Csr Issue of Burger King Essay

Burger King Worldwide is a Delaware corporation that franchises and operates fast food hamburger restaurants, principally under the Burger King ® brand (also referred to as the â€Å"Brand†). Since the company’s founding as a single restaurant in Miami, Florida in 1954, we have grown to become the world ´s second largest fast food hamburger restaurant, or FFHR, chain as measured by the total number of restaurants. The board of BK sets the â€Å"tone at the top† by promoting an ethical culture that respects and values all employees and stakeholders and encourages compliance with all laws and company policies. Their vision is to be the most profitable QSR business, through a strong franchise system and great people, serving the best burgers in the world. Along with the vision, BK have a strong set of values that are the foundation of how they work day-to-day and help shape the company’s future. Burger King operated in business that is by the natural socially and environmentally sensitive. For instance, Food safety at BURGER KING ® restaurants is non-negotiable; The BURGER KING McLAMORESM Foundation has granted more than $17.6 million to students in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico since founding the BURGER KING Scholarsâ„ ¢ program in 2000; BURGER KING ® restaurants received PETA’S â€Å"Most Improved National Food Chain† award in their fifth annual Proggy Awards, which recognize companies for their progress; The A+ rating by The Better Business Bureau is Based on our performance related to ethical business practices. But inevitably, Burger King has gone through various legal issues, especially with certain pressure groups. Some of the disputes that occurred to Burger King, e.g. A trademark dispute involving the owners of the identically named Burger King in Mattoon, Illinois, led to a federal lawsuit; Controversies and disputes have arisen with groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), governmental and social agencies, and unions and trade groups over various topics; Further controversies have occurred during the company’s expansion in the Middle East. Disputes involving these many legal topics have affected almost every aspect of the company’s operations. The ethical policies and corporate  responsibilities practiced by Burger King that appeal to various stakeholders. Depending on the ownership and executive staff at the time of these incidents, the company’s responses to these challenges have ranged from a conciliatory dialog with its critics and litigants, to a more aggressive opposition with questionable tactics and negative consequences. The company’s response to these various issues has drawn praise as well as accusations of political appeasement from different parties over the years. It can be clearly seen the efforts the Burger King has put into fulfilling their responsibilities towards their respective stakeholders. In regard to initiatives, we found that the Burger king’s CSR is focused on 4 key areas: 1. Commitment to Food * BK provides detailed nutrition information to the guests so they can make informed choices. * BK’s HAVE IT YOUR WAY ® brand promise lets the consumers customize their menu choices to meet their individual diets and lifestyles. * Nutrition, quality, value and taste are all important attributes that can help the guests and their children make choices that promote healthy living. 2. Commitment to People BK continues to distinguish themselves from their competitors by being an exceptional employer. One of the ways that they accomplish this goal is by creating a culture that is Bold, Accountable, Empowered and Fun. 3. Commitment to the Environment * BK is continually researching and developing ways to make changes that will be positive on the environment without compromising operational standards. * BURGER KING ® Green Sessions * Reduce, reuse and recycle. * Purchase beef that has been raised in environmentally responsible ways. 4. Commitment to Corporate Governance * The core ethical and governance principles of BKC begin at the top. * As a condition of doing business within the BURGER KING ® system, every approved vendor must comply with the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct for Vendors. * They partnered with, and received recognition from, a variety of organizations that share our dedication to being a good corporate citizen  and improving our communities around the world. In conclusion, Burger King should focus on these initiatives that can create a long-term sustainable competitive advantage. For the problems and issues, no matter that organisation arises, but it is how an organisation deal with it makes it a successful one. References Retrieved from investor.bk.com/conteudo_en.asp?idioma=1&conta=44&tipo=43565 Retrieved from investor.bk.com/conteudo_en.asp?idioma=1&conta=44&tipo=43566 â€Å"Burger King Brands, Inc.†. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved January 18, 2011. Burger King – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_King Jermaine, John (November 20, 2003). â€Å"The burger king and queen of Mattoon†. The Illinois Times. Retrieved September 26, 2007. â€Å"Burger King responds to trans-fat cooking oil suit†. CTV. Associated Press. May 17, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2007. Martin, Andrew (May 24, 2008). â€Å"Burger King Grants Raise to Pickers†. The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2008. Scheck v. Burger King, 756 F. Supp 543 (11th Cir. 1991) Corporate Responsibility | Company Information | BURGER KING ®. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bk.com/en/us/company-info/corporate-responsibility/index.html [ 1 ]. Retrieved from investor.bk.com/conteudo_en.asp?idioma=1&conta=44&tipo=43565 [ 2 ]. Burger King – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_King [ 3 ]. Corporate Responsibility | Company Information | BURGER KING ®. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bk.com/en/us/company-info/corporate-responsibility/index.html

Pfizer Company: A Presentation of Strategic Context

Pfizer is the number two largest biomedical and pharmaceutical research and development company in the world, boasting in excess of fifty Billion dollars per year in gross revenues. While the recession has hit many companies, the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals sector has remained not only relatively insulated, but in addition to that the forecasting models for growth predict a profitable future. Pfizer has had its share of growing pains, a cause for reduction in gross revenues comes primarily from a growth strategy to acquire another large biopharmaceutical company, yet net retained earnings have continued to increase at a rate of six percent annual average each year over the last three years. After Pfizer’s acquisitions of Wyeth they saw a substantial increase in operating profit margins due to increased efficiencies between the two companies. Pfizer has recently acquired a biopharmaceutical company named Wyeth. By purchasing Wyeth which specializes in vaccines, Pfizer has broadened their customer base by expanding their product line. This business practice aligns with Pfizer’s current pro-growth Strategy. It is clear, in most part; Pfizer’s business Strategy aligns with the wild wild west model of Industry Ecosystems. Pfizer if a relatively fast growing company, in an industry that thrives on making fast and furious technological discoveries, and they have a very high rate of customer retention due to patent protection. Pfizer has many competing technologies in the market place for such diseases as cardiac health, mental health, and infectious disease treatments. Their drug Lipitor is by far the highest grossing drug the company currently has on the market. Cardiac disease is the most common and fatal disease that Americans face. Lipitor functions by lowering low density lipids (or fats) in the blood stream thus promoting cardiac and circulatory efficiency and health. Pfizer’s patent on Lipitor is set to expire in November of this year which would potentially result in reducing their total revenues for that drug significantly because other companies could then introduce a generic substitute. The net effect of Lipitor’s patent expiration on Pfizer’s bottom line could be a reduction as large as ten percent of total gross revenues. Pfizer would be expected to retain approximately twenty percent of users which equals four percent of Pfizer’s total Gross Revenues. Some customers ill continue to use Lipitor, for example: those patients whose insurance does cover name brand medicines or patience of physicians that reject writing prescriptions for generic substitutes. This problem is a perfect example of one of Porters Key strategy principals that Pfizer follows, analyzing and protecting a threat of substitute products. How Pfizer addresses the problem is how they exercise his strategy. The current estimated retail cost of Lipitor is around one hundred and seventy dollars per month depending on the prescribed dosage. After November of this year it is very possible that we could see a generic substitute on the Wal-Mart four dollar list. Part of Pfizer’s Business strategy has been to launch legal battles for patent protections and extensions longer than the November 2011 date, which would result in a prolonged period of increased earnings and profits. To continue with an analysis of strategy, Pfizer uses both a combination of the resource based view in conjunction with the industry investment prospective. An example of this would be Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth which catered to a much broader and diverse section of the drug market. The resource prospective would say that Pfizer already has massive research and development capabilities, drug production and manufacturing systems, and well established distribution channels for its already long list of products, making Wyeth a fit for the company’s growth and expansion strategies. What is different from the resource based view and supports the industry investment strategy is that Wyeth is a leading researcher, developer, and provider of vaccines, which is a very lucrative industry in and of its self. The numbers of users for vaccines are much larger than for a specialized product such as Lipitor, yet vaccines still have patent protections that help drug companies keep prices high. These two companies merged together have much greater and sustainable competitive advantages than either one by itself. One of the resources that will help to fend off threats to their product lines is their pooling of resources for their in house legal team. As new products emerge from the research and development scientists, their joint capacity to protect their drug assets and keep products in the hands of the end users will inevitably eep other drug companies from capitalizing on the opportunities to produce generics. Some of the more rare and inimitable products are the ability to produce huge financial gains for Pfizer if they pass through all the stages of FDA screening protocol. Some areas Pfizer is currently investing research and development dollars are, DNA specific drugs, new small molecule compounds, Stem Cell therapies, Amino Acid therapies. DNA specific drugs have huge potential for Pfizer because many side effects can be prevented, allergies can be detected, and a shorter time line for approval to the FDA can result from better drugs. New small molecule compounds are useful because they tend to have fewer side effects which equal fewer liabilities and risk for the producer, and can be easier to develop and manufacture. Stem cell research also opens up a great deal of opportunity for drugs that work well on the cellular and molecular level, but can even be toxic or fatal in the human body. The method of drug delivery is many times the largest hurdle in getting an effective drug to the reaction site to produce the desired effect. Finally, and quite possibly most interestingly there are over three hundred and twenty know amino acids. Our human bodies produce or utilize only twenty four of them. Many of the reaction mechanisms on the molecular level can be imitated or recreated by unnatural amino acids meaning that we may see a huge increase in effective drugs with decreased side effects by utilizing these products. In conclusion Pfizer has acquired a great addition to its company with Wyeth as part of its pro-growth business strategy. It is clear that they have used a combination of both resourced based and industry based strategy. By tapping into a broad mass market via a new product by a new company Pfizer will have a clear competitive advantage over companies like Merk and Novartis. Pfizer is definitely leveraging their human resource assets to prevent substitute products from entering the markets. I believe that by exercising these strategies Pfizer can prevent slipping into the creative destruction life stage of a company.

Witness: Essay

Persuasive Essay – Witness Our separate individual identities are shaped by our interpretations of our society’s ideals and values. As individuals, we reflect in our personalities and actions by what we hear and see in the media, and through what we have observed personally in the world in general. Having an experience of our society’s rules, we are able to make informed decisions and choices by the ethical and moral concerns that we are bound by. Despite this, when moving from one country to another, we may be confronted by a different system with distinct and perhaps seemingly unusual sets of principles. If this is indeed the case, this would be reflected by the different people in the country as a whole compared to our own. In order for unity and harmony to flourish between these two countries, establishing common ground is essential, or if this is not possible than an acknowledgement of some of their ideals and values and the abandonment of some of ours is necessary. However, in doing this we are losing our original identity. In the film, â€Å"Witness,† directed by Peter Weir, an Amish widow, Rachel Lapp, and her young son, Samuel, depart for Baltimore to visit their relative. They take a break in a railway station in Philadelphia and Samuel, in his need to explore and understand the new world he is surrounded by, begins wondering alone in his need to belong. In the men’s toilets, he is a witness to a murder and is traumatized by it. Evidently, it changes him and his views of the world are forever altered. When he is confronted by another Amish named Eli, he is asked a series of questions leading up to as to whether he would ever kill a man. Samuel replies to this question by stating, â€Å"†¦ nly the bad men†. Clearly, this emphasizes the change seen in Samuel through his interactions with others outside the Amish community. This proves that in general, the need to belong and the people we are influenced and surrounded by can have some significant impacts affecting who we become. Similarly, the need to blend in and belong can change the personality of an individual for the better. This is particularly seen in Witness when a cop named Jo hn Book is forced to flee his home when faced with danger. He breaks his ties and lives with the Amish in hideout to protect himself as well as Samuel, a key witness to a murder, along with his mother. During the period that John spends with the Amish he begins to recognize their way of life and grows an appreciation for it. This is indicated when he starts to dress like the Amish. When he does this for the first time, he asks Rachel whether he looks Amish. Rachel replies by commenting, â€Å"You look plain. † Further prove of his acceptance, is when John takes up carpentry and helps with the barn raising. Through these actions, later he is finally accepted by Eli; this is supported when he warns John when three dangerous looking men come to see him. John’s visit to the Amish community changes him. Some may argue that it is not the group we belong to that defines who we are. In fact, they may try to reassure us that it is only our individual actions that instigate who we become. This may be particularly true in matters where the need for someone to belong to is denied by their biological family. However, it cannot be taken as a rule in general and is rarely the case. As put forward by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, our search for a group to interact and be part of is essential before feelings of self-esteem and self-actualization can be met. For our needs to be met we would not try to establish relationships with those who we have nothing in common or loathe. We are more likely to form bonds to those who resemble us most and share common interests with. It is only when these ties are broken that we feel more susceptible of any danger looming our way and immediately we form new relations with a more different group. To fit in, this may require the adjustments of our own personality since every group has their own special and unique identity to begin with. In the case of both Samuel and John a change was observed in their identities as they migrated from one area to another to suit the needs of their particular environments. This change would have enabled them to more likely survive if they were to permanently live in such places. The clashing of ideals and values held by the Amish were not exactly intertwined with the principles of city living. For this reason a change was observed in the behaviours of both Samuel and John. However, one might ask, what would be the case for the exceptions? What about for the people who take no recognition in their own rules and despite everything try to break every single one of them? Would they fit snugly well in place with a completely different set of ideals and values? In this society would they be seen as the respective citizens? Who knows? Clearly it is hard to imagine such a place so different to our own but one thing is certain, a society’s way of living is what defines every individual who is part of it.

Linear Motion In One Dimension Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Linear Motion In One Dimension - Lab Report Example All freely falling objects experience a downward acceleration. Using the symbol g to represent such special acceleration, the value increases with decreasing altitude. The value of g is around 9.8 m/sec2 at the earth’s surface. Because friction is neglected and the assumption is made that the free fall is not dependent on altitude over short distances, the motion of the freely falling objects is equal to the motion in a single dimension under constant acceleration thus making it possible to apply constant acceleration equations. The recorded coefficient r values are both close to 1 indicating that the plotted points are closer to the experimental values. As per the recorded values, the increasing x values had a positive gradient whereas the decreasing x values had a negative gradient. Therefore, it is true that X increases at a constant rate with time, hence equation 1 is justified The velocity after the bounce was higher because of the impulsive force exerted on the glider at the track’s end. Again, the recorded value of acceleration is reasonable because the velocity is reversed at the track’s end meaning there was a moment when no acceleration is acting on the glider. In the inclined track, the glider was observed to move under a constant acceleration before or after bouncing and this is in harmony with equation 1 which states distance has a direct proportion to the square of time. The slope of velocity against time line matched the previously calculated acceleration value. The slopes of the velocity time graphs in the inclined track with the six blocks also matched the earlier on calculated acceleration value. The trend observed in the all the three cases validates the linear motion equations. An analysis of the drawn graph gives acceleration values that are consistent proving that constant acceleration equations can be used in describing linear motion in one

Journal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal - Research Paper Example Upon knowing this, the teacher would now know the customized approach he or she should take on such as the transitional bilingual education which is one that is most effective. This means that the teacher uses the child’s native language to introduce them to the context of a secondary language. Primary language of the student is now used as a bridge to develop literary comprehension with another language (Coonan, C. M., n.d.). Another way to develop linguistic competency through bilingual education would be the Dual Language Immersion. This means that teachers would practice a clear separation of two languages being used in each curriculum. What they do is that instead of translating each principle to another language which could sometimes not encompass the whole meaning or idea and cause confusion, they strengthen one’s understanding of a specific concept delivered in one language and when students already have a strong hold on it, they will then alter the language to further explicate a topic (Cook, Vivian, n.d.) Cook, Vivian (n.d.). Bilingual Cognition and Language Teaching. Virgin Media - Cable broadband, TV & phone plus mobile broadband & phone. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/Writings/Papers/BilCog&Teaching.htm Masters Degree Program - Bilingual Education - NYU Steinhardt. (n.d.). NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from

Implementing Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Implementing Quality - Essay Example It has come to the notice of the management that sufficient headway has already been made in the quality control process and it is commendable that the quality issues have been taken seriously by all concerned. However since a quality audit by the clients AA of all the processes is due in the next four months, the process of ensuring a Total Quality Control should be given a top priority and hence this memorandum. The company should be fully equipped with its quality control measures not only to satisfy the Quality Audit by the client but also to ensure that our product meets the highest quality standards not to land the client in a disastrous situation as has been done by the previous supplier of the client. As first step to review the quality standards of the products and processes, the R& D conducted an analysis of the existing quality control measures and it is disheartening to note that several mistakes have been committed in the past by the various departments/processes of the company. Especially there were mistakes that happened in the packing, storing and shipping processes which were serious enough to make the product totally unusable in the hands of the client. Definitely we would have had serious troubles with the client even in the first shipment of our product had this study been not undertaken. Hence R&D has been advised to undertake similar studies in all the departments/processes to identify the inefficiencies/weaknesses associated with the processes. Past Mistakes and Improvements effected: To point out some of the mistakes, there were wrong labeling, spelling mistakes and incorrect expiration dates on labels; products were stored in wrong refrigerator, wrong warehouse and there were no proper records for the product locations; this led to shipping incorrect quantities to incorrect locations and products too close to expiration dates were shipped. Several quick steps like studying the staffing requirements of these processes and providing them with adequate education and training were taken immediately. In the packing process, various quality measures like random checking by the supervisor of the correctness of the labels, recording of the number of mistakes being committed by the worker to pull up the erring workers were implemented. To remove the problem of spelling mistakes in labels the company has procured a new software for printing labels and the company has organized a training programme for the executives, supervisors and staff of the various processes concerned with the labeling and packing. This training is being coordinated by Sharon from R&D. In the Storing process quality control measures like prominent display of stores and refrigerator locations, classification of warehouse locations and marking the locations on the store inward documents by the supervisor has already been implemented. In the shipping process, control measures like final inspection of the consignments before shipment for identifying the quality issues and making possible

Abstract to my project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Abstract to my project - Essay Example Recent efforts have seen the move towards the convergence of international accounting standards. This is fundamentally the move to having all kinds off financial reporting produce a common result. This concept has been adopted by the SEC and the FASB to ensure the synchronization of all partners who have subscribed to these standards. The IFRS offers this opportunity by having a standard and uniform template upon which all financial reporting will be scrutinized. There is need to conduct further research on the issue of taking up a uniform standards of financial reporting globally. This is because there are some underlying effects that these standards may have on SME (small and medium size enterprises). The standards are developed to favour multinational cooperation, negatively impacting the small and medium size enterprises. Financial accounting practices are essential for determining the performance of organisations and their financial situations. Private, governmental and non-governmental organisations use accounting standards to improve their performance (Godfrey & Chalmers, 2007). There are many stakeholders of financial information who have an interest in the financial report for various purposes. Therefore, the method used and the influence of that method to the organisation and its financial statement is of great significance to the stakeholders of those organisations (Godfrey & Chalmers, 2007) The document focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation of accounting standards to various stakeholders. The project contains an abstract, introduction, the body of the report, glossary, conclusion, list of references and bibliography. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is the main accounting systems under consideration for application as an international accounting system (Samak et al., 2012). The expansion of businesses

E-Logistics and International supply Chain Management Essay - 1

E-Logistics and International supply Chain Management - Essay Example Furthermore, industries are driving towards landscape that is defined as flat one by Thomas Friedman. Thomas Friedman declared that era of multinational corporations or the era of globalization 1.0 especially in high tech industries is on the verge of passing away. Similarly, there is a major shift in the aero-strategy and the systems with which the aircrafts are conceived, planned, produced, and supported have changed considerably. The new era defined as globalization 2.0 is the era of horizontal specialization with tight integrations of specialized original equipment manufacturer (OEM) (AIAC, 2009). With this the new era of globalization in the aerospace industry, 320-hectare Seletar Aerospace Park of Singapore has managed to attract the considerable investment from the aerospace manufacturers across the world as reported in the Financial times recently published article (Grant, 2014). Among leading investors include leading aerospace industry giant Rolls Royce and the supply chain perspective for Rolls Royce in Singapore’s aerospace hub forms the central idea of this paper. This paper is based on the assessment of factors that drove Rolls Royce towards Singapore and its potential challenges in place; while concluding with, action to overcome challenges. The aerospace industry, including the defense and commercial industry, accounted for $695 billion in the year 2012 with four percent increases from 2011. The annual operating profits $59.8 billion and 8.6% annual profit margin (PwC, 2013a). According to another project in reference from past trend, the future is projected as follows: According to Capgemini (2011) the demand drivers of the industry is the reviving economies while, at the same time, growth in demand from the middle-east, China and India have been offsetting the slowed demand from developed part of the world. The major factor driving demand includes the rising low cost carrier pattern trends specifically in the developing countries.

Facility safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Facility safety - Essay Example A visit to the field to assess the safety concerns of the university’s soccer field, various issues were realized. On the positive side, the field lacked pot holes, limiting any possible dangers they present. Secondly, sprinklers used to sprinkle the glass were completely sealed making the field safe for use. Next, every person is limited from using the field unless with authorization a safety measure that is essential in ensuring that the safety condition of the field remains intact (Azusa Pacific, 2015). Goalposts lack sharp corners as well as unsafe rusting indicating the quality of safety of using the goal posts while they equally remain well fastened into the ground. Horseplay limitation around the goal posts also serve in ensuring that the goals remain safe together with removal of nets after games serving as an extra safety measure. On the negative side, there is one significant issue that presents safety concerns in the form of availability of foreign objects in form of grass and papers was evident making the field unsafe for soccer. Safety soccer fields remain a necessity for the game of football (Oklahoma. Dept. of Labor, 2011). Soccer management teams and institutions need to ensure that effective measures are applied to ensure safety of players and that of the spectators. In respect to Cougar soccer field, there is need to ensure that once the grass is cut, the particles are fully removed. Consequently, papers mostly blown by the wind into the field should be removed before soccer games. Shannon,  J.  B. (2012). Sports injuries sourcebook: Basic consumer health information about the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of common sports-related injuries in children and adults ... etc. Detroit, MI:

A Manifesto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Manifesto - Essay Example With regard to its aesthetic qualities, it has the qualities of beauty, harmony and symmetry where none can be taken or added that would not impair the totality of the design. My initial role in design is to first learn to create a good design. A good design requires multidisciplinary approach which includes ability to draw, manipulate computer, take pictures, understand color theories and to create concepts through images that people could understand. After learning these things, my role then transformed to be able inspire, create, improve and learn. I believe that a good design is a product of inspired moment that is aptly captured and have physical attribute for others to be inspired as well. That process of giving inspiration a physical attribute so that others may see is the creative process of rendering the inspiration. This creative process however is never completed and must constantly be improved to optimize the best design possible. On my end, I must also continue to learn so that I can better render the inspiration that I have. I treat design as an artwork. My value towards it similar to fine artists and painters who would first look and feel for an inspiration and then make that emotion to be felt in their work. I could also say that my life is reflected in my designs. It is because my design is the expression of myself. And myself is the collection of my experience, knowledge, beliefs, hopes, aspirations, my sense of beauty, or anything that made me a person. And this is expressed and seen in my design. Getting it out of me to make a good design is not an easy process and could take time but I believe that it will be worth the effort because the output would surely be beautiful. My personal values about design are a lot. Firstly, I truly believe that art imitates life. In this aspect, graphic design is one of the expressions of art. Design is an expression

WEEK 3 APLICATION 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WEEK 3 APLICATION 1 - Essay Example dly, the decision of the researcher to use of project management office staff, project planner, or portfolio manager in carrying out the surveys was quiet significant in drawing the relationship between e-leadership styles and the success of virtual project managers. As such, the researcher effectively addressed the research problem using the Leadership Behavioral Analysis II-Self (LABII-Self) surveys and direct project staff thus avoiding bias in the study. Indeed, the concurrent triangulation mixed methods design research helps to attain the consistency of the study and thus its results. Ideally, since the project managers took part in the study, the results realized would help the project managers to improve the practice of managing virtual projects and thus their success (Lee, 2010). Nevertheless, since the project management office staff, project planner, or portfolio managers taking part in the Leadership Behavioral Analysis are stakeholders in the study, their emanates a slim chance of biased information due to competing interests among the sample population. Actually, the results of such a study equally depended on the independence, diligence, and honesty of the interviewees. Indeed, as seen in the results of the study, the researcher established varying results in the quantitative and qualitative responses on situational leadership techniques with reference to effects on running virtual projects. The lack of the study to establish distinct levels of success between managers with high e-leadership styles and those with low scores proves that there is a discrepancy in the results (Lee, 2010). Because of this, more and detailed research on this and other related topics is necessary in deducing the e-leadership styles that determine the success of virtual proje cts. This equally calls for the application of the situational leadership theory for attainment of reasonable results relating to virtual projects. Indeed, had the researcher considered other

Massage Questionare Essay Example for Free

Massage Questionare Essay 1. Why is it important that the therapist should know the direction of flow in each individual meridian? Yang energy flows downwards and is found mainly to the back of the body, and Yin energy flows up-wards and is found mainly in the front of the body. Because of this it is paramount for a therapist to know the direction of flow in each individual meridian, in order to administer effective treatment. 2. How would the therapist apply Shiatsu treatment to a patient who is hyperactive and unable to relax? If the client is hyperactive and unable to relax and appears to possess an excess of energy that will not fade the normal way, then thumb pressures along each meridian must move over the tsubos from the one with the highest number to the one with the lowest number. 3. Give the Japanese name and number of three tsubos which can be pressed to help relieve a patient suffering from menstrual pain? RIN KYU (12) – menstrual pain –press inwards towards the tarsus for 9 seconds 3 times. YU SEN (1) – menstrual pain- press hard inwards with both thumbs for 12 seconds 3 times. KAN GEN (2) – menstrual pain – press with palm of the hand, increasing pressure gradually for 15 seconds 3 times. 4. Give the Japanese name and number of the tsubo which is concerned with both sciatica and calf spasms. For sciatica – SHO FU, SHYO ZAN. For both Calf spasms, sciatica ICHU (22) – Press inwards for 9 seconds, three times. 5. Give the name and number of the tsubo you would press to treat an arthritic knee. RYO KYO (7) – Press hard inwards for 9 seconds, three times. 6. Give the number of the tsubo on the Bladder Meridian, which is concerned with neck pain. HAKU KO (24) – Press hard inwards towards the anterior aspect of the spine for 6 seconds, three times. 7. On which meridian is there a tsubo that is concerned with heart palpitations? Heart Meridian – SHYO-KAI – Press hard inwards for 6 seconds 3 times. 8. Which tsubo lies between the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae? This comes under Governing Vessel Meridian and would be MEI MON. 9. Give the name and number of the tsubo which lies over the middle metacarpal in the palm of the hand. What condition can it be used to correct? RO KYU (2) the condition that can be corrected is EXHAUSTION. You wish to treat a client suffering from Bell’s Palsy. Give the name, number and location of the tsubo, and describe how you would apply treatment. RETSU KETSU (3) – Press hard inwards for 9 seconds, three times Facial muscles attach to the skin allowing us to make many expressions. When these muscles are paralyzed, they begin to atrophy. Massage can be used to stimulate circulation in the face and maintain the health of the muscles. Massage can also help encourage the muscles to move and ease the discomfort associated with Bells palsy. By massaging the side of the face (above the eye down to the chin, behind the ear) and specifically the 7th cranial nerve (located just below the cheek bone) will soothe and alleviate pain and discomfort and thereby allow the paralysis to decrease. Recommended Time: 15 to 20 minutes of massaging, followed by 15 minutes of good intention Reiki, both morning and night REF: Japan Shiatsu Inc

The International Accounting Standards Board Structure

The International Accounting Standards Board Structure There is overwhelming demand for high quality accounting standards that are internationally accepted. It is of the utmost importance that the IASB delivers these as quickly as possible. Required: a) Outline the current structure of the IASB, highlighting the major influences and controls on it. (30%) b) Explain the main advantages of high quality, internationally accepted accounting standards and the main challenges the IASB faces in developing them. (50%) c) Comment on the quotation above and give a conclusion on its validity. (20%) ANSWER a) The International Accounting Standards Board (hereafter â€Å"IASB†)[1] replaced the International Accounting Standards Committee on April 1 2001. This represented the culmination of a restructuring project based on the recommendations of the report Recommendations on Shaping IASC for the Future.[2] The IASB, which is based in London, is constituted by fourteen board members drawn from nine different countries, of whom twelve are full-time and 3 are part-time. The composition of the membership is as follows: a minimum of five former auditors, three former users of accounts, three former preparers of accounts, and one academic. The remaining two can be drawn from any of these backgrounds or from a different background. The IASB is entrusted with the responsibility to establish International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and its goal is to create conformity and compatibility around the world.[3] Its mission statement is to provide â€Å"high quality, understandable and enforceable global accounting standards†[4]. This is a substantial task, given that the accounting principles generally accepted in each individual country can in practice differ significantly between national jurisdictions. The IASB is organised on the following lines. Its parental body, the IASC Foundation is an independent entity having two main arms, namely, the Trustees and the IASB, and in addition it incorporates the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee and a Standards Advisory Council. The 22 Foundation Trustees of the IASC are empowered to appoint members to the IASB, to exercise general oversight and administrative and managerial supervision, and to generate the funds needed to finance the operation. However it should be stressed that the IASB has sole and exclusive responsibility for establishing accounting standards. The focus of the IASB is on the pursuit of a rolling work plan. The work plan is determined and updated at regular IASB meetings and reflects the objectives and broad timetable of the Memorandum of Understanding[5] between the IASB and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (hereafter â€Å"FASB†) which lays down the so-called Roadmap for Convergence between IFRSs and US GAAP between 2006 and 2008.[6] The Memorandum of Understanding establishes goals that the IASB and FASB have agreed to achieve so as to facilitate the convergence of accounting standard-setting.[7] The long-term strategic priority of both the IASB and FASB remains the establishment of a common set of high quality global standards. b) The overarching goal of the IASB is the creation and maintenance of a set of understandable, enforceable and effective accounting standards for consistent application around the world. The object of this exercise is to attempt to guarantee both equivalence and transparency in certain universal financial statements compiled in different national jurisdictions across the globe by engineering a commensurate and smooth convergence of previously diverse national standards of accounting reporting..[8] It is manifest that the achievement of such an end would facilitate international business and investment, reduce commercial risk and increase transparency, and improve the general quality of financial reporting around the world. The IASB has resolved that if consistently reliable and effective financial reporting infrastructure is to be established it must both embody and reflect four essential characteristics:[9] 1. It is deemed essential that settled accounting standards are consistent, comprehensive and founded on a transparent set of general principles which strive to guarantee that financial reports fairly and accurately reflect all background and underlying financial realities. 2. Functional mechanisms must be put in place to ensure the adoption of efficient and effective corporate governance practices, and that in turn these should incorporate a condition for strict systems of internal control which serve to apply common accounting standards. 3. Auditing practices must be established in which the diverse users and prepares of accounts in the outside world can invest confidence and trust, and which categorically establish that undertakings produce reports which represent a true and fair view of their economic performance and overall financial state. 4. It is necessary to implement a cogent surveillance and enforcement regime which ensures that the fundamental rules and principles as determined by the universally prevailing auditing and accounting standards are both respected and applied.. The Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements[10] was published by the IASB’s predecessor, the International Accounting Standards Committee in 1989. Popularly known as the Conceptual Framework, this document lays down the essential concepts to be adhered to in the production of financial statements for external appraisal and usage. The Framework deals with such matters as: qualitative characteristics of financial information; fundamental assumptions; objectives of financial statements; elements of financial statements; core components of financial statements; measurement of the items of financial statements; capital maintenance issues.[11] That said, it is worth emphasising that the Conceptual Framework is not accorded the full status of an accounting standard. The same can be said of the Statement of Principles of the UK Accounting Standards Board. This obviously constitutes a practical challenge because it renders application less certain and can result in a dilution of the principles it endeavours to entrench. Despite this difficulty, the Framework guides the current work of the IASB in its development of contemplated International Financial Reporting Standards and it influences the IASB’s rolling review of established International Accounting Standards.. It is submitted that this modus operandi should encourage the harmonisation of accounting standards, and hone those procedures and regulations relevant to the presentation and substance of financial statements by setting down an underlying conceptual rationale for reducing the number of different accounting treatments allowed under international standards. The IASB faces a huge challenge in catering for the all the different classes of users of financial statements, who may seek to use those financial statements for a wide number of purposes. Given that users may include classes as diverse as, suppliers, lenders, trade creditors, investors (current and potential), employees, customers (current and potential), the general public and Government agencies, it is clear that the IASB has to take a vast array of different and sometimes competing interests into account in determining the appropriate rules of accounting.[12] c) It is very hard to argue with the quote under review, because there is manifestly considerable demand among, in particular accounts users, who rely upon accounts to guide a multiplicity of business and investment decisions, for high quality accounting standards that are both internationally accepted and respected and universally applied. Given that unarguable truth the second part of the quote is also clearly well founded. Of course it would be desirable to deliver improvements to accounting standards as soon as possible. This commentator can conceive of no reason to delay the introduction of what would represent a significant improvement in conditions of finance and trade, in particular given the increasing globalisation of business and commerce and the relative growth in the number of international transactions as opposed to national transactions with each passing year. In simple words, business is becoming ever more global and accounting standards must consolidate to reflect t hat new environment and practice. The demand and determination to achieve high quality and internationally accepted accounting standards is perhaps best evidenced by the focused cooperation between accounting standard setting bodies witnessed in recent years. In 2004 the IASB started work on a project in partnership with the US FASB which is aimed at the development of a so-called common conceptual framework, in the hope of that such would facilitate the convergence and refinement of the existing frameworks of both accounting standards Boards.[13] Demand for tighter and more consistent accounting standards has also been fuelled by analysis of the high profile corporate collapses of companies like Enron and WorldCom in recent years.[14] Accountants were widely criticised for auditing errors in these cases, which have already proved the catalysts for a raft of new corporate governance regulations.. These huge corporate collapses and others of their ilk have not only given rise to increased demand for accounting standard improvement and consolidation but also underline the very real need for concerted action in this field. In sum, it is submitted that the quote under review is well founded in both its primary assertions.. THE END WORD COUNT: 1574 (excluding footnotes) BIBLIOGRAPHY Recommendations on Shaping IASC for the Future: A Report of the International Accounting Standards Committee’s Strategy Working Party, Recommendations to the IASC Board, 30 November 1999: http://www.iasb.org/uploaded_files/documents/8_210_swp_rep.pdf Mirza and Epstein, IFRS: Interpretation and Application of International Accounting Standards, (2006) Wiley Horngren, â€Å"Uses and Limitations of a Conceptual Framework,† Journal of Accountancy, April 1981 Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements, http://www.iasplus.com/standard/framewk.htm. Alfredson et al., Applying International Accounting Standards, (2005) Wiley. Lewis and Pendrill, Advanced Financial Accounting, (2004) Prentice Hall International Accounting Standards Board website: http://www.iasb.org/Home.htm Inman, UK accounting firms enjoy  £1bn bonanza in wake of Enron, The Guardian, 28 June 2006. Memorandum of Understanding between the FASB and the IASB 27 February 2006: http://www.iasb..co.uk/. The IASB Conceptual Framework An Introduction, Dr Philip Dunn, AccountingWeb, 9 May 2005: http://www..accountingweb.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=140805d=448h=0f=0. International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) (1998); â€Å"Shaping IASC for the Future†, Discussion Paper, December, 1998 1 Footnotes [1] The non-profit organisation IASC Foundation, incorporated in March 2001 in Delaware, US is the parental body of the IASB. [2] Recommendations on Shaping IASC for the Future: A Report of the International Accounting Standards Committee’s Strategy Working Party, Recommendations to the IASC Board, 30 November 1999: http://www.iasb.org/uploaded_files/documents/8_210_swp_rep.pdf. And see: International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) (1998); â€Å"Shaping IASC for the Future†, Discussion Paper, December, 1998. [3] For an insightful overview see: Alfredson et al., Applying International Accounting Standards, (2005) Wiley. [4] See: http://www.iasb.org/Home.htm. [5] Memorandum of Understanding between the FASB and the IASB 27 February 2006: http://www.iasb.co.uk/. [6] See: http://www.iasb.co.uk/. [7] This is an integral part of the process towards removal of the duty owed by foreign registrants with the SEC to converge their financial statements to the US GAAP model. [8] See for general background and insightful comment: Lewis, R. and Pendrill, D. 2004 Advanced Financial Accounting 7th edition. [9] Statement of Sir David Tweedie, Chairman of the IASB, Before the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the United States Senate, Washington DC, 9 September 2004: http://www.iasb.org/uploaded_files/documents/8_129_040909-dpt.pdf. [10] See: Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements, http://www.iasplus.com/standard/framewk.htm. [11] The IASB Conceptual Framework An Introduction, Dr Philip Dunn, AccountingWeb, 9 May 2005: http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=140805d=448h=0f=0. [12] Horngren, Charles T., â€Å"Uses and Limitations of a Conceptual Framework,† Journal of Accountancy, April 1981, p. 90. [13] See: http://www.iasb.org/current/active_projects.asp?showPageContent=noxml=16_107_116_30112004.htm [14] Inman, UK accounting firms enjoy  £1bn bonanza in wake of Enron, The Guardian, 28 June 2006.

Earthing System Lightning

Earthing System Lightning 1.1Introduction Earthing system electrodes are used to divert high currents to the earth. Therefore a proper design of an earthing system is required to dissipate high currents magnitude to the earth safely regardless the fault type. Lightning and other surges subject the electrical power system to high magnitude and fast rise-time transient currents and voltages requires dissipation to earth in controlled methods. In order to minimise damage to the electrical equipments and safety measures have to be taken to protect the human beings. On high voltage transmission and distribution systems, lightning protection and insulation co-ordination schemes are employed to protect power system equipment from damage. The main factor that determines the effectiveness of these schemes is the soil resistivity properties of the earth. In this thesis, the performance of wind turbine earthing systems subjected to power frequency and impulses is investigated by considering both their high frequency and transient behaviour. 1.2 Earthing System Functions Earthing systems are designed primarily for power frequency earth fault conditions. However, certain plant within substations such as surge arresters will provide a path to earth for transient currents and in such cases the standards recommend the installation of a high frequency earth electrode, usually an earth rod [1.1]. High frequency earth electrode means that the earth rod is to dissipate to earth all the high frequency components of the transient. In practice, all the parts of the earthing system are interconnected and may play a role in the dissipation of both power frequency faults and surges. In the case of wind turbine there will earthing termination system especially designed for lightning protection. . 1.3 Components of earthing systems Generally, substation earthing grids consist of a system of conductors buried in the ground occupying an area related to the dimensions of the substation. Additional components may include the metallic sheaths of cables and earth wires of tower lines and their associated tower footings. These extended earth systems emanate from the substation and are bonded solidly to the earth grid. The performance of these components is difficult to predict because soil has a non-homogeneous resistivity ranging from 10 to 10,000 m [1.2]. 1.4 Wind turbine earthing system IEC 61400-24 IEC technical Report of wind turbine generation lightning protection [1.3] states that each turbine must be equipped with its own earth termination system, even if it connected to a general wind farm earthing system. The report [1.3] described the basic requirements for lightning protection of the windfarm. Earthing systems should be designed in accordance with ICE 61024-1 standard of lighting protection of structures [1.4]. This standard recommends two types of earth electrode systems for wind turbines and are referred to as Type A and Type B arrangements. 1.4.1Type A arrangement: This type employs of horizontal or vertical electrodes connected to each down conductor in the case of wind turbine the down conductor would be the wind turbine tower. 1.4.2Type B arrangement: This type uses a ring earth electrode external to the structure soil. A wind turbine normally uses the Type B arrangement with a ring earth electrode placed around the foundation reinforced [1.3] as can be seen in Figure 1. in the standard the ring earth requires to be in contact with the soil for at least 80% of its total length of a foundation earth electrode. The ring electrode should be buried to a depth of at least 0.5m. However, Additional vertical and horizontal earth electrodes may be used in combination with the ring electrode. The radius of the ring electrode will therefore normally be defined by the radius of the turbine foundation and extra conductors may have to be installed as stated below. Figure 1. Typical wind turbine earthing arrangement Foundation reinforced bar normally bonded to lightning protection earth Top view Wind turbine tower 2m vertical electrodes Transformer If the recommended 10W resistance by [1.4] is not achieved then an additional horizontal or f vertical electrodes may be used in combination with the ring electrode. Also, in the standard it states that no more than 50m of the horizontal electrode can be attached to the wind turbine, may be a low resistance value achieved, but could have high transient impedance due to high series impedance of the conductor. 1.5 Soil resistivity Conduction properties of soil are important, particularly its specific resistivity. The soil resistivity is one of the main factors determining the resistance of any earth electrode. Most soils and rocks are poor conductors of electricity when dry. The exceptions to this are certain mineral bodies. However when soils contain water, the resistivity drops, and they may then be considered as moderate conductors, although they are very poor when compared with metals. For example, pure copper resistivity is 1.6cm whilst a quite normal value for soil would be 10,000 cm. The resistivity is determined by the following factors: a) type of soil b) chemical composition of the soil c) concentration of salts dissolved in pore water d) overall moisture content e) temperature f) grain size and the distribution of grain size [1.2]. 1.6Tolerable voltage During a ground fault on a transmission line, a number of towers near the fault are likely to acquire high potential. Potential gradients are also set up in the ground surface and these may present a hazard to humans and livestock. These hazard voltages are generally referred to as touch and step potentials, which are defined [1.5] as follows: a) The touch potential is the difference between the earth potential rise (EPR) and the surface potential at the point where a person is standing, while at the same time having his hand in contact with a ground structure [1.5]. b) The step potential is the difference in surface potential experienced by a person bridging a distance of 1m with his feet without contacting any other grounding object [1.5]. There are limits placed on the allowable EPR of an earthing system as stated in International Telecommunication Union ITU-T [1.6]. These limits are as follows. 650 V for sites fed from high reliability lines where faults are rare and cleared quickly (200 ms maximum). 430 V for sites fed from lines having standard protection. The limits of touch and step potentials are related to the current that can be withstood by a human body before there is a serious risk of fatality [1.5, 1.7]. A magnitude in the order of 50mA is sufficient to cause ventricular fibrillation, which will normally result in death [1.8-1.9]. 1.7 Standard Lightning Impulse The lightning impulse is characterised by three parameters, the peak current magnitude, the time to peak current and time to half peak current which is the time required for the current impulse to decay to half of its peak magnitude. However, standard lightning impulse shapes are generally described by the peak current or voltage and the time to the peak T1 and the time to the half peak T2 and usually written as T1/T2 in microseconds defined as the rise-time. e.g. a 10kA, 5/20ms. Figure 1.2 Lightning Impulse Lightning impulses are usually described by their peak current (or voltage) and by T1 and T2 written as T1/T2 in microseconds. e.g. a 10kA, 5/20ms impulse. 1.7 Standards Applicable to Earthing Systems There are UK and international standards provide guidelines to different earthing systems configurations design. These standards are concerned with power frequency earthing systems design and give limited guidance when earthing system subjected to transient conditions. These standards are: Engineering Association Technical Specification 41-24 (EA TS 41-24), Guidelines for the Design, Testing and Maintenance of Main Earthing Systems in Substations (UK) [1.1]. This standard recognises that equipment such as surge arresters and CVTs are more likely to pass high frequency current due to the low impedance they present to steep fronted surges. This standard suggests that unless a low impedance earth connection is provided, the effectiveness of a surge arrester may be compromised. It is therefore recommended that the connection from the equipment to earth should be as short, and as free from changes in direction, as is practicable. Another guideline in the same standard states that the effectiveness of a surge arrester can be improved by placing a high frequency earth electrode in its immediate vicinity. The standard does not specify any quantitative limits such as over all earthing impedance limit. ANSI/IEEE standard 80 [1.5] Guide for safety in AC substation grounding widely used throughout the world. This standard does not provide detailed guidance for designing for earthing systems subjected to transient conditions. However, it considers that an earthing system that is designed to be safe for power frequency faults should also be safe for transient faults. This is based on the assumption that the human body can withstand higher currents for very short duration. It also considers the safety issues and defines the touch and step potential and provides equation which can be calculated. CENLEC HD 637 SI, Power Installation Exceeding 1kV ac or 1.5kV dc [1.10]. The standard provides measures to reduce the amount of interference created when surges are dissipated to earth. These measures include reducing the inductance of the current path by significantly meshed the earthing system. Moreover, the connection to the earthing system should be as short as possible. BS 6651 [3] Protection of structures against lightning the standard recommends that the earthing system designed for lightning protection should have an earth resistance of less than 10W. The same requirement appears in BS 61400-24:2002 Wind turbine generator system __ Lightning protection with some details regarding earthing system arrangements as mentioned previously. 1.9 Aims of the research Wind turbines become the largest growing electrical energy in the world. Wind farms, however, have particular requirements for earthing compared with conventional electrical installations. They are often very extensive, stretching over several kilometres and subject to frequent lightning strikes due to the height of the structures and their location on high rocky terrain with associated high earth resistivity. Consequence of these developments, there is an increase in fault current associated with windfarms and an increase in the probability of a lightning strike a wind turbine. Therefore, the protection of human beings and livestock becomes more important due to the trend towards large scale high capacity wind farms. The aims and the objectives of this work therefore can be summarised by the following: To review the methods that representing the wind turbine earthing system and their limitations To develop models that produce more accurate results. To use computer simulation to overcome problems in modelling of the wind turbines earthing system To carry out computer simulations in order to investigate the importance of the wind turbine steel tower in modelling of wind turbine earthing system. Design mitigation techniques for fast surge injections. To carry out soil resistivity using a 2-D technique in order to obtain a soil model to be used for Wind Turbine earthing simulations. To carry out dc, ac and impulse measurement of resistance/ impedance of an isolated wind turbine. To carry out dc, ac and impulse measurement of resistance/ impedance of the wind farm interconnected at the location of wind turbine used in point above. To carry out measurement of safety voltages (step and touch voltages) around an isolated wind turbine. To carry out measurement of safety voltages (step and touch voltages) around the same wind turbine when its earthing system is bonded / connected to the wind farm earthing network. To obtain details of the design and construction of the test wind turbine (s) for CDEGS simulation purposes. To draw conclusions and suggest recommendations for a better estimation of Wind farm earthing systems and related safety precautions. 1.10 References: [1.1] Technical Specification 41-24, Guidelines for the Design, Testing and Maintenance of Main Earthing Systems in Substations, Electricity Association, 1992. [1.2] Tagg, G. F.: Earth Resistance. Gorge Newnes Limited. (London), 1964. [1.3] IEC Technical Report, Wind Turbine Generation System -24: Lightning Protection, TR61400-24, 2002. [1.4] IEC International Stand Protection of Strictures against Lightning IEC61024 -1998. [1.5] IEEE guide for safety in AC substation grounding, ANS/IEEE standard 80, 2000. [1.6] ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union): Calculating Induced Voltage and Currents in Practical Cases. Volume II, 1999 [1.7] International Electrotechnical Commission IEC Report 479-1: Effects of current passing through the human body, IEC, 1984. [1.8] Electricity Association: Engineering Recommendation S.34: A guide for assessing the rise of earth potential at substation sites. Engineering Management Conference, May 1986. [1.9] IEEE: IEEE Std 81.2-1991, IEEE Guide for measurement of Impedance and Safety Characteristics of Large, Extended of Interconnected Grounding Systems, The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, New York, 1991. [1.10] HD 637S1, Power Installations Exceeding 1kV AC, European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) 1999. [1.11] BS 6651, Code of Practice for Protection of Structures Against Lightning, British Standards Institution, 1992.

Kindred :: essays research papers

Kindred Writing Activity The fire, page 36: â€Å"I could literally smell his sweat, hear every ragged breath, every cry, every cut of the whip. I could see his body jerking, convulsing, straining against the rope as his screaming went on and on. My stomach heaved, and I had to force myself to stay where I was and keep quiet.Why didn’t they stop!† In the middle of the night, four white men storm into a cabin in the woods while four others wait outside. The cabin belongs to Alice and her mom. The four men pull out Alice’s father along with her mom, both are naked. Alice manages to scramble away. The men question Alice’s father about a pass, which allows him to visit his wife. Her father tries to explain the men about the loss of the pass but the men do not pay any attention to him. Instead they tie him to a tree and one of the white man starts to whip him for visiting his wife without the permission of Tom Weylin, the â€Å"owner† of Alice’s father. Tom Weylin forbid him to see his wife, he ordered him to choose a new wife at the plantation, so he could own their children. Since Alice’s mother is a free woman, her babies would be free as well and would be save from slavery. But her freedom â€Å"status† does not stop one of the patroller to punch her in the face and cause her to collaps e to the ground. Meanwhile, you can hear the noise of the whip clutching against the back of Alice’s father. He forces himself to stay quiet under this unbelievable pain and humiliation in front of his family. His face shows the pain and he is sweating but still no sound, until he breaks down and starts to beg for forgiveness. After a while, the white man who happens to be a patroller stops whipping him and with the help of the other patrollers he unties him from the tree and turns him around and ties his hands in front of him.

Tourettes Syndrome and the :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Tourette's Syndrome and the "I" Function Tourette's syndrome is characterized by a presentation of verbal and motor tics. The first descriptions of the syndrome, involving symptoms similar to Tourette's, were reported in the nineteenth century. For most of the twentieth century TS was thought to be a psychiatric disorder because of the ability the patients had to suppress their tics. In the past twenty years more biological factors have been introduced in the study of the syndrome, arising from the use of pharmacological treatment and the discovery of hereditary patterns of the disorder. In the diagnosis of Tourette's Syndrome the concept of involuntary tics has become hard to define. Many patients experience a volitional aspect of the tics, "a capitulation to an internal urge for motor discharge accompanied by psychological tension and anxiety Patients who are afflicted with Tourette's syndrome can only describe their symptoms by using terms associated with the "I" function, the consciousness of self and relation to one's environment, and many of their symptoms are associated with or affect the function of their self. This can imply that what ever is causing the symptoms of Tourette's is subsequently affecting the part of the nervous system that controls the self and the "I" function. Most of the studies done on the neuropathology of Tourette's syndrome (TS) have been focus on the basal ganglia, a group of nuclei located mostly in the diencephelon of the brain, a region beneath the cortex. This area has been classically associated with involuntary movement and tic disorders such as Parkinson and Huntington's disease. The neural circuits formed by the basal ganglia and the thalamus are critical for normal function and hypothesized to be required for the planning of movement ranging from simple to complex. Though what these pathways actually do is still very vague the basal ganglia has been found, in normal circumstances, to exert an inhibitory influence on the thalamus. Disruption of this inhibition could correspond with TS in which the making of uncontrolled and unplanned movements are involve. There is evidence that patients with Tourette's syndrome have some structural abnormalities in the region of the basal ganglia, mainly TS patients showed a comparative size reduction in the basal ganglia. There are various different behaviors through which Tourette's syndrome presents itself. The diagnostic categories of TS depend on the presence of tics, alone, although patients with Tourette may have mental or behavioral disorders, which over shadow the severity or impairment on normal function of the tics.

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

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