text:
Wealth Insight
Not instant coffee
Raghuram Govind Rajan will take over as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) on September 4, 2013. There are great expectations from him to turnaround the faltering Indian economy. His appointment has been welcomed by the media, business leaders as well as politicians. It is one of those rare occasions where almost everyone seems to be happy about the appointment.
But will Rajan be able to deliver? Will he able to control inflation, stop the rupee from falling further against the dollar and at same time engineer economic growth, as he is expected to. Or to ask a more pointed question, can any central banker really make a huge difference?
Before I get around to answering that question, let me deviate a little.
Inflation targeting has been a favourite policy of central banks all over the world. This strategy essentially involves a central bank estimating and projecting an inflation target and then using interest rates and other monetary tools to steer the economy towards the projected inflation target.
But recent analysis suggests that inflation targeting might have been one of the major reasons behind the current financial crisis. Stephen D King, Group Chief Economist of HSBC makes this point in his new book When the Money Runs Out. As he writes "the pursuit of inflation-targetting…may have contributed to the West's financial downfall."
He gives the example of United Kingdom to make his point. "Take, for example, inflation targeting in the UK. In the early years of the new millennium, inflation had a tendency to drop too low, thanks to the deflationary effects on manufactured goods prices of low-cost producers in China and elsewhere in the emerging world. To keep inflation close to target, the Bank of England loosened monetary policy with the intention of delivering higher 'domestically generated' inflation. In other words, credit conditions domestically became excessive loose…The inflation target was hit only by allowing domestic imbalances to arise: too much consumption, too much consumer indebtedness, too much leverage within the financial system and too little policy-making wisdom."
In simple English what this basically means is that the Bank of England, the British central bank, kept interest rates too low for a very long time, so that people borrowed and spent money. This was done in the hope that prices would rise and the inflation target would thus be met.
With interest rates being low banks were falling over one another to lend money to anyone who was willing to borrow. And this gradually led to a fall in lending standards. People who did not have the ability to repay were also being given loans. As King writes "With the UK financial system now awash with liquidity, lending increased rapidly both within the financial system and to other parts of the economy that, frankly, didn't need any refreshing. In particular, the property sector boomed thanks to an abundance of credit and a gradual reduction in lending standards."
The Western central banks were focussed on just maintaining the inflation target that they had set. In fact, the 'inflation only' focus was a result of how economic theory had evolved over the years. As Felix Martin writes in the fascinating book Money – The Unauthorised Biography "The sole monetary ill that had been permitted into the New Keynesian theory was high or volatile inflation, which was deemed to retard the growth of GDP. The appropriate policy objective, therefore, was low and stable inflation, or 'monetary stability'…On such grounds, the Bank of England was granted its independence and given a mandate to target inflation in 1997, and the European Central Bank was founded as an independent, inflation-targeting central bank in 1998."
But this focus on 'low inflation' or 'monetary stability' as economists like to call it, turned out to be a very narrow policy objective. As Martin writes "The single minded pursuit of low and stable inflation not only drew attention away from the other monetary and financial factors that were to bring the global economy to its knees in 2008 – it exacerbated them…Disconcerting signs of impending disaster in the pre-crisis economy – booming housing prices, a drastic underpricing of liquidity in asset markets, the emergence of shadow banking system, the declines in lending standards, bank capital, and the liquidity ratios – were not given the priority they merited, because, unlike low and stable inflation, they were simply not identified as being relevant."
And this 'lack of focus' led to a big real estate bubbles in large parts of the Western world, which was followed by biggest 'macroeconomic' crash in history.
Since then, central banks around the world have tried to concentrate on factors other than inflation as well. But it is not easy for a central bank, if I might use that phrase, to be all over the place.
Raghuram Rajan understands this very well. As he wrote in a 2008 article (along with Eswar Prasad) "The RBI already has a medium-term inflation objective of 5 per cent…But the central bank is also held responsible, in political and public circles, for a stable exchange rate. The RBI has gamely taken on this additional objective but with essentially one instrument, the interest rate, at its disposal, it performs a high-wire balancing act."
Focus on multiple things makes the RBI run the risk of not doing any of them well. "What is wrong with this? Simple that by trying to do too many things at once, the RBI risks doing none of them well," wrote Rajan and Prasad.
Hence it made sense for the RBI to concentrate on one thing instead of being all over the place. As Rajan wrote in the 2008 Report of the Committeeon Financial Sector Reforms " The RBI can best serve the cause of growth by focusing on controlling inflation, and intervening in currency markets only to limit excessive volatility. This focus can also best serve the cause of inclusion because the poorer sections are least hedged against inflation."
Rajan might have revised his beliefs in the last five years. But as we have seen over the period, the strategy of central banks being all over the place hasn't really worked either. Given this, we shouldn't have very high expectations from what Rajan will be able to do as the governor of the RBI, even though he maybe the best man for the job.
To conclude, it is worth remembering what Sunil Gavaskar said in 1994, after he was appointed the manager of a floundering Indian cricket team. "Results can't be produced overnight. I'm not instant coffee," said the cricket legend.
Rajan probably realises this more than anyone else. As he wrote recently in his globally syndicated column "The bottom line is that if there is one myth that recent developments have exploded it is probably the one that sees central bankers as technocrats, hovering independently over the politics and ideologies of their time. Their feet, too, have touched the ground."
This article originally appeared in the Wealth Insight Magazine for September 2013
(Vivek Kaul is the author of the soon to be published Easy Money. He tweets @kaul_vivek)
Categories Analysis, Financial Crisis, Wealth Insight Tags inflation targeting, Raghuram Rajan, Sunil Gavaskar
The Complexity of Money
Over the last two weeks I have come to realise that people share a very complex relationship with money. A friend of mine who makes more than Rs 50 lakh a year, owns two homes, a couple of cars, and holidays abroad in exotic locations ever year, has constantly been cribbing about the 10% increment he got after the yearly performance appraisal.
"So were you expecting more?" I asked him. "Not really. The company hasn't been in a great shape, so even 10% is very good. The average increments this year have only been around 6-7%," he replied.
"So then what is the issue?" I asked.
"Well you know," he said, such and such person, "who I tend to compete with got an increment of 11%." This difference of 1%(actually I should be saying 100 basis points, but that sounds too technical) had been bothering him no end.
I tried telling him that his salary was nearly 50% more than the other person he was talking about. "So in absolute terms your increment is greater than his," I explained.
"Yeah. But it would have been better if I made more in percentage terms as well," my friend replied.
What this little story tells us is that people share a complex relationship with money. How else do you explain what my friend earning more than Rs 50 lakh per year was going through? There is no doubt that money motivates. An experiment carried out in 1953, showed just that. As Margaret Heffernan writes in Wilful Blindness – Why We Ignore the Obvious At Our Peril "Patients were asked to hang on horizontal bars for as long as they could; most could take it for about 45 seconds. When subjected to power of suggestion and even, in some cases, hypnosis, they could stretch to about 75 seconds. But when offered a five dollar bill the patients managed to hang from the bar for 110 seconds."
So money does motivate people to work longer. And in many organisations that is equivalent to working harder. But as Heffernan puts it "money has a more complex influence on people than just making them work longer."
Experiments carried out by behavioural psychologist Dan Ariely suggest that the less appreciated we feel our work is, the more money we want to do it. Ariely gave research participants a piece of paper that was filled with random letters. The participant were divided into three groups, and had to find pairs of identical letters on the sheets of paper given to them and mark them out.
While returning their papers, the the participants in the first group wrote their names on the sheets of paper and handed it back to the experimenter. He took the sheet, looked it over, said "Uh huh" and put it in a pile.
The participants in the second group did not write their names on the sheets of paper. The experimenter took their sheets without looking at them and without saying anything. He placed them in a pile. The sheets handed over by the participants of the third group were immediately shredded, as soon as they handed them over.
In order to be a part of another round of the experiment, those in the third group whose sheets were shredded wanted twice the amount of money in comparison to those in the first group, whose sheets were simply put in a pile. Those in the second group whose work was saved but ignored wanted as much as participants of the third group whose sheets were shredded.
As Ariely put in a blog on www.ted.com "Ignoring the performance of people is almost as bad as shredding their effort before their eyes." And when that happens people want to be paid more.
The next question that crops up is that does paying people more money make them work smarter?This question is of utmost importance given the fact that some of the highest paid people in the world brought it to the verge of economic collapse a few years back in late 2008.
Ariely and a group of researchers tested this out in an experiment they carried out in India (to control the costs involved in running the experiment). In this experiment, research participants were asked to play memory games and assemble puzzles while they were throwing tennis balls at a target. One third of the participants were promised one day's pay, if they performed well. Another one third were promised two weeks pay. And the final third were promised five months pay (the real reason behind conducting the experiment in India), if they did well.
The results were surprising. Those who were promised a day's pay and two weeks pay as a financial reward, performed equally well. But those who were offered five months pay, performed the worst.
Ariely explained this surprising finding in an article he wrote for The New York Times. Very high financial rewards act as a double edged sword, Ariely wrote. "They provide motivation to work well, but they also cause stress and preoccupation with the reward that can actually hurt performance."
Of course this in no way means that people don't want to paid more, even though the prospect of earning more money starts hurting their performance beyond a point. Also, more money doesn't always make people happier.
Research carried out by economist Angus Deaton and psychologist Daniel Kahneman (who won the Noble Prize in economics) in 2010 found that more money makes people happier upto an income of $75,000 per year. As Kahneman writes in Thinking, Fast and Slow "The satiation level beyond which experienced well being no longer increases was a household income of $75,000 in high cost areas (it could be less in areas where the cost of living is lower). The average increase of experienced well-being associated with incomes beyond that level was precisely zero…Higher income brings with it higher satisfaction, well beyond the point at which it ceases to have any positive effect on experience."
So earning more money is not always directly proportional to greater happiness. But then why does money continue to bother people (as we saw in my friend's case) so much? Nassim Nicholas Taleb perhaps has an explanation for it in Anti Fragile "The worst side of wealth is the social association it forces on its victims, as people with big houses tend to end up socialising with other people with big houses."
Beyond a point the need for more money is an essential part of being seen at the top of the rat race. More money is also equated with higher intelligence and leads to greater respect from the society at large. As John Kenneth Galbraith, one economist who thoroughly deserved a Nobel prize, but never never got it, put it in A Short History of Financial Euphoria: "Individuals and institutions are captured by the wondrous satisfaction from accruing wealth. The associated illusion of insight is protected, in turn, by the oft-noted public impression that intelligence, one's own and that of others, marches in close step with the possession of money." Hence, money after a point becomes a measure of intelligence and success and that creates problems of its own.
The article originally appeared in the Wealth Insight magazine dated August 1, 2013
(Vivek Kaul is a writer. He tweets @kaul_vivek)
Categories Analysis, Personal Finance, Wealth Insight Tags Dan Ariely, Daniel Kahneman, John Kenneth Galbraith, Money
The psychology of discounts
The power discounts have over consumer spending became apparent to me on a recent visit to Delhi. An aunt of mine decided to travel nearly twenty five kilometres in a DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) bus to have lunch in a restaurant in Connaught Place, which was offering a 20% discount. And this was a time when the heat in Delhi was killing, with the temperature being greater than 40 degrees Celsius.
After coming back to Mumbai I heard about a high end lifestyle brand putting its goods on sale. And women queued up for it from 6.30am in the morning, despite the heavy rains.
That's the power the words discount and sale have on the human mind. They can really get people out there to shop, despite the rains and the heat.
In fact Eric Anderson and Duncan Simester carried out an experiment to test whether just labelling something to be "on sale" lead to higher sales. Jonah Berger discusses this experiment in his book Contagious – Why Things Catch on. As he writes "Anderson and Simester, created two different versions of the catalogue and mailed each to more than fifty thousand people. In one version some of the products(let's call them dresses) were marked with signs that said "Pre-Season SALE." In other version the dresses were not marked as on sale."
The results were very interesting. The items on which a sale sign had been marked, saw the demand go up by more than 50%. "The prices of the dresses (i.e. the items marked to be on sale) were the same in both versions of the catalogue. So using the word 'sale' beside a price increased sales even though the price itself stayed the same."
While just mention of the world 'sale' is likely to increase sales, the trick is not to overuse it. As Anderson and Simester point out in a research paper titled The Role of Sale Signs "if customers' price expectations are sensitive to the number of products that have sale signs, this strategy is not without cost. Using additional sale signs may reduce demand for other products that already have sale signs." Also, if a product is always on sale then there is a problem because people can't compare it with anything.
Despite these negatives, the fact is that everyone wants a good deal. In fact such is people's fascination for getting a good deal that in some cases they are even willing to pay more. Berger carried out a small experiment in which a barbecue grill is on sale. Originally priced at $350, now its being sold at $250, a saving of $100. He ran this 'deal' through 100 people and 75% of the people said that they would buy the grill.
There was another scenario in which the same grill was on sale but at a different store. Originally it had been priced at $255 and was now selling at $240. Berger ran this 'deal' through 100 people and only 22% of the people said they would buy the grill.
And this is what made things really interesting. "Both stores were selling the same grill. So if anything, people should have been more likely to say they would buy it at the store where the price was lower….More people said they would purchase the grill in scenario A (the first scenario where a $350 grill was being sold for $250), even though they would have to pay a higher price ($250 rather than $240) to get it," writes Berger.
Discount and sales offers play tricks on the human mind leading it to make irrational decisions, which are exploited by marketers. Akshay Rao of the University of Minnesota carried out a research on discounts and offering something extra for the same price, which he published in a paper titled When More Is Less: The Impact of Base Value Neglect on Consumer Preferences for Bonus Packs over Price Discounts.
In this paper Rao came to the conclusion that "shoppers prefer getting something extra free to getting something cheaper."He explains this through an example of coffee beans. On a normal day, 100 coffee beans are being sold for Rs 100. One day, a discount of 33% is on offer. This means 100 coffee beans are sold for Rs 67.
Another day, a 50% extra offer is on. This means 150 coffee beans can now be bought for Rs 100. But what this also means is that 100 coffee beans can be bought for Rs 67. So a 33% discount offer and a 50% extra offer are economically equivalent. There is no difference between them, at least theoretically.
But real life turned out to be different from theory as usual. Rao and his team carried out an experiment and found that they managed to increase sales of a consumer packed good by over 70% in a retail store, when they used the extra/free bonus pack format in comparison to offering a discount on the product. Rao attributes this to the fact that the human mind is not good at performing arithmetic with complex forms such as logarithms, fractions, probability and percentages.
So if you have ever wondered why everyone from biscuit companies to mobile phone operators wants to give out something extra, rather than offer a discount, you now know why.
The inability to handle basic maths leads to marketers exploiting it in other ways as well. One such way is to express discount in a way where it seems larger than it actually is. As Berger writes "Twenty percent off on that $25 shirt seems like a better deal than $5 off. For high-priced big-ticket-items, framing price reductions in dollar terms (rather than percentage terms) makes them seem like a better offer. The laptop seems like a better deal when it is $200 off rather than 10 percent off."
Whether marketers express discount in absolute terms or in percentage terms depends on the rule of 100. If the price of a product is less than $100 (or Rs 100 or any other currency) the percentage discount will seem bigger. Vice versa is true, if the price of a product is higher than $100. "For a $30 shirt…even a $3 discount is still a relatively small number. But percentage wise (10 percent), that same discount looks much bigger…Take a $750 vacation package or the $2,000 laptop. While a 10 percent discount may seem like a relatively small number, it immediately seems much bigger when translated into dollars ($75 or $200)," writes Berger.
The interesting thing is that the rule of 100 doesn't seem to have caught on in India as yet. This could be a killer application for discount websites, which still focus on expressing discounts in percentage terms. As I write this the Bangla version of Amish's The Immortals of Melhua is selling for Rs 130, a 33% discount on a price of Rs 195, on one of the discount websites. Now wouldn't Rs 65 off have sounded so much more better?
While marketers are quick to latch on to these tricks, in this case they seem to have missed out on something rather obvious. Rest assured this anomaly will be corrected in the days to come.
The article originally appeared in the Wealth Insight magazine dated July 1, 2013
Categories Analysis, Personal Finance, Wealth Insight Tags Discount, Sale
The Flipside of Business Books
There is a certain formula to writing a business book which explains the reasons behind the success of a particular company and the learnings other 'lesser mortals' can draw from it. It involves the authors choosing examples of companies that have been successful over a period of time, studying them in great detail and then explaining the reasons behind their success.
These reasons then become the 'list of things to do' for other managers and business leaders looking to build successful companies. The trouble is that companies that are studied as bellwethers of success often become very mediocre after the book has been published.
There are four major problems with this approach of trying to figure out what makes a company successful. The first problem is what is referred to as survivorship bias. The authors studying success only look at companies which have been successful and not at the companies which might have failed doing the same things that successful companies did.
Take the case of the VHS versus Betamax battle for the video standard, between Sony and Matsushita, both Japanese companies. Sony decided to concentrate on video quality whereas Matsushita decided to concentrate on longer recording time, which ultimately became the key differentiator between the two standards.
So was Sony wrong in concentrating on quality of the video rather than the playing time? Not at all. This was totally in line with Sony's positioning as a company which makes high end quality products. Even though Sony failed in this case by doing what it thought was the right thing to do, there are many companies which have become iconic companies by concentrating on the quality of the product rather than its price or other features.
The second problem with this approach is that authors are looking at something that has already happened and trying to fit a story around it. As Phil Rosenzweig writes in The Halo Effect…and the Eight Other Business Delusions that Deceive Managers "We want explanations. We want the world around us to make sense…We prefer explanations that are definitive and offer clear implications."
These explanations create an illusion that success in the world of business is orderly and predictable. As Nobel Prize winning economist Daniel Kahneman writes in Thinking, Fast and Slow "The illusion that one has understood the past feeds the further illusion that one can predict and control the future. These illusions are comforting. They reduce the anxiety that we would experience if we allowed ourselves to fully acknowledge uncertainties of existence… Many business books are tailor-made to satisfy this need."
Among the many definitive explanations for success that have been offered one of the most popular is that a company should stick to its core and do what it does best. But then there are examples of many companies which do really well by looking beyond their core. "During the 1980s, General Electric, America's largest industrial company associated with light bulbs, refrigerators, airplane engines, and plastics, sold some of its traditional businesses – home appliances and television and went in a big way into financial services," writes Rosenzweig. And GE did very well in its new business. So going beyond its core helped GE to reinvent itself even though a lot of business books recommended doing exactly the opposite.
The third problem with the way authors approach business books is that they never really take into account the element of luck. Tonnes of books have been written about around the success of Google, one of the most innovative companies of our times. But none of them really talk about the early streak of luck that Google had. As Duncan J Watts writes in Everything is Obvious – Once You Know the Answer, "In the late 1990s the founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, tried to sell their company for $1.6 million." The story goes that the buyer thought that Brin and Page were asking for too high a price and decided not to go ahead with the deal.
Microsoft had a similar lucky streak. The story goes that when IBM first approached Bill Gates to supply an operating system for IBM's new PC, Gates referred them to this guy called Gary Kildall, who ran a company called Digital Research. Kildall and IBM couldn't strike a deal, and so IBM went back to Gates. And this changed the game totally for Gates.
As Michael Mauboussin writes in The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports, and Investing "IBM struck a deal with Gates for a lookalike of Kildall's product, CP/M-86, that Gates had acquired. Once it was tweaked for the IBM PC, Microsoft renamed it PC-DOS and shipped it. After some wrangling by Kildall, IBM did agree to ship CP/M-86 as an alternative operating system. IBM also set the prices for products. No operating system was included with the IBM PC, and everyone who bought a PC had to purchase an operating system. PC-DOS cost $40. CP/M-86 cost $240. Guess which won."
What really got Microsoft and Gates going was the fact that Gates had kept the right to license PC-DOS to other companies. And when other companies started manufacturing PCs, Gates was there selling them his operating system. "The fact is, Kildall played his cards much differently than Gates did, and hence did well but enjoyed financial success vastly more modest than Gates. But it's tantalising to consider the possibility that with a few tweaks, Kildall could have been Gates," writes Mauboussin.
The fourth problem with most management books is that they overestimate the role of a CEO in the success of companies. While there is no denying that CEOs do influence performance of companies, but their impact is much lower than most business books tend to suggest.
As Kahneman points out "A very generous estimate of the correlation between the success of the firm and the quality of its CEO might be as high as 0.3, indicating 30% overlap." Also the books never take into account whether business leaders are taking on too much risk. "A few lucky gambles can crown a reckless leader with a halo of prescience and boldness," writes Kahneman.
The trouble is if the authors don't make heroes out of CEOs there books won't sell. "It is difficult to imagine people lining up at airport bookstores to buy a book that enthusiastically describes the practises of business leaders who, on average, do somewhat better than chance. Consumers have a hunger for a clear message about the determinants of success and failure in business, and they need stories that offer a sense of understanding, however illusory," writes Kahneman.
And that's the story of business books. There are no magic formulas as the books try to tell us over and over again. As Rosenzweig best puts it "There's no magic formula, no way to crack the code, no genie in the bottle holding the secrets to success. The answer to the question What really works? Is simple: Nothing really works, at least not all the time."
The article originally appeared in the Wealth Insight magazine in the edition dated June 10, 2013
Categories Analysis, Business, Wealth Insight Tags Business Books
← Previous Page1 Page2 Page3


Within the following video segment Richard Dolan presents a studied argument which suggests that following WWII, an aggregation of wealth and black budget military projects gave birth to a paradigm that is completely separate and so far above the rest of the population in technology that it appears as otherworldly. The term Dolan uses to describe this is, "The Breakaway Civilization", it's maintained through massive fraud, and it doesn't necessarily have the best interests of the general public in mind; I would say, …best interests of the general public "at heart", but I don't think they have a heart.
This entry was posted in X-FILES and tagged Black Knight Satellite, Breakaway Civilization, Gary McKinnon, NASA, Nazi, Operation Paperclip, Secret Space Program, Solar Warden. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
CLOSUP Lecture Series
Open Filters Hide Filters
Report Series
CLOSUP Lecture Series, Policy Talks @ the Ford School
Michigan redistricting: A model for the nation? Evaluating the state's new maps and process
Jan 19, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST
This webinar will analyze and evaluate Michigan's new redistricting approach and new maps, and compare to approaches of other states. Will Michigan's new model inspire reform in other states?
Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission working meeting on U-M campus
Nov 18, 2021, 10:00 am-2:00 pm EST
Michigan League Ballroom (2nd floor)
The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will be meeting on U-M's campus during the 45-day period for public comment before they vote to adopt final district maps in Michigan.
Donuts for democracy student session with members of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission
Sep 2, 2021, 10:00-10:50 am EDT
The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commissioners will meet virtually to answer questions about redistricting in Michigan.
Public meetings of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commissioners
Sep 2, 2021, 1:00-8:00 pm EDT
Michigan Union Rogel Ballroom (2nd Floor)
Public meetings of the Michigan Citizens Independent Redistricting Commissioners with agenda to include racially polarized voting analysis, Voting Rights Act analysis, and map drawing for State Senate districts for Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties.
CLOSUP Lecture Series, Conversations Across Differences
The functioning of democracy across the urban-rural spectrum
Nov 16, 2020, 11:00-11:55 am EST
Free and open to the public – this is a virtual webinar on Zoom - please register! Student researchers will share their research on the similarities and differences across the urban/rural continuum with respect to: the state of civic discourse; public participation in decision-making; citizen engagement; internet connectivity and access to information; and privatization of local government services.
CLOSUP Lecture Series, Conversations Across Differences, Policy Talks @ the Ford School
Jocelyn Benson and Frank LaRose on voter turnout and access in Ohio and Michigan
Oct 9, 2020, 3:00-4:00 pm EDT
The Ford School invites you to join us for a conversation on voting rights and voter access, featuring Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
VIRTUAL EVENT: Ann Arbor City Council Prospective Candidates Debate (Wards 1, 2 & 3)
Apr 16, 2020, 2:30-3:45 pm EDT
Students of PUBPOL 456/756 invite the public to join them for a debate featuring prospective candidates for the city council in Ann Arbor.
VIRTUAL EVENT: Ann Arbor City Council Prospective Candidates Debate (Wards 4 & 5)
Getting to net-zero: Climate challenges and solutions
Feb 21, 2020, 11:30 am-12:50 pm EST
Weill Hall, Betty Ford Classroom (1110)
Join Karl Hausker, Senior Fellow at World Resources Institute Energy and Climate Program as he discusses climate challenges and solutions of getting to net-zero emissions.
Opportunities and challenges of autonomous vehicles: Role of governments?
Feb 10, 2020, 4:00-5:20 pm EST
Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
Join us to hear Christopher Hart, former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board discuss opportunities of autonomous vehicles and the challenges they present to federal, state and local governments.
"Communities of Interest" and Michigan's new approach to redistricting through an Independent Citizens Commission
Nov 18, 2019, 4:00-5:20 pm EST
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will deliver opening remarks for a panel discussion on "Communities of Interest" and the important role they will play in Michigan's new redistricting process beginning in 2020.
Listening to Strengthen Democracy
Oct 23, 2019, 4:00-5:30 pm EDT
The Local Voices Network is a community-driven listening network which aims to improve our understanding of one another through communication. Kathy Cramer, one of the groups' founders, will talk about how it works and what 's coming out of the chapters in Wisconsin, New York, Massachusetts, and Alabama.
Student Symposium on State & Local Renewable Energy Policy
Weill Hall, O'Neill Classroom (1230)
Join the students of PUBPOL 750: Renewable Energy Policy at the State & Local Level for a Student Symposium on State & Local Renewable Energy Policy. Students will share their research on the web of state and local policies facilitating and hindering renewable energy deployment in California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming.
EITC Expansions, Earnings Growth, and Inequality: Evidence from Washington, DC
Mar 20, 2019, 11:30 am-1:00 pm EDT
Weill Hall, Betty Ford Classroom 1110
Does Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) expansion have a positive or negative effect on labor market outcomes and household well being in Washington DC? Hear Dr. Hardy discuss research on how EITC expansions undertaken by the Washington DC affect income and inequality in the city.
The Role and Impact of Sports in American Society, a conversation with Ned Colletti Jr., Former General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Sports remains a fascination to millions of Americans but also presents a great range of challenging public policy issues at both the professional and collegiate levels. Please join us for a candid conversation about "Sports in America" with former Los Angeles Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti.
Working Together to Achieve Detroit's Future
The Ford School's Michigan Politics and Policy class (PubPol 475/750) will be joined by Chase Cantrell, Executive Director and Founder of Building Community Value for a discussion about the future of Detroit on Weds Oct 31, 2:30pm. We have moved this class session to the larger Ford School Annenberg Auditorium (1120) so this lecture can be open to the public -- we hope to see you there!
Electoral Reform via Ballot Initiatives: Redistricting, Voter Registration, and Voter Rights in Michigan
The panel will look at two initiatives on the November 2018 ballot: the Voters Not Politicians initiative to reform redistricting (Proposal 2), and the Promote the Vote initiative to expand voting and registration opportunities (Proposal 3).
Book Talks @ The Ford School, CLOSUP Lecture Series
Barry Rabe: Can We Price Carbon?
Oct 1, 2018, 11:30 am-1:00 pm EDT
Betty Ford Classroom (1110)
Barry Rabe discusses his book Can We Price Carbon? Moderated by John Milewski, Director of Digital Programming; Host and Managing Editor, Wilson Center NOW.
Student Symposium on Energy and Environmental Policy Research
Weill Hall Betty Ford Classroom (1110)
Student panels will discuss the implications of their independent research projects on state and local environmental policy on issues including water, energy, climate change, and land use.This event showcases the work of Ford School BA students enrolled in a section of PubPol 495 that is part of the CLOSUP in the Classroom Initiative.
Fiscal policy in Michigan: Past, present, and future
Mar 27, 2018, 4:00-5:30 pm EDT
Khouri will discuss what it means for the current policy debates in Lansing (including federal tax reform impact on the State).
The Past, Present, and Future of Elections in Michigan, and Beyond
Nov 6, 2017, 11:30 am-1:00 pm EST
Since the November 2016 elections, issues surrounding the nuts-and-bolts of election administration have risen to the forefront of discussion and debate, both here in Michigan and across the nation. This CLOSUP event begins with Debra Horner presenting new survey data collected by the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) exploring views of Michigan's local government leaders on: confidence in the accuracy of Michigan elections; problems experienced in election administration; plans to update voting equipment; and support and opposition to a host of potential election reforms. Then Christopher Thomas will explore a range of related issues, placing Michigan's experiences in broader national context, while discussing the past, present and future of election issues. Thomas will address topics such as voter registration policy and the effects of President Trump's voter fraud commission as well as recent Supreme Court decisions regarding the Voting Rights Act, control of ballots, voting equipment failure, and allegations of Russian interference, ending with thoughts on challenges and reforms going forward.
Carbon Pricing Canada Style: Pricing carbon in a post-Paris, Trump era
Can a carbon price survive in a highly decentralized, fossil-fuel producing nation that is tightly integrated with the economy of the United States? Against the backdrop of worldwide interest in carbon pricing as a way to meet commitments made in Paris, and in the context of a Trump presidency, this talk examines the history, origins and prospects of carbon pricing in Canada. The talk will focus on recent efforts at developing a national carbon price framework at the federal level, the challenges now facing the current federal government as it moves toward implementation, and the prospects for carbon pricing in the future. Specific attention will be paid to the role of recalcitrant provinces, a divided public, and the influence of political developments in the United States. The talk will also explore key controversies over carbon pricing, and highlight potential lessons from the Canadian experience.
State Attorneys General and the Trump Administration: Rising Intergovernmental Conflict (and Perhaps Some Cooperation?)
Sep 13, 2017, 4:00-5:30 pm EDT
With Republicans controlling Congress and the White House following the 2016 elections, Democrats have turned to the states to spur challenges to President Trump's agenda. Among the most prominent of Trump's state-level adversaries have been state attorneys general, who in just the first few months of 2017 have challenged federal policy from immigration to the environment. While intergovernmental conflict has continued to deepen, AGs have also found areas of bipartisan cooperation as well. This talk will discuss the role of state AGs during the early months of the Trump Administration. In addition to providing an overview of the various tools AGs have used to gain national prominence, Dr. Nolette will highlight several of the emerging trends in AG activity.
Net Gains for Pro-Environmental Behavior: Rebound Effects and Gateway Effects
Jun 12, 2017, 8:30 am-4:15 pm EDT
This One-Day Workshop is free and open to the public – but you must register to attend (see below)Space is limited to 50 participants – so register early!Registration/Check-in 8:30am-9:00am Program begins at 9:00am and adjourns at 4:15pmAgenda http://closup.umich.edu/files/netgains-event-agenda-2017.pdfPresenter bios http://closup.umich.edu/files/netgains-event-bios-2017.pdfIn the environmental realm, people often worry about rebound effects, such that adoption of one pro-environmental behavior will undermine future environmental actions. Others assume that interventions will lead to gateway effects, whereby one pro-environmental behavior leads to others. This workshop will bring together academics, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss behavioral environmental interventions and the complications that arise when multiple behaviors or multiple instances of the same behavior are needed for program success
Energy and Environmental Policy Research: a student symposium
Apr 26, 2017, 10:30 am-12:00 pm EDT
Weill Hall, Max and Marjorie Fisher Classroom (1220)
Student panels will discuss the implications of their independent research projects on state and local environmental policy on issues ranging from recycling and food policy to water and energy.
Fracking in a Flyover State: The Politics of Oil in the Grassland Prairies
Mar 6, 2017, 11:30 am-1:00 pm EST
Development of the Bakken formation represents a multitude of trade-offs. The region is one of the great granaries of the world, but it is also the site of a recent oil and gas boom made possible by hydraulic fracturing. Overlapping with these natural resources is also a grasslands biome - one of the largest areas of grasslands in Canada and the US, which contains breeding grounds for millions of birds. How local residents understand the landscape is crucial to making fair and adequate policy to protect the ecosystem and the economy. This talk examines how landowners grapple with economic, environmental, and social trade-offs when making decisions about land-use.
Energy, climate change, and the 2016 elections
Nov 2, 2016, 4:00-5:30 pm EDT
The 2016 general election will have enormous implications for energy and climate policy in the United States. While much attention will be paid to the positions of presidential candidates, congressional and state elections will also have major implications for how federal and state governments address a variety of crucial issues such as implementing greenhouse gas reduction policies, regulating fracking, crafting subsidies for renewable energy, and much more. Experts with a variety of perspectives will discuss which elections they're most closely watching, and what different results might mean for energy and climate policy in Michigan, Washington, and beyond.
Detroit's fiscal issues - now, and into the future
Oct 31, 2016, 11:30 am-1:00 pm EDT
Carol O'Cleireacain became Deputy Mayor for Economic Policy, Planning & Strategy in October 2014. She is a nationally recognized expert on fiscally troubled states and local governments.
Reclaiming the atmospheric commons: a new strategy for climate policy success?
This talk explores a surprising new strategy for climate change policy that has emerged in the last 10 years: "reclaiming the atmospheric commons." The strategy combines the idea of making polluters pay for their greenhouse gas emissions with the additional idea of using those revenues to generate tangible, broadly distributed public benefits.
The Role of Interest Groups in Shaping Michigan Politics
Sep 28, 2016, 11:30 am-1:00 pm EDT
Free and open to the public. This lunch lecture features Susan J. Demas, Editor and Publisher of Inside Michigan Politics.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Promotional products, what do people think of them? - Rosslyn, UK.
We supply and manage marketing collateral.
As members of the British Promotional Merchandise Association, we are able to show you how it feels to receive, and purchase, promotional products. What works? What matters? What do professional buyers look for in a supplier?
How do people feel when receiving a promotional gift?
What qualities make the perfect promotional gift?
What do people prioritise when buying promotional gifts?
How do people use promotional products?
How many promotional products are on your desk right now?
Why do you continue to use your regular promotional merchandise supplier?
With such a huge range of products to choose from it can seem a little daunting if you haven't purchased merchandise before.
So consider the most important question first; Who is the item for? Work back from here, because what's the point of giving someone something they don't need?
Keep things simple, ask for advice from your supplier and allow enough time.
Get the basics right and you'll have created a promotional item which delivers a set of results no other advertising medium can!
This research was conducted by the British Promotional Merchandise Association at Marketing Week Live 2017 and B2B Marketing Expo 2017. Sample: 200 qualified face to face and online interviews with professional buyers of promotional merchandise.


text:
"More Notes From The End Days" by Dr. Ace T. Jericho, Rogue Journalist
"I'm not convinced," Anne said from her desk, "that the world will end on December 31st."
"Even though Duke and Mallory Braus have talked about it?" I said.
"Even then. Because The Hobbit, Part One comes out the same month."
"The Armored anthology by John Joseph Adams comes out in late-March," I said.
"And the restraining order against you is still in effect. Besides, March is too early. December supposedly marks the end. But I disagree."
"March is also the time of WonderCon," I said.
And it was. But WonderCon was in Anaheim this year, owing to renovation at the Moscone Center. There was something not quite right about those so-called "renovations," something that gnawed at my insides like Graboids, and I had a few calls out on it.
Anne and I had originally planned to partake in the glorious three-day extravaganza but now it was not in the cards. "They show a three of cups, a six of diamonds, and a Seven of Nine," she'd said, "which is the symbol of a narwhal lost amid the lilacs. Not a good sign."
Indeed. Not a good sign.
"I've been doing some research on this whole dastardly business," said Anne, gesturing to her laptop. "It all just points to a new cycle beginning. And if you look at 2012 numerologically, it adds up to 5."
"Five?" I said. "Five is right out."
"But in the Mayan calendar, every date expressed in long count terms contains five numerals. And Agrippa showed Man inscribed in the five points of a pentagram."
"And Agrippa cancels out Thibault canceling out Capo Ferro."
"Different Agrippa. That was Camillo. This one is Heinrich. And Heinrich's diagram, oddly enough, corresponds to the image of Vitruvian man."
"Meaning?"
"Vitruvian Man, Jericho. DaVinci?"
"You mean--!"
"Yes. Part of the Code."
"Ah, yes. The Konami Code."
"No no," said Anne. "The other Code."
"The Source Code?"
"The other other Code."
Realization finally dawned like an ice cube down the back of my shirt. How could I've been so blind? Science, it was. And The Light.
"Oho!" I said. "Code Geass."
"Jericho," said Anne. "I'm talking about the DaVinci Code."
"But that was about the Sacred Feminine being left out of Christianity," I said. "What's that got to do with beginning a new cycle?"
"You just answered your own question."
"I did?"
"Think about it."
And then it hit me. Like a ballpeen hammer to the temple. Sacred feminine. New cycle. Of course!
Sweet Mother of Dingos!
I gaped at Anne. "Are you saying--!"
Anne nodded, smiling. "Yes," she said. "The Universe is simply ending her period."
Come back next week for another entry of The Jericho Files!
Read previous Jericho Files entries here.
"Last Tango in Bolivia (excerpt)" by Dr. Ace T. Je...
New Release: 30 Minutes or Less
"More Notes From The End Days" by Dr. Ace T. Jeric...
"Deadlines and Soul Stealing" by Dr. Ace T. Jerich...
"A Crisis of Unicornian Proportions" by Dr. Ace T....
"Fracas in Fargo: Further Notes From The End Days"...
"The Right Place" by Dr. Ace T. Jericho, Rogue Jou...
"Remember, Remember, The 31st of December" by Dr. ...
"Grim Notes From The End Days" by Dr. Ace T. Jeric...
"Madness At The Moscone Center (excerpt)" by Dr. A...


text:
The Record for Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015
Crime & Courts Crime | Dec 9, 2015
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015
Police, fire and ambulance calls
8:31 a.m. Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue firefighters were called to help a person having a seizure in the 100 block of 11th Street.
8:39 a.m. Steamboat Springs Police Department officers were called to a report of a car left overnight in the 3200 block of Divine Way.
9:41 a.m. Officers were called to a report of juvenile who ran away in the 1800 block of Montview Lane.
12:05 p.m. Steamboat firefighters were called to help a person having a seizure in the 27700 block of Winchester Trail.
12:16 p.m. Officers were called to a report of a small group of people protesting in front of a women's health clinic in the 1100 block of Lincoln Avenue. The protestors were not being aggressive.
1:17 p.m. Steamboat firefighters were called to help a person who was bleeding in the 1900 block of Ski Time Square Drive.
2:08 p.m. Officers were called to a report of a cellphone found in the 1000 block of Lincoln Avenue. It was returned to the owner.
2:10 p.m. Officers were called to a report of a driver's license found in the 300 block of Lincoln Avenue.
3:10 p.m. Officers were called to a report of a car tailgating at Mount Werner Road and South Lincoln Avenue.
3:34 p.m. Officers were called to a report of a prescription pad stolen from a business in the 1400 block of Pine Grove Road.
4:48 p.m. Officers were called to a report of an angry customer at a car dealership in the 2300 block of Lincoln Avenue. The situation was mediated.
6:38 p.m. Officers were called to a report of a possible drunken driver at Lincoln Avenue and Dream Island Plaza. A car was swerving, and it could not be located.
10:26 p.m. Officers were called to a report of loud music and yelling in the 2900 block of Columbine Drive. A warning was issued.
11:43 p.m. Steamboat firefighters were called to help with a nursing home resident who died in the 2800 block of Owl Hoot Trail.
Police file charges after discovering 68 pills of suspected fentanyl inside Craig apartment
The Record for Jan. 17-23
Doug Scherar takes on first week as Routt County Sheriff
Three Forks Ranch
The Lodge & Spa at Three Forks Ranch is an exquisite guest destination catering to outdoor enthusiasts in the summer,…
Hayden School District
Hayden School District • Elem sped paraprofessionals • School nurse • 6-12 interventionist • Sub teachers & drivers
Happenings Calendar
Read Our Special Publications


text:
A critical study of some traditional religious ballads
McCabe, Mary Diane (1980) A critical study of some traditional religious ballads. Masters thesis, Durham University.
The subject-matter of the British religious ballads indicates that they were made before the Reformation or in its immediate aftermath. A study of this small, homogeneous group provides valuable information regarding the ballad genre and its mode of survival, yet is undertaken here for the first time. Eleven traditional religious ballads are studied in depth: their sources and analogues in the bible, apocryphal legend and Middle English literature are described, their place in European folk tradition is outlined and their survival through oral transmission, the Christmas carol custom, and the broadside press is traced. The features of the medieval ur-ballads underlying the extant texts are suggested and a brief critical appreciation of each ballad is given. The ballad variants are listed as fully as possible in the appendices and include several unpublished texts. The earliest ballad, Judas, provides evidence that the genre existed in England in the thirteenth century and indicates that the themes of religious ballads may diverge sharply from official Christian tradition: not even Dives and Lazarus is free from the influence of medieval legend. Although five ballads, two mistakenly excluded from Child's collection, were printed as broadsides. The Bitter Withy, a ballad unknown to scholars before 1905, was transmitted purely in English oral tradition. A few ballads have survived in Scottish or Irish folk tradition in unlikely circumstances. Sir Hugh illustrates the gradual secularisation of a saint's legend in Britain and America. Though often considered untypical of traditional balladry, the religious ballads exhibit the metre, dramatic structure and formulaic diction characteristic of the genre and differ only in their use of scriptural or apocryphal material and their often didactic purpose. Their devout religious feeling and delicate irony, dependent on their hearers' knowledge of Christian tradition, have not hitherto received sufficient praise.
Faculty of Arts and Humanities > English Studies, Department of


text:
Total 4 Records
IPTV & VOD chart | THE PIRATES Tops Chart for Four Weeks Straight
According to the weekly VOD standings of IPTV and Digital Cable TV, The Pirates was watched 92,121 times, reigning as the number one film in the standings for four consecutive weeks. In The Pirates starring SON Ye-jin, KIM Nam-gil, YOO Hae-jin, LEE Geung-youn...
Writer : by PARK Yoo-young
View : 5611
FIP and Ivanhoe to Co-Finance Asian Films
Hollywood Heavyweights Invest in Korean Films Fox International Productions (FIP), which has been making inroads in Korean film production since 2010, has just signed a new deal with Ivanhoe Pictures, which will help them finance their slate of local languag...
Writer : by Pierce Conran
20th Century Fox Finances 2nd Korean Film
The shooting of Slow Video (working title), produced by 20th Century Fox, kicked off on October 23rd. Slow Video is the second Korean film fully financed by the US studio after Running Man. The action thriller Running Man, a CHO Dong-oh film starring SHIN Ha-k...
Writer : by TAE Sang-joon
Date : Oct 25, 2013
Hello Ghost walks through walls, opens in China
Korean comedy <Hello Ghost> became the third South Korean film this year to get a theatrical release behind the Great Wall of distribution barriers in China when it opened Nov. 24. Mega Films, which is in charge of <Hello Ghost>'s Chinese distribu...


Back by popular demand, it's a "classic" Swan Legal Search blog post. The advice in this post has helped many attorneys market themselves and generate business. Originally posted in January 2010, it's just as valid today. Enjoy!
Even in the best economic climate a law firm is a competitive environment. In a sea of shifting hungry laterals, partners are all seeking to maximize their individual talents and abilities. In this market, the way to shine is by generating business for the firm. Hourly rates are steep; annual billing requirements undermine attorneys' dedication to pursuing their best and highest use. The distraction of billing, which is largely indicative of compensation, ironically serves as a barrier to the real, more long-term job security gained by marketing, rain-making and business generation. One cannot bill 2,000 hours – or have appearances of doing so – and maintain a devotion and commitment to client development. Attorneys are left with two options: Bill like a banshee or reduce billable hours and spend some working hours marketing. The former is more a short-term "fix"; it can be spotty, and screams "you're only as good as your last case or deal" whereas the latter reaps longer-term rewards and engenders security.
Although billing is very time consuming, it's imperative to make time each week to market yourself. Schedule one hour per day to do nothing but attempt to generate business. Look at it as an investment in your future at the firm and beyond. Even if you've never brought a case, you have a chance to bring great value to your firm. Here's your schedule for the first week of rain-making.
Look through your "address book" on your computer. Organize all current or previous clients with which you personally dealt. Make sure you have email addresses and phone numbers. Do a little online research on these folks to see what they're up to these days. Have they moved jobs, started their own businesses, achieved a great success in their business, appeared in the paper/on TV for some reason? Make a few notes for yourself on each of these current/previous clients.
Pick two or three of the clients and send emails. Don't ask for anything, just check up with them. Mention that you saw that they recently …. (fill in the blank. Bought a business, moved their office, commented on a story on Larry King, etc.) Congratulate them.
Search your address books for your personal contacts — friends, family, ex-classmates from law school, former co-workers, etc. – and send out a newsletter. Let them know that you're searching for new business. Make it very clear what type of case you'd like. Also, let them know that any type of leads would be helpful. Maybe they don't know anyone who needs a bankruptcy lawyer, but they know someone who knows someone… These "friends of friends" connections can be amazing. Be clear that you're ready to meet folks who may need your legal services.
Look for events to attend. You can look at websites for attorneys (CalBar.org, local bar associations, etc.), review charity sites, hobby sites, etc. At this point in the game, it really doesn't matter what type of event you attend, you just need to get out there and meet people. Buy tickets or RSVP to at least 2 events that will occur over the next two weeks.
Review blogs that pertain to your area of law. Note that these blogs don't have to be legal blogs. Go to Google and type in your area of law and the word "blog." See what shows up. Just do a little online research. Make some notes for yourself and bookmark the blogs that you enjoy.
Marketing and rain-making can really be this simple. Stay tuned for next week's "rainmaking schedule." Your efforts will pay off over time. Understand that these efforts rarely result in immediate success. However, over the course of three months, you will have booked at least 65 hours marketing yourself.
For more tips on marketing yourself, contact us. We're lawyers who have been helping lawyers for years. We understand the pressures of billing and the importance of bringing cases, and we're excited to help you in your journey.
Let us know the results of your first week of marketing yourself. We'd love to hear from you!


text:
<Type Name="CCV2F_C4F_T2F" FullName="CocosSharp.CCV2F_C4F_T2F">
  <TypeSignature Language="C#" Value="public class CCV2F_C4F_T2F" />
  <TypeSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".class public auto ansi beforefieldinit CCV2F_C4F_T2F extends System.Object" />
  <AssemblyInfo>
    <AssemblyName>CocosSharp</AssemblyName>
  </AssemblyInfo>
  <Base>
    <BaseTypeName>System.Object</BaseTypeName>
  </Base>
  <Interfaces />
  <Docs>

      <para>a Point with a vertex point, a tex coord point and a color 4F </para>

    <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
  </Docs>
  <Members>
    <Member MemberName=".ctor">
      <MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public CCV2F_C4F_T2F ();" />
      <MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method public hidebysig specialname rtspecialname instance void .ctor() cil managed" />
      <MemberType>Constructor</MemberType>
      <Parameters />
      <Docs>
        To be added.
        <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
      </Docs>
    </Member>
    <Member MemberName="Colors">
      <MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public CocosSharp.CCColor4F Colors;" />
      <MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".field public valuetype CocosSharp.CCColor4F Colors" />
      <MemberType>Field</MemberType>
      <ReturnValue>
        <ReturnType>CocosSharp.CCColor4F</ReturnType>
      </ReturnValue>
      <Docs>
        To be added.
        <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
      </Docs>
    </Member>
    <Member MemberName="TexCoords">
      <MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public CocosSharp.CCTex2F TexCoords;" />
      <MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".field public valuetype CocosSharp.CCTex2F TexCoords" />
      <MemberType>Field</MemberType>
      <ReturnValue>
        <ReturnType>CocosSharp.CCTex2F</ReturnType>
      </ReturnValue>
      <Docs>
        To be added.
        <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
      </Docs>
    </Member>
    <Member MemberName="Vertices">
      <MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public CocosSharp.CCVertex2F Vertices;" />
      <MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".field public valuetype CocosSharp.CCVertex2F Vertices" />
      <MemberType>Field</MemberType>
      <ReturnValue>
        <ReturnType>CocosSharp.CCVertex2F</ReturnType>
      </ReturnValue>
      <Docs>
        To be added.
        <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
      </Docs>
    </Member>
  </Members>
</Type>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Summary: When we disconnect from The Vine, the consequences are evident.
There's never been a law made to keep people from acting out any of these types of actions!
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.
When we disconnect from The Vine, the consequences are evident.


text:
LocalGovernment
Council by-election result from yesterday and forthcoming contests
In the first contest of the year, Labour held a seat in Bristol.
By Harry Phibbs | 17 January 2020 at 3:00 pm
Stephen Baines: Residents in Calderdale deserve good frontline services, not wasteful vanity projects
Labour councillors claim to care about the environment. But they have failed to tackle air pollution.
By Stephen Baines | 17 January 2020 at 6:10 am
Greg Hands: Crime will be the central issue in this year's election for Mayor of London
147 people were murdered in the capital last year, the highest level since 2008. There were three knife crime murders in Fulham last year, in my constituency.
By Greg Hands MP | 16 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 15 comments
Ian Courts: In Solihull, we are protecting the environment and increasing economic prosperity
We have already cut our carbon emissions by nearly half in ten years, combined with sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
By Ian Courts | 15 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 16 comments
Matthew Evans: The large public sector in Newport has helped Labour to cling on
Council Tax is being put up by eight per cent. Yet public lavatories are being closed.
By Matthew Evans | 14 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 3 comments
Meirion Jenkins: Spending by Birmingham City Council is out of control
The relocation of a National Express bus depot for the Commonwealth Games athlete's village will cost £15.5m – eight times more than budgeted.
By Meirion Jenkins | 13 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 15 comments
Shaun Bailey: We need tougher sentences to protect the LGBTQ+ community
I have a crime plan which will ensure that criminals on and offline are put under pressure, not victims. I will fight for London's values of openness and acceptance.
By Shaun Bailey | 10 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 105 comments
Gary Ridley: Labour's decade of failure in Coventry
Council debt costs the city £11 million a year in interest payments. Our vision prioritises the creation of jobs, regeneration, and thousands of new homes.
By Gary Ridley | 9 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 11 comments
There are glossy reports and poorly attended meetings. But obvious failings are ignored.
By Judy Terry | 8 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 9 comments
Birmingham Council owns more than 4,000 empty garages
Many of these buildings could be replaced with new homes. New rules are needed to end this scandal.
By Harry Phibbs | 7 January 2020 at 3:00 am | 5 comments
Teresa O'Neill: Cutting the costs of Bexley's politics
We have reduced the number of councillors by 30 per cent and we froze allowances for nine years running.
By Teresa O'Neill | 6 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 7 comments
Simon Cooke: We need more politicians. It is the only way to tame the unaccountable bureaucrats.
Instead of seeing local councillors as a potential saving, maybe we should see them as an asset.
By Cllr Simon Cooke | 3 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 10 comments
Andrew Laird: Wigan provides a model for radical change to public service delivery
Giving a boost to Family Hubs would show a genuine commitment to bolstering the social fabric which binds local communities together.
By Andrew Laird | 2 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 18 comments
Ben Houchen: Freeports are a key priority for the North
Creating these low tax zones, where importing and exporting are made easy, wouldn't just mean new jobs. It would show a long term commitment to our new supporters.
By Ben Houchen | 1 January 2020 at 6:10 am | 50 comments
Paul Mercer: The Conservatives are the Party of large men bedecked with scary tattoos
In Loughborough, we could see how Labour had lost its "core vote". They may be unwilling to return to the fold.
By Paul Mercer | 31 December 2019 at 6:10 am | 57 comments


text:
Der Owen Roberts International Airport (ICAO-Code: MWCR, IATA-Code: GCM) ist der größte Flughafen der Cayman Islands, eines Britischen Überseegebiets. Er befindet sich im Südwesten der Insel Grand Cayman nahe der Hauptstadt George Town und ist Heimatflughafen der Fluggesellschaft Cayman Airways.

Der 1954 eröffnete Flughafen wurde nach dem 1953 bei einem Flugzeugabsturz tödlich verunglückten Flugpionier und Gründer der Caribbean International Airways Owen "Bobby" George Endicott Roberts benannt.

Geschichte
Auf Betreiben von Owen Roberts, Eigentümer der Caribbean International Airways und ehemaliger Wing Commander der Royal Air Force, wurde auf Grand Cayman ab 1952 eine Landebahn mit einer Länge von 1520 Metern angelegt. Am 28. November landete das erste Flugzeug auf der teilweise fertiggestellten Piste. Der Bau des Flugplatzes war im August 1953 vollendet, im März 1954 wurde er offiziell als "Owen Roberts Field" eröffnet.

Die Start- und Landebahn wurde 1964 auf 1830 Meter und in späteren Jahren auf 2136 Meter verlängert. Im Mai 1967 landete erstmals ein Strahlflugzeug, eine BAC 1-11 der Lacsa, auf dem Flughafen. Der fortgesetzte Anstieg der Fluggastzahlen erforderte 1984 den Bau eines neuen Passagierterminals.

Seit 2015 wird der Flughafen in Anlehnung an den 2014 erstellten "Airport Master Plan 2032" mit einem Kostenaufwand von rund 100 Mio. CI$ umgebaut und erweitert.

Flughafenanlagen

Start- und Landebahn
Die einzige, mit gerilltem Asphalt gedeckte Start- und Landebahn des Flughafens verläuft ungefähr in Ost-West-Richtung und hat seit Freigabe der Erweiterung im Februar 2021 eine Länge von 2398 Metern. Ihre Einordnung unter ICAO-Referenzcode 4D bezeichnet sie als geeignet zur Aufnahme von Flugzeugen der Größe einer Boeing 767 oder eines Airbus A310.

Die Start- und Landebahn ist für beide Richtungen mit Endbefeuerung (REL), Pistenrandbefeuerung hoher Intensität, Präzisions-Anflug Gleitwinkelbefeuerung (PAPI) und mit einem Short Approach Light System (SALS) ausgerüstet. Im Rahmen der laufenden Erweiterungsmaßnahmen wurde die Landebahn mit einem neuen tragfähigeren Belag versehen und um etwa 265 Meter verlängert, um die Handhabung großer Flugzeuge wie der Boeing 777 zu erleichtern. Am westlichen Ende wurde eine Wendeschleife mit Warteposition angelegt.

Vorfelder und Rollbahnen
Nördlich der Start- und Landebahn befinden sich zwei Vorfelder. Das Terminalvorfeld liegt nördlich der ungefähren Mitte der Start- und Landebahn und ist mit dieser durch zwei je 28 Meter breite, mit Mittellinien- und Randfeuern ausgerüstete Rollbahnen verbunden. Es dient vor allem dem gewerblichen Luftverkehr zum Be- und Entladen der Passagiere und bietet 14 Parkpositionen für Flugzeuge. Ausrüstung für den Bodenservice wird auf einem 4830 m² großen gepflasterten Areal westlich des Terminalvorfelds aufbewahrt.

Das weiter westlich gelegene Vorfeld für die Allgemeine Luftfahrt hat eine Fläche von 24.700 m² und ist mit dem Terminalvorfeld durch eine ausschließlich Bodenfahrzeugen vorbehaltene Straße verbunden. Die Anbindung an die Start- und Landebahn erfolgt durch zwei je 23 Meter breite, mit Rollbahnrandfeuern ausgestattete Rollbahnen.

Eine weitere, 23 Meter breite Rollbahn, die parallel zur Start- und Landebahn verläuft und deren östliches Ende mit dem Terminalvorfeld verbindet, wurde 2020 im Zuge der Erweiterungsmaßnahmen angelegt.

Terminals

Passagierterminal

Der Passagierterminal befindet sich an der nördlichen Seite des Terminalvorfelds. Das Gebäude aus den 1980er Jahren war für einen Durchsatz von rund 500.000 Fluggästen jährlich konzipiert, zuletzt benutzte aber annähernd eine Million Passagiere pro Jahr den Flughafen. Deshalb erfolgten ab 2015 grundlegende Umbauten, und am 27. März 2019 wurde der mit einem Aufwand von rund 50 Mio. Kaiman-Dollar modernisierte und erweiterte Terminal offiziell eingeweiht. In dem zweigeschossigen Gebäude mit einer von zuvor rund 7.150 auf jetzt etwa 19.300 Quadratmeter beinahe verdreifachten Nutzfläche können künftig bis zu 2,5 Millionen Fluggäste jährlich abgefertigt werden. Für die Passagiere stehen 39 Check-in-Schalter sowie neun Flugsteige zur Verfügung. Das einstige Wahrzeichen des Flughafens, die offene A-förmige "waving gallery" () fiel den Erfordernissen des Umbaus zum Opfer.

General Aviation Terminal
An der Nordseite des weiter westlich gelegenen kleineren Vorfelds befindet sich der Terminal für die Allgemeine Luftfahrt (General Aviation Terminal, GAT). Das kleine Gebäude beherbergt neben dem Raum zur Einweisung der Piloten und den Einwanderungs- und Zollschaltern auch den Flugwetterdienst.

Weitere Einrichtungen
Angrenzend an das westliche Vorfeld stehen mehrere Hangars. Die auf dem Owen Roberts Airport beheimatete Cayman Airways wartet hier ihre Flotte. Ein zweiter großer Hangar gehört Island Air, die auch Bodenservice und Wartung für die Allgemeine Luftfahrt durchführt. Ein dritter, kleinerer Hangar wird von der Mosquito Research & Control Unit genutzt.

Für Luftfracht steht angrenzend an den Cayman-Airways-Hangar eine Lagerhalle mit einer Fläche von 1720 m² zur Verfügung.

Die Station der Flughafenfeuerwehr befindet sich nördlich der Start- und Landebahn zwischen den beiden Vorfeldern. Es stehen vier Flugfeldlöschfahrzeuge sowie zwei südlich der Schwelle von Landebahn 26 stationierte Rettungsboote zur Verfügung.

Zwischen der Feuerwehrstation und dem westlichen Vorfeld steht der 21 Meter hohe Tower.

Für Besucher und Passagiere gibt es landseitig nördlich des Passagierterminals einen Kurzzeitparkplatz mit 180 Parkständen und einen Langzeitparkplatz mit 341 Parkständen.

Fluggesellschaften und Ziele
Der Owen Roberts International Airport ist Heimatflughafen der Fluggesellschaft Cayman Airways, die von hier aus Destinationen in der Karibik, in den Vereinigten Staaten und in Zentralamerika sowie unter der Marke "Cayman Airways Express" die nationalen Ziele Cayman Brac und Little Cayman anfliegt.

Mehrere nordamerikanische Fluggesellschaften führen regelmäßige Linienflüge von hier zu ihren im Osten und in der Mitte des Kontinents liegenden Drehkreuzen durch. British Airways bietet mehrmals wöchentlich eine Direktverbindung nach London mit Zwischenstopp in Nassau auf den Bahamas an.

Verkehrszahlen

Weblinks

 .

Einzelnachweise

Flughafen in Nordamerika
Flughafen auf den Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman
Erbaut in den 1950er Jahren

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Coaching in secondary and tertiary education: The effects of two interventions on students' well-being and teachers' stress
Tatiana Ciff
Research and Evaluation of Educational Effectiveness
Research output: Thesis › Thesis fully internal (DIV)
Michael Bernard (2005) claims that the You Can Do It! (YCDI) Mentoring Program can help children and young people who achieve less than their potential, also referred to as "underachievers". In particular, he argues that improving self-confidence, persistence, organisation, getting along, and emotional resilience (5Keys) can help underachievers adapt and perform better in school. For a Ph.D. project, the effectiveness of the YCDI! Mentoring Program on social-emotional characteristics and behaviors of secondary school and higher education students was evaluated as the primary goal of the project.
Additionally, in the literature, it is also suggested that as students' socio-emotional skills improve, teachers will experience less stress in their relationships with students. For this reason, the study also observed whether the degree of this so-called student-related stress among secondary school teachers decreased after students had worked on the 5Keys through the YCDI! Mentoring Program.
Considering the findings, it can be concluded on the one hand that, in secondary education, the YCDI! Mentoring Program helped underachievers in the experimental group, as the mentors observed, to better regulate their emotions and change their behaviors in a positive way. On the other hand, no significant statistical change could be observed in the student-related stress of teachers. With regard to the second experiment on college students, it was observed that the YCDI! Mentoring Program stimulated the students to become more confident, persistent, organized, emotional resilient and get along compared to the students in the control group.
van der Werf, Margaretha, Supervisor
Korpershoek, Hanke, Supervisor
[Groningen]
https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.135802015
10.33612/diss.135802015
Complete thesisFinal publisher's version, 2.77 MB
PropositionsFinal publisher's version, 97.7 KB
Ciff, T. (2020). Coaching in secondary and tertiary education: The effects of two interventions on students' well-being and teachers' stress. [Thesis fully internal (DIV), University of Groningen]. University of Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.135802015
Ciff, Tatiana. / Coaching in secondary and tertiary education : The effects of two interventions on students' well-being and teachers' stress. [Groningen] : University of Groningen, 2020. 202 p.
@phdthesis{31b73e3e37a94a78bd8e4b8cc1c1dcff,
title = "Coaching in secondary and tertiary education: The effects of two interventions on students{\textquoteright} well-being and teachers' stress",
abstract = "Michael Bernard (2005) claims that the You Can Do It! (YCDI) Mentoring Program can help children and young people who achieve less than their potential, also referred to as "underachievers". In particular, he argues that improving self-confidence, persistence, organisation, getting along, and emotional resilience (5Keys) can help underachievers adapt and perform better in school. For a Ph.D. project, the effectiveness of the YCDI! Mentoring Program on social-emotional characteristics and behaviors of secondary school and higher education students was evaluated as the primary goal of the project.Additionally, in the literature, it is also suggested that as students' socio-emotional skills improve, teachers will experience less stress in their relationships with students. For this reason, the study also observed whether the degree of this so-called student-related stress among secondary school teachers decreased after students had worked on the 5Keys through the YCDI! Mentoring Program.Considering the findings, it can be concluded on the one hand that, in secondary education, the YCDI! Mentoring Program helped underachievers in the experimental group, as the mentors observed, to better regulate their emotions and change their behaviors in a positive way. On the other hand, no significant statistical change could be observed in the student-related stress of teachers. With regard to the second experiment on college students, it was observed that the YCDI! Mentoring Program stimulated the students to become more confident, persistent, organized, emotional resilient and get along compared to the students in the control group.",
author = "Tatiana Ciff",
doi = "10.33612/diss.135802015",
publisher = "University of Groningen",
school = "University of Groningen",
Ciff, T 2020, 'Coaching in secondary and tertiary education: The effects of two interventions on students' well-being and teachers' stress', Doctor of Philosophy, University of Groningen, [Groningen]. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.135802015
Coaching in secondary and tertiary education : The effects of two interventions on students' well-being and teachers' stress. / Ciff, Tatiana.
[Groningen] : University of Groningen, 2020. 202 p.
T1 - Coaching in secondary and tertiary education
T2 - The effects of two interventions on students' well-being and teachers' stress
AU - Ciff, Tatiana
N2 - Michael Bernard (2005) claims that the You Can Do It! (YCDI) Mentoring Program can help children and young people who achieve less than their potential, also referred to as "underachievers". In particular, he argues that improving self-confidence, persistence, organisation, getting along, and emotional resilience (5Keys) can help underachievers adapt and perform better in school. For a Ph.D. project, the effectiveness of the YCDI! Mentoring Program on social-emotional characteristics and behaviors of secondary school and higher education students was evaluated as the primary goal of the project.Additionally, in the literature, it is also suggested that as students' socio-emotional skills improve, teachers will experience less stress in their relationships with students. For this reason, the study also observed whether the degree of this so-called student-related stress among secondary school teachers decreased after students had worked on the 5Keys through the YCDI! Mentoring Program.Considering the findings, it can be concluded on the one hand that, in secondary education, the YCDI! Mentoring Program helped underachievers in the experimental group, as the mentors observed, to better regulate their emotions and change their behaviors in a positive way. On the other hand, no significant statistical change could be observed in the student-related stress of teachers. With regard to the second experiment on college students, it was observed that the YCDI! Mentoring Program stimulated the students to become more confident, persistent, organized, emotional resilient and get along compared to the students in the control group.
AB - Michael Bernard (2005) claims that the You Can Do It! (YCDI) Mentoring Program can help children and young people who achieve less than their potential, also referred to as "underachievers". In particular, he argues that improving self-confidence, persistence, organisation, getting along, and emotional resilience (5Keys) can help underachievers adapt and perform better in school. For a Ph.D. project, the effectiveness of the YCDI! Mentoring Program on social-emotional characteristics and behaviors of secondary school and higher education students was evaluated as the primary goal of the project.Additionally, in the literature, it is also suggested that as students' socio-emotional skills improve, teachers will experience less stress in their relationships with students. For this reason, the study also observed whether the degree of this so-called student-related stress among secondary school teachers decreased after students had worked on the 5Keys through the YCDI! Mentoring Program.Considering the findings, it can be concluded on the one hand that, in secondary education, the YCDI! Mentoring Program helped underachievers in the experimental group, as the mentors observed, to better regulate their emotions and change their behaviors in a positive way. On the other hand, no significant statistical change could be observed in the student-related stress of teachers. With regard to the second experiment on college students, it was observed that the YCDI! Mentoring Program stimulated the students to become more confident, persistent, organized, emotional resilient and get along compared to the students in the control group.
U2 - 10.33612/diss.135802015
DO - 10.33612/diss.135802015
M3 - Thesis fully internal (DIV)
PB - University of Groningen
CY - [Groningen]
Ciff T. Coaching in secondary and tertiary education: The effects of two interventions on students' well-being and teachers' stress. [Groningen]: University of Groningen, 2020. 202 p. doi: 10.33612/diss.135802015