Bombtacular Pictures

That is exactly how you market shades. To view the entire city through your lens.

Wouldn't it be nice to see the beer, vodka, martinis all lined up on the shelf and you can actually take it and go ?

I dont have to say more do I? Enticing lovely macarons at your grasspatch

If only Starbucks offer cartoons on their coffee, it will bring back us back to childhood momentary, away from the busy lifestyle

Pictures are taken from photoholic.tumblr.com

Ron Paul: We'd Have Trillions Of Dollars To Spend If Didn't Have These Wasteful Wars! pt.1

Service

-www.resortair.com
Offering service is of prime importance in any industries. There are no exceptions in any cases.

Most the people would have thought that they could merely pass it off by doing the minimum, fulfilling the objective requirements of their jobs. However, there is really a need to go the extra mile in service.

“To deal only with the superficial trivia without seeing the deeper, tenderer issues is to trample on the sacred ground of another’s heart.”
-Stephen R. Covey

This couldn’t have been any more accurate. It captures the essence of service. Every little things you do for anther are actually appreciated by him The reason why you feel that it is nothing more than a simple gesture is because the other party is suppressing his poignant gratification.

For example, how do you feel when you discover a flower, which you have been staring at in the lobby for 3 minutes, in your own room after you checked in? How does the bellboy feel when the manager offered to carry the luggage on his hands? What if you give a hand-made birthday card to your subordinates on their birthday? What if you buy in supper for your employees even after you have already knock-off but they stayed behind to finish their remaining work? All these actions seem trivial but they all have a personal touch attached. Also, it could easily penetrate into their heart.

Once you begin to push the fly wheel with consistent, unconditional love and care, anyone will give in eventually. TI might take longer for people who might be sceptical about your efforts. However, once they truly sense your sincerity, they will break the barrier and open up more to you.

In fact, this applies to customers as we ll. Notice how people always go back to the hairdresser they favour, regardless of the price? Part of the reason is because the hairdresser can do the hair they prefer. However, aren’t there better hair-dressers out there? Why don’t they patronise them? In fact, hairdressers are one group of people in your life that can best relate to you. Notice how they greet you whenever you enter the salon? They highlight issues pertaining to your interests automatically without prompting.

-1partridgedevelopment

One of the psychological reasons is that people tend to open up and speak of their secrets and personal problems when part of their body are touched, literally. And hair is part of the body. When the hairdresser touches your hair, you automatically feel that she seems to know you very well. You no longer fend against them. All the cynicism is removed on the spot. It is this intimate touch that tells your sensory neurons that he’s safe. I can tell him things. Everyone has the propensity to let someone whom they trust touch them. If it is someone you abhor, you tend to shake his hand off your back with hesitation.

One great example of a service oriented company is Caterpillar Tractor. Caterpillar offers customers forty-eight hour guaranteed parts delivery service anywhere in the world; if it can’t fulfil that promise, the consumer gets the part free. The main principles of Caterpillar are excellence of quality, reliability of performance and loyalty in dealer relationships. A Business Week analyst concurs:” Product quality is something Cat people hold as close as a catechism.”

When enquired, most of the customers expressed that it is the service, that the delivery man provides, that impresses them. It is the service that keeps them coming back for more. Caterpillar has always placed great emphasis on training for employees of all levels, especially for the deliveryman. They believe that after all the execution, the deliveryman are the ones that have the last contact with the customers. It is truly up to them. How are they going to handle frustrated customers? What if they wanted the deliveryman to install the equipments for them? How are they going to handle the questions prompted by the customers and what if they can’t answer? Which is better? Getting the answer from the deliveryman later on or getting it from the telemarketer will make the customer more satisfied and touched? That’s the amount of effort Caterpillar put into the deliverymen

Mr Covey has brought up an example in the hotel. Despite having no room service, the man at the desk has offered to take care of his needs. When he needs markers, without questioning, the bellboy took care of it. All these were done without the supervision of a manager.

They were all determined and sincere in the provision of service. In an organisation, regardless of size, it is impossible to observe every single action of theirs. Also, one small mistake could result in serious ramifications later on. Even a bad service could deter a customer from coming back again, given the fact that there are so many other companies around. Worst still, he is a big customer with a wide network, the damage would have been unimaginable. The organisation simply cannot afford to take any chances on this. Therefore, it is important to treat employees the way you want them to treat the customers. You know it’s hard but it’s even harder for them to have to face customers who might be unreasonable and rude.

Consumer Power

It is important to construct a stable form of relationship with the consumers on the first go. It is vacuous to force a product upon them since they all prefer to accept it willing. Now, we are playing with the minds of the consumers, psychology, rather than through mere brute force which are already outdated a decade ago. For instance, when you get your hair done, it is the touching involved that creates intimacy that gets the customer to open up. It is this form of contact that destroys the mental barrier of the consumer. This is the touch of the new era, something that attacks the psychological barrier of the consumer, cranking open their barrier, forcing them to interact with you willingly and before you know it, the bond has already been formed.

The company usually see a small customer at their door, but they missed out on the huge consumer power around that corner. They believe that there is simply no harm in losing a few customers but they have absolutely no idea how strong the power of word-of-mouth actually is. The gargantuan network formed up by word-of-mouth can be as large as a million or even billions. That is why, we should never ever underestimate the power of consumers, even if it is just one of them.

I will further discuss the consumer power is the later posts, so stay tuned. Also, I will provide substantial examples to backup my case.

Farmers use combine harvesters with satnav

The technology can also help map which parts of a field yield the best crop, to allow fertilisers to be targeted precisely where they are needed - cutting costs and environmental impacts of farming, farmers say.

So-called "precision farming" was developed in the 1990s and, according the National Farmers' Union (NFU), has now become a practical reality on millions of acres of agricultural land.

The NFU believes technological advances can help meet the demand by the Government for farmers to produce more while having a lower impact on the environment.
In a decade's time British fields could even see rows of robots making their way up and down fields efficiently delivering chemicals to crops, according to Clive Blacker, who runs a precision farming consultancy.

Mr Blacker, an arable farmer from the Vale of York, said the technological advances in agriculture were a win-win situation for the industry.

The global positioning system (GPS) in agricultural vehicles and automatic steering enables harvesting without the need for daylight, and will also help farmers get their winter crops in the ground as the nights draw in during the autumn.

"The GPS is very similar to a satnav system in the car but it's more integrated. We're able to integrate it precisely with the steering," he said.

The system means the vehicle's driver is not having to concentrate hard for hours on steering the combine harvester, relieving pressure on the farmers during busy periods such as harvests.

The technology also enables the farmer to measure and map exactly which part of the field is reaping the best yield, analysis which can then be used to target problems in those areas.
Mr Blacker said such precision could allow the targeting of fertilisers and other inputs, and prevent run-off of excess chemicals into the local environment.

"It can reduce the inputs and it's a win-win situation, both environmentally and profitably, for the farmer," he said.

In the future, machines could play an even bigger part in our agricultural systems, he said.
"In 10 years' time, you could deliver micrograms of chemicals with little robots going up and down the field."

He said the robots would be able to target the chemicals on the crops much more efficiently, reducing their use significantly.

There has always been a problem faced by farmers in the past. That is they have no idea which part of the field yields the most crop and the problem of pollution as a result of mass-usage of ferilisers and chemicals. However, with technology now, you can even pin-point the acre of land that yields the most crop and the best part is that you can distribute the pro rata fertilisers according to the effective output of the land.

Instead of "telling us not to turn left or right" the GPS helps set out a path across the field, and travels up and down with a degree of accuracy of up to 2cm to ensure the most efficient harvesting or sowing of the crop, he said.

It is similar to patrolling, just that it is now performed by robots and the farmers can then focus on harvesting rather than wasting effort to maneuver the truck. I believe that there is definitely more to come in the area of agriculture even though many industries have moved on to the manufacturing and tertiary sectors.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/6047467/Farmers-use-combine-harvesters-with-satnav.html

Gadgets from the past: Selectric typewriter (1961)

Eliot Noyes was IBM’s director of corporate design in the 1950s and 60s. An architect and designer, he was influenced by his mentors the Bauhaus masters Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. He was also a visionary in that he commissioned innovative designers including Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames to work with IBM. So it is no surprise that the Selectric typewriter is an excellent example of America’s modernist movement. The 'type ball’ that moved across the page meant the typewriter – now electrified – no longer needed a sliding carriage. This allowed Noyes to come up with a streamlined case for the design, one that would be tinkered with regularly until the 1980s when the Selectric would become the model for IBM’s early word-processors – a development that would signal the demise of the typewriter.

www.telegraph.uk.co/technology

Connections between Culture and Consumption

Brands have become our time’s bearer of culture. We have to adapt and learn from the customers and the various diversifications. People living in the foreign countries have a high propensity to develop much stronger ties towards their native cultures. They tend to visit company that makes they feel at home. We can see the Japanese often at those top-class Japanese Sakae Restaurants despite its steep prices.
Consumers live on their own island of special cultures and needs. However, if the company can provide them with a new set of condition in which to develop of figure out their “special cultures”, it will definitely bring the consumers close to them.

First, the companies will establish their own fan-club. Next, they start setting up sales promotion and advertising to draw the attention of its fans. Afterwhich, they allow these fans to test the customer values of the products. Modifications will be made if they are dissatisfied. Finally, these fans will be satisfied and they will spontaneously publicise these goods to their friends while the company continue to improve the quality of the goods. Soon, there will be even more satisfaction achieved from the customers with sanguine expectations of the product per se. eventually, the products will self-advertise through various target markets.

Companies are able to stop other companies from reaching the company, i.e. big brands are able to buy up all the inventories at Wal-Mart, however, if pull-selling is initiated by a large number of consumers, Wal-Mart will not hesitate to give the other brands some shelf space. After all, Wal-Mart is about providing spaces to goods with high stock turns rates.

As far as it might sounds lucrative to make use of consumers to do the advertising, it is far from achievable in today’s society.
It is important to tell a story first, feed it and keep it spinning. Respect and involve your consumers. They are the best form of advertising you can get, without a tangible cost. Understand them, put yourself in their shoes, how close are you to them?
Passion, communication, reciprocation, humility are what forms a unique connection. Let the customer’s enthusiasm flow through all levels of the company. Listen to their views. As the influence of mass-media wanes, the value of word of mouth slowly rises in terms of convincing index. Self Reflection is the key to conquest.

Quality is no longer an argument when the different between brands shrink. Hands-on is the best way to integrate the customers into the implementation and development process.

-A Consumer Revolution to Business

IBM scientists use DNA molecules to make smaller chips

-ionholdings.com

The experimental breakthrough could be a step toward developing a new technique for making smaller microprocessors beyond the traditional manufacturing processes.
Chipmakers have been able to make tinier, but more powerful, processors over the past half century, but this advance has also pushed the limits of manufacturing techniques.
Balancing innovation and strategies

Michael Schrage, a research fellow at the MIT Center for Digital Business, discusses how technology is changing innovation and what managers can do to foster experimentation with new strategies.

Currently, the semiconductor industry is able to make processors using 22 nanometer manufacturing technology. Big Blue's researchers, in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology, have found a way to make microprocessors using a "a method to arrange DNA origami structures on surfaces compatible with today's semiconductor manufacturing equipment," IBM said.

Wow, look what we have here. IBM has done it yet again ! A breakthrough, after consistent years of pushing on the flywheel. Putting that aside, this breakthrough will be able to increase its market share in the long run as it produces unique processors which are way more powerful than ever. In addition, with the technology, it could easily scrap away large bulky manufacturing equipments that occupy simply too much space in the factory. With the costs cut severely, manpower will be further be trained to handle new technologies and IBM is going to leap forward ahead of other companies like Intel and Microsoft in no time.

Spike Narayan, a manager at IBM Research-Almaden, said the discovery also could pave the way for chipmakers to make processors without using huge and expensive manufacturing equipment.

"You rely less and less on school-bus sized equipment to do lithography," he said in an interview. "We have to look at different innovative ways to get those dimensions on wafers." He said the technique could be put to practical use in chipmaking in eight to 10 years.

The technique could even put to practical use in chipmaking in 8 to 10 years, this might seems long to the public but in actual fact, it is no less than what it should really be. Innovations and breakthroughs do not come day in and day out, they are in fact the essence of consistency, of everyday's hard work. While it may seem like a revolution, the arranging of DNA origami structures on surfaces compatible with today's semiconductor manufacturing equipment probably had IBM working for years, or in fact decades. Nonetheless, the prospects are great and the future of IBM is definitely shining its way out of this recession. IBM is for sure, one company that never fails to carry out its principles (Excellence, Respect for individual and Service) irregardless of the market's condition. Commendable!

The Social Mirror

Unaware, we will project our intentions on their behaviours and label ourselves as being objective.

This significantly limits our personal potential and our ability to relate to others as well. –Stephen R. Covey

“What do you think of his attitude?”
“He’s really unreasonable and biased.”
“I think he is able to different between the right and wrong.”
“I thought that was tautological? Are you dumb or deaf?”

Look at the above quotes which I have come across in my life. More often or not, many are subservient to the paradigms of people around us.

People who usually say such things do not consider it before they blurt it out. They project the foibles of people rather than accurately reflecting our true character.

Many a times, we stick to the first impression we have of the individual the very first time we see them. That is because we simply have no other point of reference or benchmark to refer to. Worst still, we are so inclined to the first impression that we remain adamant about the things he do that comes into conflict with the first impression we have of him. Conversely, if his actions complement the first impression we have of him, we will immediately rejoice and celebrate. “Told ya, I am right!” That will be one common exclamation that most of us will make.

We are often so relentless in our judgement. It actually made us oblivious to the happenings around us. We judge too quickly. How can we judge a person based on a couple of impressions. We too have the propensity to condemn them when they falter. Maybe, we should take one step back sometimes and reflect deeply. Have you ever been disappointed with your friends whom you know for so long and whom you thought you knew them inside out? If we can even misjudge someone we trusted so much, how sure can we be that the first few impressions and a few mistakes committed are sufficient for us to accurately judge someone’s character?

-medicineworld.org

But, have you ever wondered why we never admit to our mistakes? As brought forward by Stephen, there are actually three social maps, 3 theories of determinism widely accepted to explain the nature of man. They are namely genetic determinism, psychic determinism and environmental determinism.

Genetic determinism basically says that your demeanour and character are determined by your grandparents and that it’s in the DNA. You can simply do nothing about it other than resigning to your “fate.”

-pilotinternational.org

Psychic determinism basically says that your behaviour and attitude are merely a by product of your parents’ actions and teachings. Basically, monkey see, monkey do. This group of people tend to shuffle all the blame to their upbringing. Let’s discuss this point of view. Am I right to say that it could be that this group of people believe that why should I change when my parents have achieved such spectacular results with those attitudes. They may be proud but they have all the right to be so haughty as they are truly smart. Is it true that they are very vulnerable and they are afraid of moving out on their own? They feel more secure and safe within their own comfort zone with their parents’ teachings as a concrete backup to any mistakes. Otherwise, they will be exposed to bombardments and they will have no place to hide. There is psychic determinism a result of insecurity?

-sweden.se
Thirdly, environmental determinism, it says that you are behaving like these because you were shaped by the policies, schools and your boss. They force you to acquiesce to authority. The competitive environment of a top school you are in pressured you to being ruthless and selfish because that’s the way everyone haves. Survival of the fittest is a clear-cut notion everywhere. If you were to go soft, you will either be exploited or obliterated by the rest. I have seen many examples and evidences of a nice person being trampled upon. There, I should not behave in accordance to my principle as it simply isn’t feasible at all. So, after we have seen the 3 types of determinism theories. Which category do you think you fall under? For most of us, I’m pretty sure we are guilty of falling back onto environmental determinism. “It’s the place, it’s the air here.” The people are simple obnoxious, I have to do this to beat them.” In fact, once these statements are thrown out, you have already been beaten. You lost. You lost to the people that have forced you to change, you were influenced and now you are acting alongside them. Before you refute, take a minute to think. What did you do to them? And why did you do that? Now, are you feeling remorseful? Do you still think it was the environment that was at fault? Or rather, was it just your own will to act, your own discernments that have manipulated you?

Liquidation

I’m sure you guys are sick of the trite financial phrases that pop up every single day on the news by now. Nonetheless, I will put forward some terms today to help you gain a better understanding of its meaning. Hopefully this will allow you to better understand the reporters and economists the next time you switch on your television. Liquidation, I’m pretty sure that’s the term you come across most frequently nowadays, especially in the midst of a financial crisis. However, many are still not exactly sure of what this term really means. On this post, I will try to break apart this term by using analogies and lucid explanations along with the help from definitions online, credited from www.wikipedia.org.

In law, liquidation refers to the process by which a company (or part of a company) is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed.
In this case, it literally means that the company has faced a crisis and is no longer able to sustain itself; it does not have the wherewithal to continue to operate anymore. To put it across simply, it is like the deconstructing of a structure made up of LEGO blocks and then constructing a new or similar figure once more. We break the assets of the company up and then we distribute them, which commensurate to the amount buyers are willing to pay. The entire could be build from scratch once again as well or taken over completely by the one who bought it over.

Liquidation may either be compulsory (sometimes referred to as a creditors' liquidation) or voluntary (sometimes referred to as a shareholders' liquidation, although some voluntary liquidations are controlled by the creditors, see below).

It is compulsory usually when the creditors have already made a pact with the company that if it is unable to fulfill their concerted agreements. Sometimes, when they have no money to pay their creditors, they are forced to liquidate their assets and properties to pay back their debts.

In another case, it is voluntary when the shareholders decide to break up the company and reform it. It could also be the case whereby shareholders could no longer work with each other or that they want to venture out on their own with their forays into the respective companies. Either way, voluntary liquidation has to be concerted by all before it can be carried out, usually decided by the top management executive group.
The grounds upon which one can apply for a compulsory liquidation also vary between jurisdictions, but the normal grounds to enable an application to the court for an order to compulsorily wind-up the company are:
the company has so resolved
the company was incorporated as a public company, and has not been issued with a trading certificate (or equivalent) within 12 months of registration
it is an "old public company" (i.e., one that has not re-registered as a public company or become a private company under more recent companies legislation requiring this)
it has not commenced business within the statutorily prescribed time (normally one year) of its incorporation, or has not carried on business for a statutorily prescribed amount of time
the number of members has fallen below the minimum prescribed by statute
the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due
it is just and equitable to wind up the company
In practice, the vast majority of compulsory winding-up applications are made under one of the last two grounds.
Like today, most of the banks have fallen, up to 72 and the numbers are still rising. Most of them have no longer the wherewithal to carry out loans and investments due to a lack of reserves and many are filled with toxic assets. For large banks like Bank of America, the government and the relevant authorities are willing to absorb some of their toxic assets. However, in the case of smaller banks, they are just left to wither and die away. Therefore, they have no choice but to shut it down before they end up with more never-ending debts.
A "just and equitable" winding-up enable the ground to subject the strict legal rights of the shareholders to equitable considerations. It can take account of personal relationships of mutual trust and confidence in small parties, particularly, for example, where there is a breach of an understanding that all of the members may participate in the business or of an implied obligation to participate in management. An order might be made where the majority shareholders deprive the minority of their right to appoint and remove their own director.
Once liquidation commences (which depends upon applicable law, but will generally be when the petition was originally presented, and not when the court makes the order), dispositions of the company's property are generally void, and litigation involving the company is generally restrained.
Dispositions of the company’s property being voided, in layman terms, mean that it cannot be touched; it is nullified and freed on the judgment of other laws. Litigation which means the conduct of a lawsuit is undermined.

In the UK, many companies in debt decide it's more beneficial to "start again". This is often called in the UK a "Phoenix". To enact a phoenix effectively means to die and then come alive again. In business terms this will mean liquidating a company as the only option and then resuming under a different name with the same customers, clients and suppliers. In some circumstances it can be ideal for the company.

Webcams

The world’s first 3D webcam will add a new dimension to your video chats. Plug the Minoru into the USB port of your computer, and loop its “hands” over the top of your monitor to fix it in place, then follow the simple set-up procedure to configure the device.
After that, the Minoru is ready to start streaming 3D video over the internet. To have a 3D chat with someone, you’ll both need a Minoru, as well as a set of the red and blue 3D glasses that come with the device, but you can also use the webcam to make conventional 2D video calls.
It’s also possible to use the Minoru as a video camera for shooting 3D movies — why not try uploading it to YouTube, which now supports the 3D format?

-http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/reviews/5982497/Webcams-video-calling-gadget-reviews.html

UP

-img2.timeinc.net

In 1939, Carl Fredricksen is a shy 8-year-old boy who meets an outgoing and rather eccentric girl named Ellie and discovers they share the same interest in adventures as their hero, famed explorer Charles Muntz. Ellie expresses her desire to move her clubhouse to Paradise Falls in South America, a promise she makes Carl swear to keep. Years pass, and Carl and Ellie marry and grow old together in the old house where they first met while making a living as a toy balloon vendor and a zookeeper respectively. Unable to have children, they also try to save up for the trip to Paradise Falls but other financial obligations arise. Just as they finally seem to be able to take their trip, Ellie dies of old age, leaving Carl living by himself, becoming sour and missing his wife terribly. As the years pass, the city grows around Carl's house with construction as he refuses to move. After a tussle with a construction worker over his broken mailbox, the court orders Carl to move into Shady Oaks Retirement Home. Carl comes up with a scheme to keep his promise to Ellie, and uses his old professional supplies to create a makeshift airship using 10,000 helium balloons which lift his house off its foundations. Russell, a Wilderness Explorer trying to earn his final merit badge for "Assisting the Elderly", has stowed away on the porch after being sent on a snipe hunt by Carl the day before.
After a storm throws them off course, Russell steers the house with the help of his GPS navigator, and they find themselves on the opposite side of the tepui from Paradise Falls. With their body weight providing ballast allowing Carl and Russell to pull the floating house, the two begin to walk across the tepui, hoping to reach the falls while there's still enough helium in the balloons to keep the house afloat. During the journey, Russell befriends a huge, colorful bird which he names Kevin, not realizing that the bird is actually female. They later run into a dog named Dug with a translating collar that lets him speak. They discover Dug's owner is 85-year-old Charles Muntz, who has remained in South America for many decades to find and bring back a giant bird (who turns out to be Kevin) in order to restore his reputation after bringing back a skeleton of the bird and being called a fraud because scientists thought he faked the evidence. Carl is initially thrilled to meet his hero, but when he realizes that Muntz is after Kevin and will kill remorselessly in order to capture her alive, Carl takes steps to save the bird and escape from Muntz. Thanks to Kevin and Dug they escape Muntz's pack of vicious dogs, led by a Doberman Pinscher named Alpha, but Kevin is injured during the escape.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_(2009_film)

-Borapina

This movie brings out lots of interesting values in life. As Russell mentioned when he reached Paradise Fall,” It’s not like what they say in the book. It’s wild.” This is very true in the context of almost every scenario. Companies and institutions might be fighting the economic crisis, making bulks to cash and expanding successfully after many mergers and acquisitions throughout the year. What seems like a revolution to the rest of the world is in fact just an evolution. The media has the propensity to portray the success of an institution as though it happened overnight, as if one right move brought about the magnificent change in the company. Conversely, it is actually decades of hard work and years of consistent co-operation between individuals in the company that makes all these happen. It is only when one enters the corporation, will he be able to fully understand how hectic and stressful it actually is inside the company. Biographies, articles and reports are merely highlights of the company’s success. The effort put it to make all these happen are actually covered up by the media as it is deemed as stale and boring.

This brings me to another point which Russell made in the movie,” It’s the boring things that I remember.” Russell is actually a Wilderness Explorer in the movie. He accompanies Carl in order to earn his "assisting the elderly" badge: the only one he doesn't have. Although he is an explorer, he has never really been outfield; he has never even constructed a tent before. He deluded himself into the fact that if he gets the final badge, his father, who has always been neglecting him, will teach him how to construct one himself. Even though he has always been ignored, he remembers the boring moments that he shares with his dad. To be honest, it is all these trivial things that actually come a long way, all these minutiae in our life, our foibles, are the little things that truly matter. As mentioned by Stephen R. Covey, “To deal only with the superficial trivia without seeing the deeper, more tender issues is to trample on the sacred ground of another’s heart.” What seems to be impertinent to the rest might actually mean the world to the individual. That particular incident or memory could be the solution to the rancorous relationship between two individuals. By bringing it up, it could bring light to the problems and abate it to a level almost insignificant. In fact of true understanding and concern, all problems are easily identified and resolved.

Another key point of the story is the assisting of the elderly. In the society today, many of the young are extremely sardonic when it comes to issues pertaining to the elderly; they think that they are already too old to understand the world today. But in actual fact, they are the real professionals at it. They are the ones that have been through a lot more than we do. Rather than consulting them, we tend to be ignoring them. In some cases, some kids even upbraided their grandparents for damaging their belongings when it was just an accident. Where has all the respect for them gone to? Recently, there was all this hype about Susan Boyle who has managed to concur up a euphonious rendition of “I dreamed a dream.” But before she even began to sing, no one believed in her, no one thought she could do it. Why? It was simply because she looks traditional and ragged. However, after she let out the first line off her diaphragm, everyone was awakened to the reality, that she is sui generis, one of a kind. Therefore, rather than treating them like people who are oblivious to all the happenings today or stereotyping them as weaklings and people who gripe all day long, we should change our perceptions. Learn to understand them before you expect the others to understand you.

Last but not least, Ellie left a message for Carl, just before she died, at the end saying,” Thanks for the adventure. Now go have a new one.” Upon deep pondering, Carl finally realized that he should learn to let go of things and move on. He dumped his chair and the one which belonged to Ellie in an attempt to elevate the house once more into the air. In life, sometimes we are just overly-attached to memories and our past mistakes. We have to give it up at certain point in time before we are going to make any further progress. So long as there is a baulk in front of our path, we are going to remain as a moribund individual. Some people are trapped for days, some years, and some even decades. Many refused to let go before they are afraid of letting other people down. However, it ultimately boils down to the fact that you are living your own life and you only have one life. So live it to the fullest and have no regrets. At the end of the day, the only person that can hold you back is you, yourself, not anyone else.

UP is no doubt yet an incandescent masterpiece of Pixar. A simple yet meaningful illustration has proved to be one that is packed with a bountiful matured themes and teachings. It teaches us most importantly that we should give up our pointless pursuit for rewards(badges) and destinations(Paradise Fall) for something more important, something which we feel have a higher priority and that we should not beguile ourselves into the illusion of possessions. What we should seek for is actually the higher value, higher priority in life, something that is really deep down, close to our heart.

Tourism’s contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies.

The understanding and promotion of the ethical values common to humanity, with an attitude of tolerance and respect for the diversity of religious, philosophical and moral beliefs, are both the foundation and the consequence of responsible tourism.

Respect for the minorities, especially when one is embarking on a heritage tour, is of paramount importance. Tourists will tend to be exposed to a plethora of cultures that are stranger to them and might even be flabbergasted at the sight of some. Nonetheless, it is necessary to accept it with an open heart and treat it with the fullest respect in order to reap the most out of it. It is of utmost rudeness to go around criticising the culture and the venerable artefacts presented to tourists. Instead, everyone should immerse in another’s culture and bring the essence of it back with them as a form of fruitful experience.

Tourism activities should be conducted in harmony with the attributes and traditions of the host regions in respect for their laws, practices and customs.

It is not enough to merely comply with the laws, it is also essential to conduct oneself appropriately so that one does not violate or shame the tradition of others. At the same time, the locals should also acquaint themselves with the tourists to help them better appreciate and accept the traditions practiced by them for eons.
Many a times, locals are exploited and put forward as exhibitions for the tourists. They are made to perform for the tourists and some are even locked in cages or are forced to parade in the street for hours to show their trademark, for instance their long necks or pierced bodies. Such insolent actions by the local authorise are a disgrace. They exploit their very own locals and culture so as to achieve revenue and profits. In fact, these acts should be condemned by the United Nations.

Public authorities should take into deep consideration regarding the vulnerability that the tourists experience in a foreign land. They must facilitate the introduction of specific means of information, prevention, security, insurance and assistance consistent with their needs; any attacks, assaults, kidnappings or threats against the tourist. Many tourists are often unfamiliar with the settings of the country even though the maps and guides are prevalent on the net. They need help from the locals and local authorities should make all these easily accessible to provide the tourists with an impressionable experience so that they will be more than willing to return.

Despite all the precautions and caveat emptor put in place, it ultimately boils down to the tourist’s own responsibility to be aware of the health and security risks endemic to the country per se. There are some things that the country has no power over, for example, government in Malaysia can only mitigate crime, but it is still very prevalent in the country itself. There is this much the government can do, tourists themselves must be aware that their trips are always precarious in certain facets, there is no such thing as a perfect trip no matter how well-planned it is. Everyone has to play their own part in safety.

-Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

Character Ethic Vs Personality Ethic

Character ethic is based on integrity, courage, humility, patience, modesty and etc. IT is indeed true that these ethics are rare in today’s society. People found that it was indeed difficult to command with these principles. However, as mentioned by Jim Collins,” Paradoxically, humility and rigor do complement each other.” It is not true that you have to resort to backstabbing or the putting up of a veneer or hide behind your ostensible cheerfulness to climb up the corporate ladder. Contrary to popular belief, integrity can actually bring you far both in life and in your career.

However, it is disdainful to find out that in the past 50 years of literature, Personality Ethics are actually dominating over Character Ethic.

“Success became more of a function of personality, of public image, of attitudes & behaviours, skills and techniques that lubricate the processes of human interaction.”
-Stephen R. Covey

This couldn’t have more palpable in our everyday life. Rather than greeting someone with good intention, many tend to stick close to everyone, especially with the bosses and executives. In the blind search for authority and power, majority of the people are resorting to ruses and collusions. In turn, everyone becomes wary of each other.

Personality ethic is clearly manipulative in nature. We concert strategies just to plot against each other. Relationships are merely a means to the establishment of a wide network. Subordinates are no more than stepping stones to success.

In the business world, many put on a façade when treating people. They often have the ulterior motive to make use of people for personal gains. They intoxicate minds to bring people into their fortress. Spurious information is being spread to bring about the demise of their enemies. All these are pervasive in most offices. However, at the end of the day, there will come a time where it will be your turn to fall. Afterall what comes around goes around. If you concur with your colleagues wrongdoings (i.e. betrayal of another colleague or sabotaging), what makes you think that you will be spared from all these in the future to come? Perhaps, you will not be the target now, but that could be because you are still on good terms with him, or you are of some worth to him. What if, one day, you get involved in a conflict with him? Will he turn his back against you in a moment of fury? How sure are? Such people can be nefarious when they are angry.

On a more personal level, we tend to succumb to the personality ethic during our engagements with our friends too. “Come on, hit it!” You can do it.” “Awww, don’t worry about it, we don’t blame you. I’m sure you will be able to do better the next time.” What if you fail again the next time? I’m pretty sure that they will regurgitate the “comforting encouragements”. Unknowingly, this group of people are actually telling the individual that “you are disappointing. You had better not fail again. You are incapable. I thought you could do it but apparently I overestimated you.

These are actually the ideas which the individuals are receiving. Look back at yourself instead. When you receive these comments, were you put at ease? Did you feel assured? Did their encouragements penetrate into you? Or were you constantly repelling them away unconsciously? You could sense that they are sincere, but someone you weren’t motivated a single bit at all.
Now stop for a moment. I’m sure you thought these weren’t criticisms to begin with. I’m sure you had good intentions to begin with. But I’m quite sure nothing you do seem to help. The prime reason for this enigmatic scenario is that what we were doing to help was not in harmony with the way we really saw them. In actually fact, we thought they were merely weaker than the mainstream that they are lagging behind the rest. We acknowledge the fact deep within us that we had way higher expectations of them and that they failed us. What’s wrong with not meeting the timings? What’s wrong with failing to hit the ball? What’s wrong with not winning, so long as we all had fun? In order to encourage effectively, it is crucial to change our perception before we can change ourselves. We have to identify the way we are actually seeing our friends, did our encouragements match up with how we see them? Or were they in total conflict? Friends can sense it clearly as much as they try to stop themselves from believing that you are belittling them.