Posted files under ‘Riza Hawkeye-Riis’
Good to Be Home
Simone’s Notes:
From a scientifically testable frame of reference, love is a type of interpersonal relationship where mutual assumption of good faith results in a state of emergence, i.e. constituents individually perceive the group’s social evolution as both beneficial and greater than what could be achieved by the sum of the relationship’s parts. Biological sciences such as evolutionary psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology and neuroscience have begun to explore the nature and function of love. Specific chemical substances such as oxytocin are studied in the context of their roles in producing human experiences and behaviors that are associated with love. From the perspective of evolutionary psychology the experiences and behaviors associated with love can be investigated in terms of how they have been shaped by human evolution. For example, it has been suggested that human language has been selected during evolution as a type of “mating signal” that allows potential mates to judge reproductive fitness. Miller described evolutionary psychology as a starting place for further research: “Cognitive neuroscience could try to localize courtship adaptations in the brain. Most importantly, we need much better observations concerning real-life human courtship, including the measurable aspects of courtship that influence mate choice, the reproductive consequences of individual variation in those aspects, and the social-cognitive and emotional mechanisms of falling in love.” Since Darwin’s time there have been similar speculations about the evolution of human interest in music also as a potential signaling system for attracting and judging the fitness of potential mates. It has been suggested that the human capacity to experience love has been evolved as a signal to potential mates that the partner will be a good parent and be likely to help pass genes to future generations.
I came home this weekend to visit my wife and baby. I was planning to surprise Riza. But, she surprised me when she showed up at the train station to come get me. We’re having a little girl! The whole day I insisted that Riza take it easy. She did so out of love for me. Our apartment is all decorated for Christmas-Hanukkah. (I’m Jewish in case you’re wondering. Riza and I combine the holidays together every year.) But that was only the first part. Riza showed me the nursey. Pink, purple, and light blue were all around. The WAGs helped her out with that one. I had to say, I was impressed with the work done here. Riza was overjoyed that I was impressed. I made dinner tonight. My wife and I talked about school some. I really hope it snows this year. After dinner, I took Riza back to our bedroom for… well, I’ll let your imagination do the rest on that one!
–Jakob
New Chap: http://ficwad.com/story/120193
Add comment April 4, 2009
Go Away, Niko
Simone’s Notes:
Slut or slattern is a pejorative term for a person who is deemed sexually promiscuous. The term is generally applied to women and used as an insult or offensive term of disparagement, meaning “dirty or slovenly.” It may also be used as an expression of pride in one’s status, or to express envy at the sexual successes of others. Although the ultimate origin of slut is unknown, it first appeared in Middle English in 1402 as slutte, with the meaning “a dirty, untidy, or slovenly woman.” Even earlier, Geoffrey Chaucer used the word sluttish to describe a slovenly man; however, later uses appear almost exclusively associated with women. The modern sense of “a sexually promiscuous woman” dates to at least 1450. Another early meaning was “kitchen maid or drudge”, a meaning retained as late as the 18th century, when hard knots of dough found in bread were referred to as “slut’s pennies.” A notable example of this use is Samuel Pepys’s diary description of his servant girl as “an admirable slut” who “pleases us mightily, doing more service than both the others and deserves wages better”. In the 19th century, the word was used as a euphemism in place of bitch in the sense of “a female dog.” Similar words appear in Dutch, German and Swedish dialects meaning “a dirty woman,” indicating a common ancestor in Germanic languages. The word entered the colloquial Yidish as “akhsluttishkha” meaning “a hag”. It exists in Ukrainian too as slutyj as a loan word from Yidish or via the mediaeval Scandinavian Varangian colonists in Kievan Rus’. A popular theory connects slut to earlier Germanic forms meaning “slush” or “mud puddle,” but this derivation remains in question.
Everything is going good for me this semester. I have straight A’s, my art is being entered into many contests and displayed all over the school, I have made some funs, I am in a couple of clubs, I am happily married, and Riza and I are expecting our first baby together. Everything is going great! Well, there is one little problem. There is this girl named Niko Thatcher. She is a freshman and she’s okay too. But, she has a huge crush on me. We met at a campus party and we talked for a little bit. It was all nice at first. But then, Niko wanted to go upstairs with me. I turned her down, told her I was married, and left. It’s starting up again. I thought that all of the girls would stop hitting on me once I hit college. But clearly not…
–Jakob
New chap: http://ficwad.com/story/116049
Add comment January 21, 2009
So Good to Be Home
Simone’s Notes:
John Gray is noted primarily for his claims that gender differences are the primary causes for many of the conflicts, problems, or issues between people of opposite sex in romantic relationships. However, in most of his material he neglects to mention instances that are similar between parties of same sex not involved romantically. John Gray does not seem to argue for differences in training, education, personal beliefs systems, personal experiences and attributive personality traits as being a collective unit of causes toward disruptions, disputes, and conflicts in any type of relationship, rather he focuses his theories primarily on the more traditional approach of gender based stereotypes. One factor, however, that is an observable trait dealing with gender differences is that of physical appearance. In fact, in terms of physical appearance, the concerns about attractiveness vary so widely between the sexes that it is difficult to examine the specific terms and variables common to both genders. But if we were to observe human behaviour only, there are certain trait characteristics that can be viewed as identical and/or similar between opposite sexes, whether involved romantically or not. The geniality and humanness characteristic of a society, however, appear to always cross gender boundaries at some level. In Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Gray argued for reciprocity, by focusing on gender differences. In this way he popularized the view that men and women have special emotional needs belonging to their sex, and that an understanding of these might contribute to the conditions for relationships, and so also to romance. Several MRI studies have been conducted to discover the reaction of subjects to images of an individual with whom they are in love. Scientists found that “love” activated the right ventral tegmental area and dorsal caudate body of the brain, which are regions associated with motivation to win a reward. Sorely lacking in these studies, however, is an investigation into the ways that different genders’ brains react to love.
As I said before, I have Fall break this week. That means more time with Riza. I am happy to get into Amertis Renainesse School of Arts, but I have to pay the price of not seeing my wife, family, and friends as much. But yet, the long distance keeps the love fresh as the day it started. Riza misses me as well. She says life and work in Central is boring without me around. The phone calls aren’t enough between us. So, we both look forward to the weekends, breaks, and holidays. But in the end, I know that it is worth it. I will have my dream and my girl in the end. We’ll have to thank Roy Mustang for helping get to school after all.
–Jakob Riis
New Chap: http://ficwad.com/story/110398
Add comment October 21, 2008
My Sweet Love
Simone’s Notes:
Historians believe that the actual English word “romance” developed from a vernacular dialect within the French language, meaning “verse narritve”, referring to the style of speech and writing, and artistic talents within elite classes. The word was originally an adverb of sorts, which was of the Latin origin “Romanicus”, meaning “of the Roman style”, “like the Romans.” The connecting notion is that Eurepeon medieval vernacular tales were usually about chivalric adventure, not combining the idea of love until late into the seventeenth century. The word “romance” or the equivalent thereof also has developed with other meanings in other languages, such as the early nineteenth century Spanish and Italian definitions of “adventurous” and “passionate”, sometimes combining the idea of “love affair” or “idealistic quality.” The more current and Western traditional terminology meaning “court as lover” or the general idea of “romantic love” is believed to have originated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, primarily from that of the French culture. This idea is what has spurred the connection between the words “romantic” and “lover”, thus coining the English phrase “romantic love.” But the precise origins of such a connection are unknown. Although the word “romance”, or the equivalents thereof, may not have the same connotation in other cultures, the general idea of “romantic love” appears to have crossed cultures at one point in time or another.
I got to come home for Fall Break. I made love to my wife, Riza, again. I miss her and the baby so much. I bet they miss me too. Okay, just Riza missed me. But, I like to think that the baby missed me too. Anyway, absence makes the heart grow fonder. That is too true for me. I can only see my wife on weekends. I can’t wait for Chirstmas so I can see my wife and friends again. I really love Riza and my baby.
–Jakob
New chap: http://ficwad.com/story/110198
Add comment October 18, 2008
