Forensics Text Questions Essay

1. What is liver mortis? How might this reveal information about the time of death? Liver mortis is one sign of death that occurs when blood settles in the lower parts of the body. The part where the blood accumaltes can be discolored or turn a purple color after a certain time and reaches its limit at 8-12 hours after death and can help investigators reveal info about time of death. 2. What three aspects does a forensic autopsy seek information about? Describe each of these aspects? They seek information about the cause of death, mechanism of death, and manner of death. The cause of death is the medical reason that caused or led to the death. The mechanism of death refrences to a tool or mechanism used to cause the death. The manner of death has to do with if the death had to do with murder or suicide, not natural causes of death. 3. How can digestion rates give information to forensic scientists about the time of death? Digestion stops whenever somone dies so that means investigators can look at how far along a food eaten by the viticm is along in the digestion process. 4. What is mummification? Mummification is the drying of tissues and bones. 5. How can human bones give forensic scientists an indication of age? Describe some of the aspects that would give this information. Investigators can get some indication of the bones size by looking at the length of the bones or how much wear the bones have. If the bones are smaller then this could indicate that it was a child. If the borns have arthritis or wear in the joints, this can help them iindicate that it was an older person or adult. 1. Imagine that you are at a crime scene. You find skeletal remains, but the skeleton is not complete as some of the smaller bones are missing. The bones are within a twenty feet radius. Based on this information, what would you be able to ascertain about the time of death and the individual who was killed? Investigators could indicate how long it has been since time of death by the location of the bones. The time of death would probably be around a year if the bones are 20 feet apart and smaller bones are missing. The missing bones could have been carried away by animals or insects. 2. Out of the different methods to help determine the time of death, which one do you think is most effective? Why? I think algor mortis is effective  becuase the body starts to cool down after death. If a body is cold or at room temperature, investigators can indicate that the victim has been dead for awhile whereas if the body is warm they can indicate the time of death has been not too long. 3. Do you think you would like to participate in an autopsy? Why or why not? I would like to participate in an autposy because I would be interested in seeing how the death affected the boody. It would be interesting the inspect a body and try to figure out the actual cause of death instead of what was said about the cause of death.. It’s like you be able to have the facts instead of just what was heard. 4. If you were a forensic anthropologist and were studying human remains, what information would you look for in the bones? Why would this information be helpful? I would look for the location of the bones to figuer an estimate of time of death. I would also look at bone lengths to figure out the age or sometimes gender. I would also look at the wear of the bones and wear around the joints to get an estimate of the age of the victim. I would also look for any arking to see if they had a disease that could have caused the death. I would also look for any fractures or injury in the bones to figure the cause of death. 5. What can the distribution of bones tell a forensic scientist? What do you think would be the most challenging aspect of collecting skeletal remains at a crime scene? The distribution of the bones can help investigators get an estimate of the time of death. If the bones are not atached and spread out, then the time of death is longer then if they were attached. I think the most challenging aspect in collecting skeletal remains would be figuring out the age oof the victim. There are only few methods in figuring oout the age and it wouldn’t be that precise either, just a guess of around an age.

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address Essay

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address The Inaugural Address, by John F. Kennedy is about the people cooperating to make America a better place for everyone. John F. Kennedy’s speech was delivered in the east side of the capitol on January 20, 1961. In John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, he emphasizes the need for unity among mankind. John F. Kennedy utilizes anaphora to evoke togetherness throughout the world. Throughout his speech, Kennedy repeats, â€Å"we pledge† several times. Kennedy means to convey unity by using â€Å"we† to connect to the people. Because the phrase is repeated so many times it shows how bad he wants the idea grasped in to the peoples minds. By using the word â€Å"pledge† he is able to emphasize the promise that the people made to America. Kennedy also reiterates the phrase, â€Å" we shall† many times. Through the phrase â€Å"we shall† he is able to highlight that everyone is going to help. It makes the people see that they have a part in constructing America, for Kennedy cannot do it on his own. He wants to build a unity where everyone is on the same team; together they will help each other out and strive for the unity of America. Kennedy wants to be on the same side as the people; he constantly say’s â€Å"let both sides† so that he can come into an agreement with them. If Kennedy makes a connection with the people they will do as he says. He wants â€Å"both sides† to collaborate with each other to create a strong nation. If he were able to create a unified nation, the people would live in a civilized manner, all-willing to help. Through anaphora, Kennedy is able to present the theme that together you can conquer all.

Powers of the President and Public Policies Essay

Powers of the President and Public Policies - Essay Example These powers are exercised at the federal level. The main instrument of discharging these powers is the executive order. Executive orders are issued by the President to provide rules and regulations for the federal agencies along with key matters of national interest. The President also has extensive legislative powers. Firstly, the Constitution of the United States is highly rigid and secondly, the US Congress is often subject to the rulings of the President’s own party. Actually, the general situation in the Congress is that the President’s political party holds the majority of the seats. But even if in such circumstances the President fails to exercise his influence and/or control, he/she may resort to the mechanism of Presidential veto. This veto mechanism helps the President to block Congressional Bills if he/she wishes to do so. However, the President should explain the reason behind such actions. (The Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency 2009) Another major power of the President that has a nation wide influence with regard to both federal and state level affairs is the Presidents appointment powers. By the virtue of appointment powers, the President can appoint a wide range of government officials, federal courts’ judges, Supreme Court’s judgers, civil servants, chiefs of federal agencies, etc. In this way, the President can bring persons who agree with his/her policy preferences to powerful positions so that they can implement the President’s public policies in a more effective way. (Walker 2012) An important pejorative power of the President is his/her constitutional ability to convene a special session of Congress. These sessions are meant to debate and decide on major national and/or international issues of contention. This power of the President can be thought of as a power that lies in the borderline of both

Development Process in Construction Management Essay

Development Process in Construction Management - Essay Example Hill & Jones (2009) explains a strategy to be a set or related actions that managers have to employ to increase the performance of their projects or companies. A strategy that would result to superior results as compared to the market practices would end up achieving a competitive advantage in the market, and such advantage would result to profitability, efficiency and effectiveness in the building industry. In this article, the planning and initial construction stages would be investigated in light of the applicable management theories that would enhance both efficiency and effectiveness in such a process. Koontz & Weihrich (2009) explain that the process approach to management theory clearly elaborates the roles of managers in any organization or set up. Generally, the process approach relates to the principles, concepts and techniques that are involved in the process of management. As Kootz & Weihrich elaborate, such activities as staffing, departmentation, managerial appraisals a nd control techniques can only be well indentified in situations where management is well elaborated. In construction, these processes are well elaborated and utilized effectively in the entire process. Management may be defined as making things happen through people; meaning that the process of planning, directing, controlling, staffing and remunerating have to be well elaborated in such processes as some of the concepts that have to be applied in such building stages. System theory is one of the theories that would be applicable in the construction stages. Process theory will require that the manager has to view the whole process as a systematic and linked process rather than several individual steps that make up the whole (Koontz & Weihrich, 2009). From site exploration and demarcation, site preparation, material delivery, hiring of qualified staff and relocating them to site, allocation of the relevant equipment and facilities, and the allocation of the respective duties to the hired staff; the manager in the construction project has to carry out each task systematically, and in respect to the priority of such tasks. This is in line with the planning task in management that has to involve systematic decisions and evaluation of the necessary steps to be taken in accomplishing the respective task. In this respect, the functional manager in charge of the construction project has to be involved in each of the above planning process before the actual project commences to ensure a smooth flow of operations once the project is initiated without delays and unnecessary idle time in site. Theories in Supply chain management have to be articulated at the planning stage or before the building project commences. One of the industrial theories applicable in supply chain management is the Just in Time delivery system. This system was initiated in Toyota manufacturing plants in Japan and was aimed at regulating supplies to the Toyota motor factory just in the right â€⠀œsmall – bits and in the right time (Vrijhoef & Koskela, 2000). The aim of this approach in supply chain management was to decrease inventories and to regulate the interaction between suppliers and the production line. In a construction

National Sports Day in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National Sports Day in Qatar - Essay Example This way the students, employees and every person in Qatar have a chance to participate in sporting events and camps organized by the government. On its, introduction in 2012, CAN-Q did not see much use of the facilities meant for sporting. Both the student body and the staff did not turn up for the events and camps. This report is going to look into the reasons as to why people did not attend the events and camps, by conducting a pestle in addition to customer and competitor, analysis. Furthermore, the report will look at market research and problems faced, and how to resolve these problems by research. CAN-Q is among the oldest colleges in Qatar that provide high learning to the local residents since 2002. The college has a staff of over 650 personnel and a student body of 4600 students. The institution has excellent sporting facilities, which range from football, tennis and basketball courts to the fully equipped male and female gyms. There are two male and female swimming pools located in their respective gymnasiums. The pools have lifeguards who work round the clock, shower and locker room facilities, maintained in top condition. The target market for these facilities is the staff and students of CAN-Q. Both the staff and student are constantly encouraged to make use of these facilities to balance work and exercise and to keep fit and fresh to perform their roles even better. The service gets a fair amount of promotion through email, posters, and flyers and even through word of mouth among the students. Moreover, the service is free of charge to all the staff and students in addition to the alumni of CAN-Q. This is the section where one conducts an environmental analysis of the situation surrounding the sports day in CAN-Q. The result of this will bring a better understanding of the pros and cons around the college. The National sports day is a political initiative made by the ruler of Qatar.  

Analytic essay on heroism in The Odyssey and Rama's Exile

Analytic on heroism in The Odyssey and Rama's Exile - Essay Example The main character Rama, is reincarnation of God Vishu who comes to earth as Rama to destroy the demonic forces that were creating havoc among the saints and the general public. The story enfolds with the King Dasrath of Ayodhya, who had four wives and five sons. Rama, being the eldest, was heir to the throne. One of the wives, Kaikai was brainwashed by her maid Manthara into forcing the king to nominate her son Bharat as his heir apparent and exile Rama for fourteen years. The king complies under pressure and dies. Bharat, meanwhile, refuses to accede to his father’s wishes but but agrees to manage the kingdom on his behalf. Later, Rama leaves for fourteen years of exile with his wife Sita and younger brother Laxman. During his exile, Rama kills demons and frees people from their evil acts and influence restoring peace and harmony. His killing of the legendary Ravan, a powerful demon King with ten heads, is the highlight of the great epic. Return of Sri Rama to Ayodhya, is ce lebrated with lighting of bulbs and lots of fireworks. The event is still celebrated among the Hindus as one of the major Hindu Festival known as Diwali. The epic has religious significance because the hero of the epic is assumed to be a reincarnation of God Vishnu, one of the deity in Hindu mythology. Rama embodies all the finer qualities of a man. He has high moral and ethical values which are amply demonstrated when he persuades his brother Bharat to accept the throne in order to keep the honour of the words of their father who had given a solemn promise to his mother Kaikai. Despite not being used to hardships of the life, he willing faced all the trials and tribulations of life as an ordinary mortal while in exile. ‘Rama’s heroism lies in his attitude as well as in his acts’ (Pollock, 578).Rama was a brave and fearless person who used his strength for the good of the human race. Even as a

Ardipithecus ramidus paleobiology and comparison with other Essay

Ardipithecus ramidus paleobiology and comparison with other australopithecines - Essay Example The papers presented by the American Association of Advancement of Science (AAAS) provide an in depth analysis of the features of Ardipithecus ramidus as the missing link. The hominid fossils are approximately 4.4 million years old, and present close to 36 fragments, including parts of the skull and the pelvic girdle. The publications cover a number of themes, which include anatomical parts of the human evolution that show that Ardipithecus ramidus dwelt on land could climb trees as well, the habitat occupied by Ardipithecus ramidus based on thousands of fossils excavated at Arima as well as rock components, among others. The skull of Ardipithecus ramidus is of great importance as it enables the establishment of the link between ancient man and the present day man, in terms of brain size and shape of the skull and the face. Suwa et al. (2009) notes that Ardipithecus ramidus had a relatively smaller brain, of between 300 to 350 cubic centimeters, compared to its successor, Australopithecus which had a brain size of about 400cc. This brain size is just about that of female chimpanzees. Suwa et al. further observes that Ardipithecus ramidus had a smaller skull, an indication that it was not adapted to heavy chewing. However, it had a projecting muzzle typical of Sahelonthropus, a fete that gave it an ape-like appearance. Suwa et al further notes that the ridge above its eye socket is slightly different from that observed in chimpanzees, and that the lower part of its face does not project forward as is the case with chimpanzees. In addition, the bottom of the skull of Ar ramidus show that it had a short cranial base, as was the case with Australopithecus. These features point to the fact that despite the small brain Ardipithecus ramidus had, it was already developing hominid-like aspects. Furthermore, Andrea () confirms that even though Ardipithecus ramidus has many apelike features, it has a number of borrowed

Comparing Two Shows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing Two Shows - Essay Example The show has had a very successful run, it is presently in its tenth season, this goes to show how popular the show has been thus far. â€Å"There are six main characters and each of them has their own traits. Almost all the characters have traits which would make them look funny, it is a sitcom and the characters must appear funny to be able to convince the audience.† (Television and Gender Roles) â€Å"Everybody love Raymond is another very popular TV show which has been very well liked and followed.† (Everybody loves lazy stereotyping of male roles)The concept of Gender roles must be noticed in this serial, Debra the wife of Raymond is always in the kitchen making food either for her husband or for her family, this goes to show that women are always in the kitchen spending their time cooking for their families. Marxist feminism also comes into play here, Karl Marx argues that women must be paid for domestic labor; this is what Marxist feminism is all about. Another v ery important thing which must be noticed in this show is that Debra is the one who always packs the lunch of her children; Raymond never bothers to do this. It goes to show how irresponsible at times men are towards their families. â€Å"The gender roles presented in these serials are presented very rightly after doing comprehensive research.† (Gender and Media Representation) Gilman called herself a humanist, she was deadly against exploitation of women, our society is still following the patriarchal ways and exploiting the women. She was not very comfortable accepting the theory of evolution laid down by Charles Darwin, the theory of evolution portrays man in the driving seat and gives less importance to women. Both the sexes are equally important and no favoritism of any sort can be done. She argued that women had to rely excessively on their sexual assets, they had to please their husband to ensure their survival, this is very true and beyond the pale. What a pity this r eally is. Grounded for life is another very popular TV show which is well liked by the audience. In one episode the husband decides to buy a car without even bothering to ask his wife, marriage is an institution and it is the right of the wife to be well informed about all the decisions made by her husband. This again reflects the reality; there are countless husbands who do not bother asking their better halves before making an important decision. Dad goes to work and Mom takes care of the household chores, it is unacceptable if a man packs lunch for his children, it is unacceptable if a man does the dishes. It is incorrect if a man asks his wife before making a big decision, buying a car is quite a big decision and a wife must know of this big decision before hand. Perkins Gilman was a very famous American sociologist who wanted to bring about change in the society, it is our duty to share the workload with women, and it is not a man’s world anymore. Women must be given res pect and their workload must be shared. It is very important to understand the responsibilities of living in a family, gender stenotypes must be abolished and we must awake to a new and a better world. Our society is becoming more and more men-oriented society, women have never been given enough respect and this is perhaps why so many marriages never workout. In a relationship both the partners have to make sacrifices and both should complement each other but this can only happen when there is perfect understanding and coordination between the pair of

Architecture of Bramante Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Architecture of Bramante - Term Paper Example Peter by Pope Julius Caesar. Bramante meticulously designed and centralized the basically around a large cupola. Before Bramante, earlier Gothic and Antic architectural work had completely missed the finer points in gracing buildings. For example, most 15th century artists had completely ignored inclusion of a charming and graceful outlook suggested by buildings, as revealed in living subjects (Anonymous, 1996). Importantly, it was Bramante who revolutionalised the earlier dull renaissance by incorporating aspects of human anatomy, and making architectural work charming and with finer details to reveal more to the eye, a concept which had all along being ignored. Bramante ideologies largely emanated from his love for nature, from which he was ready to study and had a good understanding of antique styles collaborated by his enlightened patronage (Onioans, 1984). The awakening in classical ideas dates back to between 1400 and 1600 when Renaissance period marked changes in architectural work throughout Europe. The main features of renaissance were symmetrical arrangement of doors and windows, triangular shaped pediments, extensive use of pilasters and classical columns, square lintels, niches, and sculptures, arches, and domes (Onioans, 1984). These designs looked monotonous and evoked no human feelings to Bramante; who was earlier inspired by both human anatomy and nature. To modify the above artistic styles in evoking feelings, Bramante began his new career at the Church of S. Maria Presso, a small nineteenth century church; the church had no chancel; a street outside had limited the span of a t-shape as most churches were designed (Pile, 2005 ). Using his knowledge in optical perspectives, Bramante initiated a new artistic work in Renaissance. The main contribution in this was to make the end wall of the church into an illuminating deep space using a painted vas relief where when viewed from the nave direction looks as a barrel – vaulted chancel which ap pears to complete the cruciform plan (Pile, 2005). Another breakthrough that was remarkable in high Renaissance was the monastery of S. Peitro in Montario, Rome. Bramante having proved his amazing designs was awarded the task of reconstructing the cloister to include a small chapel. In this, Bramante plan included a circular sphere surrounded by a ring of columns that matched the order that wrapped the round chapel with sixteen columns portico supporting an entablature (Pile, 2005). It was such interesting designs that Bramante was requested by the Pope to redesign and plan St Peter’s Basilica, which was earlier designed by Michelangelo. The architecture in this case put more emphasis on the harmony of proportions, making all volumes simple through a cylindrical structure, with the circular plan symbolizing Devine perfection (Kleiner, 2009). The church therefore illuminated both the antique styles, while at the same time representing the Christian memorial. These were the hum anistic feelings that Bramante in all his architectural work invented a new dimension in High Renaissance. Bramante in St Peter’s Basilica came up with a complex plan which had to include a domed crossing, four radiating arms which formed the Greek cross, and several smaller domed chapels at the resulting corners. Though the basilica has over the time undergone major changes, his designs and plans were maintained except the cross which

National Security and Free

National Security and Free Press Essay The adage of perception is reality is the impact media has regarding national security and the DoDs response to media. Since John F. Kennedys assignation, through the Vietnam War, OPERATION Desert Storm to the present, people are fascinated with real-time media information for current events; this information is truth in the publics eyes. President Bushs decision to place troops in Somalia and President Clintons decision to remove troops from Mogadishu are national security ecisions made based on public perception (Belknap, 2001, 1). The National Security Council, consists of political officials, with the exception of the chiefs of staff military advisors; these elected officials make decisions in the interest of national security based on public perception derived from free press. Free press impacts national security by decisions based on public perception and the DoD should utilize free press to reveal benefits of military action in relation to national security (Snow, 2006, 4). Imbedded public media deployed with our C-130 unit with the intent of publicizing a soldiers perspective of combat operation. This made us feel our involvement is shared along with the greater media picture to give the public a more complete understanding of war from tactical to strategic perspective. In the book Lone Survivor, a Navvy SEAL Team on an operation in Afghanistan let perception of civilian casualties the media would relay, sway combat decisions to save military lives Lutrell, 2007, 232). This perception is the negative impact soldiers face these days. Media imbed within military operations will relay to the public a tactical level perspective of the national security implications of free press. Overall, public opinion is influenced by free press; national security decisions are influenced by public opinion. The DoD should utilize the freedom of press to influence public opinion in the interest of national security. Belknap, Margaret

Mobile Phones: Impact on Interpersonal Relationships

Mobile Phones: Impact on Interpersonal Relationships According to the International Telecommunication Union, mobile phone users in the world will raise to more than 7 billion at the beginning of 2014. Additionally, the report of ITU in 2013 revealed that over one third people in the world use the web. China, a country with more than 591 million internet users doubtlessly, ranks first on the list of â€Å"Five Countries with the Most Internet Users† with the USA the following second 254 million. Among so large a number of internet users in China, Chinese people always use the web via mobile phones. By the end of December 2013, China had 500 million mobile Internet users [†¦] Among all the Internet users, the proportion of those using mobile phones to access the Internet rose to 81.0% from 74.5%, and the number of mobile Internet users grew steadily (â€Å"Statistical Report on Internet Development in China† 22). Therefore, in China, it is very convenient to contact a person—just call him/her or send a message. Meanwhile, one can easily observe that no matter in restaurants or on the road, there being a group of people who always lower their heads addicted to the mobile phones; one can easily observe that some looking down on screens of the mobile phones ignore the others at a meeting; one can easily observe that lots of people no longer listen to and communicate with others but focus on the mobile phones. Consequently, one must start to consider what the popularization of mobile phone has brought? And think about how does it work to interpersonal relationship? Good or bad? Have people fallen into â€Å"a world where [they] are slaves to the technology [they] mastered† (Gary Turk)? Have fallen into â€Å"a world of self-interested, self-image† (Gary Turk)? After reflection, a conclusion that mobile phone exerts a double-edged influence on interpersonal relationships, impairing our affection while it providing people with a more convenient platform for communication is drawn. Negative Impact on Interpersonal Relationships The wide use of mobile phones reduces the chances of face-to-face communication. Nowadays, with the emergence of various social instruments in them, such as Wechat, Micro blog, Facebook, it is common to see that people hold their mobile phones all day long. Most of the people would like to make contact with others by those instruments, but not through conversation. Psychologists Kaveri Subrahmanyam of California State University and Patricia M. Greenfield of U.C.L.A. wrote in the journal â€Å"The Future of Children† that electronic communications such as texting, social networking and instant messaging might be making teenagers less interested in face-to-face talks, according to their initial research (Arvidson â€Å"The Effects of Cell Phones on Relationships†). Now, people tend to use texts or calls to inform someone. For example, a mother will ask her kids to go to bed by texting them even though she lives in the next door to her kids. Therefore, some psychologist s make a suggestion that people should grasp more chances to communicate with others and pour their feelings into others face to face, because the number of messages they sent is inversely proportional to the feelings of accumulation in a way (Ni 180). In addition, people focusing on mobile phones when getting together will definitely hurt their relationships. When people get together, it ought to be a chance for them to communicate with each other directly and sincerely. However, most people are just keeping their heads down and phubbing is seen here and there. When people have meal with their parents or grandparents but just keep their eyes staring at the screens, the eldership of the family will feel lonely and think the young are impolite. Some couples text each other at home though they sit next to. And a group of friends get together, they are laughing not because the party but because the fun news they are reading on their phones. Warner said, â€Å"Increasing use of cell phones [†¦] was linked to a decrease in family satisfaction and increased stress over a two-year period† (â€Å"Cell Phones Raise Stress†). After a long time, it will do harm for people’s harmony of family and friendships. What’s more, being addicted to the mobile phones makes people lonelier. According to a survey made by the China Youth Daily, â€Å"46.1 percent said that reliance on mobiles was making people’s social circles smaller, and nearly 30 percent said it was making them lonelier† (Custer â€Å"Chinese Survey Shows Worry Over Impacts of Mobile Phone Use†). Most people have many friends on their Social Network Site. They talk every day, share interesting or sad things every day, but they do not know who those people really are and they might never meet them even once during their whole lives. When they turned off all the social instruments, they realized it was difficult for them to find someone to talk to; when people left their phones at home or some other places, they would become anxious and did not know what they should do. Spending too much time on mobile phones or relying on them will make people feel lonelier step by step. Also, communicating by mobile phones does harm for the sense of trust. Because when people communicate by texting or other social instruments, sometimes they do not really mean that. Talking through message is in a negative position, since it lack the face to face sensed presence and the recipient does not know the real surroundings the sender in, which offers chances to lie (Ni 177). For example, when someone send â€Å"hahaha† (It means happy or laugh at receiver), most of the time, he is not happy or laugh actually, maybe he is expressionless or upset. Sending message is loses the sense of reality and people cannot feel the real situation of their communication. Positive impact on interpersonal relationships Though mobile phone exerts a certain negative influence on interpersonal relationships, it also provides great convenience and enhances the flexibility on social interaction. For one thing, as a modern communication tool, the mobile phone breaks the formal time and place limitations , which makes people more accessible to communicate with others and then get further to strengthen the relationship. In the past, before the invention of the modern communication tools, if one person wanted to discuss something important with another person who lived in a far area, it was very inconvenient and that always cost a lot of time. But now, faced with the same situation, people just wave their fingers to press a call button, and then they can talk to others easily. Besides, owing to mobile phone’s convenience, the times for people to contact with their friends, relatives and partners become more frequent. An interviewer says: â€Å"Although I cannot meet my friends for a long time, the r elationship between us becomes closer rather than alienated by using this convenient communication tool to contact with each other occasionally†.(Ni 127)Therefore, the mobile phone is definitely an effective tool for people to maintain their relationships. For another, mobile phone can make the interpersonal relationships more comfortable. In the daily life of interpersonal communication, people sometimes will feel bashful, uncomfortable and nervous when meeting with others face to face. However, there doesn’t exist the same problem on the message communication, people can integrate themselves into the contacts with a more open and bold attitude when breaking away from definite communication environment (Ni 126). For instance, if a boy is too shy to express his love to a beautiful girl face to face, he can choose to bare his heart by sending a message or making a phone call so that he will not miss her. Since the mobile phone provides a comfortable communication platform, it is wise for people to grasp more chances to communicate with others. As a communication media, mobile phones enhance the flexibility on social interaction. People can do their business whenever they need, and make an appointment conveniently. In addition, it plays a vital role in family relationship, friendship and business relationship. People can chat with their family members or friends without the limit of place. Also they can talk to their business partner to keep a close relationship. However, mobile phones estrange people from one another. Most people spend too much time in playing phones and ignore talking to others. Technology and humanity are not necessarily compatible. One is about an anonymous push forward into the unknown†¦to explore it, to develop and exploit it, which is important. The other is about paying undivided attention to the individual and the world in front of you, developing relationships, and increasing consciousness (â€Å"Cell Phones May Hurt Interpersonal Relationships Just by Being in The Room, Study Says†).Both are necessary. The challenge is figuring out how to use technology to enhance humanity, not degrade it (â€Å"Cell Phones May Hurt Interpersonal Relationships Just by Being in The Room, Study Says†). Meanwhile, people’s sense of loneliness is increasing and the sense of trust decreasing with the popularization of mobile phones. Interacting in a neutral environment, without a cell phone nearby, seems to help foster closeness, connectedness, interpersonal trust, and perceptions of empathy – the building – blocks of relationships (Lin â€Å"How Your Cell Phone Hurts Your Relationships†). Therefore, when people have a meeting or party, phones should be gathered in one place. Set the rule that the one who uses his phone without permission will be punished. Perhaps it would be going too far to prepare for important conversations by throwing your cell phone into the closet, or leaving it in the car on first dates. But if you are spending the day with people you really care about, you might want to reconsider the next time you reach for your phone to reply to a text message or check sports sores. Just having that phone nearby is bad enough (Lin â€Å"How Your Cell Phone Hurts Your Relationships†) .So try to use your mobile phones appropriately, or you are likely to lose your friends and a happy life. Works Cited Arvidson, Erik. â€Å"The Effects of Cell phones on Relationships.† eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 2 May 2014. http://www.ehow.com/info_10054161_effects-cellphones-relationships.html> Custer, C. â€Å"Chinese Survey Shows Worry Over Impacts of Mobile Phone Use.† TECH IN ASIA. TECH IN ASIA, 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 2 May 2014. http://www.techinasia.com/chinese-survey-shows-worry-impacts-mobile-phone/> â€Å"Cellphones May Hurt Relationships Just By Being In The Room, Study Says.† The Huffington Post . n.p. 5 Sep. 2012. Web. 24 May 2014. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1855930/> Lin, Helen L. â€Å"How Your Cellphone Hurts Your Relationship.† Scientific American. n.p. 4 Sep. 2012. Web. 21 May 2014. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-your-cell-phone-hurts-your-relationships/> Look Up. Dir. Gary Turk. Perf. Gary Turk, Louise Ludlam, Stuart Damley, Daniel Cobb. Youtube, 2014. Film. Ni Huan à ¥Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å". â€Å"Shouji duanxin chuanbo xinli tanxi† à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¦Ã…“ ºÃƒ §Ã… ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¿Ã†â€™Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¦Ã… ½Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã… ¾Ã‚ (Research on Communication Psychology of Mobile Phone Messages).Beijing à ¥Ã…’-à ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¬:Communication University of Chinaà ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ªÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ §Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ¦, 2009. Print. â€Å"Statistical Report on Internet Development in China†. China Internet Network Information Center, Jan. 2014. Web PDF. 27 May 2014. http://www1.cnnic.cn/IDR/ReportDownloads/201404/U020140417607531610855.pdf> Warner, Jennifer. â€Å"Cell Phones Raise Stress.† CBSNEWS. CBS Interactive Inc, 14 Dec. 2005. Web. 2 May 2014. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cell-phones-raise-stress/>

Contempt of Court in Canada Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction This paper is concerned with the common law of contempt of court. More specifically, it outlines the arguments in favour of, and against, codifying this law. The purpose is to discuss problems with contempt of court, and make proposals to restructure the law. The first part of this paper will explain the openness principle, which is the balancing factor in respect of contempt of court. The second part will outline the common law offence of contempt of court and narrow the scope of this paper. The second part will set out and explain the arguments in favour of, and against, codifying the law. Finally, the last part of the paper will set forth some proposals for reform. The Openness Principle Even before freedom of expression was enshrined in our constitution, the judiciary noted that the basic principle governing judicial proceedings in Canada was their openness. Canadian courts are public institutions and accordingly, courtroom occurrences should be public business. As one Supreme Court justice stated, â€Å"openness was to be the rule; covertness the exception.† It was further noted that at every stage of the process, the rule should be one of public accessibility and judicial accountability. Now, since free expression has been espoused by Canadians and enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , the openness principle has attained a constitutional basis. Advancement of the principle is made possible by the media, as news reports are the primary means by which the public obtains information about the courts. Hence, courts must be open to the media in order for them to be open to the public. This concept is not novel to Canada’s judicial system. In fact, in recognition of this notion, the system has allowed media exceptions to certain rules and regulations of the court. A limitation on the openness principle is found in the common law of contempt of court. The underlying foundation of this analysis is that contempt of court must be balanced with the openness principle because accurate and fair courtroom reports are an integral part of the due administration of justice. Contempt of Court, Generally Contempt addresses behaviour, actions, and publications that interfere with, or create a real risk of interfering with, the due administration of justice. It regulates a range of human activities that pose a risk of such interferenc... ...contempt were formed but rejected on the basis that codification would have made an unnecessarily restrictive offence even more restrictive. Then, in 1984, a bill was introduced which would have codified much of the law of contempt. The bill was never enacted and nothing has happened since. The time has come to reconsider these issues as the law is now in dire need of reform. To clarify, this paper is not suggesting that all contempt of court law be codified. That would be an almost impossible task for a paper of this length, given the complexity of this area of law. Instead, the focus has been on sub judice common law contempt, its effect on our rights and freedoms, and the arguments in respect of codification. Balancing the rights and freedoms of Canadians with the administration of justice, the logical step seems to be in the direction of codification. Other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, have taken the positive step toward codification. Perhaps Canada should examine the progress of these jurisdictions, and determine whether their attempts to limit the scope of media restrictions, while protecting the interests involved in trial proceedings, have been successful.

KAL 801 :: essays research papers

Flight Synopsis Flight KAL 801 was scheduled to fly from Kimpo Airport in Seoul, Korea to A.B. Won Guam International Airport in Agana, Guam. The flight crew had met earlier to discuss the flight release, weather conditions and fill out all necessary paperwork. And on August 6th, 1997 at 9:27 PM the Boeing 747-300 departed Kimpo Airport for a three hour and fifty minute trip to Guam. The flight crew consisted of a captain, first officer and a flight engineer. The captain had several flight hours as a pilot in the Korea Air Force until Korean Air hired him in 1987. Not only did he have many hours flying a 747, he received a flight safety award from the company president, three months prior to the crash. He also earned two excellent evaluations in the simulator proficiency checks and passed the company’s mandatory Level three English test. In addition, the captain along with his first officer watched a video presentation based on the familiarization of the Guam Airport and studied approach charts several hours before the accident. (Krause, 2003) The first officer had also served in the Korean Air Force before joining the ranks with Korean Air in 1994. Although he was only two years younger than the captain, he had a high number of flight hours as a 747 first officer. However, his performances in the simulator evaluations were slightly above average. One instructor noted that his â€Å"altitude management on nonprecision approach was somewhat less than desirable† and adding that he was â€Å"somewhat slow to carry out directions† (Krause, 2003) The flight engineer was also a very distinguished pilot and was hired by KAL in 1979. Similar to the captain, he earned excellent ratings in his evaluations of crew management and simulator tests, and also passed the English proficiency exams. (Krause, 2003) â€Å"†¦a weak low pressure trough is moving slowly [through] the Mariana Islands†¦resulting in gentle to moderate easterly winds and scattered showers. The effects of the upper level low far to the northeast have diminished during the past 12 hours or so. Light to moderate showers should be expected except for isolated afternoon thunderstorms due to solar heating†, this was the weather report provided by the Guam Weather Station. However, at around 0122, the crew received a message via the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS), â€Å"†¦wind calm, visibility seven [clouds] one thousand six hundred scattered, two thousand five hundred scattered, temperature two seven [Celsius], dew point two four, altimeter niner eight six, runway six in use.

The Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia Essay -- Biology Essays Resea

The Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a disease that has plagued societies around the world for centuries, although it was not given its formal name until 1911. It is characterized by the presence of positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms are so named because of the presence of altered behaviors, such as delusions, hallucinations (usually auditory), extreme emotions, excited motor activity, and incoherent thoughts and speech. (1,2) In contrast, negative symptoms are described as a lack of behaviors, such as emotion, speech, social interaction, and action. (1,2) These symptoms are by no means concrete. Not all schizophrenic patients will exhibit all or even a majority of these symptoms, and there is some disagreement in the psychiatric community as to the exact diagnostic criteria. In addition, there is a great deal of debate as to the causes of the disease. While some proposed causes have been proven false, such as bad parenting and poor will power (2), there are many theories that remain. One of the most famous and most debatable is the dopamine hypothesis. The proposed hypothesis states that the brain of schizophrenic patients produces more dopamine than normal brains. It is this increased dopamine that is believed to be responsible for the symptoms of the disease. However, the is much debate in the scientific community as to the exact mechanism by which altered dopamine levels, especially in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and limbic system, produce schizophrenia. There is much clinical evidense that provides support for the dopamine hypothesis. The first evidense that dopamine may be involved in schizophrenia came from amphetamine users. Amphetamines work by causing the brain to produce mo... ...ital Cortex: Focal Abnormalities in Orbitofrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia" From Meador-Woodruff Laboratory Homepage (University of Michigan) http://www-personal.umich.edu/~himmw/pubs/index.html (5) "Detailed Description of Our Studies" From Meador-Woodruff Laboratory http://www.umich.edu/~jmwlab/ (6) "Dopamine, Glutamate, and the Neurochemical Circuitry of Schizophrenia" From Department of Psychiatry Homepage (University of Michigan) http://www.med.umich.edu/mhri/res/95/meadorwoodruff/meadorwoodruff.html (7) "Schizophrenia 'Trigger' Described" From NARSAD Homepage http://www.mhsource.com/advocacy/narsad/trigger/html/?_requestid=1006565 (8) "Altered Neural Circuits in Schizophrenia" http://www.mentalhealth.com/mag1/fr51.html (9)Rosenzweig, M.R., Leiman, A.L., & Breedlove, A.M. Biological Psychology. Sinaur Associates Inc: Massachusetts, 1996

Does Globalisation of the media offer more or less opportunities for democracy? Essay

We live in society today where the media plays an alarmingly big part in how we see the world, and how our opinions are formed, whether it is from what we watch on television to who we vote for. The media has helped to make our society a democracy by placing emphasis on issues that at one stage in time would have been considered strictly private issues such as child birth, homosexuality, child care, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. Due to this democracy we now look differently at politics, and are more active in whom we want in office, and how we want our children to be raised. The globalisation of the media has increased our access to information about people and events around the world, but in the process it has also shifted issues on what should or should not be in the public domain.1 The media performs an essential part in our democracy socially, politically, economically and culturally. It is the main source of political information and allows us to access political debate. It allows us as an audience to be informed and to participate in how we should perceive things. Democracy needs the media to provide people with a wide range of opinions, analysis and debates on important issues. It needs the media to be able to reflect on the diversity of the audience, and it needs the media to be accountable for what is going on around them, and to be diverse and deliberate in how they communicate these issues to audiences. 2 The increased information given to audiences has a ‘democratising effect’, mobilising audiences into action, which in turn has significant implications for governments and businesses. International relations and events in our democracy are more visible and transparent, have more domestic policy ramifications and involve the public more often. While the globalised media plays a big part in our democracy, and has been characterised by the massive economic expansion and technical innovation it has also caused many problems for democracy. There is an increase in inequality, cultural and social tumult and individual alienation. The digital revolution and introduction of new technologies are redefining our notions of politics yes, but they are also redefining the structuring powers in society. Increasingly power resides in the hands of those that can produce, control and disseminate information the most effectively. This goes back to Marx’s theory that those who control the world govern it. While the proliferation of communications and increased global interdependence might create global understanding, equality and harmony it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is an increase in human communication and co-operation. If anything it is leading to the replacement of traditional structures, such as family religion, and the community with one that are supposedly more relevant.3 There are too few transnational media conglomerates dominating the world media, and fewer than 24 media conglomerates account for the majority of our newspapers, magazines, films, television and radio. With only a few big conglomerates running the show the media has become a vehicle used for commercial exploitation. There has been a steady increase of commercialisation of sports, arts, and education. This is disturbing when audiences are turning to the media to tell us how to vote, and how the government is being run. The media is constantly used by these conglomerates to spread existing structures and values, which are dominant globally and emphasise the free-market economy and the capitalist liberal democracy. The spread of the media has in fact broken down barriers to communications and international commerce, and makes it more difficult for governments and regulatory bodies to protect their cultures and societies from commercialisation and advertising.4 The main conglomerates have made the media very concentrated. Companies such as Times-Warner, Disney and Viacom have such diverse media holdings that they own both the means of production and distributing, further concentrating the media outlets and the information that we receive through the mass media. The media is vertical where production and distribution companies are allowed to own various types of networks, channels, and television stations. The media is supposed to be neutral yet how can they be so neutral when companies seem to ignore the important role that culture and social values play in shaping information. How can they be neutral when only a few conglomerate companies run them? The choices made everyday by government officials, media producers and distributors determine what topics are covered, what they want us to know and what they don’t want us to know, what information is selected and how it is portrayed. The simple choice of one story over another is not just economical and professional but also political.5 The choices that the media makes in presenting stories determines what becomes part of its audiences natural consciousness and what values and ideas take precedence to the general public. But these choices are not made by what they think the public wants but based on their own beliefs, and reflect cultural, social and national values and identity. The mass media is viewed as a means to increase diversity, democracy and the power of the individual. Yet more and more it seems that the media is a vehicle being used by the government and the producers to manipulate the community and advertise. It is assumed that the more television channels we have, the more diverse the information we receive. But this is a misconception, as Western Products, Hollywood values and advertising dominate nearly all of the media. More often now than not the information that is transmitted by the media is infotainment and advertising. The media is used so that audiences find it more difficult to have an impact on policies, goals and directions of their own social, economic and political institutions. As mentioned the media is owned by transnational corporations that command huge economies, run from the top and are interlinked in various ways. Their first interest is profit, and to construct an audience of a particular type. One that is addicted to a certain life-style with artificial wants. Their primary function is selling audiences to advertisers. They don’t make money from their subscriptions. They make money when an advertiser pays them. They believe in free market principles for others, but not for themselves. The major corporations in every society rely very heavily on state subsidy and state intervention.6 Making a profit from their advertising fees means that media outlets are influenced by various corporate interests. News coverage and other media content is therefore affected. Stories can end up being biased or omitted so that they don’t offend their advertisers or their owners. Corporate media is not a good thing for democracy when there is a risk of an increased economic and political influence that becomes unaccountable for. That is a great concern in democracy. Companies such as Newslimited and Times-Warner are so big that they have the power to stop other companies setting in on what they consider their turf. Times-Warner owns everything from Cable TV to sports teams and smaller companies that don’t have these options find that they can not compete in the media market. The problem with this is that with so few companies in complete power they are the ones making the decisions to what information is disseminated to the public, and this is done but what they think will make them a profit, and what will be beneficial to them. Companies such as News Corp wrote about the heroics of the War on terrorism, and the Iraq War because it was beneficial for them to support the U.S Government. The information filtered through to audiences was biased because it wasn’t telling people why there was a war, but that we should be supporting it. This was done because it would make them profit, and work in their favour. This was also shown in 1998 when Rupert Murdoch personally intervened to prevent one of the companies that he owned, HarperCollins, from publishing the memoirs of former Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patton. He alleged that it was because he didn’t want the memoirs to offend the Government, but it was in fact because it might jeopardise plans by News Corp to have future expansion in China.7 Firms in the media industry compete with each other, but they also work together to reduce competition and in fact the nine largest American firms have joint ventures with nearly six of the other eight giants. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has at least one joint venture with every other of his competitors. This is not an appealing notion for we, as the audience has little say in what is produced. It also sadly it indicates that the main purpose to our media is only to make money for those huge companies in charge. If this is the case then how can Journalists be protected from the commercial interests of their owners? And how can information be filtered out evenly without bias when media owners wish to sell their space to the highest advertiser. Journalists claim to give readers the news that they think is important to their lives, but in fact tend to be assisting in the process of converting Journalism into the type of consumer news and information that advertisers want.8 Global conglomerates such as Times-Warner, News Corp, Sony, Viacom, Bertelsmann, and AT & T have an impact on our culture, especially when they are entering nations that have been tightly controlled by an already corrupt media system or nations that have significant censorship over media such as China. The Global companies don’t have respect for tradition or custom especially if it stands in the way of profits. Another problem with having such a globalised media in our democracy is that the media produces so much knowledge, information, dissemination of everything and that produces an absence of everything too, and in doing so produce a situation that causes too many images. The mode of production is then affected. The media has introduced us to a world with no fixed territory, a world increasingly without limits. This can cause us, as an audience to have a loss of sensibility, a loss of limits. This affects the mode of production. One does not produce what is absent, or what is invisible. It affects the production of culture, by mixing them with different cultures.9 If anything the consolidation of ownership across the various media remains a threat to democracy. The public’s right to information and ideas from the widest possible range of sources means little in a world dominated by a handful of interlocking media giants. The news programs that people see, and the advertisements that accompany them are dominated by the success of white, wealthy westerners and the examples of the dangers posed to them are poor, black, non-westerners. Women are also represented in the media by glamorous models, actresses and news presenters. The problem with a globalised media in a democracy is that it can ruin the public infrastructure and that in turn means the demise of the public sector, which results in privatisation and more commercialism. Media ownership and media concentration becomes a problem when audiences are not becoming well informed because the audience or public can not act as an authoritarian. The danger of living in such a world means that while there is an increase in the mode of communication, new forms of identity and community there is an equal loss in political sovereignty, economic opportunity and cultural diversity. 1 Healey, Justin Mass Media and Society, Spinney Press, 2000 2 McChesney Making Media democratic, Boston Review issue 23 3 Mowlana, Hamid Globalisation of the mass media, London-Sage Publications, 1997 4 Tunstall, Jeremy The new Hollywood Network Cartel and Europe, Carleton University Press 1998 5 Chomsky Noam Media and Globalisation Third World Network, 1996 6 OECD Globalisation: challenges and opportunities OECD Publishing 2000 7 Wiseman, John Global Nation, Cambridge University Press, 1998 8 Kortin, David, The mythical victory of Market Capitalism Goldsmith, Edward and Mender, San Francisco 1996 9 McChessney, Robert Global media, neoliberalism, and imperialism, Monthly review, volume 52 issue 10 2001

Payroll Accounting

Chapter 1 Quiz 1. Which of the following laws has as one of its major provisions the establishment of the minimum wage? a. Fair Employment Laws b. Federal Unemployment Tax Act c. Federal Insurance Contributions Act d. Social Security Law e. Fair Labor Standards Act 2. Which of the following acts covers employee pension and welfare plans? f. Age Discrimination in Employment Act g. Employee Retirement Income Security Act h. Family and Medical Leave Act i. Federal Insurance Contributions Act j. Federal Unemployment Tax Act 3.Which of the following statements is not a provision of ERISA? k. ERISA requires each employer to establish a pension plan l. All of these choices are provisions of ERISA m. ERISA provides that all employees are eligible to set up their own individual retirement accounts n. ERISA establishes minimum vesting schedules that protect the worker’s benefits o. ERISA applies to pension and welfare plans established by any employer engaged in commerce. 4. Which of th e following is not a provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)? . Restricts the employment of child labor q. Forbids discrimination in hiring r. Mandates equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex s. Sets up minimum wage t. All are provision of the FLSA 5. Which of the following bases for discrimination in employment practices is not covered in Title VII of the civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended? u. Color v. National origin w. Age x. Religion y. Sex 6. Medicare is a two=part health insurance program that was part of an amendment to what act? z. Federal Insurance Contributions Act . Federal Unemployment Tax Act |. Federal Income Tax Withholding Law }. Age Discrimination in Employment Act ~. Fair Labor Standards Act 7. Which of the following act deals with the minimum wage paid to laborers for contractors who supply materials to any agency of the United States? . Walsh-Healey Public Contracts . Davis-Bacon . NcNamara-O’Hara Service Contract . None of these choices are correct . Federal Insurance Contributions 8. Which of the following is used to complete each employee’s Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement? Change in payroll rate form . Employee’s individual retirement account . Payroll register . Employee’s earning record . Employee’s paycheck 9. Which of the following items does not always appear on both the payroll register and the employee’s earnings record in the weekly payroll recording? . Net amount of the paycheck . Cumulative earnings . Gross weekly pay . Federal income tax deducted . All of these choices appear on both records 10. The employee’s earnings record is a listing of a firm’s complete payroll for each pay periods. . True . False

Elizabeth Short Case

The Black Dahlia Judge Eckert Judicial Function Pueblo Community College Abstract In the following paper I will be sharing the Elizabeth Short (Black Dahlia) case that took place in Los Angeles, in 1947. This case was so famous because the case was unsolved, the woman was beautiful, and the murder was so gruesome. On January 15, 1947 her body was found sliced in half and her body mutilated. A few days after the murder her killer called and said he would be sending her belongings. 0 days after the murder a package was delivered to the Examiner newspaper with Elizabeth’s belongings inside. The killer sent letters to the police and continued to toy with them till he sent a final letter declaring he would not reveal his identity. Media from all over the world wanted a piece of this story and the story was headlining for weeks. The story still gets attention from books and movies, but has slowed down since no other evidence has been found. Even though her killer hasn’t been found a case is important no matter what. The Black DahliaOn January 15, 1947, in a Los Angeles vacant lot, the mutilated body of a woman was found by Betty Bersinger and her 3 year old daughter (Elizabeth Short, Page 2). The victim had been sliced in half, beaten, and her intestines had been removed. The killer also slashed 3 inch gashes into the corners of her mouth, drained her body of blood, cut off her nipples, and put grass up her vagina. Bruising around her wrists and ankles indicated she had been bound with rope and tortured. At the scene, the body was washed clean of evidence and was lying top of dew determining she was killed elsewhere.Her murderer cleaned her body so well you could see the bristle marks from a brush. The only real evidence at the crime scene was a tire track, a bloody heel mark in this tire mark, and there was a paper cement sack with blood on it. The main detectives on the Black Dahlia case were Harry Hansen and Finis Brown. The detectives gathered her f inger prints and identified the woman as Elizabeth Short. At this point the media was all over this story. The Examiner reporters used this information to call Short’s mother and inform her Short had won a beauty contest.Before revealing the true reason they called the reporters gathered as much information as they could before informing her of her daughter’s death. The cause of death was hemorrhage and shock due to blows to the head and face (Scheeres, Page 3). Elizabeth Short, also known as the Black Dahlia, was a beautiful woman who was aspiring to become an actress in Hollywood. She was born on July 29, 1924, in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. She got the name â€Å"Black Dahlia† because of her black hair and black wardrobe. She spent a lot of her time in radio stations, bars, and nightclubs with new acquaintances.Her friends described her as the type of woman who got a lot of attention from men and went on a lot of dates. She depended on small jobs and the men sh e was around to support her. And as many men as she dated, it is hard to say which and if one of the men murdered her. The last time anyone saw Elizabeth was around 10:00 pm at the Biltmore Hotel on January 09, 1947. A couple days after the murder, the murderer called Jimmy Richardson, city editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and described the mutilation to the body and said he would send the police Shorts belongings.The personal belongings were photographs, her social security card, birth certificate, and an address book. The murderer sent other letters to toy with the police officers. Than finally, the killer sent a final letter stating â€Å"Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified†. There were over 75 suspects in the Black Dahlia case but a lot of those suspects got thrown out. The main suspects in her case were Robert Manley, Mark Hansen, Cleo Short, Carl Balsiger, and George W. Welsh, Jr.Robert Manley was the first s uspect in her case because he was the last person to be with Elizabeth outside of the Biltmore Hotel. He was also given truth serum and found not guilty. In 1949, suspects testified in front of the Grand Jury and did not find anyone guilty. The case continued to be investigated but the Grand Jury stopped issuing progress reports by 1950. Sadly, this case has never been solved, but the media has always covered this case. When the murder was released the police and newspapers got tips and as well as confessions for Elizabeth’s death.For weeks this story was headlining papers and had citizens in a worry. Even today this case is so popular it has even made its way into movies and books(Who Was Elizabeth Short? , Page 4. ) This case is important because a young woman’s life was taken and no one has been found guilty of her murder. Every case is important, especially when searching for someone as twisted as Short’s killer. No one wants someone like that around others in society. Even though Short’s murderer is probably dead, it is always important to close a case for the sake of the victim and their family.References Elizabeth Short: The Black Dahlia. (n. d. ). Crime and Investigation Network. Retrieved February 7, 2013, from http://www. crimeandinvestigation. co. uk/crime-files/elizabeth-short-the-black-dahlia/biography. html Scheeres, J. (n. d. ). The Black Dahlia Story. truTV. com. Retrieved February 7, 2013, from http://www. trutv. com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/dahlia/index_1. html Who Was Elizabeth Short? (n. d. ). The Black Dahlia Website. Retrieved February 7, 2013, from http://www. bethshort. com/about-beth. php

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 2. Open Book

I leaned back against the soft snow bank, letting the dry powder reshape itself around my weight. My skin had cooled to match the air around me, and the tiny pieces of ice felt like velvet under my skin. The sky above me was clear, brilliant with stars, glowing blue in some places, yellow in others. The stars created majestic, swirling shapes against the black universe – an awesome sight. Exquisitely beautiful. Or rather, it should have been exquisite. Would have been, if I'd been able to really see it. It wasn't getting any better. Six days had passed, six days I'd hidden here in the empty Denali wilderness, but I was no closer to freedom than I had been since the first moment that I'd caught her scent. When I stared up at the jeweled sky, it was as if there were an obstruction between my eyes and their beauty. The obstruction was a face, just an unremarkable human face, but I couldn't quite seem to banish it from my mind. I heard the approaching thoughts before I heard the footsteps that accompanied them. The sound of movement was only a faint whisper against the powder. I was not surprised that Tanya had followed me here. I knew she'd been mulling over this coming conversation for the last few days, putting it off until she was sure of exactly what she wanted to say. She sprang into sight about sixty yards away, leaping onto the tip of an outcropping of black rock and balancing there on the balls of her bare feet. Tanya's skin was silver in the starlight, and her long blond curls shone pale, almost pink with their strawberry tint. Her amber eyes glinted as she spied me, halfburied in the snow, and her full lips stretched slowly into a smile. Exquisite. If I'd really been able to see her. I sighed. She crouched down on the point of the stone, her fingertips touching the rock, her body coiled. Cannonball, she thought. She launched herself into the air; her shape became a dark, twisting shadow as she spun gracefully between me and the stars. She curled herself into a ball just as she struck the piled snow bank beside me. A blizzard of snow flew up around me. The stars went black and I was buried deep in the feathery ice crystals. I sighed again, but didn't move to unearth myself. The blackness under the snow neither hurt nor improved the view. I still saw the same face. â€Å"Edward?† Then snow was flying again as Tanya swiftly disinterred me. She brushed the powder from my unmoving face, not quite meeting my eyes. â€Å"Sorry,† she murmured. â€Å"It was a joke.† â€Å"I know. It was funny.† Her mouth twisted down. â€Å"Irina and Kate said I should leave you alone. They think I'm annoying you.† â€Å"Not at all,† I assured her. â€Å"On the contrary, I'm the one who's being rude – abominably rude. I'm very sorry.† You're going home, aren't you? she thought. â€Å"I haven't†¦entirely†¦decided that yet.† But you're not staying here. Her thought was wistful now, sad. â€Å"No. It doesn't seem to be†¦helping.† She grimaced. â€Å"That's my fault, isn't it?† â€Å"Of course not,† I lied smoothly. Don't be a gentleman. I smiled. I make you uncomfortable, she accused. â€Å"No.† She raised one eyebrow, her expression so disbelieving that I had to laugh. One short laugh, followed by another sigh. â€Å"All right,† I admitted. â€Å"A little bit.† She sighed, too, and put her chin in her hands. Her thoughts were chagrined. â€Å"You're a thousand times lovelier than the stars, Tanya. Of course, you're already well aware of that. Don't let my stubbornness undermine your confidence.† I chuckled at the unlikeliness of that. â€Å"I'm not used to rejection,† she grumbled, her lower lip pushing out into an attractive pout. â€Å"Certainly not,† I agreed, trying with little success to block out her thoughts as she fleetingly sifted through memories of her thousands of successful conquests. Mostly Tanya preferred human men – they were much more populous for one thing, with the added advantage of being soft and warm. And always eager, definitely. â€Å"Succubus,† I teased, hoping to interrupt the images flickering in her head. She grinned, flashing her teeth. â€Å"The original.† Unlike Carlisle, Tanya and her sisters had discovered their consciences slowly. In the end, it was their fondness for human men that turned the sisters against the slaughter. Now the men they loved†¦lived. â€Å"When you showed up here,† Tanya said slowly. â€Å"I thought that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'd known what she'd thought. And I should have guessed that she would have felt that way. But I hadn't been at my best for analytical thinking in that moment. â€Å"You thought that I'd changed my mind.† â€Å"Yes.† She scowled. â€Å"I feel horrible for toying with your expectations, Tanya. I didn't mean to – I wasn't thinking. It's just that I left in†¦quite a hurry.† â€Å"I don't suppose you'd tell me why†¦?† I sat up and wrapped my arms around my legs, curling defensively. â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† Tanya, Irina and Kate were very good at this life they'd committed to. Better, in some ways, than even Carlisle. Despite the insanely close proximity they allowed themselves with those who should be – and once were – their prey, they did not make mistakes. I was too ashamed to admit my weakness to Tanya. â€Å"Woman troubles?† she guessed, ignoring my reluctance. I laughed a bleak laugh. â€Å"Not the way you mean it.† She was quiet then. I listened to her thoughts as she ran through different guesses, tried to decipher the meaning of my words. â€Å"You're not even close,† I told her. â€Å"One hint?† she asked. â€Å"Please let it go, Tanya.† She was quiet again, still speculating. I ignored her, trying in vain to appreciate the stars. She gave up after a silent moment, and her thoughts pursued a new direction. Where will you go, Edward, if you leave? Back to Carlisle? â€Å"I don't think so,† I whispered. Where would I go? I could not think of one place on the entire planet that held any interest for me. There was nothing I wanted to see or do. Because, no matter where I went, I would not be going to anywhere – I would only be running from. I hated that. When had I become such a coward? Tanya threw her slender arm around my shoulders. I stiffened, but did not flinch out from under her touch. She meant it as nothing more than friendly comfort. Mostly. â€Å"I think that you will go back,† she said, her voice taking on just a hint of her long lost Russian accent. â€Å"No matter what it is†¦or who it is†¦that is haunting you. You'll face it head on. You're the type.† Her thoughts were as certain as her words. I tried to embrace the vision of myself that she carried in her head. The one who faced things head on. It was pleasant to think of myself that way again. I'd never doubted my courage, my ability to face difficulty, before that horrible hour in a high school biology class such a short time ago. I kissed her cheek, pulling back swiftly when she twisted her face toward mine, her lips already puckered. She smiled ruefully at my quickness. â€Å"Thank you, Tanya. I needed to hear that.† Her thoughts turned petulant. â€Å"You're welcome, I guess. I wish you would be more reasonable about things, Edward.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Tanya. You know you're too good for me. I just†¦haven't found what I'm looking for yet.† â€Å"Well, if you leave before I see you again†¦goodbye, Edward.† â€Å"Goodbye, Tanya.† As I said the words, I could see it. I could see myself leaving. Being strong enough to go back to the one place where I wanted to be. â€Å"Thanks again.† She was on her feet in one nimble move, and then she was running away, ghosting across the snow so quickly that her feet had no time to sink into the snow; she left no prints behind her. She didn't look back. My rejection bothered her more than she'd let on before, even in her thoughts. She wouldn't want to see me again before I left. My mouth twisted with chagrin. I didn't like hurting Tanya, though her feelings were not deep, hardly pure, and, in any case, not something I could return. It still made me feel less than a gentleman. I put my chin on my knees and stared up at the stars again, though I was suddenly anxious to be on my way. I knew that Alice would see me coming home, that she would tell the others. This would make them happy – Carlisle and Esme especially. But I gazed at the stars for one more moment, trying to see past the face in my head. Between me and the brilliant lights in the sky, a pair of bewildered chocolate-brown eyes stared back at me, seeming to ask what this decision would mean for her. Of course, I couldn't be sure if that was really the information her curious eyes sought. Even in my imagination, I couldn't hear her thoughts. Bella Swan's eyes continued to question, and an unobstructed view of the stars continued to elude me. With a heavy sigh, I gave up, and got to my feet. If I ran, I would be back to Carlisle's car in less than an hour†¦ In a hurry to see my family – and wanting very much to be the Edward that faced things head on – I raced across the starlit snowfield, leaving no footprints. â€Å"It's going to be okay,† Alice breathed. Her eyes were unfocused, and Jasper had one hand lightly under her elbow, guiding her forward as we walked into the rundown cafeteria in a close group. Rosalie and Emmett led the way, Emmett looking ridiculously like a bodyguard in the middle of hostile territory. Rose looked wary, too, but much more irritated than protective. â€Å"Of course it is,† I grumbled. Their behavior was ludicrous. If I wasn't positive that I could handle this moment, I would have stayed home. The sudden shift from our normal, even playful morning – it had snowed in the night, and Emmett and Jasper were not above taking advantage of my distraction to bombard me with slushballs; when they got bored with my lack of response, they'd turned on each other – to this overdone vigilance would have been comical if it weren't so irritating. â€Å"She's not here yet, but the way she's going to come in†¦she won't be downwind if we sit in our regular spot.† â€Å"Of course we'll sit in our regular spot. Stop it, Alice. You're getting on my nerves. I'll be absolutely fine.† She blinked once as Jasper helped her into her seat, and her eyes finally focused on my face. â€Å"Hmm,† she said, sounding surprised. â€Å"I think you're right.† â€Å"Of course I am,† I muttered. I hated being the focus of their concern. I felt a sudden sympathy for Jasper, remembering all the times we'd hovered protectively over him. He met my glance briefly, and grinned. Annoying, isn't it? I grimaced at him. Was it just last week that this long, drab room had seemed so killingly dull to me? That it had seemed almost like sleep, like a coma, to be here? Today my nerves were stretched tight – piano wires, tensed to sing at the lightest pressure. My senses were hyper-alert; I scanned every sound, every sight, every movement of the air that touched my skin, every thought. Especially the thoughts. There was only one sense that I kept locked down, refused to use. Smell, of course. I didn't breathe. I was expecting to hear more about the Cullens in the thoughts that I sifted through. All day I'd been waiting, searching for whichever new acquaintance Bella Swan might have confided in, trying to see the direction the new gossip would take. But there was nothing. No one noticed the five vampires in the cafeteria, just the same as before the new girl had come. Several of the humans here were still thinking of that girl, still thinking the same thoughts from last week. Instead of finding this unutterably boring, I was now fascinated. Had she said nothing to anyone about me? There was no way that she had not noticed my black, murderous glare. I had seen her react to it. Surely, I'd scared her silly. I had been convinced that she would have mentioned it to someone, maybe even exaggerated the story a bit to make it better. Given me a few menacing lines. And then, she'd also heard me trying to get out of our shared biology class. She must have wondered, after seeing my expression, whether she were the cause. A normal girl would have asked around, compared her experience to others, looked for common ground that would explain my behavior so she didn't feel singled out. Humans were constantly desperate to feel normal, to fit in. To blend in with everyone else around them, like a featureless flock of sheep. The need was particularly strong during the insecure adolescent years. This girl would be no exception to that rule. But no one at all took any notice of us sitting here, at our normal table. Bella must be exceptionally shy, if she'd confided in no one. Perhaps she had spoken to her father, maybe that was the strongest relationship†¦though that seemed unlikely, given the fact that she had spent so little time with him throughout her life. She would be closer to her mother. Still, I would have to pass by Chief Swan sometime soon and listen to what he was thinking. â€Å"Anything new?† Jasper asked. â€Å"Nothing. She†¦must not have said anything.† All of them raised an eyebrow at this news. â€Å"Maybe you're not as scary as you think you are,† Emmett said, chuckling. â€Å"I bet I could have frightened her better than that.† I rolled my eyes at him. â€Å"Wonder why†¦?† He puzzled again over my revelation about the girl's unique silence. â€Å"We've been over that. I don't know.† â€Å"She's coming in,† Alice murmured then. I felt my body go rigid. â€Å"Try to look human.† â€Å"Human, you say?† Emmett asked. He held up his right fist, twisting his fingers to reveal the snowball he'd saved in his palm. Of course it had not melted there. He'd squeezed it into a lumpy block of ice. He had his eyes on Jasper, but I saw the direction of his thoughts. So did Alice, of course. When he abruptly hurled the ice chunk at her, she flicked it away with a casual flutter of her fingers. The ice ricocheted across the length of the cafeteria, too fast to be visible to human eyes, and shattered with a sharp crack against the brick wall. The brick cracked, too. The heads in that corner of the room all turned to stare at the pile of broken ice on the floor, and then swiveled to find the culprit. They didn't look further than a few tables away. No one looked at us. â€Å"Very human, Emmett,† Rosalie said scathingly. â€Å"Why don't you punch through the wall while you're at it?† â€Å"It would look more impressive if you did it, baby.† I tried to pay attention to them, keeping a grin fixed on my face like I was part of their banter. I did not allow myself to look toward the line where I knew she was standing. But that was all that I was listening to. I could hear Jessica's impatience with the new girl, who seemed to be distracted, too, standing motionless in the moving line. I saw, in Jessica's thoughts, that Bella Swan's cheeks were once more colored bright pink with blood. I pulled in short, shallow breaths, ready to quit breathing if any hint of her scent touched the air near me. Mike Newton was with the two girls. I heard both his voices, mental and verbal, when he asked Jessica what was wrong with the Swan girl. I didn't like the way his thoughts wrapped around her, the flicker of already established fantasies that clouded his mind while he watched her start and look up from her reverie like she'd forgotten he was there. â€Å"Nothing,† I heard Bella say in that quiet, clear voice. It seemed to ring like a bell over the babble in the cafeteria, but I knew that was just because I was listening for it so intently. â€Å"I'll just get a soda today,† she continued as she moved to catch up with the line. I couldn't help flickering one glance in her direction. She was staring at the floor, the blood slowly fading from her face. I looked away quickly, to Emmett, who laughed at the now pained-looking smile on my face. You look sick, bro. I rearranged my features so the expression would seem casual and effortless. Jessica was wondering aloud about the girl's lack of appetite. â€Å"Aren't you hungry?† â€Å"Actually, I feel a little sick.† Her voice was lower, but still very clear. Why did it bother me, the protective concern that suddenly emanated from Mike Newton's thoughts? What did it matter that there was a possessive edge to them? It wasn't my business if Mike Newton felt unnecessarily anxious for her. Perhaps this was the way everyone responded to her. Hadn't I wanted, instinctively, to protect her, too? Before I'd wanted to kill her, that is†¦ But was the girl ill? It was hard to judge – she looked so delicate with her translucent skin†¦ Then I realized that I was worrying, too, just like that dimwitted boy, and I forced myself not to think about her health. Regardless, I didn't like monitoring her through Mike's thoughts. I switched to Jessica's, watching carefully as the three of them chose which table to sit at. Fortunately, they sat with Jessica's usual companions, at one of the first tables in the room. Not downwind, just as Alice had promised. Alice elbowed me. She's going to look soon, act human. I clenched my teeth behind my grin. â€Å"Ease up, Edward,† Emmett said. â€Å"Honestly. So you kill one human. That's hardly the end of the world.† â€Å"You would know,† I murmured. Emmett laughed. â€Å"You've got to learn to get over things. Like I do. Eternity is a long time to wallow in guilt.† Just then, Alice tossed a smaller handful of ice that she'd been hiding into Emmett's unsuspecting face. He blinked, surprised, and then grinned in anticipation. â€Å"You asked for it,† he said as he leaned across the table and shook his iceencrusted hair in her direction. The snow, melting in the warm room, flew out from his hair in a thick shower of half-liquid, half-ice. â€Å"Ew!† Rose complained, as she and Alice recoiled from the deluge. Alice laughed, and we all joined in. I could see in Alice's head how she'd orchestrated this perfect moment, and I knew that the girl – I should stop thinking of her that way, as if she were the only girl in the world – that Bella would be watching us laugh and play, looking as happy and human and unrealistically ideal as a Norman Rockwell painting. Alice kept laughing, and held her tray up as a shield. The girl – Bella must still be staring at us. †¦staring at the Cullens again, someone thought, catching my attention. I looked automatically toward the unintentional call, realizing as my eyes found their destination that I recognized the voice – I'd been listening to it so much today. But my eyes slid right past Jessica, and focused on the girl's penetrating gaze. She looked down quickly, hiding behind her thick hair again. What was she thinking? The frustration seemed to be getting more acute as time went on, rather than dulling. I tried – uncertain in what I was doing for I'd never tried this before – to probe with my mind at the silence around her. My extra hearing had always come to me naturally, without asking; I'd never had to work at it. But I concentrated now, trying to break through whatever shield surrounded her. Nothing but silence. What is it about her? Jessica thought, echoing my own frustration. â€Å"Edward Cullen is staring at you,† she whispered in the Swan girl's ear, adding a giggle. There was no hint of her jealous irritation in her tone. Jessica seemed to be skilled at feigning friendship. I listened, too engrossed, to the girl's response. â€Å"He doesn't look angry, does he?† she whispered back. So she had noticed my wild reaction last week. Of course she had. The question confused Jessica. I saw my own face in her thoughts as she checked my expression, but I did not meet her glance. I was still concentrating on the girl, trying to hear something. My intent focus didn't seem to be helping at all. â€Å"No,† Jess told her, and I knew that she wished she could say yes – how it rankled inside her, my staring – though there was no trace of that in her voice. â€Å"Should he be?† â€Å"I don't think he likes me,† the girl whispered back, laying her head down on her arm as if she were suddenly tired. I tried to understand the motion, but I could only make guesses. Maybe she was tired. â€Å"The Cullens don't like anybody,† Jess reassured her. â€Å"Well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them.† They never used to. Her thought was a grumble of complaint. â€Å"But he's still staring at you.† â€Å"Stop looking at him,† the girl said anxiously, lifting her head from her arm to make sure Jessica obeyed the order. Jessica giggled, but did as she was asked. The girl did not look away from her table for the rest of the hour. I thought – though, of course, I could not be sure – that this was deliberate. It seemed like she wanted to look at me. Her body would shift slightly in my direction, her chin would begin to turn, and then she would catch herself, take a deep breath, and stare fixedly at whoever was speaking. I ignored the other thoughts around the girl for the most part, as they were not, momentarily, about her. Mike Newton was planning a snow fight in the parking lot after school, not seeming to realize that the snow had already shifted to rain. The flutter of soft flakes against the roof had become the more common patter of raindrops. Could he really not hear the change? It seemed loud to me. When the lunch period ended, I stayed in my seat. The humans filed out, and I caught myself trying to distinguish the sound of her footsteps from the sound of the rest, as if there was something important or unusual about them. How stupid. My family made no move to leave, either. They waited to see what I would do. Would I go to class, sit beside the girl where I could smell the absurdly potent scent of her blood and feel the warmth of her pulse in the air on my skin? Was I strong enough for that? Or had I had enough for one day? â€Å"I†¦think it's okay,† Alice said, hesitant. â€Å"Your mind is set. I think you'll make it through the hour.† But Alice knew well how quickly a mind could change. â€Å"Why push it, Edward?† Jasper asked. Though he didn't want to feel smug that I was the one who was weak now, I could hear that he did, just a little. â€Å"Go home. Take it slow.† â€Å"What's the big deal?† Emmett disagreed. â€Å"Either he will or he won't kill her. Might as well get it over with, either way.† â€Å"I don't want to move yet,† Rosalie complained. â€Å"I don't want to start over. We're almost out of high school, Emmett. Finally.† I was evenly torn on the decision. I wanted, wanted badly, to face this head on rather than running away again. But I didn't want to push myself too far, either. It had been a mistake last week for Jasper to go so long without hunting; was this just as pointless a mistake? I didn't want to uproot my family. None of them would thank me for that. But I wanted to go to my biology class. I realized that I wanted to see her face again. That's what decided it for me. That curiosity. I was angry with myself for feeling it. Hadn't I promised myself that I wouldn't let the silence of the girl's mind make me unduly interested in her? And yet, here I was, most unduly interested. I wanted to know what she was thinking. Her mind was closed, but her eyes were very open. Perhaps I could read them instead. â€Å"No, Rose, I think it really will be okay,† Alice said. â€Å"It's†¦firming up. I'm ninety-three percent sure that nothing bad will happen if he goes to class.† She looked at me inquisitively, wondering what had changed in my thoughts that made her vision of the future more secure. Would curiosity be enough to keep Bella Swan alive? Emmett was right, though – why not get it over with, either way? I would face the temptation head on. â€Å"Go to class,† I ordered, pushing away from the table. I turned and strode away from them without looking back. I could hear Alice's worry, Jasper's censure, Emmett's approval, and Rosalie's irritation trailing after me. I took one last deep breath at the door of the classroom, and then held it in my lungs as I walked into the small, warm space. I was not late. Mr. Banner was still setting up for today's lab. The girl sat at my – at our table, her face down again, staring at the folder she was doodling on. I examined the sketch as I approached, interested in even this trivial creation of her mind, but it was meaningless. Just a random scribbling of loops within loops. Perhaps she was not concentrating on the pattern, but thinking of something else? I pulled my chair back with unnecessary roughness, letting it scrape across the linoleum; humans always felt more comfortable when noise announced someone's approach. I knew she heard the sound; she did not look up, but her hand missed a loop in the design she was drawing, making it unbalanced. Why didn't she look up? Probably she was frightened. I must be sure to leave her with a different impression this time. Make her think she'd been imagining things before. â€Å"Hello,† I said in the quiet voice I used when I wanted to make humans more comfortable, forming a polite smile with my lips that would not show any teeth. She looked up then, her wide brown eyes startled – almost bewildered – and full of silent questions. It was the same expression that had been obstructing my vision for the last week. As I stared into those oddly deep brown eyes, I realized that the hate – the hate I'd imagined this girl somehow deserved for simply existing – had evaporated. Not breathing now, not tasting her scent, it was hard to believe that anyone so vulnerable could ever justify hatred. Her cheeks began to flush, and she said nothing. I kept my eyes on hers, focusing only on their questioning depths, and tried to ignore the appetizing color of her skin. I had enough breath to speak for a while longer without inhaling. â€Å"My name is Edward Cullen,† I said, though I knew she knew that. It was the polite way to begin. â€Å"I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan.† She seemed confused – there was that little pucker between her eyes again. It took her half a second longer than it should have for her to respond. â€Å"How do you know my name?† she demanded, and her voice shook just a little. I must have truly terrified her. This made me feel guilty; she was just so defenseless. I laughed gently – it was a sound that I knew made humans more at ease. Again, I was careful about my teeth. â€Å"Oh, I think everyone knows your name.† Surely she must have realized that she'd become the center of attention in this monotonous place. â€Å"The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive.† She frowned as if this information was unpleasant. I supposed, being shy as she seemed to be, attention would seem like a bad thing to her. Most humans felt the opposite. Though they didn't want to stand out from the herd, at the same time they craved a spotlight for their individual uniformity. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"I meant, why did you call me Bella?† â€Å"Do you prefer Isabella?† I asked, perplexed by the fact that I couldn't see where this question was leading. I didn't understand. Surely, she'd made her preference clear many times that first day. Were all humans this incomprehensible without the mental context as a guide? â€Å"No, I like Bella,† she answered, leaning her head slightly to one side. Her expression – if I was reading it correctly – was torn between embarrassment and confusion. â€Å"But I think Charlie – I mean my dad – must call me Isabella behind my back. That's what everyone here seems to know me as.† Her skin darkened one shade pinker. â€Å"Oh,† I said lamely, and quickly looked away from her face. I'd just realized what her questions meant: I had slipped up – made an error. If I hadn't been eavesdropping on all the others that first day, then I would have addressed her initially by her full name, just like everyone else. She'd noticed the difference. I felt a pang of unease. It was very quick of her to pick up on my slip. Quite astute, especially for someone who was supposed to be terrified by my nearness. But I had bigger problems than whatever suspicions about me she might be keeping locked inside her head. I was out of air. If I were going to speak to her again, I would have to inhale. It would be hard to avoid speaking. Unfortunately for her, sharing this table made her my lab partner, and we would have to work together today. It would seem odd – and incomprehensibly rude – for me to ignore her while we did the lab. It would make her more suspicious, more afraid†¦ I leaned as far away from her as I could without moving my seat, twisting my head out into the aisle. I braced myself, locking my muscles in place, and then sucked in one quick chest-full of air, breathing through my mouth alone. Ahh! It was genuinely painful. Even without smelling her, I could taste her on my tongue. My throat was suddenly in flames again, the craving every bit as strong as that first moment I'd caught her scent last week. I gritted my teeth together and tried to compose myself. â€Å"Get started,† Mr. Banner commanded. It felt like it took every single ounce of self-control that I'd achieved in seventy years of hard work to turn back to the girl, who was staring down at the table, and smile. â€Å"Ladies first, partner?† I offered. She looked up at my expression and her face went blank, her eyes wide. Was there something off in my expression? Was she frightened again? She didn't speak. â€Å"Or, I could start, if you wish,† I said quietly. â€Å"No,† she said, and her face went from white to red again. â€Å"I'll go first.† I stared at the equipment on the table, the battered microscope, the box of slides, rather than watch the blood swirl under her clear skin. I took another quick breath, through my teeth, and winced as the taste made my throat ache. â€Å"Prophase,† she said after a quick examination. She started to remove the slide, though she'd barely examined it. â€Å"Do you mind if I look?† Instinctively – stupidly, as if I were one of her kind – I reached out to stop her hand from removing the slide. For one second, the heat of her skin burned into mine. It was like an electric pulse – surely much hotter than a mere ninety-eight point six degrees. The heat shot through my hand and up my arm. She yanked her hand out from under mine. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I muttered through my clenched teeth. Needing somewhere to look, I grasped the microscope and stared briefly into the eyepiece. She was right. â€Å"Prophase,† I agreed. I was still too unsettled to look at her. Breathing as quietly as I could through my gritted teeth and trying to ignore the fiery thirst, I concentrated on the simple assignment, writing the word on the appropriate line on the lab sheet, and then switching out the first slide for the next. What was she thinking now? What had that felt like to her, when I had touched her hand? My skin must have been ice cold – repulsive. No wonder she was so quiet. I glanced at the slide. â€Å"Anaphase,† I said to myself as I wrote it on the second line. â€Å"May I?† she asked. I looked up at her, surprised to see that she was waiting expectantly, one hand half-stretched toward the microscope. She didn't look afraid. Did she really think I'd gotten the answer wrong? I couldn't help but smile at the hopeful look on her face as I slid the microscope toward her. She stared into the eyepiece with an eagerness that quickly faded. The corners of her mouth turned down. â€Å"Slide three?† she asked, not looking up from the microscope, but holding out her hand. I dropped the next slide into her hand, not letting my skin come anywhere close to hers this time. Sitting beside her was like sitting next to a heat lamp. I could feel myself warming slightly to the higher temperature. She did not look at the slide for long. â€Å"Interphase,† she said nonchalantly – perhaps trying a little too hard to sound that way – and pushed the microscope to me. She did not touch the paper, but waited for me to write the answer. I checked – she was correct again. We finished this way, speaking one word at a time and never meeting each other's eyes. We were the only ones done – the others in the class were having a harder time with the lab. Mike Newton seemed to be having trouble concentrating – he was trying to watch Bella and me. Wish he'd stayed wherever he went, Mike thought, eyeing me sulfurously. Hmm, interesting. I hadn't realized the boy harbored any ill will towards me. This was a new development, about as recent as the girl's arrival it seemed. Even more interesting, I found – to my surprise – that the feeling was mutual. I looked down at the girl again, bemused by the wide range of havoc and upheaval that, despite her ordinary, unthreatening appearance, she was wreaking on my life. It wasn't that I couldn't see what Mike was going on about. She was actually rather pretty†¦in an unusual way. Better than being beautiful, her face was interesting. Not quite symmetrical – her narrow chin out of balance with her wide cheekbones; extreme in the coloring – the light and dark contrast of her skin and her hair; and then there were the eyes, brimming over with silent secrets†¦ Eyes that were suddenly boring into mine. I stared back at her, trying to guess even one of those secrets. â€Å"Did you get contacts?† she asked abruptly. What a strange question. â€Å"No.† I almost smiled at the idea of improving my eyesight. â€Å"Oh,† she mumbled. â€Å"I thought there was something different about your eyes.† I felt suddenly colder again as I realized that I was apparently not the only one attempting to ferret out secrets today. I shrugged, my shoulders stiff, and glared straight ahead to where the teacher was making his rounds. Of course there was something different about my eyes since the last time she'd stared into them. To prepare myself for today's ordeal, today's temptation, I'd spent the entire weekend hunting, satiating my thirst as much as possible, overdoing it really. I'd glutted myself on the blood of animals, not that it made much difference in the face of the outrageous flavor floating on the air around her. When I'd glared at her last, my eyes had been black with thirst. Now, my body swimming with blood, my eyes were a warmer gold. Light amber from my excessive attempt at thirst-quenching. Another slip. If I'd seen what she'd meant with her question, I could have just told her yes. I'd sat beside humans for two years now at this school, and she was the first to examine me closely enough to note the change in my eye color. The others, while admiring the beauty of my family, tended to look down quickly when we returned their stares. They shied away, blocking the details of our appearances in an instinctive endeavor to keep themselves from understanding. Ignorance was bliss to the human mind. Why did it have to be this girl who would see too much? Mr. Banner approached our table. I gratefully inhaled the gush of clean air he brought with him before it could mix with her scent. â€Å"So, Edward,† he said, looking over our answers, â€Å"didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?† â€Å"Bella,† I corrected him reflexively. â€Å"Actually, she identified three of the five.† Mr. Banner's thoughts were skeptical as he turned to look at the girl. â€Å"Have you done this lab before?† I watched, engrossed, as she smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. â€Å"Not with onion root.† â€Å"Whitefish blastula?† Mr. Banner probed. â€Å"Yeah.† This surprised him. Today's lab was something he'd pulled from a more advanced course. He nodded thoughtfully at the girl. â€Å"Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?† â€Å"Yes.† She was advanced then, intelligent for a human. This did not surprise me. â€Å"Well,† Mr. Banner said, pursing his lips. â€Å"I guess it's good you two are lab partners.† He turned and walked away mumbling, â€Å"So the other kids can get a chance to learn something for themselves,† under his breath. I doubted the girl could hear that. She began scrawling loops across her folder again. Two slips so far in one half hour. A very poor showing on my part. Though I had no idea at all what the girl thought of me – how much did she fear, how much did she suspect? – I knew I needed to put forth a better effort to leave her with a new impression of me. Something to better drown her memories of our ferocious last encounter. â€Å"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?† I said, repeating the small talk that I'd heard a dozen students discuss already. A boring, standard topic of conversation. The weather – always safe. She stared at me with obvious doubt in her eyes – an abnormal reaction to my very normal words. â€Å"Not really,† she said, surprising me again. I tried to steer the conversation back to trite paths. She was from a much brighter, warmer place – her skin seemed to reflect that somehow, despite its fairness – and the cold must make her uncomfortable. My icy touch certainly had†¦ â€Å"You don't like the cold,† I guessed. â€Å"Or the wet,† she agreed. â€Å"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live.† Perhaps you should not have come here, I wanted to add. Perhaps you should go back where you belong. I wasn't sure I wanted that, though. I would always remember the scent of her blood – was there any guarantee that I wouldn't eventually follow after her? Besides, if she left, her mind would forever remain a mystery. A constant, nagging puzzle. â€Å"You have no idea,† she said in a low voice, glowering past me for a moment. Her answers were never what I expected. They made me want to ask more questions. â€Å"Why did you come here, then?† I demanded, realizing instantly that my tone was too accusatory, not casual enough for the conversation. The question sounded rude, prying. â€Å"It's†¦complicated.† She blinked her wide eyes, leaving it at that, and I nearly imploded out of curiosity – the curiosity burned as hot as the thirst in my throat. Actually, I found that it was getting slightly easier to breathe; the agony was becoming more bearable through familiarity. â€Å"I think I can keep up,† I insisted. Perhaps common courtesy would keep her answering my questions as long as I was rude enough to ask them. She stared down silently at her hands. This made me impatient; I wanted to put my hand under her chin and tilt her head up so that I could read her eyes. But it would be foolish of me – dangerous – to touch her skin again. She looked up suddenly. It was a relief to be able to see the emotions in her eyes again. She spoke in a rush, hurrying through the words. â€Å"My mother got remarried.† Ah, this was human enough, easy to understand. Sadness passed through her clear eyes and brought the pucker back between them. â€Å"That doesn't sound so complex,† I said. My voice was gentle without my working to make it that way. Her sadness left me feeling oddly helpless, wishing there was something I could do to make her feel better. A strange impulse. â€Å"When did that happen?† â€Å"Last September.† She exhaled heavily – not quite a sigh. I held my breath as her warm breath brushed my face. â€Å"And you don't like him,† I guessed, fishing for more information. â€Å"No, Phil is fine,† she said, correcting my assumption. There was a hint of a smile now around the corners of her full lips. â€Å"Too young, maybe, but nice enough.† This didn't fit with the scenario I'd been constructing in my head. â€Å"Why didn't you stay with them?† I asked, my voice a little too curious. It sounded like I was being nosy. Which I was, admittedly. â€Å"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living.† The little smile grew more pronounced; this career choice amused her. I smiled, too, without choosing to. I wasn't trying to make her feel at ease. Her smile just made me want to smile in response – to be in on the secret. â€Å"Have I heard of him?† I ran through the rosters of professional ball players in my head, wondering which Phil was hers†¦ â€Å"Probably not. He doesn't play well.† Another smile. â€Å"Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot.† The rosters in my head shifted instantly, and I'd tabulated a list of possibilities in less than a second. At the same time, I was imagining the new scenario. â€Å"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him,† I said. Making assumptions seemed to get more information out of her than questions did. It worked again. Her chin jutted out, and her expression was suddenly stubborn. â€Å"No, she did not send me here,† she said, and her voice had a new, hard edge to it. My assumption had upset her, though I couldn't quite see how. â€Å"I sent myself.† I could not guess at her meaning, or the source behind her pique. I was entirely lost. So I gave up. There was just no making sense of the girl. She wasn't like other humans. Maybe the silence of her thoughts and the perfume of her scent were not the only unusual things about her. â€Å"I don't understand,† I admitted, hating to concede. She sighed, and stared into my eyes for longer than most normal humans were able to stand. â€Å"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him,† she explained slowly, her tone growing more forlorn with each word. â€Å"It made her unhappy†¦so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie.† The tiny pucker between her eyes deepened. â€Å"But now you're unhappy,† I murmured. I couldn't seem to stop speaking my hypotheses aloud, hoping to learn from her reactions. This one, however, did not seem as far off the mark. â€Å"And?† she said, as if this was not even an aspect to be considered. I continued to stare into her eyes, feeling that I'd finally gotten my first real glimpse into her soul. I saw in that one word where she ranked herself among her own priorities. Unlike most humans, her own needs were far down the list. She was selfless. As I saw this, the mystery of the person hiding inside this quiet mind began to thin a little. â€Å"That doesn't seem fair,† I said. I shrugged, trying to seem casual, trying to conceal the intensity of my curiosity. She laughed, but there was no amusement the sound. â€Å"Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair.† I wanted to laugh at her words, though I, too, felt no real amusement. I knew a little something about the unfairness of life. â€Å"I believe I have heard that somewhere before.† She stared back at me, seeming confused again. Her eyes flickered away, and then came back to mine. â€Å"So that's all,† she told me. But I was not ready to let this conversation end. The little V between her eyes, a remnant of her sorrow, bothered me. I wanted to smooth it away with my fingertip. But, of course, I could not touch her. It was unsafe in so many ways. â€Å"You put on a good show.† I spoke slowly, still considering this next hypothesis. â€Å"But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see.† She made a face, her eyes narrowing and her mouth twisting into a lopsided pout, and she looked back towards the front of the class. She didn't like it when I guessed right. She wasn't the average martyr – she didn't want an audience to her pain. â€Å"Am I wrong?† She flinched slightly, but otherwise pretended not to hear me. That made me smile. â€Å"I didn't think so.† â€Å"Why does it matter to you?† she demanded, still staring away. â€Å"That's a very good question,† I admitted, more to myself than to answer her. Her discernment was better than mine – she saw right to the core of things while I floundered around the edges, sifting blindly through clues. The details of her very human life should not matter to me. It was wrong for me to care what she thought. Beyond protecting my family from suspicion, human thoughts were not significant. I was not used to being the less intuitive of any pairing. I relied on my extra hearing too much – I clearly was not as perceptive as I gave myself credit for. The girl sighed and glowered toward the front of the classroom. Something about her frustrated expression was humorous. The whole situation, the whole conversation was humorous. No one had ever been in more danger from me than this little girl – at any moment I might, distracted by my ridiculous absorption in the conversation, inhale through my nose and attack her before I could stop myself – and she was irritated because I hadn't answered her question. â€Å"Am I annoying you?† I asked, smiling at the absurdity of it all. She glanced at me quickly, and then her eyes seemed to get trapped by my gaze. â€Å"Not exactly,† she told me. â€Å"I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read – my mother always calls me her open book.† She frowned, disgruntled. I stared at her in amazement. The reason she was upset was because she thought I saw through her too easily. How bizarre. I'd never expended so much effort to understand someone in all my life – or rather existence, as life was hardly the right word. I did not truly have a life. â€Å"On the contrary,† I disagreed, feeling strangely†¦wary, as if there were some hidden danger here that I was failing to see. I was suddenly on edge, the premonition making me anxious. â€Å"I find you very difficult to read.† â€Å"You must be a good reader then,† she guessed, making her own assumption that was, again, right on target. â€Å"Usually,† I agreed. I smiled at her widely then, letting my lips pull back to expose the rows of gleaming, razor sharp teeth behind them. It was a stupid thing to do, but I was abruptly, unexpectedly desperate to get some kind of warning through to the girl. Her body was closer to me than before, having shifted unconsciously in the course of our conversation. All the little markers and signs that were sufficient to scare off the rest of humanity did not seem to be working on her. Why did she not cringe away from me in terror? Surely she had seen enough of my darker side to realize the danger, intuitive as she seemed to be. I didn't get to see if my warning had the intended effect. Mr. Banner called for the class's attention just then, and she turned away from me at once. She seemed a little relieved for the interruption, so maybe she understood unconsciously. I hoped she did. I recognized the fascination growing inside me, even as I tried to root it out. I could not afford to find Bella Swan interesting. Or rather, she could not afford that. Already, I was anxious for another chance to talk to her. I wanted to know more about her mother, her life before she came here, her relationship with her father. All the meaningless details that would flesh out her character further. But every second I spent with her was a mistake, a risk she shouldn't have to take. Absentmindedly, she tossed her thick hair just at the moment that I allowed myself another breath. A particularly concentrated wave of her scent hit the back of my throat. It was like the first day – like the wrecking ball. The pain of the burning dryness made me dizzy. I had to grasp the table again to keep myself in my seat. This time I had slightly more control. I didn't break anything, at least. The monster growled inside me, but took no pleasure in my pain. He was too tightly bound. For the moment. I stopped breathing altogether, and leaned as far from the girl as I could. No, I could not afford to find her fascinating. The more interesting I found her, the more likely it was that I would kill her. I'd already made two minor slips today. Would I make a third, one that was not minor? As soon as the bell sounded, I fled from the classroom – probably destroying whatever impression of politeness I'd halfway constructed in the course of the hour. Again, I gasped at the clean, wet air outside like it was a healing attar. I hurried to put as much distance between myself and the girl as was possible. Emmett waited for me outside the door of our Spanish class. He read my wild expression for a moment. How did it go? he wondered warily. â€Å"Nobody died,† I mumbled. I guess that's something. When I saw Alice ditching there at the end, I thought†¦ As we walked into the classroom, I saw his memory from just a few moments ago, seen through the open door of his last class: Alice walking briskly and blank-faced across the grounds toward the science building. I felt his remembered urge to get up and join her, and then his decision to stay. If Alice needed his help, she would ask†¦ I closed my eyes in horror and disgust as I slumped into my seat. â€Å"I hadn't realized that it was that close. I didn't think I was going to†¦I didn't see that it was that bad,† I whispered. It wasn't, he reassured me. Nobody died, right? â€Å"Right,† I said through my teeth. â€Å"Not this time.† Maybe it will get easier. â€Å"Sure.† Or, maybe you kill her. He shrugged. You wouldn't be the first one to mess up. No one would judge you too harshly. Sometimes a person just smells too good. I'm impressed you've lasted this long. â€Å"Not helping, Emmett.† I was revolted by his acceptance of the idea that I would kill the girl, that this was somehow inevitable. Was it her fault that she smelled so good? I know when it happened to me†¦, he reminisced, taking me back with him half a century, to a country lane at dusk, where a middle-aged women was taking her dried sheets down from a line strung between apple trees. The scent of apples hung heavy in the air – the harvest was over and the rejected fruits were scattered on the ground, the bruises in their skin leaking their fragrance out in thick clouds. A fresh-mowed field of hay was a background to that scent, a harmony. He walked up the lane, all.