BIRTH OF KNOWLEDGE

3 Internet Home Based Businesses Anyone Can Do

2008-06-28T00:27:00.000-07:00

By: Kent Thompson
If you're serious about having a home based business, then you need to prepare. The leading reason for a failing home based business is the lack of preparation people commit after they've made a decision to start a home based business.
So what kind of home based business opportunity should you take on? Do you want to have an internet-based home business? Millions have done it, are doing it and are earning good livings doing so.
Here are three different kinds of Internet based business models you can try:
1) Be an online retailer for reputable companies. Your home based internet business can give reviews about all the products and services of these companies. Your customers will browse around your website, and then click on to the link. The link will send the customer to the company's customer service website, which takes care of processing and shipping their order.
Your home based online business website does the marketing, promoting and advertising aspects for these companies. Your commission comes from the proceeds of the sale. You don't even have to spend money for expensive e-commerce software.
2) You may not be able to bear the pain of separating from your oldest possessions, but how about auctioning these things off? For a minimal entry fee and closing fee, you can put your prized possessions on auction at Ebay or other spin-offs found on the net. This is a virtually free home based business since you don't pay for web presence. You'll get traffic since Ebay receives as many as 4 million visitors a day, and you won't need to worry about your e-commerce software. Plus your small home based internet business stays open even when you go fishing!
3) Sell information. You can start your home based internet business by writing on a subject that you enjoy or are knowledgeable about. If you can do this, then this small home based internet business is for you. Write your e-book and sell it on sites like Ebay.com, ebookAd.com, or Clickbank.com.
These home based internet business are all simple and easy enough to do. You can earn a living on these ideas if you view this small home based business with passion and commitment.
Just remember this home based internet tip:Constantly fine-tune your marketing strategy and always test new ad copies to see what brings you the most sales!
Author BioFind out how you can make $1000 per sale in one of the hottest home based businesses! Check out RunAdsForCash.com
Article Source: ArticleGeek

Adding Profit to Your Work from Home Internet Business

2008-06-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

By: Jeff Casmer
Many individuals, from all walks of life, are making the decision to work from home. There are an unlimited number of work at home business ideas; however, the internet has the most potential.
Internet websites are often developed for personal or business use. What once may have been considered a personal site may now even be used to make money. Affiliate programs, commonly referred to as associate programs, are a way for website owners to make money through internet marketing. Affiliate programs work by connecting people to another website. There are a wide number of well known national companies who use affiliate programs to increase the traffic to their website.
Individuals who have their own website will generally display a banner or link to a certain website. The linking website is often a business that sells something. Affiliate programs are profitable to website owners because whenever an internet user signs up for something or buys a products, they are paid commission. Affiliate programs are an effective marketing technique that offer benefits to everyone involved. Website owners are paid for their participation and the businesses on the other end are promoting and selling their products.
Deciding to participate in an affiliate program is a fairly easy process and can sometimes involve little work. If you are a website owner, the more work you do on your website, the more likely you are to receive affiliate clickers. This is due to search engine optimizations. Many articles or topics inside a website contain keywords that search engines may pick up. If an individual is searching for information on popular children's toys and your website has articles or information concerning them, they may be linked to your site. Internet users love to see new articles, information, or products. For this reason, constantly updating your website may bring in new visitors and also keep existing visitors coming back.
Developing a website can be for fun or a part of home employment. Home employment is on the rise and many individuals are making the decision to work from their home. Home employment allows parents, elderly, or disabled individuals to work from the comfort of their home. Although these individuals are common work from home people, just about everyone has the ability to work from inside their home.
A work from home internet business can including selling merchandise or offering a service. For instance, many individuals sell homemade or wholesale merchandise or some offer their web design or writing skills. Affiliate programs are an effective tool in obtaining additional profits for a work at home internet business. Although affiliate programs are used and are widely popular among internet businesses, they are also successful with personal websites. Blogging has greatly increased in popularity. In fact, a large number of internet users have a blog. It is possible to link up affiliate programs with a blog.
Affiliate programs are becoming extremely popular among website owners or bloggers. It is a fairly simple way to acquire additional profits through an existing work from home internet business. It is great programs, such as affiliate marketing programs, that allows many individuals to successfully work from home and make a profit. Author BioJeff Casmer is an award winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and internet marketing consultant. Visit the work at home directory .

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Choosing the Right Engagement Ring For Valentines Day

2008-06-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

By: Jamie Snodgrass

Engagement rings are a symbol of a promise and a commitment for the future. They are highly romanticized and something that girls fantasize about, probably starting about the time they first notice boys. They will most likely change their mind more than several times, both about the boy they envision giving them the ring and about what the ring that symbolizes their engagement will look like.

Engagement fantasies are just that - fantasies; I can assure you that they are not thinking along the lines of what a discount ring, or even an affordable ring will look like. As they get older, their character and values will determine whether their fantasies are more towards marrying for love, or for status. It is a horrifying thought to know that the majority of marriages are somewhat of a business decision. I guess that would apply as well then, to the engagement.

Inexpensive engagement ring ideas may come to mind for the pure of heart who only fantasize about that the man of their dreams be wonderful and kind, and not necessarily worldly and successful. One of the main arguments that create conflict in a marriage is finances. If the man of your choice doesn't have unlimited financial resources at the time of his proposal, you may want to choose an affordable engagement ring.

Jewelers offer beautiful rings in all qualities, sizes and price range. It should not be difficult to find a ring to suit your taste and budget but if you are creative and can't find the ring of your dreams, another option would be to design your own ring and have it custom made.One thing to ask the jeweler before choosing a ring is the grade of the diamond. Diamonds are graded and priced according to what is referred to as the four Cs for color, cut, clarity and carat weight.

Read everything you need to know about purchasing a diamond engagement ring and more.

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Men - How to Buy Diamond Jewelry

2008-06-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

By: Maya Abitbol
The large range of diamond jewelry often makes it very difficult for men to decide what type of jewelry to purchase for their loved ones.Diamonds symbolize love, commitment and friendship, which makes it hard to choose the right piece of jewelry from the large variety of Diamond rings, Diamond earrings, Diamond pendants, Diamond necklaces, Diamond bracelets and of course Loose diamonds- which are always perfect since they can be set in any type of jewelry.We can't choose the perfect diamond jewelry for you but we can help you with 5 easy steps:

Step 1- Knowing what she likes:Narrow down the type of jewelry she likes to wear by observing the jewelry she wears in general, and on different occasions. The jewelry she wears may vary. For example, her daytime jewelry may be different from the jewelry she wears when she goes out or to formal occasions.

Step 2- Knowing the color and size of the jewelry she wears:Now that you have noticed the type of jewelry that she likes, it's time to look closely at the details of her jewelry style. The first thing you should check is if she likes White gold, Yellow gold or Rose gold. You should also check if she prefers conservative or flashy jewelry. For example, her earrings. Are they small and conservative like studs or are the big and detailed like chandelier or hoop earrings.

Step 3- Knowing her ring size (if you are buying a ring):Knowing her ring size makes her ring perfect for many reasons, one of which is the fact that she can wear her ring right away. Another reason is saving the hassle of having the ring resized.

Step 4- Learning about diamonds:Learning about diamonds will help you choose and understand the quality and prices of diamonds. Learning about the Four C's will help you understand- Color, Clarity, Carat and Cut, and choose the perfect diamond.

Step 5- Begin shopping:Now you have an idea for her perfect gift and you can start shopping. We recommend looking online at diamond jewelry websites.Don't forget! Buying diamond jewelry is an investment. Now that you are educated in diamond jewelry, you can finally give her the perfect gift.Good luck!

Author BioAbout Angel Diamond With over 25 years of experience, we provide a superior combination of high quality, excellent value and expert advice. Be sure to visit www.angeldiamond.com to browse our selection of certified diamonds and fine jewelry. We offer Free Insured Air Shipping, Gift Card, Gift Packaging & 30-day no-risk Return Policy with every purchase.

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Take Great Photographs With Cameras - 7 Tips

2008-06-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

By: Carm Paynter
Taking great photographs with today's automatic cameras allows anyone to produce a sharp, well-exposed image. If you are just beginning to use an 'auto-everything' camera like a 35mm compact or program SLR then your main area of control is going to be in the composition of your photographs. No one can tell you how to take a great picture because it comes down to your ability to 'see' the potential to create a picture. Never-the-less, here are 7 tips and techniques you can use to improve the final look of your photographs. You will find some of the most popular, effective and easy to implement photo techniques, that you will be able to start using right away, to improve your picture taking.

Tip 1: Read your camera manual, then read it again. Keep it with the camera and learn all of your camera's features. The more familiar you become with what your camera will do the more you will be a photographer and not just a picture taker. The more your camera automatically becomes an extension of your eyes and fingers, the more you can concentrate on your photo before you take it.

Tip 2: The Rule of Thirds. Divide the image in your viewfinder into three sections with 2 imaginary horizontal and 2 imaginary vertical lines. Place your subject near one of the intersections of those lines. Placing your subject off-center creates an interesting, dynamic image that makes the photo more interesting.

Tip 3: Find fresh angles to take your photograph from. Change your viewpoint or the angle of view, don't be afraid to shoot from a low angle especially when photographing pets. Several years ago a single use camera manufacturer gave a camera to each of a group of younger children, the resulting pictures changed the way we look at camera angles to take photographs. When you change your camera angle be sure to get horizons horizontal. Be conscious of getting Images Straight and be sure to fill your picture frame.

Tip 4: Create active space - When photographing any object that is moving or would require space if it moved. leave space for the move. If you photographed your pet and placed the nose on the edge of the photo and left space behind, the photo would look very uncomfortable. Leave room in front and put the back close to the edge of the photo to create active space.

Tip 5: Getting backgrounds right and framing your shots. Use a dark background for taking a picture of a light object, or, alternatively, a light background for a picture of a dark object. Caution: Absolutely light backgrounds cause flare effect that lead to reducing the overall contrast of a picture. The use of an object to frame your photo can greatly reduce this effect. For example you can use a tree limb over the top part of your photo when you take scenic photos to help improve the composition and reduce the glare.

Tip 6: Center of Interest. Try and keep only one center of interest having too many interest points in a photo is distracting causing the viewer to lose focus and interest. Use Tip 2 to place the center of interest in the proper place. When you shoot people portraits keep the subjects eyes around the top 1/3rd grid line. Always use less distraction. Sometimes your mind tends to exaggerate what you see through the viewfinder of your camera. Very often things are perceived bigger than they actually are. What you end up with is a photograph with huge areas of wasted space around the edge and people with things growing out of their heads.

Tip 7: Editing: Before you show anyone all those holiday photos you took, edit your work. Take out all the doubles, all the duds, the ones that are out of focus and generally the ones you think are crap. Only show people the good stuff and your perception as a photographer immediately increases. Pro's often shoot a load of junk like anyone else, they just don't show it to anybody

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How To Select The Right Digital Camera

2008-06-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

By: Roberto Sedycias
Capturing moments was never so easy before digital cameras came into the photography world. Ever since, there has been a big international market dealing with digital cameras. Japan, South Korea and China have been the main players in manufacturing new digital cameras since its inception. Today, no media house can run without digital cameras. Forget media agencies, in our day-to-day life, we have started considering digital camera as a handbag's must-keep item. It has truly given a new definition to the world of photography.

Many kinds of digital cameras with different features are hovering around the market today. And you need to decide on your choices and pick up the right one that fits your clicking needs. You must have already heard a lot about the top brands such as Kodak, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Sony, Panasonic, Polaroid, Olympus, Fujifilm, HP, Samsung, etc. This article discusses features of famous brands and models of digital cameras to help you select the right one for yourself.

To start your selection process, you must consider whether you are looking for small and compact pocket camera, an advanced camera, a high zoom capability camera, or an SLR camera. These can range from USD 100 to USD 2,000. You will need to take your pick based on your budget and requirements.

What are the features that you should compare between brands while selecting a digital camera? The most important feature is its resolution in mega pixel. In simple language, this figure tells you how much you can expand your picture without parting with its quality. The higher the resolution, the better. But this doesn't mean that you have to go for the highest available model in the market. Usually people print photos that are sized 4x6 or 5x7 inhes. So for these photo sizes, any camera above 4 mega pixels will deliver great results.

Other feature that you should evaluate is zoom-in capability. Optical zoom and digital zoom are different terms. Optical zoom means actual zoom done by the lenses, while digital zoom simply increases the size of the picture display without increasing any details. In simple terms 3x optical zoom means you can get three times closer picture of the image you see with your eyes. For this reason, optical zoom is better.

The third important feature is compatibility with other devices. Find out if the camera you are going to buy is compatible with your computer, printer, memory card, USB drive, etc. Cameras have inbuilt flash memory but the space is limited, so you would have to buy external memory cards, popularly known as Secure Digital Card (SDC) and Multi Media Card (MMC).

The next important feature is the size of the screen that provides digital display of the image instantly. These screens were the major reason that digital cameras replaced conventional cameras so fast. The screen gives you the ability to review the image and delete the ones you do not like. The LCD digital camera screens are up to 3 inches in width.

The other features that make your camera more convenient include automatic light adjustment, automatic flash, red-eye reduction, file format (TIFF, RAW or JPEG), audio and video capability, image stabilizer, manual controls for aperture and exposure, camera speed, weight and size, body type, battery type (lithium of normal), battery life, picture modes for morning light, day light, cloudy day, etc.

The varieties and features of digital cameras are so many that it becomes really difficult for a first-timer to select one. This is worsened by everyday technological advancements. But all the features mentioned above impart a whole new dimension to photography and they make it easier for even an amateur to click great quality pictures.

Cell Phone Plans That Make You Go Hmmm

2008-06-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

By: Christine Peppler
As most have heard, cell phone plans around the globe are not all the same. Some have even said that cell phone plans in the US are more costly than those in many other countries. The reasons provided are many but one of course is that nations such as Canada and the US are larger and many people live more remotely than in most European countries or Japan for instance, thus the costs for the infrastructure are greater.One of the common points made, is that in countries such as Japan, Russia, most of Europe, China, and Australia, cell phone plans do not charge customers for incoming calls where as the majority of US cellular providers appear to be double charging calls by billing for the outgoing call and an incoming call. Whether a caller and a receiver of the call pay in cash or in minutes, two charges for a single call seems unwarranted to many consumers in view of the long standing history of billing for landline calls in which only the calling party pays when per call charges apply.Of course, the angst over the topic is only intensified when not only wrong numbers can be dialed but even telemarketing calls could potentially sneak through with the customer being socked with the charge. Despite these concerns however, it is still unclear if indeed the cell phone plans in the US are actually more costly than their counterparts abroad.Cell phone plans which offer unlimited nights and weekends and free nationwide long distance are predominate in the US, although this is not so in many other countries which may help balance out the difference in how incoming calls are handled. In addition, more recent cell phone plan offerings are beginning to change the face of how services are billed in this country giving users more flexibility and greater use without increased cost. Two examples are cell phone plans which offer "free incoming" plans and those which offer unlimited calling to a user's circle of most commonly called numbers both of which offer greater savings. Free incoming plans offer exactly what their name implies, unlimited inbound calls from anywhere in the country, at any time in addition to nationwide long distance and unlimited nights and weekends. However, the plans generally restrict these free incoming calls from those within the same network. Sprint, for instance, allows free inbound calling from anyone in the Sprint PCS or Nextel Network.Nextel on the other hand provides similar plans with the addition of no roaming fees and unlimited direct connect for those who can use the walkie/talkie function with other Nextel users.Other fairly recent introductions in the US market are cell phone plans that provide unlimited calling to a list of "favorites" or most commonly called numbers. T-Mobile "MyFavs" plans allow users to create a list of their 5 "favorites". The most attractive part of these plans is that the favorites can be in any network, or even a landline, offering less restrictive guidelines and greater freedom in using free calling time. Users are even allowed to change their favorites list monthly and for those with a family plan, the various members of the family can have their own personal favorites list providing additional flexibility.Cell phone plans in the US often require commitments of two years and are a significant expense for users. However, with the proliferation of plans which offer unlimited nights and weekends, free nationwide long distance and now the introduction of plans with free incoming calls and unlimited calling to lists of frequent contacts, some cell phone plans in the US may offer more economical choices which their overseas cousins may envy.

Thanks: http://www.articlegeek.com/.

So You Think You Know CRM Software?

2008-06-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

So You Think You Know CRM Software?
By: Josh Whiting

A year ago if someone asked me if I knew my way around the CRM Software Industry I would have confidently said yes, however, as it turns out the old saying the more you learn the more knowledge you realize you lack, is true. When talking about the CRM Software Industry it is almost impossible to actually say that you know it inside out since there are so many CRM vendors around the world, all developing their technologies at such a rapid pace. As if it wasn't hard enough for a company to make a decision regarding; what they require, how it can help their business and so on, these technological advancements are always followed with a marketing campaign each speaking of how much this new feature or functionality will help you.So the question stands at, you think you know CRM Software? This is difficult to answer with all the hype surrounding the industry combined with the relative youth of Web-based CRM and the large number of vendors. It is also difficult to produce a linear comparison since each vendor has their own set of terms and names for features. So where do you begin? You can learn the basics of Web-based CRM Software fairly easily with a quick search on Google, however I would like to mention a few points that are more difficult to uncover; the hidden costs associated with purchasing CRM Software, what to avoid, how your CRM can go beyond simply contact management and where the industry is going.When a company decides it's time to make the move to Web-based CRM Software they should first develop a plan on how they expect this new implementation to boost their companies productivity and revenue. The largest roadblock in achieving a fast ROI is all the hidden costs that are not clearly listed on vendor's web sites. In researching to develop a comparison of some of the major players in the CRM world including Salesforce, Netsuite and Salesboom.com, the majority of my time was spent researching pricing for different platforms, upgrades, implementation, customization and customer support. Salesboom was actually the only one at the time to have a page with their pricing listed clearly.To just go out and purchase a CRM Edition and think you are done is nowhere near the truth, this is just a base point from which pricing begins. This leads me into what to avoid when seeking your future CRM Software. What you need to look into and ask questions about is; storage limits and the cost of additional storage, maximum number of custom tabs & fields, maximum number of applications you can add, this being particularly relevant for Salesforce, and any other limitation which could later force you to upgrade.If you have implemented a CRM Software Solution and reached any of these mentioned limitations I'm sure you can vouch for my statement that it comes at a great cost. What is often the case is that the edition a company is currently working with is doing a great job but for example they have reached their storage limits. An edition upgrade for a company with roughly 750 users can amount to around 2 million dollars above what they were already paying. With this upgrade of course comes more features and functionality however they are features and functionality which will not increase your ROI simply because your company doesn't need them.Now that the buyers beware and the negatives are out of the way we can focus on the positives. When you implement your new Web-based CRM you have just knocked down all the walls separating your departments or office's, no matter their location and you did it in real-time. Once up and running your CRM goes far beyond contact management software with vendor's now integrating front and back office functionality. Netsuite has a strong back office, which makes sense knowing their background in back office ERP solutions; however I find their SFA or front office not to be up to the standards of some others. Salesforce and Salesboom.com both offer a well rounded CRM solution for companies of all sizes, between these two it really comes down to price.With more than just contact management capabilities CRM Software is a great tool for your; marketing department with in depth campaign and lead management tools, your customer service department since a complete history of all clients and cases are a mouse click away, your back office including inventory, billing & invoicing by taking advantage of real time workflow processes and of course your sales force with features like escalation rules or in more recent times offline and mobile editions.Today CRM Software vendors are coming out with Offline and Mobile Editions giving new ways to never lose contact with the office. This brings us to the future of Web-based CRM Software, where is it going? Well over the past year we have seen great advancements with the use of AJAX, or as it's known to the tech world, Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. This code underneath your CRM Software eliminates the need for you to refresh your web browser whenever you make a change. This can be seen in some social networking sites, a popular one being facebook. Here AJAX is used to allow for drag and drop customizations to appearance and the arrangement of applications. The idea is the same with CRM Software, a simple down mouse click and drag will allow you to customize the appearance of your dashboard without an IT department, so you can focus on the information most relevant to you.The other benefit that AJAX will bring us in the future when combined with faster internet speed is the elimination of load time, maybe not completely but at least the majority of it. This sort of functionality is now only seen with On-premise software since all information is stored within your computer or server you don't need to wait for the internet to download any data. AJAX comes into play here since you don't require a browser refresh you can continue working while only that portion of the web page is reloaded. I predict that the gap between Web-based and On-premise CRM Software will be much smaller by the end of 2008 and we will see the same trend with businesses leaving their On-premise for Web-based CRM, like was seen in 2007.

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Essential Tips on How to Get a Credit Card

2008-06-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

By: Paul Wilson

Banks and their marketing associates and divisions are vying with one another to capture a thick slice of the "credit card pie." Offers by phone and mail of free credit cards, pre-approved credit cards, cards with special bonanzas, money back schemes, low introductory rates, and umpteen other perks pour in tempting you everyday.A credit card is just a form of borrowing that does not come free. Credit terms, interest rates, fees and more can lay a stress on your bank balance. Credit cards are a temptation to spend now and pay later. What invariably happens is that people spend more than they can handle.Informed consumers must always weigh carefully the pros and cons and compare different options before deciding on a credit card.Before you decide find outThe advantages of a credit card are that it is a safe alternative to cash. Prevents loss as well as theft of cash. Using a card wisely can build a good credit history which helps when you need a loan or subsidy. It is useful in emergencies like accidents, urgent hospitalization, and unavoidable circumstances like natural calamities and so on. It grants a breather and gives you time to pay the bill. Some memberships offer travel or accident insurance to the card owners at no cost. They also offer privileges like discounts at restaurants, shopping malls, and holiday packages. The other side is that you can get carried away and live beyond your means, ultimately falling into debt.To be eligible you need:
To be at least 18 years old.

Have some income or the backing of credit worthy parents.

Have an operational bank account.

A telephone.

A good credit rating. Your monthly expenses must not equal or exceed your income. Ideal expenses must account for approximately 50% of your income.
To get a Visa or Master card your income must exceed US$ 12,000 a year. Or, you need to apply for a secured credit card where you pay upfront a certain amount of money as security deposit.

There are many kinds of credit cards to choose from. Unsecured standard and classic cards are those with a credit limit of US$ 2000 and generally charge higher interest rates and offer lower or less favorable terms than the platinum and gold cards. Unsecured platinum and gold cards are for people with high credit ratings, and the limits for these cards are between US$ 2000 to US$ 100,000.Here are a few links that will give information and opportunities to apply for cards

online:
Visa at www.usa.visa.com/?country=us&ep=v_gg_new provides information, gives tips, and has listed a number of financial institutions that offer Visa cards and a wide range of services. One can apply for a card online.

MasterCard International at www.mastercard.com/index.html is comprehensive with information, advice, and options of choosing and applying for a card online. They have an online form which when filled will give information of which card would be ideal and a channel which provides instant comparison of various card options.

CreditCards.com at http://www.creditcards.com/ has articles, FAQs, a site map, and online application channels.

Tips:

Pick a card because it has the lowest APR.
Pick a card because all its terms and conditions have been carefully vetted by you. Read the fine print.

Never pick a card because it is free for a year or life.
Do not choose a card because it offers a low introductory rate.
Do not choose a card because it has a cash back policy or great rewards programs.
Choose wisely and live debt free.
Author BioPaul Wilson is a freelance writer for www.1866Creditcards.com, the premier website to find information on Credit Card including topics on credit card market, credit cards, business card credit comparison, card credit processing, credit card reviews, credit card offers, card credit deals and more. He also freelances for the premier Airport Parking Site www.1888Airportparking.com

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Spain: History

2008-06-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

Prehistorical Times

The oldest historical findings made in Spain date of about 30000 to 50000 b.C. Among the most important remains of this period are the caves Cova Negra (Játiva) and Piñar (Granada).
The Celt-Iberian Spain
The Iberian population probably arrived to the peninsula from the north of Africa. Tartessos, probably an iberian tribe, founded an important kingdom of high culture in the valley of Guadalquivir river, in the south of Spain. By 1200 b.C. Celtic tribes entered the peninsula from the north, mixing up with Iberians and so generating the celt-iberian race. The origin of the bask race living in the north of the country is uncertain, but many historians suppose that it goes back to a pre-iberian population.
Phoenicians, Greeks and CarthaginiansBy 1100 b.C. Phoenicians arrived to the peninsula and founded colonies, the most important of which was Gadir (today's Cadiz). Also Greeks founded colonies in southern Spain and along the Mediterranean coast.During the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthago Carthaginians invaded Spain and conquered large parts of it. Their most important colonies were the island Ibiza and Cartagena, the "new Carthago".

Romans and Goths

After Rome had defeated Carthago definitely, Romans also invaded the colonies in Spain, and ended up conquering the entire peninsula. The province Hispania became part and parcel of Roman empire and acquired great importance, even two Roman emperors, Traian and Hadrian, were born there. Spaniards absorbed completely the Roman culture as still today is very evident in their language.In 409, when the Roman empire started to fall, Gothic tribes invaded the peninsula and established their kingdom in 419.

Moorish Epoch and Reconquista

Gothic dominance lasted until 711, when Muslim armies crossed the Straight of Gibraltar and defeated Roderic, the last Visigoth king. Specially the southern parts of Spain, called al-Andalus, were prospering in the Moorish epoch, thanks to new sciences and agricultural technics. The Moors conquered major parts of the country until they were defeated for the first time by Visigoth king Pelayo at Covadonga in northern Spain, 722.Though the small Christian kingdoms in the north were a nucleus of resistence, the Arabian culture was prospering in the rest of the country. The Muslim Spain by the time got politically independent of the Arabian empire, and in 10th century Abderraman III. made Al-Andalus his own caliphate. In this epoch Cordoba was the indisputable cultural center of this area of the world. Decadence started in 11th century, when the various Arabian noble families were more and more at variance among themselves, and al-Andalus broke into numerous small caliphates. The Christian kingdoms in the north started then the reconquest of Spain. The marriage between Isabel of Castilia and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469, uniting the two most important among them, was the turning point of the Reconquista. From now on Muslims rapidly lost territory, until they were definitely expelled when they lost their last remaining caliphate, Granada, in 1492.

The Catholic Monarchs

Isabel and Ferdinand succeeded in uniting the whole country under their crown, and their effort to "re-christianize" Spain resulted in the Spanish Inquisition, when thousands of Jews and Moors who didn't want to convert to Christianism were expelled or killed.After the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492 tons of gold and silver were brought in from the new continent, and Spain became one of the most powerful nations of this epoch called the Golden Age.

Habsburg and Borbon Kings

After Isabel died in 1504, her daughter Joan who was married with the German emperor's son Philip succeeded to the throne. Charles I., at the same time Austrian king and German emperor united in 1517 one of the largest empires in history. Anyhow after his retirement in 1556 it was split between the Spanish and the Austrian line of Habsburg family.Spain was prospering economically under the Habsburg crown thanks to the trade with its American colonies, but on the hand involved in wars with France, the Netherlands and England, culminating in the disastrous defeat of the "Invincible Armada" in 1588.When the last Habsburg King Charles II. died without descendant, the nephew of French King Louis XIV., Philip of Borbon, successed to the throne. As a consequence of the French Revolution, Spain declared war on the new republic but was defeated. Napoleon took the power in France and sent his troops against Spain in 1808. He established his brother Joseph as Spanish king, but Spaniards fought a 5-year Independence War against the French. After Napoleon's definite defeat at Waterloo in 1815, Ferdinand VII. was restored to the Spanish throne and reigned with rigid absolutism. When he changed the law of succession to the throne and his daughter Isabel was established as queen, his brother Charles rebelled against it and the War of Seven Years broke out. Economical recession and political instability were the consequences, Spain lost its colonies with the exceptions of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Philippines. The revolution of 1868 forced Isabel II. to renounce to the throne, and the First Republic was proclaimed. Anyhow, it lasted for just about one year. After a coup d'état Isabel's son, Alphonse XII., restored the kingdom. The rebellion of Cuba in 1895 resulted in a war against United States, with disastrous results for Spain. It lost its last overseas possessions.

20th Century

The economical crisis of the early 1920s led the country to the brink of civil war, and General Primo de Ribera established a military dictature until 1930. Elections in 1931 saw a triumph for the political left, and Alphonse XIII. left the country. Increasing conflicts between the Republican government and the Nationalist opposition led to the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The Nationalists, led by General Franco, received extensive support from Nazi-Germany and fascist Italy and succeeded against the Republican block which was officially supported only by Russia, although many intellectuals (as Ernest Hemingway) and politically committed from other countries fought in the International Brigades. The nationalists succeeded.Although Franco kept Spain neutral during World War II, his military dictature led to political and economical isolation. During the 1950s and 60s every effort was taken to improve international relations, and the country's economy recovered. In 1969 Franco proclaimed Juan Carlos de Borbon, the grandson of Alphonse XIII., his successor with the title of king.Franco died in 1975, and a constitutional monarchy was established. President Adolfo Suarez introduced important political reforms. When he surprisingly dismissed in 1981, a group of militars tried to take the power with a coup, but failed. In 1982 the socialist party won the elections and Felipe Gonzalez became president of the government. Spain became member of the NATO in 1985 and entered the European Community in 1986. In 1992 it appeared impressively at the world stage: Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games, Seville the world exposition EXPO'92, and Madrid was declared European Cultural Capital.

The 19th Century.

When the Spanish diplomats attended the Congress of Vienna in 1814, they represented a victorious State, but a ruined and divided nation. The profound crisis of Spain had seriously undermined the Spanish American empire, because many of the American colonies claimed their independence in the first decades of the 19th century.

The history of the rest of the 19th century was dominated by the dynastic dilemma produced by the death without male heir of Ferdinand VII. His daughter took the throne as Isabel II, but her uncle, the legendary Don Carlos, opposed her claim, thus giving rise to the first of the two Carlist Wars, which chiefly affected Navarre, the Basque Country and El Maestrazgo, the region which bestrides Castellon, Tarragona and Teruel.

Significant dates of the 19th century are:

1808 to 1813: The Spanish people rise against French domination (May 2nd 1808) and with English help defeat Napoleon.

1814 to 1833: During the reign of Fernando VII, the Spanish colonies of America gain their independence, except Cuba and Puerto Rico.

1833 to 1868: On the death of Ferdinand VII, the rise to power of Isabel II brings about the first Carlist War as the Salic law is abolished.

1841 to 1843: General Espartero is proclaimed regent of the kingdom.

1843: General Narvaez deposes General Espartero.

1854: Leopoldo O'Donnell rebels against Narvaez and alternates with him as Prime Minister.

1868: The revoluction which overthrows Isabel II is headed by Generals Serrano and Prim.

1870: Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta, is elected king of Spain. General Prim is assassinated.

1873: Amadeo I abdicates and the Cortes proclaim a republic.

1873 to 1874: The First Republic.- The Republic has to deal with war in Cuba, the third Carlist war and the cantonalist rising of the South and South East of the country. After the presidencies of the Republic by Figueras, Pi y Margall, Salmeron and Castelar, the 'pronunciamiento' of General Pavia dissolves the Cortes and establishes the government of General Serrano.

1874: The Restoration.- General Martinez Campos rises in Sagunto and proclaims the restoration of the Bourbons (Borbones) under Alfonso XII.

1876 to 1878: The defeat of Carlism and the peace of El Zanjon, which brings to an end the ten year war in Cuba, makes it possible to set up a stable Government.

1885 to 1886: Alfonso XII dies and is succeeded by his posthumous son, Alfonso XIII, under the regency of his mother, Maria Cristina de Habsburgo y Lorena.

1895: The Cuban war of independence breaks up.

1898: The war with the United States puts an end to the remains of the Spanish colonial empire: Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines are turned over to the victors.

The Past of U.A.E Traditions

2008-06-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Fishing

The sea has always provided a valuable source of food for the people of the Emirates. Fish traps could be of the fixed, hadra type by which fish were guided along a stake-fence and finally into a small enclosure where they were harvested at low-tide; or else small moveable garghour traps woven from palm fronds, weighted down by stones, and baited to entice fish to enter through a narrow hole. In addition to fish, turtles and dugongs also provided valuable protein. The latter were caught by stalking them through the shallows, generally from a canoe, and eventually diving in after them and literally grappling with them. Turtle eggs were collected from well known nesting beaches and most parts of the animal were utilised.The territory, which had over time become the exclusive dar of the Bani Yas tribes, is bordered by 600 km of coast. As can be expected, the inhabitants of the hinterland made every possible use of the resources which this area of beaches, sand banks, creeks and inshore islands offered. They also colonized the many more distant islands. The extensive tidal shallows, which are characteristic of most of this coast, are ideal for fishing with traps. These were intricately constructed fences, placed to shape a letter V, where the fish were caught when the water receded. Another method involved stretching two nets at right angles to the tidal creek from a central pole; the use of a small dugout and working in a team of two or three fishermen was essential in some locations. But there were also methods by which one man alone could secure a good catch as, for instance, by stalking a shoal of small fish in the shallow water and casting over it a circular net weighted with stones. Fish which was not consumed fresh was hung up in the sun to dry, or treated with salt, and taken to the inland settlements where this additional protein was very welcome. Some of the small fish was dried and used as camel fodder or as fertilizer for the gardens, but, as for the fresh fish, the fishermen on the coast of Abu Dhabi were a long way from markets. There is archaeological evidence that on most of Abu Dhabi's numerous islands, tribes people came to fish in the winter and even brought their camels over in boats. They used rainwater, stored in cisterns, or caught in horizontally placed sails. But the coast between Dubai and Khaur al-Odaid, at the foot of the Qatar Peninsula, was not suitable for the establishment of larger, permanent settlements, because of the lack of reliable supplies of drinking water.

Life in the Oasis

The cash, which flowed ever more freely into the Trucial States, resulting almost exclusively from the pearling industry, had a great impact on the entire society, bringing important changes to the hinterland, too. For the bedouin family, who had managed to wrest from the sandy desert the means to survive, a date garden watered by a flowing stream was the height of luxury. Thus, when individual families had accumulated surplus wealth, they turned their attention to the villages in the Al Ain area, the nearest oasis, where several age-old aflaj brought underground water from springs near the mountains to the fertile soil in the plain. This oasis is already mentioned by the name of Taw'am in the early days of Islam, and prehistoric finds from the area point to it having been a centre of settled civilization for several thousand years.

Music and Dance

The Emirates enjoys a strong tradition of music and dance which played a vital role in many aspects of its people's lives. Songs were composed to accompany different tasks, from hauling water at the well, to diving for pearl-oysters out in the Gulf. In the latter case a professional song-leader was kept on the pearling dhows whose job it was to rally the men to work through music and song. The naha'an, as this person was known, would launch into song and all the sailors would join in as they worked. Each song had a rhythm for a particular task and, like the sea-shanties of western sailors, the music became an inspiration for good team-work.In the evenings, around a fire in the desert, men would meet to talk and exchange news. It was also an occasion for story telling and for reciting poetry. During celebrations singing and dancing also took place and many of the songs and dances, handed down from generation to generation, have survived to the present time. Young girls would dance by swinging their long black hair and swaying their bodies in time to the strong beat of the music. Men would re-enact battles fought or successful hunting expeditions, often symbolically using sticks, swords or rifles.

Thanks: www.uaeinteract.com

University Grants Commission (UGC) NET

2008-06-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

University Grants Commission (UGC) NET

The University Grants Commission (UGC) will hold the National Eligibility Test (NET) for junior research fellowship and lectureship on June 29. The test will held for 77 arts and humanities subjects, including languages, at 66 select centres. The University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram; the Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi; and the University of Calicut, Tenhipalam; are centres.
The subjects include economics; political science; philosophy; psychology; sociology; history; anthropology; commerce; education; social work; defence and strategic studies; home science; public administration; population studies; music; management, physical education; labour welfare or human resource management; law; library and information science; mass communication and journalism; performing arts — dance, drama, theatre, musicology and conservation; archaeology; criminology; women’s studies; visual arts; social medicine and community health; forensic science; computer science and applications; electronics science; environmental science; human rights and duties; tourism administration and management; Hindi, Malayalam, English and linguistics.

Those who have secured at least 55 percent marks in the Master’s degree examination (50 per cent for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and physically and visually challenged candidates require 50 per cent marks) are eligible to apply. Those who are appearing for the examination, or have appeared and awaiting results, are also eligible. The age limit is 28 as on June 1 (relaxed by 5 years for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, physically and visually challenged and other categories).
The application format, attendance slip, admission card and other details have been published in Employment News dated March 8. Details are also available on www.ugc.ac.in. The last date of receipt of the applications at the test centre, or university, is May 2.
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune - Entrance
The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, functioning under the Union government, has invited applications for entrance examinations for admission to its courses in film and television.
The courses include three-year postgraduate diploma courses in direction, cinematography, audiography and editing. Each has 12 seats. Those with Bachelor’s degrees in any discipline can apply for the courses, except for the one in audiography, which requires the degree as well as study of physics as a subject at the Plus Two level.

The two-year postgraduate diploma course in acting has 20 seats. Those with Bachelor’s degrees in architecture, painting, applied arts, sculpture and interior design or related fields may apply.
A certificate course of a year and a half in animation and computer graphics has 12 seats. Thos who have passed Plus Two are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to applicants having diplomas from fine arts colleges.

The one-year postgraduate certificate course in screen-play writing for feature films has 12 seats. Those with Bachelor’s degrees in any discipline may apply.
In television, there are one-year postgraduate certificate courses in direction, electronic cinematography, video editing, audiography and TV engineering. Each has 10 seats. Those with a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline may apply, but the audiography and TV engineering courses need the additional requirement of study of physics at the Plus Two level.
The entrance examination for all courses, except the one for the certificate course in animation and computer graphics which will be held at Pune on June 22, is scheduled for May 25. In Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram is the test centre.

The application form and prospectus can be downloaded from the website www.ftiindia.com. The filled application forms may be sent to the Controller of Examinations, Film and Television Institute of India, Law College Road, Pune – 411004 (ph: 020 25431817 or 25430017l extn. 223; 25425656 direct line) so as to reach him on or before April 21. Enclosed with the applications should be a demand draft for Rs. 1,610 (Rs. 1,260 for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates) drawn on any nationalised bank in favour of the Accounts Officer, Film and Television Institute of India, payable at Pune. For details, visit www.ftiindia.com

Thanks: Vidya soochika

A Tray of Ice Cubes Part:2

2008-06-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

She left her teetering tower of yet-to-be-filled cartons and walked hesitantly towards Daphne as if to a statue that had moved. Closer she could see it was true – Daphne, good old blonde-haired, piss-taking, dependable Daphne was crying. The water was spilling out of her eyes, falling off the end of her nose and salting her tomatoes.

“Are you crying, Daph?” India uselessly asked.

Daphne, whose head was hanging, suddenly drew her face back, as if to make the tears withdraw into her eyes. It was as though she hadn’t known she was crying. She fumbled in her pocket for a hanky, couldn’t find one. India gave her a serviette.
“Stupid,” said Daphne, holding the paper to her eyes like a blindfold, still with her other hand on the lever of the tomato shark.

“Anything I can do?” Said India.

Daphne took a deep breath, held it for what seemed like a dangerous length of time, then exhaled loudly. She took the paper away from her eyes, looked at India with a half smile that was meant to say ‘I’m fine now’, then collapsed into uncontrollable sobs. Some of the other staff noticed. Baseball-capped heads peered round the sides of broilers, or beneath frier hoods. India took hold of Daphne’s shaking frame (the first time, she realised, that she’d touched her manager) and guided her into the cramped space of telephones, files, lists and memos that served as an office.

“What’s up Daph? What’s going on?” “I can’t say. Nothing. Sod it.”
“Don’t you think you should talk about it?”
Daphne gave a choked laugh.
“I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“Try the beginning.”
Daphne compressed her lips, shook her head so slightly it was like trembling.
“Is it your old man? Is there something wrong with Colin?”
This was an educated guess. Colin’s health was a regular topic of conversation between Daphne and India - his latest digestive problem or heart attack scare, his creeping arthritis, even his occasional lack of libido. India had never met Colin but she thought she must know more about his body than his own doctor.
India could tell by Daphne’s stillness that she’d hit the mark.
“What is it? Is he ill?”
“It sounds so stupid, India love. I don’t know how to say it. I haven’t told anyone, not even my Mum.”
“You can tell me.”
“Well I’ve got to tell someone…” Daphne was whispering now, even though there was no one within earshot, “…a few months ago – about six months ago – Colin got this idea into his head – I mean he really believes it, that he’s…”
“Yes?” India’s eyes were round and expectant.
“He thinks he’s pregnant.”
Silence.
Then India let out a giggle, quickly put her hand to her mouth as if to catch it, but she carried on giggling into her hand, muffled.
“Don’t India, please love.”
“I’m sorry, but this has got to be a joke, yeah?”
“That’s what I thought at first. A joke. A sick joke. We gave up trying to have kids ten years ago. I’ve told you all about that. There isn’t a day goes by, even now, when I don’t think about the kids we could have had if things had worked out. I could have been a gran by now. But I thought Colin had forgotten all about it. You know he never was that bothered, not really, even when we were going up to the clinic every week. He was doing it for me really. But now it looks like something’s got to him… He’s started converting our spare room back into a nursery. We had it as a nursery when we were going for the treatment. Just hoping we could put a baby in it. Just to have the chance to muck around with baby things. When we finally called it a day we gutted the room. It broke my heart. We didn’t throw anything away, it was funny, but suddenly everyone we knew needed baby stuff. Most of it went to my sister – the clothes, the cot, the majority of the toys. We painted over the Tiggers with oatmeal, then I used the room for my china painting. You know me and my china. We never miss a craft fair. I had a little kiln in there and everything. But now he’s gone and painted new Tiggers on the walls. He’s splashed out on a posh cot with brass bits on. He says we have to have everything ready in time. It’s due in November.”

“Daphne, you’ve got to get him to a doctor. Get his head sorted out…”
“I know. The trouble is, in every other way he’s completely normal, you know, so Colinish, so bloody boringly Colinish. He’s still driving his buses, though he reckons he won’t fit behind the wheel for much longer. He’s given up the pipe and cigars. He doesn’t even have a drink now. He says he’s got to take care of himself. But what really frightens me is that I’m starting to believe him. It’s like I’m going mad as well. I find myself looking at his beer gut to see if it’s getting bigger…”
“And is it?”
Daphne allowed herself a brief, sneezy laugh.
“I keep thinking it is getting bigger. And he’s off the beer. When he’s asleep I put my hand on it and feel for movements. Maybe I do feel something kick, or is it just a bubble of wind? Then I’ll listen for a heartbeat. I can hear something, but is it just Colin’s heart. I don’t know…”
“But Daph, you’ve got to hold on to the true facts. You’ve got to remember he can’t be pregnant.”
“But why not?” Daphne’s voice had acquired a haughtiness that was new to India. India tried to match the tone,
“He’s a bloke isn’t he?”
Daphne closed her eyes dismissively.
“Colin spun me this long story about how he went to a clinic where they’re testing out a new type of fertility treatment, which means the man carrying the embryo instead of the woman.”
India is dismissive now.

“It’s true,” Daphne continued, “I’ve read up about it. There are people doing work on it right now. They say they don’t need any wombs, just a place in the body with a good blood supply. They’ve planted fertilised eggs on the outer wall of the large intestine of a male mouse and it’s gone on to give birth. I know they need one of my eggs but Colin says they kept some from when we were going for the treatment. He reckons they’ve got a whole dish of them up there. I know it’s rubbish but I can’t help thinking sometimes. And then I look at that huge tummy of his and it moves…”

“Daphne, I don’t want to know. Of course he hasn’t been to any clinic. He’s flipped his lid. He’s got to that age, all men get to it.”
Daphne laughed inwardly at the confidence with which eighteen-year-old India talked about men.

“His tomatoes have gone to pot. The whole crop. Every year he grows these wonderful tomatoes. They’ve got the best spot in the garden, sunny all day long. He even goes down the stables with a shovel so he can mulch the horseshit into them. They’re ready by late August. Well, this year he’s just left them. He’d lost interest by June. They were still green in August. He says he’s gone right off tomatoes now, because of his condition. We used to have such lovely salads,” Daphne looked across at the bowl of heaped tomato slices, like opened hearts. “I had to pick them myself. Still green. He wasn’t going to bother. I put them in brown paper bags and kept them under the stairs. They’re only just beginning to go yellow now. He has cravings for potatoes.”
India didn’t know what to say. She noticed a poster on the back of the door which reminded staff of the importance of ‘add-ons’, and provided a script which specified the exact phrasing to be used. If a customer wants a hamburger, staff must say ‘would you like fries with that?’ If a customer wants a hamburger with fries, staff must say ‘would you like a drink with that?’ BurgerWorld provides staff with a script for almost every possible interaction with a customer, from the cheery greetings to the cheery goodbyes. Staff are expected to follow these scripts to the letter. India found it very helpful at first, in dealing with customers, to have her words written for her in advance, but after a while she found that it damaged her ability to talk spontaneously outside the workplace. She wanted scripts for every social encounter, and had to work hard at relearning her ability to converse. Now, with Daphne, she longed again for guidance from head office.

“I’m out of my Depth, Daph.”
“I’m alright, India love. Get back to your prep. I’ll sort my old man out somehow.”
India went back to her prep, magicking cartons out of nothing. Daphne went back to slicing her tomatoes. They never, for the rest of their lives, say anything to each other on this subject again.

Thanks : Theshortstory.com

A Tray of Ice Cubes by Gerard Woodward

2008-06-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

A Tray of Ice Cubes

by Gerard Woodward

A Tray of Ice Cubes

Daphne and Colin were spending Friday evening as they spent most Friday evenings – in front of the telly with a microwaved dinner and a bottle of sweet German wine, watching their favourite programme; a camcorder compilation of matrimonial mishaps and wedding-day disasters called ‘The World’s Worst Weddings’.

Each programme treated its viewers to a parade of doomed brides tumbling down church steps, or skidding backwards and landing legs-in-the-air on dance floors. Beautifully crafted, four-tiered wedding cakes toppled slowly sideways like Pisan towers and then collapsed into rubbly heaps of icing. Horses bolted with their empty landaus from the church gates. The weather outside the churches was always turbulent, lifting the brides’ dresses up over their heads to reveal saucy bridal lingerie, or whipping the top hats off the heads of the men who chased them through churchyards like farmers after troupes of grey hens.

This anthology of crookedly shot, poorly focused visions of minor catastrophes had Daphne and Colin in stitches. They laughed until they hurt. They winced at painful bits (drunken sword-dancing, marquees bulging with stored rain), drew in their breath, gave each other mock-horrified looks, groaned, giggled, shook their heads pityingly and put their hands over their mouths.

By the end of the programme, as the credits rolled quickly over a reprise of the choicest clips, Colin and Daphne felt exhausted. Their jaws ached and their voices were hoarse. But at the same time they felt refreshed and reassured by the sense they had that other people’s lives were a train of small calamities, and that while their own lives might not be everything they’d wished for, at least they were ordered havens of static objects and common sense people. The World’s Worst Weddings renewed for them each week their sense of their own worth as people while fortifying them for the routine struggles of the week ahead.

Daphne was manager of the Erith branch of BurgerWorld where she supervised a crew of twenty surly teenagers and two shift managers. She could handle (though rarely needed to) one hundred and fifty customers an hour. She was a good branch manager. She had, in the words of Dale, her area executive, ‘ketchup in her blood’. She was blonde, wide, buxom and clever. She was forty-seven.

Colin her coeval, childhood sweetheart and husband of thirty years was a bus driver. He had power-steered red double-deckers from Trafalgar Square through the suburbs of South East London for almost as long as they’d been married. In the early days he had sat alone in the forward cab of a Routemaster, obeying the bells, buzzers and knocks of his conductor. Then, at the beginning of the Seventies, he was asked to merge two people into his one body and become both driver and conductor of the new pay-as-you-enter buses. It had been difficult at first, and he felt bad about the conductors who lost their jobs, but he managed the transition with some panache. He has twice been a finalist in the South East Bus Driver of the Year Awards. He genuinely cared about his human cargo. He took corners carefully. When he stopped he stopped gently and his passengers all nodded in unison. His sedentary life and fondness for the odd pint had given him a roly-poly figure and a thickening of fat around the neck. His hair was dark but thinning on top, combed back and out of the way behind his ears, half an inch short of unkempt. His teeth were sharp, symmetrical, stained with cigar tobacco.

He was stretched out on the couch, still in his bus drivers” uniform which, with its wine-coloured blazer and striped tie, made him look like a ridiculous schoolboy. This added to the shock Daphne felt when he turned his brick-red face, still damp with laughing, towards her and said, in a voice quiet with excitement,
“Love, I think I’m pregnant.”

Daphne was busy with tomatoes, slicing them in a machine called a tomato shark.
India, one of her shift managers, was preparing burger cartons. There was a lull in trade at BurgerWorld, as there usually was mid-afternoon. India hated these lulls as they made the time drag, although she found a simple satisfaction in the clever origami of her burger cartons. A flat card envelope is extracted from the packet which, with a deft twist of the thumbs, flips into a three-dimensional box with hinged lid, catch and steam vents.

Of all the crew India was closest to Daphne. They did not meet outside the workplace (apart from the Christmas do) but in BurgerWorld they regarded each other as friends. India liked Daphne’s boldness, her sturdiness. She admired her. She thought if Daphne was a building she would be a provincial town hall – solid, sensible, yet not without ornamentation and humour. India would be one of those little striped tents workmen erect over manholes. So she reacted at first with disbelief and bewilderment when she noticed Daphne was crying.

(Con....Next Post)

Thanks : Theshortstory.com

Who Actually Paid For My Education

2008-06-14T04:07:00.000-07:00

Who Actually Paid for my Education?[Originally published in soc.culture.Indian in 2000. ]
India suffers from very low literacy even compared to other developing countries. Yet one gets to hear about the tremendous impact that Indian doctors, engineers and scientists have had around the world. This conveys the impression that the Indian schooling system works. I believe that that impression is wrong and that in fact the Indian school system is inefficient and biased against the poor.

Free Education

I spent many years the Indian school system and I must admit that I received very good schooling. My eleven years in a pretty good high school in Nagpur was practically free. I was given a scholarship during my bachelor’s degree in engineering. At IIT Kanpur, while doing a master’s degree in computer sciences, I received a stipend which was sufficient to pay for all normal expenses. I estimate that my entire education in India, including a master’s in computer science, cost me less than US$ 100 in today’s terms.

How is it that a poor society can afford to educate its children for free? I come from a middle class family and I am sure we could have afforded more than that. I am also sure that if the education had been priced at full cost, we could not have paid for it up front. [There is a way to circumvent this problem. See “Full cost pricing” at the end of this page.]
Someone else paid for my education. That is true for a very large number of people who are educated in India’s premier institutions–someone else paid.

Nagpur is a medium-sized city by Indian standards. It has a bunch of good high schools. You have to have a middle-class or better background to get into those because competitive pressures keep the poor out. But if you get in, and don’t goof off too much, you can do well in the competition for admission into a good engineering or medical college. And then you get heavily subsidized education in college. Armed with all the advantages, you fill out a bunch of applications, write the GRE and the TOEFL and off you go to the US, never to return.

Brain Drain

It was fashionable in the 1970s and 80s to refer to the migration of trained doctors, scientists and engineers to the advanced industrialized countries as a “brain drain.” Actually, it was a “resource drain” rather than a “brain drain.” India never really had a shortage of basic brains. There are hundreds of millions of basic brains in India. However it takes resources to train a basic brain and turn it into a useful brain. These scarce resources are lost to the economy when used to train brains that eventually migrate.
Just like capital flight from poor economies to the rich ones, the migration of trained manpower, human capital flight, is enormously expensive. It is an even more of a burden when the training is publicly funded. When a trained engineer migrates to the US, it is totally indistinguishable from a gift of US$ 100,000 from India to the US. Over the years, the total implicit subsidy from India to the US could be estimated to be of the order of hundred billion dollars.

Losses

When an educated person leaves India, there is a first-order loss to the economy if the education was publicly funded. There is no comparable first-order loss if private resources were involved in the training. But in either case, the economy loses the life-time stream of economic contributions that the migrant would have made. This is a second-order loss. There is what can be considered a third-order loss that is harder to estimate but whose impact may be the most damaging in the long run. This arises from publicly subsidizing higher education at the expense of primary education.

Primary education, somewhat like primary health care, has characteristics of what economists call a “public good.” The positive effects of primary education spill over into the larger economy more than that of higher education, which is more like a private good. Markets efficiently provide optimal quantities of private goods but are known to under-provide public goods. The market understandably fails in the case of primary education. The solution is straightforward: the public subsidy of primary education.

The essential point is that the subsidizing higher education is an inefficient use of resources which could have been used for primary education. And this distorted system has real-world consequences: the shameful neglect of primary education.

Dismal Statistics

The Indian constitution mandates universal primary education for all (see Article 8 of the Indian Constitution). Yet, 41% of children do not reach grade 5 in India. Compare that to some other countries: Gambia 20%
Mali 18%
Senegal 15%
Tanzania 17%
Burkina Faso 25%

[Source: Human Development Report 1999. UNDP.]
Of the countries that rank lower than India in the human development index, only about four have higher percentage of children that do not reach the fifth grade. Mozambique does worse than India, for instance. But never mind small strange sub-Saharan African countries. Take Indonesia for example: only 11% of its children don’t go past the fifth grade. Or take Mexico with its 14% figure. Compare India with neighboring Sri Lanka with its 17%.
The failure of Indian primary education is hard to escape. Sixty years after India’s political independence, India is places 126th out of 175 countries ranked in the 2006 Human Development Report. India’s adult literacy rate is a dismal 61%, below Cameroon (68%), Angola, Congo, Uganda (67%), Rwanda (65%), and Malawi (64%). That 40% of today’s Indian adults cannot even “both read and write a short, simple statement related to their everyday life” implies that they did not get the equivalent of the most basic of primary education. Compare that to China’s 90% adult literacy. [Source: UNDP Human Development Report.]
Successful NRIs

The argument is often advanced that the Indian education system must be world-class. After all, doesn’t it produce world-class NRIs (non-resident Indians) like Vinod Khosla and Rajat Gupta? Yes, of course. And don’t they turn around and give millions of dollars to support the IITs? Yes, of course. Sure the NRIs send some money home. But what is the ratio of the amount India spends on their education to what these worthies send back home?
Even then, who could be so crass as to measure everything in terms of dollars? Surely there is something more important than money. Yes, there is. And it is the untapped human capital that India has in abundance and which it criminally neglects. It neglects them because the powers that be have it made under the current system and it serves their narrow purposes.
In practically every measure of education, India’s rank is so abysmal that it is depressing to even look at the figures. Even if the solution to India’s education problems were as little as a week’s worth of clean drinking water, India would still be in trouble. Around 60% of Indians don’t have access to clean drinking water.

For all our vaunted world-class scientists, doctors and engineers, India ranks miserably in the number of scientists and technicians it has: 0.3 such per 1,000 population. Compare that to: China 0.6, Islamic Rep of Iran 0.7, South Africa 1.7, Korea 2.9.

Hyperbole and Hubris

We in India lack many things. One thing appears not to be in short supply–the hyperbole and the capacity for self-delusion. We have pretences of being an information superpower. Our IT sector is supposed to make us great. It stretches the imagination beyond belief that this idea can be entertained by anyone. We account for less than 1% of the global $600 billion IT business. Remember we represent 17% of the world’s population. Even if we were to increase our share 10 times (and this is unreasonable by any account) we’d still be below the world average.
Judging the Indian education system based on a Chandrashekhar or a Ramanujan is misguided and delusional. It is like weighing a pinch of mustard seeds against a herd of elephants and declaring that the mustard weighs more. How do we manage to delude ourselves so? I believe that those doing the judging live in very rarified atmospheres. Their world is populated by jet-setting intellectuals and internet millionaires and H1-B visas and ecommerce and NRIs. Hard evidence to the contrary, it is more comforting to believe that we are not that badly off.
Is there any point in confronting the hard evidence, you may ask. Yes, there is. Unless we recognize the basic problem, examine it dispassionately, we are unlikely to even consider solving the problem. In a sort of defense through denial, we can go on with business as usual by declaring the problem does not exist. But the problem does exist. And the problem is not one that does not have wide ranging implications. The most devastating impact of our dismal educational system is that we are condemning ourselves to a future of exceedingly low economic development. If there is one thing that developmental economists have learnt, it is this: education is the most important factor in economic growth. Education has more impact on economic growth than natural resources, foreign investment, exports, imports, whatever. Neglect education and you may as well hang yourself and save yourself the pain of a slow miserable death.

So who paid for my education? It is the poor rural children, thousands of them, who paid for my education by losing their opportunity to become semi-literate. The system is tilted against them and unless there is a radical change in the way that education is funded, they will continue to pay the price for subsidizing the US for decades to come.

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FULL COST PRICING
A brief solution to the problem of full-cost pricing is easy to state. Price all higher education at full cost. If a year of engineering school costs Rs 3 lakhs, price it at that. Then give loans to every student that needs it to pay the price. The loan is repayable upon employment and in terms commensurate with the level of employment. If you earn big dollars in the US, pay in big dollars. If you work as a doctor in a small village in India, pay small amounts in rupees. Essentially, with the loan system in place, there is no need for public subsidies for higher education.

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