Call Center in the Philippines

The call center business in the Philippines is booming and unstoppable. A lot of young graduates, college level, and experienced professionals venture in this job. The business environment gives you several opportunities for professional growth and provides you a relatively reasonable compensation relative to the cost of living in the country. The only requirement is you have to be proficient in oral and written English plus some basics in computer applications. There is no age limit, they employ people from 18 years of age and above. There is no discrimination regardless of your sexual preference, religion, and even if some one is physically challenged.

For those who don't know yet, "A call centre or call center (see spelling differences) is a centralized office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing, clientele, and debt collection are also made. In addition to a call centre, collective handling of letters, faxes, and e-mails at one location is known as a contact centre.

A call centre is often operated through an extensive open workspace for call centre agents, with work stations that include a computer for each agent, a telephone set/headset connected to a telecom switch, and one or more supervisor stations. It can be independently operated or networked with additional centres, often linked to a corporate computer network, including mainframes, microcomputers and LANs. Increasingly, the voice and data pathways into the centre are linked through a set of new technologies called computer telephony integration (CTI).

Most major businesses use call centres to interact with their customers. Examples include utility companies, mail order catalogue firms, and customer support for computer hardware and software. Some businesses even service internal functions through call centres. Examples of this include help desks and sales support. "

See web link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_center.

There are already hundreds of call centers in the Philippines that employ almost several hundred thousands of Filipinos. A portion of the labor force that earn at least a relatively decent income, help our economy, and religiously pay taxes. Among the areas where there are numerous call centers are in Makati City that has around 270, Ortigas Center Pasig that has around 140, Quezon City that has around 70, and Eastwood Libis that has around 30. And these numbers continue to grow each year.

Therefore, for business people, the call center business is the best bet for a practical investment. For professionals who aspire for a reasonable compensation and career growth, the call center job is the best bet for your practical job.

Barabus TKR: The World's Fastest Car

Bugatti Veyron is no longer the world's fastest car! The Veyron which is said to have 250 mph top speed and 1000 horsepower is no longer the benchmark for the world's fastest car record.

Barabus TKR officially has a new 1005 horsepower and with the top speed of 270 mph beating the former by 20 mph and 5 horsepower. It is revealed by the automakers that the car can reach 0 to 60 mph in its first 2 seconds. Its power comes from a 6.0 liter V8 twin-turbocharged with dual inter coolers and its body and chassis are built from full carbon fibre. The projected market price is £360,000, which is roughly $500,000, as according to its automakers.

The car has been designed and developed for 10 years in Italy and will be manufactured for 300-400 units and the power plant is going to be in the United Kingdom. The projected production of units will run up to three years.

Now, is this car hot or what? Let us wait for further developments of this car because there are already a lot of negative reactions regarding the aesthetic design of its body. The aim may not always be the top for speed, however, if the claim is going to be the fastest car in the world, then we may look into the design of the car that we can utilize for practical purposes.

X-Hawk: The Flying Car

A flying car is no longer an urban myth nor a science fiction, it is real! It is as real as an automobile that doesn't use gasoline and diesel. Well, it does use gasoline, however, the concept of a flying car, is now being look at by several big companies for production. And production is now anticipated.

"The X-Hawk Flying Car, a revolutionary, FAA certifiable urban aerial aircraft, is being developed by Urban Aeronautics of Tel Aviv, Israel. It is an aircraft that has the VTOL (Vertical-Take-Off and Landing) capability of a helicopter, but without the exposed rotors that make it dangerous or impossible for helicopters to maneuver in complex urban and natural environments.

The first prototype should be ready in 2009. The Flying Car is configured as a tandem-fan, turbine powered vehicle. The pilot will use a "fly-by-wire" multi-channel flight control system as well as an automatic stabilization feature to help control the aircraft and maintain level flight. The ducted fan design allows the car to achieve the speed and maneuverability of a helicopter: 155 mph, 12,000-foot altitude and two hours of flight time."

See web link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Hawk.

This car, categorically, a helicopter, has a lot of practical use. Its speed and maneuverability can be utilized for several rescue operations in an urban setting. Imagine if you are trapped in a high rise building due to fire or unforeseen calamities. Imagine if you are pressed for time and traffic is along the way. Imagine if the situation requires you to deliver an important drug or medicine to a dying patient. Imagine if danger is along the way but an important person needs to deliver a matter of national interest. The answer is a much faster, more maneuverable, and more efficient mode of transport, a flying car.

Although, there are still a lot of debate whether there can be a flying car or not. The debate is no longer by definition, X-Hawk, a helicopter, is a flying car. Sooner or later, vehicle designs of this sort will reveal much similar to that of an automobile. Now, on whether a flying car is possible or not, you should look and see. On whether this is not possible because of safety precautions, we need to redesign traffic and safety regulations that will accommodate flying vehicles. We can't stop this practical car to be created and be mass produced in the very near future. I have to admit though, the price right now of a unit of X-Hawk is relatively not practical.

Nuclear Car

The big problems are oil prices continue to go up and the environment green house effect is becoming worse. The causes of these problems are clear and have become our present danger. Unless we do something about these, we will continue to live in discomfort and worse suffer a much larger scale, uncontrollable, and unforeseen events.

General Motor's Chevrolet has soon their electric car, Chevrolet Volt, to dominate where the rubber meets the road, because of its practical benefit to the driving public wherein the price of gasoline is no longer reachable in their pocket and the notable concern to care about our deteriorating environment needs to be addressed. Honda has now it's hydro electric vehicle, Honda FCX Clarity, already leased to a few areas of commuters in Japan and the US, as another attempt to resolve the global crisis of oil and to provide alternative source of fuel aside from the traditional gasoline and diesel. Other giant vehicle manufacturers, such as Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan, and BMW are also spending a lot of money for research in developing their hybrid cars.

In the mid to late 1950's, there is one optimistic attempt to create an atomic vehicle, that will almost answer all problems pertaining to the high cost of fuel and the unfriendly emissions of automobiles. The attempt to build a low cost, efficient, and clean source of energy for vehicles, the nuclear car.

"The Ford Nucleon was a nuclear-powered concept car developed by Ford Motor Company in 1958. No operational models were built. The design did not include an internal-combustion engine, rather, a vehicle was to be powered by a small nuclear reactor in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle featured a power capsule suspended between twin booms at the rear. The capsule, which would contain radioactive core for motive power, was designed to be easily interchangeable, according to performance needs and the distances to be traveled.

The passenger compartment of the Nucleon featured a one-piece, pillar-less windshield and compound rear window, and was topped by a cantilever roof. There were air intakes at the leading edge of the roof and at the base of its supports. An extreme cab-forward style provided more protection to the driver and passengers from the reactor in the rear. Some pictures show the car with tail fins sweeping up from the rear fenders.

The drive train would be integral to the power module, and electronic torque converters would take the place of the drive-train used at the time. It was said that cars like the Nucleon would be able to travel 8000 km (5,000 miles) or more, depending on the size of the core, without recharging. Instead, at the end of the core's life they would be taken to a charging station, which research designers envisioned as largely replacing gas stations. The car was never built and never went into production, but it remains an icon of the Atomic Age of the 1950s."

See web link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_car.

There are many negative criticisms regarding the radical concept of the automobile because of the historical disasters that we got from nuclear technology and the pessimistic view that we can not create miniature nuclear power source for vehicles like those of submarines. The atomic car with the steam turbine of mobile Chernobyl was referred to us, the driving atomic bomb. Well, the concept car was dismiss too fast and too short because of being too ambitious. With the advancements that we have in modern physics and nuclear technology, we need to reexamine and look at the possibility of the nuclear car, this might be a good solution for the global crisis of petroleum and the environment.

Business Failures

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." This is one inspiring quote from Thomas Alva Edison.

You can think of a lot of things that you want to have and you want to achieve but have you thought of the reasons why you don't have them or why you haven't achieve them yet? The simple reason is that we haven't anticipated upcoming failures. This is also the reason why a lot of businesses fail. For common people, if they fail what they do is that they come up with different reasons or pass the blame, a natural defense mechanism of human beings to survive. However, for a few people, when they fail they learn from it, and they use the wisdom from these failures to avoid another failure, they adapt.

If you have visited several web sites regarding businesses and successful stories, you will come to realize that it is a romantic scene, too sweet to happen. Often we neglect that in reality there are failures but these should not bring you down. Rather, failures should motivate you to come up with a better resolution, a more positive attitude, a better decision, and a successful plan.

Why do most people fail in business? There are business consultants, analysts, and even web sites, who can enumerate from a few up to hundreds, and I can say, they are all good. However, for the sake of simplicity, I believe, there are three major reasons why businesses fail: (1) Lack of capital or insufficient funding. (2) Lack of market research which involves the basis of the business plan. And (3) Lack of proper management and execution.

(1) Lack of Capital. Perhaps, getting the capital is the most difficult part in setting up a business. For some, it will take them years to save and earn money to start the business that they wanted. For others, it will bury them to a lot of debts because of the high interest rates of capital that they loan from a bank or other institutions. There are many advises now from different web sites on where and how you can get your capital, your starting money to put up a business, however, be very careful about scams. But regardless, on how you get your capital, always make sure that it should suffice, not only with the business that you are trying to set up with but with the loses. Come up with the $2-$1-$1 rule in your funding. If your business working capital costs $2, make sure that everything you shell out only costs $1, save the $1 for rainy days.

(2) Lack of Market Research. In order to start a business you must know what people need because this is where your products and services will be based from. You must study the trend of the market. If you can create their need then do so. Does the existing businesses fulfill the needs of the consumers? How can you provide products or services that will satisfy their needs? And more than that, how can your business go above and beyond in satisfying those needs? Study the existing competition and anticipate future competitors. Understand the whereabouts of the location, traffic, accessibility, marketability, safety, water, and electricity. Jump ahead to see the business in a year, two years, five years, and longer. You may read my article concerning Market Research posted July 27, 2008.

(3) Lack of Proper Management and Execution. As a business person, you have to realize that the measure of your success is the result, however, this result can't be achieved by mere good planning alone and large amount of capital. A good result of every plan needs to have proper execution. Employ the managers with good leadership skills and will promote positive atmosphere to all your employees because from their accurate execution awaits the achievement of your goal.

Market Research

In order to have a successful execution of your business, however big or small, one among the most effective ways to plan your business is market research. This is where one can base what is a substancial business for a particular group of people living in a common place, be it in a local community, rural or urban society, or even to the extent of global economy. By substancial, we mean relevant, needed, and timely. For example, a business person won't set up a store that sells typewriters if the market is in Tokyo Japan. In the same way, as another business person won't venture in providing internet services if the market is in Timbuktu, Africa (Although, I believe, in the possibility that the second example will no longer be true sooner or later). A person or group of people who would like to invest one's capital needs to know the whereabouts of the market.

Setting up a business is similar to gambling but not exactly gambling. Business and gambling are similar in the sense that there are risks that we can't eliminate. Well, they both follow a set of rules and they both rely on chances or on the probability of winning from what has been laid down. We can be scientific and mathematical on both if we talk about probability of getting our results, however, they still differ. In gambling, the probability merely rests on what you have and it stays there. Everything is upto chance. Say for example, you are playing Black Jack, your chances of winning is the probility that you get 21 out of several possible combinations of cards from a deck of 52, against the numberof players that you are competing with on the table. Setting up a business is different, chances rely to things that you don't have control; but it doesn't stop there. A business person can try to eliminate as many uncotrollable factors that one can as long as the person understands the market. Therefore, market research is very important.

"Market research is the process of systematically gathering, recording and analyzing data and information about customers, competitors and the market. Its uses include to help create a business plan, launch a new product or service, fine tune existing products and services, and expand into new markets. Market research can be used to determine which portion of the population will purchase a product/service, based on variables like age, gender, location and income level.

Market research is generally either primary or secondary. In secondary research, the company uses information compiled from other sources that appears applicable to a new or existing product. The advantages of secondary research are that it is relatively cheap and easily accessible. Disadvantages of secondary research are that it is often not specific to your area of research and the data used can be biased and is difficult to validate. Primary market research involves testing such as focus groups, surveys, field tests, interviews or observation, conducted or tailored specifically to that product.

A list of questions that can be answered through market research:

What is happening in the market? What are the trends? Who are the competitors? How do consumers talk about the products in the market? Which needs are important? Are the needs being met by current products? "

See weblink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_research.

This is a simple way to understand the need of consumers, to fulfill the needs that are not met, to exceed their expectations, to know who are the competitors, to lead the competition, and to make a profitable business. But of course, a market research needs to be relative to every type of business. The bigger the business, the more detailed a market research needs to be. And again the goal is to execute a profitable business.

Setting Up a Business

The goal in setting up a business is no other than to succeed. It is in the thinking that we buy something, whether products or services, for a dollar and we sell it for two. This is the simplest practical mindset any businessman has. We succeed at the end of the day if we get our $2 and we fail if it goes below $1. If you are to think of it deeper, it is a simple concept to understand, however, a very complex practice to execute. And if you have the practical mindset then what you expect to see are the results.

There are a lot of things that we need to consider in setting up a business. We may see it, in as simple as, things that we can control and things that we can't. As much as possible, we make sure that we have everything under control otherwise we will end up in losing what we have strive to establish for a long time. However, it is also wise to understand that we can't control everything in our business because there are external causes and reasons outside our will. This is the simple reason why a lot of businesses, however, big or small, fail.

It may sound ambitious, but I strongly believe, that our second means to justify the end to reach success, particularly, in the field of business is to have almost everything under control. Why almost? Because, I still believe, that there are circumstances that are outside our will. You can think of external events that you really don't want to happen but they do happen: calamities, accidents, robbery, and the likes. But despite these, the aim of a businessperson to be successful is to focus on the things that one has control over with and avoid the the things that is beyond one's control. We need to try to eliminate risks of losing.

What are things that we can control and what are otherwise? We need to consider the capital (where, how much, and how we get the capital) , the type of business that we are interested in (what type of industry are we going to venture, be it product or services, how big or small), a detailed feasibility study of the business (the business sketch) the market where the business is located (where consumers are, accessibility, marketability), the short term and long term stability of the business (profitability, sustainability, flexibility), people that are going to be involved (employees, investors, consumers, employers) and all risks that will come along the way (possible causes of failures). Roughly, an examination of these factors are essential in the execution of a successful business.

Practical Car: Honda FCX Clarity / Hydro-electric Vehicle

Buckle up for your safety! Sooner or later we don't have to worry on the rising price of gas.

Honda automobile manufacturer has introduced no gasoline vehicle this year on the road. A car of the future goes hydro-electric. According to their website advertisement, "The FCX Clarity is ready for the road. A limited number of these groundbreaking vehicles will be leased to Southern Californians starting this summer."

See web link: http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/drive-fcx-clarity.aspx

"The Honda FCX Clarity is a hydrogen fuel cell automobile manufactured by Honda. Currently there are more than twenty 2002 prototype-based, leased vehicles in the hands of customers in three different American states, including the state of New York, city of Las Vegas, Chula Vista, San Francisco and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.



Limited marketing of a latest fuel cell vehicle based on the 2007 concept model began in June 19, 2008 in Japan and the United States. Honda believes it could start mass producing vehicles based on the FCX concept by the year 2018."


See web link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCX_Clarity

Although the mass production is anticipated by 2018, a lot of customers are already lining up for their units. The projected price on how much it will cost by 2018 is still not revealed to the public, however, all the units right now, are on $600/ month lease for 3 years. There are a lot of challenges that the manufacturers, owners, and the vehicle itself are facing, like the limited number of refueling stations and the mobility of these vehicles.

Well, we may not feel the practicality of owning this car today but imagine the effect of the mass production of this type of vehicle sooner or later. Honda FCX Clarity is guaranted one among the practical cars of the future.

Practical Car: Chevrolet Volt

General Motors' Chevrolet is now advertising the latest make and model of vehicle that consumers should buy. Unlike any other car, you don't need to spend a single cent for the high price of gasoline. A vehicle that doesn't use gas or diesel. Shall we say: welcome to the future! Yes it is real and this is no longer a rumor. As according to their advertisement, "Imagine: A Daily Commute Without Using a Drop of Gas."

See web link: http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/

"The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in series-hybrid electric vehicle by General Motors, with production expected to begin in 2010. The Chevy Volt will be built at the General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The company has avoided the use of the term "hybrid," preferring to call it an electric vehicle with a "range extender" due to its design. The vehicle is designed to run purely on electricity from on-board batteries for up to 40 miles (64 km), or about half the range of the GM EV1 — a large enough distance to cover the daily commutes of most Americans, which is around 33 miles (53 km). With use of a small internal combustion engine driving a generator to resupply the batteries, the vehicle's range is potentially increased to 360 miles (579 km) on the highway. Early estimates, from GM staff, were of initial annual production of 60,000 units, but these claims have been scaled back to a planned 10,000 units, as of May 2008, with a ramp up to 60,000 units in the second year.

The Volt concept vehicle was officially unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on January 7, 2007 in Detroit, Michigan. An updated version was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2007 in Shanghai, China. At the time of unveiling, the Volt project had been in existence for less than a year. The Volt was targeted to cost around US$30,000. As of April 2008, General Motors Vice Chairman of Global Product Development Robert Lutz was quoted as saying that the realistic unsubsidised price had risen to US$48,000, that he reckoned that US$40,000 might be possible, without making any profit, and that only government tax incentives could take the price tag nearer to US$30,000. When asked directly about the price later, Lutz indicated that this was a misquote - and said "The answer is that we don’t know."

GM faces competition from Nissan Motors, which announced their own electric cars on May 13, 2008, Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, as well as a number of start up auto manufacturers, some backed by Silicon Valley angel financing."

See web link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Volt

The practical consequence is that (1) this answers the problem of global oil price hike; (2) this resolves a lot of environment issues; and (3) this promotes competition among vehicle manufacturers, giving opportunity for its cost to go down.

The pricing that has been forcasted of around US$40,000 is almost buying a 2009 Ford Mustang GT Premium Convertible which is US$33,200, well, not as cheap and not as fast, but not to the extent of a typical Ferrari which cost US$150,000 to US$500,000, well, not as luxurious and not as fast. However, imagine the amount of money that you can save of not buying gas or the help that you can give for a cleaner environment. This car is definitely a practical choice of the future.

Practical Phone: N95

If you are a Nokia loyal customer, then the Nokia N95 is out in the market and is out for grabs. Are you wondering if it is a practical phone to buy? Check out the design, pricing, and features on this article.

As we all know, at least for users of Nokia mobile phones, Nokia changes their design and features relatively faster than other mobile phone manufacturers. In general, Nokia is a little bit for a collector of changing design, a bit adaptive to the customers changing needs, rather than for stick to one mentality.

There are a lot of features that are still in place on this phone, if you are carefully choosing your Nokia series, but what stands out among the rest according to those who actually bought the phone are: strength of signal reception, displays, camera, and sound quality. The second most likable ratings to expect are: keypads, selection of features, and ring tone volumes. The least to like, sad to say, so far as text messaging lovers are concerned, is text messaging.

"Nokia N95 8GB Smartphone (GSM, Bluetooth, 5MP, 8GB - MPN: N958GB) Price Range: $500.00 - $671.08 from 16 SellersNokia N95 8GB Smartphone (GSM, Bluetooth, 5MP, 8GB - MPN: N958GB) Price Range: $500.00 - $671.08.

Seller Description: With up to 8GB of built-in memory, the Nokia N95 8GB has key features of its predecessor, including a 5.1-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA and an innovative 2-way slide. The N95 8GB also boasts a luminous 2.8-inch (240 x 320 px) QVGA display, so watching videos, browsing the Internet or viewing maps is a pleasure. With its expanded memory, the N95 8GB offers up to 20 hours of video or up to 6000 songs. The N95 8GB supports services like Nokia Music Store and N-Gage Games. Access millions of music tracks from the Nokia Music Store."

See related links for availability, reviews, and detailed features on the Nokia website.

I still remember when I had my first mobile phone when phones become a necessity, believe it or not, it is as big as the handset of a home phone with antenna that you still need to pull. Choosing a phone now really depends on our need, long calls, instant text messaging, mobility, access to web, attention to details, portable radio and MP3 when you want to relax, so on and so forth... our need has been redesigned.

For the practical mind, it is basically important to consider what are our needs that should be satisfied, fashion as a consequence of design is merely secondary. Pricing, well, that is another important factor to consider. N95 has virtually almost has it all except the price.

Become Sexy: A Practical Choice

Among so many things that a practical mind should be complimented with, is to become sexy. The sexier you are, the more people will like you. The more people who like you, the more opportunities you get. The more opportunities you get the more benefits you reap. Therefore, to become sexy is a way of life to a practical man.

An article I read, shows some tips on how to become sexy. How to Become Sexy (for Boys Only)"You're a guy, and you want to be sexy. Maybe you want to impress the beautiful girl that you see in your classes at school/university everyday, or perhaps you're just getting ready to go out clubbing. Either way, a guy that's sexy has a better chance of getting what he wants (especially girls!) in life.

Wash your hair at least every other day (washing in the morning prevents going out with the grease of last night). A girl loves a boy who smells nice, and cares about his image. Besides, greasy hair is not a good look on anybody, even if they look like Brad Pitt. By taking care of your hair, you at least show that you're interested in your appearance and care enough about yourself to take good care of yourself.

Make sure you have good hygiene. Brush twice a day, and floss once a day.

Wear deodorant every day. Body odor is not an attractive smell, and nobody around you enjoys it. It's a simple routine that can reap large benefits in your friendships, relationships, and with strangers!

If your face is clean shaven, shave regularly. Stubble, when it's not intentionally there, promotes a look of unkempt.

Wash your face every day. This helps to clear up whiteheads/blackheads, as well. However, if you are a teenager, acne is quite normal, and occurs quite often. It will be hard for you to stop getting acne. If you have a severe problem with acne, your regular doctor can most likely refer you to a good dermatologist.

Wear a nice cologne. It is truly amazing how it attracts attention. Don't bathe in it, though, or it'll do the opposite of the intention.

Be confident in yourself. Girls love guys who are confident, and confidence is also the key to getting ahead in the business world. Unless you believe in yourself, you can't sell yourself, so less people will believe in you. Remember, though, that there is a line between confidence and arrogance. Arrogance is not sexy.

Wear nice clothes. The style of clothes that you wear doesn't matter, because you're expressing your personality. Whatever you choose to wear, though, should be clean and ironed (if appropriate). Also do not wear pants that show alot of boxer. This is not sexy. It is gross to almost all girls. If you are going to wear jeans, make sure they are not too baggy. This does not look good.

Be funny! A girl loves a guy who can genuinely make her laugh. If you notice she is being turned off by your sense of humor (which you will be able to tell by her body language) then stop. Give her space. Smile because girls love smiles. It makes them feel beautiful."

See weblink, http://www.wikihow.com/Become-Sexy-(for-Boys-Only) .

What you have read are only some but a few tips on how to become sexy. Becoming sexy in itself is already practical not only if your aim is to get the girl that you want but also to attract people and have them like you, in general. The aim of the practical mind is to get as many opportunities as possible. Therefore, to become sexy is a practical choice!

Let your Children be More Good Looking by Proper Nurturing

By understanding the nature of our genes through scientific research and by controlling the nurturing part of a child at a certain period of his or her development we can prevent autism as most recent discoveries show. In the same light, can we aspire for our children to have better appearance? Can we aspire for them to be more good looking by proper nurturing?

In the article, Nature/nurture Gene Link Sheds New Light On Autism, posted on ScienceDaily (July 17, 2008) — "Neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory found that a previously unsuspected set of genes links nature and nurture during a crucial period of brain development.

The results, reported in the July 8 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), could lead to treatments for autism and other disorders thought to be tied to brain changes that occur when the developing brain is very susceptible to inputs from the outside world. Nature--in the form of genes--and nurture--in the form of environmental influences--are fundamentally intertwined during this period.

"Our work points to how a disorder can be genetic and yet be dependent on the environment," said co-author Mriganka Sur, Sherman Fairchild Professor of Neuroscience at the Picower Institute and chair of MIT's brain and cognitive sciences department. "Many genes require activity to be expressed and make their assigned proteins. They alter their expression when activity is altered. Thus, we reveal an important mechanism of brain development that should open up a window into the mechanisms and treatment of brain disorders such as autism."

In the brain, some genes are only expressed, or turned on, in response to stimulus from the outside world. Like a panel of switches that turn lights on and off, genes that don't receive electricity don't "turn on" and express their particular proteins.

Sur and colleagues found a set of novel genes--including a calcium sensor called cardiac Troponin C, or cTropC--particularly sensitive to a critical period of development. The lack of proteins from these genes during a key phase of development could be one of the culprits in developing autism.

Researchers have long investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in monocular deprivation--when one eye is deprived of sight during a critical period of brain development, that eye becomes permanently blind, even after it is uncovered. This phenomenon is considered an important model for brain development because synapses for the covered eye--deprived of environmental stimulus, or what Sur calls "nurture"--shrivel up or get reassigned to other uses.

Sur and his colleagues looked at which genes are expressed, and which are not, when this phenomenon occurs. They hoped to pin down the correlation between nature--meaning the genes--and the external environment, or nurture. By identifying which genes are particularly apt to switch their expression patterns in response to "nurture," the researchers potentially narrowed down the ones that may be implicated in developmental disorders.

Researchers believe autism spectrum disorders are tied to brain changes that occur during critical periods of development. Different but overlapping critical periods are thought to exist for various cognitive functions affected in autism, such as language and social behaviors.

"Autism is a strongly genetic disorder: genes set up risk factors but by themselves simply make proteins," Sur said. "Genes work together with other influences. In the case of autism, these influences are unknown but could be molecules made by other genes or chemicals from the environment."

If scientists understood how genes changed in response to environmental influences during this crucial developmental period, they might be able to one day prevent or reverse the changes."

In the practical mindset, this recent discovery gives us hope for many things. One is the hope to prevent and reverse the changes of autism. However, whether proper nurturing to a child can bring him or her to the world with a more good looking appearance is no longer a scientific mystery. The belief already works to a lot of successful people.

Technology Education: A Free Ride with a Ferrari

The role of Good Technology Education in teaching has a vital role in the learning program of a student. The goal of education is not necessarily practical in itself because it has aims that are curriculum based, compulsory, and or academic in nature. However, in the practical mindset, I firmly believe that education is a vehicle in achieving our goals. The use of the Internet is rampant now a days. And the way we are educated things from school, if it will be thought of as the vehicle that we ride, needs an overhaul--redesign teaching in such a way that it is technology powered or equipped.

Chris Lehmann tries to answer the question What is Good Technology Education Leadership? In his blog, A Whole New School, he provides two answers: a simple answer and a complex answer , both, shall we say, in the academic perspective.

According to him, "The simple answer is that good technology educational leadership is no different than good educational leadership; that the choices we make with technology education should be deliberate, thoughtful and in line with the overall educational goals of our organization.
But that answer falls short because it fails to take into account that the technologies at our disposal should transform our classrooms as well. Neil Postman, in Technopoly, wrote that some technologies are not merely additive, but transformative. The example he used was the Guttenberg printing press. His argument was that after Guttenberg’s invention, we did not have Europe plus books, we had a new Europe. The Internet — and the incredible changes it has brought about — has transformed many of the ways we live our lives, but as of yet, it has done very little to change our schools. We need to understand that with these tools, we should not have schools plus computers, we should have whole new schools."

And he proceeds with his more complex answer, "First, we have to recognize that to use these tools only for two periods a week is not transformative, and it perpetuates the problem of access. If we only transform learning for those students who can afford the equipment and the access outside of schools, we continue to reinforce the class stratification that currently exists in our country. (And yes, I know that the digital divide is closing, but that does not mean that we as educators can now ignore it.) These technologies must be ubiquitous, necessary, and invisible. They must be everywhere, touching the way we learn in all aspects of our schools, and they must never be the first thing we think about.

Secondly, these tools allow all of us — students and teachers — to do five things better than we’ve ever been able to do them in our classes before: Research, Collaborate, Create, Present and Network."

So what is practical in technology based education or learning? Imagine, learning things without boundaries, accessing books and information without being constricted because you can't buy their high price, presenting your own ideas in the most diversified ways, getting ideas from different experts when speed is in its at most demand, working with other people with the same line of interests, and more importantly, letting the world know that you and your idea exists.

Therefore, if education is our vehicle towards our success, then good technology education in teaching can be construed as giving as a free ride with a Ferrari.

Money is a Capital: A Practical Mindset

Why is money so important?

Almost everything revolves around money. The food we eat, the water we drink, the house that shelters us, the electricity that gives us warmth, the clothing that we wear, and virtually everything is bought or has a cost. We can't deny that reality. Money is a fact of Life.

According to the encyclopedia, "Money is any token or other object that functions as a medium of exchange that is socially and legally accepted in payment for goods and services and in settlement of debts. Money also serves as a standard of value for measuring the relative worth of different goods and services and as a store of value. Some authors explicitly require money to be a standard of deferred payment.

Money includes both currency, particularly the many circulating currencies with legal tender status, and various forms of financial deposit accounts, such as demand deposits, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit. In modern economies, currency is the smallest component of the money supply.

History of money

The first golden coins in history were coined by Lydian king Croesus, around 560 BC. The first Greek coins were made initially of copper, then of iron because copper and iron were powerful materials used to make weapons. Pheidon king of Argos, around 700 BC, changed the coins from iron to a rather useless and ornamental metal, silver, and, according to Aristotle, dedicated some of the remaining iron coins (which were actually iron sticks) to the temple of Hera. King Pheidon coined the silver coins at Aegina, at the temple of the goddess of wisdom and war Athena the Aphaia (the vanisher), and engraved the coins with a Chelone, which is to this day as a symbol of capitalism. Chelone coins were the first medium of exchange that was not backed by a real value good. They were widely accepted and used as the international medium of exchange until the days of Peloponnesian War, when the Athenian Drachma replace them. According other fables, inventors of money were Demodike(or Hermodike) of Kymi (the wife of Midas), Lykos (son of Pandion II and ancestor of the Lycians) and Erichthonius, the Lydians or the Naxians. "

See web link, http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Money .

To be practical is not simply being satisfied with this working definition. To be practical is not just accepting that money is a fact of life. For a practical mindset money is not just a neutral word as defined above. Well, it may be as important as any person could think, however, the practical mind sees money as having another definition. Money is a capital.

"Capital (money) used to fund a business should earn returns for the capital owner who risked their saved money. For an investment to be worthwhile the estimated return on capital must be greater than the cost of capital. Otherwise stated, the risk-adjusted return on capital (incorporating not just the projected returns, but the probabilities of those projections) must be higher than the cost of capital. "

See web link, http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Cost+of+capital .

Therefore, the practical mindset is to construe money beyond being a fact of life but to use it as a capital to fund a business wherein the ultimate aim is to yield more money.

Money Problems: Understanding Where the Problems Come From

It is interesting to know why do we run out of money, if not on most occasions then at least some times. If we do have a job and the money that we earn compensates our cost of living then it is only logical that we won't be short of money. Where do money problems come from?

An interesting online resource where it is explained in a perspective that money problems come from what is programmed to us and lack of planning. I like the use of the word programmed because not only it connotes being accustomed or formed as a habit but also the resolution that I'm proposing is reprogramming.

It reads, "The problem is that we are "programmed" to spend and not to plan for our financial future. Except for the inflation/recession, which is government-originated, this can be seen in detail below.

The Seven Money-Eaters:

Inflation/Recession Crunch – inflation is an increase in the ratio of currency and credit to the goods available. In short, the government has "manufactured" excess cash in the system. Moderate inflation "fuel" the economy and helps to maintain full employment. Uncontrolled inflation causes the economy to "heat up" and causes prices to rise. Consumers will therefore save or reduce purchases. This causes recession in the business sector. Inflation is the "silent eater" of our money’s value.

Emergency Crunch – we must spend because a situation, often dangerous, arises suddenly and calls for prompt action.

"The Thing" Crunch – we must get it because it is the "in" thing.

"Get it Now" Crunch – we must get it now, not later.

"Keeping Up" Crunch – we must get it because our neighbor has it.

Save Crunch – a variance of "get it now" crunch. We must get it now because it will give us a discount now than later (during sale).

Easy Credit Crunch – we can get it now, even if we don’t have the ready cash, because we could pay it later. "

You may visit the web link: http://www.aredconsult.com/finance-course-online/money-eaters.htm

It is worth note taking to understand where our money problems come from and as a result of understanding the problem is knowing the appropriate solution that we can offer. A practical mindset focuses on resolving problems and not letting the problem continues. The resolution that I am offering in the six out of seven money problems is to reprogram our mindset to the extent of changing our way of life to stop unnecessary spending. The resolution comes from within, an examination of our practices, habits, beliefs, discipline, and the likes and avoiding the impractical.

The ultimate aim of getting rid of money problems is not necessarily having a lot of money but rather avoiding losing money, that is, by saving money. It is not how big we earn everyday but how much we save because from saving our money we can think of future investments which is in the long run will give us more benefits.

Land a Job: 101 Career Interview Questions

One of the best ways to get money, is to find a job and the best way to land a job is to be prepared on the interview questions that are waiting for you. It is a big step ahead if you are anticipating the questions that might be laid down before you enter an office where you plan to work. Here are some of the top interview questions that are normally asked during the screening process:

1. What can you tell us about yourself?

2. What do you think are your strengths?
3. What do you think are your weaknesses?
4. In your previous job, did you have a favorite superior and why?

5. How far do you live from this office?
6. Why do you want this job?
7. Where would you like to be in your career two years from now?
8. Can you tell us about your proudest achievement?

9. Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?

10. What do you think is your ideal company?

11. How did you hear about us and what attracted you to this company?

12. What do you think you are most proud of?

13. Are you looking for a career development and how will you go about it?

14. Which is better in business upbringing-- structured or entrepreneurial?
15. How do you react when you don't get what you want?

16. If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job description for the next year, what would it say?
17. Why do you think there is a fuzz on a tennis ball?
18. How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
19. There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
20. How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
21. What do you like to do?
22. Can you give examples of ideas you've had or implemented?
23. What are your lifelong dreams?
24. What do you ultimately want to become?
25. How would you describe your work style?
26. What kind of car do you drive?
27. Can you tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job?
28. What's the last book you read?
29. What magazines do you subscribe to?
30. What would be your ideal working situation?
31. Why should we hire you?
32. What did you like least about your last job?
33. What do you think of your previous boss?
34. How do you think I rate as an interviewer?
35. Do you have any questions for me?
36. When were you most satisfied in your job?
37. What can you do for us that other candidates can't?
38. What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
39. What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
40. If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
41. What salary are you seeking?
42. What's your salary history?
43. Do you have plans to have children in the near future?
44. What were the responsibilities of your last position?
45. What do you know about this industry?
46. What do you know about our company?
47. How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?
48. Are you willing to relocate?
49. What was the last project you headed up, and what was its outcome?
50. What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?
51. Can you give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of

duty at work?
52. What would you do if you won the lottery?
53. Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
54. Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?
55. What is your personal mission statement?
56. Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
57. What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
58. What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?
59. What is your greatest fear?
60. Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?
61. What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?
62. What's the most important thing you've learned in school?
63. What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
64. What will you miss about your present/last job?
65. If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?
66. Can you give us five words that describe your character?
67. What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
68. Can you sell me this pencil?
69. If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?
70. Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?
71. What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last two years?
72. What do you like to do for fun?
73. Why are you leaving your present job?
74. What do you do in your spare time?
75. How do you feel about taking no for an answer?
76. What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
77. What is your favorite memory from childhood?
78. Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?
79. Can you tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to know?
80. Can you tell me the difference between good and exceptional?
81. Why did your choose your major?
82. What are the qualities of a good leader? A bad leader?
83. What is your biggest regret, and why?
84. What are three positive character traits you don't have?
85. What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?
86. If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would you do?
87. How many times do a clock's hands overlap in a day?
88. How would you weigh a plane without scales?
89. What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?
90. If I were to ask your last supervisor to provide you additional training or exposure, what would she suggest?
91. If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?
92. What's the best movie you've seen in the last year?
93. Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by 94. the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.
95. What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
96. If you could get rid of any one of the US states, which one would you get rid of, and why?
97. With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes.
98. if you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?
99. If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?
100. Who are your heroes?
101. Can you tell me 10 ways to use a pen other than writing?

These questions are also found in one among the top career web sites in the world: http://www.monster.com/ Kindly visit their web site and create your free online account. It will require you only an email address.

It is part of a practical mindset to prepare for what is about to happen, in as much as, succeeding in getting what we want. Big part of getting what we want, is our resources and for most of us, resources start from where we get our bread and butter, from our jobs, at least for those who have. But even so, with or without a job, we still think of our opportunity to land a job that can compensate our needs. And these questions will be part of our preparation.

Be Rich and Famous by Looking at Things Positively

When you are ask a question on how you can describe things that are happening to you, will you consider them good or bad? Roughly, by good , we mean in the most general sense of the word, be it in the state of happiness, contentment, fulfillment, pleasurable, beneficial, and the likes. On the contrary, by bad, we mean, the exact opposites.

Our mindset on how we see things that are happening to us, is in as much as examining what we do in our everyday lives. It is just as important as the things that we do in itself on the reason that this is our conceptual framework on to deal with the world. Be it in our ordinary state of affairs such us, how we talk to our friends and colleagues, how we compliment another's accomplishments, how we face challenges, how we deal with criticisms, how we motivate ourselves to accomplish a particular goal, and an infinite multitude of instances.

A dictionary may tell us that "Optimism is an outlook on life such that one maintains a view of the world as a positive place. It is the opposite of pessimism. Optimists generally believe that people and events are inherently good, so that most situations work out in the end for the best. A common conundrum illustrates optimism-versus-pessimism with the question, does one regard a given glass of water, filled to half its capacity, as half full or as half empty? Conventional wisdom expects optimists to reply, "Half full," and pessimists to respond, "Half empty" (assuming that "full" is considered good, and empty, "bad"). Another paradox sometimes associated with optimism is that the only thing an optimist cannot view as positive is a pessimist. Pessimism, however, as it acts as a check to recklessness, may even then be viewed in a positive light. " ( http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Optimism)

It is not my aim to debate whether what is the appropriate way to look at the world or what is the better outlook in life. We will spend hours of argumentation accomplishing nothing but intellectual masturbation. I remember my university days, when we were discussing two contrary set of beliefs in philosophy. An hour and a half class is not sufficient to resolve two conflicting views. We even had continued discussions outside class in coffee shops in order to resolve whether one is inherently good, bad, or both, whether one action is motivated by desire, and if so what is that desire... so on and so many. At the end of the day, at least we clarified a lot of things and if not learned anything at all, in itself, it feels good.

However, if there are options that are laid down to us, due to lack of term, be it optimism, be it pragmatic, be it practical, be it what works, whether to see the world in a positive way or the exact opposite, why not consider the alternative of looking at it in on the positive light. It may be worth while if we contemplate for a minute or two whether what were doing or about to be done is something worth doing. In my philosophic point of view, our answers on how we describe things that are happening to us, doesn't really matter, whether it is good or bad. What matters is what we have done and what do we have.

And again, at the end of the day if we try to ask ourselves what we have done... or what do we have? We are not satisfied with mere clarification. We are not fulfilled with mental intoxication. We don't don't buy gas by understanding sense data. We don't feed our hungry stomach without the appropriate means. The alternative that I am offering is the practical mindset, you won't lose anything but believing. And part of this mindset is to look at things on the positive light. This is the means for you to be rich and famous. Who knows? You might be the next richest man in the world!

Are These Cars Hot or What?

Have you dreamt of getting your most desired car?

Are these cars hot or what?

These cars are the most desirable vehicles on their lines and the newest on their models. Check out their basic pricing. For more details about specification, pricing, and their whereabouts, you may check out their specific web sites. For sure you don't want to miss them.

According to the wise, all of us necessarily desire but not all our desires are necessarily satisfied. This may sound discouraging but you shouldn't be. It only tends to remind us that it is not possible to get everything we want, however, by being pragmatic in terms of mindset, it should motivate us to set our particular goals.

For a few people, dreaming is not that far from planning. Although there is a rational distinction between dreaming and planning, planning is the more practical one. Accurate planning is the bridge to the realization of your dreams.

So why don't you stop dreaming of getting one among these hot cars? You definitely like at least one of them, don't you? Start your accurate plan on how to get them... you may start turning those dreams into plan-- that's the practical mindset. Good luck to your brand new car!!!

Can You be the Next Richest Man in The World?

Do you think you can be the next richest man in the world?


Just recently, according to Forbes.com, Bill Gates no longer seats on the throne of being the wealthiest man in the world.


"After 13 years on top, Bill Gates is no longer the richest man in the world. That honor now belongs to his friend and sometimes bridge partner Warren Buffett.


Riding the surging price of Berkshire Hathaway stock, Buffett has seen his fortune swell to an estimated $62 billion, up $10 billion from a year ago.


Gates is now worth $58 billion and is ranked third richest in the world. He is up $2 billion from a year ago, but would have been as rich--or richer--than Buffett, had Microsoft not made an unsolicited bid for Yahoo! at the beginning of February. Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helú now ranks as the world's second richest person with a net worth of $60 billion. " by Luisa Kroll.


Forbes also enumerates the 10 richest men in the world, you may check out this web link, http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/05/richest-people-billionaires-billionaires08-cx_lk_0305billie_land.html to know more about them. But here are their names as listed:

1. Warren Buffett
2. Carlos Slim Helu
3. William Gates III
4. Lakshmi Mittal
5. Mukesh Ambani
6. Anil Ambani
7. Ingvar Kamprad
8. KP Singh
9. Oleg Deripaska
10. Karl Albrecht


To "know who they are" is actually one thing as good as information gets, however, to know how they become billionaires is "what's practical." We may learn from the secrets of these great men, so to speak, in order to be successful ourselves. Let's have a glimpse of "know who" about the richest man.


Wikipedia tells us an encompassing story about Buffett, you may visit, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett:


“Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American investor, businessman and philanthropist. He is regarded as one of the world's greatest stock market investors, and is the largest shareholder and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.[3] With an estimated net worth of around US$62 billion,[4] he was ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world as of February 11, 2008.[5]


Often called the "Oracle of Omaha,"[6] Buffett is noted for his adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth.[7] His 2006 annual salary was about $100,000, which is small compared to senior executive remuneration in other comparable companies,[8] and when he spent $9.7 million of Berkshire's funds on a business jet in 1989, he jokingly named it "The Indefensible" because of his past criticisms of such purchases by other CEOs.[9] He lives in the same house in the central Dundee neighborhood of Omaha that he bought in 1958 for $31,500, today valued at around $700,000.[10]


Buffett is also a noted philanthropist. In 2006, he announced a plan to give away his fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[11] In 2007, he was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in The World.[12] He also serves as a member of the board of trustees at Grinnell College.[13]”


It is interesting to know his historical time line on the same link. But what is important for a pragmatic mind to understand, is to find out the "know how" on how he become the richest man in the world. The more you know about his success and failures, the more you know about his secret for your practical means. So, do you think you can be the next richest man in the world? Then you'd better start doing this man's "know how."

What Works or What's Practical?

Do you want to be successful? Do you want to get rich? Do you want to be likable? Do you want to be famous? By successful, we mean, achieving the goals that we have set regardless short term or long term, be it material or immaterial.

Obtaining the plans that we have set for today, tomorrow, two years from now or even until the last day before we say goodbye to this beautiful existence we called life.

To be successful, it may help if we examine the little things that we do in our daily lives whether these will help us obtain or achieve our goal in the immediate future or in the long run. We may reflect on the belief-system that we may have acquired on where we based our actions upon.

The belief-system on what motivates us to decide on what we do from the daily circumstances that we face. It may help if we question the roots of our beliefs, the very basis, on how we judge our actions before we do them, our philosophy.

An article that I have read from wikipedia about pragmatism might shed light on what we consider as what works or what's practical in our life. In Philosophy, what works or what's practical maybe summed up, however not all, in the philosophy called "pragmatism." This is a very interesting school of thought that maybe used by any person who wanted to succeed in life.
__________

"Pragmatism is a philosophic school generally considered to have originated in the late nineteenth century with Charles Peirce, who first stated the pragmatic maxim.

It came to fruition in the early twentieth-century philosophies of William James and John Dewey. Most of the thinkers who describe themselves as pragmatists consider practical consequences or real effects to be vital components of both meaning and truth.

Other important aspects of pragmatism include anti-Cartesianism, radical empiricism, instrumentalism, anti-realism, verificationism, conceptual relativity, a denial of the fact-value distinction, a high regard for science, and fallibilism.

Pragmatism began enjoying renewed attention from the 1950s on, because of a new school of philosophers who put forth a revised pragmatism that criticized the logical positivism that had dominated philosophy in the United States and Britain since the 1930s, notably in the work of analytic philosophers like W. V. O. Quine and
Wilfrid Sellars.

Their naturalized epistemology was further developed and widely publicized by Richard Rorty, whose later work grew closer to continental philosophy and is often considered relativistic.

Contemporary pragmatism is still divided between those thinkers who work strictly within the analytic tradition, and a more relativistic strand in the wake of Rorty and lastly neoclassical pragmatists like Susan Haack who stay closer to the work of Peirce, James and Dewey.

Origins

Charles Peirce: the American polymath who started it all.

As a philosophical movement, pragmatism originated in the United States in the late 1800s. The thought and works of Charles Sanders Peirce and William James (both members of The Metaphysical Club) as well as John Dewey and George Herbert Mead figured most prominently in its overall direction. The term pragmatism was first used in print by James, who credited

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Shortcuts: press Ctrl with: B = Bold, I = Italic, P = Publish, D = Draft morePeirce with coining the term during the early 1870s. Prompted by James' use of the term and its attribution to him, Peirce began writing and lecturing on pragmatism to make clear his own interpretation.

Peirce eventually coined the new name pragmaticism to mark what he regarded as the original idea, for clarity's sake and possibly (but not certainly) because he disagreed with James (cf. Menand 2001 on the former interpretation; below on the latter). He claimed that the term was so ugly, nobody would be tempted to steal it (Haack 1998).

James and Peirce were inspired by several earlier thinkers, notably Alexander Bain, who examined the crucial links among belief, conduct, and disposition by saying that a belief is a proposition on which a person is prepared to act. Earlier thinkers that inspired the pragmatists include Francis Bacon who coined the phrase "knowledge is power", David Hume for his naturalistic account of knowledge and action, Thomas Reid for his direct realism, Immanuel Kant for his idealism and from whom Peirce derives the name "pragmatism", Georg Hegel for his introduction of temporality into philosophy (Pinkard in Misak 2007), and J.S. Mill for his nominalism and empiricism.

Contemporary echoes and ties

In the twentieth century, the movements of logical positivism and ordinary language philosophy have similarities with pragmatism. Like pragmatism, logical positivism provides a verification criterion of meaning that is supposed to rid us of nonsense metaphysics.

However, logical positivism doesn't stress action like pragmatism does. Furthermore, the pragmatists rarely used their maxim of meaning to rule out all metaphysics as nonsense. Usually, pragmatism was put forth to correct metaphysical doctrines or to construct empirically verifiable ones rather than to provide a wholesale rejection.

Ordinary language philosophy is closer to pragmatism than other philosophy of language because of its nominalist character and because it takes the broader functioning of language in an environment as its focus instead of investigating abstract relations between language and world.
Pragmatism has ties to process philosophy.

Much of their work developed in dialogue with process philosophers like Henri Bergson and Alfred North Whitehead, who aren't usually considered pragmatists because they differ so much on other points. (Douglas Browning et al. 1998; Rescher, SEP)

Behaviorism and functionalism in psychology and sociology also have ties to pragmatism, which is not surprising considering that James and Dewey were both scholars of psychology and that Mead became a sociologist.

Utilitarianism has some significant parallels to Pragmatism and John Stuart Mill espoused similar values."

__________

In a nutshell, the philosophy that gives us an alternative of what works or what's practical maybe called the pragmatic philosophy or pragmatism. By considering this alternative view on how we evaluate our actions before we do them, might help us obtain our goals, however simple or complex, whether immediate or long term. Now, what works for you is going to be the application of what you have understood.