The eNotes Blog Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez Dead at87

Gabriel Garcà ­Ã‚ ­a Mrquez Dead at87 Celebrated Colombian  author Gabriel Garcà ­Ã‚ ­a Mrquez  died today at the age of 87 after a recent hospitalization for multiple infections. His death comes two years  after it was reported he was suffering from dementia. â€Å"It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.† ―  Gabriel Garcà ­Ã‚ ­a Mrquez In his extroadinary lifetime Mrquez received widespread acclaim for his novels and short stories, including  One Hundred Years of Solitude,  Love in the Time of Cholera and  Chronicle of a Death Foretold.  One Hundred Years in particular became incredibly popular, selling more than 50 million copies worldwide in over 25 languages. With his works Mrquez  stood as an ambassador for Latin American literature, and the father of magical realism. When he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, he dedicated his lecture to the spirit of Latin America, and revealed to the world its inextricable ties to his particular writing style: We have had to ask but little of imagination, for our crucial problem has been a lack of conventional means to render our lives believable. Mrquez is survived by his wife Mercedes and his two sons. He died at home in Mexico City. His memoirs remain unfinished. Gabriel Garcà ­Ã‚ ­a Mrquez Biography at Works of  Gabriel Garcà ­Ã‚ ­a Mrquez: Love in the Time of Cholera One Hundred Years of Solitude The Autumn of the Patriarch A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings The General in His Labyrinth and more found here.

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908 At 7:14 a.m. on June 30, 1908, a giant explosion shook central Siberia. Witnesses close to the event described seeing a fireball in the sky, as bright and hot as another sun. Millions of trees fell and the ground shook. Although a number of scientists investigated, it is still a mystery as to what caused the explosion. The Blast The explosion is estimated to have created the effects of a magnitude 5.0 earthquake, causing buildings to shake, windows to break, and people to be knocked off their feet even at 40 miles away. The blast, centered in a desolate and forested area near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia, is estimated to have been a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The explosion leveled an estimated 80 million trees over an 830 square-mile area in a radial pattern from the blast zone. Dust from the explosion hovered over Europe, reflecting light that was bright enough for Londoners to read at night by it. While many animals were killed in the blast, including hundreds of local reindeer, it is believed that no humans lost their lives in the blast.   Examining the Blast Area The blast zones remote location and the intrusion of worldly affairs (World War I and the Russian Revolution) meant that it wasnt until 1927 19 years after the event that the first scientific expedition was able to examine the blast area. Assuming that the blast had been caused by a falling meteor, the expedition expected to find a huge crater as well as pieces of the meteorite. They found neither. Later expeditions were also unable to find credible evidence to prove the blast was caused by a falling meteor. Cause Of the Explosion In the decades since this huge explosion, scientists and others have attempted to explain the cause of the mysterious Tunguska Event. The most commonly accepted scientific explanation is that either a meteor or a comet entered the Earths atmosphere and exploded a couple of miles above the ground (this explains the lack of impact crater). To cause such a large blast, some scientists determined that the meteor would have weighed around 220 million pounds (110,000 tons) and traveled approximately 33,500 miles per hour before disintegrating. Other scientists say that the meteor would have been much larger, while still others say much smaller. Additional explanations have ranged from the possible to the ludicrous, including a natural gas leak escaped from the ground and exploded, a UFO spaceship crashed, the effects of a meteor destroyed by a UFOs laser in an attempt to save Earth, a black hole that touched Earth, and an explosion caused by scientific tests done by Nikola Tesla. Still a Mystery Over a hundred years later, the Tunguska Event remains a mystery and its causes continue to be debated. The possibility that the blast was caused by a comet or meteor entering the Earths atmosphere creates additional worry. If one meteor could cause this much damage, then there is a serious possibility that in the future, a similar meteor could enter Earths atmosphere and rather than landing in remote Siberia, land on a populated area. The result would be catastrophic.

The new way for process sales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The new way for process sales - Essay Example oup-level resistance which includes resistance to change due to group norms, group cohesiveness and groupthink and escalation of commitment; as well as 3) individual-level resistance which includes resistance to change due to uncertainty and in security, selective perception and retention as well as habits (Bushman, M., 2008; George et al.). In an organization, when change threatens jobs, power or status in an organization, when threat is perceived to be so real and large, resistance can be expected. Absence of consultation before effecting change can result to negative acceptance of the proposed change. When introducing a change, it is important that it is properly communicated. Rewards and possible benefits for adopting change should be fair enough for the adjustments as well as investments involved. The common cause for resistance is the parochial self-interest. When this change deviates from the self-interest of the people involve, expect resistance to crop up. Another cause of resistance to change can be misunderstanding and lack of trust. People would usually look for hidden agenda in a change proposal. When there is misunderstanding on the objectives behind a change, increasing resistance can be observed (Rogers and Shoemaker, 1971). Another cause of resistance to change is contradictory assessments and low tolerance for change. When the proposed change conflict the assessments of the people, there is a tendency to prove that their assessment is the opposite of those proposing the change. There also people who have low tolerance for change. Once these people reach a level when they can accept change anymore, the tendency is to repel the change since they cannot take more of it (Worren et al., 1999). Other reason for resistance is when the elements of the organization feel threaten. If the elements in the organization feel that their status or security is threaten (loss of comfort, pay or status), they would naturally repel change. Another reason for

British Petroleum and its Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

British Petroleum and its Operations - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that British Petroleum, which is also referred to as BP PLC is a British international Gas and Oil Company, which its headquarters stationed in London, England. Based on the revenue statistics released in 2012, British Petroleum is the fifth largest Oil and Gas Company in the world. It deals with the exploration, production, transportation, refining, marketing, distribution and trading of oil and petroleum products. It also deals with power generation, research, and exploration of renewable energy sources such as wind energy, solar energy and biofuels. Petroleum helps provide oil-based fuels for machines, lubricants and petroleum products used in infrastructure development, making plastics, gas, and petrochemicals among other products. BP America forms the largest British Petroleum subsidiary. The company also owns nineteen percent stake in Rosneft, which is a Russian Oil Company that is the most publicly traded in the Oil and Gas sector of the stocks exchange. British Petroleum’s market capitalization is an excess of eighty-five billion pounds and makes the fourth largest company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company is headed by a board, which is responsible for oversight and guidance of the company in the interests of the shareholders. The company’s executive management has several branches that include, Finance, Refining and Marketing, Exploration, Safety and Operational Risk, Production, Strategy and Regions, Corporate Business Activities, Human Resources, and the Upstream department. Various subsidiaries have leaders who report to the main offices in London. There are various external factors that can affect British Petroleum’s success. These include the global economy, natural environment, wars, politics, currency devaluation, infrastructure, customers and the relationship between the company and the local communities. The most important external factors that can affect the compa ny’s success are the global economy and the natural environment. The global economy has a strong influence on the success of British Petroleum as seen during the recession in 2008 when the company recorded falling profits. The profits had declined from eight billion dollars to three dollars. If the recession continued the company would have started to make losses, which would affect its success negatively.

Mexican Culture Essay Example for Free

Mexican Culture Essay Food if one of the aesthetic identification of culture and tradition as it marks its progress from generation to generation, and history to history. Mexican cooking began with the arrival of humans in Mexico and as various cultures influence their cuisine, the tradition and cultural background of their menu have began to evolve. Mexican food, as we know it today, has had its primary origin in the 16th century from the introduction of European plants and food products by Spanish conquerors. This traditional mix-up has provided modification in their cuisine, which is currently evident in the Mexican food tradition. Aside from its exquisite delicacy and characteristics, Mexican food provides therapeutic function and use commonly in homemade treatment proceedings. The herbs and ingredients in the Mexican food are the key points for the provision of therapeutic action. Mexican herbs are unique in their own way. The characteristic of these herbs are the essential contributing factor for this therapy to be possible. In the course of our discussion, the Mexican culture, evidently in terms of food- wine and restaurants, shall be the primary focus of the study. The involvements of wine and food, in the sense of therapeutic action, as the primary traditional influence shall be elaborated and defined in the study. The influence of food and herbs in Mexican traditional therapy shall be also tackled in the course of discussion. Lastly, we shall explore the San Francisco California Bay and the Mexican celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The Mexican culture possesses a heritage in every unique aspect that greatly denounces its aesthetic value. Home or Traditional Therapies – Food and Herbs The Mexican traditions are composed of exquisite herbs and ingredients that provide therapeutic effects. The traditional home of Mexicans possesses no or less frequently refrigerating facility, supplies designed for classical lifestyle, and tradition rich in practical home-therapies; hence, they are more accustomed in their traditional therapeutic intervention utilizing their natural sources. In fact, Mexican possesses evident indulgence in their traditions that they prefer to have their food, and other home condiments in natural estate or made from nature-oriented proceeding. This greatly improves their health conditions, and provides them with practical source of therapeutic interventions. The basic feature of Mexican foods is its unique way of expressing its spiciness and traditional aroma. One of the spices that provide therapeutic effects in the body is the Capsaicin, which is a primary constituent of peppers such as the jalapeno and the habanero. Capsaicin has several uses, including use in personal defense sprays and as to relieve arthritis pain. When first applied to skin, capsaicin causes local heating and irritation. However, after repeated use, the area becomes desensitized to pain without loss of the sense of touch (Fox Whitesell, 1997 p. 550). Capsaicin pepper has been found to work as an anticoagulant, thus possibly helping to prevent heart attacks or strokes caused by the formation of clots in blood vessels. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, which is the body’s natural painkillers, and kills the stomach bacterium known to cause ulcers. Another pepper is the Cayene, which is an important constituent of Mexican hot sauce. Cayene adds the spicy zip to many ethnic foods, such as Thai and Mexican food, and can be used in marinades and barbecue sauces. This pepper is rich in vitamin C, A, B-complex, E and other minerals (Balch, p. 147 2003). Another food ingredient of Mexican foods that possesses therapeutic aid is the pumpkin seeds. The seeds from the pumpkin, also known as pepitas, are popular ingredient in Mexican dishes, and are available with or without their shells. This pepitas provide essential means of treating constipation due to its fiber content. Moreover, it is blended with Mexican traditional recipes such as burittos or Nachos, not only to provide exquisite taste but also to institute unique flavoring. These pepitas are high in calories and insoluble fibers, which help primarily in inducing in digestive tract thereby facilitating decrease of occurrence of constipation (Gilbert, 2000 p. 178). In terms of Mexican wine, it provides unique blends of tradition served in stemmed glasses. Wine is the usual pair of Mexican foods in order to suit the spiciness of the dishes. Mexican wine classifications possess the usual red and white wine, which are primarily obtained from fruits mixed with spices. The northern end of Baja California is one of the places in Mexico that is known to brew wine at its best (Dumois, n. d). Citizens of Mazahua and Otoml living in Central Mexico drink pulque from childhood, because of both its nutritional properties and scarcity of water. Pulque is an alcoholic beverage obtained from maguey, which composes primarily of complex fruit sugars (Peele Grant, 1999 p. 93). Wine quickens the pulse, raises the spirits, and prophylactic against disease and as a dietetic aid. It is also used as medicine in acute and chronic diseases. Wine is proven good for cardiovascular system, especially in reducing risks of arteriosclerosis or other cardiovascular-degenerative disorders. Food Herbs Mexican Traditions Mexican diet of today is rich in a variety of foods and dishes that represent a blend of pre-Columbian, Spanish, French, and more recently, American culture. The typical Mexican diet is rich in complex carbohydrates, provided mainly by corn and corn products, beans, rice, and breads, The typical Mexican diet contains an adequate amount of protein in the forms of beans, eggs, fish and shellfish, and a variety of meats, including beef, pork, poultry, and goat. Because of the extensive use of frying as a cooking method, the Mexican diet is also high in fat. The nutrients most likely to be inadequately provided are calcium, iron, vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin C (Spark, 2007 p. 258). In many cultures, food has symbolic meanings related to family traditions, social status, and even health. Indeed, many folk remedies rely on food. Some of these have gained wide acceptance, such as the use of spices and herbal teas for purposes ranging from allaying anxiety to preventing cancer and heart disease. Mexicans use these herbal teas as dietary or reducing drinks to induce further or hasten metabolism as well as digestive functions. In fact, herbal teas are healthy enough that the old Mexican traditions practice its drinking almost everyday. This tea is composed of basic Mexican herbs, such as cinnamon, parsely, etc. , and blended with intrinsic Mexican spices; hence, some of their teas are blended with mild spiciness (Insel etal, 2004 p. 9). The traditional Mexican diet is rich in fresh vegetables, which are generally used only when in season. The spices used in Mexican cooking are common to many cuisines, and yet, there are a number of seasonings that are unique to Mexican food. Chile peppers are used as a dry spice as well as a fresh ingredient. There are many types, with the most common being ancho, habenero, jalapeno, New Mexican green, New Mexican Red, poblano and Serrano. These peppers range from mild, like poblano, to the extremely hot habanero. Other herbs and spices that flavor Mexican cuisine are anise, cilantro, cinnamon, clove, cumin, garlic, marjoram, Mexican oregano and thyme. The herbs and spices, particularly the Mexican oregano and chilli peppers, are used in various ceremonies and traditional celebrations. The chilli peppers are given to tests the spice tolerance of participants during fiestas. Oregano, on the other hand, is believed by locals to alleviate various diseases and administered via its boiled leaves. Oregano is another traditional Mexican her that cures fever, cough and colds, sore throat problems and sometimes used to treat bruises, insect bites and mild pruritic or fungal infection when used in topical preparation (Koeller La France, 2005 p. 222). Another Mexican herb that provides utmost therapeutic effects is Ginger, which is technically a rhizome or underground stem. This is used in variety of meals ranging from simple porridge to complex traditional meal. Mexican ginger is good at alleviating gastrointestinal tract symptoms, such as motion sickness, gastric musculature or tachygastria and gastric immobility. It is usually prescribed by the locals for treating hyperacidity, and abdominal pains related to acidic conditions. Moreover, ginger is also used to treat conditions involving throat spasms by functioning as a throat relaxant and relieving throat irritation (Koeller La France, 2005 p. 222). Mexican culture and tradition involves variety of herbs that are, basically, the ingredients of most of their traditional meal such as the ever-famous burritos and nachos, and the wines and teas provide therapeutic benefits as well. San Francisco California Bay The Mexican American population is evidently present in the San Francisco California Bay area. From the San Franciscos Mission District to San Jose, Chicanos possesses the highest population index, ranging from 65% to 80% of the residents, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mexican immigrants feel at home in these areas already even if they are living with American citizens. However, population project is one major problem occurring at this point. Demographic studies predict that the greatest population growth rates of Mexican immigrants will be from the influx of undocumented individuals. Mexican immigrants are also expected to have high fertility rates, creating a younger generation of American-born children whose immigrant parents make an â€Å"at risk† population (Gilbert, 2000 p. 178). Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Restaurants Talking now about the famous Mexican restaurants found in the area, Cinco de Mayo Taqueria is the starting point of discussion. The name of Cinco de Mayo meand 5th day of May in Spanish, and denotes a regional celebration or holiday. Although this is not an obligatory holiday, there are lots of individual going and participating in this one time per year celebration. Cinco de Mayo, or May 5, commemorates the Mexican victory over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is not, as many people think, Mexicos Independence Day, which is actually Sept. 16. During this Cinco de Mayo, many people are turning to tequila and cerveza, Spanish for beer, to celebrate another holiday that for some means nothing more than another excuse to drink exorbitant amounts of alcohol. Commonly misinterpreted as Mexicos Independence Day, Cinco de Mayos meaning has been clouded by partying. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated throughout the country, especially in the state of Puebla and in Mexico City. Military parades complete with marching bands and traditional music, pay tribute to all the soldiers, civilians and heroes who gave their lives for their country. The celebration lasts all day, with food, dancing, mariachi bands, laughter and fellowship (McClenahan, 2005). Ironically, celebrations of Cinco de Mayo are more widespread and elaborate in the United States. Mexican American communities in states such as Texas, California, and Arizona celebrate this occasion with parades, fairs, marchias, folkloric dance, and the best of all is the Mexican cuisines (McClenahan, 2005). Moreover, Cinco de Mayo of 1989 illustrates how women worked to bridge ethnic and racial groups in a public way while expressing their own identities. Cinco de Mayo is an ethnic festival, which is the same as St. Patrick’s Day, that has transcended ethnic barriers. The Mexican community and even other ethnic diversion from different places and culture gather in this party. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is a major cultural festival, wherever significant numbers of people boast Mexican descent. Throughout the Southwest, people of all ethnicities gather to eat Mexican food and drink Mexican beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages (McClenahan, 2005). People from other ethnic origins join this huge festivity every year and celebrate the Mexican culture. The basic interest of other ethnic groups in joining this celebration is rarely due to historical reasons, but most of the time, to celebrate the exquisite characteristics and features of Mexican culture. Reference Balch, P. A. (2003). Prescription for Dietary Wellness. Avery. Dumois, L. (n.d. ). INSIDE MEXICO THE SERIES: THE SPIRIT OF WINE.Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www. mexconnect. com/mex_/travel/ldumois/ldcwine1. html Fox, M. , Whitesell, J. K. (1997). Organic Chemistry. Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Gilbert, M. N. (2000). Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook. Upublish. com. Insel et. al, P. M. (2004). Nutrition. Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Koeller, K. , La France, R. (2005). Lets Eat Out! : Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free. R R Publishing. McClenahan, B. (2005, May 5). Oregon students celebrate Cinco de Mayo. University Wire, (n. d. ). Central Mexican Culture. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from Colibri: http://www. colibrimexicanbistro. com/ (n. d. ). Mamacita. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from Mamacita: http://www. mamacitasf. com/ (n. d. ). Tres Agaves. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from Tres Agaves: http://www. tresagaves. com/about. html Peele, S. , Grant, M. (1999). Alcohol and Pleasure: A Health Perspective. Psychology Press. Spark, A. (2007). Nutrition in Public Health: Principles, Policies, and Practice. CRC Press.

U.S. vs Asian school system :: essays research papers

Two Systems into One In the past twenty years the United States school system has been accumulating quite a bit of criticism. Evidence shows that the United States has been lagging exponentially compared to almost all the industrialized countries. This specifically refers to Asian countries that are statistically blowing the U.S. out of the water. Recent survey results in the universal subject of math show us that the U.S. eighth graders have fallen behind, while the twelfth grade level showed only slight improvement (appositive). This means that the U.S. students are barely floating above water, where as, Asian students have built some sort of super boat (appositive). Yet we all recognize that not any one device is perfect, and are usually leaking water in the most unnoticeable spot. Before one realizes the problem, the boat is sinking. We would potentially look at these education systems as extremes of each other. Each education system being on the different side of the spectrum. Both systems having fa ults and advantages. Taking the positive aspects from both sides and merging them together, a harmonious education system could be established (verb phrase). The article â€Å"Japan’s School System† tells us that in an Asian classroom students will feel an incredible amount of pressure starting from grade school and up, while U.S. teachers are too afraid to raise the bar because of potential discouragement of the student. We examine evidence from the article â€Å"Strengths, weaknesses, and lessons of Japanese education†. A negative of the Asian school system, is the conformity that must be upheld. This achieves better education because it becomes the â€Å"thing to do†. When everybody is on the same curriculum there is no other choice but to follow the herd. While conformity creates better math students, it demises the aspect of creativity and individuality. The boat may float, but not posses any inspiration or differentiation from the others. The U.S. places a much bigger emphasis on creativity and choice. Thus providing students with opportunities that help them learn about them selves, and develop original ideas. An important characteristic that the U.S. education system lacks, is the idea of effort being directly correlated to success. In his article â€Å"Japan’s School System†, James Kilpatrick states that â€Å"The Japanese theory is that all children have the same potential for learning†. It is effort that separates successful students from the unsuccessful students. Though the American student may think that they work hard, we find that the Asian student is at a much greater level of pressure.

One of the Boys: Homosexuality in the Military during World War II Essay

All over the history of the United States’ military, its handling of sexual minorities such as homosexuals has changed both as popular and medical knowledge regarding homosexuality have changed and as the requirements of the armed forces themselves have altered. According to Paul Jackson (2004) in his book â€Å"One of the Boys: Homosexuality in the Military during World War II†, regulations have more and more shifted away from criminal trial to the release of homosexual military servicemen in reaction to varying opinions among medical professionals regarding the root and true causes of homosexuality. Nevertheless, Jackson (2004) claimed that within an institution that has formally forbidden the service of sexual minorities, particularly homosexuals ever since the 1940s, and the real execution of the ban has varied across branch of services and time, in addition to commanders. Throughout the time of war, rates and levels of dismissal have dropped as manpower requirements have increased as well. Many instances subsist of gay and lesbian military servicemen who have served with the information and consciousness of their commanders and colleagues. Moreover, not merely does a service member’s likelihood or opportunity of being dismissed differ by branch of service, but female military personnel likewise consist of an unequal number of those estranged under the rule. In writing about gay and lesbian history, the historian should decode and interpret the coded phrases that were employed to cover up homosexuality, and I believe that Jackson has done a commendable and marvelous job of this. His book is a thoroughly-researched analysis of homosexuality in the Canadian armed forces for the period of the war years. In writing the book, it is Jackson’s aim to investigate the existence of homosexuality in the military during World War II and to be able to share the result of his study to the readers. I can say that he has achieved these goals because this work has extensively studied the subject and is an outcome of hours of studying police reports, court-martial transcripts, conducting dozens of interviews, and pouring over psychiatric. In writing this book, I can say that Jackson has discovered and exposed a lot of homosexual experiences, and therefore has carried out an important involvement both to the social history and the queer history of the World War II. According to Jackson, throughout the period of World War II, military leaders engaged in extensive debate regarding the practices, rules, and policies connected to homosexuality in the armed forces, and substantial amendment of regulations took place all over the services. Furthermore, World War II needed a mass mobilization not like any formerly observed in the United States’ history. In fact, as asserted by d’Emilio (1998), the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 caused the instant registration of over 16 million men. Meanwhile, Jennings (1994) and the National Defense Research Institute (1993) said that discussions and debate regarding homosexual policies originated both from the prevalent disparity in the treatment of individual cases and the United States government’s dependence on the psychiatric establishment to help in discharging soldiers who were regarded as ineligible or unfit to serve. On authority, as I have previously said, the author presented several ideas about the subject by means of employing a wide array of sources such as personnel and psychiatric files, long-closed court martial records, oral histories, films, and unit war diaries. Jackson was able to consistently present his findings and views as he relates the struggle and hardships of queer military servicemen of all branches and ranks of the Canadian military to blend in and integrate and prevent losing their reputations and careers. According to Jackson, homosexual men were frequently well-liked and accepted within their units. However, if charged of homosexual behavior, they were asked to undergo psychiatric tests, prison terms, courts-martial proceedings, and finally dishonorable and shameful discharges. I think that Jackson’s ideas are credible and the findings and information are clearly presented. On perspective, I believe that Jackson’s work is not tainted by a clear bias that ignores or understates evidence and thus not favor one perspective alone. Moreover, the book imparts statements with adequate evidentiary support. Meanwhile, regarding the content of the book, when you read the book, it seems as if it is two books merged into one: on the one hand, it is a social history, and on the other hand, it is a policy analysis. The first three chapters of the book discuss how the institutions of the Canadian military tried to control homosexuality. In Chapter 1, Jackson examines the somewhat baffled efforts of the military to describe and delineate its policy regarding homosexuality. Next, Chapter 2 looks at the court martial proceedings of those military servicemen accused of homosexuality-related legal wrongdoings. Then, Chapter 3 of the book illustrates how military psychiatrists attempted to stress and affirm their authority and power over homosexuality as a medical concern. The last two chapters seemed to be a methodical reading of their respective principal sources, which are psychiatric examinations and court martial transcripts. I believe that Jackson analytically transports the reader through the a variety of stages of the psychiatric evaluation and court martial processes, giving personalized and detailed descriptions of how these two branches of the military coped with the concern of homosexuality, the first as a medical concern and the second as a moral and legal one. This difference between approved and formal military rule denouncing homosexuality and the usual acceptance of homosexual behavior is revealed in the first chapter of Jackson’s book, which looks at the a variety of aspects of the military’s rule on homosexuality as created by the military police, the National Film Board, the RCAF, and the medical services. The general organization of the first chapter of the book portrays a somewhat inconsistent and disorganized methodology in dealing with homosexuality in the Canadian military, which included cruel and brutal investigations on the one hand, and customary denials on the other hand. Moreover, Chapter 1 highlights entertainingly in the author’s ironic so-called â€Å"Routine Order† on homosexuality, wherein he explains the de facto military rule on homosexuality, without an official and formal rule. According to Jackson, the de facto military rule was to disregard or renounce homosexual behavior except if the person behind it was an eccentric or nonconformist or else has a behavioral problem. The de facto rule says that any punishment must be manageable or light for military men in combat units, and heavy and grave for noncombatants, except if they were popular and accepted. Persistently, the author thinks that the Canadian military attempted to disregard homosexuality except if the persons were difficult to handle or were showing their sexuality. Jackson says that this implicit rule originated from the 1940s concept or notion of sexuality, which states that every soldier was supposed or assumed to be male, heterosexual, and masculine, and in the absence of tremendous proof or confirmation to the contrary, would be considered as such. Meanwhile, the second half of the book is mainly a social history of homosexuality in the armed forces in the period of World War II. The book’s Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the experiences of queer and odd military servicemen in Canada and abroad; while chapter 6 inspects the effect of homosexuality on the military’s morale, cohesion, and esprit de corps. Personally, I think that these chapters of Jackson’s book depended mainly on war diaries and oral histories as well as the sources utilized for the previous chapters, and illustrate clear pictures of the experiences of queer military servicemen during wartime. Definitely, I think that these sections of the book evoke Desmond Morton’s outstanding work regarding the experience of Canadian military servicemen during World War I. By means of utilizing the personal reminiscences of various veterans, a number of whom are explicitly homosexual, whereas others are married and already have grandchildren, the author investigates the numerous aspects of the homosexual encounters and experiences that happened during the war, the stories and accounts of coming to consciousness of a different sexual orientation and behavior, the conflicting responses to these encounters, and the truthful account of brief sexual frolics in London hotel rooms for common enjoyment. Personally, I think that of specific concern in these parts in the book is Jackson’s portrayal of the open sexuality in England during wartime that would surely be interesting for British historians. In his book, Jackson exposes the label that homosexuality in the military was simply the result of an all-male situation, or that these experiences constantly concerned a blend of a masculine top and feminine â€Å"queen. † Despite the fact that this was the conventional representation and impression of homosexuality during the war, it was far from being its lone sign or even the prevalent one. Based on the investigations of Jackson, he found out that it is apparent that there was a stern unwillingness or reluctance on the part of authorities to dismiss homosexuals from military service. Jackson discovered that courts martial were mainly employed to discourage homosexual activity, but hardly ever led to the dismissal of noncommissioned military servicemen. Generally, the serviceman would be condemned and punished to serve time in a detention center, after which he would be permitted to go back to service. Meanwhile, military officers were more possible to be dismissed if they are found guilty, but were on the other hand much less possible to be sentenced. Jackson asserts that the motive or explanation here agrees with the explanation as to why psychiatrists were extremely hesitant, compared with the courts martial, to proclaim that a military officer or serviceman was homosexual. Furthermore, Jackson suggests that the medical archetype of homosexuality structured a homosexual as an antisocial, degenerate person a point of view revealed in the moral norms of the court martial officers. Nevertheless, it was difficult to resolve this idea with the healthy, productive military men who stood under inspection and scrutiny; thus, a lot of these men were set free, particularly when they had colleagues ready to guarantee for their good character. Regarding the effect of homosexuality on the military’s morale, esprit de corps, and unit cohesion, the author not astonishingly discovered that in recognized units a court martial of a charged military serviceman was more often than not more destructive to morale than the homosexual military man himself. Jackson said that frequently these men were well liked and well incorporated, and their fellow military servicemen hesitant to bear witness against them. Furthermore, the concern about sexuality was more difficult in training camps, when bonds had not yet been established. Nevertheless, Jackson also said that sexuality was not any greater an obstacle than a person’s behavior, ethnicity, race, or a lack of physical ability, all of which caused challenges to building unit cohesion throughout this period. In the meantime, I believe that a remarkable amount of research and study was obviously done in completing Jackson’s book, and I would be negligent and thoughtless if I will not talk about the visual part or element of his book. I think that the author portrays a remarkable and extraordinary array of war art, as well as several masterpieces by gay war artists that demonstrate facets or characteristics of homosexuality and the homosocial ties or connection that were established during the period of the war. A lot of these works or creations show and exemplify same-sex emotional connections and homoeroticism in the military more noticeably and openly than a chapter of text can illustrate. Together with imagery and descriptions from photos of young soldiers, stills from NFB films, and drag shows together, these pictures and examples add a rich and remarkable visual component or facet to the text. Meanwhile, Jackson said that the ban of the service of sexual minorities ever since the 1940s has not caused their discharge from the U. S. military. A lot of service members are not aware that they are homosexual when they enlist; while others do not regard themselves as homosexual, although their actions fits the military’s stringent definition. A number of these military servicemen who do recognize as sexual minorities join anyhow since they would like to serve their nation or as a consequence of the job prospects the military offers. The majority of these military servicemen work in virtual silence, informing just other gay and lesbian service members or a small number of trusted heterosexual contemporaries. Then as Sobel et al. 2000) and Berube (1990) said, despite the fact that military inquiries have led to the discharges of more than 100,000 service members since the 1940s, experts have the same opinion that a lot more have worked without being discharged. Moreover, as societal outlooks toward homosexuality have generally turned out to be more open-minded, there has been growing evidence and confirmation of acceptance among several heterosexual military personnel also. Nevertheless, the authorized and certified policy mandates removal of all recognized homosexual military servicemen, notwithstanding conduct and irrespective of their record. Even those personnel members who undergo acceptance from their contemporaries stay to be in danger that a change in command, an unanswered advance, or the antagonism of one person could bring about the end of their military careers. In the book, Jackson (2004) said that in 1943, new Navy regulations focused on homosexuals instead of sodomist. In addition, the National Defense Research Institute (1993) said that criminal penalties for sodomy were not, nevertheless, in fact removed. Those who engaged in same-sex sexual behavior were either to be administratively discharged or allowed to resign, unless their behavior was violent or involved a minor. Berube (1990) claimed that the Navy directive likewise noted that the policy applied to the Women’s Reserve also. Under Army policies, those who were not â€Å"confirmed perverts† and who were viewed to have a salvage value were to be returned to duty following proper disciplinary action. Then, by the year 1944, the medicalization of homosexuality was finished. Berube (1990) also asserted that the Army circular widened the category of offenders who may possibly be reclaimed from those who had gone off track to the true or confirmed homosexuals whose cases practically point to the likelihood of reclamation. In addition, the Navy’s 1944 circular introduced for the first time in that military branch the idea of those who have homosexual tendencies and stated that even if no sexual contact in fact took place, those with homosexual tendencies were to be recognized and prohibited from serving in the military or dismissed upon discovery (National Research Defense Institute, 1993). Personally, I believe that the reader should likewise praise Jackson for his utilization of explicit and frank language in explaining and illustrating homosexuality in the period of World War II. I personally think that not merely does this suggest or reveal the real language employed in the records Jackson discovered, but it is suitable or proper to the sexually-charged work he is discussing and doing. Moreover, I also think that the author conveys the story and information about the subject with enough wit and candor. Therefore, I am awed that Jackson managed to obtain the subtitle for his segment on inter-rank relationships, entitled â€Å"Officers and their Privates† past his editor. All in all, I extol Jackson for his interesting and frequently intimate story and description of the experiences and experiences of homosexual military servicemen that will be interesting to both a general and academic readers.