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Sunday, January 26, 2020

Just War Theory And The 2003 Iraq War Politics Essay

Just War Theory And The 2003 Iraq War Politics Essay The Iraq War or the second Gulf War has been commenced since 20 March 2003. Despite the troops consisted of military force of various western nations, it was actually led by the United States. Over the years, people have questioned the Bush administration whether it is justified to invade Iraq, and whether the Iraq War fulfill the criteria of the Just War Theory. As such, this essay will attempt to determine whether the invasion of Iraq by the Bush administration is justified. Just cause The reason for going to war must be just. Force may be used only to correct a grave, public evil, i.e. aggression or massive violation of the basic human rights of whole populations  [1]  . In addition to what we generally accept that force may only be used to correct a grave and public evil, Holmes (1992) stated that the criterion of just cause has been downgraded. He also stated that a war is justified in response to aggression, ie, self-defense. It also extended to cover also defense of another state against aggression, intervention to protect potential victims of grave wrong by nations, and even pre-emptive strikes against potential aggressors. Right authority War may be waged by constituted legal authority. Right intention War may be waged only in a truly just cause but not for material gain or maintaining economies. Last resort War may be waged only after all peaceful alternatives have been exhausted or are not practical. Prospects of success the goal of the war must end with peace Proportionality the anticipated benefits must be proportionate to its expected evils or harms. Besides, the just war theory also requires the moral standard to define the conduct of armed conflict (Just ad bellum):- Noncombatant Immunity Army must take reasonable measures to avoid and minimize harm to civilians. Proportionality Only necessary force is to be use to achieve the military objective, and to avoid unnecessary collateral damage civilians and their properties. Right intention the aim of the war is to achieve peace. The act of vengeance and indiscriminate violence are forbidden. Reason to Invade Iraq In the speech given by Bush on 18 March 2003 in the White House, he gave the reason for taking military action against Iraq. In this essay, I will mainly attempt to use this speech as my argument for reason for invasion to Iraq. JUST WAR THEORY VS US INVASION (Just ad bellum) 1. Just Cause In the speech given by Bush, he stated:- We have passed more than a dozen resolutions in the United Nations Security Council. We have sent hundreds of weapons inspectors to oversee the disarmament of Iraq. Our good faith has not been returned Over the years, UN weapon inspectors have been threatened by Iraqi officials, electronically bugged and systematically deceived. Peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime have failed again and again because we are not dealing with peaceful men Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraqs neighbors and against Iraqs people. It has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of al Qaeda The danger is clear: using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons, obtained with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds or thousands of innocent people in our country, or any other. Terrorists and terror states do not reveal threats with fair notice, in formal declarations and responding to such enemies only after they have struck first is not self-defense, it is suicide. The security of the world requires disarming Saddam Hussein now. In Bushs speech, the causes for invasion are:- Iraq possess weapon of mass destruction and peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime have failed. Iraq aided terrorist like al Qaeda, and terrorists could make use of Iraqs weapon of mass destruction to kill Americans or people of other nations. However, it seems that the Iraq invasion did not fulfill the just cause. Regarding the weapon of mass destruction, in late 2002 Iraq agreed to inspection by UN inspectors in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1441. However, the inspectors discovered no weapon of mass destruction. They only concluded that Iraq government failed to proved that all weapon of mass destruction were properly destroyed. Besides, there was no evidence that the Iraqi government had any intention to use such weapon of mass destruction (even if Iraq did have the weapon). We did not see that the United States was facing a imminent threat of attack by Saddam Hussein. Moreover, we are all aware the recent missile test by North Korea and its possession of material for making nuclear weapon. Would it justify to wage war against North Korea? Certainly not, or why the United States has not waged war against North Korea? In respect of Iraqs link with terrorists, there was no evidence that Iraqi government had any link or connection with al Qaeda (or were involved with the attacks of September 11). If the Bush administration had such evidence, it would be a just course as the invasion is an act of self-defense. Postwar finding  [2]  also indicated that CIA assessed that Iraq and al Qaeda resembled two independent actors trying to exploit each other. It also indicated that Saddam Hussein was distrustful of al Qaeda and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to his regime, refusing all request from al Qaeda to provide material and operational support. 2. Right Authority The US Congress passed the Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq on 11 October 2002. This resolution provided the Bush Administration with the legal basis for the invasion to Iraq. Besides, UN Security Resolution 678 and 687 authorized the United States to use force in ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. As such, US action was carried out with right and legal authority. 3. Right Intention As pointed out in Bushs speech, the intention of invasion is to protect American and other people from weapon of mass destruction possessed by Iraq and the its support to terrorists. In respect of the intention to protect people from terrorists, as I earlier reported, there was no creditable evidence that Suddam Hussein had supported the terrorist like al Qaeda. Being the chief of command, Bush should have known that the allegation of connection with terrorist was nothing more than an excuse. Scholar (Murray and Scales, 2003) argued that after the September 11 attack, the destruction of dictator Saddams government by a swift and forceful military action could establish the authority of the United States and the determination to fight against terrorism. As such, the invasion did not meet the criterion of right intention from this perspective. Regarding weapon of mass destruction, since UN Inspector stated that after the inspection in late 2003 the Iraq government had failed to prove that all weapon of mass destruction were destroyed. The right intention of protecting people from such weapon was justified. However, a number of scholars opined that the true intention of USs military act was to acquire Iraqs oil supply and to protect the oil in the Middle East. In the end, right intention is a subjective measure that depends on what was Bush thinking at the time of the invasion. Based on the circumstance, it seems that the right intention was justified as an independent UN inspection team (though may be hight influenced by US) had doubted whether Iraq had destroyed all weapon of mass destruction. 4. Last Resort Coates (1997) stated that the criterion of last resort underlines the primacy of peace over war in just war thinking. Recognition of the potential moral instrumentality of war is not to be confused with moral enthusiasm for war. .moral considerations go hand in hand with political and military ones, and the moral judgment needs to be informed by a certain realism. Deciding when diplomatic and other non-bellicose means of securing peace have been effectively exhausted, or deciding when a conciliatory approach has become counterproductive, is largely a matter of political and military judgment. Coates rightly pointed out that the idea of last resort is subjective and could be influenced by political and military judgment. Walzer (2004) emphasized the important of last resort as because of the unpredictable, unexpected, unintended and unavoidable horrors that it regularly brings. As for the notion of lastness, it is essentially cautionary, he stated: look hard for alternatives before you let loose the dogs of war. The issue we need to discuss is whether the Bush administration had exhausted all non-violence means to achieve peace before the invasion to Iraq. However, I personally think that there would not any last resort in the reality. From anti-war believer, we would never meet the criterion of last resort. As such, we have to act at some point as far as all reasonable diplomatic and non-violence means have been done. As a matter of fact, when it comes to war, anti-war believer would always say that even at the last minute, there still are alternatives (which is always the best argument against waging war). The alternatives could be economic sanctions, UN inspection, pressure from neighbor and diplomatic meeting. However, Saddam could also use such non-violence alternative to buy time, so that he could have more time to build or hide the weapon of mass destruction. One of the reason as to why the UN inspector could not find any weapon of mass destruction may be because Saddem had bought enough time from previous noncooperation with UN inspection. Since Bush administration and UN had exercised diplomatic means to warn Saddem that war would be unavoidable if he chooses not to cooperate with the United States or UN, it is justified for Bush administration to say that he had exhausted the last resort. 5. Prospects of success In general, the US-led coalition outnumbered the Iraqi army. The military technology of the US led coalition was more advance than that of Iraqi army. Bush administration knew that there was high probability of success. The invasion phase of the war, ie, from 19 March to 20 April, proved that the criterion of prospects of success was meet. The problem is whether the US invasion was likely to generate condition of lasting peace by removing the dictatorship. However, after the invasion phase, despite the Iraqi army was quickly overwhelmed, some religious radicals and Iraqis angered by the occupation have begun isolate attack against the US led coalition. This contributes one of the main reasons for US military death in Iraq after the invasion phase. Besides, US and UK government was not able to restore basic services to the Iraqi people, and the decaying infrastructure due to a decade of sanction, bombing, corruption had left major cities barely functioning. Local people claimed that their living standard was actually worse than that in Saddam regime which had contributed to local anger at the transitional Iraqi government. Even three years after the invasion, on 14 August 2007 800 civilians were killed by a series suicide bomb attacks in Iraq. More than 100 homes an shops were destroyed during this series of attacks. Isolated attacks have taken place from time to time killing US army. Besides, the invasion also creates anger by Iraqi people against United States. On 14 December 2008, at a press conference by George W. Bush in Iraq, a reporter threw his shoes to Bush screamed This is for the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq. It seems that the military act was a success during the invasion phase, peace is still very remote for Iraqi people. The worst is that the invasion also creates tension between civilian of Iraq and the United States which would not be easily solved in short period of time (taking Chinese against Japanese government for the war crime they did during WWII as an example). 6. Proportionality Being a just war, it must be proportionate. The use of force must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. We all are concerned that invasion of Iraq could have unpredictable consequences not only for Iraq but for peace and stability elsewhere in the Middle East. Wells (1996) stated that if the price of the projected war is too great in total dislocation, suffering, and death, including all human, economic, and cultural costs, in comparison to the good likely to come of it, again, considering all the likely gains, then the war is disproportionate. During the invasion phase from 19 March to 30 April 2003, 9,200 Iraqi combatants were killed along with 7,299 civilians, primarily by US air and ground forces. Coalition forces reported the death in combat of 139 US military personnel and 33 UK military personnel. The casualty rate of Iraqi is almost ten times higher than that of the coalition force. From casualty perspective, we could say that it was a disproportional war. Besides, war would definitely destroy the infrastructure of Iraq and affect the living standard given the fact that they had already lived at the edge of survival after a decade of destructive sanctions. The international communities and the countries in the Middle East were not ready to handle the problem of refugee from the Iraq. What about the good achieved by the war. The most obvious one would be the discovery or destroy of weapon of mass destruction. Since the western countries generally believed that Saddam had possessed a number of weapon of mass destruction and was intended to use. The military action protected the live of American and people of other nations. Besides, Saddam was known to be brutal dictator who killed his own people including children and women. Removing Saddam might facilitate the development of democracy and protect the right and live of Iraqi civilians. It is important to compare the benefit and detriments caused by the war. Given that the Bushs speech on 18 March 2003 did warn that it is not too late for the Iraqi military to act with honor and protect your country by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Our force will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attacked and destroyed. I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, if war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life. Besides, in the same speech, Bush also promised that as our coalition takes away their (Saddam) power, we will deliver food and medicine you need., we will help you to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free. In a free Iraq, there will no mar wars of aggression against your neighbors,no more execution of dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape rooms. In view of all the circumstance, it is reasonable to say that the invasion met the criterion of proportionality. Based on the above analysis, the invasion of Iraq fulfills all criteria of Jus ad bellum except the criterion of just cause. The reason the invasion of Iraq failing to meet the requirement of just cause is because there is no weapon of mass destruction found in Iraq and Iraq had no connection with Terrorists. However, if the Bush administration, based on the intelligence provided by CIA prior to the invasion, truly believed that Iraq had weapon of mass destruction (and was intended to use it) and there was evidence to suggest Iraq had aided al Qaeda, then it would be reasonable to say the invasion fulfills the criterion of just cause. JUST WAR THEORY VS US INVASION (Just in bello) 1. Noncombatant Immunity Coates (1997) states that the moral reasoning associated with the principle of civilian or, more exactly, noncombatant immunity is one of the most strongly contested areas of just war theory. Since moral guilt or innocent can be established only by reference to the intentions, state of mind and subjective disposition of an individual, the distinction could not be used as a means of discriminating between legitimate and illegitimate targets of attack. This means the criterion of noncombatant immunity is a subjective measure of a persons mind. In a democratic government like the United State, targeting civilian or noncombatant during a war would be a crime. I would quite confidence to say that the US-led coalition force did not violate the criterion of noncombatant immunity. But there is always collateral damage. People estimated the number of civilian causality since 2003 ranged from 91,676 to 100,083  [3]  . The large number of civilian causality or collateral damage gave a worrying reality that noncombatant immunity is very difficult to uphold in a war. Those Iraq civilian killed may be because the coalition army truly believed that their live were in danger and is was an act of self-defense. Besides, there were the human right abuses during the war and in particular at Abu Ghraib prison. Captured Iraqi army was tortured by US army in order to have intelligence. Those Iraqi soldiers were prisoners and could no longer cause any harm to the US, and strictly speaking, they were noncombatant. I consider such act by US is a violation to noncombatant immunity. Nonetheless, those violations to noncombatant immunity are isolated cases during the entire war. From the proceeding currently undertaking against US soldiers committing war crime, it shows that the US government is determined to uphold the requirement of noncombatant immunity. In respect of proportionality and right intention, their arguments are basically the same as the cases in jus ad bellum, and I would not repeat here. CONCLUSION The US led coalitions invasion of Iraq met all the requirement of the just war theory except the just cause. The Just Cause Theory is a subjective theory. Whether a war is just depends on the state of mind of the person who wages war, and we could only assess the circumstantial evidence. I guess that we would never know whether the Bush administration knowingly accept the false intelligence that Iraq had weapon of mass destruction and connection with terrorists or the Bush administration simply misled by incredible intelligence from CIA or other government agencies. It would a just war from Bushs perspective, if he was deceived by incredible intelligence. It is very difficult to assess whether a war is just, particularly for those war waged by powerful nations who could exert influence to its alliances or even the United Nation. I therefore suggest that an independent organization should be create who could have access to documents relating to the decision to wage war. This organization should also have judiciary power to conduct proceeding to decide whether a war is just. It can publish country for waging a unjust war and any wrongdoing during a war. Without an independent organization, nations will continue to wage war using the subjective side of the Just War Theory to justify their action. ******

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 11

11. Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal, Pathetic Failure to All Creatures Great and Small I have failed as a minion, a girlfriend, and a human being in general, and that doesn't even count Biology 102, which I am still totally failing despite actually going to class twice. The Countess has been gone for like a week, and no one has seen her or the vampyre Flood. I've gone looking for them, mainly when I'm supposed to be at school. I don't even know where to look. I kind of walk around asking people if they've seen a totally hawt redhead and they either hurry away really fast or, in the case of one guy, who I suspect was a pimp, offered me a thousand dollars to bring her to him if I found her. Then he offered me a job, because he said, â€Å"Johns go for that skinny Lolita shit.† And I was all, â€Å"Oh, that's very flattering, sir. Thank you. Once I find my friend I will bring her back and we'll both be happy to service the disgusting choads of creepy strangers and hand you all of our money along with any self-worth we might have left.† And he was all, â€Å"You do that, little momma. You do that.† Which is just another reason that I need to find the Countess and beg her forgiveness, because my new phone has video and I can't wait to post a clip on my blog of Jody scattering bloody pimp parts all over the Tenderloin. (The Countess has lectured me about respecting myself and how a woman must never sacrifice her dignity to a man unless he gives her jewelry or is a smoking hottie and has a job, so I think there will at least be broken bones and a beating of many colors.) Evidently there's a shortage of hookers and homeless people in the City, it was on the Chronicle's Web site. They reported it like it was a good thing, VICE ARRESTS DOWN or something, and another article about homeless shelters having plenty of room for the first time, ever. OMFG! They're kitty treats, you douche nozzles! That's why I refused to be on the school paper. Journalists are oblivious to the obvious and they won't even let you say fuck. ‘Kayso, when I finally got back to the love lair, the windows were all boarded up with plywood and Foo and Jared had like alphabetized all of the rats and had them stacked up and labeled and whatnot. So, I, like, ran into Foo's arms and kissed him a good long time, then I looked around and I was all: â€Å"They're dead. Our loft is full of dead rats.† And Jared is all, â€Å"Not dead. Undead.† So to Foo I'm all, â€Å"‘Splain, s'il vous plaà ®t.† And Foo's like, â€Å"It's amazing, Abby. You just have to inject them with a little vampyre blood and it turns them, but not until you kill them. It took us a while to figure that out.† â€Å"So you killed all these rats?† â€Å"I did,† goes Jared. â€Å"It made me sad, but I'm okay with it now. Science.† â€Å"How?† And Foo says, â€Å"Potassium chloride.† At the exact same time Jared says, â€Å"With a hammer.† And Jared gets all big scared anime eyes and is like, â€Å"Yeah, potassium chloride. That's what I meant.† And I'm all, â€Å"You have been killing and vamping rats while the Countess and Tommy are lost and the whole city is papered with missing cat flyers, and like Chet and his minions are eating all the homeless and probably the hookers?† And they were like, â€Å"Well-yeah.† â€Å"And I had to work and go to class,† says Foo. â€Å"And polish my car.† And Jared's all, â€Å"And we've been making sunlight jackets for those two cops, which takes like a million little wires.† And he, like, points to our coffee table, which is the only surface that doesn't have cages full of dead rats, and there's not even jackets there, just, like, jacket-shaped nets of wire with little glass beads all over them. And I'm all, â€Å"Cops can't wear those. They look like robot lingerie.† And Jared is all, â€Å"Trs cool, non?† â€Å"No!† I go. â€Å"And do not further endorken the French language by wrapping your disgusting penis port around it. You'll ruin the whole language before I even learn enough to express my deep despair and dark desires en franà §ais, you rat smasher.† ‘Kay, I know that was a little harsh, but I was angry, and in my defense, I was grinding Foo's leg a little when I said â€Å"dark desires,† so I said it with love. Foo's all, â€Å"We didn't have time to actually get jackets. They need to be leather and they're expensive.† So it's clear that despite his mad ninja science skills, even my beloved Foo cannot be left without female supervision. But he has been going home lately, and his parents are a bad influence on him. So I'm like, â€Å"I got this. I'll go see Lily.† Lily is my backup BFF. She used to be my BFF, but at the same time I met Lord Flood and the Countess, Lily got a book in the mail at her work, which is Asher's Secondhand, and it convinced her that she is Death, so I'm all, â€Å"Whatever, ho.† And she was all, â€Å"Free to live my own nightmare, skank.† So we were cool. ‘Kayso, I took the 45 bus from the dead-ratted love lair to North Beach. Walking through Chinatown sort of creeps me out 'cause of all the Chinese grandmothers on the street, who I'm pretty sure are talking about me because they think I have ruined Foo with my Gothy-Anglo charms. Also, I get mad dim sum cravings for which I should someday seek treatment, or, like, snacks. ‘Kayso, at Asher's, Lily comes out from behind the counter and gives me a hug and a big kiss on my forehead (because she is taller than me in addition to having surplus boobage). And I'm like, â€Å"There's a big violet lip print on my forehead, huh?† And Lily goes, â€Å"Kiss of Death-get used to it, beyotch-matches your hair tips, trs cute.† So I'm all, â€Å"‘Kay.† It wasn't really the kiss of Death, but it did match my tips. Then I was all, â€Å"Lils, I need men's leather jackets in these sizes.† I gave her the note Foo wrote out with the sizes and cut and whatnot. And she was all, â€Å"WTF, Abs? Fifty long? You buying a jacket for an orca?† â€Å"Ginormous gay cop. You got it?† â€Å"Yeah. You wanna smoke a clove?† And I'm all, â€Å"Do you have enough violet lipstick?† Because smoking is, like, the worst for your lipstick and it did match my hair. And she's all, â€Å"Bitch, please.† Meaning, â€Å"Do I ever not have enough makeup?† Which is true, because Lily carries a PVC ROBOT PIRATES messenger bag you could hide a small kid in, only she carries beauty products. So I was all, â€Å"‘Kay.† So Lily and I went out the back door and stared at the Dumpster like it was the very abyss of our despair while we smoked. And I'm just getting ready to tell her about the love lair, and Foo, and vampyre kitties and all, because I've sort of been in boyfriend mode, so, like, out of contact, which Lily totally gets. And Lil's like, â€Å"So, the big gay cop have a Hispanic partner?† And I'm like, â€Å"Rivera and Cavuto. Crusty day dwellers, but Rivera kind of has a secret-agent vibe. You know them?† And Lily is all, â€Å"Yeah, they were here yesterday. Rivera wears expensive suits. Smells good, too. I'd do him.† And I'm like gagging. â€Å"Lils, he's like a thousand years old, and a cop. The Motherbot was getting squishy over him. OMG! You're disgusting!† â€Å"Shut up, I'm not saying I'd do him normal. I mean like zombie Apocalypse trapped in the mall right before we have to shoot each other to keep them from eating our brains and turning us to the undead-then I'd do him.† So I'm all, â€Å"Oh sure, then.† To make her feel better, because she doesn't have a BF and often oversluts to compensate, but I still thought it was disgusting. But to change the subject, I was all, â€Å"So what did they want?† â€Å"They were asking all kinds of irrelevant bullshit. Had I seen any strange cats, did I see the Emperor, or some redhead.† And I'm all, Fucksocks! Fucksocks! Fucksocks! inside. But on the outside I'm all chill and I'm like, â€Å"So, you like didn't know anything, right?† â€Å"No, Asher said a hot redhead came into the store the other night, and then I was on the cable car last night, going down to Max's Deli for a sammy, and I think I saw her going into the Fairmont Hotel. Like a crazy cape of long red curls I would slaughter puppies for.† â€Å"Red leather jacket?† â€Å"Sweet red leather jacket.† â€Å"You didn't tell them, did you?† And Lil's all, â€Å"Well, yeah.† And I was all, â€Å"You traitorous whore!† And I punched her in the shoulder. In my defense, you're supposed to tell your ex-BFF when you get fresh ink, so the screaming was completely over the top. I had no way of knowing that she had a new tattoo on that shoulder, so her punching me in the boob was totally uncalled for. So, I'm ouching trs loud and this Russian lady from upstairs peeks her head out the window and she's all, â€Å"Quiet please, is sounding like burning bear out there.† ‘Kayso, Lils and I start to laugh and say, â€Å"Like bear,† over and over again until the Russian lady slams the window shut, like bear. Then it comes back to me and I'm all, â€Å"Lils, I have to get those jackets and get to the Fairmont. I have to save the Countess.† And Lily is like, â€Å"‘Kay,† not even asking details, which is why I love her-she is so nihilist it's, like, not funny. ‘Kayso, I take the jackets and catch a cab to the Fairmont, which totally pisses off the cabbie because it's only like six blocks, but when I get to the hotel I'm all, â€Å"Fucksocks!† because I'm too late. JODY Falling asleep was one of the things Jody missed about being human. She missed the satisfied, tired feeling of falling into bed and drifting off in a dreamy twilight sea of dreams. In fact, since she'd turned, unless she'd just gone too long without feeding, she never even felt tired. On most mornings, unless she and Tommy had been making love, and they went out in each other's arms, she just found a relatively comfortable position and waited for the sun to rise and put her out. Maybe a flutter of an eyelid, lasting a second, then off like a light. The closest thing to a dream state she'd experienced as a vampire was when she'd gone to mist inside the bronze statue, and even then, the door into dreamland slammed shut at dawn. The constant alertness of being a vampire was, well, it was a bit irritating. Especially since she'd been searching the City for Tommy for a week, pushing her jumped-up senses to their limits, and had to return to the hotel every morning with nothing. Apparently, Tommy had limped down an alley and vanished. She'd checked everyplace in the City that she'd ever taken him, every place he'd ever been, as far as she knew, and still there was no evidence of his having been there. She'd hoped she would have some special vampire â€Å"sixth sense† to help her find him, like the old vampire who had turned her seemed to have had, but no. Now, she was returning to her room at the Fairmont for the seventh morning. And for the seventh morning she would put out the â€Å"Do Not Disturb† signs, lock the door, put on her sweats, drink a pouch of the blood she kept locked in a mini-cooler, brush her teeth, then crawl under the bed and go over a mental map of the City until dawn put her out. (Since she was technically dead at dawn, sleeping on top of a comfortable mattress was a dangerous luxury, and by climbing under the bed she put one more layer between her and sunlight, should a nosy maid somehow find a way into her room.) Part of her new pre-dawn ritual had been returning to the hotel a little later each morning; like the skydiver who will let himself fall closer and closer to earth before pulling the ripcord to boost the adrenaline rush just a little more. The last two mornings she'd just been entering the hotel when the alarm watch she wore, which was set to go off ten minutes before sunrise on any given day, based on an electronic almanac, had started beeping. She'd bought one for Tommy, too, and wondered if he was still wearing his. As she strode down California Street, she tried to remember if he'd been wearing it when they cut him out of the bronze shell. Two blocks from the Fairmont her alarm watch went off and she couldn't help but smile a little at the thrill. She picked up her pace, figuring that she'd still be safely inside her room with time to spare before sunup, but she might have to forgo the sweats and the blood snack. As she came up the steps into the lobby she smelled cigar, and Aramis cologne, and the combination sent an electric chill of alarm up her spine before she could identify the danger. Cops. Rivera and Cavuto. Rivera smelled of Aramis, Cavuto of cigars. She stopped, her boot heels skidding a little on the marble steps. There they were, both at the front desk, but a bellman was leading them to the elevator. He was taking them to her room. How? she thought. Doesn't matter. It was getting light. She checked her watch: three minutes to find shelter. She backed away from the door, out onto the sidewalk, then began to run. Normally she would have paced herself so someone didn't notice the redhead in boots and jeans running faster than an Olympic sprinter, but they'd just have to tell their friends and not be believed. She needed cover, now. She was a block and a half down Mason Street when she came to an alley. She'd survived her first night as a vampire under a Dumpster. Maybe she could survive the day inside one. But there was someone down there, the kitchen crew of a restaurant, outside smoking. On she ran. No alleys in the next two blocks, then a narrow space between buildings. Maybe she could shimmy down there and crawl in a basement window. She crawled on a narrow, plywood gate and had one foot down before a pit bull came storming down the corridor. She leapt out onto the sidewalk and started running again. What kind of psychopath uses a two-foot-wide space between buildings as a dog run? There should be laws. This was Nob Hill, all open, with wide boulevard streets, a once-grand neighborhood now made incredibly irritating to a vampire in need of shelter. She rounded the corner at Jackson Street, snapping a heel off her right boot as she did. She should have worn sneakers, she knew, but wearing the high, expensive leather boots made her feel a little like a superhero. It turned out that turning your ankle hurts like hell, even if you're a superhero. She was up on her toes now, running, limping toward Jackson Square, the oldest neighborhood in San Francisco that had survived the great quake and fire of 1906. There were all kinds of little cubbyholes and basement shops in the old brick buildings down there. One building even had the ribs of a sailing ship in its basement, a remnant built over when the Gold Rush left so many ships abandoned at the waterfront that the City literally expanded over them. One minute. The shadow of the Transamerica Pyramid was lying long across the neighborhood ahead like the needle of a deadly sundial. Jody did a final kick-sprint, snapping off her other boot heel as she did. She scanned the streets ahead for windows, doors, trying to sense movement inside, looking for stillness, privacy. There! On the left, a door below street level, the stair-case hidden by a wrought-iron railing covered in jasmine. Ten more steps and I'm there, she thought. She saw herself jumping the rail, shouldering through the door, and diving under the first thing that would shelter her from the light. She took the final three steps and leapt just as the sun broke the horizon. She went limp in the air, fell to the sidewalk, short of the stairwell, and skidded on her shoulder and face. As her eyes fluttered, the last thing she saw were a pair of orange socks right in front of her, then she went out and began to smolder in the sunlight.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Diet Pills and Women

How would you like to lose 10 pounds in one week? These words ring out through the media, newspapers, magazines, commercials, and many other advertisements that we are inundated in our society today. A model walks down the runway with her collar bones protruding, flat stomach, and protruding pelvic bones. When she weighs in, and is one pound over the expected weight, starves herself, or takes diet pills to shed the excess weight. The same pertains to young females. The desire to be thin at any cost causes physical, mental, and emotional problems. This is a lack of self-worth. It is easier to swallow a diet pill which involves no will power. Finding a diet that is right for them is not an option. They want a quick fix. Nutritionists and scientists have debated over these issues for years. Scientists have the belief that diet pills will take the weight off not acknowledging where the dangers lye. Whereas nutritionists believe that cutting out the â€Å"bad† carbohydrates and eating from the five food groups will help with healthy weight loss as opposed to taking diet pills. Eating â€Å"good† carbohydrates will make a difference in one’s weight loss. Many Doctors readily prescribe diet pills without caring about the dangerous effects they have for the person taking them. Women want to be thin, so the doctor helps them to achieve their goal. This is the mentality of many doctors; it is also for some women. Some diet pills whether prescribed or otherwise can have dangerous side effects. Most women who are desperate to lose weight do not care about the side effects, only about the weight loss. The danger of taking diet pills is that many cause emotional and physical dependence. Diet pills can also interfere with one’s metabolism. Diet pills suppress the appetite, which causes one to take in fewer calories. While taking in fewer calories, the metabolism also slows down and causes fat to store in the body. Diet pills are also associated with many health conditions such as: increased heart rate, high blood pressure, dizziness, possibility of seizures and or strokes. Even though, it is suggested to consult your doctor, many women do not care because they are desperate to lose the weight quickly. Becoming thin is the goal for the women who take the pills, they may not consult their doctor in fear that the doctor may not agree with their decision to take the diet pills. If prescribed diet pills are taken, it can help start a diet along with a healthy eating program, but too many women are not interested in doing this. They prefer to let the diet pill do the work and therefore starving themselves and their bodies. Some people do not have self- discipline to implement an eating program along with the diet pills. For example, Alli is an orilstat which when taken remains in the stomach. It does not affect the heart. When one eats any foods with fat, the Alli causes 25% of the fat to be eliminated from the body. Alli does not suppress one’s appetite. Some women want a â€Å"quick fix† when taking diet pills. However, with Alli the idea is to implement a healthy eating regiment when taking it with each meal. When Alli is taken on an empty stomach, does nothing. It must be taken with meals and is effective in helping with weight loss, as it reduces fat absorption in and requires a cut down on fat intake (around 15 grams). The only unpleasant side effects are oily discharge, loose stools and an immediate urge to have a bowel movement. This particular diet pill, Alli, is not an at risk diet pill like many of the others. It does not suppress the appetite, nor cause heart palpitations. It may take up to one year to lose the weight desired, where as taking another type of diet pill that appeases the appetite will cause a person to lose five to ten pounds in a week. However, it states that you must take a vitamin in the evening because minerals are depleted from the body. There are many people who have taken diet pills have died. There is a health risk with diet pills and should always be carefully assessed before taking them. If an individual chooses to take diet pills, doctors suggest following a healthy plan and exercising. In most cases, women, teens and young adults, do not want to take the time, but would rather pop a pill and lose weight quickly, and do not consider the ramifications in their haste. The way we look plays a big role in our lives. It determines the way that others see us and from that, it will determine how we feel about ourselves. The major issue here is our weight. We constantly see images of sexy women which remains in our minds that this is the way to look in order to be beautiful, and because of this, we subject ourselves to abusing our health and bodies just so we can look like the sexy women the media shows and we hear about constantly. Skinny is beautiful. Or at least this is what is on billboards, in magazines, and television, as most women idealize becoming thin. There are many ways to lose weight, but taking diet pills is less of an effort and more convenient a quick fix. This is what the media tells us, lose weight fast! No need to exercise. Many people think that diet pills are safe and effective, but the truth is they are not. In many cases people have died for the simple reason of wanting to lose weight fast because diet pills stimulate the nervous system, can be addictive, and can lead to abuse. The Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal that manufacturers of the diet pills include a warning to the customers about the dangers of their use. The doctor that prescribes diet pills for the safety of an individual, who is obese, also makes certain this person follows a program of exercise and healthy eating. Many doctors who dispense diet pills are careful. But, there are many who have diet clinics where all an individual needs to do is pay a fee and obtain their diet pills without a follow up. The women who are eager to lose weight quickly are in danger of hurting their bodies, especially the young females who do not research and do not care. They are only concerned with being thin and fast weight loss results. With the media screaming to the women, teens, and young adults that the only way to look beautiful is to be thin, will not hinder a woman to lose weight fast, look beautiful at any cost. The cost may result in death.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Writing Research Proposal of Arms and the Man by Bernard Shaw

THE ANALYSIS OF CHARACTERS IN ARMS AND THE MAN WRITEN BY BERNARD SHAW [pic] By: Yona Grahitha A2B309032 REGULER 2 ENGLISH PROGRAM FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DIPONEGORO UNIVERSITY 2010 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A) Background of the Study Drama is a literary composition that tells a story, usually of human conflict by means of dialogues and actions, to be performed by actors. An important factor that supports in forming a drama is a character, which is played by players. The character is a person depicted in a narrative of drama. In addition, the character can be defined as one of intrinsic features that make up and distinguish an individual. There are some kinds of character which can be known, namely protagonist, antagonist,†¦show more content†¦When his line was broken and his forces scattered by a Bulgarian cavalry charge, he took refuge in Raina’s room. He is worldly, cool-headed, and pragmatic, with a sense of humor about his situation and the world. 2. Raina Petkoff: The only daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Bulgaria. Her father is a major in the Bulgarian army. She is young, beautiful, and intensely conscious of that fact. She has many romantic ideals a bout love, nobility, courage and beauty, but she is not above using them to get what she wants. 3. Catherine Petkoff: Rainas mother. She has a powerful and commanding presence that even her husband respects. She is a smart and capable woman over forty, who is determined to be a Viennese lady. To that end, she wears a fashionable tea gown on all occasions. 4. Major Petkoff: Rainas Father. He is a cheerful, excitable, insignificant, unpolished man of about 50, naturally unambitious except when it comes to his income and his importance in local society. Just now, he is greatly pleased with the military rank, which the war has thrust on him as it makes him a man of consequence in his town. 5. Major Sergius Saranoff: Engaged to Raina. He is dashing and romantically handsome. 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