Hum/105 World Mythology

Many volcanoes and mountains stretch across the world; however, all volcanoes and mountains are not considered sacred. Mount Fuji and Mauna Kea function as sacred places rich with mythical elements that have a functional role in culture, and are comparatively similar. Mount Fuji was once a sacred place only accessible to men for spiritual enlightenment, but is no longer strict on visitation. Although ceremonies remain held during climbing season to this day, many people view the ritual as more a cultural experience instead of a religious one. Japan has two other mountains, but neither is as sacred or rich with religious and mythological Japanese culture. Mount Fuji is one of the most sacred places in the Japanese culture. Every year thousands climb to the shrine every summer. Traditionally the climb to the shrine on the peak was a religious movement and women were not allowed to make the journey. This climb usually required the wearing of white robes (O'Meara, 2006). Today thousands come to climb generally during â€Å"climbing† season from July 1st to August 26th. Many believe that this place is very sacred and many believe it to be spiritual (O'Meara, 2006). People commonly believe that ascending this mountaintop is to bring luck and the more one climbs the better. The mythic belief retains empowerment because the mountain also serves as a national emblem (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 350). Some have climbed at least 100 times. At the start of each climbing season two religious sects hold sacred ceremonies to begin climbing season (O’Meara, 2006). Some have marathons ascending and descending the mountain. Many believe it to be unlucky to ascend any other sacred mountaintop. Climbing Mt. Fuji is one of religious tradition. Tradition states that the mountain is split into three parts from peak to base. The grassy areas represent the mundane world. The forest line represents the transient line between this world and the world of the gods. The burned areas with a thick layer of volcanic ash represent the realm of the gods and Buddha. The idea of ascending and descending the mountain represent travels between the world of the living and the dead. With each passage one could receive purity and have the sins of this world washed away (Fujisan, 2009). Shintoists believe Mount Fuji is sacred to the goddess Sengen-Sama. They also believe the mountain itself to be an embodiment of nature. Another religious sect believes that the mountain itself is a sacred being which contains a soul. The Buddhists believe the mountain is a gateway to another world (Sacred-Destinations, 2009). Mount Fuji is a sacred place and has been since the first inhabitants of Japan. Buddhists believe the mountain came to be around 286 BC after an earthquake that formed the mountain as well as the Lake Blwa, the largest lake in Japan (Sacred-Destinations, 2009). This mountain is a very sacred part of Japanese religion and for years people treated it as such. Today it is more of an attraction and the religious meaning has been lost a little. Mount Fuji seems to be more of a tourist hotspot than a spiritual place, one in which souvenirs can be bought. Mt. Fuji or Fuji San refers to the most sacred mountain in Japan. Mt. Fuji is such a natural symbol and sacred not only to the Shinto and Buddhist but also for most Japanese people. The name â€Å"Fuji† is a local Ainu word that means â€Å"deity of fire† because of the often-volcanic eruptions (Mount Fuji, 2011). The Japanese built a shrine about 800 A. D. to the gods to help calm the erupting volcano. Mount Fuji later became home to a Shinto goddess Konohano Sakuya Hime â€Å"the Goddess of the Flowering Trees. † The Shinto goddess Koyasusama is also known as the goddess who grants easy childbirth. The Shinto goddess has â€Å"shrines at the base and summit of Fuji† where there is a fire ceremony at the conclusion of the climbing season (New World Encyclopedia, 2009). The Fujiyoshida’s Sengen Shrine is the main Sengen Shrine positioned on the north side of the mountain. The shrine stands in a dark forest and is set off the road lined with stone lanterns and tall cedar trees. In the past the Shrine was a starting point for climbing Mt. Fuji, and these hikers would start their ascent with a prayer at the shrine. Buddhist found Fuji as a â€Å"symbol of meditation† and calls its â€Å"summit zenjo,† that is a Buddhist term that describes perfection of a meditative state (Mount Fuji, 2011). Japanese Buddhists revere the mountain as a gateway to another world. â€Å"Shugendo practitioners established the first climbing route to lead pilgrims to Fuji’s summit† (Mount Fuji, 2011). Today pilgrims continue to climb Mount Fuji. Some stop to worship at the shrine of Konohana Sakuya Hime, pray at the summit altars, or ritually circumambulate the volcano’s crater† (Mount Fuji, 2011). Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees is another sacred and mythological place that lies at the base of Mt. Fuji. The Sea of Trees are associated with demons in Japanese mythology, haunted by the ghost of people left to die. Mauna Kea is a tr aditional mythical place that compares to Mount Fuji. Mauna Kea is a volcano found on the big Island of Hawaii. In Hawaiian mythology, the peaks of the island of Hawaii are sacred. Only high-ranking tribal chiefs were allowed to visit the peak. Mount Fuji is the central figure in the neisho-e work. The Japanese consider Mt. Fuji to be sacred and is a symbol of national identity (Wikipedia, n. d. ). Mount Fuji is also considered to be a symbol of beauty. The mountains are also a sacred place because the higher the mountain the closer the mountain’s reach to heaven. Some sacred mountain can sometimes be just a mythical thought, depending on the meaning or the purpose of the mountain. Mount Fuji, located in Japan, is the highest mountain with an active volcano. Japan has Three Holy Mountains. Mount Fuji is the mountain the sightseers go see when they are in Japan. The other two mountains in Japan are Mount Tate and Mount Haku. Some people think that the meaning of Fuji is immortal, but no proof has been determined on that issue. Many Japanese writers have used Mount Fuji in their artwork, literature, and as a background picture in several movies. Mount Fuji was sacred to the point that woman were not allowed to go to the mountain. The volcano inside Mount Fuji is currently said to be active, but has a very slim chance of erupting. Mauna Kea is also considered to be the most sacred mountain in Hawaii. The tribal chiefs were the only ones allowed at the top of the mountain. Mauna Kea is one of the best sites that people can visit for astronomical purposes. Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano, unlike Mount Fuji, and is among five other volcanoes in Hawaii. Hawaiian Law implements visitor restrictions on Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is sacred, and portrayed as the first born of the father of the sky (Wakea) and the mother of the earth (Papa). Mount Fuji and Mauna Kea are active volcanoes. Both volcanoes are sacred places where tribal chiefs are the only ones allowed to go to the top. The mountains are sacred because of developing the highest point closest to heaven. Mount Fuji last erupted in 1707-08. Mauna Kea last erupted was about 4,600 years ago. Both mountains have that attractive cone shape, and are hotspots of their location. Once a sacred Japanese religious site, Mount Fuji has become more of a tourist attraction. This volcano became a shrine to Gods, and later to the Goddess of the flowering trees. Similar to Mount Fuji in sacredness and Goddess mythology is Mauna Kea, another volcanic mountain. Mauna Kea’s myth embodies the mountain as Poliahu the Snow Goddess, the first child of the sky father and earth mother (Lovingthebigisland’s Weblog, 2009). Both sites are rich with mythology, culture, and both are sacred places. Although Mauna Kea has limits on who may ascend, Mount Fuji is open for all to climb. Both Mount Fuji and Mauna Kea retained their sacred status because of their heights being closest to heaven. References Fujisan (2009). Mt. Fuji and religious beliefs. Retrieved from http://www. fujisan-3776. jp/english/religiouis_beliefs/religiouis_beliefs. html. Leonard, S. , & McClure, M. (2004). Myth & knowing: An introduction to world mythology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lovingthebigisland’s Weblog. (2009). The Hawaiian snow goddess poliahu and the summit of mauna kea. Retrieved July 30, 2011, from http://lovingthebigisland. wordpress. com/2009/02/05/the-hawaiian-snow-goddess-poliahu-and-the-summit-of-mauna-kea/. Mount Fuji. (n. d. ). Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Mount_Fuji. New World Encyclopedia. (2009). Mount Fuji. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://www. ewworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Mt. _Fuji O'Meara, D. (2006). Mount Fuji. Faces (07491387), 22(5), 6. Retrieved from EBSCOhost History. com (1994-2009). Mount Fuji. Retrieved from http://www. history. com/topics/mount-fuji. Sacred-Destinations (2009). Mount Fuji. Retrieved from http://www. sacred-destinations. com/japan/mount-fuji. Sacred Land. (2011). Mount Fuji. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://www. sacredland . org/mount-fuji/. Wikipedia. (n. d. ) The great wave off kanagawa. ASK. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://www. ask. com/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa.

Internet and foreign language education Essay

A new technology has surfaced and now it has caught the imagination of millions of people on this planet. Surfing through it, the internet has put everybody eager to explore more of it and to become a real part of it. The effects of this technology have permeated both small and large establishments, schools, universities, and even governments. Composed of a collection of computers worldwide commonly connected via telephone lines, Internet’s main objective is to share information. From early beginning in 1960s as a decentralized network connecting some military and academic computers, the number of host computers on the Internet has ballooned much. The World Wide Web now forms the most popular part of the Net. With the development of the Web, which was first designed for using text links only, further refinement into multi-media links resulted with pictures, audio, and video links. This has made the Web more popular. Today, fast modems can carry extra large files of graphics and sound linking target resources on the Net. With the ballooning number of websites and Internet users worldwide, educators could benefit much from this. Internet and Foreign Language†¦3 Educators now see the application of the new technology in the field of learning and teaching as very promising. They now scrutinize a wider application of Internet and the Web in language education. The shifting scenes from laboratory-based educational setting, computer-assisted learning is now the fad. From monitored teaching process to interactive computer applications, the tedious and boring process has been replaced by promising results. Good software like CALL helps facilitate the language learning process though others see some degrees of â€Å"rigidity† of the program. Developers of CALL have to moderately go back to remedy the situation. Whatever type of computer, one can access the Net from any place, any time. Within the Internet is a multi-media information system called the World Wide Web or WWW or simply the Web. The Web has two systems: the Web servers and the Web clients. The former dispenses information while the other receives information. Through the use of Web browser, one receives educational webpages or otherwise. Educators are now reaping benefits from the use of the Internet. Language teachers so far are exploiting the electronic mail to create mutual interaction between and among students and teachers in learning language skills. With such innovation, multinational Internet and Foreign Language†¦4 student participants have been encouraged to develop communication and mental skills from varying cultural backgrounds. A study by Davis and Chang (1994) using electronic mailing system has set up an exploratory pattern as to what could be achieved in using electronic mail at improving the student writing in terms of fluency, usage, and organization. This study has practically defied language and cultural barriers. Knowing the culture is knowing the language. This adage holds true in learning languages preserved in a cultural environment. Accessing information on social, cultural, economic, and geographical data on a particular language increases one’s repository for both the learners and teachers. Searching the Net for a specific subject needs fine tuning. One should remember though that a series of messages having the same subject coming from the original message has replies and replies to replies that follow. And this is how one comes about learning incidentally. This interactive intercourse increases one’s learning experience applicable in the area of language teaching or learning. Besides, fellow language teachers offer site listings valuable to avid learners. Internet and Foreign Language†¦5 The use of the Net is not always in short order. It is not without fuss, which becomes a challenge to users. Technical glitches can spoil one’s plan. Similarly, little familiarity on computer and Internet use can block one’s initiative in pursuing to learn. Another roadblock in implementing such innovation is the cost of maintaining the system, which holds back institutions with little funding. Besides, censor may enter the scene when language program becomes offensive or indecent. Despite all odds, this technology will simply flourish as people continue to interact with each other. And with the emergence of a global community that seeks to find a common world language, the burden now rests upon the application of this technology today. Works Cited Davis, B. & Chang, Ye Ling (1994/95). Long distance collaboration with on-line conferencing. TESOL Journal, 4(2), 28-31.

John Hinckley Jr Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

John Hinckley Jr - Case Study Example The case caught the public eye partly because the facts of the case showed a lonely, friendless, withdrawn man from an affluent family who was living alone in a constricted shell where he enlivened it by his own fantasies and delusions and when everything else exploded in his mind, he resorted to stalking his perceived inamorata Jodie Foster and finally hatching a plan to assassinate President Reagan so that he will forever be narcissistically linked to her in a unique bond. The 20th and 21st centuries had seen an alarming increase in cases of insanity in America. Such increase was so disturbing that it was termed 'the insanity epidemic" or the 'invisible plague" and many rationalized that it was the end result of so many factors including "immigrants, alcohol, inbreeding, degenerating morals and others" (Torrey & Miller 2001, p. 315). Today's increase of insanity has reached the panic level. Because of the utter number of the insane, America has largely not been able to deal with the problem head-on. The root of the treatment problem is that America has find it "difficult to hospitalize many patients in need of treatment and the competition for the limited number of beds all but ensures that they will be discharged prematurely". and the dismal consequence of all of these failures is that many of those afflicted with insanity especially schizophrenia end up using the penitentiary system as their locus of public mental health services ( Appelbaum 2008,p 1493). Respected psychiatrist Torrey had also come up with a finding that "severely mentally ill individuals are responsible forHinckley 3 at least 5% of all homicides in the United States and that the seriously mentally ill account for 3-5% of all violence committed in USA (Appelbaum 2008,p. 146). So many crimes of violence and homicide had been reported wherein the insane committed such crimes under the delusion that he is "redressing or revenging some supposed grievance or injury or of producing some supposed public benefit" (Morris 1982, p. 395). United States v John Hinckley Jr. The case of John Hinckley Jr., however, was unique because the attempt to assassinate the most powerful man in the universe at that time, US President Ronald Reagan was not done out of some imagined grievance or injury to the would-be assassin or to effect a public benefit but to call

Sales and Promotion in Sports Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales and Promotion in Sports - Assignment Example ompany might make use of television commercials, news paper, sports magazine, and face to face amongst other advertising modes to reach the full paying customers. Sporting events relies heavily on promotion activities offered to communicate to the target population. The use of web site that appears professionally designed educates the prospects of the services offered by the sporting company. Professionally designed web pages depict a capable and credible image of the sporting organization to the clients. The site requires to, provide information concerning the target population and how the sporting event undertakes its operations to ensure customer satisfaction (Kaser & Oelkers, 2008). Providing members with a free trial membership helps the sporting company attract a significant number of members. The members recruited via the trial membership method receive the same membership benefits enjoyed by full paying members. The benefits includes but not limited to tournament invitations, newsletters, and discounts. While implementing the discount–admission promotion, the sporting company requires contacting the successful candidates of the trial membership via phone. Contacting the clients enable the sporting organization to, realize whether the candidates can be converted into members (Irwin et al, 2008). Trial membership requires the sporting company to have a lead. Leads remain leads till proven otherwise; where the individuals convert into a paying customer. In cases where the clients travel to attend to the sporting event; the sporting company should see this opportunity to provide accommodation. The company needs to enhance its promotional strategy by providing clients with a feasible and affordable accommodation. The client can come and benefit the organization in watching sports and still relax. This enables the client to enjoy the organization’s value (Kaser & Oelkers, 2008). Return trips organized by the sporting organization enables the customers save

Let's protect environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Let's protect environment - Essay Example Increasing human activities in the name of achieving economic growth and happiness is a major contributor of global warming. In his article, McKibben acknowledges the fact that Carbon dioxide constitutes 72 percent of the green house gases in the atmosphere. We have created the crisis of global warming ourselves. This is through increased human activities that release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere McKibben also records that there is a direct relationship between Carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere and economic growth. The more we are living large, the more Carbon dioxide we are releasing into the atmosphere. Our world population is also increasing. To support such a growing population, there has to be enough resources most of which are derived from the environment. To support such, a population there has to be enough food as well as fuel. We are therefore, compromising our environmental health in the name of achieving economic growth. China has a very big population. It also has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, the impacts of these population and economic growths on the environment cannot be overlooked. In the Qinghai- Tibetan Plateau for example, glaciers are melting, temperatures rising and the rainy seasons have become very unpredictable. Qinghai province in Mado County used to have about 1000 lakes; now there are less than 300 (Wen 8). I t hink this is a good teaching to us. Climate change is real and the more we focus on economic growth, we are contributing to increase in global warming. Most villagers believe that the disappearance of lakes is just the normal seasonal shifting. It takes us sometime to realize that we are having fewer lakes as compared to some years back. The high population in China has put a lot of pressure on the natural resources. Water deficiency is expected to worsen with increased global warming. We are therefore, suffering because of our own activities. China

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Paraphrase - Essay Example According to Gorbett and Pharr, flash point is defined as the â€Å"minimum temperature of a liquid at which sufficient vapor is given off to form an ignitable mixture with the air, near the surface of the liquid or within the visual used, as determined by the appropriate test procedure and apparatus† (2011, p.g., 310). In addition to this definition, NFPA classifications state that lamp oil, which is used for this experiment, is combustible and flash point will occur at temperature higher than 100 degrees F. To reach this point, the temperature of the flame needs to increase at a minimum of 5 degrees every minute. With these objectives in mind, the experiment was completed to determine the exact temperature when flash point would occur with lamp oil. Within this experiment, there were particular factors that were essential variables to completing this process. These pieces include the actual experiment ingredients as well as personal protective equipment or PPE. The necessary components of this experiment include the following: With the purpose and components of the closed cup flash point experiment established, this analysis can now provide the steps followed to garner the determined results in this process. The experiment was completed in the listed steps: This closed cup flash point experiment with lamp oil was completed by testing temperatures of flame beginning at 82 degrees F and ending at 167 degrees, which was the temperature when the oil finally did reach flash point. Before analyzing the results of the experiment, it is important to highlight that, as with nearly any scientific experiment, there was a potential for human error. In the context of this experiment, the human error could have occurred in the step which required the flame to increase by 5 degrees F each minute the lamp oil was being tested to determine flash point. Aside from this potential degree of human error, the

Restaurant Business in London Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Restaurant Business in London - Essay Example Other important applications include informing the details of the restaurant business to the sales personnel, suppliers and others so that they become aware of restaurant business's goals and achievements. Let's look at the essential elements of restaurant business for a computer-centralize system and for the growth of the business with proper technology associated with a group of restaurants. Giraffe restaurants comprise of group of eight restaurants based in London and concentrates more on weeknight business clienteles. Employing proper technological applications for appropriate work solves many problems. Giraffe restaurants use outdated technological applications that create more problems than solutions. Giraffe restaurants use standalone PCs to meet the requirements like billing, checking in and checking out of the customers etc. Using PCs is not the problem; the problem arises due to non-availability of network systems in the five restaurants. They don't have any central reservation systems that can keep them updated about the different activities of the restaurants all the time. Most of the work is done manually at these eight restaurants. All the eight restaurants general managers are answerable to group managing director (MD). The restaurant general mangers prepare a report by extracting the required data from various systems of the restaurants and create management reports using a word processing application. This report is submitted to the group-managing director that would be analysed to make any changes in the daily activities of the restaurants. .Many of the natural habitat development and Restaurant business sites have tried to develop their Restaurant business to luxurious villas and motels. United Kingdome being the leader in developing the Restaurant business can take up the cause more seriously but developing Restaurant business is an important concern for developed countries and what about the underdeveloped countries They merely have enough food for every meal. They have to work every hour and every minute to earn a living. The case is same for most of the African and Asian countries. These countries and literally funds need to be allocated by the government to develop Restaurant business and hence plans can be formulated for Restaurant business. Restaurant business is showing high-end results, impact on the part of economical evolutions on nations mainly on cities and individual person's life standard. Because of the Restaurant business the technologies have exchanged. Restaurant business is having tremendous impact on cities. Cities are transforming into great industrial belts. As the industries grow there will be visible impact on the economy. Job opportunities grow and innumerable colonies are developed. The growth is multifold and the technology exchange migration takes place. Restaurants have a maximum impact on the other business as well. Influence of eating trends generally also depends on the kind of restaurant and how it is done up and the place where the restaurant is located. People of different nations migrate to cities. Different nations of people live in one city, like in United Kingdome representing unity in diversity with so many cultures and traditional values. Different languages are spoken. Municipalities also register an inevitable

Monetary Policy and the Stock Market Dissertation

Monetary Policy and the Stock Market - Dissertation Example One financial instrument that is normally used by governments is the issuance of treasury bills or government bonds wherein the earning interest rates will generally be followed by the banks of that country. By using the interest rates that will define the treasury-bill holder’s earnings will slowly influence the financial market to adjust its interest rates. In the absence of other economic indicators, the treasury-bill interest rates will not only be adopted by the banks in their own financial transactions but it will also be used as the bench mark for the amount of money that will be available to borrowers. In theory, if the interest rates are low more people will borrow money from the banks. If the interest rates are high, the theory sustains that little to no borrower will loan money from the banks and most economic activity will be financed from in-house sources. Other instruments or means of conducting monetary policy includes making the government as the lender of last resort wherein the government will be the source of funds that will be available to borrowers normally a function provided by banks and other financial institutions. Another means of conducting monetary policy includes changing the reserve requirements in banks in order for them to operate. Another is where the government announces its intent to reduce or control inflation or by simply indicating the interest rates it wants for the money it intends to loan out. And last but not the least is moral suasions.... Meanwhile the true value of money is dependent on several factors such as the actual value of the goods that can be bought by the money or its value as compared with other currencies. However, given that these factors are also dependent on other economic indicators such as inflation and the volume of foreign currency reserve a country has, the correlation of the monetary policy of a country with its interest rates, stock market performance, and inflation will be explored by this paper. Monetary policy is implemented by increasing or decreasing the interest rates that is in theory would be able to inversely increase or decrease the supply of currency in circulation. In fine, the monetary policy of a country controls the amount or volume of currency in circulation to stimulate growth or maintain the stability of its economy. The primary onus of a government’s monetary authority is to create the optimal monetary policy that will stabilize prices for its basic commodities and enco urage investment. The trick however is how to make banks and other financial institutions follow the interest rates the government’s monetary authorities’ desires. One financial instrument that is normally used by governments is the issuance of treasury bills or government bonds wherein the earning interest rates will generally be followed by the banks of that country. By using the interest rates that will define the treasury-bill holder’s earnings will slowly influence the financial market to adjust its interest rates. In the absence of other economic indicators, the treasury-bill interest rates will not only be adopted by the banks in their own financial transactions but it will also be

Employee Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee Motivation - Essay Example However, in the event of a major organisational or operational change in an organisation, the administration or management should inform the staffs in advance which gives makes the employees feel more indulged and appreciated part of the organisation. Different organisations have different ways of motivating their labour force. Most frequently, rewards are given depending on the factors of operation and results. Many employees think of motivation as monetary reward. According to Jan-christoph & Koen (2005), monetary motivation does not provide the required concentration among the human resources. Taking all matters into consideration, employee motivation should be a strategy used by companies to increase the levels of production and operations. Any form of a major change in an organisation should be a cause to worry. This is because the reaction of the employees is unpredictable (Schermerhorn, James & Richard, 2004). A good number of employees do not feel comfortable when embracing change especially when it is an operational change. They perceive it to be a new internship procedure in a familiar environment. However, change in an organisation is an important factor to consider. The change is not the crucial factor of concern, but how employee will embrace the change in the organisation. In modern day business environment change is important as much as human resource is. As much implementing change is vital in an organisation the tools of operation in these case employees need to be considered (Bruno & Margit, 2002). With a proper approach it is easy to effect change in organisations. Effective discussions with the head of HR can lead to the best solution when employees are concerned. Additionally, training should be provide d to familiarise the staffs on the new operation methods. If the employees will be required to do more complicate duties and their operation level increase, the organisation must consider a proper and efficient reward system. In words of Sharlyn (2005) with an efficient training and reward system implementing change in companies should not be a difficult step as far as human resource is concerned. It is an obvious assumption that productivity levels go hand in hand with employee motivation levels. The organisation’s productivity level can be maximised if motivation levels among employees are also maximised (Aidan, 2008). Future operations structure should consider employees need. These needs include social needs, financial needs, psychological needs, safety needs, esteem needs and self actualisation. The satisfaction of these needs will lead to definite employee motivation. If the organisation is dedicated to fulfil these needs the employees will feel obligated to dedicate to flourish the productivity of the organisation. Self actualisation means the ability of an employee to reach his full potential by working and increase his abilities (Cable & Parsons, 2001). The operation structure should be in way it puts the employee full potential in activities. Additionally, the operations should not undermine the capabilities of the employee. An employee working in full potential is likely to be dedicated to his work more than employee who does not exploit his full potential. Safety need require assurance of good health and treatment in case of accident during operations (Geoff & Jan, 2000). Fulfilment

Improving Performance and Productivity in a Pharmaceutical Company through Total Quality Management Essay Example for Free

Improving Performance and Productivity in a Pharmaceutical Company through Total Quality Management Essay The high technology pharmaceutical company needs organizational change to improve its quality of performance and increase productivity because the adoption of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) is costlier than training and replacing skilled workers (Sargent, 1997), and it requires â€Å"large resource base, a good reputation and wide experience and contacts† that often lack a strong technical base (Bessant Rush 1995, p. 07). Total quality management (TQM) approach is recommended to make the company improve and standardize its process through collaborative learning (Adler, 1993), enhance employee expertise and knowledge (Kirkman, Lowe, Young, 1998), and help the company increase its production volume and quality (Lawler, 1994). TQM â€Å"makes quality control an inherent part of the production job and checking is achieved either through automatic monitoring systems or by training the operator in quality monitoring† (Doyle, 2002, p. 174). It involves management practices that encourage employees to be more responsible in ensuring the quality of the products or services and their overall performance for the company’s competitive advantage (Dean Bowen, 1994). Changes should be made to attain the objectives of TQM such as: (1) implementation of cross-training and skill-based program to promote cross-functional teams, help employees develop skills and enhance knowledge, and motivate them with rewards like cash and flexible work scheduling; (2) commitment to the values of quality and service in order to keep a long term customer partnership; (3) innovation of product design in order to attract more customers and meet their demands (4) ensuring effective data and records management application to secure and make information accessible and reliable; (5) improvement of the quality of business management with suppliers and dealers; and (6) enhancing top managements performance efficiency, commitment, and flexibility in decision-making and human resources management.

Medicalization for understanding shifting ideas about health and illness

Medicalization for understanding shifting ideas about health and illness Medicalization is term for the erroneous tendency by society-often perpetuated by health professionals to view effects of socioeconomic disadvantage as purely medical issues. It is the process by which human conditions and problems come to be defined and treated as  medical conditions  and problems, and thus come under the authority of doctors and other  health professionals  to study,  diagnose,  prevent  or  treat. The process of medicalization can be driven by new evidence or theories about conditions, or by developments in social attitudes or economic considerations, or by the development of new purported  treatments. Medicalization is often claimed to bring benefits, but also costs, which may not always be clear. Medicalization is studied in terms of the role and power of  professions, patients and corporations, and also for its implications for ordinary people whose self-identity and life-decisions may depend on the prevailing concepts of  health  and  illness. Once a condition is classed as medical, a medical  tends to be used rather than a  social model. Medicalization may also be termed pathologization (from  pathology), or in some cases  disease mongering. The concept of medicalization has educated the sociology of health and illness for many years now. Typically, it has been deliberated and examined with critical nuance, though some key thinkers within the discipline have suggested that it is not unequivocally negative. Conrad criticised and disputed that the development and growth of medical authority into domains of everyday existence was promoted by doctors and was a force of social control that was to be rejected in the name of liberation (Conrad 1973). Medicalization describes a process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical problems, usually in terms of illness or disorders (Gabe et al. 2004:59) and likewise be simply classified as a procedure of increased medical intervention into areas which would more often than not be outside of the medical province. The term  medicalization  entered academic and medical publications in the 1970s, for example in the works of figures such as Peter Conrad  and  Thomas Szasz. They argued that the expansion of medical authority into domains of everyday existence was promoted by doctors and was a force of social control that was to be rejected in the name of  liberation. This critique was embodied in now-classic works such as Conrads The discovery of hyperkinesis: notes on medicalization of deviance, published in 1973 (hyperkinesis  was the term then used to describe what we might now call  ADHD). Medicalization explains a situation which had been previously explained in a moral, religious or social terms now become defined as the subject of medical and scientific knowledge. Many years ago for example some children were deemed and regarded as problematic, misbehaving and unruly. Some adults were shy and men who were balding just wore hats to hide it. And that was that. Nevertheless, nowadays all these descriptions could and possibly would be attributed to a type of illness or disease and be given a diagnosis or medicine to treat it in some cases. Medicalization explains this. Likewise, medicalization has been applied to a whole variety of problems that have come to be defined as medial, ranging from childbirth and the menopause through to alcoholism and homosexuality (Gabe et al. 2006: 59). Furthermore, the term explains the process in where particular characteristics of every day life become medically explained, thus come under the authority of doctors and other  health professionals to study,  diagnose,  prevent  and or  treat the problem. Originally, the concept of medicalisation was strongly associated with medical dominance, involving the extension of medicines jurisdiction over erstwhile normal life events and experiences. More recently, however, this view of a docile lay populace, in thrall to expansionist medicine, has been challenged. Thus, as we enter a post-modern era, with increased concerns over risk and a decline in the trust of expert authority, many sociologists argue that the modern day consumer of healthcare plays an active role in bringing about or resisting medicalisation. Such participation, however, can be problematic as healthcare consumers become increasingly aware of the risks and uncertainty surrounding many medical choices. The emergence of the modern day consumer not only raises questions about the notion of medicalisation as a uni-dimensional concept, but also requires consideration of the specific social contexts in which medicalisation occurs. In this paper, we describe how the concept of m edicalisation is presented in the literature, outlining different accounts of agency that shape the process. We suggest that some earlier accounts of medicalisation over-emphasized the medical professions imperialistic tendencies and often underplayed the benefits of medicine. With consideration of the social context in which medicalisation, or its converse, arises, we argue that medicalisation is a much more complex, ambiguous, and contested process than the medicalisation thesis of the 1970s implied. In particular, as we enter a post-modern era, conceptualizing medicalisation as a uni-dimensional, uniform process or as the result of medical dominance alone is clearly insufficient. Indeed, if, as Conrad and Schneider (1992) suggested, medicalisation was linked to the rise of rationalism and science (ie to modernity), and if we are experiencing the passing of modernity, we might expect to see a decrease in medicalisation. The idea of medicalization is perhaps related only indirectly to social constructionanism, in that it does not question the basis of medical knowledge as such, but challenges its application. Nettleton continues and states that is draws attention to the fact that medicine operates as a powerful institution of social control (Nettleton 2006: 25). It does this by claiming expertise in areas in life which previously were not regarded as medical problems or matters. This includes such life stages such as ageing, childbirth, alcohol consumption and childhood behaviour moreover, the availability of new pharmacological treatments and genetic testing intensifies these processesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ thus it constructs, or redefines, aspects of normal life as medical problems. (Conrad and Schneider 1990 as cited in Nettleton 2006: 25). Medicalization can occur on three different and particular levels according to Conrad and Schneider (1980). The first was explained as conceptually when a medical vocabulary is used to define a problem. In some instances, doctors do not have to be involved and an example if this is AA. The second was the institutional level, institutionally, when organizations adopt a medical approach to treating a problem in which they specialise and the third was at the level of doctor patient interaction when a problem is defined as a medical and medical treatment occurs (as cited in Gabe et al 2004:59). These examples all involve doctors and their treatments directly, not including alcoholism which has other figures to help people such as the AA. The third level was the interactional level and this was where the problem, social problem, becomes defined as medical and medicalization occurs as part of a doctor-patient interaction. Medicalization shows the shifting ideas about health and illness. Health and illness does not only include such things as influenza or the cold, but deviant behaviours. Deviant behaviours which were once merely described as criminal, immoral or naughty before have now been labelled with medical meanings. Conrad and Schneider five-staged sequential process of medicalizing deviant behaviour. Stage one involves the behaviour itself as being deviant. Chronic drunkenness was regarded merely as highly undesirable, before it was medically labelled as chronic drunkenness. The second stage occurs when the medical conception of a deviant behaviour is announced in a professional medical journey according to Conrad and Schneider. A prominent thinker in the idea of medicalization was Ivan Illich, who studied it profusely and was very influential, in fact being one of the earliest philosophers to use the term medicalization. Illichs appraisal of professional medicine and particularly his use of the term medicalization lead him to become very influential within the discipline and is quoted to have said that Modern medicine is a negation of health. It isnt organized to serve human health, but only itself, as an institution. It makes more people sick than it heals. Illich attributed medicalization to the increasing professionalization and bureaucratization of medical institutions associated with industrialization (Gabe et al 2004: 61). He supposed that due to the development of modern medicine, it created a reliance on medicine and doctors thus taking away peoples ability to look after themselves and engage in self care. In his book Limits to medicine: Medical nemesis (1975) Illich disputed that the medical profession in point of fact harms people in a process known as  iatrogenesis. This can be elucidated as when there is an increase in illness and social problems as a direct result of medical intervention. Illich saw this occurring on three levels. The first was the clinical iatrogenesis. These involved serious  side-effects  which were are often worse than the original condition. The negative effects of the clinical intervention outweighed the positive and it also conveyed the dangers of modern medicine. There were negative side effects of medicine and drugs, which included poisoning people. In addition, infections which could be caught in the hospital such as MRSA and errors caused my medical negligence. The second level was the social iatrogenesis whereby the general public is made submissive and reliant on the medical profession to help them cope with their life in society. Furthermore all suffering is hospitalised and medicine undermines health indirectly because of its impact on social organisation of society. In the process people cease to give birth, for example, be sick or die at home And the third level is cultural iatrogenesis, which can also be referred to as the structural. This is where life processes such as aging and dying become medicalized which in the process creates a society which is not able to deal with natural life process thus becoming a culture of dependence. Moreover, people are dispossessed of their ability to cope with pain or bereavement for example as people rely on medicine and professionals. (Illick 1975) Sociologists such as Ehrenreich and English had argued that womens bodies were being medicalized.  Menstruation  and  pregnancy  had come to be seen as medical problems requiring interventions such as  hysterectomies. Nettleton furthered this notion and discussed this in relation to childbirth. The Medicalization of childbirth is as a result of professional dominance. She stated that the control of pregnancy and childbirth has been taken over by a predominantly male medical profession. Medicine can thus be regarded as patriarchal and exercising an undue social control over womens lives. From conception to the birth of the baby, the women are closely monitored thus medical monitoring and intervention in pregnancy childbirth are now routine processes. Childbirth is classified as a medical problem therefore it becomes conceptualized in terms of clinical safety, and women are encouraged to have their babies in hospitals. This consequently results in women being dependent on medical care. Nevertheless recent studies and evidence have shown that it may actually be safer to have babies at home because there would have been less susceptible to infection and technocological interference (Oakley 1884, as cited in Nettleton 2006: 26) Medicalization combines phenomenological and Marxist approaches of health and illnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in that it considers definitions of illness to be products of social interactions or negotiations which are inherently unequal (Nettleton 2006: 26). Marxism discussed medicalization and linked it with oppression, arguing that medicine can disguise the underlying causes of disease which include poverty and social inequality. In the process they see health as an individual problem, rather than a societys problem. Medicalization is studied in terms of the role and power of  professions, patients and corporations, and also for its implications for ordinary people whose self-identity and life-decisions may depend on the prevailing concepts of  health and  illness. Once a condition is classed as medical, a  medical model of disability  tends to be used rather than a  social model. It constructs, or redefines, aspects of normal life as medical problems (Nettleton 2006: 26). Medicalization has been referred to as the processes by which social phenomena come to be perceived and treated as illnesses. It is the process in by issues and experiences that have previously been accounted for in religious, moral, or social contexts then become defined as the subject of scientific medical knowledge. The idea itself questions the belief that physical conditions themselves constitute an illness. It argues that the classification and identification of diseases is socially constructed and. It has been suggested that medicine is seen as being instilled with subjective assumptions of the society in which it developed. Moreover, it argues that the classification and identification of diseases is socially constructed and, along with the rest of science, is far from achieving the ideals of objectivity and neutrality. The medical thesis has much to recommendà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦including the creation of new understanding of the social processes involved in the development and response to medical diagnosis and treatment To understand the level of social power that the medical community exercises through medicalization, Conrad explains that physicians have medicalized social deviance. They accomplish this by claiming the medical basis of matters such as hyperactivity, madness, alcoholism and compulsive gambling [Conrad, p 107]. By  medicalizing  social matters, medical professionals have the power to legitimize negative social behavior, such as the case of suspected killers in judicial courts who claim temporary insanity and are, therefore, exonerated on medical basis [Conrad, p 111]. In extending this concept, the Endocrine Society may have medicalized social deviance in men who reduce their work motivation or become characteristically unpleasant because they are experiencing andropause. In effect, despondency in older men might become an indicator of male menopause rather than a possible indicator of social deviance. Physicians also play a direct and significant role in the medicalization of social experiences. In analyzing the doctor-patient interaction of medicalization, Kaw argues that medical professionals have medicalized racial features by encouraging cosmetic surgery among Asian American women, for example, in order to avoid the stereotypical physical features of small and slanty eyes that are often associated with passivity, dullness and lack of sociability [Kaw, p 75]. Kaw asserts that plastic surgeons use medical terms to problematize the shape of their eyes so as to define it as a medical condition [Kaw, p 81]. Their use of technical terms and expressions should be questioned, especially since the power of such language influences Asian American women to pursue cosmetic surgery, when it is not necessary [Kaw, p 82]. Analogously, the Endocrine Society medicalized testosterone deficiency by defining it as Andropause; this helped perpetuate the notion, among older individuals, that if the y lack sexual drive or sense depression and fatigue, they should seek medical attention because they are experiencing an acute medical condition rather than a stage in the physiological cycle. The role played by the health care structures in medicalizing conditions is enhanced by that of the pharmaceutical industry. In order to achieve implementation of a drug in the market, the medicalization of a problem is critical [Conrad, p 111]. Once a medical definition for male menopause was established, the pharmaceutical company further medicalized the problem by launching strong advertisement campaigns aimed at older men and physicians alike, so as to popularize the drug among the general public and medical community [Groopman, 2002]. In a  Time  magazine advertisement, the industry appealed to the emotions of older men by linking low sex drive to the decline of testosterone levels rather than to a life process [Groopman 2002]. In this manner, the pharmaceutical industries profit based ideology facilitates the medicalization of testosterone deficiency by popularizing conditions that may be exceedingly common among health product consumers. Medicalization also changes patients ideologies of biomedicine and leads them to believe that biomedicine must not only offer cure for illnesses, but also offer life enhancements. Similar to the way that impotence and hair loss was medicalized by promoting drugs like Viagra to enhance sexual performance, and solutions like Rogaine for hair re-growth, male menopause has been medicalized because it causes low sex drive among other general symptoms [Groopman, 2002]. As a consequence, older men will opt to not only seek but demand life enhancements achievable through medicine disregarding the fact that such treatments can be detrimental to health. In fact, Groopman states that known side effect of testosterone therapy include abnormal enlargement of the breasts, testicular shrinkage, congestive heart failure and enlargement of the prostate gland [Groopman, 2002]. Medicalizing a problem can be harmful and deadly, yet medical professionals perpetuate this dangerous behavior by medicalizing conditions that patients may seek to treat for their personal wellbeing It is important to realize that medicalization is not merely the result of medical imperialism but rather the interactive process that involves society and the health community; [Conrad, p 115]. It includes patients and doctors alike. Nonetheless, awareness of the mechanisms by which the medical community affects society is important because medicine pertains to all health consumers. Male menopause only serves as one of the many examples of life experiences that have become medicalized by the healthcare community. Concluding this essay, the concept of medicalization started with the medical dominance which involved the increase of medicines influence and labelling over things regarded as normal life events and experiences. However in recent time, this view of a submissive lay populace, in thrall to expansionist medicine, has been challenged. As a consequence, as we enter a post-modern era, with increased concerns over risk and a decline in the trust of expert authority, many sociologists argue that the modern day consumer of healthcare plays an active role in bringing about or resisting medicalization. Furthermore Such participationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦can be problematic as healthcare consumers become increasingly aware of the risks and uncertainty surrounding many medical choices. Moreover the emergence of the modern day consumer not only raises questions about the notion of medicalisation as a uni-dimensional concept, but also requires consideration of the specific social contexts in which medical isation occurs (Ballard and Elston 2005). In addition they suggest that as we enter a post-modern era, conceptualizing medicalisation as a uni-dimensional or as the result of medical dominance primarily is insufficient.

Saving Private Ryan Essay -- essays research papers

Saving Private Ryan is a movie that generates strong responses from most people that see it. While interviewing four individuals and reading three movie reviews, I found that each of my subjects would recommend it, not one of the individuals interviewed felt the violence was senseless, and all of them left the movie with a strong emotional response of some kind. It appears that Saving Private Ryan is the kind of movie to which many can relate. Saving Private Ryan is not a romantic, feel-good movie, but it is probably one of the best movies released this year. It is without a doubt one of the most realistic films produced. Each person that I spoke with, and all three of the internet criticisms that I read voiced positive opinions about this movie. It has different types of entertainment for all kinds of viewers. It has elements of violence, patriotism, sentimentality, and heroism all rolled into one film. All of my subjects, including the internet critics, feel that Saving Private Ryan will receive many awards, and that it is a credit to Steven Spielberg as a director. When asked if they would recommend the film to another each of my interviewees responded positively. One widely talked about part of this film is the huge degree of violence. In this case however, contrary to the usual attitudes, the violence is not described as senseless or excessive by anyone that I spoke with. This movie is obviously set against the backdrop of World War II, beginning with D-Day and the b...

Divided Nations :: essays papers

Divided Nations Introduction In this essay, I will discuss both the cultural factors in divided nations encountered in the book â€Å"The Violence Within: Cultural and Political Opposition in Divided Nations†, edited by Kay B. Warren, and the methods by which the contributors to this volume have collected their data. The broad array of conflict and opposition encountered in the book are inclusive to countries such as Northern Ireland, Israel, Egypt, Iran, South Africa, The Philippines, Guatemala, and Brazil. A variety of authors have lent their interpretations and experiences in and of these cultures. The methods of data collection are wide ranging, including participant observation, representative, and the accounts of professionals in the same or similar fields. First, I will describe the cultural factors contributing to unrest in each of these nations, and then the methods by which the authors have collected their research material. Cultural Factors in Northern Ireland There is a long history of opposition to British colonialism in Northern Ireland and historically, colonialism creates a special case which carries characteristic cultural effects in the opposition. Colonialism, as Begona Aretxaga (223) points out, â€Å"not only exploits and despoils, it also creates meanings and shapes feelings.†. He further suggests that it is this creation of meanings and shaping of feeling that sets colonialism apart from other forms of political opposition. It is this effect which has laid the cultural framework for the political defiances of the Irish. The major cultural vessel used to express dissent has historically been seen in the form of hunger strikes by political prisoners. This practice has a far-reaching cultural basis which can be found in Gaelic tradition. The hunger strike has also gained significant meaning from the Catholic religion, drawing from the symbolism therein. Whereas this type of non-violent protest has often been associated with the precedent set by Ghandi, here it has a rich historical background and was used to rally and unify the Irish people. From the British perspective, what made colonialism acceptable to the masses was a cultural infusion, painting a picture of the Irish as savages. Their religion was deemed pagan. This religious dissimilarity has permeated through the years, and been the main source of difference as seen between these two entities. Next, I will document the cultural components contributing to the conflict in Israel. Cultural Factors in Israel The rather significant cultural

A Group of Investors

Executive Summary: A group of investors (Arundel group) is looking into the idea of purchasing the sequel rights associated with films produced by one or more major movie studios. Movie rights are to be purchased prior to films being made. Arundel wants to come up with a decision to either purchase all the sequel rights for a studio's entire production during a specified period of time or purchase a specified number of major films. Arundel's profitability is dependent upon the price it pays for a portfolio of sequel rights. Our analysis of Arundel's proposal includes a net present value calculation of each movie production company.In order to decide whether Arundel can make money buying movie sequel rights depends on whether the net present value of the production company's movies is higher than the estimated 2M per film required to purchase the rights. 1. Why do the principals of Arundel Partners think they can make money buying movie sequel rights? 2. Why do the partners want to bu y a portfolio of rights in advance rather than negotiating film-by-film to buy them? 3. Estimate the per-film value of a portfolio of sequel rights such as Arundel proposes to buy. You may use all or parts of Exhibits 6 to 9.You may also find it helpful to consult the Appendix that explains how these numbers were prepared. Assume an annual discount rate of 12% for risky film cash flows, and a risk-free rate of 6%. a) First, simply compute the value of the portfolio (i. e. at the time Arundel pays for the rights) using the traditional NPV approach, ignoring embedded options. Based on this method, how much should Arundel be willing to pay per sequel right? As can be seen in exhibit to solution 2, we have estimated the per-film value of each production company.MCA Universal, Warner Brothers and Walt Disney Co are the only production companies that provide a positive per film value, with values of 9. 89, 1. 92, 12. 56 million respectively. This value is calculated by dividing the net pr esent value of all the movies by the total number of movies. We also calculated the average value of each production company based upon their share of the total number of movies produced. The companies with positive values were MCA Universal, Warner Brothers and Walt Disney Co is also the only production companies that provide a positive per film value, with values of 1. 0, 0. 37, 1. 40 million respectively. These values are based on the average value per film multiplied by the companyæŠ ¯ average share of the industry. b) Second, modify the NPV approach to account for the embedded option(s), explaining the nature of the option(s) you focus on. What is the implied value per right? 4. What problems or disagreements would you expect Arundel and a major studio to encounter in the course of a relationship like that described in the case? What contractual terms and provisions should Arundel insist on?

Harm of Texting

Many parents and educators fear that the texting craze may have negative effects on teenagers’ writing skills. Because this is a relatively new area of concern, the few studies that have been done are inclusive. Everyone does, however, realize that text messaging is here to stay. Read the following articles. Summarize each article in at least two paragraphs per article. Then write your own opinion of the role of text messaging. (Everyone can agree that texting while driving is dangerous, so don’t get sidetracked by this point. ) Teens ready to prove text-messaging skills can score SAT pointsMany experts believe that teenage composition is as strong as ever due to the revolution of e-mail, instant-messaging (IM), text messaging and the internet. Many teens communicate on a daily basis using one or more of these methods. As a result, many experts believe that this generation is more proficient with the written word. Al Filreis, director of the Center for Programs in Conte mporary Writing at the University of Pennsylvania, has seen â€Å"the quality of student writing at the high school level go way up, and this is explained by the fact that they do more writing than they ever did. He believes that there's a genuine writing renaissance under way. Overall, this can help improve writing scores on the SAT, since it has undergone the broadest revision in its 80-year history. One of the biggest changes is a 25-minute, two-page essay. Other experts are not so sure about teens' competence in â€Å"real life† English. John Briggs, an English professor at the University of California, Riverside, says that â€Å"Though online reading may be thriving, the amount of reading that students do in preparation for college is sinking. He believes that online writing may cultivate informal use of language but it does not increase kids’ access to formal literature. He says, â€Å"Americans have always been informal, but now the informality of precollege culture is so ubiquitous that many students have no practice in using language in any formal setting at all. † Some experts believe that although bias exists in scoring the SAT essays, that the SAT essay could urge high schools to step up their writing instruction.Teachers admit that there is room for improvement and hope for renewed emphasis or writing programs in high schools. Many experts believe that writing instruction will get stronger. Problems associated with teen texting Millions of preteens and teens (ages 10-18) are taking advantage of the great options, including text messaging and picture messaging, offered with cell phones, PDA’s or Ipods. This generation is sending messages on everything including answers to exam questions and discussion about their secret life.Many parents are concerned that today’s preteens and teenagers are on the cell phones too much, which diminishes their use of proper grammar and the knowledge of sentence structure. Preteens and Teens have created their own language as a form of acronyms over their personal cell phones. Some educators suggest that this new age form of messaging may be hindering today’s teens’ abilities to apply grammar correctly in their writing and social skills. Many parents believe that they should monitor the type of messages that are sent over their cell phones and assist preteens and teens in proper spelling and grammar.However, there are numerous benefits as well as problems with the emergence of text messaging. It has brought a great deal of convenience, quickness, and a new language to our society. It has also created a very common but dangerous problem, texting while driving. The author of this article, Alfred Valenzuela, personally likes text messaging because it has many advantages. Many businesses use text messaging to remind you of appointments or to remind you to pay a bill.But the author, as a concerned parent, is also worried about its effects on preteens ’ and teens’ ability to read and write. My opinion of the role of text messaging I believe that the role of text messaging is meant to help keep society moving at a fast and efficient pace. Teenagers use text messaging as a way to have multiple conversations with people in their lives. It enables you to multi-task as well. Businesses use text messaging all around the world to give out quick information. It does not require them to call each associate one by one.A text message can reach up to 50 people at one time. I play baseball and my coach uses text messaging as a way to communicate with all of the players on the team. This is efficient in keeping the team informed in a timely manner because he does not have access to email all of the time. I think text messaging helps with communication as well. It takes less time and less effort to send a text then to call someone. People are constantly on the go and text messaging allows people to keep up with their business and social lives.Efficiency and consistency creates success. That is why there are constantly new upgrades of phones and other devices that work faster. Many people have very busy lives which make a demand for quicker and more efficient technology to help manage their lifestyles. I believe that the role of text messaging has been abused and used in ways that threaten the lives of people as well. However, overall it has helped society progress and achieves higher levels of success in a short amount of time.

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.