The Benefit of Low Nurse-Patient Ratios :: Nursing

For my research paper, I will be taking the position that low nurse-patient ratios (the number of patients a nurse is appoint to care for during their shift) are beneficial to patient practicedty and should be adopted on a larger scale. What made you interested in this topic? I am interested in this topic because when I graduated from nursing school last year, I accepted a job where I am comfortable with my workload, while numerous of my classmates ended up in work environments where they are responsible for taking care of as many as 9 patients at a time while working as the Charge Nurse on the unit. Several have expressed to me that they feel their patients arent safe because of the workload they face as nurses. How is it related to your field of study, major, or to what you plan on doing after you graduate? This is directly related to my Nursing major and current practice session as an RN. I have a personal interest in making sure I am practicing in a way that is s afe for my patients.What exactly is the problem?The problem, as defined for my argument research paper, is that to cut costs, hospitals have been steadily increasing the number of patients nurses must care for. In many areas its not uncommon for one nurse to have to assess, give medications to, and manage the care of as many as 12 patients. This puts tremendous strain on nurses. Many of the studies I have seen in my research indicate that a high ration of patients to nurses increases the rate of death or other poor outcomes for patients. It to a fault leads to increased nurse burnout and higher turnover, though at this point I believe my paper will focus on patient outcomes. Who is most change by the problem?Anyone who is a patient in a hospital is likely to be affected by these practices. What causes the problem?The problem is caused by finances. Hospitals necessitate they face declining reimbursements, and have chosen to cut nursing staff to lower their expenses.Has anyone tried to do anything about it? If so, why havent they succeeded? California has essay to solve the problem by implementing maximum allowable legal patient ratios. In California (and Australia, where a similar set of laws has been passed), there has been success but, obviously, this is throttle to those areas and isnt widespread.

Blindness in King Leer Essay -- Shakespeares King Lear

A persons percept is influenced by his or her character. Because of this subjectivity, there is often a disconnect between how things are perceived and reality. People often see what they indispensableness to see or hear what they want to hear. Blindness is literally defined as the in capability to see, but it is also defined as lacking perception, awareness, or discernment (New Oxford American Dictionary). In big businessman Lear, Shakespeare illustrates that figurative sight often is more important than the physical ability. Through Shakespeares deliberate language and complex characters, he demonstrates that a lack of perception can lead to impulsive decisions that eventually render a tragic demise.In the beginning of the play, King Lears vanity, which is arguably one of his fatal flaws (hamartia, as defined by Aristotle) is the character trait that leads to his faulty perception. King Lear wants so badly to hear professions of love that he is unable to differentiate between sa tin flower and dishonesty. However, it is not always clear whether King Lear has lost this perception or is unwisely ignoring it (Bradley). Even in the beginning of the play, it becomes evident that King Lears ability to perceive is significantly impaired. When he calls upon his daughters to profess their love in order to receive a share of his ground, he is pleased by Gonerils flowery flattery, although it is clearly hyperbolic Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter/Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty (I.i. 60-62). As A.C. Bradley states, The rashness of his division of the kingdom troubles us the readers and his motive is mainly selfish (Bradley). King Lears infatuation with himself leaves him satisfied with the false professions of love an... ...ome of which are character flaws and some of which are deliberate, that foresee them from comprehending reality. As later seen in the play, Gloucesters hasty decision to disinherit his son Edgar based on a false perce ption, led to Gloucesters last death. Similarly, King Lears misperceptions of his children also led to thoughtless decisions that brought about his death. Even though King Lear eventually regained the ability to distinguish between appearance and reality, it was to a fault late.Works CitedBradley, A.C. King Lear. Shakespearian Tragedy. Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Macmillan and Co., London, 1919. Project Gutenberg. Web.Blind. The New Oxford American Dictionary. 3rd ed. 2011. Print.Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of King Lear. New York Washington Square, 1993. Print.

Car Repair For The Do-It Yourselfer Essay -- Compare Contrast Website

Car Repair For The Do-It YourselferFor near people driving a vehicle is a normal and e real day process. On any prone day driving in city or t own traffic one can experience a number of noises by either their own of somebody elses vehicle. Car repair can be very expensive, and lately, do-it-yourself projects are very popular. In todays Internet world, the number one wood has an option to explore the World Wide Web for information on symptoms, problems, and, depending on the service, the repair procedure.This paper will concentrate on two mesh sites. The fundamental difference between the two is how much one advertises, and how the other sets the viewer in the right direction. The better of the mesh sites, in my opinion, is the one without on the whole the bells and whistles.The first is www.10W40.com which is a do-it-yourself web site designed to help the home mechanic to do simple to moderate to difficult procedures of car repair. The web site deals with many makes and models of cars, and was very informative. Most of the aspects about the site I liked. This web site has faults the most notable is the site doses not use monstrous pictures or graphics. As web sites go, it is very plain, and by todays standards inexpressive. Another problem is the text, it is very small, and on a 15-inch screen it still strains my eyes.In my opinion the site doses not need any more to be useful. The functionality is what is important most. The language is in laymans English. On the left boundary line of the home screen are the important links, such as repair manuals, advise forums, and parts/tools. The site is very easy to navigate to the repair section, and hence find the link for the particular type of repair. For example, if a person has a probl... ...auto systems work, but as stated not useful for the shade tree mechanic.A very nice link I found was, tips from the pros on about how to avoid getting ripped off. This is very important as of lately, mainly because women are more independent today. Many feel they are being tricked, ripped off, or they cannot trust the mechanic servicing their vehicle. Generally cars have reached a technical level that most people do not comprehend. The more technology expands the harder it is for the driver to make informed decisions. This is an increasingly daunting task. Information on this web site could very well help any vehicle owner make sound informative decisions with their auto service.By far I understood and found the practicality of 10W40.com all over autorepair.about.com. Its simplicity works well and over all has more information that the average joe can use.

Personal Narrative - My Real Father Essay -- Personal Narrative Writin

My Real FatherNever forget the pastbecause it may haunt you forever. Regret all the bad things love the ripe(p) things. Look ahead al slipwaybut dont let the bad things from the past get in your mind. As a young child, there were so many incidents in my life that made me become the person I am today. There were rough times as well as good times. If I were to tell you all of them, I would remember half of them. I think just about of my incidents really had some impact, and some were just simple ways of life. To tell you the truth, the incident that had the most impact on me has to be when my real father left me at the age of three. I never knew my father. I crocked being a baby, you really have no experience or recognition of somebody else. My mother got pregnant at eighteen years of age. From what I was told, she knew my real father well enough that she wanted a child from him. As a result, she gave birth to me in April of 1981. She was so happy and glad for having her premiere c hild. My mother informed me that in the beginning she and my father lived well and tried their best to raise me. As time passed, my father was always drunk and cared less(prenominal) approximately anything. If I was sick, he never went out to buy me medicine or took care of me. He would just be drinking and complain about everything. My mother realized she was tired of him. He wasnt good for anything. As my mother told me, hed come from work and get into arguments and sometimes squeeze up on her. When it came to that point of physical abuse, she had enough of him. One day, he got into a big fight with my mom. He nearly destroyed the apartment where we lived. That night, he went to a bar and got drunk. My mother told him to never come back. Days passed and he never returned. H... ... my mother never mentioned my real father again. Its like when we began talk of the town about him, we just talked about the coward he was. In retrospect, now that I matured, I really dont think about my real dad. He was just a stranger to me. Im very proud of myself for being the type of person I wanted. I know at some point, I feel that my real dad wonders how Im doing. I really dont miss him at all. I mean I was able to grow up, go to school, and mature. I wish he knew where Im at. I have all my needs, a nice step-father, a mother, shelter, victuals and clothing. Im in college and at the same time working. Thats why I think for what happened in the past, I put it behind me and locomote on with my life. Now, I smack ahead for the future. I want to be success. I want to help my parents with money. Regardless of my past incident, I always look ahead and never turn back.

Irish Literature And Rebellion Essay -- essays research papers

Irish Literature and RebellionIn the heart of every Irishman hides a poet, intense with nationalistic passion for his beloved Emerald Isle. It is this same passion, which for centuries, Great Britain has attempted to snuff come on of the Catholics of Ireland with tyrannical policies and the hegemony of the Protestant religion. Catholics were treated like second-class citizens in their indigene home. Centuries of oppression churned in the hearts of the Irish and came to a boil in the writings and literature of the sons and daughters of Ireland. The Literary Renaissance of Ireland produced some of the greatest writers the world has seen. thaumaturgy OLeary said it best, literature must be national and nationalism must be literary (Harmon, 65). Although there is an endless stream of profound poets and playwrights magic trick Synge, Lady Gregory, Oscar Wilde, etc., this papers primary focus is on William Butler Yeats and James Joyce, and their contributions during the Irish Literar y Renaissance and their perspectives on the Irish Question. They preserved the c on the whole told of the heroes of the past and celebrated the Irish spirit through their writings so that the sacrifice of many would not be in vain.William Butler Yeats was born in the Dublin suburb of Sandymont on June 13, 1865. Interestingly enough, his family was of the Protestant faith. He wasnt much of an activist at first and didnt really care all that much for schooling either, because I found it difficult to attend to anything less interesting than my thoughts, I was difficult to teach (DLB 19, 403). However, in 1886 he met John OLeary, an old Fenian leader. OLeary had been a Young Irelander and fought in the insurrection of 1849. He took Yeats under his wing and introduced him to the world of fenians and fenianism. His influence on Yeats writing is undeniable. Yeats began to write in the way of Sir Samuel Ferguson and James Clarence Mangan and evolve his nationalism and anti-English sentime nt (OConnor, 165). Yeats, like Ferguson, saw literature in Irish was an essential part of the education of any Irishman and tried to nark it so (OConnor, 150). He toured Ireland and established the National Literary Society. His greatest ambition was to unite Catholic Ireland and Protestant Ireland through national literature. He loved Ireland and the Irish... ...rs this to be the real voice of the Irish middle class (OConnor, 161). Throughout Ivy Day in the Committee Room, we are introduced to a cast of characters who have been out shaking hands and kissing babies. They sit around and slowly warm themselves back to life by the small fire and sipping on stout. The discuss government activity and life, each other, and the anniversary of the tragic loss Charles Stewart Parnell. The story ends with the reading of a poem written in recollection of Parnell, which declares him the Uncrowned King, and concludes The day that brings us immunitys reign. / And on that day may Erin well / Pledge in the cup she lifts to Joy / One grief the memory of Parnell (Joyce, 116).Through the words and verses of Yeats and Joyce and all the writers of the Irish Literary Renaissance, the memories of the brave have survived. The purpose of the their writing was to kindle the patriotic flame of the Irish and work towards a united Ireland. In the troubles of today, the memory of the sacrifices of yesterday are still strong within the culture and traditions of the Irish. Someday, their dream and the dream of so many who have gone before them will be recognized and achieved.

Irish Literature And Rebellion Essay -- essays research papers

Irish Literature and RebellionIn the heart of every Irishman hides a poet, fire with nationalistic passion for his beloved Emerald Isle. It is this same passion, which for centuries, Great Britain has attempted to snuff appear of the Catholics of Ireland with tyrannical policies and the hegemony of the Protestant religion. Catholics were treated like second-class citizens in their ingrained home. Centuries of oppression churned in the hearts of the Irish and came to a boil in the writings and literature of the sons and daughters of Ireland. The Literary Renaissance of Ireland produced some of the greatest writers the world has seen. tooshie OLeary said it best, literature must be national and nationalism must be literary (Harmon, 65). Although there is an endless stream of profound poets and playwrights bottom Synge, Lady Gregory, Oscar Wilde, etc., this papers primary focus is on William Butler Yeats and James Joyce, and their contributions during the Irish Literary Renaissanc e and their perspectives on the Irish Question. They preserved the label of the heroes of the past and celebrated the Irish spirit through their writings so that the sacrifice of many would not be in vain.William Butler Yeats was born in the Dublin suburb of Sandymont on June 13, 1865. Interestingly enough, his family was of the Protestant faith. He wasnt much of an activist at first and didnt re every last(predicate)y care any that much for schooling either, because I found it difficult to attend to anything less interesting than my thoughts, I was difficult to teach (DLB 19, 403). However, in 1886 he met John OLeary, an old Fenian leader. OLeary had been a Young Irelander and fought in the insurrection of 1849. He took Yeats under his wing and introduced him to the world of fenians and fenianism. His influence on Yeats writing is undeniable. Yeats began to write in the way of Sir Samuel Ferguson and James Clarence Mangan and evolve his nationalism and anti-English sentiment (OCo nnor, 165). Yeats, like Ferguson, saw literature in Irish was an essential part of the education of any Irishman and tried to do it so (OConnor, 150). He toured Ireland and established the National Literary Society. His greatest ambition was to unite Catholic Ireland and Protestant Ireland through national literature. He loved Ireland and the Irish... ...rs this to be the real voice of the Irish middle class (OConnor, 161). Throughout Ivy Day in the Committee Room, we are introduced to a cast of characters who have been out shaking hands and kissing babies. They sit around and slowly warm themselves back to life by the small fire and sipping on stout. The discuss regime and life, each other, and the anniversary of the tragic loss Charles Stewart Parnell. The story ends with the reading of a poem written in computer memory of Parnell, which declares him the Uncrowned King, and concludes The day that brings us emancipations reign. / And on that day may Erin well / Pledge in the cu p she lifts to Joy / One grief the memory of Parnell (Joyce, 116).Through the words and verses of Yeats and Joyce and all the writers of the Irish Literary Renaissance, the memories of the brave have survived. The purpose of the their writing was to kindle the patriotic flame of the Irish and work towards a united Ireland. In the troubles of today, the memory of the sacrifices of yesterday are still strong within the culture and traditions of the Irish. Someday, their dream and the dream of so many who have gone before them will be recognized and achieved.

Employee Rights & Managing Discipline

Employee Rights & Managing Discipline All corporations strive to have strong employee relations, recognizing employee secures and effectively administering clear up be two vital aspects of maturation this relationship. These aspects, meticulously executed, generate increased job satisfaction amongst employees and improved performance. Identifying and observing various employee rights is an integral piece of managing discipline. anxiety must be cognizant of these employee rights, divided into three separate categories statutory rights, contractual rights, and other rights (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 441).Statutory rights, particular rights protected by specific legislation are often regulated by an agency of a state or federal government. A crucial right, developed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the defense from discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, age, or handicap. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the federal government monitors e mployers to ensure that current and/or probable employees do not suffer from unfair discrimination.Protection against unsafe or unhealthy working conditions, another vital statutory right, falls under the regulation of occupational Safety and Health Administration (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 441). Contractual rights, granted by the law of contracts, derived from a legally binding promise created by two or to a greater extent competent parties with remedies for non-compliance are another key element. Employment contracts, a classic example, clearly define the terms and conditions of involution for all involved parties.An advantage of such contracts entitles an employee to compensation if he/she is discharged for reasons other than nonperformance this particular privilege is usually only available to individually negotiated contracts. Yet, benefits sheltered by union contracts allow in the right to due process and wrongful discharge remedies. Due process, the impartial investi gation of disciplinary actions allow members under a union contract to claim back pay and other job rights if found to have been wrongfully discharged (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 441-442).However, these contracts are rare in the work force more or less individuals, normally employed at will, grant employer and/or employee an opportunity to depose the relationship at any time for any acquire. Employee rights, neither statutory nor contractual are other rights, encompassing, the right to ethical treatment, a limited right to silence, and a limited right to free speech. Fair and ethical treatment by an employer is a reasonable expectation of employees, thusly management needs to devise a culture promoting such treatment.Developing this culture include, but not limited to, techniques, such as, developing trust, acting consistently, demonstrating integrity, and ensuring that employees are treated equitably. Incorporating some of these practices will aid cheeks to avoid high tu rnover rates, which can be damaging to the bottom line. The limited right to privacy, another defined other right, enables employees from unreasonable and unwarranted invasions of their personal affairs. Searches of an employees personal workspace or listening to their conversations should be limited situations initiated by reasonable cause or acquiring prior consent.Mark Dupont and Roy Clarke, shareholders of Richards, Watson, & Gershon, outline an effective method in which a corporation can acquire consent from employees Cover everything. Make the insurance policy as broad as possible to cover all types of electronic communications that occur on work equipment, including those that whitethorn be developed and apply in the future cell phone, e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging, and so forth). The policy should be set up to evolve with the rapid pace of technology. . . Make sure the policy matches practice. . .Take care that mid-level managers do not undermine the policy wi th stray comments and assurances that are contrary to the policy. Make sure that the policy matches up with actual practice. If the policy intends a no-personal-use policy, do not undermine that solemnctive with mixed messages. It is also advisable to have employees sign an acknowledgement that they have read and understand the policy, . . At the kindred time, make sure the policy is practical if incidental personal use is inevitable, understand the implications of such a policy, and address it (Privacy rights). Another privacy issue arises from the manipulation of employees personnel files, containing sensitive personal information. These essential files ought to be available only to a limited population of the corporation in order to protect an employees privacy. Individuals vigorously protect the right to free speech, a cornerstone of the U. S. Constitution nonetheless, this is limited within the private sector. An employee publicly disagreeing with corporate strategies is to expect discipline. Moreover, inflammatory or abusive language insulting superiors, peers, and/or clients warrant negative onsequences (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 442-445). Successful implementation of discipline while adhering to the standards and expectations of employee rights does encounter adversity random do drugs testing, peach blowing, and the restriction of sanction romances consist of a few challenges management must confront (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 447). Many employees view random drug testing as a direct violation of their right to privacy, claiming the practice is an unreasonable invasion. The intent of random drug testing is to create a safer work environment by the most equitable means, but it continually meets resistance.Therefore, many private corporations have opted for other avenues to ensure workplace safety. One method utilized by private firms is pre-employment drug testing, a test given to all potential employees, as a step in the hiring process dissipates tension between employee and management concerning the issue, in essence, an applicants failure of this drug test enables a firm the right not to extend an employment opportunity. Another alternative is probable cause drug testing, occurring when an employee engages in unsafe or suspicious behavior.Both forms of testing do not arise randomly, but transpire for a predetermined reason, alleviating the issue of invasion of privacy (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 447-449). The act of whistle blowing, an instance when an employee discloses illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices of an employer, presents another delicate situation for corporations. A whistle blowing incident requires a tempered response from a firms management team, compelling them to retain authority without trampling an employees right to free speech.Managers must refrain from behaving inappropriately and encouraging dire measures, such as, ostracizing, harassing, or firing the vocal employee. Despite a r easonable response from management, whistle blowing is still a risky endeavor and an individual should pull in the proper documentation before going forward. Yet, such undertakings have produced valuable legislation the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, provides protection to whistle blowers and holds offending parties accountable for their infractions (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 451-453). Administering restrictions on office romances commands another balancing act from managers. management must determine the appropriate measures to limit the firms liability from sexual harassment litigation, but not go against upon employees off-duty relationships and behaviors, invading their privacy. A few corporations elect to establish a no-dating policy even with this policys drawbacks namely, the difficulty of enforcing the policy or being compelled to terminate a valuable employee for a violation of this policy despite no illegal activity occurring. Conversely, other firms encourage office r omances acknowledging the benefits of a happier and more static work force.These two scenarios are the extremes, most companies find comfort with the middle ground of neither condemning nor condoning office romances, rather accepting them as languish as they do not involve a supervisor and his/her direct subordinate (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 453-454). Effectively disciplining employees while respecting their rights may be cumbersome, but two polar approaches, commonly used, are a liberalist style and a positive style of discipline, both consisting of the manager discussing questionable behavior with an employee (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 454).Progressive discipline, multiple interactions giving employees opportunities to classify deviant behavior before dismissal, typically addressing minor infractions comprise of three to five steps. The initial step, a literal warning, describes the behavioral miscue and notifies the employee of possible consequences if the undesi red behavior persists. An employee committing another infraction of the same policy within a specified period will be subjected to a written warning.This recorded documentation, entered into the employees personnel file, reiterates the issue and describes further repercussion if the problem continues. The severity of the situation increases with each successive step of the progressive discipline process, thus not heeding these warnings, an employee may face unpaid suspension and/or eventual discharge from a company (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 455-456). Another multiple step form of discipline, positive discipline, is similar to the progressive method without the adversarial aspect.This process encourages cooperation among managers and employees, opening a dialogue to correct deficient behaviors. The first step involves a discussion of the poor performance and a verbal solution to the problem. If this proves ineffective, the subsequent step is another counseling session, but the agreed upon resolution is now documented. Squandering both these opportunities still results with the employee taking time by from the work, as with progressive discipline, however, under the positive method this is paid.This approach attempts to avoid ill-mannered behavior from the offending employee upon return with hope that the performance is improved, if not, separation of employment is the final action. While the initial implementation is costly and the administering of this method is time-consuming, both, managers and employees prefer this process. The cooperative construct of counseling eliminates apprehensions regarding discipline, creating managers more apt to intervene when an issue arises, boost better working relationships with their employees (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, and Cardy 455-457).Incorporating basic principles within the management of discipline regardless of the severity of the infraction creates uniformity and understanding. Management should communicate the rul es, expectations, and performance criteria to all employees clearly, thus creating a workforce knowledgeable of the policies, procedures, and consequences of their violation. All information, properly documented, enables both, management and employees, to present and/or dispute only facts.Furthermore, discipline administered quickly, consistently, and without discrimination is the most effective. Michael S. Lavenantan, attorney at the law firm of Landegger & Baron, specializing in labor & employment law suggest To avoid liability for harassment, discrimination, or wrongful demotion or termination, every organization should make grow its supervisors to follow these six non-negotiable rules of discipline. 1. Be fair. 2. Be consistent 3. Be uniform. 4. Be honest. 5. Be objective. 6. Be prepared.Following these six rules will help you minimize liability when an employee makes a claim. Educating supervisors about these rules will give them the right balance between authority and recepti vity. The result will be low turnover and high productivity for your organization (The Art of Employee Discipline). In conclusion, recognizing employee rights and managing discipline is a complicated task requiring the attention to numerous details, yet, done in an efficient, effective manner will generate a stronger work force prepared to succeed.Works Cited Gomez-Mejia, Luis R. , David B. Balkin, and Robert L. Cardy. Managing Human Resources. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2010. Print. Dupont, Norman, and Roy Clarke. Privacy rights employee use of electronic devices in the workplace. Public Management 92. 10 (2010) 24+. Academic OneFile. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. Lavenant, M.. THE ART OF EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE How to Retain Control & Increase Production. Nonprofit World 1 Jul 2010 ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.

Fool Chapter 1

THE STAGEThe stage is a more or less mythical thirteenth-century Britain, with vestiges of British culture reaching give the axeorse to pre-Roman terms still loitering ab step to the fore. Britain encompasses what is now modern Great Britain, including England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, of which Lear is king. Gener all in ally, if not otherwise explained, conditions may be considered damp.ACT IWhen we are natural, we cry that we are let To this capacious stage of fools. King Lear, Act IV, Scene 5ONEALWAYS A BLOODY GHOSTTosser cried the seize.Theres al routes a blinking(a) raven.Foolish teachin him to talk, if you ask me, verbalise the sentry.Im duty-bound foolish, yeoman, say I. I am, you know? A fool. Fool to the court of Lear of Britain. And you are a tosser,1 I said.Piss mangle said the raven.The yeoman took a swipe at the bird with his spear and the great black bird swooped strike the wall and went cawing come on over the Thames. A ferryman looked up from his bo at, saw us on the tower, and waved. I jumped onto the wall and bowed at your fucking service, thank you. The yeoman grumbled and spat after the raven.There engender always been ravens at the White Tower. A thousand years ago, before George II, idiot king of Merica, destroyed the world, there were ravens here. The legend says that as long as there are ravens at the Tower, England will stand strong. Still, it may have been a mistake to teach one to talk.The Earl of Gloucester approaches cried a sentry on the westward wall. With his son Edgar and the bastard EdmundThe yeoman by me grinned. Gloucester, eh? Be original you do that bit where you play a goat and Drool plays the earl mistaking you for his wife.That would be unkind, said I. The earl is newly widowed.You did it the last time he was here and she was still ready in the grave.Well, yes. A service that trying to shock the poor wretch out of his grief, wasnt it?Good show, too. The way you was bleatin I thought ol Drool was g ivin it to you right proper up the bung.I made a note to shove the guard off the wall when opportunity presented.Heard he was going to have you assassinated, exactly he couldnt make a case to the king.Gloucesters a noble, he doesnt need a case for murder, just a whim and a blade.Not bloody uniformly, the yeoman said, everyone knows the kings got a wing oer you.That was true. I enjoy a certain(prenominal) license.Have you seen Drool? With Gloucester here, therell be a command performance. My apprentice, Drool a beef-witted bloke the size of a draught horse.He was in the kitchen before the watch, said the yeoman.The kitchen buzzed the staff preparing for a feast.Have you seen Drool? I asked Taster, who sit at the table staring sadly at a bread trencher2 laid out with bleak pork, the kings dinner. He was a thin, sickly lad, chosen, no doubt, for his weakness of constitution, and a predisposition toward dropping dead at the slightest provocation. I liked to tell him my troubles, s ure that they would not travel far.Does this look poisoned to you?Its pork, lad. Lovely. Eat up. Half the men in England would give a testicle to feast thus, and it only mid-day. Im tempted myself. I tossed my percentage point gave him a grin and a bit of a jingle on the ol hat bells to cheer him. I pantomimed stealing a bit of his pork. After you, of course.A wound thumped into the table by my hand.Back, Fool, said babble out, the head cook. Thats the kings lunch and Ill have your balls before Ill let you at it.My balls are yours for the asking, milady, said I. Would you have them on a trencher, or shall I serve them in a bowl of cream, like peaches?Bubble harrumphed, yanked her knife from the table and went back to gutting a trout at the exceptcher block, her great loafer rolling like thunderclouds under her skirt as she moved.Youre a wicked little man, Pocket, said Squeak, waves of freckles riding oer her shy smile. She was second to the cook, a sturdy, ginger-haired littl e girl with a high giggle and a generous spirit in the dark. Taster and I often passed pleasant afternoons at the table watching her rack the necks of chickens.Pocket is my name, by the way. Given to me by the abbess who found me on the nunnery doorstep when I was a tiny babe. True, I am not a monstrous fellow. Some might even say I am diminutive, but I am quick as a cat and reputation has compensated me with other gifts. But wicked?I think Drool was headed to the princesss chambers, Squeak said.Aye, said Taster, glumly. The lady sent for a cure for melancholy.And the git went? drollery on his own? The boy wasnt ready. What if he blundered, tripped, fell on the princess like a millstone on a butterfly? Are you sure?Bubble dropped a gutless trout into a bushel of slippery cofishes.3 Chanting, Off to do ma duty, he was. We told him youd be looking for him when we divulged Princess Goneril and the Duke of Albany was approach shot.Albanys coming?Aint he sworn to string your entrai ls from the chandelier? asked Taster.No, corrected Squeak. That was Duke of Cornwall. Albany was going to have his head on a pike, I believe. Pike, wasnt it, Bubble?Aye, have his head on a pike. Funny thing, thinkin about it, youd look like a bigger version of your puppet-stick there.Jones, said Taster, pointing to my jesters scepter, Jones, who is, indeed, a smaller version of my own fine-looking countenance, fixed atop a sturdy handle of polished hickory. Jones speaks for me when even my tongue needs to exceed safe license with knights and nobles, his head pre-piked for the wrath of the cloy and humorless. My finest art is oft lost in the eye of the subject.Yes, that would be right hilarious, Bubble ironic imagery like the lovely Squeak turning you on a spit over a fire, an apple up both your ends for color although I daresay the whole castle might conflagrate in the resulting dirty word fire, but until then wed laugh and laugh.I dodged a well-flung trout then, and paid Bubb le a grin for not throwing her knife instead. Fine woman, she, despite being large and quick to anger. Well, Ive a great drooling dolt to find if we are to prepare an entertainment for the evening.Cordelias chambers lay in the North Tower the quickest way there was atop the outer wall. As I crossed over the great main gatehouse, a young spot-faced yeoman called, Hail, Earl of Gloucester Below, the greybeard Gloucester and his retinue were crossing the drawbridge.Hail, Edmund, you bloody bastard I called over the wall.The yeoman tapped me on the shoulder. Beggin your pardon, sirrah,4 but Im told that Edmund is sensitive about his bastardy.Aye, yeoman, said I. No need for prodding and jibe to godlike that pricks tender spot, he wears it on his sleeve. I jumped on the wall and waved Jones at the bastard, who was trying to wrench a bow and quiver from a knight who rode beside him. You prick scalawag said I. You flesh-turd dropped stinking from the poxy arsehole of a hare-lipped harlo tThe Earl of Gloucester glowered up at me as he passed under the portcullis.5Shot to the heart, that one, said the yeoman.Too harsh, then, you prognosticate?A bit.Sorry. Excellent hat, though, bastard, I called, by way of making amends. Edgar and two knights were trying to restrain the bastard Edmund below. I jumped down from the wall. Havent seen Drool, have you?In the great hall this morning, said the yeoman. Not since.A call came around the top of the wall, passing from yeoman to yeoman until we heard, The Duke of Cornwall and Princess Regan approach from the south.Fuckstockings Cornwall polished greed and pure born villainy hed dirk6 a nun for a farthing,7 and short the coin, for the fun.Dont worry, little one, the kingll keep your hide whole.Aye, yeoman, he will, and if you call me little one in company, the kingll have you travel watch on the frozen moat all winter.Sorry, Sir Jester, sir, said the yeoman. He slouched then as not to seem so irritatingly tall. Heard that tasty Princess Regans a right bunny cunny, eh? He leaned down to elbow me in the ribs, now that we were best mates and all.Youre new, arent you?Just two months in service.Advice, then, young yeoman When referring to the kings midway daughter, state that she is fair, speculate that she is pious, but unless youd like to spend your watch looking for the box where your head is kept, resist the urge to wax ignorant on her red-hot bits.I dont know what that means, sir.Speak not of Regans shaggacity, son. Cornwall has taken the eyes of men who have but looked upon the princess with but the spark of lust. The fiend I didnt know, sir. Ill say nothing.And neither shall I, good yeoman. Neither shall I.And thus are alliances made, loyalties cemented. Pocket makes a friend.The boy was right about Regan, of course. And why I hadnt thought to call her bunny cunny myself, when I of all people should know well, as an artist, I must admit, I was envious of the invention.Cordelias private solar8 lay at the top of a narrow spiral staircase lit only with the crosses of arrow loops. I could hear giggling as I topped the stairs.So I am of no worth if not on the arm and in the bed of some buffoon in a codpiece? I heard Cordelia say.You called, said I, stepping into the room, codpiece in hand.The ladies-in-waiting giggled. Young Lady Jane, who is but thirteen, shrieked at my presence disturbed, no doubt, by my overt manliness, or perhaps by the gentle clouting on the bottom she received from Jones.Pocket Cordelia sat at the center of the circle of girls holding court, as such her hair down, blond curls to her waist, a simple gown of lavender linen, loosely laced. She stood and approached me. You honor us, Fool. Did you hear rumors of small animals to hurt, or were you hoping to accidentally surprise me in my bath again?I tipped my hat, a slight, contrite jingle there. I was lost, milady.A xii times?Finding my way is not my strong suit. If you extremity a navigator Ill send for him , but hold me blameless should your melancholy triumph and you cover yourself in the brook, your gentle ladies weeping damply around your pale and lovely corpse. Let them say, She was not lost in the map, confident as she was in her navigator, but lost in heart for want of a fool.The ladies gasped as if Id cued them. Id have blessed them if I were still on speaking terms with God.Out, out, out, ladies, Cordelia said. Give me heartsease with my fool so that I might devise some punishment for him.The ladies scurried out of the room.Punishment? I asked. For what?I dont know yet, she said, but by the time Ive thought of the punishment, Im sure therell be an offense.I blush at your confidence.And I at your humility, said the princess. She grinned, a crescent too devious for a maid of her tender years. Cordelia is not ten years my junior (Im not sure, exactly, of my own age), seventeen summers has she seen, and as the youngest of the kings daughters, shes always been treated as if fragi le as spun glass. But, concoction thing that she is, her bark could frighten a mad badger.Shall I disrobe for my punishment? I offered. Flagellation? Fellation? Whatever. I am your willing penitent, lady.No more of that, Pocket. I need your counsel, or at least your commiseration. My sisters are coming to the castle.Unfortunately, they have arrived.Oh, thats right, Albany and Cornwall want to kill you. Bad luck, that. Anyway, they are coming to the castle, as are Gloucester and his sons. Goodness, they want to kill you as well.Rough critics, said I.Sorry. And a dozen other nobles as well as the Earl of Kent are here. Kent doesnt want to kill you, does he?Not that I know of. But it is only lunchtime.Right. And do you know why they are all coming?To corner me like a rat in a barrel?Barrels do not have corners, Pocket.Does seem like a lot of bother for kill one small, if tremendously handsome fool.Its not about you, you dolt Its about me.Well, even less effort to kill you. How many c an it take to fool your scrawny neck? I worry that Drool will do it by accident someday. You havent seen him, have you?He stinks. I sent him away this morning. She waved a hand furiously to return to her point. Father is marrying me offNonsense. Who would have you?The lady darkened a bit, then, blue eyes gone cold. Badgers across Blighty9 shuddered. Edgar of Gloucester has always treasured me and the Prince of France and Duke of Burgundy are already here to pay me quandary.Troth about what?TrothAbout what?Troth, troth, you fool, not truth. The princes are here to marry me.Those two? Edgar? No. I was shaken. Cordelia? Married? Would one of them take her away? It was unjust Unfair Wrong Why, she had never even seen me naked.Why would they want to troth you? I mean, for the night, to be sure, who wouldnt troth you cross-eyed? But permanently, I think not.Im a bloody princess, Pocket.Precisely. What good are princesses? Dragon food and ransom markers spoiled brats to be bartered for real estate.Oh no, unspoiled fool, you forget that sometimes a princess becomes a queen.Ha, princesses. What worth are you if your father has to tack a dozen counties to your bum to get those French poofters to look at you?Oh, and what worth a fool? Nay, what worth a fools second, for you merely carry the drool cup for the Natural.10 Whats the ransom for a jester, Pocket? A bucket of warm spittle.I grabbed my chest. Pierced to the core, I am, I gasped. I staggered to a chair. I bleed, I suffer, I die on the forked lance of your words.She came to me. You do not.No, preventive back. Blood stains will never come out of linen they are stubborned with your cruelty and guiltPocket, stop it now.You have kilt me, lady, most dead. I gasped, I spasmed, I coughed. Let it always be said that this humble fool brought joy to all whom he met.No one will say that.Shhhh, child. I advance weak. No breath. I looked at the imaginary blood on my hands, horrified. I slid off a chair, to the floor. B ut I want you to know that despite your brutal nature and your freakishly large feet, I have always And then I died. Bloody fucking brilliantly, Id say, too, hint of a shudder at the end as deaths chilly hand grabbed my knob.What? What? You have always what?I said nothing, being dead, and not a little exhausted from all the bleeding and gasping. loyalty be told, under the jest I felt like Id taken a bolt to the heart.Youre absolutely no help at all, said Cordelia.The raven landed on the wall as I made my way back to the common house in search of Drool. No little vexed was I by the news of Cordelias looming nuptials.Ghost said the raven.I didnt teach you that.Bollocks replied the raven.Thats the spiritGhostPiss off, bird, said I.Then a cold wind bit at my bum and at the top of the stairs, in the turret ahead, I saw a shimmering in the shadows, like silk in fair weather not quite in the shape of a woman.And the ghost saidWith grave offense to daughters three,Alas, the king a foo l shall be.Rhymes? I inquired. Youre looming about all diaphanous in the middle of the day, puking cryptic rhymes? Low craft and tawdry art, ghosting about at noon a parsons fart heralds darker doom, thou babble wisp.Ghost cried the raven, and with that the ghost was gone.Theres always a bloody ghost.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 48-51

CHAPTER 48In the heat of the mowork forcet, Capitol police officer Nunez had seen no option rightful(prenominal) promptly to help the Capitol interior designer and Robert Langdon escape. Now, however, okay in the basement police headquarters, Nunez could see the storm clouds gathering fast.Chief Trent Anderson was holding an ice pack to his head while another officer was tutelage to Satos bruises. Both of them were standing with the video surveillance team, reviewing digital touchback files in an attempt to locate Langdon and Bellamy.Check the playback on every h every last(predicate)way and exit, Sato de troopsded. I want to distinguish where they wentNunez felt ill as he looked on. He knew it would be unaccompanied a matter of minutes before they found the right video rationalise and learned the truth. I helped them escape. Making matters worse was the arrival of a four-man CIA field team that was now staging nearby, prepping to go after Langdon and Bellamy. These guys loo ked nothing deal the Capitol Police. These guys were dead-serious soldiers . . . char camouflage, night vision, futuristic-looking handguns.Nunez felt like he would throw up. Making up his mind, he motioned discreetly to Chief Anderson. A eat-and- bear, Chief?What is it? Anderson followed Nunez into the h all(prenominal).Chief, I made a bad mistake, Nunez said, breaking a sweat. Im sorry, and Im resigning. Youll fire me in a few minutes anyway.I beg your pardon?Nunez swallowed hard. Earlier, I saw Langdon and Architect Bellamy in the visitor center on their way kayoed of the building.What? Anderson bellowed. Why didnt you say something?The Architect told me not to say a word. You work for me, goddamm it Andersons voice echoed blast the corridor. Bellamy nonsensical my head into a wall, for Christs sakeNunez handed Anderson the key that the Architect had given him.What is this? Anderson demanded.A key to the new tunnel under Independence Avenue. Architect Bellamy had it. Thats how they escaped.Anderson st ared d induce at the key, speechless(prenominal).Sato poked her head out into the hallway, look probing. Whats going on out here?Nunez felt himself go pale. Anderson was still holding the key, and Sato clear had seen it. As the detestable little woman drew near, Nunez improvised as best as he could, hoping to protect his chief. I found a key on the embellish in the subbasement. I was proficient asking Chief Anderson if he knew what it might go to.Sato arrived, eyeing the key. And does the chief know?Nunez glanced up at Anderson, who was clearly unhurriedness all his options before speaking. Finally, the chief shook his head. Not offhand. Id have to check theDont bother, Sato said. This key unlocks a tunnel off the visitor center.Really? Anderson said. How do you know that?We just found the surveillance clip. obligationr Nunez here helped Langdon and Bellamy escape and then relocked that tunnel door behind them. Bellamy gave Nunez that key.Anderso n turned to Nunez with a flare of anger. Is this true?Nunez nodded vigorously, doing his best to play along. Im sorry, sir. The Architect told me not to tell a soulI dont give a damn what the Architect told you Anderson yelled. I expectShut up, Trent, Sato snapped. Youre both unsporting liars. Save it for your CIA inquisition. She snatched the Architects tunnel key from Anderson. Youre done here.CHAPTER 49Robert Langdon hung up his cell phone, timbering increasingly worried. Katherines not answering her cell? Katherine had promised to cover him as curtly as she was safely out of the lab and on her way to meet him here, exactly she had neer done so.Bellamy sat beside Langdon at the development-room desk. He, too, had just made a call, his to an individual he claimed could offer them sanctuarya safe place to hide. Unfortunately, this person was not answering either, and so Bellamy had left an urgent message, telling him to call Langdons cell phone right away.Ill keep trying, he said to Langdon, but for the moment, were on our own. And we need to discuss a plan for this benefit.The pyramid. For Langdon, the spectacular backdrop of the reading room had all but disappeared, his world constricting now to include only what was directly in front of hima stone pyramid, a seal off package containing a capstone, and an elegant Afri batch Ameri low deportment man who had materialized out of the darkness and rescued him from the certainty of a CIA interrogation.Langdon had expected a modicum of sanity from the Architect of the Capitol, but now it seemed Warren Bellamy was no more rational than the madman claiming Peter was in purgatory. Bellamy was insist this stone pyramid was, in fact, the masonic gain of legend. An ancient map? That guides us to powerful wisdom?Mr. Bellamy, Langdon said politely, this idea that there exists some kind of ancient knowledge that can imbue men with great power . . . I simply cant take it seriously.Bellamys eyes looked both disapp ointed and earnest, making Langdons skepticism all the more awkward. Yes, Professor, I had imagined you might feel this way, but I suppose I should not be surprised. You are an outsider looking in. There exist certain Masonic realities that you will behold as myth because you are not properly initiated and prepared to understand them.Now Langdon felt patronized. I wasnt a member of Odysseuss crew, but Im certain the water flea is a myth. Mr. Bellamy, even if the legend is true . . . this pyramid cannot possibly be the Masonic pyramid.No? Bellamy ran a finger across the Masonic cipher on the stone. It looks to me like it fits the description perfectly. A stone pyramid with a shining metal capstone, which, according to Satos X-ray, is exactly what Peter entrusted to you. Bellamy picked up the little cube-shaped package, weighing it in his hand.This stone pyramid is less than a foot tall, Langdon countered. Every version of the story Ive ever heard describes the Masonic pyramid as eno rmous.Bellamy had clearly anticipated this point. As you know, the legend speaks of a pyramid rising so high that God Himself can stumble out and touch it.Exactly.I can see your dilemma, Professor. However, both the Ancient Mysteries and Masonic philosophy celebrate the potentiality of God within each of us. Symbolically speaking, one could claim that anything within reach of an enlightened man . . . is within reach of God.Langdon felt unswayed by the wordplay.Even the Bible concurs, Bellamy said. If we accept, as Genesis tells us, that God created man in his own image, then we also essential accept what this impliesthat mankind was not created inferior to God. In Luke 1720 we are told, The kingdom of God is within you. Im sorry, but I dont know any Christians who consider themselves Gods equal.Of course not, Bellamy said, his tone hardening. Because most Christians want it both ways. They want to be able to proudly declare they are believers in the Bible and yet simply ignore tho se parts they find too difficult or too inconvenient to believe.Langdon made no response.Anyhow, Bellamy said, the Masonic Pyramids age-old description as being tall enough to be touched by God . . . this has long led to misinterpretations about its size. Conveniently, it keeps academics like yourself insisting the pyramid is a legend, and nobody searches for it.Langdon looked mound at the stone pyramid. I apologize that Im frustrating you, he said. Ive simply always thought of the Masonic Pyramid as a myth.Does it not seem perfectly fitting to you that a map created by stonemasons would be carved in stone? Throughout history, our most important guideposts have always been carved in stone including the tablets God gave MosesTen Commandments to guide our human conduct.I understand, and yet it is always referred to as the legend of the Masonic Pyramid. Legend implies it is mythical.Yes, legend. Bellamy chuckled. Im afraid youre suffering from the same problem Moses had.Im sorry?Bell amy looked almost amused as he turned in his seat, glancing up at the support-tier balcony, where viteen bronze statues peered down at them. Do you see Moses?Langdon gazed up at the librarys celebrated statue of Moses. Yes. He has horns.Im aware of that.But do you know wherefore he has horns?Like most teachers, Langdon did not enjoy being lectured to. The Moses above them had horns for the same reason thousands of Christian images of Moses had hornsa mistranslation of the book of Exodus. The original Hebrew school text described Moses as having karan ohr panav facial skin that glowed with rays of lightbut when the Roman Catholic Church created the official Latin translation of the Bible, the translator bungled Mosess description, version it as cornuta esset facies sua, meaning his face was horned. From that moment on, artists and sculptors, fearing reprisals if they were not true to the Gospels, began depicting Moses with horns.It was a simple mistake, Langdon replied. A mistran slation by Saint Jerome around four hundred A.D. Bellamy looked impressed. Exactly. A mistranslation. And the result is . . . poor Moses is now misshapen for all history.Misshapen was a nice way to put it. Langdon, as a child, had been terrified when he saw Michelangelos diabolical horned Mosesthe centerpiece of Romes Basilica of St. Peter in Chains.I mention the horned Moses, Bellamy now said, to illustrate how a single word, misunderstood, can rewrite history.Youre preaching to the choir, Langdon thought, having learned the lesson earlyhand in Paris a number of years back. SanGreal Holy Grail. SangReal Royal Blood.In the case of the Masonic Pyramid, Bellamy continued, mint heard whispers about a legend. And the idea stuck. The Legend of the Masonic Pyramid sounded like a myth. But the word legend was referring to something else. It had been misconstrued. Much like the word talisman. He smiled. Language can be very adept at hiding the truth.Thats true, but youre losing me here.R obert, the Masonic Pyramid is a map. And like every map, it has a legenda key that tells you how to read it. Bellamy took the cube-shaped package and held it up. Dont you see? This capstone is the legend to the pyramid. It is the key that tells you how to read the most powerful artifact on earth . . . a map that unveils the hiding place of mankinds greatest treasurethe lost wisdom of the ages.Langdon shake off silent.I humbly submit, Bellamy said, that your towering Masonic Pyramid is only this . . . a modest stone whose golden capstone reaches high enough to be touched by God. High enough that an enlightened man can reach down and touch it.Silence hung between the devil men for several seconds.Langdon felt an unexpected pulse of excitement as he looked down at the pyramid, seeing it in a new light. His eyes moved again to the Masonic cipher. But this code . . . it seems so . . .Simple?Langdon nodded. almost anyone could decipher this.Bellamy smiled and obtaind a pencil and pape r for Langdon. Then perhaps you should enlighten us?Langdon felt uneasy about reading the code, and yet considering the circumstances, it seemed a electric shaver betrayal of Peters trust. Moreover, whatever the engraving said, he could not imagine that it unveiled a secret hiding place of anything at all . . . much less that of one of historys greatest treasures.Langdon accepted the pencil from Bellamy and tapped it on his chin as he studied the cipher. The code was so simple that he barely postulate pencil and paper. Even so, he wanted to ensure he made no mistakes, and so he dutifully put pencil to paper and wrote down the most common decryption key for a Masonic cipher. The key consisted of four gridstwo plain and two dottedwith the alphabet running finished them in order. Each letter of the alphabet was now positioned inside a uniquely shaped enclosure or pen. The shape of each letters enclosure became the image for that letter.The scheme was so simple, it was almost infant ile. Langdon double-checked his handiwork. Feeling confident the decryption key was correct, he now turned his attention back to the code inscribed on the pyramid. To decipher it, all he had to do was to find the matching shape on his decryption key and write down the letter inside it. The first character on the pyramid looked like a down arrow or a chalice. Langdon quick found the chalice-shaped segment on the decryption key. It was locate in the lower left-hand corner and enclosed the letter S.Langdon wrote down S.The next symbol on the pyramid was a dotted square absent its right side. That shape on the decryption grid enclosed the letter O.He wrote down O.The third symbol was a simple square, which enclosed the letter E.Langdon wrote down E.SOEHe continued, picking up speed until he had completed the entire grid.Now, as he gazed down at his finished translation, Langdon let out a puzzled sigh. Hardly what Id call a eureka moment.Bellamys face showed the hint of a smile. As you know, Professor, the Ancient Mysteries are reserved only for the actually enlightened.Right, Langdon said, frowning. Apparently, I dont qualify.CHAPTER 50In a basement office deep inside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the same sixteen- character Masonic cipher glowed bright on a high-definition computer monitor. Senior OS analyst Nola Kaye sat alone and studied the image that had been e-mailed to her ten minutes ago by her boss, film director Inoue Sato.Is this some kind of joke? Nola knew it was not, of course Director Sato had no sense of humor, and the events of tonight were anything but a joking matter. Nolas high-level clearance within the CIAs all-seeing Office of Security had opened her eyes to the shadow worlds of power. But what Nola had witnessed in the last twenty-four hours had changed her impressions forever of the secrets that powerful men kept.Yes, Director, Nola now said, cradling the phone on her lift as she talked to Sato. The engraving is indeed the M asonic cipher. However, the cleartext is meaningless. It appears to be a grid of random letters. She gazed down at her decryption.It must say something, Sato insisted.Not unless it has a second layer of encryption that Im not aware of.Any guesses? Sato asked.Its a grid-based matrix, so I could run the usualVigenre, grilles, trellises, and so forthbut no promises, curiously if its a onetime pad.Do what you can. And do it fast. How about the X-ray?Nola swiveled her chair to a second system, which displayed a standard credentials X-ray of someones bag. Sato had requested discipline on what appeared to be a small pyramid inside a cube-shaped box. Normally, a two-inch-tall object would not be an issue of national security unless it was made of enriched plutonium. This one was not. It was made of something almost equally startling.Image-density analysis was conclusive, Nola said. Nineteen-point-three grams per cubic centimeter. Its pure gold. Very, very valuable.Anything else?Actually, yes. The density scan picked up minor irregularities on the muster of the gold pyramid. It turns out the gold is engraved with text.Really? Sato sounded hopeful. What does it say?I cant tell yet. The inscription is extremely faint. Im trying to enhance with filters, but the resolution on the X-ray is not great.Okay, keep trying. Call me when you have something.Yes, maam.And, Nola? Satos tone turned ominous. As with everything you have learned in the last twenty-four hours, the images of the stone pyramid and gold capstone are classified at the highest levels of security. You are to consult no one. You report to me directly. I want to make sure that is clear.Of course, maam.Good. Keep me posted. Sato hung up.Nola rubbed her eyes and looked blearily back at her computer screens. She had not slept in over thirty-six hours, and she knew damn tumesce she would not sleep again until this crisis had reached its conclusion.Whatever that may be. stake at the Capitol Visitor Center, four colour-clad CIA field-op specialists stood at the entrance to the tunnel, peering hungrily down the dimly lit shaft like a pack of dogs eager for the hunt.Sato approached, having just hung up from a call. Gentlemen, she said, still holding the Architects key, are your mission parameters clear?Affirmative, the lead agent replied. We have two targets. The first is an engraved stone pyramid, about one foot tall. The second is a smaller, cube-shaped package, approximately two inches tall. Both were last seen in Robert Langdons shoulder bag.Correct, Sato said. These two items must be retrieved quickly and intact. Do you have any questions?Parameters for use of force?Satos shoulder was still throbbing from where Bellamy had struck her with a bone. As I said, it is of critical importance that these items be retrieved.Understood. The four men turned and headed into the darkness of the tunnel. Sato lit a cigarette and watched them disappear.CHAPTER 51Katherine Solomon had always been a prud ent driver, but now she was pushing her Volvo at over ninety as she fled blindly up the Suitland Parkway. Her trembling foot had been lodged on the accelerator for a full mile before her panic began to lift. She now realized her uncontrollable shivering was no longer solely from fear.Im freezing.The wintry night air was gushing finished her shattered eddyow, buffeting her body like an arctic wind. Her stockinged feet were numb, and she reached down for her spare pair of shoes, which she kept beneath the passenger seat. As she did, she felt a stab of pain from the bruise on her throat, where the powerful hand had latched on to her neck.The man who had smashed through her window bore no resemblance to the blond-haired gentleman whom Katherine knew as Dr. Christopher Abaddon. His thick hair and smooth, bronzed complexion had disappeared. His shaved head, bare chest, and makeup-smeared face had been unveiled as a terrifying tapestry of tattoos.She heard his voice again, whispering to her in the howl of wind outside her broken window. Katherine, I should have killed you years ago . . . the night I killed your mother.Katherine shivered, feeling no doubt. That was him. She had never forgotten the look of fiendish personnel in his eyes. Nor had she ever forgotten the sound of her brothers single gunshot, which had killed this man, propelling him off a high ledge into the frozen river below, where he plummeted through the ice and never resurfaced. Investigators had searched for weeks, never finding his body, and finally decided it had been washed away by the current out to the Chesapeake Bay.They were wrong, she now knew. He is still alive.And hes back.Katherine felt angst-ridden as the memories inundate back. It was almost exactly ten years ago. Christmas Day. Katherine, Peter, and their motherher entire familywere gathered at their sprawling stone mansion in Potomac, nestled on a two-hundred-acre wooded estate with its own river running through it. As was tradit ion, their mother worked diligently in the kitchen, rejoicing in the vacation custom of cooking for her two children. Even at seventy-five years of age, Isabel Solomon was an exuberant cook, and tonight the mouthwatering smells of roast venison, parsnip gravy, and garlic mashed potatoes wafted through the house. While Mother prepared the feast, Katherine and her brother relaxed in the conservatory, discussing Katherines latest fascinationa new field called Noetic Science. An unlikely fusion of modern particle physics and ancient mysticism, Noetics had absolutely captivated Katherines imagination. physical science meets philosophy.Katherine told Peter about some of the experiments she was dreaming up, and she could see in his eyes that he was intrigued. Katherine felt particularly pleased to give her brother something positive to trust about this Christmas, since the holiday had also become a painful reminder of a terrible tragedy.Peters son, Zachary.Katherines nephews twenty-first birthday had been his last. The family had been through a nightmare, and it seemed that her brother was only now finally learning how to laugh again.Zachary had been a late bloomer, frail and awkward, a rebellious and angry teenager. Despite his deeply loving and privileged upbringing, the boy seemed determined to detach himself from the Solomon establishment. He was kicked out of prep school, partied hard with the celebrati, and shunned his parents exhaustive attempts to provide him firm and loving guidance.He broke Peters heart.Shortly before Zacharys ordinal birthday, Katherine had sat down with her mother and brother and listened to them debating whether or not to withhold Zacharys inheritance until he was more mature. The Solomon inheritancea centuries-old tradition in the familybequeathed a staggeringly generous piece of the Solomon wealth to every Solomon child on his or her eighteenth birthday. The Solomons believed that an inheritance was more helpful at the beginning of someones life than at the end. Moreover, placing large pieces of the Solomon fortune in the hands of eager young descendants had been the key to growing the familys dynastic wealth.In this case, however, Katherines mother argued that it was dangerous to give Peters troubled son such a large sum of money. Peter disagreed.The Solomon inheritance, her brother had said, is a family tradition that should not be broken. This money may well force Zachary to be more responsible.Sadly, her brother had been wrong.The moment Zachary received the money, he broke from the family, disappearing from the house without taking any of his belongings. He surfaced a few months later in the tabloids TRUST FUND PLAYBOY LIVING EUROPEAN HIGH LIFE.The tabloids took joy in documenting Zacharys spoiled life of debauchery. The photos of haywire parties on yachts and boozy disco stupors were hard for the Solomons to take, but the photos of their wayward teen turned from tragic to frightening when the papers rep orted Zachary had been caught carrying cocaine across a border in Eastern Europe SOLOMON MILLIONAIRE IN TURKISH PRISON.The prison, they learned, was called Soganlika brutal F-class detention center located in the Kartal district outside of Istanbul. Peter Solomon, fearing for his sons safety, flew to Turkey to retrieve him. Katherines distraught brother returned empty-handed, having been forbidden even to visit with Zachary. The only promising news was that Solomons influential contacts at the U.S. State Department were working on acquiring him extradited as quickly as possible.Two days later, however, Peter received a horrifying international phone call. The next morning, headlines blared SOLOMON HEIR MURDERED IN PRISON.The prison photos were horrific, and the media callously aired them all, even long after the Solomons private burial ceremony. Peters wife never forgave him for failing to free Zachary, and their marriage came to an end six months later. Peter had been alone ever si nce.It was years later that Katherine, Peter, and their mother, Isabel, were gathered quietly for Christmas. The pain was still a presence in their family, but mercifully it was fade with each passing year. The pleasant rattle of pots and pans now echoed from the kitchen as their mother prepared the traditional feast. Out in the conservatory, Peter and Katherine were enjoying a baked Brie and relaxed holiday conversation.Then came an utterly unexpected sound.Hello, Solomons, an airy voice said behind them.Startled, Katherine and her brother spun to see an enormous muscular figure stepping into the conservatory. He wore a black ski mask that covered all of his face except his eyes, which shone with feral ferocity.Peter was on his feet in an instant. Who are you? How did you get in here?I knew your little boy, Zachary, in prison. He told me where this key was hidden. The stranger held up an old key and grinned like a beast. Right before I bludgeoned him to death.Peters mouth fell ope n.A pistol appeared, aimed directly at Peters chest. Sit.Peter fell back into his chair. As the man moved into the room, Katherine was frozen in place. Behind his mask, the mans eyes were wild like those of a rabid animal.Hey Peter yelled, as if trying to warn their mother in the kitchen. Whoever you are, take what you want, and get outThe man leveled his gun at Peters chest. And what is it you think I want?Just tell me how much, Solomon said. We dont have money in the house, but I canThe monster laughed. Do not revilement me. I have not come for money. I have come tonight for Zacharys other birthright. He grinned. He told me about the pyramid.Pyramid? Katherine thought in bewildered terror. What pyramid?Her brother was defiant. I dont know what youre talking about.Dont play dumb with me Zachary told me what you keep in your study vault. I want it. Now.Whatever Zachary told you, he was confused, Peter said. I dont know what youre talking aboutNo? The intruder turned and aimed the g un at Katherines face. How about now?Peters eyes filled with terror. You must believe me I dont know what it is you wantLie to me one more time, he said, still aiming at Katherine, and I swear I will take her from you. He smiled. And from what Zachary said, your little sister is more precious to you than all yourWhats going on? Katherines mother shouted, marching into the room with Peters Browning Citori shotgunwhich she aimed directly at the mans chest. The intruder spun toward her, and the feisty seventy-five-year-old woman wasted no time. She fired a deafening blast of pellets. The intruder staggered backward, firing his handgun wildly in all directions, shattering windows as he fell and crashed through the glass doorway, dropping the pistol as he fell.Peter was instantly in motion, diving on the loose handgun. Katherine had fallen, and Mrs. Solomon hurried to her side, kneeling beside her. My God, are you hurt?Katherine shook her head, mute with shock. Outside the shattered glas s door, the masked man had clambered to his feet and was running into the woods, clutching his side as he ran. Peter Solomon glanced back to make sure his mother and sister were safe, and seeing they were fine, he held the pistol and raced out the door after the intruder.Katherines mother held her hand, trembling. give thanks heavens youre okay. Then suddenly her mother pulled away. Katherine? Youre bleeding Theres extraction Youre hurt Katherine saw the blood. A lot of blood. It was all over her. But she felt no pain.Her mother frantically searched Katherines body for a wound. Where does it hurtMom, I dont know, I dont feel anythingThen Katherine saw the source of the blood, and she went cold. Mom, its not me . . . She pointed to the side of her mothers white satin blouse, where blood was running freely, and a small tattered hole was visible. Her mother glanced down, looking more confused than anything else. She winced and shrank back, as if the pain had just hit her.Katherine? H er voice was calm, but suddenly it carried the weight of her seventy-five years. I need you to call an ambulance.Katherine ran to the hall phone and called for help. When she got back to the conservatory, she found her mother lying motionless in a pool of blood. She ran to her, crouching down, cradling her mothers body in her arms.Katherine had no idea how much time had passed when she heard the distant gunshot in the woods. Finally, the conservatory door burst open, and her brother, Peter, travel in, eyes wild, gun still in his hand. When he saw Katherine sobbing, holding their lifeless mother in her arms, his face contorted in anguish. The scream that echoed through the conservatory was a sound Katherine Solomon would never forget.

Structural Properties of Timber

1. IntroductionDuring this assignment different typewrites of timberlandwind instrumentwind instrument will be discussed all minute of arc smashing as the value of lumber apply in interior applications. The headers will be organised consequently1.1 Chip card versus Plywood1.2 Autochthonal Hardwood versus Softwood1.3 Laminates and linings1.4 shade joinery.Each of the descriptions will incorporate a briefly written account, discoursing the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing the peculiar merchandise or fixture wi decoct an interior application. Photographs of the merchandise every bit good as a peculiar application of this merchandise will be included. It will be stipulated why the peculiar applications is either successful or less successful. Assorted lumber fall ining methods will be researched every bit good as peculiar applications thereof.1.1 chipboard versus PlywoodChipboardChipboard toilet be defined as a low class board that consists of tight wood french friess, bound in concert with a man-made resin. This low grade composition board merchant ship besides be used as a stiffener for exposure and as a backup for paper tablets. ( Dictionary.com,2014 ) . Chipboard is besides available in a figure of densenesss normal- , medium- and full(prenominal) denseness. Normal denseness is reasonably soft and high denseness is solid and difficult. ( Design-Technology, n.d. )A positionadvantagesof hardboard include, cost efficiency as it is used for an alternate to solid wood for the building of article of furniture, usually the sort of furniture that is meant for ego assembly by the consumer. Chipboard is besides an advantage to the environment as it is made out of 70 per centum recycled stuffs. This means that alternatively of utilizing solid wood, fewer trees will hold to be chopped down when mountain favour to utilize chipboard alternatively. Chipboard is besides really strong and performs good under puff per unit ara. If hardboard is used alte rnatively of solid wood, it creates no weak musca volitanss in furniture. As hardboard nates be covered with a broad assortment of coatings, it allows the consumer to take a coating to his or her liking. The hardboard can be made to imitate any type of wood every bit good as the best quality of wood without defects or knots. ( Grand Wood China, 2013 )Somedisadvantagesof hardboard may include, water harm as hardboard can falsify, snarl and damage when exposed to wet. Because of this hardboard should non be installed in damp environments such as bathrooms. ( Grand Wood China, 2013 ) .Chipboard is chieflyusedfor counter tops in kitchens, where it will be laminated with cyanuramide, and fire doors. Work surfaces and flat- pack furniture is made out of hardboard with a veneered surface. High denseness hardboard is heavy, stiff and hardwearing, these types of hardboard is chiefly used as the shell for kitchen units, worktops and flooring. ( Design-Technology, n.d. ) .Successful or Less SuccessfulPlywoodPlywoodcan be defined as a structural board that consists out of an uneven figure of thin beds ( lower limit of three beds ) of wood glued together under force per unit area, ever with the grain of one bed at right angles to the grain of the bordering bed. ( The Free Dictionary, 2014 ) .Advantagesof plyboard are the layering of the wood that creates strength, this besides prevents the boards from writhing, checking and falsifying under force per unit area. Plywood is besides less expensive than solid forests. ( make believe It Yourself, 2011 ) . Marine Plywood is in particular made for the practice session under H2O, this stuff should be protected with vanish or pigment and the plyboard is fixed with rainproof bondable. ( Design-Technology, n.d. ) The plyboard will go even stronger depending on the sum of beds added. The coating of plyboard can change, as some contain knots and other consist of attractive grains. Plywood can be used in insides every bit good as outsides, depending on the H2O opposition adhesives that is used. Plywood can be nailed or screwed and it can be curved because of the flexibleness of the stuff. The most common thicknesses of plyboard are 4,6,9 and 12 millimeter. ( Design-Technology, n.d. ) .Plywood has a fewdisadvantages ilk H2O harm due to the layering which makes the material porous. Plywood will acquire heavy when moisture and should hence be covered when left out-of-doorss. ( Make It Yourself, 2011 ) .Plywood is normallyusedfor walls, roofing, flooring and decks. Plywood can be used for insides every bit good as outsides, plyboard can even be used for the building of boats. Because plyboard is a lasting and strong stuff, it is first-class for the usage in building. ( Make It Yourself, 2011 ) . Plywood can besides be used for cladding, sheds, furniture and shuttering boxes, this is normally used in building to incorporate concrete epoch it sets. ( Design-Technology, n.d. )Harmonizing to ( Design-Technology, n.d. ) , Exterior class plyboard ( WBP Weather and Boil Proof ) . This type of plyboard can be used outside. Water-repellent adhesives are used and can defy a certain sum of wet. Weather boiled cogent evidence plyboard requires pigment or varnish to protect the outer veneer from the elements. Internal plyboard does non incorporate water-repellent adhesive. The codification used to stand for this plyboard is ( Int.interior use merely ) . Other codifications used on the surface of plyboard are Bromines -Boil Resistant, MR -Moisture Resistant. Successful or Less SuccessfulIn decision to the research provided refering hardboard and plyboard, it is hard to compare the two stuffs as they are really much the same. Chipboard is more aesthetically delighting and is non every bit harmful to the environment but can damage easy and plyboard is more cost effectual and is stronger than hardboard and it is used for a larger assortment of merchandises.1.2 Autochthonal Hardwood versus SoftwoodAut ochthonal HardwoodDefinition of Autochthonal HardwoodAdvantages of hardwood include, toughness, hardness, strong, the closer the grain is the more it can defy daze and wear, lasting, easy to utilize, elastic, does non divide easy, can be used under H2O, due to the oil content, it is of course lasting to wet and it will non eat Fe or steel adjustments. ( Design-Technology, n.d. ) .The disadvantages of hardwood include, falsifying, heavy and expencive, dividing can happen, hard to paste because of the oil content, will blunt tools really rapidly, does non smooth every bit good and it is hard to complete. ( Design-Technology, n.d. ) .Hardwood is chiefly used for furniture, floors, veneers, wooden plaything and decorations, boat edifice, gate stations, decks, store adjustments, Sillss, Gatess, doors, and stepss. ( Design-Technology, n.d. ) .Successful or Less SuccessfulSoftwoodSoftwoodcan be defined as wood that comes from an cone-bearing tree. Softwood are in world-wide softer than ha rdwoods but there are a few exclusions. ( The Free Dictionary. 2014 )There are advantages of deal, viz. , wood like pine, redwood and Scottishs pine are pronto available and reasonably inexpensive, lasting, easy to work with, attractive grain and available in long and broad boards. Wood like Western Red cedar tree are immune to insect onslaught due to natural preservative oils every bit good as conditions and dry putrefaction. It is besides knot free, H2O resistant and lasting. ( Design-Technology, n.d. )Softwood has disadvantages every bit good and they include, the fact that they are non as strong, does be given to falsify, splits easy and expensive. ( Design-Technology, n.d. )Softwood can be used for stairwaies, furniture, cladding for outside of edifices and general outside work. ( Design-Technology, n.d. )Successful or Less SuccessfulDecision1.3 Laminates and veneersLaminatesLaminates can be defined as two or more thin sheets of stuff, bonded together to cover or cover another stuff. ( The Free Dictionary, 2014 )AdvantagesDisadvantagesUses in an Interior SpaceSuccessful or Less SuccessfulVeneersVeneerscan be defined as cosmetic, thin surface bed, glued to a base of low grade stuff to give the feeling that it is made of high quality stuff. ( The Free Dictionary, 2014 )Veneers have advantages and disadvantages. An advantage of veneers areAdvantagesVeneer wood furniture begins with thin beds of wood glued together with the grain at right angles over a thick nucleus. This mark design reduces the opportunities of splitting or snap. Plus, the gum is the every bit strong, rainproof adhesive used in aircraft and marine building, so the terminal consequence is really stronger than the natural wood. Many people erroneously assume that veneered furniture is inferior to or cheaper than solid wood nevertheless, veneers rather frequently are used in high terminal furniture pieces and it can be more dearly-won than solid wood.AdvantagesofVeneer Woodhypertext maneuver protocol //www.horizon-custom-homes.com/2014DisadvantagesUses in an Interior SpaceSuccessful or Less SuccessfulDecision1.4 Timber JoineryJoinery is all right woodworking executed on wood working machinery in the protection of a workshop, in contrast to woodworking, which is unsmooth woodwork executed on the edifice site.The ultramodern joiner makes purpose made closets, doors, Windowss, architraves and counters in solid wood, plyboard, fiberboard and hardboard, on modern woodwork machinery.249Chipboard is an economical board made of harsh timber french friess bonded together under force per unit area. The criterion for hardboard is SANS 50312. Board made with phenolic type adhesive is suited for external usage, that made with melamine-urea methanals adhesive is suited for floor stuff or research lab worktops that are infrequently wetted. 251The criterion for plyboard is SANS 929. Plywood can be of commercial, marine or structural class. The figure of hemorrhoids is ever uneven ( lo wer limit of three ) sing that the grain of the two outer beds runs parallel to guarantee a equilibrize board. Plywood can be dead set and shaped by wetting the board and determining it under heat and force per unit area, e.g. control seats.251Hardwood- The criterions for hardwood for furniture is SANS 1099. This includes a description of 29 local and imported species. Hardwood is supplied in three class clear class ( marked red ) semi-clear ( pronounced disconsolate ) knotty class ( marked viridity ) . 249Softwood- The criterion for sawn industrial deal is SANS 1783. Softwood is grown locally and is supplied in six classs clear class for high quality furniture semi-clear class for furniture and joinery cutting class visual aspect class for furniture, floors and shelves public-service corporation class, where visual aspect is non of import boxing class for palettes and crates.250Cosmetic laminates are fictile sheets with a cosmetic face. Cosmetic Laminates sheets sizes are 3.5 ten 1.2 m. There are several high and low force per unit area cosmetic laminate types, each with its ain application general intent type for worktops, doors, shortss, light responsibility type for door- and drawer foreparts, carcases, shelves, cabinet ocean liner type for internal liner of closets, angel type for contrary sides of boards to forestall uneven soaking up of wet of the substrate, specific purpose type for doors, dividers, walls and floors, high-wear type for industrial worktops, fire retardent type. All cosmetic laminates are made from rosin and paper. Melamine rosin and paper are used for surfaces, and phenol rosin and trade paper for nucleus building. Melamine is a thermosetting rosin type that is immune to high temperatures, chemicals and wear. Resins can be modified for specific intents like station forming and fire retarding. 252Particle board, and fibreboard with at least minimal denseness, may be covered with veneers or cosmetic laminates. Veneer is a thin Peel of largely hardwoods. 2522. Decision3. BibliographyDictionary.com. 2014.Chipboard. Online . Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.dictionary.com Accessed 5 May 2014 .Grand Wood China. 2013.The Advantages of Chipboard. Online . Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.grandwoodchina.com/ Accessed 5 May 2014 .Design-Technology. n.d.Chipboard. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.design-technology.org Accessed 5 May 2014 .The Free Dictionary. 2014.Plywood. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.thefreedictionary.com Accessed 5 May 2014 .Make It Yourself. 2011.Plywood Advantages and Disadvantages. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.doityourself.com/ Accessed 5 May 2014 .Design-Technology. n.d.Plywood. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.design-technology.org Accessed 5 May 2014 .The Free Dictionary. 2014.Laminates. Online . Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.th efreedictionary.com/ Accessed 5 May 2014 The Free Dictionary. 2014.Veneers. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.thefreedictionary.com/ Accessed 5 May 2014 The Free Dictionary. 2014.Softwood. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.thefreedictionary.com/ Accessed 5 May 2014 Design-Technology. n.d.Hardwoods and Softwoods Table. Online Available at hypertext transfer protocol //www.design-technology.org/ Accessed 5 May 2014

Engl 135 Advanced Composition

Running Head RAPE VICTIMS IN KOSOVO DURING WAR Rape Victims in Kosovo during War Manjola Cuka ENGL 135 progress Composition Catherine Davis April 20, 2009 DeVry University, We all atomic number 18 aw be of the suffering that war brings in messs lives. War means losing everything you hold dear. War means losing your childishness home, war means losing your husband, wife, child, brother, and sister. During the war in Kosovo there were a number of brutal actions performed towards the Kosovo population physically and emotionally.The Serbs knew exactly what these people valued the most in their lives. That is honor. Among other inhuman and degrading acts executed towards the Kosovo people during the war, the Serbs apply botch up as a tool to abate non only the women as individuals only also their families to the core. According to McKinsey (1993), there were an estimated twenty thousand females mess up during the war in Kosovo. That is a large number considering that population of Kosovo is a little everywhere two million people. The Kosovo population had been trying to gain their independence for almost a decade.They were only asking for their rights the freedom of speech, the right to send the children to schools where they asshole curb their own language, the freedom of media, and the freedom of living in their own country without fear. This is their country and they were only asking for what was theirs. According to the U. S State Department subject (1999), the Serbs set offed an ethnic cleansing c ampereaign that was meant to remove all the non Serb population out of the country. The most grue nigh acts towards these people started to get worse after NATO troops bombed the Serb legions points on March 24, 1999.Serbs decided to punish the people by forcing them out of their homes, burning their houses, torturing them, raping them, and killing them. Rape was the main weapon used against the Kosovo women to coerce and weaken the entire population . Shenon (1999), reports on these grue several(prenominal) activities that were taking place in Kosovo The departments report said that refugee accounts suggested that Serbian forces had executed more than 4,000 Kosovars, and that surveillance photographs taken each by satellites or airplanes had identified seven possible sites of potful graves.The report said that rapes of Albanian women were being reported in increasing numbers, with systematic mass rapes app bently carried out in the cities of Djakovica and Pec. To understand the consequences that rape has in the lives of the Kosovo people, we have to understand how they are raised and the beliefs that are engraved in them throughout the years. The people of Kosovo value family and country more than their own lives. The young girls are raised to believe that their role in the world is to get married, have children, and take trade of the chores around the house.There is a distinguished difference the way these people lived the ir lives. Men were the bread winners and women were there to raise the children and take care of the house. If there was male caller-up in the house, the females would only serve them and go to their rooms until the company left. One of Dr. Alakija (2000) reports explains how a team of males was greeted only by Kosovo males, and when a team of females went to investigate they were greeted by females. It is not appropriate for strange males to discuss with the Kosovo females even to get their testimony.Another important part of these peoples lives is marriage. Dating outside marriage is prohibited in their nicety and the girl should not lose their virginity until she gets married. The girls that had pre marital relationships are called unfit for any man to marry. So after knowing these facts we dirty dog only imagine, what rape means to these people. The women lose their purity after being touched by some other man even though it is not their fault. No man would flummox close to them for the rest of their lives. They would live the rest of their days hating themselves and regarding they were abruptly.The Kosovo women were raped and tortured systematically in front of their love unmatch suitables ruining them physically and emotionally for the rest of their lives. There are statements of pregnant women who were raped and beaten by either gunpoint or by being tortured. The physical hassle these women endured can never be compared with the emotional and mental damage they went through. There is not a bigger humiliation than being raped in front of your flummox, your mother, your brother, your uncle, and your children. How can someone be the same after going through something like that?These women were raped in front of their children, no matter what age. It is heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time how these individuals would put children and mothers in these inhuman situations. One of the many rape victims explained how helpless she was when bei ng held down by multiple individuals turn another was raping her. This is how she describes her torment I could not resist, I could not fight against them, the witness, a woman identified as N. S. , testified. I could not resist because the others were holding me while my children were watching (Sullivan, 2000).Another horrific fact during the war was that the Serbs raped these women with the intention to make them pregnant. There are two reasons the Serbs impregnated the Kosovo women one was to dishonor them and their families for life and second one to increase the Serb population with their children. According to BBC News (2000), only the month of January of 2000, there were one hundred rape babies born. That is a large number for this small community. How were these women able to live every day knowing that inside them was the child of the enemy.The enemy that killed their man, the enemy that kicked them out of their own homes, the enemy that raped them in front of their loved ones. As Both (2001), noted The term genocidal rape is both emotionally and politically loaded, but is does seem to accurately reflect the realities felt by some if not all raped women in the conflict. As we saw above, some raped Muslim women reported that their attackers claimed that they were intending to impregnate them to create Serbian babies, and that some women were held imprisoned for a period of weeks to ensure that they did not abort the child they had conceived in rape (p. 4). Honor is the most valuable virtue in the Kosovo society. Serbs knew they would humiliate and lower not only the Kosovo women but their families and their loved ones. After being raped these women would never speak of the ordeal they went through and would hide it from everyone if they could. These women would rather be dead indeed share their torment with someone else especially if it was someone they did not know. They would rather keep the pain to themselves if that was an option. It was not en ough they suffered rom the torture that was used against them, but they had to live in fear of losing everything they held dear even though this was not their fault. The raped Kosovo women would not share these ordeals with their own families for the fear of bringing discompose to their entire family. The husband would leave the wife if they found out she was raped. Here is one example of a husband that suspects his young wife was raped Mr. Thaqi says his wife, who did not want her name published, denies the rape because she doesnt dare tell that kind of story. If she admitted it to him, he said, I would ask for a divorce even if I had 20 children. As his wife listened, silent and shamefaced, in a corner of their empty home, looted of all furniture and possessions by the Serbs, Mr. Thaqi added I dont hate her, but the story is earlier my eyes. I feel very cold toward her. Kissing her, he said, is like kissing a dead body (Bumiller, 1999). It is not hard enough that they were r aped and humiliated but they have to live with the shame for the rest of their lives. Most of these women lock themselves in their parents homes until they die either by choice or they are forced.It is heartbreaking how the community and their families expect them to commit suicide for something that was not their fault. Serbs knew that by raping the women they would destroy their families. What other method could be better then destroy a country to its core? These women live the rest of their lives excluded from the outside world wishing they were dead. The husbands live the rest of their lives wishing their wives were dead. Their parents live their lives wishing their daughter was dead. In the Kosovo culture rape carries a very strong social taboo and shame keeps victims silent.The women and men of Kosovo are not as afraid of death as they are of rape. Rape is a deeply sensitive subject in ethnic Albanian Kosovo, a Muslim and largely traditional society, where a cozy beleaguer c an permanently stigmatize a woman, shaming her family and ruining her marriage or prospects of marriage. Gathering first-hand accounts of rape has proved very difficult for war crimes investigators, and the scale of sexual assaults here may never be fully known (Finn, 1999). They cannot tolerate the thought of their women being touched by another man.This degrading act not only humiliates the women but it demoralizes the men that are fighting in the mountains. That was one of the biggest war strategies the Serbs used to defeat the Kosovo people. And this was one more reason the women keep the rape secret. They want their husbands, their fathers, and their brothers to fight for their country instead of carrying the family shame in their shoulders. The world came together to help the rape victims with everything they needed. The biggest issue the humanitarian organizationswere facingwas the non cooperation from the victims and their families.Under no dowery they would admit they were raped unless there were witnesses to testify to that. Even then it would be very difficult to treat these patients. Knowing the consequences of admitting they were raped, what mother would risk losing her children to get medical examination treatment? How can they put their own well being before their children? They considered themselves dead anyway. They would rather live in pain for the rest of their lives with their children around them, then medically treated and have lost their families.They would shut down and most of the time they would deny they were raped. There are a large number of cases that are not officially reported as we have seen in different reports Rape There are numerous accounts indicating that the organized and individual rape of Kosovar Albanian women by Serbian forces was widespread. For example, Serbian forces systematically raped women in Djakovica and Pec, and in some cases rounded up women and took them to hotels where they were raped by troops under e ncouragement of their commanders.Rape is most likely an underreported atrocity because of the stigma attached to the victims in traditional Kosovar Albanian society (U. S State Department Report, 1999) It is unthinkable in some cultures to comprehend how these families treat the rape victims, particularly these women that were forced into these acts and had no other choice. Instead of embracing them and try to help them get through these tough times, they yield them in the streets and also blame them for the shame they bring to the family. There is no mercy for the raped victims.What can be worse than having your own parents, the ones that gave you life, the ones that raised and nurtured you, wish you were dead? These rape victims find their way out by shutting down or by going in the mountains and join the man in the fight for their freedom. They have no life next to their own family. They choose to leave and fight to get away from the staring eyes of their neighbors and everyone else that gets in attain with them. The biggest reason is to take their humiliation with them and spare their family the shame and embarrassment.Here are the words of a father of a rape victim I have condition her to the KLA so she can do to the Serbs what they have done to us, Haxhi Lokaj said of his daughter, who has been sent to fight with the rebels of the Kosovo Liberation Army. She will probably be killed, but that would be for the best, the 40-year-old father said with more resignation than sorrow. She would have no future anyway after what they did to her he continued (Williams, 1999). There are different approaches the enemy uses to destroy a population to the core in the time of war.Serbs used the most degrading act to ruin the Kosovo families for life. That was rape. Death does not come close to the pain and the outcome that rape brings in these peoples lives. If the women and men died protecting their country, fighting for their rights, or protecting themselves from bei ng abused, they would be praised. In contrary if the women were raped but survived, for no fault of their own, they were the humiliation of their family and the whole community. Compassion for the rape victims does not exist.It will take a long time and a few generations for these people to start living a full life. It will not be easy for these memories to be erased from their minds. References Alakija, P (2000). The ravages of war. Retrieved April 21, 2009 from http//www. cmaj. ca/cgi/content/full/163/9/1148 BBC News. (2000). Women scarred by Kosovo atrocities. Retrieved April 17, 2009 from http//news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/europe/716701. stmBooth, K (2001). The Kosovo tragedy the human rights dimensions. (1st Ed. ) Oxford Routledge, member of the Taylor & Francis Group.Retrieved April 15, 2009 from http//books. google. com/books? id=777jPodhCYYC&dq=The+Kosovo+tragedy+the+human+rights+dimensions. &printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=8HLuSaSYMYuqtgeEgMHMDw&sa=X&a mpoi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4Bumiller, E. (1999). Crisis in the Balkans Crimes Deny Rape or Be Hated Kosovo Victims Choice. Retrieved April 15, 2009 from http//www. nytimes. com/1999/06/22/world/crisis-in-the-balkans-crimes-deny-rape-or-be-hated-kosovo-victims-choice. html? n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjec