From Atlas to Atlanticists

From Atlas to Atlanticists From Atlas to Atlanticists From Atlas to Atlanticists By Mark Nichol Intrigued by a reference to the political term Atlanticism, heretofore unbeknownst to me, I researched the history of the name of the ocean that separates the western and eastern hemispheres. This post defines and discusses these and related terms. Atlanticism, a term coined in 1950, refers to the concept of cooperation between the United States (and, to a lesser extent, Canada) and the countries of Europe, an idea that developed during World War II and was codified in the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. An advocate of the belief that this relationship is fundamental to geopolitical stability is an Atlanticist. The term, of course, is based on the name of the Atlantic Ocean, the body of water that separates North America and Europe. But where does Atlantic come from? That word, in reference to the seas beyond the Pillars of Hercules (a poetic name for the portal of the Mediterranean Ocean), dates to the classical Greek era and derives from the name of Atlas, a Titan who is said to have been condemned by the Olympic gods to hold up the heavens in perpetuity. (Titan is often depicted bearing Earth on his shoulders, but this image is based on confusion of the sky as a celestial sphere with a planetary globe.) This myth is associated with the Atlas Mountains, located in northwest Africa and flanking the southern side of the Pillars of Hercules, which metaphorically brace the sky. Because illustrations of Atlas were often prominently featured on illustrated maps during the Age of Exploration (starting in the fifteenth century), bound collections of maps came to be called atlases. (The origin of Atlas’s name is disputed; it is said to be either from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning â€Å"uphold† or a Berber word for mountain.) Another name derived from Atlas, by way of Atlantic, is Atlantis. This was the name Plato gave to an imaginary island employed allegorically in one of his philosophical commentaries. Unfortunately, later readers misinterpreted this fictional location as a real one, and pseudoscientific speculation has run rampant ever since, to the point that Atlantis is held up as a psychically and spiritually fueled utopia that tragically met its end by divinely caused inundation. (The name for an inhabitant of Atlantis is Atlantean.) Transatlantic (compare transpacific) describes something pertaining to a connection between the western and eastern hemispheres. Atlanta, the name of the capital of Georgia, resulted from the originally suggested designation Atlantica-Pacifica, inspired by the names of the oceans bordering the United States. (The name of the Pacific Ocean is from the adjective pacific, meaning â€Å"peaceful,† ultimately from the Latin word pax, meaning â€Å"peace.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsSocial vs. SocietalThrew and Through

Station Nightclub Fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Station Nightclub Fire - Research Paper Example The video footage reveals that the smoke of the fire acted as the disincentive for the crowd to break through and the exit blockade acted as the catalyst (NIST Engineering Laboratory, 2011). The first flames were thought to be the part of the act. When the flames reached the ceiling and the smoke began to spread all throughout the club, people realized that the fire is not under control. Within a few seconds after the polytechnics ended the band stopped to play and most band members took the escape route through the west. The fire alarm of the club acutely made everyone aware of the danger while most tried to take the way through which they entered. The massive crowd led to stampede and the exit got completely blocked. This resulted in deaths and severe injuries for the staffs. After the tragedy the Governor declared a moratorium on the displays of pyrotechnic for the venues that can hold less than 300 people. After five months of the accident, the band started a benefit tour. A portion of the generated proceeds were forwarded to the Station Family Fund. The site was cleared and the relatives left a multitude of crosses for the deceased. The members who managed to survive intended to acquire the site and place a permanent memorial. Since the month of May, 2003, nondenominational services started at the fire site on monthly basis. The members of the affected families and the friends who lost their dear ones gathered to take part in the memorial. The Station Fire Memorial Foundation was formed in June, 2003. The purpose of the foundation was to purchase the property and take care of the memorial. The Foundation is still continuing the services on yearly basis. Investigations started to dig out the cause of the fire. The investigation included local and the f ederal agencies. The investigators interviewed the witnesses and visited the scene. The scene was divided

Economic concepts to my personal experience Essay

Economic concepts to my personal experience - Essay Example This paper looks at how some of the microeconomic concepts can be applied to personal life and how they relate to our everyday usage regarding the goods and services. Micro economics is mainly helpful for me in making the decision on switching between the alternatives available for a particular satisfaction. To draw a balance between my budget and prices of the commodity. It certainly helps in buying decision in my personal life. For starters, let us consider the simple fact of buying and selling goods and services. When we want to buy a particular good, there are a host of factors that determine our decision and influence our purchase right from the price of the good to the quality of the good and the competitors for the brand of the product. We measure the utility of the good against the price and then take a decision regarding whether to buy it or not. If we compare the utility value of a good against the price, we would come to a fairly reasonable conclusion about maximizing utility and thus contributing to our decision to buy the good. This applies in the case of many household goods and services and can be used to determine whether a particular good ought to be bought or not. The Microeconomic theory helps in finding answers to the three basic fundamental questions for any business entity in any economy–(1) what to produce, (2) how to produce and (3) for whom to produce in order to utilize the available scarce resources efficiently. That is why the Price theory, Demand concepts and theories of Market structure are the important elements of micro economics. Microeconomic theory studies the economic behavior of individual decision-making units such as consumers, resource owners (i.e. households who provide services to the business entities in exchange of the income) and business firms in a free-enterprise economy. Proper analysis of all these 3 areas of concern helps the business entity to perform efficiently. If the business

History Of Oslo Essay Example for Free

History Of Oslo Essay Oslo is Norway’s capital city. Oslo came from the Old Norse word â€Å"†¦os meaning mountain and lo meaning plain or river â€Å". In other words, Oslo can be described as a place beneath the mountains (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). People of German origin may have settled in the settlements along the Oslo Fjord who moved up to the north from mainland Europe (Zelko 63). The first evident settlement in Oslo was in the 8th century. (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). The first people of who inhabited Oslo lived in â€Å"humble wooden houses with turf roofs† that was surrounded with pens or sheds for goats, sheep and cows (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). Like all the other settlers of Norway, the people were grouped together in the form of a tribe and those who were landowners met with his other landed neighbors in a public assembly called Thing. Legislative assemblies were called Lagtings (Zelko 63). During the Viking age, AD800-1000 Oslo settlers grew rapidly as it had become the center for trade and shipbuilding activities and later it earned the name the† Viking Capital† (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Viking means â€Å"a man from â€Å"Vik†, a huge bay between the Cape Lindesnes in Norway and the mouth of Gota River in Sweden (Britannica 1033). Norwegian Vikings, like other Vikings of Denmark and Sweden, were feared all over Europe as they had â€Å"superior ships and weapons as well developed military organization†. They were basically endowed with extraordinary hunger for adventure (Britannica 1034). Norwegian Vikings were known to be ruthless and brave fighters who killed their victims and greedily loots their conquered settlements and when they were done plundering destroyed the place with fire. They changed the face of Europe as they engaged in raiding and trade and then finally attracted by their conquered lands settled to live there. Their target places were mostly western European countries such as England, Scotland, and Iceland. Their active participation in trading had renewed the neglected European commerce of the middle Ages. Their contact with Western Europe was instrumental for their Christianization and eventually unification of Norway (Britannica 1033). In 885 the first Viking Monarch, Harold the Fair-haired united Norway (Halsey 239). During his reign the settlers of Norway, including Oslo, were commonly engaged in blood feuds, fightings that involve almost, if not all, disagreeing families. Even minor disputes can trigger the killing and maiming of both members of the quarreling families and if not settled can start an endless round of retaliation. The violence can be finally stopped when offending families pay the wronged families which they called â€Å"bot†. Sometimes family feuds were brought to the attention of the Lagtings who will decide the outcome of the disputes and impose penalties. The worst penalty they can give at that time was known as outlawry—a sentence that regarded the offender as if he died already. All his goods were taken away from him and he cannot exercise or claim any legal rights. In fact, anyone can kill him without facing the risk of penalty. These condemned people were left with no choice but to leave their homeland or live in the forest as an outlaw (Tseng 24). In 1050 Harald Hardrade or King Harald III officially founded Oslo and made it the center of southern Norway. This site was located at the eastern side of the harbor on the left bank of the small Akers River (Halsey 239). Harald died in 1066 and his death ended the Viking period as raidings stopped (â€Å"Norway† 2007). Oslo experienced a great era during the reign of Haakon V who was crowned in 1299. He decided to build the Akershus fortress in Olso to serve as his home with his wife Euphemia of Rugens, a Northern German princess (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). He made Oslo the capital of Norway replacing Bergen. This time Oslo and the rest of Norway enjoyed relative peace (â€Å"Norway† 2007). In 1318 Norway was united with the kingdom of Sweden when Duke Erik of Sweden married Princess Ingebjorg, daughter of Queen Euphemia and Hakon V Magnusson. The unification of both countries was officially signed in the Bishops castle; now presently know as Oslo Ladergard (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). The saddest event that occurred in the early history of Oslo was the Black Death that terrorized the world in 1349. It was estimated that half of Oslo’s population died during the time of the Black Death or â€Å"bubonic† plague. Bubonic plague was carried by fleas in rats from England (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Because of the loss of its inhabitants and damage to agriculture Norway united together with Denmark and Sweden via the Union of Kalmar 1397(â€Å"Norway† 2007). During this time Copenhagen, instead of Oslo, was selected as the actual capital of Norway. Consequently Oslo lost it political importance and was only regarded as a provincial administrative center while the kings lived in Copenhagen and Stockholm from 1400-1500 (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). In 1523, however, Sweden dropped out of the union, and weaker Norway was left in the care of Danish Kings(â€Å"Norway† 2007). Part 2 Modern Era Reformation Period Like the rest of mainland Europe, Oslo was greatly affected by the Lutheran Protestant Reformation of 1537 when the German Monk Martin Luther questioned the laws of Roman Catholic Church and sought to reform the religious beliefs of the Europeans. Oslo citizens were engaged in religious conflicts(Thodock 2003). The catholic bishop of Oslo, Hans Rev was converted to Protestantism despite the reluctance of the citizens( â€Å"Oslo:City† 2006). Since Oslo had slightly lost its political and economic importance as a city at this time as it was being ruled by Denmark most of the buildings constructed there was only made of wood so that the city was easily destroyed by fire in 1624. King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway decided to move the town to the right bank of the Akers River and rebuild it near the Akershus Fortress. The city buildings were constructed in a Renaissance city style with rectangular blocks and renamed it Christiania (Halsey). Scientific Revolution The scientific revolution changed the world’s beliefs entirely, and Norway is in the heart of it Religious beliefs were proven to be wrong and questions were answered. Copernicus first with his opinion on the heliocentric theory, Galileo second with proof of Copernicus theory, and Newton third with the laws of gravity to explain how and why the planets revolved around the sun. Enlightenment During the 1700’s the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment flourished in Europe particularly to the Norwegian trading partners of Great Britain and Holland. In these places people were trying to improve their lives with the use of reason instead of following traditional religious or accepted beliefs. Contact with the â€Å"enlightened† British and Dutch affected the daily life of the inhabitants of Christiania. Norwegian traders brought home with them not only the prized cargoes of tobacco, coffee, tea and spices but also enlightened ideas. They constructed luxurious houses with magnificent gardens in accordance with the style western Europe (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). Napoleonic wars At first, Denmark and Norway attempted to remain neutral in the Napoleonic wars between France and England and their respective allies in 1805. However, England attacked the entire Danish fleet in 1807 as a result Denmark joined with France against Britain (Britannica 1034). Britain cut-off trading with Norway and set up a continental blockade against Denmark and Norway wherein British navy prevented the goods from both Norway and Denmark in reaching its trading partners . This action greatly affected the economy of Norway. The export of fish and timber from Christiania as well as the import of grain from Denmark were blocked. As a result, citizens of Christiania faced an economic crisis and suffered hunger. To end their trouble, Britain loosened up its blockade against Norway in 1810-13(â€Å"Oslo† 1991). In 1814 the king of Denmark was forced to give up Norway to Sweden in a Treaty of Kiel when Napoleon I was defeated (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Eager to rebuild their government the Norwegian created its first constitution on May 17 the same year and Christiania became the capital city. In time, Christiania replaced its rival Bergen as Norway’s largest city. The people celebrated with joy as Christiania was expected to reclaim its old glory without giving much thought at first that they were still under the control of a foreigner, Sweden. As a capital city, Christiania once again becomes important politically and economically. For its newly acquired role, new monumental buildings were erected as a venue for important functions. . They were the Royal Palace, Bank of Norway and the stock exchange Oslo Bors. Later, most Christiania citizens joined with the rest of Norway in demanding for a complete control of their own affairs. They did not want to recognize the provisions of the Treaty of Kiel and instead preferred a Danish King to rule them. Because of the political unrest , Sweden was forced to make the Act of Union of 1815,that gave Norway the privilege of having its own army, navy and parliament(Storting) and was permitted to control their own internal affairs in exchange for their strict compliance to the Treaty of Kiel(â€Å"Oslo† 2006). Renaissance Period Because of their internal independence, Christiania’ economic and political power rose. By mid 1800’s, Christiania grew into a major administrative, economic and military center. The economic success brought about by the shipping and agricultural industry made Christiania a dominant economic city of Norway (World Book 1981). The site of rapid industrial revolution in Oslo started at the Aker River around 1840. The development of Industries relied in the electricity provided by this River. Old buildings along the River were demolished and replaced with concrete large textile industrial buildings . Because of the increased jobs offered by industries the population of Christiania increased as peasants and rural populace moved to the cities hoping find work. In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution Christiania’s industrial workers, like most of European industrial cities, lived in poverty since income was low. They mostly lived in crowded houses meant for workers in which sanitation was bad. As a result, sickness was common and spread easily. To augment family income, the children aged below ten were forced to work in the industries, an environment that was not conducive for their well-balanced growth. In fact, industries were noisy and dusty. They caused water and air pollution. Because of this, the health of the children suffered and their resistance to sickness decreased as they lacked the time to play and sleep. In fact, schoolwork was unavoidably neglected (â€Å"Off â€Å"2007). Revolutions of 1848 The political revolutions in Europe in 1848 had increased the desire of Norway to demand for independence from Sweden. In the late 1800’s popular Norwegian playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Bjornstjerne Bjorjornson staged a play in Christiania’s theater with a theme about political hypocrisy, rights of women and social problems. These plays helped Norwegians develop a sense of nationalism. In 1901 the city of Christiania was selected by the notable Swedish inventor, Alfred Nobel to be the site for the awarding of the most prestigious Noble Peace Prize (Lundestad 2001). By 1905 Sweden granted independence to Norway and Christiania at last was freed from foreign interference that began 1300’s (Halsey 240). Industrial Revolution World War One was inevitable due to industrialization and the desire each country had to become supreme. Firstly, relationships between the nations of the world were dramatically altered by the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century. Tensions between the industrial powers began to rise. The intensity between the industrial powers grew more and more as each country sought to expand its sphere of influence at the expense of others. Secondly, there was a growing desire by ethnic populations within the larger countries to become independent nations. Norway separated from Sweden and revolts occurred in colonies such as China, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Ireland. War broke out in the Balkans in 1912 and again in 1913, as Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, and Greece fought first the Ottoman Empire and then Austria-Hungary. Lastly, Colonies around the world were a valuable asset for supporting the host countrys economy. The great European powers needed raw materials and outlets for their goods. They wanted to expand into new colonies while still protecting the ones they already had. World War I The economy of Christiania steadily grew until before World War I. When the First World War broke out in 1914 Norway declared its neutrality. However, Christiania benefited economically from the war by carrying British cargoes inspite the loss of Norwegian lives and ships that were caught in the war (Compton 610). After the war Christiania settled back to its normal life. In 1924, Christiania was renamed back to Oslo (â€Å"Oslo: City† 2006). World War II. On April 9, 1940 Oslo was defeated by the Germans almost with only a slight resistance due the betrayal of Norwegian Officer and Fascist politician Vidkun Quisling who collaborated with the Nazis. As a result, the city was only slightly damaged during the war (Halsey 239). In 1942 Germany installed a puppet government in Norway under National Union leader Vidkun Quisling. However, the Norwegians resisted the Germans and its puppet regime. Oslo became a place of opposition strikes. Other citizens were secretly involved in the large-scale industrial sabotage and espionage on behalf of the allied powers. (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). During their occupation of the city the Nazis used Akershus as a prison and place of execution for those convicted of allied conspiracy and today its the site of Norways Resistance Museum, which provided a detailed account of German takeover and the Norwegian struggle against it (Thodock 2003). The German forces that overrun Norway surrendered in May 8, 1945 enabling the exiled King Hakon VII to return to Norway from London in June. Oslo then began to rebuild its ruin buildings while at the same time prosecuted â€Å"about 90,000 alleged cases of treason and defection†. Convicted traitors faced execution foremost of which was Vidkun Quisling (â€Å"Oslo† 2006). War had been going on for a very long time when it came to The Cold War, the postwar to World War II. After World War II, as the Cold War began two major alliances were created. Although, in World War I a systems of alliances did not work, the systems of alliances that formed after World War II were bigger and they werent buddy-buddy alliances. These two alliances were formed to bring peace throughout the world, to end The Cold War, and to prevent anymore future high scale wars. Toward the end of the war, hostility between Norwegians and the German occupying forces grew considerably stronger. A prime cause was the German withdrawal from all fronts. Retreating German units from the fronts in the north, the USSR and Finland, withdrew to Norwegian territory. In the autumn of 1944, the Red Army followed the Germans into Finnmark, where it liberated Kirkenes and the northeastern areas. As the occupying troops retreated, they ordered an evacuation of the entire Norwegian population in Finnmark and in Troms south to Lyngen. In Lyngen, three German army corps dug in. Then the entire region north of Lyngen was burned and destroyed. The destruction included 10,400 homes, bridges, power stations, factories, fishing vessels, telephone facilities and other types of infrastructure. The scorched earth area was much larger than all of Denmark. After the Soviet Red Army crossed into North Norway, a Norwegian military mission and a small number of Norwegian soldiers from Great Britain and Sweden followed. The Russians withdrew from Norway in September 1945, a few months after the German capitulation.

Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

In the heroic epic Beowulf, there are various examples of religious beliefs, both Christian and pagan. These examples play a major role in the tale, and include things such as God’s love (Christian) and making sacrifices to several gods (pagan). Explanations of these beliefs are necessary to understand this epic and here six of these beliefs will be discussed, three Christian and three pagan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the many Christian beliefs is expressed at the beginning of the tale, when the creation of the earth is explained. The epic describes creation by saying that The Almighty (God) made and shaped the earth. The explanation given matches that of the first book of the Bible, Genesis. This belief is used to help introduce Grendel and where he came from.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another Christian belief is used when king Hrothgar’s throne is described as being protected by God. Royal possessions, and even royal members themselves, were ordained, therefore pure, clean, and protected. Such practices still exist today. However, only royalty and religious figures are said to be â€Å"ordained†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One last display of a Christian belief is shown at the end of the tale, in which the men are said to have praise to God for the souls of the fallen to be able to make it to Heaven. Many Christians give praise and prayer to God at their beloved’s funeral to help in their healing and give assurances that the souls of the dead will be safe and protected on their journey to Heaven.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only are Christian beliefs displayed in Beowulf, but also pagan practices are used. A first of these is the ritual of sacrificing to the stone gods, the making of heathen vows, hoping for Hell’s support, and the Devil’s guidance in driving the warriors’ affliction off. This affliction was Grendel. Such actions were resorted upon when none of their prayers to God were seemingly answered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A second pagan exercise is done when Grendel attacks the first Geat, and drinks the Geats’ blood from his veins, and then snaps his mouth shut, killing the Geat. Pagan practices such as drinking of another’s, or a victim’s blood, are believed to give the drinker all the unfortunate’s powers and knowledge. Even more, some believe this act gives the drinker the victim’s soul. Pagans believe this deadly beverage makes them stronger, and in some cases godly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the biggest and final pagan beliefs is given at the end of the epic, when Beowulf’s body is burned. Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays In the heroic epic Beowulf, there are various examples of religious beliefs, both Christian and pagan. These examples play a major role in the tale, and include things such as God’s love (Christian) and making sacrifices to several gods (pagan). Explanations of these beliefs are necessary to understand this epic and here six of these beliefs will be discussed, three Christian and three pagan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the many Christian beliefs is expressed at the beginning of the tale, when the creation of the earth is explained. The epic describes creation by saying that The Almighty (God) made and shaped the earth. The explanation given matches that of the first book of the Bible, Genesis. This belief is used to help introduce Grendel and where he came from.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another Christian belief is used when king Hrothgar’s throne is described as being protected by God. Royal possessions, and even royal members themselves, were ordained, therefore pure, clean, and protected. Such practices still exist today. However, only royalty and religious figures are said to be â€Å"ordained†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One last display of a Christian belief is shown at the end of the tale, in which the men are said to have praise to God for the souls of the fallen to be able to make it to Heaven. Many Christians give praise and prayer to God at their beloved’s funeral to help in their healing and give assurances that the souls of the dead will be safe and protected on their journey to Heaven.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only are Christian beliefs displayed in Beowulf, but also pagan practices are used. A first of these is the ritual of sacrificing to the stone gods, the making of heathen vows, hoping for Hell’s support, and the Devil’s guidance in driving the warriors’ affliction off. This affliction was Grendel. Such actions were resorted upon when none of their prayers to God were seemingly answered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A second pagan exercise is done when Grendel attacks the first Geat, and drinks the Geats’ blood from his veins, and then snaps his mouth shut, killing the Geat. Pagan practices such as drinking of another’s, or a victim’s blood, are believed to give the drinker all the unfortunate’s powers and knowledge. Even more, some believe this act gives the drinker the victim’s soul. Pagans believe this deadly beverage makes them stronger, and in some cases godly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the biggest and final pagan beliefs is given at the end of the epic, when Beowulf’s body is burned.

Thorn Queen Chapter Eight

Kiyo was gone the next morning, as I'd suspected he would be. We'd stumbled inside to my little-used bedroom once it started raining, and his side of the bed was cold, telling me he'd left some time ago. I sighed, trying not to let the knowledge of him being with Maiwenn get me down, and headed out to see what was going on in Queen Eugenie's domain. The first thing I picked up on was that everyone was really excited that it had rained. We'd returned to normal sunny conditions this morning, but last night's rain had brought the land to life. Cacti bloomed. The trees seemed stronger. And while there were no ostensible signs of excess water, I could sense it in the ground and even slightly in the air. Had having sex caused it? Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless, I was pleased with my good deed. I made motions to leave, but Rurik stopped me. â€Å"Don't you want to question the prisoners?† I paused. What I wanted was to go home, shower, and change into clean clothes. â€Å"Can't you do that?† I asked. He frowned. â€Å"Well, certainly, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But it should be my job. That was the unspoken message. I suspected Aeson would have never done such a thing. He would have left it to thugs. I knew if I delegated it to Rurik, he'd do it without (much) complaint. There was something in his eyes, though, that told me he expected more of me than an ordinary monarch. I'd never expected to gain such regard from him-or to feel so uneasy about it. Rurik had pissed me off to no end in the past, but suddenly, I didn't want to disappoint him. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Let's do it.† I'd interrogated plenty of monsters, gentry, and even humans in my day. But there was something weird about interrogating prisoners. It was strange enough to learn that I actually had a dungeon in the castle. There were even shackles on the wall, but thankfully, our two prisoners weren't bound. They were a man and a woman, both ragged and sullen. He looked my age; she looked older. I entered the bronze-barred cell, Rurik and another guard behind me. I crossed my arms over my chest and swallowed my misgivings. I was Eugenie Markham, badass shaman and slayer of Otherworldly miscreants. This was no different from any of my other jobs. â€Å"Okay,† I told the prisoners, my voice harsh. â€Å"We can make this easy or hard. Answer my questions, and it'll go a lot faster and smoother for all of us.† The woman glared at me. â€Å"We don't answer to you.† â€Å"That's the funny thing,† I said. â€Å"You do. You're in my land. You're under my rule, my jurisdiction.† She spat on the ground. â€Å"You're a usurper. You stole the land from Aeson.† Considering the way power was always shifting in the Otherworld, I found that statement ludicrous. â€Å"Everyone's a usurper here. And in case you haven't heard, I didn't steal the land from him so much as blow him up.† Her face remained hard, but I saw the slightest flicker of fear in the guy's face. I turned to him. â€Å"What about you? You going to be reasonable? Are you going to tell me where the girls you kidnapped are?† He nervously glanced at his companion. She gave him a hard look, its message easily interpretable: Don't talk. I sighed. I didn't want to resort to torture. All-powerful ruler or not, it was just an ugly thing I didn't want to dirty my hands with. I had a feeling my iron athame pointed at their throats would go a long way to get them to communicate. Instead, I opted for another solution. Producing my wand, I stepped away from the others and spoke the words to summon Volusian. The momentary cold descended upon us, and then the spirit stood before me. Rurik and the guard were growing accustomed to this, but the prisoners gasped. â€Å"Volusian,† I said. â€Å"Got a task for you.† â€Å"As my mistress commands.† I gestured to the prisoners. â€Å"I need you to put muscle on them. Get them to talk.† Volusian's red eyes widened slightly, the closest he ever came to looking happy. â€Å"But you can't kill them,† I added hastily. â€Å"Or hurt them-much.† The pseudo-happiness disappeared. â€Å"Start with the guy,† I said. Volusian sidled across the cell and was only reaching his hand out when the guy cracked. â€Å"Alright! Alright! I'll talk,† he cried. â€Å"Stop, Volusian.† The spirit stepped back, his glum expression growing. â€Å"I don't know anything about girls disappearing,† the man said. â€Å"We aren't taking them.† â€Å"You've been preying on people,† I pointed out. â€Å"And girls have been vanishing near your base of operation. Seems kind of suspicious.† He shook his head frantically, eyeing Volusian warily. â€Å"No, it's not us.† â€Å"Have you heard of them disappearing?† â€Å"Yes. But it's not us.† His words were adamant. â€Å"Yeah, well, I find it hard to believe they're all running off. If it's not you, then who is it?† â€Å"You're a fool,† the woman snapped. â€Å"What would we do with a group of girls?† â€Å"The same thing men usually use girls for,† I replied. â€Å"We can barely feed our own people! Why would we take on more mouths to feed?† That was kind of a good question. â€Å"Well, you still haven't really given me another explanation.† â€Å"We heard a monster's doing it,† the man blurted out. â€Å"A monster,† I repeated flatly. I looked over to Rurik who simply shrugged. I turned back to the prisoners. â€Å"Any details on this monster?† Neither responded. It was strange, particularly considering how some prejudiced part of me still regarded most gentry as dishonest, but I believed them about not taking the girls. I thought the monster explanation was bullshit, but they might honestly have believed it to be true. Volusian took a step forward without my command, and the guy hastily spoke. â€Å"The monster lives in our land. In the Ald-Thorn Land, that is.† â€Å"How do you know that?† I asked. â€Å"Because only girls from the Thorn Land have disappeared,† the woman said. â€Å"Westoria borders the Rowan Land, and two of their villages are very close. Skye and Ley. But they've had no one go missing.† â€Å"You guys seem to know a lot about this for allegedly not being involved.† â€Å"We don't need to be involved. We raid both sides of the border-word gets around.† She spoke of her raiding as a matter of pride, and I tried not to roll my eyes. â€Å"Okay. Let's put the girls on hold. Where did the fire demons come from?† No answer. I sighed again. â€Å"Volusian.† Volusian swiftly moved forward again and wrapped his hand around the guy's throat. Most spirits had little substance, but with his power, Volusian was as solid as any of us, his touch cold and deadly. The man screamed and crumpled to the ground. â€Å"Stop! Stop!† yelled the woman. â€Å"I'll tell you.† I halted Volusian and looked at her expectantly. The man remained on the floor, rubbing his throat and moaning. The skin on his neck bore bright red marks. The woman looked angrier than ever. â€Å"It's our leader who summons them. Cowan.† â€Å"You expect me to believe some vagrant has that kind of power?† I asked. â€Å"Why isn't he off working for a noble?† â€Å"He was a noble, one of Aeson's advisors. He preferred to live a rough life, rather than work for someone like you.† â€Å"Aeson did have a noble named Cowan,† Rurik said. â€Å"Her story isn't implausible.† I suddenly felt weary. None of these were the answers I wanted. No leads on the girls, and now I had a rogue noble who could summon demons. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"That's all I've got for now.† â€Å"What are you going to do with us?† the woman demanded. â€Å"Another excellent question,† I murmured. â€Å"Aeson would have killed them,† said Rurik. â€Å"And you know I'm not Aeson.† Would setting them free accomplish anything? Much of what they'd done had been from hunger and desperation, not that that justified robbing and potentially killing and kidnapping. If I freed them out of guilt, I doubted they'd learn their lessons and go on to become upright citizens. I certainly wasn't going to kill them, though. I didn't even want to hold them in this cell much longer. The guard who'd accompanied Rurik cleared his throat. â€Å"Your majesty, you could sentence them to a work detail.† â€Å"A work detail?† â€Å"There are others like them, other criminals, who serve a term doing labor as punishment for their deeds.† â€Å"Like digging your aque†¦whatever,† said Rurik. That didn't sound so bad. And hey, it might actually be useful. I gave the order and was assured the two prisoners would be transported to their work site. The whole thing felt a little strange. Here I was judge, jury, and-if I chose-executioner. No one argued with my decision. No one questioned the time I set-six months. Although, Rurik's arched eyebrow made me think he would have sentenced them to life. â€Å"Okay,† I said when we'd emerged out of the lower levels of the castle and I'd sent away Volusian. â€Å"Now I'm going home.† Shaya suddenly rounded the corner. â€Å"There you are,† she said anxiously. â€Å"I've been looking for you.† â€Å"I'm leaving.† Her face turned confused. â€Å"But Prince Leith is here to see you.† â€Å"Who†¦oh.† The image came back to me. The moderately cute guy from the party. The Rowan Queen's son, who hadn't been all that annoying. â€Å"Why is he here?† â€Å"After your last visit, I dispatched those with any affinity for metal out to search for copper. They found a lot of it-thought it's been difficult to extract-and I sent out word that we'd be in a position to set up trade for it soon. Leith is here to negotiate on behalf of his mother.† â€Å"Man,† I said. â€Å"You guys move fast.† Her looked turned wry. â€Å"Well, yes, but there's also the fact that you invited him to visit sometime. He's taking you up on the offer. In fact, I suspect seeing you is more important than the trade negotiations.† â€Å"Good thing. Because I'm not so good in the way of negotiations.† I never wore a watch and had left my cell phone back in Tucson. I had no idea what time it was, only that I was spending more and more time in the Otherworld. Seeing Leith was only going to delay me further. â€Å"I'll see him. But it's going to be fast.† Shaya looked relieved. I think she'd worried I would bolt, which was a very good fear to have. As we walked to the chamber Leith was waiting in, she gave me a curious look. â€Å"Perhaps you'd†¦like to change and clean up first?† I looked at my clothes. They were pretty badly wrinkled, and I didn't doubt that I had grass in my hair from last night. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"The less appealing he finds me, the better.† Unfortunately, that proved impossible. When we entered the room, Leith leapt up, face aglow with delight. â€Å"Your majesty! It's so wonderful to see you again.† He swept me a half-bow and kissed my hand. â€Å"You look amazing.† He was apparently into the grunge look. â€Å"I hope you don't mind me arriving like this. When my mother heard the news of your find, she wanted to make sure we could get in on it as soon as possible.† â€Å"Sure,† I said, taking my hand back. â€Å"No problem.† The room was a comfortable parlor that still bore the signs of Aeson's tastes in decorating. Tapestries, lots of velvet, and dark colors. Everyone waited for me to sit on one of the plush sofas and then followed suit. I made a point of kind of sprawling on mine. It wouldn't have been out of the range of gentry etiquette for Leith to come snuggle up beside me. As it was, he was still beaming at me and seemed a bit put out when Shaya jumped right in. â€Å"So, your highness. We'd like to discuss trading our copper for your wheat.† As they began to talk, I had a sudden flashback to that god-awful board game my mother used to make me play, Pit. I let my mind wander as the two of them hashed out the finer details of matters I didn't entirely understand. My thoughts drifted to some upcoming jobs I had, the mystery of the demons and the missing girls, and of course, Kiyo. Always Kiyo. Leith and Shaya wrapped up their negotiations fairly quickly. From the happy look on her face, I took it our team had come out ahead. With a polite bow in my direction, Shaya rose, holding some papers to her chest. â€Å"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to have these written up and formalized so that the prince can sign them before he leaves.† I took this as my cue to entertain him, but nothing readily came to mind. I couldn't really talk to him about reality TV or American politics. Finally, lamely, I said, â€Å"Thanks for your help. I mean, with the trade and everything.† He grinned. â€Å"We're getting as much out of it as you. Maybe more.† â€Å"Shaya didn't seem to think so,† I said, speaking without thinking. This made him laugh. â€Å"She's a good negotiator. You're lucky to have her.† He leaned forward. â€Å"Especially since I'm guessing this really isn't your†¦well, let's just say it's not one of your normal pastimes.† The frankness caught me by surprise. I'd expected him to remain starstruck and silly, like most of the guys around here who wanted to hit on me. Leith's current expression wasn't lecherous or adoring now, just knowing and sympathetic. â€Å"No, it's really not. This is a kind of a big life change.† â€Å"And yet, you knew you'd be taking this on when you defeated Aeson.† I hesitated. Both Shaya and Rurik had hinted to me on a number of occasions that I really shouldn't elaborate on the totally unexpected-and unwanted-nature of my queen-ship. Even if I hadn't fought Aeson with the specific intent of supplanting him, the point remained now that I was stuck with this. Coming across as weak and whiny to those outside my inner circle could create more problems. â€Å"Well, yeah,† I said brightly. â€Å"We just didn't anticipate this many problems when the land changed.† â€Å"But this is how your world is?† â€Å"The part I live in. But we've had a long time to get used to it and figure out ways to survive and get water in. I gave Shaya books on how to construct some of that stuff, so hopefully she'll find someone to do it.† His brow furrowed. â€Å"Is there any way I could take a look? I might able to help.† For a moment, I wondered if this was his new ploy to schmooze me-until I recalled what Shaya had said about him having a brilliant mind for technology, inasmuch as the gentry could. If he could parse diagrams and whatnot, it might be worth getting closer to him. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"We could certainly use it.† He smiled again, and as it lit up his face, even I could acknowledge he was pretty good-looking. Not like Kiyo, of course. Or even†¦well, like Dorian. But pretty cute. â€Å"I'll set to it as soon as I can. If there's anything else I can do to make this easier for you, I'll do it.† There was an enraptured look on his face. Yeah, he definitely had a crush, but he didn't irritate me in the way so many other more obnoxious suitors did. An odd thought occurred to me. â€Å"Leith†¦here's something you might be able to help with. Have you ever heard of girls disappearing from the Rowan Land? In the areas that border my land?† The look on his face showed that this was the last question he'd expected from me. â€Å"I†¦beg your pardon?† â€Å"Girls have been disappearing from my land, right near your borders.† What were those names? â€Å"Skye and Ley. But the people I talked to say nothing's happening to your girls. Do you know anything about this?† He shook his head, utterly confused. â€Å"No†¦I'm afraid I don't know very much about the lives of those people.† Leith's words weren't contemptuous by any means, but there was an implication that villagers and peasants just weren't people he associated with. It reminded me of Rurik's comments about how Aeson would have never troubled himself to investigate bandits or missing girls unless they directly affected him. Leith wasn't as much of an asshole as Aeson, but he and his mother were likely just as out of touch as any other noble. I think a fair amount of disappointment must have shown on my face because he suddenly grew eager to make me feel better. â€Å"But I swear, I'll look into this when I return. I'll ask Mother, and we'll send messengers out to report back. I'll find out everything I can for you.† I smiled at his enthusiasm. â€Å"Thanks, Leith. It's really great of you to help.† â€Å"Helping a pretty queen is no trouble at all. By the way, have you ever thought about getting a crown?† We talked a little longer, and I found he actually was a really nice guy, given to moments of humor and intelligence. It wasn't enough for me to jump into bed with him, but I appreciated finding someone else to connect with in the Otherworld. Shaya returned at last with the paperwork-hand-printed on scrolls, of course-and while Leith signed, we got a hold of the engineering books for him. His eyes widened with delight, and I swear, he probably could have sat down and started reading then and there on the floor. Instead, he took the hint that I had other things to do, and after many more compliments and hand kisses, he took his leave. â€Å"You've given him another open invitation,† Shaya pointed out. â€Å"Yeah, I know. But he's harmless. I like him.† â€Å"None of them are harmless, your majesty.† I couldn't entirely tell if she was joking or not. â€Å"Well, it'll be worth the hassle if he can solve our water problem and help with the girls.† â€Å"The girls?† I gave her a quick recap of my interrogation with the prisoners. Her face turned thoughtful as she processed my words. â€Å"Skye and Ley†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do you know those towns?† She nodded. â€Å"They and Westoria are configured in a way that places them equidistant from a gateway. A crossroads.† â€Å"What, to my world?† She nodded again. â€Å"Huh. I wonder if that's a coincidence. I wonder†¦I wonder if it's possible that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  One of my crazier ideas came to me. â€Å"Do you think those girls could be leaving and going to my world?† â€Å"I don't know. Shining ones do often cross over. It's not unheard of.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. To cause trouble. Or to steal women.† I had to fight a scowl on that one. My own mother had been one such woman, abducted and forced to be my father's mistress. â€Å"You think these girls are going to go kidnap guys so they can have kids?† The easy ability to conceive was why so many humans got kidnapped. Usually, it was gentry men taking human women. Shaya's smile turned wry. â€Å"I somehow doubt it would come to that. Women have been known to cross over, spend time in your world, and return pregnant. They don't need to bring the men back.† Fair point. Well, this was certainly a weird development. I'd have to wait and see what Leith reported back, but I supposed if these girls weren't actually being abducted†¦well, there was little for me to do. Admittedly, I'd always fought adamantly against gentry sneaking to the human world, but I wasn't sure where the right and wrong of this situation lay. â€Å"I guess that'd be easier to deal with than a monster taking them. Still leaves that stupid demon problem.† I sighed. â€Å"Well, one issue at a time, I guess.† â€Å"Are you leaving now?† â€Å"Yes. Finally. Thanks for handling this today.† â€Å"Of course,† she said. She actually sounded like she meant it. Her pleased expression turned momentarily hesitant. â€Å"Although†¦there's something you should know. Someone else responded right away to the trade offer.† â€Å"That's good news.† â€Å"It's Dorian.† â€Å"Oh.† Of course Dorian would respond. How could he stay away from an opportunity to put me at his mercy? â€Å"You can deal with it, though, right?† â€Å"Well, that's just it. He's specifically requested that you talk to him. At his home.† â€Å"What?† I stared. â€Å"He†¦he can't do that.† That wry smile of hers returned. â€Å"He's a king. He can do anything he wishes.† â€Å"Yeah, but Leith came here! Dorian just wants me to go to him so that he can taunt me.† And no doubt flaunt Ysabel in front of me. â€Å"Leith's kingdom needs copper more than Dorian's. I suspect Dorian is doing this as a personal favor to you.† â€Å"That's not exactly how I'd put it.† She shook her head, the amusement now warring with exasperation. â€Å"I know there's tension between you, but I suspect if you could be nice to King Dorian, he might make us a very generous deal. One that could help us immensely.† A generous deal. The Oak Land was flourishing. I didn't doubt they had all sorts of food and other items we could use. I thought about those poor people in Westoria and even about my prisoners who'd spoken of having too many mouths to feed. I sighed. â€Å"Fine. I'll talk to him. And I'll even be nice.† I started to turn away, needing more than ever to get back to my own home. Then I glanced back behind me. â€Å"But Shaya? Just to be safe, you might want to keep looking for more trade partners.†

Fruits and Seed Dispersal

Fruits and Seed Dispersal Nicole Saylor Meiko M. Thompson BIO 115 11/25/12 In this essay I will be answering questions about fruit and as to the reason why things are the way they are†¦ First up is some fruits are sweet and some are not is because, â€Å"Actually, the taste of a fruit depends on the compounds  present in it. Normally a fruit contains the  materials  like cellulose, proteins, starch, vitamins, certain acids,  fructose  or sugar. All these  materials  are found in mixed form inside the fruit and they have different proportions in different fruits.Fruits of  sweet taste have more  fructose  in them  whereas  the  fruits of  sour taste have more acids in them. † (Gemini Geek) so this means that the more or less acid a fruit has then more sweeter or more sour it will taste, and that all means something with no taste really to is to say to have no acid , or sugars that would give it a particular taste. The next in line is that the ri pening of a fruit and the seed dispersal go hand in hand in such a way that when a fruit ripens it is a signal from production mode of a seed to the dispersal of a mature seed that is ready to become another plant to create the dame cycle over again.To help explain this for example, â€Å"n dry fruits (cereals, nuts, dandelions) ripening consists of desiccation and is considered maturation. Ripening in fleshy fruits is designed to make the fruit appealing to animals that eat the fruit as a means for seed dispersal. Ripening involves the softening, increased juiciness and sweetness, and color changes of the fruit. Fleshy fruits are either climacteric or non-climacteric. Climacteric fruits produce a reparative burst with a concomitant burst in ethylene synthesis, as the fruits ripen. These include fruits with high degrees of flesh softening, like tomato, banana, avocado, peach etc. (Lecture 17)So we see that in this process of ripening and seed dispersal are that it is the plants way of making sure that the seeds that it produced to carry on and make more fruit plants or trees happens by making the fruit itself more appealing to animals which will at and then later disperse the seeds. The next question to address is how do we play a role in all of this and how do we effect it basically. Well we humans affect this natural process when we take over the land and granted that plants were here long before we were and before animals were.So plants have been able to grow without our aid if fertilizing the soil and etc†¦ For example, â€Å"Unlike colonist plants, the deep forests of our planet are largely independent from us. They don’t need us to prepare the ground or disperse their seeds. Plants, after all, colonized dry land well before animals did, and were doing quite well, on their own, before we arrived. Some kinds of trees need little help from animals of any sort. Because they don’t need our help, these trees have little to gain by feeding us. This is why we often find that there is relatively little food to be had in mature forests.You can’t eat wood. †(Kyle Chamberlain) So see plants were reproducing before animals and us but granted when animals came along it did make the seed dispersal process a lot easier. As far as I can see that a seed does not use sugar or starch for its metabolism unless it developing then yes. Because when a seed is developing it needs these to grow into a mature seed that can be dispersed, but since this seed has become mature and is dispersed then it start growing and producing its own sugars and starches from the light and dark process of photosynthesis.References The Gemini Geek (2012). Why Are Some Fruits Sweet While Others Are Sour? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www. thegeminigeek. com/why-are-some-fruits-sweet-while-others-are-sour/ Iowa State University (2012). Lecture 17 [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www. public. iastate. edu/~bot. 512/lectures/seed&frui t. htm Chamberlin, K. (2012). Disturbance Ecology – The Human Habitat Project [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://sites. google. com/site/humanhabitatproject/home/disturbance-ecology