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Monday, September 30, 2019

Academy Award for Best Actor and Legal Issues Essay

At the end of these instructions is a list of just a few of the hundreds of law-related movies that are available on the market. You are free to use any law-related movie you like (with TWO EXCEPTIONS – Double Jeopardy is NOT acceptable, because Hollywood got the legal issue completely wrong; and A Few Good Men is limited to military law, so not really helpful for the general population). (up to 50 points) PRINT YOUR NAME: _________________________ NAME OF MOVIE: _________________________ YEAR OF RELEASE: _________________________ DIRECTOR: _________________________ MAIN ACTORS/ACTRESSES: _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ A. Describe in a page the FACTS of the case the movie is about. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ B Describe two significant legal ISSUES that this movie brought up. (Remember that FACTS are not the same as legal ISSUES. For example, in the movie THE ACCUSED, the character played by Jodie Foster is raped in a tavern. That is one of the FACTS of the case. One of the legal ISSUES was the use of PLEA BARGAIN – the prosecutor was willing to let the rapists â€Å"plea bargain† to lesser crimes.) ISSUE #1________________________________________________________ ISSUE #2________________________________________________________ C. Take either ISSUE #1 or ISSUE #2, and look up in a book in the NSCC library (or any other library or law library), or a legal web-site, as a reference that gives you greater understanding of this issue, so that you can describe the general rule of law about this issue, and any significant exceptions. Title of Book used for reference:______________________________________ or Website citation: ___________________________________ Author of Book:___________________________________________________ Copyright year:_____________(be sure to use as current a source as possible!) D. Describe in your own words what you think the general rule of law is about this particular ISSUE (and significant exceptions), and why you think the general rule makes sense (or doesn’t!). ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ (on the following pages I have put a short list of some of the many law-related movies that you may want to look at – but you do not have to stick to this list!) Some suggestions for LAW-RELATED MOVIES TO WATCH & REVIEW Some of the newer films may be available through Blockbuster or one of the other major video rental outlets. For the older classics, you may have to look at one of the â€Å"specialty† rental shops like Video Isle (top of Queen Anne Hill or on Fremont just South of 45th) or Scarecrow Video (5030 Roosevelt Way NE in the U District). 1. ORIGINAL INTENT (1991); with Kris Kristofferson, Candy Clark, Jay Richardson, Martin Sheen. Eviction of a homeless shelter. Landlord/Tenant issues. 2. THE ACCUSED (1988); with Jodie Foster & Kelly McGillis. True story of a Massachusetts gang-rape case and follow-up case. Issues regarding admission of evidence, criminal prosecutions, victim’s rights. 3. THE VERDICT (1982); with Paul Newman, James Mason and Charlotte Rampling. Alcoholic lawyer takes on a malpractice case. Possible unethical actions by attorneys on both sides of the case! 4. ADAM’S RIB (1949); with Spencer Tracy & Katherine Hepburn. Husband and wife lawyers, on opposing sides of the same case. Classic comedy with good discussions of several legal issues. 5. INHERIT THE WIND (1960); with Spencer Tracy & Fredric Marsh. Based on the famous Scopes â€Å"monkey trial,† with a biology teacher on trial for daring to teach the theory of evolution. A classic trial!! 6. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962); with Gregory Peck and Mary Badham. Small town Southern lawyer defends a black man accused of rape in pre-Civil Rights era. Attorney-client obligations, criminal trial issues. Somewhat outdated, but a classic nonetheless. 7. YOUNG MR. LINCOLN (1939); with Henry Fonda (haven’t seen this one yet). 8. TWELVE ANGRY MEN (1957); with Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall & Jack Klugman. CLASSIC jury film; intense jury dispute; how a jury evaluates a case. This is the Original! There is a recent (1998 I think) version also with Keanu Reeves, but I don’t know how it compares. 9. THE TRIAL (1963); with Orson Welles, Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau and Romy Schneider. Man arrested for an unexplained crime he is never told about! 10. STATE’S ATTORNEY (1932); with John Barrymore (haven’t seen this one yet). 11. SERGEANT RYKER (1968); with Lee Marvin, Vera Miles & Peter Graves. Court Martial of soldier accused of treason. 12. PERFECT WITNESS (1989); with Brian Dennehy, Aidan Quinn, Stockard Channing & Lara Harrington. Witness to mob murder put in jail for perjury – social responsibility issues. 13. THE PAPER CHASE (1973); with Timothy Bottoms, John Houseman and Lindsay Wagner. Law student’s first year at Harvard Law School (mainly in contracts class). 14. L.A. LAW (1987); with Harry Hamlin, Susan Dey, Corbin Bernsen. Introduced the TV series of the same name. 15. KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979); with Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Divorce and child custody issues. 16. JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961); with Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Maximilian Schell, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland! Nazi war crimes trial. 17. SHOOT FROM THE HIP (haven’t seen yet – can’t comment). 18. MY COUSIN VINNY; fairly recent comedy with a newly-licensed attorney representing a family member wrongly accused of murder. It touches on a few serious legal issues regarding preparation for trial, even with the comedy. 19. ABSENCE OF MALICE (1981); with Paul Newman and Sally Field. Freedom of the press and defamation of character. 20. SUSPECT (1987); with Cher and Dennis Quaid. Jury tampering, collusion, bribery of a government official. 21. LOSING ISAIAH (1995); with Jessica Lange, Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson. Interracial adoption, child custody rights of biological parents. 22. MURDER IN THE FIRST (1995); with Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldham, Christian Slater. Cruel and unusual punishment in the Alcatraz prison; jury â€Å"nullification,† federal jurisdiction. 23. JUST CAUSE (1995); with Sean Connery, Blair Underwood, Laurence Fishburne; Kate Capshaw, Ed Harris. Coercion of a confession; murder, venue, Pro Bono Publico representation, conflict of interest. These are just a few of the hundreds of law-related movies out there. If you find other good â€Å"law-related† movies not listed above you think would be appropriate, let me know and we’ll add it to this list!!

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Go Green Essay

The honorable, Miss Asmi Rusmanayanti as our speaking lecturer. Firstly. I would like to praise to the Almighty Allah SWT, because of His Blessing we are able to attend this speaking class. Secondly may peace be upon the prophet Muhammad Saw who has guided us from the darkness into the brightness. Ladies and gentlemen Before I deliver my speech, let me introduce may self. My name is Indrawati Husna. It is a great pleasure for me to be given the opportunity to deliver a speech entitled; Go Green. Ladies and gentlemen Go Green! program of environmental protection. This is just a simple phrase. But it means a lot for our earth. It aims at making global movements to participate actively in saving our earth – the only planet in which we live. In the last century, we know that our environment especially our rainforest in Indonesia has been cut down by human. Scientists state the function of rainforest as lungs of the world. Based on fact, Indonesia has lost 72% of the original fores t. How horrible it is! The deforestation will influence a lot of our environment. If deforestation keeps going on, the greenhouse effects cannot be reduced and finally the global warming will keep increasing. It warns us that our earth is in danger and we should participate actively to take care of our environment. Ladies and gentlemen Human growth increased, but not supported by natural growth. The modern people in this millennium era had affected so many destructive impacts which are really needed to be concern. They not only want to increase their prosperity, but also increase their rate of comfortable and luxurious life. Because of that the protected animal and plant nearly extinct, forest logging without reboization, and uncontrolled of mine exploitation. The impact of those problem cause Global Warming keeps increasing that its disaster such as floods, earthquake, landslides that can kill human life. The disaster can happen anytime and anywhere, every month even every week. We have to be worry about this. Ladies and gentlemen We live in the same world; in this earth. Nature balance was really disturbed by human behavior. As the youth generation without exception we should devote and participate on any program that cares to our environment and go green is one of them. The importance of Go green is making our environment to be green and full of fresh air. Everyone must be responsible for every single plant. We should do this for our better future environment. If there are 300 million people in Indonesia, there will be 300 millions of plants in Indonesia. In addition, planting any kinds of trees in the barren area or in side of the road can be done. That is a good start. These activities can be supported by doing another activity in saving our earth such as: 1. Stop deforestation and do reforestation movement 2. Reduce the use / purchase of goods made of plastic because almost all of plastic waste will produce harmful gases when burned and can pollute the environment. 3. Don’t throw away rubbish anywhere which can disturb the flowing of the river water. 4. Reduce fuel consumption. I believe we all can do and cooperate together. No one will get disadvantage. Ladies and gentlemen The importance of saving our environment is the need for all of us, for human being to survive. It is not only for us, but also for our next generation. The disasters above can be minimized if all of human beings can preserve our environment and we must pay more attention to our environment whenever and wherever. By doing those simple efforts, it means we have participated in the preservation of our environment. I think that’s all my speech. Hopefully it will be useful for all of us and thank you very much for your attention.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analysis Of Barn Burning By William Faulkner Essay -- William Faulkner,

Faulkner shows the feelings of Sartoris by vividly describing the setting. The second to last paragraph starts off by saying, â€Å"At midnight he was sitting on the crest of the hill† (169). By providing the time of â€Å"midnight,† it shows a new chapter for Sartoris. The time of midnight represents a new day, and for the main character, a new day is symbolic of a new beginning. Also, Sartoris is described as â€Å"sitting on the crest.† A crest is a high point. The use of this word means two things: going up the hill is over and going down hill is beginning. Symbolically, going uphill was escaping his past. It was difficult for Sartoris to have to deal with the history he had with his family. Faulkner showing that Sartoris’s next step of going downhill is a foreshadowing that his life is going to be easier than before. Close to the bottom of the last paragraph, Faulkner says, â€Å"he went down the hill, towards the dark woods within which ... ... middle of paper ... ...d now. The last line states, â€Å"he did not look back† (169). Faulkner using this quote as the last sentence shows Sartoris’s determination to progress without reverting back to his past. Faulkner’s writing is very symbolic. Sartoris’s physical feelings also describe his mental and emotional states. Sartoris lived the first part of his childhood in fear of his father. In the final two paragraphs, Faulkner is presenting the moment Sartoris breaks away from being consumed by his father’s shadow and the fear of his father. Faulkner’s description of the setting is symbolic of how Sartoris feels about earning his freedom. Sartoris’s feelings about his freedom and brighter future are expressed through the shift from a dark tone to a hopeful one. The symbolism of Sartoris’s physical actions is a way Faulkner shows how Sartoris was feeling emotional upon obtaining his freedom.

Friday, September 27, 2019

RF Burns - causes and prevention Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

RF Burns - causes and prevention - Assignment Example This study is being carried out in order to establish guidelines in the use and application of radiofrequency, mostly in terms of its safety and prevention of injuries. Body Causes 1. Heating of implants An RF pulse would often be transmitted by the MRI to stimulate protons through energy exchange. The pulse is an electromagnetic wave coming from the RF coils (Lin, 2008). RF power during MR scans are changed into heat within the tissue of the patient due to resistive losses (Eising et.al., 2010). This absorption of energy is specifically considered the SAR (Specific Absorption Rate). The specific effects of heating during MR scanning and burns usually refer to conductive implants and normal tissue. Most studies discuss the impact of conductive wires, including pacemaker cables, ECG cables, and metallic stents (Eising et.al., 2010). Issues in the use of aneurysm clips in the brain, cochlear implants, implanted spinal cord stimulator, metallic implants, and metal fragments in one or bo th eyes can also cause burns (Premier Diagnostic Center, n.d). Based on an experimental study by Nakamura et al. (2001), 55-235 volts could be induced with the RF irradiation in a metallic loop placed inside the bore of a 0.5-T scanner. A resistor which was inserted sparked and then burned out (Nakamura et al., 2001). This was seen only with the axis of loops being parallel to the linearly polarized transmitting field. For cables, heatings at 20 degrees Celsius, 26 Celsius, and 63.5 Celsius have been assessed. Assessments indicate that the heating of the ECG cable is known to cause fire. Small implants can lead to issues with the heating of skin seen in tattooed patients caused by the heating of metallic elements of the ink used for the tattoo (Klitscher et al., 2010). Implants (Wills.com, n.d.) Some reports on excessive heating or burns have also been seen for iron-based oxide tattoos and transdermal patches added with metal elements; these patches may include testosterone, nicotin e, and clonidine patches (Tope and Shellock, 2002). Tattoos using ferromagnetic compounds can cause react to the MRI machine (Ross and Metava, 2011). In general, the image would somehow appear distorted following the MRI; however, the injuries usually represent burns on the patient’s skin. As such, any redness or apparent injury on the skin has to be managed medically (Ross and Matava, 2011). As seen in the image below, the ferromagnetic compounds of the tattoo caused the RF burns, mostly manifesting as burns and redness on the patient’s skin on the site of the tattoo. Tattoo with ferromagnetic compounds following MRI (Melina, 2010) Currents may be triggered by two fields. The first is the pulsed magnetic-gradient field, and the second being the pulsed radiofrequency field (Jacob et al., 2010). These two fields increase their intensity over time and may eventually cause an electromotive force through a conductive loop. Heating will then come about from the current orig inating from the loop; with the amount of heating based on the resistance in the conductive processes (Dempsey and Condon, 2001). The pulsed magnetic field is triggered by a large coil which encompasses the coils and is often found near the patient to be scanned. The issue of excessive heating is based on the distance of the RF coil to the patient,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Enterprise Architecture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Enterprise Architecture - Assignment Example hrough the EAs, business organizations can put into practice enterprise integration to deal with ever-increasing changing business environment (Kang et al., 2010; TechTarget, 2007). Additionally, EA allows the business organizations to set objectives and make use of the latest tools and technologies to achieve these objectives. In this scenario, this paper presents a detailed discussion on one of the most useful EA frameworks known as customer relationship management (CRM). This paper will start with a brief overview of enterprise architecture, after that we will discuss about customer relationship management. This paper will discuss the latest applications of CRM and new developments in this area. The basic purpose of this research is to show that how enterprise architecture helps achieve organizational objectives. According to Korhonen (2010), the enterprise architecture is an important technique to support the corporate decision making as well as forming and implementing an effective strategy with the organizational structure. Basically, an EA provides a broad depiction for the comparison of the present status and projected future position of a business organization with respect to appropriate framework and their associations. Additionally, in a dynamic business environment, particularly, it is core which comprises analytical techniques that facilitate a variety of kinds of impact analyses on hypothetical transformed mechanisms and scenarios that express business value of architecture solutions (Korhonen, 2010). In their research Creswick (2005) presents a detailed discussion on the implementation of enterprise architectures. According to their viewpoint, the trend of implementing latest enterprise architectures for the business organizations is growing with the passage of time and gaining acceptance in IT businesses today. This is mainly for the reason that US Government authorized the federal enterprise architecture, as well as also the rising complexity of

Country Risk Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Country Risk - Case Study Example Currently, the company fails to reach an agreement with the Hong Kong government to fund a much-needed 301 acres of expansion and started to give employees the sack. HKDLD has been losing profits that leads to the present state of being. All creative and design works are halted leaving a "shell" of 10 member team after the stripping off the "imaginers" (Business Week, 2009). Walt Disney Company (WDC) may just walk away from the negotiation from the government to focus on the upcoming Disney Shanghai. Yet Disneyland is significantly a landmark and tourist attraction, the HK government can find no comfort zone in abandoning it or funding the business. The strategy is only to keep on improving it as a competitive edge over Disney Shanghai scheduled to open in 2014. This implies the need of constant influx of taxpayers' fund for HKDLD expansion to keep the economy on the road to recovery, even though the present spending hurts the country's expenditure with HKDLD's profit book in the red expectedly (NPR, 2009). The nature of the existence of the risks of this Private-Public Partnership (PPP) project occurs due to the complexity and uncertainty of the interaction of factors that includes financing, taxation, technical details, market conditions and changes over the duration of the project (Yin Shen, Platten, 2009). Hence for the HKDLD project, the risks affecting the project expansion are identified with their preventive measures. To achieve the value for money in PPP projects, risk are allocated between this pair of private and public sectors in partnership. The risks should be allocated accordingly with respect to the type of risk and the ability of either sector to mitigate them. Based on this principle the risks are outlined alongside the preventive measures by means of allocations of identified risks. During the start of the expansion, site acquisition risk is present in land acquisition and or during retaining or demolishing existing buildings. The HK government is responsible for ens uring the acquisition of the HKDLD site and protecting the site from any intrusion and all land uses in surrounding areas. The operational private partner is responsible for the operational process of site protection or demolition of existing buildings or facilities. In all construction, the risk associate with adverse underground conditions is taken care of by the private partner since they are in charge of site survey particularly on the underground conditions that deals with the stability of foundation and supply of utilities. Polluted land and surroundings is a risk borne by both sides by the right legal disposal of construction waste and enforcement of good house keeping. Land reclamation runs the risk of delay of construction and is allocated to the private partner for adhering to the project deadline Volatility of market changes is always present with factors such as the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

PHY100 Writing Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PHY100 Writing 1 - Assignment Example Changes in energy occur to the rubber band when it is stretched (application of force) and when it is in unscratched state. Hooke’s Low can be used to demonstrate the changes that take place in a rubber band when it is stretched. Hooke’s law states that â€Å"the amount of force applied to an elastic object is proportional to the amount of deformation (stretch or compression) that the object undergoes† (Breithaupt, 77). This is why when more force is applied on a rubber band, the stretch increases and when a little force is applied, there is little stretch. This principle can be presented in the following equation where F represents the applied force, k represent the force constant of the rubber band and x is the length of the stretch recorded. In the equation below, the force applied is proportional to the amount of deformation on the rubber. Despite the fact that a rubber band is elastic and can stretch when more force is applied, the rubber band only stretches up to a certain limit. Robert Hooke also noted that elastic objects stretches until they reach elastic limit also referred to as yield limit. Beyond this point, the rubber band exhibit plastic deformation and can no longer return to their original shape when the stretch force is removed. Plastic deformation occurs on the rubber band because beyond maximum stretch force, application of extra force results into breaking of limited number of atomic bonds holding together rubber band molecules (Fan & Zhu, 28). This explains why certain parts of the rubber band stretched more than the other parts. These parts that stretched more the other parts must have underwent plastic

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - Essay Example The report highlights significant limitations in the communication system of Hotel Griffith. It also identifies the approaches that could be instrumental in preventing conflicts in the organization. The recommendations that Griffith Hotel could use to solve the issues are also available. These recommendations include the introduction of new recruitment processes. This is because the current process has several limitations that derail the growth of the entire hotel businesses. For example, the current processes reduce the motivation levels among the personnel. Additional recommendations include punishing employees who are disrespectful while working. Table of Contents Contents Contents 3 Literature Review 6 Transcript of the conversation between Samantha and the Guest 8 References 10 Case Study Analysis Introduction Modern business need to create efficient communication systems. This is because such systems reduce conflicts within the respective organization. The foremost intention of this report is to underscore the negative aspects of poor communication systems in organizations, for example, the hotel industry. The final part of the report highlights recommendations that need to be adapted. Consequently, the report identifies problems that hotel under study faces. Other key issues are also evident in the report making it follow the traditional report structure. The report offers a comprehensive literature review on significant theories of interpersonal communication. Finally, the report presents a transcript of a conversation between an employee of the hotel and an Indian guest. Identification of problems and key issues This case study of Griffith Hotel presents several problems related to communication. The management of Griffith Hotel is conservative especially in the operational processes. This negatively influences its entire operations. For example, the social exchange theory suggests that the relation that people’s relations are based on their res pective personal interests. The personnel within the company have personal interests that derail the communication process. For example, Simon, the Front Office Manager (FOM) believes that his views are appropriate. This is probably because of his maturity level and familiarity in the hotel industry (Hogan, 2008). Key issues within Griffith Hotel Case include the lack of an efficient coordination system in the hotel. Simon, the manger does not care to designate shifts among employees who can support each other. This creates continuous incidences of disagreement among the employees because they fail to understand one another. Additional issues related to the social exchange theory include the frequent disagreements between the management and the employees. This is because Simon fails to work with his subordinates appropriately. Instead, he orders them as if they were disobedient schoolchildren. Most of his employees complain that during their respective inductions, they are treated a s though they were naughty schoolchildren. Simon employs ineffective communication strategies with his subordinates (Kusluvan, 2003). The hotel lacks efficient human resources that would enable Griffith Hotel realize high profit levels. The current employees are ineffective. For example, Michelle, Ronny and Bruno have the relevant experience to offer exemplary services. They fail to deliver because of laxity while working at the hotel. These employees do not seem to have the desired professionalism in this industry. This

Monday, September 23, 2019

Book Report on Roy Black Black's Law (NewY ork Touchtone, 1999) Essay

Book Report on Roy Black Black's Law (NewY ork Touchtone, 1999) - Essay Example In the book we read about Miami police officer Luis Alvarez, who lethally shot a twenty year old black man inside a video arcade, instigating three days of rioting that left two people dead. Roy Black got him off. Then there is Fred De La Mata & Steve Hicks. Hicks shot his girlfriend to death, leaving her body in a car in a bank parking lot and then he lied to police four times before claiming it was an accident. Even after all that Roy Black got him off. There is also the case of Thomas Knight, who can aptly be described as our worst nightmare come together. Roy Black got his death sentence vacated. The Alvarez case is the best one in Black's Law, not every story turns out to be a cliff-hanger, but for the most part the book proves a compelling read and probably just as compelling as he is in the courtroom. Black's definitely a better lawyer than an author, but he's truly not a novice in the literary world, either. Black begins the Alvarez story with a touch of a thriller, as he was driving along Interstate 95 on the night of the shooting, when he zoomed past the area where people were rioting. "Too close for comfort," he writes. Roy's job as a defense lawyer can most simply put entail offering a plausible scenario, and he does it brilliantly. He manages to get the jury he wants for the Alvarez trial by asking potential jurors if they had ever faced death. Another interesting aspect is Roy's intense grilling of the detective who took Alvarez's statement after the shooting which turns out to be a turning point in the case. Nevertheless the most dramatic moment is when Alvarez himself takes the stand. The cases of Fred De La Mata and Steve Hicks are less earth-shattering but have their own entertainment value. Black defended De La Mata, a banker accused of money laundering by individually grilling all witnesses against him who as it turns out had ample reason to lie. Hicks on the other hand was a bartender accused of murdering his girlfriend, Betsy Turner. The state thought they had a strong case because after the shooting, Hicks drove the dying Turner to a bank and left her there, then called the police to report her missing. Black argued that the shooting itself was an accident and that Hicks hade panicked. It is in the case that we realize that one of Roy's many gifts is his ability to explain the unexplainable, to make jurors believe anything. Then finally there is the story of Thomas Knight, who kidnapped his boss and his wife after which he forced them to withdraw $50,000 in cash from their bank, after which he drove them to a field and shot them both in the back of the neck. Knight was on death row a few days from execution when Black took over his case. Still, the story is worthless not purely because Knight is an unsympathetic character but because the appeals court vacated the death sentence for reasons that had little to do with Black's argument. Black should have found a more interesting story to wrap up his book. The book paints a realistic picture of the life of a criminal defense attorney. Each case starts off with basic info on the client and ends with a review of the defendant's present position. The book is well written but more then once Black portrays his

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Is the film version of Of Mice and Men inferior to the original novel Essay Example for Free

Is the film version of Of Mice and Men inferior to the original novel Essay Of Mice and Men was written in 1937 during the great depression, by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck was born in 1902 in California; some of his other novels are The Red Pony, Cup of Gold, To a God Unknown, In Dubious Battle, Canary Row, Sweet Thursday and various others. After months of ill health, John Steinbeck died of heart failure in December 1968 and is buried in Salinas, California. The film was directed by Gary Sinise, and runs for approximately 115 minutes and was made in the USA. Of Mice and Men is suitable for adaptation as the plot line is not too complicated and the scenes will be relatively easy to make, on the other hand there are several problems, a various amount of the scenes in the book cannot be adapted for the film, such as when Lennie hallucinates by the river. The opening sequence opens with George and Lennies escape from Weed, this is set in a big open field, with vibrant colours this will get the audiences attention as vibrant colours give the impression of danger. The camera starts of in a long shot, this is important as it shows the audience her ripped dress, then the camera zooms in to a close up to show the tears and fear on her face. The opening in the film is much more dramatic to the one of the novel, the director choose the include this section because it gives a contrast from George being in a combined place on the train, to having dramatic colours and wide open space, this makes the film more dramatic and exciting for the audience. In the novel Curleys wife and Curley are never seen together, they are always looking for each other, the incident with Crooks is not included. In the film Curleys wife does not have red mules, and is not heavily made up, she is wearing white and pink this gives her the look of femininity and innocence, which will give a different portrayal of the character to the novel. She is always seen in doorways, for example when she sees George, the camera uses a mid shot so the audience can see both their reactions, Curleys wife is looking outside like she is looking out for Curley, she is giving him no eye contact this shows us that she is not trying to lead him on. George is giving her eye contact, this might be making her feel nervous as she starts the fiddle with her dress. In the novel she is shown as being a dangerous, flirty character whereas in the film she is made to be totally different, the director has chosen to portray her sympathetically this is because this will enforce more of a reaction when she dies, this makes the audience feel sympathy for her. George and Lennie are presented with more sympathy in the film than the novel, the novel is less extreme. When Lennie has the fight with Curley the camera is in mid shot and Lennie is sitting down, this makes him look more vulnerable. The director uses a strong use of sound in the scenes of the fight, the punches are made to sound loud, this can make the audience relate to Lennie. A close up is then on Georges face to show his concern for Lennie, then a extreme close up of Lennie is used, this is very dramatic way of showing a characters emotions, the audience can see Lennies angry eyes and almost makes the audience feel scared as he has blood on his face when he is breaking Curleys hand, this makes the film superior the reading the novel as the camera shots and sound can make more of an effect on the audience and makes Lennie and George more three dimensional, whereas the novel makes them seem more one dimensional. The beginning of the novel is very different as Steinbeck sets the scene in clear detail, he creates a peaceful atmosphere by using nature the leaves lie so deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them. Unlike the novel the film shows an exciting and tense atmosphere. At the beginning of the film the director chooses to show George on a train, this scene is not included in the book because it would only work in a film, the director uses a haunting shilling melody lingering in the background, the camera shot focuses on a lonely figure crouched in the corner. By using this scene at the beginning it grabs the audiences attention and a spirited mood is set in the audience, he sets a stark contrast between that scene and the one that follows. This scene shows George sitting in the dark, which shows more about him than in the novel it shows that George is in the dark. The film relates to Steinbeck descriptive prose well, but some scenes could have been presented more like the book. In my opinion the film does do the film justice, but some characters could have been presented more like the characters in the book, for example Curleys wife, she is presented to be a flirty and dangerous character in the book and presented as a feminine vulnerable character in the film. The scenes are set in different ways but are successful in giving the audience the same amount of emotion as in the novel. The scenes that are in the novel that are not included in the film are not important and they are replaced with scene of the same importance that are easier to make. Overall the film is a good adaptation of the novel.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Attitude Formation: Cognitive Consistency and Inconsistency

Attitude Formation: Cognitive Consistency and Inconsistency Minahil Meher Attitude Formation Many of our views are acquired in situations in which we interact with or observe the behaviour of others, called social learning. Such learning can be acquired through several processes, which in turn help us form attitudes. Classical Conditioning: Learning based on Association The evoking of an attitude by the association of an unconditioned stimulus with a neutral conditioned stimulus is the first process of â€Å"learning†; classical conditioning. When a stimulus that is capable of producing a positive response (U.S) regularly precedes a second stimulus (C.S), the first becomes a signal for the second. Advertisers and other persuasion agents have considerable expertise in using this principle to create positive attitudes towards their products. EXAMPLE: Marketing a new drink. Before Conditioning: Attractive Girls Positive Emotions (Unconditioned Stimulus) (Unconditioned Response) Drink’s Logo No Response (Neutral Stimulus) During Conditioning: Attractive Girls Positive Emotions/Attitudes Drink’s Logo (Conditioned Response) After Conditioning: Drink’s Logo Positive Emotions/ Attitudes (Conditioned Stimulus) As the Drink’s Logo is continuously being paired with images of attractive girls, positive attitudes will be developed within the target population. Classical conditioning takes place best in social settings where an individual’s close ones are concerned, thus helping form attitudes. A young child sees her mother frown and show other signs of displeasure and discomfort in the presence of a particular societal or religious class of people. At first the child is neutral towards the presence of these people as she/he is unaware of their distinct characteristics e.g. skin colour, type of clothes, language etc. The child at this point has not yet learned to categorize these variations in terms of group membership. However, once these cues are paired repeatedly with the mother’s negative emotional reactions, classical conditioning occurs, and the child then gradually begins to react in a similar fashion as her mother in the presence of the particular set of people. This usually takes place on the unconscious level i.e. the child may not have conscious access to the role that mother’s changed emotional reactions pla y on the formation of a negative attitude. As a result, the child acquires a negative attitude that is generalized to members of that group as a whole. Subliminal Conditioning: According to a study by Krosnick et. al. (1992, as cited in Baron et.al. 2010), individuals can often form an attitude without being aware of the stimulus responsible. Students were shown photographs of a stranger engaging in a grocery store or walking into her apartment. While viewing these photos, other pictures; associated with either positive or negative feelings, were exposed for brief periods of time. Participants who were exposed to photographs that induced positive feelings (e.g. laughter, newly wed couple) liked the stranger better than participants who had been exposed to photos that induced negative feelings (e.g. open-heart surgery). This for of attitude formation is known as subliminal conditioning. Mere Exposure: This refers to having seen an object before, but not remembering having seen it. This too results in attitude formation and its effects on attitudes are stronger as the stimuli are perceived consciously rather than subliminally thus, conscious memory of the stimuli is not required (but conscious exposure is). Alzheimer patients, who cannot not memorize the stimuli, are seen to form new attitudes on the basis of mere exposure to certain stimuli. Instrumental Conditioning: Rewards for the â€Å"Right† Views. We can acquire an attitude toward our classes and jobs through instrumental conditioning i.e. learning based on direct experience with the object on the basis of rewards and punishments. If an individual experience rewards related to some object, his/her attitude will be favorable. Thus, if their work provides them with good pay, a sense of accomplishment, and compliments from co-workers, their attitude toward it will be quite positive. Attitudes that are followed by positive outcomes tend to be strengthened and are likely to be repeated, while attitudes that are followed by negative outcomes are weakened so their likelihood of being expressed again is reduced. The rewards given to individuals during such conditioning, in a social context, are usually in the form of psychological acceptance. That is why it is seen that most children express political, religious and social views that are highly similar to those of their parents and other family members, until the teen when the peer influences become especially strong. EXAMPLE: Positive/Favorable Attitude toward alcohol consumption (Teenage). Before Instrumental Conditioning: Alcohol Consumption Negative (Behaviour) (Attitude towards it) Peers provide IF Alcohol Consumed: Social Acceptance/ Status (Reward Given) After Instrumental Conditioning: Alcohol Consumption Positive (Behaviour) (Attitude towards it) This shows that if someone rewards a behavior, even if the behaviour itself is wrong, it is more likely to be repeated as it is strengthened – it is the â€Å"right† view in the opinions of those who are in favor of alcohol consumption. As adults, we may be aware that different groups we belong to will reward or punish us for expressing support for a particular attitude position. We may even find ourselves expressing one view on a topic to one audience and another view to a different audience. A relevant example would be the upcoming Elections ’13 of Pakistan i.e. they depend on a candidate’s success at delivering the â€Å"right view† to the â€Å"right audience†, and so may be perceived as shifting their responses to accommodate the views of different audiences rather than taking a firm stand on anything. This shows that they alter their attitudes just to gain rewards from people (votes). This however, can also be applied to the voters who will change their views or attitudes of voting for a particular party on the basis of the rewards in store for them e.g. financial benefits, technological advancements etc. Observational Learning: Learning by Exposure to Others Attitudes can form also in the absence of direct rewards for acquiring or expressing those attitudes through the method of observational learning or vicarious learning; when individuals acquire attitudes or behaviors simply by observing others. According to Myers and Caniglia (2004, as cited in Delamater Myers, 2011) the media provide interpretive packages or frames about an object that may influence the attitudes of viewers and readers. By portraying events and actors in certain ways, TV news, news magazines, and newspapers can produce cognitive images of a racial group as being volatile, dangerous, or unreasonable that in turn produce negative attitudes. A common example is that of how Muslims are shown on international television; as terrorists, instilling within the international audience that all Muslim’s are terrorists even though they may never have actually been in direct contact with them and yet develop a negative attitude towards them. But why do people adopt the a ttitudes that they hear others express or imitate the behaviors they observe in others? Social Comparison: This refers to our tendency to compare ourselves with others to determine whether our view of social reality is correct or not, as we often adopt the attitudes that others hold. An individual is then seen to adopt the attitude position of those they see as similar to themselves and not of those they consider or see as dissimilar. An 18 year-old girl is more likely to look at another 18 year-old girl to adopt a clothing fashion or be up-to-date with the latest trends rather than a 50 year-old woman who isolates herself from societal values. Similarly if a teenaged boy wants to know about the latest games to play on his Xbox/PS3, he will more likely observe ‘gamers’ rather than non-gamers also, if we go deeper, he will observe gamers who play the same kind of games as him; same genre of games. Reference Groups: A reference group consists of the people an individual values and prefers to identify with, who they look up to when adjusting and forming their attitudes. The adoption of an attitude thus depend on extend to which an individual identifies with the group advocates the formation of an attitude or the change. This may apply to making small purchase decisions; which brand of sunscreen to buy, as well as forming attitudes about other groups of people; whether a new social group is positive or negative. According to a research it has been proven that if your reference group holds negative views about a new social group we have never been in contact with, we are more likely to form the similar negative attitude towards them despite not knowing them at all. Not only this but we ourselves expect to be influenced by those who we consider as similar. Example: University students being given a lecture on AIDS and the hazards of unprotected sex are more likely to be influenced by the attitude or views of the speakers if they are also university students, like themselves. Cognitive Consistency/Inconsistency Consistency among a person’s cognitions i.e. beliefs and attitudes is widespread. If you have liberal political values, you probably favor medical assistance programs for people living in poverty. If you value equal rights for all persons, you probably support affirmative action plans. The observation that most people’s cognitions are consistent with one another implies that individuals are motivated to maintain that consistency. Several theories of attitude organization are based on this principle. In general, these cognitive consistency theories hypothesize that if an inconsistency develops between cognitive elements, people are motivated to restore harmony between those elements. Balance Theory: Social balance theory as proposed by Fritz Heider (1946) is the theory that people strive for cognitive balance in their network of likes and dislikes. According to the balance theory, an imbalanced state is one in which two of the relationships between elements are positive and one is negative or in which all three are negative. This theory can thus be used to explain our attitudes and anxiety related to people we know, and consists of three possible states: Balance: When the person/people we know have the same attitude as us. Imbalance: When the person/people we know hold a contradictory attitude to ours. Non-balance: When the person/people we don’t like hold a contradictory attitude to ours. Example: Consider Fatima and Bilal, who are seniors in college. They have been going out together for 3 years and soon want to get married. Bilal is thinking about going to law school. Fatima doesn’t want him to stay in school after he gets his bachelor’s degree. She doesn’t want him to go to school for 3 more years, during their starting years of marriage. Bilal feels strongly about Law School (Positive Attitude). Bilal loves Fatima greatly and so does she (Positive Attitude). Fatima doesn’t want him to go to Law School (Negative Attitude). Thus there is an imbalance that needs to be restored. There are three basic ways to do this: First, Bilal may change his attitudes so that the attitude status (negative or positive) of one of the relations is reversed. For instance, Bilal may decide he does not want to attend law school (Positive to Negative). Alternatively, Bilal may decide he does not love Fatima (Positive to Negative), or he may persuade Fatima it is a good idea for him to go to law school (Negative to Positive). Each of these involves changing one relationship so the system of beliefs contains either zero or two negative relationships. Bilal can restore balance by changing a positive or negative relation to a null relation. Bilal may decide that Fatima doesn’t know anything about law school and her attitude toward it is irrelevant. Third, Bilal can restore balance by differentiating the attributes of the other person or object. For instance, Bilal may distinguish between major law schools, which require all the time and energy of their students, and less prestigious ones, which require less work. Fatima is correct in her belief that they would have to postpone marriage if he went to Yale Law School. However, Bilal believes he can go to a local school part-time and also work and maintain a marriage. Balance is usually restored in whichever way is easiest. If one relationship is weaker than the other two, the easiest mode of restoring balance is to change the weaker relationship. Because Bilal and Fatima have been seeing each other for 3 years, it would be very difficult for Bilal to change his sentiments toward Fatima. It would be easier for him to change his attitude toward law school than to get a new fiancà ©e. However, Bilal would prefer to maintain their relationship and go to law school. Therefore, he may attempt to change Fatima’s attitude, perhaps by differentiating the object (law schools). If this influence attempt fails, Bilal will probably change his own attitude towards law school. Cognitive-Dissonance Theory: Whenever we make a decision, there are some cognitions; attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, that are consonant with that decision, and other cognitions that are dissonant with it. Dissonant cognitions create an unpleasant psychological state that we are motivated to reduce or eliminate. Whereas balance theory deals with the relationships among three cognitions, dissonance theory deals with consistency between two or more elements (behaviors and attitudes). There are two situations in which dissonance commonly occurs: After a decision. When one acts in a way that is inconsistent with one’s beliefs. Post-decision Dissonance: After one has made a decision. Example: Sajid needs a job in the city to earn money for his family. Having made the choice, Sajid is experiencing cognitive dissonance; a state of psychological tension induced by dissonant relationships between cognitive elements. Some decisions produce a large amount of cognitive dissonance, others very little. The magnitude of dissonance experienced depends in part on the proportion of elements that are dissonant with a person’s decision. In Sajid’s case, there are three consonant and only two dissonant cognitions, so he will experience moderate dissonance. The magnitude is also influenced by the importance of the elements. He will experience less dissonance if it is not important that he will seldom get a holiday, but more dissonance if spending time with his family is of great importance to him. A way of reducing the dissonance would be to emphasize more on the consonant cognitions and de-emphasize the dissonant cognitions. Counter-attitudinal Behavior: A second circumstance that produces dissonance occurs when a person behaves in a way that is inconsistent with his or her attitudes. Example: When a person who considers himself high in honesty is asked to lie. Jameel works as a sales man and is asked to lie to the customers about the quality of a certain product; asked to say it’s imported when it’s not. For every customer he convinces to make such a purchase, he receives extra money (apart from his basic salary). If Jameel actually lies to the customer, he will face dissonance as it goes against his attitude of being honest; behaviour is inconsistent with cognitions. The theory of cognitive dissonance, in regard to reducing the amount of dissonance being faces predicts that One will change their attitudes toward the tasks (like them better). The amount of change will depend on the incentive paid to tell the lie. Specifically, the theory predicts that greater attitude change will occur when the incentive to tell the lie is low rather than high, because one will experience greater dissonance under low incentives than under high incentives. References:   Baron, R. A., Bhardwaj. G., Branscombe, N. R. Byrne, D. (2011) Social Psychology  (12th ed). India: Dorling Kindersley. Delamater, J. D. Myers, D. J. (2011) Social Psychology (7th ed). CA, USA:  Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Comparing Hills Like White Elephans by Ernest Hemingway and Babylon Rev

Comparing Hills Like White Elephans by Ernest Hemingway and Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald At first glance it seems that the two short stories â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemingway and â€Å"Babylon Revisited† by F. Scott Fitzgerald have absolutely nothing in common other than being written by two famous American authors in the 1920s. Although there is much contrast between the two works, when examined more closely, similarities seem to be extremely easy to pick out. Similarities are evident in the existence of superficiality and carelessness in the lives and past lives of the main characters in both stories. The two stories are most alike, though, when considering the central conflicts within them. In â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† the central conflict has to do with a couple feeling that the idea of having a baby threatens the very existence and happiness of that relationship, so they contemplate having an abortion. In â€Å"Babylon Revisited† the conflict involves a man’s struggle to be reunited forever with his daughter, who he has been separated from due to mistakes he has made in the past. The relationship between the two conflicts is the how the male characters’ become powerless when attempting to regain happiness in life and how challenging it is for the female characters’ to make a drastic life-changing decision. Arguably the most striking similarity comes The couple in â€Å"Hills Life W... ...fore the end of the story. The central question of whether or not Charlie would be able to take responsibility for Honoria was left unresolved by the end of the story. Works Cited Cassill, R.V.. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Toronto: George J. Macleod Limited, 1978. Fletcher, Mary Dell. "Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants." Academic Search Premier Vol. 48 Issue 4. Summer 1980 16-18. 02 APR 2008. Kozikowski, Stanley. "Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants." Academic Search Premier Vol. 52 Issue 2. Winter 1994 107-112. 02 APR 2008 Turner , Joan. "Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited." Academic Search Premier Vol. 48 Issue 4. Summer 1990 282-283. 02 APR 2008

Colonization Across the Globe Essay -- Colonies World History Economy

Colonization Across the Globe After Christopher Columbus landed in the West Indies in 1492, Spain and Portugal started disputing areas of influence on the South American continent. The dispute was eventually settled by the Pope (Alexander VI), who in 1493, drew up defined areas of influence for the two nations with the idea of spreading Christianity to the natives in those territories. In time the Portuguese territory became known as Brazil, hence the working language of that country to this day is Portuguese, while most of the rest of the continent speaks Spanish. On 1 August 1498, during his third voyage, Columbus finally sighted the South American mainland for the first time. The next white explorer to reach the continent was the Portuguese navigator Pedro Cabral, who anchored off the coast of present day Brazil in April 1500 - a territory which he then claimed for Portugal. However, the claim was ignored for more than 30 years by Portugal itself, whose sailors had in the interim sailed round Africa to India. During this time of Portuguese indifference, the Spanish seized the initiative in Central America and the West Indies. In 1519, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, then employed by the Spaniards, first sailed up the Rio de la Plata River. He then proceeded south and in November 1520, first sailed round the southernmost part of South America and sighted the Pacific Ocean. 1. Spain In 1519, Cortes with about 600 men set sail for South America with a few cannon and horses. A last minute dispute with the Spanish governor saw Cortes' expedition being officially cancelled, but Cortes continued, later bringing back gold and other riches to the Spanish crown as justification for his expedition. The army sailed west along the Gulf Coast, engaging in a major battle against a local tribe. It was at this first battle that Cortes realized the technological advantage the Europeans possessed: steel armour, guns, cannons and even horses were completely unknown to the people of Central America, and many tribesmen fled at the very sight of a powerful charge horse. These advantages were pressed home remorselessly, and all the native tribes in Central and South America were to pay dearly for being technologically so far behind the Europeans. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Central America, the Aztecs had created an empire which... ...ess Cixi. The terrorist activities of the Boxer society gradually increased during 1899, with Boxer bands attacking all whites on sight. When these bands entered the Chinese capital, Peking, the whites powers sent a small armed column to the Chinese capital to protect the few whites in the city. On 16 June 1900, the Empress Cixi ordered Chinese troops to attack the whites army which was still outside Peking. Then on 18 June 1900, the Empress Cixi publicly called on the Chinese to kill all the whites they could find. Many whites were then murdered: large numbers fled into the fortified foreign embassies in the city. There they were besieged by Chinese. Finally, a combined army consisting of British, French, Russian, German, American and Japanese troops entered Peking on 14 August 1900, relieving the besieged foreign embassies. Peking was then occupied by the whites powers for a year until September 1901, when the Chinese signed a peace treaty in terms of which they had to pay a large indemnity and grant the whites powers the right to station troops in Peking to safeguard the embassies. This situation remained unaltered right up until the early part of the 20th century.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Roman Empire :: essays research papers fc

Roman empire â€Å"The Romans were a people of genius whose empire dominated the western world for 500 years.†(Pg. 7, Ancient Rome) What made the Romans so powerful was their way of government. It was very similar to the one that we have today, except emperors don’t rule us. The pax romana, or ‘the Roman Peace,’ gave millions of people in Italy and surrounding areas peace. Rome fell when it was invaded by overwhelming tribes and groups of barbarians. Rome was first founded on the legendary date of 735 B.C. The myth of Romulus and Remus was how Rome got its name. The myth was that Mars, god of war, came down to the mortal world and met a human princess. Romulus and Remus were then born shortly after, but abandoned. A She-Wolf nursed them until they were old enough to be on their own. Their dream was to make a beautiful city, and govern it and become powerful. Romulus and Remus had an argument. Which led to a fight to the death. Romulus won, killing his brother Remus. The peoples called his city Rome, after Romulus, who became the founder. Rome’s Symbol is the She-Wolf that nursed Romulus and Remus nursing them. Rome started out as just a group of farmers and Romulus as the emperor. Eventually, the small city-state became larger, and the government stronger, and more sophisticated. In 509 B.C., the Roman Republic was founded. Patricians were the ones who organized the state. Instead of a King, Rome picked 2 magistrates, or consuls, to rule Rome. Eventually, the consuls became too powerful, and the plebeians (peoples of Rome) became angry because they wanted rights equal to those of the consuls in ways. In 494 B.C. the plebs revolted. They elected certain members to be called ‘the Tribunes,’ and be their leaders. The plebs wanted the consuls to notice them. Eventually, after a year of rebelling, the 2 consuls let the plebs have the rights they wanted because in the future, Rome would need some of the plebs to become an army for th e protection of Rome and the conquering of new territory. Eventually, The 2 consuls’ decisions became useful. Rome started to wage wars with its neighbors, the Aequi, Volsci, Celts, and Samnites. For 250 years, the Romans were almost at war constantly. The Romans either made alliances with their neighbor’s or they conquered them.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Idea of Belonging

The idea of belonging is an important and fundamental value in our lives. Belonging most commonly emerges from experience and notions of identity, relationships, acceptance and understanding. The sense of belonging is represented in various ways throughout texts such asâ€Å"Ancestor† by Peter Skrzynecki and ‘China Coin’. Each of the texts has a wide range of ideas on how belonging is created though personal experiences and notion of acceptance and understanding. In â€Å"Ancestors† Peter Skrzynecki expresses a detachment from ancestors resulting in a lack of belonging in terms of relationship and understanding. Being separated from his heritage, the speaker experiences a kind of guilt about not being attached to his parents’ culture, but also a sense that this issue will have to be resolved, even if doing so may involve some distress and turmoil. The use of active voice in the poem shows – there are no passive voice verbs at all — his need to do something about the problem of belonging. The â€Å"bearded, faceless men† represent the shadow/spirit of his ancestors but the speaker may also be actually referring to photographs he has seen of these ancestors â€Å"standing shoulder to shoulder† – which also depicts the unity of these ancestors and the force they create is firm in his mind and forces him to find out what his roots are. â€Å"The eyes never close† shows that the moment is still and may be evidence that he is in a dream partly based on looking at such photos. A questioning tone also carries on throughout the poem. This questioning is about his identity though examination of the past which is represented by the ancestors, creating a sense of reflection and investigation on his relationship to his ancestors. But we can see that throughout the poem Skrzynecki is refusing to explore the past of these ancestors because he is afraid of the tainted, torturous past which stops him continued searching for a home: â€Å"To what star do their footprints lead? † This not only evokes his fear of the past but also shows that his uncertainty about re-rooting to his ancestral culture. The ancestors â€Å"Never speak â€Å"implying that those ancestors communicate to â€Å"you† in some other way. The poem is mainly a nightmare about the idea of ancestry/belonging, and Skrzynecki uses the blood allusion in â€Å"The wind tastes of blood† to show that the root is in our blood which connects us to our ancestors. However, the speaker’s sense of alienation from his ancestors has blocked his ability to belong and find the relationship between him and the ancestors. Blood† therefore limits our understanding of our past, which is what we originally belong to. Comparing to Peter Skrzynecki, Leah in The China Coin chooses to belong with her mum and her friends and being positive and happy. At beginning, Leah's relationship with her mum Joan was strained since she refers to her as the â€Å"evil aunt† â€Å"Joan†,evil aunt is a technique of metaphor,it shows nagetive feelings † Joan† is a technique of 3 rd person which sh ows the distance between Leah & â€Å"Joan. Espicially when Leah is lost during the student protest and result in a huge arguement with Joan†It's your rotten China. â€Å"presents again a big difference from Both Joan and Leah,through the emphasis on â€Å"your† and â€Å"from China with the describtive word â€Å"rotten† Comparing to Peter's relationship with his school and folk museum, Leah's realtionship with her mum at first was even more unstisfactory . But rather than running away and belonging to someone else,Leah has stayed with her mum and tried to fix this relationship. When she decides to end the conflict with her mother and rebuild the relationship,saying â€Å"It's over†Leah took Joan's hand and squeezed†we've been through a lot,eh†The action of squeezing echoes they are becoming closer. While Leah decided to belong to her Chinese culture,she also finds a second home. Even though Leah is reserved,the warmth and acceptance of this family draw her in,it's also for the first time Leah was thinking of Joan's family as her family. further more,Leah again builds relationships with family members Ke, Linan and uncle Tong. When the other half of the coin falls from the croll. Leah's reaction is positive†Li-Nan crushed her pounded her on the back and called her â€Å"sister† The symbolism of the strong hug and approval by Li Nan shows her acceptance into this family. Leah also build a special relationship with her cousin Ke. When Joan's in the hospital,Ke becomes the only one who Leah can depend on. She decides to build a relationship with him in order to belong with him. Since then,Ke refers to Leah with the word†mate†,This typical Australian word presents Ke accepted Leah and her clture. Also mate's a very positive word. It shows a positive relationship with people that's what it exactly represents here. Comparing to Peter's homeless, Leah both physically and mentally chooses to belong,therefore,she gets a positive and good result. Each of the texts shows us a strong will to belong and we can see that the ways people achieve belonging emerge from all these elements. Therefore it can be said that the texts have provided a wide range of ideas on belonging that support the statement that â€Å"a sense of belonging can emerge from experiences and notions of acceptance and understanding. †

Monday, September 16, 2019

History of Emirates Airlines

The story of a firm whose success story is intertwined with the incredible development of Dubai could be nothing but fascinating. Against a backdrop of regional unrest and volatile global economies, progress has been maintained at a rapid pace in every year of Emirates' and dnata's existence. A combination of business acumen, ambition and savvy investment set in motion a series of events which have propelled Emirates and dnata to amongst the most respected and recognized brands in the world. The story of a firm whose success story is intertwined with the incredible development of Dubai could be nothing but fascinating.Against a backdrop of regional unrest and volatile global economies, progress has been maintained at a rapid pace in every year of Emirates' and dnata's existence. A combination of business acumen, ambition and savvy investment set in motion a series of events which have propelled Emirates and dnata to amongst the most respected and recognized brands in the world. 2012 Emirates join Boeing in Seattle to celebrate the unveiling of its 1,000th 777. The landmark aircraft becomes the 102nd to join Emirates’ Boeing 777 fleet.Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Lusaka, Harare, Dallas, Seattle, Ho Chi Minh City, Barcelona, Lisbon and Washington join the Emirates network, while a cargo-only service launches to Liege. Dnata acquires a majority stake in Travel Republic, the largest privately owned online travel agency in the UK, representing one of the biggest transactions in the company’s history. Marhaba celebrates its 20th anniversary and unveils new look. In tennis, Emirates becomes the Official Airline of the US Open and title sponsor of the Emirates Airline US Open Series.Emirates become the Team Sponsor of cricket’s Indian Premier League side Deccan Chargers. 2011 Emirates places the largest single order in Boeing’s history – 50 777-300 ER aircraft, worth $18 billion in list price. The order also included 20 777-3 00 ER options valued at US$ 8 billion. The Emirates Group posts a record profit of AED 5. 9 billion (US$1. 6bn) for the financial year Basra, Geneva, Copenhagen, St Petersburg and Baghdad are added to the Emirates network, while a cargo-only service is launched to Erbil. Shanghai, Johannesburg, Munich and Rome are added to Emirates’ A380 network.Emirates become the Partner and Official Airline of Real Madrid. Emirates and the Victoria Racing Club announce a new five-year sponsorship agreement. Emirates SkyCargo completes its first 100 per cent paperless freighter flight between Nairobi and Amsterdam. Emirates agree to sponsor the ‘Emirates Air Line’, a cable car across London’s River Thames. Aero Mobile, Emirates’ inflight mobile phone service provider, reaches its five millionth user and Emirates launches Wi-Fi internet connectivity for its A380 fleet. Dnata unveils a new company philosophy and fresh visual branding.Dnata announces a global investm ent of US$70 million in new equipment and facilities. dnata acquires a 50 per cent interest in Wings Inflight Services, a South African catering services provider. 2010 Emirates celebrate its 25th anniversary marking a quarter of a century of success and remarkable growth. New routes to Tokyo, Amsterdam, Prague, Al Medinah al Munawarah, Madrid and Dakar launch, while cargo-only operations to Almaty, Bagram and Campinas commence. The Emirates Group posts an increased profit of AED 4. 2 billion (US$1. 1bn) for the financial year ending 31 March 2010.Emirates orders 32 additional A380s at the Berlin Air Show along with GP7200 engines by Engine Alliance. It also orders 30 additional B777-300ERs at the Farnborough Air Show. Emirates are part of celebrations in South Africa an Official Partner of the FIFA World Cup. Emirates SkyCargo operates the first paperless flight between Mauritius and Dubai with all shipments carried processed electronically. Emirates SkyCargo sets a new record by o perating the longest ever non-stop freighter flight of 17. 5 hours between Sydney and New York. Dnata acquires Mercator Asia in Thailand, its first overseas IT subsidiary.Dnata ground handling welcomes the first commercial flight to land at the new Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International. Dnata officially opens its ‘baggage hub control center’ across all three terminals at Dubai International Airport. Dnata becomes the 4th largest catering provider worldwide by acquiring Alpha Flight Group Ltd. 2009 Dnata acquires two of the UK’s leading ground-handling operations at London Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport. Dnata opens Afghanistan’s first internationally recognized one stop travel shop in the country’s capital, Kabul. Emirates launches flights to Durban and Luanda.Emirates begin operations of the Airbus A380 on the Sydney, Auckland, Bangkok, Toronto and Seoul routes. Emirates becomes the world’s largest operator of Boeing 777s with the delivery of its 78th B777 aircraft. Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Australia’s first conservation-based resort and Emirates Hotels & Resorts’ first property outside of Dubai, welcomes its first guests. Arsenal Soccer Schools Dubai – a joint venture between Emirates and Arsenal – opens its doors. Dnata marks its 50th anniversary at the Dubai Airshow. Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa celebrates its 10th anniversary.Skywards, with more than five million members, marks its 10th anniversary with a new look and an enhanced Program. Premier Inn, a joint venture between the Emirates Group and Whitbread plc. opens its second hotel in Dubai at Silicon Oasis. The millionth Emirates passenger uses their own mobile phone on an aircraft equipped with the AeroMobile system. The largest ever Emirates’ TV advertising campaign to date – â€Å"Meet Dubai† – airs around the world. Emirates opens its Community Health Education Society (CHES) home for HIV-positive children in Chennai, India. 2008Dnata acquires a 23% share of worldwide corporate travel company, Hogg Robinson Group (HRG), the largest share of the company, which gives dnata access to a network of 120 countries. dnata purchases a 49% share in Mind Pearl, a global contact center outsource organization, which sees dnata expand across three continents in their offering of contact center outsource solutions. Dnata’s cargo operation joins forces with Kanoo, UAE and SDV International Logistics, France to create one of the UAE’s largest logistics solutions providers, Freightworks. The company moves into the new multi – million dollar Emirates Group Headquarters.The Emirates- dedicated Terminal 3 opens in October and within a month 500,000 passengers had flown out the terminal. Emirates SkyCargo begins operations out of Dubai Cargo Village’s new Mega Terminal, with a capacity to handle 1. 2 million tonnes annually. The first Emirates fli ght to Los Angeles touches down, while flights are also launched to San Francisco and Cape Town. Emirates becomes the first international carrier to introduce an in-flight mobile phone service. Emirates takes delivery of three A380s and aviation history is made when its first A380 touches down in New York.The 10,000th cabin crew member joins the Emirates team. New Emirates sporting facility 7he Sevens hosts record crowds at the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens. 2007 Dnata enters the European market for the first time with the takeover of Jet Aviation Handling AG, the airport handling division of Swiss-based Jet Aviation Group. Emirates stuns the world by signing contracts for 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s and 12 Boeing 777-330ERs, worth an estimated $34. 9 billion, at the Dubai Air Show. New Engineering Centre and Engine Test Cell are officially opened.The Emirates Harbour Hotel & Residence and the Marina Hotel open their doors. The addition of Sao Paulo to the network represents th e first non-stop flight between the Middle East and South America. Emirates Flight Catering begins operations at its new $120 million facility at Dubai International. 2006 Emirates signs an agreement for 10 Boeing 747-8F in a deal worth $3. 3 billion. Emirates seals $195 million partnership deal with Fifa – the world governing body of football –and also buys the rights to screen every match played at the Germany World Cup on flights.Arsenal play their first match at the new Emirates Stadium. Sheikh Ahmed says Emirates is at the heart of Dubai’s Dhs300 billion investment in aviation and aerospace. Emirates SkyCargo signs $2. 8 billion order for 10 Boeing 747-8Fs. 2005 Emirates Group workforce totals 25,000 people from 124 countries around the world, making it Dubai’s biggest employer. Passenger traffic continues to rise with 12. 5 million recorded in the year. Emirates orders 42 Boeing 777s in a deal worth $9. 7 billion, the largest Boeing 777 order in his tory. 2004 Emirates orders four Boeing 777-300ERs, with nine options, in a $2. 6 billion deal. The SkyCargo fleet is increased with three Airbuses A310-300s added to its six Boeing 747s. Emirates makes its first flight to North America – a non-stop 14-hour flight to New York’s JFK Airport. This marked the first non-stop passenger service from the Middle East to North America, a continent which Mr. Flanagan described, in aviation terms, as the most important in the world. Emirates signs a ? 100 million deal with English Premiership side Arsenal, which includes naming rights to its new stadium for 15 years and shirt sponsorship for eight years, starting from the 2006/07 season.Dnata opens its first regional travel outlet in Kuwait. 2003 CAE and Emirates join forces to open the $100 million Emirates Aviation Training Centre which boasts numerous full-flight simulators. Emirates shocks the industry at the Paris Air Show with the biggest deal in civil aviation history †“ a staggering order for 71 aircraft at a cost of $19 billion. Daily service from Dubai to Sydney starts on the first A340-500 to join the fleet. The A340-500 features revolutionary ice in-flight entertainment system – including 500 channels in all classes, while every seat is equipped with a phone.After carrying 8. 5 million passengers, an increase of 26%, the airline posts an incredible profits increase of 94 per cent to Dhs907 million from Dhs468 million. Dnata is given a new corporate logo – a globe cushioned by a stylized runway represented by a curving green strip. 2002 Four million passengers vote in the Skytrax internet poll and Emirates is again named Airline of the Year. Global passenger levels drop by four per cent but Emirates figures rise 18. 3 per cent to 6. 8 million. Cargo across the world plunges nine per cent but Emirates enjoys an increase of 19. per cent to 400,000 tonnes. Group announces $275 million investment in new hangar complex at the Emirat es Engineering Centre. 2001 Emirates SkyCargo Centre – with a capacity to handle 400,000 tonnes a year – opens. Emirates signs ? 24 million deal to sponsor English Premiership football club Chelsea for four years. In a survey of 2. 7 million airline passengers by Skytrax Research, Emirates was voted Airline of the Year. Emirates takes delivery of its 18th Airbus A330-200 and orders two more, making it the biggest A330 operator in the world.With rivals reeling from September 11 and Boeing and Airbus in a weak bargaining position, Emirates stuns the world by announcing a $15 billion order for 15 A380s, eight A340-600s, three A330s and 25 Boeing 777s. 2000 The Sheikh Rashid Terminal opens, increasing the capacity at Dubai International to 22 million passengers a year. Frequent flyer loyalty programme Emirates Skywards is launched. Sheikh Ahmed announces Dubai Government is to invest $500-600m in the new Terminal 3 – with a capacity for 20 million passengers a year. Emirates becomes the first airline to sign up for the Airbus A380 when it orders seven, with an option on five more, at the Farnborough Air Show. Emirates buys another six Boeing 777-300s. Mr Flanagan is made a Commander of the British Empire. 1999 Emirates enters the hotel property market with the opening of the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa. The first of 17 new generations Airbus A330-200s arrive in Dubai. Emirates Group’s workforce totals 11,000. Dnata enters the South East Asian airport services market with the launch of dnata Philippines Inc.The airline capitalizes on the UAE’s growing ties with Australia and a deal is struck to add Sydney, Brisbane and Perth to the Melbourne route. Emirates sponsors the Melbourne Cup, the biggest meeting in Australia’s horse racing calendar, and the nation’s cricket team at the World Cup. The livery of the Emirates fleet is updated with a modern, dynamic design. Passenger arrivals at Dubai International hit the 11 mil lion mark. 1998 Emirates increases its capacity by 26 per cent as passenger figures hit 3. 7 million, while cargo levels go up to 200,000 tonnes.Group takes a 43 per cent stake in Air Lanka, which is renamed SriLankan. Emirates is voted Best Airline in the World at prestigious OAG Awards. he $540 million Terminal 2 is opened at Dubai International. 1997 Emirates makes a $2 billion order for 16 Airbus A330-200s. Airline defies high fuel prices to again post record profits as passenger figures top three million and the cargo haul hits 150,000 tonnes. Emirates takes delivery of six Boeing 777-200s, giving it new long-haul capabilities. 1996 Airline takes delivery of its first Boeing 777-200 and becomes the first airline to show live footage of take-off and landing.Its maiden flight to London is followed by Emirates’ inaugural flight to Melbourne. Emirates becomes title sponsor of the world’s richest horse racing event – the Dubai World Cup. 1995 As the airline cele brates its 10th birthday, it has a fleet flying to 34 locations in the Middle East, Far East and Europe. Emirates enters the African market, with flights into Johannesburg, Nairobi and Kenya. Sheikh Ahmed’s aim for more Emiratis to forge careers with Emirates starts to take shape as the first pilots graduate from Emirates’ training programme. Emirates Flight Training Centre opens. 994 Emirates is the first airline to equip an Airbus fleet with an on-flight fax facility. 1993 Emirates becomes the first airline to introduce telecommunications on an Airbus – in all three classes. 1992 Emirates becomes the first airline to install video systems in all seats in all classes throughout its fleet. Emirates convinces the French government to allow it to fly into Paris. $2 million terminal exclusive to Emirates is opened at Dubai International. Emirates becomes first airline to order a $20 million Airbus full-flight simulator. 1991On January 17, Emirates grounds its fleet for several hours as the battle to liberate Kuwait begins. Operations resume and Emirates’ maintains 90 per cent of its normal services during the first month of the conflict. Emirates finally gets a slot at the busiest international hub in the world – London Heathrow. Shortly after the arrival of another Airbus A300-600R, taking its fleet to nine, Emirates orders seven Boeing 777s, with an option for seven more, in a $64. 5 million deal. As the airline celebrates its sixth anniversary, 25,000 passengers a week are being flown to 23 destinations. 1990Sheikh Ahmed signs up for three more Airbus A310-300s at the Asean Aerospace exhibition in Singapore. Emirates bucks the industry trend and continues to expand despite the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and adds Manchester to its schedule. Flights are added to Singapore, Manila and Bangkok. 1988 Damascus is added to the Emirates route network, giving it a total 12 destinations in just 38 months of business. Deals are struck to fly into London’s Gatwick Airport, as well as Istanbul, Frankfurt and Male, the capital of the Maldives. On July 3, A6-EKA flies from to Toulouse to Dubai as Emirates takes delivery of its first bought aircraft.The Airbus A310-304 is designed to Emirates specifications, giving the airline the opportunity to fully implement its commitment to offering a superior flying experience than its rivals. 1986 The network grows with traffic rights acquired into Amman, Colombo, Cairo and Dhaka. Investment in infrastructure and expansion costs sees Emirates posting losses for what would be the only time in its history. 1985 Sheikh Mohammed introduces Mr. Flanagan to his uncle and future Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Mr. Flanagan embarks on ambitious mission to launch an airline with $10 million in five months.Sheikh Ahmed and future president Tim Clark join Mr. Flanagan’s team. Pakistan International Airlines agrees to wet-lease Emirates two aircraft. Deals a re struck to fly into Karachi, New Delhi and Bombay. A PR disaster is thwarted by recruiting 80 Emirates staff to travel incognito to disguise the dismal sales of tickets on the maiden flight. On October 25 Flight EK600 departs Dubai International for Karachi. Sheikh Mohammed gifts two Boeing 727-200s to the airline. 1984 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Mr. Flanagan discuss launching an airline in Dubai. Mr.Flanagan is among a 10-man team which produces a business plan for the new airline – to be named either Dubai Airlines or Emirates airline. Sheikh Mohammed opts for Emirates and the decision is made to build the airline on top of dnata, which was already the sales agent for 25 airlines. 1978 Maurice Flanagan moves to Dubai to become director and general manager of dnata. 1960 Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum opens the airport and implements innovative open-skies policy. 1959 Dnata is established by the Dubai Government with just five staff to provide ground han dling services at the new Dubai International Airport.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Indian Motorcycles: America’s First Motorcycle Essay

The specific purpose of this presentation is to inform the audience and give a brief insight into the history of the Indian Motorcycle Company. The desired outcome of this presentation is to give a sense of understanding to the audience with regards to Indian Motorcycles. 1. Introduction Indian Motorcycles – An exquisitely designed machine, a thrilling history and a wellknown rivalry with its competition Harley Davidson, makes the Indian Motorcycle a legend in its own time. The history of the Indian Motorcycle dates back to the turn of the 20th century. They have taken our troops into two World Wars and have set land speed records, one of which still stands today. a. America’s love for the motorcycle began in 1900 with bicycle racer George M. Hendee and engineering wizard Carl Oscar Hedstrom. In 1901, the partners, who were both former bicycle racers, unveiled their first creation, the 1901 Single. This was a 1.75 bhp, single cylinder engine in Hendee’s home town of Springfield. b. The Indian Motorcycle was produced from 1901 to 1944 under the Indian name. In 1945, the company was sold and consolidated into the Torque Engineering Company. Later, the company was divided, with manufacturing going to the Atlas Corporation and distribution to The Indian Sales Corporation. Following the war, Indian struggled with re-entry into the public market. In 1953, with sales continuing to plummet, Indian was forced to halt production. c. After numerous attempts to revive the Indian name since its close in 1953, several formerly competing companies merge to become the Indian Motorcycle Company in 1998. Manufacturing begins in 1999, but the venture proves unsuccessful, and 2003 is the company’s final model year. d. In 2004, Stephen Julius and Steve Heese, business partners who resurrected the dying Chris-Craft Boat Company, turned their attention to Indian. They acquired the trademark rights and in 2008 production began. In 2009, Indians start rolling of the assembly line in Kings Mountain, NC. and production continues through today. 2. Competition and the Indian a. One of the American firm’s best early results came in the Isle of Man TT race in 1911, when Indian riders Godfrey, Franklin and Moorehouse finished first, second and third. b. Indian star Jake De Rosier set several speed records both in America and at Brooklands in England, and won an estimated 900 races on dirt-tracks. He left Indian for Excelsior and died in 1913, aged 33, of injuries sustained in a race crash. c. In 1967, New Zealander Herbert â€Å"Burt† Munro, a 68 year old grandfather, used a self-modified 1920s Indian Scout to an under-1000cc land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats which clocked him at a top speed of 206 3 miles per hour. Forty four years later, Munro and his Indian’s record still stands. This was dramatized in the 2005 film â€Å"The World’s Fastest Indian†. 3. Modern Marvels a. In 1904, Indian wins the Gold Medal for Mechanical Excellence at the St. Louis Exposition. b. In 1906, Indian released the first American production V-Twin. More than 100 years later, the V-Twin engine remains most popular cruiser-motorcycle engine design. c. In 1940, Indian engineers incorporate the use of â€Å"plunger†. This is a spring, coupled to an oil-dampened shaft, and together becomes rear suspension. d. In 1943, Indian wins the coveted Army-Navy Production Award for its highly advanced shaft-drive, four-speed motorcycle built for the military. 4. Indian Models a. Indian introduced the Twin in 1907. b. In 1920, Indian expanded the model lineup to five. c. The revolutionary Scout, the 95 mph Chief, the even more powerful Big Chief, the lightweight Prince and the awesome 4-cylinder Four. d. In 1932, The Pony Scout and the Sport Scout were both introduced. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, Indian Motorcycles have withstood the test of time, although hard times did fall upon them and bankruptcy was filed. Production was halted for a number of years, but in the end America’s First Motorcycle has solidified its name in America’s history books. Indian Motorcycles proved to be engineering marvels from the first moment of conception through today. From the battlefields of World War 1 and 2 to the racetracks of days gone by, Indian Motorcycles are an American Icon. References Johnstone, G. â€Å"Classic Motorcycles† p. 44, 46-47 Tiger Books International PLC, 1993 Franklin’s Indians: â€Å"Irish motorcycle racer Charles B Franklin, designer of the Indian Scout & Chief†, by Harry V Sucher, Tim Pickering, Liam Diamond and Harry Havelin, pp. 46-50, Panther Publishing Ltd, 2011 Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 11 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 108-109 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 â€Å"Online Museum for Indian Bicycles†. Retrieved 2011-10-03 Wilson, H. The Ultimate Motorcycle Book p. 31 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1993 Wilson, H. The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle p. 271 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1995 Wilson, H. The Ultimate Motorcycle Book p. 37 Dorling-Kindersley Limited, 1993 http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/ Description of Visuals Title Slide 1– This slide introduces my presentation, states my name, date, class/number and Professor. Introduction Slide 2 – With this slide, I formally introduce my presentation. I used colors that are appealing to the eyes and relevant to the colors of my topic. The picture is a vintage Indian sign displaying one of Indians first logos. Main Point Slide 3 – This slide displays pictures of each of the two men that started Indian Motorcycles and gives a brief history of the men. Slide 4 – This slide describes more history and the picture represents a 1940’s logo. Slide 5 – This slide continues with history and the picture is of the traditional Indian Head Fender Light. Slide 6 – This slides finishes out the history portion of my presentation and the picture is of Indians biggest motorcycle â€Å"The Big Chief†. Slide 7 – With this slide, I introduce the competition part of my presentation and the picture is of an Indian hill climb race. Slide 8 – The slide talks about the racing efforts and the pictures are of two of Team Indian’s top racers. Slide 9 – This slide talks about the record setting Herbert â€Å"Burt† Munro and his top speed of 205 mph. The picture is of Mr. Munro and his machine. Slide 10 – With this slide, I introduce the engineering achievements and awards that Indian won. The pictures are of a V-Twin engine, a military Indian and the Indian corporate factory. Slide 11 – This slide list the various models that Indian produced and the pictures are of the Sport Scout, the V-Twin and the Pony Scout. Conclusion Slide 12 – This slide re-visits the main points of the presentation and finishes off with a Famous Indian Motorcycle quote. No pictures as of yet.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 17 VISITOR

UNNATURALLY STILL AND WHITE, WITH LARGE BLACK EYES intent on my face, my visitor waited perfectly motionless in the center of the halt, beautiful beyond imagining. My knees trembled for a second, and I nearly fell. Then I hurled myself at her. â€Å"Alice, oh, Alice!† I cried, as I slammed into her. I'd forgotten how hard she was; it was like running headlong into a wall of cement. â€Å"Bella?† There was a strange mingling of relief and confusion in her voice. I locked my arms around her, gasping to inhale as much of the scent of her skin as possible. It wasn't like anything elsenot floral or spice, citrus or musk. No perfume in the world could compare. My memory hadn't done it justice. I didn't notice when the gasping turned into something elseI only realized I was sobbing when Alice dragged me to the living room couch and pulled me into her lap. It was like curling up into a cool stone, but a stone that was contoured comfortingly to the shape of my body. She rubbed my back in a gentle rhythm, waiting for me to get control of myself. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I blubbered. â€Å"I'm just so happy to see you!† â€Å"It's okay, Bella. Everything's okay.† â€Å"Yes,† I bawled. And, for once, it seemed that way. Alice sighed. â€Å"I'd forgotten how exuberant you are,† she said, and her tone was disapproving. I looked up at her through my streaming eyes. Alice's neck was tight, straining away from me, her lips pressed together firmly. Her eyes were black as pitch. â€Å"Oh,† I puffed, as I realized the problem. She was thirsty. And I smelled appetizing. It had been a while since I'd had to think about that kind of thing. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"It's my own fault. It's been too long since I hunted. I shouldn't let myself get so thirsty. But I was in a hurry today.† The look she directed at me then was a glare. â€Å"Speaking of which, would you like to explain to me how you're alive?† That brought me up short and stopped the sobs. I realized what must have happened immediately, and why Alice was here. I swallowed loudly. â€Å"You saw me fall.† â€Å"No,† she disagreed, her eyes narrowing. â€Å"I saw you jump.† I pursed my lips as I tried to think of an explanation that wouldn't sound nuts. Alice shook her head. â€Å"I told him this would happen, but he didn't believe me. ‘Bella promised,'† her voice imitated his so perfectly that I iroze in shock while the pain ripped through my torso. â€Å"‘Don't be looking for her future, either,'† she continued to quote him. ‘†We've done enough damage.† â€Å"But just because I'm not looking, doesn't mean I don't see† she went on. â€Å"I wasn't keeping tabs on you, I swear, Bella. It's just that I'm alreacy attuned to you when I saw you jumping, I didn't think, I just got on a plane. I knew I would be too late, but I couldn't do nothing. And then I get here, thinking maybe I could help Charlie somehow, and you drive up.† She shook her head, this time in confusion. Her voice was strained. â€Å"I saw you go into the water and I waited and waited for you to come up, but you didn't. What happened? And how could you do that to Charlie? Did you stop to think what this would do to him? And my brother? Do you have any idea what Edward† I cut her off then, as soon as she said his name. I'd let her go on, even after I realized the misunderstanding she was under, just to hear the perfect bell tone of her voice. But it was time to interrupt. â€Å"Alice, I wasn't committing suicide.† She eyed me dubiously. â€Å"Are you saying you didn't jump off a cliff?† â€Å"No, but† I grimaced. â€Å"It was for recreational purposes only.† Her expression hardened. â€Å"I'd seen some of Jacob's friends cliff diving,† I insisted. â€Å"It looked like fun, and I was bored† She waited. â€Å"I didn't think about how the storm would affect the currents. Actually, I didn't think about the water much at all.† Alice didn't buy it. I could see that she still thought I had been trying to kill myself. I decided to redirect. â€Å"So if you saw me go in, why didn't you see Jacob?† She cocked her head to the side, distracted. I continued. â€Å"It's true that I probably would have drowned if Jacob hadn't jumped in after me. Well, okay, there's no probably about it. But he did, and he pulled me out, and I guess he towed me back to shore, though I was kind of out for that part. It couldn't have been more than a minute that I was under before he grabbed me. How come you didn't see that?† She frowned in perplexity. â€Å"Someone pulled you out?† â€Å"Yes. Jacob saved me.† I watched curiously as an enigmatic range of emotions flitted across her face. Something was bothering herher imperfect vision? But I wasn't sure. Then she deliberately leaned in and sniffed my shoulder. I froze. â€Å"Don't be ridiculous,† she muttered, sniffing at me some more. â€Å"What are you doing?† She ignored my question. â€Å"Who was with you out there just now? It sounded like you were arguing.† â€Å"Jacob Black. He's sort of my best friend, I guess. At least, he was† I thought of Jacob's angry, betrayed face, and wondered what he was to me now. Alice nodded, seeming preoccupied. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I don't know,† she said. â€Å"I'm not sure what it means.† â€Å"Well, I'm not dead, at least.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"He was a fool to think you could survive alone. I've never seen anyone so prone to life-threatening idiocy.† â€Å"I survived,† I pointed out. She was thinking of something else. â€Å"So, if the currents were too much for you, how did this Jacob manage?† â€Å"Jacob is strong.† She heard the reluctance in my voice, and her eyebrows rose. I gnawed on my lip for a second. Was this a secret, or not? And if it was, then who was my greatest allegiance to? Jacob, or Alice? It was too hard to keep secrets, I decided. Jacob knew everything, why not Alice, too? â€Å"See, well, he's sort of a werewolf,† I admitted in a rush. â€Å"The Quileutes turn into wolves when there are vampires around. They know Carlisle from a long time ago. Were you with Carlisle back then?† Alice gawked at me for a moment, and then recovered herself, blinking rapidly. â€Å"Well, I guess that explains the smell,† she muttered. â€Å"But does it explain what I didn't see?† She frowned, her porcelain forehead creasing. â€Å"The smell?† I repeated. â€Å"You smell awful,† she said absently, still frowning. â€Å"A werewolf? Are you sure about that?† â€Å"Very sure,† I promised, wincing as I remembered Paul and Jacob fighting in the road. â€Å"I guess you weren't with Carlisle the last time there were werewolves here in Forks?† â€Å"No. I hadn't found him yet.† Alice was still lost in thought. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she turned to stare at me with a shocked expression. â€Å"Your best friend is a werewolf?† I nodded sheepishly. â€Å"How long has this been going on?† â€Å"Not long,† I said, my voice sounding defensive. â€Å"He's only been a werewolf for just a few weeks.† She glowered at me. â€Å"A young werewolf? Even worse! Edward was rightyou're a magnet for danger. Weren't you supposed to be staying out of trouble?† â€Å"There's nothing wrong with werewolves,† I grumbled, stung by her critical tone. â€Å"Until they lose their tempers.† She shook her head sharply from side to side. â€Å"Leave it to you, Bella. Anyone else would be better off when the vampires left town. But you have to start hanging out with the first monsters you can find.† I didn't want to argue with AliceI was still trembling with joy that she was really, truly here, that I could touch her marble skin and hear her wind-chime voicebut she had it all wrong. â€Å"No, Alice, the vampires didn't really leavenot all of them, anyway. That's the whole trouble. If it weren't for the werewolves, Victoria would have gotten me by now. Well, if it weren't for Jake and his friends, Laurent would have gotten me before she could, I guess, so† â€Å"Victoria?† she hissed. â€Å"Laurent?† I nodded, a teensy bit alarmed by the expression in her black eyes. I pointed at my chest. â€Å"Danger magnet, remember?† She shook her head again. â€Å"Tell me everythingstart at the beginning.† I glossed over the beginning, skipping the motorcycles and the voices, but telling her everything else right up to today's misadventure. Alice didn't like my thin explanation about boredom and the cliffs, so I hurried on to the strange flame I'd seen on the water and what I thought it meant. Her eyes narrowed almost to slits at that part. It was strange to see her look so so dangerouslike a vampire. I swallowed hard and went on with the rest about Harry. She listened to my story without interrupting. Occasionally, she would shake her head, and the crease in her forehead deepened until it looked like it was carved permanently into the marble of her skin. She didn't speak and, finally, I fell quiet, struck again by the borrowed grief at Harry's passing. I thought of Charlie; he would be home soon. What condition would he be in? â€Å"Our leaving didn't do you any good at all, did it?† Alice murmured. I laughed onceit was a slightly hysterical sound. â€Å"That was never the point, though, was it? It's not like you left for my benefit.† Alice scowled at the floor for a moment. â€Å"Well I guess I acted impulsively today. I probably shouldn't have intruded.† I could feel the blood draining from my face. My stomach dropped. â€Å"Don't go, Alice,† I whispered. My fingers locked around the collar of her white shirt and I began to hyperventilate. â€Å"Please don't leave me.† Her eyes opened wider. â€Å"All right,† she said, enunciating each word with slow precision. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere tonight. Take a deep breath.† I tried to obey, though I couldn't quite locate my lungs. She watched my face while I concentrated on my breathing. She waited till I was calmer to comment. â€Å"You look like hell, Bella.† â€Å"I drowned today,† I reminded her. â€Å"It goes deeper than that. You're a mess.† I flinched. â€Å"Look, I'm doing my best.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"It hasn't been easy. I'm working on it.† She frowned. â€Å"I told him,† she said to herself. â€Å"Alice,† I sighed. â€Å"What did you think you were going to find? I mean, besides me dead? Did you expect to find me skipping around and whistling show tunes? You know me better than that.† â€Å"I do. But I hoped.† â€Å"Then I guess I don't have the corner on the idiocy market.† The phone rang. â€Å"That has to be Charlie,† I said, staggering to my feet. I grabbed Alice's stone hand and dragged her with me to the kitchen. I wasn't about to let her out of my sight. â€Å"Charlie?† I answered the phone. â€Å"No, it's me,† Jacob said. â€Å"Jake!† Alice scrutinized my expression. â€Å"Just making sure you were still alive,† Jacob said sourly. â€Å"I'm fine. I told you that it wasn't† â€Å"Yeah. I got it. ‘Bye.† Jacob hung up on me. I sighed and let my head hang back, staring at the ceiling. â€Å"That's going to be a problem.† Alice squeezed my hand. â€Å"They aren't excited I'm here.† â€Å"Not especially. But it's none of their business anyway.† Alice put her arm around me. â€Å"So what do we do now?† she mused. She seemed to talk to herself for a moment. â€Å"Things to do. Loose ends to tie.† â€Å"What things to do?† Her face was suddenly careful. â€Å"I don't know for sure I need to see Carlisle.† Would she leave so soon? My stomach dropped. â€Å"Could you stay?† I begged. â€Å"Please? For just a little while. I've missed you so much.† My voice broke. â€Å"If you think that's a good idea.† Her eyes were unhappy. â€Å"I do. You can stay hereCharlie would love that.† â€Å"I have a house, Bella.† I nodded, disappointed but resigned. She hesitated, studying me. â€Å"Well, I need to go get a suitcase of clothes, at the very least.† I threw my arms around her. â€Å"Alice, you're the best!† â€Å"And I think I'll need to hunt. Immediately,† she added in a strained voice. â€Å"Oops.† I took a step back. â€Å"Can you stay out of trouble for one hour?† she asked skeptically. Then, before I could answer, she held up one finger and closed her eyes. Her face went smooth and blank for a few seconds. And then her eyes opened and she answered her own question. â€Å"Yes, you'll be fine. For tonight, anyway.† She grimaced. Even making faces, she looked like an angel. â€Å"You'll come back?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"I promiseone hour.† I glanced at the clock over the kitchen table. She laughed and leaned in quickly to kiss me on the cheek. Then she was gone. I took a deep breath. Alice would be back. I suddenly felt so much better. I had plenty to do to keep myself busy while I waited. A shower was definitely first on the agenda. I sniffed my shoulders as I undressed, but I couldn't smell anything but the brine and seaweed scent of the ocean. I wondered what Alice had meant about me smelling bad. When I was cleaned up, I went back to the kitchen. I couldn't see any signs that Charlie ‘lad eaten recently, and he would probably be hungry when he got back. I hummed tunelessly to myself as I moved around the kitchen. While Thursday's casserole rotated in the microwave, I made up the couch with sheets and an old pillow. Alice wouldn't need it, but Charlie would need to see it. I was careful not to watch the clock. There was no reason to start myself panicking; Alice had promised. I hurried through my dinner, not tasting itjust feeling the ache as it slid down my raw throat. Mostly I was thirsty; I must have drunk a half gallon of water by the time I was finished. All the salt in my system had dehydrated me. I went to go try to watch TV while I waited. Alice was already there, sitting on her improvised bed. Her eyes were a liquid butterscotch. She smiled and patted the pillow. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"You're early,† I said, elated. I sat down next to her and leaned my head on her shoulder. She put her cold arms around me and sighed. â€Å"Bella. What are we going to do with you?† â€Å"I don't know,† I admitted. â€Å"I really have been trying my hardest.† â€Å"I believe you.† It was silent. â€Å"Doesdoes he† I took a deep breath. It was harder to say his name out loud, even though I was able to think it now. â€Å"Does Edward know you're here?† I couldn't help asking. It was my pain, after all. I'd deal with it when she was gone, I promised myself, and felt sick at the thought. â€Å"No.† There was only one way that could be true. â€Å"He's not with Carlisle and Esme?† â€Å"He checks in every few months.† â€Å"Oh.† He must still be out enjoying his distractions. I focused my curiosity on a safer topic. â€Å"You said you flew here Where did you come from?† â€Å"I was in Denali. Visiting Tanya's family.† â€Å"Is Jasper here? Did he come with your'† She shook her head. â€Å"He didn't approve of my interfering. We promised† she trailed off, and then her tone changed. â€Å"And you think Charlie won't mind my being here?† she asked, sounding worried. â€Å"Charlie thinks you're wonderful, Alice.† â€Å"Well, we're about to find out.† Sure enough, a few seconds later I heard the cruiser pull into the driveway. I jumped up and hurried to open the door. Charlie trudged slowly up the walk, his eyes on the ground and his shoulders slumped. I walked forward to meet him; he didn't even see me until I hugged him around the waist. He embraced me back fiercely. â€Å"I'm so sorry about Harry, Dad.† â€Å"I'm really going to miss him,† Charlie mumbled. â€Å"How's Sue doing?† â€Å"She seems dazed, like she hasn't grasped it yet. Sam's staying with her† The volume of his voice faded in and out. â€Å"Those poor kids. Leah's just a year older than you, and Seth is only fourteen† He shook his head. He kept his arms tight around me as he started toward the door again. â€Å"Um, Dad?† I figured I'd better warn him. â€Å"You'll never guess who's here.† He looked at me blankly. His head swiveled around, and he spied the Mercedes across the street, the porch light reflecting off the glossy black paint. Before he could react, Alice was in the doorway. â€Å"Hi, Charlie,† she said in a subdued voice. â€Å"I'm sorry I came at such a bad time.† â€Å"Alice Cullen?† he peered at the slight figure in front of him as if he doubted what his eyes were telling him. â€Å"Alice, is that you?† â€Å"It's me,† she confirmed. â€Å"I was in the neighborhood.† â€Å"Is Carlisle† â€Å"No, I'm alone.† Both Alice and I knew he wasn't really asking about Carlisle. His arm tightened over my shoulder. â€Å"She can stay here, can't she?† I pleaded. â€Å"I already asked her.† â€Å"Of course,† Charlie said mechanically. â€Å"We'd love to have you, Alice.† â€Å"Thank you, Charlie. I know it's horrid timing.† â€Å"No, it's fine, really. I'm going to be really busy doing what I can for Harry's family; it will be nice for Bella to have some company.† â€Å"There's dinner for you on the table, Dad,† I told him. â€Å"Thanks, Bell.† He gave me one more squeeze before he shuffled toward the kitchen. Alice went back to the couch, and I followed her. This time, she was the one to pull me against her shoulder. â€Å"You look tired.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed, and shrugged. â€Å"Near-death experiences do that to me So, what does Carlisle think of you being here?† â€Å"He doesn't know. He and Esme were on a hunting trip. I'll hear from him in a few days, when he gets back.† â€Å"You won't tell him, though when he checks in again?† I asked. She knew I didn't mean Carlisle now. â€Å"No. He'd bite my head off,† Alice said grimly. I laughed once, and then sighed. I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to stay up all night talking to Alice. And it didn't make sense for me to be tired, what with crashing on Jacob's couch all day. But drowning really had taken a lot out of me, and my eyes wouldn't stay open. I rested my head on her stone shoulder, and drifted into a more peaceful oblivion than I had any hope of. I woke early, from a deep and dreamless sleep, feeling well-rested, but stiff. I was on the couch tucked under the blankets I'd laid out for Alice, and I could hear her and Charlie talking in the kitchen. It sounded like Charlie was fixing her breakfast. â€Å"How bad was it, Charlie?† Alice asked softly, and at first I thought they were talking about the Clearwaters. Charlie sighed. â€Å"Real bad.† â€Å"Tell me about it. I want to know exactly what happened when we left.† There was a pause while a cupboard door was closed and a dial on the stove was clicked off. I waited, cringing. â€Å"I've never felt so helpless,† Charlie began slowly. â€Å"I didn't know what to do. That first weekI thought I was going to have to hospitalize her. She wouldn't eat or drink, she wouldn't move. Dr. Gerandy was throwing around words like ‘catatonic,' but I didn't let him up to see her. I was afraid it would scare her.† â€Å"She snapped out of it though?† â€Å"I had Renee come to take her to Florida. I just didn't want to be the one if she had to go to a hospital or something. I hoped being with her mother would help. But when we started packing her clothes, she woke up with a vengeance. I've never seen Bella throw a fit like that. She was never one for the tantrums, but, boy, did she fly into a fury. She threw her clothes everywhere and screamed that we couldn't make her leaveand then she finally started crying. I thought that would be the turning point. I didn't argue when she insisted on staying here and she did seem to get better at first† Charlie trailed off. It was hard listening to this, knowing how much pain I'd caused him. â€Å"But?† Alice prompted. â€Å"She went back to school and work, she ate and slept and did her homework. She answered when someone asked her a direct question. But she was empty. Her eyes were blank. There were lots of little thingsshe wouldn't listen to music anymore; I found a bunch of CDs broken in the trash. She didn't read; she wouldn't be in the same room when the TV was on, not that she watched it so much before. I finally figured it outshe was avoiding everything that might remind her of him. â€Å"We could hardly talk; I was so worried about saying something that would upset herthe littlest things would make her flinchand she never volunteered anything. She would just answer if I asked her something. â€Å"She was alone all the time. She didn't call her friends back, and after a while, they stopped calling. â€Å"It was night of the living dead around here. I still hear her screaming in her sleep† I could almost see him shuddering. I shuddered, too, remembering. And then I sighed. I hadn't fooled him at all, not for one second. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Charlie,† Alice said, voice glum. â€Å"It's not your fault.† The way he said it made it perfectly clear that he was holding someone responsible. â€Å"You were always a good friend to her.† â€Å"She seems better now, though.† â€Å"Yeah. Ever since she started hanging out with Jacob Black, I've noticed a real improvement. She has some color in her cheeks when she comes home, some light in her eyes. She's happier.† He paused, and his voice was different when he spoke again. â€Å"He's a year or so younger than her, and I know she used to think of him as a friend, but I think maybe it's something more now, or headed that direction, anyway.† Charlie said this in a tone that was almost belligerent. It was a warning, not for Alice, but for her to pass along. â€Å"Jake's old for his years,† he continued, still sounding defensive. â€Å"He's taken care of his father physically the way Bella took care of her mother emotionally. It matured him. He's a good-looking kid, tootakes after his mom's side. He's good for Bella, you know,† Charlie insisted. â€Å"Then it's good she has him,† Alice agreed. Charlie sighed out a big gust of air, folding quickly to the lack of opposition. â€Å"Okay, so I guess that's overstating things. I don't know even with Jacob, now and then I see something in her eyes, and I wonder if I've ever grasped how much pain she's really in It's not normal, Alice, and it it frightens me. Not normal at all. Not like someone left her, but like someone died.† His voice cracked. It was like someone had diedlike I had died. Because it had been more than just losing the truest of true loves, as if that were not enough to kill anyone. It was also losing a whole future, a whole familythe whole life that I'd chosen Charlie went on in a hopeless tone. â€Å"I don't know if she's going to get over itI'm not sure if it's in her nature to heal from something like this. She's always been such a constant little thing. She doesn't get past things, change her mind.† â€Å"She's one of a kind,† Alice agreed in a dry voice. â€Å"And Alice† Charlie hesitated. â€Å"Now, you know how fond I am of you, and I can tell that she's happy to see you, but I'm a little worried about what your visit will do to her.† â€Å"So am I, Charlie, so am I. I wouldn't have come if I'd had any idea. I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't apologize, honey. Who knows? Maybe it will be good for her.† â€Å"I hope you're right.† There was a long break while forks scraped plates and Charlie chewed. I wondered where Alice was hiding the food. â€Å"Alice, I have to ask you something,† Charlie said awkwardly. Alice was calm. â€Å"Go ahead.† â€Å"He's not coming back to visit, too, is he?† I could hear the suppressed anger in Charlie's voice. Alice answered in a soft, reassuring tone. â€Å"He doesn't even know I'm here. The last time I spoke with him, he was in South America.† I stiffened as I heard this new information, and listened harder. â€Å"That's something, at least.† Charlie snorted. â€Å"Well, I hope he's enjoying himself.† For the first time, Alice's voice had a bit of steel in it. â€Å"I wouldn't make assumptions, Charlie.† I knew how her eyes would flash when she used that tone. A chair scooted from the table, scraping loudly across the floor. I pictured Charlie getting up; there was no way Alice would make that kind of noise. The faucet ran, splashing against a dish. It didn't sound like they were going to say anything more about Edward, so I decided it was time to wake up. I turned over, bouncing against the springs to make them squeak. Then I yawned loudly. All was quiet in the kitchen. I stretched and groaned. â€Å"Alice?† I asked innocently; the soreness rasping in my throat added nicely to the charade. â€Å"I'm in the kitchen, Bella,† Alice called, no hint in her voice that she suspected my eavesdropping. But she was good at hiding things like that. Charlie had to leave thenhe was helping Sue Clearwater with the funeral arrangements. It would have been a very long day without Alice. She never spoke about leaving, and I didn't ask her. I knew it was inevitable, but I put it out of my mind. Instead, we talked about her familyall but one. Carlisle was working nights in Ithaca and teaching part time at Cornell. Esme was restoring a seventeenth century house, a historical monument, in the forest north of the city. Emmett and Rosalie had gone to Europe for a few months on another honeymoon, but they were back now. Jasper was at Cornell, too, studying philosophy this time. And Alice had been doing some personal research, concerning the information I'd accidentally uncovered for her last spring. She'd successfully tracked down the asylum where she'd spent the last years of her human life. The life she had no memory of. â€Å"My name was Mary Alice Brandon,† she told me quietly. â€Å"I had a little sister named Cynthia. Her daughtermy nieceis still alive in Biloxi.† â€Å"Did you find out why they put you in that place?† What would drive parents to that extreme? Even if their daughter saw visions of the future She just shook her head, her topaz eyes thoughtful. â€Å"I couldn't find much about them. I went through all the old newspapers on microfiche. My family wasn't mentioned often; they weren't part of the social circle that made the papers. My parents' engagement was there, and Cynthia's.† The name fell uncertainly from her tongue. â€Å"My birth was announced and my death. I found my grave. I also filched my admissions sheet from the old asylum archives. The date on the admission and the date on my tombstone are the same.† I didn't know what to say, and, after a short pause, Alice moved on to lighter topics. The Cullens were reassembled now, with the one exception, spending Cornell's spring break in Denali with Tanya and her family. I listened too eagerly to even the most trivial news. She never mentioned the one I was most interested in, and for that I was grateful. It was enough to listen to the stories of the family I'd once dreamed of belonging to. Charlie didn't get back until after dark, and he looked more worn than he had the night before. He would be headed back to the reservation first thing in the morning for Harry's funeral, so he turned in early. I stayed on the couch with Alice again. Charlie was almost a stranger when he came down the stairs before the sun was up, wearing an old suit I'd never seen him in before. The jacket hung open; I guessed it was too tight to fasten the buttons. His tie was a bit wide for the current style. He tiptoed to the door, trying not to wake us up. I let him go, pretending to sleep, as Alice did on the recliner. As soon as he was out the door, Alice sat up. Under the quilt, she was fully dressed. â€Å"So, what are we doing today?† she asked. â€Å"I don't knowdo you see anything interesting happening?† She smiled and shook her head. â€Å"But it's still early.† All the time I'd been spending in La Push meant a pile of things I'd been neglecting at home, and I decided to catch up on my chores. I wanted to do something, anything that might make life easier for Charliemaybe it would make him feel just a little better to come home to a clean, organized house. I started with the bathroomit showed the most signs of neglect. While I worked, Alice leaned against the doorjamb and asked nonchalant questions about my, well, our high school friends and what they been up to since she'd left. Her face stayed casual and emotionless, but I sensed her disapproval when she realized how little I could tell her. Or maybe I just had a guilty conscience after eavesdropping on her conversation with Charlie yesterday morning. I was literally up to my elbows in Comet, scrubbing the floor of the bathtub, when the doorbell rang. I looked to Alice at once, and her expression was perplexed, almost worried, which was strange; Alice was never taken by surprise. â€Å"Hold on!† I shouted in the general direction of the front door, getting up and hurrying to the sink to rinse my arms off. â€Å"Bella,† Alice said with a trace of frustration in her voice, â€Å"I have a fairly good guess who that might be, and I think I'd better step out.† â€Å"Guess?† I echoed. Since when did Alice have to guess anything? â€Å"If this is a repeat of my egregious lapse in foresight yesterday, then it's most likely Jacob Black or one of his friends.† I stared at her, putting it together. â€Å"You can't see werewolves?† She grimaced. â€Å"So it would seem.† She was obviously annoyed by this factvery annoyed. The doorbell rang againbuzzing twice quickly and impatiently. â€Å"You don't have go anywhere, Alice. You were here first.† She laughed her silvery little laughit had a dark edge. â€Å"Trust meit wouldn't be a good idea to have me and Jacob Black in a room together.† She kissed my cheek swiftly before she vanished through Charlie's doorand out his back window, no doubt. The doorbell rang again.