Post-Cold War Period Causes of Conflict Essay -- Papers USA Conflict H

Post-Cold War Period Causes of Conflict The end of the Cold War meant that the ideological conflict of dominance between East (Soviet Union and Eastern Europe) and West (USA and Western Europe) was over. Contrary to the expectations that world would be much safer in the post-Cold War, United States and Soviet Union were faced with new security issues that they did not know how to deal with. The objective of this essay is to show that with all these changes that occurred with the end of the Cold War, causes of the conflict indeed altered from the classic ones. First the end of the Cold War and the changes in the world order that followed will be outlined. Secondly, the increase in wars within states and the question of whether today's conflicts are, in fact, new, will be discussed. Finally this essay will argue that there is a new type of threat: worldwide terrorism, and it will look at what measures are being taken to tackle this problem. The end of bipolarism The democratic countries (USA and Western Europe), enjoyed 50 years of peace and economic development, because of the measures they took after the World War II, not to repeat the same mistakes that initiated the previous wars. They developed a democratic-political culture, which emphasised respect for human rights, rule of law, civil society, and independent media. However, apart from 1953, 1956 and 1968, the eastern bloc enjoyed peace and relative stability as well. The military power of both the super powers made US and Soviet leaders very reluctant to start a war. This was clearly illustrated by the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. The end of the Cold War end... ... Soon Miss The Cold War (August) http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/foreign/mearsh.htm Muldoon, J. (1999) The Challenges of Multilateral Diplomacy in 1999, United Nations Association of USA, (February), http://www.iwa.org/Publications/Lectures/muldoon.html Pfetsch, F.R & Ch. Rohloff, Ch. (2001) Global Change, Conflicts and Conflict Research 'New Data On Armed Conflict' at the 42nd Annual ISA Convention, Chicago, IL 20-24 (February) http://www.uni-duisburg.de/Institute/INEF/Intra/debate_Rohloff_Pfetsch.htm Sens, A G. (2000) Canada on the Security Council :International Security in the 21 Century: Challenges facing UN, http://www.unac.org/en/link_learn/canada/security/21_century.asp. Snow, D. (1991) The Shape of the Future, The Post-Cold War World; M.E.Sharpe, Armonk, New York and London.

An Analysis of Roland Barthes’ Death of the Author Essay -- Death of th

An Analysis of Roland Barthes’ Death of the Author â€Å"The birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the Author.† – Roland Barthes Must the Author be dead to make way for the birth of the reader? In Roland Barthes’ essay â€Å"The Death of the Author,† Barthes asserts that the Author is dead because the latter is no longer a part of the deep structure in a particular text. To him, the Author does not create meaning in the text: one cannot explain a text by knowing about the person who wrote it. A text, however, cannot physically exist disconnected from the Author who writes it. Even if the role of the Author is to mix pre-existing signs, it does not follow that the Author-function is dead. Moreover, Barthes attributes â€Å"authorship† to the reader who forms meaning and understanding. The reader is, however, an abstraction â€Å"without history, biography, psychology†(Barthes 1469). These contexts – history, biography, and psychology – can only be set by the Author. Thus, the Author is alive and well because the text cannot exist without the Author, the mix ing of signs is the Author’s art, and the reader’s meanings forming abilities are nourished by the Author. According to Barthes’ notion of the â€Å"cut-off hand,† a text’s origin is language itself (Barthes 1468). Moreover, â€Å"linguistically, the author is never more than the instance writing, just as I is nothing other than the instance saying I: language knows a ‘subject’, not a ‘person’† (Barthes 1467). What about the Author’s physical presence? Certainly, language itself does not know its physical creator, but it is akin to shutting one’s eyes on reality to not acknowledge the Author who is â€Å"out there.† Because his texts were considered â€Å"da... ...r-Response Criticism.† October 1998. The College of New Rochelle. March 27, 2004 . O’Brien, John. Milan Kundera and feminism: Dangerous intersections. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1995. Project Gutenberg. â€Å"What books will I find in Project Gutenberg?† March 28, 2004 . Zilcosky, John. â€Å"The Revenge of the Author: Paul Auster’s Challenge to Theory.† Studies in Contemporary Fiction 39, 3 (Spring 1998): 195-207. 1 â€Å"Himself†, â€Å"him†, â€Å"his†, and â€Å"he† are used for brevity in expressing pronouns of both the male and female genders. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1][1] â€Å"Himself†, â€Å"him†, â€Å"his†, and â€Å"he† are used for brevity in expressing pronouns of both the male and female genders.

Blood Alcohol Level (Bal) Essay

The amount of alcohol in your blood stream is referred to as Blood Alcohol Level (BAL). It is recorded in milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, or milligrams percent. For example, a BAL of . 10 means that 1/10 of 1 percent (or 1/1000) of your total blood content is alcohol. When you drink alcohol it goes directly from the stomach into the blood stream. This is why you typically feel the effects of alcohol quite quickly, especially if you haven’t eaten for a while. BAL depends on: 1. Amount of blood (which will increase with weight) and 2. The amount of alcohol you consume over time (the faster you drink, the higher your BAL, as the liver can only handle about a drink per hour–the rest builds up in your blood stream). Understanding the effects of a rising BAL can be very useful in controlling drinking. Below are the consequences of various Blood Alcohol Levels,from a book by William R. Miller and Ricardo F. Munoz called, â€Å"How to Control your Drinkling: A Practical Guide to Responsible Drinking (1982): .02 MELLOW FEELING. SLIGHT BODY WARMTH. LESS INHIBITED. .05 NOTICEABLE RELAXATION. LESS ALERT. LESS SELF-FOCUSED. COORDINATION IMPAIRMENT BEGINS. .08 DRUNK DRIVING LIMIT. DEFINITE IMPAIRMENT IN COORDINATION AND JUDGMENT. .10 NOISY. POSSIBLE EMBARRASSING BEHAVIOR. MOOD SWINGS. REDUCTION IN REACTION TIME. .15 IMPAIRED BALANCE AND MOVEMENT. CLEARLY DRUNK. .30 MANY PASS OUT. .40 MOST PASS OUT; SOME DIE. .50 BREATHING STOPS. MANY DIE. As can be seen, the most reliably pleasurable effects of alcohol occur when BAL rises to about . 03-. 05. Alcohol researchers have discovered that low levels of alcohol have a specific effect on thinking; alcohol results in a reduction of â€Å"self-monitoring. † (Hull & Reilly, 1986). What this means is that small quantities of alcohol enable you to take your mind off yourself and your worries. Not surprisingly, this effect reduces tension and enhances relaxation in many people. Some people find this effect so rewarding that they continue to drink. Unfortunately, these relaxing effects diminish as BAL rises above . 05. Instead emerge a host of negative effects, such as less emotional control, coordination and judgment impairment, hangovers and obnoxious behavior. One way of controlling alcohol is to learn to gauge BAL by internal sensations and to attend to the reinforcing signs of a low BAL. Doing so will enable you to be more in control of how much you drink and, by focusing your attention on the initial pleasurable effects, be able to enjoy alcohol with less negative consequences. Blood Alcohol Level Charts are available in a number of resources. For example, â€Å"How to Control your Drinking: A Practical Guide to Responsible Drinking† (Miller & Munoz, 1982) Contains tables which list BAL values by gender, weight, number of drinks consumed and number of hours drinking. THE FINAL CALL BREATHALYZER is a very useful tool in monitoring BAL. The one-time use breathalyzers are small glass tubes which contain yellow crystals that have been impregnated with a reactive chemical that turns green when alcohol is present. One must breath into the balloon provided and then let it deflate into the tube. The BAL reading appears in about a minute. Final Call assesses BAL with a margin of error of plus or minus . 02. The Final Call Breathalyzer is useful because your BAL can be quickly assessed so that you get immediate feedback.

Uniform Code of Military Justice

Article 92 is perhaps the most important article in the entire Uniform Code of Military Justice. It lays down the ground law, which is the absolute line that may not be crossed. Everything else in the UCMJ is an explanation of the various forms that disobeying an order can take. Without the support given by Article 92, service members would be free to do whatever they want, whenever they want, and wouldn't be any more accountable than a civilian could in a civilian job. However, service members are held to a higher standard.We are the line that protects this country and we are the defense against the storm. Without us, this country would not exist and could not exist. And for that, I have to follow the orders and instructions given by anyone appointed over me. The fact that I didn’t get to an appointment on time showed lack of accountability on my part, a lack of discipline to follow orders I was given and a lack of respect to those who are appointed over me as a leader. I fai led to be at my place of duty, which costs the Army money for another Soldier who could’ve been at that appointment and been on time.The military can only function if orders, when given, are obeyed. We would like to trust in the honesty and integrity of the Soldiers who made that oath and put their lives on the line for their country. The truth is that there are many out there that, if not given a clear set of rules, will not follow the rules. Will not care about the punishments, will not be productive or efficient members of the military machine. That is why Article 92, and the entire UCMJ, are necessary. They reinforce the behavior of those who do the right thing, promoting it and praising it.They punish those who do not do the right thing, undercutting and stamping out such behaviors. With such a system, the bad eggs, those who are unable to fit into the machine, will be ground up by it and spit out. Broken, incomplete, forever bemoaning the lack of foresight and flexibili ty that would have saved them. Accountability in the Army is paramount to the successful completion of the mission. It is a soldier’s personal responsibility to keep all his or her items accountable at all times. This ensures that the Army mission will be completed and that the soldier will remain prepared at all times.On a daily basis, thousands of Soldiers are seen at appointments varying anywhere from surgery on better eye sight to putting a broken foot into a cast for 6 weeks to heal. Appointments can be located anywhere on or off post depending on the type of appointment or preference of the Soldier. It is every Soldier’s right to choose where they would like to receive health care services. The Army spends Billions of dollars on medical supplies, medications, the latest and newest high tech equipment, and the healthcare facilities and the healthcare providers. When a Soldier misses an appointment, the Army’s money is then wasted.Money that could have been used on something such as new trucks, weapons and equipment. With budget cuts on funds within the ranks, missing an appointment is money the Army could use elsewhere. Of all the complications for military funding due to budget cuts, missing an appointment should not factor into it at all. Budget cuts have influenced the Chain of Command and their decisions on requiring Soldiers to pay out of pocket for their missed appointment. The government was starting to discuss having Soldiers pay out of pocket for their missed appointments.Have the Soldier pay out of pocket for the injuries received in an accident because they neglected their profile restrictions. Whether this has taken effect now or it will in the future, Soldiers will be less likely to miss any kind of appointment. If the responsibility were to fall on the shoulder of each individual Soldier, the Army would more than likely not have to inflict budget cuts and â€Å"Troop Cuts† we have all been reading about in The Arm y Times. If each Soldier were accountable for paying for their appointments, there wouldn’t be another wasted appointment because the Soldier was forgetful.It is every Soldiers responsibility to be healthy and remain in a fit condition. When Soldiers fails to do so however, the consequences can be catastrophic or even fatal in some cases. Best example, a Soldier has a tooth ache but ignores it because he or she thinks it’s a sign of weakness, that tooth ache can develop into something much worse than a cavity filling, the Soldier could end up being hospitalized because they didn’t take care of the issue when it was small. They ignored their MEDPROs warning about being past due for a check in.This action seems small, but when the Soldiers fall out of the ranks because they needed more medical attention such as surgery. That unit needs to replace that Soldier to remain fit and ready to deploy. This can led to issues and financial problems within that unit. Their d own a Soldier, which means they have to file paperwork to request a Soldier to replace him. That leads to more money to have that new Soldier coming in for travel and new training. Everything costs money. From the paper we use to request a Soldier to the training that he or she must receive so they can be ready to deploy on a mission.All of that money spent on the new Soldier could have been completely avoided if the Soldier had not ignored his MEDPROs dental warning. Something so small, like a tooth ache, turned in all new training requirements for a new and unprepared Soldier to keep a unit ready for a mission. If Soldiers were required to pay out of pocket for all of their appointments they made, the Army could spend more money where it is needed most. Such things are better training for Soldiers, Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, better equipment for deployed units and faster approval on funding.This increase in money in better areas can lead to more successful missions an d fewer fatalities on the battle field because the equipment is more accurate. Soldiers have been trained to the highest level, instead of just the basics for life saver course. The Army can afford to push every Soldier through the advanced kind of training needed to save lives. All of this could happen if every Soldier was held responsible for their actions of missing an appointment. Including, if every Soldier made it to all their appointments on time.If every Soldier was paying out of pocket for their appointments, the bigger picture we see is more saved lives in the combat zone. Every Soldier has the right to be seen for health issues. The well being of every Soldier, whether it’s their mental state or their physical health, is required for the best combat ready Soldier the Army has. That is the reality in today’s forces. The citizens of our country need us at our highest peak in health. So when unexplainable and tragic accident such as 9/11 ever happens again, a f orgotten dental appointment will not hold out any Soldier.The responsibility in accountability is every single individual’s duty for themselves and their team. The rank is not a concern when compared to responsibility. No one is singled out. It is my responsibility and my responsibility alone to maintain my physical and mental health state. I have to maintain myself at the highest level for Soldier readiness. That is my responsibility, no one else’s. However, in the long run, I affect someone else’s life if I neglect that responsibility. A simple phone call to change the time of my appointment could have avoided all of this.Neglecting to call was a failure on my part completely. I do not blame nor will I blame anyone but me. On the next appointment, I will be sure to make my appointment on time with enough reminders that it would be impossible not to forget. This standard for accountability needs to be a high priority of every Soldier who does not know much abou t the Army. Such as young privates coming out of Basic and AIT, can be trained and carry on the standard for responsibility and accountability. So future funds can be focused more for the training and not for missed appointments. Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 92 is perhaps the most important article in the entire Uniform Code of Military Justice. It lays down the ground law, which is the absolute line that may not be crossed. Everything else in the UCMJ is an explanation of the various forms that disobeying an order can take. Without the support given by Article 92, service members would be free to do whatever they want, whenever they want, and wouldn't be any more accountable than a civilian could in a civilian job. However, service members are held to a higher standard.We are the line that protects this country and we are the defense against the storm. Without us, this country would not exist and could not exist. And for that, I have to follow the orders and instructions given by anyone appointed over me. The fact that I didn’t get to an appointment on time showed lack of accountability on my part, a lack of discipline to follow orders I was given and a lack of respect to those who are appointed over me as a leader. I fai led to be at my place of duty, which costs the Army money for another Soldier who could’ve been at that appointment and been on time.The military can only function if orders, when given, are obeyed. We would like to trust in the honesty and integrity of the Soldiers who made that oath and put their lives on the line for their country. The truth is that there are many out there that, if not given a clear set of rules, will not follow the rules. Will not care about the punishments, will not be productive or efficient members of the military machine. That is why Article 92, and the entire UCMJ, are necessary. They reinforce the behavior of those who do the right thing, promoting it and praising it.They punish those who do not do the right thing, undercutting and stamping out such behaviors. With such a system, the bad eggs, those who are unable to fit into the machine, will be ground up by it and spit out. Broken, incomplete, forever bemoaning the lack of foresight and flexibili ty that would have saved them. Accountability in the Army is paramount to the successful completion of the mission. It is a soldier’s personal responsibility to keep all his or her items accountable at all times. This ensures that the Army mission will be completed and that the soldier will remain prepared at all times.On a daily basis, thousands of Soldiers are seen at appointments varying anywhere from surgery on better eye sight to putting a broken foot into a cast for 6 weeks to heal. Appointments can be located anywhere on or off post depending on the type of appointment or preference of the Soldier. It is every Soldier’s right to choose where they would like to receive health care services. The Army spends Billions of dollars on medical supplies, medications, the latest and newest high tech equipment, and the healthcare facilities and the healthcare providers. When a Soldier misses an appointment, the Army’s money is then wasted.Money that could have been used on something such as new trucks, weapons and equipment. With budget cuts on funds within the ranks, missing an appointment is money the Army could use elsewhere. Of all the complications for military funding due to budget cuts, missing an appointment should not factor into it at all. Budget cuts have influenced the Chain of Command and their decisions on requiring Soldiers to pay out of pocket for their missed appointment. The government was starting to discuss having Soldiers pay out of pocket for their missed appointments.Have the Soldier pay out of pocket for the injuries received in an accident because they neglected their profile restrictions. Whether this has taken effect now or it will in the future, Soldiers will be less likely to miss any kind of appointment. If the responsibility were to fall on the shoulder of each individual Soldier, the Army would more than likely not have to inflict budget cuts and â€Å"Troop Cuts† we have all been reading about in The Arm y Times. If each Soldier were accountable for paying for their appointments, there wouldn’t be another wasted appointment because the Soldier was forgetful.It is every Soldiers responsibility to be healthy and remain in a fit condition. When Soldiers fails to do so however, the consequences can be catastrophic or even fatal in some cases. Best example, a Soldier has a tooth ache but ignores it because he or she thinks it’s a sign of weakness, that tooth ache can develop into something much worse than a cavity filling, the Soldier could end up being hospitalized because they didn’t take care of the issue when it was small. They ignored their MEDPROs warning about being past due for a check in.This action seems small, but when the Soldiers fall out of the ranks because they needed more medical attention such as surgery. That unit needs to replace that Soldier to remain fit and ready to deploy. This can led to issues and financial problems within that unit. Their d own a Soldier, which means they have to file paperwork to request a Soldier to replace him. That leads to more money to have that new Soldier coming in for travel and new training. Everything costs money. From the paper we use to request a Soldier to the training that he or she must receive so they can be ready to deploy on a mission.All of that money spent on the new Soldier could have been completely avoided if the Soldier had not ignored his MEDPROs dental warning. Something so small, like a tooth ache, turned in all new training requirements for a new and unprepared Soldier to keep a unit ready for a mission. If Soldiers were required to pay out of pocket for all of their appointments they made, the Army could spend more money where it is needed most. Such things are better training for Soldiers, Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, better equipment for deployed units and faster approval on funding.This increase in money in better areas can lead to more successful missions an d fewer fatalities on the battle field because the equipment is more accurate. Soldiers have been trained to the highest level, instead of just the basics for life saver course. The Army can afford to push every Soldier through the advanced kind of training needed to save lives. All of this could happen if every Soldier was held responsible for their actions of missing an appointment. Including, if every Soldier made it to all their appointments on time.If every Soldier was paying out of pocket for their appointments, the bigger picture we see is more saved lives in the combat zone. Every Soldier has the right to be seen for health issues. The well being of every Soldier, whether it’s their mental state or their physical health, is required for the best combat ready Soldier the Army has. That is the reality in today’s forces. The citizens of our country need us at our highest peak in health. So when unexplainable and tragic accident such as 9/11 ever happens again, a f orgotten dental appointment will not hold out any Soldier.The responsibility in accountability is every single individual’s duty for themselves and their team. The rank is not a concern when compared to responsibility. No one is singled out. It is my responsibility and my responsibility alone to maintain my physical and mental health state. I have to maintain myself at the highest level for Soldier readiness. That is my responsibility, no one else’s. However, in the long run, I affect someone else’s life if I neglect that responsibility. A simple phone call to change the time of my appointment could have avoided all of this.Neglecting to call was a failure on my part completely. I do not blame nor will I blame anyone but me. On the next appointment, I will be sure to make my appointment on time with enough reminders that it would be impossible not to forget. This standard for accountability needs to be a high priority of every Soldier who does not know much abou t the Army. Such as young privates coming out of Basic and AIT, can be trained and carry on the standard for responsibility and accountability. So future funds can be focused more for the training and not for missed appointments.

Iron Crowned Chapter 21

For a few moments, we were frozen in time. It was Jasmine who finally got things moving again. â€Å"Oh,† she said. â€Å"Wow.† Kiyo's grip on the form tightened, and for a second, I feared he'd crumple or rip it. Instead, he let it fall to the floor and strode toward me as swiftly and fiercely as his predatory alter ego. I felt Jasmine shift – not away, but closer to me. â€Å"Are you sure?† he asked, in a low, deadly voice. â€Å"About which part?† I snapped. â€Å"That I'm pregnant? Or that it's yours?† â€Å"Both.† I felt my eyes narrow as I continued feeling angry and defensive. â€Å"Yes. Both.† Silence fell. Then: â€Å"When are you getting rid of it?† he asked. â€Å"Christ. You get right to the point.† â€Å"You know the point!† he exclaimed. â€Å"You know what it's always been! You're sure? You're really sure you're pregnant?† I'd had the same questions for Dr. Moore and found myself repeating her answer. â€Å"Yes. The tests are very accurate. Besides, why else do you think they'd schedule me for that?† I pointed to the referral lying on the floor. He might work with animals, but he'd still know what a CVS was. Jasmine, however, did not. She slipped away, gave him a wide berth, and retrieved the paper. â€Å"What's a †¦ chorionic †¦ vil-vil – â€Å" â€Å"It's a test to detect defects,† I said. I gave Kiyo a pointed look. â€Å"And gender.† â€Å"It's a waste of time,† he argued. He swallowed and attempted a kinder, more reasonable course with me. â€Å"Eugenie, you know the danger. You can't waste another day. If anyone finds out – if anyone in the Otherworld – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know! Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I somehow missed the constant rape attempts – and actual rape – based on that prophecy? Damn it, I know better than you what it means! But I can't – I can't get an abortion until I know what it is. If it's a girl or a boy.† â€Å"And then what?† he asked. â€Å"You'll keep it if it's a girl? You always said you weren't sure you wanted to have kids.† â€Å"I'm still not,† I admitted, my voice trembling. A baby – world conqueror or not – had never been on my agenda. â€Å"But I have to know.† His expression darkened, the coaxing gone. â€Å"It's better if you don't. It's better to keep it all anonymous, better not to think of it as a person. Stay ignorant. Just have the abortion and be done.† Jasmine hadn't moved from her spot, her eyes going back and forth as she watched my verbal volley with Kiyo. â€Å"Geez,† she said. â€Å"You don't seem too upset about killing your own kid.† I had been thinking the same thing. His cold detachment shocked me. He flinched and gritted his teeth. â€Å"I never said I'm not upset.† â€Å"But you're not just upset about what this means for the prophecy,† I pointed out. I studied him carefully, realization dawning. â€Å"You don't entirely believe it's yours anyway.† â€Å"Do you blame me?† he asked. â€Å"It's yours,† I said adamantly. The last time I'd been with Dorian, we'd had kinky oral sex. Maybe I hadn't known about antibiotics interacting with birth control pills, but I knew where a guy had to come to make you pregnant. â€Å"I know without a doubt.† This gave Kiyo pause, as though he really were truly pondering the reality of losing his child. â€Å"I told you: I never said I'm not upset about this. But it's got to be dealt with. How could you have let this happen?† â€Å"Oh, nice,† I said. â€Å"It's my fault. If you're so into caution, maybe you shouldn't have fucked me in that grotto.† Jasmine's eyes widened. â€Å"Okay, forget it,† he said tightly. â€Å"And forget your CVS. Just get the abortion while it's still easy. You can't be that far along.† I shot up. â€Å"While it's still easy? Like you know! You're not the one who has to go through it!† â€Å"Why are you fighting me on this?† he exclaimed in disbelief. â€Å"You always said you'd do this. Do you want the prophecy to come true? Do you want to have a son who leads armies here from the Otherworld to conquer and enslave?† â€Å"Of course not! You know that.† â€Å"Then stop wasting time! Look, if you're scared about getting it done †¦ you don't have to do it here.† â€Å"Oh? I can check in at the Otherworld's Planned Parenthood clinic?† â€Å"No,† he said wearily. â€Å"But there are potions. Maiwenn could help. Along with healing, she can work all sorts of other medical magic.† â€Å"I'm sure she can.† I couldn't hide the bitterness in my voice. â€Å"And I'm sure she'd be more than happy to.† â€Å"Eugenie – â€Å" â€Å"Look,† I interrupted. â€Å"Here's how it is. I don't like your attitude. I don't like you dictating this to me like I'm stupid or something. I know the consequences, okay? And you know where I stand on the prophecy. But I just have to know what exactly is in me first. Two days. We just wait two days for the test.† â€Å"And then how long until the results?† he asked. â€Å"More time passes. Every day is dangerous.† â€Å"But what if it's a girl?† This came from Jasmine. Both Kiyo and I turned to her. â€Å"What if Eugenie can have it? You're always going on and on about how awesome Luisa is. Wouldn't you want another one – especially with, like, your actual – sort of – girlfriend?† â€Å"It's not – † Kiyo bit off his words and turned back to me. Those dark eyes studied me, and I felt my anger diffuse as they softened. I felt his love and knew all of this was coming from panic, his fears about the prophecy finally coming true. â€Å"Two days,† he said at last. â€Å"Two days,† I repeated. â€Å"And then I'll do the right thing.† I wasn't exactly sure what the â€Å"right thing† would be if I was having a girl, seeing as motherhood still didn't really jump out at me. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that I had the choice. Then, abruptly and without warning, Kiyo wrapped his arms around me, crushing me to his chest. â€Å"I love you,† he said, voice shaking. It was the first time he'd spoken those words since we'd gotten back together, and they tore something inside of me. â€Å"But I'm just afraid.† â€Å"I am too,† I said, feeling tears spring into my eyes. Fucking hormones. â€Å"Everything'll be okay.† When he released me, I finally really comprehended that Jasmine had witnessed all of this. The dramatic factor had probably trumped anything she could find on TV. Her face was a blank mask now, which made me uneasy. What was she thinking about all this? For so long, she'd wanted to be the one to have the heir. I supposed she should be all for an abortion. Yet †¦ maybe she was so keen on our father's prophecy that she didn't care who had his grandson, so long as she could ride the power with us. â€Å"I need you to stay with Jasmine tomorrow,† I told Kiyo later, when we were lying in bed. â€Å"I wish she hadn't found out about this. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm worried she'll do something with the information. I could have Volusian watch her like he is now †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I usually summoned my minion for night watches. â€Å"†¦ But I'd feel better with you there.† Kiyo drew the covers up around us. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"Where do you think?† He groaned. â€Å"Eugenie, you can't go back there until this mess is settled. If they find out – if anyone finds out – well. All hell will break loose, from those who are for the prophecy and those who are against it.† â€Å"I have to,† I said. â€Å"I realize now that most of my being sick is because †¦ well, you know. But being apart from those lands is affecting me too. I just need to check in.† No more full-fledged meditation sessions, though. I couldn't risk any more telltale signs of my pregnancy from that intense communion. I'd just do the bare minimum required. â€Å"And not just with the lands' magic. I need to keep an eye on the Rowan Land's transition.† I feared his reaction, particularly after his earlier outburst. Instead, he brushed a kiss to my lips. â€Å"Be careful. Be quick.† â€Å"I will.† I pushed my lips back, kissing him harder. I moved my body closer to his, wrapping our legs together. I was terrified of what was happening, terrified of what I might be carrying. But now, with Kiyo on my side, I felt safe. We would get through this together, and I suddenly wanted to connect with him and feel his love around me. He responded instantly to the kiss, one of his hands tipping my head back in order to consume more of my lips. His other hand gripped my upper arm, nails lightly scratching my skin as animal lust began to take over. Then, abruptly, he stopped and pulled away. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked. I started to say he didn't have to worry about getting me pregnant, but that joke seemed kind of inappropriate. â€Å"Nothing †¦ I'm just †¦ I'm just tired.† He kissed me again, but this time it was on my cheek. â€Å"It's been a long day. Just not up for it tonight †¦ even though you're as sexy as always.† The lightness in those last words seemed forced, and I was glad he couldn't see my frown in the darkness. I had just been rejected because †¦ because why? Having sex during pregnancy wasn't harmful, I knew that much. Was I repulsive? Was the thought that I was carrying Storm King's heir putting him off? Whatever the reason, I didn't buy that he â€Å"wasn't up for it.† We'd been pressed hip to hip moments ago, and his body had most certainly been up for it. A sexless night was the least of my problems, and although neither of us spoke, I knew he slept as badly as I did. We tossed and turned, our movements as disturbing to each other as our individual worries. We both had bloodshot eyes when we woke. I headed off to the Otherworld as soon as I could after breakfast – well, after what passed as breakfast for me. My appetite was still low. Jasmine wasn't happy when I denied her request to come with me, but Kiyo and Volusian's presence was too daunting for her to put up much of a fight. I felt the Thorn Land's welcoming energy when I crossed over, but thankfully, it revealed nothing about my maternal state. My staff was equally happy to see me, particularly Shaya, who looked like she'd thought I wasn't ever going to return. It wasn't an entirely unwarranted fear. She and I sat alone in one of the parlors while she updated me on the situation. â€Å"Rurik feels the Rowan Land is stable enough to move in a governing body. There's still some unrest, and he'll stay on for a while, but most have accepted your rule. It's the way things go. He's also culled the Rowan military and feels you can trust who's left.† I tried not to grimace at that, wondering what his â€Å"culling† had entailed. â€Å"And Katrice and Cassius?† She shrugged. â€Å"Still imprisoned. Awaiting your verdict.† â€Å"I don't really want to do anything with them,† I admitted. â€Å"I don't know what to do with them.† â€Å"Honestly? With Katrice? You could set her free, and it wouldn't matter. Stripping the land from her stripped most of her magic. Her reason to live. She's harmless. Without hope. But Cassius †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shaya frowned. â€Å"He's dangerous. He can't wrestle the land from you, but he's got enough power to make trouble. Dorian's already written and advised execution.† I scoffed. â€Å"I'm sure he has.† â€Å"Dorian's also provided a list of people he'd like to see installed in the Rowan Land. We settled the resources split, but he feels he deserves a controlling interest in your rule there.† â€Å"A ‘controlling interest?' This isn't a corporation!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Write him and make it very, very clear that his help isn't needed over there. It isn't wanted. He has no right to it. Tell him all of that.† Shaya hesitated, fretfully toying with one of her black braids. â€Å"No matter how diplomatically I word that †¦ well, the antagonism will still come through. It'll anger him.† â€Å"Good,† I retorted. Dorian was a safe target for my churning emotions at the moment, and God knew I needed some sort of outlet. â€Å"Let him be angry or pout or whatever. I'm pretty sure he isn't going to declare war on me.† It was something I'd figured out recently. Dorian had been an advocate of using the Iron Crown to scare other monarchs, but the thing was, now that we weren't together anymore, he had to realize it could be used against him too. I actually hadn't had to give in to his â€Å"spoils of war† demands. That had been a kindness on my part, and he knew it. I didn't have to fear Dorian. I no longer needed him. â€Å"Very well,† Shaya replied. Her tone was obedient, but I knew she dreaded that letter. She'd never lost her devotion to him, and I was forcing her to split her loyalties. â€Å"But we do need someone to manage the Rowan Land †¦ unless you're going to do it personally.† â€Å"No,† I said swiftly, not that I needed to. She'd already known I had no interest in it. â€Å"Do you have someone in mind?† â€Å"Yes†¦. Me.† I wasn't exactly surprised that she'd step up to the task. I was surprised, however, that she didn't look particularly upset about it. Maybe she relished the challenge. â€Å"I'm cool with that,† I said. â€Å"Hell, after what you did around here, I know you can get Rowan into shape. But †¦ who's going to run things here?† â€Å"I was thinking Nia could.† â€Å"Nia?† I asked, startled. â€Å"My hairstylist?† Shaya crooked me a grin. â€Å"What do you think she does when you're not around? She's been helping me and learning†¦. I think she'd do very well. There'd be others to assist her, and, of course, she could always contact me.† It was still an unexpected choice, but Shaya seemed confident. And, I supposed, we'd gotten the Thorn Land into good enough shape that it now functioned pretty smoothly. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Let's make it happen. When do you plan on moving?† â€Å"Today,† she said. â€Å"I'll go when you go. My things are packed.† I couldn't help laughing. â€Å"You knew I'd agree. And you knew I'd refuse Dorian.† Shaya put on her primmest look, but her eyes sparkled. â€Å"Yes, Your Majesty.† I walked the Thorn Land before leaving, long enough to reassure the land I was there and boost the morale of the soldiers guarding my keep. Not that they needed it. We were victorious, and they were still celebrating. I'd donned my gold crown for the trip to the Rowan Land, and my men regarded me with adoration, calling out cheers for their brave, all-powerful queen. What would they do if they knew? I wondered. What would they do if they knew I was carrying a potential warlord? Somehow, it wasn't much of a mystery. They would cheer more. They would worship me and revel in the chance to extend our rule. It made me eager to go to the Rowan Land, where I was feared rather than adored. Of course, I didn't know if that was any better. If those people knew I was carrying Storm King's grandchild, it would simply intensify their fear and convince them more than ever that they were under the control of a tyrant queen. Kiyo was right, I realized. No one in the Otherworld could know about my pregnancy. Any reaction it drew would be a powerful one. The sooner I could leave, the better. Borrowed soldiers from the Thorn Land still made up the bulk of the guard at Katrice's former castle, and their expressions mirrored those of their colleagues back home. I played the part, smiling and walking among them confidently, not daring to show the fear and uncertainty I felt. Like the Thorn Land's, the Rowan Land's energy buzzed around me. Only I felt it, of course, but once, when I paused and talked to a guard for several minutes, I saw a small red flower growing where I'd stood. No one noticed, and I hastily headed for the castle, figuring nothing would sprout out of stone walls. Rurik greeted us happily, having already known about Shaya's new position. As we all converged, I saw something flash between them, something that surprised me. Affection. More than friendly affection. It was then that I also noticed a bracelet Shaya wore, made of emeralds and pearls. I'd seen it before. Girard had been working on it when I first met Imanuelle. It was the piece Rurik had commissioned. I tried not to gape as the truth hit me. Shaya and Rurik. They had a relationship going on, some romance, probably one that had been building right before me that I'd been too oblivious to notice. That was why she hadn't minded taking on stewardship of a kingdom conquered through unorthodox means. No one else seemed to notice – or maybe everyone already knew about them – but as I stood there and listened to more debriefings, I felt a pang in my chest. It was like Tim and Lara – and not because both couples were so bizarrely matched. No, the similarities came in that it was so easy for all of them. Just fall in love and go with it. No political machinations and motives. No world-altering prophecies to muck things up. I'd untangled myself from Dorian's scheming – and not without a fair amount of heartache – but things with Kiyo now were irrevocably altered. No matter how my pregnancy panned out, even if it had as happy an ending as it could, I knew things between him and me would never be the same. I would never have an easy relationship. Queasiness welled up in me, and I didn't bother trying to figure out which of the myriad reasons could be causing it. I leaned against the wall as Rurik continued speaking about troop placement. Even though it wasn't part of the land, the wall and castle's foundation touched the land, and I felt that magic warm and comfort me. I took a deep breath. I could do this. Everything would be all right, just as I'd told Kiyo. I'd know my child's gender soon. Then I'd know what to do. My intention had been to stay around longer and make sure Shaya was settled in, but I soon decided I needed to get back. The others looked like they would have liked me to stay a little longer too, but they were also used to my weird – or as they considered them, â€Å"human† – ways. I assured them all that I had the utmost faith in them, reminded Shaya to rebuke Dorian, and then headed back to Tucson as soon as I could. When I arrived home and analyzed how I'd been feeling today, it occurred to me that the transitions from world to world were making me sick. Transitioning wasn't an easy feat in general; some couldn't even do it. I'd grown adept at it, but now, it took its toll, even with the help of a gateway. I understood enough about pregnancy to know these annoying symptoms only lasted for a short time, but that didn't negate their annoyance. I didn't want anything slowing me down. I didn't want to be hampered. My body was turning against me, and Kiyo's urging just to end the pregnancy began to seem like a better and better idea. What did gender matter? I wasn't ready for this. He was relieved to see me back early and wrapped me up in another big embrace. â€Å"Everything's okay?† he asked in a low voice. â€Å"Nobody found out?† I shook my head. â€Å"No. And I'm not going back until †¦ until this is settled. I'm also starting to think †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† he prompted. â€Å"That you were right. That gender doesn't matter. The test is so close, though †¦ I'll still do it. But. Well. Like I said, it doesn't matter.† Relief flooded his features. â€Å"I'm glad, Eug. It's the right thing to do.† He hugged me again, and the hug was filled with more intensity. â€Å"You can always cancel the test.† â€Å"No, I'll do it. Especially after the fit I threw with my poor doctor.† â€Å"I wish I could go with you,† he said wistfully. â€Å"But I'm not sure I can. I'm taking a couple of work shifts.† Are you? Or are you running off to Maiwenn? â€Å"It's fine,† I said. â€Å"You wouldn't be able to find out anything that day anyway.† â€Å"But you'll let me know the moment you know?† he asked, staring at me hard. â€Å"The very moment.† Kiyo might not have been able to go with me †¦ but Jasmine did. Ostensibly, I told myself it was because she couldn't be left by herself. Yet, deep inside, when I really looked at my heart, I knew the truth. I didn't want to go through this alone. I knew what the test entailed, and even if we got no answers today, it was still one step closer to what could be a huge event. â€Å"You can do it, you know,† Jasmine told me. I'd let her come into the exam room with me. It was dimly lit for the ultrasound equipment, and the doctor and tech had stepped out so I could change. Undressing in front of Jasmine felt weird, so I kept my back to her as I put on the hospital gown. â€Å"Do what? This test?† â€Å"No. I mean, yeah, whatever, you'll be fine. But I mean, have the baby. Whatever it is. Even a boy. You can fulfill our father's prophecy.† There was a zeal in her voice I hadn't heard in a while – one I'd hoped had gone away. Gowned, I turned around. â€Å"No. That's out of the question. If it's a boy †¦ well, I can't have it. End of story. A girl †¦ I don't know. I'm probably not doing that either.† I couldn't help adding, â€Å"Besides, I thought you wanted to be the heir's mother.† Her face was deadly earnest as she considered my words. â€Å"I did. But maybe I'm not meant to.† The staff returned and situated me on the examining table while Jasmine retreated to a corner. They introduced themselves: Dr. Sartori and Veronica the tech. They explained the procedure to me, though I'd already read up on it several times. The doctor was going to – ack – stick a giant needle in me to collect cells and would use ultrasound to guide him. He made sure I understood the risk of such a test. A small percentage of women miscarried. Dryly, I told him I was willing to accept that. Veronica raised the gown to bare my stomach. As she rubbed gel on it, I stared down wonderingly. Honestly? It looked no different than in the past. I'd always been skinny, and with my lack of appetite, I probably wasn't putting on much weight. If not for my symptoms and Dr. Moore's â€Å"very accurate† test, I never would have guessed what was inside me. And what was inside me? My stomach took on a strange, sinister countenance. Again, I had that feeling of my body's betrayal. It was doing things out of my control. â€Å"Okay,† said Veronica, moving the paddle to my stomach. â€Å"Let's take a look.† Both she and Dr. Sartori watched a black monitor that had my name, birthday, and a few other stats at the bottom of the screen. When the paddle made contact, the screen flared to life, showing the indecipherable gray and white confusion I'd always seen when people had ultrasounds on TV. I could make no sense of it nor see anything resembling a baby, but sound immediately accompanied the images, repetitive swishing noises, kind of like waves. I at least knew what that meant. â€Å"That's the heartbeat, isn't it?† I asked, a strange feeling crawling over me. Heartbeat. Another creature's heart inside of me. Neither practitioner answered right away. Dr. Sartori frowned curiously, and Veronica shifted the paddle around to get more views. â€Å"Huh,† said the doctor. â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. Two immediate possibilities sprang to mind. One was that my gentry blood mixing with Kiyo's kitsune blood had created some sort of monster. The other thought – one that suddenly offered a world of safety – was that there had been a mistake. The test wasn't accurate, and I actually wasn't pregnant. â€Å"Isn't that the heartbeat?† Dr. Sartori's gaze fell on me, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"That's the heartbeats. You have twins.†

Neuroscience of personality

This paper will deal with the question of whether or not neurosciences and neuroanalyses would provide scientists and researchers with a clue about one’s personality, and why one does the things that he does. Can neuroscience provide an answer to how psychological capacities develop and function in the social world? The paper will also talk about the fact that the nervous system of the human being is confirmed in one’s personality, and that today, it is possible to tackle personality as a scientifically backed concept, rather than as a philosophical mystery that nobody can really comprehend.Neuroscience of personalityMost scientists and psychologists alike feel that personality, and the study of human personality and behaviors occupies a strange and lowly position among the annals of human psychology, despite the fact that the topic of ‘personality’ and ‘traits’ crops up quite often during the course of even a normal conversation between two ad ults.As a matter of fact, the study of personality changes even induces disdain among some individuals, perhaps because of the extremely subjective nature of the subject, and also because of the historical tendency to describe the structure of personality rather than the intrinsic nature of personality. However, with the development of neuroscience over the years, it may possible at last for the study of personality to undergo a ‘scientific makeover’, and to study the human brain through imaging, in the hope that the molecular genetics causing variations in human neuro-transmission would be able t provide an idea into the most pressing questions that exist today on human personality.   (Pickering D Alan, Gray A Jeffrey (1990)The question here is whether or not neuroscience would be able to provide the answer to the critical issue of the manner in which a typical human personality develops and functions in the social world. Caspi, Berr and Elder (1989) provide importan t research on the relationship that exists between personality and socio economic conditions, and one interesting example was the personality changes observed in people who happened to grow up during the years of the Great Depression.Most of these people exhibited a tendency to temper and great anger, aggression, short temperedness and so on, and further research revealed the astonishing fact that economic outcomes during one’s childhood would influence one’s personality through the years, and one would show ill temper if one had been economically deprived during one’s childhood. This would also influence their occupational status as they matured, and it was found that those individuals from higher class households would in all probability enjoy a higher occupational status when they were adults, while those who grew up in a deprived atmosphere would display a lower occupational tendency when they were older.Recent research has revealed the fact that within a so cial situation, a human being will at first interpret the situation, before he responds to it, and this in itself would explain the ways in which his psychological capacities develop and function in the social world, rather than a study of the anatomy of the brain as in neuroscience. The importance of a particular social situation may differ from one individual to another, and it is important to remember that many situations do not have a fixed meaning; the meaning would depend on the person within the context.Take for example a situation in which a person tells jokes: while it may be fun for one person, it may be an anxiety provoking situation for another, while for another; it may be some sort of competition. Those personality theorists who work within a psychoanalytic, behavioral, and trait-theory context may find that they are able to successful identify certain principles of personality functioning that would transcend the social circumstances in which the individual finds hims elf, in much the same way that a biologist may make an attempt to identify the basic principles of human anatomy and physiology that would transcend social circumstances. (Pervin, Cervone and Oliver (n.d.)Katherine Kalliel states that in their book ‘Neurodynamics of Personality’, authors Grigsby and Stevens discuss the commonality to be found between personality development and neurosciences and neurodynamics, and she also states that the authors offer the opinion that â€Å"personality reflects the emergent properties of a dynamic, hierarchically ordered, modular, distributed, self-organizing functional system, the primary objective of which is the successful adaptation of the individual to his or her physical and social environment†. (Kalliel, M Katherine Ed.D (2000) This would bring one back to the question, â€Å"Can there be neuroscience in personality?†The answer, in all probability, appears to be ‘Yes’ in today’s situation and gi ven today’s modern research and growing interest in the subject. In my own family, this may well manifest itself in my behavior at times of stress. While it is wide knowledge that stress would cause numerous health problems in an individual, like for example, elevated blood pressure and a suppression of the immune system, it is with the help of neurosciences that this aspect of human behavior has been analyzed, and a solution found.Today, when I feel my stress coming on and increasing because of a particular situation, and I am able to feel my personality changing as a result, I can believe that neuroscience has helped me cope with a situation over which I may have no control, but for the knowledge that it is my own behavior that is elevating the stress levels in my body, and that it is I who must learn to control it successfully. (Navasaria, Neha (1998)This in effect is what neuroscience has been able to achieve, in its research on human personality and on personality change s.References1.Pickering D Alan, Gray A Jeffrey (1990) Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research Google Book Search Retrieved on January 14, 2008http://books.google.com/books?id=2s_c4uMgM-YC&pg=PA277&lpg=PA277&dq=neuroscience+of+personality&source=web&ots=q8kc8JFVgO&sig=tsuXQ7TNbkq9_yJKRnWC5M5vSjM2. Pervin, Cervone and Oliver (n.d.) Theories of Personality Retrieved on January 14, 20083. Kalliel, M Katherine Ed.D (2000) Neurodynamics of Personality American Psychiatric Foundation Retrieved on January 14, 2008http://www.psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/52/6/8474.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Navasaria, Neha (1998) The Understanding of Behavior and the Brain Serendip Retrieved on January 14, 2008http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper1/Navasaria.html

Beach Wedding Dresses Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beach Wedding Dresses - Article Example The researcher states that Sabino points out the fact that it is important to select a beach wedding dress with care. She explains that a long flowing wedding dress is not very practical for a bride who aspires to have a wedding on the beach. Instead, a comfortable hip dress that will exactly fit just right for the casual romantic wedding taking place with waves dancing near the beach, the sun setting on the horizon, and on golden sands would be a perfect choice. In view of the fact that a beach wedding is more informal as opposed to a traditional church wedding, one should choose a style that agrees with the ambiance. While selecting a beach wedding dress, one should not compromise on glamour but should keep it stylish and sleek. This also applies for the groom as well as their party – for a beach wedding, an informal affair is usually the best because of the sun, tuxedos and the sand do not match with formal attire. They should, therefore, go for light-weight natural fibers. As Reilley advises, one can choose a dress with a halter neck, strapless top or spaghetti straps. These are ideal for tanned shoulders’ show off. Alternatively, one can settle on flowing sleeves to provide shelter from the heat. Another option ideal for a beach wedding would be a simple sundress in soft chiffon or linen embroidered with classic or embroidery beads. Making a wedding dress elegant and simple works wonders for a beach wedding. One can choose a-line pattern or a low waist style. If one chooses a very much informal style, she can choose simpler beach wedding dresses in tropical or floral prints. If one is more audacious, she can even go for a bikini and accompany it with a dressy sarong. Since climates at the beaches tend to be windy, one should ensure that the beach wedding gown and hat are secured properly. White, the traditional attire for brides, is appropriate - it blends well with surf and the sand. In place of conventional tiaras, one can go for floral gar lands or head wreaths.