The Background of Ingvar Kamprad

I’m gonna talk about Ingvar Kamprad. He was born 30th  Mars, 1926 in Kronobergs municipality. He’s a Swedish entrepreneur and founder of the furniture chain IKEA. Ingvar founded IKEA in 1943 and the name stands for his initials and address. – Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd. (Write up on whiteboard. ) – Kamprad is currently ranked as one of the wealthiest people in the world. In July 2012, the time script Bloomberg estimated that his net worth was up to 42. 6 billion dollars, which makes him the 5th richest person in the world.Kamprad was born in Pjatteryd, Sweden. He was raised on a farm called Elmtaryd near the small village of Agunnaryd in Ljungby municipality in the province of Smaland. His grandfather was from Germany but moved to Sweden with his family. Kamprad is very well-known for his â€Å"cheapness. † He drives a 1993 Volvo 240, flies only economic class and encourages IKEA employees always to write on both sides of a piece of paper . Kamprad explains his social philosophy like this: â€Å"Testament of a Furniture Dealer†: â€Å"It is not only for cost reasons that we avoid the luxury hotels.We don’t need flashy cars, impressive titles, uniforms or other status symbols. We rely on our strength and our will! † Kamprad began to develop a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbors from his bicycle. He found that he could buy matches in bulk very cheap from Stockholm, sell them himself and make a good profit. From matches, he started selling fish, Christmas tree decorations and seeds. And now I’m gonna talk about the history of IKEA.As I mentioned earlier, Kamprad started selling matches at the age of five and by the age of seven he started selling further from his home, using his bicycle. In the 1940s Kamprad started developing IKEA into a furniture retailer. In the 1960s IKEA started getting bigger and the big products such as POANG and BILLY started developing. In the 1980s IKEA expands into new markets in USA, Italy, France and the UK. In 1990s children’s IKEA is introduced, and in 2000’s IKEA expands into even more markets such as Japan and Russia.And now I’m going to talk about the qualities of Ingvar Kamprad as an entrepreneur. Well, one thing that I find very important is the fact that he actually shows that even though you’re extremely rich, you still don’t have to live a glamorous life. As I’ve mentioned, he drives an old Volvo and travels economic class. By this it encourages the employees to do the same thing, to live cheap. And this is why I think IKEA’s been such a huge success. You can of course argue that he’s been at the right place at the right time, but I think that’s his kind of spirit that moves the company forward. Thank you.

Miss Julie/a Dolls House

2) Miss Julie/ A Dolls house DFK 120 Erene Oberholzer 11045231 Dr. M. Taub 4 September 2012 In this essay two plays, Miss Julie written by August Strindberg, and A Dolls House written by Hendrik Ibsen will be compared and concerns such as gender, identity and class will be contextualized. The section I’ve chosen to portray realism and other elements concerning these two plays resourced to the last pages of both scripts. As I see the last pages construct the difference between the plays and characters. Both these plays inform a strand of realism, as in the Traditional Western canon.Third world text can be characterized by their degree of immediacy, topicality, mimetic quality, and even social realism (Gugelburger, G. M:1991). Realism: The term Realism introduces a strand of thought and considers the world as not reality but, mere appearance. We have no access to â€Å"reality† other than through representations. Yet, all representations only show us particular perspectiv es on reality. When people use the term â€Å"realistic† to describe a film they are saying the film shows them an image of reality that they have come to know.Realism is a constructive construct, produced by reconcilable codes and conventions which change over time. Realism has been constructed to point out existing social reality. Naturalism, on the other hand, conveys a representation that looks sounds and feels like the actual world outside the work of art. Naturalism looks sounds and feels like the things we would expect (Bob Nowlan [sn]: [sp]). Where Ibsen trends more to the line of realism, Strindberg informs naturalism in his writings. For Strindberg ‘good’ naturalism looked for natural conflicts. For him true naturalism meant truth to nature.He was determined to have his plays deal with fundamental truths. Miss Julie contains traces of symbolism, which were born out of the foundation of naturalism. Although many believe that due to the use of symbolic af fects in Miss Julie, the play drifts away from the naturalistic, and more to the realistic. Strindberg used all the elements needed for the development of the plot and the transference of superiority from Julie to Jean. Naturalism does not help for the development of the plot, whereas realism is a structure that reveals real life events and is focused on the people portrayed, as shown in Miss Julie.Strindberg wanted to create dramatic illusion. His audience was to be completely convinced of the reality of the world off stage, and then transported into a sphere of influence. Ibsen’s contribution to realism began when he consciously started to dramatize the forces and frictions of modern life. Ibsen indicates in A Dolls House that he was creating a particular life through Nora. Ibsen’s dialogue of A Dolls House comes of naturally; he wanted the spectator to sit down, listen and look at events that happens in real life.Ibsen wrote mainly about hidden relationships, social conversion and secret fears and anxieties Strindberg’s play was actually written as a response to Ibsen’s A Doll house. Ibsen wrote his plays advocating women, and Strindberg had a contrary view. Hendrik Ibsen’s attitude toward society is evident in his double vision of a secure social position. On the one hand, it’s a defense against attack, on the other; such concerns lead to hypocrisies and superficial values. His play reveals him as far more than a realist (Taylor, J. 972: [sp]). Comparing: My examples of both plays illustrate the elements of gender, identity and class. Both playwrights scripts set the last page out to set everything about the differences of these elements. By the ending we can see the fall (Strindberg) and rising of the woman (Ibsen) in social society that time. Gender, class&identity in A Dolls House: Hendrik Ibsen was known as the father of modern drama as he helped popularize realism. He became an observer of the real human life and informed realism in drama.In 1877 Norway’s social structure influenced Ibsen’s writings. He wanted to extol freedom and truth in his people. A Dolls House questions the suppressed role of women in that time’s society and also introduced the woman as having their own goals and own purposes. Torvald reveals many times his prejudice viewpoint on gender roles. He believes his wives duty is to be at home and embarks on her to always appear beautiful. The central conflict in this playwright revolves around Trovald’s controlling treatment of his wife.The tragedy of this story is not only about a man controlling his wife, but also the â€Å"dehumanizing of the children† (Mahal 2012;476). They are never given a chance to improving their position in the society. Nora, in the beginning of the play, seems to be happy and content whereas she acts out child like qualities. When Torvald walks in Nora’s childlike qualities becomes more transparent. His true character is later revealed when he accuses Nora of forgery and when he tries to disown her. His attitude changes when everything is sorted out, but she walks out of the marriage.Nora is depicted until the end of the play as a â€Å"helpless, mindless fool† (Mahal 2012: 476). In the end of this story this degrading treatment of Nora by her husband is resolved. This play stresses upon the status of women and how their roles were perceived, as mothers and wives. Nora feels like she’s been used as doll for her father and her husband, with no depth in their relationships. Nora exits her ‘doll’s house’ with a door slam, emphatically resolving the play with an act of bold self-assertion. A Doll’s house appears to mislead the audience of the characters true colors.Our first impression of Nora is that she is childlike and Torvald is seen as strong. The play’s climax leads to the expose of resolving identity confusion. Nora becomes to be a brave woman and Torvald a sad man. Gender, class&identity in Miss Julie: Strindberg was a Swedish playwright and drew his writings from personal experiences. He failed at three marriages. Circumstances made him a naturalistic writer. He was known as a misogynist and a â€Å"women hater†. In Miss Julie (1879) he expresses his hatred for the opposite sex.He was forced to write a second ending for the play after much controversy. The play was censored all over Europe as the play was socially offensive to women. The daughter of a count has an affair with a valet, who in turn forces her to commit suicide. Strindberg had an eye for injustice, but only dealt with the problem of women’s rights as a facet of realism in his plays. Julie suffers an identity crisis and displays her regard for class and gender conventions. She mingles with the servant when a party is thrown.She expresses absurd behavior but on other times she is coy. Jean warns her of her behavior as she was seen as a temptress. She wavers between the high and low class identity, and is in the end confused with her own identity. Julie also identifies herself with both female and male figures. She confesses she has no self she can call her own. The characters in Miss Julie are portrayed through gender, class and ideology. In the end she orders Jean to hypnotize her to commit suicide. The play reveals Julie having no control over her sexual instincts.Once Julie and Jean seduced each other, their lives are changed (Ramandeep Mahal 2012: [sp]) mentions that â€Å"the aristocrat in the social sphere becomes the slave of the valet and the valet becomes the aristocrat in the sexual sphere as Julie lowers herself beyond redemption†. Julie is seen as an example of the naturalistic movement. â€Å"The characters are seen as helpless products of hereditary and environment who interact with their minds and bodies, as they would in real life† (Mahal 2012: [sp]). Both playwrights by Ibsen an d Strindberg came of shocking the audience of their time, with the way they portrayed their women characters.They’re portrayal of sex and divorce was set off to much controversy (Mahal 2012:475). A Dolls House is considered to be more feminist work, where Strindberg has been seen as â€Å"his arch enemy† on that point. Ibsen has been seen to deny writing in a feminist point of view; he has said many times that he wrote for the â€Å"everyday man†. Strindberg tended to emancipate woman. For example when Julie grows conscious about her humiliation she falls to Jean’s knees. Jean triumphantly stands over her. This also symbolizes the hierarchy of the 1800’s.These ideas govern the central world of the everyday in the aspect that they inform social hierarchies and show out elements of real happenings people experience everyday. Women were demanded by men, and men were befallen to the beauty of women. In that time of social structure woman belonged in th e kitchen (As Strindberg’s points out in Miss Julie) and they were there to raise the kids and beautify their homes. That was the real world. Some of these conventions still stand today in aspect of class and gender. Resources: Ibsen, H. A. A Dolls House. Gugelburger, G.M. 1991. â€Å"Germainistik†, the Canon, and Third world literature. Mahal, R. 2012. A comparative study of Portrayal of women in Ibsen’s A Dolls House and Strindberg’s Miss Julie. Available. [o]. Accessed 2 September 2012 www. rspublication,com Lukas, Nowlan, B. An introduction to the problematics of Realism in video, film, and moving image- culture. Available. [o]. Accessed 2 September 2012 www. uwec. edu/ranowlan/realism film_video_moving-imag_culture. html. Taylor, J. C. 1972. Ritual, realism, and revolt: Major traditions in the drama. New York: Schribner.

Beloved Character Analysis

Is Beloved the ghostly reincarnation of Sethe’s murdered baby, a flesh and blood version of the spirit Paul D. drives from the house? Or is Beloved unquestionably a ghost? The uniformly accepted notion that Beloved is a ghost is interesting, given that evidence throughout the book suggests that she is a reincarnated being. As the reader recalls, Sethe killed her first daughter with the idea that doing so would free her daughter from slavery. As a result of Sethe’s â€Å"motherly† actions, Beloved, enslaves the rest of the family including Sethe’s daughter, Denver. The family becomes disconnected from and outcasted by the black community, as everyone fears approaching the residency â€Å"haunted† by the supernatural. As the novel progresses, the presence of an unknown girl at 124 intrudes, yet again, on the lifestyle of Denver and Sethe. This character, who is identified as Beloved is ambiguously portrayed and therefore her analysis is the topic of debate and discussion. The character that is recognized at the 124 residency is in fact the reincarnation of Sethe’s first daughter, Beloved. The idea of the reincarnated in this novel is well established. Although, to the reader the possibility of this seems unlikely, in the book there are several examples that point to this being true. For example, the reader witnesses Sethe overlook obvious signs showing that this girl actually could be the personification of her murdered baby daughter. Additionally, Beloved is approximately the same age that Sethe’s first born would have been if still alive, and more evidence lies in the fact that she shares the same name as the one engraved on the baby’s tombstone. It happens that these trails of evidence all occur in order in the same scene. One evening Denver, Sethe, and Beloved are all gathered around a fire, and Sethe comes to a realization about the aforementioned evidence about Beloved. â€Å"The click had clicked; things were where they ought to be or poised and ready to glide in,† (Morrison 207). Beloved hums a tune, one that Sethe immediately recognizes. The scene seems surreal as Sethe is taken aback by the occurrence. â€Å"I made that song up. I made it up and sang it to my children. Nobody knows that song but me and my children,† (Morrison 207). Additionally, Beloved’s demeanor is that of a typical two year old. Her thoughts and actions mimic those of a young child rather than a young adult. For example, Beloved deeply loves her mother, Sethe, and is attached to her just as a young child would be. Not only does Beloved share a passionate love for her mother, but feelings are mutual toward, Denver, her sister. Beloved is jealous of the relationship Denver and Sethe share. Once again, these all point to the childish characteristics Beloved possesses in her reincarnated form. In referring to Sethe Beloved states â€Å"I am Beloved and she is mine† (Morrison 248). â€Å"It was Beloved who made demands. Anything she wanted she got, and when Sethe ran out of things to give her, Beloved invented desire† (Morrison 240). â€Å"When once or twice when Sethe tried to assert herself, be the unquestioned mother whose word was law and who knew what was best – Beloved slammed things, wiped the table clean of plates, threw salt on the floor, and broke a windowpane† (Morrison 242). Taking all of these factors into account, many would find it hard to dispute against Beloved’s reincarnated state. There are many supporting details that point to Beloved’s true identity. Beloved’s portrayal is in fragments and the reader must pay close attention to give away details about this young woman identity. Unraveling the great mystery of this young woman lies within the text, but yet many different opinions of Beloved still exist. Beloved Character Analysis Is Beloved the ghostly reincarnation of Sethe’s murdered baby, a flesh and blood version of the spirit Paul D. drives from the house? Or is Beloved unquestionably a ghost? The uniformly accepted notion that Beloved is a ghost is interesting, given that evidence throughout the book suggests that she is a reincarnated being. As the reader recalls, Sethe killed her first daughter with the idea that doing so would free her daughter from slavery. As a result of Sethe’s â€Å"motherly† actions, Beloved, enslaves the rest of the family including Sethe’s daughter, Denver. The family becomes disconnected from and outcasted by the black community, as everyone fears approaching the residency â€Å"haunted† by the supernatural. As the novel progresses, the presence of an unknown girl at 124 intrudes, yet again, on the lifestyle of Denver and Sethe. This character, who is identified as Beloved is ambiguously portrayed and therefore her analysis is the topic of debate and discussion. The character that is recognized at the 124 residency is in fact the reincarnation of Sethe’s first daughter, Beloved. The idea of the reincarnated in this novel is well established. Although, to the reader the possibility of this seems unlikely, in the book there are several examples that point to this being true. For example, the reader witnesses Sethe overlook obvious signs showing that this girl actually could be the personification of her murdered baby daughter. Additionally, Beloved is approximately the same age that Sethe’s first born would have been if still alive, and more evidence lies in the fact that she shares the same name as the one engraved on the baby’s tombstone. It happens that these trails of evidence all occur in order in the same scene. One evening Denver, Sethe, and Beloved are all gathered around a fire, and Sethe comes to a realization about the aforementioned evidence about Beloved. â€Å"The click had clicked; things were where they ought to be or poised and ready to glide in,† (Morrison 207). Beloved hums a tune, one that Sethe immediately recognizes. The scene seems surreal as Sethe is taken aback by the occurrence. â€Å"I made that song up. I made it up and sang it to my children. Nobody knows that song but me and my children,† (Morrison 207). Additionally, Beloved’s demeanor is that of a typical two year old. Her thoughts and actions mimic those of a young child rather than a young adult. For example, Beloved deeply loves her mother, Sethe, and is attached to her just as a young child would be. Not only does Beloved share a passionate love for her mother, but feelings are mutual toward, Denver, her sister. Beloved is jealous of the relationship Denver and Sethe share. Once again, these all point to the childish characteristics Beloved possesses in her reincarnated form. In referring to Sethe Beloved states â€Å"I am Beloved and she is mine† (Morrison 248). â€Å"It was Beloved who made demands. Anything she wanted she got, and when Sethe ran out of things to give her, Beloved invented desire† (Morrison 240). â€Å"When once or twice when Sethe tried to assert herself, be the unquestioned mother whose word was law and who knew what was best – Beloved slammed things, wiped the table clean of plates, threw salt on the floor, and broke a windowpane† (Morrison 242). Taking all of these factors into account, many would find it hard to dispute against Beloved’s reincarnated state. There are many supporting details that point to Beloved’s true identity. Beloved’s portrayal is in fragments and the reader must pay close attention to give away details about this young woman identity. Unraveling the great mystery of this young woman lies within the text, but yet many different opinions of Beloved still exist.

The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law Research Paper

The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law - Research Paper Example The FEC was created in 1971, but the need for this type of regulation was seen as early as 1905 by President Roosevelt. The idea behind this was to limit the influence that the wealthy would have over the outcome of a specific election, work on regulating the amount spent while campaigning for a federal office, and work to deter abuse of the system by requiring public disclosure of the funds that are spent, and where those funds are allocated. The question becomes since this system was implemented in the 1970s, how well has it worked? Is it an efficient system, and is it effective in accomplishing the goals that have been set for this particular government agency? The FEC has a system of checks and balances in place to where they not only review each report filed by federal candidates and committees, but also a system of enforcement and a system that allows third parties to file complaints if they believe a violation has occurred. The staff reviews each report that they receive, as f iled by a federal candidate or committee in order to make sure that they have complied fully with the disclosure requirements and limits that are imposed on political contributions. In addition, they may generate an enforcement action, referred to as an MUR, or Matter Under Review, during the course of reviewing these reports. If four of the six members that review each specific instance of possible violation of the law believe that a violation has occurred, the MUR will move to the next level of investigation. In the next level of investigation, the Commission uses a form of mediation between the parties who have submitted the report and those who believe the violation has occurred. The agreement reached as a result of these reviews may require a fine be paid, or other actions are taken. If an agreement cannot be reached, however, the Commission may file a suit against the appropriate persons in a U.S. District Court (FEC, 2013). A complaint may also be filed by any concerned third party, which would then go through the same steps as a typical MUR.

How Age Effects Individuals Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How Age Effects Individuals Health - Essay Example Furthermore, it also is not a disease that all elderly people are vulnerable too. Health research studies have shown that older people who regularly engage in an exercise program at least three times a week are less likely to get this disorder than those who have never been interactive in exercise regimens (Consumer Affairs 2006). Also, certain addictions to consumer products such as "tobacco" or even "alcohol" have been shown to make a person age faster than their actual years. For example someone who is 45 years old and who has smoked since they were 13 can show signs of cognitive break down faster than a person who is 55 years of age (Cross Currents 2004). The point is that some addictions are very bad for your health and can bring on serious illnesses before you even get old. Smoking is just one of these addictions and it is known that by engaging in smoking cigarettes or even cigars, the rate of cognitive decline can be five times higher than for those who have never smoked (Cro ss Currents 2004). Some perceive smoking to be one of the main causes of age related illnesses before their time. Studies have found that smoking creates so many adversities for people and their health, defining that by middle age people can have many respiratory ailments that are so severe it makes them appear to be older than what they actually are (Edelson 2006). There is no doubt that the majority of people in society are aware that smoking kills but the problem here is that they believe that it takes longer than what it actually does. Many people think that they won't have any repercussions until they are in their latter fifties or mid-sixties but this simply is not true. Again this shows the idea that people view age as the key window to defining what health problems a person will have, it is totally wrong (Edelson 2006). Nevertheless, there is a good point to this adversity. By quitting smoking, at any time, a person has the ability of increasing their percentage of turning t heir health around. Their age will start to improve in an outwardly way as they continue to include more healthy habits into their lifestyle to replace smoking. The point that is being made is the fact that from a social perspective people have a good amount of control in how they age and how their health is affected. They have the power to prevent or slow the progression of a number of serious or fatal illnesses simply by changing their behavior patterns and also by focusing on what they eat and drink. There are many alternatives to prevent illnesses from occurring as well as many social factors present that encourage or promote diseases (Cross Currents 2004). So this is pointing out that just because you are at 67 years of age or older doesn't necessarily imply that you have to worry about getting the diseases that are labeled for the older generation. Young people aren't invulnerable to them either. There are things that people can do to prevent ever having to worry about illnesses such as dementia, heart disease, osteoporosis, and many other so called "age related" illnesses. In order to validate the point about dementia, one specific st udy that was carried out by a group of

Copleys Governor and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin and Watson and the Shark Essay

Copleys Governor and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin and Watson and the Shark - Essay Example The essay "Copley’s Governor and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin and Watson and the Shark" analyzes paintings of John Singleton Copley, Governor and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin and Watson and the Shark. Copley represents Mifflin’s role in this debate with a form of commemoration for the subject’s position as the first Pennsylvania governor after the liberation of the colonies. Copley’s 1778 portrait â€Å"Watson and the Shark† also has symbols alluding to aspects of the American Revolution through its highly expressive style. Plainly, viewers can say Copley wanted to commemorate a dramatic event wherein Brook Watson lost his foot (Pinder 186). However, a deeper meaning is an implicit allusion to the War of Independence. More specifically, the painting shows colonists as brave men as they physically struggle against a killer shark, another symbolic allusion to the British. The 1773 painting symbolically reveals Mr. Mifflin’s political beliefs. Mifflin was a trade r against taxes imposed on British commodities. Among the American Revolution’s key objectives was to resist paying duties imposed on commodities from England and encouraging other colonists to follow suit. At the same time, Mrs. Mifflin conveys a clear message about the political atmosphere in America during the revolution. Mrs. Mifflin has a unique attractive fringe that shows her intention to boycott English commodities and rather create her own. Sarah Mifflin uses her right hand and a loom held in place by a blue ribbon to lace the threads.

Applications of the Scientific Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applications of the Scientific Method - Essay Example From the business perspective, scientific methods help in making decisions, solving problems strategically or even for testing a new idea in the market. The specific problem taken for discussion is about developing a new product that is superior to competitor’s brands. We shall present a detailed analysis of the proposed hypothesis and evaluate the results for understanding the factors influencing the problem and its outcome. Scientific methods help the businesses to deal with the problems in a systematic replicable manner. The process starts with identifying the problem, analyzing the possible factors based on experience, and then forming the hypothesis that would help resolve the problem. The proposed hypothesis has to be testable and it is essential to gather data and information for testing the prediction, and finally it has to be evaluated on the basis of the outcomes generated. The scientific approach indeed requires a valid testing of the hypothesis with the available data, rather than relying solely on intuition and theoretical knowledge. Though scientific methods are successful in various fields, it is not so with the world of business, marketing and policies. The tendency of businesses to deal with the unpredictable human behavior makes the scientific methods to be less plausible. However, adopting the scientific methods for business decision-making can provide a better understanding of the potential market factors as well as the causal effects. â€Å"Product development plans can be best realized by taking the scientific method or at least the scientific temper of analysis and experimentation, which is followed by product decisions.† (Mathur, 2009, p.108). When developing a new product that is superior to competitor’s brands, the business has to analyze the existing demands and needs of the consumer’s market. The hypothesis presented is that the new products in the consumer market

Comment on how these may have contributed to the crisis and describe Essay

Comment on how these may have contributed to the crisis and describe the action subsequently taken on these two matters by the UK Government, see other instructions - Essay Example rigger for the crisis was the bursting of the housing bubble in the US, several corporate governance issues at banks were equally responsible for the spread and deepening of this crisis. Two of the most important corporate governance issues at play were – the merger of retail and institutional banking under one banking entity and the fat bonus culture at financial services companies. Whereas retail banking refers to banking in which banks interact/transact with individuals, institutional banking refers to transactions with corporate. The retail banking is rather risk averse and mostly a stable business in itself whereas institutional banking generally involves a lot more risk taking and the business is quite volatile. By having retail and institutional banking under one parent company, the risks taken for doing business in one area become a possible liability for the other. Therefore, losses incurred at institutional banking would have to be borne by the retail banking branch as they fall under the same group. Secondly, some institutions can indulge in putting more risk in its institutional banking business in order to increase their retail business, which is what explains how many banks were able to sell sub-prime mortgages before the crisis started. Sub-prime mortgages are high risk investments for banks and by packaging them into mortgage-backed bonds and sel ling/buying them through their institutional banking arms, banking groups take on significant risk on their balance sheets. Now, in the event of losses in the institutional banking business, financial services groups had to delve into their equities and reserves to cover these losses and to pay their dues. Thus, from retail banking clients’ point of view, the financial groups were using up their savings put in the bank to pay for losses incurred on the institutional banking business. This led to loss of confidence in the retail banks and caused bank-runs at some banks. As the retail banks keep only a

Specimen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Specimen - Essay Example Nobody can access it but him." The taller of the two men made a growling sound and took a menacing step towards Jason, "look here you little ." His partner pulled him back before he could continue and whispered something. They walked to the corner of the deck and began talking in urgent murmurs, with a great deal of hand movement and arm flaying. Jason strained his ears, trying to catch what their conversation but their voices were just too low. "The professor," Jason said, more as a confirmation than a question, "I don't know. Last night he told me that he was going to take the dinghy to shore at dawn to collect some specimens from the island and will be back around midday What's all this about," Jason asked fearfully. "No I mean yes, I don't know anything. Like I said, he locks himself up in the lab all day, only comes out for meals and ever so often, takes the dinghy to the island. I took this position as an assistant researcher but actually all I do is prepare the meals and clean up the yacht, and feed the specimens. I don't even know what the professor is working on or anything," Jason concluded desperately. They had to believe him, Jason thought to himself, they just had to. He really knew nothing. He had thought he was applying for a well-paying research position with the world famous marine biologist, James Farnsworth, and that this would be a career coup. However, ever since he boarded the Experian ten days ago, he'd only seen the professor at mealtimes and they had barely exchanged a few words. Jason had tried asking the professor about his research and what areas he would be assisting him in but Farnsworth had just glared at him beneath those bushy eyebrows of his and, in a surprisingly ferocious tone, had told him to mind his own business. Since that incident, which had happened the very first day he had boarded the Experian, Farnsworth had ignored Jason, barely acknowledging him with the briefest of head nods at mealtimes. If the truth be told, Jason didn't like the professor much. Certainly, he admired him as one of the greatest marine biologists of the age but he just did not like the man. He made him feel uncomfortable and a bit wary. "Look here," the taller of the two men said, breaking Jason's thoughts. "We're going to come clean with you. That boss of yours is onto some dangerous work and is involved with some very frightening people. We're not the criminals here and you really have no need to fear us if you're nose is clean. It's that boss of yours that you should be afraid of - very afraid of." A look of total confusion passed over Jason's face. He stared at the two men, open-mouthed and incredulous. "What! Farnsworth may not be a nice person but he's certainly not a criminal. The guy has been published in every single scientific