I’m not an expert in these matters but I think I know enough to say that religion and politics don’t mix well in Iran. Cooperation between the two is an illusion, an illusion the people of that country realize is getting them no where fast. Iran was on its way to becoming a democracy (sort of) during the Shah’s US backed reign. Of course the Shah-Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi-had his problems with the religious right because of his White Revolution (visit White Revolution in Wikipedia-very interesting) that, among other things, extended suffrage to women, modernized the nation and recognized the sovereignty of Israel, a no-no for any Muslim nation.Modernization in Iran was seen by Shi’a clergy as secularization and they began withdrawing support for the Shah. In 1979 a revolution occurred that brought to power the Ayatollah Khomeini and his rule by the Supreme Jurist. Many Iranian citizens were opposed to the return of theocracy but knew better than to complain. Religious zealots remember, have ways of bringing the wrath of God to bear when needed to bring about unquestioned compliance, or so those zealots say. I became acquainted with an Iranian family that was able to escape the Ayatollah’s Supreme Jurist rule in 1982. A well-to-do family, the result of education and hard work, eventually made their way to the US where we met. The patriarch and his wife were in their seventies, both were ill, and they were broke. The Supreme Jurist wouldn’t allow them to leave Iran to seek medical assistance with any thing but the cloths on their backs. The familie’s home, jobs, and retirement fund were lost, never to be retrieved. The good news is that Americans-many were Iranian themselves-helped this family get what they needed and the bad news, of course, is they could never return to their beloved Iran.A product of the 70′s revolution in Iran was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, now into his second term as Iran’s blowhard president. Strange indeed how Ahmadinejad began his ascent because of a cleric’s government take over in 1979, a puppet groomed by theocracy to lead a country back into the dark ages and now theocracy and Ahmadinejad are both suffering a significant loss of respect and power.Jon Meacham, in a Newsweek editorial, wrote; “In an imperfect world there will never be a complete end to theocracy any more than there will be a complete end to tyranny. Power will ebb and flow, regimes come and go. But in the main, history’s path leads to more liberty, not less.”Riots are raging throughout the Middle-East and as many know already Ahmadinejad is on his way out eventually. Rule by the Supreme Jurist is sure to be marginalized as well and the result, we hope, will be more liberty, not less. However, the not-less part is contingent upon reining in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps the most powerful and secretive organization in the region, their goal; eradication of all non-fundamental Islamic believers. There is much to be done to bring about liberty in those Muslim states and I am afraid it will get worse before it gets better. And in the meantime the Iranian Islamic radicals near their quest for nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them.
5 Ways MYOB Improves Your Business Productivity
MYOB is a powerful and versatile software package that will assist any business to improve its business productivity. There are a variety of MYOB courses available that will show you how you can not only set up your records properly, but also how to get the best out of them. Using the reports facility is one simple way you can keep on top of your business by creating a snapshot of your business as it currently stands.The more advanced features of many MYOB modules give businesses even greater capacity to maximise profit opportunities by giving accountants some powerful tools to assist their clients in planning for a profitable future.Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do with MYOB to make your business more productive and more profitable.Make Better Decisions. By utilising the information that can be generated within MYOB, business owners can discover methods of streamlining and improving their business. You can look at things like tax liabilities, projected financial data and other important performance measures to predict the effect of any business decision.
Cash Flow Projections. MYOB allows your accountant to create a scorecard of your business which is easy to read and understand. You can use this to determine emerging cash flow issues as well as profit performance. Having this information on hand at the press of a button means that you will always be on top of vital data that best describes your business.
Adding Value. You can utilise a ‘what if’ scenario query to examine the effects on cash flow or profits of any decision you are thinking of implementing. This is a great way to establish a clear picture of the impact on the overall business before a decision is actually made. This data is also vital in supporting the loan applications as many banks will be able to use the data to assess any finance application.
Meaningful Numbers. MYOB has a sophisticated analytical system in place which converts raw data into something which is easily understood by the non accountants. This places business owners into a much more powerful position by giving them a hands on knowledge of financial data that they can use much more easily and sensibly. These numbers can then be used to develop specific strategies to improve business.
Anticipate Changes. Imagine being able to predict the effect on your business in the event of a potential interest rate rise. In today’s business environment borrowings are a critical aspect of the business which need to be constantly monitored, and in an environment of rising interest rates being able to anticipate the changes well in advance can make planning a much more straightforward proposition.In a nutshell, MYOB provides you with the capacity to analyse in depth any aspect of your business. This analysis can then be further developed by strategising and exploring possibilities and make them easily understood by producing simple flowcharts of key results. Your MYOB Certified Consultant can show you how to utilise the tools contained in this extremely powerful software package.
List of Best Internet Service Providers
We all like indulging in online video games or PC games from time to time. To support online games you need great internet service providers. Even though, many service providers claim to provide the best experience but at times they fail to deliver the same. The experience of internet speed and connectivity varies on geographical locations. You need to look for the best internet service provider to suit your needs.The settings provided by the ISPs for online gaming differ with each provider. What you get with one provider for online games might not be available with another. It is all about the functionality and the utility that can fulfill your desired requirement for speed. When you settle for a given ISP for online gaming, it is only beneficial when it can match the requirements for an online match. It requires a quick response, high speed, and great connectivity.Why do you need a great ISP?Now let us look at a gaming scenario where you are playing Call of Duty. You are playing the most interesting part of the game and battling alongside with your friends. The time is crucial to match the desired output and result to take the lead. You are about to make a strike on the potential enemy, and you pull out the sniper rifle, taking aim you are about to pull the trigger, but the internet gives away. You get cut off in the middle of the most essential and interesting part.When you regain internet connectivity, the game is almost over and to your horror you discover that you lost two lives in the process. You are just rendered helpless due to the poor internet connectivity and late response time. This situation is not only annoying but frustrating that leads to a lot of resentment.The thing to understand here is that not only you got kicked off the game, but your team lost because of a poor connection. Online games are all about high-speed internet connectivity, continuous connection, a great response time without having to deal with crappy connectivity even once. For this very reason, you need to look for an ISP that gives you all.How Do Online Games Use the Internet?• Online games that include MMO, First Person Shooters, RPGs, fighting games, battles and driving are all about ease of online gaming.• The systems that are used include PS2/3, Xbox (360), Wii and of course a dedicated PC.• Communicating through chat and headsets with other players while gaming.• Purchasing and downloading games.The factors that influence the connectivity and the speed include the games that one chooses to play online. You should know that when you are choosing a game, the internet connectivity too gets affected with it. The speed and the ping rate are the things that might be compromised due to heavy graphics and the amount of downloading it requires.When you are playing games like Fallout or Call of Duty, it requires fast processing and good ping rates. For these very reasons, it is essential to choose ISPs that compliment your games.VerizonVerizon is a leading brand when it comes to ISPs globally. It is all about delivering high connectivity, great surf speed that includes nothing less than 1.23 Mbps. The service provider delivers high speed Internet connectivity by using the fiber-optic network or the FiOS. However, with this in mind it is not always possible for everyone to opt for the technology of FiOS. There is a great possibility that due to a different geographic location you might not be able to gain access to a better network or even feel compromised with the lack of FiOS.ComcastComcast is a great brand that is known to deliver XFinity service that is a collaboration of high-speed connectivity through fiber optic. It is with the recent upgrade to the technology of XFinity that can provide 1 Mbps surf speed. You get 15 Mbps download without any hassle or technical glitch. However, chances are that some geographic locations are out of reach. It is possible that due to a different geographical location you cannot benefit from it just yet. However, the standard version will still provide you with 992 Kbps surf speed.CoxCox ISP can provide wide network coverage and connectivity through cable service. You will be able to get the XFinity and the FiOS technology at your home. You will get a great speed of 1.14 Mbps surf speed. This service is ideal and works well for those who have to reach zones like rural areas or countryside. If you are located at the far side of the country, where it is difficult to get fiber optic connection then this is the one for you. Opt for this ISP and you are good to go for PC games.Optimum OnlineOptimum Online might not be as popular as other ISPs, but it is capable of providing good cable connectivity. The connectivity option is designed for online games or PC games. The connectivity and the surf-speed provided by this ISP is 1.12 Mbps that is amazing. This ISP is certainly a great choice when it comes to speed similar to the fiber optic connection.Choosing any of the ISPs mentioned here will benefit you in PC games and help you achieve optimum internet usage.