Tom Clancy Essay Example for Free

Tom Clancy Essay Last month as I was browsing through a used bookstore, I came across a dog-eared copy of Red Storm Rising. Tom Clancy, being one of my favorite writers, I decided to pick it up and read through the book. What surprised me was not the author’s attention to detail which he is known for, but the depth of the scenarios which take place on the global landscape and development of each scenario on the overall picture. One of the facets of the novel is the journey made by a USAF meteorological officer stationed in Iceland when the Soviets decided to invade. Lt. Mike Edwards as described in the book is a scholarly looking weatherman for the base he works at. Although nerdy looking, he was a quickly liked by his comrades for his humorous outlook and no-nonsense approach to life. When the Russians attacked he and three other marines were forced to retreat and execute partisan activities against the invading force. Armed with light weapons and a satellite radio, they began their trek from Keflavik airbase pondering on how best to hamper their enemies with what little they had. The invaders already quelled most of the armed resistance in the country and had the edge in numbers and equipment. Their best contribution would be in the form of real time intelligence to their allies. Their first goal was to reach a hill a couple of kilometers from the fallen base where they could establish communications and find out what was going on. The marines Edwards was teamed up with did not know him very well since they were from different services but they passed judgment on him based on his bookish features. Priding themselves with their physical prowess (the USMC has one of the toughest training programs) they strove to exhaust their â€Å"pencil pushing† officer into the ground. Mike matched them stride for stride much to the surprise of the hardened soldiers. Through flat terrain and mountainous crags, he kept up with their pace, never slacking, never complaining. In one of their layovers, the sergeant he was with asked him how he could keep up. Mike simply answered that he used to run the marathon foe the Air Force Academy in Colorado. After that the marines treated him with a newfound respect stemming from embarrassment at having misjudged their leader. Another important event in their journey was meeting Vigdis Augustdottir, a local who lived in an isolated farm with her parents. The group came across her in their trek when a squad of garrison soldiers decided to cure their boredom by raping and pillaging the farm she lived in. This was another surprise for the marines when they immediately found out what was going on. Edwards usually an easygoing guy who avoided confrontation with the enemy immediately gave orders to fan out and engage with minimal casualties. The encounter was short and ugly. All of the Soviets had to be eliminated to prevent them from reporting back and both of Vigdis’ parents were killed by the Russians. They had no choice but to take the girl with them as survivors would most likely be questioned and dumped the dead soldiers to make it look like an accident. Vigdis provided them with comfort though not at first. As an attempted rape victim, the Americans tried their best to keep her mind away from what had happened by keeping the strenuous pace previous to the meeting. Ever mindful of their fragile companion, they each took turns looking out for her and responded to her little cries for help. On and on they trekked without a goal. They just did what they were told by the person on the other end of the radio. Go to this hill and report on the number and type of Soviet aircraft taking off and landing. Get to coordinated positions to verify destruction of target by bombers. Keep out of sight and reestablish contact at prescribed time. These were just some of the things they were ordered to do while walking between 15-20 kilometers a day and kept in the dark on their ultimate goal. The physical journey of this small group might have seemed insignificant but hiking almost 200 miles through enemy territory while surviving off the land is no small feat. Given a less significant task, some people might have folded and gone their own way to await the outcome without doing their share. The information this group provided paved the way for the retaking of Iceland which is a critical point of the G-I-UK line. It is s an array of sonar sensors which allows tracking and early warning of submarines trying to enter the Atlantic and hamper the shipping lanes into Europe. Without this supplies and arms could not be ferried into mainland Europe where the center of the conflict was being waged. The symbolism of a hard journey in order to attain one’s goals although not yet clear was beautifully captured. It also provided a personal and lighter perspective on the war which was being waged. The beautiful and accurate descriptions of the Icelandic landscape and relationships of the group gave meaning to what they were fighting for in the book. Like a corner jigsaw piece, the role of Mike Edwards and his group was essential in painting the big picture. Through their trials and travels, they added another piece to the whole by sending data to allied command which could be utilized in driving the Russians back.

Inclusion Essay -- essays research papers

Within the past decades and a big discussion has occurred regarding the most appropriate setting within which to provide education for students in special education. Although the change in the educational environment is significant for handicapped student the concepts of inclusion also bring up new issues for the regular education classroom teachers. The movement toward full inclusion of special education students in general education setting has brought special education to a crossroad and stirred considerable debate on its future direction. Proponents of full inclusion argue that the needs of students in general education. Full inclusion is "an approach on which students who are disabled or at risk receive all instruction in a regular classroom setting" (Hardman, Drew, Egan, & Wolf, 1993). Those who are for inclusion claim that segregated programs are detrimental to students and do not meet the original goals for special education(). Recent analysis show a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusion education on the academic and social outcome of special needs children. Those who support inclusion believe that the child always should begin in the regular environment and only be removed only when appropriate services cannot be provided in the regular classroom. Physical accommodations, sufficient personne l, staff development and technical assistance, and technical collaboration are all brought into the classroom to assist the special needs child in a regular classroom. Another study assessing the effectiveness of inclusion was done at John Hopkins University. In a school-wide restructuring program called, Success for All, student achievement was measured and several positive changes were noticed: a reduced fear of human differences accompanied by increases comfort and awareness, growth in social cognition, improvement in self- concept of non-disabled students, development of personal principles and ability to assume an advocacy role toward their peers and friends with disabilities, and warm and caring friendships. Inclusion is more effective when students with special need are placed in a general education classroom after adequate planning. Inclusion does not mean unilateral changes in student's placements without appropriate preparation. &n... ...assroom teacher. Teacher who collaborate must be honest and open about concerns and feelings. Collaborators must be willing to plan activities that ensure success. Involving students as peer helpers for students with disabilities is a very effective strategy. Teachers will need to model strategies for students and allow students to be involved in problem-solving sessions. Peer assistance and support can help nondisabled students build and maintain relationship with their disabled peers. Teachers must be willing to be a team player. The team must be willing to plan and work together on all issues, especially student behavior. Each team member must be prepared for his or her part of all planning and lesson responsibilities. Special Education Inclusion November 5, 2001 Katie Schultz Stout, WEAC's Director of Instruction and Professional Development Preparing for Inclusion: Involving Everyone in a Inclusion Classroom Setting Creative Educators at Work: All Children Including Those with Disabilities Can Play Traditional Classroom Games," by Donna Raschke, Ph.D., and Jodi Bronson, Ed.S., 1999 Kids Together, Inc. Colleen F. Tomko,1992http://www.kidstogether.org/inc-what.htm

Deception Point Page 76

Corky turned. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"Why couldn't the heating and cooling event have occurred here on earth artificially?† Rachel asked. â€Å"The rock could have been blasted by a slush-hydrogen engine and then rapidly cooled in a cryogenic freezer.† Corky stared. â€Å"Manufactured chondrules?† â€Å"It's an idea.† â€Å"A ridiculous one,† Corky replied, flashing his meteorite sample. â€Å"Perhaps you forget? These chondrules were irrefutably dated at 190 million years.† His tone grew patronizing. â€Å"To the best of my knowledge, Ms. Sexton, 190 million years ago, nobody was running slush-hydrogen engines and cryogenic coolers.† Chondrules or not, Tolland thought, the evidence is piling up. He had been silent now for several minutes, deeply troubled by Rachel's newest revelation about the fusion crust. Her hypothesis, though staggeringly bold, had opened all kinds of new doors and gotten Tolland thinking in new directions. If the fusion crust is explainable†¦ what other possibilities does that present? â€Å"You're quiet,† Rachel said, beside him. Tolland glanced over. For an instant, in the muted lighting of the plane, he saw a softness in Rachel's eyes that reminded him of Celia. Shaking off the memories, he gave her a tired sigh. â€Å"Oh, I was just thinking†¦ â€Å" She smiled. â€Å"About meteorites?† â€Å"What else?† â€Å"Running through all the evidence, trying to figure out what's left?† â€Å"Something like that.† â€Å"Any thoughts?† â€Å"Not really. I'm troubled by how much of the data has collapsed in light of discovering that insertion shaft beneath the ice.† â€Å"Hierarchical evidence is a house of cards,† Rachel said. â€Å"Pull out your primary assumption, and everything gets shaky. The location of the meteorite find was a primary assumption.† I'll say. â€Å"When I arrived at Milne, the administrator told me the meteorite had been found inside a pristine matrix of three-hundred-year-old ice and was more dense than any rock found anywhere in the area, which I took as logical proof that the rock had to fall from space.† â€Å"You and the rest of us.† â€Å"The midrange nickel content, though persuasive, is apparently not conclusive.† â€Å"It's close,† Corky said nearby, apparently listening in. â€Å"But not exact.† Corky acquiesced with a reluctant nod. â€Å"And,† Tolland said, â€Å"this never before seen species of space bug, though shockingly bizarre, in reality could be nothing more than a very old, deepwater crustacean.† Rachel nodded. â€Å"And now the fusion crust†¦ â€Å" â€Å"I hate to say it,† Tolland said, glancing at Corky, â€Å"but it's starting to feel like there's more negative evidence than positive.† â€Å"Science is not about hunches,† Corky said. â€Å"It's about evidence. The chondrules in this rock are decidedly meteoric. I agree with you both that everything we've seen is deeply disturbing, but we cannot ignore these chondrules. The evidence in favor is conclusive, while the evidence against is circumstantial.† Rachel frowned. â€Å"So where does that leave us?† â€Å"Nowhere,† Corky said. â€Å"The chondrules prove we are dealing with a meteorite. The only question is why someone stuck it under the ice.† Tolland wanted to believe his friend's sound logic, but something just felt wrong. â€Å"You don't look convinced, Mike,† Corky said. Tolland gave his friend a bewildered sigh. â€Å"I don't know. Two out of three wasn't bad, Corky. But we're down to one out of three. I just feel like we're missing something.† 90 I got caught, Chris Harper thought, feeling a chill as he pictured an American prison cell. Senator Sexton knows I lied about the PODS software. As the PODS section manager escorted Gabrielle Ashe back into his office and closed the door, he felt his hatred of the NASA administrator grow deeper by the instant. Tonight Harper had learned just how deep the administrator's lies truly ran. In addition to forcing Harper to lie about having fixed PODS's software, the administrator had apparently set up some insurance just in case Harper got cold feet and decided not to be a team player. Evidence of embezzlement, Harper thought. Blackmail. Very sly. After all, who would believe an embezzler trying to discredit the single greatest moment in American space history? Harper had already witnessed to what lengths the NASA administrator would go to save America's space agency, and now with the announcement of a meteorite with fossils, the stakes had skyrocketed. Harper paced for several seconds around the widetable on which sat a scale model of the PODS satellite-a cylindrical prism with multiple antennae and lenses behind reflective shields. Gabrielle sat down, her dark eyes watching, waiting. The nausea in Harper's gut reminded him of how he had felt during the infamous press conference. He'd put on a lousy show that night, and everyone had questioned him about it. He'd had to lie again and say he was feeling ill that night and was not himself. His colleagues and the press shrugged off his lackluster performance and quickly forgot about it. Now the lie had come back to haunt him. Gabrielle Ashe's expression softened. â€Å"Mr. Harper, with the administrator as an enemy, you will need a powerful ally. Senator Sexton could well be your only friend at this point. Let's start with the PODS software lie. Tell me what happened.† Harper sighed. He knew it was time to tell the truth. I bloody well should have told the truth in the first place! â€Å"The PODS launch went smoothly,† he began. â€Å"The satellite settled into a perfect polar orbit just as planned.† Gabrielle Ashe looked bored. She apparently knew all this. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"Then came the trouble. When we geared up to start searching the ice for density anomalies, the onboard anomaly-detection software failed.† â€Å"Uh†¦ huh.† Harper's words came faster now. â€Å"The software was supposed to be able to rapidly examine thousands of acres of data and find parts of the ice that fell outside the range of normal ice density. Primarily the software was looking for soft spots in the ice-global warming indicators-but if it stumbled across other density incongruities, it was programmed to flag those as well. The plan was for PODS to scan the Arctic Circle over several weeks and identify any anomalies that we could use to measure global warming.† â€Å"But without functioning software,† Gabrielle said, â€Å"PODS was no good. NASA would have had to examine images of every square inch of the Arctic by hand, looking for trouble spots.† Harper nodded, reliving the nightmare of his programming gaffe. â€Å"It would take decades. The situation was terrible. Because of a flaw in my programming, PODS was essentially worthless. With the election coming up and Senator Sexton being so critical of NASA†¦ † He sighed. â€Å"Your mistake was devastating to NASA and the President.† â€Å"It couldn't have come at a worse time. The administrator was livid. I promised him I could fix the problem during the next shuttle mission-a simple matter of swapping out the chip that held the PODS software system. But it was too little too late. He sent me home on leave-but essentially I was fired. That was a month ago.† â€Å"And yet you were back on television two weeks ago announcing you'd found a work-around.† Harper slumped. â€Å"A terrible mistake. That was the day I got a desperate call from the administrator. He told me something had come up, a possible way to redeem myself. I came into the office immediately and met with him. He asked me to hold a press conference and tell everyone I'd found a work-around for the PODS software and that we would have data in a few weeks. He said he'd explain it to me later.†

Smoking Is Banning an Effective Measure to Discourage People

Smoking: Is Banning an Effective Measure to Discourage People? Nowadays all people seem to be aware of the health risks smoking entails. Yet the number of smokers is not decreasing. In some countries it has brought about some drastic measures such as banning smoking altogether in the offices and in public places. But is it actually an effective way to fight smoking? My attitude to such measures is ambivalent. On the one hand, it certainly benefits non-smokers, who often have to put up with the cigarette smoke in public places and at work. It is common knowledge that regular passive smoking can be as detrimental to our health as active. So, as a non-smoker mindful of my health, I find the banning policy beneficial. However, if we consider it from the point of view of the smokers, it deprives them of places for smoking. By prohibiting it in public places, we will not manage to discourage them from this habit. The only result that would be achieved is that they would be smoking at home more often and endanger the health of their families. Therefore, when we ban public smoking, we should introduce special places for smokers, where they will not be able to harm those, who do not approve of this indulgence. If we want to wage war against smoking, we should use a whole complex of measures. For instance, if the government undertook the expense of profes sional psychological and medical treatment, many people would be more willing to do away with this bad habit. To sum up, prohibition has never managed to