Critically examine whether legal institutions matter for financial Essay

Critically examine whether legal institutions matter for financial development with further implications for economic growth - Essay Example The greater the levels of financial development in the country, the wider are the provisions of financial services that allow risk diversifications, and this in turn boosts the economic growth curve of a nation. Joseph Schumpeter first proposed the link between economic growth and financial development in the early 20th century, where he claimed that the financial intermediaries advocated technological modifications by providing economic resources for the invention of new products (Schumpeter, 1912). Levine and Zervos (1998) in their papers show that development within the stock market and banking sectors of a nation are reasonably reliable indicators of the economic growth. For industrial expansions at the microeconomic level, Rajan and Zingales (1998) and Demirguc-Kunt and Maksimovic (1998) feel that financial institutions are an essential component. Despite contentions, a majority of the research papers suggest that there is indeed a strong connection between the financial develop ment and economic growth. ... al intermediation and markets, as well as deep and broad access to capital and financial services† (The Financial Development Report 2010, 2010, 4). Here institutions chiefly refer to laws that control and monitor the financial sector, contractual enforcement and the quality of corporate governance. The word â€Å"institution† as defined by Douglas North (1991) states that these are man-devised constraints that shape a nation’s socio-economic and political interaction. These constraints maybe informal like social taboos, sanctions, trust, social traditions and customs, social capital, and social codes of conduct; or they may also be formal like legal system, constitutions, property rights, etc. Institutions have been devised in to create an order in the society, and decrease the chances of uncertainty in various transactions and exchanges. As per economic theories, a strong and stable institutional environment is essential for decreasing the transaction and inform ation charges (Levine, 2004).There are also a significant number of research papers that establish the close relation between financial development and a country’s institutional characteristics, especially its legal framework (Arestis, Demetriades, and Luintel, 2001). Thus, from a study of papers one can conclude that legal institutions from an essential part of the financial development of a nation, since it works towards protecting the investor interests (Barth, J., Caprio, G., and Levine, R., 1999). The law and finance theory centres on the part played by the legal institutions in analysing global differences perceived in financial development (La Porta, Lopez-de-Silanes, Shleifer, and Vishny, 2000). The law and finance theory suggests that in countries that have strong legal institutions and effective

Letter for Google Essay Example for Free

Letter for Google Essay Dear Mr. Schmidt:Â  From the inception, the field of Sales and Marketing has enticed me at its best and has motivated me to opt for such courses that further foster my interest in the same field and build up more skills. Therefore, I did my bachelors in which I opted Marketing courses as my electives, and now I am doing MBA in the same field. Taking courses does not suffice; in fact, there must be some practical work experience where we can apply what we have actually learned. As far as the work experience is concerned, I have done two internships – first in an FMCG company and the second in a Pharmaceutical company. I have been part of industries that have dynamic sales and marketing departments; therefore, I made the most of my internships and learned as much as I could along with developing good relationships with the employees. I have build up certain skills and abilities that include not only understanding the customers and their attitudes, but also keeping them satisfied, boosting up sales, and devising effective marketing campaigns. Google is an organization where I can apply my existing knowledge and skills and further polish them, since the Sales and Marketing of Google is quite strong and have loads of knowledge and expertise to be acquired. I have highlighted some of my key skills and qualifications as follows: ØÂ   Ability to understand other people’s attitudes and behavior and act accordingly; this involves the presence of Emotional Intelligence ØÂ   Ability to work as a team member and as a team leader, keeping counterparts motivated and directed towards the goals ØÂ   Strong forecasting and decision-making skills ØÂ   Adept in making marketing plans, conducting feasibility studies, devising creative ideas and effectively implementing them ØÂ   Some Human Resources skills such as, organization, administration, motivation, and managing the resources efficiently My knowledge, skills, and hand-on experience would be suitable enough for your organization and can benefit it. Moreover, I would welcome the opportunity to have an interview for internship where I can express my qualifications in a better way. I am really looking forward to it and would be grateful to you. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Name Enclosure References Video attached

Hobbs :: essays research papers

Hobbes gives us his estimation of the nature of mankind by initially showing that all men are generally equal. The strongest man can be beaten by the weakest, if the weaker man uses some other force. When it comes to intelligence Hobbes claims men are even more equal, since all men are of equal experience, which is the only way to gain wisdom. Once Hobbes shows that all men are equals he goes on to explain their interactions. These interactions lead to a war of every man verses every man. If two men want something of which there is only one then this leads to each trying to destroy the other. Competition also rises when men want what others have. Men join forces in order to bring down a man who possesses more than they want him to. War also rises from diffidence, according to Hobbes. Men must always be on guard, because they cannot trust others not to attack them. This causes men to go out and conquer others, since one cannot survive if always on the defensive. Hobbes has one more reason for the state of war: glory. Men want others to look up at them with respect. In order to gain such a reputation, a man will try to conquer others to gain their respect and by example the respect of others. So Hobbes concludes that there are 3 basic causes for war: competition, diffidence, and glory. This all leads to a state of war, all versus all. The state of nature is constantly at war, which Hobbes claims is not merely battle, but even the threat of battle. This constant state of war leads to no form of industry or culture, since every man lives in fear of all others. Hobbes’s gives an example of this fear by pointing out that even today we lock our doors, because we do not trust our fellow man. He also shows how many savage tribes have been observed in this state of constant war, when no sovereign rules. Hobbes’s goes on to claim that even now men slip into this state of civil war between each other. Kings are constantly fighting over land and are always on guard against enemies. Hobbes’s says that there is no justice or injustice in this original state of nature, because there are no laws or sovereign to enforce them.

Art Is Important To Religion :: essays research papers

â€Å"Why is Art Important to Religion† Art is important to religion in many different ways. Perhaps none has analyzed how art and religion have influenced and affected each other through the ages. Pictures painted of past events that help to bring back the feeling and importance of the past have been forgotten by some. To the one’s that haven’t forgotten are able to see the event’s as the bible says they happened. Not only can you see the events, but it also allows the younger students of the church to understand the events. The use of images of God became widespread after the second century. This religious art has defiantly been around for centuries and plays an important role to the history of religion as well as the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Religious art helps people that are looking for security and hope. Today society is looking for peace and an anchor to hold onto. This religious art lifts the spirit and brings peace within through a beautiful way. It helps reassure people that there is a life after this one. One needs not fear the power of God but to understand his actions and the way one should live his or her life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Art through the ages has been a powerful voice for both secular and religious ideas, and the treasury of Christian art should not be relegated to museum viewing. The art should be displayed in the church were it is meant to be. Its richness can be brought to people in schools and adult study groups. This, in turn, can help to bring art up to the level, that the faith deserves. Churches should fill the walls with art to show what happened throughout the bible. Art creates connections and associations between what we see and what we sense happened. Both ritual and art challenge us to take us beyond the immediate, if they are to bring about true insight and transformation in our lives. When the religious art leaks out of the religious community and into the broader world of culture, it is one of the ways the meaning of the art can evolve. This is also an opportunity for the art to draw the world to religion. Moreover, artistic reinterpretation of sacred imagery can help keep religion honest. The church has always been enriched by the tension that comes with diversity in art. Art is communication and effective art communicates effectively to any group at any level.

How Tax Cuts can revive the Economy Essay

Tax cuts have been employed in the government’s fiscal policy especially during times of economic slowdown to revive the economy. When the economy is slumping, the people’s consumption power also slumps. The aggregate demand for goods and services in the market also falls. This creates a shock wave which hits industries like manufacturing, the housing sector and the service industry hard, leading to rising levels of unemployment (Toomey & Soloveichik 2009). At such a time, a cut in taxes becomes one of the mechanisms available for pumping some life into the economy. Tax cuts for economic revival target especially people in the lower and middle classes. When implemented, tax cuts increase the amount of disposable income, that is, income after taxation, in the pockets of these people. Disposable income is perhaps the most critical factor in consumption. The availability of more money to spend in the pockets of the masses raises the aggregate demand for goods and services, creating jobs in the various sector of the economy therefore increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Toomey & Soloveichik 2009), a key indicator of the state of the economy. A cut in taxes works like a raise in salary. Tax cuts take effect through the multiplier effect which can be defined as the ratio of change between aggregate economic output (represented by the GDP) and a change in taxes since not all disposable income after a reduction in taxation rates actually translates to direct consumption. The multiplier, obtained by multiplying the marginal propensity to consume with the expenditure multiplier, is used as an indicator to the change in fiscal policy induced government taxes required to result to a desired level of aggregate output. If coupled with increased government expenditure on services like health and education (which could actually be termed as an integral part of the cuts or economic stimulus package), tax cuts can revive the economy (Toomey & Soloveichik 2009).

Free Essays on Nations Voting Procedures

The article that I chose for my current events paper came from The New York Times, on September 6, 2002. The title of the article is â€Å"Bill to Overhaul System of Voting Is Seen in Danger†. It was written by Bill Pear. â€Å"Efforts to pass a bill that would clean up the nation’s voting procedures were falling apart as Partisan disagreements grew with the approach of fall elections.† Bipartisan majorities of the House and the Senate voted for different versions of the Legislation, intended to prevent ballot disputes. Among other things, the bills would provide money to help states buy new voting machines. The version of the bill supported by Republicans would establish identification requirements for first time voters who registered by mail. Such voters would have to present a photo identification such as a Driver’s License or a Social Security card before being permitted to vote. Democrats supported a version of the bill requiring only a signature on a form at the polls. Democrats said proposed requirements by Republicans could discourage participation by blacks and Hispanic Americans. Both versions of the bill would require states to maintain computerized lists of registered voters. Also, voters would have to have a way to verify selections, change their ballots and to correct errors, and voting places must be accessible to people with disabilities. Republicans and Democrats disagree greatly over how to enforce new standards. Republicans would like the responsibility to lie solely with the Justice Department, while Democrats want individuals and civil rights groups to be able to file suits to halt violations. It is a scary thought that our government can’t agree on a simple issue such as voting. This is the kind of rhetoric that creates distrust of the government. If I go to Wal-Mart and purchase an oil change, I am handed a portable computer on which I choose the type of oil I would like, additions to the service, and I us... Free Essays on Nation's Voting Procedures Free Essays on Nation's Voting Procedures The article that I chose for my current events paper came from The New York Times, on September 6, 2002. The title of the article is â€Å"Bill to Overhaul System of Voting Is Seen in Danger†. It was written by Bill Pear. â€Å"Efforts to pass a bill that would clean up the nation’s voting procedures were falling apart as Partisan disagreements grew with the approach of fall elections.† Bipartisan majorities of the House and the Senate voted for different versions of the Legislation, intended to prevent ballot disputes. Among other things, the bills would provide money to help states buy new voting machines. The version of the bill supported by Republicans would establish identification requirements for first time voters who registered by mail. Such voters would have to present a photo identification such as a Driver’s License or a Social Security card before being permitted to vote. Democrats supported a version of the bill requiring only a signature on a form at the polls. Democrats said proposed requirements by Republicans could discourage participation by blacks and Hispanic Americans. Both versions of the bill would require states to maintain computerized lists of registered voters. Also, voters would have to have a way to verify selections, change their ballots and to correct errors, and voting places must be accessible to people with disabilities. Republicans and Democrats disagree greatly over how to enforce new standards. Republicans would like the responsibility to lie solely with the Justice Department, while Democrats want individuals and civil rights groups to be able to file suits to halt violations. It is a scary thought that our government can’t agree on a simple issue such as voting. This is the kind of rhetoric that creates distrust of the government. If I go to Wal-Mart and purchase an oil change, I am handed a portable computer on which I choose the type of oil I would like, additions to the service, and I us...

Big Brothers Assimilation of Winston Smith into a Perfect So essays

Big Brothers Assimilation of Winston Smith into a Perfect So essays George Orwells 1984 touches on many disturbing aspects about the denial of a person's natural rights. It portrays a government that suffocates happiness out of its citizens. Crimes against Big Brother are defined as history, sex, and learning. Every view is poisoned by Big Brother. 1984 centers on a particular character, Winston Smith, who has ideas of insurrection. Big Brothers uses its implement of terror to discipline everyone who rises up against them. Winston Smiths struggle with the socialistic State, Big Brother, ultimately leads to his downfall. Winston fights a losing battle from the start; his covert crusade is unveiled, and he is punished for his radical ideas Every aspect of life is Party business, and this omnipresence finally leads to Winstons submission. The Party frowns down on history, sex, and education; it clouds everyones judgment with propaganda and deception. Its solemn pictures everywhere promptly remind its peasants that the partys control is everywhere. Winston sees these signs in all places, comments, It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you moving. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption reads (Orwell 27).This faceless mesmerizes its people with fear, just like a rattlesnake with its prey. It will ultimately strike at the slightest movement. The fundamental battle in the book becomes clear. It entails the struggle between Winston wanting to be free versus the fear of Big Brother. Because hierarchy depends on poverty and ignorance, as well as keeping people too busy to complain about conditions, it became a goal to maintain that balance (Kessler 303) Depressed, Winston looks around and sees horrible food, ugly clothes, and bleak surroundings. He feels things should be better, even though he has never known a time when things were pleasant to eat and to look at. Big Brothers rib breaking bear ...

How To Meet Deadlines When Youre Tired Of Missing Them

How To Meet Deadlines When Youre Tired Of Missing Them Every creative professional  knows how to dread deadlines. However, we could often use some help knowing how to meet deadlines. This means having enough discipline not to push back deadlines. Its something thats easy to do when were under crunch time. However, it isnt a solution.  Push your deadlines back enough times, and soon enough, you wont have a content marketing strategy  left to  execute. Content must be created, and it must be delivered on time. Your audience craves it. Your boss demands it. Your job literally depends on it. And with the right processes and work habits in place, youll hit every deadline, every time. Best of all, this isnt as hard to pull off as you might think. Let us show you how to conquer your fear of deadlines and be more productive than ever. 1. Start By Asking When, Not What "What do you want done?" is usually the first  question that gets asked when planning a project. After some discussion, you usually find out when the project  needs to be finished. However, sometimes a better opening question is "When do we want this done?" Start by setting your deadline first. Then, work backward to figure out how much you can realistically accomplish between today and your deadline. Why don't #marketing projects start with #deadlines first, then requirements?People don’t like deadlines because they make them feel constrained and tied down. If you can master your  deadlines by outlining and planning realistically what you can do, in a set timeframe, meeting deadlines will no longer be a burden on you or your company. Think MVP (Minimum Viable Product) You may have heard of the concept of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Essentially, this means building the  bare minimum  you need to  include in your product to make it a useful solution to a problem. From there, you can enhance and optimize it after you ship it. Shipping is a common  term used in agile project management  that developers use when they're ready to push new code to production. However, you can apply this same mindset to content creation too.  You can do this and meet your deadlines by understanding the minimum essentials you need in your project to make it successful initially, understanding you can improve your project and processes as you move forward. Aim To Ship, Not For Perfection Seth Godin has a lot of awesome things to say about this- shooting for completing projects  quickly instead of shooting for perfection. Write down your deadline. You'll publish on this date whether it's perfect or not. Gather everyone's ideas on your project. Share those ideas in a way everyone can see, and ask them to take a look. After they look or even miss their due date of looking, that's it. No more updates. Draft a blueprint of the project from those rough ideas. Get final approval for your project blueprint from the big wigs in your company. Ask the folks with sign-off authority a simple question: "If I deliver what you approved, on budget and on time, will you ship it?" Don't move forward until you get your yes. Seth says, "Once you get your yes, go away and build your project, thrash-free. Ship on time, because that's what a linchpin does." While some of that relates to office bureaucracy, you get the idea. Start with a deadline, then give yourself permission to ship on time- no excuses. 2. Create A  List Of  What Needs To Get Done (And  When) Setting and maintaining timeline and project goals is arguably one of the most  challenging parts of being a project manager. Whether you're a one-person  operation or have a large team, keeping all these tasks on track and moving forward takes some attention to detail. Recommended Reading from Neil Patel: The 6 Types Of Social Media Content That Will Give You The Greatest Value At , we once realized that we were running into this problem. Every Monday, the marketing team gets together to go over the last week's analytics, our plans for the upcoming week, and everyone's deadlines. The plan is simple: Learn from the projects you went through last week, asking yourself three simple questions: What went well? What could we improve? What should we stop doing? Prioritize the projects that  you must get done this week.  Give everyone one goal to complete by the end of the week, no matter what. Review everything you're working toward as a team to understand who is the lead on certain projects, and who is in supporting roles. This is helpful because everyone knows the amount of work expected from them, giving them their chance to speak up if they think it's too much or too little, which helps  everyone understand exactly how they'll contribute to meeting your collective deadlines. Plan how you'll work together as a team to keep each other accountable for meeting your deadlines. Meet daily to talk through  progress and roadblocks that may prevent you from shipping, and figure out a solution. 3. Set Smaller Deadlines Within Your Large Deadline Each week, we put out two blog posts on our blog, among other  templates and projects. Using 's task templates is a huge life saver for us, especially since our  team is spread out across  a few  different locations. We have a set list of what needs to be done each week, and we rely on checklists  built using task templates to help everyone working on the project know the steps they need to complete in order to help us publish our content on time. Use these tips to break down your bigger deadlines into smaller ones: Look at the big picture and draw a road map of exactly what you need to do. Separate tasks based on who needs to complete them. Create an outline labeling what needs to be done and by when. Ask yourself what needs to be done in order? What can be done whenever? Delegate tasks based on who needs to do what, and then fill the gaps with tasks that can be done whenever. We use task templates in to manage all of this.  Here's an example of what these look like: 4. Build In Buffer Time Write down all the tasks you need done and when you need them done by. Then, give each of these due dates a day or two of buffer room before they are actually due so you don't set yourself up for failure. This allows time  to make needed changes, or even finish your work ahead of schedule. Seth Godin  has some great ideas about how to build in buffer time: "Write it down instead. Hand it to someone else. Publicize it. Associate it with an external reward or punishment. If you don't make the deadline, your friend gives the $20 you loaned her to a cause you disagree with..." Deadlines give you the opportunity to beat the rush. Handing in work just a little bit early is a sure-fire way to tell a positive story and get the attention you seek. 5. Remember  You Only Have So Much Room On Your Plate This is one of those  pieces  of  advice where it’s a â€Å"do as I say and not as I do†. Many of us on our team struggle with this daily. We want to help everyone, do more, and be busy. So we will have to work on this one together. Everyone has 24 hours in a day; there are limitations to what can be done and what can be done well. You know your strengths and weaknesses, look at what is on your plate for the week and go from there. Make it a point to write a mock schedule of everything you'd like to finish for the week. Do this weekly on Sunday night or Monday morning. Schedule  in any meetings you have, and appointments or reasons you won't be in the office, and make sure you leave time for sleep (seriously). Recommended Reading:  What To Do On The Weekend To Increase Your Productivity On Monday Nathan, our content marketing lead, literally plans out what he'll do each day to keep himself on task. It helps him learn how much time certain projects really take to help him use his time even more efficiently for future projects. This will help  you know  exactly how much free time you have in the day and week,   while keeping you accountable for meeting  your personal deadlines, and helping you improve your time management skills. This way,  when someone comes to you with a new project or idea, you can look at your schedule and realistically know if you can fit one more thing on your plate or not. This way, you  save yourself the stress and hassle of overdoing it. Here's how to do it yourself: Value all your time: Know that you have 24 hours every day, just like everyone else (even Beyoncà ¨). Hopping onto Facebook, texting, or a mindless zone out adds up. The average Facebook user spends 17 minutes on Facebook a day. That’s 4 and a half days a year. Imagine how much you could get done in that extra time. Focus on your work: While zoning out can distract from work, it’s a proven fact that daydreaming can actually put off the desire for future rewards because you envisioned success but did nothing to achieve it. Being actionable help you achieve your goals. Big game talk and day dreaming don't. End procrastination: Start easy. Break it down. Be nice to yourself. Get a good why. Be mindful. 6. Don’t Be Afraid To Delegate Tasks The wonderful part about being on a team  is that you have help. Sometimes as marketers, we've been conditioned to take on projects without much help  because counting on people means leaving your success  up to others. It’s great that we have the passion  to do a lot, but it can be our downfall. When you delegate tasks, it gives you more time to focus on other projects. It also gets new eyes on the other projects and helps you work  quicker. The Muse  came up with a great list to help with delegating tasks: Decide what to delegate: Once you decide to ask for help, pick the projects  you need help with. You want to focus on your own strengths and weaknesses to choose  what tasks would be better delegated. Pick the right people:  Just like you chose which tasks aren't right for your skill set, pick  your team members who'll be rock stars at those tasks. If you need something edited, think about who the grammar wiz is on your team. Need something figured out with math? Find someone who is better with numbers, and so on. It can be hard to trust new people with a job, but ultimately, you have to do what is best for the project and the timeline. Communicate clearly: When you delegate tasks, sit down with your team and clearly spell out what you would like from each person. Getting everyone together may seem like a hassle, but in the long run, it will save you time and headaches. Check in, but don’t be overbearing: You handed off your tasks.  Now you have to trust that your team are professionals and that they will take care of their tasks. It’s easy to want to check every three minutes to make sure everything is getting done, but you need to trust your team, check in sparingly, and then let them continue with their work as well. Give credit where credit is due: The project is done, your team worked hard and now you are ready to ship it. Make sure to acknowledge their hard work. They jumped in to help you out, don't take that for granted. 7. Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Clarification, Either Your company expects  you to be a self-starter and to take on new projects. These are great qualities to have, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for clarification on your projects before you get started. It'll save you time. One of the biggest time sucks is not knowing what is asked of you.Save time in the long run by clarifying the expected outcome of your projects: Admit you're unsure  and get the clarification you need. Ask open questions- this makes it easier to get more from people than "yes" or "no" answers, they are more likely to give you more detail of exactly what you are looking for if you ask open follow up questions. Ask for specific examples of outcomes to envision what your project will  look like. Know the goal of the project. Focus on your audience's needs instead  of just producing content because you can. Just because it's some of your best work doesn't mean that was what was being asked of you. Make sure to stay on task. Repeat what your team lead just told you to make sure you understand what they really mean. 8. Work During Your Most Productive Hours Emails, phone calls, instant messages- with all these distractions, sometimes typical works hours may not be your most productive  time of the day.  When  you are  constantly being interrupted, it's hard to put your head down and really work. Many time-saving tricks say â€Å"put your phone away† or â€Å"log out of your email†. Well, I don’t know about you, but when I turn off my e-mail and phone, I get anxiety. I feel like I'm going to miss something or someone needs me to take care of something, and I’m not getting my jobs done. This constant worry is just as much of a distraction  (if not more) as checking my email every hour. So instead of turning off my life, I just schedule the things I really need to focus on at night. It's then when  I feel more awake and focused, and I can crank out blog posts or other projects faster, with  typically fewer  distractions. Maybe you're a morning person. Get up early, reward yourself with a cup of your favorite coffee, and put your head down and tackle your biggest project for the day.  Vice versa if you're a night owl. You know yourself. Use your most productive hours  to your advantage, and you'll be amazed by how much more you conquer  in your day. Recommended Reading:  How To Write More Content To Increase Your Blogging Schedule 9.  Work Toward Your Goals Every Day Resist the urge to work on easier projects. Motivate yourself, maybe a mirror pep talk and then work toward your big picture goals  at least a little bit every day. In the long run, you'll be so much happier when your plate becomes full again, and you're already ahead of the 8 ball. Re-motivate yourself everyday. Make time for yourself. The more â€Å"you time† you get, the more refreshed and prepared you'll be to get your work  done- and to meet your deadlines. When you decide to take on a task each day, set aside 25  minutes to work on just that. Turn off as many distractions as you can. Then you can go back to â€Å"you time†. This is  what some call the Pomodoro technique, a time-saving process  to help you focus on accomplishing  your work: If you’re starting to feel demotivated, one of the best ways to get your energy back is to get on with your work. Make a checklist of what needs to be done for the day. In Evernote, you can make an easy checklist with just a push of a button. Using Evernote to keep checklists is easy because they are accessible 24/7 from my phone, laptop, or iPad. Here's how to make the most of this feature: Prioritize all of your ideas in an Evernote document. Make a list of tasks you need to complete today, tomorrow, and for the week. When you don't get a task done, make sure to put it at the top of the list for the next day. Attack the hardest tasks first. While it may seem easier to do the little things first, it would be too easy to keep pushing the big tasks off. This also defeats the purpose of trying to hit your deadline. Don't have your phone on you? We're  also a big fan of Post-It notes. Write everything you need to finish for the day on a Post-It note. Stick it to your desk. Using this as a constant reminder will help keep you motivated. There is just something so satisfying about taking pen to paper and checking things off your to-do list. It’s a lot like working out- it’s hard to get started, but it will get easier and easier. 10. Learn From Mistakes Did you miss one of these steps? Take on too much? Make it  a point to remember that for the future. If you are consistently following all of these steps, missing one will not set you back horribly, but if you start getting too far behind, that is when your deadlines start to suffer, and you'll feel like you're constantly playing catch up. It's easy to feel like your latest mistake is the end of the world. I feel you, I am there about five times a day. But this is human nature; we were not built to be perfect. Mistakes help us grow and make us better. So use these mistakes and learn from them. Recommended Reading:  How To Unlock Quality Content From Your Low-Performing Posts It’s just like my mom said, you are allowed to be sad or frustrated, but make sure you pick up and move on. You are not a tree, you are not stuck.  You can  pick yourself up and try again. 11. Never Push Deadlines When researching this post, we read so many posts that  included sections with sub-headings like, â€Å"Be Sure To Hit The Second Deadline†. What was the point of writing the post in the first place if it  ends with,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh it’s okay, you missed your deadline but just make sure you hit the extended deadline†? It's understandable that sometimes things happen that derail productivity. However, sometimes you just need to work faster  or set more attainable deadlines. It's really as simple as that. Now You Know How To Hit Due Dates Every Time Hitting deadlines isn't easy. However, nothing worth doing is easy. These tips and tactics can make getting things done on time much easier though. How do you plan to hit your deadlines from now on? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Listening Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Listening Skills - Essay Example From childhood onwards the listening process starts. Parents and the teachers are the major entities which speak to the children during their childhood and adolescence. â€Å"The average college student spends about 14 hours per week in class listening (or perhaps I should say "hearing"--there is a difference!) to lectures† (Listening Skills, 2006). After grown up, we usually listens the complaints and suggestions of our children, friends, and co-workers. Good listening skills, apart from orating skills are essential for a manager to take sound decisions. It is difficult to understand a topic clearly if we read or write about that topic. Along with reading and writing, listening is the third essential segment of learning process. Listening is an active process which has three basic requirements like hearing, understanding and judging. (What does it mean to really listen?, 2009). A person said to be heard something if he was able to reproduce it. For example, we have often witnessed people sleeping at the hall when the politicians like speakers lengthen their speeches. Such sleeping people cannot be said that they heard what the speaker has told. So a mere presence alone may not guarantee proper hearing. Understanding is the second step of listening. Hearing will become meaningless if the audience does not understand anything. For example, suppose, a child of 6 years attending a college level class. Even if the lecturer tries too hard, the child may not understand anything because of his lack of awareness about the topic. In this case we can safely say that even though the child hears the full lecture, he understands nothing and his listening becomes meaningless. Judging is the third part of the listening process. â€Å"After you are sure you understand what the speaker has said, think about whether it makes sense. Do you believe what you have heard? You might think, "How could the stripes to be different for every zebra? But then

How does proverty affect the amercian dream in the play death of a Research Paper

How does proverty affect the amercian dream in the play death of a saleman and in the world today - Research Paper Example This reality exposes us to realize the great falsehood about poor people and makes us sit back and re -look at the mammoth economic and social problem existing in our midst. View of general public reflects a negative and racial concept about poverty. There is a general assumption that African Americans are poor and lazy and even though they are part of working class, they purposely remain without jobs. False promises and inconsistent government policies to eradicate poverty are some of the reasons for this sorry state of affairs. The financial insecurity has played havoc with the lives of people, especially low – wage workers in the United States. This has brought about a financial insecurity in their lives as they are faced with the fear of job losses and rising cost of living. There is a new interest by the policy makers of America for regeneration of national focus on the worrisome social and economic problem. The founding fathers of the constitution of America felt that ha rd working people would be able to realize their dream. The story of Death of a Salesman â€Å"proves that people still dare to dream and make it big like their other fellow beings.

Search activities of Google tools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Search activities of Google tools - Essay Example AltaVista, yahoo and lot other search engines. I was not sure about my required information; I was searching for information on American heart Association and I was not sure about its web address. So I written the American heart Association in the Google and then pressed the search button. I could not believe the results were so much accurate and exactly those I was expecting. You can see Google search engine provides Full details of searched items. It was not only showing exact web sites but also the main contents of that web site. The value of Google in all the search engine is more because its speed is very fast and its results are also effective than other search engines. It searches exactly that information that we want. It takes very short time as compare to other search engines. So Google is more Efficient than others. See the picture when ever we start search with Google scholar; it gives details of the writers of research papers on the lefts side. We can find the writers of specified research papers. Google Scholar is used to find out Journals and research papers. Google Scholars searches the papers and journals from all the libraries and it also give an option to find the required journal or paper through Web Search. In this way we can find the research paper about which we have no information through Web Search after knowing its details from Google Scholar. If we take part D as which tool is best for search then we can say Google the best tool among all other tools as we have studied deeply about it. It is fast it is more accurate and it give exact results. The most useful part of search activity of Google is advanced search. Through advanced search we can find exact phrase that matches our criteria. If you are a teacher then this advanced search Activity of Google gives you facility to check your student’s assignments against plagiarism. You can advance your search with the help of this

Essay 1 Cause and Effect Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

1 Cause and Effect - Essay Example However, children are the social segment that has been very badly affected by TV. TV has influenced the lifestyles and priorities of children in the current times in varied ways. Watching too much TV badly impacts the health of children, makes them vulnerable to violent programs and shows, and negatively influences their academic performance. TV has an unhealthy effect on the life of young children as it encourages a sedentary lifestyle and prevents them from participating in sports and outdoor activities. It is a fact that people do often get addicted to TV programs and remain glued to the TV screen to seek entertainment and fun. In that context, children are more susceptible to getting addicted to TV, as they are impressionable and are unable to understand the bad effects of TV. Hence, TV encourages children to lead a sedentary life and many a times they end up becoming ‘couch potatoes’. The time which the children could have spent engaging in sports and outdoor activities gets mostly hijacked by the ubiquitous TV. The current times have seen a flooding of the households by gadgets like video games, PCs and TV, which collectively encourage a sedentary style of living. The thing that needs to be understood is that TV makes an important part of this baggage. TV not only makes children skip activity and exerc ise, but combined to varied other compatible gadgets like video games and home video players; TV makes them get addicted to a sedentary mode of living. Thereby, this sedentary lifestyle to a great extent promoted by TV gets reflected in the poor health of children. Children addicted to TV often tend to be vulnerable to random snacking and evince obesity. This trend often gives way to chronic diseases and health issues amongst children. Hence, there is no doubt that unreasonable TV viewership does has a bad impact on the health of children TV also compromises the psychological health of children by getting them exposed to programs and

Zabeel Saray Hotel background Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zabeel Saray Hotel background - Essay Example Hotels of this chain spread across the globe include Jumeirah Dhevanafushi which is in Maldives, Shanghai based Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel, Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London, Jumeirah Frankfurt Hotel in Germany, and Jumeirah Essex House which is a famous hotel in New York. Jumeirah Hospitality and the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management are both organized by the Jumeirah Group. Currently, Jumeirah hotels are in different countries including Jordan, Bermuda, Thailand, the UK and the USA. Although the prime function of the Jumeirah Group is operation of resorts and luxury hotels, yet the Group extends its functions to include management of the Jumeirah Living and of serviced residences that include but are not limited to the spa brand Talise, Jumeirah Group’s restaurant division, Jumeirah Retail and the Wild Wadi Waterpark. â€Å"Whenever you stay with us or use any of our services, our aim is for you to come away with a sense of the Jumeirah spirit - a genuinely caring and personal service† (Lawless, 2011). Jumeirah Zabeel Saray is one of the hotels of the Jumeirah hotel chain which is located in the West Crescent, Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. It is on one of the exotic private beaches of Dubai in the vicinity of the Emirates Golf Club and the Dubai Marina Mall. At Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, customers enjoy â€Å"unparalleled luxury, [are] introduced to the royalty of the Ottoman Empire and sure enough get fascinated by the unrivaled hospitality† (Dubaishortstay.com, 2012). The speciality of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray is that it provides its customers with a wonderful experience of a walk on the sand beach in the sun along with all the luxuries conventionally provided by the Jumeirah hotel chain. â€Å"Spend the day at the beach and work on your tan with sun loungers (chaise longues) or relax in the shade with umbrellas† (Hotels.com, 2012). Jumeirah Zabeel Sarah has five restaurants in total.

Essay 1 Cause and Effect Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

1 Cause and Effect - Essay Example However, children are the social segment that has been very badly affected by TV. TV has influenced the lifestyles and priorities of children in the current times in varied ways. Watching too much TV badly impacts the health of children, makes them vulnerable to violent programs and shows, and negatively influences their academic performance. TV has an unhealthy effect on the life of young children as it encourages a sedentary lifestyle and prevents them from participating in sports and outdoor activities. It is a fact that people do often get addicted to TV programs and remain glued to the TV screen to seek entertainment and fun. In that context, children are more susceptible to getting addicted to TV, as they are impressionable and are unable to understand the bad effects of TV. Hence, TV encourages children to lead a sedentary life and many a times they end up becoming ‘couch potatoes’. The time which the children could have spent engaging in sports and outdoor activities gets mostly hijacked by the ubiquitous TV. The current times have seen a flooding of the households by gadgets like video games, PCs and TV, which collectively encourage a sedentary style of living. The thing that needs to be understood is that TV makes an important part of this baggage. TV not only makes children skip activity and exerc ise, but combined to varied other compatible gadgets like video games and home video players; TV makes them get addicted to a sedentary mode of living. Thereby, this sedentary lifestyle to a great extent promoted by TV gets reflected in the poor health of children. Children addicted to TV often tend to be vulnerable to random snacking and evince obesity. This trend often gives way to chronic diseases and health issues amongst children. Hence, there is no doubt that unreasonable TV viewership does has a bad impact on the health of children TV also compromises the psychological health of children by getting them exposed to programs and

A Theoretical and Conceptual Critique of chapter 5 from Jeffreys. S Essay

A Theoretical and Conceptual Critique of chapter 5 from Jeffreys. S. 1997. The idea of prostitution. Spinifex. Melbourne - Essay Example Other countries consider it a misdemeanour and still others regard it as a crime punishable by death. Despite the laws made to control or regulate the process of prostitution, the idea itself and the associated questions of choice as well as empowerment remain unanswered. It is therefore important to understand the idea to appreciate the social impact of prostitution. Jeffreys (1997) discusses this idea at length and also presents several different viewpoints as well as his own about prostitution being a choice which women are allowed to make in this time and age since they should have control over their own bodies. This choices comes with the understanding that the business they are about to enter may have its own consequences and if the governments of their location recognize the issues surrounding their problems it would be beneficial for all concerned parties. For example, if the government can regulate the process and even gain tax benefits from legalized prostitution there may be a net positive social impact of the practice. Jeffreys compares the choice of prostitution with other choices that women may make in this time and age. For example, he mentions â€Å"reproductive surrogacy and breast implants (Jeffreys, 1997, pg. 130)†, as two choices which women are allowed to make without too many questions being asked which leads us to consider prostitution as an active choice as well. However, the idea of making prostitution a choice comes with a dangerous connotation of not drawing the line anywhere at all. For instance, a person may say that taking cocaine is a choice, using marijuana is a choice even child pornography and paedophilia is a choice. In absolute terms, they may be choices indeed since many people choose not to indulge in those activities even if they have the opportunity to do so but the choice is a conscious choice since they know what impact their actions can have on themselves and society as

Insider Trading in India-an Analysis of Yesterday Essay Example for Free

Insider Trading in India-an Analysis of Yesterday Essay It also contained provisions prohibiting fraud related to securities trading. However, insider trading laws were mostly built with the support of US courtroom decisions. Ultimately, two legislations were enacted which specifically addressed the issue of insider trading, firstly, by the Insider Trading Sanctions Act, 1984 and secondly, by the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act, 1988. ‘Utpal Bhattacharya and H. Daouk, in their study on insider trading, state that the jurisprudence on insider trading saw a rise from the 1990s, and only 81 countries out of 103 countries reviewed and had insider trading laws, while prosecution took place only in 38 countries. ’ In India, several committees were formed to check the applicability of the US regulations on Indian soil. The first committee which took the initiative to evaluate the regulations on short swing profit was PJ Thomas Committee, thereby introducing Sections 307 and 308 in the Companies Act, 1956. This basically requires the directors and managers of the company to make shareholding disclosures. However, such discloser requirements were still not enough to curb the nuisance and further deliberations were thought necessary over the matter. Hence, in 1979, Sachar Committee was formed, followed by the Patel Committee (1986) and finally Abid Hussain Committee (1989). All these three committees voiced out their opinion of having an immediate solution to the problem and advocated the need to have a separate law altogether on insider trading in stock market. Finally when the post liberalization period arrived, activities in the Indian stock market were at its peak and hence to acquire the necessary control over the domain, in 1992, the SEBI Act was introduced. The SEBI Act, 1992 in turn used its power to formulate a number of regulations and thus as one of those regulations, the SEBI (Insider Trading) Regulations was born. Later on, the said regulations were amended in 2002 and now it is known as the SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 1992 (hereinafter â€Å"the insider regulations†). Since then, changes were made at least twice, one in 2002 and another in 2008. Jurisprudence behind Insider Trading Laws ‘Insider trading occurs when a corporate insider trades on information before it is disclosed to the general public. ’ The fundamental legal principle behind barring such an activity is that anyone who has acquired any kind of material or special information about a security in his fiduciary capacity should not be allowed to trade with the same security for his own benefit. In stock market, trust and confidentiality are two sides of the same coin. Investors invest their money based on the integrity of the market. Hence, to develop a healthy market, both prospective and current investors must feel secured to invest. Law in matters of tracking insider trading, could be of help in two ways, firstly, it could penalize those who engage in insider trading and secondly, it could create an incentive based system which would encourage disclosure of such activities. In past also, there have been catastrophic consequences where innocent public were robbed off their money because of few people who due to their greed jeaopardised the functioning of entire stock market. Stock market is a place where people expect simple demand and supply to influence the price of the securities. So when such prices are rigged, the investors start losing confidence, as a result either they start withdrawing money from the market or they end up not investing at all. This in turn stops the free flow of capital and other very important financial activities which could be very appalling for the economy. Description of Insider Trading as an Offence Laws related to insider trading in India are still in the nascent stage. The SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 1992 gives a very detailed description of insider trading, however no where it has defined the term ‘Insider Trading’. For understanding the scheme of insider trading, there are four definitions which could help the various authorities to locate such an activity. The concept of ‘Insider Trading’ can be understood when the definitions of ‘insider’, ‘dealing in securities’, ‘price sensitive information’ and ‘connected persons’ are read together and understood in consonance with each other. The term ‘insider’ can be classified for convenience into at least two or more forms.

Leadership Values To Individuals And Society General Studies Essay

Leadership Values To Individuals And Society General Studies Essay Leadership is the art of making people to do what you want them to do. It is a process of influencing others working for the common good and common goals while offering purpose and paths to achieve that. The army defines leadership as influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization (Army Leadership, Personnel General, Army Regulation 600-100). There are different approaches to leadership as transactional leadership, transformational leadership, situational leadership, and contingency leadership. Even that all these leadership approaches have similarities and differences they have all incorporated into them fear and/or respect as a mean to achieve goals. Looking at the leaders side this is his/her personal behavior and the environment that they surrounded with or they faced at the beginning of the career what actually shape their future style of leading. If one leader dealt with fear and pressur e from his/her supervisors, it is very likely that they will also treat their subordinates the same way. In the other hand, if the leader was treated with respect and this was what build and shaped his or her base of leadership it is very likely that he will treat his/her subordinates the same way. Even that there are different theories in the practice there always has been in question whether it is better to be feared or respected. And both of these are used in military leadership and in leadership in non-military organizations. It is very apparent that to some leaders only fear exists as a driving force toward achieving goals. They do not prefer to use other means as motivation for pushing their subordinates. In the other hand, seems that subordinates do not prefer fear to be their driving force. Instead they would like to have such a relationship that would push them to work tirelessly to satisfy their leader, but not fear. In this paper I am going to explore what does it mean for a leader to be feared or respected and what effect has it in his/her subordinates in particular or to the society in general based on personal experience as a cadet and what I learned and read about leadership. This paper actually is going to come across military leadership and leadership in non-military organizations. Respect by definition is esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability (www.dictionary.com) respect is acknowledged to be a positive value that people posses. But people are not very conscious of what respect really means and of what significance it is. In most cases respect is perceived to as a judgment or opinion of someone not as a value. Based on my personal experience I can say that for respect to be durable it should be earned. It is important that a person should show respect to himself, to others (people that surround us), and try to earn the deserved respect. Since respect is viewed as a perspective for relationship, people decide whether it is achieved as a commitment for a successful relationship between people or whether it is part of our culture. For creating a world with collaboration and mutual respect we have to build a culture with worldwide respect and transmit our commitments toward others as respectable human beings. The basis for achieving respect in the leader-subordinate aspect is having satisfactory interactions with others. If there is a respectful environment there are possibilities for sharing vision, trust, mission, and there will be stronger teams within the organization to achieve common goals. A quote by Mark Clement says that leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who premise more that they can deliver. This shows that the influence of a leader is largely increased when he or she has the respect of the subordinates and through this they can achieve what is thought to be unachievable paving the road to success. But expecting to reach all the goals with only the respect of the subordinates might have shortcomings as well. Subordinates can be of a level not mature enough to understand what mutual respect means and this may turn against the leader. Also the leader might not make a realistic evaluation of the subordinates and as a result the reliance on the respect might end in catastrophe. Machiavelli in his book Prince gives several reasons why a leader should not rely on peoples respect because they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life and children. As is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you (Prince, 79). This actually tells that a leader must much more rely in his/her own forces and make a proper evaluation of the readiness of his/her subordinates in order to not have a catastrophic end. Among the very first things taught in military academies is respect. This is also taught to all soldiers. The very difference is that leaders have to know to win respect for themselves and for the others with whom they work and to create a respectful environment. Even that in militaries a straight chain of command exists there is an apparent need for respect. It is essential having respect for one another because that is actually what makes the military to operate. Having respect means also having trust between each other which essential for performing daily activities and during crisis. Without respect subordinates would always look for ways to escape from their leaders and things would hardly ever be done on time. There are several ways to earn respect in military. On and the most important one is by living with army values and becoming a role model for people that surround you. Moreover, the higher you go in ranks gives you a higher respect since earning higher ranks is not easily attained. In military when you have the respect of your subordinates it is much easier to empower them and delegate tasks without being reluctant that they will not perform well. Thus, it is worth quoting KPC (Kosovo Protection Corps) Officers Manual 103, which states that mutual respect will create a bond between officers and soldiers and it will always be there when tough times appear. There are certain ways to show that you respect someone. If you always tell the truth in good or bad times it is a sign of respect, if you make promises and keep them it is a sign of respect, and if you treat all your subordinates at the same level it is a sign of respect. There are many cases in which leaders were respected. This was actually the main driving force of peoples belief on their leaders and their decisions to be implied. Sir Winston Churchill was one of the most respected leaders in history. He led United Kingdom during the most difficult times. He had many cases when he had to make tough decisions that were not very popular but were very well accepted. These decisions were accepted only for a reason, the respect that people had for him. In the other hand, the other component of authority is fear. This derives mainly from the capacity of the leader to punish his/her subordinates. Some leaders have coercive power and use as the main tool in achieving their goals. These types of leaders tend to believe that through coercion you can achieve much more because you get the most from subordinate since they fear you. This derives from the belief that if someone fears you he or she will do anything just to not put into question your authority. Fearing the leader is a process that starts when subordinates come to contact for any sort information about this particular leader. They might hear that from the other fellow employees or other soldiers if military organization, that the leader is really a person who punishes in hardest way. In the book Prince, Machiavelli believes that it is impossible to achieve both respect and fear but when you have to choose between them fear is much more productive. He states that since you canno t trust people in tough times and it is better to be feared because fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails you (Prince, 80). The coercive power mentioned above is based on fear and is the ability to punish someone for any noncompliance. One way that leaders coerce their subordinates is by showing them that they are not complying with the process enforced by leader. However, also by fear and coercion can be achieved a lot of results. In the military fear of leader exists in all levels, from the newly recruits up to the senior officers. In the beginning of the military career soldiers fear from the leader because he can use his power and authority to punish them, which can have a negative result in their career. Interesting is the fact that these new soldiers have their utmost respect for their commander but yet fear has more influence than respect. This is much related to the stages of individual development and to the environment they perform in. There are a lot of cases that soldiers do things only regarding to the fear they have from their leader. There are also a lot of leaders that use fear upon their subordinates even that they complained when their former leaders used coercion on them. A good example of a leader who used fear could be Enver Hoxha, the communist leader of Albania. He was considered to be the best man to lead Albania after World War II. He had graduated from a prominent French University and fought heroically during the war. But Albanian people turned to be wrong. As he came to power he started eliminating his opponents and anyone who could come on his way. The most known eliminations were deportation, imprisonment, family punishments and not excluding killing people. These eliminations had a very high psychological effect on the population. During this time Albania became a country where the continuous repression had affected everyone. This paper has been an overview of two sides of conceptualization of leadership by subordinates, respect and fear. Fear has the tendency to make employees or soldiers perform better and achieve results but they feel unworthy as individuals. Respect is much more welcomed because it makes employees or soldiers to feel more confident and to feel themselves as part of team. At the military point of view much respect is assigned to certain positions and ranks but only the real respect is the everlasting one. In conclusion I think that in order to be a properly respected leader you must at first show respect. If you earn to the respect of the employees is much easier to accomplish goals, also the job performed by the subordinates will be of a higher level. The point is that if you earn the respect of the employees or the soldiers in a military organization, they will perform accordingly whatever the situation or when not under direct supervision. Promoting respect to any organization gives a dose of authority through influencing people. We should always try to make respect the core of our relationship with others. Having a mutual respect with subordinates only brings us success and continuous improvements. This kind of relationship will have sincerity at the top of it something that will create an everlasting desire and willingness to help each other. Only the true respect will inspire the subordinates to perform their best, and their best means the best for leader.

Differential Literature :: Reading Literature Writing Authors Essays

Differential Literature The health and well-being of literature in America is something that many Americans spend a lot of time thinking, worrying, and theorizing about, a fact that can be told by the new reading promotional campaigns that roll out at seemingly regular intervals (Read!, Reading is Fundamental, Read and Rise, etc.) It is (at least partially) because of the passions aroused by this topic that when the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) released a report entitled Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America (RAR), many people voiced their opinions on the quality of the research methods used to gather the data, the accuracy of the data, and the soundness of the conclusions which were drawn from them. From nearly the day of its release up to today, people are speaking (and writing) their mind about the report’s worth. The report, which used the data from the literature portion of the census beaureau’s 2002, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, came to many conclusions, all of which revolved around one of their determinations: Americans are reading what it calls literature less than they used to. The data that they used also suggested that the rate of this decrease is accelerating. RAR also finds this decline in the literature readership to be true for all racial, gender, and age groups, although it is slightly more pronounced in some than others – most notably men are reading less than women, reading with minorities is decreasing faster than with Caucasian, and the young faster than the middle aged. Really, though, their main worry comes from a link that has been drawn from the data collected in other studies. This conclusion is that readers of literature are more socially active, engaged, and assumedly productive. There are many conceivable reactions to the NEA’s report. To some people, reading can fairly accurately be described as their religion (Early Modern European Studies Major, 2004) and they may want to add additional information to the report. Many people want to point out the possible flaws and inaccuracies of the text and, of course, there are others who just always need to add their two cents into the pile. Whatever their reasons for their responses, the commentaries that have been written give a surprisingly diverse number of arguments for and against the validity of the report.

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.