The Last mercy Review Essay Example

The Last mercy Review Paper Essay on The Last mercy Canadian author Louise Penny produced numerous awards for his fine detectives in which the investigation is suave Armand Gamache, senior police inspector of Quebec. Gamache intelligent, observant and invincible these attributes characterize a well-experienced detective series. Pennys charms well-crafted mystery of an ancient family whose old unhealed wounds lead him to the ultimate destruction. Psychological acuity, and excellent prose ingenious mystery makes every book worth reading for fans of detective stories and lovers of great literature. The seasonal cycle of detectives of Senior Inspector Gamache novel begins with something to hide a dead man. Total detectives in a series of four. The latter, released this year A RULE AGAINST MURDER / (THE MURDER STONE) However, the Russian language is translated only two first novel, What hid the dead and Last mercy, which at present time and presented on the website. Once upon a time gladly read the first book of Louise Penny something to hide a corpse. Because I do not like to read the summary before reading the book, and the work itself bought only because the author does not suggest that Last mercy will be a continuation. So it was nice to get back into the Three Pines and meet its inhabitants and Inspector Gamache. We will write a custom essay sample on The Last mercy Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Last mercy Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Last mercy Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The small village of Three Pines, where even at Christmas (and the action takes place in the Christmas season), life goes steadily and slowly. Similarly, steadily and slowly flowing narrative novel. Once again, I convinced that Louise Penny a master of detail. Everything is so well written, down to the last detail, that at some point, it begins to seem that already and itself exist picture in this. Not too busy detective, perhaps someone will seem boring, but the author so skillfully throws the puzzle and intrigue throughout the book, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, do not read to the end it is simply impossible. I liked about the meaning of life. And happiness. I am a happy man. And the most important thing that I know about it. And like God. Believe that in difficult times I will meet my personal Perhaps it should be said about the awards, which won the Louise Penny book:  «last favor » (A FATAL GRACE / DEAD COLD) In the list of US bestsellers, Australia, and Canada is one of the best books of 2007 the magazine Deadly Pleasures magazine the United States, Starred Reviews, Kirkus and Library journal  «What hides The dead man  »( « STILL LIFE  ») The winner of the prestigious Anthony award for the best debut novel in the United States. The winner of Barry awards approved by the readers of Mystery News and Deadly Pleasures Magazines  »in the US Winner of the Dilys Award -. in 2007, according to Aso iatsii store detective fiction in the United States, the book is very well sold 2006 New Blood Dagger -. 2006 for the best detective debut, the award given by the Association of British detective writers Arthur Ellis Award -. 2006 for the best detective debut, the award given detective novelist Canada. in the list of Canadas best-selling and the Association of detective fiction shops novel entered the top ten of the best detectives in 2006, according to the  «Kirkus Reiview ». and a few words from the most Louise: I grew up on the books of Agatha Christie and others ugih authors Zloty century detective. And I am deeply indebted to them. For many hours of comfort. And fun. For the opportunity to escape into a world that seemed to me my own. They were my companions at the time of loneliness. Created me company when I was sick.

Ancient Celtics essays

Ancient Celtics essays The Celtic peoples existence can be traced over more than twenty-five centuries. Celts occupied vast lands currently known as Eastern Europe, Greece, Northern Italy, Western Europe, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. By about 500 BC, the Celts had spread to France, Portugal, Spain, the British Isles, and Northern Italy. The history and literature of the non-literate culture was preserved through spoken tradition. The texts left by classical authors were the only written records of their civilization, the first of which appeared in 500 BC. These accounts, inaccurate as they may be, show that the Celts came into cultural contact, and sometimes competition, with the Romans and the Greeks. The Celts impressed the Greeks and Romans not only with their bold dress but also with their powerful appearance, particularly their tall stature. Ancient observers generally characterized them as people with fair hair, usually red or blonde, and light complexions. Most Celtic ladies usually towered over the average Roman citizen. Celtic women, upon maturing, caught on to braided hair, and colorful embroidered dresses were very popular. Plaids and wrapped woven cloaks were popular for women and men, and gold and silver toques, arm rills and rings decorated rich Celts. Gaelic men most likely spiked their hair and bleached it to a light blonde with chalky water, and had long beards, while the Bretons and Picts had blue tattoos on their arms and faces. Celtic art originated with sculpture making and carving and metal work. Coptic Christian Manuscripts later introduced knot works to Celtic art. It wasnt until the 15th century that the spinning wheel was invented. Before the spinning wheel was invented the only way was to use a distaff and spindle. The left hand held the distaff while the spindle was held in the right hand. Celts spun both wool and flax. Women always carried out the craft of spinning. To be...

Quartzite Rock Geology and Uses

Quartzite Rock Geology and Uses Quartzite is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock that consists mostly of quartz. Its usually a white to pale gray rock, but occurs in other colors, including red and pink (from iron oxide), yellow, blue, green, and orange. The rock has a grainy surface with a sandpaper texture, but polishes to a glassy shine. Key Takeaways: Quartzite Rock Quartzite is a hard, nonfoliated metamorphic rock formed by the action of heat and pressure upon sandstone.Usually, the rock is white or gray, but it occurs in other pale colors. It has a grainy, rough surface. Magnification reveals a mosaic of quartz crystals.Pure quartzite consists entirely of silicon dioxide, but usually iron oxide and trace minerals are present.Quartzite occurs in folded mountain ranges at convergent plate boundaries worldwide. How Quartzite Forms Quartzite forms when pure or nearly pure quartz sandstone undergoes heating and pressure. Usually this is caused by tectonic compression. The sand grains of sandstone melt and recrystallize, cemented together by silica. Quartzite arenite is the intermediate stage between sandstone and quartzite. Arenite is still considered to be a sedimentary rock, but it has an extremely high quartz content. However, its difficult to identify the transition from sandstone to quartzite. Some geologists use the term quartzite to refer to metamorphic rocks consisting almost exclusively of quartz. Here, quartzite is identified by the way it fractures across grain boundaries, while arenite breaks around them. Other geologists simply identify quartzite as a tightly-cemented rock found above or below a band of sedimentary quartz rock. Quartzite Composition Quartzite consists almost entirely of silicon dioxide, SiO2. If the purity is about 99% SiO2, the rock is called orthquartzite. Otherwise, quartzite commonly contains iron oxide and may contain trace amounts of the minerals rutile, zircon, and magnetite. Quartzite may contain fossils. Properties Quartzite has a Mohs hardness of 7, which is comparable to that of quartz and considerably harder than sandstone. Like glass and obsidian, it breaks with a conchoidal fracture. Its coarse texture makes it difficult to hone to a fine edge. Under magnification, quartzites interlocking crystal structure becomes apparent. Magnified thin section of quartzite displays its mineralogy. Jackdaan88 Where to Find Quartzite Quartzite forms at convergent tectonic plate boundaries. Converging plates bury sandstone and exert compression. As the boundary folds, mountains arise. Thus, quartzite is found in folded mountain ranges worldwide. While erosion weathers softer rock away, quartzite remains, forming peaks and cliffs. The rock also litters mountain sides as scree. Quartzite cliffs surround Lake Oberon in Tasmania, Australia. Whitworth Images / Getty Images In the United States, you can find quartzite in eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, the Wasatch Range of Utah, the Baraboo Range of Wisconsin, Central Texas, near Washington, D.C., portions of Pennsylvania, and the mountains of Arizona and California. The town of Quartzite in Arizona takes its name from the rock in the nearby mountains. Quartzite occurs throughout the United Kingdom, the La Cloche Mountains in Canada, the Rhenish Massif in Continental Europe, Brazil, Poland, and the Chimanimani Plateau of Mozambique. Uses Quartzites strength and toughness lends itself to many uses. Crushed quartzite is used in road construction and for railway ballast. It is used to make roofing tiles, stairs, and flooring. When cut and polished, the rock is quite beautiful, as well as durable. It is used to make kitchen countertops and decorative walls. High-purity quartzite is used to make silica sand, ferrosilicon, silicon carbide, and silicon. Paleolithic humans sometimes made stone tools out of quartzite, although it was harder to work than flint or obsidian. Quartzite Versus Quartz and Marble Quartzite is a metamorphic rock, while quartz is an igneous rock that crystallizes from magma or precipiates around hydrothermal vents. Sandstone under pressure becomes quartz arenite and quartzite, but quartzite does not become quartz. The construction industry further complicates the matter. If you buy quartz for countertops, it is actually an engineered material made from crushed quartz, resin, and pigments and not the natural rock. Another rock commonly confused with quartzite is marble. Both quartzite and marble tend to be pale-colored, non-foliated rock. Despite having a similar appearance, marble is a metamorphic rock made from recrystallized carbonate minerals, not silicates. Marble is softer than quartzite. An excellent test to distinguish the two is to apply a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to the rock. Quartzite is impervious to weak acid etching, but marble will bubble and retain a mark. Sources Blatt, Harvey; Tracy, Robert J. (1996). Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic (2nd ed.). Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-2438-3.Gottman, John W. (1979). Wasatch quartzite: A guide to climbing in the Wasatch Mountains. Wasatch Mountain Club. ISBN 0-915272-23-7.Krukowski, Stanley T. (2006). Specialty Silica Materials. In Jessica Elzea Kogel; Nikhil C. Trivedi; James M. Barker; Stanley T. Krukowski. Industrial minerals rocks: commodities, markets, and uses (7 ed.). Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (U.S.). ISBN 0-87335-233-5.Marshak, Stephen (2016). Essentials of Geology (5th ed.). W. W. Norton Company. ISBN 978-0393601107.

Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper 1 - Essay Example The spreading of foreclosure has still not halted as the unemployment rates at 9 percent is the worst happenings US economy ever witnessed. The BOA stock dropped almost 29 percent in the last year is the worst performance in its history. In fact, BOA themselves admitted that they had undermined the mortgage crisis. They are trapped in the falling home price vortex for that leads to more defaults and then to claims from mortgage investors. After second quarter results got public declaring $8.8 billion losses, share price spurted by 28 cents. The phenomena can be explained by not the fundamentals of the company but by the technical analysis as stock market tends to move in opposite direction (contrary to the expectations of masses) for a short while; however a long term direction of the market follows fundamentals that is what happened with BOA also as the stock price is currently, as on 7/25, down at $10.01 having picked $10.23 on 7/21. The long term movement of the stock price of BOA will depend upon how the mortgage market takes turn in the coming months. (Historical prices, 2011) The BOA is not a safe buy now for there are no clear signs of economic recovery in general and housing market in particular. Moreover, unemployment rate is still hovering around 9 percent for the last several quarters. Housing market will improve only when unemployment rate improves and thereby the fortune of Bank of America. Wells Fargo came out with the results of second quarter showing net income of $3.9 billion that comes to 70 cents a share. The earning was up by 29% from 55 cents a share when compared with the figure of a year ago and that is in spite of â€Å"no remarkable change† in economy at macro level; however the revenue was down by 4.7%. That is indeed a good showing by Wells Fargo. Wells Fargos quality of home portfolio can be gauged by its

Oil and Gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Oil and Gas - Essay Example This could be described by a comparative analysis between a China, a developing economy and Russia, a developed economy. Diamond Theory The management of the global completions by the oil capitals can be explained with the management theory and the international competitiveness of Countries also called the ‘Diamond Theory’. The Diamond theory was advanced by Porter in 1990 to explain the competitive advantages of nations (Woolsey and Korin, 2008). The main focus of the theory was to find why some countries are more successful in particular industries than others. Four classes of country attributes were identified by Porter, which were called the National Diamond. These attributes provide the conditions underlying for the determination of the nation competitive advantage of a nation. These are the company strategy, structure and rivalry, related and support industries, demand conditions and factor conditions. Government policy and chance are two other factors that donâ₠¬â„¢t create lasting competitive advantages but support and complement the system of national competitiveness (Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen shire Council, 2001). The role of government as a stakeholder seeks to strengthen local capabilities for innovation in China and Russia using the Diamond Theory- The success of government in the Oil and Gas industry in Russia and China can be explained by Diamond Theory. Four classes of country attributes providing the conditions underlying for the determination of the nation competitive advantage of a nation were identified by Porter, also called the National Diamond are: 1. The company strategy-The Chinese government took the decision to restructure the petroleum and petrochemical industry in 1998 using the upstream and downstream principles of integration. As a result Foundation of CNPC and Sinopec took place. The merger of CNOOC Limited with CNOOC, PetroChina Company Limited with CNPC, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation to Sinopec, were successfully founded. A crucial role is played by the Oil and gas industry in the political and economic development of Russia. Russia’s energy sector accounts for approximately 66% of its exports. The GDP contribution of the oil and gas sector is 30% of its GDP and 50% of the revenue generated from Federal Budgets. (Feng, Lianyong and et al. 2013) 2. The structure and rivalry- On the basis of launch of four exploration fields including, marine, overseas, eastern and western regions, oil reserves and output steadily increased in China. A high level annual increase of 100 million tons was seen from proven Chinese oil geological reserves. In the beginning of the 21st century, a major challenge was presented to the Russian Government due to the dramatic increase in the value of oil and gas resources of Russia, greater state intervention in the economy and increased budgetary revenues were followed by the increased prices of the resources. With the increased dependency on t he energy sector in Russia as a result of the economic crisis of 2008-2009, the state-capitalist model was developed. (Sharples, 2012) 3. The

Cooking Methods Essay Example for Free

Cooking Methods Essay Baking is a way of cooking sweet or savory items in the dry heat of an oven. Although baking itself is a relatively easy process, it is good to have some knowledge of the role each ingredient plays in creating the final dish. Barbecuing: Nothing beats the deep, rich flavor of good barbecue. In the United States, barbecue refers to the slow, indirect cooking of meats over a wood, charcoal or gas flame. The meat is often seasoned with rubs, sauces or mops. This same method is known as barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa. Asian barbecue, on the other hand, uses thinly sliced meat and seafood, often highly seasoned, that is quick-cooked on a hot grill or a searing hotplate Deep Frying: Who doesnt love fried food? Deep frying may not be the most calorie-poor way to prepare food, but it certainly produces some of the worlds tastiest. The high heat of the oil seals in a foods moisture and crisps up the outside, giving that irresistable pairing of crunchy and juicy Grilling: Grilling is the quick cooking of meat, fish or vegetables over intense heat. The source of the heat can be burning wood, simmering coals, a gas flame, or an electric heating element. A related method is broiling, but with broiling the heat source comes from the top instead of the bottom Roasting: Roasting is the slow cooking of meat, poultry, fish or vegetables, uncovered, with dry, indirect heat. Spit roasting was the original form. In the modern kitchen, the dry heat of an oven is preferred. Roasting is a method best used with large cuts of meat, whole poultry, whole fish, or with sturdy vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and onions. Steaming: As the term implies, steaming involves suspending food over simmering or boiling water and cooking it with the resulting steam. Steaming as a method is valued for the fact that it preserves vitamins and minerals in the food that might otherwise be washed away with boiling. It is also a way to cut back on fat, since none is needed, unlike sauteing or grilling.

Fred :: essays research papers

There once was a planet inhabited by ape like creatures. All of their names were fred. Anyways... one day fred went on an adventure to fred's store to buy a pack of gum. He noticed the employee of the month had the same name as his and he purchased the gum and chewed the first piece. It was grape flavored, fred's favorite. On the way home, fred saw his best friend fred, sitting on a bench with his brown bagged lunch which had been packed 3 hours previous by fred's mother, fred. So fred went up to his best friend fred, and said, "I'll trade ya a stick of gum for one item in your lunch." Fred agreed to this with much enthusiam. Fred looked through his friend's lunch and found 3 items of interest, a bolongia sandwhich, a golden toothpick, and some tree bark. Fred's instinct was to pick the tree bark, but thinking with his head he realized he should choose the bolongia sandwhich. So fred made the wise choice and headed home with his bolongia sandwhich. He ran home so excitedly just like a monkey should. But as he got to his street, fred street, he saw that there had been a big brush fire that swept through his block and wiped out everything he held true and dear. It didn't burn his house down or anything but it melted his prized collection of wax figurines which made fred very very sad. Moving on to the next order of business, fred drove his hovercraft car to the Secretary of State that day to pick up his custom liscence plate which read, FRED, he was on a waiting list for 3 years before he could purchase such a thing due to all the people living on his planet with the first name of Fred. Which is strange because fred isn't all that common a name on other planets. On fred's way to the DMV he got stopped by the police for speeding in a slow zone. You see, there are no speed limits on this planet, only zones, zones for going fast and zones for going slow, so fred was stopped by the police officer and sat waiting for the police man to give him his ticket, when all of a sudden his hover car ran out of fuel. The fuel for his hover car was interesting because it's not radio active or anything, it runs mud, the muddier, the better.

Operatiom Process of Kfc Essay

Throughout the industry of fast-food, there were so many organisations which gained power and title for them, such as McDonald, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Pizza Domino, etc. In the list of these successful fast-food organisations, KFC is also one of the best organisation which gained their title and power for more than 80 years. KFC is a chain of fast food restaurants and first established known as Yum! Brands. However, the organisation name has been change since 1952. Until now, KFC – Kentucky Fried Chicken is the third largest fast-food organisation in the world. KFC has more than 14,000 outlets and in more than 80 countries around the world, serving about 12 million customers each day. (KFC Franchise Opportunity, 2007) PART 1 II – BUILDING BLOCKS: First of all, we need to analyze the general process of KFC. For the customer’s order, customer can have many choices to order food and meal from KFC. They can choose to dine in KFC restaurant which the process was order food, pay for food, eating food and leave. Or customer may order for delivering with fast or normal service, for a family’s meal or a party. More convenient, if customer is driving car, they can choose whether to park the car then dine in the restaurant or buying food by the fast service of KFC. * KFC general restaurant layout: KFC’s restaurant layout also has helped the organisation. In order to have a good layout, KFC’s purpose was planning and arrangement of all machines, utilities, staff room, kitchen, customer service areas, material storage areas, aisles, restrooms, internal walls, offices, and children area, which aim for the good flow of materials and customer. Moreover, also need to consider about the time, for example, demand for food of customer may high during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Parents may choose the KFC restaurant for running a birthday parties for their children on Saturday or Sunday and some other different event. By understanding the important of time and location, management of KFC can determine what size or how big their outlets should be in order to appropriate on each different circumstance and environment condition. * Value Added: The capacity of KFC restaurant which means how big the restaurant should be and where it should be locate is also important and contribute greatly to their operating management. If their outlets locate in a good place and got many good conditions for them such as skill labor, good supplier, high business climate or populated areas, their operating process will get started easier and more effectively. 4/ WORKFORCE: KFC has a slogan for their employees were that â€Å"makes more friends, earn some cash†.

Fear as Persuasion in the Crucible and Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God Essay

Fear is a strong tool to use when persuading people and trying to get what you want. Just as if a murder held a gun to someone’s head, that person would be submissive to the murderer, Jonathon Edwards and characters in The Crucible install fear into people to achieve certain goals. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God uses fear for good and to help people, while The Crucible uses it for both good and as an evil way to manipulate people. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is a sermon preached by Jonathon Edwards. He tries to scare the congregation in order to save them from going to Hell. One way that he does this is by using the metaphor of God being angry at everyone with a bow and arrow pointed directly at each person; the congregation realizes that they could die at any minute and if they aren’t saved, they will fall into a â€Å"lake of burning brimstone [that] is extended abroad under [them]† (Edwards 103,102). Edwards also compares what would keep the lost from going to Hell to a spider web trying to stop a falling rock (Edwards 102). He tries to establish fear into his audience by telling them that God holds them over Hell just like â€Å"one holds a spider, or a loathsome insect† and this God also has â€Å"wrath towards [them that] burns like fire† (Edward 103). Jonathon Edwards preached this sermon so that the congregation will feel as though they had no other option than to accept Christ as their savior that very day if they hadn’t already. This approach shown to be very effective and sparked the â€Å"Great Awakening† of this time period. Not only is fear used as a tool for persuasion in Jonathon Edwards, sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, but it is also used in The Crucible. Reverend Parris and his niece, Abigail, instate fear into people for two completely different reasons. Parris uses fear in his â€Å"Brimstone and Fire† types of sermons. He states that â€Å"there is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning,† to show that the people who are part of his congregations should do as there told (Miller 926). On the other hand, Abigail uses fear to manipulate situations and get what she wants. She tries to keep herself out of trouble by telling Betty that she’ll beat her if Betty doesn’t quite faking sick (Miller 919). She also threatens Mercy Warren and tells her that â€Å"[she] can make [her] wish [she] had never seen the sun go down† (Miller 920). She spats this because she thinks that Mercy Warren may squeal about what happened in the woods. Abigail also uses fear to try to get attention, choose who is charged with witchcraft, and get John Proctor all to herself. Making someone afraid of you is like attaching strings to a puppet; it allows one to manipulate the subject into doing whatever he or she wants the person to do. The Crucible shows how one can use fear to make people submissive unto oneself, but it ultimately ends up creating a crazy mess and limits one’s opportunities. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God demonstrates how one can also use fear in people to straighten them up and help them out. Fear is a strong an effective way to persuade people.

Uniform Policy should be abolished in Asian High Schools

Uniform Policy should be abolished in Asian High Schools Introduction It is universally accepted that schools are the most appropriate venues from where knowledge and skills can be imparted to students. Policy makers and educators all over the world try to come up with the best form of education for the school-aged citizens. In the Asian high schools, educators make use of policies that are aimed at promoting the best outcome from students. One of the policies widely applied by high schools in South Korea, China, and Japan is mandatory school uniforms.[1]Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Uniform Policy should be abolished in Asian High Schools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Proponents of this policy argue that it leads to the best educational outcomes by students. However, this view is not unanimous and opponents of the policy asset that students should have the freedom to wear regular clothes. This paper will set out to argue that the school uniform policy in Asian high schools should be abolished since the policy prevents students from having individuality. The paper will demonstrate that the uniform policy is unjustifiable since in one of its core aspiration, which is to enhance discipline among students. Why the Uniform Policy should be Abolished By being forced to dress in a certain way, school uniforms limit a students individuality. The school uniform promotes conformity as all senses of individuality in the student are blurred when they are forced to wear similar outfits. Han declares that the uniform policy ends up covering the differences that exist in the school setting.[2] The school uniform policy ignores the reality that we live in a diverse world where people have different tastes and preferences. This diversity is informed by the cultural background and individual experiences of the individual. When students are allowed to wear unique clothes, they have the avenue to express their unique individuality and celebrate the differences th at exist amongst themselves. One argument made by proponents of school uniforms is that it equalizes students and ensures that there is no distinction among students.[3] By wearing uniforms, there is no opportunity for class or social distinction since wealthier students and poorer students are all forced to dress in the same way.[4] However, the fact is that differences exist among individuals in society. Instead of looking for ways to suppress these differences, schools should promote good relationships among students of varying cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Some researchers argue that by suppressing the individuality of the student, the uniform policy prevents the society from addressing issues such as inequality and stereotyping. The conformity promoted by the uniform policy has a negative impact on student creativity. When students are allowed to wear their normal home clothes, they have an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity. Schools that do not have a manda tory uniform policy also convey a spirit of innovation and originality.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In such an environment, students are inspired to exercise their creativity. Creativity is necessary for the future prosperity of the society since it leads to new inventions and innovations. As institutions that nurture skills and promote the development of talents in students, schools are supposed to promote creativity. By encouraging uniformity, the school uniform policy extinguishes the flame of creativity in students making them less productive members of the society. School uniforms also decrease the independence of students since educators encourage individuals to act in a similar fashion. Nemoto declares that uniforms have a negative effect on the development of students independent spirit.[5] The uniform policy therefore discourages a culture of innovation among th e students. The school uniform policy violates the rights of the student since they are denied their freedom of choice and expression. Even through students are not fully self-reliant citizens, they are entitled to some basic rights in society. One of these rights is the freedom of expression, which articulates the right of the student to express himself to the public as long as it is in an appropriate manner. Studies indicate that most students, especially from urban areas, have a poor perception of school uniforms. However, they are still obligated to wear the uniforms since it is mandatory school policy. The uniform policy is therefore perceived by many as an infringement on their freedoms. In most cases, students in Asian high schools are unable to demonstrate against the perceived injustice against them. As such, school uniforms promote compliancy even when those in authority are trampling upon the rights of the individual. Opponents of the school uniform policy assert that it leads to the formation of students who are unlikely to value the ideals of freedom of expression. In the Asian countries, students are displeased with the imposition of the uniform policy. However, they have to wear their uniforms and there is little public opposition to the policy. Greater priority is placed on respect and obedience to the authorities. Amita suggests that school uniforms encourage a subservient attitude by the student.[6] This attitude is carried forward into the society where students will continue to demonstrate great obedience to the authorities even when they feel that their rights are being infringed upon Arguments in Support of Uniform Policy and Refutations Advocates of the school uniform policy in Asian high schools argue that uniforms eliminate competition among students as each student has the same outfit.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Uniform Policy should be abolished in Asian High Schools specifically for you for only $16. 05 $11/page Learn More They further contend that wearing a school uniform decreases non-academic distractions since students will not waste time wearing flashing clothes to impress their peers. These assertions are supported by research findings by Firmin and Smith, which demonstrate that competition exists among high school students and many students wear particular clothes for the express reason of showing off to their friends.[7] Teachers and parents are of the opinion that uniforms can eliminate teasing and competition among peers. While mitigating competition and teasing in high schools is a noble endeavor, uniforms may not be the solution to this problem. Studies demonstrate that uniforms are unlikely to alter negative interactions among students at school.[8] Even when in uniform, students still engage in deleterious acts such as teasing and bullying. Competition is still rife with students looking for new avenues to show off to their peers. In Japan, some stu dents decorate their clothes or wear bright accessories to differentiate themselves from others. The competition elimination role that school uniforms supposedly play is therefore not realized in the Asian high schools. School uniform policy supporters believe that school uniforms encourage good behavior and conformity by students. In most cases, teachers promote the enforcement of uniform policy since they believe that if students are allowed to show individuality or originality in appearance, they are more likely to be rebellious against teachers or school rules.[9] The psychological development of high school students increases the likelihood that they will engage in rebellious behavior. Research indicates that there are instances where mandatory a school uniform policy leads to the reduction in problem behaviors among the students.[10] However, the relationship between implementing a mandatory school uniform policy and bad behavior mitigation is not always straightforward. Most studies that show an inverse relationship between school uniforms and the number of students problem behaviors fail to consider the numerous school safety initiatives that have an impact on student behavior. If these external factors are considered, it will be observed that school uniforms do not lead to a reduction in the frequency of students problem behaviors. Educators are tempted to use the uniform policy as an easy way to control students problem behavior and create a safe school environment. However, research indicates that the uniform policy by itself does not fulfill these roles. In addition to this, there is evidence suggesting that imposing school uniforms on students might actually exacerbate the situation of problematic behavior.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In some Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan where teachers enforce the uniform policy strictly, incidents of rebellion are higher. Some students engage in bad behavior as a protest and deliberately break school rules or commit other misdeeds. Research by Rockquemore and Brunsma actually demonstrates that students who wore uniforms had worse behavior problems than all other students.[11] Supporters of school uniforms in Asian schools declare that uniforms prevent delinquent behavior by students outside the school setting. These advocates reveal that by forcing students to wear students, they are easily identifiable in the public and they are unlikely to engage in delinquent acts. Empirical tests confirm that uniforms may be effective in decreasing delinquent behavior such as vandalism, theft, and burglary since the person is easily identifiable as a student.[12] However, this preventative role only applies to students who are not motivated to engage in antisocial behavior i n the first place. Research indicates that students who are motivated to engage will still find ways to carry out offenses even if they are forced to wear uniforms. Students can carry a change of clothing in a bag and therefore be free of their uniforms before getting home. They can then engage in delinquent behavior without anyone noticing that they are students. Research by Rockquemore and Brunsma indicated that uniforms had no effects of the behavior of students and they did not promote positive behavior[13]. Instead, any positive behavior was the result of social relations and values held by the students. Advocate of school uniforms policy in high schools state that school uniforms improve the academic outcomes of students. This claim gives great weight to imposition of school uniforms among Asian schools since every stakeholder in the educational sector wants to see students achieve the best educational results. Some research findings on the impact of school uniforms on test sc ores suggest that there is a positive correlation between the two.[14] According to a research conducted by Bodine, students from schools were a uniform policy was implemented demonstrated better academic performance than students from schools where no uniforms were used.[15] The idea that school uniforms increase academic performance has been refuted by further research. Kerry and Brunsma contend that the claims that uniforms increase student achievement are not supported by research findings.[16] Furthermore, research findings demonstrate that academic outcomes of students are determined by multiple factors including; student capability, teacher competence, school administrative policies, and student socio-economic status.[17] It would therefore be very misguided to attribute good performance to the school uniform policy. Any attempt by educators in Asian high schools to utilize school uniforms to deliver high academic performance is bound to fail. Discussion The high school unifo rm policy is widely promoted by educators and policy makers in Asian countries. This overwhelming support for a uniform policy is prompted by perceived positive outcomes attributed to implementing such a policy.[18] The expansive implementation of the school uniform policy in high schools in Japan, South Korea, and China is not based on evidence from empirical studies on the positive outcomes from this policy. Research findings overwhelming show that there are limited positive results achieved by implementing the uniform policy in high schools. Students who wear uniforms do not demonstrate stronger pro-school attitudes or better behavior than their peers who do not wear uniforms. Conclusion This paper set out to argue that the school uniform policy should be abolished in Asian high schools. It began by highlighting that the uniform policy is enforced out of the perceived advantages to be gained by having students in uniform outfit. The paper has demonstrated that the uniform policy leads to negative outcomes by preventing individuality and creativity among students. The policy also infringe on the freedom of expression that should be enjoyed by the students. The best society is one where citizens enjoy certain freedoms and are able to confront the authority when their freedoms are violated. From the arguments presented in this paper, it is clear that the uniform policy does not promote the development of such a society. From the evidence presented in this paper, it is clear that the positive perception toward school uniforms is based on faulty assumptions. In reality, school uniforms do not have positive effects on the learning outcomes and behavior of students, or school climate in Asian high schools. The uniform policy should therefore be abolished in Asian high schools in order to avoid the numerous demerits attributed to them and therefore guarantee a better future for the students. Bibliography Bodine, Anne. â€Å"School Uniforms, Academic Achievement, a nd Uses of Research.† Journal of Educational Research 97, no.2 (2003): 67-71. Brunsma, David. The School Uniform Movement and What It Tells Us About American Education: A Symbolic Crusade. NY: RL Education, 2004. Brunsma, David and Rockquemore Kerry. â€Å"Statistics, Sound Bites, and School Uniforms: A Reply to Bodine.† Journal of Educational Research 97, no.2 (2003): 72-77. Firmin, Michael and Smith Suzanne. â€Å"School Uniforms: A Qualitative Analysis of Aims and Accomplishments at Two Christian Schools.† Journal of Research on Christian Education 15, no.2 (2006): 143-168. Gentile, Elisabetta and Imberman Scott. â€Å"Dressed for Success? The Effect of School Uniforms on Student Achievement and Behavior.† Journal of Educational Research 103, no.1 (2010): 17-31. Gupta, Amita. Going to school in South Asia. Boston: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007. Han, Seunghee. â€Å"A Mandatory Uniform Policy in Urban Schools: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2003-04.† International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership 5, no. 8 (2010): 1-13. Ishtiaq, Ahmed. The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia. NY: Taylor Francis, 2011. Nault, Derrick. â€Å"The State and Uniform Policy.† Asia Journal of Global Studies 3, no. 1 (2003): 40-49. Nemoto, Yasuhiro. The Japanese Education System. NY: Universal-Publishers, 1999. Rockquemore, Kerry and Brunsma David. â€Å"Effects of student uniforms on attendance, behavior problems, substance use, and academic achievement.† The Journal of Educational Research 92, no. 1 (1998): 53-62. Seth, Micheal. Education fever: society, politics, and the pursuit of schooling in South Korea. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press, 2002. Footnotes Yasuhiro Nemoto, The Japanese Education System (NY: Universal-Publishers, 1999), 75. Han Seunghee, â€Å"A Mandatory Uniform Policy in Urban Schools: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2003-04,† Internatio nal Journal of Education Policy and Leadership 5, no. 8 (2010): 3. Ahmed Ishtiaq, The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia (NY: Taylor Francis, 2011), 34. Micheal Seth, Education fever: society, politics, and the pursuit of schooling in South Korea (Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press, 2002), 35. Yasuhiro, 74. Amita Gupta, Going to school in South Asia (Boston: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007), 32. Michael Firmin and Suzanne Smith, â€Å"School Uniforms: A Qualitative Analysis of Aims and Accomplishments at Two Christian Schools,† Journal of Research on Christian Education 15, no.2 (2006): 165. David Brunsma, The School Uniform Movement and What It Tells Us About American Education: A Symbolic Crusade (NY: RL Education, 2004), 35. Nemoto, 74. Han, 9. Kerry Rockquemore and David Brunsma, â€Å"Effects of student uniforms on attendance, behavior problems, substance use, and academic achievement,† The Journal of Educational Research 92, no. 1 (1998): 58. Davi d, 40. Kerry and David, 58. Elisabetta Gentile and Scott Imberman, â€Å"Dressed for Success? The Effect of School Uniforms on Student Achievement and Behavior.† Journal of Educational Research 103, no.1 (2010): 18. Anne Bodine, â€Å"School Uniforms, Academic Achievement, and Uses of Research,† Journal of Educational Research 97, no.2 (2003): 67. Kerry and David, 58 David Brunsma and Kerry Rockquemore, â€Å"Statistics, Sound Bites, and School Uniforms: A Reply to Bodine,† Journal of Educational Research 97, no.2 (2003): 72. Derrick Nault, â€Å"The State and Uniform Policy,† Asia Journal of Global Studies 3, no. 1 (2003): 42.

An Introduction to Psychological Warfare

An Introduction to Psychological Warfare Psychological warfare is the planned tactical use of propaganda, threats, and other non-combat techniques during wars, threats of war, or periods of geopolitical unrest to mislead, intimidate, demoralize, or otherwise influence the thinking or behavior of an enemy. While all nations employ it, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) lists the tactical goals of psychological warfare (PSYWAR) or psychological operations (PSYOP) as: Assisting in overcoming an enemy’s will to fightSustaining the morale and winning the alliance of friendly groups in countries occupied by the enemyInfluencing the morale and attitudes of people in friendly and neutral countries toward the United States To achieve their objectives, the planners of psychological warfare campaigns first attempt to gain total knowledge of the beliefs, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities of the target population. According to the CIA, knowing what motivates the target is the key to a successful PSYOP.   A War of the Mind As a non-lethal effort to capture hearts and minds, psychological warfare typically employs  propaganda to influence the values, beliefs, emotions, reasoning, motives, or behavior of its targets. The targets of such propaganda campaigns can include governments, political organizations, advocacy groups, military personnel, and civilian individuals. Simply a form of  cleverly â€Å"weaponized† information, PSYOP propaganda may be disseminated in any or all of several ways: Face-to-face verbal communicationAudiovisual media, like television and moviesAudio-only media including shortwave radio broadcasts like those of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty or Radio HavanaPurely visual media, like leaflets, newspapers, books, magazines, or posters More important than how these weapons of propaganda are delivered is the message they carry and how well they influence or persuade the target audience.   Three Shades of Propaganda In his 1949 book, Psychological Warfare Against Nazi Germany, former OSS (now the CIA) operative Daniel Lerner details the U.S. militarys WWII Skyewar campaign. Lerner separates psychological warfare propaganda into three categories:   White propaganda: The information is truthful and only moderately biased. The source of the information is cited.Grey propaganda: The information is mostly truthful and contains no information that can be disproven. However, no sources are cited.Black propaganda: Literally â€Å"fake news,† the information is false or deceitful and is attributed to sources not responsible for its creation. While grey and black propaganda campaigns often have the most immediate impact, they also carry the greatest risk. Sooner or later, the target population identifies the information as being false, thus discrediting the source. As Lerner wrote, Credibility is a condition of persuasion. Before you can make a man do as you say, you must make him believe what you say.† PSYOP in Battle   On the actual battlefield, psychological warfare is used to obtain confessions, information, surrender, or defection by breaking the morale of enemy fighters.   Some typical tactics of battlefield PSYOP include:   Distribution of pamphlets or flyers encouraging the enemy to surrender and giving instructions on how to surrender safelyThe visual â€Å"shock and awe† of a massive attack employing vast numbers of troops or technologically advanced weaponsSleep deprivation through the continual projection of loud, annoying music or sounds toward enemy troopsThe threat – whether real or imaginary – of the use of chemical or biological weaponsRadio stations created to broadcast propagandaRandom use of snipers, booby traps, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs)â€Å"False flag† events – attacks or operations designed to convince the enemy that they were carried out by other nations or groups In all cases, the objective of battlefield psychological warfare is to destroy the morale of the enemy leading them to surrender or defect.   Early Psychological Warfare While it might sound like a modern invention, psychological warfare is as old as war itself. When soldiers the mighty Roman Legions rhythmically beat their swords against their shields they were employing a tactic of shock and awe designed to induce terror in their opponents.   In the 525 B.C. Battle of Peluseium, Persian forces held cats as hostages  in order to gain a psychological advantage over the Egyptians, who due to their religious beliefs, refused to harm cats.   To make the number of his troops seem larger than they actually were, 13th century A.D. leader of the Mongolian Empire Genghis Khan ordered each soldier to carry three lit torches at night. The Mighty Khan also designed arrows notched to whistle as they flew through the air, terrifying his enemies. And in perhaps the most extreme shock and awe tactic, Mongol armies would catapult severed human heads over the walls of enemy villages to frighten the residents. During the  American Revolution, British troops wore brightly colored uniforms in an attempt to intimidate the more plainly dressed troops of George Washington’s Continental Army. This, however, proved to be a fatal mistake as the bright red uniforms made easy targets for Washington’s even more demoralizing American snipers. Modern Psychological Warfare Modern psychological warfare tactics were first used  during World War I. Technological advances in electronic and print media made it easier for governments to distribute propaganda through mass-circulation newspapers. On the battlefield, advances in aviation made it possible to drop leaflets behind enemy lines and special non-lethal artillery rounds were designed to deliver propaganda. Postcards dropped over German trenches by British pilots bore notes supposedly handwritten by German prisoners extolling their humane treatment by their British captors. During  World War II, both Axis and Allied powers regularly used PSYOPS. Adolf Hitlers rise to power in Germany was driven largely by propaganda designed to discredit his political opponents. His furious speeches mustered national pride while convincing the people to blame others for Germany’s self-inflicted economic problems. Use of radio broadcast PSYOP reached a peak in World War II. Japans famous Tokyo Rose broadcast music with false information of Japanese military victories to discourage allied forces. Germany employed similar tactics through the radio broadcasts of Axis Sally.   However, in perhaps the most impactful PSYOP in WWII, American commanders orchestrating the leaking of false orders leading the German high command to believe the allied D-Day invasion would be launched on the beaches of Calais, rather than Normandy, France. The Cold War was all but ended when U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly released detailed plans for a highly sophisticated â€Å"Star Wars† Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)anti-ballistic missile system capable of destroying Soviet nuclear missiles before they re-entered the atmosphere. Whether any of Reagan’s â€Å"Star Wars† systems could have really been built or not, Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev believed they could. Faced with the realization that the costs of countering U.S. advances in nuclear weapons systems could bankrupt his government, Gorbachev agreed to reopen dà ©tente-era negotiations resulting in lasting nuclear arms control treaties.   More recently, the United States responded to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks by launching the Iraq War with a massive â€Å"shock and awe† campaign intended to break the Iraqi army’s will to fight and to protect the country’s dictatorial leader Saddam Hussein. The U.S. invasion began on March 19, 2003, with two days of non-stop bombing of Iraq’s capital city of Baghdad. On April 5, U.S. and allied Coalition forces, facing only token opposition from Iraqi troops, took control of Baghdad. On April 14, less than a month after the shock and awe invasion began, the U.S. declared victory in the Iraq War.   In todays ongoing  War on Terror, the Jihadist terrorist organization ISIS – the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria- uses social media websites and other online sources to conduct psychological campaigns designed to recruit followers and fighters from around the world.

Developing a Close-Out Plan in Procurement Management Plan Research Paper

Developing a Close-Out Plan in Procurement Management Plan - Research Paper Example This calls in the legal advice from either the corporate legal counsel or an outside lawyer. This is a matter of withdrawing from the provisions of the outsourced contract. Usually the terms and processes for terminating a contract before time are spelled out in the initial contract. This section of the contract is called the termination clause. This clause is there for the protection of both the buyer and the seller, since termination before time can severely damage the interests of either party. Most procurement contracts usually require that the party who wants to terminate the contract before time must notify the other party within a reasonable amount of time, failure to which can result in severe financial penalties for that party. Another aspect of termination clause is the substitute provider. The party who wants to forfeit being part of the legal contract will have to find an alternative provider for the other party if it wants to get out of the contractual relationship. Such provisions and contingencies depend on the parties to the contract. There is no hard and fast rule to this as both parties make the rules themselves of earlier termination in the initial contract (Beyond the Information Systems Outsourcing Bandwagon, 2005). If a contract has a written provision that any modification or termination by agreement should be in written form, then any termination or modification cannot be made effective otherwise. But as stated earlier, this agreement is made by the parties to the contract and termination or modification can be made possible and legally effective orally, in written form, by an act, by staying silent or by inaction, if the initial contract contains such a provision (Viscassilas, 2006). Categorizing the differences in termination of contracts There are three general scenarios in which one party feel the urge and have legal approval to end the contract; Scenario A: Termination for Cause or Default (Seller’s Gaffe) This is a classic f ault from the seller’s side in which the buyer is not satisfied by the quality of the products or the delivery timings. In brief, the seller doesn’t fulfill his contractual obligations in the way he is bound to fulfill them. ‘Failure without legal excuse’ is the key term here that defines the seller’s breach. Seller fails to complete his critical obligations and the buyer is fully defensible in terminating the contracting immediately. Breach from the seller’s side should be ‘material’, which means that the damage to the buyer must be significant enough to give him the legitimate excuse to lay off the contract. Scenario B: Closure for the Suitability (of the Buying side) This tort is inspired by the Federal Acquisition Law which states that the federal government reserves the right to end the procurement contract for its convenience. Many other governmental agencies have followed this law since and have acquired the same legal pos ition in their procurement contracts. These governmental agencies can end the contract if and when they see fitting. These governmental bodies represent state, county and local and many industries are following this legal trend. If the buyer terminates the contract before it is legally expired, he/she needs to notify the seller at a reasonable time so as to not hurt him financially. After sending the notice, both parties must come to the negotiation table to sort