25, 2010. http://ghr. nlm. nih. gov/condition=betathalassemia Beta Thalassemia. Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital. 2010. April 25, 2010. http://www. lpch. org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/hematology/thalbeta. html About Thalassemia. Cooleys Anemia Foundation. 2010. April 25, 2010. http://www. thalassemia. org/index. php? option=com_content;view=article;id=19;Itemid=27 Beta Thalassemias. US Department of Health ; Human Services. National Institute of Health. 2010. April 25, 2010. http://www. nhlbi. nih. gov/health/dci/Diseases/Thalassemia/Thalassemia_WhatIs. html Mormino, Vincenzo. Thalassemia in Sicily. Best of Sicily Magazine. 004. April 25, 2010. http://www. bestofsicily. com/mag/art133. htm Thalassemia. Prathama Blood Center. 2010. April 25, 2010. http://www. prathama. org/thalassimias. php Thalassemia. Disease Information. Iron Overload. 2010. April 25, 2010. http://www. ironoverloadme. com/hcp/disease_information/thalaseemia. html When Your Child Has Beta Thalassemia. Mount Nittany Medical Center. 2010. April 25, 2010. http://www. mount nittany. org/wellness-library/healthsheets/documents? ID=11943 Beta Thalassemia. Access DNA. 2010. April 25, 2010. http://www. accessdna. com/condition/Beta-Thalassemia/60

So You Want to Study Abroad (6 Things to Consider)

So You Want to Study Abroad (6 Things to Consider) So You Want to Study Abroad (6 Things to Consider) More and more people choose to study abroad these days. And why not? You get to travel, meet new people, learn about a different culture and earn a college degree at the same time! But studying abroad requires a bit of preparation, so make sure you’ve considered the following factors†¦ 1. Length of Placement Different placements are available depending on how long you want to spend studying abroad. This ranges from a few weeks or a single semester, to full degree programs for those who want to really throw themselves into an overseas experience! 2. Where to Go This is the big one! Where should you study? Some of the most common places for U.S. students to study are in Europe, but it’s possible to study almost anywhere in the world, with other popular destinations including Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and Australia. As well as your personal interest in wherever you decide to study, practical factors to consider include your familiarity with the language (both of the country and the language of instruction), the lifestyle and culture of the place where you’ll be studying, and the tuition and living costs involved. If you really cant decide, throw a dart at a world map and see where it sticks. [Image: Mason Vanks Maps/wikimedia] 3. The Program Once you know where you want to study and the length of placement you’d prefer, it’s time to start looking at different programs. If you’re simply studying abroad for part of your degree, your best option will usually be to apply for a program run by your college. If you want to study abroad for your entire degree, you’ll have to research your chosen destination and apply as an international student. 4. Funding If you have the money to pay for your studies already, you can skip this one. But many of us with dreams of studying abroad would appreciate a little financial help, so it’s worth researching whether funding is available. 5. Entry Requirements and Qualifications The application process for studying abroad differs from institution to institution, so make sure you check carefully and understand the requirements. This will include having the academic qualifications necessary to study your chosen course, as well as providing a resume, a letter of recommendation and possibly proof that you can speak the language of instruction. Some colleges and universities also set admissions tests. The most important thing is starting the application early enough, as that will give you enough time to organize everything before you’re due to begin your studies! 6. Travel Arrangements The final step, once you’ve been accepted on a course, is to organize the travel. And there’s lots to do before booking your flights, including sorting out a visa, making sure you have a valid passport and working out your living arrangements for once you arrive. As with the entry requirements, the key here is knowing what you need to do before travelling to the country where you’ll be studying, as well as leaving plenty of time to make the arrangements. And then its just a case of Bon voyage!

White Privilege and the Myth of Meritocracy-Diversity in Organizations Essay

White Privilege and the Myth of Meritocracy-Diversity in Organizations - Essay Example The discussion is also made in the additional contexts of the questions that are required to be answered relating to white privileges that have relevance with regard to organizational diversity; white privileges from the vantage point of non-white minority groups; how discrimination fosters white privileges and whites’ perception of their own capabilities and merits; the use of the terms qualified minorities, qualified whites, and qualified women; gender-based privileges; the relationship between wealth and privileges (Bell, 2011; pp. 223-256; McIntosh, 1990; McIntosh, 2009; McNamee and Miller, 2004; Unz, 2012). Discussion Whites here refer to the ethnic groups that fall under the umbrella of non-Hispanic white and have roots in Europe, or else are from North Africa or the Middle East. They include those who self-report being white, or else report themselves to be one or other of the following: Arab, Irish, Polish, Lebanese, Italian, German, or from the Near East. This is also the definition espoused by the US Census Bureau, and forms the basis of the definition for the paper (Bell, 2011, p. 225). By white privileges is meant those privileges that accrue to Whites in America by virtue of the social conventions that work on either positively discriminating whites based on their color to confer special work, consumption, and other social privileges, or to negatively discriminate against non-whites to effectively put whites in positions of economic, social and political power, and in other relevant aspects of social and cultural life in the country. The myth of meritocracy, meanwhile, posits that whites earned their privileges and positions of dominance and power, and that conversely other minority groups effectively have not earned power and therefore are unable to rise into similar positions as whites. The myth of meritocracy also exists as divisions in â€Å"earned† power and privileges along gender lines, with white women being in inferior positi ons at work for instance due to white males having earned their positions through the merits of their own work and capabilities. While there are parties that assert that reverse discrimination exist, and documented in the courts, the reality is that white privilege persists as a social force acting in ways that reinforce those privileges at the expense of women and minorities, even as whites themselves in significant numbers have historically worked for more egalitarian social arrangements among races, viewing diversity in organizations as sources of strength and advantage that lift all in turn (Bell, 2011; pp. 223-256). Answering the first question, McIntosh presents many of the subtle ways by which white privilege presents itself in daily life, and it is easy to imagine that in the context of organizational diversity, many of those presentations are relevant, especially with regard to not being racially profiled for a host of activities including participating in race-based discus sions and in discussions on promotions, and with regard to the impact of subtle segregation rules in the choice of housing for employees that may work against drives by organizations to foster greater racial diversity in its employee pools. In promotions discussions, if majority of upper management is white too, then ingrained social forces operating within an organization would work against greater ethnic diversity in the management ranks too, to cite another example (McIntosh, 2009; McIntosh, 1990). To answer question two, If I were a member of a minority ethnic group, the white privileges relating to natural social tendencies to promote and enhance the power of whites over

Analysis Samsung Electronics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Analysis Samsung Electronics - Case Study Example The company became known for its relatively low-cost quality innovative product lines and was able to give stiff competition to electronic majors like Sony, Nokia, Phillips etc. by continuously coming up with ever new features in all its products. There were many factors that contributed towards company’s continued leadership position in the world market. The foremost was its business model that relied on speed based innovative products. The company focused on its strategy of developing research and engineering skills so that it could improve and improvise innovatively on the electrical and digital products of Sony, Phillips, Matsushita, and Nokia. Samsung’s ability to launch its own products with added features with a great speed was a huge success with the target population. Samsung had geared its teams of professionals to keep a strict watch on the people’s pulse and was, therefore, able to anticipate their demands and used to come up with new products and features that were envied by its rivals. Another vital feature of its business strategy was its focused approach towards R&D and utilizing his human resource as capital investment. His team was able to develop huge range within the same product because they were able to customize new products around their core design. He also introduced the concept of competing for product development teams which were located at diverse locations, thus promoting competition with the group for innovation. The merit-based promotion within the group ensured that the best got their dues. High potential employees were encouraged to MBA and Ph.D. in the foreign country on company’s expenses so that expert team could be indigenously developed and fostered for improved business performance.

Responses to Modernism Essay Example for Free

Responses to Modernism Essay a) How does Levin characterize the art of the Modern era? List the various terms and phrases she uses to describe the Modern period. Levin characterizes the art of the Modern era with terms such as: style, form, scientific, experimental, method, logic, technological, purity, clarity, order, idealistic, optimistic, ideological, reductive, austere, puritanical, elitist, dogmatic, brutal, competitive, individualistic, materialistic, formal, abstract, repetitive, flattening, ordering, and literal. Levin characterizes the art of the Modern era with phrases such as: â€Å"style-the invention of sets of forms-was a preoccupation of Modernism, as was originality. The Tradition of the New, Harold Rosenberg called it† â€Å"Modern art was scientific. It was based on faith in the technological future, on belief in progress and objective truth. It was experimental: the creation of new forms was its task† â€Å"It longed for perfection and demanded purity, clarity, order. And it denied everything else, especially the past: idealistic, ideological and optimistic, Modernism was predicated on the glorious future, the new and improved. Like technology, it was based all along on the inventions of man-made forms, or, as Meyer Schapiro has said, â€Å"a thing made rather than a scene represented. † â€Å"Conceptualism came out of the closet; and art became documentation. In a sense, it was the ultimate godlike act of Modernism: creating a work out of nothing. In another sense, it was obvious that something was over,† â€Å"Modernism, toward the end of its reign, came to be seen as reductive and austere. Its purity came to seen puritanical. It was in the terminology in a word, Formalism which implied not only the logical structures of Modernist invention but also the structures of rigid adherence of established forms. â€Å"There is no other democracy than the respect for forms†, one of the new French philosophers, Bernard-Henry Levy, has remarked. Like democracy, Modernist art is now being reinterpreted in terms of its insistence on forms and laws rather than in terms of liberty and freedom. The Modernist vision may have had democratic aims a progressive emancipation of the individual from authority in an age of unlimited possibilities, as Schapiro has notedbut in practice it was elitist: the public never understood abstract art. It was as specialized as modern science. And emphasis on structure rather than substance is what we came to see in it. Like science, Modernist art has begun to seem dogmatic and brutal. † â€Å"competitive and individualistic, it saw everything in terms of risk. Like capitalism, it was materialistic. From its collage scraps and fur-lined teacup to its laden brushstrokes, I-beams, and Campbell’s soupcans, modernist art insisted increasingly on being an object in a world of objects. What started as radical physicality turned into commodity; the desire for newness led to a voracious appetite for novelty. † â€Å"the artist as godlike Creator was the leitmotif of Modernism† b) How does Levin characterize the art of Postmodernism? List the various terms and phrases she uses to describe the Postmodern period. Levin characterizes the art of Postmodernism with terms such as: hybrid impurity, illusionistic theatricality, narrative insinuations, counterrevolutionary contradictions, disillusionment, distrust, survival, natural substances, ongoing processes, photographic images, language, real-time systems, nature, demolition, natural, temporality, psychological, narrational, personal, lifelike contexts, subjective facts, subversive, protesting, impure, quotes, scavenges, ransacks, recycles, synthesis, confession, fiction, irony, whimsy, disbelief, intimate, metamorphosis. Levin characterizes the art of Postmoderism with phrases like: â€Å"Style has become a voluntary option, to be scavenged and recycled, to be quoted, paraphrased, parodied to be used as a language† â€Å"It could be argued that the precise moment of its demise was signaled a few months earlier by the revelation of Duchamp’s Etant Donnes with all its hybrid impurity, illusionistic theatricality, narrative insinuations, and counterrevolutionary contradictions opening a peephole into the magical natural world as if predicting the concerns of postmodern art. † â€Å"Returning materials to their natural stage, subjecting them to natural forces, sending art back to the land or internalizing it within the body, they were evidence that time and/or place were becoming crucial, clearing the way for the psychological and the narrational, for personal content, lifelike contexts, and subjective facts. The feeling against style and objectivity proved more subversive than the antipathy toward objects and form: post-modernism arose out of Conceptualist premises that art is information -while protesting its Modernist aridity. † â€Å"Post-modernism is impure. It knows about shortages. It knows about inflation and devaluation. It is aware of the increased cost of objects. And so it quotes, scavenges, ransacks, recycles the past. Its method is synthesis rather than analysis. It is style-free and free-style. Playful and full of doubt, it denies nothing. Tolerant of ambiguity, contradiction, complexity, incoherence, it is eccentrically inclusive. It mimics life, accepts awkwardness and crudity, takes an amateur stance. Structured by time rather than form, concerned with context instead of style, it uses memory, research, confession, fiction with irony, whimsy, and disbelief. Subjective and intimate, it blurs the boundaries between the world and the self. It is about identity and behavior† â€Å"perhaps we should look to the self-awareness movements that became popular during the ‘70s for a terminology appropriate to the new art: based not on scientific reason and logic and the pretense of objectivity but on presence, subjective experience, behavior, on a weird kind of therapeutic revelation in which it is not necessary to believe or understand it is enough if it works. † c) What are the main points of contrast Levin describes between the art of the two periods? The main points of contrast between modernism and postmodernism that Levin describes are: style as preoccupation vs. style as option, purity vs. hybrid impurity, man-made vs. the natural, adherence to forms vs. the tolerance of ambiguity, godlike vs. lifelike, objective vs. subjective, idealistic vs. realistic, and progressive understanding vs. the cyclical understanding. d) What symbols does Levin suggest would serve as iconic images for the two periods? For modernism, the grid is the suggested iconic image. For post-modernism, the map is the suggested iconic image. e) Now, identify two of the art movements discussed by Levin. Find a representative artist who participated in each movement and has at least one artwork illustrated in your textbook. Write a compare-contrast between the two artworks. One of the art movements and representative artists should be identified by Levin as Modern, the other as Postmodern. Dadism: Rauschenberg-Bed(1955) Pop Art: Andy Warhol-Marilyn Monroe f) Start by identifying the two artists and their artworks as fully as possible. Rauschenberg was an American artist who became famous during the transition from abstract-expressionism to pop-art. He is famous for his white, black and red paintings. With his white paintings, he sought to reduce painting to its essential nature so that the possibility of pure experience could be created and appreciated. With his black paintings, Rauschenberg mixed paper with newspaper to create the effect of appearance and disappearance. With his red paintings, Rauschenberg created what would be fore-runners of his combine series. They used complex materials so that the surface was disturbed from the impression of being flat or two-dimensional. Certainly a transitional painter, he worked within the gap between modernism and post-modernism. Through mistakes he developed his imaginative creativity into meaningful formations that explored new ways and mediums of creating art, by processes like photography, silk-screen, and multimedia juxtaposition. g) Describe both works in detail Rauschenberg’s artwork, Bed(1955) was created with Rauschenberg covered a shallow wooden frame with a worn quilt, that is alternately splashed and splattered with paint. While it uses everyday materials and can be said to celebrate them by transforming them from something disposable to something that is to be preserved, it is also a Dada-esque assertion of anti-art. f) Andrew Warhol was a prominent figure in the pop-art movement who was known for his diverse friends and came up with the concept of â€Å"fifteen-minutes of fame. † A celebrity in his own right, he is characteristically known for his paintings of luminaries like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. When he switched to silk-screen, Andrew Warhol minimized his own hand so much as he tried to follow his intention to be â€Å"a machine. † His silk-screen was made serially and mass-produced the mass-produced, including the iconic Campbell’s Soup Can. Shot in 1968, by a fringe member of his Factory Scene ‘clique,’ Warhol barely survived and spent much of his later life as a more subdued â€Å"business-artist. † A man who loved plastic, Warhol also aspired to be plastic, at once superficial and commercial but also in possession of an odd aura of glamour. g) Andy Warhol’s artwork, â€Å"Marilyn,† was created so that it could personify mass-production and the glamorous aura of ‘celebrity. ’ Warhol accomplished this with his stenciling technique where ink and paint was applied to silk-screen images. An effect that was also realized was that of two disparities. In â€Å"Marilyn† the public image and the private image are attached but wrestle against each other so that both have a characteristic of ambiguity and not quite holding very well. h) How are they Similar? They incorporate different mediums, and deal with disparities. They both wrestle with the private and the public. â€Å"Bed† turns a private item into a public presentation and â€Å"Marilyn† deals with the clash between the private person and the public personification. i) How are they Different? â€Å"Bed† deals more with the ordinary and the relatively mundane. â€Å"Marilyn† deals with the exceptional and the aura of celebrity. â€Å"Bed† appears to have been created quite carelessly, â€Å"Marilyn† appears to have been created deliberately. â€Å"Bed† somehow congeals and appears finished although in a more careless kind of way. â€Å"Marilyn† seems somehow undone and there is the feeling that a missing element should be there. It feels unfinished and never quite complete. j) Finally, do they seem to illustrate Levin’s points about Modernism and Postmodernism—or not? Yes, they do seem to. â€Å"Bed† deals with the man-made, the quilt is a man-made object that is also a machine-made object. â€Å"Marilyn† has a strange kind of living existence as it deals with the natural, the organic, as well as, the complex human form in all its frailty. There is a quality of decomposition to it that makes it very odd but makes it portray the organic in a strong way. â€Å"Bed† is godlike because it does create something out of nothing. It turns what is â€Å"nothing,† an old quilt, into something quite extraordinary, so extraordinary that it will be displayed in museums as a monument of sorts. â€Å"Marilyn† is deeply personal and subjective, it is an intimate rendering of someone who lived who cannot really be known except through subjective interpretations. â€Å"Bed† is much more elitist and it takes a lot of erudite clarifications before a lot of people can ‘get it. ’ â€Å"Marilyn† is not incorporative of any great interplay of the theoretical and can be appreciated much more easily because it deals with such popular content matter.

Golden Rule and Environmentalism :: Environment Ecology Ecological Essays

Golden Rule and Environmentalism Intelligence, humor, simplicity, common sense, lack of philosophical jargon, perspective, wit, answer to questions. In the style of a popular scientist, not a philosopher, Stephen Jay Gould announces his view of an appropriate environmental ethic following the simple, but forever elegant, golden rule. "If we all treated others as we wish to be treated ourselves, then decency and stability would have to prevail"(216), he states. In the spirit of Karen Warren, Gould's perspective on environmentalism 'feels right' to me, as I can connect with acts of respect and benevolence towards humans and can easily extend that feeling to the rest of the earth (especially on a personal level where I see the golden rule as the basis for my religious beliefs). However, upon closer examination, I find the suggestion to 'just follow the golden rule' as an environmental ethic problematic when examined in a practical, non-idealized light. Harkening back to the problems encountered in previous discussions of biocentric and ecocentric ethics, I am troubled by the potential outcomes of an environmental ethic such as this. In searching for a practical example with which to apply the golden rule ethic, let's examine Martin Kreiger's example of what to do in the case of Niagara Falls. Kreiger discusses three options for managing the Falls which were devised by the International Joint Commission Fallscape committee: 1) converting the falls into a monument, i.e. spending money and resources to keep the falls the way they are now; 2) making the falls an event, i.e. allowing the falls to continue to evolve, monitoring for rockfalls, and 'selling' their occurrence to the public to watch; 3) treating the falls as a show, i.e. giving a director complete power and discretion over the amount of water flowing at a given time, the size of the pool, and the amount of debris, along with lights and music, of course. Where would the golden rule ethic lead us in deciding the appropriate action for Niagara Falls? The first question in trying to apply this ethic is, who determines how "we" would want to be treated so that it can be determined how Niagara Falls would want to be treated? Should 'the public', as Kreiger thinks, have the say in what happens to Niagara, and therefore, decide its fate? I don't think that the public is in an appropriate position to decide the fate of this, or many other, environmental entities.

The Host Chapter 18: Bored

I spent the rest of the day, with one brief exception, in total silence. That exception occurred when Jeb brought food for both Jared and me several hours later. As he set the tray inside the entrance to my tiny cave, he smiled at me apologetically. â€Å"Thank you,† I whispered. â€Å"You're welcome,† he told me. I heard Jared grunt, irritated by our small exchange. That was the only sound Jared made all day. I was sure he was out there, but there was never so much as an audible breath to confirm that conviction. It was a very long day-very cramped and very dull. I tried every position I could imagine, but I could never quite manage to get all of me stretched out comfortably at once. The small of my back began a steady throbbing. Melanie and I thought a lot about Jamie. Mostly we worried that we had damaged him by coming here, that we were injuring him now. What was a kept promise in comparison with that? Time lost meaning. It could have been sunset, it could have been dawn-I had no references here, buried in the earth. Melanie and I ran out of topics for discussion. We flipped through our joint memories apathetically, like switching TV channels without stopping to watch anything in particular. I napped once but could not fall soundly asleep because I was so uncomfortable. When Jeb finally came back, I could have kissed his leathery face. He leaned into my cell with a grin stretching his cheeks. â€Å"‘Bout time for another walk?† he asked me. I nodded eagerly. â€Å"I'll do it,† Jared growled. â€Å"Give me the gun.† I hesitated, crouched awkwardly in the mouth of my cave, until Jeb nodded at me. â€Å"Go ahead,† he told me. I climbed out, stiff and unsteady, and took Jeb's offered hand to balance myself. Jared made a sound of revulsion and turned his face away. He was holding the gun tightly, his knuckles white over the barrel. I didn't like to see it in his hands. It bothered me more than it did with Jeb. Jared didn't make allowances for me the way Jeb had. He stalked off into the black tunnel without pausing for me to catch up. It was hard-he didn't make much noise and he didn't guide me, so I had to walk with one hand in front of my face and one hand on the wall, trying not to run into the rock. I fell twice on the uneven floor. Though he did not help me, he did wait till he could hear that I was on my feet again to continue. Once, hurrying through a straighter section of the tube, I got too close and my searching hand touched his back, traced across the shape of his shoulders, before I realized that I hadn't reached another wall. He jumped ahead, jerking out from under my fingers with an angry hiss. â€Å"Sorry,† I whispered, feeling my cheeks turn warm in the darkness. He didn't respond, but sped his pace so that following was even more difficult. I was confused when, finally, some light appeared ahead of me. Had we taken a different route? This was not the white brilliance of the biggest cavern. It was muted, pale and silvery. But the narrow crevice we'd had to pass through seemed the same†¦ It wasn't until I was inside the giant, echoing space that I realized what caused the difference. It was nighttime; the light that shone dimly from above mimicked the light of the moon rather than the sun. I used the less-blinding illumination to examine the ceiling, trying to ferret out its secret. High, so very high above me, a hundred tiny moons shone their diluted light toward the dim, distant floor. The little moons were scattered in patternless clusters, some farther away than others. I shook my head. Even though I could look directly at the light now, I still didn't understand it. â€Å"C'mon,† Jared ordered angrily from several paces ahead. I flinched and hurried to follow. I was sorry I'd let my attention wander. I could see how much it irritated him to have to speak to me. I didn't expect the help of a flashlight when we reached the room with the rivers, and I didn't receive it. It was dimly lit now, too, like the big cave, but with only twenty-odd miniature moons here. Jared clenched his jaw and stared at the ceiling while I walked hesitantly into the room with the inky pool. I guessed that if I stumbled into the fierce underground hot spring and disappeared, Jared would probably see it as a kind intervention of fate. I think he would be sad, Melanie disagreed as I edged my way around the black bathing room, hugging the wall. If we fell. I doubt it. He might be reminded of the pain of losing you the first time, but he would be happy if I disappeared. Because he doesn't know you, Melanie whispered, and then faded away as if she were suddenly exhausted. I stood frozen where I was, surprised. I wasn't sure, but it felt as though Melanie had just given me a compliment. â€Å"Move it,† Jared barked from the other room. I hurried as fast as the darkness and my fear would allow. When we returned, Jeb was waiting by the blue lamp; at his feet were two lumpy cylinders and two uneven rectangles. I hadn't noticed them before. Perhaps he'd gone to get them while we were away. â€Å"Are you sleeping here tonight or am I?† Jeb asked Jared in a casual tone. Jared looked at the shapes by Jeb's feet. â€Å"I am,† he answered curtly. â€Å"And I only need one bedroll.† Jeb raised a thick eyebrow. â€Å"It's not one of us, Jeb. You left this on me-so butt out.† â€Å"She's not an animal, either, kid. And you wouldn't treat a dog this way.† Jared didn't answer. His teeth ground together. â€Å"Never figured you for a cruel man,† Jeb said softly. But he picked up one of the cylinders, put his arm through a strap, and slung it over his shoulder, then stuffed one rectangle-a pillow-under his arm. â€Å"Sorry, honey,† he said as he passed me, patting my shoulder. â€Å"Cut that out!† Jared growled. Jeb shrugged and ambled away. Before he was out of sight, I hurried to disappear into my cell; I hid in its darkest reaches, coiling myself into a tight ball that I hoped was too small to see. Instead of lurking silently and invisibly in the outside tunnel, Jared spread his bedroll directly in front of the mouth of my prison. He plumped his pillow a few times, possibly trying to rub it in that he had one. He lay down on the mat and crossed his arms over his chest. That was the piece of him that I could see through the hole-just his crossed arms and half of his stomach. His skin was that same dark gold tan that had haunted my dreams for the last half year. It was very strange to have that piece of my dream in solid reality not five feet from me. Surreal. â€Å"You won't be able to sneak past me,† he warned. His voice was softer than before-sleepy. â€Å"If you try†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He yawned. â€Å"I will kill you.† I didn't respond. The warning struck me as a bit of an insult. Why would I try to sneak past him? Where would I go? Into the hands of the barbarians out there waiting for me, all of them wishing that I would make exactly that kind of stupid attempt? Or, supposing I could somehow sneak past them, back out into the desert that had nearly baked me to death the last time I'd tried to cross it? I wondered what he thought me capable of. What plan did he think I was hatching to overthrow their little world? Did I really seem so powerful? Wasn't it clear how pathetically defenseless I was? I could tell when he was deeply asleep because he started twitching the way Melanie remembered he occasionally did. He only slept so restlessly when he was upset. I watched his fingers clench and unclench, and I wondered if he was dreaming that they were wrapped around my neck. The days that followed-perhaps a week of them, it was impossible to keep track-were very quiet. Jared was like a silent wall between me and everything else in the world, good or bad. There was no sound but that of my own breathing, my own movements; there were no sights but the black cave around me, the circle of dull light, the familiar tray with the same rations, the brief, stolen glimpses of Jared; there were no touches but the pitted rocks against my skin; there were no tastes but the bitter water, the hard bread, the bland soup, the woody roots, over and over again. It was a very strange combination: constant terror, persistent aching physical discomfort, and excruciating monotony. Of the three, the killer boredom was the hardest to take. My prison was a sensory-deprivation chamber. Together, Melanie and I worried that we were going to go mad. We both hear a voice in our head, she pointed out. That's never a good sign. We're going to forget how to speak, I worried. How long has it been since anyone talked to us? Four days ago you thanked Jeb for bringing us food, and he said you were welcome. Well, I think it was four days ago. Four long sleeps ago, at least. She seemed to sigh. Stop chewing your nails-it took me years to break that habit. But the long, scratchy nails bothered me. I don't really think we need to worry about bad habits in the long term. Jared didn't let Jeb bring food again. Instead, someone brought it to the end of the hall and Jared retrieved it. I got the same thing-bread, soup, and vegetables-twice every day. Sometimes there were extra things for Jared, packaged foods with brand names I recognized-Red Vines, Snickers, Pop-Tarts. I tried to imagine how the humans had gotten their hands on these delicacies. I didn't expect him to share-of course not-but I wondered sometimes if he thought I was hoping he would. One of my few entertainments was hearing him eat his treats, because he always did so ostentatiously, perhaps rubbing it in the way he had with the pillow that first night. Once, Jared slowly ripped open a bag of Cheetos-showy about it as usual-and the rich smell of fake powdered cheese rolled through my cave†¦ delicious, irresistible. He ate one slowly, letting me hear each distinct crunch. My stomach growled loudly, and I laughed at myself. I hadn't laughed in so long; I tried to remember the last time and couldn't-just that strange bout of macabre hysteria in the desert, which really didn't count as laughter. Even before I'd come here, there hadn't been much I'd found funny. But this seemed hilarious to me for some reason-my stomach yearning after that one small Cheeto-and I laughed again. A sign of madness, surely. I didn't know how my reaction offended him, but he got up and disappeared. After a long moment, I could hear him eating the Cheetos again, but from farther away. I peeked out of the hole to see that he was sitting in the shadows at the end of the corridor, his back to me. I pulled my head inside, afraid he might turn and catch me watching. From then on, he stayed down at that end of the hall as much as possible. Only at night did he stretch out in front of my prison. Twice a day-or rather twice a night, as he never took me when the others were about-I got to walk to the room with the rivers; it was a highlight, despite the terror, as it was the only time I was not hunched into the unnatural shapes my small cave forced on me. Each time I had to crawl back inside was harder than the last. Three times that week, always during the sleeping hours, someone came to check on us. The first time it was Kyle. Jared's sudden lunge to his feet woke me. â€Å"Get out of here,† he warned, holding the gun ready. â€Å"Just checking,† Kyle said. His voice was far away but loud and rough enough that I was sure it was not his brother. â€Å"Someday you might not be here. Someday you might sleep too soundly.† Jared's only answer was to cock the gun. I heard Kyle's laughter trailing behind him as he left. The other two times I didn't know who it was. Kyle again, or maybe Ian, or maybe someone whose name I hadn't learned. All I knew was that twice more I was woken by Jared jumping to his feet with the gun pointed at the intruder. No more words were spoken. Whoever was just checking didn't bother to make conversation. When they were gone, Jared went back to sleep quickly. It took me longer to quiet my heart. The fourth time was something new. I was not quite asleep when Jared started awake, rolling to his knees in a swift movement. He came up with the gun in his hands and a curse on his lips. â€Å"Easy,† a voice murmured from the distance. â€Å"I come in peace.† â€Å"Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying,† Jared growled. â€Å"I just want to talk.† The voice came closer. â€Å"You're buried down here, missing the important discussions†¦ We miss your take on things.† â€Å"I'm sure,† Jared said sarcastically. â€Å"Oh, put the gun down. If I was planning to fight you, I would have come with four guys this time.† There was a short silence, and when Jared spoke again, his voice carried a hint of dark humor. â€Å"How's your brother these days?† he asked. Jared seemed to enjoy the question. It relaxed him to tease his visitor. He sat down and slouched against the wall halfway in front of my prison, at ease, but with the gun still ready. My neck ached, seeming to comprehend that the hands that had crushed and bruised it were very close by. â€Å"He's still fuming about his nose,† Ian said. â€Å"Oh, well-it's not the first time it's been broken. I'll tell him you said you were sorry.† â€Å"I'm not.† â€Å"I know. No one is ever sorry for hitting Kyle.† They laughed quietly together; there was a sense of camaraderie in their amusement that seemed wildly out of place while Jared held a gun loosely pointed in Ian's direction. But then, the bonds that were forged in this desperate place must have been very strong. Thicker than blood. Ian sat down on the mat next to Jared. I could see his profile in silhouette, a black shape against the blue light. I noticed that his nose was perfect-straight, aquiline, the kind of nose that I'd seen in pictures of famous sculptures. Did that mean that others found him more bearable than the brother whose nose was often broken? Or that he was better at ducking? â€Å"So what do you want, Ian? Not just an apology for Kyle, I imagine.† â€Å"Did Jeb tell you?† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"They've given up the search. Even the Seekers.† Jared didn't comment, but I could feel the sudden tension in the air around him. â€Å"We've been keeping a close watch for some change, but they never seemed overly anxious. The search never strayed from the area where we abandoned the car, and for the past few days they were clearly looking for a body rather than a survivor. Then two nights ago we caught a lucky break-the search party left some trash in the open, and a pack of coyotes raided their base camp. One of them was coming back late and surprised the animals. The coyotes attacked and dragged the Seeker a good hundred yards into the desert before the rest of them heard its screams and came to the rescue. The other Seekers were armed, of course. They scared the coyotes off easily, and the victim wasn't seriously hurt, but the event seems to have answered any questions they might have had about what happened to our guest here.† I wondered how they were able to spy on the Seekers who searched for me-to see so much. I felt strangely exposed by the idea. I didn't like the picture in my head: the humans invisible, watching the souls they hated. The thought made the skin on the back of my neck prickle. â€Å"So they packed up and left. The Seekers gave up the search. All the volunteers went home. No one is looking for it.† His profile turned toward me, and I hunched down, hoping it was too dark to see me in here-that, like his face, I would appear as only a black shape. â€Å"I imagine it's been declared officially dead, if they keep track of those things the way we used to. Jeb's been saying I told you so' to anyone who'll stand still long enough to hear it.† Jared grumbled something incoherent; I could only pick out Jeb's name. Then he inhaled a sharp breath, blew it out, and said, â€Å"All right, then. I guess that's the end of it.† â€Å"That's what it looks like.† Ian hesitated for a moment and then added, â€Å"Except†¦ Well, it's probably nothing at all.† Jared tensed again; he didn't like having his intelligence edited. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"No one but Kyle thinks much of it, and you know how Kyle is.† Jared grunted his assent to that. â€Å"You've got the best instincts for this kind of thing; I wanted your opinion. That's why I'm here, taking my life into my hands to infiltrate the restricted area,† Ian said dryly, and then his voice was utterly serious again. â€Å"You see, there's this one†¦ a Seeker, no doubt about that-it packs a Glock.† It took me a second to understand the word he used. It wasn't a familiar part of Melanie's vocabulary. When I understood that he was talking about a kind of gun, the wistful, envious tone in his voice made me feel slightly ill. â€Å"Kyle was the first to notice how this one stood out. It didn't seem important to the rest-certainly not part of the decision-making process. Oh, it had suggestions enough, from what we could see, but no one seemed to listen to it. Wish we could've heard what it was saying†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My skin prickled anxiously again. â€Å"Anyway,† Ian continued, â€Å"when they called off the search, this one wasn't happy with the decision. You know how the parasites are always so†¦ very pleasant? This was weird-it's the closest I've ever seen them come to an argument. Not a real argument, because none of the others argued back, but the unhappy one sure looked like it was arguing with them. The core group of Seekers disregarded it-they're all gone.† â€Å"But the unhappy one?† Jared asked. â€Å"It got in a car and drove halfway to Phoenix. Then it drove back to Tucson. Then it drove west again.† â€Å"Still searching.† â€Å"Or very confused. It stopped at that convenience store by the peak. Talked to the parasite that worked there, though that one had already been questioned.† â€Å"Huh,† Jared grunted. He was interested now, concentrating on the puzzle. â€Å"Then it went for a hike up the peak-stupid little thing. Had to be burning alive, wearing black from head to toe.† A spasm rocked through my body; I found myself off the floor, cringing against the back wall of my cell. My hands flew up instinctively to protect my face. I heard a hiss echo through the small space, and only after it faded did I realize it was mine. â€Å"What was that?† Ian asked, his voice shocked. I peeked through my fingers to see both of their faces leaning through the hole toward me. Ian's was black, but part of Jared's was lit, his features hard as stone. I wanted to be still, invisible, but tremors I couldn't control were shaking violently down my spine. Jared leaned away and came back with the lamp in his hands. â€Å"Look at its eyes,† Ian muttered. â€Å"It's frightened.† I could see both their expressions now, but I looked only at Jared. His gaze was tightly focused on me, calculating. I guessed he was thinking through what Ian had said, looking for the trigger to my behavior. My body wouldn't stop shaking. She'll never give up, Melanie moaned. I know, I know, I moaned back. When had our distaste turned to fear? My stomach knotted and heaved. Why couldn't she just let me be dead like the rest of them had? When I was dead, would she hunt me still? â€Å"Who is the Seeker in black?† Jared suddenly barked at me. My lips trembled, but I didn't answer. Silence was safest. â€Å"I know you can talk,† Jared growled. â€Å"You talk to Jeb and Jamie. And now you're going to talk to me.† He climbed into the mouth of the cave, huffing with surprise at how tightly he had to fold himself to manage it. The low ceiling forced him to kneel, and that didn't make him happy. I could see he'd rather stand over me. I had nowhere to run. I was already wedged into the deepest corner. The cave barely had room for the two of us. I could feel his breath on my skin. â€Å"Tell me what you know,† he ordered.