election:
Posted by Commie B on March 7, 2008 at 1:58 am
Lots…
Last few days I have kept pretty busy, and I think it’s going to get like that, but I’m going to work Asifism.com into my schedule too.
I’m currently setting up a new business (more information on that will come soon). I’m also in the process of working out with a franchise issuing organization to purchase an accounting/bookkeeping franchise (more information on that will follow too). In addition, I am studying for CIMA and actively working on DesignerPottery.com (http://www.designerpottery.com/blog). I need some help on this, so if this even remotely sounds like something you can help out with, please visit the blog and give me insight, feedback, or simply contact me for how you can help.
Of course, business is my priority. As part of marketing my accounting/bookkeeping consultancy, I am launching, in conjunction with VAFTA Solutions Limited (http://www.vafta.com) an accounting blog, which will start with me completing the second part of the accounting software article, where I will discuss and compare various accounting software. Consider it a QuickBooks Vs. Peachtree Vs. Sage Vs. Microsoft Office Accounting. Oh, and for the record, Sage sucks. Don’t buy it if you can avoid it. Get Quickbooks or Peachtree or Microsoft Accounting. They’re all three about 10 times better than Sage.
Basically, this new blog/section is about the following: many modern accountants/bookkeepers are able to use accounting software, but really, when you have a complex issue at hand, you always need to go back to your basic T-Accounts, i.e., the debits and the credits. I’ll start off with the basics, and as I study for CIMA, I’m also getting a refresher of all the basics. In addition, and this is probably going to be extremely productive and useful for some accountants or professionals, as I embark upon this journey to discuss accounting in hopefully an unambiguous way, unlike any other damn book (published by CIMA or Gleim or Kaplan or anyone else), I will point out the differences in the way the accounting is done under US GAAP and the way it is done under UK GAAP / IFRS. This itself is a bit of gap bridging activity for me, since almost all of my practical experience is US GAAP driven, and now I have to adjust to the IFRS. Please note that the differences arise at the basic level, and are carried through to the final stages, and there are problems if you hold a reluctant frame of mind about how the accounting needs to be done. Consistency past borders is hard to find in this profession, and that can get frustrating.
In addition, I will discuss some of the certification processes along the way. I am a member of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) in the USA, although I never really got a chance to sit for the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam while I was there. In the UK, CMA doesn’t mean much, but CIMA means everything for good financial & management accountants. So, I’m indulging in CIMA now, unfortunately, from the basics, and I’ll explain why when discussing the certification.
However, stay put for this new set of articles and lessons in the Accounting & Finance Category of Asifism.com. In addition, these lessons may be reproduced on http://www.vafta.com/blog, but I’m not so sure of that. If anyone is interested in writing on accounting, please be sure to email me at asif[at]asifism.com for more information.
For those of you who come here for QuickPlay. That will keep coming, as will more information regarding it that comes irrelevant. I’ve had some new problems with my HP dv2415, and I haven’t really had time to key that in, but I’ll be discussing that too. More Memoirs of the HP dv2000 series! Please, the offer for the DVB Card/Software article is still on the table, but unless people are serious about it, we won’t be spending time putting that together. Please vote on that:
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In addition, if you have hard success or failure with HP QuickPlay via Asifism.com, please let me know and leave comments on what needs to be changed.
Of course, as I get time inbetween, I’m also dying to give my cynical political insight on things like the triple victory of Hillary Clinton over Obama (in Texas, Ohio etc.). And of course, I’m dying to put down a few lines on Bush backing up McCain, and John McCain being very happy about it. Like anyone cares what George Bush thinks anymore!
Well, that’s all for now folks! Let’s get this rolling!
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Posted by Commie B on February 28, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I recently read in an article published in a British Magazine which stated that the fact that Obama is leading the polls over Hillary Clinton, and it appears will most likely beat her, is proof of the fact that America is no more a racist society; well, maybe not as racist as it used to be a few decades ago. On the other hand, another gentleman, who was interviewed in the article, stated that it’s not that America is no more racist, it’s just that America has learnt to deal with the racial problem better.
That may well be true, but it appears that America is no more interested in the (at this point democratic) political ideologies of the mature, white person. But is that the only reason that Obama is winning? The simple fact that he’s young, and black, and has a different attitude toward most things than, say, the Clintons or the Edwards or the Kerrys? Probablt not.
But here’s what I can tell you. If you read the news, the interviews, the poll results, the poll analysis, political experts, etc. etc., it seems like the US public has become so fed-up of the corruption in the White House, that at this point they’re willing to take up new blood, new blood that’s different, that won’t change his/her mind every now and then, and new blood that may offer something new. The new part is key, because we’ve all seen what the Bush’s are capable of doing; between father and son, they’ve done it for almost 16 years, and America is more than hurting because of that.
The one simplest reason why Obama is leading the presidential race ahead of Hillary Clinton and John McCain (who looks like he’s angry all the time; maybe he should be checked into anger management or something) is because he is NEW. People don’t know what he will do or what he can do, and people are desperate. They have seen what the white folk have done (no racism meant), and they’re willing to take their chances with what NEW brings, because with white they now have to associate the sadistic presidential rule of President George W. Bush. That’s a distaster, for both Clinton and McCain.
But there are other reasons why Barrack Obama may win the US Elections. Despite the attempts of Hillary Clinton and John McCain to defame him on the public financing / funding issue, these are not serious enough allegations to damage his credibility. With Iraq being a failure, Hillary Clinton’s former stance of supporting the war has from the very first day put her on very questionable grounds. John McCain is all about war; civil, international, world. He’s a war-like people, and he’s too traditional, which again gives Barrack Obama an edge. Obama, on the other hand, never voted for the Iraq War, and that gives him the only head start he needs in addition to being NEW.
What plays against Obama, however, is the lack of confidence people have in the leadership of black people. The same article also discussed the fact that although people are all for new and all for Obama, they are slightly hesitant, because they think that since a black man has never been a president, can he do it? White people have been becoming US Presidents for the last 200 years, and they’re bred for it. But is a black man educated, complicated, and charismatic enough to lead America. Well, we’re going to find out, won’t we?
I’m not voting, since I’m not a US National and don’t live in the US. But tell me, who do you think will win the election eventually? Not who’s best, who do you think will become commander and chief?
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Posted by Commie B on February 23, 2008 at 3:39 am
With the Pakistani Election coming to an end this week, we know who’s sitting in the front seat to drive this overcrowded nation of almost 200 million people. Although you can this election was pretty intense and nail biting (given its Hollywood like character: Murder, Suicide, threats, patriotism, etc. etc.), somehow, no matter how intense the election, the problem is that no political party has a particular agenda or a stance it takes on any particular issue.
With Pakistan People’s Party (The Ex-Benazir Bhutto & Currently Asif Zardari group) taking the lead in the polls, Pakistan Muslic League (Nawaz Sharif group) coming in second, and PML- Q (Musharraf’s party) coming in third, and with the PPP and the PML-N attempting to form an alliance to oust Musharraf, things could get pretty nasty for Pakistan pretty soon. There’s no telling how long Zardari and Sharif can continue the sweet talk, because as it is, I’m sure their dislike for each other is, well, more than quite obvious.
But the major problem with the future of Pakistan is not what lies ahead with the confrontation of these three political leaders (so-called), but what will happen once the confrontation is complete. With Musharraf losing out on majority support and retiring as an Army General, his say in the government and direction of the country is far less than it would have been if he was the Chief of Army Staff. Despite the fact that Nawaz Sharif & Co. won quite a big part of the National Assembly seats, there is still a lot to fear in the future of Pakistan.
This is primarily the case because no matter how you look at it, Pakistan People’s Party will run the show, and no matter who is made Prime Minister, be it Amin Faheem or not, Asif Zardari will run the show and run Pakistan; and that’s the danger! Not that I have anything personal against him, but Zardari is known to be a chronically corrupt man, who has quite possibly murdered his own spouse (Benazir Bhutto, if you’re wondering) for the chance to reign over Pakistan. In the past, as a senator / MNA in Pakistan, Zardari has been coined as the 10% man, i.e., any contract or deal that goes through the Pakistan government, Mr. Zardari gets to keep 10%of it. Well, he could manage to do it because Benazir Bhutto was the Prime Minister.
Asif Zardari is a man who is known to have murdered, torchered, looted, and raped the Pakistani Government and Pakistani people at the highest of levels. Not that the others have been much different. I do not say that Nawaz Sharif would put the betterment of Pakistan before his, and neither can the same be said of Musharraf’s record over the last 9 years. However, I fear that Asif Zardari is the worst of the lot, and he has scandals and actions of his past to prove it.
Not only, I suspect, will corruption rise to an all time high under his rule, but the country will be drained of its already slim natural resources. I’m not very clear on Zadari’s relationship with the Maulana/Fundamentalist groups of Pakistan, although it is evident from history that they despised Benazir Bhutto. However, forming a coalition with Nawaz Sharif here can be useful, since he has the experience and tact to deal with that crowd; it’s one of the few things he was capable of doing. This one topic alone is detrimental to the future of internal Pakistan and for its relationship with the outside world.
With the mass increase of long beards and lack of education in Pakistan over the last few years, and given the trend of suicide bombings not only in Pakistan but globally, it is imperative that no matter how corrupt Zardari is, he pay attention to dealing with this issue of religious extremism and increasing the level basic education. Ultimately, that’s where Pakistan needs to start work to elevate itself from a worseing third world status.
I suppose it’s too early to decide what’s going to happen. We will first probably have to see the three of them bicker over whether or not Musharraf stays. Once that’s over, we will witness the destruction or rebuilding of destroyed country, that suffers from an extreme lack of being a nation. I can only but pray.
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