NACPHIL specifies its chaplaincy ministry by implementing the Philippine government’s Moral Recovery and Values ​​Formation Program, providing pastoral care and assistance especially to the depressed and oppressed, fulfilling the two (2) Big Ones in the New Testament to fulfill. Jesus Christ summarized the 10 commandments in two and it is about a correct relationship with God and men: the key to lasting peace and prosperity, the necessary tool for a good government.

1) The Great Commandment, love God above all things and love your neighbor. There are only two important laws as the Lord summed up the Ten Commandments of Moses and these are “to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbor (men) as we love ourselves”.

2) The Great Commission of Christ, sharing and teaching the Word of God, and living a model life for godly, well-governed Filipino society.

NACPHIL focuses its chaplaincy program by training religious leaders from different religious groups and affiliations, and denominations to produce qualified and competent chaplains or values ​​formation officers (VFOs). And then deploy them in their respective areas of assignment, and manage and monitor them to ensure their effectiveness in service.

NACPHIL requires each chaplain/VFO to undergo continuing education by attending prescribed Training Courses, Enhancement Seminars, and Spiritual Formation Retreats to maintain and maximize their effectiveness in their respective fields of endeavor.

Primarily, NACPHIL commissions and deploys Chaplains/VFOs in all Barangays, Municipalities/Cities, Provinces, Regions and other government controlled units, departments, offices, agencies and corporations throughout the country. If NACPHIL obtains more trained and qualified chaplains, the rollout will extend to other private institutions, organizations, schools and universities, commercial establishments and corporations, and many more.

In this regard, DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo issued Memorandum Circular No. 2011-58 dated April 25, 2011, directed and addressed to all Provincial Governors, Municipal and City Mayors, Punong Barangays, DILG Regional Directors and other stakeholders to support NACPHIL programs and seminars on moral recovery and values. National training.

With intense prayer the NACPHIL family dreams that one day Moral Recovery and Formation in Values ​​(or Chaplaincy) will become one of the offices/agencies of the Local Government. To fulfill this dream, someone in Congress or the Senate should respond to the challenge, and take the initiative to promote a Bill for the issuance of the Law of the Republic. From now on, while we await the fulfillment of the dream, the Sanggunian and the Local Government Chief Executives, with the endorsement of the DILG Director, can respond to the challenge of presenting a Resolution and creating an Ordinance to make Values. Training / Organic Chaplaincy.

Hispanics continue to be one of the fastest growing segments of the population. As a result, the Latino communities in the United States have a growing need for legal representation.

Consider these facts:

1. 75% of Latinos speak Spanish at home

While approximately 44% of Hispanics report that they conduct their online searches in English, more than half of them said they still prefer to do business with companies that offer their services in Spanish, even if they don’t require it.

2. Hispanics are the largest users of mobile devices

Whether streaming, texting or searching online, Hispanics report nearly 10.5 hours per week of smartphone use, compared to the overall average of 8.4 hours for other ethnic groups.

3. Hispanics are the largest users of Social Media platforms

Current reports suggest that 75% of Latinos use social media for entertainment and research compared to 68% of other ethnic groups; spending approximately 7 hours per day accessing the various social platforms.

Are you doing enough to effectively market your law firm to the Hispanic community?

Here are some ways to attract and develop a relationship with Latinos and Hispanics in your market:

1. Advertising on local platforms in Spanish

Local radio stations, billboards, bus shelters, local magazines and newspapers are still ways to keep your name and face in front of your local community. Bilingual ads, or entirely in Spanish, will earn the trust of local Hispanics as a professional who will welcome them and speak to them in the language they are most comfortable with without fear of judgment.

2. Participation of the Latino community

Especially in the larger urban areas, more and more cultural groups organize street festivals and fundraisers. Be part of the events. Sponsor a booth or lunch. Talk to the people around you. They may not need legal services right now, but they will remember that you were there and took the time to talk.

3. Your website is your 24-hour law firm

Presenting “Se Habla Español” on your website is not enough. If you are a Spanish-speaking lawyer, or if you have staff that can help you with translation, then market yourself in Spanish. Have an entire section or an entire website dedicated to offering your legal services in Spanish.

Mobile-friendly designs are important. Since statistics indicate that Hispanics use their mobile devices at a higher rate than non-Hispanics, it is imperative that your website self-formats to fit any device automatically.

Hispanic marketing companies like MediaDvine.com offer website services, translation services, and original content writing to help you with your website needs.

4. Drive traffic for your law practice

There are some online legal directories that are highly optimized for Spanish and bilingual searches that are trusted by Hispanic communities across the country, such as SeHablaLaw.com and AbogadosLegal.com. Building links from premium sites will help your SEO efforts.

For over a decade, search engines have relied heavily on links to gauge domain popularity and authority. Backlinks from relevant domains are considered votes and importance. Search engines use link data and algorithms to evaluate individual websites and pages based on this information.

Before you engage in an online marketing campaign or join every bilingual network available, ask yourself: How long have they been in business? Do you offer any guarantee? Do you have a link to my website? Do you offer fair and competitive prices? Do they saturate the market? Will my listing be seen in a long list of attorneys?

Being charged with a criminal offense is a traumatic experience, especially when you are not guilty and are unaware of legal procedures. Not all defendants are guilty. But if you don’t choose a criminal defense attorney, you won’t be able to prove your innocence in court. It is a bad tendency among many people to think that they can handle the case on their own. But they end up doing more damage to the case. A professional criminal defense attorney can fight for your rights and bring your case to a successful conclusion.

A specialized criminal lawyer will not only defend your rights in court, but will also:

* Reduce your punishment or imprisonment: Criminal defense lawyers can help you even if you are found guilty. A knowledgeable attorney can minimize your sentence and fines. However, it is important to retain an attorney as soon as you are charged with a criminal offense. Any type of negligence can cost you dearly in the long run. A qualified lawyer will organize all the evidence to build a strong case in her favor to reduce his punishment in case he is found guilty. A reputable lawyer will have a good reputation in court. Perhaps he knows some of the judicial and prosecutorial officials. This will help you negotiate deals and beg for less punishment from him.

* Investigate your case: Perhaps the arresting police officer has missed some of the most important pieces of evidence that can prove your innocence. His lawyer will investigate the case critically. He will employ a variety of resources to organize evidence to defend his rights. Criminal defense attorneys are experts in all aspects of the law. They know how to treat these cases to obtain a favorable result.

* Gives you peace of mind: No matter how much you know about the law, or even if you are a lawyer, don’t represent yourself. It is important to hire a specialized lawyer who has no emotional ties to your case. The honesty and experience of your lawyer will play a crucial role in defending your rights. Remember, your conviction will affect not only you, but also the future of your family. In addition, it will also affect your career opportunities. Therefore, it will be a wise decision on your part to hire a reputable lawyer who can help you avoid such disasters. By hiring an attorney, you know that at one of the most devastating times of your life, you have a seasoned professional by your side.

If you are looking for an experienced criminal defense attorney, Harris County has many options for you. But it is important that you check the reputation and track record of the lawyer before you hire him.

One of the most annoying traits when speaking is the use of verbal tics. We have all heard them once. If you are aware that your speech is littered with these filler words, it would be a good idea to work on eliminating them because they detract from your message: your audience loses focus on what you are saying. Instead, they start counting!

Words like um Y oh They are the most obvious. They are common; they are annoying; and, mark your speech. Two other frequently heard words or phrases are I like it Y you know.

Generally, the umsand ohThe s are filler words that are heard mostly during a presentation, a live interview, or a long conversation. I like it Y you know, instead, are words spoken out of habit. Some people resort to the phrase you know at the end of a sentence. Others use it at the beginning of the award; and, there are those who use it both at the beginning and at the end of a sentence.

I like it is more often heard by the Generation Y population and is reminiscent of a ‘Valley Girl’. The problem with the word. I like it it gives the wrong impression. The constant use of that word sounds young, immature and uneducated; definitely not the image you want to project if you intend to further your career. In fact, it’s certainly not the best impression to make if you’re also hoping to improve your personal life.

Most people are not aware of these verbal tics until they hear themselves on a recording. In one case, a young man he was working with was so upset with himself when he heard the amount of umsand ohs in his personal introduction (he couldn’t say his first and last name without a um!) that he swore he would stop before his next class.

By our next session, her verbal tics had disappeared. How did he accomplish this feat?

1. Concentrating on listening to yourself when you spoke.
2. Allowing yourself to pause, breathe, and then continue.
3. Practicing out loud.

You can break these habits if you are motivated. Recording yourself and studying the playback is your first step. Your second step is to allow yourself to pause instead of filling that space with sound. The third step is to pay more attention to yourself when you speak. By doing so, you will make your delivery much more interesting and rewarding for both yourself and your audience, you know?

Few people realize the importance of the words they speak. There is almost no way to exaggerate the importance of what we say. However, most people hardly think about it, usually speaking without thinking.

Inspirational classic author Og Mandino once wondered, “Why, then, do so many of us go out of our way to offend others with offensive criticism and judgments that so often come back to haunt us? Why do we allow our big mouths to to dig furrows in our way so deep that our advance is finally nil?

He went on to comment, “If your tongue has been busy piling up enemies for you, enemies you don’t need and can hurt you, now is as good a time as many to cease and desist. your great potential.”

Another well-known classic and inspirational author described the worst effects of criticism on recipients. Dale Carnegie, in his book entitled “How to Win Friends and Influence People” articulates that “Criticism is useless because it puts a man on the defensive and usually makes him struggle to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous because it wounds the precious heart of man”. pride, hurts his sense of importance and arouses resentment in him.”

My dear readers, Dale Carnegie remembers: “In dealing with people, let us remember that we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotions, creatures full of prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.” He warns that making “criticism is a dangerous spark, a spark that can cause an explosion in the powder keg of pride, an explosion that sometimes hastens death.”

Carnegie went on and gave a very good example in his earlier statements: “General Leonard Wood was criticized and not allowed to go with the army to France. That blow to his pride probably shortened his life. Bitter was what led to Thomas Chatterton , English poet, Suicide.”

I remember that the Greek philosopher, Phytagoras, once said: “A tongue wound is worse than a sword wound, because the latter affects only the body, the former affects the spirit.”

In the Bible, James, the disciple of Jesus Christ, gave a warning about the evil poison of the tongue. He described some who try to use their tongue to praise and bless God, and then turn to use their tongue to speak ill of one another. “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be so” (James 3:9-10). We cannot use our tongue to curse and speak ill of our brothers, and then continue “as usual” with our relationship with God. The Bible clearly says that such behavior with the tongue is characteristic of hypocrites. “The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor …” (Prov. 11: 9).

The great teacher of all times, The Lord Jesus Christ revealed to us that our words are important. In the book of Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus exclaimed: “But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment men will have to give an account for every idle word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be doomed” (NIV).

Certainly, my dear readers, this is not a negative message. When we understand the importance and power of our words, we can use them for good. God’s Word clearly says “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21 NIV). James, the disciple of Jesus Christ, adds: “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes a big show of it. Consider what a great forest catches fire from a small spark. Also the tongue is fire, a word of evil among the members of the body. He corrupts the whole person, sets fire to his entire lifetime, and sets himself on fire through hell” (NIV).

The above texts mean that life is controlled by words. I repeat, life is controlled with words. Words release authority. Words determine the course of events. The words matter. What should you do about it?

Ellen G. White, one of the great founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, gave very good and inspiring answers to the above question. In her book titled “Ministry of Healing” she encouraged us to “Cultivate the habit of speaking well of others. Reflect on the good qualities of those with whom you associate, and see as little as possible of their mistakes and failures.”

She encouraged us further: “When you are tempted to complain about what someone has said or done, praise something in that person’s life or character. Cultivate gratitude. Praise God for his amazing love in giving Christ for to die for us.”

And for those who enjoy and scoff at criticism, he warned: “Bad speaking is a double curse, falling more on the speaker than on the listener. He who sows the seeds of dissension and strife reaps in his own soul the mortal fruits”. . The very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look on. By dwelling on the faults of others, we are transformed into the same image.”

She encouraged “Instead of criticizing and condemning others, say, ‘I must work on my own salvation. If I cooperate with the One who desires to save my soul, I must take diligent care of myself. I must become a new creature in Christ. So instead of weakening those who fight evil, I can strengthen them with words of encouragement.” And she added: “We are too indifferent to each other. Too often we forget that our coworkers need strength and sympathy. Help them with your prayers and let them know that you do.”

James affirmed that “if anyone believes himself to be religious and does not restrain his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is vain” (James 1:26 NIV).

People remember that no one knows when life ends. Our life is like a vapor that appears for a moment and then disappears! That’s why I encouraged you, don’t let your life die like an insect without doing something good for yourself and your fellow men.

Rebecca Barlow Jordan recalls: “It’s not how much you achieve in life that really counts, but how much you give to others. It’s not how many goals you reach, but how many lives you touch. Believe in the impossible, hold on to the incredible, and live each day.” full potential. You can make a difference in your world.”

Before concluding with my article, I would like to share with you a brief history of Bird Song.

Sufi Bayazi says this about himself: “I was a revolutionary when I was young, and all my prayers to God were… ‘Lord, give me the energy to change the world.’

As I approached middle age and realized that half my life was gone without changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to… “Lord, give me the grace to change everyone I came in contact with.” Just my family and friends, I’ll be happy.”

Now that I am an old man and my days are remembered, my only prayer is “Lord, give me the grace to change MYSELF.”

If I had prayed for this from the beginning, I shouldn’t have wasted my life.

My prayer and goal to God is that this article that I have written here will help you and help you improve your life to become a productive individual, a source of encouragement, and a source of inspiration to other people!

Once again, I encouraged you not to let your life die like a bug without doing something good for yourselves and your fellow man. Use your life as a source of encouragement and a source of inspiration for other people!

Remember that life is so short! So use it for a productive, meaningful, and peaceful life with yourself and your fellow human beings.

“For the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable… if something is excellent or praiseworthy… think about such things ” (Philippians 4:8 NIV) ).

I wish you many blessings to come and may God bless you!

Moises Padin Reconalla

Criminal charges are serious business for everyone. If you are a defendant, be sure to retain the services of a good criminal defense lawyer for your legal representation. In this article, we have shared some tips that will make the hiring process easier for you. Keep reading to know more.

1.Experience

There are different types of lawyers, each specializing in their own field of interest. Therefore, you should look for a professional who specializes in the field of criminal law. This is an important thing to keep in mind when looking for the best legal counsel.

These attorneys are familiar with the laws related to different types of crimes. Thus, they can defend you much better.

2. Success rate

Make sure the lawyer enjoys a high success rate. This is important since a high success rate is representative of the professional’s competitiveness. After all, he wants the charges against him dropped.

If they lost most of their cases, we suggest you find a better professional. After all, you want to get out of trouble as soon as possible.

3.Availability

Make sure the lawyer is not too busy to take your case. If they are not available, they can recommend another good lawyer as they have several colleagues. Please note that you do not have to follow their recommendation.

If they are not available, be sure to do your research to ensure that the recommended attorney is capable enough to handle your case.

4. Trust

During your first consultation, consider the attorney’s demeanor. They must be confident enough to compete against the other party. This reflects the knowledge and commitment of the attorney.

Good professionals are not arrogant. They listen to their customers without interrupting them. Plus, they answer all your questions until you’re convinced.

5. Communication skills

Communication between you and the criminal defense attorney is very important. The goal is to make sure you and the professional are on the same page. Good communicators listen to others and give honest and direct answers.

In addition, they use different means of communication, such as the telephone and email. This way you can exchange important messages related to the case.

6. Fee structure

Of course, criminal lawyers charge for their legal services. They usually charge a retainer fee up front. You should ask if they require monthly payments. Asking these questions before you hire them will help you budget accordingly.

In summary, these are just some of the simple tips that you may want to follow if you are going to hire a criminal defense lawyer.

When we think of bullying behavior, we may picture children calling each other names on the playground or at school. However, bullying is more widespread than that, both among children and among adults. When going through a divorce, you may be tempted to bully your soon-to-be ex into making him or her “pay” for hurting you. This can be an extremely costly mistake. Not only can it cost you a lot of money in legal fees, but it can also cost you self-respect, close relationships, and the opportunity to plan for her future.

It is important to realize that bullying exists when there is an absence of compassion for oneself and others. Of course, when you go through a divorce, you often feel hurt and angry. So you might be tempted to show your spouse that he or she is “wrong” and you are “right.” You might even believe that it is possible to “win” your divorce case. Therefore, you may choose to hire a divorce attorney who is aggressive and claims to “fight for you.” So you pay your lawyer to blast your spouse (or their lawyer) with one nasty letter after another making your case and arguing why your position is indeed “correct.” This forces your spouse to fight back, and before you know it, neither of you is listening (or cares to listen) to the other.

This is bullying behavior, plain and simple. You have no compassion for yourself because you are putting aside the needs of your children and your most important values ​​in the hope of “winning.” You also have no compassion for your spouse and what he or she may need. Believe it or not, this is important information because once you can listen and understand what your spouse needs, you can solve your problems through creative negotiation. It is possible, and certainly more productive, to assertively communicate what you want without being aggressive or hostile. Maybe you even have goals and interests that are the same as your spouse’s, like which school your kids should attend. Knowing this certainly reduces the number of problems to solve and puts you on the same side as your spouse with each other’s problems. This is the approach recommended by the authors of Getting to Yes.

You should also be warned that intimidation only serves to increase your legal costs while maximizing hostility, which in turn further moves you away from achieving what is most important to you in the long run. These are the cases where the legal fees are the highest with the least satisfactory results. You are keeping up the fight, you continue to fan your anger and your pain, while you seek to obtain a “vindication” from the court. You may subscribe to a fantasy in which the judge will point an accusing finger at your soon-to-be ex-spouse and declare you the “winner.” You may believe that your anger and pain will miraculously disappear as a result. However, the only thing that will miraculously disappear is your money, in your lawyer’s pocket. Also, I know of very few, if any, cases where at the end of a divorce trial, one or both parties happily jump out of the courthouse and jump for joy.

Ideally, allow yourself to feel anger and hurt before starting the divorce process by taking advantage of the many resources available to help you. For example, you can find a competent counselor or coach that you trust to help you work through your difficult emotions and set priorities. You can also read material geared toward divorcees, such as Abigail Trafford’s Crazy Time.

Remember, when you have children together, the reality is that your future ex will still be a part of your family even though the family is no longer intact. So instead of attacking the other parent, wouldn’t it be more productive and satisfying to focus on the exciting task of renegotiating what your family would be like after the divorce?

It is important to separate your difficult emotions from your concrete positive goals for the future because it is your future that you can create in the divorce process. And remember, when you think you can “win”, you will most likely lose.

With a carefree and didactic style, the new book from Harvard law professor Noah Feldman Cool War: The future of global competition, looks at how China’s rise as a globally significant economic superpower has created an increasingly complex dilemma for the United States, both militarily and economically. Consequently, Feldman aptly coins the term “cold war” to describe a much more complex set of cooperation, competition, and tension between two enemies locked in an uneasy embrace of economic interdependence.

Feldman points out that the interrelationship of the two nations is new by historical standards. For example, throughout the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were clear military and political rivals, with few or insignificant economic interactions. By contrast, communist-controlled China is currently America’s largest trading partner. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students study at American universities, and the two nations have become stakeholders in a shared cultural and economic experiment.

In addition, China quietly accumulated a staggering amount of US sovereign debt. Even in the 20th century, Feldman points out, nations never invested significantly in another country’s national debt.

Acting like the world’s last remaining superpower, Feldman rightly points out, means having to spend like one. And, after several costly misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US population is clearly in no mood to spend trillions more on a massive military buildup, especially one that relies on borrowing from the very nation it ostensibly against. seeks to defend itself, to finance that.

While China has not yet sought to achieve military parity with the US, that strategic goal is not out of the question. The bottom line, Feldman observes, is that a shooting war is not inevitable, but some form of ongoing conflict clearly is.

It illustrates how the status of Taiwan represents a major potential sticking point for both independent nations, as Taiwan’s current diplomatic posture involves an ambiguity that suits both Chinese and American wishes. For one thing, foremost among Chinese ambitions is to bring Taiwan back into its own orbit. On the other hand, a visible failure to defend Taiwan in the event of a crisis with China would effectively end any semblance of US global hegemony in the Far East. This imaginative moment may actually come sooner than anticipated, as many experts have contemplated that the US might realistically have to abandon any hope of continuing to treat Taiwan protectively, in light of larger global realities than they involve North Korea and other hotspots.

China’s global ambitions are hiding in plain sight. The populous nation has already poured billions into a conventional military buildup. In practice, China’s foreign activities are in line with the government’s intention to eventually align its geostrategic position with its economic one.

Regarding China’s weaponization, Feldman astutely points out that that empowerment occurs over decades, not a few months. And unlike the US, which vests its powers in officials after a publicly visible election in regular 2- or 4-year cycles, Chinese military plans can be more gradual and without the need for sudden policy changes afterwards. of a contested election.

Furthermore, China only needs to increase its military capacity to the point where it is large enough that it does not have to use it. China ends up winning a war without even firing a shot, as the US suddenly finds itself uninterested in fighting a serious war that it might actually lose.

Feldman also correctly points out that modern acts of “cyber warfare” are a form of non-traditional, asymmetric combat that allowed the Chinese to exploit non-traditional weaknesses in the US security infrastructure without a realistic threat of military retaliation. In addition, covert cyberwarfare enables intellectual property theft and corporate espionage, where corporate America’s trade secrets and other valuable data are compromised and stolen. Feldman predicts that the regular and ongoing acts of cyber warfare emerging within China are likely to continue in this “cold war” phase.

In particular, Feldman’s book does not explore the prevalence of Chinese counterfeiting as a source of ongoing contention with the US corporate world. Counterfeit products are widely viewed by US corporate interests as a serious and covert form of economic espionage that is causing significant damage to commercial interests. While human rights are certainly a major source of Chinese criticism from the West, China’s tolerance of intellectual property theft is a sore point for thousands of American companies, which routinely push for tougher, harsher sanctions. against such violations of the WTO rules.

Feldman also points out that nationalist sentiment exists on both sides of the coin, with the citizens of China probably feeling proud of China’s rise to global prominence, and the frustration of Americans with the manipulation of the Chinese currency and the growing trade deficit. , equally solid. He points out that economic interdependence does not eliminate this tendency toward silent conflict.

Another interesting area that Feldman discusses is the conflict between American and Chinese ideology, such as it is. The core ideology of today’s Communist Party represents a strange experimental pragmatism in economics summed up in Deng Xiaoping’s quote: “It doesn’t matter if the cat is white or black; if it catches mice, it is a good cat.” Even the goal of maintaining the communist party apparatus is viewed with such harsh pragmatism that it puts China in a very different ideological place than the Stalinist Soviet Union in the 1960s.

China’s ideological pragmatism leads to the result that it will gladly do business with countries like the United States, as long as American democracy respects the way it does things. Therefore, the ideological divide between the United States and China is much less a moral chasm than the disagreements that separated Kennedy and Khrushchev. However, to the extent that Americans perceive China as unwilling to compromise Western values ​​like human rights and the rule of law, it is hard to imagine how continued ideological conflict is not inevitable.

cool war skirts an interesting theme: Feldman points out that as long as the United States can preserve the rule of law for itself, it has no absolute need to export it. For example, he points out that Western investors have an interest in seeing their investments in China respected, but would still enthusiastically invest there if China’s legal establishment were based on coercion (or even outright corruption).

The problem with this observation is that it ignores the reality that in this current state of economic and fiscal interdependence, the American rule of law must be exported elsewhere, under the weight of its own legal system. Take, for example, when an American business executive invests in a Chinese-run factory to make his company’s devices. His business is subject to, among other things, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and a wide variety of statutory, contractual, and tort doctrines that would apply in US courts against him and his business.

Suppose your Chinese-run factory ends up hiring some underage workers to make some substandard gadgets, which are then imported and sold to US consumers, and your manager pays a Chinese official to keep you out of trouble. This situation can be rigor in Chinese businesses, but in the United States, it can lead to that executive being fired, sued and even prosecuted. This culture and legal clash is not academic.

Illustrating this culture clash through diplomatic events, Feldman also looks at the anecdotal example of Wang Lijun, the Chinese police chief who sought asylum in the West after uncovering a murder case involving Bo Xilai and a dead British expatriate involved in a bribery scandal. The story confirmed several widely held beliefs: first, that senior Chinese Communist Party officials engage in widespread corruption, and second, that these party officials and their family members act as if they are immune to the rule of law.

The modern twist is that the Chinese party ultimately tried to use this scandal to bolster its own party apparatus, citing the sordid affair as evidence in the alternative narrative that Chinese corruption will ultimately not stick. Whether anyone really believed in the party is another question entirely.

Assessing students through exams has long been considered a reliable way to assess student proficiency. But the disproportionate emphasis on testing has produced terrible results. Especially in China, as shown in a picture, a schoolboy, scared to death of exams, huddles under a desk and refuses to go to school. His parents are trying to comfort him, saying “Come out, there are no exams today.”

The exam is something that most students are very afraid of. Some students even refer to it as nothing more than anxiety-producing.

Frankly speaking, everyone is worried and anxious before exams. Some students are so worried and anxious that they cannot fall asleep at night, which will lead to poor performance in exams. This, in turn, makes them nervous even when exams are over. If it’s reasonable to be worried and anxious before exams, it’s certainly not reasonable to be anxious after exams. What we should do is relax completely. But when asked, some students say they really have no idea how to do it. The following is what I usually do after exams. First of all, don’t give too much importance to scores. The exam is just a way to test how much you have learned about the subject. It lets you and your teacher know where your shortcomings lie. The world will not end if you fail a test. It helps you relax if you realize this. Second, listen to some music. Light music or classical music would be best.

The beautiful melody will take you to a world full of joy and happiness. Finally, participate in any type of sports game that you like. It will help you relax both mentally and physically.

The venerable Martini. Perhaps the most famous cocktail and, without a doubt, the mixed drink with more myths, stories and traditions. It’s also the cocktail that has a following and its own brand of snobbery. You don’t usually see two people arguing over a Planters Punch.

The basic martini recipe is as simple as you can get. Traditionally, a Martini is made with gin and dry white vermouth, although recently the Vodka Martini has become much more popular. The standard modern martini is five parts gin or vodka to one part vermouth, though few bartenders today would follow that model. The ingredients are shaken or stirred with ice, filtered and served “straight” without ice in a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with an olive.

Martini purists are upset that vodka is now the spirit of choice when people order a martini. They insist that it should be called ‘Vodka Martini’ or, if they are very picky, ‘Bradford’.

The amount of vermouth to add is also a matter of great debate. The less vermouth, the drier the Martini. Today the most common way to mix vermouth is to coat the ice cubes in vermouth and then throw away the leftover vermouth. Some progressive bars now use vermouth sprays to cover the ice (thus saving a lot of vermouth).

Shake or stir?

According to the true Martini drinker, because vermouth mixes easily and evenly with its solvent (gin or vodka), a martini should always be mixed in a shaker glass. For the purists, shaking “bruises” the gin and also chips the ice when diluting the Martini.

However, thanks to novel and movie spy James Bond, who ordered his “Shaken Not Stirred” Martinis, the Martini is shaken more often these days.

Shake aficionados say that, as with Scotch, a little water creates a rounder flavor. They also claim that the stirring action adds oxygen to the drink and sharpens the flavor and distributes the vermouth more evenly.

History

The generally accepted origin of the Martini begins in San Francisco in 1862. A cocktail named after the nearby town of Martinez was served at the Hotel Occidental. People drank at the hotel before taking the afternoon ferry to Martinez across the bay. The original cocktail consisted of two ounces of “Martini and Rosso” Italian sweet vermouth, one ounce of Old Tom sweet gin, two drops of maraschino cherry liquid, a dash of bitters, shaken and served with a lemon wedge. By the end of the 19th century, the Martini had morphed into a simpler form. Two dashes of orange bitters were mixed with half a jigger of dry French vermouth and half a jigger of dry English gin, stirred and served with an olive.

But it was Prohibition and the relative ease of illegal gin manufacturing that led to the rise of the Martini as the predominant cocktail of the mid-20th century.

With the repeal of Prohibition and the easy availability of quality gin, the drink became progressively drier and less vermouth was added.

The first reference to the use of vodka in a Martini was in the 1950s, but it was Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels and subsequent films that raised the profile of the vodka martini in the 1960s. In the novel Casino Royale , Bond’s recipe for his “vespa martini” consisted of three parts Gordon’s gin, one part Russian vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet aperitif, shaken until icy cold, served with a lemon wedge. In the second Bond novel, Live and Let Die, Bond drank conventional vodka martinis.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the martini was considered old-fashioned and was replaced by more elaborate cocktails and wine sodas. But the mid-1990s saw a resurgence for the drink and an explosion of new versions. These new specialty martinis can be made with combinations of fresh fruit juices, splashes of cream, and brightly colored liqueurs.

Instead of the traditional olives, onion cocktail or lemon twist, new garnishes such as marinated capers, fresh herbs, coffee beans or sun-dried tomatoes are used.

Today, the Martini in all its versions has returned to its position as the world’s quintessential cocktail.

Folklore

The Martini comes with its own folklore and many former martini drinkers have their own recipes for creating the perfect Martini or the driest. The search for dryness has taken on strange proportions.

Winston Churchill’s recipe called for pouring gin into a glass and then simply bowing in the direction of France. Alfred Hitchcock’s recipe called for five parts gin and a quick glance at a bottle of vermouth. Ernest Hemingway liked to order a “Montgomery,” which was a martini mixed in a 15:1 gin:vermouth ratio, the odds Quarterback Montgomery would supposedly want before going into battle.

In the 1958 film Teacher’s Pet, Clark Gable mixes a martini by upending the vermouth bottle, then running the moistened cork around the rim of the glass before filling it with gin.

The classic 1970s TV show MASH satirically attacked this dryness fetish. ‘Hawkeye’, working at his still, tells his fellow military medics: “I am pursuing my lifelong quest for the perfect martini, the absolute driest to be found on this or any other world. And I believe I can to have come up with the perfect formula”. …he pours six glasses of gin and drinks it while looking at a photo of Lorenzo Schwartz, (the inventor of vermouth).”