Title Of Paper Fricke Collection Essays - Valerie, Lady Meux

Title of Paper : fricke assortment Evaluation Received on Report : B The Fricke Collection Woman Meux v. Frances Duncombe Given by the Fricke family is an assortment housed on fifth road, extending from figures and canvases, to furniture of eminent specialists. Compositions specifically, for example, Whistler's, Lady Meux and Gainsborough's, Frances Duncombe, are great instances of unpretentious yet provocative women's activist depictions. The introductory effect of these representations is a blend of the surface symbolism and the theoretical masterful message passing on governmental issues, religion or individual inclination. Craftsman's tender loving care on these picture's surface, catches resemblance however centers setting through wealth of shading and balance into character. When differentiating and looking at two works of art of unmistakable styles of select times, clashing recognitions are made. Whistler's, Lady Meux and Gainsborough's Frances Duncombe both display comparative topics anyway were different in character levelheadedness, all encompassing setting, and disposition portrayal. In differentiating the representations, angry and defenseless characters are obviously noticeable. These separate introductions are laid out through Whistler's Lady Meux's resolved articulation and Gainsborough's Frances Duncombes unobtrusive sidelong occupied look. Woman Meux shows straightforward certainty and autonomy in her solid and firm position, instead of Duncombe's delicate and exquisite temperamental balance. Gainsborough catches a smug powerlessness maybe proposing honesty. Whistler then again, represents a progressively emotional effect through the immediate look of Lady Meux's expressive eyes which both dare and humble the watcher. The two specialists, helpfully shape the focal figures by situating them in imaginative landscape. In each example, the craftsman picks a specific setting to elevate or decrease the focal figure. The landscape throws certain illusionistic contrasts that make the impression of profundity and solidarity. Woman Meux orders consideration as her profile urges the watcher to step nearer and retain the scene personally. This picture utilizes dark shades of grays and pinks to draw out the subject's highlights, nonetheless the degree throws a bleakness about the piece. In Frances Duncombe, Gainsborough is cautious in encompassing her in an arboreal scene, because of the size of the characteristic scene, the focal figure is enhanced. The shadows in the piece immerse the lofty subject, maybe suggesting her place in the public arena, as a lone figure in an uncertain or shaky state. The clouded subtleties of the trees, dusk, and blurred old style design appear to dissolve against Duncombe. The shadowed impact powers the watcher to step back an adequate separation to see the artwork in it'! s whole. The craftsman deliberately diminishes Frances Duncombe's highlights as though he expected to upgrade the subtleties of her lavish outfit rather than the subject herself. Notwithstanding the background, the craftsman draws center through light and dimness to intrigue a disposition. Both pieces cover each figure in dark shadowy scenes yet draw light from the model itself. Whistler, picked hues, for example, dim, pink, and level white, that minimizes the uplifted gleam of her outfit. Gainsborough's piece delineates pale tans, olives, creams and sky blue blues in hearty tones to make a feeling of riddle. This representation, not at all like Whistler's Lady Meux, utilizes light tones to catch Frances Duncombe's smooth white tissue. This focal figure is spooky in complection instead of Whistler's painting. Woman Meux shows up sound in correlation, and movements the mind-set by including a slight pouty articulation. To put it plainly, these craftsmen rise above our reaction into extreme differentiating controls. Each piece shares like and differentiating components, either in Lady Meux's plentifully supplied structure to Duncombes fragile figure or the silk pink tresses to the glossy silk blue-green folds of Duncombe's outfit. The two specialists join the conceptual just as shadow and light that either improves or diminishes the femme fatale. On close assessment, each work displays determined strokes that convey a reasonable course of action of shading varieties. The hugeness of the subject's the norm, is implied by every craftsman, anyway the opportunities for translations are perpetual, be it the portrayal of female gratefulness or differentiating second rate predisposition. Taking all things together occurrences, the watcher produces with him a basic results that will keep on enduring.

Cocaine Facts and Description

Cocaine Facts and Description Cocaine is benzoylmethylecgonine, a crystalline alkaloid from the coca plant. It goes about as an energizer, craving suppressant, and sedative. Rocks is another type of cocaine, a subsidiary of cocaine hydrochloride. Here are some valuable cocaine realities and answers to normal inquiries: What Does Cocaine Resemble? Powdered cocaine is a fine white powder. Road cocaine is sliced with different substances to build benefit, so its appearance might be marginally changed, contingent upon the sort of pollution. How Is Powdered Cocaine Used? Powdered cocaine is most regularly grunted through the nose, however it might be broken down in water and infused. Grunted cocaine creates a high inside 3-5 minutes after use. Infused cocaine delivers an impact inside 15-30 seconds. Rocks as a rule is smoked. For what reason Do People Use Cocaine? Cocaine is utilized on the grounds that it produces rapture, is an energizer, stifles craving, and can be utilized as a torment reliever. It is exceptionally addictive and prompts resilience now and then after one use, so expanding dosages of cocaine are expected to accomplish a high. What Are the Effects of Cocaine Use? Clients regularly feel a surge followed by a feeling of sharpness and prosperity. Cocaine expands levels of the synapse dopamine, which is related with joy and expanded development. At the point when the lovely impacts of cocaine wear off clients may feel down or discouraged, more than before taking the medication. A few clients report being not able to copy the force of the main introduction with ensuing use. The energizer impacts of cocaine can lead clients to feel on edge, eager, and fractious. What Are the Risks of Using Cocaine? Cocaine is profoundly addictive. Cocaine clients are in danger for hazardously raised circulatory strain, pulse, and temperature, danger of seizure, stroke, and heart failure. Infusing cocaine can include a danger of contracting HIV, hepatitis, and other blood-borne infections. Where Does Cocaine Come From? Cocaine is gotten from a glue from the coca plant, a species which develops in South America. Road Names for Cocaine BlowCNose CandyPowderNose PowderWhite PowderAspirinAuntBirdie PowderBolivian Marching PowderBouncing PowderCandy SugarDevils DandruffFast White LadyFlakeFlaveFoolish PowderFriskie PowderJoy PowderMarching PowderParibaPowder DiamondsShakeShrileSnowballSoftStar-Spangled PowderSugar BoogersUptownWhite BoyWhite DragonYao

Conditions That Can Produce ADHD-Like Symptoms

Conditions That Can Produce ADHD-Like Symptoms ADHD Symptoms Print Conditions That Can Produce ADHD-Like Symptoms By Keath Low Keath Low, MA, is a therapist and clinical scientist with the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina. She specializes in treatment of ADD/ADHD. Learn about our editorial policy Keath Low Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 01, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 31, 2020 ADHD Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Living With In Children Comstock Images / Stockbyte / Getty Images In This Article Table of Contents Expand Evaluation Environmental Conditions Mental Health Issues Learning Issues and Processing Problems Medical Conditions View All When a child is hyperactive, fidgety, impulsive, and struggles with issues of attention, one cannot automatically assume that this child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. There are a number of other conditions and factors that can cause symptoms and behaviors that may be mistaken for ADHD. Pinpointing the causes of a childs impairment is vital to that childs improvement. Accurate diagnosis of a problem leads to effective treatment. This is why it is so important for an assessment of ADHD to be extremely thorough and comprehensive, and why clinicians need to use an empirically validated approach. Evaluation During the evaluation process, alternative explanations that might better account for the presence of ADHD-like behavior patterns must be ruled out before arriving at an ADHD diagnosis. To complicate the diagnostic and treatment process further, 60-100% of children who have ADHD may have co-morbid conditions,?? such as anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior disorders, learning disabilities, sleep problems, and even substance abuse. All of this must be taken into account when developing treatment plans. Below is a  listing of several conditions that can produce symptoms in both children and adults that may be mistaken for ADHD. Environmental Conditions There are a number of situational factors in ones environment that can result in problems that may look like ADHD. This may include when there is a lot of stress or a sudden life change, such as a move to a new home or a new school; a divorce or change in family configuration, such as remarriage; a death of someone close; financial difficulties; even the birth of a new baby. A chaotic or neglectful home environment, parental/marital conflict, inconsistent parental discipline, being bullied, witnessing or experiencing violence or abuseâ€"all these stressors can impact a persons emotional and mental well-being and lead to problems with distraction, inattention, restlessness, hyperactivity, and acting out behaviors that can resemble, but have nothing to do with, ADHD.?? Additionally, sleep disturbances can have a profound effect on ones ability to focus. Lack of sleep can result in hyperactivity; irritability; slower visual, auditory, sensory and motor reaction times; mental slowness; impaired learning of information and decreased school performance.?? Insufficient sleep is also associated with increased frequency of risk-taking behaviors in teens, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs. The reasons for a childs or an adults sleep disturbances can range from poor sleep hygiene (sleep habits) to medical conditions that disrupt the sleep cycle, such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and other sleep disorders. Mental Health Issues Anxiety can result in restlessness, an inability to concentrate, impulsive reactions, and hyperactive behaviors.?? This anxiety can make it extremely difficult for a child or adult to sit still and control fidgeting. Sleep can be affected. It can be challenging to remain focused and complete tasks. These are all symptoms that can resemble ADHD but may be unrelated. Similarly, depression may result in difficulty with focus, forgetfulness, low motivation, problems in making decisions, trouble getting started on and completing tasks, lethargy and sluggishness, disorganization, and sleep difficulties.?? The disruptive behaviors and poor impulse control associated with oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder can also look like ADHD.?? Anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior disorders (as well as many of the conditions listed here) commonly occur alongside ADHD. Each may be a separate disorder with distinct etiology and treatment needs, or each may be a secondary condition that develops as a result of the problems associated with ADHD.This is why assessments of ADHD must gather and integrate specific information about the emotional functioning of a person, rather than focusing exclusively on the more overt disruptive behavioral symptoms. Symptoms of bipolar disorder, including high energy level, excessive talking, racing thoughts that make it difficult to concentrate, impulsive decision-making, risk-taking, and intrusive behaviors,?? can also be confused with symptoms of ADHD. Attention and concentration problems associated with individuals who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may appear to be ADHD-related, but when delving deeper, a clearer picture emergesâ€"attention problems may be related to overfocusing and problems in shifting attention may be due to obsessive thinking.?? A person with OCD may be slower to start and complete tasks because of the compulsive behaviors and rituals that must be completed before beginning. ADHD can be a risk factor for substance abuse.?? Cigarette smoking as a youth with ADHD is often considered a gateway to marijuana, as well as alcohol and other drug abuse. A person who is abusing drugs and/or alcohol can also have behavioral symptoms that mimic ADHD. Those symptoms can include difficulty concentrating, problems with memory, restlessness, irritability, talkativeness, sleep problems, moodiness, and academic or work failures. Children and adults on the autism spectrum can also display symptoms that resemble ADHD.?? They may become overexcited, hyperactive, and impulsive in stimulating environments, tend to focus on only those things that interest them, have trouble shifting focus, struggle to understand social cues and boundaries and experience social impairments. High motor activity and problems with inhibition are common characteristics of both tic disorders and ADHD.?? The fidgeting, motor movements, and random noises may look similar to ADHD, but tics are defined by rapid, repeated, identical movements of the face or shoulders, or vocal sounds or phrases. Learning Issues and Processing Problems Similar to a person with ADHD, someone with a learning disability may struggle with issues of attention and have difficulty processing, organizing, remembering and learning information.?? Learning disabilities in reading, written language, and mathematics can all interfere with academic functioning, as can speech and language impairments and auditory and visual processing disorders. ADHD and specific learning disorders often occur together, but they are separate conditions. A child who is gifted academically and is not challenged within the classroom may even display behaviors that are similar to ADHD as he or she becomes bored with the curriculumâ€"becoming inattentive, and/or impatient and disruptive.?? Along these same lines, a poor educational fit, or a classroom with a pervasive negative climate, a non-stimulating, un-motivating curriculum, or ineffective classroom management, all can lead to behaviors that look like but may be unrelated to, ADHD. Medical Conditions Certain medical conditions, including seizures, thyroid disease, allergies, iron deficiency anemia, and chronic ear infections, as well as hearing and vision impairments, can cause a person to have problems with attention, appear day-dreamy, and become irritable, impulsive, or hyperactive. Certain medications can even result in ADHD-like behavior.??

Thesis The American Government - 3064 Words

Thesis: The American government, put under pressure from the Organization of American States, which promoted democracy, alliances, and healthy relations with Latin countries, was forced to recognize the dictator Trujillo’s human rights violations despite initially maintaining close relations with him. As Ulisis Heureaux, the Dominican dictator from 1888-1899, brought the Dominican Republic (DR) into tremendous debt by borrowing money and bonds from European countries such as Germany and France, America sought to protect the DR from European imperialism under the Roosevelt Corollary. Heaureax, left with the torn economy from his predecessor, Buenaventura Baez, sought help from foreign banks. In order to stabilize the debt, â€Å"Heureaux took out a loan of three-quarters of a million pounds sterling from the Dutch banking house Westendorp.†After Westendorp went bankrupt in 1892, the American company, San Domingo Improvement Company, â€Å"bought...and took over its railroad contracts and European bondholders.† The existing debt left by Heaureax after he was assassinated in 1899 was still owed to Germany and France, who responded by sending warships to retrieve their money, and â€Å"protect the interest †¦[of] its investors.† Under the Roosevelt Corollary, President Theodore Roosevelt established that â€Å"it was the duty of the United States to play the role of an ‘international police power’ when†¦[threatened] by European imperialism.† In order to fulfill the dream of United StatesShow MoreRelatedEssay on Two Part of the United States Reconstruction Era590 Words   |  3 Pages1863 to 1877 with the Congress directing the issue of reconstruction of state and society (â€Å"Reconstruction Era†). Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the frontier was the chief determinant in American history (â€Å"Frederick Jackson Turner†). Both the Reconstruction impact and Frederick Jackson Turner’s thesis play a role in the environment during the Economic Revolution. Reconstruction took placed in the South from 1865 to 1880. It impacted the United States’ history by holding the South back economicallyRead MoreWhat Makes A Good First Impression?1508 Words   |  7 Pagestoward the thesis statement, and to present the thesis statement of the essay. The order of items above is the best order to present each part of the introduction: get the reader s attention, move toward the thesis statement, and then present the thesis statement. The thesis statement usually is most effective as just one sentence at the end of the introduction, so you should avoid presenting the thesis statement as the first sentence of the introduction and should avoid presenting the thesis statementRead MoreThe Expansion Of The West1391 Words   |  6 PagesHowever one historian published a novel bringing forward new thoughts and opinions on the subject. Since Turners thesis, published in 1893 not many historians tried to reevaluate the topic of the frontier until Gregory H. Noble. Noble currently a history professor at Georgia Tech University is a very accomplished historian in early American and environmental history. In his novel, American Frontiers: Cultural Encounters and Continental Conquest he embarks on evaluating the expansion of the west in aRead MoreMultinational Corporations1110 Words   |  5 Pagesargues in his first thesis that using US standards as moral standards is not right and creates false dilemmas for MNCs. Critics of MNCs argue American corporations should adhere to the same living, social, and business standards of the US, regardless of where they conduct business. Setting high standards is commendable, but they are not morally required. This means that rules and regulations are not part of a MNCs moral responsibility. I agree with this De George s first thesis because moralityRead More Ronald Schaffers America In The Great War Essay1506 Words   |  7 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ronald Schaffer’s America in the Great War gives new insights into World War I. The book gave historical accounts about the war that other books negated to included. The thesis that Schaffer tries to prove that the Great War was the start of the American welfare state and the beginning of â€Å"big† government. America in the Great War was structured in chronological order of the war, from America’s mobilization to the actual fighting. What the book did not include is a detail accountRead MoreEssay on Ronald Schaffers America in the Great War1523 Words   |  7 PagesRonald Schaffers America in the Great War gives new insights into World War I. The book gave historical accounts about the war that other books negated to included. The thesis that Schaffer tries to prove that the Great War was the start of the American welfare state and the beginning of big government. America in the Great War was structured in chronological order of the war, from Americas mobilization to the actual fighting. What the book did not include is a detail account ofRead MoreThe War On Alcohol By Lisa Mcgirr1161 Words   |  5 PagesIn Lisa McGirr’s book The War on Alcohol it is hard for the reader to pinpoint one central thesis. One thesis however, can be simply marked down to the title of one of her chapters entitled â€Å"Selective Enforcement.† During the Prohibition period police were cracking down on speakeasies and bootleggers and people smuggling alcohol across state lines. However when police would make these arrests the people being arrested were mostly of minority origins. Although poor whites from the South did get arrestedRead MoreOutline Of The Oklahoma City Bombing1665 Words   |  4 PagesMuskan  Hossain     American  Terror:  The  Oklahoma  City  Bombing  cements  terrorism  into  the  minds  of   citizens  Ã‚      Thesis:   Due  to  the  Oklahoma  City  Bombing,  U.S.  citizens  are  corrected  of  their  stereotypical   thoughts  towards  terrorism;  Terrorists  aren’t  commonly  Muslims  or  foreign  enemies.      I. Overview      II. The  significance  of  the  Oklahoma  City  Bombing   A. Controversies  that  arose   B. Questions  thought  and  asked  by  the  citizens   C. Impact  towards  the  Federal  Government   D.   How  it  shook  the  ilRead MoreThe Frontier Of American History1116 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Significance of the Frontier in American History, Frederick Jackson Turner discusses the understanding of the West as a concept. Turner’s claims included that the expansion into the frontier fueled individualism, stimulated democracy and nationalism, and widened the opportunity of advancement. In the census of 1890, the frontier no longer had a place in the report because the previously unsettled areas had been broken into areas of settlement. Turner uses the definition of two people per squareRead MoreThe Indian Removal Act Of 1830892 Words   |  4 Pageshypothesis and revise that said hypothesis after several data sets to have a specific thesis statement that is specific to all events leading up to the inquiry question. The inquiry question the students are analyzing is; what are the major effects of the Indian Removal Act of 1830? The students will be given sev eral data sets of events that occurred after the act was initiated and draw conclusions and revise their thesis statement as they go. The big idea of this lesson to have students understand the

4dep - 1708 Words

HR PROFESSION MAP HR Profession Map is an online self-assessment tool for CIPD members. It can be used to assess your capability against the activities, knowledge and behaviours in the CIPD Profession Map and access recommendations for development. HRPM describes knowledge, activities, skills and behaviours that any HR professional needs to posses to be successful in their HR role. It consists of ten professional areas including two core areas which are Strategy, Insights and Solutions and Leading HR. The core areas present sets of skills that every HR professional should be competent at regardless which of the four bands they fall into. Band one is for those in supportive/assistant admin roles. Band two is for those in an advisory role†¦show more content†¦For instance, the client is an external customer and problem he is having at this time is critical for my company business as whilst online services are not working the company I work for is losing revenue. Therefore I will deal with client’s issue first, I will inform our technical support group so they can contact our service providers and developers who will deal with problem promptly. I would then call the client back and explain that our online services should resume soon as the technical issues are being dealt with. This way the customer feels valued and does not feel ignored, this is important for repeat business. Secondly I will contact the Manager and set a time for a grievance meeting, as it is important to tackle any issues before they escalate. That way a person with a grievance feels that their problem is being addressed, and that management is willing to work on resolving it. My final customer would be a croupier; his query about holiday entitlement is important to him, but not imperative for running of the company business. I will inform the croupier that I am going to find relevant information, print it out and leave it in a sealed envelope with his manager. Sometimes in my job role I come across customer needs that are conflicting. For example directors want to extend casino opening hours at weekends by introducing day shifts to increase business revenue, but casino employees want more time off work.Show MoreRelated4de p601 Words   |  3 PagesTitle Developing yourself as an Effective Human Resources or Learning and Development Practitioner Introduction ------------------------------------------------- Word count from here. Approx 600 words. 1.1 HR Profession Map (HRPM) CIPD Profession Map identifies different professional areas within HR, different behaviour types associated with professions, and bands which determine the level an individual is at (e.g, Admin, Manager, Director etc). Members of the CIPD website canRead MoreAssessment 4Dep1178 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿CIPD Foundation CERTIFICATE in human resource LEVEL 3 4DEP ASSESSMENT 01 Activities 1 The Human Resource Professional Map (HPRM) Activity 01 Introduction: The Human Resource Map (HRPM) was developed by the CIPD it was created by generalists and specialists within the CIPD/HR environments to explain how HR add value to any organisation within the UK and around the world. The (HRMP) is a guideline/benchmarked on line tool which can help individuals and organisations identify immediate andRead More4dep1770 Words   |  8 Pages4DEP Assessment 1.1 - Explain the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be effective in an identified HR role. The CIPD professional map determines what HR professionals should know and understand to make a difference to their organisation. The map can be used in its form or in part or be incorporated into organisation’s existing competency structure. The map highlights ten professional areas with the centre of the map focusing on the two core areas which sit at the heart of theRead More4dep747 Words   |  3 PagesActivity One This report intends to help in the understanding of the CIPD Human Resource Professional Map (HRPM). The HRPM was designed by the CIPD with the intention of helping the individual develop themselves as a successful Human Resource Practitioner, whilst providing a guideline to businesses, big and small. It highlights the professions and behaviours needed in order to progress successfully up the career ladder. It is broken down in to two central cores. * The first core is InsightRead More4dep912 Words   |  4 PagesWrite a report in which you: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   briefly summarise the CIPD professional Map (i.e. the core areas, the professional areas, the bands and the behaviours) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   comment on the activities and knowledge specified within any 1 professional area, at either band 1 or band 2, identifying those you consider most essential to your own (or other identified) HR role. The HR Professional Map is designed to identify the skills and behaviours all HR practioners should portray within their roleRead More4DEP Activity 1894 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Unit 4DEP (HR) Activity 1.1 Summary of the CIPD HR Profession Map The HRPM is a visual illustration of the activities, skills and behaviours required to be effective in an HR role. It based on information and best practice shared globally by HR professionals. Many organisations around the world now use it to benchmark their HR capability. The map is designed as follows: At the core of the HRPM are two crucial areas: Strategy, Insights Solutions Develop an understandingRead MoreCIPD 4DEP3320 Words   |  14 PagesActivity 1 The HR Profession Map shows in few steps how professionals could become a value within the organisation in which they work. It has been created by the CIPD for anyone who wants to upgrade and develop own career or for any other who wants to start working in the HR field. It describes what people need to do and to know and how they need to do it. For this reason the map covers all the professional areas within the HR field, giving the knowledge to become an effective and successful HRRead More4DEP Assignment 2389 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿4DEP Activity 1 1.1 HR Profession Map It is created by the profession for the profession, as a development tool to decipher the HR capabilities of individuals, teams and organisations. It can show areas that you need to improve or identify achievements to assist with development in your career path. It can identify skills needed, capabilities in the team and show where progress is needed. Core: Insights, Strategy and Solutions The heart of the map, is having the knowledge and understandingRead MoreCipd - 4dep-a Essay686 Words   |  3 PagesAssessment 4DEP – Activity A CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development and is a means of supporting people in the workplace to understand more about the environment in which they work, the job they do and how to do it better. As an initiative, CPD was largely unknown until at least the 1960s. Professional bodies only started to take systematic steps to ensure their members continue their development on an ongoing basis within the last ten to fifteen years of the twentieth century. RecognitionRead MoreCIPD 4DEP1461 Words   |  6 Pages1.1 The Human Resources Profession Map (HRPM) was created to explain how HR adds value; it was designed by a collaboration of both specialist and generalists working in the UK and globally across private and public sectors. The HRPM was developed by the CIPD. The design of the HRPM is to be relevant and applicable to HR professionals operating anywhere in the world, all sectors and in organisations of any shape or size. It captures what skills are required for effective and successful HR. There

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five Free Essays

string(83) " a fair bit of planning and didn’t actually unfold until later the next day\." â€Å"I know what you’re thinking.† I stretched my arms above me, tucking my hands between my head and the pillow. Sunlight poured over me from the giant window but did little to help my troubled mood. We will write a custom essay sample on Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five or any similar topic only for you Order Now I’d been sullen and quiet all morning. â€Å"Not likely.† Dorian reached over to a tray of assorted pastries and sweets that had been sitting by the bed when we awoke. That and the newly built-up fire were only a couple of signs that tidying servants had been up and around in here. Their presence shouldn’t have bothered me; everyone had already believed Dorian and I were sleeping together. Yet, knowing others had moved around us while we slept still felt odd. He popped a marzipan-stuffed tartlet into my mouth. I made a surprised sound but ate it anyway. He had excellent cooks. â€Å"Well, then, let me guess anyway. I do so love trying to reason out your thoughts.† He grinned at me, every inch the lighthearted and frivolous man I usually knew. He bore almost no trace of the impassioned lover from last night, the one who’d repeatedly told me in explicit detail exactly what he could do to me if he wanted – and then proved that he could. I rolled to my side, putting my back to him. â€Å"Knock yourself out.† â€Å"All right. You’re now realizing you did the unthinkable. You made love to me – one of the shining ones. You crossed over that invisible line, and now the horror and regret of that is eating you up.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No, that’s not what I’m thinking.† â€Å"Oh.† I heard him shift again and then felt a cookie balanced delicately on my arm. I snagged it and munched on it, getting crumbs on the sheets while he reconsidered. Lemon sugar. â€Å"Very well. How about this: You’re thinking about the kitsune. About Kiyo. You miss him and lament what happened. Being with me makes you feel guilty.† I hadn’t been thinking about Kiyo, but mentioning him suddenly brought him to mind. I did miss Kiyo. I missed the easy way we interacted, his solid and steady presence. I missed the way he held me and made me feel safe. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Hmm. Well, then. My perception appears to be off this morning. It has been known to happen once or twice before.† I stared out the window, unsettled emotions turning over and over in me. Finally, I said, â€Å"I’m bothered by†¦how it was last night. How rough it was.† â€Å"Truly? I really don’t know you so well. I thought you enjoyed it.† â€Å"I did.† He waited a beat. â€Å"Forgive me, then, but I don’t quite grasp your concern.† I rolled back over toward him, and it all spilled out. â€Å"Don’t you get it? All this time I’ve been trying to avoid hordes of gentry and monsters from raping me. And yet†¦that’s essentially what happened last night. I let you†¦I let you be aggressive and possessive. And then I liked it. What’s that say about me? What’s wrong with me?† Dorian’s face shifted to that rare and serious concern that sometimes seized it. He reached out and cupped my face with both of his hands. â€Å"Oh, gods, no. Is that what’s upset you? Eugenie, Eugenie. That’s not rape. Rape is brutal. Rape is done against your will, usually with someone you hate – or at least like a little less than me. What we did last night†¦that was a game. I believe it initially helped you get over a mental stumbling block, but after that†¦there was nothing violent or bad. It was a†¦novel way of approaching sex. You consented. There’s nothing wrong with you for liking it.† Maybe he was right, but it still made me feel strange. â€Å"I’ve just never done anything like that. I’ve had rough sex before but never anything so†¦kinky.† â€Å"Kinky. Fantastic word. It always takes us awhile to catch up with your world’s slang.† â€Å"It makes things weird between us. I mean, weirder than usual.† He ran his hand over my cheek and through my hair. â€Å"Then tell me how to make things right.† â€Å"I don’t know.† â€Å"Perhaps this will cheer you up: We’re ready to go to Aeson’s now.† â€Å"What?† That didn’t cheer me up so much as surprise me. Where had this come from? â€Å"We can go whenever you wish.† â€Å"You’re giving in because I have morning-after regrets?† â€Å"I’m ‘giving in’ because you crossed the point I wanted you to with your magic.† I scoffed and rolled away. â€Å"Bullshit. I can make water drops appear in the air. Somehow I doubt that’s the life-or-death difference needed on this mission.† â€Å"The life-or-death factor here is that you can control a fine portion of your magic now. I needed that to happen before I felt comfortable on this venture. I couldn’t risk your emotions flaring and creating a storm that might kill us. Now, you may very well still have some sort of magical breakdown, but I believe your current skills will go far to at least minimize the impact.† â€Å"Then what you said before – about it being protection in case I was defenseless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. I’m afraid that was a ruse. I’d hoped the thought might spur you on to try harder.† Typical Dorian. His absurdity made me half-smile. â€Å"You’re happier now?† he asked. â€Å"I don’t know if happy is the right word, but I will be when the Jasmine thing is over.† â€Å"Excellent. Come here.† He motioned me into his outstretched arm, and for a moment, I expected an advance. Like a Hey, baby, I’ll make you happier type thing. I moved over tentatively, and he only put his arms around me. Just that simple. No jokes. No kinkiness. Just a simple embrace between two people, two people close enough to have rattled the headboard last night. I took comfort in it, relaxing into his warmth and security. He wasn’t Kiyo, but he felt nice. At last he moved his face away so he could look at me. â€Å"Very well, then. Tell me how you would like this to unfold.† Staging another heist turned out to take a fair bit of planning and didn’t actually unfold until later the next day. You read "Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five" in category "Essay examples" We assembled all three of my minions in one of Dorian’s lounges. They waited patiently for orders, each watching me as their minds undoubtedly stirred with their assorted neuroses. As Volusian had once pointed out, they had little to lose. They couldn’t die. When Dorian called in Shaya to join us, I couldn’t help an exclamation of surprise. â€Å"Remember the distraction we discussed?† he asked me. I did. Before getting out of bed, we had come up with the tentative outline of a plan. Part of it had included a major distraction near Aeson’s home, enough to draw the attention of his guard so we could enter undetected. My spirits had long since verified that the siege tunnel had been blocked off. Shaya, he explained, would be our distraction. She had the power to command small ranges of vegetation. In particular, she could summon and order around trees – something she’d apparently done before to great effect. Dorian’s thought was that Shaya would have a small regiment of said trees attack the western side of Aeson’s hold. On the eastern side, we knew there was a servants’ entrance we could slip into. Normally, that would be too exposed but not if the castle’s security was preoccupied elsewhere. I nodded, thinking it was a good plan. Shaya crossed her arms and looked thoroughly displeased. â€Å"You got a problem with it?† â€Å"I don’t think it’s our place to interfere with Aeson’s affairs, nor do I feel this is worth risking my king’s life over.† I glanced between her and Dorian uneasily. â€Å"So you won’t do it?† â€Å"Of course I will. My king gives a command, and I obey. I am merely expressing my honest opinion first. I would be doing a disservice otherwise.† Dorian touched her cheek, smiling at her stern expression. â€Å"And that is why you are so valued.† â€Å"It’s a bad idea,† said Finn suddenly. We all turned to him. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"What’s a few trees? It screams, ‘Hey, look at our obvious distraction.’ It’ll make them suspicious. You want to really get their attention, send him in.† He inclined his head toward Dorian. â€Å"A little bit of that rock mojo, and they’ll think there’s an all-out assault going on.† â€Å"We can’t. I need him as my backup,† I argued, â€Å"and protection for Jasmine. Shaya can do her thing and get out of there quickly. If I go in without him, then we’re in exactly the same situation as before.† â€Å"Except without the army waiting for you,† said Finn. Shaya shook her head, glossy black braids swinging. â€Å"I don’t like the idea of my king left alone.† â€Å"He’ll be in and out, no problem. And if he has to face off, he can take anything Aeson’s people throw at him.† â€Å"Unless it’s Aeson himself,† mused Dorian. â€Å"Is he stronger than you?† I asked. â€Å"We’re very evenly matched.† â€Å"Huh. That surprises me. I mean, Kiyo walked away alive from a fight with him.† â€Å"King Aeson wasn’t using his full power then,† said Nandi. â€Å"Most likely he feared burning down his home.† Seeing my startled look, she continued. â€Å"It would have created a terrible inferno from whence you would not have escaped. Your skin would have melted, only your bones left behind.† â€Å"So you’re saying he wouldn’t have to worry about that outdoors. He could unleash as much as he liked.† Something struck me, and I turned back to Dorian. â€Å"What about you? Are you limited indoors?† â€Å"Hypothetically, no. Realistically? Well†¦I still have to operate in a way that won’t bury us alive.† He smiled, seeing my consternation. â€Å"Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll still be of use to you.† â€Å"More use outside,† said Finn. â€Å"We won’t even need extra backup, not if nobody’s inside to find us.† I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I’d walked into Aeson’s with a lot less planning last time, and foolish or not, it had been a hell of a lot simpler than this. I turned to the room’s darkest corner, which had been silent thus far. â€Å"Volusian?† He straightened up from where he’d slouched in the shadows. â€Å"I will be very surprised if we emerge from this without any sort of confrontation, regardless of who creates the initial distraction. If I must honestly answer what will keep you alive† – he sighed, obviously unhappy about that outcome. I suspected Nandi’s horrific description of my death by fire had kindled warm and fuzzy feelings in him – â€Å"then yes, bringing the Oak King affords more protection for you and the girl, mistress.† â€Å"Then it’s settled.† Finn pouted and turned his back on us, pacing around sulkily. After that, it simply became a matter of waiting. We wanted to go under cover of darkness. Dorian and Shaya left to pursue household duties, and the spirits flitted off to do whatever it was they did. This left me with a lot of downtime. I paced the castle’s grounds, ruminating over the same old things: Kiyo, the upcoming raid, and the prophecy. The appointed time came, and our strike team reassembled for a few last-minute details. Most of it was simply a repetition of what we already knew. The spirits drifted along, but the rest of us set out on horseback. Shaya rode with the physical grace that permeated her normal movements, but I was surprised to see how agilely Dorian rode as well. He seemed so languid and comfort-oriented in his day-to-day affairs that I never thought of him as having athletic abilities, his feats in bed notwithstanding. We crisscrossed the assorted kingdoms. It seemed to take longer than last time, and Volusian affirmed as much for me. â€Å"The land has shifted its layout,† he explained. â€Å"It does that,† said Dorian, seeing the panic on my face. â€Å"It’s normal. We’re on the right path.† â€Å"Yeah, but will we make it there before sunrise?† â€Å"Certainly.† He smiled too broadly, and I could tell he didn’t know for sure. I looked up. Right now we had perfect blackness, lit only by stars. The moon was dark tonight. Persephone’s moon. I could feel the tingle of the butterfly on my arm and felt reassured. Before, I’d needed Hecate to escape back to my own world. Here, that wasn’t an issue. Staying alive and sending my enemies on to death was the issue now, so I didn’t mind the boost to my connection with the Underworld. â€Å"How much farther?† I asked a little while later. I felt like a kid on a road trip but couldn’t help the anxiety tickling my brain. I might have imagined it, but I swore the eastern sky now looked deep purple rather than black. â€Å"Not far,† said Shaya, voice calm. Sure enough, we pulled off and secured the horses, going the rest of the way on foot, traveling through trees and undergrowth. I couldn’t see anything, but we soon reached some significant point. Shaya split off from us to do her thing. Dorian squeezed her arm before she left, and she made a solemn bow of acknowledgment. I watched her disappear before I turned and joined the others to continue straight ahead. Aeson’s fortress finally loomed up before us as we reached the edge of the tree line. It could really be perceived only through its blockage of the stars. Otherwise, it appeared almost as black as the sky beyond. We stopped just before the terrain cleared, staying under cover. Studying the building further, I could make out small black figures moving back and forth in front of the wall. Guards. Presumably there were lookouts on the towers too. â€Å"Now we wait,† I muttered. I was tired of waiting. I wanted action. Almost opposite us, on the other side of the forest, Shaya should have been preparing to summon her tree warriors. She and Dorian swore it would be a noisy affair, so there’d been no need for a secret countdown or anything like that. The castle was too far away for me to make out any identifiable features, but the spirits indicated the spot containing the side door. Minutes dragged by, and I imagined all sorts of horrible fates for Shaya. Oh, God. What if they caught and killed her? She’d come here out of loyalty to Dorian, and no matter what else had happened, I’d come to respect her immensely. I didn’t want her to die because of this. Dorian approached my right side and put an arm around me. â€Å"Don’t worry. This will be finished before you know it. Ah – there we are.† In the distance, we heard it. Wood crackling and splitting. A low roar. Faint shouts of alarm carried over the air, and the guards in our view took off running toward the noise. We waited until they’d cleared the area. â€Å"Now is our time,† murmured Volusian. â€Å"Go.† We streaked across the open area, toward the doorway. I could hear the noise on the other side. The sound of something breaking. More shouts. Shaya’s plan had been to send about a dozen massive trees to beat on the walls over there. What a wake-up call that had to have been. â€Å"W-wait! Hold it!† I suddenly cried. The spirits stopped instantly. Dorian took a moment longer to slow down and gave me an odd glance. â€Å"What’s wrong?† I peered around. My senses tingled. I could feel water, lots of it. The way I felt in crowds or at Dorian’s. Water in numerous condensed clusters. The water sources were people. Lots of them. We’d been set up. Again. â€Å"Fuck!† They seemed to come out from everywhere, though I knew they all had to have been hiding in the castle’s vicinity or else I would have felt them sooner. They came down from the roofs, out the door we’d been staking out, from around the corner. And somehow I knew the ones who ostensibly had run off would return. I heard Dorian yell, â€Å"They won’t kill you – not if they don’t have to!† Then, the side of the castle exploded in a downpour of huge black rocks, causing those above and still scaling to fall down to death or at least serious injury. Others standing nearby were buried by the fallout. My spirits had standing orders to attack anyone attacking us, and I saw them flare up for battle. As for me, I’d come packing two guns tonight, again courtesy of Lara. Both had steel cartridges, and my pockets held more clips still, plus a few silver ones. I kept what distance I could from the thick of the fray and fired, aiming for heads and faces if I could, but mostly happy if I could bring anyone down at all. Regular range practice paid off, and I hit almost everyone I fixed on. No one ever managed to get too close to me. The spirits I ignored. They couldn’t die, and only another shaman or Dorian-caliber magic user could banish them. After his spectacular wall demolition, Dorian had resorted to a more conventional method: a copper sword he’d worn sheathed under his cloak. It glowed red in the darkness, and I realized he could enhance its power since copper came from inside the earth. He didn’t fight with brute force, but he moved with speed and skill, surprising me as much as the horse-riding had. I wouldn’t have minded another show of that earth power, but all magic took its toll. It would do no good for him to burn himself out yet. Suddenly, I saw one of the guards moving up on him, just out of Dorian’s line of sight. I started to cry out a warning, and then a large, four-legged form ran forward, snarling as he threw his weight into the guard. Dorian gave a quick glance of surprise but quickly returned to fighting. I couldn’t recover so quickly and could only stare as Kiyo, in what I had jokingly dubbed the â€Å"superfox† form, clawed and ripped at his victim. The man did manage to slice Kiyo’s side, making me wince, but the fox seemed unaffected. Shaking my head, knowing I could neither wonder how he’d shown up nor worry about his safety, I returned to my own battles. A few victims later, I had my aim on someone when I sensed another form sneaking up behind me. I turned but wasn’t quite fast enough. He grabbed my arm and bent the gun away from him, forcing me to the ground. With my left hand, I managed to drag out the other gun. It was more or less smothered as his body tried to pin mine down, and I had no real target. It didn’t matter. I just sort of aimed in an upward direction and fired. He screamed and recoiled enough for me to push off and fire again with more precision. Someone else took advantage of my distraction and grabbed me from behind. I’d stuffed the extra gun back in my pants and now struggled against him with the first gun when suddenly it grew hot in my hands. Burning hot. I yelped and dropped it, staring as it lay sizzling on the ground, glowing faintly orange. I didn’t have to hear his voice in my ear to know who held me. â€Å"Eugenie Markham, lovely of you to pay me a visit.† â€Å"I’m going to kill you,† I hissed. â€Å"Yes, yes, you told me that before, and yet, I see it’s not really working out. You should have taken me up on my earlier offer.† He barked out a command to a nearby guard who ran up to us. â€Å"Disarm her before she kills anyone else.† With all the confusion, none of my other allies noticed what was happening. I opened my mouth and began chanting the ritual words to bring the spirits. They were currently too far out of range to simply hear me shout. Realizing what I attempted, Aeson threw me onto the ground, using his body weight to hold me while one hand covered my mouth. â€Å"Hurry!† The guard removed my athames and wand. For the extra gun, he wrapped his hand in the folds of his cloak to retrieve the weapon and then hastily tossed it away. â€Å"You’re a damned nuisance – and a deadly one,† muttered Aeson. â€Å"Keeping you alive for nine months may be more trouble than it’s – ow!† I didn’t see what happened to him but heard a thunk above me. â€Å"You used your power to toss one rock at me?† he exclaimed, an almost comic note of incredulity in his voice. â€Å"On the contrary,† I heard Dorian say pleasantly. â€Å"I didn’t use magic for that. I just threw it.† Aeson tossed me toward his guard, just as flames rose up from the ground. In the darkness, the bright light hurt my eyes, forcing me to glance away. Heat rolled off that scorching orange wall, instantly heating up my skin. The guard attempted to scramble back and hold me at the same time, doing a half-assed job at both, though he still managed – just barely – to keep me restrained. My gaze stayed on the fire’s flickering colors until I suddenly felt the ground shake. Jerking my head up as much as my restraint allowed, I saw a cloud of darkness rise above the flames. It crashed down, like the palm of one’s hand, and the fire abruptly went out, extinguished as pounds of dirt slammed it to the ground. Without missing a beat, Dorian gestured to the spot Aeson stood on. I felt shaking again and saw the earth ripple, like a wave of water moved under the surface. It knocked Aeson off-balance, and then a storm of rock shards – much as I’d seen with the nixies – swirled around, taking aim. Still on the ground, Aeson lifted his own hands. Waves of heat blasted away the rocks, scattering them in different directions. Some of them melted, dripping back to the earth in a molten shower. Ashes filled the air, and I could hear Aeson coughing as he stumbled to his feet. The ground trembled again, pushing him back to his knees. He supported himself with one hand and gave a shaking, raspy laugh. â€Å"It didn’t have to come to this,† he said. â€Å"If you would have just shared her, she might already be with child.† A shower of rocks spattered Aeson as Dorian strode forward. They weren’t razor sharp, but they looked like they hurt. The Alder King winced and shielded his face. â€Å"I don’t share,† Dorian said flatly. The earth near Aeson coalesced into ropes of dirt, winding their way around his limbs. Score one for bondage fetishes. â€Å"Too bad. You might have lived had you felt differently.† Aeson suddenly burst up, breaking through the bonds of earth. As he did, fire blasted from all around him, outlining him and then shooting forward. My scream was smothered in my captor’s hand as I saw Dorian fly backward. Aeson charged forward, his hands controlling and shaping the flames into a ring around Dorian’s crouching form. The walls flared up high and thick, so hot they gleamed blue and white. I wouldn’t have thought Dorian could survive that inferno, but Aeson kept talking to him as though he were still alive. â€Å"Too many theatrics, Dorian, and not enough strength left now to free yourself.† I looked around desperately. There weren’t many guards left. In the distance, I saw Kiyo nail some guy pretty handily – the man’s pain-filled scream affirmed as much – but he was too far to help, just like the spirits. I realized then my guard’s hold had slackened; he was apparently transfixed by his master’s showdown. Others, just as captivated, stopped and stared. Taking advantage of the guard’s lack of attention, I shoved my elbow back into his stomach and attempted to spring free. I didn’t really expect to achieve that goal, but it did uncover my mouth. I spoke the summoning words, and Nandi and Volusian appeared. â€Å"Get Aes – † I began, just before the hand slammed on my mouth again. Another guard joined mine to help with the confinement. The spirits shifted from humanoid form to something else, still vaguely anthropomorphic but more like a cloud of energy. They swooped toward Aeson, one shining and blue, the other black and silver. He deflected them with flames while still holding the walls on Dorian. An instant later, I saw a wand in one of his hands. No. He couldn’t – He spoke banishing words, and I felt the surge of power in the air as he tore open a hole to the Underworld. The form that was Nandi trembled and then exploded, disappearing in sparkles. She’d found her peace at last – and without another two years of service to me. â€Å"Call the other one off,† snapped Aeson, â€Å"unless you want to lose him too.† The hand on my mouth lifted. I hesitated. I had nothing to lose if Volusian won or lost. In fact, Aeson’s request likely indicated he couldn’t banish the spirit to the land of death. Gentry rarely had that kind of power anyway, so Aeson probably couldn’t do what I had been unable to do. But if he fought Volusian, it was possible he could have enough strength to break my control and enslave him as a minion. That was not an option. Better for the spirit to be destroyed than turned against me. â€Å"Hold, Volusian.† He retreated immediately, coalescing back into his normal shape. Aeson returned to Dorian. The Alder King held up his hand and brought his fingers together in a fist. The burning walls contracted, resembling more of a cocoon than a cylinder now. Through the crackling of flames, I heard Dorian scream. Helplessness choked my heart. Just like with the mud elemental. Just like with the nixies. I had no weapons and no freedom. This was exactly the kind of situation Dorian kept speaking of. The time magic would be handy. I couldn’t use it, however. My abilities included only miniscule water manipulation and out-of-control storms and their consequences. Yet, suddenly, I didn’t care about the consequences. I wanted to summon a major storm, a storm to devastate this whole area. Maybe it’d kill my friends and me, but things didn’t really look good for us anyway. Focusing my mind on that, I tried to recall the angry tempests I’d created before. Only†¦it didn’t work. Maybe it was because I’d never consciously done such a thing before. Or maybe it was because I could no longer see storms as a whole. They were pressure and charged particles and – most importantly – water. Dorian had taught me to compartmentalize the elements, and that’s all I could do now. I thought about storms, but all my mind did was reach out and touch all the water sources nearby. Damn it. Finding water did no good, not unless I could move a whole lake and douse the fire. I doubted I could command that much water, even if I had a source like that nearby. But I didn’t need one that big. I only needed to summon a smaller water source, one my powers could manage. I refocused. My magic reached out, grasping and connecting with the water molecules I wanted. They recognized me, and I called them forward. They resisted a little. There were more of them here than had been in the pitcher. Obey me! I shouted to them. Come to me! I am your mistress. Only a few seconds passed while I struggled for control of the water. Meanwhile, Aeson was still holding his arms up, collapsing the walls slowly in what was probably a sadistic effort to prolong Dorian’s pain. Still, I needed the delay as I pushed and pulled the water more fiercely. A funny look crossed Aeson’s face just then, and he glanced around, as though trying to find something. Yet, he didn’t know what that was. Come to me! I could feel the water breaking free, unable to resist my command. A look of horror twisted Aeson’s face. His hands dropped and clutched his head, almost as if he would claw it off. Behind him the flames around Dorian abruptly faded and disappeared, almost as if a lake had dropped onto them after all. But as I’d noted, I hadn’t needed a lake. I’d only needed a smaller source. I’d needed Aeson. The water in him was a size I could manage, the source I’d called out to and commanded. After all, the human – or gentry – body is 65 percent water. And a moment later, all of it came to me. The other 35 percent didn’t. How to cite Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five, Essay examples

Mercosur Essays - Trade Blocs, Regionalism, , Term Papers

Mercosur Introduction The Sectoral Commission for MERCOSUR (COMISEC) was created on April 1, 1991 by Executive Decree No. 176/991. It is made up of: ? Government Representatives and Delegates from the Office of Planning and Budget ? Chamber of Industry of Uruguay ? National Chamber of Commerce ? Mercantile Chamber of Uruguay ? Unions (PIT/CNT) ? Rural Association of Uruguay ? Rural Federation of Uruguay ? Agrarian Cooperatives Association ? State-owned Enterprises This decree entrusts COMISEC with the following functions: a) Advise the Executive Branch as regards the adoption of internal measures aimed at the application, pursuit and evaluation of the process of regional integration. b) Coordinate and supervise the performance of the subcommittees. c) Obtain and disseminate information on integration. For its part, Decree 175/991 dated April 1, 1991, created the Inter-Ministry Committee on MERCOSUR and gave the Director of the MERCOSUR Sectoral Commission authority to do the following: a) Plan and propose, to the Inter-Ministry Committee, measures necessary for the orchestration of the internal aspects of the Common Market, paying special attention to the reconversion of economic activities and the adaptation of the country to the common market. b) Carry out the necessary surveys, and to request the corresponding technical assistance. Uruguay was the first country within MERCOSUR that developed this institutional structure - which is foreseen in the constitution - so that the different sectors involved could participate in the integration process. Some Argentine Provinces and some Brazilian States have implemented institutional mechanisms in which the presence of their own social and economic agents is participatory. Paraguay has just recently created, under the Ministry of Integration, the National Committee on Integration and has invited government representatives (ministries), business groups and unions to participate. One of the goals of COMISEC is to improve the knowledge of the productive sectors and to create mechanisms for the dissemination of information throughout the country. In sum, COMISEC is an working environment where the Uruguayan civil society can be represented in order to best pursue, understand, and disseminate, in a timely manner, the key topics that are relevant to Uruguay's future with regard to its insertion in MERCOSUR. As Uruguayans, we all have our concerns especially when we think of the size of our partners, Argentina and Brazil. However, we have already been associated with these countries for many years through preferential commercial agreements. MERCOSUR and Its Origins The Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) is an ambitious economic integration project in which Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay find themselves engaged. Its principal objectives are: to improve the economies of their countries by making them more efficient and competitive and by enlarging their markets and accelerating their economic development by means of a more efficient use of available resources; to preserve the environment; to improve communications; to coordinate macroeconomic policies; and to harmonize the different sectors of the economies of the member countries. The Beginnings of the MERCOSUR Integration Process In the 1970s, Uruguay strengthened its commercial relationship with Brazil by way of the Commercial Expansion Protocol (PEC), and with Argentina by way of the Argentine-Uruguayan Economic Cooperation Agreement (CAUCE). Between 1984 and 1989 Argentina and Brazil signed twenty-four bilateral protocols with the purpose of improving trade. Integration efforts date back to 1985 when the Foz de Iguaz? Declaration was signed creating the High Level Bilateral Commission for the integration of Argentina and Brazil. Around the end of 1990, Argentina and Brazil signed, and registered with ALADI, an Agreement on Economic Cooperation (Acuerdo de Complementaci?n Econ?mica) that systematized and deepened pre-existing bilateral commercial agreements. Around mid-1990, representatives of both countries met with authorities of Uruguay and Paraguay. It was then that these two countries expressed their firm aspiration to take part in the bilateral process already underway. At this point it was decided that an agreement among all four countries to create a common market should be signed. On March 26, 1991 the Treaty of Asunci?n was signed by the four countries. This Treaty should not be seen as the final creation treaty of the Common Market of the South, but as an instrument, of international character, intended to make the implementation of the Common Market possible. The Treaty of Asunci?n is an economic integration agreement with regional vocation, which remains open to the