History of Emirates Airlines

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

A commemorative speech Essay

A commemorative speech are speeches of praise or celebration. The speaker aims of this speech is to pay tribute to a person, a group of people, an institution, or an idea. Each speech that you will give has a purpose. In a commemorative speech the main purpose is inspire your audience. The speaker is trying to arouse and heighten the audiences appreciation of or admiration for the person, institution, or idea you are praising. When giving a commemorative speech it is important for the speaker to express feelings that connects with what your talking about. You want to capture the audience and invite them in and let them see why you are giving praise to whatever it is you might be. A commemorative speech depends mostly on the creative and subtle use of language. When giving a commemorative speech it is most successful when the speaker is meaningful and inspiring with the use of language. Your ability to put your real thoughts and emotions into your words can great benefit how the audie nce will react to what you have said. The speaker will have a greater effect on grabbing the audiences attention if he or she focuses on specific details for example tone, repetition, and vivid language.The book gives us an example of how a few changes to the opening of a speech can have a dramatic affect. Using these specific language techniques can also keep the audience interested in what the speaker is saying. A commemorative speech is about praising or celebrating something and if we were to stand up and give a speech in a monotone voice than it wouldn’t seem like we were praising or celebrating anything. Specific language techniques that would be appropriate for a commemorative speech would be metaphor, simile, parallelism, repetition, antithesis, and alliteration. As a speaker your biggest challenge is to get the audience to imagine what your saying. Christenings, weddings, funerals, graduations, award ceremonies, inaugurals, and retirement dinners are all examples of commemorative speeches. If the speaker does not pay specific detail to the use of language than the speech will not be successful.

Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity Essay

With more than six billion people in this world, with a huge variety of human shapes, colors and sizes can race really be defined? As people spread across the world. Mixing among each other creating new kinds of faces there is no true race. But people such as Hitler believed that the Aryans where the superior race responsible got the cultural achievements in Europe and that they has to stop â€Å"racial contamination† that would come from breeding with inferior races by destroying them. Which caused the slaughtering of those deemed inferior: Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, slaves, and people with disabilities. It didn’t stop here, you’d think the world would try to make a difference but as Hitler era was fading, the â€Å"ethnic cleansing† by Serbs in Bosnia, the mass killings of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994 were and are stilling taking place years after Hitler. What these people failed to see is that there is no â€Å"pure race†. People show such a mixture of physical characteristics ? in skin color, hair textures, body shapes, eye color, height, weight and so on that there can not be a â€Å"pure race†. Our characteristics follow endlessly together, the mapping of genome system shows that were strikingly homogenous. Although large groups of people can be classified by blood type and gene frequencies they still cannot be classified as a race. The idea of a race in far from a myth, its embedded in our culture, it is part of our everyday lives. Sociologist D. S. Thomas observed that if people define situations as real, they’re real in their consequences in other words, people define situations as real, they’re real in their consequences in other words, people act on beliefs, not facts. As a result to that we will always have people like Hitler who feel that killing people that they believe is inferior is perfectly fine.Incidents such as the above still happen in today’s world but they are hidden from the public eye, what isn’t hidden and does continue toady seems as if no one is trying to make a difference is prejudice and discrimination, a war that will never stop. Prejudice can be defined as a prejudging of some sort, discrimination on the other hand can be defined as an action, and unfair treatment directed against someone on basis of their age, sex, height, origin, marital status, education, income, religion, etc, but when its due to race we usually call it racism. Why are people prejudices? The common sense answer is that people may have had a negative experience with a member of the other group. But Psychologists such as Eugene Hartley (1946) made studies showing that its more than just an old incident, his studies showed that prejudice against all other groups as well. Social scientists have developed several theories to explain prejudice; there are two types of theories, Scapegoat, and the Authoritarian Personality. People who are unable to release there stress to the source usually tend to release it on other people and they tend to find someone to blame their mishaps on and this usually becomes their scapegoat, often a racial, ethnic, or religious minority that they unfairly blame for their troubles. The other theory is The Authoritarian Personality Theodor Adorno’s term for people who are prejudice and rank high on scales of conformity, intolerance, insecurity, respect for authority, and submissive to superiors. Sociologists find these theories to be inadequate, they stress that the key to find prejudice is from the outside not form within. Sociologists focus on how some environments foster prejudice, while other discourages it. Sociologists have a few theories; Hitler used Functionalism, he hired Fritz Hippler, a Nazi intellectual was put in charge of the entire German film industry and he was told to create anti-Semitist, and he did by producing movies that compared Jews to rates, that their breeding would contaminate their â€Å"pure breed†. You can see that prejudice is functional and it creates in-group solidarity, and destroys human relationships. Conflict Theory- a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of groups competing for scarce resource. Symbolic interactionism examines how people’s labels affect perception and create prejudice. When we apply a label to a group we tend to see its members as all alike, this leads to stereotyping and discrimination and may even create a depicted behavior. Symbolic interaction shows that were not born to a â€Å"race†, and ethic group where we lean beliefs, values; we learn to perceive them negatively or positively. If discrimination is common in our groups, we learn to practice it commonly. Discrimination is like a learned skill if you practice it enough you won’t even realize you using it. William Julius Wilson, a sociologist, argues that social class has become important that race is determine the life chances of African Americans. Prior to the Civil War African Americans were excluded from everything that could help you advance in life and become wealthy. As African Americans moved out of the inner cities, as legislators began opening doors for African Americans, as a result they were able to get better paying jobs, live a middle-class life, but those who were left behind in the inner cities they were trapped in poverty. I believe that people choose their way of life, yes it is true that things may be harder for an African American or a Latino person, but things are hard for everyone in their own individual ways. I do believe that in today’s world things aren’t based on race in some places yes but as from what I see I believe its based on your social class, who you are, who you know, where you work, and how much money you have, that’s what I believe matters in today’s society. Although sociologists like Charles Willie, states that even African Americans do the same work as whites, whites average higher pay than African American, he argues that it racial discrimination not social discrimination. He states that we need to provide more jobs for the people in the inner cities; with more jobs there’s more hope in inner cities and an anchor to a responsible life. But being richer for an African American is still a problem because certain people start assuming things for example an African American person driving a new car a cop tends to find reason to pull them over, just to make sure the car isn’t stolen. Both sociologists have a strong point of view, but I also do have my own view in prejudice and discrimination. In today’s society minority groups have a better chance to achieve their goals, for example everyone can attend the same college, travel the country, eat in the same place and even be best friends with someone of a different ethnicity, while this is taken for granted I honestly think it’s a beautiful thing. Prejudice and discrimination is a war that will be fought through out ones life regardless, of their race, color, size, height or social status. As we flash back we see that discrimination has always been around in all different forms. We, as the human race need to focus on not judging people before we know them for who they are. Today, there are so many type of people in the world that stereotyping are always incorrect. If everyone in the world had respect for one another we would live in peace and be able to let others believe in what they wish and except everyone’s differences. If we teach our children and change our ways, sometime in our future we will be closer to accepting that a man’s character is based upon content of his soul, not his color, ethnicity, or their religion.

Consolidation in the Tour Operator Industry Case Study

Consolidation in the Tour Operator Industry - Case Study Example Visit Britain expects tourism to grow into a ?113bn industry if managed properly. However, despite tourism funding by the government being doubled since 1997, there is a threat that the UK tourism sector could slip behind international competitors. Economic Environment The tour operators’ industry has faced both economic and structural challenges over the past five years and through 2013-14 (Ithe BIS World, October 2013). Industry revenues have been as a result of economic downturn, lower disposable incomes, and reduced consumer confidence, due to which domestic tourists seek cheaper destinations. Tour operators’ revenues in 2008 show an increase over 2005 – from â‚ ¬60bn to â‚ ¬84bn (Appendix B) but this could also be, due to rise in tour prices, a rise in airfares and hotel charges. Therefore, loss of consumer confidence and declining incomes is a threat to the sector. ... Consumers demand value for money and consumers seeking mind prefer package aged holidays (Euromonitor International, 2013). Tour operators now offer flexible, dynamic packages but credit crunch impacts tourism as well. Consumers have responded to the credit the unch by choosing to holiday within the UK which has led to the trend of ‘staycation’ (Williams, 2008). Staycation holidays have increased by 13% and outbound travel decreased by 18% (Stamford, 2009a) which suggests that staycation and packaged holidays provide an opportunity to tour operators to redesign their product offerings. Technological Environment Technology has empowered the consumer in many ways. Low-cost airlines have made holidays more affordable; in addition, are the high-speed train networks. Internet penetration provides an additional distribution channel. Technology enables access to consumer data which facilitates tailoring their offerings to consumers. Mobile, technology and social networking have further empowered the consumer in seeking information, comparing and reading reviews about service providers before booking their holiday. This has helped major tour operators such as TUI to target specific segments through the strategy of differentiation. Technology thus is an opportunity to exploit the sector. Environment Tourism is generally associated with environmental degradation and ecological imbalance. The region is negatively impacted when the level of tourists exceeds the environment’s ability to cope with the use (UNEP, n.d.). In addition, natural resources are depleted; land area is reduced as infrastructure development takes place. Local resources are also used up by tourists thereby impacting the lives of the local people.

In the second half of the 20th century, the growth of interest in Essay

In the second half of the 20th century, the growth of interest in human rights has been accompanied by a revival in natural law. Consider why this should be so - Essay Example Indeed, the cinema is the best medium to illustrate how human rights are wantonly violated all over the world. Such films force everyone to fling their cloaks of apathy and go down from their ivory towers and make a stand or a reaction to such abuses. Practically all rights proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were violated i.e. "the rights to life, liberty, and security of person; to freedom from arbitrary arrest; to a fair trial; to be presumed innocent until proved guilty; to freedom of movement and residence; to asylum, nationality, and ownership of property" and so on.1 The Last King of Scotland, meanwhile, illustrates how a demented ruler, so intoxicated in his powers, can heap so much suffering and destruction to everyone who crosses his path. Idi Amin of Uganda in the 1970's ruled as a dictator and "forced most of the Asians who lived in Uganda to leave the country and had many of his opponents massacred".2 One scene showed his Scottish doctor-adviser hanged on a tenterhook with the hook piercing his chest. 2 The Killing Fields is Cambodia's version of Europe's holocaust. Like the Schindler's List, there's gore galore and human rights abuses to the max. It's so poignant and compelling that critic Rex Reed was made to comment i.e. "no film in my memory has more harrowingly telegraphed the ravages of war than The Killing Fields".3 The most affecting scenes are the scenes of torture ; the one where emaciated Cambodians had to eat live lizards in order to survive and the one where fathers and mothers were mercilessly slaughtered by their brainwashed children. The Killing Fields saga is faithful to history as attested by Amnesty International USA and by the Genocide Studies Program of Yale University. Says the latter "The Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, in which approximately 1.7 million people lost their lives (21% of the population) was one of the worst human tragedies of the last century".4 It further continued, "the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot combined extremist ideology with ethnic animosity and a diabolical disregard for human life to produce repression, misery, and murder in a massive scale". One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich was transported to the screen from the novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The Russian Nobel Prize winner in Literature novelist, was himself incarcerated in the same gulag that he wrote about and thus his tale was almost biographical. The gulag or a "network of forced labor camps in the former Soviet Union"5 was a symbol of Russian brutality and godlessness during that communist regime. The character Ivan represented the suffering of those who had to do "hard, manual work for 12

How does the internet effect social change Essay

How does the internet effect social change - Essay Example This molds an individual into falsehood and can be easily manipulated. For example, one is inclined to be like entertainment idols; by the way, they dress, act or live. Considering the existing internet connections, online communities have emerged and have acted as catalysts for advocacy and activism. This has been achieved through instant messaging social sites, which provide a platform for exchange of ideas and information (Nuert). Social activism via the internet has seen government regimes being toppled as in the case with Egypt. Internet advocacy also enhances relief campaigns in cases of tragedy or conflict as with the case of Haiti earthquake, recently. In addition, relatives separated by geographical barriers can keep in touch using electronic mail, which is more efficient. Taking into account the ever-advancing technology, video calls over the internet can be made to bridge the gaps. Furthermore, the internet plays a crucial role in the education sector by providing vital information to all, considering the introduction of the distant learning; internet has enabled people to gain knowledge bridging the geographical barriers. However, negative effects can be experienced with the development of abbreviations used during instant messaging, which degrades English grammar. The internet also increases public knowledge by providing information about things that affect their daily life, and knowledge about one’s health and environment is vital for effective development. University of California, Los Angeles. Internet Peaks As Americas Most Important Source Of Information. ScienceDaily. 10 Feb. 2003. Web. 8 Oct. 2012.

Saudi Arabia Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Saudi Arabia Business Ethics - Essay Example It is noteworthy to mention that organisational culture plays a very important role in organisations in the aspect that it can become a strategic resource that leads to sustainable competitive advantage through the promotion of learning, risk taking, and innovation (Blunt, 1991). It is also suggested that organisational culture is linked to performance at the individual level (Scott et al., 2003), thus pointing out on the importance of culture in business transactions. Culture has been described as â€Å"the way of life for an entire society† and includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, and norms of behaviour such as law and morality as well as systems of belief. Hofstede and Hofstede (2005, p. 4) defines culture as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others.† Human behaviour is often characterised as complex and unpredictable, adding to the influence of culture on it, which affects how managers work through and with people. Thus, the tasks of the managers influence individual behaviour. A manager who transacts business in a global manner needs to understand the culture of people with whom business is carried out. This indicates the importance of understanding culture as a key factor in competition that relies on knowledge-based assets and processes and depends heavily on learning and innovation (Levitt, 1983). From this standpoint, it is clear that the main target of the organisation today for sustaining organisational success and competitive advantage includes gaining knowledge, skills, and abilities. Additionally, distinctive elements between successful and unsuccessful firms include crucial factors such as the culture, values, attitudes, and commitments of employees and the organisation itself (Piper, 1990). In today’s era of globalisation, the importance of

Human Resource Management in an Organization Essay

Human Resource Management in an Organization - Essay Example As such, the organization most of the time decides to outsource these services from other organizations which can offer the service(s) required more efficiently. Other organizations outsource so seriously that they end up co-opting the organization as part of itself thereby creating what is generally termed as the virtual network structure. This paper seeks to highlight the concept of co-opting, outsourcing and virtual network structure. It also explains why virtual network structure is a good structural alternative for some firms and by using one organization as an example, the benefits and limitations of the virtual network structure are evaluated. Outsourcing refers to the transfer of some organizational functions to an external service provider. This kind of arrangement is contractual and it happens between the organization and the supplier of the services that the organization requires. Mostly, the supplier of services through the contract is able to use the means of production it already owns. These means of production may be in form of assets, equipment and personnel among others. For the entire period of the contract, the organization is able to procure the required services from the contracted service provider. It is important to note that outsourcing can be done for a number of services. These services include but are not limited to human resource, estate management, accounting, information technology and auditing among others. Other outsourced services also include customer care or service telemarketing, designing and/or manufacturing and market research among others. The decision to outsource is preceded by a number of cost considerations among other considerations. Usually, the organization has to decide whether to outsource a given service or organizational function or conduct it in-house. It is important to note that the decision to outsource is a strategic level decision and as such requires the approval of the board of directors. The process of outsourcing usually begins after the decision is made after which the organization analyzes the in-house as compared to the buying of the services in terms of cost, efficiency, effectiveness, performance, quality etc in a bid to justify the decision of outsourcing (Chopra & Meindl, 2007: pp123-127). The complexity of the outsourcing process calls for the use of outsourcing consultants or intermediaries who not only help with the scoping but also with the legal terms and conditions, pricing and evaluating the vendors offering the required service(s). Outsourcing has been around for some time now and is as old as specialization itself but in the recent years most companies have embraced outsourcing so as to handle most narrow functions e.g. data entry billing and payroll among other organizational functions. Outsourcing of these functions is done because the contracted organizations can perform the functions more efficiently than when the functions could have been done in-house. Outsourcing of these functions is more often than not more cost effective than the opposite of it because the contracted companies have all the facilities, assets, specially trained human resource and special tools for the functions they have been contracted to carry out. Most of the times outsourcing is sought, it ends up being a success albeit this is not always the case. The success is

Seeing Beyond the Bright Side of Outsourcing Essay

Seeing Beyond the Bright Side of Outsourcing - Essay Example At present, outsourcing has become a very popular source of competitive advantage. By paying other companies to run IT and other support divisions, many U.S. companies are cutting staffs, costs, and increasing efficiency. The immediate benefits can be great, allowing smaller companies to gain cheaper access to expensive technologies and allowing large firms to expand there IT usage without risk of obsolescence. As with any potentially rewarding activity, there are risks involved. Companies need to weigh the risks, rewards, and costs involved before making a decision to outsource. The more vital the task, the more care should be taken with this decision (Kakumanu and Portanova, September 2006). But, first what is outsourcing According to Webster's New World Finance and Investment Dictionary (2003), outsourcing is an increasingly popular process where a company contracts with another company to manage services that it needs but that it doesn't want to provide itself. Typically, outsourced services are non-core activities such as janitorial services, information technology, and food catering for the employee cafeteria. Sometimes companies outsource manufacturing and focus on sales and marketing. As such, outsourcing became popular because it allowed companies to reduce short-term costs. On the other hand, Laabs (1993) and Spee (1994), defined outsourcing as something that involves a long-term contractual relationship for business services from an external provider. These relationships are increasingly popular in a wide variety of business activities. Firms widely outsource in areas once strictly considered internal domains, such as human resources. Although most people think that outsourcing is a new innovation, outsourcing is already an older practice than some people realize. In colonial days, American businesses outsourced the production of covered-wagon covers and clipper ships' sails to workers in Scotland. The raw material for these products was imported from India. A couple of hundred years later, in the 1970s, computer companies began to outsource their payroll applications to outside service providers. However, most of these jobs were outsourced to companies in other states rather than overseas. It was in the late 1980s that the practice of outsourcing began to boom. During this time the field of information technology (IT) was growing rapidly, and the demand for IT workers who could develop hardware and software exploded. As the Internet and telecommunications fields developed, companies created thousands of high-paying jobs to attract talented IT employees to work for them. As the U.S. economy faltered, however, comp anies had to cut their IT budgets and began to seek a less expensive labor force outside of the United States (Dunbar, 2006). Moreover, according to Dunbar (2006), India, with its large population of English speakers and trained workers, transformed to become one of the first countries to benefit from the outsourcing trend. Americans companies began outsourcing some of their low-end IT jobs to India in the early 1990s and have gradually outsourced a wide variety of work, including call center servicing, medical transcription, tax return preparation, research and development, and medical data analysis. Cities like Bangalore have become well known for their skylines dotted with call center buildings that seem to have cropped up overnight. Providing customer

Evolution Of Global Cultural Industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evolution Of Global Cultural Industries - Essay Example The researcher of this essay states that one of the most imperative segments of global cultural economy discussed embraces a collection of industries, that can be insecurely notorious as purveyors of cultural products. The brisk expansion and increase of cultural industries in topical decades is a manifestation of the increasing junction that is happening in contemporary society between the economic array on the one hand and systems of cultural look on the other hand. These cultural industries turn out a massive and escalating collection of outputs. The industries that formulate the modern cultural economy are bound as one as an entity of research made by three vital familiar attributes. First, they are all anxious in one mode or another with the conception of goods whose worth respites principally on their figurative content and the modes in which it kindles the empirical reactions of costumers. Second, they are in general subject to the effects of Engels' Law, which recommends that as disposable proceeds expands so utilization of luxury products will ascend at a inexplicably higher rate. Consequently, the wealthier the nation, the higher expenditure on cultural products will be as a portion of families' budgets. Third, organisations in cultural-products industries are focused to spirited competition and organisational force such that they repeatedly agglomerate together in impenetrable specific clusters or industrial regions, whereas their products flow with increasing simplicity on international markets.

Brand Development Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brand Development - Case Study Example Using the concept of the Thai workers along with some modifications in the taste have led to the evolution of one of the most successful energy drinks introduced in the market. Actually, the name was also patterned after a popular Thai drink. Since its release, the product has gained considerable rate of success. From the classic flavour, Red Bull today is produced In different versions catering the needs of various market segments. The product that served as the blueprint of Red Bull was prominently consumed in rural areas. Red Bull, however, attempted to penetrate urban markets and industrialised locations. The target of Red Bull innovators was to inform the working world of the energy drink's existence. Eventually, Red Bull has become a popular choice among individuals who require sustained energy during the course of their work. The main of components of Red Bull includes taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, and b-group vitamins. Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid occurring naturally in human bodies. Basically, there are certain situations wherein taurine becomes as effective component. Glucuronolactone, however, exists in a form of a carbohydrate and serves as a vital facilitator of bodily waste elimination. Moreover, caffeine is an established ingredient that improves concentration and alertness. Finally, the b-group vitamins primarily function to develop the metabolism. Red bull has established a bandwagon because of performance. Indeed, there are several benefits that Red bull consumption provides. Basically, Red bull improves the performance of individuals in their work. Drinking Red bull also wakens the senses of drinkers improving their concentration. It has been observed that drinking Red bull improves vigilance and reaction to instantaneous events. Most important, Red bull is a helpful drink that simulates metabolism and facilitates the movements inside the body. These the fundamental reasons why Red bull has gained the most compared with other energy drinks. To prove its worth, Red bull has been used by several well-known athletes and personalities. The blend of quality ingredients and natural benefits combine to create one of the most dynamic beverages in the market. Aside from the top tier individuals, middle and low profile drinkers have recognised the effectiveness of Red bull energy drink. Definitely, drinking Red bull goes beyond replenishment as it is valued for its consistent performance. Industry Analysis The energy drink industry is relatively small compared with the scope covered by beverages. The industry, however, is gradually making a presence with the emergence of intelligent strategies and marketing initiatives. It is evident that the market catered by energy companies is young and shows trace of maturity. Another important attribute observed in the market is that some groups are portrayed as health conscious individuals. The market of Red bull and other energy drink manufacturers are teenagers and consumers in the stage of early adulthood and are considered as young professionals. Essentially, manufacturers of energy drinks consider their market as tight, but recent trends have indicated an expanding potentials and prospects. At present, there are no giant companies controlling majority of the market shares. Therefore, the competition is stiff

The Stroop Effect Essay Example for Free

The Stroop Effect Essay The aim of the study was to investigate the extent that automatic tasks have an effect on the speed of saying the words. It was assumed that participants will take significantly longer to say colour words in a different colour to what the word is on a word list then when the colour word is in the same colour because reading a word has become an automatic process. The method of this study used a repeated measures and matched pairs design and involved giving participants a selection of six lists; three inconsistent with colour and the word and three consistently worded. The sampling method was opportunity sampling taken from a sampling body of 16-19 year old students at Richmond Upon Thames College. Results were tested using the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed ranks test; this showed that there is a significant difference in the mean time taken to say the inconsistent list in comparison to the consistent list. However, environmental factors such as the noise of the surroundings have not been taken into account adding a major limitation to this study. Introduction The topic area I am going to study is attention, looking more specifically into automatic processing. Automatic processing is a concept in the area of attention that states that some tasks can be processed without the awareness of the person and dont interfere with the ability to process other tasks, for example someone who can type and talk to someone at the same time. This person can type without thinking about it; it has become an automatic process. Schiffrin and Schneider (1977) pioneered research in this area. They found that automatic processes are inflexible and hard to change i. e. once they are learnt it is difficult to alter them. Norman and Schallice (1986) argue that automatic tasks are preformed through schemas (a way of organising and storing knowledge, creates a framework for future understanding) and that when an action is preformed the relevant schema has to be used and the other, similar schema controlled using contention scheduling to stop similar schemas being activated. An example of this is if someone goes into a kitchen to make tea then the other schemas relevant to the kitchen, for example a toast making schema must be controlled using contention scheduling. Norman and Schallice also identified a supervisory attentional system which is when someone is controlling themselves consciously to override an automatic process. An example of this is when someone usually leaves their house and turns left to go to college but due to an appointment they have to turn right. Stroop (1935) also conducted research into automatic processes. He gave participants two lists and asked them to say the name of the colour the words were printed in one list was colour words in the same colour and the second was colour words in a different colour. Stroop found that when the colour words were in different colours the participant would take longer to read the colour of the word this is because the automatic process of reading is completed faster then the controlled process of identifying the colour. This research is being conducted to identify if it applied to students as because they are studying they may be more aware of the colour or the tasks at hand they in a performance mode. Aim: To investigate the effects of two similar tasks i. e. reading different coloured words on the speed of saying the words. Hypothesis-directional: Participants will take significantly longer to say colour words in a different colour to what the word is on a word list then when the colour word is in the same colour. Hypothesis-null: There will be no difference in the time taken for participants to say colour words in a different colour to what the word is on a word list then when the colour word is in the same colour. Methods Design The research will be carried out in a repeated measures design; participants will be exposed to both the conditions, each variable will be tested on the participant three times. This design however, suffers from order effects; once a participant has finished one list they will be ready or rehearsed for the next ergo be better at the next list. With this in mind, this research will be counter balanced, for example if participant A reads list 1 first then participant B will read list 2 first and so on. To ensure more valid results the participant will receive three lists from the inconsistent condition and three lists from the consistent condition. Investigator effects will be avoided by creating a set of standardised instructions; this will ensure that the researchers do not treat each participant differently creating less demand characteristics. This research could be considered unethical as the participant doesnt know what they are doing but this will be dealt with by a debriefing; after the experiment the participant will be told what the experiment is for the lack of informed consent will only cause minimal psychological harm. The hypothesis will only be accepted if the results show a level of significance over 5%; this has been chosen to make the results more generalisable and to avoid anomalies.

Impact of Temperature on Viscosity of Liquid

Impact of Temperature on Viscosity of Liquid INTRODUCTION    Hydrodynamics, as defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is the branch of physics that deals with the motion of fluids, and the forces acting on solid bodies immersed in fluids and in motion relative to them (2017). The study of fluids originated in Ancient Greece, was coupled with the works of Persian philosophers in Medieval times, and eventually, with many contributions made by scientists such as Archimedes, Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, was developed into the branch of fluid dynamics that exists today (WiseGeek, 2017). Any substance can be classed as a fluidif it changes shape uniformly in response to external forces. Many characteristics of such a substance include; pressure, temperature, mass, density and viscosity (Washington.edu, 2017). The term viscosity is defined as a fluids resistance to flow in relation to its inner molecular structure, and is largely affected by temperature (Viscopedia, 2017). As the temperature of a fluid increases, so does the thermal/kinetic energy of its liquid molecules, which results in increased amounts of movement as the particles begin to move faster. Due to this increased amount of movement, the attractive binding energy of the fluid is reduced, consequently decreasing the fluids resistance to flow (Azom, 2013). This principle is demonstrated in the following theoretical figures, which depict the relationship between the temperatures and viscosities of various fluids:          From using the known viscosities of fluids at various temperatures, and developing functions that model these relationships in programs such as Microsoft Excel or on a graphics calculator, the approximate viscosity of a liquid at any temperature can be found by substituting values for temperature into the relevant formula. An example of this process is seen below: As seen in Figure 1, the equation that models the relationship between temperature and viscosity of water is y = 1.5396e-0.018x. If the temperature of the water was 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Cà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. y = 1.5396e-0.018x y = 1.5396e-0.018 x 4 y = 1.433 mPas Therefore, the viscosity of the water at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C is 1.433 mPas. Viscosity is also what causes an object to slow as it travels through a fluid, and is one component in the phenomenon of drag force, the retarding force that acts opposite to the direction of motion of a body or object. The drag force of any object is dependent on the viscosity of the fluid it travels through, velocity of the object, reference area of the object, and the drag coefficient. The following formula can be used to calculate the total drag force acting upon an object (Wikipedia, 2017): Where: = Drag force (N), = Mass density of fluid (mPas), = Flow speed of object relative to fluid (ms-1), = Drag coefficient (no units), A = Reference area (m2) A worked example of this calculation with assumed and exact values is modelled below: Assume that for a flat surfaced mass travelling through water at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Cà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. mPas = 0.3ms-1 0.82 A = 2.5 x 10-4 The values are then substituted into the drag force formulaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Therefore the drag force of the mass travelling through water at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C is approximately 4.6125 x 10-5N. One component of this force, as represented by in the drag force equation, is a drag coefficient (The Free Dictionary, 2017). As stated in The Physics of Sailing by Ryan M. Wilson (2010), intuitively, the drag should depend linearly on the density of the fluid in which the body is immersed (because force depends linearly on mass) and linearly on the area of the body that is exposed to the flow because the volume of fluid that must be displaced as the body moves through it is proportional to this area. A range of calculated drag coefficients for various shapes can be seen in Figure 3. It can therefore be concluded that the lower the drag coefficient of an object, the lower the amount of drag force that occurs as it travels through a fluid (Brock University, 2017). As seen in Figure 2, the drag coefficient of an object is reliant on its shape. It can be concluded that a mass with a flat reference area will travel almost two times slower than that with a spherical reference area. A conical reference area will cause an object to fall slightly slower than a spherical mass, but faster than one with a flat reference area. Theoretically, as deducted from Figure 2, it is concluded that a mass with a spherical reference area will travel faster than one with either a conical and flat surfaced reference area, the latter of these theoretically having the slowest time of fall through a liquid out of the three. Although many different fields of study incorporate knowledge of drag forces and viscosity, arguably one of the most important applications is found within the engineering of ships and the design of the hulls, specifically in relation to sailing competitions such as the Americas Cup. As one of the largest sailing races in the world, this competition has strict guidelines for ship design, consequently meaning that vessel engineers must find the best combinations (of measurements) to create the fastest ship possible (Krepal, 2014). When building, engineers must be familiar with the environmental sailing conditions of the race in order to build the most suitable hull with the least amount of drag this is determined in regards to the temperature of the sea and its viscosity. As calculating viscosity is a complex procedure, ship engineers often refer to data such as seen in Figure 2 to determine aspects of ship design. In regards to the speed of the ship, it can be concluded from previous knowledge on drag force that the lower the drag coefficient of a vessel, the easier it is for it to break through the water, overcoming shear force and resulting in a faster travelling time (Krepal, 2014). When unknown, the drag force formula can be rearranged to find the drag coefficient; however, often these values are computed from graphical designs of the ship as the phenomenon of drag force is dependent on many variables. Testing on model ships is also performed to determine how vessels will travel under different conditions (Mecaflux, 2013). HYPOTHESIS Based on the previous research, the hypothesis for this experiment is that: If a body is falling in a liquid, then i) the lower the viscosity of the liquid, which decreases as temperature increases, the faster will be the rate of fall of the object, and ii) the lower the drag coefficient of the body, the smaller its drag force will be, as the velocity of an object as it travels through a fluid is inversely proportional to the amount of resistance it encounters. METHOD The supplies needed 1L glass measuring cylinder, 2L water, 2kg honey, 2L canola oil, 3 x 53g cylindrical masses with different reference areas of the same 0.9cm radius (flat, spherical, streamlined/conical), a Thermomix, thermometer, a logbook and pencil, and a video recording device. All measurements and data were to be collected and stored in a logbook and on the video recording device. A risk assessment form was completed before the commencement of the experiment, in order to recognise any potential hazards regarding the equipment that was to be used. It was identified that any device used to heat up the liquids, and the hot liquids themselves, had potential to burn the person completing the experiment, and it was possible for the glass cylinder to topple over and shatter as it was filled with each liquid. Covered shoes were worn during the experimental procedures to protect the feet from any falling objects and glass, and care was taken when using heating devices and handling ho t liquids. As the hypothesis was written in two parts, there were two variables that remained constant depending on the experimental procedure (independent variables) the first was the temperature/viscosity of each liquid, and the second was the reference area of the masses travelling through each. The dependent variable in both was the velocity of the object. The equipment was set up for the experiment as depicted in Figure 6. 1L of each liquid was placed in the fridge and cooled to 5à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C. 1L of the first liquid, water, was heated in the Thermomix to 37à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C and then poured into the glass cylinder. The flat ended mass was dropped from the 1L mark, and its fall was timed and recorded on the video recording device. The object was then extracted from the bottom of the cylinder, and this process was repeated two more times. The flat ended mass was then removed, and the same procedure was performed again for both the spherical and conical shaped masses. After these tests were completed, the water was poured back into the Thermomix and was heated to 50à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C. Once at temperature, the water was again poured into the cylinder, and the previously stated processes were repeated for each mass. After these tests were completed, the water was poured into the Thermomix. The chilled water from the fridge was then take n out, checked with a thermometer to be at 4à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C, and poured into the cylinder for testing. The previously stated processes for each mass were repeated. After all of the masses had been dropped into the water at all three temperatures, the water was disposed of, and the experimental space cleaned up to prepare for the next round of testing. All results were recorded into various tables in the logbook, and later graphed for analysis. The second liquid, canola oil, was heated in the Thermomix to 35à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C and then poured into the glass cylinder. The previously stated procedures were repeated. All results were recorded into a table, and later graphed for analysis. The third liquid, honey, was heated in the Thermomix to 35à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C and then poured into the glass cylinder. The previously stated procedure was repeated. All results were recorded into a table, and later graphed for analysis. In this experiment, it is noted that apart from that which were independent and dependant, all other variables were controlled, consequently meaning that every aspect of the testing remained consistent. These controlled variables included the positioning of the glass cylinder and video recording device, the dropping point of the masses, the weight of the small masses used, the radius of the masses, the distance each mass fell, the type of oil and honey used, etc. By controlling all other variables, the results recorded from the testing become more accurate. RESULTS (HYPOTHESIS PART 1) CALCULATED VALUES FOR VISCOSITY By using the formulas generated from the Excel graphs in Figure 1, which model the relationships between the viscosity and temperature of each liquid, and substituting in the experimental temperatures for x (4, 37 and 50), the empirical viscosities of each fluid at different temperatures were calculated. The tables and graphs of these results follow, with all calculations performed recorded in the logbooks. WATER Temperature (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Viscosity (mPas) 4 1.433 37 0.791 50 0.626 y = 1.5396e-0.018x CANOLA OIL y = 186.16e-0.049x Temperature (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Viscosity (mPas) 4 153.026 37 30.375 50 16.064 HONEY y = 138468e-0.117x Temperature (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Viscosity (mPas) 4 86716.073 37 1825.108 50 398.774 Water Flat Surfaced Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.41 0.62 0.81 0.61 37 0.62 0.50 0.50 0.54 50 0.66 0.60 0.69 0.65 Spherical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.91 0.68 0.37 0.65 37 0.53 0.59 0.55 0.56 50 0.43 0.62 0.60 0.55 Conical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.40 0.57 0.54 0.50 37 0.78 0.50 0.62 0.63 50 0.59 0.50 0.43 0.51 Canola Oil Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Time of Fall (s) 4 0.60 0.55 0.65 0.60 37 0.62 0.69 0.58 0.63 50 0.49 0.52 0.46 0.49 Flat Surfaced Mass Spherical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 0.63 0.59 0.69 0.636667 37 0.56 0.56 0.53 0.55 50 0.45 0.46 0.42 0.443333 Conical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 0.67 0.53 0.43 0.543333 37 0.46 0.49 0.38 0.443333 50 0.36 0.45 0.39 0.4 Honey Flat Surfaced Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 2040 2257.2 2008.2 2101.8 37 498.6 489 508.2 498.6 50 84 91.2 95.4 90.2 Spherical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 1428 1537.2 1362.6 1442.6 37 362.4 370.2 389.4 374 50 72 70.8 73.8 72.2 Conical Mass Temperature of Fluid (à ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬â„¢C) Time 1 (s) Time 2 (s) Time 3 (s) Average Rate of Fall (s) 4 1188 1135.2 1305 1209.4 37 307.2 305.4 320.4 311 50 66.6 65.4 67.2 66.4 HYPOTHESIS PART 2 CALCULATED DRAG FORCES Worked Example: Flat surfaced mass travelling through water at 4 °C mPas = 0.2916 ms-1 0.82 A = 2.545 x 10-4 The values are then substituted into the drag force formulaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ WATER: TEMPERATURE ( °C) DRAG FORCE (Nx10-5) Flat 4 4.3600 37 3.0830 50 1.6840 Spherical 4 3.9480 37 2.9358 50 2.4084 Conical 4 132.3700 37 46.0270 50 55.5820 CANOLA OIL: TEMPERATURE ( °C) DRAG FORCE (Nx10-5) Flat 4 483.020 37 86.971 50 76.033 Spherical 4 434.850 37 116.860 50 96.567 Conical 4 12120.000 37 3620.000 50 2320.000 HONEY: TEMPERATURE ( °C) DRAG FORCE (Nx10-5) Flat 4 0.0223060 37 0.0083423 50 0.0556950 Spherical 4 0.0485340 37 0.0151850

The Impact Of Sea Level Rise

The Impact Of Sea Level Rise With the rapid growth of knowledge in climate change, especially in sea level rise, its science and impacts, it is hardly surprising that the relationship between sea level rise and its impact on our environment, policies and building practices have attracted considerable attention in recent years. The policymakers, authorities and governing bodies acknowledge that increased sea levels will have significant medium to long-term social, economic and environmental impacts. In an attempt to provide an integrated view of climate change, Synthesis Report (IPCC, 2007) is produced which summarises observed changes in climate and their effects on natural and human systems, regardless of their causes, assesses the causes of the observed changes, presents projections of future climate change and related impacts under different scenarios. Further report discusses adaptation and mitigation options over the next few decades and their interactions with sustainable development, assesses the relation ship between adaptation and mitigation on a more conceptual basis and takes a longer-term perspective. Science of sea level rise From geological perspective, evidence show that the Earths climate has changed through the Earths geological history, spanning more than 3 billion years. From the abundant literature on the sea level rise, it has been observed that ocean levels have always fluctuated with changes in global temperatures, supported by different studies. During ice ages when the earth was 5Â °C colder than today; the sea level often was more than 100 meters below the present level (Dony et al., 1962; Kennet, 1982; Oldale, 1985). The sea level was approximately 20 feet higher than the current sea level in last interglacial period when the average temperature was about 1Â °C warmer than today (Mercer, 1968). Today, no fewer than 13 studies of global-mean sea level (MSL) change over various periods during the last 100 years concluded that MSL has been rising (IPCC, 1990, Ch. 9, Table 9.1 pp. 263). It appears that two primary processes contribute to sea level rise (SLR): thermal expansion of the oceans an d the loss of land-based ice due to increased melting (Bindoff et al., 2007). Global average sea level has risen since 1961 at an average rate of 1.8 [1.3 to 2.3] mm/yr and since 1993 at 3.1 [2.4 to 3.8] mm/yr, with contributions from thermal expansion, melting glaciers and ice caps, and the polar ice sheets (IPCC, 2007). However, whether the faster rate for 1993 to 2003 reflects decadal variation or an increase in the longer-term trend is unclear (IPCC, 2007). According to IPCC (2007) special report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B scenario, the steric sea level changes relative to the global mean (the local part) in different ocean basins are attributed to differential heating and salinity changes of various ocean layers and associated physical processes. As a result of these changes, water tends to move from the ocean interior to continental shelves (Yin et al., 2010) Impacts of sea level rise on environment Sea level rise (SLR) has direct impact on environment. Increase in temperatures at global level as well as regional level has affected many marine systems (IPPC Report, 1997). A rise in sea level would inundate wetlands and lowlands, accelerate coastal erosion, exacerbate coastal flooding, threaten coastal structures, raise water tables, and increase the salinity of rivers, bays and aquifers (Barth and Titus, 1984). The literature confirms that indirect effects of sea level rise, as well as the potential impact of extreme events, may be more significant than direct effects in the future. Regarding human settlements, Scott (1996) expresses the view that the impacts of sea-level rise and extreme events are likely to be experienced indirectly through effects on other sectors for instance changes in water supply, agricultural productivity (Brinkman, 1995) and human migration. In addition to that, intensity and frequency change will be associated with oceans (Venugopalan, 1996; Nicholls et al, 1996), which will ultimately play a dominant part in the internal dynamics of human demography. Literature also explains the severity of global warming leading to sea level rise. Two global coupled climate models show that even if the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere had been stabilized in the year 2000, we are already committed to further global warming of about another half degree and an additional 320% sea level rise caused by thermal expansion by the end of the 21st century. Projected weakening of the meridional overturning circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean does not lead to a net cooling in Europe. At any given point in time, even if concentrations are stabilized, there is a commitment to future climate changes that will be greater than those we have already observed (Meehl, et al., 2005). Many terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems are already being affected by regional increases in temperatures (IPCC, 2007). The most rapid changes have been seen in parts of the Polar Regions where 2-3Â °C increases in temperature have occurred in the last 50 years. Concomitant changes in precipitation, ocean biogeochemistry, sea level, and extreme weather events are generating global concerns about the most effective strategies for conserving biological diversity as climate changes. Further concerns that societies may not be able to stabilize greenhouse gases at a level that will result in only a 2Â °C increase in global temperatures above preindustrial levels (Anderson Bows 2008) are leading to a growing realization that governments should develop contingency plans for 4Â °C increases in temperature. Biological diversity at all levels of organization is affected directly and indirectly by climate change and by adaptation and mitigation measures. Although the SLR pattern is very important, it suffers from an insufficient amount of study to date and was simply attributed to natural geological processes. With the recent progress in this field (Gregory et al. 2001; Levermann et al. 2005; Landerer et al. 2007) a better understanding of the SLR patterns in past, present, and future climates, and their underlying mechanisms, have been identified (Yin, et al., 2010). The acceleration is distinct from decadal variations in global sea level that have been reported in previous studies. Increased rates in the tropical and southern oceans primarily account for the acceleration. The timing of the global acceleration corresponds to similar sea level trend changes associated with upper ocean heat content and ice melt (Merrifield, et al., 2009). Impacts of sea level rise on policies The release of IPCC Third Assessment Report (TAR) motivated researchers to expand the ranges of approaches and methods in use, and of the characterisations of future conditions required by those methods to undertake informed decision making in an environment of uncertainty through assessments of climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability (CCIAV) (Carter et al., 2007). Their range of application in assessments has since been significantly expanded and aims to understand and manage as much of the full range of uncertainty, extending from emissions through to vulnerability (Ahmad et al., 2001). The most commonly used standard assessment approach such as impact approach aims to evaluate the likely impacts of climate change under a given scenario and to assess the need for adaptation and/or mitigation to reduce any resulting vulnerability to climate risks (Carter et al., 2007). However, other approaches such as adaptation and vulnerability- based approaches, integrated assessme nt and risk management are increasingly being incorporated into mainstream approaches to decision-making, resulting into incorporation of wider objectives such as stakeholder involvement, capacity-building, prioritisation and costing of adaptation measures, interrelationships between vulnerability and adaptation assessments and to integrate national development priorities and adaptation options into existing or future sustainable development plans (SBI, 2001; COP, 2005). While, based upon research, the common response to sea level rise is to understand impacts and relate them to the categories of future characterisations which should be comprehensive, capable to capture the various aspects of the socio-economic/biophysical system it aims to represent and would indicate details with which any single element is characterised. From many characterisations of the future, most commonly used in CCIAV and other studies was found to be Scenarios and Projection. A scenario is a coherent, internally consistent, and plausible description of a possible future state of the world (Nakicenovic et al., 2000; Raskin et al., 2005). Scenarios are not predictions or forecasts, but are alternative images without ascribed likelihoods of how the future might unfold. They may be qualitative, quantitative, or both. An overarching logic often related several components of a scenario (Carter et al., 2007). Currently, two basic approaches are used to support climate adaptation p olicy on a regional and local scale, the predictive top-down approach and the resilience bottom-up approach (Dessai and Sluijs, 2008). Further studying the adaptation-based approaches risk management and integrated assessment approaches are found to be effective. Risk management examines the adaptive capacity and adaptation measures required to improve the resilience or robustness of a system exposed to climate change (Smit and Wandel, 2006). Risk-management approach can also be linked directly to mitigation analysis (Nakicenovic et al., 2007). Over the past 15-20 years, the scientific assessment of climate change impacts has improved considerable with regard to incorporating the human dimensions (e.g., IPCC, 1997; IPCC 2001a; NRC, 1999; Rayner and Malone, 1998; Wynne, 1987). At the same time, as mentioned in Moser (2005), various 23 studies support the fact, attention to the uncertainties, unknowns, and potential surprises in the science of climate change and in impact assessments have grown considerably. Moser, S (2005) emphasis the need of assessments to be taken seriously embedded with local realities and constraints to affect individual decision-makers and communal responses to climate change. Moser (2005) is an excellent study aimed at understanding coastal zone policies and their histories, the challenges and realities of costal policy-making and management, perceptions and understanding of climate change driven sea-level rise and coastal impacts. In other studies, Nicholls and Tol (2006) explored the potential impacts of sea-level rise using complementary impact and economic analysis methods at the global scale. In all future scenarios such as emission scenarios and socio-economic scenarios, they found that the exposure and hence the impact potential due to increased flooding by sea-level rise increases significantly compared to the base year (1990). The most vulnerable future worlds to sea-level rise appear to be which reflects differences in the socio-economic situation, rather than the magnitude of sea-level rise. However, future worlds which experience larger rises in sea-level than considered now, more extreme events, a reactive rather than proactive approach to adaptation, where GDP growth is slower or more unequal than, in the future remains a concern. As climate change threatens to cause the largest refugee crisis in human history (Biermann and Boas, 2010), the situation calls for new governance for the protection and voluntary resettlement of climate refugees-defined as people who have to leave their habitats because of sudden or gradual alterations in their natural environment related to one of three impacts of climate change: sea level rise, extreme weather events, and drought and water scarcity. Despite the threat of rising sea levels, the drive to develop Floridas coastline continues, reported by Mark Schrope, 2010. In his report, he refers to the retreat from submerging lands was relatively uncomplicated with low numbers and a simple lifestyle about 8,000 years ago when there were Native Americans living on land that now lies beneath the Gulf of Mexico (Balsillie et. al., 2004). Further he adds, that vulnerability, combined with its highly concentrated costal population, means that Florida will be a case study for other states and the world for in case of what would happen if you dont prepare for sea level, especially in lack of legislative and public attention to the issues. Impact of sea level rise on building practices Anticipated climate changes will greatly amplify risks to coastal populations. Globally, approximately 400 people live within 20 m of sea level and within 20 km of a coast (Small et al., 2000). By the end of the century, increases in SLR of two to five times the present rates could lead to inundation of low-lying coastal regions, more frequent flooding episodes, and worsening beach erosion (IPCC, 1996a and IPCC, 1996b). Many developed nations have experienced a four-decade rush to the shore, with concomitant beachfront development and exponentially increasing total values for beachfront real estate, infrastructure and buildings and that this unprecedented accelerating coastal development has unfortunately coincided with a century of accelerating global sea level rise means that the prediction of the future rate of shoreline retreat has become a major societal priority (Pilkey and Cooper, 2004). Highly developed coastlines with a large population and considerable private property and infrastructure are potentially at risk from inundation and flooding as well illustrated by three urban case study sites, lower Manhattan, Coney Island, and Rockaway Beach, in Gornitz et al. (2001) study. The greater frequency of severe flooding episodes may lead to abandonment of lower floors, as in Venice, or ultimately of entire buildings Gornitz et al. (2001). Thus zoning and land use policies would need to be established to enable an orderly and equitable pullback from the most vulnerable areas. This could be accomplished by a number of mechanisms such as designation of construction setback lines, removal of buildings or hard structures in imminent danger of collapse and acquisition of empty inland space so that beaches and wetland could be rolled out. To support dense local populations in low-lying sectors of Bangkok, structural measures that have already been undertaken to reduce the rates of coastal erosion which includes building storage dams, constructing barrages, divertin g channels and dykes, as well as planning future measures such as the development of pumping stations (Vitoolpanyakij, 2009). The implementation of improved warning and forecasting methods and the adoption of some land-use planning measures would reduce both current and future vulnerability such as altering the design standard of a physical defence such as realigned channel or a defence wall, altering the effectiveness of building codes based on designing against specified return period events, altering the area exposed to a potential hazard, and/or introducing hazards previously not experienced in an area (Yohe, 2007). Conclusion The issue of global sea level rise has aroused much interest because of its great practical and scientific importance, especially its major impact on most coastal regions. Bird (1993), Warrick et al. (1993) and Nichollas and Leatherman (1994) have well documented serious consequences of even a few mm/yr increase of sea level. Moreover, sea level rise is a unique indicator of global climate change, potentially providing a means for evaluating climate models via their hindcasts and forecasts (Douglas, 1997). Most literature calls for further research and rightly mentioned by Titus (1989) demands better estimates of future sea level rise, improved assessments of the impacts of global warming on coastal environments, improved ocean modelling that will be necessary for better projections of surface air temperatures which would require a substantial increase in the resources allocated for monitoring and modelling local, regional and global climate change. Other climatic variables such as winds, waves and storms should also be taken in consideration and sea-level rise should not be considered in isolation.

The Lesson of Quinns Ishmael :: Quinn Ishmael Essays

The Lesson of Quinn's Ishmael There are some books that you can just sit back and enjoy, just let the authors words wash over you and, most importantly, you don't have to think. And then there's Daniel Quinn's Ishmael. The novel Ishmael, "an adventure of the mind and spirit," opens with a disillusioned and depressed man in search of a teacher, and not just any teacher. He wants someone to show him what life is all about. And so he finds Ishmael, a meiutic teacher (one who acts as a midwife to his pupils, in bringing ideas to the surface), who turns out to be a large telepathic gorilla of extraordinary intelligence. The largest part of the book consists of their conversations, in which Ishmael discusses how things got to be this way (in terms of human culture, beginning with the agricultural revolution). Ishmael shows the narrator exactly what doesn't work in our society: the reasoning that there is only one right way to live, and that that way is with humans conquering the planet. Daniel Quinn points out that many other cultures, most notably those who have a tribal lifestyle, work, in that they do not destroy their resources, have no need for crime control or other programs, and do not have population problems. He insists that our culture is not based on humans being human, it is based on humans being gods and trying to control the world. Ishmael has a habit of raising questions and ideas. The gorilla Ishmael not only brought out thoughts and questions in the narrator, he brought up a lot of questions and ideas in Coast to Coast 2000. Ishmael took us all aback. Although many of us questioned some of Daniel Quinn's minor points, we all agreed on one of his main points: that there is no one right way to live. The Bushmen of Africa are living in a way that is just as right and works just as well as ours, and possibly even better, as they are capable of living without destroying everything in their paths. These "Leaver" cultures are in no way inferior to ours though we consider them to be uncivilized. In fact, Ishmael says that it is "Taker" civilization itself, the hierarchical structure that locks up food and spreads through the idea that people must live the same way, that is actually inferior.

The Role of Alcohol in Fitzgeralds Tender is the Night Essays

The Role of Alcohol in Tender is the Night      Ã‚   All of the main characters in Tender is the Night are wealthy enough that they can lead a life of leisure. One of the main activities of this lifestyle is drinking. Drunkenness causes and is the result of many negative things that happen to the characters. This is evidenced the most by the actions of Abe North and Dick Diver. The first time we meet Dick Diver in Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night he is "going from umbrella to umbrella carrying a bottle and little glasses in his hands"(Fitzgerald, 11). From that point on there is alcohol involved in almost every scene.    The first time that alcohol played a major role was in the duel between Tommy Barban and Mr. McKisco. McKisco was drunk when he challenged Tommy to the duel. He was also drunk when the duel went on. Both shots missed and the duel was over, but the role of alcohol had made its impression.    Abe North was the first character to be portrayed as an alcoholic. Rosemaary noticed that "his eyes were bloodshot form sun and wine"(Fitzgerald, 60) and that "he was always stopping in places to get a drink"(Fitzgerald, 60). He repeatedly missed the boat back to America and as a result of his drinking habits a dead Negro appeared in Rosemary's bedroom. Abe North eventually died in a fight at a speakeasy. Drinking caused his entire downfall. There really was not much background given on Abe that would give the reasons that he drank. His career was not very successful, but it really could not be determined which came first, his drinking or his lack of success.    Rosemary had her first drink with the Divers and the Norths. She did this because she thought it would somehow bring her closer to the group. She... ...He no longer practiced medicine and he was not helping Nicole get any better. His drinking went on to cause him further unhappiness by making things with Nicole even worse, and was the reason that he lost both his social standing and his career.    Alcohol had some effect on all the characters in Tender is the Night either directly or through a loved one. It was the cause of the ruin of two of the main characters. Drinking played a very important role in many of the events that took place.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bruccoli, Matthew J. and Judith S. Baughman. Reader's Companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1996. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Tender is the Night. New York: Collier Books. 1982. Stern, Milton R. Tender Is the Night: The Broken Universe. New York: Twayne, 1994.

Twilight 14. MIND OVER MATTER

14. MIND OVER MATTER He could drive well, when he kept the speed reasonable, I had to admit. Like so many things, it seemed to be effortless to him. He barely looked at the road, yet the tires never deviated so much as a centimeter from the center of the lane. He drove one-handed, holding my hand on the seat. Sometimes he gazed into the setting sun, sometimes he glanced at me – my face, my hair blowing out the open window, our hands twined together. He had turned the radio to an oldies station, and he sang along with a song I'd never heard. He knew every line. â€Å"You like fifties music?† I asked. â€Å"Music in the fifties was good. Much better than the sixties, or the seventies, ugh!† He shuddered. â€Å"The eighties were bearable.† â€Å"Are you ever going to tell me how old you are?† I asked, tentative, not wanting to upset his buoyant humor. â€Å"Does it matter much?† His smile, to my relief, remained unclouded. â€Å"No, but I still wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I grimaced. â€Å"There's nothing like an unsolved mystery to keep you up at night.† â€Å"I wonder if it will upset you,† he reflected to himself. He gazed into the sun; the minutes passed. â€Å"Try me,† I finally said. He sighed, and then looked into my eyes, seeming to forget the road completely for a time. Whatever he saw there must have encouraged him. He looked into the sun – the light of the setting orb glittered off his skin in ruby-tinged sparkles – and spoke. â€Å"I was born in Chicago in 1901.† He paused and glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. My face was carefully unsurprised, patient for the rest. He smiled a tiny smile and continued. â€Å"Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza.† He heard my intake of breath, though it was barely audible to my own ears. He looked down into my eyes again. â€Å"I don't remember it well – it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade.† He was lost in his thoughts for a short time before he went on. â€Å"I do remember how it felt, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget.† â€Å"Your parents?† â€Å"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me. In all the chaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone.† â€Å"How did he†¦ save you?† A few seconds passed before he answered. He seemed to choose his words carefully. â€Å"It was difficult. Not many of us have the restraint necessary to accomplish it. But Carlisle has always been the most humane, the most compassionate of us†¦ I don't think you could find his equal throughout all of history.† He paused. â€Å"For me, it was merely very, very painful.† I could tell from the set of his lips, he would say no more on this subject. I suppressed my curiosity, though it was far from idle. There were many things I needed to think through on this particular issue, things that were only beginning to occur to me. No doubt his quick mind had already comprehended every aspect that eluded me. His soft voice interrupted my thoughts. â€Å"He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Esme soon after. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow, her heart was still beating.† â€Å"So you must be dying, then, to become†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We never said the word, and I couldn't frame it now. â€Å"No, that's just Carlisle. He would never do that to someone who had another choice.† The respect in his voice was profound whenever he spoke of his father figure. â€Å"It is easier he says, though,† he continued, â€Å"if the blood is weak.† He looked at the now-dark road, and I could feel the subject closing again. â€Å"And Emmett and Rosalie?† â€Å"Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him – he was careful with his thoughts around me.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"But she was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was hunting – we were in Appalachia at the time – and found a bear about to finish him off. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself. I'm only beginning to guess how difficult that journey was for her.† He threw a pointed glance in my direction, and raised our hands, still folded together, to brush my cheek with the back of his hand. â€Å"But she made it,† I encouraged, looking away from the unbearable beauty of his eyes. â€Å"Yes,† he murmured. â€Å"She saw something in his face that made her strong enough. And they've been together ever since. Sometimes they live separately from us, as a married couple. But the younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay in any given place. Forks seemed perfect, so we all enrolled in high school.† He laughed. â€Å"I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, again.† â€Å"Alice and Jasper?† â€Å"Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures. They both developed a conscience, as we refer to it, with no outside guidance. Jasper belonged to another†¦ family, a very different kind of family. He became depressed, and he wandered on his own. Alice found him. Like me, she has certain gifts above and beyond the norm for our kind.† â€Å"Really?† I interrupted, fascinated. â€Å"But you said you were the only one who could hear people's thoughts.† â€Å"That's true. She knows other things. She sees things – things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change.† His jaw set when he said that, and his eyes darted to my face and away so quickly that I wasn't sure if I only imagined it. â€Å"What kinds of things does she see?† â€Å"She saw Jasper and knew that he was looking for her before he knew it himself. She saw Carlisle and our family, and they came together to find us. She's most sensitive to non-humans. She always sees, for example, when another group of our kind is coming near. And any threat they may pose.† â€Å"Are there a lot of†¦ your kind?† I was surprised. How many of them could walk among us undetected? â€Å"No, not many. But most won't settle in any one place. Only those like us, who've given up hunting you people† – a sly glance in my direction – â€Å"can live together with humans for any length of time. We've only found one other family like ours, in a small village in Alaska. We lived together for a time, but there were so many of us that we became too noticeable. Those of us who live†¦ differently tend to band together.† â€Å"And the others?† â€Å"Nomads, for the most part. We've all lived that way at times. It gets tedious, like anything else. But we run across the others now and then, because most of us prefer the North.† â€Å"Why is that?† We were parked in front of my house now, and he'd turned off the truck. It was very quiet and dark; there was no moon. The porch light was off so I knew my father wasn't home yet. â€Å"Did you have your eyes open this afternoon?† he teased. â€Å"Do you think I could walk down the street in the sunlight without causing traffic accidents? There's a reason why we chose the Olympic Peninsula, one of the most sunless places in the world. It's nice to be able to go outside in the day. You wouldn't believe how tired you can get of nighttime in eighty-odd years.† â€Å"So that's where the legends came from?† â€Å"Probably.† â€Å"And Alice came from another family, like Jasper?† â€Å"No, and that is a mystery. Alice doesn't remember her human life at all. And she doesn't know who created her. She awoke alone. Whoever made her walked away, and none of us understand why, or how, he could. If she hadn't had that other sense, if she hadn't seen Jasper and Carlisle and known that she would someday become one of us, she probably would have turned into a total savage.† There was so much to think through, so much I still wanted to ask. But, to my great embarrassment, my stomach growled. I'd been so intrigued, I hadn't even noticed I was hungry. I realized now that I was ravenous. â€Å"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from dinner.† â€Å"I'm fine, really.† â€Å"I've never spent much time around anyone who eats food. I forget.† â€Å"I want to stay with you.† It was easier to say in the darkness, knowing as I spoke how my voice would betray me, my hopeless addiction to him. â€Å"Can't I come in?† he asked. â€Å"Would you like to?† I couldn't picture it, this godlike creature sitting in my father's shabby kitchen chair. â€Å"Yes, if it's all right.† I heard the door close quietly, and almost simultaneously he was outside my door, opening it for me. â€Å"Very human,† I complimented him. â€Å"It's definitely resurfacing.† He walked beside me in the night, so quietly I had to peek at him constantly to be sure he was still there. In the darkness he looked much more normal. Still pale, still dreamlike in his beauty, but no longer the fantastic sparkling creature of our sunlit afternoon. He reached the door ahead of me and opened it for me. I paused halfway through the frame. â€Å"The door was unlocked?† â€Å"No, I used the key from under the eave.† I stepped inside, flicked on the porch light, and turned to look at him with my eyebrows raised. I was sure I'd never used that key in front of him. â€Å"I was curious about you.† â€Å"You spied on me?† But somehow I couldn't infuse my voice with the proper outrage. I was flattered. He was unrepentant. â€Å"What else is there to do at night?† I let it go for the moment and went down the hall to the kitchen. He was there before me, needing no guide. He sat in the very chair I'd tried to picture him in. His beauty lit up the kitchen. It was a moment before I could look away. I concentrated on getting my dinner, taking last night's lasagna from the fridge, placing a square on a plate, heating it in the microwave. It revolved, filling the kitchen with the smell of tomatoes and oregano. I didn't take my eyes from the plate of food as I spoke. â€Å"How often?† I asked casually. â€Å"Hmmm?† He sounded as if I had pulled him from some other train of thought. I still didn't turn around. â€Å"How often did you come here?† â€Å"I come here almost every night.† I whirled, stunned. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"You're interesting when you sleep.† He spoke matter-of-factly. â€Å"You talk.† â€Å"No!† I gasped, heat flooding my face all the way to my hairline. I gripped the kitchen counter for support. I knew I talked in my sleep, of course; my mother teased me about it. I hadn't thought it was something I needed to worry about here, though. His expression shifted instantly to chagrin. â€Å"Are you very angry with me?† â€Å"That depends!† I felt and sounded like I'd had the breath knocked out of me. He waited. â€Å"On?† he urged. â€Å"What you heard!† I wailed. Instantly, silently, he was at my side, taking my hands carefully in his. â€Å"Don't be upset!† he pleaded. He dropped his face to the level of my eyes, holding my gaze. I was embarrassed. I tried to look away. â€Å"You miss your mother,† he whispered. â€Å"You worry about her. And when it rains, the sound makes you restless. You used to talk about home a lot, but it's less often now. Once you said, ‘It's too green.'† He laughed softly, hoping, I could see, not to offend me further. â€Å"Anything else?† I demanded. He knew what I was getting at. â€Å"You did say my name,† he admitted. I sighed in defeat. â€Å"A lot?† â€Å"How much do you mean by ‘a lot,' exactly?† â€Å"Oh no!† I hung my head. He pulled me against his chest, softly, naturally. â€Å"Don't be self-conscious,† he whispered in my ear. â€Å"If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it.† Then we both heard the sound of tires on the brick driveway, saw the headlights flash through the front windows, down the hall to us. I stiffened in his arms. â€Å"Should your father know I'm here?† he asked. â€Å"I'm not sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tried to think it through quickly. â€Å"Another time then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And I was alone. â€Å"Edward!† I hissed. I heard a ghostly chuckle, then nothing else. My father's key turned in the door. â€Å"Bella?† he called. It had bothered me before; who else would it be? Suddenly he didn't seem so far off base. â€Å"In here.† I hoped he couldn't hear the hysterical edge to my voice. I grabbed my dinner from the microwave and sat at the table as he walked in. His footsteps sounded so noisy after my day with Edward. â€Å"Can you get me some of that? I'm bushed.† He stepped on the heels of his boots to take them off, holding the back of Edward's chair for support. I took my food with me, scarfing it down as I got his dinner. It burned my tongue. I filled two glasses with milk while his lasagna was heating, and gulped mine to put out the fire. As I set the glass down, I noticed the milk trembling and realized my hand was shaking. Charlie sat in the chair, and the contrast between him and its former occupant was comical. â€Å"Thanks,† he said as I placed his food on the table. â€Å"How was your day?† I asked. The words were rushed; I was dying to escape to my room. â€Å"Good. The fish were biting†¦ how about you? Did you get everything done that you wanted to?† â€Å"Not really – it was too nice out to stay indoors.† I took another big bite. â€Å"It was a nice day,† he agreed. What an understatement, I thought to myself. Finished with the last bite of lasagna, I lifted my glass and chugged the remains of my milk. Charlie surprised me by being observant. â€Å"In a hurry?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm tired. I'm going to bed early.† â€Å"You look kinda keyed up,† he noted. Why, oh why, did this have to be his night to pay attention? â€Å"Do I?† was all I could manage in response. I quickly scrubbed my dishes clean in the sink, and placed them upside down on a dish towel to dry. â€Å"It's Saturday,† he mused. I didn't respond. â€Å"No plans tonight?† he asked suddenly. â€Å"No, Dad, I just want to get some sleep.† â€Å"None of the boys in town your type, eh?† He was suspicious, but trying to play it cool. â€Å"No, none of the boys have caught my eye yet.† I was careful not to over-emphasize the word boys in my quest to be truthful with Charlie. â€Å"I thought maybe that Mike Newton†¦ you said he was friendly.† â€Å"He's Just a friend, Dad.† â€Å"Well, you're too good for them all, anyway. Wait till you get to college to start looking.† Every father's dream, that his daughter will be out of the house before the hormones kick in. â€Å"Sounds like a good idea to me,† I agreed as I headed up the stairs. â€Å"‘Night, honey,† he called after me. No doubt he would be listening carefully all evening, waiting for me to try to sneak out. â€Å"See you in the morning, Dad.† See you creeping into my room tonight at midnight to check on me. I worked to make my tread sound slow and tired as I walked up the stairs to my room. I shut the door loud enough for him to hear, and then sprinted on my tiptoes to the window. I threw it open and leaned out into the night. My eyes scanned the darkness, the impenetrable shadows of the trees. â€Å"Edward?† I whispered, feeling completely idiotic. The quiet, laughing response came from behind me. â€Å"Yes?† I whirled, one hand flying to my throat in surprise. He lay, smiling hugely, across my bed, his hands behind his head, his feet dangling off the end, the picture of ease. â€Å"Oh!† I breathed, sinking unsteadily to the floor. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He pressed his lips together, trying to hide his amusement. â€Å"Just give me a minute to restart my heart.† He sat up slowly, so as not to startle me again. Then he leaned forward and reached out with his long arms to pick me up, gripping the tops of my arms like I was a toddler. He sat me on the bed beside him. â€Å"Why don't you sit with me,† he suggested, putting a cold hand on mine. â€Å"How's the heart?† â€Å"You tell me – I'm sure you hear it better than I do.† I felt his quiet laughter shake the bed. We sat there for a moment in silence, both listening to my heartbeat slow. I thought about having Edward in my room, with my father in the house. â€Å"Can I have a minute to be human?† I asked. â€Å"Certainly.† He gestured with one hand that I should proceed. â€Å"Stay,† I said, trying to look severe. â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† And he made a show of becoming a statue on the edge of my bed. I hopped up, grabbing my pajamas from off the floor, my bag of toiletries off the desk. I left the light off and slipped out, closing the door. I could hear the sound from the TV rising up the stairs. I banged the bathroom door loudly, so Charlie wouldn't come up to bother me. I meant to hurry. I brushed my teeth fiercely, trying to be thorough and speedy, removing all traces of lasagna. But the hot water of the shower couldn't be rushed. It unknotted the muscles in my back, calmed my pulse. The familiar smell of my shampoo made me feel like I might be the same person I had been this morning. I tried not to think of Edward, sitting in my room, waiting, because then I had to start all over with the calming process. Finally, I couldn't delay anymore. I shut off the water, toweling hastily, rushing again. I pulled on my holey t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Too late to regret not packing the Victoria's Secret silk pajamas my mother got me two birthdays ago, which still had the tags on them in a drawer somewhere back home. I rubbed the towel through my hair again, and then yanked the brush through it quickly. I threw the towel in the hamper, flung my brush and toothpaste into my bag. Then I dashed down the stairs so Charlie could see that I was in my pajamas, with wet hair. â€Å"‘Night, Dad.† â€Å"‘Night, Bella.† He did look startled by my appearance. Maybe that would keep him from checking on me tonight. I took the stairs two at a time, trying to be quiet, and flew into my room, closing the door tightly behind me. Edward hadn't moved a fraction of an inch, a carving of Adonis perched on my faded quilt. I smiled, and his lips twitched, the statue coming to life. His eyes appraised me, taking in the damp hair, the tattered shirt. He raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Nice.† I grimaced. â€Å"No, it looks good on you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I whispered. I went back to his side, sitting cross-legged beside him. I looked at the lines in the wooden floor. â€Å"What was all that for?† â€Å"Charlie thinks I'm sneaking out.† â€Å"Oh.† He contemplated that. â€Å"Why?† As if he couldn't know Charlie's mind much more clearly than I could guess. â€Å"Apparently, I look a little overexcited.† He lifted my chin, examining my face. â€Å"You look very warm, actually.† He bent his face slowly to mine, laying his cool cheek against my skin. I held perfectly still. â€Å"Mmmmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he breathed. It was very difficult, while he was touching me, to frame a coherent question. It took me a minute of scattered concentration to begin. â€Å"It seems to be†¦ much easier for you, now, to be close to me.† â€Å"Does it seem that way to you?† he murmured, his nose gliding to the corner of my jaw. I felt his hand, lighter than a moth's wing, brushing my damp hair back, so that his lips could touch the hollow beneath my ear. â€Å"Much, much easier,† I said, trying to exhale. â€Å"Hmm.† â€Å"So I was wondering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began again, but his fingers were slowly tracing my collarbone, and I lost my train of thought. â€Å"Yes?† he breathed. â€Å"Why is that,† my voice shook, embarrassing me, â€Å"do you think?† I felt the tremor of his breath on my neck as he laughed. â€Å"Mind over matter.† I pulled back; as I moved, he froze – and I could no longer hear the sound of his breathing. We stared cautiously at each other for a moment, and then, as his clenched jaw gradually relaxed, his expression became puzzled. â€Å"Did I do something wrong?† â€Å"No – the opposite. You're driving me crazy,† I explained. He considered that briefly, and when he spoke, he sounded pleased. â€Å"Really?† A triumphant smile slowly lit his face. â€Å"Would you like a round of applause?† I asked sarcastically. He grinned. â€Å"I'm just pleasantly surprised,† he clarified. â€Å"In the last hundred years or so,† his voice was teasing, â€Å"I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be with†¦ in another way than my brothers and sisters. And then to find, even though it's all new to me, that I'm good at it†¦ at being with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're good at everything,† I pointed out. He shrugged, allowing that, and we both laughed in whispers. â€Å"But how can it be so easy now?† I pressed. â€Å"This afternoon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's not easy,† he sighed. â€Å"But this afternoon, I was still†¦ undecided. I am sorry about that, it was unforgivable for me to behave so.† â€Å"Not unforgivable,† I disagreed. â€Å"Thank you.† He smiled. â€Å"You see,† he continued, looking down now, â€Å"I wasn't sure if I was strong enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He picked up one of my hands and pressed it lightly to his face. â€Å"And while there was still that possibility that I might be†¦ overcome† – he breathed in the scent at my wrist – â€Å"I was†¦ susceptible. Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility at all that I would†¦ that I ever could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'd never seen him struggle so hard for words. It was so†¦ human. â€Å"So there's no possibility now?† â€Å"Mind over matter,† he repeated, smiling, his teeth bright even in the darkness. â€Å"Wow, that was easy,† I said. He threw back his head and laughed, quietly as a whisper, but still exuberantly. â€Å"Easy for you!† he amended, touching my nose with his fingertip. And then his face was abruptly serious. â€Å"I'm trying,† he whispered, his voice pained. â€Å"If it gets to be†¦ too much, I'm fairly sure I'll be able to leave.† I scowled. I didn't like the talk of leaving. â€Å"And it will be harder tomorrow,† he continued. â€Å"I've had the scent of you in my head all day, and I've grown amazingly desensitized. If I'm away from you for any length of time, I'll have to start over again. Not quite from scratch, though, I think.† â€Å"Don't go away, then,† I responded, unable to hide the longing in my voice. â€Å"That suits me,† he replied, his face relaxing into a gentle smile. â€Å"Bring on the shackles – I'm your prisoner.† But his long hands formed manacles around my wrists as he spoke. He laughed his quiet, musical laugh. He'd laughed more tonight than I'd ever heard in all the time I'd spent with him. â€Å"You seem more†¦ optimistic than usual,† I observed. â€Å"I haven't seen you like this before.† â€Å"Isn't it supposed to be like this?† He smiled. â€Å"The glory of first love, and all that. It's incredible, isn't it, the difference between reading about something, seeing it in the pictures, and experiencing it?† â€Å"Very different,† I agreed. â€Å"More forceful than I'd imagined.† â€Å"For example† – his words flowed swiftly now, I had to concentrate to catch it all – â€Å"the emotion of jealousy. I've read about it a hundred thousand times, seen actors portray it in a thousand different plays and movies. I believed I understood that one pretty clearly. But it shocked me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grimaced. â€Å"Do you remember the day that Mike asked you to the dance?† I nodded, though I remembered that day for a different reason. â€Å"The day you started talking to me again.† â€Å"I was surprised by the flare of resentment, almost fury, that I felt – I didn't recognize what it was at first. I was even more aggravated than usual that I couldn't know what you were thinking, why you refused him. Was it simply for your friend's sake? Was there someone else? I knew I had no right to care either way. I tried not to care. â€Å"And then the line started forming,† he chuckled. I scowled in the darkness. â€Å"I waited, unreasonably anxious to hear what you would say to them, to watch your expressions. I couldn't deny the relief I felt, watching the annoyance on your face. But I couldn't be sure. â€Å"That was the first night I came here. I wrestled all night, while watching you sleep, with the chasm between what I knew was right, moral, ethical, and what I wanted. I knew that if I continued to ignore you as I should, or if I left for a few years, till you were gone, that someday you would say yes to Mike, or someone like him. It made me angry. â€Å"And then,† he whispered, â€Å"as you were sleeping, you said my name. You spoke so clearly, at first I thought you'd woken. But you rolled over restlessly and mumbled my name once more, and sighed. The feeling that coursed through me then was unnerving, staggering. And I knew I couldn't ignore you any longer.† He was silent for a moment, probably listening to the suddenly uneven pounding of my heart. â€Å"But jealousy†¦ it's a strange thing. So much more powerful than I would have thought. And irrational! Just now, when Charlie asked you about that vile Mike Newton†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head angrily. â€Å"I should have known you'd be listening,† I groaned. â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"That made you feel jealous, though, really?† â€Å"I'm new at this; you're resurrecting the human in me, and everything feels stronger because it's fresh.† â€Å"But honestly,† I teased, â€Å"for that to bother you, after I have to hear that Rosalie – Rosalie, the incarnation of pure beauty, Rosalie – was meant for you. Emmett or no Emmett, how can I compete with that?† â€Å"There's no competition.† His teeth gleamed. He drew my trapped hands around his back, holding me to his chest. I kept as still as I could, even breathing with caution. â€Å"I know there's no competition,† I mumbled into his cold skin. â€Å"That's the problem.† â€Å"Of course Rosalie is beautiful in her way, but even if she wasn't like a sister to me, even if Emmett didn't belong with her, she could never have one tenth, no, one hundredth of the attraction you hold for me.† He was serious now, thoughtful. â€Å"For almost ninety years I've walked among my kind, and yours†¦ all the time thinking I was complete in myself, not realizing what I was seeking. And not finding anything, because you weren't alive yet.† â€Å"It hardly seems fair,† I whispered, my face still resting on his chest, listening to his breath come and go. â€Å"I haven't had to wait at all. Why should I get off so easily?† â€Å"You're right,† he agreed with amusement. â€Å"I should make this harder for you, definitely.† He freed one of his hands, released my wrist, only to gather it carefully into his other hand. He stroked my wet hair softly, from the top of my head to my waist. â€Å"You only have to risk your life every second you spend with me, that's surely not much. You only have to turn your back on nature, on humanity†¦ what's that worth?† â€Å"Very little – I don't feel deprived of anything.† â€Å"Not yet.† And his voice was abruptly full of ancient grief. I tried to pull back, to look in his face, but his hand locked my wrists in an unbreakable hold. â€Å"What -† I started to ask, when his body became alert. I froze, but he suddenly released my hands, and disappeared. I narrowly avoided falling on my face. â€Å"Lie down!† he hissed. I couldn't tell where he spoke from in the darkness. I rolled under my quilt, balling up on my side, the way I usually slept. I heard the door crack open, as Charlie peeked in to make sure I was where I was supposed to be. I breathed evenly, exaggerating the movement. A long minute passed. I listened, not sure if I'd heard the door close. Then Edward's cool arm was around me, under the covers, his lips at my ear. â€Å"You are a terrible actress – I'd say that career path is out for you.† â€Å"Darn it,† I muttered. My heart was crashing in my chest. He hummed a melody I didn't recognize; it sounded like a lullaby. He paused. â€Å"Should I sing you to sleep?† â€Å"Right,† I laughed. â€Å"Like I could sleep with you here!† â€Å"You do it all the time,† he reminded me. â€Å"But I didn't know you were here,† I replied icily. â€Å"So if you don't want to sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he suggested, ignoring my tone. My breath caught. â€Å"If I don't want to sleep†¦ ?† He chuckled. â€Å"What do you want to do then?† I couldn't answer at first. â€Å"I'm not sure,† I finally said. â€Å"Tell me when you decide.† I could feel his cool breath on my neck, feel his nose sliding along my jaw, inhaling. â€Å"I thought you were desensitized.† â€Å"Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet,† he whispered. â€Å"You have a very floral smell, like lavender†¦ or freesia,† he noted. â€Å"It's mouthwatering.† â€Å"Yeah, it's an off day when I don't get somebody telling me how edible I smell.† He chuckled, and then sighed. â€Å"I've decided what I want to do,† I told him. â€Å"I want to hear more about you.† â€Å"Ask me anything.† I sifted through my questions for the most vital. â€Å"Why do you do it?† I said. â€Å"I still don't understand how you can work so hard to resist what you†¦ are. Please don't misunderstand, of course I'm glad that you do. I just don't see why you would bother in the first place.† He hesitated before answering. â€Å"That's a good question, and you are not the first one to ask it. The others – the majority of our kind who are quite content with our lot – they, too, wonder at how we live. But you see, just because we've been†¦ dealt a certain hand†¦ it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above – to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can.† I lay unmoving, locked in awed silence. â€Å"Did you fall asleep?† he whispered after a few minutes. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Is that all you were curious about?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Not quite.† â€Å"What else do you want to know?† â€Å"Why can you read minds – why only you? And Alice, seeing the future†¦ why does that happen?† I felt him shrug in the darkness. â€Å"We don't really know. Carlisle has a theory†¦ he believes that we all bring something of our strongest human traits with us into the next life, where they are intensified – like our minds, and our senses. He thinks that I must have already been very sensitive to the thoughts of those around me. And that Alice had some precognition, wherever she was.† â€Å"What did he bring into the next life, and the others?† â€Å"Carlisle brought his compassion. Esme brought her ability to love passionately. Emmett brought his strength, Rosalie her†¦ tenacity. Or you could call it pigheadedness.† he chuckled. â€Å"Jasper is very interesting. He was quite charismatic in his first life, able to influence those around him to see things his way. Now he is able to manipulate the emotions of those around him – calm down a room of angry people, for example, or excite a lethargic crowd, conversely. It's a very subtle gift.† I considered the impossibilities he described, trying to take it in. He waited patiently while I thought. â€Å"So where did it all start? I mean, Carlisle changed you, and then someone must have changed him, and so on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, where did you come from? Evolution? Creation? Couldn't we have evolved in the same way as other species, predator and prey? Or, if you don't believe that all this world could have just happened on its own, which is hard for me to accept myself, is it so hard to believe that the same force that created the delicate angelfish with the shark, the baby seal and the killer whale, could create both our kinds together?† â€Å"Let me get this straight – I'm the baby seal, right?† â€Å"Right.† He laughed, and something touched my hair – his lips? I wanted to turn toward him, to see if it was really his lips against my hair. But I had to be good; I didn't want to make this any harder for him than it already was. â€Å"Are you ready to sleep?† he asked, interrupting the short silence. â€Å"Or do you have any more questions?† â€Å"Only a million or two.† â€Å"We have tomorrow, and the next day, and the next†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he reminded me. I smiled, euphoric at the thought. â€Å"Are you sure you won't vanish in the morning?† I wanted this to be certain. â€Å"You are mythical, after all.† â€Å"I won't leave you.† His voice had the seal of a promise in it. â€Å"One more, then, tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And I blushed. The darkness was no help – I'm sure he could feel the sudden warmth under my skin. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"No, forget it. I changed my mind.† â€Å"Bella, you can ask me anything.† I didn't answer, and he groaned. â€Å"I keep thinking it will get less frustrating, not hearing your thoughts. But it just gets worse and worse.† â€Å"I'm glad you can't read my thoughts. It's bad enough that you eavesdrop on my sleep-talking.† â€Å"Please?† His voice was so persuasive, so impossible to resist. I shook my head. â€Å"If you don't tell me, I'll just assume it's something much worse than it is,† he threatened darkly. â€Å"Please?† Again, that pleading voice. â€Å"Well,† I began, glad that he couldn't see my face. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"You said that Rosalie and Emmett will get married soon†¦ Is that†¦ marriage†¦ the same as it is for humans?† He laughed in earnest now, understanding. â€Å"Is that what you're getting at?† I fidgeted, unable to answer. â€Å"Yes, I suppose it is much the same,† he said. â€Å"I told you, most of those human desires are there, just hidden behind more powerful desires.† â€Å"Oh,† was all I could say. â€Å"Was there a purpose behind your curiosity?† â€Å"Well, I did wonder†¦ about you and me†¦ someday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was instantly serious, I could tell by the sudden stillness of his body. I froze, too, reacting automatically. â€Å"I don't think that†¦ that†¦ would be possible for us.† â€Å"Because it would be too hard for you, if I were that†¦ close?† â€Å"That's certainly a problem. But that's not what I was thinking of. It's just that you are so soft, so fragile. I have to mind my actions every moment that we're together so that I don't hurt you. I could kill you quite easily, Bella, simply by accident.† His voice had become just a soft murmur. He moved his icy palm to rest it against my cheek. â€Å"If I was too hasty†¦ if for one second I wasn't paying enough attention, I could reach out, meaning to touch your face, and crush your skull by mistake. You don't realize how incredibly breakable you are. I can never, never afford to lose any kind of control when I'm with you.† He waited for me to respond, growing anxious when I didn't. â€Å"Are you scared?† he asked. I waited for a minute to answer, so the words would be true. â€Å"No. I'm fine.† He seemed to deliberate for a moment. â€Å"I'm curious now, though,† he said, his voice light again. â€Å"Have you ever†¦ ?† He trailed off suggestively. â€Å"Of course not.† I flushed. â€Å"I told you I've never felt like this about anyone before, not even close.† â€Å"I know. It's just that I know other people's thoughts. I know love and lust don't always keep the same company.† â€Å"They do for me. Now, anyway, that they exist for me at all,† I sighed. â€Å"That's nice. We have that one thing in common, at least.† He sounded satisfied. â€Å"Your human instincts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began. He waited. â€Å"Well, do you find me attractive, in that way, at all?† He laughed and lightly rumpled my nearly dry hair. â€Å"I may not be a human, but I am a man,† he assured me. I yawned involuntarily. â€Å"I've answered your questions, now you should sleep,† he insisted. â€Å"I'm not sure if I can.† â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† â€Å"No!† I said too loudly. He laughed, and then began to hum that same, unfamiliar lullaby; the voice of an archangel, soft in my ear. More tired than I realized, exhausted from the long day of mental and emotional stress like I'd never felt before, I drifted to sleep in his cold arms.