The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 2 STITCHES

CARLISLE WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO STAYED calm. Centuries of experience in the emergency room were evident in his quiet, authoritative voice. â€Å"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside.† Unsmiling for once, Emmett nodded. â€Å"Come on, Jasper.† Jasper struggled against Emmett's unbreakable grasp, twisting around, reaching toward his brother with his bared teeth, his eyes still past reason. Edward's face was whiter than bone as he wheeled to crouch over me, taking a clearly defensive position. A low warning growl slid from between his clenched teeth. I could tell that he wasn't breathing. Rosalie, her divine face strangely smug, stepped in front of Jasperkeeping a careful distance from his teethand helped Emmett wrestle him through the glass door that Esme held open, one hand pressed over her mouth and nose. Esme's heart-shaped face was ashamed. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Bella,† she cried as she followed the others into the yard. â€Å"Let me by, Edward,† Carlisle murmured. A second passed, and then Edward nodded slowly and relaxed his stance. Carlisle knelt beside me, leaning close to examine my arm. I could feel the shock frozen on my face, and I tried to compose it. â€Å"Here, Carlisle,† Alice said, handing him a towel. He shook his head. â€Å"Too much glass in the wound.† He reached over and ripped a long, thin scrap from the bottom of the white tablecloth. He twisted it around my arm above the elbow to form a tourniquet. The smell of the blood was making me dizzy. My ears rang. â€Å"Bella,† Carlisle said softly. â€Å"Do you want me to drive you to the hospital, or would you like me to take care of it here?† â€Å"Here, please,† I whispered. If he took me to the hospital, there would be no way to keep this from Charlie. â€Å"I'll get your bag,† Alice said. â€Å"Let's take her to the kitchen table,† Carlisle said to Edward. Edward lifted me effortlessly, while Carlisle kept the pressure steady on my arm. â€Å"How are you doing, Bella?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"I'm fine.† My voice was reasonably steady, which pleased me. Edward's face was like stone. Alice was there. Carlisle's black bag was already on the table, a small but brilliant desk light plugged into the wall. Edward sat me gently into a chair, and Carlisle pulled up another. He went to work at once. Edward stood over me, still protective, still not breathing. â€Å"Just go, Edward,† I sighed. â€Å"I can handle it,† he insisted. But his jaw was rigid; his eyes burned with the intensity of the thirst he fought, so much worse for him than it was for the others. â€Å"You don't need to be a hero,† I said. â€Å"Carlisle can fix me up without your help. Get some fresh air.† I winced as Carlisle did something to my arm that stung. â€Å"I'll stay,† he said. â€Å"Why are you so masochistic?† I mumbled. Carlisle decided to intercede. â€Å"Edward, you may as well go find Jasper before he gets too far. I'm sure he's upset with himself, and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now.† â€Å"Yes,† I eagerly agreed. â€Å"Go find Jasper.† â€Å"You might as well do something useful,† Alice added. Edward's eyes narrowed as we ganged up on him, but, finally, he nodded once and sprinted smoothly through the kitchen's back door. I was sure he hadn't taken a breath since I'd sliced my finger. A numb, dead feeling was spreading through my arm. Though it erased the sting, it reminded me of the gash, and I watched Carlisle's face carefully to distract me from what his hands were doing. His hair gleamed gold in the bright light as he bent over my arm. I could feel the faint stirrings of unease in the pit of my stomach, but I was determined not to let my usual squeamishness get the best of me. There was no pain now, just a gentle tugging sensation that I tried to ignore. No reason to get sick like a baby. If she hadn't been in my line of sight, I wouldn't have noticed Alice give up and steal out of the room. With a tiny, apologetic smile on her lips, she disappeared through the kitchen doorway. â€Å"Well, that's everyone,† I sighed. â€Å"I can clear a room, at least.† â€Å"It's not your fault,† Carlisle comforted me with a chuckle. â€Å"It could happen to anyone.† â€Å"Could† I repeated. â€Å"But it usually just happens to me.† He laughed again. His relaxed calm was only more amazing set in direct contrast with everyone else's reaction. I couldn't find any trace of anxiety in his face. He worked with quick, sure movements. The only sound besides our quiet breathing was the soft plink, plink as the tiny fragments of glass dropped one by one to the table. â€Å"How can you do this?† I demanded. â€Å"Even Alice and Esme† I trailed off, shaking my head in wonder. Though the rest of them had given up the traditional diet of vampires just as absolutely as Carlisle had, he was the only one who could bear the smell of my blood without suffering from the intense temptation. Clearly, this was much more difficult than he made it seem. â€Å"Years and years of practice,† he told me. â€Å"I barely notice the scent anymore.† â€Å"Do you think it would be harder if you took a vacation from the hospital for a long time. And weren't around any blood?† â€Å"Maybe.† He shrugged his shoulders, but his hands remained steady. â€Å"I've never felt the need for an extended holiday.† He flashed a brilliant smile in my direction. â€Å"I enjoy my work too much.† Plink, plink, plink. I was surprised at how much glass there seemed to be in my arm. I was tempted to glance at the growing pile, just to check the size, but I knew that idea would not be helpful to my no-vomiting strategy. â€Å"What is it that you enjoy?† I wondered. It didn't make sense to methe years of struggle and self-denial he must have spent to get to the point where he could endure this so easily. Besides, I wanted to keep him talking; the conversation kept my mind off the queasy feeling in my stomach. His dark eyes were calm and thoughtful as he answered. â€Å"Hmm. What I enjoy the very most is when my enhanced abilities let me save someone who would otherwise have been lost. It's pleasant knowing that, thanks to what I can do, some people's lives are better because I exist. Even the sense of smell is a useful diagnostic tool at times.† One side of his mouth pulled up in half a smile. I mulled that over while he poked around, making sure all the glass splinters were gone. Then he rummaged in his bag for new tools, and I tried not to picture a needle and thread. â€Å"You try very hard to make up for something that was never your fault,† I suggested while a new kind of tugging started at the edges of my skin. â€Å"What I mean is, it's not like you asked for this. You didn't choose this kind of life, and yet you have to work so hard to be good.† â€Å"I don't know that I'm making up for anything,† he disagreed lightly. â€Å"Like everything in life, I just had to decide what to do with what I was given.† â€Å"That makes it sound too easy.† He examined my arm again. â€Å"There,† he said, snipping a thread. â€Å"All done.† He wiped an oversized Q-tip, dripping with some syrup-colored liquid, thoroughly across the operation site. The smell was strange; it made my head spin. The syrup stained my skin. â€Å"In the beginning, though,† I pressed while he taped another long piece of gauze securely in place, sealing it to my skin. â€Å"Why did you even think to try a different way than the obvious one?† His lips turned up in a private smile. â€Å"Hasn't Edward told you this story?† â€Å"Yes. But I'm trying to understand what you were thinking† His face was suddenly serious again, and I wondered if his thoughts had gone to the same place that mine had. Wondering what I would be thinking whenI refused to think ifit was me. â€Å"You know my father was a clergyman,† he mused as he cleaned the table carefully, rubbing everything down with wet gauze, and then doing it again. The smell of alcohol burned in my nose. â€Å"He had a rather harsh view of the world, which I was already beginning to question before the time that I changed.† Carlisle put all the dirty gauze and the glass slivers into an empty crystal bowl. I didn't understand what he was doing, even when he lit the match. Then he threw it onto the alcohol-soaked fibers, and the sudden blaze made me jump. â€Å"Sorry,† he apologized. â€Å"That ought to do it So I didn't agree with my father's particular brand of faith. But never, in the nearly four hundred years now since I was born, have I ever seen anything to make me doubt whether God exists in some form or the other. Not even the reflection in the mirror.† I pretended to examine the dressing on my arm to hide my surprise at the direction our conversation had taken. Religion was the last thing I expected, all things considered. My own life was fairly devoid of belief. Charlie considered himself a Lutheran, because that's what his parents had been, but Sundays he worshipped by the river with a fishing pole in his hand. Renee tried out a church now and then, but, much like her brief affairs with tennis, pottery, yoga, and French classes, she moved on by the time I was aware of her newest fad. â€Å"I'm sure all this sounds a little bizarre, coming from a vampire.† He grinned, knowing how their casual use of that word never failed to shock me. â€Å"But I'm hoping that there is still a point to this life, even for us. It's a long shot, I'll admit,† he continued in an offhand voice. â€Å"By all accounts, we're damned regardless. But I hope, maybe foolishly, that we'll get some measure of credit for trying.† â€Å"I don't think that's foolish,† I mumbled. I couldn't imagine anyone, deity included, who wouldn't be impressed by Carlisle. Besides, the only kind of heaven I could appreciate would have to include Edward. â€Å"And I don't think anyone else would, either.† â€Å"Actually, you're the very first one to agree with me.† â€Å"The rest of them don't feel the same?† I asked, surprised, thinking of only one person in particular. Carlisle guessed the direction of my thoughts again. â€Å"Edward's with me up to a point. God and heaven exist and so does hell. But he doesn't believe there is an afterlife for our kind.† Carlisle's voice was very soft; he stared out the big window over the sink, into the darkness. â€Å"You see, he thinks we've lost our souls.† I immediately thought of Edward's words this afternoon: unless you want to dieor whatever it is that we do. The lightbulb flicked on over my head. â€Å"That's the real problem, isn't it?† I guessed. â€Å"That's why he's being so difficult about me.† Carlisle spoke slowly. â€Å"I look at my son. His strength, his goodness, the brightness that shines out of himand it only fuels that hope, that faith, more than ever. How could there not be more for one such as Edward?† I nodded in fervent agreement. â€Å"But if I believed as he does† He looked down at me with unfathomable eyes. â€Å"If you believed as he did. Could you take away his soul?† The way he phrased the question thwarted my answer. If he'd asked me whether I would risk my soul for Edward, the reply would be obvious. But would I risk Edward's soul? I pursed my lips unhappily. That wasn't a fair exchange. â€Å"You see the problem.† I shook my head, aware of the stubborn set of my chin. Carlisle sighed. â€Å"It's my choice,† I insisted. â€Å"It's his, too.† He held up his hand when he could see that I was about to argue. â€Å"Whether he is responsible for doing that to you.† â€Å"He's not the only one able to do it.† I eyed Carlisle speculatively. He laughed, abruptly lightening the mood. â€Å"Oh, no! You're going to have to work this out with him.†But then he sighed. â€Å"That's the one part I can never be sure of. I think, in most other ways, that I've done the best I could with what I had to work with. But was it right to doom the others to this life? I can't decide.† I didn't answer. I imagined what my life would be like if Carlisle had resisted the temptation to change his lonely existence and shuddered. â€Å"It was Edward's mother who made up my mind.† Carlisle's voice was almost a whisper. He stared unseeingly out the black windows. â€Å"His mother?† Whenever I'd asked Edward about his parents, he would merely say that they had died long ago, and his memories were vague. I realized Carlisle's memory of them, despite the brevity of their contact, would be perfectly clear. â€Å"Yes. Her name was Elizabeth. Elizabeth Masen. His father, Edward Senior, never regained consciousness in the hospital. He died in the first wave of the influenza. But Elizabeth was alert until almost the very end. Edward looks a great deal like hershe had that same strange bronze shade to her hair, and her eyes were exactly the same color green.† â€Å"His eyes were green?† I murmured, trying to picture it. â€Å"Yes† Carlisle's ocher eyes were a hundred years away now. â€Å"Elizabeth worried obsessively over her son. She hurt her own chances of survival trying to nurse him from her sickbed. I expected that he would go first, he was so much worse off than she was. When the end came for her, it was very quick. It was just after sunset, and I'd arrived to relieve the doctors who'd been working all day. That was a hard time to pretendthere was so much work to be done, and I had no need of rest. How I hated to go back to my house, to hide in the dark and pretend to sleep while so many were dying. â€Å"I went to check Elizabeth and her son first. I'd grown attachedalways a dangerous thing to do considering the fragile nature of humans. I could see at once that she'd taken a bad turn. The fever was raging out of control, and her body was too weak to fight anymore. â€Å"She didn't look weak, though, when she glared up at me from her cot. â€Å"Save him!' she commanded me in the hoarse voice that was all her throat could manage. â€Å"I'll do everything in my power,' I promised her, taking her hand. The fever was so high, she probably couldn't even tell how unnaturally cold mine felt. Everything felt cold to her skin. â€Å"You must,† she insisted, clutching at my hand with enough strength that I wondered if she wouldn't pull through the crisis after all. Her eyes were hard, like stones, like emeralds. ‘You must do everything in your power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward.† â€Å"It frightened me. She looked it me with those piercing eyes, and, for one instant, I felt certain that she knew my secret. Then the fever overwhelmed her, and she never regained consciousness. She died within an hour of making her demand. â€Å"I'd spent decades considering the idea of creating a companion for myself. Just one other creature who could really know me, rather than what I pretended to be. But I could never justify it to myselfdoing what had been done to me. â€Å"There Edward lay, dying. It was clear that he had only hours left. Beside him, his mother, her face somehow not yet peaceful, not even in death.† Carlisle saw it all again, his memory unblurred by the intervening century. I could see it clearly, too, as he spokethe despair of the hospital, the overwhelming atmosphere of death. Edward burning with fever, his life slipping away with each tick of the clock I shuddered again, and forced the picture from my mind. â€Å"Elizabeth's words echoed in my head. How could she guess what I could do? Could anyone really want that for her son? â€Å"I looked at Edward. Sick as he was, he was still beautiful. There was something pure and good about his face. The kind of face I would have wanted my son to have. â€Å"After all those years of indecision, I simply acted on a whim. I wheeled his mother to the morgue first, and then I came back for him. No one noticed that he was still breathing. There weren't enough hands, enough eyes, to keep track of half of what the patients needed. The morgue was emptyof the living, at least. I stole him out the back door, and carried him across the rooftops back to my home. â€Å"I wasn't sure what had to be done. I settled for recreating the wounds I'd received myself, so many centuries earlier in London. I felt bad about that later. It was more painful and lingering than necessary. â€Å"I wasn't sorry, though. I've never been sorry that I saved Edward.† He shook his head, coming back to the present. He smiled at me. â€Å"I suppose I should take you home now.† â€Å"I'll do that,† Edward said. He came through the shadowy dining room, walking slowly for him. His face was smooth, unreadable, but there was something wrong with his eyessomething he was trying very hard to hide. I felt a spasm of unease in my stomach. â€Å"Carlisle can take me,† I said. I looked down at my shirt; the light blue cotton was soaked and spotted with my blood. My right shoulder was covered in thick pink frosting. â€Å"I'm fine.† Edward's voice was unemotional. â€Å"You'll need to change anyway. You'd give Charlie a heart attack the way you look. I'll have Alice get you something.† He strode out the kitchen door again. I looked at Carlisle anxiously. â€Å"He's very upset.† â€Å"Yes,† Carlisle agreed. â€Å"Tonight is exactly the kind of thing that he fears the most. You being put in danger, because of what we are.† â€Å"It's not his fault.† â€Å"It's not yours, either.† I looked away from his wise, beautiful eyes. I couldn't agree with that. Carlisle offered me his hand and helped me up from the table. I followed him out into the main room. Esme had come back; she was mopping the floor where I'd fallenwith straight bleach from the smell of it. â€Å"Esme, let me do that.† I could feel that my face was bright red again. â€Å"I'm already done.† She smiled up at me. â€Å"How do you feel?† â€Å"I'm fine,† I assured her. â€Å"Carlisle sews faster than any other doctor I've had.† They both chuckled. Alice and Edward came in the back doors. Alice hurried to my side, but Edward hung back, his face indecipherable. â€Å"C'mon,† Alice said. â€Å"I'll get you something less macabre to wear.† She found me a shirt of Esme's that was close to the same color mine had been. Charlie wouldn't notice, I was sure. The long white bandage on my arm didn't look nearly as serious when I was no longer spattered in gore. Charlie was never surprised to see me bandaged. â€Å"Alice,† I whispered as she headed back to the door. â€Å"Yes?† She kept her voice low, too, and looked at me curiously, her head cocked to the side. â€Å"How bad is it?† I couldn't be sure if my whispering was a wasted effort. Even though we were upstairs, with the door closed, perhaps he could hear me. Her face tensed. â€Å"I'm not sure yet.† â€Å"How's Jasper?† She sighed. â€Å"He's very unhappy with himself. It's all so much more of challenge for him, and he hates feeling weak.† â€Å"It's not his fault. You'll tell him that I'm not mad at him, not at all, won't you?† â€Å"Of course.† Edward was waiting for me by the front door. As I got to the bottom of the staircase, he held it open without a word. â€Å"Take your things!† Alice cried as I walked warily toward Edward. She scooped up the two packages, one half-opened, and my camera from under the piano, and pressed them into my good arm. â€Å"You can thank me later, when you've opened them.† Esme and Carlisle both said a quiet goodnight. I could see them stealing quick glances at their impassive son, much like I was. It was a relief to be outside; I hurried past the lanterns and the roses, now unwelcome reminders. Edward kept pace with me silently. He opened the passenget side for me, and I climbed in without complaint. On the dashboard was a big red ribbon, stuck to the new stereo. I pulled it off, throwing it to the floor. As Edward slid into the other side, I kicked the ribbon under my seat. He didn't look at me or the stereo. Neither of us switched it on, and the silence was somehow intensified by the sudden thunder of the engine. He drove too fast down the dark, serpentine lane. The silence was making me insane. â€Å"Say something,† I finally begged as he turned onto the freeway. â€Å"What do you want me to say?† he asked in a detached voice. I cringed at his remoteness. ‘Tell me you forgive me.† That brought a flicker of life to his facea flicker of anger. â€Å"Forgive you? For what?† â€Å"If I'd been more careful, nothing would have happened.† â€Å"Bella, you gave yourself a paper cutthat hardly deserves the death penalty.† â€Å"It's still my fault.† My words opened up the floodgate. â€Å"Your fault? If you'd cut yourself at Mike Newton's house, with Jessica there and Angela and your other normal friends, the worst that could possibly have happened would be what? Maybe they couldn't find you a bandage? If you'd tripped and knocked over a pile of glass plates on your ownwithout someone throwing you into themeven then, what's the worst? You'd get blood on the seats when they drove you to the emergency room? Mike Newton could have held your hand while they stitched you upand he wouldn't be righting the urge to kill you the whole time he was there. Don't try to take any of this on yourself, Bella. It will only make me more disgusted with myself.† â€Å"How the hell did Mike Newton end up in this conversation?† I demanded. â€Å"Mike Newton ended up in this conversation because Mike Newton would be a hell of a lot healthier for you to be with,† he growled. â€Å"I'd rather die than be with Mike Newton,† I protested. â€Å"I'd rather die than be with anyone but you.† â€Å"Don't be melodramatic, please.† â€Å"Well then, don't you be ridiculous.† He didn't answer. He glared through the windshield, his expression black. I racked my brain for some way to salvage the evening. When we pulled up in front of my house, I still hadn't come up with anything. He killed the engine, but his hands stayed clenched around the steering wheel. â€Å"Will you stay tonight?† I asked. â€Å"I should go home.† The last thing I wanted was for him to go wallow in remorse. â€Å"For my birthday,† I pressed. â€Å"You can't have it both wayseither you want people to ignore your birthday or you don't. One or the other.† His voice was stern, but not .is serious as before. I breathed a silent sigh of relief. â€Å"Okay. I've decided that I don't want you to ignore my birthday. I'll see you upstairs.† I hopped out, reaching back in for my packages. He frowned. â€Å"You don't have to take those.† â€Å"I want them,† I responded automatically, and then wondered if he was using reverse psychology. â€Å"No, you don't. Carlisle and Esme spent money on you.† â€Å"I'll live.† I tucked the presents awkwardly under my good arm and slammed the door behind me. He was out of the truck and by my side in less than a second. â€Å"Let me carry them, at least.† he said as he took them away. â€Å"I'll be in your room.† I smiled. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Happy birthday,† he sighed, and leaned down to touch his lips to mine. I reached up on my toes to make the kiss last longer when he pulled away. He smiled my favorite crooked smile, and then he disappeared into the darkness. The game was still on; as soon as I walked through the front door I could hear the announcer rambling over the babble of the crowd. â€Å"Bell?† Charlie called. â€Å"Hey, Dad,† I said as I came around the corner. I held my arm close to my side. The slight pressure burned, and I wrinkled my nose. The anesthetic was apparently losing its effectiveness. â€Å"How was it?† Charlie lounged across the sofa with his bare feet propped up on the arm. What was left of his curly brown hair was crushed flat on one side. â€Å"Alice went overboard. Flowers, cake, candles, presentsthe whole bit.† â€Å"What did they get you?† â€Å"A stereo for my truck.† And various unknowns. â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"Well, I'm calling it a night.† â€Å"I'll see you in the morning.† I waved. â€Å"See ya.† â€Å"What happened to your arm?† I flushed and cursed silently. â€Å"I tripped. It's nothing.† â€Å"Bella,† he sighed, shaking his head. â€Å"Goodnight, Dad.† I hurried up to the bathroom, where I kept my pajamas for just such nights as these. I shrugged into the matching tank top and cotton pants that I'd gotten to replace the holey sweats I used to wear to bed, wincing as the movement pulled at the stitches. I washed my face one-handed, brushed my teeth, and then skipped to my room. He was sitting in the center of my bed, toying idly with one of the silver boxes. â€Å"Hi,† he said. His voice was sad. He was wallowing. I went to the bed, pushed the presents out of his hands, and climbed into his lap. â€Å"Hi.† I snuggled into his stone chest. â€Å"Can I open my presents now?† â€Å"Where did the enthusiasm come from?† he wondered. â€Å"You made me curious.† I picked up the long flat rectangle that must have been from Carlisle and Esme. â€Å"Allow me,† he suggested. He took the gift from my hand and tore the silver paper off with one fluid movement. He handed the rectangular white box back to me. â€Å"Are you sure I can handle lifting the lid?† I muttered, but he ignored me. Inside the box was a long thick piece of paper with an overwhelming amount of fine print. It took me a minute to get the gist of the information. â€Å"We're going to Jacksonville?† And I was excited, in spite of myself. It was a voucher for plane tickets, for both me and Edward. â€Å"That's the idea.† â€Å"I can't believe it. Renee is going to flip! You don't mind, though, do you? It's sunny, you'll have to stay inside all day.† â€Å"I think I can handle it,† he said, and then frowned. â€Å"If I'd had any idea that you could respond to a gift this appropriately, I would have made you open it in front of Carlisle and Esme. I thought you'd complain.† â€Å"Well, of course it's too much. But I get to take you with me!† He chuckled. â€Å"Now I wish I'd spent money on your present. I didn't realize that you were capable of being reasonable.† I set the tickets aside and reached for his present, my curiosity rekindled. He took it from me and unwrapped it like the first one. He handed back a clear CD jewel case, with a blank silver CD inside. â€Å"What is it?† I asked, perplexed. He didn't say anything; he took the CD and reached around me to put it in the CD player on the bedside table. He hit play, and we waited in silence. Then the music began. I listened, speechless and wide-eyed. I knew he was waiting for my reaction, but I couldn't talk. Tears welled up, and I reached up to wipe them away before they could spill over. â€Å"Does your arm hurt?† he asked anxiously. â€Å"No, it's not my arm. It's beautiful, Edward. You couldn't have given me anything I would love more. I can't believe it.† I shut up, so I could listen. It was his music, his compositions. The first piece on the CD was my lullaby. â€Å"I didn't think you would let me get a piano so I could play for you here,† he explained. â€Å"You're right.† â€Å"How does your arm feel?† â€Å"Just fine.† Actually, it was starting to blaze under the bandage. I wanted ice. I would have settled for his hand, but that would have given me away. â€Å"I'll get you some Tylenol.† â€Å"I don't need anything,† I protested, but he slid me off his lap and headed for the door. â€Å"Charlie,† I hissed. Charlie wasn't exactly aware that Edward frequently stayed over. In fact, he would have a stroke if that fact were brought to his attention. But I didn't feel too guilty for deceiving him It wasn't as if we were up to anything he wouldn't want me to be up to. Edward and his rules â€Å"He won't catch me,† Edward promised as he disappeared silently out the door . . and returned, catching the door before it had swung back to touch the frame. He had the glass from the bathroom and the bottle of pills in one hand. I took the pills he handed me without arguingI knew I would lose the argument And my arm really was starting to bother me. My lullaby continued, soft and lovely, in the background. â€Å"It's late,† Edward noted. He scooped me up off the bed with one arm, and pulled the cover back with the other. He put me down with my head on my pillow and tucked the quilt around me. He lay down next to meon top of the blanket so I wouldn't get chilledand put his arm over me. I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed happily. â€Å"Thanks again,† I whispered. â€Å"You're welcome.† It was quiet for a long moment as I listened to my lullaby drift to a close. Another song began. I recognized Esme's favorite. â€Å"What are you thinking about?'† I wondered in a whisper. He hesitated for a second before he told me. â€Å"I was thinking about right and wrong, actually.† I felt a chill tingle along my spine. â€Å"Remember how I decided that I wanted you to not ignore my birthday?† I asked quickly, hoping it wasn't too clear that I was trying to distract him. â€Å"Yes,† he agreed, wary. â€Å"Well, I was thinking, since it's still my birthday, that I'd like you to kiss me again.† â€Å"You're greedy tonight.† â€Å"Yes, I ambut please, don't do anything you don't want to do,† I added, piqued. He laughed, and then sighed. â€Å"Heaven forbid that I should do anything I don't want to do,† he said in a strangely desperate tone as he put his hand under my chin and pulled my face up to his. The kiss began much the same as usualEdward was as careful as ever, and my heart began to overreact like it always did. And then something seemed to change. Suddenly his lips became much more urgent, his free hand twisted into my hair and held my face securely to his. And, though my hands tangled in his hair, too, and though I was clearly beginning to cross his cautious lines, for once he didn't stop me. His body was cold through the thin quilt, but I crushed myself against him eagerly. When he stopped it was abrupt; he pushed me away with gentle, firm hands. I collapsed back onto my pillow, gasping, my head spinning. Something tugged at my memory, elusive, on the edges. â€Å"Sorry,† he said, and he was breathless, too. â€Å"That was out of line.† â€Å"I don't mind,† I panted. He frowned at me in the darkness. â€Å"Try to sleep. Bella.† â€Å"No, I want you to kiss me again.† â€Å"You're overestimating my self-control.† â€Å"Which is tempting you more, my blood or my body?† I challenged. â€Å"It's a tie.† He grinned briefly in spite of himself, and then was serious again. â€Å"Now. why don't you stop pushing your luck and go to sleep?† â€Å"Fine,† I agreed, snuggling closer to him. I really did feel exhausted. It had been a long day in so many ways, yet I felt no sense of relief at its end. Almost as if something worse was coming tomorrow. It was a silly premonitionwhat could be worse than today?' Just the shock catching up with me, no doubt. Trying to be sneaky about it, I pressed my injured arm against his shoulder, so his cool skin would sooth the burning. It felt better at once. I was halfway asleep, maybe more, when I realized what his kiss had reminded me of: last spring, when he'd had to leave me to throw James off my trail, Edward had kissed me goodbye, not knowing whenor ifwe would see each other again. This kiss had the same almost painful edge for some reason I couldn't imagine. I shuddered into unconsciousness, as if I were already having a nightmare.

Rene Descartes six meditations Distinction of Self from the Body Essay

Rene Descartes was a French Mathematician and a modern Philosopher who developed an original philosophy based on sciences aimed at being stable and likely to last. His method was based upon premises of senses, reason, doubt and belief. Like most philosophers his quest was for Truth and knowledge. However the nature of Truth and knowledge remains debatable among philosophers to this day. It is worth noting that a contemporary modern philosopher said at the beginning of the 21st century, the beginning of ‘ Information Age ‘ , â€Å" Study of philosophy is now reduced to the study of language. We are distinct from our bodies ! Since the advent of human civilization many men have preoccupied themselves with philosophical thoughts of the distinction of self from the body. These metaphysical ideas , sometimes ontological, lie on the borderline of religious theology and philosophy. With discoveries in the field of physical sciences like Einstein’s ‘ Relativity ‘ the human conception of space, matter, time and forces has become clearer. This has further fuelled interest in the field of philosophical investigation of the relationships between mind, matter and the supernatural. This activity is a commonplace past time of the educated and curious. The scientific and methodological study of any branch of knowledge involves the formulation of – Thesis, Hypothesis and Anti – Thesis. Every Thesis has an Anti–Thesis. Is the self distinct from the body ? The senses are deceptive! What we see is spurious. Our memory deceives us. Hence a Truth that can be established is that nothing is certain. Hence it can be assumed for the time being that our senses and bodies are not true. We are probably distinct from our bodies. Rationality is questionable ! Man is known as a ‘ rational animal’. But the idea of rationality and the distinction between a man and an animal are debatable. Man certainly has to face an obvious ‘ identity crisis’ if material knowledge is to be trusted. The idea of a soul distinguishes self from the body ! All phenomena can’t be explained by sense-perception, thinking and physical bodies. They have to be attributed to a super-natural phenomena , ‘ the soul’. If the self is to be distinct from the body it could be in the form of the soul. The power of self-movement, sensation and thought as according to the judgment of Rene Descartes are foreign to the nature of body. These conclusions are based on Descartes philosophical experiments with himself using the faculty of his mind. He uses his mind to probe the co-relation between subjectivity, objectivity and their distinctness from body. This method has been Descartes most powerful tool and which makes him unique in the family of modern philosophers. The awakening during sleep is an experiment. Descartes argues that when asleep he has perceived through senses many things he can’t perceive through senses while awake. These are once again Descartes experiments with himself. Descartes is careful nough to recollect his thoughts and experiences for the object of philosophical study. ‘Thinking’ is separate from ‘being’. Descartes uses his imagination to conclude that he might exist separate from his body as a source of ‘thinking’. In his legendary famous statement he once declared , â€Å" I think therefore I am. â€Å" Human mind and judgment are prone to error . Hence the truth has to be away from the Human mind and body. Descartes reached a conclusion that there does exist a God. God is perfect in his judgment because his mind is infinite. This is obviously not true with human beings. Hence their judgment is subject to errors and faults. There is also a philosophical method of reaching the Truth by elimination of errors. Considering the belief that their does exist a Universal Truth away from the limitations of the human body it is reasonable concluding that we are distinct from our bodies. The existence of God is an irrefutable evidence ! Thesis that there does exist a God strengthens the concept of distinction of self from the body. It would be contradictory associating God to a body; God, Descartes assumed is infinite. Also, the idea of life after death in the form of soul which is the belief of literally every religious heology strengthens the belief that we are distinct from our body. Rene Descartes experimented with the mind ! Descartes claims in ‘ The Fourth Meditation’ that he has trained his mind to separate from his senses and dwell only in the intellect. The result were observations and conclusions that he was totally separate from matter. Descartes uses his ability at philosophical meditations, the popular method of study and research by a philosopher. The Human Will Descartes concludes extends beyond the bodies. With the human will, many philosophers believe it is possible to meditate and separate the consciousness rom the body. Modern Science refutes distinction of body from mind thesis. Descartes himself was once a scientist before he took to philosophical pursuits. A scientist, for example a Doctor would immediately rubbish the claims of the separation of self from the body citing encyclopedias of scientific evidence. Carl Jung’s Experiment nulls the idea of a soul. This famous Psychologist conducted an experiment and concluded that there is no soul ! The distinction between self and body is not recognized by modern psychology books. Philosophical methods might be fallacious. Philosophers employ methods based n speculations and subjectivity. These might be inaccurate and also subject to a difference of opinion even amongst philosophers. Whereas science is based on empirical experiments which no one can challenge once accepted and established. There is a self – concept in the science of Psychology. The self concept has an aura of mysticism associated with it. No one can see, feel or touch the self concept. It is reduced to ‘I’ and ‘me ‘ from the common sense point of view by nearly all domains of knowledge. Popularly the psychologists associate the self concept , the I – Self, with the ndividual and his states of mind – Conscious, subconscious and the unconscious. Body- Ego concept can be an evidence of self and body singularity. The genesis of mental structure advocated by Hartmann, Kris and Loewenstein advocate an ego state known as the Body Ego. They suggest with impressive arguments that the ego and the id should be conceived the result of an undifferentiated state. Conclusion : The embodied self – concept generates a tension. The stream of consciousness can be believed to be located within the boundaries of a creature. The self ( its memories, eliefs and traits ) might not located within the boundaries of the creature. Our intuition equates ourselves with our consciousness. A point to be noted is that there is a dualism not only between mind and body but also between consciousness and mind ! The ancient scholarly philosophical debate ‘ Self is distinct from the body ’ is a challenging interdisciplinary study. However, the philosophy student is best equipped to handle it. The debate seems to have no end. That is what makes a debate an interesting academic field of study. Philosophers and philosophy students have to be cautious that in their xuberance they do not unwittingly clash with scientific evidence or infringe with cherished religious and theological beliefs. The society punished Galileo because he was ahead in time than the people. The times have changed remarkably. These days society is more tolerant to new ideas. Even blasphemy against Jesus doesn’t shock the West anymore. Recent headlines of a popular newspaper says that the church has forgiven Beatles for claiming they were more popular than Jesus. Philosophers and philosophy students can play a timely role in all ages. The clear message is that they need not ostracize themselves from the society.

Imagery in Sports

Athletes are always on the look out for techniques that will allow them to get better at their game. Whether it is a golfer who is looking to break his best score or a hockey goalie who is trying to get a shutout in the next game he plays, amateur and professional athletes are constantly trying to find ways of improving their performance. One performance enhancing technique that has been the subject of many empirical studies and theoretical speculation is the practice of imagery. Defined in its most general sense, imagery is â€Å"an experience that mimics real experience. We can be aware of ‘seeing' an image, feeling movements as an image, or experiencing an image of smell, tastes, or sounds without actually experiencing the real thing†¦ it differs from dreams in that we are awake and conscious when we form an image. † (Munroe-Chandler & Hall, 2011, p. 370) Applied to the basic problem of improving athletic performance, imagery exercises might consist of visualizing a hole in one for a golfer, or imagining what it feels like to play the net in the next game for a goalie. Imagery is connected to but distinct from the technique known as ‘mental practice,' where an athlete rehearses his or her strategy in competition. There are many various kinds of imagery techniques that exist, but the question of whether imagery really helps athletes to improve is still a matter of some debate, as is the question of how imagery works. The following paper will look at the research that exists on imagery as a technique athletes can use to program their minds. It will conclude, on the basis of this research, that imagery can indeed help people's athletic performance, but that it should be considered as a complement rather than a substitute for practice and training. In order to rigorously understand the various ways that imagery can interact with and potentially improve athletic performance, some kind of standard benchmark is required. It was for this reason that the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ) was designed. The SIQ is an analytic tool that allows sports psychologists to make fine distinctions between the various functions of imagery as it is employed by athletes (i. . motivation versus concentration) and the levels at which imagery works (i. e. specific versus general). (Hall, Mack, Paivio, & Hausenblas, 1998, p. 74) This analytical framework is used by many other researchers in the field to quantify and make predictive claims about the effects of various kinds of imagery on athletic performance. Weinberg (2008) defines imagery as â€Å"using all the senses (or at least all the senses that are appropriate) to create or re-create an experience in the mind. (p. 2) Weinberg is careful to distinguish between earlier techniques of ‘mental practice’ that involved the review of particular strategies and thinking about performance and current techniques of mental imagery, writing that â€Å"it is very different, for example, if a tennis player simply went over his strategy for how he would like to play an upcoming opponent versus actually imagining himself performing certain skills and strategies against a specific opponent. † (Weinberg, p. ) In essence, mental practice is a ‘3rd person’ technique in which an athlete verbally rehearses to himself how he is going to perform and what he is going to do if his opponent does a particular action, while imagery is a ‘1st person’ technique where an athlete lets go of words and tries instead to place himself in the performance situation mentally. Needless to say, the hard and fast division between the two is difficult to observe or even practice in reality. Most people in their daily thoughts entertain both images and talk in their minds, and the same applies to athletes using various imagery or mental practice techniques. Using mental practice, an athlete ‘talks himself through’ a performance scenario, proposing various courses of action based on an opponents previous history. Using imagery, an athlete rehearses the various body movements that are to be used in successfully performing the sport they are training for in their minds eye. A tennis player using mental imagery might imagine how the court will feel under his feet and how the ball will bounce. He will envision himself running up to or away from the net to return the various volleys of his opponent. Both mental practice and imagery, according to Weinberg, did in fact prove successful for athletes in improving their performance, but many of the gains that athletes experienced were solely anecdotal; in other words, their performance was not subject to detailed empirical scrutiny, nor was the technique of mental practice developed to a very great degree. As Weinberg notes, â€Å"the effectiveness of imagery, per se, is†¦ difficult to tease out, because the meta-analyses typically combined effects from studies that used various forms of mental practice to arrive at one overall effect size. † (p. 2-3) Weinberg also notes that the field of mental imagery in sports has become more rigorous in the past decade or so, noting that â€Å"current imagery research (as well as the practice of imagery in the field) often involves detailed scripts that focus on achieving particular outcomes†¦ arlier mental practice research was generally not this rigorous in this regard or simply was not interested in this type of mental preparation. † (Weinberg, 2008, p. 3) Post, Wrisberg, and Mullins (2010) describe the results of a study on imagery where basketball players on a girls’ highschool team were asked to participate in a guided imagery exercise before half of the games the girls played during their season. The authors collected data on both the victories that the girls’ team had won and also the number of made versus missed free throw shots. Subjecting the data to a 2 by 2 chi-square analysis, these authors concluded that the imagery technique used by the girls before their games significantly improved their chances of winning and improved their chances of making free throw shots. With respect to their results, Post, Wrisburg, & Mullins (2010) write that â€Å"imagery alone or in combination with other psychological skills (e. g. , relaxation) can enhance the competition-related thoughts and emotions of athletes. The documented effects of imagery include improved self-confidence, increased motivation, improved selective attention, and reduced or more effectively managed pre-competitive anxiety. † (p. 2) Why this is the case is still a matter of much controversy, with explanations of the effects of mental imagery on athletic performance ranging from imagery as a rehearsal that prepares the body to imagery as a kind of attention focusing tool that makes athletes concentrate better. In the study these authors describe, 16 female varsity basketball players were asked to run through an imagery script created by the coach (Mullins). The script was based on several recommendations from sports psychology literature, beginning â€Å"with a brief centering phase that involved deep breathing†¦ followed by a stimulus proposition phase where players were instructed to re-create possible game situations surrounding the free throw shot and a response proposition phase that consisted of the actions of the entire shot from the time the player began her pre-shot routine until she saw and heard the ball swish through the net. † (p. 6) Results reported by Callow and Hardy (2001) come to a similar conclusion with respect to the efficacy of mental imagery in improving athletic performance. In their study, they apply Martin, Moritz, and Hall’s (1999) model to a sample of 123 female netball players in Wales. In their analysis of the positive results they found in using imagery in netball, Callow and Hardy distinguish between two kinds of confidence: sport confidence and self-efficacy. The first â€Å"refers to the belief that an athlete possesses about his or her ability to be successful in sport in general† whereas the second â€Å"refers to an individual’s belief in his or her capabilities to be successful in executing specific tasks and skills in specific situations†¦ (Callow & Hardy, 2001, p. 2) They propose that the mechanism by which imagery works to improve performance is directly related to the increase in the feeling of self-efficacy that athletes achieve through using directed imagery exercises. Using the SIQ framework designed by Hall et al. (1998), Callow & Hardy (2001) distinguish between five kinds of imagery: Cognitive General (CG; e. g. , I imagine executing entire plays/programs sections just the way I want them to happen in an event/game), Cognitive Specific (CS; e. g. I can easilty change an image of a skill), Motivational General-Mastery (MG-M; e. g. , I imagine myself working successfully through tough situations), Motivational General-Arousal (MG-A; e. g. , I imagine the excitement associated with competing), and Motivational Specific (MS; e. g. , I imagine myself winning a medal). (p. 2-3) These five types of imagery correspond to those employed by the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ) that Callow and Hardy used to monitor the effectiveness of imagery exer cises amongst the study’s sample of female netball players. The authors found not only that the use of different kinds of imagery contributed to greater athletic success, but also that different types of imagery were used by players of differing skills; in other words, lower skilled netballers tended to employ MG-M and CG more often than MG-A, while higher skilled netballers used MS. This indicates that different kinds of imagery possess differing levels of â€Å"pertinence† to an athlete. (p. 12) For instance, a higher skilled netball player will have been in a situation where they are close to winning a championship or medal, so this kind of imagery is something they can easily access. Novice netballers, on the other hand, will be more concerned with the execution of basic moves and strategies, and will focus their mental resources on this aspect of the game. Similar findings of the positive effect of imagery on athletic performance are reported by MacIntyre & Moran (2007), who define the process of mental imagery as â€Å"a cognitive performance-enhancement technique that is used extensively by athletes, coaches and psychologists to facilitate skill learning and performance. (p. 1) The authors go on to state that imagery techniques in enhancing athletic performance have become so prevalent that they are now considered to be a â€Å"central pillar† of psychology in sports. (MacIntyre & Moran, 2007, p. 1) They divide the history of imagery research into two ‘waves,' one wave consisting of empirical research into the success of ‘mental practice,' defined as â€Å"the systematic use of mental imagery in order to rehearse physical actions. † (p. ) While this first wave went far in demonstrating a connection between using mental practice and athletic success, it was weakened by the fact that it had no theory to guide its findings. In response to this lack of theory, the second wave MacIntyre and Moran describe attempts to connect the success of mental practice with a larger model or taxonomy that categorizes different types of imagery and different imagery methods. Despite this new trend in sports psychology research, findings in imagery studies continue to suffer from some significant drawbacks that undermine their conclusiveness. One drawback MacIntyre and Moran (2007) point out is that most of the imagery studies that exist have used beginner athletes rather than professional or ‘elite' athletes. This is a problem because it is difficult to generalize about the success of mental imagery in creating better performance in athletes in general from only a particular set. Beginning athletes, simply by virtue of their novice status, might demonstrate significant athletic performance gains with or without imagery. Another weakness of most studies these authors point out is that they do not take into account beliefs athlete's have about their own imagery processes. In other words, many imagery studies do not take into account the ‘meta-imagery' that athletes might engage in concerning how successful their imagery techniques will be in improving their performance. This is clearly a drawback with respect to drawing conclusions about the ultimate efficacy of imagery, because it might not be the activity of imagery per se that helps an athlete succeed, but rather their belief that their imagery techniques will help them. Findings presented in Kim and Giacobbi (2009) suggest that beliefs about the efficacy of imagery as a technique are just as, if not more important in predicted better athletic success than the technique itself. 16 middle-aged participants between 35 and 65 were asked specific questions about the use of imagery in connection with exercise. Questions concerned â€Å"where, when, what (content), and why (function)†¦ [participants used] exercise imagery. † (Kim & Giacobbi, 2009, p. 5) In addition to these questions about imagery content, participants were also asked about their own feelings concerning the impact imagery had on their exercise routines. On the whole, imagery was believed to be an activity that improved participants' concentration and performance. (p. 18) The foregoing studies suggest a number of conclusions about the use and effectiveness of imagery for athletes who are looking for techniques to improve their game. One of the most obvious conclusions is that imagery does appear to enhance athletic performance, but the degree to which it does so depends in large part upon the pre-existing skill level of the person being considered. For beginners or novices at a particular sport, imagery can have a dramatic effect on performance, while for athletes who are more advanced and at a higher skill level, the effects of imagery in performance are less pronounced. A second conclusion concerning the use of imagery in sports is that the effect imagery has on performance depends to a large degree upon the beliefs of the individual with regard to the technique's effectiveness – a person who believes that imaging a performance will help them creates, in a sense, a self-fulfilling prophecy of their own success. This is somewhat equivalent to the ‘placebo effect' that is common in the use of drugs. Third, various studies have shown that different kinds of imagery are used by athletes at different skill levels. Beginning athletes will use imagery to create scenes of successfully blocking a shot, or making a basket, whereas advanced athletes image instead the winning of a competition or event. One aspect of imagery in sports psychology that remains an issue of contention is the precise mechanism by which imagery is able to assist athletes perform better. As discussed above, different studies have proposed different ways in which imagery is effective, but none of these proposed mechanisms have been demonstrated unequivocally as being the only correct one. Most likely, the mechanism by which imagery operates is a complex one that involves not only the inner rehearsal of actions, thereby amounting to a kind of ‘practice without practice,' but also involves the heightening of concentration for the athlete. Regardless of its mechanism of action, it is clear that imagery is a technique (or rather, family of techniques) that promises much for athletes' performance. Needless to say, imagery cannot ever be used as a full substitute for physical training and practice. Imagine how a football team would perform if, instead of practicing, they merely ‘imagined' practicing for the week before their big game! However, used in conjunction with rigourous training programs, imagery is an excellent psychological complement that can help athletes improve.

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

Library Search - Research Paper Example The need for more information or further assistance on the library search. Create the reference for the article selected using correct APA format including: authors, year, article title, journal name, volume number, issue number, page numbers, italics, parentheses, punctuation, line spacing, and hanging indent. Type a quotation (10–20 words) from the selected article using correct APA format including quotation marks, authors’ names, year, page numbers, and parentheses. Do not use words or ideas the authors cited from another source. Summarize the article in 80–110 words. Be concise and clearly cover the main points of the article. Use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Do not include the article title, journal, authors, or citations. Nursing theory is based on the expansion and understanding evidence based nursing practices and the contribution to the evidences. It also focuses on more comprehensive and diverse patterns away from just the narrow focus. Carper constitute four fundamental patterns in nursing. The fundamental practices constitute ethical, personal, empirical, and anesthetic practices. Mode of inquiry for development of evidence on each of the values is done differently. Each of the practices are considered a theory on its own. Different lenses are provided by the different nursing theories which are essential for evidence based nursing practices. Perfect inquiry is appropriate for generation and fostering the theories. Use 80–110 words to clearly state how you will use information learned from this article in your future practice. Be concise and clearly relate article contents to your practice. Use first person, correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Details and specifics regarding your own future use of this information are needed. Information from the searches should be stored in a systematic and a convenient way that enables reference. The information is arranged

Surperman the American Icon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Surperman the American Icon - Research Paper Example The iconic hero did not even escape the mind of the film-makers and a series of films were made in Hollywood, making this superhero protagonist. Even the programmers were not spared from the enchantment and huge success of this iconic character and many video games were even manufactured taking the superhero at the centre of the game (DC Comics, â€Å"Superman†; NYDailyNews, â€Å"Superman Turns 75: Man Of Steel Milestone Puts Spotlight On Creators' Cleveland Roots†). The trajectory of this blue costumed, red capped and stylized red and yellow inscribed ‘S’ shield on his chest to an iconic figure of the American culture was not paved in a single year. It took decades and several socio-cultural and socio-economic activities followed this transportation of the comic superhero into an emblem and cultural icon of America. This evolution of comic character into first American superhero followed by a superhero genre in America particularly which is adapted in bro adcasting and literary arena across the globe now engineered many more avenues for literary, cultural, psychological and mythological criticism formulating many school of thoughts associated with the transition of one of the most fascinated American comic figures to a cultural idol and ideal to a great extent. THESIS STATEMENT The essay intends to throw light on the journey set by the first accepted comic figure of America transformed into a cultural icon. The essay also throws light on the multitudes of scholarly activities which haloed the comic figure and manifested it into a cultural icon. SUPERMAN AND MULTITUDE OF SCHOOL OF THOUGHTS Since the inception of the comic character, cultural theorists and critics have taken an extra plunge for the exploration of the character of Superman on the culture and economy of the United States in particular and rest of the world in general. Quite early, just a few decades after the character of Superman already evolved as a super hero, Umberto Eco produced an elaborative discussion pertaining to the mythic qualities inherent in the character portrayal of the Superhero during the first quarter of 1960s. And, then subject of sexuality or sexual relationship revolving round the character of Superman along with its implication and impact upon the society was elaborately hinged and discussed by Larry Niven (Heer and Worcester 146-149). In order to trace the trajectory of the impacts and influences, the comic character like Superman had in the society, one must get back to the years and the motif of its creation. Though the character has been created and re-created and renewed a number of times for complementing it with different broadcasting medium yet no one can undermine the initial motif behind the production of the character. Both the Shuster and Siegel were a bit inclined towards the leftist front in the political domain. And, the context of Great Depression evolving out through the initial storyline of the comic cannot be overruled at any level. It can be noticed very pertinently during the initial stories of the Superman series that the hero is bringing scathing attack upon the crooked businessman and the corrupt politicians, demolishing their shops and running down the tenements of the rich people. Here, Superman takes the stand of a social activist more and superhero less. Roger Sabin,

Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizations - Essay Example Where a mechanistic organization focuses on the parts that make the whole, organic organizations focus on the whole itself. With less focus on hierarchy and more concern with across-the-board contribution to a common concern, organic organizations tend to be much more collaborative. I think the dynamic nature of today’s markets will favor the organic organization over the mechanistic, and that the organic form will be the predominant form in the 21st Century. 2. Discuss generic organizational design including defender, prospector, analyzer, and reactor organizations. Offer examples of the different organizations where you have worked that adopted these designs. Which type do you believe would best fit a criminal justice organization, and why? The generic organizational design theory sets forth four broad categories to describe the nature of a company. The â€Å"defender† has more of an institutional relationship to a market or community as it uses its organizational control to ensure efficiency of production and distribution. Examples of this type of organization include McDonalds, IBM, or other standardized manufacturers. The â€Å"prospector† organization, as the name implies, is focused upon the identification of new opportunities and finding ways to take advantage of them. Their operations tend to be less standardizes, more diverse, and multi-process oriented. Probably any and all of the Dotcoms would be considered in the prospector category. â€Å"Analyzer† organizations tend to bridge the concepts of the defender and prospector; developing new opportunities at the institutional level while maintaining a traditional base approach to customers and products. The analyzer organization tends to comb ine standardized and innovative elements into efficiency and stability. I think the LAPD is the best example of this type of

H Azeem company analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

H Azeem company analysis - Assignment Example Table of Contents Executive summary 0 Table of Contents 0 INTRODUCTION 1 CHOICE OF ORGANIZATION 2 Introduction of the organization 2 Choice Of Organization 3 BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR OF STAKEHOLDERS 5 Theories and frameworks in the small business management 5 Reasons of Small businesses to survive and prosper 7 Marketing Mix 9 ANALYSIS OF H AZEEM BUSINESS STRATEGY 11 Development of personal relationships 12 Flexible response to problems & challenges 12 Innovation 13 Low overheads 13 Niche markets 13 Marketing Mix 14 COMPARISON WITH COMPETITORS 15 Conclusions 16 Task B: Reflection on learning 16 References 17 INTRODUCTION There is a very famous German proverb stating that no one is rich or poor without helping himself to be in that position. That is one is to blame himself in what financial situation he may be. It is these kind of words that become a motivational factor for one person to start off of a small business and later on become an entrepreneur (Goel, Sanjay and Karri, Ranjan. 2006) . Some people start of their journey of becoming an entrepreneur by seeking a job which helps them to understand the ways a business is run and determine the factors that are crucial in the success of a business. Other may start up a business of their own and then learn from their mistakes. Many believe that small businesses may have some development issues but at the same time most of the people believe and it’s a proven fact that small business play a pivotal role in the development of the society and economy of a country (Aldrich, H.E., & Auster E.R. 1986). This report goes about in three steps. First, the introduction of H Azeem Jewelry, its basic information along with why was it chosen as an example. In the second step an analysis is carried out regarding the behavior of its stakeholders with respect to theoretical and practical ideas. Lastly, H Azeem is compared with its competitors and a reflection of where and why it stand at its current position is described. CHOICE OF ORGANIZATION Introduction of the organization H Azeem is a London based jewelry brand, It is managed by the designer, Hinna Azeem, herself and her aim is to introduce luxurious and stylish jewelry to the community at a cheap price. As they is a large Indian and Pakistani community nearby, who love to wear jewelry on every occasion, providing it on a cheap price gives her an advantage. Her luxurious and stylish designs give the business and brand an added value. H Azeem using both traditional and technological methods when it comes to marketing and sales, that is, jewelry can be bought through retailer shops and also through her e-store online. This also gives the business an extra advantages over its competitors. Another achievement of H Azeem is that it achieved a steady and stable positive growth within two years of business. This reflects the level of commitment and entrepreneurial skills of the management of H Azeem, the designer Hinna Azeem herself. H Azeem has been mention ed up in journals such a Vogue and has even displayed jewelry at the International Jewelry London 2012. This again shows how popular is this brand and how much is it loved by people. . Choice Of Organization We may come across many definitions of small business, some may relate it by the number of employees other may related it by how operations are

Lexicography Dictionary Criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lexicography Dictionary Criticism - Essay Example approach to define a word and hence it appeals a broader English speaking audience. The division of this polysemous lexeme into geographical usage is particularly helpful for a speaker to make a clear distinction, which is important when either engaged in writing or conversation about a particular context. Both editions provide such a sense division around various English speaking contexts. The COED10 also provides a "characterization of the meaning of the lexeme; it does not give an exhaustive explanation of all possible referents" (Jackson, 2002, p.93). Following random example taken from COED10 elaborates this aspect. offside adj. & adv (in games such as football) occupying a position on the field where playing the ball not allowed, generally through being between the and the opponents goal. n 1 the fact of bring offside (usu. the off side) chiefly Brit. the side of a vehicle furthered from the kerb. Compare with NEARSIDE > the right of a horse. In the above definition, as was the case with other random samples, the definiendum is related to its super ordinate concept (for either sport or vehicle, a position). Another common tactic relied upon in COED9 and COED10 was to add a typifying definition to a synonym one-basically describing what is 'typical' of the referent. An important distinction between COED9 and COED10 is that contrary to COED9, COED10 has employed the concept of fourth definition which explains the use 'of which a word or send of word is put, usually in the grammar of the language' (Jackson. 2002. p. 95). Following random sample taken from COED10 signifies this feature. widow n 1. A woman who has lost her husband bydeath and has not married again. > Humorous a woman whose..."Anyone who has ever read or written a review of a particular dictionary will know that generally agreed criteria and standards for the assessment of quality and performance are still rare, if they can be said to exist at all" (Jackson, 2002, p.173), and same supposedly simple act applies here too.

English composition II Unit 5 Db Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English composition II Unit 5 Db - Essay Example Mine was an analytical research paper, and so, I had to offer the academic community a fresh look at the essential issue I was researching. Besides, the subject was not controversial, and that is the reason why I had to persuade the audience on the importance of my ideas. Choosing a topic was my next step, and I also stated my working thesis statement inform of a question, since I was dealing with an analytical research paper. Actual research followed, whereby, I had to look for various sources in order to get information. I discovered that primary sources are better than secondary sources, because they enable a researcher to get close to the source as possible (Experiment-Resources.com, 2009). Some of the primary sources I used included interviews, which are highly effective. On the other hand, I used secondary sources, such as newspapers, magazines, articles, journals, websites and books. I read over all the sources and took outstanding notes. In addition, I included page numbers and internet links on all essential information I came across. The next thing was drafting an outline, which included the thesis statement, facts and main points, as well as evidence supporting the main points. I also supported my assertions with sources, both primary and secondary. I later wrote a rough draft, which contained three parts; introduction, body and conclusion. The next step was extremely crucial since it involved revising and editing the research paper to get a final draft. I read through the paper five times and made sure all assertions were supported by sources. Besides, I ensured that there was a transition between the main points and no detail was left out. I checked grammar, spelling, punctuation and word choice errors. I focused on the general appearance of the text so as to do effective editing of the research paper. In

Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hamlet by William Shakespeare - Essay Example There stand many conflicting theories and ideas on this subject, and this paper aims at analyzing the theme of revenge, in relation to sanity, the impossibility of certainty, the complexity of action and a brief analysis of the play. In the initial Act, Hamlet appears to be in a flawlessly sane state of mind in all the five scenes.   In the second scene, the audience starts to see his character change.  Polonius meets with Ophelia and reminiscences the meeting she previously had with Hamlet.   Ophelia tells her father that indeed Hamlet came to her messy and in a traumatized state of mind, talking of "horror†.   Her father instantly believes that he is actually "Mad for thy love?" (Act 2 Scene 2).   Ophelia answers a question postured by Polonius which she replied that had told Hamlet that Polonius could not communicate or see with him any further.   Her father refers to Hamlet madness once again by announcing that what his daughter uttered, "...   hath made him ( Hamlet) insane." (Act 2 Scene 2). The argument of if Hamlet is mad because of his affection for Ophelia remains often argued, but a more complex and confusing situation is the brawl within the mind of Hamlet. His personal struggle gets shown to the audience in the first scene of the 3rd act. In this first scene, Hamlet recites his eminent "being or not being- that are the query:" (Act 3 Scene 1) speech. Here, the audience truly apprehends that Hamlet is uncertain two means in his life. Being or not being essentially is Hamlet assessment on whether he ought to toil the efforts of living in such harsh world and contest to avenge the murder of his father or commit suicide. Hamlet remains muddled as to whether he have to avenge the death of his father when he, as Sigmund Freud "Oedipus Rex Complex" proposes, wished to kill his father to catch all the attention of his mother. However, in the hind of the mind Hamlet, which keeps him in continuous turmoil, remains his faithfulness to his f amily and furthermore, his father (Shakespeare 67). Hamlet, in scene two of act four, meets with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, and he appears to be breaking into madness. Hamlet had just murdered Polonius, and his friends were inquiring him on where he located the body of the deceased man. The odd thing about this scene remains that Hamlet appears to play with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz and does not offer them a straight riposte. Hamlet has practically malformed into a different individual and does not seem to be wholly sane (Cantor 44). Since Hamlet doubts the existence of Ghost's revelation, he chooses to put on the behavior of being insane; in the process he actually drives Ophelia mad, initiating her death. Sometimes it also appears that Hamlet's madness appearance become a reality. Next is another condition that cannot be totally elucidated: the condition being Hamlet's delays in revenging the death of his father. The first thing that Hamlet discovers is the death of his fath er in scene five of the scene one, where he trails the ghost. Hamlet eventually hears from this ghost, that he (ghost) is the soul of his father and that he got killed by Claudius. All this took place at the onset of the play and Hamlet waits until the play end to avenge for his father. Then again there stands different perspectives as to if Hamlet waited till the end to actually have revenge. Within the play there remain many insinuations that Hamlet tormented Claudius all the way up till he killed the king and the father of

Expo-magic of the white city Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Expo-magic of the white city - Essay Example The documentary also makes a description of Midway Plaisance and features sideshows, belly dancing, street fighting, a large Ferris wheel and even salons and other activities that marked the beginning of the 21st century. The legacy that the ventures in the documentary left is also not left outside of the discussion in the documentary (Connelly, 2). 1) Discussing How the Columbian World's Fair Highlighted the Technological Delights and Cosmopolitan Pleasures of the Progressive Era There are several ways by which the Columbian world's fair highlighted the technological delights of the progressive era. One of these ways is the large Ferris wheel which served as the paragon of technological and industrial advancement. These are non-building structures comprising the rotating upright wheel and passenger cars [gondolas]. These are kept attached to the wheel in a manner that as the wheel turns; the force of gravity keeps the cars upright. It is for this reason that at the end of the 20th c entury, roller coaster, theme parks and carnival observations became increasingly popular. Conversely, there are also ways by which the Columbian world’s fair reflected the cosmopolitan pleasures of the progressive era. Some of these manifestations of the cosmopolitan pleasures of the aforementioned era include acts of revelry such as belly dancing, street fighting, riding on and participating in roller coaster rides, theme parks and carnival observations. ... 2) Discussing How The Fair Highlighted The Imperialism of The Late Nineteenth Century And How The Anglo Saxon Culture of The West Tried To Dominate The Culture of The Rest of The World Through Colonization It is a fact that the fair highlighted the imperialism of the 19th century. The Anglo Saxon culture of the West tried to dominate the culture of the rest of the world through colonization by using superior weapons that they had acquired from their industrial revolution and development that took place before the close of the 20th century. With these superior weapons, colonial masters were able to safely travel the world in search of more colonies, and to bring the autochthones into capitulation, whenever the two groups came across each other. It is the same technological advancement that helped the Anglo Saxon culture of the West entrench the unequal relations between themselves and their colonies. Particularly, the technological advancement allowed the Anglo Saxons to extract resou rces from colonies and transport them to the United Kingdom for processing and use. In another wavelength, the fair highlights how the Anglo Saxon culture of the West tried to dominate other cultures through colonization through the use of the concept of socio-cultural atavism. Because of being technologically endowed, the Anglo Saxon felt that it was more culturally advanced and that in this respect; it had the mandate and call to bring other societies that were perceived to be uncivilized, into civilization. Interestingly, colonialism was to be the conduit and model through which this civilization of colonies was to be socio-culturally emancipated. Conversely, the Anglo Saxons of

Human history Essay Example for Free

Human history Essay Human history has witnessed numerous examples of wars. Our history has taught us that wars are unique by nature. Different philosophers at different times were trying to generate solid philosophical understandings of what war and strategy were. As a result, we possess sufficient theoretical basis for discussing the philosophical foundations of war, yet we have not been able to predict our military failures. After the end of WWII the world has finally taken a deep breath, and people were confident that violence would never enter their lives again. However, we are still surrounded by constant risks of war, and continue witnessing the acts of violence, and murders. Certainly, contemporary wars are completely different from those at the beginning of the 20th century: the development of the new weaponry types and communication technologies, have turned the simplest military actions into highly sophisticated acts. The war in Iraq has critically impacted the military balance in the world, and it is interesting to see, how Iraqi war would be explained through the prism of various philosophic works. Clausewitz: On War Carl von Clausewitz has written a well grounded research on the philosophy of war. His theoretical assumptions make it possible to distinguish philosophic implications of military actions. Having evaluated what war is, Clausewitz was able to create a general structure of war, and I think that his ideas are easily applied to the issues of the war in Iraq. â€Å"War is nothing but a duel on an extreme scale. If we would conceive as a unit the countless number of duels which make up a war, we shall do so best by supposing to ourselves two wrestlers. Each strives by physical force to compel the other to submit his will to his will: each endeavours to throw his adversary, and thus render him incapable of further resistance† (Clausewitz 1989, p. 4). Although, this Clausewitz’ definition is very objective, grounded, and universally applicable (any war implies the fight of several opponents for power), there are some amendments which should be made in terms of war in Iraq. It is difficult to admit, but it is true, that the war in Iraq is nothing more than the fight for power: Clausewitz does not distinguish whether this might be economic, social, or military power, or some other different aspect of political superiority. Clausewitz risks applying limited perspectives to discussing what war is. In the fight between the two wrestlers, only one of them initially seeks superiority. As a result, at the initial stage of war, only one of the opponents fights for power and superiority. Clausewitz supports this line stating that â€Å"two motives lead men to war: instinctive hostility and hostile intention. In our definition of war, we have chosen as its characteristic the latter of these elements, because it is the most general†. Has the U. S. started the war in Iraq with hostile intentions? Probably, it has. Many of us argue the fact that the U. S. military actions in Iraq were primarily aimed at promoting democracy in the country. To be objective, hardly any democracy can survive in the whirl of blood, murders, terrorist acts and violence caused by military actions. However, in the fight between Iraq and the U. S. Clausewitz seems to have neglected one essential stage of developing military actions: the first stage is the military intervention, and it hardly looks as the fight of the two wrestlers. On the contrary, its image is similar to unexpected blow on the side of the opponent to which another wrestler cannot stand and falls. The situation described by Clausewitz is actually the next stage of war. Iraq required certain period of time to gather it strength and to enter the war as an equal. At the stage when we started to receive the reports on murders and terrorist acts against American soldiers, one could suggest that the war has turned into the discussed fight. However, in this fight one of the opponents was trying to prove his superiority, while the other tried his best to defend the integrity of his physical territory and peace in the country. We cannot but agree with Clausewitz that war is never an isolated act, and it is never a separated single military blow. â€Å"War does not spring up suddenly, it does not spread to the full in a moment; each of the two opponents can, therefore, form an opinion of the other, in a great measure, from what he is and what he does, instead of judging of him according to what he, strictly speaking, should be or should do† (Clausewitz 1989, 5) The war in Iraq had long prehistory. The United States were continuously trying to defend their position in this military conflict. It was evident that the war was inevitable. As a result it is difficult to argue the position of Clausewitz. Actually, the work of Clausewitz seems to be very close to what we currently witness in Iraq. Of course, we do not know much as none of us has fortunately participated in this campaign. All we have at our disposal are news reports and other secondary information, but this secondary information allows analyzing the events in Iraq from the viewpoints of several philosophers. Clausewitz creates a philosophic picture of war. He implies that war does not change its face, and the structure of military actions and interactions remains unchanged, no matter at what historical period of our development a war may occur. This does not really matter, whether we use nuclear weapons or fight in the open sea – the war is always the utmost use of force, which does not break out of sudden, and which is the means of proving one’s superiority. Jablonski: Roots of Strategy In his work, David Jablonski has evaluated the works of the four theorists, as applied to military actions and military strategies. It is surprising, that Jablonski was able to avoid bias in his discussion. It is even more surprising, that the works of philosophers written at the beginning of the 20th century seem to have predicted the exact course of events during the war in Iraq. This, on the one hand, continues the line found in the work of Clausewitz: the essence of military actions remains unchanged through the centuries. On the other hand, Jablonski’s selection helps us understand WHY the U. S. was involved into the war in Iraq, and has actually initiated it. â€Å"In the United States our people have been slow to realize the changed conditions. Isolated as we have been from possible enemies, the people could see little chance for aggression by others. Separated as we are from Europe by the Atlantic, and from Asia by the Pacific which form most certain and tremendously strong defensive barriers, we seemed to be protected by the design of the Almighty. [†¦] The vulnerability of the whole country to aircraft as distinguished from the old conditions that obtained when the frontiers or the coast had to be penetrated before an invasion of the country could be made, has greatly interested the people of the nation† (Jablonski 1999, 452) What facts do we have in the war against Iraq? First, the U. S. has for long been isolated from others’ aggression. Even during WWII the U. S. was not directly involved into military actions. The terrorist acts of 2001 have been a tremendous shocking therapy to the whole American nation. The continuous isolation from the direct aggression has made the U. S. senseless towards possible military and terrorist threats. The image of the almighty nation was rather exaggerated, and the events of 9/11 have proved this assumption. The terrorist attacks had to attract the attention of the U. S. to its vulnerability and to eliminate the discussed senselessness, but the country has misinterpreted these events. The senselessness has turned into aggression against the states which were suspected in promoting terrorism (Iraq is in the top list of such ‘promoters’). As far as the United States has not experienced any acts of continuous aggression, which it could not stand, it has not fully realized the continuous effects of military actions brought into Iraqi land. In the introduction to his book, David Jablonski puts emphases on the most critical elements of war. â€Å"Modern military forces normally work in an environment in which the major dilemma is that of properly matching continuity and change. [†¦] the core attribute to such thinking is to imagine the future as it may be when it becomes the past – a thing of complex continuity. † Thus, planning continuity and looking at military actions through the prism of the past is the crucial element in making this strategy reasonable and justified. What are continuous impacts that the U. S. has caused onto the Iraqi population? These are economic defeat, and the need to restore all social and political structures of the country. It is still unclear whether the U. S. was able to promote democratic ideals in Iraq, but it is evident that it has failed to apply the principles of â€Å"continuity through the past† to planning the Iraqi military strategy. Jablonski states that the significance of the theoretical works he discussed in his book is in that they are presented in a structured manner, and can be easily understood and applied in practice. It seems that both the U. S. in its war in Iraq, and the terrorists in their 9/11 attacks have applied the principles discussed by Jablonski: â€Å"sometimes implicitly, more often explicitly, they created images of how aerial destruction of ‘vital centers’, could bring a nation to its knees. After all, there were the examples of mass panic on the home fronts and mutiny in the trenches during the recent war. † Similar to Clausewitz, who creates parallels between military actions and wrestling, Jablonski also underlines the importance of the sudden effect. Consequentially, we come to understanding an interesting military controversy: military campaigns cannot be sudden, but the â€Å"sudden effect† of aerial or other destruction often determines the success of the planned military campaign. These two elements are integral to the U. S. intervention to Iraq, too. Liddell-Hart: Strategy There are the two crucial elements which make Liddell-Hart’s view applicable to the war in Iraq: first, the author extensively researches the historical implications of specific military actions, and second, he does not expand his research to broader notions, but is rather concentrated on the ‘cause-effect’ research. His book is in many instances similar to that of Clausewitz. This is why the author is initially biased. In both works the reader meets identical philosophical parallels: â€Å"To move along the line of natural expectation consolidates the opponent’s balance and thus increases his resisting power. In war, as in wrestling, the attempt to throw the opponent without loosening his foothold and upsetting the balance results in self-exhaustion, increasing in disproportionate ration to the effective strain upon him. Success by such method only becomes possible through an immense margin of superior strength in some form – and, even so, tends to lose decisiveness. † (Liddell-Hart 1991, 5) In this citation, we find many elements which have already been found in other philosophical works: loosening foothold may be paralleled to the sudden aerial attacks, while moving along the line of natural expectation is similar to complying with the principles of continuity and thorough planning. Simultaneously, it is difficult to apply this statement to the military actions in Iraq. If the U. S. used Liddell-Hart’s philosophical implications in developing its strategy in Iraq, it would never apply the means of sudden attack against the Iraqi nation. People in Iraq would not know what means being bombed. As a result, the U. S. would risk losing its powerful positions. The philosophic perspective created by Liddell-Hart is hardly applicable to the war in Iraq or to any other military campaign in contemporary world. In addition, when Liddell-Hart speaks about morale in war, he represents its too idealistic image: the violence of American soldiers against Iraqi people eliminates any possibility to link morale to the war in Iraq. Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince â€Å"A prince ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules and discipline; for this is the sole art that belongs to him who rules, and it is of such force that it not only upholds those who are born princes, but it often enables men to rise from a private station to that rank. † This is another aspect of the war in Iraq, described in the terms of Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince†. As Hitler used the war to prove his superiority and to create the nation of Aryans, the U. S. seems to be in constant need to prove its superiority to other nations. Several recent decades have turned into the years of constant fight, in which the U. S. always positioned itself as the leading and powerful nation: Vietnam, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Yugoslavia, and finally, Iraq; who is going to be the next? Machiavelli makes special emphasis on the importance for the prince to understand and to possess the art of war: â€Å"a prince who does not understand the art of war, over and above other misfortunes already mentioned, cannot be respected by his soldiers, nor can he rely on them. † (Machiavelli, 2006) The best information and intelligence resources have been employed to develop a sound military strategy towards Iraq, yet the U. S. was not able to display a skilful approach towards Iraqi intervention. Numerous deaths of the American soldiers and their inability to find common language with the native population, whom they had to protect, suggest that the United States did not possess any sound military skills. Expectation of easy victory usually leads to easy failure. The war in Iraq has displayed the U. S. inability to analyze the world military history, about which Machiavelli speaks. The author refers to the importance for the prince to study the actions of illustrious men and to see how they behaved themselves during war. Being powerful does not mean being non-educated; being powerful means being skillful, reasonable, and objective. Military failures in Vietnam and Yugoslavia have not taught the U. S. any meaningful lessons. In distinction from Clausewitz, Liddell-Hart, and Jablonski, Machiavelli did not apply any historical perspectives to evaluating military strategies, but he was wise enough to emphasize the importance of historical lessons, and of the ability to properly evaluate these lessons. Peter Paret: Makers of Modern Strategy While Clausewitz applied the painting parallels to researching war, Paret has performed a profound research of several philosophic writings related to the topic of war. All authors he discussed in his book sought to answer several crucial questions: whether it was possible to evaluate war, whether it was a viable tool of foreign policy, and how ethical war was. Paret’s views are directly connected with the understanding of nuclear threats as applied to military strategies. Paret’s book is actually the selection of the major philosophic works and their evaluation. It seems that modern philosophers try to distance themselves from creating their own ideas about war, but prefer analyzing the ideas of others as applied to contemporary political and military environment. In the introduction to his book, Paret writes that â€Å"strategy is the use of armed force to achieve the military objectives and, by extension, the political purpose of the war. To those engaged in the direction and conduct of war, strategy has often appeared more simply, in Moltke’s phrase, as a system of expedients† Thus, war is initially the conjunction of political and military ideas. The war in Iraq is also the combination of political and military aims, but which of them prevails? In his book, Paret often cannot make a case. He states that Machiavelli lived during the time when warfare was unregulated and thus the relevance of his assumptions could decrease. However, who says that our warfare is regulated? Paret suggests that while Clausewitz supported the idea of war to be limited in time, goals, and strategies, there was no place to global military campaigns. Does this mean that local military conflicts similar to those in Iraq cannot expand beyond the geographical borders of the Iraqi nation? They can, and the conflict in Iraq has already stretched itself across the world. The war in Iraq has already turned into the political fight between the two opposing political camps, and the perspective of the global war has never been so close since the end of WWII. This is why it is difficult to understand the aim of Paret’s analysis. For the aims of objective military research, one should rather read the original works of philosophers, than their subjective interpretations made by contemporary authors. Sun Tzu: The Art of War â€Å"Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him. [†¦] If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way† (Sun Tzu 1971, 24) The ideas of war produced by Sun Tzu, partially seem as odd as the instruments he offers to use if one does not want to fight. On the one hand, being first to the field also implies using ‘sudden’ tactics. On the other hand, what odd instruments could Iraqi people use to openly claim their desire not to start war with the U. S.? One should not repeat its tactics which had been successful earlier, but it should be regulated according to the constantly changing military environments. Moreover, using the tactics which has already proved to be a failure is a guaranteed double failure. The U. S. has not taken into account numerous important elements of an effective military strategy: being sudden does not always mean being successful. Aerial attacks make people fall to their knees, but do not break them completely. The U. S. develops a sound strategy of removing its military from the Iraqi territory. The aim is to turn retreat into a victory, which is virtually impossible. Until the U. S. is able to re-evaluate its defeats and tactics in previous military campaigns, it will have to be prepared to new military failures. Conclusion I think that each of the analyzed philosophers has something to say about the war in Iraq. Each of them discussed interesting elements of military strategy which could be applied to Iraqi military campaigns. Although certain views are limited, some risk being biased, and some cannot make the case at all, all of them deserve attention at least for having researched the question which we will hardly ever answer: What is War? It is never stable, it is always changeable, it always has a different face, and sometimes we even fail to recognize it from the start. One thing is evident: no matter how difficult a war can be, no excuses can justify our inability to fight well. BIBLIOGRAPHY Clausewitz, C. On War. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989. Jablonski, D. Roots of Strategy. Book 4. Merchanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1999. Liddel-Hart, Basil H. Strategy: Second Revised Edition. New York: Meridian Books, 1991. Machiavelli, N. The Prince. The Project Gutenberg, 2006. Available from http://www. gutenberg. org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h. htm Paret, P. , G. A. Craig F. Gilbert. Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986. Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Samueal B. Griffith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971.

Importance of the Nurse Patient relationship in delivering care

Importance of the Nurse Patient relationship in delivering care The nurse-patient relationship is essential to the delivery of care. By use of verbal and non-verbal communication skills, nurses can offer the three core conditions of all therapeutic relationships to patients, empathy, genuineness and unconditional positive regard. It is the intention of this essay to discuss in depth the nature of one of the core conditions associated with effective helping skills. In relation to communication and an effective nurse-patient relationship the application of the core condition will also be examined The first core condition that is associated with effective helping skills is empathy. This is the beginnings of a helping relationship, the ability to enter into and understand the world of the other person and being able to communicate this understanding to them (Egan 2002). The second core condition is genuineness which Rogers (1994) defined as a personal quality or relationship characterised by open and honest communication where professionals do not hide behind their role. Unconditional positive regard often described as acceptance is the third core condition and this involves taking a non-judgemental attitude towards the client accepting and respecting them for who and what they are (Freshwater 2010). According to Rogers (2003) the core conditions are the necessary and sufficient tools needed to achieve a positive outcome in therapy. The core condition that has been chosen to be discussed in this essay and is associated with effective helping skills is unconditional positive reg ard. Unconditional positive regard is a very difficult skill to learn but also a very important one as nurses and patients beliefs and values may conflict altogether. It is important to note that no single core condition stands in isolation from the others and that the three conditions are automatically brought into the natural communication style (Wickman and Campbell 2003). Unconditional positive regard is often defined as acceptance. According to Rogers (2003) it is when one person is completely accepting towards another person. This is not just a show of acceptance but it is an attitude that is then demonstrated through behaviour. The patient should be able to feel as if they can freely express their emotions without fear of being rejected by the nurse. Hough (2007), says the patients need to feel valued unconditionally even when what they bring to the nurse may not be positive à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ in fact it may be frightening or upsetting. This may be particularly true of patients who have been abused who may feel embarrassed and ashamed and could also be anxious as to what the nurse will think of them. The nurse must therefore own the necessary skills to put aside any personal prejudices and provide a safe and accepting environment for the patient. Hough (2007) is careful to point out that whilst this does not necessarily mean that the nurse must li ke or approve of everything the patients says or does, it is important for the nurse to be able to separate their own views from that of the patient. Hough (2007) suggests that the whole philosophy behind unconditional positive regard is to allow the patient to feel accepted, therefore the patient is more likely to accept themselves and be confident in their own abilities. Unconditional positive regard is the necessary and sufficient condition to allow the patient to change in a constructive manner (Wilkins and Bozarth 2001). There are a number of key components that put together unconditional positive regard, and according to Aengel (2010), these include respect, nurturing and caring for the other person, and being compassionate and understanding to a persons personal struggle with issues and problems. Unconditional positive regard might be difficult because of the manner or style of the matter or something about the patient might conflict with our own personal values. Nurses must put aside any pre-judgements and opinions, accept the patient at face-value and to try to treat the issue that they are currently presented with. Nurses cannot let any judgements affect the relationship with the patient because it might affect the care and treatment they receive. The counsellors guide (2009) emphasises that unconditional positive regard as being one of the most difficult counselling skills to learn because people are very skilled at being able to accept people for who they are, without considering whether they really are who they claim to be. This prevents them from allowing stereotypes and personal opinions affect their judgements. As for unconditional positive regard it may be possible that the nurse may come to like or even love the patient with whom they may at first have not felt much connection (Tschudin 1995). According to The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) Code of Conduct nurses are required to treat people as individuals and respect their dignity. They should not discriminate in any way, recognise diversity and respect and value beliefs of others. Thus part of valuing the other person is to accept them for who they are. Carl Rogers (1994) called acceptance unconditional positive regard. It implies that there should be respect for the other person irrespective of what he or she may do or has done. Acceptance of another person involves an non-judgemental attitude as Ruddick (2010) suggests, as this creates a safe environment in which the patient can explore their most sensitive thoughts and feelings. The nurse must recognise that being non-judgemental is not always possible and if the nurse lays judgement on the patient then they will compromise their relationship with them and because they feel judged then they may become defensive rather than opening up and exploring their issues (Geldard and Geldard 2003). Geldard and Geldard (2003) also suggest that the opposite of being accepting is to be critical. Being critical of someone will make them become fixed in their thinking and their behaviours and they will generally resist changing. When they are accepted they feel good about themselves and they can get in touch with their personality and positive parts and learn to move forward. Collins (2009) argues that judgemental attitudes can stand in the way of getting to know your pat ient and that labels attached to individuals such as demented can act as a language barrier. Effective nursing requires us to be assertive, responsible and to help our patients achieve the best possible health status (Balzer Riley 2008). Effective communication is more than delivering high quality patient-centred care. It also allows patients to feel involved in their care, which can make a significant difference to their outlook on their treatment (Collins 2009). The personal qualities of a nurse should include compassion, respect and a non-judgemental approach, according to The Royal College of Nursing (2003). The nurse must provide holistic care for patients and the goal is to listen to the whole person and provide them with empathetic understanding. Another key point is that the nurse must be non judgemental no matter what the patients circumstances are and be keen to develop a therapeutic relationship as they learn to accept people for who they are as each of us have had different experiences throughout life and these experiences make us who we are. Wilkins (2010) is keen to point out that there is not much difference between the nurses attempt to communicate unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding and the patients awareness of them. What the nurse communicates is not always understood and perhaps with respect to simplifying the understanding of unconditional positive regard, it may be necessary to have patience, consiste ncy and genuineness of acceptance (Wilkins 2010). According to Dunne (2005) it is important that nurses develop their communication skills so that they can become more skilled in their interpersonal contact with their patients. The beginning of any nurse-patient relationship are needs which should be based on some fundamental aspects. Rogers(2003) described these as the core conditions, because the aforementioned argued that for a positive outcome to the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship, the nurse must display these core conditions. The nurse-patient relationship does not exist without the core conditions or at least it will not have a positive outcome. It is important to build up a good working relationship with any patient trust, respect and good communication skills are all essential but the counselling relationship has to go that bit further because it tends to deal with deeper issues (The Counsellors Guide 2009). Nurses work with a diverse variety of people from a wide range of social circumstances, with difference beliefs and values around health. This could be related to sexual health, alcohol consumption, smoking and so on. Freshwater (2010) suggests that many patients continue with their dangerous health behaviours despite having information about the adverse and potentially damaging aspects of their actions. This makes it difficult for the nurse to engage in any health promotion activities whilst continuing to value and respect the patient and in fact it may be that the patients and nurses beliefs may cause conflict on the whole (Freshwater 2010). The nurse-patient relationship is a professionally close and private one and in order for it to be effective it needs to reflect trust, caring, hope and autonomy (Brooker and Nicol 2003). By demonstrating this core condition of unconditional positive regard the nurse is offering support to others. Brooker and Nicol (2003) suggest that active li stening skills are essential in any therapeutic relationship and the nurse needs to explore how they can use communication skills; verbal and non-verbal to develop the relationship. The nurse-patient relationship is a series of interactions between the nurse and the patient in which the nurse assists the patient to reach a positive communicative change. The skills of active listening, open questioning and reflection promote better communication and the evidence suggests the need for nurses and other health professionals to develop their communication skills so that they can simplify the process of communication with the patient (Dunne 2005). It is in the therapeutic relationship that true person-centred care is the product of genuine engagement with the patient whose fears are being uncovered according to Ruddick (2010) A therapeutic relationship cannot be maintained with the expression of unconditional positive regard and before the patient can understand themselves they must be able to accept themselves (Dexter and Wash 2001). The core condition of unconditional positive regard is a very difficult skill to learn and probably one of the hardest things a nurse has been asked to do. According to Dexter and Wash (2001) the nurse is asked to accept an individual without any kind of judgement and without criticism. The nurse is not only being asked to accept the patient but respect them too even though the nurse may not know what the patients previous behaviour has been. To be an effective counsellor, the nurse is asked to dissolve their own values, beliefs, prejudices and stereotypes and must try to understand the patients values, beliefs, prejudices and stereotypes even though they are totally opposed to their own (Dexter and Wash 2001). In conclusion, this essay has briefly discussed all three of the core conditions, which are, empathy, genuineness and unconditional positive regard. It has explained the rationale for choosing unconditional positive regard to discuss in this essay. Unconditional positive regard is often defined as acceptance and this is often demonstrated through behaviour. The key point that has been examined in this essay is that of how the nurse must put aside their own feelings and views and accept the patient for who and what they are. The essay has included how the core condition is used in relation to communication and an effective nurse-patient relationship. Another key point is that active listening skills are essential in any therapeutic relationship and the essay has explored how the nurse can use different communication skills to help to develop the relationship with the patient. Finally, the essay has discussed how unconditional positive regard is a very difficult skill to learn. It is p robably one of the hardest conditions associated with effective helping skills because the beliefs and values of the nurse and patient may conflict together. 1989 words