The Niceties of Life

By John Berling Hardy

"I did not attend his funeral; but I wrote a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

Niceness is now universal in our society. Everyone and everything is nice to one another, by way of being nice to themselves. Niceness has come to define us, so that when historians come to write of our era they will speak of us as people who were unfailingly "nice".

No. Instead, I would suggest that it will be our niceness which really distinguishes us from those who inhabited other epochs.

This niceness should not be confused for genuine kindness or goodness. It is, at its root, an obsession with being thought well of, not merely by our peers, but by the entire TV audience. Niceness is a sham; sugar-coated narcissism. What lies behind kindness is genuine caring for the other. The energy behind niceness is somehow cloying, as if you were imploring someone to like you. The former is generous, the latter obsequious. The former comes from strength, the latter from weakness. Where one flourishes, the other cannot. Kindness and niceness are mutually exclusive.

Political correctness is not easy to define. It is the philosophy of emptiness, of stripping society bare of those distinguishing features which made it interesting in the first place. It is neither racist nor sexist - it opposes both forms of discrimination, being in essence both the opposite of discrimination and a form of discrimination in its own right. In the past propriety was determined dogmatically, but under political correctness dogmatic thought is ruled intolerant. Despite this, proponents of the phenomenon tend to be no less zealous in applying it than the dogmatists who preceded them.

And the result of these machinations? A world devoid of colour and expression; a bland world of sameness and conformity: in a word, a world of niceness.

It is the coup de grace on the part of the players who designed the game. Now they can do as they wish and cover their tracks with long speeches dripping with false sentiment. Anyone who speaks out against their schemes is marginalized for being too negative. As our rights are taken from us, and as we are herded about we are completely oblivious to the fact that we are in a gigantic prison, because it is so very, very nice!

About the Author:

John Berling Hardy helps people with easy practical strategies on how to deal with the manipulators they encounter. For more of his writings please visit www.playingtheplayers.com

Do Distance Learning Degrees Impress Employers?

By Mary Jack

Distance learning degrees and online degree programs have become popular since the internet became a household name. This has opened doors to a great opportunity for those wishing to pursue further education. But just as it is with everything new, the internet has also presented challenges and created room for sale of unscrupulous degrees and diplomas. The figures released by USA Today indicate that in 2003, over 400 diploma mills were in operation and the number was on the increase. Surprisingly, this dubious operation of degree mills seems to be thriving in an industry currently estimated at $500 million per year.

However, despite all the unpleasant information going around about distance learning degrees, the fact is there are plenty of legitimate universities and colleges offering online degree programs. These colleges are legitimate and not involved in any way in offering dubious and fake diplomas. Instead, these colleges are going the extra mile to provide quality education online by taking advantage of all available instructional resources such as quality instructional design coupled with video lectures, online digital libraries and proctored exams to ensure their students get quality education and a valid, qualified diploma. Unfortunately, numerous employers have not yet been sold into this alternative way of acquiring education, thus they still regard such degrees as invalid or dubious.

To avert the confusion, 6 accrediting agencies were set up by the National Education Board of the U.S government with the role of providing accreditation to colleges and universities who meet a set educational standard. This ultimately differentiates the legitimate colleges from the fake ones. Students enrolling in these accredited colleges can rest assured they are receiving quality and qualified education. Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is an additional accrediting body which solely exists for the purpose of providing accreditation to colleges that offer distance learning degrees. DETC is a legit body that falls under the umbrella of the US Department of Education and CHEA.

Other distinguished specialized accreditation agencies exists that are designed to accredit specific course programs. Programs that meet the set standards of excellence are given accreditation by these specialized accredit ting agencies based on area of specialization. A good example of such an accrediting agency is International Association for Management Education (AACSB) which accredits accounting related programs. Also American Health Information Management Association is tasked with accrediting health programs in different colleges. It is worthy to note that all these accreditation agencies have to be recognized by CHEA for them to be considered as legit agencies.

Why does accreditation matter to a student? A college accreditation agency evaluates the different aspects of colleges or universities against minimum standard criteria to determine if the particular institution meets set basic requirements that determine the quality of education it should offer. College accreditation is important to ensure that the quality of education, facilities in a college and support given by that college meets certain standards while specialized accreditation checks the excellence of specific programs regardless of the institution offering that program. Likewise it means specialized accreditation check on course content and the curriculum of the program against pre-determined standards of the distance learning college or university.

Distance learning degrees from accredited institutions assure graduates, parents and prospective employers any degree earned is well deserved. The work completed has met the standards of adequately preparing people in their major area of study. Conversely, it also means colleges and universities not granted accreditation do not meet the standards of excellence required. Nevertheless, for the student who is only taking classes necessary to an area of specialization, only the courses need that all important stamp of approval.

The onus is on the employers to evaluate the credibility and validity of a campus offering distance learning degrees. Due to the rise in fake diplomas, it has only made employers become stricter in checking every applicant's diploma to ensure it is a valid one from an accredited institution. And since this can sometimes be complex and cumbersome for the employer, as a job applicant, you can make this process easier by providing any vital accrediting information to your prospective employer as you make your job application. This will ensure your application is not over-looked and will elevate your chance of landing a job interview.

About the Author:

Get help on accredited distance learning degrees as well as campus-based colleges and universities where you can attend college.