LIGHT A LAMP FOR IT IS THE DARK HOUR.: May 2022

Friday 6 May 2022

Russia's super yatch

Last week of April 22, Amadea’s fate still hanged in the balance. This stunning superyacht allegedly owned by a controversial Russian billionaire had supposedly made it to safety after having crossed the Pacific following the sanctions against Russia. But nearly a month later, the U.S. officially gets to decide what’s going to happen to it.

Wednesday 4 May 2022

5 best investing earning apps

Investing is risky. It comes with few guarantees. The only investing guarantee I can offer is this: everything held equal, the less you pay in fees, the better your returns. And investing apps are making it easier than ever to invest commission-free.

Fees don’t have to stop you from making wise and lucrative investments. Thankfully, we live in the 21st century, and there’s never been a better time to be a small investor.

And now, in today's mobile world, investing is becoming easier and cheaper than ever. Plus, with the investing price war that's been going on, it's cheaper than ever to invest!

Here are the best investing apps that let you invest for free (yes, free).

Types of block chain

There are four different types of blockchains. They are as follows:

Private Blockchain Networks

Private blockchains operate on closed networks, and tend to work well for private businesses and organizations. Companies can use private blockchains to customize their accessibility and authorization preferences, parameters to the network, and other important security options. Only one authority manages a private blockchain network.

Public Blockchain Networks

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies originated from public blockchains, which also played a role in popularizing distributed ledger technology (DLT). Public blockchains also help to eliminate certain challenges and issues, such as security flaws and centralization. With DLT, data is distributed across a peer-to-peer network, rather than being stored in a single location. A consensus algorithm is used for verifying information authenticity; proof of stake (PoS) and proof of work (PoW) are two frequently used consensus methods.

Permissioned Blockchain Networks

Also sometimes known as hybrid blockchains, permissioned blockchain networks are private blockchains that allow special access for authorized individuals. Organizations typically set up these types of blockchains to get the best of both worlds, and it enables better structure when assigning who can participate in the network and in what transactions.

Consortium Blockchains

Similar to permissioned blockchains, consortium blockchains have both public and private components, except multiple organizations will manage a single consortium blockchain network. Although these types of blockchains can initially be more complex to set up, once they are running, they can offer better security. Additionally, consortium blockchains are optimal for collaboration with multiple organizations.

The Process of Transaction

One of Blockchain technology’s cardinal features is the way it confirms and authorizes transactions. For example, if two individuals wish to perform a transaction with a private and public key, respectively, the first person party would attach the transaction information to the public key of the second party. This total information is gathered together into a block.

The block contains a digital signature, a timestamp, and other important, relevant information. It should be noted that the block doesn’t include the identities of the individuals involved in the transaction. This block is then transmitted across all of the network's nodes, and when the right individual uses his private key and matches it with the block, the transaction gets completed successfully.

In addition to conducting financial transactions, the Blockchain can also hold transactional details of properties, vehicles, etc.

Here’s a use case that illustrates how Blockchain works:

Hash Encryptions
blockchain technology uses hashing and encryption to secure the data, relying mainly on the SHA256 algorithm to secure the information. The address of the sender (public key), the receiver’s address, the
. The encrypted information, called hash encryption, is transmitted across the world and added to the blockchain after verification. The SHA256 algorithm makes it almost impossible to hack the hash encryption, which in turn simplifies the sender and receiver’s authentication.
Proof of Work
In a Blockchain, each block consists of 4 main headers.
- Previous Hash: This hash address locates the previous block.
- Transaction Details: Details of all the transactions that need to occur.
- Nonce: An arbitrary number given in cryptography to differentiate the block’s hash address.
- Hash Address of the Block: All of the above (i.e., preceding hash, transaction details, and nonce) are transmitted through a hashing algorithm. This gives an output containing a 256-bit, 64 character length value, which is called the unique ‘hash address.’ Consequently, it is referred to as the hash of the block.
- Numerous people around the world try to figure out the right hash value to meet a pre-determined condition using computational algorithms. The transaction completes when the predetermined condition is met. To put it more plainly, Blockchain miners attempt to solve a mathematical puzzle, which is referred to as a proof of work problem. Whoever solves it first gets a reward.
- Mining
  In Blockchain technology, the process of adding transactional details to the present digital/public ledger is called ‘mining.’ Though the term is associated with Bitcoin, it is used to refer to other Blockchain technologies as well. Mining involves generating the hash of a block transaction, which is tough to forge, thereby ensuring the safety of the entire Blockchain without needing a central system

Unlocking block chain: how does block chain work

recent years, you may have noticed many businesses around the world integrating Blockchain technology. But how exactly does Blockchain technology work? Is this a significant change or a simple addition? The advancements of Blockchain are still young and have the potential to be revolutionary in the future; so, let’s begin demystifying this technology.

Blockchain is a combination of three leading technologies:

Cryptographic keys
A peer-to-peer network containing a shared ledger
A means of computing, to store the transactions and records of the network

Cryptography keys consist of two keys – Private key and Public key. These keys help in performing successful transactions between two parties. Each individual has these two keys, which they use to produce a secure digital identity reference. This secured identity is the most important aspect of Blockchain technology. In the world of cryptocurrency, this identity is referred to as ‘digital signature’ and is used for authorizing and controlling transactions.

The digital signature is merged with the peer-to-peer network; a large number of individuals who act as authorities use the digital signature in order to reach a consensus on transactions, among other issues. When they authorize a deal, it is certified by a mathematical verification, which results in a successful secured transaction between the two network-connected parties. So to sum it up, Blockchain users employ cryptography keys to perform different types of digital interactions over the peer-to-peer network

Block chain popularity secret

Suppose you are transferring money to your family or friends from your bank account. You would log in to online banking and transfer the amount to the other person using their account number. When the transaction is done, your bank updates the transaction records. It seems simple enough, right? There is a potential issue which most of us neglect.

These types of transactions can be tampered with very quickly. People who are familiar with this truth are often wary of using these types of transactions, hence the evolution of third-party payment applications in recent years. But this vulnerability is essentially why Blockchain technology was created.

Technologically, Blockchain is a digital ledger that is gaining a lot of attention and traction recently. But why has it become so popular? Well, let’s dig into it to fathom the whole concept.

Record keeping of data and transactions are a crucial part of the business. Often, this information is handled in house or passed through a third party like brokers, bankers, or lawyers increasing time, cost, or both on the business. Fortunately, Blockchain avoids this long process and facilitates the faster movement of the transaction, thereby saving both time and money.

Most people assume Blockchain and Bitcoin can be used interchangeably, but in reality, that’s not the case. Blockchain is the technology capable of supporting various applications related to multiple industries like finance, supply chain, manufacturing, etc., but Bitcoin is a currency that relies on Blockchain technology to be secure.

Blockchain is an emerging technology with many advantages in an increasingly digital world:

Highly Secure
It uses a digital signature feature to conduct fraud-free transactions making it impossible to corrupt or change the data of an individual by the other users without a specific digital signature.
Decentralized System
Conventionally, you need the approval of regulatory authorities like a government or bank for transactions; however, with Blockchain, transactions are done with the mutual consensus of users resulting in smoother, safer, and faster transactions.
Automation Capability
It is programmable and can generate systematic actions, events, and payments automatically when the criteria of the trigger are met

Block chain technology

over the past few years, you have consistently heard the term ‘blockchain technology,’ probably regarding cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin. In fact, you may be asking yourself, “what is blockchain technology?” It seems like blockchain is a platitude but in a hypothetical sense, as there is no real meaning that the layman can understand easily. It is imperative to answer “what is blockchain technology, “including the technology that is used, how it works, and how it’s becoming vital in the digital world.

As blockchain continues to grow and become more user-friendly, the onus is on you to learn this evolving technology to prepare for the future. If you are new to blockchain, then this is the right platform to gain solid foundational knowledge. In this article, you learn how to answer the question, “what is blockchain technology?” You’ll also learn how blockchain works, why it’s important, and how you can use this field to advance your career.

What Is Blockchain Technology?

Blockchain technology is a structure that stores transactional records, also known as the block, of the public in several databases, known as the “chain,” in a network connected through peer-to-peer nodes. Typically, this storage is referred to as a ‘digital ledger.’

Every transaction in this ledger is authorized by the digital signature of the owner, which authenticates the transaction and safeguards it from tampering. Hence, the information the digital ledger contains is highly secure.

In simpler words, the digital ledger is like a Google spreadsheet shared among numerous computers in a network, in which, the transactional records are stored based on actual purchases. The fascinating angle is that anybody can see the data, but they can’t corrupt it

ISSB preparation tips

overview about what all is there

All the tests are given on a website named Hawinfo as well
The first thing which you will be doing there is a lot of form filling. try to write the same things in all the forms because you will be asked to fill more than 2 forms there.

Then comes the address by commandent ISSB. The very 1st day there are intelligence tests. You can find some exercise which are relevant to the tests here
After the intelligence test is done you will be doing mechanical aptitude test which includes some easy questions from physics.
The next things is psychologists tests which are the main crux of ISSB. this includes tests such as
Sentence completion English. You will be given two papers which contains 26 incomplete sentences in English and you need to complete them in 6 minutes. You can find some examples here
Next is the sentence completion in urdu. Here you have the same thing 2 papers of 26 incomplete sentences and the time is also same. find some useful examples of the test here
then you will be shown 2 pictures on a projector now you have to write stories on these pictures. Make sure you right a positive one. Some example stories are solved here read them
Next comes word association test now you will be shown some 100 words and each word will be displayed for 10 seconds you have to make sentence on it during that time....See some useful exercises here
the last test in the psychologist is pointer stories writing ....An incomplete story is given and you need to solve it...See the exercises here
There are 2 interviews in ISSB one by Deputy, and one by psychologist. Psychologist interview is based upon you psychological tests for Deputy and psychologists Interview watch the questions here
then you have many physical tasks which are

CSS versus ISSB : What do you want to do?

If you want to join armed forces of Pakistan then you'll have to pass ISSB along with other tests. However if you want to serve as civil servant then go for CSS exams.

Comparing css officer with army officer, Well CSP officer right from the start have powers as CSP has to deal with public affairs mostly. So in public affairs matters CSP is powerfull. As for example ASP is more powerfull then Major of Army.

But after promotions of army officer to higher rank for example to Brig. OR Maj .Gen and so on. Powers of these ranked officers are aslo very much, as we all know we are enlslaved of our own army. Army is more powerfull then civil beurecracy.

But if you look in the perspective of direct powers then CSP has more powers than Army officals.

Army is indepennt organization while many CSP work under ministries. so politics can influence csp officer but not to an army offical.

Scholarship : how to get scholarships

Dear Aspirants: I am sure you read Waqar bhai's post about Italian Scholarship Rejection and I have personally noticed that Pakistani Students are not represented in such a majority in US universities either. While I pursued my Undergraduate Degree in the US and now doing my Ph.D. there, I have noticed this dilemma, and tons of mentors have brought it to your attention as well.

T have other mentors that Scholarships are Competitive not because there are many students but also because you are competing against international talent too.

If you can not make the effort to open the link and read the requirements for the program then I can not comprehend how do you comprehend that you can sustain and do well abroad

If you are so uncertain about giving IELTS/TOEFL, constructing SOP, creating your CV, Giving the GRE, Making a Research Proposal; that we hope that someone just gives us all the information and we do not have to do much then we will continue to lack and be underrepresented

We need to think this fact that we must quit running after acceptance letters. I have seen students just mindlessly asking for an acceptance letter from professors that have research not even close to what they want to pursue.

Students continue to send the same email to every professor and then ask, WHY ARE WE REJECTED?

We do not take time to read the profile of the professor, read their research, read some of their papers and try to understand what are their active projects because we claim that "IT WASTES SO MUCH TIME".

If you think that doing hard work is waste of time than let me tell you that trying to find the shortcut is the biggest waste of your time because to achieve success NO SHORTCUT EXISTS

SO HOW TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM?

Try to spend some time reading the requirements of the program. Do not blindly apply as soon as you see the word "FULLY FUNDED"

Stop chasing acceptance letters and try to find a perfect match with you and the lab you want to do research in.

Please start working on your profile by constructing a compelling CV, SOP and other material ahead of the application deadline. If you start gathering your documents days before your deadline than you will not be able to carefully make sure that you have fulfilled all the requirements

Do apply to multiple programs on the same SOP, IT IS NOT GOING TO WORK IN YOUR FAVOR

If you are applying to US, know that GRE is not some sort of a foreign BEAST! The test is designed for humans by humans and not for robots. We all take these exams and we all can do well, if we put the same dedication as we put in things that are of interest to us

If you can spend hours browsing the internet then you should also be able to spend hours trying to find scholarship opportunities

PLEASE understand the importance of RESEARCH! It is rather impossible to get into PhD if you have no research experience. Instead of sitting and blaming your country, your institutions, and other people, start taking responsibility of your actions!

If you did not have the opportunity to do research, you must do an internship or a job relevant to your field before you apply for PhD!

Do not assume someone knows that you know the skills. If you do not mention that in your CV, I can not know that you have Research Skills

MORAL OF THE STORY: Let us stop blaming others for our failure and take responsibility of our actions! Work hard! There is no success if you can not take the time to work hard! Failure should not disappoint you but let it teach you!he Biggest Problem is: TRYING TO FIND A SHORT CUT

Failure, turning failures to success

I wish someone told me this 10 years ago when I was just graduating with my bachelor. I wish there were seminars, books, and training courses on dealing with rejection. I wish there were special events where people shared their 'failure stories'.

Dealing with failure is such an important part of any person's life. If you think about it, the majority of our life is spent dealing with failures. We rarely get something on the first try.

What is failure? Failure is not when you half-heartedly applied for a job/scholarship and nobody replied. Failure is when you are at the end of your wits and you have no idea what to do next. Imagine being in an unfamiliar house, alone, and then suddenly power goes out, it is pitch dark, you have no idea where you are and you have no idea where to go. This is what real failure looks like.

Everyone sees failure, everyone witnesses such moments. If by any miracle you are have not seen such failures then there are two possibilities: Either you are incredibly lucky, which is nearly impossible. Or you are not aiming high enough, you are playing safe, in this case, you have failed by default already.

So now we know what is failure, then the biggest question here is how do we deal with it?

There are three possibilities when you suffer from failure:

You are not the right person for the position that you are aiming for.

You are the right person but you are not putting in the effort.

You are the right person, you are putting in your full effort but it is not in your naseeb*.

All the conventional advice on failure focuses on point no.2. The common advice says that you just need to keep going, just focus on your passion, just one more step. Edison failed 1000 times before he perfected the bulb, Dyson made 5126 prototypes before he finalized his bag-less vacuum design. We listen to these examples and curse ourselves, maybe we are not putting in the effort, maybe if we spent 12 hours instead of 8, that would make a difference. Maybe we should keep our head down and keep grinding...

Practice makes perfect, but wrong practice only gives wrong results.

You may be working on the wrong thing because you have the wrong idea of success in your head. It is possible that the idea of success was programmed in you from an early age by your environment and your society. Maybe what you are pursuing is not you, it's not suited for you or your personality. You are pursuing something for which you are a wrong fit.

Growing up in the 90s the idea of success for Pakistani children was becoming an Engineer or a doctor. An entire generation of Pakistani kids was programmed to believe that being a doctor or engineer was the best possible profession. (And it was for good reasons at the time). I was one of such kids, I believed that becoming an engineer or a doctor was the best possible way to be successful. So I did become an Engineer. It was during engineering when I found that I was not able to understand analytical concepts as easily as my other friends. But I still kept on going as much as I could.

It was during my first job as an engineer where I finally realized that I was not a natural at being an engineer. I saw my colleagues who were natural at it. They could talk about engineering problems, figure out solutions whereas I was trailing behind trying to catch up with them. The way they worked felt like a fish in the water. Effortless and enjoyable.

That's when I realized I want to be like a fish in the water. I want to choose what I am natural at.

Accepting your weakest areas is a blessing because when you do that you automatically start to find out what you are good at. Even if you don't know, your colleagues and peers start to see that and they ask for your help in those areas.

For me that area was communication. It was taking complicated ideas, thoughts, and queries and them putting them in words. I was a natural at it. It didn't seem anything special to me. To me it was effortless and therefore it seemed that anyone anywhere can do it. But that was not true. I would be asked several times by my managers and colleagues in drafting a particular tricky email or phone communication. Most of all, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed taking complicated ideas and putting them in words or explaining them to others.

The reason why I explained all this is that we are born with different talents and natural abilities. We have different IQs. It is useless to excel in a field where you are not natural and don't feel you are enjoying it.

So to summarise, this is what you should be feeling internally when you are doing something that aligns with you:

You do not feel it's a special talent because it comes naturally to you. However, when others see you working they tell you that it is not normal. It doesn't seem like work to you. It just flows through you like water.

You enjoy the process, no matter what the outcome you really enjoy doing it. A true blood entrepreneur gets a thrill every time there is a new business idea in his mind, he gets a kick every time there is a roadblock. The hustle, and the grind motivates him. A natural Engineer enjoys the problem, formulating complex equations. Analytical thinking does not bore him.

How do we find what we are natural at? We continuously explore, take risks, and then take feedback. We push our limits and risk failure.

So failure is an essential part of failing less. But we learn from that experience. Did we enjoy it? did it feel right to us?

When we find what we are a natural at then the reason no. 2 is eliminated. Because whatever we do it feels like play to us. We are not afraid of working. In fact, it does not even feel like work to us. We can spend hours, days just happily working on that thing.

This brings us to reason no.3 for failure: Maybe we are a natural at something, maybe we are even working as hard as we can, but we are still not getting it. Why does it happen? Maybe it is not in our naseeb. It is not destined for us.

It took me a very long time to understand this, but let me explain with an example.

When I was 15 I started memorizing the Quran. It took me 3 years of continuous studying and I was able to accomplish that. During my time I saw several students, who were diligent, intelligent and hardworking. Their parents came with the most sincere and deep-seated desire so their child can become a Hafiz-e-Quran, they would hire the best teachers, create the most positive environment for their kid. The kid himself would work hard. Studying day and night. But it wouldn't work. They wouldn't be able to do it. Everything on paper would say otherwise. But still, they couldn't. And no matter how much they tried to force it, it wouldn't work. They would fail again and again.

To this day I do not think it was a lack of intention, or hard work. God didn't love them any less than He loved me. It just wasn't destined for them.

It simply wasn't meant to be.

That realization is the hardest to stomach. Because there are no apparent reasons for our failure. We always want to know reasons, but there are places where logic cannot go, and that's where faith comes in. Faith and belief that we did our best, but it wasn't meant to be.

Failure is essential part of life, but it extremely important to fail at the right thing. Learning from the failure and then calibrating our actions.

I hope you learned something important from this guide. Please comment and let me know what you think.

Difference between socialism and capitalism

Capitalism and socialism are generally seen as polar opposites, and discussions of either system are often framed as in opposition to the other. The modern idea of socialism has roots in Greek philosopher Plato but emerged as a popular political idea in the early 19th century among German radicals like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. There are many forms of socialism, but at its core, socialism is an economic system in which a whole community — not just bosses or private companies — control the means of production equally. It assumes that people are naturally cooperative, instead of competitive. The goal of socialism is an egalitarian society run by democratically elected representatives for the benefit of all in accordance with a set of collectively determined parameters; unlike under capitalism, industry and production is run by the state, and the acquisition of private property is seen as counterproductive. Capitalist critics of socialism believe that the system slows economic growth, rewards worker laziness, and can stifle individual rights and free expression.

In a capitalist country, the focus is on profits over anything else; in a socialist country, the public is seen to be more important, and social welfare is a major priority. The United States, the U.K., and Germany are examples of modern capitalist countries. Many other countries like Norway, Sweden, Canada, and the Netherlands incorporate socialist ideas into their societies, as does the U.S. to some degree; for example, universal health care and Social Security are both socialistic concepts

Effects of capitalism

The kind of impact that capitalism has on your life depends on whether you’re a worker or a boss. For someone who owns a company and employs other workers, capitalism may make sense: The more profits your company brings in, the more resources you have to share with your workers, which theoretically improves everyone’s standard of living. It’s all based on the principle of supply and demand, and in capitalism, consumption is king. The problem is that many capitalist bosses aren’t great at sharing the wealth, which is why one of the major critiques of capitalism is that it is a huge driver of inequality, both social and economic.

Capitalism takes the position that “greed is good,” which its supporters say is a positive thing — greed drives profits and profits drive innovation and product development, which means there are more choices available for those who can afford them. Its opponents say that capitalism is, by nature, exploitative, and leads to a brutally divided society that tramples the working classes in favor of fattening the rich’s wallets. The Occupy Wall Street movement, for example, began as an anti-capitalist protest against “the 1%” — the richest of the rich of the capitalist class — and asked why they are allowed to grow fat and happy while 20% of all American children live in poverty

Who is a capitalist

Individual capitalists are typically wealthy people who have a large amount of capital (money or other financial assets) invested in business, and who benefit from the system of capitalism by making increased profits and thereby adding to their wealth. A capitalist nation is dominated by the free market, which is an economic system in which both prices and production are dictated by corporations and private companies in competition with one another, and places a heavy focus on private property, economic growth, freedom of choice, and limited government intervention. Generally, those to the right of the political spectrum tend to be pro-capitalist; those on the left veer toward anti-capitalism.

History of capitalism

The origins of capitalism are complicated, and stretch back to the 16th century, when the British systems of power largely collapsed after the Black Death, a deadly plague that killed off up to 60% of Europe’s entire population. A newly formed class of merchants began to trade with foreign countries, and this newfound demand for exports hurt local economies and began to dictate overall production and pricing of goods. It also led to the spread of colonialism, slavery, and imperialism.

The death of feudalism — a hierarchical system often seen as oppressive that kept poor people bonded to their masters’ land, which they farmed in exchange for a place to live and military protection — also left rural British peasants with no homes and no work, which eventually funneled them away from the countryside and into urban centers. These former farm workers then had to sell their labor in a newly competitive work environment in order to survive, while the state worked in concert with the new capitalists to establish a maximum wage and “clamp down on beggars.”

By the 18th century, England had converted into an industrial nation, and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution saw an explosion of manufacturing overtake the island. It is within those smoky factories and flammable textile mills that our modern idea of capitalism — and the opposition to it — began to fully flourish. In 1776, Scottish economist Adam Smith published his treatise, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, which is regarded as the bedrock upon which modern capitalism stands. Though some of his specific ideas about value and labor differ from those of modern economists, Smith is often called “the father of capitalism.

Socialist system in capitalism

The socialist challenge of capitalism required an effective response. The first chapter of this rivalry was opened in the late nineteenth century. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, in his struggle with the strong German socialist movement, turned towards the introduction of welfare institutions. Pension system, health care, and other welfare institutions were introduced for workers to take the wind out of the sail of the emerging socialist movement. For these developments, the Great Depression of the early 1930s brought about a turning point. The Swedish Social Democratic government, elected in 1932, started building a welfare state. President Franklin D. Roosevelt also initiated major social legislation and the introduction of the social security system. The comprehensive system of the welfare state, however, emerged only after World War II in Western Europe. Capitalism, in contrast with its nineteenth century features, initiated widespread social legislation. Paid vacation, short workweek, nationwide pension systems, free health care, education, maternity leave, cheap housing, and many other institutions were established. Human rights were re-evaluated and the right to work, i.e., a full-employment policy, became dominant. Inequity, at least in the middle layers of the society, markedly diminished in the advanced capitalist countries.

The period after the Second World War also saw the spread of mixed economies. Almost all of the advanced Western European countries, led by France and Britain, nationalized entire sectors of their economies and established new state-owned firms in various industries.

Capitalism underwent a spectacular transformation. In his article on The Instability of Capitalism (1928), the leading Austrian-American economist, Joseph Schumpeter, prophesied the transformation of the system and the fading of the original meaning of capitalism. He maintained that capitalism is inherently stable and able to recover from great crises, but generates socio-intellectual effects discordant with its spirit and institutions. As a consequence, ‘Capitalism is … in so obvious process of transformation into something else … [that] it will be merely matter of taste and terminology to call it Socialism or not.’

Towards the end of the twentieth century, capitalism adjusted to the new historical situation and markedly transformed but preserved entrepreneurial interest, market flexibility, efficiency, competitiveness, and reached its highest prosperity and fastest growth rate ever. The Western core countries of the world system successfully adjusted to a new technological-communication revolution and became the leader of new technologies and the rise of postindustrial society.

During the long period of postwar prosperity, a part of the former Asian and South European peripheries of the capitalist world system reached a higher than average growth and became an integrated and equal part of the core countries. After a long period of rivalry, capitalism emerged victorious while the parallel world system of centrally planned state socialism, which conquered one-third of the world and influenced an even greater part by its policy after World War II, collapsed in 1989–91. The former Soviet Bloc countries introduced radical market reforms, thus re-establishing capitalism. During the last third of the twentieth century, laissez-faire capitalism became the leading model again. Neo-liberal economics triumphed and challenged mixed economy and welfare state.

Capitalism in late twentieth century reached a new stage in its history. The main trend of this new age is globalization. National boundaries and national economies rapidly lost their importance. Multi- or transnational companies penetrated previously independent economies. Foreign direct investment became instrumental all over the world, including the advanced core countries. Towards the end of the 1990s nearly one-third of American exports and two-thirds of imports were intrafirm deliveries. About one-third of French, Dutch, and British industrial output was produced and roughly 25–40 percent of their research and development expenditure was financed by affiliates of transnational companies. In Ireland, and former state-socialist Hungary, foreign affiliates produced two-thirds of industrial output and financed roughly 70 percent of research and development expenditures.

While globalization, in some cases, contributed to a successful catching-up process with the core, it also preserved and even strengthened the core–periphery inequity. The gap between advanced core and the peripheries was growing considerably: intercountry income spread was 10:1 in 1913; 26:1 in 1950, but it increased to 40:1 at the end of the twentieth century. A newly globalized but even more polarized capitalist world system, dominated by an expanding Western core, was emerging at the turn of the millennium.

Tuesday 3 May 2022

Capitalism : An overview

Capitalism has its own particular geography, which must be attended to if we are to adequately understand its nature, and limits. Our very definition of capitalism references the form capitalist practices took once they arrived in Europe, and discourses presenting capitalism as the best economic system neglect the violence inflicted on other peoples and places in making this happen. This European version of capitalism fails to deliver on its promise of prosperity in part due to geography. Capitalism's spatial extent means that it produces persistent uneven geographical development, enriching some at the expense of others and necessitating experimentation with alternatives. Its dialectical relationship with labor and the more-than-human world can undermine its coherence from the outside. Finally, the persistence of more-than-capitalist practices is testimony to capitalism's less than hegemonic status in practice, notwithstanding discourses presenting it as currently globally hegemonic.

Sunday 1 May 2022

IELTS preparation:short and free

STOP PAYING FOR IELTS PREPARATION"

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Its completely out of my understanding why people spend money to prepare for IELTS.

I see a lot of people confused and worried about where should they prepare for IELTS test.

Some take classes on-campus while some join skype sessions and pay large sum of cash for these services.

I just want everyone to know that there is a free self-paced online course available on the internet which is designed by the academics of University of Queensland.

This innovative preparation course has been designed and written by experienced English teaching professionals from The University of Queensland, an IELTS testing centre and one of the world’s leading centres of learning. All of the course writers have extensive experience enabling students to reach their academic IELTS goal of entering a university where English is the primary language.

Now whats the point of paying money and learning from someone who has no official association with IELTS test centre.

https://www.edx.org/course/ielts-academic-test-preparation

P.S Those who are looking for IELTS General module please know the fact that Academic is always more difficult. So it's advised that you first take this course and then buy one book of IELTS 9 10 OR 11 and prepare from it for general test. There is just a minor difference only in the writing module which you would know from the book.

For those who are asking about the mock exam. Well you can buy a simple IELTS book IELTS 9, IELTS 10 or IELTS 11. It comes with a CD and you can conduct your own exam at home.

Link for mock tests:

https://ieltsonlinetests.com

Website link added for mock tests. جزاءک اللہ

Please note that if you cant prepare it by yourself and you want someone to spoon feed you i.e. in an academy/coaching/tuition, you'll never be able to get good marks at exam. How can you expect that a local guy can teach better than the faculty of Queensland and those people who work at IELTS?

Programming languages in high demand

TOP 10 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES THAT WILL KEEP YOU IN DEMAND IN 2022

Study in Italy: basic guide

Study in Italy -- For Beginners --FAQs

An Old guide but good for basic queries..

I did lot of research during search for fully funded PhD .

I hope this works for you.

This article is only for itlay.

The only good thing about Italy is that it gives scholarship in Masters Level.

Q1. Which university should I apply for?

These are the universities:

1. Politecnico di Milano (Polimi) http://www.polinternational.polimi.it/what/prospective-students/

2. Politecnico di Torino (Polito) http://apply.polito.it/index_en.html

3. University of Trento http://international.unitn.it/engineering

4. University of Venice http://www.unive.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=10497

5. University of Bergamo http://www.unibg.it/struttura/en_struttura.asp?cerca=en_didattica_internazionalizzazione_02

6. University of Rome http://web.uniroma2.it/home-en.php?newlang=english University of Rome, Tor Vergata

7. University of Siena

8. University of Milan, Torino, Padova etc etc.

Further you should try Google and http://www.universitaly.com/index.php/

Q2. Can I get scholarship?

In the Politecnicos and Trento, the scholarships are assigned automatically and randomly, there is no other separate form to be filled. No one can tell if u will get scholarship if u have 75% or 100% marks. It is random, its Italy!

In Polimi and Polito another need based scholarship is available, in Polimi it is DSU and Polito it is EDISU. For DSU you can apply online the application opens in July. The procedure of DSU and EDISU is explained in another document in the group documents. You can find it in “files section” of the group. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/197164200312640/files/)

EDISU you will have to arrive to Italy to get.

If assigned DSU or EDISU or Uni scholarship, all your living expenses are covered including fees.

There are other similar scholarships in other universities with different names like OPERA etc. I have no personal experience of that.

Q3. Living Expenses:

Initially after arrival, the expenses are like this:

1. 260 euro stay permit fees

2. 400 euro normally house security fees, refunded when you leave the house

3. Rent of first month normally 200 - 300

4. University fees

5. Other food and transport expenses depend on you but around 150

6. Then the expenses come down to 300 - 350 per month.

7. In some cases it can be 250 per month if you are living with many people, but it depends.

Q4. Jobs: (Side jobs / Post education jobs)

No side jobs unless you know Italian language, even in that case it is not assured. It is not like UK or Australia. So if you are coming here relying on getting a side job DON’T COME.

After completion of education there are chances of getting jobs. It is luck, also Italy is not EUROPE EUROPE, it is like OK you can call yourself Europe. It is more like Pakistan of Europe. So you might be jobless for long time(I had been), and you might find a great job(some have got them) immediately. But still there is no security that yes now you will be rich.

Jobs normally pay 1200 euros a month, internships 600 and side job if you can get pays between 600 and 1200.

In Polimi you can apply for a 150 hours paid on campus job, there is a selection based on CV etc, and then you can work on campus, it is assigned once in a year. But the probability of assignation is less, so don't count on it.

Q5. Whether or not you should come:

If you are assigned scholarship then come, if not, then look at you financial condition and decide, in case of no scholarship, no job, the worst case scenario, you will need around 350 euros per month for yourself plus your university fees so it is not that cheap. In that case if you can go to Canada or Germany that will be better.

Here is a list of countries you should go to, in descending order:

Switzeland > Australia > Canada > Germany > Norway > Sweden > Denamrk > Netherlands > Austria > Italy.