Jun 20

‘Nothing in particular’ faith growing in America

Terry Mattingly

While working on the 1985 book “Habits of the Heart,” the late sociologist Robert N. Bellah met “Sheila,” who described her faith in words that researchers have quoted ever since.

“I can’t remember the last time I went to church,” she said. “My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheilaism. Just my own little voice.” The goal was to “love yourself and be gentle with yourself. … I think God would want us to take care of each other.”

A decade later, during the so-called “New Age” era, researchers described a similar faith approach with this mantra – “spiritual but not religious.”

Then in the 21st Century’s first decade, the Pew Research Center began charting a surge of religiously unaffiliated Americans, describing this cohort in a 2012 report with this newsy label – “nones.”

Jun 20

Scientists spot mysterious object at the center of our Milky Way

Scientists have discovered a mysterious object at the center of our Milky Way that does not fit the criteria of anything else in the galaxy.

The team found the object emits microwaves, which suggests it contains dust and fast-moving gas that is traveling nearly 112,000 miles per hour from a very small area in the heart of our galaxy.

Astronomers have considered a range of options for what the object could be, from a black hole to a collapsing cloud and evolved star, but found ‘its features do not match well with those of any known type of astronomical body.’

The team found the object emits microwaves, which has suggested it contains dust and fast-moving gas. The gas was detected moving nearly 112,000 miles per hour from a very small area in the heart of our galaxy

The team found the object emits microwaves, which has suggested it contains dust and fast-moving gas. The gas was detected moving nearly 112,000 miles per hour from a very small area in the heart of our galaxy© Provided by Daily Mail

‘The center of our Galaxy contains billions of stars, tens of millions of solar masses of gas, a supermassive black hole, a tenth of our Galaxy’s ongoing star formation, and an extensive graveyard of stellar remnants,’ researchers shared in the study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

‘It is therefore the likeliest place to find new classes of objects. We present one such object in this work.

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Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll saved their marriage in secret meetings
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll saved their marriage in secret meetings

Jun 18

NASA rover discovers mysterious Mars boulder unlike any others

f looking at this Mars vista conjures up childhood memories of the song, “One of these things is not like the others,” NASA scientists are right there with you. 

Perseverance, a car-size lab on six wheels, traveled into the Red Planet’s Neretva Vallis last week. Though this region may look like a barren desert, it was once an ancient river channel that fed into the Jezero crater billions of years ago. 

As Perseverance traversed the inlet, the rover came upon a hill covered in boulders, with one in particular attracting the science team’s attention: a light speckled rock amid a sea of dark lumps. 

“Every once in a while, you’ll just see some strange thing in the Martian landscape, and the team is like, ‘Oh, let’s go over there,'” Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, told Mashable. “This was like the textbook definition of (chasing) the bright, shiny thing because it was so bright and white.”

The boulder is so exceptional, scientists have said it’s in a league of its own. Closer analysis with the rover’s instruments shows it is likely an anorthosite, a rock type never seen before while exploring Mars, Stack Morgan said, though there have been signs such rocks should exist. Not even the Curiosity rover, which has observed more variety in Gale Crater, has seen one quite like this.

Jun 18

How to Enable or Disable Comments

Navigate to the Posts/Pages screen. In the list of pages or posts, find the one you want and hover your cursor over the title of the post. You will see several links appear underneath the title. Click “Quick Edit” and check “Allow Comments.” Click “Update” to turn comments on for that post.

Apr 09

人工智能会抢走我们的工作吗?

关于人工智能对工作的影响,我是这么看的:

  • 是,人工智能会导致很多工作变得毫无意义。知识工作受到的影响最大。
  • 但这件事情的发展速度会慢于我们的预期。
  • 许多失去的工作将被新的工作所抵消,这种情况在历史上就已经发生过。
  • 短期内仍然会有痛苦,员工再培训必不可少。
  • 一个没有劳动力的乌托邦未来纯属白日梦。20 年后,我们的工作量会与今天一样多(对不起了!),但生产率会更高。
Feb 06

多伦多大学的管理与会计硕士项目简介

MMPA全称Master of management and professional accounting, 是多伦多大学在密西沙加校区(Mississauga,离Downtown大约35公里左右)设置的一个授课型硕士课程,主要是提供给完全没有加拿大会计背景的学生一次重头的训练,并最终以获取CA、CGA和CMAishi 为主要目标的项目(三者都为加拿大的会计相关牌照,其中CA最值钱,后面稍微介绍)。课程的提供有三种时间选择,分别是27个月(非经济类学生背景呃一般强制要求参加,从5月中旬开始上课),24月(如果修过诸如微经、宏经、基本会计等头三个月课程的童鞋可以获得课程豁免,9月中旬开学)以及最后的16月(第二年的5月开始,基本上是给已经有会计工作经验,但仍然需要获得培训CA考试培训的人上,都是NATIVE才能有的选择)课程。 课程的强度很大,大概相当于是把本科会计所要求学习的东西都压缩到两年完成,管理类的课程为辅,会计专业的课程为主。MMPA在创立初期为腐烂人商学院(囧,好吧,就是ROTMAN啦)MBA中的会计方向,随后成为了独立的项目,仍然保留由腐烂人监管,并在07年的时候因为不知名的原因脱离了腐烂人,成为了UTM(密西沙加校区,下同)管理学院下面的一个项目,并分为两个班级分别授课(也就是每班30人左右)。当然,有不少人认为这样会让MMPA项目失去了光环效应,不过这就见仁见智了。

项目的学费不菲,27M课程要求6万加刀以上(对国际学生),而多数从24M开始的中国学生也要在两年内支付5W6左右的学费,而且奖学金颇为难拿,最高的5000CAD入学奖学金也要求学生必须在最后一年大学成绩保持A+(不太清楚,大概可能要求是在86分以上吧)或者是四年保持A(83分以上?)才可以获得。 不过作为补偿,学校会协助学生拿到CO-OP(带薪实习)作为弥补,而项目的特色也在于分别在两学年内的1~4月设定成为CO-OP学期,要求硬性完成CO-OP以达到毕业的要求,同时可以利用在CA ACCOUNTING FIRM的实习经历来抵充未来领取CA时候要求的30M工作经验。(即便是通过了CA考试,CA协会还是要求你必须具备30M在指定CA FIRM里面工作的条件才可以颁发CA认证给你,而CO-OP的实习机会其实是可以抵消到至少半年的要求)。每个CO-OP大概可以挣回1W左右的加币,也就是说基本上可以COVER掉你一年的生活费(如果你比较节省的话)。所以这个项目的最终实际投资大概是在6W加币左右,简单来说,你一年必须付出20万多一些的RMB银子。

总结,对于想要日后在加拿大找工作甚至移民的童鞋来说,这个项目应该有很大的利好存在,2年的学习时间也达到了移民局的3年工签要求,也就是说只要顺利毕业的话,就可以直接获得三年的工作签证,让你在枫叶国里开始不断地工作或者是找工作。然后下面大概是几个最常会被人问到的问题:

1.MMPA从ROTMAN里面脱离,而且还被扔到了不太强的MISSISSAUGA校区?

答:确实,多伦多大学存在三个校区,而且地位多少有些不平等,DOWNTOWN校区的学生确实更受到公司的青睐,相比之下,Mississauga校区的管理学院就比较一般。而且从ROTMAN脱离的原因我们也不得而知,有小道消息是说MMPA想要发展壮大,也有是说和ROTMAN就利益问题谈崩了,甚至还有一个挺荒谬的“ROTAMAN认为MMPA的CO-OP就就业率达到100%,从而影响了ROTMAN的就业统计,因此需要独立开来”的所谓内部人员解释……总之,不可否认的是,项目在毕业后是不能够使用ROTMAN商学院的标志了,而且最糟糕的一点在于等于失去了潜在的ROTMAN校友NETWORK—-至少在我毕业的那个时候,MMPA和ROTMAN是一点关系都没了,所以找工作上可能不能指望商学院的前辈们会给予多少更多的校友情分照顾。 不过,除却这个外,MMPA的毕业证上的办法单位依然还是货真价实的University of Toronto, 而不是University of Toronto Mississauga(因为虽然同样是多大,但不同校区的地位还是不一样的,有兴趣的同学可以自己GOOGLE一下三校区的历史……只不过在你的TRANSCRIPT上还是会写有UTM的标志,不过影响不会很大,你绝对可以说自己是多大的毕业生……). 而项目的本身知名度在CANADA本土并不是很强,没有很强力的校友团,所以想要利用商学院知名度的同学很可能会小小失望一下。不过很多授课的教授依然是ROTMAN的教授(比如教我们管理课程的系主任大BOSS BROOK先生同样也在腐烂人上课),所以课程质量还是算不错的。

2.这个项目为什么那么贵,骗钱的么?

答:因为UT很黑心的缘故……嘛,确实,明明脱离了MBA的行列,但却依然维持高昂费用,有点不够意思,不过除了学费之外,还包括了是拥有自己专有的五个固定环形教室,三个CASE STUDY ROOM、一个拥有50寸和四台MAC、微波炉烧水炉冰箱沙发啊都包括的专用休息室以及不限量免费打印室的24小时使用权(听起来很爽吧?但事实上你根本就是浪费钱,因为忙于学习和CO-OP的你几乎没时间去享受它们……下面会说原因)还有不时举办的餐会啊什么的,感觉上就是和MBA性质一样。MMPA很会为自己塑造形象,从漂亮的CLANDER上就可以看出,而事实上我也很支持,最好是更大力地向外推广,这样对项目的学生来说无疑是一个额外的宣传。当然,我们很多时候也怀疑自己的学费其实是支付在各种无聊的宣传和活动上了……

3.这个项目是清华班么?

答:曾经好像是的,不过从2011班来看,真正中国人背景的并不多,我们这届也大概不过12个国人是真正国内大学毕业后直接跳出来的,而全部中国背景的学生(老的少的)大概只有15人左右吧,占班级的1/4,这点从项目的学员分布上可以看到:http://www.utoronto.ca/mmpa/Students/Profile/MMPA-Class2011-profile.pdf。 当然,如果算上移民和CBC,甚至是越南、日本、韩国等亚裔的话,那大概就有接近半数以上的黄皮肤面孔了。但和多数国人热衷的申请学校相比,这个比例还是可以接受的,清华的性质并不明显。

接着是入学条件,如下:
首先,关于申请条件,网站上写得很清楚了,最基本的英语要求如下:
Minimum scores required:
TOEFL & TWE
Paper based: 600 & 5.0
Computer based: 250 & 5.0
Internet based: Total: 100, Writing: 22, Speaking: 22
MELAB: 85
IELTS: 7.0
COPE: Reading: 22, Listening: 22, Writing: 32, Total: 86

一般来说,考雅思要比托福要容易通过一些。不过上面的这些标准也不一定是死的,比如IBT,只要总分过100,各个项目分布不要太离谱的话,一样可以过。

GMAT的话这届的平均分是650左右吧,并不高,从刚才给出的PROFILE中就可以看到。

而且我几乎是可以肯定地断言700分以上的分数绝大多数都是我们中国学生拿下的,紧随其后的大概就是中国移民和印度裔学生吧(笑)。

从两个硬性指标可以看出,只要雅思7分或者IBT 100+,GMAT680+ ,配合不错的GPA和写得还过去的PS,申请难度应该不大。中国学生的构成成分还是很不错的,拿我个人来说,感觉班里面绝大部分的中国同学都很优秀,北外、人大、复旦、中大、南开甚至上了年纪的北大本科毕业生都有,而加拿大本地的也不乏QUEEN’S ,McMaster,Waterloo, SFU这样本地名校的学生,让出身GDUFS的我不由得觉得自己的渺小(笑,这可是真话。)所以基本上可以说是竞争力也颇强的班级,设想申请难度不太大因此会LACK OF CHALLANGE的童鞋可要警惕了,呵呵。

然后是学习和实习方面。上面说到,MMPA的课程实际上是压缩得很紧的,大家可以在项目clander上看到要学的课程,完全可以排成本科四年来完成。这样的结果就是包括LOCAL和NATIVE学生在内的多数人都会感觉到项目非常INTENCIVE 还有STRESSFUL。一个学期的课程可以排到七到八门,大量的作业和PRESENTATION几乎可以挤掉你所有的业余时间(所以我在这里发帖也还真是够不知死蛋疼的……),每个星期的讲义可以打印超过100页以上。对于语言能力较差的国人来说,无疑更是难度很大的挑战。就算是读过国内相关会计专业,也会发现本地使用准则的大相庭径而让你的旧知识排不上多少用场,唯一的办法就是每天都熬夜死磕书本,同时尽量提高你的英语水平(最好在国内大四论文搞完后就拼命地死磕英语,不然你绝对会像打机看动漫玩了大半年才过来的我一样后悔痛苦无比的……)这边的教授可不太会因为有国际学生而放慢语速,而带来的结果就是往往一两个月过去了你还没办法听懂教授上课大部分时间到底是在说什么,只能不断通过预习和复习弥补。总而言之,学习的压力应该说是颇大—尤其是对于相对枯燥的会计、审计和税务而言,希望想要申请项目的同学们做好这两年让自己看书看到死去活来的准备。
接着是实习方面。虽然每年四大都会来这边招收介于三分之一到二分之一的学生进入实习(一旦被招入,很有可能就会被留用)。然而,本地的大企业非常实际,对于语言能力不强以及没有加拿大本地学位的外国学生几乎是不予考虑,而这正是所有中国学生的软肋。除了上一届我一名广外的师姐非常奇迹般地拿到EY的首轮CO-OP OFFER外,包括去年和今年在内的其他全体中国背景学生都阵亡—-就连G760, T 110+ 并且GPA3.7+以上,有着丰富实习经验乃至担当奥运会志愿翻译者
的北外漂亮MM一样不例外(她是我的study buddy,连我都觉得这实在是匪夷所思)……而只能够疲于奔波于各种中小会计FIRM的申请中。所以在国内轻松拿到了四大OFFER的同志也要做好一定的抗打击准备。中国学生大多数也只能够去到一些中小FIRM中做TAX这样繁琐而又劳累的体力活。无论是去大企业还是小公司,大家的工资收入差别都不大(因为都是CO-OP,薪水一般都由学校、政府和企业三方分摊),但在大公司工作往往会享有额外的专业课程培训和较高的日后留用机会,而小公司工作虽然辛苦了些而且没有专业培训,但也有可能因此可以尝试掌握更多不同类型的工作(比如要你既完成税务申报,同时又支援审计什么的),并且更直接的和小FIRM的高层接触,在实践方面也未尝不会获得提高。但不管怎么说,国内背景的童鞋还是要做好打苦工的心理准备,无论你是多么优秀,过了来一样很有可能被公司企业所忽略—除非你对自己的语言和加拿大文化掌握程度非常自信,好得能够和这边的NATIVE barabara轻松地谈论过去十年 toronto hockey team的表现的话,那情况自然就完全不同了。虽然项目号称是有100%的CO-OP就业,但实际上还是每年多少会有几个不幸运的同学找不到实习,具体的解决办法我也没搞明白,不过听说是有到后面学校会硬把你塞到一个什么公司去当免费劳力,然后以很OTL的奖学金形式便向补助你工资……哎,希望到目前还没找到实习的我今年不会落入到这么一个窘迫的境地吧(囧)

不管是处于学习还是实习方面的考虑,能够在明年5月前毕业的同学建议申请27M的课程, 而不要像我们大部分的中国学生那样都申请24M,结果一过来刚开学就要开始写简历找工作。早过来三个月虽然要多付一些钱,但获得的是三个月的提前课程学习适应以及各大会计FIRM到学校举办info. session或者是提供office visit的机会,对你在这边的生活会很大帮助。

最后,说说将来的发展。这个项目最终的出路都是走ACCOUNTING而不是management的道路,对中国学生而言,在这里读了项目后回国其实挺吃亏的,因为不同于金融和经济,你学习的都是加拿大本地的会计、税务和审计知识,而所有的内容都和中国的会计、审计和税务准则基本上不相通,就算你拿了这边最TOP的CA牌回了国内也只能乖乖地重考CPA。而项目管理方面的课程很多时候就是简化版的MBA,个人感觉纯粹就是和教授侃大山的鸡肋知识而已,对于没有工作经验的学生来说回国之后效用定当大减,因而只能够靠运气可不可以打着多大毕业的幌子和英语能力进入企业里面谋求发展了。多数的中国学生出路都是在这边毕业后利用充足的工签时间争取找到工作,攒到一定的银子和留洋工作经验后回国创业或者谋求进入企业中高层发展,或者干脆就是扎根下来辛苦干好几年后开始争取申请移民,展开漫长的入籍之路。绝大多数的人都会选择考取CA,少部分的则是CMA还有CGA,更少部分的人则是考虑和专业几乎没多大相关的CFA。就算是留下来奋斗,CA的考取并不容易,从你进入MMPA到毕业再到工作最后拿牌,视不同情况而言必须经历3~6年的投入奋斗时间以及随时上万的额外加币培训投入,顺利的话则是最终换来在拿牌后会计行业中7~10万的年薪收入(在这边已经算是高收入了,囧)和一个本地的身份而已。而我个人而言这两个想法都没多少吸引力,还是满肚子打算回去报效祖国(笑)而当初来项目也有点太草率,只看着UT的名号而没有想清楚自己的职业兴趣发展道路所在,因此也只能够考虑是不是要在明年能够尽量争取挤出时间在准备CA考试的期间同时考虑CFA的考取了。总而言之,这个项目很适合具有移民加国和在加国工作倾向的童鞋考虑,毕竟比起在美国或者欧洲其他地方读会计来,这边无论是工签还是移民的政策都要宽松很多。但相应的,因为CO-OP的加入,使得你必须在学习之余还要承担工作的压力,比其他许多纯课堂学习的会计项目来说负重又多了不少,完全不比国内考研轻松,甚至是更累。说到底,还是要结合个人发展情况仔细定位。

Sep 06

如果您想在线吸引新客户,那么使用 Google AdWords 投放广告可能是您的理想之选。

如果您想在线吸引新客户,那么使用 Google AdWords 投放广告可能是您的理想之选。

您可以利用 AdWords 开展在线营销,吸引用户访问您的网站,但要想取得最佳效果,您的网站设计必须能够吸引用户与您开展业务。如果您希望将潜在客户转化为消费者,那么确保网站易于浏览就至关重要。

利用在线广告,您可以将广告定位到理想的目标客户,并滤除您不希望覆盖的受众群体。使用 AdWords 投放在线广告时,您可以使用不同的定位方式,吸引正在搜索您产品或服务的潜在客户。

充分利用不同的广告格式和功能,根据您的各种业务目标定制您的广告。例如,您可以在广告中添加可点击的“致电”按钮,以此吸引更多来电;也可以借助视频广告来展现品牌风采。以下是一些您可能希望实现的常见营销目标:

在网站上执行操作
访问实体店
给商家致电
安装应用

Golden Antler an Internet Marketing company. Professionally providing Google AdWords 投放广告, SEO service to increase your website ranking; And other Internet marketing services. As well as professional Website Design, online Store setup and production support. Specifically for customers in Great Toronto Area.

Contact phone: 647-202-3700

Contact email: contact@goldenantler.ca

Website: www.goldenantler.ca

Oct 06

Why should applying SEO for a website?

Without applying SEO, a website is difficult to be searched by Google, Baidu and other search engines, or came in very back of result list if found. Does not appear in the first few pages of search results, will not be possible to bring potential online customers who was doing a keyword search. Also will not to leading any potential customers to a phone call consulting, as well as got a deal finally. This Web site is like a billboard placed in a quiet corner!  Or a store opened in the far quiet side street!  Basically useless!

Through SEO, we help an online store (Web sites) to increase traffic via the Internet by increased visibility of the services or merchandise it provided! It will greater gains of your company for sure!

SEO Internet marketing is more popular in recent years, the main objective is to increase the exposure of webpage content by some particular searching keyword to increase the site’s visibility, and increase sales or services opportunities.

Golden Antler an Internet Marketing company. Providing SEO service to increase your website ranking; And other Internet marketing services. As well as professional Website Design, online Store setup and production support. Specifically for customers in Great Toronto Area.

Contact phone: 647-202-3700

Contact email: contact@goldenantler.ca

Website: www.goldenantler.ca

Jun 29

How can you tell if you’re mentally ill?

虽然每个人的症状各异,简单来讲,这些是精神病的一些常见的症状:

睡眠和饮食习惯的改变
长时间的悲伤
令人担心或焦虑过度
社交退缩
变化与家人和朋友的关系
妄想或幻觉
情绪变化快
自杀的念头(请注意,如果你有自杀的念头,应立即联系医生或精神健康专业人士)

 

 

Jun 22

Fear of Public Speaking Phobia – Glossophobia

Fear of Public Speaking Phobia - GlossophobiaThe fear of public speaking or stage fright is also termed as Glossophobia. Many people experience some degree of stage anxiety before speaking/performing at events; however most manage to get over it no matter how unpleasant they may find it.

In case of extreme Glossophobia however, individuals simply freeze before their audience. They might be unable to speak. They might find that their mouth dries up or they start sweating, shaking or experiencing palpitations.

Needless to say that Glossophobia can lead to highly embarrassing situations. People with a fear of public speaking try to avoid these situations completely. Businesspeople might experience professional setbacks owing to their inability to make presentations. Family members or friends requested to make speeches at weddings, birthdays etc may refuse them owing to their Glossophobia. Glossophobia can also come on suddenly in experienced actors and musicians who might start to find concerts difficult. Pilots and cabin crew might refrain from making announcements.

Symptoms of the fear of public speaking

Common signs and symptoms of the fear of public speaking include anxiety or nervousness before the event that involves speaking or performing before a small/large group of people. Physical symptoms of glossophobia include:

  • Panic attacks characterized by sweating or trembling
  • Dry mouth
  • Nausea and vomiting in the extreme cases
  • Stiffness in the neck and back muscles
  • Tense and weak or quivering voice

Apart from these physical symptoms, verbal and nonverbal symptoms might also manifest themselves such as increased blood pressure and heart rate.

Causes of Glossophobia

The exact cause of glossophobia is unknown but it is likely that certain traumatic events in one’s past as a child or even as an adult might have led to this fear of public speaking. Often the individual coping with this phobia might avoid speaking in public for so long that what beings as normal anxiety might turn into full blown Glossophobia.

Most individuals who suffer from the fear of public speaking are also low on self esteem, expect perfection in everything they do, seek constant approval, or expect failure.

Treatment of Glossophobia

There are many herbal and homeopathic remedies that can help in calming the anxiety experienced before events that involve public speaking. Aconitum napellus or Gelsemium, etc may be recommended by homeopaths based on the exact history, symptoms as well as the individual’s nature and temperament. Herbal remedies like Lemon balm, lavender and Passion Flower etc can also help soothe the nerves and calm one before a public speaking event.

In case of traditional or orthodox treatment for glossophobia, beta blockers may be prescribed for soothing anxiety, controlling shaking or trembling and also for lowering heart rate etc. There are several restrictions on taking such medicines: one must especially speak to a doctor about these medications when suffering from diabetes, depression or heart diseases etc.

Many public speaking courses, associations and clubs are dedicated to help individuals alleviate their fear of public speaking. Talk therapy, cognitive behavior therapy and counseling etc can also help individuals overcome their glossophobia.

Alternative or complementary remedies like hypnosis, positive visualization, meditation and even acupuncture etc can help one address the root of the problem and overcome the fear of speaking publicly.

Common Facts about Glossophobia

This is a very natural fear as many people simply do not like getting in front of a group of people and speaking. This fear can turn into a phobia and can become so extreme that your career, relationships and even your life can be restricted. It is estimated that about 75 percent of the American population suffers with some form of Glossophobia. People who suffer with this phobia can experience extreme anxiety and/or pain. This phobia causes an exaggerated emphasis to be placed on things rather than life itself, which in turn, limits focus on what is important in life. Sufferers of Glossophobia become so absorbed in this fear that they essentially detach themselves from society.

An interesting fact of those who suffer from glossophobia is that some may even be able to sing or dance on stage, but it is the idea of speaking that terrifies them. Naturally, stage freight is associated with this fear as many speaking engagements are held on some sort of stage or platform. This fear also comprises the idea of being in a large social setting and having to meet new people. It is shown that those who suffer with Glossophobia have an increased risk for developing depression. But there is help and ways to overcome this fear.