The Importance of Quality in Health Records Essay

The Importance of Quality in Health Records - Essay Example Prominently, there are exacting laws that ensure the secrecy of the data handled in the wellbeing records. In addition, quality issues in wellbeing records. To be sure, exact and complete clinical documentation of wellbeing records characterize the nature of wellbeing records. A quality review of wellbeing records alludes to the way toward leading inner or outer audits of the considerable number of apparatuses, strategies, methodology, and procedures utilized in social insurance organizations to guarantee that the wellbeing records are state-of-the-art, exact, proficient (Holmboe, n.y), risk free, and agreeable with the government and the Department of Health principles. A quality review tries to improve clinical documentation with a point of advancing better conveyance of human services just as guaranteeing effectiveness and exactness in documentation. Also, it sets up the clinical zones that need upgrades and amendments (Sharma and Mahajan, 1999). The lead of a quality review follows different advances. It can receive an unequivocal or a verifiable methodology. Be that as it may, the express methodology is enthusiastically suggested (Holmboe, n.y). A comprehension of the review procedure is key in surveying the nature of clinical records. Prominently, quality reviews center around and assess the procedural and determination code choice embraced by a wellbeing specialist. Right off the bat, the commentator decides the instructive and assessment reason for the review. He at that point picks and characterizes the quality measures in application. Furthermore, he depicts the review procedure with very much characterized incorporation and avoidance measures. At that point, he builds up the territories of shortcoming, presents the review discoveries, and sets up the zones of progress and redresses in assortment and preparing wellbeing records. Without a doubt, the means in the review procedure decide the nature of the review (Holmboe , n.y). The nature of records in social insurance is significant. Different techniques guarantee quality in records. They incorporate the prerequisite for approval to

Finance Business Enterprises

Question: Talk about the contextual analysis of Finance for Business Enterprises. Answer: Presentation: The business banks have been assuming an unequivocal job in satisfying the outer money needs of independent venture undertakings. Accordingly, it is vital that the administration specialists with respect to the ramifications of the private venture undertakings in the business make the successful money strategies. In these respect, it tends to be said that the business banks offer advances at a little pace important to empower the little scope business ventures to make due in a strongly serious market condition. In such manner, it tends to be said that there has been money related emergency, which have contrarily influenced the business functionalities of the business banks. In that capacity, it very well may be said the financial state of a specific district has been one of the basic determinants that has been influencing the market circumstance in a particular area. The business banks have been assuming a basic job in encouraging sole-ownership organizations and little scope organiz ations in having smoother business tasks and accomplishing financial solidness . The business banks represents considerable authority in the recognizes the advantage and the obligation that is generally not distinguished in a companys monetary record. In this way evaluating such money related exchanges on account of certain exchanges which have a noteworthy bit of such resources and liabilities to be decided sheet . These exchanges chiefly identifies with budgetary organizations that offer resource the board just as the financier administrations to the customers. The Financial organizations for the most part record their bookkeeping principles under the figure resource under administration that incorporates the asset report things . The present bookkeeping rules under the domain of the IFRS just as the working leases on account of such exchanges identify with cockeyed sheet financing . In any case, the vital business banks recognize such exchanges in a steady premise in their year-f inished yearly budget reports Offer market and the enterprise The principle wellsprings of assets have been the stores made by rumored business houses and the people. What's more, a moderate pace of intrigue is charged on the credits offered to buyers. Hence there the necessity of assets is essentially met through these sources. Also, business banks have financial specialists contributing all the time. Accordingly, appropriate usage of assets is vital for business banks in meeting the long objectives and business focuses for the association. These assets are basically utilized in meeting the day by day operational costs just as tending to the requirements of the assets of little - scale business undertakings .concerning this. it is important that specific conditions are thought about like the foundation of the competitor just as the current money related state of the individual . What's more, it is fundamental that the drawn out advance installment abilities of the candidature are considered under the advance allowing strategy. These traits are not constantly given enough accentuation, prompting wastage of fundamental budgetary assets of the business undertaking. There have been situations where buyers have neglected to reimburse the advances according to the terms and the states of the business substance. In such cases, it is the duty of the advance recuperation division to do the vital methods according to the requirements of the business bank. Little scope business ventures have been an important wellspring of income to the business element. In that capacity, business will need to carefully cling to the important monetary rules to help the business substance in its development. Part 9: Corporations giving value and the offer marketA share showcase is the proper trade that aids the purchasing and the selling of value shares just as protections. In this manner, this is a solid stage that aids the purchasing and the selling of value shares for the regular open. An open recorded organization is a stage whose offers are bei ng exchanged on a proper stock trade, An organization is recorded on the open trade in light of the fact that these will empower a brand to offer offers to the regular open. Through this, the association will have the option to assemble extra assets for accomplishing further development. In such manner, it tends to be said that the essential and the auxiliary market assumes a compelling job to help the value financing in the association. The essential market frames the establishment on which the offers are exchanged the market. The essential market helps each organization the equivalent chance to exchange shares the market , also , it goes about as the extension through which the business ventures and planned investors comes in contact . The optional market here identify with the selling of inclination offers, stock and debentures . In this manner, both these market go about as a stage for purchasing and selling of monetary items to the end-buyers. Along these lines, it encourages the procedure of the purchasing the exchanging of offers in the market. The procedure of riches amplification on account of the investors will rely upon a ton of variables . In such manner, it very well may be said that the riches expansion of investors would adversy affect the economic situation of the business undertaking. In any case, it very well may be said that a parity must be kept up between offering of offers to people in general and holding the current market position of the business element. An association can keep a measure of level of the possession in the hands of the proprietors. Along these lines , this will help the business venture in having command over the association , and taking care of the operational , money related and the operational parts of the business substance. In this manner, it very well may be said that the current value state of a business venture can be decided through the recurrence of the prepared value contributions to a business element. Likewise, it very well may be said that the prepared value contributions have been a significant wellspring of data to the business element. In this manner, the reference point or the outer economic situation will considerably affect prepared value contributions of a business substance. Subsequently, proper measures are required to be taken in executing such deals bargains. Non-bank Financial foundations Article picked: Casu, B., Dontis Charitos, P., Staikouras, S., Williams, J. (2016). Expansion, size and hazard: The instance of bank acquisitions of nonbank monetary firms.European Financial Management,22(2), 235-275. The non-bank money related instincts have been assuming a crucial job in the preparation of assets. Following are the capacities performed by these budgetary organizations with regards to the worldwide market. Budgetary intermediation - These banks have been assuming an imperative job in the exchange of assets . This is particularly obvious on account of savers who have their assets moved to the speculators at a specific pace of intrigue, along these lines, profiting both the gatherings. Orderly methodology It is an increasingly deliberate methodology in the sparing and the riches boost of assets as it depends on the accompanying attributes: a. law of enormous numbers just as economies of scale. What's more, it offers the accompanying advantages to the proprietors - decrease of hazard with regards to portfolio enhancement, lesser authoritative expense. In that capacity, this would help people and business houses in accomplishing more prominent reserve funds in a less measure of time. Speculation through assets The essential goal of NBFIs is to accomplish productivity, through the venture of assets. The interest in reserves is conceivable through different elective plans like sparing just as advance affiliations and interest in specific bonds, home loans and protections. References Casu, B., Dontis Charitos, P., Staikouras, S., Williams, J. (2016). Enhancement, size and hazard: The instance of bank acquisitions of nonbank money related firms. European Financial Management, 22(2), 235-275. Hovakimian, A., Hu, H. (2016). The Impact of Reference Point Prices on Seasoned Equity Offerings. Accessible at SSRN 2755066. Jacques, K.T., Moylan, R. also, Nigro, P.J., 2016. Business Bank Small Business Lending Pre and Post Crisis. The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance, 18(1), p.22. Jacques, K.T., Moylan, R. also, Nigro, P.J., 2016. Business Bank Small Business Lending Pre and Post Crisis. The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance, 18(1), p.22

Surprisingly enjoyable experiences

Surprisingly enjoyable experiences Power tools East Campus brings to mind rollercoasters and huge construction projects. Fanciful monsters built up from wood and screws. Less so the things that are built, but more the ambition behind it, more the fact that it’s  possible, that you didn’t need a company and dozens of weeks, that a couple of undergrads working together could cobble one up. This year, for REX, one of the things being built was a fort.  No experience required, was the advertisement. Come and help out. The night I moved in there was only a hexagonal frame in the courtyard, and by the next afternoon they’ve put pillars and more stuff in the hexagonal frame and they looked ready to start the next layer. The plans say it would be  three storeys high. Imagine that:  three storeys. And the deadline was in a couple days. Part of me wanted to help, but part of me was scared. Sure, they said no experience required, but I still couldn’t bring myself to ask. The whole project just felt like something so huge and so untouchable, something so carefully and meticulously thought out, something for actual engineers, and not the unexperienced prefrosh I was. It felt like a ridiculously complicated task.And maybe another reason was just that power tools are scary, that drills and saws are grown-up tools, a thought drilled into my head when I was twelve, that it wasn’t safe, that it was  scary. And maybe another reason is that trying new things out, in general, is just scary, because how do you talk to people? How do you ask for help? What if I make a mistake? I don’t know why I tried doing it anyway. But there were five of us prefrosh who all wanted to try it and didn’t know how to help, and there was an upperclassman who was willing to teach us. It was far less scary and far less complicated than it was in my head. I mean, you put on a hard hat and wear glasses. To use a power saw, you align the wood, press a button, push it down, and it chops off the wood you need. To use a drill, you grab a screw, align it, press a button, push it down, and it drills the screw in. Do these a couple times and you have a railing. After a little training, it really wasn’t that hard. It’s meditative, even. The actions are repetitive, but fun. I came back the next day to help out, and the next day to help out some more. Despite using drills and screws and saws, despite loud noises and sawdust flying in the air and getting all over your shirt, I found it oddly relaxing. Live action role-playing I’ve always wanted to try out live action role-playing. Sure, there’s this stereotype that it’s a bunch of nerds who dress up and fight each other with foam swords. But it sounded like a lot of fun, like being the actor in a movie you don’t know the plot of. I was pretty excited to find out about the Assassin’s Guild, a live action role-playing group here, and I signed up for their first game, which was held last weekend. It’s set in the universe of Isaac Asimov’s robot novels. Some people’s roles were humans, and others were robots, and the robots generally followed the Three Laws of Robotics. The game space was pretty big, spanning three floors of five buildings01 buildings 24, 26, 34, 36, 38 . Part of my role involved confronting people, terse negotiation, and making compromises in order to achieve my character’s goals. There’s something about asking to talk with someone privately, making wild accusations, and getting information, which is pretty fun. Another part of my role was looking for items I wanted, which were in packets taped to the walls of the game space. Which meant that I searched all three floors of all five buildings. This was time-consuming. In order to actually acquire items, you’d have to do this “hacking” mechanic, which involved shuffling a deck of cards seven times and then laying them out. This was also pretty time-consuming. Towards the end, people got suspicious of me and decided to restrain me. The whole interaction looked something like this: a group of five people approach me. guy: Knock Out 2. other guy: Assist 2. guy: Knock Out 4. other other guy: Assisâ€" me: okay okay i get knocked out i sit on the floor. It was so fast I didn’t even see who they were. They then decided to search all of my items, which consisted of me handing them the slips of paper that were in my pockets. They also took my energy blaster, which consisted of me handing them my Nerf gun and my foam bullets. It was pretty fun. I still don’t understand everything that happened, but it was surprisingly fun, and I’d love to do more in the future. Square dancing A misleading name, because it’s less like dancing and more like trying to remember what a Star Thru is after doing a California Twirl and having to remember that you and your partner are called centers, and after changing location you guys are now called heads and then a Four Ladies Chain is called and you’re moving to another spot, and then the caller asks for the sides to promenade, but even if you and your partner are heads you have to move forward in order to make way for them, and then you’re asked to partner trade and you have to remember to pass right-to-right shoulder, and suddenly everyone’s clapping because an Allemande Left was called and you quickly go to position. If you don’t understand anything written above, that’s okay. It would still be representative of what it feels like. I got dragged into square dancing when one of the upperclassmen living on our floor invited me to go to the Tech Squares’s02 MIT’s square dancing club intro night. I had a vague idea of what square dancing was. The caller gives commands, and people move around according to these commands, but I didn’t really know anything else. Again,   no experience required, and it really was no experience required. By the end of the night I could follow along to a handful of basic calls, and I enjoyed it enough to sign up for square dancing as my PE class this quarter. 21W.022 That is the class number for  Writing and Experience: Reading and Writing Autobiography. It’s a CI-HW, which means that it’s a class that involves a lot of writing. The discussions we have in class are surprisingly lively. It’s completely unlike any of the humanities classes I had back in high school. Everyone’s contributing their ideas about the text, and it feels more like a discussion between us students, rather than a question-and-answer session led by the professor. I also find the topics interesting in a personal sense, since writing about myself through blogging has been an important part of my life, and the class has gotten me thinking about these things. 15.000 And  that is the class number for Explorations in Management. Its a class that meets from 7 to 9 on Monday nights. It’s a discovery class, so it only carries three units, and there’s not a lot of work. In our first meeting, Professor Andrew Lo gave a talk about how financial engineering can help fund biomedical research. And there were several  literally hair-raising moments during the talk. It was mind-blowing. I enjoyed that first meeting more than any of my other, more technical classes, which is really surprising to me, because I don’t know anything about Course 15, and only signed up for the class on a whim. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the class. And I could go on. I could tell you about how I went to a estimathon hosted by Traders at MIT, and had fun arguing with some people I just met about how many bus stops the MBTA has, or how much volume the Antarctic Ice Sheet had, and how the time went by surprisingly quickly. Or about the ESP worksession I went to on Wednesday night, where I helped diagnose some email problems, which was surprisingly fun. If I were to distill this whole blog post into a single line of advice, it would be this: try new things. The last few weeks have been a constant string of surprises, of things I never thought I would like, but enjoy a lot. It’s not the case that I enjoyed every new thing I tried. Auditioning for the Asian Dance Team made me realize that I didn’t enjoy learning dance routines. Going to some more Traders at MIT events made me realize that I didn’t really want to join their group, or at least, not now. Playing some games with the MIT Poker Club made me realize that I didn’t enjoy poker that much. Why try new things if there’s a chance you won’t enjoy them? I guess it’s because of the small chance that you will  enjoy them. If you try ten things, end up disliking nine of them, but liked the last one enough that you do it a hundred times, then it would have been worth it, wouldn’t it? There’s so many new experiences that MIT is offering, and I love how I can use this first semester to explore them. Post Tagged #help writing is hard buildings 24, 26, 34, 36, 38 back to text ? MIT’s square dancing club back to text ?

The Holocaust During World War II - 1920 Words

In his novel, Night, Elie Wiesel recounts the horrific experiences that he faced as a survivor of the Holocaust during World War II. The following passage presents the impossible struggle to maintain a decent quality of life in the face of war: We received no food. We lived on snow; it took the place of bread. The days resembled nights, and the nights left in our souls the dregs of their darkness. The train rolled slowly, often halted for a few hours, and continued. It never stopped snowing. We remained lying on the floor for days and nights, one on top of the other, never uttering a word. We were nothing but frozen bodies. Our eyes closed, we merely waited for the next stop, to unload our dead. (100) As indicated in the quotation, Elie Wiesel is recalling his transport to the concentration camp of Buchenwald. They were packed tightly into cattle cars and given no food or water for multiple days at a time. This, along with other dehumanizing acts by the Nazis, represents the quality of life for all Holocaust victims. Although conditions varied from camp to camp, the astounding evidence found in literature reveals that every person touched by the evils of Nazi Germany was affected in a negative, horrific way. In the overall face of war, the quality of life is universally degrading to the entire human race in all aspects (on and off the battlefield) which can be traced thematically through related literature. War is an inevitable aspect of human nature, consideringShow MoreRelatedThe Holocaust During World War II1503 Words   |  7 PagesThe Holocaust was an event that took place from 1933 to 1945 in Germany. During this time, Adolf Hitler was in charge, resulting in the prejudice actions that are well written in history. Facing economic, social, and political oppression, thousands of German Jews wanted to flee, but found few countries wanting to take them in. Eventually, under Hitler’s leadership, some 6 million Jews were murdered during World War II. In this time period the Nazi’s waged a war against the Jews and other races thatRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II1356 Words   |  6 PagesDuring World War II, the world witnessed unspeakable acts of violence, particularly that of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a mass genocide primarily of, but not limited to, the Jewish population in Germany, and other countries that were controlled by Germany. From 1941 to 1945, the Jews were targeted and methodically murdered because of Hitler’s views of his Utopian society made up of an Aryan a race. Hitler fought to create this society through creating an anti-Semitic movement, his motivationRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II927 Wor ds   |  4 Pagesshaped the world into what it is today. With the passing of yet another Veterans Day, people were reminded of the extraordinary sacrifices made by ordinary men and women who were unfortunate enough to have lived during times when their nations were at war. Many ordinary citizens lost their lives as a result of the war, just as soldiers did. While some survivors simply lived out their post war lives, others survived and influenced the world. One person who survived the atrocities of the Holocaust duringRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II1651 Words   |  7 PagesThe holocaust was the genocide of European Jews and other groups by the Nazis during World War II. It lasted from 1933 to 1945, as a horrible time in history. Approximately 11 million people were killed, and almost 1 million of those killed were innocent children. It is well-known that there were a number of survivors, yet not many people know exactly how these people survived. The most known thing about the holocaust are the concentration camps. A concentration camp is defined by, â€Å"a place whereRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II1177 Words   |  5 PagesThe Holocaust is well known around the world, and many people do not realize the devastation and the technology that was used in that time. What we knew before was that the Holocaust resulted in the death of six million jews, and was controlled by the Nazi Regime. Adolf Hitler was the dictator of Germany and came up with the Final Solution, a plan to exterminate all the people of Jewish faith or race during World War II. This then brought in the concept of concentration camps. Concentration campsRead MoreThe During World War II And Holocaust897 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many questions as to why the Nazis decided to do what they did to the Jews, gays, and ill during World War II and Holocaust. Nazis after the Holocaust had been interviewed by psychologists, such as Leon Goldensohn and p sychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, to see and try to better understand the reasons behind Fascism and why these acts were performed. Leon Goldensohn was an American psychiatrist and also one of the prison psychiatrists at Nuremberg that helped perform the interviews on prisonersRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II901 Words   |  4 Pagesour elders, because they have authority over the world since they have been here the longest. We were raised to comply with the demand of someone who had authority over us. According to Patricia Werhane (1), â€Å"In the early1960’s Stanley Milgram undertook his noteworthy study of human obedience to authority. Puzzled by the question of how otherwise decent people could knowingly contribute to the massive genocide of the Holocaust during World War II, Milgram designed an experiment that sought to causeRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II1934 Words   |  8 Pagesthe Holocaust during World War II, which not only stimulated religious u nrest in Europe, but also the rest of the world. With the German Dictator, Adolf Hitler, and his rise to power in 1933, a period of despair and fear for the Jewish population throughout Europe erupted. As Adolf Hitler commenced his plan to build the perfect German race, he set forth the motion of a mass extinction of the Jewish population, known as The Holocaust. The Holocaust lasted from 1933 to the end of World War II and hadRead MoreThe Holocaust During World War II1720 Words   |  7 PagesIrania De La O Grade 8 The Holocaust Eleven million innocent people died and many did not know what they did or why it was happening to them (Rice 11). The Holocaust happened because of the Germans after World War 2 thought that the reason that their economy was falling down was because of Jewish people. The Holocaust followed the Ladder of Prejudice is a started with speech and moved its way up to â€Å"The Final Solution† also known as extermination. Hitler did not start with killing Jews. He killedRead MoreThe Holocaust And The Nazi Regime During World War II Essay1763 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction The Second World War is seen by the modern world to be the most famous war that shaped the communities of the world today, but for the Jewish community in Europe at the time this was the war to fight for their own existence. The Holocaust was the systematic extinction of six million Jews by the Nazi regime during World War 2. Of the millions of Jewish people that lost their lives there were many that did resist and did escape the Nazism and Nazi racial policy that was conducted on the

Finding Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples Online

Finding Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples Online The Fight Against Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples However, like most AP writing, in addition, it can be somewhat overwhelming. Doing this will enhance your AP writing. The AP English argument FRQ is easily the most straightforward of the AP English FRQs as it's the most like essays you're already utilised to writing. Be aware, however, that a few of the prose and poetry excerpts can't be reprinted as a result of copyright concerns. Additionally, I learned that in college I possess the freedom to decide on the topic of my writing and I shouldn't just settle for what's comfortable. The very first is that your essay readers might not have read your pick. Bridget's essay is quite strong, but there continue to be a couple little things that could be made better. It should encompass your whole essay in only a single sentence. The Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples Stories If people ask me why I started Kibin, I regularly have exactly the same answer. In terms of the questions, here is what to anticipate. It is a larger question than students are accustomed to encountering on an AP test. Nevertheless, it is ultimately about how well you can set forth an argument. Attempt to choose the best devices to strengthen your argument that you're able to. If you cannot determine what the question is, return and reread the prompt. On the other hand, the questions are rather hard and pretty well-written AP imitations, or so the annoyance is well worth it. Knowing the question you're answering is the main portion of AP writing. Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples and Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples - The Perfect Combination Someone learns the value of punctuality each night. Our next assignment was supposed to profile a person who is regarded as a Hero, and it has overcome some obstacle. Unique things to various men and women, since the situation demanded. It asks you to select a work with an illuminating incident. And therein lies the issue. I will be totally honest. This calendar year, I'm part of a committee to deal with these problems, together with other race-related concerns in the school at large. If you feel as if you need more help or you aren't certain that you can do it all on your own, look no more. There are a couple explanations for why this is recommended. Clearly, understanding how to clean burning oil isn't high on the list of things every 9-year-old should know. Instead, you wish to analyze the essay and make certain your claim is supported. Following that, you must construct your own claim, and compose an essay around that. Tie every claim you make to a bit of evidence to make sure the very best essay possible. The evidence is a significant portion of your essay. Attempt to make symmetry between your essay topic and the person who you are quoting. This is a great shorthand for most textual analysis. Replace a number of the cliched language. In general, I don't recommend this website. The author starts with a rather in depth story of an event or description of an individual or place. Imagine this individual disagrees with everything which you say. Explain the vehicle connection better. Keep in mind that you're writing beneath a time limit. This step is essential to finding your own claim. For those who have time, repeat every one of the steps above to incrementally raise your score. Without a bit of additional fuel, your brain might need to shut down early. The One Thing to Do for Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples I advise that you comply with this format too. Format is dependent on what format is necessary by your teacher or professor. In this portion of the Exam, it's your duty to make certain you give 40 minutes to every essay. As you continue to get prepared for the AP English Literature free-response part of the exam, benefit from the many resources cited herein. Writing is an essential part of the course and exam. Before entering any AP class, it's ideal to read over the program overview and become familiarized with the exam. It is possible to pay twenty dollars to receive two English Lit practice tests from using this website. The early test can help you determine what you have to work on, and the later test will reveal to you how you've improved! Allow it to sit for a couple days untouched. If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Ap Lit 2016 Essay Samples At times it's helpful to observe how others were able to get over the difficult first-line hump. From here on, you've got to come up with a distinctive interpretation of the way the structure contributes to the meaning. The second point, that making connections is a sort of thinking which can be taught, can't be proven until the very first point has been sufficiently supported. Only that you ought to remember that both sides are arguable, pick one, and stick with it.

Thorn Queen Chapter Nine Free Essays

string(55) " give me that look,† I warned, seeing his frown\." Returning home was great. I was exhausted mentally and physically and didn’t even mind the onslaught of dogs and cats that greeted me. Tim stood in the kitchen, mixing up some kind of batter. We will write a custom essay sample on Thorn Queen Chapter Nine or any similar topic only for you Order Now He also wore a full Native American feather headdress that went all the way down his back. â€Å"Isn’t that a Sioux thing?† I asked. â€Å"Er, Lakota?† â€Å"I keep getting in trouble when I pretend to be one of the local tribes,† he explained. â€Å"So, I figure if I claim to be from out of town, no one can push for details. Besides, you’re one to judge appearance. Did you sleep out in the rain or something?† Ironically, I had, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. â€Å"It’s been a long day. Days. Whatever.† â€Å"Lara called like eighty times. She’s got a real attitude, you know.† â€Å"That’s why she makes the big bucks,† I said with a yawn. â€Å"I’m going to go take a nap. Wake me if she calls.† â€Å"You going to go hear me perform tonight?† he called as I headed down the hall. I froze. â€Å"Oh, um, gee. I’ve got plans†¦.† â€Å"You do not!† â€Å"I do.† I turned around. â€Å"I’m going to my mom’s.† â€Å"The reading’s late,† he said. â€Å"Doesn’t start until nine. You’ll be done by then.† I had long since accepted Tim’s fake American Indian gig, but accepting it and witnessing it-aside from when he stood in full regalia in my kitchen-were two entirely different things. â€Å"I’ve even written new material,† he added when he saw that he wasn’t making much progress. â€Å"I’m not sure that’s a selling point.† He held up the bowl of brownie mix. â€Å"I’ll make them with walnuts.† I sighed and turned back toward my bedroom. â€Å"You don’t play fair.† He whooped with joy. â€Å"You’ll love it, Eug. I promise.† I fell asleep pretty easily and woke to two pleasant surprises. One was the scent of freshly baked brownies wafting in the air. The other was Kiyo sitting in a chair in my room, eating one of the aforementioned brownies. With the way he’d been in and out lately, I never really knew when to expect him. â€Å"Nice surprise,† I said, sitting up. â€Å"Likewise,† he said, eyeing my bare legs. I’d gone to sleep in a T-shirt. â€Å"Anything new in the Otherworld?† â€Å"Not much. Maiwenn’s getting nervous about the delivery, but I kind of figured that would happen.† â€Å"She’s got good healers,† I said, wanting to reassure him in spite of all the troubled feelings Maiwenn generated in me. I noticed then that he wore his white coat. â€Å"You going into work?† â€Å"Just got out.† Damn. It was later than I’d realized if he’d hung out with Maiwenn and pulled a shift at work. â€Å"Do you want to go see my parents with me?† Kiyo made a face. â€Å"Roland hates me.† â€Å"Hate is a strong word.† But it wasn’t an entirely inaccurate one. Roland, my shaman stepfather, made no secret of the fact that he didn’t like me spending as much time as I did in the Otherworld. Bringing home an Otherworldly boyfriend hadn’t earned his approval either, even though Kiyo was half-human like me. Still, Roland was always more or less polite. My mother, who didn’t know about Kiyo’s heritage, couldn’t gush over him enough. I think she’d nearly given up on me ever dating anyone, so me landing a veterinarian was quite a coup as far as she was concerned. She was a fantastic cook and so even though Roland made him uneasy, Kiyo still consented to go. â€Å"Are you sure you got enough to eat?† she asked after we finished dinner with them later that night. She operated under the assumption that I was on the verge of malnutrition and that Kiyo was incapable of feeding himself if someone else didn’t cook for him. In truth, Kiyo was a much better cook than me. â€Å"It was great,† he assured her. â€Å"Believe me, I had more than enough.† â€Å"Well, don’t be afraid to go back for more. Or take home leftovers.† â€Å"Geez, Mom. He had three helpings. Are you fattening him up for the kill?† I asked. â€Å"There are worse fates,† mused Kiyo good-naturedly. My mom beamed. I thought she was exceptionally pretty, but maybe I was just biased. People said we had similar looks, and we did as far as build and facial features went. It was the coloring we differed in. Her eyes were just plain blue, and her dark hair was graying. My reddish hair and violet-blue eyes were Storm King’s legacy. After dinner, I stole Roland away to the den to talk shop and left Kiyo to entertain my mother. She knew what it was we did, but after her own experiences in the Otherworld, she preferred to avoid our shamanic discussions. â€Å"Still with him, huh?† asked Roland, relaxing back in an easy chair. â€Å"He’s nice, and you know it. He’s the same as me.† Roland scratched his head thoughtfully. His hair had gone gray, and he seemed to have new wrinkles every year. He was still more than a match for most Otherworldly foes (even though he’d ostensibly retired), and the crosses, whorls, fish, and other Christian tattoos on his arms could summon the same power my goddess-based ones could. â€Å"He is like you,† he agreed. â€Å"He’s not entirely Otherworldly-but he’s tied to it. He’s spent more of his life there than you, let it become more a part of him. And you being with someone like that means that you’ll just be that much more tied to it in return. With everything that’s going on over there, it’s really better if you stay away.† â€Å"Everything,† of course, meant the prophecy about me bearing the Otherworld’s savior. While I usually recapped a lot of my shamanic business to Roland, I had neglected to mention a few of my recent activities-say, like inadvertently conquering a kingdom and becoming a queen. Call me crazy, but I just had to think our relationship would be better if he remained in ignorance about that. â€Å"Well, I’ve kind of gotten involved with something over there. And don’t give me that look,† I warned, seeing his frown. You read "Thorn Queen Chapter Nine" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"I’m helping out some people who need it, and it’s too late to back out. But the other day, I saw fire demons.† That got his attention. â€Å"You do mean in the Otherworld, right?† â€Å"God, yes.† Demons in our world would be pretty horrible. â€Å"There were five of them.† He let out a low whistle. â€Å"That’s substantial even for them. It’d take a powerful summoner to do that.† â€Å"I was with, uh, some others, and they managed to do some damage, but for the most part, we were useless. I banished one, and that just about wiped me out.† â€Å"Yeah, it can be done, but it’s not easy. You could do it with a couple of other shamans, but on your own†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"I really don’t like you getting involved with that.† â€Å"I know, I know, but like I said, it’s too late. Do you know how to get rid of them? Aside from assembling a shaman posse?† â€Å"The easiest way-and I use that term loosely-would be to find a gentry who could summon water demons. Put them with fire demons, and they’ll all turn on each other.† â€Å"Somehow I’m not optimistic about finding someone like that.† Yet, even as I said that, I wondered if I could do it. As far as I knew, that wasn’t part of my storm magic. I could summon water and had once controlled air, bending those forces to my will. Summoning elemental creatures was out of my range. Storm King had allegedly been able to do it. Jasmine had commanded water creatures as well, though I didn’t know if that would include demons. It irked me that I couldn’t do what the rest of my family could. â€Å"True,† Roland agreed. â€Å"In that case, brute force may be the only way to go. Let them assemble their own forces to get rid of the demons. It’s not your problem. It’s the gentry’s and their leaders’ responsibility.† â€Å"Right,† I said uneasily. â€Å"Well, we’ll see what happens.† The look he gave me showed that he didn’t believe I’d leave this alone. It also said he knew nothing he could say would convince me. â€Å"I’ve got another question. Ever heard of Otherworldly towns called Ley and Skye?† Shamans generally avoided crossing over to that world, but Roland had been there many times and knew a lot about the land. â€Å"Ley sounds familiar†¦it’s in the Alder Land, isn’t it? Or is it Rowan?† In addition to not knowing about my queenly status, Rowan also didn’t know there’d been a complete upheaval in the Alder Land. â€Å"Rowan,† I said. â€Å"But very close to, um, Alder. There’s supposedly a crossroads near there. Do you know where it comes out?† â€Å"No†¦nowhere around here, I’m sure.† â€Å"Any way you could find out?† â€Å"Is this tied in to the demons?† I hesitated a moment and opted for the truth. â€Å"No, it’s something else. A different thing I’m helping them out with.† â€Å"Eugenie!† Roland rarely lost his temper, but I could see the anger in his eyes now. â€Å"What are you doing? You can’t do this. You can’t get entangled in their affairs. Your job is to protect this world, to keep them and the other monsters and ghosts out of here.† â€Å"They’re not all bad,† I said, surprised as the words came out of my mouth. â€Å"Do I need to remind you about your mother’s abduction and the assorted attempts to rape you?† Hearing him say those words stung, but I held my ground. â€Å"I’m dealing with that. It’s not an issue.† â€Å"It’s always going to be an issue,† he argued. â€Å"And I’m not going to help you keep getting into more trouble with them.† â€Å"What, are you threatening to cut me off from information?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Maybe. If it’ll keep you safe.† â€Å"Well, it won’t. The only thing you’ll do is put me in more danger if I keep going there uninformed!† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"So now you’re the one threatening me?† â€Å"What’s going on?† My mother stuck her head in the den’s doorway, concern on her face. â€Å"Is everything okay? I thought I heard shouting.† I stood up. â€Å"Roland’s just getting hard of hearing, so I was helping him out.† I followed her back to the other room, where Kiyo watched me curiously. Even in human form, he had a fox’s hearing, and I wouldn’t have found it surprising if he’d heard the whole argument. â€Å"We have to take off,† I said. â€Å"We’re going to hear Tim recite some poetry.† Kiyo’s raised eyebrow was his only sign of surprise at our evening plans. I’d neglected to tell him earlier because I was pretty sure he would have never left the house with me. He smiled politely at my mom. â€Å"Thanks for dinner. It was great.† My mom was sad to see us go. â€Å"Well, you should come back next weekend. I’ll make lasagna. And cherry pie.† I kissed her cheek. â€Å"You don’t have to bribe us to come over.† â€Å"No, but it doesn’t hurt.† Mad or not, I gave Roland a hug too. In that brief moment, he murmured in my ear, â€Å"I’ll talk to Bill.† He sounded weary and defeated, and I hugged him closer. â€Å"Thank you.† Bill was a shaman friend of his in Flagstaff. Once we were finally able to leave, Kiyo didn’t waste any time in getting to the point. â€Å"Trouble on the home front?† â€Å"Like you don’t know,† I said. â€Å"Told you he hates me.† â€Å"I think he hates me making all these trips to the Otherworld more.† â€Å"But he still thinks I’m a bad influence.† â€Å"You are a bad influence.† We drove in silence for a few moments. Then Kiyo noticed that I wasn’t heading toward my house. We were going downtown. â€Å"No,† he groaned. â€Å"We are not actually going to hear Tim, are we? I thought that was just an excuse to leave.† I shook my head. â€Å"Sorry. I promised.† Kiyo sighed but took it like a man. We went to one of Tim’s regular venues, a place called the Fox Den. I thought Kiyo would think that was funny, but he didn’t. When we walked in, there was a girl on the stage reciting poetry about the bleakness of existence and litter on the side of the highway. Kiyo looked around, taking in the patrons and tables-and then realized we were in a coffee shop, not a bar. â€Å"They don’t serve alcohol here? There’s no way I can do this without hard liquor.† â€Å"Oh, just hush,† I said, trying to hide my smile. We found a small round table in the middle of the crowded cafe, and I left him there while I went to get hot chocolate. I would have loved coffee but had enough trouble sleeping without the addition of caffeine this late at night. When I returned, I saw three visitors had pulled chairs up to our table. â€Å"Hey, guys,† I said. â€Å"Nice to see you again, Eugenie.† The speaker was named Barbara. She was an elderly woman, belonging to the Pascua Yaqui tribe. Their religious beliefs, while having some similarities to the nature-oriented views of neighboring tribes, had picked up a lot of Christian influences over the years. Indeed, she wore a cross around her neck but was also still regarded by many as a type of holy woman. She had no problem with me calling myself a shaman, as those of other Indian tribes sometimes did. Her grandsons, Felix and Dan, were with her tonight, and they didn’t have a problem with me either. Tim, however, was a different story. â€Å"Please tell me your asshole roommate isn’t performing tonight,† said Felix. â€Å"Watch your language,† said Barbara in a very grandmotherly way. I shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"Well†¦he might be up there tonight†¦.† â€Å"Jesus Christ,† said Dan, munching on biscotti. He looked apologetically at Barbara before turning to me. â€Å"We’ve told him a hundred times not to do that.† â€Å"Come on, guys. Don’t start something again-it took forever for that last black eye to go away,† I reminded him. Felix shook his head. â€Å"Look, impersonating us wouldn’t be so bad-and it is bad-if his poetry wasn’t such shit.† â€Å"Felix!† warned Barbara. He turned sheepish. â€Å"Sorry, Grandma. But you know I’m right.† â€Å"It’s the only thing he knows how to do,† I said lamely. â€Å"Besides, he’s going Lakota tonight-if that helps.† â€Å"I don’t think it’ll improve the poetry,† noted Kiyo, stretching back in the chair. â€Å"Agreed,† said Felix. â€Å"His poetry’s crappiness transcends all cultures.† He looked smugly at his grandmother, pleased that he hadn’t sworn this time. She turned to me, ignoring him. â€Å"How’s business?† â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"Weird.† While she had no issues with me being a shaman, she was sometimes troubled by the thought of me fighting Otherworldly creatures. She seemed undecided about whether they were holy or not, though she had seen her fair share of evil ones and knew what I did was sometimes necessary. She was about to ask me more when Tim suddenly walked onto the stage. He had on the feather headdress, no shirt, and leather chaps. â€Å"Oh God. No,† groaned Felix. Tim held up his hands to silence the scattered applause. â€Å"Thank you, friends,† he said in a deep, flat voice. â€Å"The Great Spirit welcomes you and your joining of our holy circle tonight.† â€Å"I am not even joking,† said Dan. â€Å"I am this close to walking up there and dragging him out back.† â€Å"Please,† I hissed. â€Å"Not tonight.† â€Å"For my first poem,† continued Tim, â€Å"I would like to read you something I was inspired to write while sitting outside and considering the way the beating of a butterfly’s wings are just like the beating of our hearts in this transient world.† Spreading his hands wide, he recited. â€Å"Sister Butterfly upon the wind Wings so yellow Let us fly with you into the sky so blue Our souls soaring in the clouds so white As we look down on those who dream to fly But are too afraid And must stay earthbound Like Brother Beetle so brown.† â€Å"I’m going to help Dan,† said Kiyo as the audience applauded. â€Å"I’m going to help him drag Tim off.† â€Å"Seriously?† said Dan, excited. â€Å"No,† said Barbara and I in unison. Tim’s next poem was about a mythological woman named Oniata, a girl of divine beauty and youth who came to Earth and caused men everywhere to fight over her. The story was interesting, but like all of his poems, the verses were pretty bad and filled with horrible metaphors. â€Å"That’s a real story,† I challenged my companions. â€Å"I’ve heard it before.† â€Å"Yeah, but it’s not Lakota,† said Felix. â€Å"I think it’s Iroquois or something.† â€Å"Honestly, I don’t think it matters at this point,† said Dan, looking weary. â€Å"Besides, everyone’s got some story about unearthly beautiful women.† Kiyo linked his hand with mine and murmured, â€Å"And fortunately, I’ve got my own.† â€Å"Sly man,† I said back. â€Å"Sly as a fox.† When the poetry reading wrapped up, Tim sold his self-published poetry books. I think this was the most remarkable part of all-he always sold a bunch. And the women†¦the women loved him. A number were cozying up to him already, no doubt wanting to go out later. Watching the women, Dan declared that he was going to quit his job as a computer-support technician and start up on Tim’s gig, causing us all to laugh. â€Å"Say what you want,† I said to Kiyo, watching Tim and his admirers. â€Å"This all means Tim probably isn’t coming home tonight.† â€Å"What are you saying exactly?† â€Å"That the sauna is all ours.† Not that anyone else could have really fit into it, though. My wet sauna wasn’t that big, which just meant that when Kiyo and I got home, we had to be that much closer to each other. Neither of us really minded. We shed our clothes in the hallway, and he pulled me to him, hands running over my waist and lips grazing my neck. â€Å"You owe me big for making me endure that poetry,† he growled in my ear. â€Å"Whatever. That was practically foreplay. Are you saying Tim’s poem about Brother Woodpecker plunging his beak into the tree didn’t turn you on? You know that was a total metaphor.† Kiyo’s only response was a smothering kiss that ended any other witty commentary I might make, his lips hot and hard as his tongue sought mine. Without breaking the kiss, we somehow managed to open the door to the sauna and stumble inside. Immediately, heat and steam surrounded us. Everyone always praised Arizona’s heat for being dry, but I loved humidity and the way it enveloped my body. I also loved the way the moisture dampened Kiyo’s dark hair, making it curl up even more against his neck. Still holding on to that kiss, he pressed me against the sauna’s wooden wall, his hands gripping my hips. In only a short time, the heat had us both slick and sweating. I tangled my fingers in his hair and then ran them down his arms and chest. The oil and sweat made my hands glide effortlessly across his skin. I paused to run circles around his nipples, slowly increasing the pressure and squeezing them in the way he so often did to mine. He gave a small grunt of surprise and pleasure and then moved his lips to my neck. I tipped it back, giving him greater access. His kisses were hard, like he was trying to consume me with his mouth alone, and there were even a few teeth involved. With as fair as my skin was, he actually left me with the occasional hickey after sex. It always made me feel like I was sixteen and foolish the next day, but in the moment? It seemed totally worth it. His lips moved from my neck to my shoulder while his hands slid up from my hips to my breasts, again moving easily with all that sweat and moisture. He rubbed them and cupped them, his fingers slipping back and forth against my wet skin and occasionally pausing to stroke my nipples in a way that sent waves of need throughout my entire body. Driven to impatience by my own desire, I slid my hands down his stomach, down to the erection pressing against me. I grabbed a hold of him and started to bring him into me. Unexpectedly, he turned me around, still keeping me pressed against the wall. I held my hands against it for support while his strong fingers rubbed my back, massaging the muscles that always seemed sore lately. I gasped, finding the massage almost as arousing as the rest. It was fleeting, however. His hands soon moved to my hips again, tipping me out slightly so that I was bent over, rather than pressed flat against the wall. A moment later, he pushed against my body, and I felt him enter me. My own wetness made the thrust almost as effortless as our hands had been on each other’s flesh. I cried out at the feel of him filling me up, pushing harder and harder into me. I rested my check against the sauna’s wall, bracing myself and allowing him to take me more deeply. He gripped my breasts as he continued moving in and out of me, and I moaned as his touch sent shockwaves through my skin. I was overloaded with sensation as he seemed to take control of every part of my body, both inside and out. His thrusts grew more urgent and fierce; his hold on my breasts became tighter. Having him inside me built a heat between my thighs that radiated out to the rest of my body, rivaling the heat of the air around us. That bliss grew and grew to unbearable heights, until at last the orgasm burst within me, making my legs go weak and nearly give out underneath me. Every part of me tingled and burned, and the feel of him still slamming into my body was almost too much for my flooded senses. Yet, even as I thought I couldn’t handle any more, I still felt that intense pleasure building within me once more and knew that it would take only a little more of this for me to come yet again. By then, Kiyo’s hands had moved back to my hips, steadying himself so that he could push even harder. With all that force, it was a struggle to continue bending and not simply get pressed flat against the wall. Then, I felt his body grow tense and knew he was about to come. He made a guttural, primal sound, his thrusts growing long and deep as he came and let his own orgasm explode within me. He pressed his face against my shoulder, his motions gradually slowing down as his body sated itself. When he was done, he slid his hands from my hips to my shoulders, turning me around and pulling me toward him. We wrapped our arms around each other, gasping as we leaned against the wall. He said nothing but gently kissed my cheek. I smiled, pushing closer to him and drowning in the scent of his sweat and skin. â€Å"Worth enduring the poetry reading?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"Definitely.† The phone woke me up the next morning. Kiyo dozed naked beside me in bed, and I had to practically crawl over him to reach my cell. It was Roland. â€Å"I found out about your crossroads. It crosses over to a town in Texas called Yellow River.† â€Å"Texas, huh?† That was unexpected. â€Å"Yep. And there are two shamans who live there already to keep an eye on it.† â€Å"Two?† There weren’t really that many in our profession. We were spread thin, so more than one in a region (aside from a father-and-daughter team like Roland and me) was surprising. â€Å"It’s apparently a big gate. Doesn’t take much power or effort to cross through it, so it needs a lot of attention.† Interesting. Crossroads varied in accessibility. Most required more power than the average human or even gentry could use, fortunately. On certain days of the year-like Beltane and Samhain-areas between our worlds grew thin, making it easier for crossings. Those were dangerous times that kept Roland and me busy. A gateway that was usable the rest of the year was even more dangerous. But, if it was easily accessible, then it wouldn’t be too difficult for these girls to cross and seek out humans to father their children. The whole thought made me squirm. A generation of half-Texan, half-gentry kids. God help us all. â€Å"Eugenie?† asked Roland warily. â€Å"What are you thinking?† â€Å"I’m thinking I need the names of those shamans.† He still seemed troubled at my involvement, but I think he felt better about me getting in touch with others-particularly others who were human. He pushed me a little about what was going on, but I still refused to talk about it. After much thanks on my part for the information, we finally disconnected. Kiyo had climbed out of bed during the call and was in the shower. As I waited for him, I wondered how I should proceed. Presumably, I should contact these shamans and see if they’d noticed a recent influx of gentry girls. If I could confirm that, it’d ease my worry about bandits (or monsters) kidnapping them, even though it still left the moral dilemma of whether I should be kicking those girls back to their own world. A drop in temperature and a prickling of my skin signaled Volusian’s sudden arrival. He materialized in the darkest corner of my room, expression as sullen and malevolent as usual. â€Å"Well, this is a treat,† I said. â€Å"I do so love seeing your cheery face in the morning. What’s up?† When I’d left the Otherworld last time, I’d kept Volusian on standing orders to ferry any messages over to me. My joking aside, I wasn’t overly thrilled to see him because I knew it meant there was something I had to deal with. â€Å"The hulking imbecile who commands my mistress’s guards has requested her presence,† said Volusian. â€Å"Do you mean Rurik?† â€Å"Yes, unless my mistress has appointed another hulking imbecile to command her guards.† â€Å"Did he say why?† If it had been more trade business, Shaya would have been the one to ask for me. â€Å"He wished to tell you that one of the missing girls returned.† â€Å"What?† I sprang out of bed and hastily threw on some clothes. Kiyo returned to the room, astonishingly sexy with wet hair, and gave me a surprised look. â€Å"What’s up?† â€Å"I got a lead on one of the girls. You want to come with me?† He shook his head. He held up his white coat. â€Å"Can’t. I’ve got to work.† I was disappointed. I would have liked to have him with me, but that petty part inside of me felt better about him working than hanging out with Maiwenn again. So, we made our good-byes, parting with a long kiss-a really long kiss. When we finally dragged ourselves away from each other, Volusian looked as though he wouldn’t have minded being smote out of existence. I sent him on ahead of me and then crossed over shortly thereafter. Nia as usual fell all over herself, but I had to politely dismiss her in my eagerness to find Rurik. He was sitting with Shaya in the parlor adjacent to her room, deep in conversation. Both sprang up when they saw me. â€Å"Your majesty,† intoned Shaya politely. â€Å"Where is she?† I exclaimed. â€Å"The girl. I want to talk to her and get this settled.† Rurik grimaced. â€Å"Ah. About that.† â€Å"What’s wrong? Volusian said you found her.† â€Å"Well, we did, in a manner of speaking. It was the girl from Westoria-the one whose parents spoke to you. She surfaced last night in the village, hysterical and going on and on about how she escaped and how horrible it all was.† â€Å"There really was a monster?† I said, surprised. â€Å"Or did she escape from the bandits?† I still hadn’t ruled out their involvement. He shook his head. â€Å"Nobody knows. She wasn’t making any sense, and mostly, her parents wanted to calm her down. In the meantime, they sent word to us because they knew you’d want to talk to her, and†¦well, that’s when the problem started.† â€Å"Like the rest of this isn’t already a problem?† â€Å"When the girl heard you were coming, she became even more hysterical.† â€Å"More hysterical over me than a monster or whatever?† Rurik shrugged. â€Å"As we’ve learned, your reputation is a bit†¦alarming to some.† â€Å"Good God. Didn’t she hear I got my ass kicked by fire demons?† I sighed. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"She ran away. For real this time.† I groaned and sank back into a chair. â€Å"We sent out a search party as soon as we heard,† he added somewhat hopefully. â€Å"Well, that’s something, I guess. It’s one girl†¦she can’t be that hard to find, right?† Rurik and Shaya exchanged doubtful looks. I groaned again. With the way the land was around here, it was likely anyone who wanted to disappear could. I’d had parties out looking for Jasmine for the last three months and found no clue to her whereabouts. â€Å"We need to start putting faces on milk cartons,† I muttered. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† asked Shaya. â€Å"Never mind. Anything else I should know about? Any word from Leith?† I figured I’d go do my meditation and connection with the land and then head back to Tucson. â€Å"Nothing yet,† said Shaya. â€Å"However†¦we did hear from Dorian.† Right. Another of my problems. She seemed a little nervous about going on. â€Å"He sent a message wondering why you hadn’t contacted him yet about trade. And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Go on. I expect the worst.† She looked embarrassed. â€Å"He said if you can’t be troubled to come in a timely manner, then he’s going to rescind his offer.† â€Å"That might not be horrible,† I pointed out. â€Å"I mean, you’ve told other people, right? We’ve got other kingdoms wanting to buy the copper, don’t we?† Her look of discomfort grew. â€Å"Well, not so many.† â€Å"How many is not so many?† â€Å"Aside from the Rowan Land? None.† â€Å"Son of a bitch.† Honestly? I wouldn’t have put it past Dorian to influence others not to trade with me just so he could play these games. I steeled myself and met Shaya’s pleading gaze. â€Å"I don’t suppose he specified what a ‘timely manner’ is?† â€Å"He did, actually,† said Shaya. Rurik was smiling, which I took as a bad sign. â€Å"Today.† How to cite Thorn Queen Chapter Nine, Essay examples

Voice Over Internet Protocol(Voip) Essays - Voice Over IP, Broadband

Voice Over Internet Protocol(Voip) VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VoIP) INTRODUCTION: In the eyes of most, all packets are created equal. One of the most active areas of telecommunications today is in the area of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The logic behind this trend makes perfect sense. If we have invested heavily in an Internet Protocol (IP) network, why cant we make full use of it? This is a question posed by many managers and Information Technology (IT) professionals in a wide range of businesses. Many businesses would prefer to have one network in and out of their business for reasons ranging from cost effectiveness to manageability. IP telephony offers a promise of consolidation. This will allow an enterprise to converge its traditional phone system and newer data network for greater efficiency. Arieh Dranger, president of neXTel Systems LLC says, I dont think its a question of whether we need VoIP, but when it will come together, because it represents a natural progress of integrating dataperiod. The IP protocol is probably the most efficient at combi ning a universal communications network. Basically, IP telephony is taking the telecom world by storm. It has evolved from a little known and used application in 1995 to an application that is poised for global adoption. But as with all technology, there is a price to be paid, and several entities vying for a piece of the pie. WHAT IS VoIP and HOW DOES IT WORK? To put it simply, VoIP means Voice over Internet Protocol. Its a technology that allows network managers to route phone call over the network they use for data transmission. A voice travels over a corporate Intranet or the Internet instead of the public telephone system. Special gateways installed at both the sending and receiving end of a communications channel converts voice to IP packets and back again to voice. This process must take place in a time frame of less than 100 milliseconds to sustain the Quality of Service (QoS) that users are accustomed to from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Now lets take a walk on the more detailed side of what VoIP is and how it works. First and foremost, VoIP is an emerging technology still in the early stages. A personal computer (PC) must capture an analog voice and convert it to a digital signal, compress the audio with a compression-decompression (codec) device and then move it into the IP protocol stack. The codecs are at the heart of any IP telephony software. It is an algorithm that transforms analogue signals into digital ones and vice versa. The next step is to access the network, which is the premise modem connected to the PSTN and channeled to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) modem. The next link in the chain of events is the IP network itself or the Internet. The current structure of the Internet can make it an unstable and unpredictable carrier. Finally, the voice packet must transition back from the IP network to the PSTN, to the receivers modem for conversion back into analog. Each of these steps adds more delay to t he voice packets. A delay approximately of over 550 milliseconds, which is 400 msecs over the QoS acceptable limit, is found to occur. These delays and other issues are just some of the challenges facing the future of VoIP. WHY IS VoIP AN ISSUE? Between 1994 and 1997 ISP revenue grew from about $189 million to over $4.75 billion dollars, making it the telecommunications success story of the nineties. This extraordinary growth, coupled with relatively inexpensive connectivity for the typical user has helped drive the emergence of VoIP. To the typical personal user, this technology will mean nothing more than the ability to make free long distance phone calls. However, to the business world, this technology holds some very profound promises. Its the ability to avoid long distance phone charges that has many scrambling to control the future of VoIP. Companies ranging from the traditional common carriers to the newer next generation telcos are all scrapping for a share of this lucrative market. The VoIP portion of this emerging market is expected to grow at a rate of 149 percent annually through 2001 to about $1.89 billion dollars

Role Of Queen In Beowulf & Grendel Essays - Beowulf, Geats

Role Of Queen In Beowulf & Grendel Essays - Beowulf, Geats Role of Queen in Beowulf & Grendel In both texts, Beowulf and Grendel, the main purpose of the Queen's are to serve the courts as "weavers of peace". In Grendel however, Queen Wealththeow is described in much greater detail and serves a further purpose. The reader gains insight to a part Grendel that is not present in Beowulf, his desire for a human. It was not unusual for women to be offered as tokens of peace within the noble courts. In the novel Grendel, Wealhtheow's brother, King of the Helmings, bestowed her to King Hrothgar to promote peace amongst the Helmings and Scyldings. "She had given, her life for those she loved. So would any simpering, eyelash batting female in her court, given the proper setup, the minimal conditions"(Grendel, p.102). It is ironic how she promoted peace from her arrival because she was an essential part in keeping peace, as the "weaver of peace" in the later of both texts. Queen Wealhtheow however is not the only woman in the texts that was forsaken to encourage appeasement amongst feuding courts. Queen Hygd was offered to Hygelac under very similar circumezces as told in Beowulf, and portrayed the same role in Hygelac's kingdom. There is reference in both texts concerning this tradition, and it is evident to the reader that this is not an unusual Anglo-Saxon custom. Queen Wealhtheow and Queen Hygd served as excellent role models for the courts in which they served. They exemplified the mannerisms and etiquette of the noble people. Queen Wealhtheow showed excellent poise from the very beginning of both texts. She was admirable as she passed the mead bowl around Heorot. The offering of the bowl was symbolic, being that the bowl was first given to Hrothgar and then passed to Beowulf, as if she presented him with her trust. Beowulf gave Wealhtheow his guarantee that he would be successful or die in battle. After she presented Hrothgar and Beowulf with the mead bowl she served the Scyldings, and did so as if they were her own people. She was not a Scylding, nor did she desire to be one, but she never made her unhappiness known, as described in Grendel. There is not great detail on Queen Hygd in Grendel, but from what the reader can gather from Beowulf, she is as much of a female role model as Queen Wealhtheow. She was young but very intelligent. In fact King Hygelac felt intimidated by Hygds intelligence. Queen Hygd was unlike Wealhtheow in the way in which she did not bare many gifts. Hygd was more concerned about the future of the people of her kingdom succeeding Hygelacs death than Wealhtheow. Hygd offered Beowulf the kingdom because she believed it was in the best interest of the people, she loved the warriors and wished peace amongst all the people. Wealtheow on the other hand felt that the kingdom should be preserved for her sons. Wealhtheow spoke after the "fight at Finnsburg" about the importance of her sons taking over the kingdom in the poem Beowulf, and this reminds Hrothgar of his age. This same speech affected Hrothgar in both texts. It forced him to contemplate his worthiness of Wealhtheow. He realized that she was young and beautiful, and need not be with an old man. Which made his sorrow even worse is the fact that she knew all this as well. Queen Wealhtheow put up an excellent disguise when hiding the pain she experienced from being forced to be Hrothgars wife. Unlike in Beowulf, in Grendel the reader was given insight into Wealhtheow's sorrow. The only time she would display her unhappiness was when she would lie in bed at night with Hrothgar with her eyes full of tears. Sometimes she would leave the kingdom to dwell in her sorrows but she would be immediately surrounded by guards, and escorted inside. Wealhtheow was homesick, she missed her land, and her brother. When her brother visited Heorot she paid no attention to Hrothgar, and Hrothgar fulfilled passing around the mead bowl. In Grendel, it told of Hrothgar's love for wealhtheow. He would often stare at her in admiration. Despite her resentment she treated Hrothgar with much respect, she always looked

Clerestory Windows in Architectural Design

Clerestory Windows in Architectural Design A clerestory window is a large window or series of small windows along the top of a structures wall, usually at or near the roof line. Clerestory windows are a type of fenestration or glass window placement found in both residential and commercial construction. A clerestory wall often rises above adjoining roofs. In a large building, like a gymnasium or train station, the windows will be positioned to allow light to illuminate a large interior space. A smaller home may have a band of narrow windows along the very top of a wall. Originally, the word clerestory (pronounced CLEAR-story) referred to the upper level of a church or cathedral. The Middle English word clerestorie means clear story, which describes how an entire story of height was cleared to bring natural light to sizable interiors. Designing With Clerestory Windows Designers who wish to maintain wall space and interior privacy AND keep a room well-lighted often use this type of window arrangement for both residential and commercial projects. It is one way to use architectural design to help your home out of the darkness. Clerestory windows are most often used to naturally illuminate (and often ventilate) large spaces such as sports arenas, transportation terminals, and gymnasiums. As modern sports stadiums and arenas became enclosed, with and without retractable roofing systems, the clerestory lens, as its called on the 2009 Cowboys Stadium, became more common. Early Christian Byzantine architecture featured this type of fenestration to shed overhead light into the massive spaces builders were beginning to construct. Romanesque- era designs expanded the technique as medieval basilicas achieved more grandeur from height. The architects of Gothic-era cathedrals made clerestories an art form. Some say it was  American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) who adapted that Gothic art form to residential architecture. Wright was an early promoter of natural light and ventilation, no doubt in response to working in the Chicago area during the height of Americas industrialization. By 1893 Wright had his prototype for the Prairie Style in the Winslow House, showing second-story windows under the enormous eave overhang. By 1908 Wright was still struggling with a perfectly beautiful design when he wrote: ...often I used to gloat over the beautiful buildings I could build if only it were unnecessary to cut holes in them.... The holes, of course, are the windows and doors. By the time Wright was marketing his Usonian homes, the clerestory windows had become an important part of both the interior design, as seen in the 1939 Rosenbaum house in Alabama, and the exterior design, as in the 1950 Zimmerman House in New Hampshire. The best way to light a house is Gods way - the natural way.... Wright wrote  in The Natural House, a 1954 classic book on American architecture. The best natural way, according to Wright, is to place the clerestory along the southern exposure of the structure. The clerestory window serves as a lantern to the house. More Definitions of Clerestory or Clearstory 1. An upper zone of wall pierced with windows that admit light to the center of a lofty room. 2. A window so placed. - Dictionary of Architecture and Construction The topmost windows of a church nave, those above the aisle roof, thus any high band of windows - G. E. Kidder Smith, FAIA A series of windows placed high on a wall. Evolved from the Gothic churches where the clerestory appeared above the aisle roofs. - John Milnes Baker, AIA Architectural Examples of Clerestory Windows Clerestory windows illuminate many of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed interior spaces, especially the Usonian home designs, including the Zimmerman House and the Toufic Kalil Home. In addition to adding clerestory windows to residential structures, Wright also used rows of glass in more traditional settings, such as his Unity Temple, Annunciation Greek Orthodox, and the original library, the Buckner Building, on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland. For Wright, the clerestory window was a design choice that satisfied his aesthetic and philosophic ideals. Clerestory windows have become a mainstay of modern residential architecture. From the 1922 Schindler Chace house designed by the Austrian-born R. M. Schindler to the student designs of the Solar Decathlon competition, this type of fenestration is a popular and practical choice. Remember that this new way of design is centuries old. Look up at the great sacred places across the world. Heavenly light becomes part of the prayerful experience in synagogues, cathedrals, and mosques throughout the ages, from Byzantine to Gothic to Modern structures like architect Alvar Altos 1978 Church of the Assumption of Mary in Riola di Vergato,  Italy. As the world became industrialized, natural light from clerestory windows supplemented the gas and electric lighting of venues such as Grand Central Terminal in New York City. For a more modern transportation hub in Lower Manhattan, Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava returned to ancient architectural history, incorporating a modern oculus - a version of Romes Pantheon extreme clerestory - showing again that whats old is always new. A Selection of Clerestory Window Examples Dance Studio, Preserving Wall SpaceTurner Contemporary Gallery, David Chipperfield Architects, United KingdomKitchen, 1922 Schindler House, Los Angeles, CaliforniaKarl Kundert Medical Clinic, Frank Lloyd Wright, 1956, San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaGothic Exeter Cathedral, United KingdomItalian Byzantine Church of Saint Vitale in Ravenna, ItalySunlight Shining Into Grand Central Terminal, New York City Sources Frank Lloyd Wright On Architecture: Selected Writings (1894-1940), Frederick Gutheim, ed., Grossets Universal Library, 1941, p. 38Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, Cyril M. Harris, ed., McGraw- Hill, 1975, p. 108G. E. Kidder Smith, FAIA, Sourcebook of American Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press, 1996, p. 644.John Milnes Baker, AIA, American House Styles: A Concise Guide, Norton, 1994, p. 169Additional photo credits: Cowboy Stadium, Ronald Martinez/Getty Images (cropped); Winslow House, Raymond Boyd/ Getty Images (cropped); Alto Church, De Agostini/Getty Images (cropped); Zimmerman House, Jackie Craven

Battle of Waterloo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Battle of Waterloo - Research Paper Example Since the achievement of such an objective is rarely feasible in practicality, although theoretically plausible, the theory of warfare attempts to teach and calculate the moral factors such as the mistakes which the enemy is likely to make; or the impression which can be created to intimidate the enemy forces. Written almost two centuries ago, by a renowned Prussian thinker and theorist, Carl von Cluausewitz, these highly controversial yet oft cited set of principles commonly referred to as the "Principles of War" present a comprehensive summary of the tactics and strategies that can be used during war. These principles have proved to be highly effective over the years, and are adopted by nations worldwide, owing to fact that they encompass all the moral as well as psychological aspects of warfare (Clausewitz, Graham, 2008). This paper on Principles of War: Battle of Waterloo discusses and analyzes the nine principles of war with regard to and as applied in the Battle of Waterloo. Th e Battle of Waterloo: Brief Overview The Battle of Waterloo was fought between the Imperial French army commanded by Emperor Napoleon and the Seventh Coalition - which comprised of an Anglo-allied army commanded by the Duke of Wellington; and the Prussian army commanded by Gebhard von Blucher. It was fought on June 18, 1815 near Waterloo which is in present-day Belgium. Napoleon’s army was defeated by the combined forces i.e. the Seventh Coalition and the Anglo-Allied army, and is considered to be historical since it marked the end of Napoleon’s tyrant rule, and his hundred days of return from exile (BBC History, 2011). The battle was historical since the mighty French emperor and military leader Napoleon’s rule came to an abrupt end after his defeat at the hands of the combined armies led by the British, German, Belgian, Dutch and the Prussians. The principles of war discussed in the following section, aims to discuss, examine, and analyze the various strategie s used by the combined forces against Napoleon’s army, that eventually led to his fall. The nine principles of war: 1. The Principle of Objective: â€Å"No one starts a war—or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so—without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it†. Karl Von Clausewitz (in Mahnken & Maiolo, 2008, pp. 2) The principle of objective refers to the fundamental purpose of the war / military operation, which must be clearly identified, defined and attained in an effective manner. The two parties involved in the battle included Napoleon’s army on one hand, and the allied forces comprising of the British, the Belgians, the Germans, and the Prussians on the other. The basic objective of Napoleon was to continue his accession and dominance, and restore his power after his exile, in the year 1815 and to defeat the allied European forces which had begun to reassemble their armies in a bid to overthrow Napoleon’s rule. Napoleon’s objective was to destroy the efforts of the allied forces, prevent them from gaining more support and expanding their existing coalition, and destroy the British, Prussian, Dutch, and Belgian armies before they could gather more support and assistance from other powers. On the other hand, the basic objective of the allied forces was to stop the emperor’s (Napoleon’s) accession, and overthrow him and thus bring a halt to his reign by defeating him and to end his tyrant rule as the emperor of France. 2. The principle of Offensive: This principle entails the retention, seizing of and exploiting the initiatives of the enemy by launching an offensive

Health care premium tax credits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health care premium tax credits - Research Paper Example It is a refundable tax credit and the refund is fully paid regardless of the income tax which is owed by the recipient (IRS â€Å"Individuals†). This HCTC benefits many displaced workers and those aged 55 years and older under pension benefit. It is meant to ensure that people can still access health care services despite their financial difficulties and economic status (IRS â€Å"Individuals†). The primary Act which has made the HCTC possible is the Trade Adjustment Act of 2002. This act basically created the HCTC and ensured that certain individuals who receive PBGC are qualified for credits (DSRA, p. 1). The act made it possible for 65% of health care insurance to be covered by the federal government. Through this act, the HCTC has been implemented since December 2002; and it has also been available for all of 2003 and the years following (DSRA, p. 1). The American Relief and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) extends the coverage of the Trade Adjustment Act of 2002. It is the act which provides about $30 billion for health investments with most of the investments made available to hospitals and physicians who use Electronic Health Records (EHR) (Cisco, p. 1). Those with EHR are qualified to receive incentives from the Medicare and Medicaid starting on 2011; the act includes a $2 billion grant from the Department of Health and Human Services and also grants for telemedicine pro jects (Cisco, p. 1). As part of the ARRA, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Health Coverage Improvement Act of 2009 was passed and this expanded the eligibility of qualified family members beyond the enrollees’ death or divorce for up to 24 months; also, those who are eligible but live in US territories can participate in the monthly HCTC (IRS â€Å"Individuals†). The HCTC is included as a health policy because the Congress recognized that for people who lose their health coverage, the experience can

Pussy Riot Trials In Russia Cultural Studies Essay

Pussy Riot Trials In Russia Cultural Studies Essay Sources related closely to Pussy Riot will be taken online and from newspaper articles as information on the subject is still fresh in peoples minds and not yet in book form. Mankind has always been eager to be the strongest, largest, most powerful, fundamentally the finest in everything. This statement is clear for the Russia who is deemed the largest country in the world. Russia manages to cover one sixth of the whole globes land mass and has played a significant role in modern history. Although, in order to comprehend how a country has developed into what it is now, one must reflect at its society. A countrys society reflects not only its people but also its expectations of the future and history. Many things reflect Russias varied culture but two of the main factors are of art and the church.    Like numerous other countries, religion has definitely played an immense role in the structure of Russian society and its values towards success. Their main place of worship is known as the Russian Orthodox Church, this holy place being around one thousand years old and in the region of half of the countrys population belonging to it. This being said, the vast majority of Orthodox believers do not attend church on a regular basis. Russians have also turned to various new beliefs, parties, and religious denominations. However, the Russian Orthodox Church is very much valued amongst advocates and agnostics, who see it as an icon of Russian tradition, heritage and culture.   Ã‚   Since Pussy Riot formed they have made numerous headlines with a series of illicit guerilla performances that included performing a piece aptly named Revolt in Russia on the symbolic Red Square in January 2012. Eventually they were arrested under Russia stern illegal protest laws, but at the time all eight band mates were released to march another day. The recent Pussy Riot trials in Russia have highlighted the continuing need for women to challenge authority and assert their independence within Western Society. It may appear as if women have achieved much over the last fifty years, but recent statistics have shown that as a result of the economic recession it has been women who have taken the brunt of the cuts. With un-employment amongst women aged 50 to 64 has a rising of 39% in two years compared with 5% rise for all over-16s in the UK alone1 whether it is a student, breadwinner, daughter or carer, this is the glue that holds society together, if they write off this part of society then we as a whole are lost. Females who are at risk of the cuts are most definitely not an industry or interest group they are 50% of this nation. In Stalinist Eastern Europe, political parties were banned and criticism of the government was dangerous. Just as todays North Korea or Assads Syria, public spaces were forced, propaganda was across the board and fear was extensive. Yet even in a civilization engrossed by fear, young individuals created ways to communicate their discontent, as they have recently in the Arab world and North Africa. Much like the young women of Pussy Riot in Russia, they too have also learned how the use of pop culture and the ever growing power of social media sites can be used as a means of resistance against the communist regimes.   Modern Communism was thought up and developed by a man named Karl Marx who was the brains behind creating Marxism and this is what communism as we know it today was based upon. Karl Marx created this philosophy in the 1840s and the first communist party to come to authority was the Bolshevik Party which gained control of Russia and created the Soviet Union. This happened in the early 20th century and so from this we can establish that communism has been around from 1910s-20s through to present day. This was when the art movement Socialist Realism was created and then, in later years, used by the communist governments to create an alliance of the people within the country. This realistic art was also used to romanticize the truth and to glorify the roles that the working class societies were playing within the country; this was to make the people feel they were personally involved with the sustained existence of the country. At the beginning of the 20th  century in Russia, during the civil war, the innovative government largely used the arts as a means of advertising its ideas and aims. One of the most significant types of Russian propaganda art of that time was the influential political poster. It is through this form of medium and with the power of mass media in which the government called on the nation to learn to read and write, lend a hand those less fortunate or in need, and have a passionate love towards their country, making it a proud and immensely successful nation, fighting for freedom and justice. Soviet posters began to first appear in Russia during the Proletarian Revolution and so  bringing Communist Partys slogans to the masses. A number of posters would be hand drawn; producing the posters this way would give these artists independence from the press and thus making it possible to react straight away to the most current issues as rapidly as possible. This way of producing has become an important attribute of Russian propaganda art. The posters themselves had individual characteristics: bold shapes, vibrant colours, clear lines with lack of small details and additional strength. One unconventional example of Russian propaganda art had brought around a unique phenomenon in Russian art of the early 20th century; agitation porcelain which proclaimed the ideas and ideals of the revolution and was an important propaganda weapon for the new rulers. Agitation porcelain was produced by artists such as Kazimir Malevich and Nikolai Suetin in dreary conditions, from time to time in starvation, under the management of Sergey Chekhonin. In 1923-24, they designed their globally- famous Suprematist works, which included classics of design history; Malevichs white teapot and the half-cup. Agitation porcelain immediately became enthusiastically wanted and sought after by international art collectors. However it didnt become used by the masses or art for the people. Instead of ordinary floral and idyllic subjects these porcelain objects embellished with symbols of the Soviet Republic. With designs such as the hammer and sickle, and slogans like à Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ à Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ µ Ñâ‚ ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡, Ñ‚Ã Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ à Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡-Those who dont work dont eat. Today Soviet agitation porcelain, representing Russian propaganda art; are now popular items in collections of museums in Russia and overseas as well as private collections. Communism has long been connected with Russia. Even as this country rose to a democracy, suggestion of Russias socialist past still linger over this supposed forward thinking country. Pussy Riot had made global headlines with their taped performances in controversial locations. Yekaterina  Samutsevich, 30, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, were found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred due to the staged performance in February 2012 rallying against president Putin ahead of the countrys elections in March. Pussy Riot are a feminist performance group formed of friends that embraced similar principles at anti-Putin rallies in Moscow, forming a revolution based around punk ethics and political activism. The identities of the collectives members are hidden from the public; wear eye catching bright, colourful attire and balaclavas to their protests and events, inviting other members of the public who share the same ideals to join, disguised as well. When asked about the chosen name of the group one member named Garadzha stated; A female sex organ, which is supposed to be receiving and shapeless, suddenly starts a radical rebellion against the cultural order, which tries to constantly define it and show its appropriate place. Sexists have certain ideas on how a woman should behave and Putin, by the way, also has got a couple thoughts on how Russians should live. Fighting against all that thats Pussy Riot. (Vice magazine 2012) On February 21st, the group crossed the threshold of the altar and began singing and dancing in front of tourists and clergy at Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Savior. They delivered approximately forty seconds of the Punk Prayer; Mother of God, put Putin away asking the Virgin Mary to drive out Russian president Vladimir Putin from the church, before being removed by security guards. Pussy Riot assured their performance in Moscows main cathedral was not to be an anti-church demonstration, and was entirely based on criticizing President Vladimir Putin.  Some see the song itself as Punk poetry whilst others describe it as blasphemous. But the fact of the matter is Pussy Riot live, vote, pay their taxes in a country in which the Russian Orthodox Church and its deep links in structures of power have had a colossal control over their lives, politically and culturally. During the 20th century, the bodies of artists, and the public alike, were beginning to be commonly used more and more as both the entity and the subject matter, the piece itself. Bound, beaten, unclothed or highlighted features etc: the body is presented in all possible guises, as the artist quite literally lives his or her art either publicly, in performances or privately, in video and photography. This long standing tradition of self portraiture had began to take a distinct left turn, and the influential performance artists were at the forefront of this defiant movement to take art outside of the galleries and into the unconventional media, and in some cases controversial spaces much like Pussy Riot today, its clear to see that performance art would have played a distinct role in their political piece. The ties between art and life itself would then be worn away, as were the ties between somewhat sensual and visual experiences amongst viewers. By establishing narratives of real life situations, their own experiences within the perspective of performance, the artists point out the extent in to which history, gender, and identity are all socially constructed performances and are the main focus to the manipulations of power. Before Pussy Riot, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina  Samutsevich were members of a collective named Voina (meaning War).Voina is a made up of a controversial group of Russian actionist artists that engage in radical street protest actions; Political protest art. The collective have protested against the somewhat total elimination of freedom of speech, against the violation of human rights, and against the complete liquidation of democracy that has taken place in Russia in current years. The popularity of politically engaged art tends to surge and decline, depending, of course on the current socio-political and economic climates. Commodity artists and activist artists coexist. We had sex in public and this doesnt frighten us anymore, we invaded a police station and this doesnt frighten us anymore. What more is there that can scare us? We will deal with death in the future. Soon we will be completely fearless. (2012) To this day, over 200 activists have participated in Voinas artistic protest actions and at least 20 criminal investigations into the groups activities have been initiated (Free-voina.org). On Voina, curator Artur Ã…Â »mijewski had said (to gazeta.ru), The art group participates directly in politics, something no other group in Europe does. They are absolutely unique. Their actions test the durability of democracy. Their fame is linked to the fact that their actions reflect the Russian political process, the process itself is split in two: partly European yet wildly different. And has also written The Voina group are the last of the righteous, who speak to us of how things should be, so that they may once again come true. http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbh6yrMGFG1qgejhto1_500.jpg A VOINA activist in a police uniform covered by an Orthodox priests cassock with a massive cross performed robbery in a high-class supermarket in Moscow. Accompanied by the group, Mentopop carried outside, without paying, 5 large bags with delicatessen and elite alcohol. The crime was committed with the impunity enjoyed by priests and cops in todays Russia. Femen, a Ukrainian feminist group have gained much interest due to their scrupulous attitude of self-proclaimed sextremism which has turned into becoming infamous for organising naked protests. Some of the prominent examples of their work are the topless protests at the 2012 Olympics in London, in hostility towards  bloody Islamist regimes  or the  cutting down of a crucifix in Kiev, in support for fellow feminists, Pussy Riot   just as a Moscow court was due to deliver its verdict in the  case.   This goal of feminism expressed by Femen and their strategies are indicative of the idea that Western ways of thinking are in some way essentially legitimate and greater. Their feminism however, is not a cultural paradigm that can be applied to all. - Riot grrrl has always been a force to be reckoned with; it was an underground feminist movement that began early on in the nineties, which was very much united with punk music, feminism, radical politics, and a DIY aesthetic. Riot Grrrl activism concerned meetings, the creation of zines, artwork alike and a national network of support for females performance, whether it be musically, poetically or indeed artistically. Although many say the movement lasted until the mid nineties, others argue that it never ended. With the recognition of  Sara Marcuss book  Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution, it appears that there may be various truths to that assertion. And there are many zines, which tell the tale of the origins of the movement (Jigsaw-1988, Girl Germs-1989, Bikini Kill-1990, SNARLA; to name a few). In 1993, according to a Canadian newspaper (as mentioned in  Girls to the Front), 40,000 zines were published in North America alone. (2010) But as the next quote states, the power of Riot Grrrl managed to travel its way overseas and influence a whole new group of European followers wanting to reach out, create and thus inspire women and know that they were not alone. Why is there something odd and unnatural about women who want to try to do something with their lives? Why are women such fucking appendages in everything? Feminism isnt over, it didnt fail, but something new must happen- Riot Grrrlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Next time a guy feels your ass, patronises you, slags off your body- generally treats you like shit- forget the moral highground, forget hes been instilled with patriarchy and is a victim too, forget rationale and debate. Just deck the bastard. 1993 issue of Leeds and Bradford Riot Grrrls zine. We live in a generation of apathy and ignorance. We live in towns that no-one has any respect for anymore. We live lives and abide by the rules set for us, day in and day out. Media subliminally feeds us ideas of how we should be, look like, what we should think and what our tastes should be; its bullshit and it needs to change. The Barbie dolls we see on the front of red-top newspapers and on TV are not our sisters. They arent our friends and they are not a force to change the sexism in this world. Male-domination has well and truly taken over the media/music/films etc. We are not second class citizens and we have as much right to be here as men do. This is not acceptable. But when does art become music? Pussy Riot have been described as a feminist punk rock group, a punk rock collective. Released member of the group. Since the jailing of Pussy Riot the Moscow City court has established for the second occasion its verdict banning all LGBT pride events in the Russian capital for the next century. In the nearest future we will contest the authorities actions over the 100-year ban on gay pride events in the European Court of Human Rights. Through this we will eventually achieve that the bans are recognized as unlawful, not only for the past, but for the future gay parades in the Russian capital, the Interfax news agency quoted Alekseyev as saying. Pussy Riots performance of the Punk Prayer included a reference to the countrys victimized LGBT community with the line Gay pride sent to Siberia in chains. A court in Moscow has chosen four videos made by the feminist punk protest group Pussy Riot as extremist. The Zamoskvorechye District Court in the Russian capital ruled that access to all websites hosting the videos must be limited. In relation to the courts decision, websites that do not remove the Pussy Riot videos will face administrative penalties, which include fines up to 100,000 Rubles (around  £2000). On June 8, 2012, Putin signed into law a measure imposing weighty fines on citizens who organize or take part in unauthorized demonstrations, giving the Russian authorities authoritative leverage to clamp down on the large antigovernment street protests ignited by his decision that he planned to return to the presidency and re-energized by his inauguration in May. Four days later, around 10,000 protesters gathered  in central Moscow in defiance of the Kremlin ban. Tracy + the Plastics is the name of the  electro pop  solo project of  Wynne Greenwood, a  lesbian  feminist  video artist based in  Olympia, Washington she started this project with, what she describes as myself and myself and myself. She played all the roles of the band Nikki (keyboards), Cola (drums) and Tracy (singer). Live, Nikki and Cola would be included as imagery in a projected landscape that backs her up and fills her in. Pre-recorded music would begin to play through speakers. She would then begin to sing live and talk to her band mates in between songs. Nikki asks Cola why she puts socks down her pants to look like a dick or a third dimension? Cola turns to Tracy and asks her for advice. I dont put socks down my pants she does it to look more real. Theres a history, a reality created by the interaction between the self and the image of the self. When an individual in a marginalized group talks to a recorded image of themselves it empowers the individual to open the door to the understanding and celebration that she/he/it can be deliberate. It is an interaction with a fragmented self. By fragmented, Greenwood means a consistent individuality thats constructed from different, often contradictory, elements of culture, society, and existence that we identify with because popular culture has no complete identity to offer its audience except one that resembles the ruling class. We can come out. And then come out again. We can rearrange our world how we want it. Wynne Greenwood (2001) Defining Miranda July is like trying to define a colour (Chang, 2000) when faced with the sheer range of her work single channel video, experimental audio, multimedia performance, fanzines, riot grrrl film and videotape distribution.   July is a Portland, Oregon-based artist spellbound by codes, systems, and the erroneous belief of the ordinary affected by things such as education and IQ tests, also a somewhat fascination with human interactions and relationships. Shes at her finest when she manages to show systems breaking down, altering, or cleared of the substance that gives them meaning. July began to catch local attention whilst still in high school in Berkeley, MI, when she created a play (The Lifers) derived from a pen pal relationship with a convict in the California prison who was jailed for murdering a man who had frequently stole from his petrol station. She found him through an advert for a prisoner pen-pal type program in the back of a magazine. July went on to move to Portland, OR, and became emerged into the Riot Grrrl scene since this appeared the place to be for DIY music and art specifically targeting women with a voice, who needed an outlet. In 1996, out of this eager hotbed of creative female community arose the  Big Miss Moviola  project (but legal threats from the owners of the word Movieola strained July to modify the name of her project to  Joanie4Jackie) a creative and incessant video chain letter. Female filmmakers and performance artists alike would produce a short film. The recorded piece would then be added to a compilation tape contai ning ten other female artists. The tape would then be sent back to the contributor. http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/inside_out/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/mj_amateurist_web.jpg You always suspected it and now you know its true: Girls and women are making movies everyday Joanie4Jackie All women were invited and encouraged to participate, despite technical skills, using any medium that was available to them, By August 2000 there were upwards of 100 films still in distribution. The initiative for Moviola  emerged from Julys observation that the earth is full of inspirational films and people that cannot be seen or heard. And she takes this farther by stating she is also stimulated by films that yet to be made. July claims all of her writing is taken from the subconscious.   The curators for this project included Miranda July, Rita Gonzalez, and Astria Suparak. The  Joanie4Jackie  series was also screened at film festivals and DIY movie events. So far, thirteen editions have been released, the latest in 2002. Prominent DIY filmmakers who have contributed to the project include  Mary Billyou,Tammy Rae Carland,  Lisa Hammer,  K8 Hardy,  Sarah Jacobson,  G.B. Jones,  Tara Mateik  and Miranda July herself. Nowadays, her films illuminate the ordinary, lampoons of relationships, the fundamental weirdness of sex, and remind us of what it feels to be human. July plays on the tension of relationships, the uncomfortable bits and the joys. She makes you snigger, and feel good without making you feel like a simpleton in the process. She allures you not with trickery, but with what is desired as truth, or at least something within reach. For the male spectator, her films also offer the unusual delight of inhabiting a characteristically woman sensibility.