Teens and Social Media - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 523 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/05 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Social Media Essay Did you like this example? While on one hand informal organization destinations appears to unite individuals and associated then again it makes social separation as to BBC News report. As teens tend to spend numerous hours on these websites, they occasionally have eye to eye communication. Spending too much time on these sites can be dangerous as frequently because of political occasions the world over express and savage symbolism get appeared on the exchange strings. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Teens and Social Media" essay for you Create order Frequently it is extremely hard to direct such substance because of its viral nature. This may negatively affect the psyches of the kids, driving them to have a twisted perspective of the world. Concurring different examinations, researchers assessment discovered that social separation can prompt a large group of passionate, mental, physical and mental issues which incorporate tension, despondency and substantial objections among numerous others. The present young people are presented to pictures and statuses that depict flawlessness. Online life locales, for example, Facebook and Instagram tend to feature admired body-types through pictures that have been cosmetically adjusted, and accordingly set implausible and unattainable magnificence principles for youthful kids whose bodies are experiencing wild change. Other contrary impacts of informal communication different individuals recommended included empowering poor spelling and linguistic use, presenting underage to online predators, permitting spread of falsehood that is seen as actuality, diminishing profitability as the individuals who should work invest energy in the destinations to talk, give an ideal stage to digital tormenting and giving subtle elements that expansion dangers of wholesale fraud. Kids investing excessive energy online may consider a virtual connection substitute for a genuine one. Creating social aptitudes encourages young people to set up and look after companionships. Because of the way that youngsters and kids invest a ton of energy connecting over online networking locales and applications, a considerable lot of them are setting up social collaboration aptitudes that dont really apply to the disconnected world. While, obviously, online networking can sustain and fortify existing connections, its indispensable that youngsters likewise figure out how to have significant, up close and personal trades with individuals. Being socially secluded is a noteworthy hazard factor for both wretchedness and suicide. With young people presently investing more energy on the web and less time collaborating with individuals in reality, they hazard attempting to create compelling social aptitudes as well as inclining themselves to psychological well-being issues. Mental specialists caution that web-based social networking destinations can have passionate ramifications for kids who are as of now experiencing low confidence or certainty. Such youngsters may judge their prosperity by the quantity of companions they have on the Facebook or if they are incorporated into a gathering of individuals. This may prompt further diminishing of their certainty. By investing more energy online, they frequently disregard the significance and the fitting conduct identified with eye to eye contact. Hence, the arrangement of relational aptitudes that are fundamental for the accomplishment in the genuine may not grow legitimately. In conclusion, social media can have either a positive or negative impact on youth and young adults, it all just depends on how you use it, how much you use it and what youre using it for.

Psychoanalytic Personality - 1151 Words

Psychoanalytic Personality Shannon A. Colon Lampley University Of Phoenix PSY/150 September 23, 2015 Dr. P. Edvard Pharel Psychology goes back ages ago; the three major psychologists are Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, and Carl Jung. All have different theories, but some parts of their theories are similar. All theories have the same concept of how one self can identify their own personality. The information that will be given in the next paragraphs would show how old theories from the past can still be shown now in the twenty first century. To start off with Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalytical personality is known by three factors; Id, Ego, and Superego. Freud argued over the three factors that the cause of the†¦show more content†¦When Jung approaches psychology he has a respectable influence. He was the first modern psychologist and he believed that the human psyche is naturally religious. Being modern he understood the psyche of the world of dreams, art, mythology, religion, and philosophy. He always believed importance of balance and harmony. Now in days people rely on scie nce and logic that would help appreciation and spirituality that comes from the unconscious mind. He also believes that the process of putting conscious and unconscious will help maintain a conscious autonomy. These are concepts of analytical psychology of Jung. The last psychologist is Alfred Adler. The Other Neo-Freudians, Alfred Adler, is another important Neo-Freudian psychoanalyst who also considered Freudian theory’s emphasis on sexual needs misplaced. He proposed that the quest for self-improvement and perfection is the primary human motivation. The term inferiority complex is used to describe situations where adults cannot overcome the feelings of inferiority that they developed as a child. Adler’s theory has to do with self-esteem and how it affects human health. I found the reading on his inferiority complex most interesting. I agreed with Adler that humans are motivated by social relatedness rather than by sexual urges. I think that of all three I agreed wi th his theories most! IShow MoreRelatedPsychoanalytic Psychology : Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment1427 Words   |  6 Pages Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment Julious Campbell PSY/250 June 8, 2015 MR. MICHAEL PHILLIPS Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment Many people consider Psychology a science, which is true, applied science. Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior which has different levels with many dimensions. Psychology is compounded with many theories and studies that by trial, and error, have made psychology into the discipline that it has become today. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and AlfredRead MorePsychoanalytic And Psychodynamic Theory Of Personality938 Words   |  4 PagesPsychoanalytic/ Psychodynamic: The psychodynamic perspective focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in the development of personality. Freud believed that the personality develops in a series of five stages that develop the three divisions of personality. In the oral stage, the fixation is in the mouth, and would be the cause of his introverted nature; likewise, in the anal stage, Roberto would discover his reserved nature, while the phallic stage, he would further refine his reserved natureRead MorePsychoanalytic and Trait Approaches Personality Assessment Essay996 Words   |  4 PagesPsychoanalytic and Trait Approaches Personality Assessment PSY/250 Psychoanalytic and Trait Approaches Personality Assessment I have always attributed personality as being a culmination of environment first, biology second, and traits, or what my understanding of them was. I was not aware of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic approach, or the correct definition of the trait theory prior to beginning this class. The psychoanalytic approach to personality defines the origins of personality as beingRead MorePersonality, Ethics, And Different Aspects Of The Psychoanalytic Theory946 Words   |  4 Pages We have been talking about personality, ethics, and different aspects of the psychoanalytic theory in these past two weeks. There has been more information that I have learned, along with information I was already familiar with, however, it certainly cleared up things that were a little foggy from before. This class is by far the most interesting class that I have taken and it keeps me engaged every day. I am still looking forward to learning everything else that I have yet to learn. First, I wantRead MorePsychoanalytic Personality Assessment1107 Words   |  4 PagesPsychoanalytic personality assessment Introduction The psychoanalytic view states that there exist inner forces outside a persons awareness, which direct the persons behavior. Modern psychology has been impacted greatly by the psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Jung, and Adler. These three psychoanalysts proposed many concepts and their theories are still been attempted. Their human mind theories changed the world. The three believed that in personality shaping childhood development and parentingRead MorePsychoanalytic Criticism Of Freud s Theory Of Human Personality Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychoanalytic criticism is built upon Sigmund Freud’s psychological theories of the unconscious, the desires, and the defenses. The father of psychoanalysis began his work in the 1880’s, treating the chaos of hysteria first, listening to his patients talk through their problems. From his studies, he came to conclusion that a person’s behavior is affected by their unconscious, ...the notion that human beings are motivated, even driven, by desires, fears, needs, and conflicts of which they areRead MoreThe Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality903 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Personality Theories Introduction In psychology, personality can be described as the the patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion unique to an individual, and the ways they interact to help or hinder the adjustment of a person to other people and situations (personality, 2012). Psychologists may make use of idiographic or nomothetic techniques in order to study personality of an individual. Many characteristics of human behavior can be examined while studying ones personality. To putRead MorePsychoanalytic Personality Assessment1833 Words   |  8 PagesPSYCHOANALYTIC PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT Fetina Pennington PSY/250 December 19, 2012 Dr. Kathlyn J. Kirkwood PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT The Psychoanalytic Theories of Freud, Jung, and Adler contributed so much to psychology as we know it today. As developers of the theory of personality involving the id, ego, and superego, which led to the therapy method known as psychoanalysis, Freud, Jung and Adler shared many ideas and fought over many concepts in developing each of their versions ofRead MoreThe Theory Of Personality : A Psychoanalytic Theory1084 Words   |  5 PagesFreud developed a theory to describe the structure of personality called a psychoanalytic theory. This theory suggested that personality consists of the interaction of three component parts of personality and the mind: the id, ego, and superego. These three components are separate, but work together to make up the self. Each of these are important when it comes to development, and they are all a part of everyone. However, even though these components are at work in everyone, one may be more prominentRead MoreEssay on Psychoanalytic Personality Assess ment1120 Words   |  5 PagesPsychoanalytic Personality Assessment Thelma Cain PSY/250 June 16, 2011 Mary Mihelich Sigmund Freud, is said to be one of the greatest Psychologist of all times. Although he has a different outlook on understanding how people act is quite intriguing. In comparison and contrast the psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Jung, and Adler are very different and unique. However, Freud, Jung, and Adler are not at all alike. Freud based most psychological things on sexuality. Jung, promoted the concept

City and Country Life free essay sample

Introduction Man is a social animal by nature and he cannot live in isolation. Throughout history, human beings have gathered to form civilizations some of which flourished in such a way that they reached the zenith of development. All these civilizations were characterized by their peculiar and unique settlements and culture patterns. Human settlements form a feature that has been a defining element between the two distinct forms of societies – rural and urban. The debate on â€Å"country life versus urban life is as old as the hills. Whereas country life presents the very basic form of living, urban life is blessed with more comforts and facilities. Urban settlements emerged as civilizations progressed and people required a closer interaction for their economic, social and political needs. Urban life comforted man with basic amenities as well as sheer luxuries of life and has become a hallmark of prosperity and growth. Country life, on the other hand, offers a natural setting, impossible to be found in urban dwellings. We will write a custom essay sample on City and Country Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The serene beauty and absolute purity of country environment, its traditional and rich culture and simple lifestyle, stronger social bonding and sincerity among people and remarkably fewer rates of crimes make country life a preferable form of living. Though country life, in many cases, lacks access to the civic amenities that are indispensable for a trouble-free living, most people still prefer to live in rural areas. As mentioned above, man cannot afford to live alone. No child can be brought up normally in isolation. The essential characteristics of a human being that turn him into a social man from a social animal are developed through interactions in society. A child acquires the qualities of learning, reasoning, socializing and communicating with others from the society. Human settlements are the defining feature of societies. Thus, the two basic forms of societies – rural and urban – are defined by human preferences of socialization. It is their desire for stronger political and social interactions that drives them to form urban settlements. Even the earliest civilizations of human history – Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians and Indians, to name a few, were centred on one or more cities. In fact, the word civilization itself means living in cities or urban areas. Urban settlements serve not only as political power-centres; they also provide opportunities for greater prosperity of civilizations. The maximum comforts of life are available only in urban environments. Modern facilities of health, education and civic amenities are the most striking feature of urban areas. Country folks can only dream of these facilities. Parks, recreational activities, better employment opportunities, modern banking and financial services, communication networks are provided in urban areas though some of them are available, to some extent, in villages as well. From universities to security arrangements, and from hospitals to shopping-malls, all these facilities are found in urban areas. Despite all these modern services and facilities, urban centres fail to cater the needs of human beings that can be fulfilled by villages only. The modern facilities in cities come at the cost of peace of mind and true and sincere relationships. Today, people are fed up of the fast and artificial life in cities. They travel hundreds of kilometres to enjoy the scenic beauty of nature that is an essential feature of countryside. Living in countryside still offers many attractions for the human beings. The most important and foremost among them are the serenity and tranquillity found there. The extreme overcrowding of cities is nowhere to be found in villages where one lives absolutely free of such irritating disturbances. The refreshing atmosphere of countryside ensures calmness and peace of mind which urban dwellers cannot even think of. Environment in rural areas is pure and clean. The fresh air, cleaner water, lush green fields, fresh fruits and vegetables are some benefits of countryside. Unlike urbanites, country folks do not face the problems like air and noise pollution, filthy gutters, and menacing traffic jams. They do not suffer from diseases and epidemics that are caused by contaminated water and overcrowded dwellings. The rich culture and simple lifestyle also at tract those who aspire to have a serene living. There is a high regard for culture and traditions in countryside. The culture, in its purest form, is celebrated only in villages. People are proud of their traditions and each social event is celebrated with great ardour and fervour. Another important feature of country life is its sincere and true people who are always there to help each other. Show-offs and exhibitionists are seldom found there and people know each other personally and very well. Frauds, forgeries and deceits that are rampant in urban societies, find little space in the fabric of rural society. As people know each other, these settlements have a tight community which results in strong social bonding. They share work in fields, take care of each other and are together through thick and thin. This creates a stronger sense of community unlike urban life where one may not know even his next-door neighbour for years. This close social bonding ensures lesser nuisance and crime rate in countryside. Urbanites are victims of street crimes, land-grabbing, extortion and even murders. In countryside, the conflicts are resolved through social control. The verdicts of elders are accepted and respected by everyone and disputes are settled amicably. This is in total contrast with the urban society where litigations and complaints are common. Another benefit of countryside is self-sufficiency in food as most people are involved in agriculture. The issues of food security or grains shortage are not known to them. Moreover, the cost of living is fairly lesser there. Contrarily, it is too high in urban areas. Accommodations are hard to find even at exorbitant prices. The standard of living is also low. Squatters are common in cities and people are forced to live in unhygienic and congested environment. The benefits of living in countryside are countless. However, everything has its price. The cost of enjoying pure and natural environment is the lack of basic amenities of life. The modern systems of sanitation, solid waste management and supply of drinking water supply are found in cities only. Urban dwellers enjoy modern facilities of health and education at their doorstep. The concept of suburbs is getting common as it offers a mixture of simplicity and purity of countryside and modern facilities of urban life. Suburbs are the hamlets or neighbourhoods that are outside of but reliant on nearby large city. Nowadays, people prefer living in such areas where they can enjoy natural beauty along with availing the modern facilities. To conclude, its purely a matter of choice which way one wants to live. Countryside and urban areas are two distinct societies offering peculiar benefits and facilities. Country folks aspire to have a reach to the modern civic amenities whereas urban dwellers long to live in serene and peaceful atmosphere of countryside. Many a people find ways to enjoy benefits of both and believe that the principle in Chinese adage making money in big cities and retirement in the country is the best choice. However, country life serves as an attraction to most people fed up of the busy lives in noisy and turbulent cities.

Social work and substance abuse free essay sample

From the 1920s to the 1950s social workers were not focused on helping alcoholic or drug-dependent people. Instead back then they worked with the spouse of the chemically dependent person. Juvenile drug use was not investigated until 1952. In 1957 social workers were urged to help change public attitudes towards alcoholism. In 1970 legislation was passed that was to affect the delivery of services including social work services to alcoholic clients. Soon courses were offered at school about alcoholism. Now social workers have many different techniques used when working with substance abusers. Social workers today encounter substance abuse across all fields. Views on substance abuse have changed greatly over the past 100 years. It used to not be as prevalent as it is now. Social workers only usually were concerned with adults but they did not realize that it starts with adolescents. The public is now more aware of the effects of substance abuse, they are able to help family member to get the right treatment for their addiction. We will write a custom essay sample on Social work and substance abuse or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 100 years ago there were not support groups for people with substance abuse. Now there are meeting such as AA that is available for alcoholics to go and talk about the addiction and these meeting help them in the recovery process. Social workers found that it was effective having the patients talk with other patients that have gone through the same process and experiences. Ronald Reagan helped promote these changes. He got funding set up to help get the police to stop the import and sale of illegal substances. The amount of people going to jail with drug related charges started to go up. Insurance companies decided to help pay for substance abuse care that was delivered in the general hospitals. This though led to the closure of many residential treatment centers. There have been some positive and some negative changes. When social workers started to help people with substance abuse and meetings such as AA meeting were established it was very effective. I believe that substance abuse is something that is very important and needed much attention 100 years ago. I also believe that when the police started to crackdown and stop the sale of illegal drugs that was effective. I did not think that is was a good chance when the insurance companies decided to only pay for help in only general hospitals. If anything they should be covering the stay at residential treatments centers. General hospitals only keep the patient for a few days and then they let them go, that is not enough time for substance abuse patients to get better. They would be better off in treatment centers where they are able to go through detox and meet with other patients.

Joseph Kosuth on Conceptual Art free essay sample

This report analyzes the heuristic influence of Joseph Kosuth on Conceptual art , which is a remarkable topic in contemporary art history with a historic study , comparing many important characteristics and art work to explain their similarities. This report is divided into four parts: Kosuth’s life and his work , the background and significance of conceptual art inside the text ,Kosuth’s exploratory impact on conceptual movement , and the conclusion. Joseph Kosuth was born in 1945,from Ohio, very considerable artist in that period , he led contemporary art history to shift from visual form to art with the conceptual significance of philosophic thinking, trying to break the barriers of traditional art forms ,especially the formalism (Whistler, 2012). Conceptual Art appeared as one of the art movement in1960s.At that time period ,there are a lot of different art movement influences others ,for example : Dadaism , Surrealism , Pop art , Land Art ,Installation Art. (Wood, 2002) In order to avoid to be the mainstream of formalist. We will write a custom essay sample on Joseph Kosuth on Conceptual Art or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Kosuth reject the use of painting and sculpture as a form of expression ,through questioning the nature of art , considered ideas or intention to be more essential than art object. He used the word â€Å"Mornphology†(Kosuth, 1969). Aesthetic, this mainly refers to the sense of beauty ,we should not use decorations as the function to measure the visual beauty of art or use that connected to â€Å"taste,† (Greenberg, 1983) which brought him to Clement Greenberg, described as â€Å"the critic of taste.†Kosuth wrote â€Å"Aesthetics is about subjective opinions on perception†¦we can deal aesthetically with anything that is in the world that our senses can respond to.†(Kosuth, 1969) Art and aesthetics must be separated. But When the sensory part is removed , what makes a work to be considered as art ? He mentioned Ad Reinhardt’s â€Å"Art as Art† (Cioffoletti, 2010) inside the text to oppose formalism and purified the form of aesthetic. To make his concept not misleading, Kosuth has find a way to show his work. Art and Language become a common strategy in his works. â€Å"Glass ,Word Material , Described†(Contemporary art daily, 2008) completed in 1965 by four large square o f glass on the wall, each piece of glass have a word printed on it. With Glass , Words ,Material , Described . From different sense to represents the objects itself. The purpose is to discard the conventional aesthetic rule. The use of glass because the glass has no colour ,the glass against the wall shows neither a painting hanging on the wall nor as a sculpture on  the ground. Also â€Å"One and Three Chairs†(MoMA, [n.d.]), this piece contains a â€Å"real† chair, a photo of the chair and the definition of the chair. By looking at this piece, it emerged the idea for the concept of the chair, it leads the viewer to think further about what is meant by the concept . This piece has become a significant icon for Kosuth because it stimulate the audience to intellectual thinking directly. Just like the Fountain (1917) form marcel Duchamp (Stafford, 2008) is the most famous readymade artwork influenced Kosuth. Regardless of the chair is replaced with boxes or other things, or even in different places to display. The work remains the same, because the work that convey through an object the concept rather than object itself. â€Å"Art as idea† is the core of Kosuth thinking and work, this is the most important element of the need for development of conceptual art. Kosuth thinks artists must go to question the nature of art, and give it a new â€Å"proposition†(MoMA, [n.d.]).He wrote â€Å"Works of art are analytic propositions. That is, if viewed within their context-as art- they provide no information what-so-ever about any matter of fact. A work of art is a tautology in that it is a presentation of the artist’s intention, that is, he is saying that a particular work of art is art, which means, is a definition of art. Thus that it is art is true a priori.†(Kosuth, 2009) Which means the works of art is an analytical proposition, that is placed in the context ,they do not provide any information about the fact. He says in a piece of art is art, it gives definition through their presence. To conclude , perhaps to use one point to view and judge the art is not comprehensive, after all I still rely on the language for logical thinking. Kosuth quoted Wittgenstein’s famous phrase â€Å"Meaning is in the use†(Kosuth, 2009) Anything created by art can make the art culture added new elements. Kosuth said â€Å"Art lives through influencing other art, not by existing as the physical residue of an artist’s ideas.†(Wood, 2002) Nowadays, a variety of art forms continue to increase to fill up our culture content, No matter Kosuth or other artists in his time period ‘s work are successful or not, his whole creation is indeed a profound impact on artist and confirmed his argument and position in the history of art. (Wood, 2002)

Free Essays on Making The Band

Director of Research & Development: File: The Projected Longevity of The Humming Birds The longevity of this band is an essential element that will define these â€Å"fly 5† street-smart urban soul singers known as The Humming Birds. They won't be typical flash-in-pan band. Though promotion will be apart of the group's success, it by no means will be what the talented fly 5 are all about. Their heart-arching, vocal-pounding songs will help to define the era of Motown Soul and R&B. We hope to produce an everlasting sound that will differentiate from the rest of the Motown artists by also giving them a flashy gimmick that attracts the singers to older, classy men through the etiquette of the group to and young women by their ‘razzle-dazzle’ good looks. They are to be long-lasting hit-makers with the unique combination of the superb song-writing Holland-Dozier-Holland team, and the intrinsic talent of the group with the underlining image of elegant young men who really know how to present themselves. Of course, this does not mean that The Humming Birds will not face hardships along the way. Every musical group has faced their fair share of fumbling record sales and bad press through harsh criticisms of their social and personal characters. But we here at Motown plan to face this controversies head-on by putting The Humming Birds through a rigorous "assembly line" that we so cleverly produce at Motown Records. After they are through with us, they become polished professionals whether concerning dress, dance, our deliverance, our boys at Motown really represent the top of American culture. This is what makes us smart. This what makes us different. Thanks to Maxine Powell, who is the foundation of how artists are truly capable of acting, The Humming Birds will no longer scare off conservative America by speaking in a threatening manner, slouching, or talking in an impolite lingo to become the clean-cut All-Am... Free Essays on Making The Band Free Essays on Making The Band Director of Research & Development: File: The Projected Longevity of The Humming Birds The longevity of this band is an essential element that will define these â€Å"fly 5† street-smart urban soul singers known as The Humming Birds. They won't be typical flash-in-pan band. Though promotion will be apart of the group's success, it by no means will be what the talented fly 5 are all about. Their heart-arching, vocal-pounding songs will help to define the era of Motown Soul and R&B. We hope to produce an everlasting sound that will differentiate from the rest of the Motown artists by also giving them a flashy gimmick that attracts the singers to older, classy men through the etiquette of the group to and young women by their ‘razzle-dazzle’ good looks. They are to be long-lasting hit-makers with the unique combination of the superb song-writing Holland-Dozier-Holland team, and the intrinsic talent of the group with the underlining image of elegant young men who really know how to present themselves. Of course, this does not mean that The Humming Birds will not face hardships along the way. Every musical group has faced their fair share of fumbling record sales and bad press through harsh criticisms of their social and personal characters. But we here at Motown plan to face this controversies head-on by putting The Humming Birds through a rigorous "assembly line" that we so cleverly produce at Motown Records. After they are through with us, they become polished professionals whether concerning dress, dance, our deliverance, our boys at Motown really represent the top of American culture. This is what makes us smart. This what makes us different. Thanks to Maxine Powell, who is the foundation of how artists are truly capable of acting, The Humming Birds will no longer scare off conservative America by speaking in a threatening manner, slouching, or talking in an impolite lingo to become the clean-cut All-Am...

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literature Review - Essay Example The leakage may then lead to security threats when the unauthorized persons manipulate the data for their benefits (Quinn, 2010). Ethics in information systems guide companies on how to handle their confidential data. Governments also formulate laws that govern the use of information systems to prevent the privacy threats. Professional bodies such as nursing that deal with confidential information of their patients adhere to ethics and laws to prevent the violation of privacy laws of data. The National Health Systems uses information system applications to make their services efficiently. The users of the applications follow the rules of ethics to ensure that they do not violate the privacy of patients’ information. One of the applications used in the health systems is the Summary Care Record (SCR). This application stores information of patients in a central database such that it can be accessed from various hospitals. The access of information in various hospitals enables pa tients to attend the health institution of their choice (Maccoby, Norman, & Margolies, 2013). The ethical principles that govern the privacy of SCRs include the golden rule, risk aversion, the rule of change by Decartes, and utilitarian hypothesis. The utilitarian theory argues that organizations and individuals should perform functions that benefit more people in the society (Diney, Hu, Smith, & Hart, 2013). National hospitals use the SCR in a way that benefits the whole society. This is because the citizens attend the hospital of their choice whenever they are sick. The doctors and nurses use the system to check the health history of patients; this helps them to determine the best treatment for their clients. The privacy of health records is also guarded by the rule of change that was formulated by Decartes, which argues that firms should use techniques that may be repeated more than once (Tajero, & De, 2012). This means that actions that may not be repeated are unethical, and the y may violate the privacy of information. The repeated action in the use of the health records is mainly the use of passwords and identification cards, which ensure that only the authorized medical practitioners access the information of patients. The authorized persons who access information may do so numerous times. An action that may not be repeated is hacking, which leads to the access of the information about a company by unauthorized persons through the exploitation of a system’s weakness (Rosenberg, 2004). Hacking violates the privacy of patients’ information meaning that it is an unethical act. The weakness of Decartes principle is that it fails to specify whether the repeated action is right. This is because in some cases, activities such as hacking are possible to repeat when the hacker identifies the weakness in a system. Since hacking is unethical, repeating it violates the principle of privacy meaning that the rule of change misleads users (Rosenberg, 2004 ). The other ethical principles that govern the use of hospital computers leading to information privacy include machines in ways that respect the society, not interfering with other people’s work in the computer, and not using the machine to steal. Computer users who observe these tenets promote the confidentiality of their information and that of others (McCarthy, & Halawi, 2013). The social issues in information systems include those that govern the way a company mingles with the

Close Analysis of Rear Window Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Close Analysis of Rear Window - Essay Example He similarly crafts a countless atmosphere, as a bamboo curtain is raised and the yard is exposed, which is what the entire movie orbits around. According to Laura Mulvey, who perceives it radiantly; the look is outlining, however the man is constantly the observer, whereas the lady is the observed. To restatement her thoroughly, movie takes up a males need to clarify, devaluate, and overestimate the lady. Cinemas ought to learn to halt with agreement, to permit the look of the camera into loving objectivity. Jeff spends time observing his neighbors through binoculars. The spectators are literally shown life via Jefferies eyes in the 6 weeks in which he is restrained to a wheelchair. The opening looks out onto a yard and shows a number of unlike openings which are symbolic of diverse traditions of living in U.S in the 1950s.   In the movie the spectators are shown diverse characters and each opening signifies a diverse style of living and extracts of these charismas exists as Jefferies perceives them. Generally, there are 3 core characters in the movie, the 1st, is Jefferies, the 2nd being Jefferies lover named Lisa and the 3rd being Jefferies doctor called Stella. The connections between these key characters change because of the alteration of events which disclose in front of Jefferies when he considers one of the neighbors of which he has been closely following murders his companion. Lisa is embodied as the faultless lady as she is stylish, attractive and a prosperous business lady; in this movie when she is presented, she is constantly denoted faultlessly and lighting is deployed to limitlessly make her spark. She is continuously tremendously fashionable and elegant. When examining the visual organization of â€Å"Rear Window†, there is a corresponding structure in which everybody handling their day-to-day lives. The spectators are even shown persons shaving and picking up calls. This signifies the fact that every opening demonstrates a sneak

Le Confessionnal - Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Le Confessionnal - - Research Paper Example This not only shows a cultural type of grammar toward Quebec and the French during this time frame but is also directly linked to other movies which associated with the same cultural beliefs. Historical Background of the Film Le Confessional was first written in 1994 and released in 1995 as a Canadian film in Quebec. The background also links to the shooting of Hitchcock’s film, I Confess, released in 1952. There are several shots and references to this particular movie as a flash back and as an association with the culture of Quebec when this film was created. The approach which this took as well as the unique perspective which was associated with the film led to distinguished responses from viewers. This included the Genie Award for Best Canadian Film in 1996. The noticed reactions were not only based on the double storyline and philosophical approach that was taken. There were also attributes to the cinematography, acting and the structure that the film had in revealing the double time periods and the twisting of plots (Canadian Film Encyclopedia, 115). The inspiration for the film is one that is directly linked to the instructions of Robert LePage and the approach which was taken with the film. LePage was born in Quebec City in December of 1957. He was not only known as a director, but also worked as a playwright, actor and stage director. LePage began theater in high school as an outlet for his personality. From 1975-1978, he began to study theater at the Conservatory for Art Drama. He also studied in France under the direction of Alain Knapp for direction in theater. After coming back to Quebec, LePage began to participate in different theater opportunities, including the Theater Repere in 1982. Through this time, LePage used independent films and short cuts as his main outlet. In 1984, LePage released his first full film, Circulations, which was recognized for the best Canadian production at the International Theater of Quebec. After this release, he began producing several films that continued to gain wide recognition and international critiques for their unique plot lines and cinematography (Caux, Gilbert, 7). Even though LePage was working with film, he also continued to work on the theater. From 1989 – 1993, LePage produced a variety of stage plays, including Shakespeare classics and his own writing. It wasn’t until 1994 that LePage was able to move into a complete studio that he opened, known as Ex Machina. He became the artistic director of the productions that were worked on, including The Far Side of the Moon and Elsinore. LePage directed a total of four films, with Le Confessional as his first approach. He was also known for his acting in Jesus de Montreal and Stardom, both feature films by Denys Arcand. His acting is followed by his musical talent where he worked with providing funding for tours while working in opera as well as acting. The works of LePage are continuously involving both theater and f ilm productions as well as experimental works, such as street plays, that LePage works with to make statements related to societal problems and philosophies. The several areas of success by LePage have caused him to be one of the most recognized forces of talent in Canada. In 1994, he was made Officer of the Order of Canada for his works. This was

Information Technology In Marketing Of Tourist Destination Tourism Essay

Information Technology In Marketing Of Tourist Destination Tourism Essay Information technology is becoming more and more the crucial element of everyday life. It is widely used in business activities, as well as in leisure time at home. This also applies to tourism as a form of human activity. Tourist enterprises are significantly using information technology for marketing purposes. This applies to the field of support in marketing decision making as well as the field of communication and sale. However, for the purpose of marketing, information technology is used in tourism by public sector, specifically by national, regional and lokal tourist organizations dealing with marketing for their areas (countries, regions, places) as tourist destinations. Thus this paper takes into consideration the possibilities of the use of information technology in tourism destination marketing. Explained are various information technologies, applied in tourism and their present and potential role in the marketing of destination is assessed. Defined is the term of electroni c market, together with electronic marketing as marketing activities carried out on electronic market with the assistance of information technology. The need to incorporate electronic marketing in the whole strategy of tourism destination marketing is also pronounced. For this paper relevant literature was used, mostly from the field of marketing, but also of other economic and historic methods. Keywords: marketing in tourism, marketing strategy, tourist market, information technology, electronic marketing, destination marketing systems. INTRODUCTION For successful and efficient business in an environment characterized by dynamism, information and globalization, it is necessary to be flexible and react quickly to any changes on the market. Such company`s reaction may be only the result of continuous, rapid and accurate flow of information enabled by information technology and information systems. In industrialized countries, information and knowledge represent a new base of overall operation, present in all spheres of production, tourism, trade and services, to non-economy and state administration. Continuous development of information and communication technologies during the last decade has had a profound implication on tourism. In the modern business conditions, for enterprises in tourism, it is important to consider two forms of technological competencies in order to achieve competitiveness. These are the areas of computer technology and communication technology. Computer technologies include achievements in the field of hardware, software, etc.. Achievements in the field of hardware provide almost limitless opportunities for the development of software programs designed to solve any problems. Communication technologies enable solving the problems of transfer of information. Message transmission rate is continuously increasing. Application of ICT in enterprises in the tourism, digitize all processes in the field of tourism, catering, travel, etc.. Also, these technologies affect all business functions in the tourism industry: sales and marketing, finance and accounting, procurement, research and development. At the tactical level, this includes e-commerce and application of information technology (IT) to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of organizations in the tourism industry through the reduction of operating costs and communications costs. In addition, IT enables more effective strategic decision making through improved management processes, control procedures, more efficient response to changes in the environment and similar. Constant interaction with customers and partners helps to be more flexible and competitive in pricing, which can increase the yield of the company. Sales control enables company to adjust products and prices to the requirements of consumers, as well as to initiate promotional companies and similar, in the quest to maximize sales. The efficiency of the tourist economy of a country or destination will largely depend on the total computerization of business enterprises in tourism, and the availability of tourism products presented through the modern computer technology. The effects of the implementation of information technology are numerous and primarily relate to better information and faster transaction, to significantly improving operations in many areas on the tourist market. 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM DESTINATION MARKETING Tourism is a complex, open system which is composed of set of subsystems and their interaction of resulting socio-economic and natural phenomena and relationships. Its subsystems, themselves are composed of a set of own elements such as: system of holders supply (accommodation facilities, restaurants, airlines, retail trade, built attractions, activities, etc.) subsystem intermediaries (tour operators, travel agencies), subsystem of business associations and chambers, a subsystem of the public sector (state authorities responsible for tourism, national, regional and local tourism organizations, tourist information centers, etc.) a subsystem of tourists (consumers), a subsystem of residents (both because of the importance of their attitude towards tourists as well as user of the same facilities and services), as well as related services subsystem (guide service, educational institutions etc.). Tourism is an activity that involves movement and stay of people in such places that are not places of their permanent residence. They visited other countries, religions, settlements, and this is called by a name à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ a tourist destination. Since there is no place on earth, which tourists do not visit, it should be emphasized that, in the context of modern tourism, a place can become a destination only as a result of two sets of related activities: the development of facilities designed for meeting the needs of tourists who visit the destination and the existence of the destination marketing activities such as the tourists offers in places where it is needed. Marketing in tourism is management philosophy by which holders of tourist and business policies tend to create and maintain the target group of tourists through the identification and (effective and efficient) trying to meet their needs, and on that basis to achieve their organizational goals and social interest. Today in the international tourism, countries, regions and cities are competing as a destination, not just companies. Marketing of products of tourism destinations can not be left only to the enterprises because they are not usually capable to support independently, financially or otherwise such efforts. For this reason it is necessary that such activities are done by Tourist policy holders, and various state bodies which are responsible for tourism (such as public sector). But we should not underestimate the role and importance of the various initiatives of the private sector. The development of mass tourism has threatened and somewhere damaged not only natural but also mans total environment. It is necessary to take into account the long-term interests of society (ie, destination) and preserve the environment (natural, socio-cultural and other) so that the tourist destination would not become a victim of its own development. Therefore, the application of marketing in tourism assumes the acceptance of concept of socially responsible marketing. Marketing in tourism, in general, has a number of specific details that are related to tourism as an activity. These are: intangibility of services, their connection with those who provide them, variability of quality, the impossibility of their storage, significant time distance between the decision to purchase and own consumption, often weak loyalty to the brand, focusing demand to offer, seasonal concentration of demand, its heterogeneity and flexibility, heterogeneity and inelasticity as well as high risk in buying their product. It should be said that besides the numerous features of marketing in tourism in general, a tourist destination carries additional specifics that arise from the following characteristics: Tourist destination, regardless of physical covers, usually has a multifunctional character; spatial coverage tourist destination, that is seen by tourists, often differs from the one that is seen by the destination authorities; It may happen that some sets of objectives of public and private sectors do not overlap or that they are in conflict; the destination method of using the product differs substantially from the use of any product or services, and finally, those who manage the destination (which is the public sector), have little or no control over the various elements of the tourist destination. Specific services include marketing and use of specific marketing concepts, besides the one related to the four marketing mix instrument. It is about internal marketing and interactive marketing. Destination marketing organizations (DMO) can implement internal marketing on three levels: the micro level, ie. within the DMO, where the main target audience is the personnel employed in the DMO, then at the level of tourist activity, where the target is the employees in the industries of tourism and finally at the destination as a whole, where the target audience is the residents. Talking about interactive marketing opportunities the implementation of these activities is smaller than in the case of internal marketing. It is of great importance for the marketing of a tourist destination to maintain and improve the relations with tourists that are usually committed towards attitudes and behaviors of service providers. Interactive marketing has its place in the domain of tourism information centers and checkpoints, through constant contact, by providing information, assistance and in processing complaints. 2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN DESTINATION MARKETING Information technology, by itself, can not be a source of lasting competitive advantage of tourist destination. It may contribute hardly to the competitive advantage through its impact on strengthening the microeconomic basis of competitiveness which consists of human resources, physical infrastructure, administrative infrastructure, information infrastructure, scientific and technological infrastructure, developed domestic market and competition, sophisticated and demanding request. In the marketing of tourist destinations, its application is found in a large number of information technologies: teletext, videotext, information kiosks, computer reservation systems, global distribution systems, destination marketing systems, databases, expert systems and the Internet. 2.1. Teletext Teletext is a technology of one-way broadcasted information through continuous transmission of groups of information in cycles from one center, along with broadcasted television signals. The idea of this invention was patented in early seventies in the UK, and the idea was to free the lines of TV signal which were not used for transmission of video signals and to assert an additional digital signal. The digital signal carries the information presented in the form of numbered pages, which can show text and images. Decoded information in order to be read on screen requires TV with decoder. Pages of information are broadcast in cycles, and the user, with the help of the keyboard, select the desired page. The disadvantage of Teletext, in this regard lies in the fact that it must wait until the desired page appears in the broadcast cycle. This limits the capacity of several hundred pages which means that the selection and detailed information are limited. For the purposes of the tourist industry, the home information system, can provide updated information, such as weather forcast, traffic conditions on roads, time of departure and arrival of aircraft and trains etc.. Besides this, there is the possibility to make a purchase, for example, which means to buy the package of tourist arrangements and to buy for it by the phone with the credit card. This is particularly suitable for the package of arrangements that are unsold just before the start of travel. 2.2. Videotext Videotext is an electronic system for sending information and messages that allows two-way communication, usually by telephone, with the information shown in the form of text or graphics on a custom TV or some other terminal such as personal computers. Videotext services are used both in private and in business purposes. Some of the information can be obtained via videotext services include: news and weather, training or education at home, tourist information, catalog sale. Besides this, videotext can be used to perform the reservation of tickets, cinema, various calculations (eg calculation of interest), then to send messages between users. Videotext can be publicly accessible or private, or restricted to private users (so-called closed-user group). Publicly available videotext was developed in many countries. Travel agencies, particularly in the UK, often use videotext. Thus, the British passenger agents, through any of the existing videotext system, can get information about departure and arrival times, and prices of all major air and ferry companies, and prices on the rent-a-car services, the remaining places in charter flights and the remaining package information on visas, exchange rate etc.. Videotext in the tourism industry is far more used to getting information rather than booking. When it comes to usual travel (leisure travel) especially the package in the UK, in most cases, these products can be booked on-line exclusively through videotext. On the other hand, in Germany, for example, tour operators in this regard are less restrictive, and through videotext book only a few percent of the package arrangement. Booking services for business travelers, for the most part use the computerized reservation systems, airlines and system-START Amadeus. France is the only country in Europe (and in the world) with the wide use of videotext system in business and private purposes, with > device in millions of offices and homes. A study done for the French national telecommunications company and the Ministry of Tourism in 1991, has shown that the use of > for collecting information on tourism services among its customers is popular, although lagging behind the brochures and information presented by travel agencies. 2.3. Information kiosks Development in the field of information technology has led to the appearance of information kiosks. It is the kind of information system for the independently access of the client and autonomously usage. New generation systems are of multimedia characters, consisting of computers, speakers, keyboard (required if your monitor is not the type of touch-screen), CD-ROM drive, sometimes the small printer and stored in robust housing. They are usually set in the hotel lobby, shopping centers, at the airports, bus and railway stations and on similar places. Users (tourists) can freely approach and use it to get the specific information (through text, images, video and sound), and to book the accommodation. The features of information kiosks are:  [1]   Good balance in the use of different media, Good quality content, Simple but clear and understandable organization of content, Consistency in the way the material is fragmented, connected and presented on the screen, Consistency in the presentation of different functionality and It links clearly the meaning and function (sometimes with explicit explanation). Information kiosks have also disadvantages. There may be negative impacts on the environment (noise and general excitement). Availability / accessibility of kiosks may depend on the working hours where they are located. Also, the frequency locations lose their privacy in obtaining the information through the kiosks, as passers and those waiting in line for the kiosk can see (and hear) the information that is broadcasted across the screen of the kiosk. In any case, information kiosks are widespread in tourism information technology and are devoted to the visitors on the destination. Their function is to inform the tourists and persuade them to stay longer in the particular destination as well as to spend more money there. 2.4. CD-ROM CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) system allows the laser compact disc to store colored recordings: hotel, gallery, landscapes, cities etc. and to display them by color-screen personal computers that are installed in travel agencies. This new technological innovation is often called electronic brochure. It allows potential tourists to view any selected destination or partial tourist products and facilitate a decision on purchase. Electronic brochures can be made by national and regional and local tourism organizations, tour operators, hotels, owners of computerized booking system CD-ROM (or video disc) is very suitable for mixed use with videotext system. Namely, videotext has access to large databases that are updated continuously, but is limited to their text and simple graphic display. On the other hand, video-disc is inflexible from the point of updating the information (once registered the information on laser compact disc can not be deleted), but the possibility of display ing static and moving images of high quality and sound. Thus, for example tourists` travel agency or tourist information center can require hotel accommodation in a particular destination. Videotext on its page gives information on pricing and availability but the image of the hotel, room etc., are shown by a video-disc. 2.5. Computer reservation systems, tourism enterprises (CRS) Reservation systems are the most important element in the system of distribution of tourist services. Their formation is the result of the desire of management in tourism enterprises to establish pre-booking system, which, with price changes and the formation of waiting lists, is one of the techniques of controlling demand in the short term, without changes to the offer. In addition, the reservation system enables organizations whose resources are not limited to better demand and accordingly to that it takes steps to increase supply. Also, CRS enables providers of tourist services to maximize capacity utilization through price changes and rearranging the package of services, and sometimes through the transfer (redirect) consumers with the products whose demand exceeds the offer to those with weaker demand.CRS may be organized in one of three ways:  [2]   à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢ As manual (manual) system, where the requirements are taken by the phone, and then enroll in these special books, diaries, and tables; à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢ As a computerized system where the requirements are also received by phone, but all records of the reservation is processed and stored on a computer; à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¢ As a fully automated computer reservation system, for which agents have directly access (on line) from terminals in their offices and perform booking. 2.6. Expert systems Expert systems have found their first application in a highly structured problem solving in science and engineering. In the field of tourism about they appeared during the mid-eighties of the last century, when it began with the development of prototypes of these systems for operational and physical management of tourist companies, especially for airlines and large hotels. Expert systems contain the knowledge of experts in such form to enable them to bid for specific problem solutions or make intelligent decisions. Expert system should have the ability to explain and justify its conclusion, as well as the ability to do data on actions with uncertain consequences. Characteristic of these systems is that they are able to remember the good solutions and include them in the bank of knowledge for later use in solving other problems. For management purposes, the adoption of such systems and learning about them are essential. The relatively recent literature, which covers the area of application of information technologies in tourism, began to till the issue of application of expert systems in advising tourists in selecting the most appropriate destination. Expert systems in this regard could be used as agents of assistance (travel counselors) in providing assistance to tourists in the choice of destinations and services in total. The tourists can find the same application but without the agent. What are the prospects in the area of application of expert systems in destination marketing? Apart from the expert systems which should help in the selection of one, the most suitable destination between multiple options, which in this case are (controlled) means of marketing, there remains the possibility of applying for a narrower or wider destination, in order to assist in choosing the best routes and itineraries, and according to preferences of tourists, regardless of whether the tourists had direct access or through an agent. Expert systems have not had wide application in this area or agents in the area of assistance in giving advice to tourists. The reason for doing this, is a great complexity in modeling preference for intangible products and expand of the scope of influence on decision-making process. The immediate future will not bring significant changes in this regard. We should expect the first concrete attempt to introduce expert systems in travel agencies, while the p rocess of implementing the expert system with direct access will go slower except, perhaps, over the Internet. 2.7. Tourist information systems on the Internet The rapid development of Internet at the end of 90 years has brought a revolution in tourism. The Internet has moved the gap between consumers and businesses and it enables interactive communication and trade. Tourism has always been a complex activity, which is based on a partnership between the individual organizations within a defined system of values. Distribution channels in tourism include the number of stores which include travel agencies, tour operators and other organizations. B2B Internet commerce has enabled many organizations in the tourism industry to redesign its business operations and expand their business models. We can say that almost every serious company in the tourist economy in the developed countries, has its own website. This applies to the airlines, hotel chains, RAC companies, railways. But in less tourist companies that are seen on the Internet as a relatively inexpensive medium for getting the international market. It is interesting to note that due to the relatively rapid acceptance of the Internet by the tourist customer and there occur authors who speak of the end of the tourist agencies and the absence of the needs of their mediation. As well as it shows the need of the agencies to get know its customers, and the profile of the tourists (in fact develop Database marketing) so not to remain without them. With the new information technology, especially Internet, Marketing department is changing rapidly in five fronts:  [3]   From mass marketing to database marketing. Given that companies tend to all aspects of the organization work smarter, making more with less, the cost of unsuccessful advertising will grow. For these reasons, marketing experts must, use the technology of data gathering to target more precisely desired segments of their propaganda. This involves collecting more customer information and customizing the message by using the information needs of the target audience and to make the differentiation between products and services. From mass media to interactive media. Customers increasingly want to choose when, where and how to meet the holders offer. This means addressing the individual needs of clients and services in a way that the client prefers. Interactive media will play a critical role in this process and it should be involved in marketing strategy at the first opportunity. From the market share to the relationship wealth. Since marketing departments can serve rather than sell their performance should be measured differently. The emphasis will be on the wealth of relations with consumers, rather than just the market share. To be effective, this transition must be strongly communicated to all levels of the company. From sales to service customers. Marketing no longer means to convey your message to the widest possible audience. It means to take care of customers. It moves into production, logistics, customer service centers, help desks, helping to remove barriers in the way of sale to consumers. From technologically sophisticated to the most creative. The Internet was not for many marketing departments important thing but it was an interesting thing. Today, it is a basic requirement in all marketing strategies. In the past, the best marketing experts, they were most creative. Today, the best marketing experts are those who are most technology sophisticated. The importance of creativity remains, but the importance of having technologically sophisticated use of marketing, gives opportunities for geometric growth. Internet is not used only for tourist information, but also for sale. Association of American hotels and motels (AHRMA) points out that electronic sales service accommodation over the Internet beginning of the XXI century has reached a value close to 3 billion USD.  [4]   All important tourist destinations of the world have their presentations on the Internet (or more accurately on the Word Wide Web). It is a medium that no one wants to drop in their marketing activities. Our country is connected to the Internet from 1996. year. Since then a number of tourist companies, as well as some destinations, develop their presentations on the Internet. Yet it is increasingly used to collect different information in order to find new content, for monitoring communication, for creation and design of tourist services. CONCLUSION From the standpoint of marketing tourist destinations, teletext and videotext have almost no potential. CD Rom has been a traditional marketing tool known as Electronic brochure, although a number of destination presentations on the CD Rom suffer from the stereotype views. Information kiosks are designed for those who have already visited the destination, in order to extend their stay and increase consumption. In that sense, it is a widespread technology. Computer reservation systems, tourism companies, including global distribution systems, are oriented to increase the efficiency of sales, therefore the transaction. Therefore, the weak interest for a marketing destination is expressed. Many of the destinations marketing organizations (DMO) with the construction of destination marketing systems make their destination more accessible electronically. Experiences are different, and it is obvious that we should wait with giving the final score. Database of visitors can be a solid foundat ion for database marketing. In fact, it is necessary to set up and develop a coherent system of collecting data on visitors, in cooperation with the private sector (eg tourism industry). Expert systems, for now had wider application in the area of destination marketing, and the first attempts will be related to the operation of travel agencies. The Internet probably carries the greatest potential, particularly because of the possibility of combining with other information technologies. Destination marketing organizations is already using the Internet for their activities. Despite its limitations, it is certain that the Internet will have a significant place in integrated marketing activities of tourist destinations.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 15. Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock

15. Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Hey Jake, thought you said you wanted me at dusk. How come you didn't have Leah wake me up before she crashed? ‘Cause I didn't need you. I'm still good. He was already picking up the north half of the circle. Anything? Nope. Nothing but nothing. You did some scouting? He'dcaught the edge of one of my side trips. He headed up the new trail. Yeah – ran a few spokes. You know, just checking. If the Cullens are going to make a hunting trip†¦ Good call. Seth looped back toward the main perimeter. It was easier to run with him than it was to do the same with Leah. Though she was trying – trying hard – there was always an edge to her thoughts. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to feel the softening toward the vampires that was going on in my head. She didn't want to deal with Seth's cozy friendship with them, a friendship that was only getting stronger. Funny, though, I'd've thought her biggest issue would just be me. We'd always gotten on each other's nerves when we were in Sam's pack. But there was no antagonism toward me now at all, just the Cullens andBella. I wondered why. Maybe it was simply gratitude that I wasn't forcing her to leave. Maybe it was because I understood her hostility better now. Whichever, running with Leah wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected. Of course, she hadn't eased up that much. The food and clothes Esme had sent for her were all taking a trip downriver right now. Even after I'd eaten my share – not because it smelled nearly irresistible away from the vampire burn, but to set a good example of self-sacrificing tolerance for Leah – she'd refused. The small elk she'd taken down around noon had not totally satisfied her appetite. Did make her mood worse, though. Leah hated eating raw. Maybe we should runa sweep east? Seth suggested. Go deep, see if they're out there waiting. I was thinking about that,I agreed. But let's do it when we're all awake. I don't want to let down our guard. We should do it before the Cullens give it a try, though. Soon. Right. That got me thinking. If the Cullens were able to get out of the immediate area safely, they really ought to keep on going. They probably should have taken off the second we'd come to warn them. They had to be able to afford other digs. And they had friends up north, right? Take Bella and run. It seemed like an obvious answer to their problems. I probably ought to suggest that, but I was afraid they would listen to me. And I didn't wantto haveBella disappear – to never know whether she'd made it or not. No, that was stupid. I wouldtell them togo. It made no sense for them to stay, and it would be better – not less painful, but healthier – for me if Bella left. Easyto say now, when Bella wasn't right there, looking all thrilled to see me and also clinging to life by her fingernails at the same time†¦ Oh, I already asked Edward about that,Seth thought. What? I asked him why they hadn't taken off yet. Gone up to Tanya's place or something. Somewhere too far for Sam to come after them. I had to remind myself that I'd just decided to give the Cullens that exact advice. That it was best. So I shouldn't be mad at Seth for taking the chore out of my hands. Not mad at all. So what did he say? Are they waiting for a window? No. They're not leaving. And that shouldn't sound like good news. Why not? That's just stupid. Not really,Seth said, defensive now. It takes some time to build up the kind of medical access that Carlisle has here. He's got all the stuff he needs to take care of Bella, and the credentials to get more. That's one of the reasons they want to make a hunting run. Carlisle thinks they're going to need more blood for Bella soon. She's using up all the O negative they stored for her. He doesn't like depleting the stockpile. He's going to buy some more. Did you know you can buy blood? If you're a doctor. I wasn't ready to be logical yet. Still seems stupid. They could bring most of it with them, right? And steal what they need wherever they go. Who cares about legal crap when you're the undead? Edward doesn't want to take any risks moving her. She's better than she was. Seriously,Seth agreed. In his head, he was comparing my memories of Bella hooked up to the tubes with the last time he'd seen her as he'd left the house. She'd smiled at him and waved. But she can't move around much, you know. That thing is kicking the hell out of her. I swallowed back the stomach acid in my throat. Yeah, I know. Broke another of her ribs,he told me somberly. My stride faltered, and I staggered a step before I regained my rhythm. Carlisle taped her up again. Just another crack, he said. Then Rosalie said something about how even normal human babies have been known to crack ribs. Edward looked like he was gonna rip her head off. Too bad he didn't Seth was in full report mode now – knowing it was all vitally interesting to me, though I'd never've asked to hear it. Bella's been running a fever off and on today. Just low grade – sweats and then chills. Carlisle's not sure what to make of it – shemightjust be sick. Her immune system can't be in peak form right now. Yeah, I'm sure it's just a coincidence. She's in a good mood, though. She was chatting with Charlie, laughing and all – Charlie!What?! What do you mean, she was talking to Charlie?! Now Seth's pace stuttered; my fury surprised him. Guess he calls every day to talk to her. Sometimes her mom calls, too. Bella sounds so much better now, so she was reassuring him that she was on the mend-On the mend? What the hell are they thinking?! Get Charlie's hopes up just so that he can be destroyed even worse when she dies? I thought they were getting him ready for that! Trying to prepare him! Why would she set him up like this? She might not die,Seth thought quietly. I took deep breath, trying to calm myself. Seth. Even if she pulls through this, she's not doing it human. She knows that, and so do the rest of them. If she doesn't die, she's going to have to do a pretty convincing impersonation of a corpse, kid. Either that, or disappear. I thought they were trying to make this easier on Charlie. Why†¦ ? Think it's Bella's idea. No one said anything, but Edward's face kinda went right along with what you're thinking now. On the same wavelength with the bloodsucker yet again. We ran in silence for a few minutes. I started off along a new line, probing south. Don't get too far. Why? Bella asked me to ask you to stop by. My teeth locked together. Alice wants you, too. She says she's tired of hanging out in the attic like the vampire bat in the belfry. Seth snorted a laugh. was switching off with Edward before. Trying to keep Bella's temperature stable. Cold to hot, as needed. I guess, if you don't want to do it, I could go back – No. I got it,I snapped. Okay.Seth didn't make any more comments. He concentrated very hard on the empty forest. I kept my southern course, searching for anything new. I turned around when I got close to the first signs of habitation. Not near the town yet, but I didn't want to get any wolf rumors going again. We'd been nice and invisible for a long while now. I passed right through the perimeter on my way back, heading for the house. As much as I knew it was a stupid thing to do, I couldn't stop myself. I must be some kind of masochist. There's nothing wrong with you, Jake. This isn't the most normal situation. Shut up, please, Seth. Shutting. I didn't hesitate at the door this time; I just walked through like I owned the place. I figured that would piss Rosalie off, but it was a wasted effort. Neither Rosalie or Bella were anywhere in sight. I looked around wildly, hoping I'd missed them somewhere, my heart squeezing against my ribs in a weird, uncomfortable way. â€Å"She's all right,† Edward whispered. â€Å"Or, the same, I should say.† Edward was on the couch with his face in his hands; he hadn't looked up to speak. Esme was next to him, her arm wrapped tight around his shoulders. â€Å"Hello, Jacob,† she said. â€Å"I'm so glad you came back.† â€Å"Me, too,† Alice said with a deep sigh. She came prancing down the stairs, making a face. Like 1 was late for an appointment. â€Å"Uh, hey,† I said. It felt weird to try to be polite. â€Å"Where's Bella?† â€Å"Bathroom,† Alice told me. â€Å"Mostly fluid diet, you know. Plus, the whole pregnancy thing does that to you, I hear.† â€Å"Ah.† I stood there awkwardly, rocking back and forth on my heels. â€Å"Oh, wonderful,† Rosalie grumbled. I whipped my head around and saw her coming from a hall half-hidden behind the stairway. She had Bella cradled gently in her arms, a harsh sneer on her face for me. â€Å"I knew I smelled something nasty.† And, just like before, Bella's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning. Like I'd brought her the greatest gift ever. It was so unfair. â€Å"Jacob,† she breathed. â€Å"You came.† â€Å"Hi, Bells.† Esme and Edward both got up. I watched how carefully Rosalie laid Bella out on the couch. I watched how, despite that, Bella turned white and held her breath – like she was set on not making any noise no matter how much it hurt. Edward brushed his hand across her forehead and then along her neck. He tried to make it look as if he was just sweeping her hair back, but it looked like a doctor's examination to me. â€Å"Are you cold?† he murmured. I'm fine.† â€Å"Bella, you know what Carlisle told you,† Rosalie said. â€Å"Don't downplay anything. It doesn't help us take care of either of you.† â€Å"Okay, I'm a little cold. Edward, can you hand me that blanket?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Isn't that sort of the point of me being here?† â€Å"You just walked in,† Bella said. â€Å"After running all day, I'd bet. Put your feet up for a minute. I'll probably warm up again in no time.† I ignored her, going to sit on the floor next the sofa while she was still telling me what to do. At that point, though, I wasn't sure how†¦. She looked pretty brittle, and I was afraid to move her, even to put my arms around her. So I just leaned carefully against her side, letting my arm rest along the length of hers, and held her hand. Then I put my other hand against her face. It was hard to tell if she felt colder than usual. â€Å"Thanks, Jake,† she said, and I felt her shiver once. â€Å"Yeah,† I said. Edward sat on the arm of the sofa by Bella's feet, his eyes always on her face. It was too much to hope, with all the super-hearing in the room, that no one would notice my stomach rumbling. â€Å"Rosalie, why don't you get Jacob something from the kitchen?† Alice said. She was invisible now, sitting quietly behind the back of the sofa. Rosalie stared at the place Alice's voice had come from in disbelief. â€Å"Thanks, anyway, Alice, but I don't think I'd want to eat something Blondie's spit in. I'd bet my system wouldn't take too kindly to venom.† â€Å"Rosalie would never embarrass Esme by displaying such a lack of hospitality.† â€Å"Of course not,† Blondie said in a sugar-sweet voice that I immediately distrusted. She got up and breezed out of the room. Edward sighed. â€Å"You'd tell me if she poisoned it, right?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† Edward promised. And for some reason I believed him. There was a lot of banging in the kitchen, and – weirdly – the sound of metal protesting as it was abused. Edward sighed again, but smiled just a little, too. Then Rosalie was back before I could think much more about it. With a pleased smirk, she set a silver bowl on the floor next to me. â€Å"Enjoy, mongrel.† It had once probably been a big mixing bowl, but she'd bent the bowl back in on itself until it was shaped almost exactly like a dog dish. I had to be impressed with her quick craftsmanship. And her attention to detail. She'd scratched the word Fido into the side. Excellent handwriting. Because the food looked pretty good – steak, no less, and a big baked potato with all the fixings – I told her, â€Å"Thanks, Blondie.† She snorted. â€Å"Hey, do you know what you call a blonde with a brain?† I asked, and then continued on the same breath, â€Å"a golden retriever.† â€Å"I've heard that one, too,† she said, no longer smiling. â€Å"I'll keep trying,† I promised, and then I dug in. She made a disgusted face and rolled her eyes. Then she sat in one of the armchairs and started flicking through channels on the big TV so fast that there was no way she could really be surfing for something to watch. The food was good, even with the vampire stink in the air. I was getting really used to that. Huh. Not something I'd been wanting to do, exactly†¦ When I was finished – though I was considering licking the bowl, just to give Rosalie something to complain about – I felt Bella's cold fingers pulling softly through my hair. She patted it down against the back of my neck. â€Å"Time for a haircut, huh?† â€Å"You're getting a little shaggy,† she said. â€Å"Maybe – â€Å" â€Å"Let me guess, someone around here used to cut hair in a salon in Paris?† She chuckled. â€Å"Probably.† â€Å"No thanks,† I said before she could really offer. â€Å"I'm good for a few more weeks.† Which made me wonder how long she was good for. I tried to think of a polite way to ask. â€Å"So†¦ urn†¦ what's the, er, date? You know, the due date for the little monster.† She smacked the back of my head with about as much force as a drifting feather, but didn't answer. â€Å"I'm serious,† I told her. â€Å"I want to know how long I'm gonna have to be here.† How long you're gonna be here, I added in my head. I turned to look at her then. Her eyes were thoughtful; the stress line was there between her brows again. â€Å"I don't know,† she murmured. â€Å"Not exactly. Obviously, we're not going with the nine-month model here, and we can't get an ultrasound, so Carlisle is guesstimating from how big I am. Normal people are supposed to be about forty centimeters here† – she ran her finger right down the middle of her bulging stomach – â€Å"when the baby is fully grown. One centimeter for every week. I was thirty this morning, and I've been gaining about two centimeters a day, sometimes more___† Two weeks to a day, the days flying by. Her life speeding by in fast-forward. How many days did that give her, if she was counting to forty? Four? It took me a minute to figure out how to swallow. â€Å"You okay?† she asked. I nodded, not really sure how my voice would come out. Edward's face was turned away from us as he listened to my thoughts, but I could see his reflection in the glass wall. He was the burning man again. Funny how having a deadline made it harder to think about leaving, or having her leave. I was glad Seth'd brought that up, so I knew they were staying here. It would be intolerable, wondering if they were about to go, to take away one or two or three of those four days. My four days. Also funny how, even knowing that it was almost over, the hold she had on me only got harder to break. Almost like it was related to her expanding belly – as if by getting bigger, she was gaining gravitational force. For a minute I tried to look at her from a distance, to separate myself from the pull. I knew it wasn't my imagination that my need for her was stronger than ever. Why was that? Because she was dying? Or knowing that even if she didn't, still – best case scenario – she'd be changing into something else that I wouldn't know or understand? She ran her finger across my cheekbone, and my skin was wet where she touched it. â€Å"It's going to be okay,† she sort of crooned. It didn't matter that the words meant nothing. She said it the way people sang those senseless nursery rhymes to kids. Rock-a-bye, baby. â€Å"Right,† I muttered. She curled against my arm, resting her head on my shoulder. â€Å"I didn't think you would come. Seth said you would, and so did Edward, but I didn't believe them.† â€Å"Why not?† I asked gruffly. â€Å"You're not happy here. But you came anyway.† â€Å"You wanted me here.† â€Å"I know. But you didn't have to come, because it's not fair for me to want you here. I would have understood.† It was quiet for a minute. Edward'd put his face back together. He looked at the TV as Rosalie went on flipping through the channels. She was into the six hundreds. I wondered how long it would take to get back to the beginning. â€Å"Thank you for coming,† Bella whispered. â€Å"Can I ask you something?† I asked. â€Å"Of course.† Edward didn't look like he was paying attention to us at all, but he knew what I was about to ask, so he didn't fool me. â€Å"Why do you want me here? Seth could keep you warm, and he's probably easier to be around, happy little punk. But when walk in the door, you smile like I'm your favorite person in the world.† â€Å"You're one of them.† â€Å"That sucks, you know.† â€Å"Yeah.† She sighed. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Why, though? You didn't answer that.† Edward was looking away again, like he was staring out the windows. His face was blank in the reflection. â€Å"It feels†¦ complete when you're here, Jacob. Like all my family is together. I mean, I guess that's what it's like – I've never had a big family before now. It's nice.† She smiled for half a second. â€Å"But it's just not whole unless you're here.† â€Å"I'll never be part of your family, Bella.† I could have been. I would have been good there. But that was just a distant future that died long before it had a chance to live. â€Å"You've always been a part of my family,† she disagreed. My teeth made a grinding sound. ‘That's a crap answer.† â€Å"What's a good one?† â€Å"How about, ‘Jacob, I get a kick out of your pain.'† I felt her flinch. â€Å"You'd like that better?† she whispered. â€Å"It's easier, at least. I could wrap my head around it. I could deal with it.† I looked back down at her face then, so close to mine. Her eyes were shut and she was frowning. â€Å"We got off track, Jake. Out of balance. You're supposed to be part of my life – I can feel that, and so can you.† She paused for a second without opening her eyes – like she was waiting for me to deny it. When I didn't say anything, she went on. â€Å"But not like this. We did something wrong. No. I did. I did something wrong, and we got off track___† Her voice trailed off, and the frown on her face relaxed until it was just a little pucker at the corner of her lips. I waited for her to pour some more lemon juice into my paper cuts, but then a soft snore came from the back of her throat. â€Å"She's exhausted,† Edward murmured. â€Å"It's been a long day. A hard day. I think she would have gone to sleep earlier, but she was waiting for you.† I didn't look at him. â€Å"Seth said it broke another of her ribs.† â€Å"Yes. It's making it hard for her to breathe.† â€Å"Great.† â€Å"Let me know when she gets hot again.† â€Å"Yeah.† She still had goose bumps on the arm that wasn't touching mine. I'd barely raised my head to look for a blanket when Edward snagged one draped over the arm of the sofa and flung it out so that it settled over her. Occasionally, the mind-reading thing saved time. For example, maybe I wouldn't have to make a big production out of the accusation about what was going on with Charlie. That mess. Edward would just hear exactly how furious – â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"It's not a good idea.† â€Å"Then why?† Why was Bella telling her father she was on the mend when it would only make him more miserable? â€Å"She can't bear his anxiety.† â€Å"So it's better – â€Å" â€Å"No. It's not better. But I'm not going to force her to do anything that makes her unhappy now. Whatever happens, this makes her feel better. I'll deal with the rest afterward.† That didn't sound right. Bella wouldn't just shuffle Charlie's pain off to some later date, for someone else to face. Even dying. That wasn't her. If I knew Bella, she had to have some other plan. â€Å"She's very sure she's going to live,† Edward said. â€Å"But not human,† I protested. â€Å"No, not human. But she hopes to see Charlie again, anyway.† Oh, this just got better and better. â€Å"See. Charlie.† I finally looked at him, my eyes bugging. â€Å"Afterwards. See Charlie when she's all sparkly white with the bright red eyes. I'm not a bloodsucker, so maybe I'm missing something, but Charlie seems like kind of a strange choice for her first meal.† Edward sighed. â€Å"She knows she won't be able to be near him for at least a year. She thinks she can stall. Tell Charlie she has to go to a special hospital on the other side of the world. Keep in contact through phone calls___† â€Å"That's insane.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Charlie's not stupid. Even if she doesn't kill him, he's going to notice a difference.† â€Å"She's sort of banking on that.† I continued to stare, waiting for him to explain. â€Å"She wouldn't be aging, of course, so that would set a time limit, even if Charlie accepted whatever excuse she comes up with for the changes.† He smiled faintly. â€Å"Do you remember when you tried to tell her about your transformation? How you made her guess?† My free hand flexed into a fist. â€Å"She told you about that?† â€Å"Yes. She was explaining her†¦ idea. You see, she's not allowed totell Charlie the truth – it would be very dangerous for him. But he's a smart, practical man. She thinks he'll come up with his own explanation. She assumes he'll get it wrong.† Edward snorted. â€Å"After all, we hardly adhere to vampire canon. He'll make some wrong assumption about us, like she did in the beginning, and we'll go along with it. She thinks she'll be able to see him†¦ from time to time.† â€Å"Insane,† I repeated. â€Å"Yes,† he agreed again. It was weak of him to let her get her way on this, just to keep her happy now. It wouldn't turn out well. Which made me think that he probably wasn't expecting her to live to try out her crazy plan. Placating her, so that she could be happy for a little while longer. Like four more days. â€Å"I'll deal with whatever comes,† he whispered, and he turned his face down and away so that I couldn't even read his reflection. â€Å"I won't cause her pain now.† â€Å"Four days?†I asked. He didn't look up. â€Å"Approximately.† â€Å"Then what?† â€Å"What do you mean, exactly?† I thought about what Bella had said. About the thing being wrapped up nice and tight in something strong, something like vampire skin. So how did that work? How did it get out? â€Å"From what little research we've been able to do, it would appear the creatures use their own teeth to escape the womb,† he whispered. I had to pause to swallow back the bile. â€Å"Research?† I asked weakly. â€Å"That's why you haven't seen Jasper and Emmett around. That's what Carlisle is doing now. Trying to decipher ancient stories and myths, as much as we can with what we have to work with here, looking for anything that might help us predict the creature's behavior.† Stories? If there were myths, then†¦ â€Å"Then is this thing not the first of its kind?† Edward asked, anticipating my question. â€Å"Maybe. It's all very sketchy. The myths could easily be the products of fear and imagination. Though .. .† – he hesitated – â€Å"your myths are true, are they not? Perhaps these are, too. They do seem to be localized, linked___† â€Å"How did you find†¦ ?† â€Å"There was a woman we encountered in South America. She'd been raised in the traditions of her people. She'd heard warnings about such creatures, old stories that had been passed down.† â€Å"What were the warnings?† I whispered. â€Å"That the creature must be killed immediately. Before it could gain too much strength.† Just like Sam thought. Was he right? â€Å"Of course, their legends say the same of us. That we must be destroyed. That we are soulless murderers.† Two for two. Edward laughed one hard chuckle. â€Å"What did their stories say about the†¦ mothers?† Agony ripped across his face, and, as I flinched away from his pain, I knew he wasn't going to give me an answer. I doubted he could talk. tt was Rosalie – who'd been so still and quiet since Bella'd fallen asleep that I'd nearly forgotten her – who answered. She made a scornful noise in the back of her throat. â€Å"Of course there were no survivors,† she said. No survivors, blunt and uncaring. â€Å"Giving birth in the middle of a disease-infested swamp with a medicine man smearing sloth spit across your face to drive out the evil spirits was never the safest method. Even the normal births went badly half the time. None of them had what this baby has – caregivers with an idea of what the baby needs, who try to meet those needs. A doctor with a totally unique knowledge of vampire nature. A plan in place to deliver the baby as safely as possible. Venom that will repair anything that goes wrong. The baby will be fine. And those other mothers would probably have survived if they'd had that – if they even existed in the first place. Something I am not convinced of.† She sniffed disdainfully. The baby, the baby. Like that was all that mattered. Bella's life was a minor detail to her – easy to blow off. Edward's face went white as snow. His hands curved into claws. Totally egotistical and indifferent, Rosalie twisted in her chair so that her back was to him. He leaned forward, shifting into a crouch. Allow me,I suggested. He paused, raising one eyebrow. Silently, I lifted my doggy bowl off the floor. Then, with a quick, powerful flip of my wrist, I threw it into the back of Blondie's head so hard that – with an earsplitting bang – it smashed flat before it ricocheted across the room and snapped the round top piece off the thick newel post at the foot of the stairs. Bella twitched but didn't wake up. â€Å"Dumb blonde,† I muttered. Rosalie turned her head slowly, and her eyes were blazing. â€Å"You. Got. Food. In. My. Hair.† That did it. I busted up.I pulled away fromBella so that I wouldn't shake her, and laughed so hard that tears ran down my face. From behind the couch, I heard Alice's tinkling laugh join in. I wondered why Rosalie didn't spring. I sort of expected it. But then I realized that my laughing had woken Bella up, though she'd slept right through the real noise. â€Å"What's so funny?† she mumbled. â€Å"I got food in her hair,† I told her, chortling again. â€Å"I'm not going to forget this, dog,† Rosalie hissed. â€Å"S'not so hard to erase a blonde's memory,† I countered. â€Å"Just blow in her ear.† â€Å"Get some new jokes,† she snapped. â€Å"C'mon, Jake. Leave Rose alo – † Bella broke off mid-sentence and sucked in a sharp breath. In the same second, Edward was leaning over the top of me, ripping the blanket out of the way. She seemed to convulse, her back arching off the sofa. â€Å"He's just,† she panted, â€Å"stretching.† Her lips were white, and she had her teeth locked together like she was trying to hold back a scream. Edward put both hands on either side of her face. â€Å"Carlisle?† he called in a tense, low voice. â€Å"Right here,† the doctor said. I hadn't heard him come in. â€Å"Okay,† Bella said, still breathing hard and shallow. â€Å"Think it's over. Poor kid doesn't have enough room, that's all. He's getting so big.† It was really hard to take, that adoring tone she used to describe the thing that was tearing her up. Especially after Rosalie's callousness. Made me wish I could throw something at Bella, too. She didn't pick up on my mood. â€Å"You know, he reminds me of you, Jake,† she said – affectionate tone – still gasping. â€Å"Do not compare me to that thing,† I spit out through my teeth. â€Å"I just meant your growth spurt,† she said, looking like I'd hurt her feelings. Good. â€Å"You shot right up. I could watch you getting taller by the minute. He's like that, too. Growing so fast.† I bit my tongue to keep from saying what I wanted to say – hard enough that I tasted blood in my mouth. Of course, it would heal before I could swallow. That's what Bella needed. To be strong like me, to be able to heal†¦. She took an easier breath and then relaxed back into the sofa, her body going limp. â€Å"Hmm,† Carlisle murmured. I looked up, and his eyes were on me. â€Å"What?† I demanded. Edward's head leaned to one side as he reflected on whatever was in Carlisle's head. â€Å"You know that I was wondering about the fetus's genetic makeup, Jacob. About his chromosomes.† â€Å"What of it?† â€Å"Well, taking your similarities into consideration – â€Å" â€Å"Similarif/es?† I growled, not appreciating the plural. â€Å"The accelerated growth, and the fact that Alice cannot see either of you.† I felt my face go blank. I'd forgotten about that other one. â€Å"Well, I wonder if that means that we have an answer. If the similarities are gene-deep.† â€Å"Twenty-four pairs,† Edward muttered under his breath. â€Å"You don't know that.† â€Å"No. But it's interesting to speculate,† Carlisle said in a soothing voice. â€Å"Yeah. Just fascinating† Bella's light snore started up again, accenting my sarcasm nicely. They got into it then, quickly taking the genetics conversation to a point where the only words I could understand were the the's and the ands. And my own name, of course. Alice joined in, commenting now and then in her chirpy bird voice. Even though they were talking about me, I didn't try to figure out the conclusions they were drawing. I had other things on my mind, a few facts I was trying to reconcile. Fact one, Bella'd said that the creature was protected by something as strong as vampire skin, something that was too impenetrable for ultrasounds, too tough for needles. Fact two, Rosalie'd said they had a plan to deliver the creature safely. Fact three, Edward'd said that – in myths – other monsters like this one would chew their way out of their own mothers. I shuddered. And that made a sick kind of sense, because, fact four, not many things could cut through something as strong as vampire skin. The half-creature's teeth – according to myth – were strong enough. My teeth were strong enough. And vampire teeth were strong enough. It was hard to miss the obvious, but I sure wished I could. Because I had a pretty good idea exactly how Rosalie planned to get that thing â€Å"safely† out.