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An Uncertain Alternative to a Certain Thatcher
Dec 3, 2022 • 22M
Keynes brought her pains, but a Newtonian fascination yields a Babylonian reincarnation
Last week we explored the role naturalists brought to a more open, flexible, and pragmatic approach to the Enlightenment. Today we expand on how our dominant economic ideology remains beholden to dogmatic, sterile, and abstract mathematical models the naturalists were trying to shake. One of the more popular figures in popularizing and perpetuating this pernicious economic perspective was Britain's Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
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THE TINA SCHEMA
As British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was gaining traction with her hardline policies many of her conservative colleagues thought she was too harsh. In response she began calling them 'wets' which in Britain meant 'inept, ineffectual, and effete'. She was famously proud of her resolute, often binary, moral convictions. In response to the economic disarray Britain was facing as she came to power, she said these words in a speech at a conservative women's conference in 1980,
"There's no easy popularity in what we are proposing but it is fundamentally sound. Yet I believe people accept there's no real alternative…What's the alternative? To go on as we were before? All that leads to is higher spending. And that means more taxes, more borrowing, higher interest rates more inflation, more unemployment."
Thatcher delivering a speech in 1981. Source: Keynesblog
The phrase "there is no alternative" became a refrain for Thatcher. It was used so often it prompted one the 'wets', Norman St John-Stevas, to abbreviate it forming a retaliatory derogatory name for Thatcher – TINA. He, and other 'wets', took to calling her 'Tina'. He later wrote in a book that Thatcher saw "everything in black and white [but] the universe I inhabit is made up of many shades of grey".
Thatcher picks lint off of the shoulder of Norman St John-Stevas. Source: BBC
I suspect Thatcher was confident in her resoluteness because the neoclassical economists she relied on, both in the UK and the US, were themselves certain there was no alternative. Their confidence was, and still is, buoyed by the certainty that can come with the mathematics behind their economic models. But that certainty can be an illusion that can lead to delusion.
Education researcher, Don Ambrose, says it can start early in math education and over time this "dogmatic thinking can trap professionals, policymakers, and others into perceiving only the sterile certainty of the surface of mathematics while remaining oblivious to its messy, creative inner workings."
He continues,
"While mathematics provides us with a considerable amount of analytic precision it still is at least somewhat susceptible to the vagaries of the human mind and open to impressive creativity."
He quotes the prominent economist Thomas Piketty who in his 2014 book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, saying,
"For far too long economists have sought to define themselves in terms of their supposedly scientific methods. In fact, those methods rely on an immoderate use of mathematical models, which are frequently no more than an excuse for occupying the terrain and masking the vacuity of the content."
He says it can create a 'scientific illusion' that ignores the messy realities that, again, Adam Smith viewed as essential to a healthy economy; a shared cultural understanding, a socially just labor market, and a trustworthy government.
But even some mathematicians agree mathematics can lead one astray. The mathematician William Byers, who researches dynamical systems and the philosophy of mathematics, writes,
"What we usually call mathematics—results, proofs, and structure—is the unambiguous face of the subject…[But] looking at mathematics as a human activity, as mind-dependent, forces one to confront the ambiguous dimension of math."
These are the very 'shades of grey' the 'wet' set Tory's unsuccessfully settled with Margaret 'Tina' Thatcher. And the man Thatcher liked to blame for the economic mess she inherited was someone who would have agreed with the uncertainty these 'wets' were pointing to – Britain's most famous 20th century economist, John Maynard Keynes.
Keynes made a name for himself in the 1930s devising economic policies that proved to ease the effects of the depression that had wracked the world. His ideas were counter to neoclassical ideas, and those later championed by Thatcher. He believed, like Adam Smith, that markets should include some governmental intervention to minimize the adverse effects of recessions and depressions.
Every capitalistic government in the world had instituted his policies until the 1950s, soon after he passed away. From that point until now, the neoclassical ideology of America's most famous 20th century economist, Milton Friedman, reigns supreme. A philosophy that promotes free-wheeling, free-trade, and free markets that are free of government restraint, and are backed by rigid and sterile mathematical and statistical models.
Keynes was no stranger to mathematics; he was awarded a scholarship to study it at Cambridge. But he did believe that it was being dogmatized, misused, and misconstrued to bolster the legitimacy of economics by wrapping it in perceived certainty, logic, and accuracy. So much so, it led people to believe there is no alternative.
In Keynes's 1936 groundbreaking book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, he asserts this as his criticism of neoclassical economics.
"our criticism of the accepted classical theory of economics has consisted not so much in finding logical flaws in its analysis as in pointing out that its tacit assumptions are seldom or never satisfied, with the result that it cannot solve the economic problems of the actual world.
THE NEWTONIAN BABYLONIAN
Keynes's General Theory was to generalize existing neoclassical theories and methods. In other words, marry the 'shades of grey' of the real world with existing mathematical methods and analysis. He was particularly focused, as much economic work is, on being able to predict economic outcomes in the future. A future that is uncertain. And with that, Keynes called for "at least a partial attempt to incorporate the fact of uncertainty into an economic theory."
He believed this required an approach that embraced the uncertainties of the real world as clues or observed evidence that could then be scrutinized with analysis, reason, and mathematics. One person he believed personified this approach was a man he idled, Isaac Newton. His thoughts were captured in a lecture he wrote to celebrate the life of Isaac Newton in 1946 but was unable to deliver. He died three months before the event.
He wrote,
"Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians, the last of the Babylonians and Sumerians…Why do I call him a magician? Because he looked on the whole universe and all that is in it as a riddle, as a secret which could be read by applying pure thought to certain evidence, certain mystic clues which God had laid about the world to allow a sort of philosopher's treasure hunt..."
Some scholars have latched onto Keynes use of the word 'Babylonians'. This term is associated with an ongoing controversy in academia about two logical approaches to the social sciences. Finance, economics, and philosophy professor, Mark Stoh, characterizes it like this:
"There are two basic approaches. The first, the Cartesian-Euclidian approach, is 'the familiar axiomatic one in which the fundamental principles of a science are taken as axioms, from which the rest are derived as theorems.' Because it comes closest of all the social sciences to attaining this axiomatic ideal, economics has occasionally been considered to be the queen of the social sciences. The second approach is the Babylonian. According to it, there is no single logical chain from axioms to theorems; but there are several parallel, intertwined, and mutually reinforcing sets of chains, such that no particular axiom is logically basic."
In this context, Keynes views on uncertainty fall more in line with the Babylonians. Further, Keynes characterizes Newton as using methods of inquiry that date back to the ancient times of the Babylonians. Because the mathematics and economics of Babylonian times were captured in stone and since translated, we know a great deal about how they solved mundane and complex problems. Many scholars believe they used pragmatic problem solving that embraced uncertainty and holistic approaches of various mathematical constructs.
Another famous great mind of the 20th century concurs, the renowned physicist Richard Feynman. In a 1965 lecture he talks about the distinction between what he called 'Babylonian' and 'Greek' approaches to mathematical problem solving. He asserts students learning math in these times were taught different techniques for calculating various mathematical problems. They were then given practical problems whereby they had to determine which techniques were to be linked in a chain to solve a particular problem.
Feynman describes it as a constellation of techniques that could be linked together in a variety of ways to arrive at an answer. For example, the equivalent of the Pythagorean theorem could be linked to calculating the volume of a cube. It was a holistic approach to pragmatic problem solving given the context of the situation at hand, even if the situation were to change.
What Descartes came along and did was reduce the common elements of these constellations to form a set of ordered axioms. Mathematics was then taught from the bottom up as ordered steps, each layer of the constellation building on itself to form theorems. Mathematical problem solving was then taught as ordered and deterministic with no regard for how one might leap from one technique to another should the conditions of the problem set change.
Feynman says,
"the method of starting from [the bottom] axioms is not efficient in obtaining the theorems…Working something out in geometry is not very efficient if you always have to start at the axioms, but if you had to remember a few things in [the constellation] of geometry you can always get somewhere else [in the constellation] which is much more efficient than if you do it the other way."
Feynman believed solving problems in physics requires a Babylonian approach due to the changing nature of the natural physical world. This is in contrast with pure mathematics, as derived by Descartes and Euclid, that yields universally consistent solutions within the context of an abstracted world.
OPEN TO ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS
In the context of economics, British economist Sheila Dow offers that in a constellation of economic mathematical tools "One chain of reasoning might rely on statistical analysis, while another might rely on historical research, for example." Dow is a Post-Keynesian economist who expands on the work of Stoh and Feynman in her paper on the "Babylonian Mode of Thought".
Dow expresses 'Mode of thought' as "the way in which arguments (or theories) are constructed and presented, how we attempt to convince others of the validity or truth of our arguments." Her interpretation of Keynes reflection on Newton was that he "relied on intuition in order to arrive at explanations for natural phenomena, on the one hand, with the rational proofs he constructed after the fact, on the other."
This was his 'mode of thought', she argues, that enabled him to make the discoveries he did. And like Feynman, she implores others to learn and apply this more 'Babylonian' approach to solving complex problems. That is, a pragmatic and wholistic approach through the practical application of an array of mathematical methods which are traversed over time as situations, contexts, and variables change.
Dow equates the Babylonian approach with an open system – a system of infinite unknown variables that change in relation and response to each other, and the environment in which they exist, over time. This is contrast to a closed system where all the variables, their interactions, and relationships are known and isolated in the environment in which they exist. Closed systems are divided into dual atomic parts, the internal, or endogenous, and the external, or exogenous.
Dow believes,
"Babylonian thought is neither dualistic nor atomistic. The categories used to account for social life in an evolving environment are not seen as readily falling into duals. Indeed vagueness of categories is seen to have the benefit of adaptability within a changing environment where institutions, understanding and behaviour undergo change. In a system of thought with a variety of incommensurate strands of argument, variables may be exogenous to one strand but endogenous to another.
Knowledge is in general held with uncertainty (by economic agents and by economists), so the analysis points to degrees of uncertainty. Further, some strands of argument may refer to individuals, and others to the group level, since causal forces may act in either direction. Indeed individuals are not seen as independent, and their behaviour may change as the environment changes."
She continues,
"Similarly, Babylonian thought provides a rationale for pluralism. It justifies both methodological pluralism (methodologists analysing a range of methodologies) and pluralism of method (economists using a range of methods)."
Dow then warns that many who subscribe to conventional economic approaches, or Cartesian modes of thought, sometimes claim that 'pluralism' is just an excuse for sloppiness leading to an 'anything goes' approach and attitude. But she argues, as Feynman illustrates, that
"Babylonian mode of thought requires some criteria by which to choose segmentations of the subject matter for analysis, the chains of reasoning to pursue, and the methods employed to pursue them."
In this regard, not only is there is a high degree of mastery of various methods required, but that their application is highly structured. This leads her to claim Babylonian modes of thought are not 'pure pluralism', but 'structured pluralism.' She adds, as did Feynman, this may require not only traversing within the domain of mathematics, economics, or in the case of Feynman, physics, but also into other domains of science and humanities.
Sorry 'Tina', in the pursuit of answers in complex, uncertain, and changing environments it seems alternatives are not only desirable, but necessary. Those alternatives, however, have yet to be pursued despite record income inequality. After Thatcher came John Major who, despite being responsible for a raft of immoral behavior known as 'Tory sleaze', was part of Britain's longest running economic prosperity.
He was replaced in 1997 by the opposition Labour Party candidate Tony Blair. Three years into his term Thatcher was asked what she thought her greatest accomplishment was. She replied, "Tony Blair and New Labour" because he, like U.S. Democratic President Bill Clinton, adopted most of her policies. She said she "forced [her] opponents to change their minds."
The irony of the Iron Lady, and all those who cling to the belief there is no economic policy alternative, is that the illusion of certainty represented by neoclassical and Cartesian closed systems has created more social and environmental uncertainty than ever. We live in organic, ever changing open system in uncertain times, in an uncertain world. If ever there's a time for an alternative, it seems it would be now. It's time we change our 'mode of thought' and convince others that the pragmatic and wholistic Babylonian approach is a viable alternative. Let's turn 'TINA' into 'TAMA' – There are many alternatives.
There is no alternative. Wikipedia.
Revealing and overcoming the dogmatism of sterile certainty in mathematics education. Don Ambrose. 2017.
Newton, the Man. John Maynard Keynes. 1946.
Feynman: 'Greek' versus 'Babylonian' mathematics. Richard Feynman. 1965.
Babylonian Mode of Thought. Sheila Dow. 2012.


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Uşak 1 Eylül Stadyumu () – wielofunkcyjny stadion w mieście Uşak, w Turcji. Został otwarty w 1962 roku. Może pomieścić 3500 widzów. Swoje spotkania rozgrywają na nim piłkarze klubu Uşakspor.

Przypisy

Stadiony piłkarskie w Turcji
Stadiony lekkoatletyczne w Turcji

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Alemdar Submarine Rescue Mother Ship (MOSHIP)
TCG Alemdar Submarine Rescue Mother Ship (MOSHIP) entered service with the Turkish Naval Forces Command in January 2017.
Submarine rescue vessel
Turkish Naval Forces Command
TCG Alemdar Submarine Rescue Mother Ship (A-582) is built by Istanbul Shipyard. Image courtesy of GİSBİR.
Alemdar MOSHIP was launched in May 2014. Image courtesy of GİSBİR.
MOSHIP has a maximum speed of 18kt. Image courtesy of GİSBİR.
Alemdar MOSHIP was commissioned by the Turkish Navy in January 2017. Image courtesy of GİSBİR.
It was designed by Turkish company SEFT based on the SNR-MOSHIP, and was built by Istanbul Shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey.
The ship is intended for a number of surface and underwater missions, such as search and rescue of submarine personnel, towing broken down and wrecked surface ships, removal of underwater debris, and underwater repair works.
The MOSHIP is capable of operating in adverse weather and sea conditions.
MOSHIP project history
The Turkish Naval Forces announced plans to procure a submarine rescue ship in early-2006.
Turkey's Undersecretariat of Defense Industry (SSM) issued a request for proposals to four shipbuilding firms: Istanbul Shipyard, RMK Marine Shipyard, Desan Shipyard, and Dearsan Shipyard.
Istanbul Shipyard was selected by SSM as the preferred bidder for the Turkish Navy's MOSHIP project in 2010.
A contractual agreement for the construction of a MOSHIP was signed by SSM and Istanbul Shipyard in October 2011, and the launching ceremony of the MOSHIP (A-582) was held in May 2014.
Alemdar MOSHIP design and features
The Alemdar MOSHIP is built according to military standards and class rules, and features a monohull structure that was built using steel materials. Its bulbous bow design offers increased speed and fuel efficiency by reducing drag.
The overall length and length between perpendiculars of the vessel are 90.8m and 85.35m respectively. The ship has a moulded beam of 19m, depth of 7.8m, draught of 4.45m, and displacement of 4,200t, while the main deck has a clear aft deck area of 650m².
It can carry up to 130 people, including crew members, rescue personnel and crew in distress, and is able to hold 48t of fresh water, 21t of JP-5 jet fuel and 863t of marine naval fuel.
The MOSHIP's command and control is performed from the integrated bridge system, which has been supplied by Turkey-based YALTES.
Weaponry and sensors aboard MOSHIP
Self-defence for the Alemdar rescue vessel is provided by two 12.7mm heavy machine guns, which are mounted on the bow ahead of the bridge section.
The Turkish Navy's MOSHIP is installed with various navigation and communications systems, including the ASELSAN inertial navigation system (INS), navigation radar, communication systems, gyrocompass, sonar systems, and underwater acoustics capability.
ASELSAN electro-optic (IR/LLTV) sensors have also been fitted in order to provide 360° reconnaissance and surveillance for the crew in all lighting conditions.
Search and rescue equipment aboard MOSHIP
The MOSHIP is fitted with a range of search and rescue equipment that are essential to the effective performance of subsea and surface search and rescue tasks and underwater repair activities.
These include HARDSUIT atmospheric diving suits (ADS), personnel transfer capsules (PTC), a McCann submarine rescue chamber (SRC), launch and recovery system (LARS), and a towed side-scan sonar system.
It also features transfer-under-pressure equipment, dive systems, a NATO submarine rescue system (NSRS), a US submarine rescue diving and recompression system (SRDRS) and post-modern decompression / recompression pressure chambers.
A submarine ventilation system, pressurised breathing air system and HeO2 mixed gas system are also included.
Two interconnected L-type SRV connectible pressure chambers are provided aboard the vessel to facilitate the housing of up to 32 survivors.
A flight deck is fitted behind the bridge structure amidships to support helicopter operations, while the aft deck features a hydraulic / telescopic crane used for deployment and recovery of rescue systems.
Additionally, the MOSHIP carries one remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) and a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), as well as two rescue boats to assist during rescue operations.
Propulsion and performance of MOSHIP
The Alemdar rescue ship is powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system, which consists of four 3,500kW generators, two 1,000kW tunnel thrusters and one 1,450kW retractable thruster.
It also incorporates two 3,500kW Rolls-Royce Azipull main propulsion thrusters, providing high manoeuvrability in all directions. The ship's mobility is further enhanced by its controllable twin propeller system, while the on-board Class II dynamic positioning system offers stable position-keeping capability.
The rescue vessel offers a maximum speed of 18k and an optimum speed of 14k. It has the ability to travel to a range of 4,500nm at 14k speed with a 30-day autonomy period.
The MOSHIP can provide emergency life support or towing services for crews of disabled ships, submarines or aircraft wreckages from depths of 600m within three days.
Contractors involved
Rolls-Royce secured a contract to supply propulsion thrusters for the MOSHIP in May 2012.
Imtech's marine business unit Elkon was selected in June 2012 to design, supply and integrate all electric systems for the vessel. The scope of the supply includes electrical systems, bridge consoles, integrated logistics support, and integrated vessel management system.
"The MOSHIP can provide emergency life support or towing services for crews of disabled ships, submarines or aircraft wreckages from depths of 600m within three days."
Istanbul Shipyard awarded a deal to OceanWorks International in July 2014 for the supply of submarine emergency ventilation and decompression systems (SEVDS), which are used to provide fresh breathing air to survivors.
Aykor was responsible for the integration of subsea systems and equipment for the Turkish Navy's rescue ship, in co-operation with OceanWorks.
ASELSAN was contracted to provide integrated naval communications for the MOSHIP, and Turkish engineering firm FIGES performed structural analysis of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and ship control systems.
The Global Naval Surface Combatants and Warfare Systems Market 2011-2021
This project forms part of our recent analysis and forecasts of the global naval surface combatants and warfare systems market available from our business information platform Strategic Defence Intelligence.
For more information, click here or contact us: EMEA: +44 20 7936 6783; Americas: +1 415 439 4914; Asia Pacific: +61 2 9947 9709 or via email.
At Rolls-Royce we work closely with our customers to develop...
Intermarine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Local defense contracts
Related Special Reports
Defense - August 2011
The following is a compilation of Department of Defense contracts awarded to San Diego County companies or companies with projects in San Diego County. More can be found at sddt.com/Defense.
LRAD Corp. announces $1.5 million in Navy orders
San Diego-based LRAD Corp. (Nasdaq: LRAD), a provider of acoustic hailing devices (AHDs), announced approximately $1.5 million in new LRAD orders from the U.S. Navy. The orders, which consist primarily of LRAD 1000X systems and support equipment, are scheduled to ship this quarter.
"This is the latest in a series of LRAD orders we've received from the U.S. Navy since 2003," commented Tom Brown, president and CEO of LRAD Corp. "LRAD systems are deployed by naval forces around the world to hail, warn, notify and communicate over long distances, giving naval personnel time and distance to determine the intent of potential threats not responding to radio calls and creating standoff zones around their vessels."
The company's proprietary LRAD systems broadcast voice commands and deterrent tones than can be heard and understood over distances up to 3 kilometers.
Source Code: 20110817tqd
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems receives Navy contract for unmanned carrier-launched aircraft
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., a Poway-based manufacturer of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, announced the U.S. Navy awarded it a study contract to support pre-Milestone A activities for the service's Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program.
"We're pleased with this first stage award and remain committed to providing the Navy with timely delivery of a robust, affordable, and versatile aircraft carrier-based UAS that delivers superior ISR and strike capabilities satisfying the Navy's future needs," said Frank Pace, president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
The Navy's UCLASS study calls for an open, adaptive architecture and disciplined systems engineering approach in order to identify and assess potential trade space. In response, GA-ASI plans to capitalize on this and its parallel engineering assessments to develop an affordable, low-risk, high-technology solution that leverages nearly 20 years of Predator/Gray EagleTM-series UAS development, manufacturing, system support, and 1.5 million flight hours of operational experience to date.
Many GA-ASI aircraft elements, components and subsystems already provide the mature, proven and reliable mission capabilities desired by the Navy. The UCLASS program is also expected to leverage existing, deployed DOD systems to launch, recover and control the UAS autonomously, transfer UAS data in support of persistent ISR operations and time-critical strike.
Awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the eight-month study contract calls for development of a Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and support for analysis of alternative activities. In addition, it requires analysis of the relative maturity and near-term availability of UCLASS-relevant technologies and identifying ways to shorten key development, test, and certification timelines.
Source Code: 20110817czc
Expeditionary Medical shares in Army contract
Expeditionary Medical Modeling Consultants in Oceanside was one of 26 companies to share in a $497 million contract from the U.S. Army.
The firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract will provide for the Navy Medicine Research and Development services to provide infrastructure of personnel, materials, equipment, facilities, science and technology that will sustain an acceptable level of medical research.
Work will be performed at each contractor location, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 11, 2016.
There were 32 bids solicited, with 32 bids received.
The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity.
Source Code: 20110816cze
US Foodservice wins military food contract
The Defense Logistics Agency awarded Vista's US Foodservice/Joseph Webb Division a fixed-price with economic price adjustment, prime vendor contract with a maximum $69.2 million for full line food distribution.
There are no other locations of performance.
Using service is Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
The date of performance completion is Aug. 16, 2012.
The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-11-D-3472).
Source Code: 20110816czf
Air Force gives Northrop Grumman two contracts totaling $35 million
The Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems a $26,178,369 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for Sand Dragon B.
This effort is to develop and deploy an innovative airborne counter-IED capability unmanned aerial system.
The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-11-C-7147).
Northrop Grumman was also awarded an $8.8 million fixed-price-incentive-firm, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursement contract from the Air Force to develop a deployable instrument landing system that can provide precision guidance to aviation assets in multiple geographically-separated and environmentally-diverse regions.
Headquarters Electronic Systems Center, Directorate of Contracting, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8730-11-C-0011).
Work for both will be performed in San Diego


text:
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

typedef NS_ENUM(NSUInteger, LiveToolType) {
    LiveToolTypePublicTalk,
    LiveToolTypePrivateTalk,
    LiveToolTypeGift,
    LiveToolTypeRank,
    LiveToolTypeShare,
    LiveToolTypeClose
};

@interface MGBottomToolView : UIView
/** 点击工具栏  */
@property(nonatomic, copy)void (^clickToolBlock)(LiveToolType type);
@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Alan Moore, widely considered the preeminent living writer of comics, recently suggested that devotees of superheroes beyond adolescence are 'emotionally subnormal.' Moore may be right to an extent, but the kind of emotional emptiness filled by superheroes as escapism is probably one of the most common things in society — and it goes well beyond superhero geeks. The antithesis of what Moore is describing — let's call it emotional maturity — is hardly constant in the first place.
Yesterday's standard of the emotionally secure person was probably a bit more social than the dad from The Wonder Years, but who needs social when you've got social networks. The modern equivalent of emotionally secure certainly has an extremely tight grip on some kind of smart phone … but a smart phone, my friend, is no superhero. (It is a little? Hmph.) It's mostly a lifestyle thing. When someone who has gainful employment spends it on ways to enhance his or her lifestyle, that's hardly emotionally mature. Who needs hobbies or escapism when you've got a lifestyle, an obsession with up and coming neighborhoods, with the right this or that, the idea of the most spiritually meaningful way to stay healthy, etc.? All of these measures of success — success, of course, hardly requiring that people be emotionally secure — can often easily be ascribed to, if not toys, then fixing up a really big room with lots of cool stuff and posters.
And what about an obsession with sports? A friend of mine would say that being a fan of any actor or actress is the same as rooting for a player on some team. Most of the time, it's just as frivolous.
I don't have anything against fashion, per se, but following it as intensely as some people do — even as a job — is hardly emotionally whole. Trying to always have some look that's in or ahead of some imaginary curve is like trying to constantly replicate immaturity .
Alan Moore doesn't think superheroes stand for anything good, and well, few things do — though there is something to be said for the particular emptiness of something that is supposed to stand for something extremely good really being entirely one-dimensional. But nothing I've mentioned here is inherently bad — far from it. It's just, none of it is inherently meaningful or emotionally sound. Like any genre of fiction, superhero tales can add up to something positive. Maybe their being part of the pop culture machine that Moore hates so much has limited that.
And beyond them, to comics that have nothing to do with superheroes — but instead usually feature upwardly mobile people grasping with feeling emotionally subnormal. Even those can add up to something more positive than self-aggrandizing . Really.
"He represents the everyman, but more importantly, maybe he represents the underdog and those marginalized, those who come up against great prejudice, which I as a middle-class, straight white man don't really understand so much. When Stan Lee first wrote and created this character, the outcast was the computer nerd, the science nerd, the guy that couldn't get the girl. Those guys now run the world. So how much of an outcast is that version of Peter Parker? That's my question." — via Sheila Robert's Comic-Con coverage at Collider, a quote from Andrew Garfield on the character he'll be reprising in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
In "Are Dark-skinned Women Really Unattractive?," Maurice of The Thinking Man's Zone poses a question with an easy knee jerk reaction for some people ("Of course not!"). But that answer is like putting paint over the way world often works, and, while I don't agree with all of Maurice's thoughts, I certainly agree with the gist. Ideally, of course not, but we live on top of a lot of history in which one kind of beauty has been pushed for a long time. This reminded me why I sometimes relate to characters like Hellboy more than anyone else who's supposed to be noble in various forms of fiction. In the most broadest sense, I suppose I'm someone formed in the western mold–just not someone whom entirely fits in with the physical western defaults for good and beauty.
A lot of my favorite characters do (fit that mold), and it's always easy enough to chalk up my enjoyment of them to some default or universal experience. Beyond that, movie- and film-wise, there are certainly a few actors and actresses outside of the classic hero or heroine archetype. But they very rarely get to ruminate on the way their looks can put them at odds with the world, or if they do (and they're not in a comedy), it's the entirety of their existence. They're a bit like the moral in a story (and, on a practical level) just as dismissible.
But when a character is only kind of human, like Dark Horse comics' demon raised by a good-natured human, the "Who am I?" question gets a buffer zone from the reality of how the appearance of race can rank who we find particularly human or not. Hellboy's origin, in a strange way, parallels Superman (super-strong being found by surrogate parent), only Hellboy doesn't look like the all-American hero. He literally looks like the ultimate villain. In the movie version of the character's continuity, he's fated to be. But, ultimately, he's a character who is defined by his being human–just a moody one for whom a sense of humor is pretty important. He'd love nothing more than to not know anything about where he comes from (very non-ideal-molded human), but it's also something he has to come to terms with.
I occasionally watch Parks and Rec, a great show on NBC that probably doesn't need much of an introduction. It centers on Leslie Knope, an upbeat small town politician, and the people who work or live around her in fictional Pawnee, Indiana. I've often found it how ironic it is–that a character as meta politically correct as Leslie is unaware of the tropes given to Donna Meagle, the least fleshed out character on the show. She likes to party; and she's a bit of a 'diva,' according to the character's Wikipedia listing as of when this was posted. And she's played by someone who I know can be every bit as funny and human as the all the other characters on the show. But she doesn't look like Rashida Jones.
Afua Richardson is a comic book illustrator whose most current work is on Top Cow's "Genius." Her vibrant, emotive art has been utilized by Marvel, DC and Image comics, and has seen her nominated for multiple Glyph awards. Also a classically-trained musician and a singer-songwriter, the work of Afua 'Docta Foo' Richardson has been a surprise I very much want to see more of.
By, and courtesy of, Afua Richardson. Enlargeable.
Your artwork bristles with energy. Is that a quality that you're conscious of trying to illustrate?
Thank you much!! Energy? Absolutely. As an artist, I feel it's our job to communicate. One thing I love about the genre of anime is that the apex of motion is always overstated and extreme. I want people to feel something when they look at my work.
Who or what would you say influenced your style? I see a little bit of everything in there, from what would be considered traditional comic artists to manga and the pre-supposed finer arts.
My influences are drawn (literally and figuratively) from Hiroaki Samura (Blade of the Immortal) , Frank Frazetta and everything Heavy Metal spilled out in the '70s and early '80s that my adolescent hands could snag. I adore Chris Bachalo's work, and I'm in awe of Travis Charest's attention to detail. A few anime that changed my brain were Evangelion and Kite. I can't forget Czech artist Alphonse Mucha and the various European artists known for playbills and posters in the late 1800s, early 1900s.
As a woman – a demographic that statistically isn't supposed to care much for mainstream comics – what work in that vein have you found particularly engaging? Did you ever feel like there was a lack of work that, beyond universal themes, spoke to you on a simple, self-reflective level?
I'd like to first address the earlier part of your question. I think that, like, most things– women keep a lot of things to themselves (unless it's in relation to drama). Say for instance when a guy checks out a girl: they turn their whole head around. Perhaps if they are feeling bold, they'll whistle or say good morning. When a gal checks out a guy–you'd be surprised if they even move their heads, but their eyes move. I am generalizing horribly, but, long story short: men stare, women glare. This may be a weakly prefaced metaphor, but my point is, women have ALWAYS been into comics.
By a gamma-driven Afua Richardson.
Look at the duo who created Wonder Woman. Gals–they just don't often show it as much as guys might. Now that it is socially acceptable to be a geek, they are pouring out from the cracks, totting graphic t-shirts, non-prescription glasses and taking their knob kneed stand. I'll also say that many gals will keep their secret geek obsessions to themselves so as not to be the raw meat in the wolves den. Some gents just don't know what to say to a lady. They might as well be a different species of animal. So to avoid an onslaught of horribly formed jokes and gawking, they kinda avoid social gatherings unless in a group or have the cookies to handle their own.
The medium of comics is a diverse one. Just like any other form of literature, there are things written for entertainment . There are also things that are under the guise of entertainment that are thought-evoking. Planetary changed me after I read it. Also, Transmetropolitan. Don't need stories about girly plights to ring true to me. I don't need stories about make-up and lipstick and dating. I like stories about life. Personal revelations and overcoming unspeakable odds, even if the greatest advisory is the protagonist itself.
I like stories about life. Personal revelations and overcoming unspeakable odds, even if the greatest advisory is the protagonist itself.
You grew up in NYC. What positives and negatives do you think that's given you as an artist? Or just as a person. I sometimes wonder if, with a few gilded exceptions, the city is a little more inclined to people who don't grow up there.
New York is a living freight train–breathing at a rabbit's pace, moving like a swarm of flies. You don't know any other way to be when you live there. There is survival or death. This death can be a job with no way out. Survival can be a gig that makes it that much easier to get by. In a place where you can run into anyone and anything at anytime, it makes you raise the bar on your abilities. There's a hunger in that city. You've got to be five times as amazing in order to be considered half as good.
But at the same time, you'll possibly bypass the amazing bits of your work in the sea of apathetic audiences who are too cool to clap and too saturated by awesome to give you a second glance. Iron sharpens iron, I always say, and this city is made of adamantium. But most of the people who give the city a bad name are the ones who trickle in who are not used to so many people invading their personal space. They become irritable and are usually the ones who shoulder check you when you're getting on the subway or drive past you in their cabs because they've heard terrible things about brown-skinned people via outdated media.
As an artist, I was able to find amazingly skilled professionals in a local Starbucks to hang out with and tell me what I was doing wrong. Damien Scott (Batgirl 1999) was the 1st gent who offered me a professional gig doing finishing pencils for his comic. But I was too afraid I'd mash it up. That would NEVER happen where I am now. I mean, not never, but it's not as likely.
As a classically trained flautist, please give a musical virtue of the flute.
A musical virtue? Hmm. The flute is like a feather sword gently cutting the air. For a time it was my 2nd voice. For an even shorter time it was my only voice.
The flute is like a feather sword gently cutting the air. For a time it was my 2nd voice. For an even shorter time it was my only voice.
Like a lot of industries, the music one isn't what it once was. At the same time, I feel like there's a certain variety in the thirty percent of what isn't quite the juggernaut stuff—one that still requires networking and luck, though. Thoughts? Is there anything about music's ever-changing mediums that has helped kept you at it?
I was discouraged for a while. I had great opportunities, but none were ever quite right. Either I wasn't ready maturity-wise or the company wanted me to sound like something else because they said it wouldn't work. Even producers I knew who I'd share my ideas with would say I had to go along the straight and narrow if I wanted to sell. Then a year or two later, a sound-alike would win a Grammy… Now, I think there is a shift in the tide. People access their music via the Internet. Even though you can buy hits and Google can lower view counts at will, people are not limited to the small rotation of radio anymore. Things have returned to a word of mouth basis–something I don't think the industry had anticipated in time to catch the wave. I think now I'm more confident in my vision; I just lack the production to get it completed. But I'm working on that. One step at a time.
As I know from a friend of mine, time is not on the side of a comic artist. What projects give you pause?
How did your first paid comic gig come about?
My 1st paid comic gig came about some time in 2003 or so. My boyfriend and I just broke up; I needed to move out of his place. I just left my job because my boss's husband body slammed her across the bar like a WWE match, and I wasn't about to step foot in that place. My friend Brandon Graham was on his way to Seattle, and he had a small comic gig for Sizzle magazine and a small apartment in Astoria that he mentioned I should take. I was scared to do comics regularly but I had plenty of time to draw 10 pages for a quarterly comics in black and white for NBM Publishing. The writing was terrible and my work was just as bad, but it's fine. We all start somewhere.
True. And finally, since then, what as a singer-songwriter yourself did it mean to you to receive the 2011 Nina Simone award for Artistic achievement?
Nina Simone was one of those people–you know, those iconic "no one can tell me who I am and I'm not going to break out of a box I'm going to karate chop my way through the roof to be who I am regardless of what anyone has to say" kinda people … It's an honor to even tote something with her name on it. Ironically the award sits broken on my dresser. The crack in it reminds me that it's just a pair of shoes I've got to fill. That my work is just starting and the best I've got to give is yet to come.
I always wish I knew more. To see more of Afua's work, listen to her music, or commission art, check out http://www.afuarichardson.info or @AfuaRichardson. Thanks upon thanks to Afua for her time.


Casting calls: Now, your phone won't stop ringing!
Do you check your phone several times in a day to ensure you don't miss a casting call from a TV production house or a film producer or a casting agency? Or, do you pay frequent visits to the casting agent's office to know if there are any casting auditions wherein you can appear? Well, just put your acting profile online and you would be surprised to see your phone ringing all the time with casting calls and invitations for casting auditions for led roles, minor roles, or extra work.
The Internet offers you the best platform to showcase your talent. You can use your photographs, videos, or audio reels to promote yourself in the best possible manner. You may even highlight your key skills and achievements and make your profile page as attractive as you can in order to catch the attention of the producers, directors, and casting agents. Websites that list portfolios of actors/dancers/singers/models are viewed actively by casting agents and film and TV producers.
Unlike casting agencies, where your acting portfolio or bio-data will get buried somewhere and will never makes its way in to the hands of directors and producers, here you would get maximum visibility. If the site where you are listing your portfolio is popular, you might get casting calls within few days itself.
Most importantly, you can apply to as many jobs as possible for jobs for actors, presenters, models, dancers, or singers. You are free to post your profile on several sites so as to increase your chances of getting noticed by casting agencies and producers, and to get details about each and every casting audition that is about to take place in your city, without worrying about money at all. The fee for viewing the casting auditions details online or to list your portfolio online is quite decent. Plus, you won't be asked to pay any commission for the casting calls or on the work you get from the site.
However, to get the most out of this method, you need to keep few things in mind. You must choose to list your portfolio on those sites that are popular or are enjoying high search engine ranking. It would give you maximum exposure. Then you must go through the site carefully to find out its total experience, and its success ratio in helping people find acting jobs or presenter jobs or TV extras roles. If it has helped many people find acting roles or extras works, only then you should choose that site.


by Charles H. Purcell, Jason P. Walton, Elizabeth C. Crouse, Won-Han Cheng, Trickett, Rachel D.
On June 22, 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") issued Notice 2018-59 (the "Notice"), which deals with the "begin construction" test that is applicable to solar projects. More specifically, the newly issued guidance clarifies the eligibility requirements applicable to the Investment Tax Credit ("ITC") claimed in connection with solar projects, closely following the "begin construction" guidance Treasury has previously issued for wind developers in order to determine eligibility for the production tax credit ("PTC"). You can read about previously published Treasury guidance in our prior e-alerts on this topic.
The Notice provides solar developers with long-awaited guidance on what constitutes the "begin construction" test in order for a solar project to qualify for the ITC equal to 30 percent. Similar to PTC guidance, the Notice provides two methods for determining when construction begins on solar projects: (1) the Physical Work Test and (2) the Five Percent Safe Harbor Test. Under the Physical Work Test, solar developers must show that physical work of a significant nature has begun. Under the Five Percent Safe Harbor Test, solar developers must show that at least 5 percent of the total cost of energy property has been paid or incurred. The Physical Work Test requires that a solar developer maintains a continuous program of construction, and the Five Percent Safe Harbor Test requires that the solar developer maintains continuous efforts toward completion of the solar project (collectively, the "Continuity Requirement").
A welcome safe harbor for satisfying the Continuity Requirement is provided by the Notice. If the solar project is placed in service by the end of the calendar year that is no more than four calendar years after the calendar year in which construction begins, the Continuity Requirement will be deemed to have been met. If this safe harbor is not met, a solar developer can still satisfy the Continuity Requirement (via the Physical Work Test or the Fiver Percent Safe Harbor Test) through facts and circumstances.
Small wind energy - installation of the foundation, tower, wiring, or grounding systems.
For off-site work, physical work of a significant nature includes the manufacture of components, mounting equipment support structures such as racks and rails, inverters, transformers, and other power conditioning equipment. Similar to PTC guidance, physical work of a significant nature does not include the manufacturing of components that are in existing inventory or normally held in the inventory of a vendor.
In addition, preliminary activities such as planning or designing, securing financing, obtaining permits and licenses, or clearing a site, do not count for purposes of the "begin construction" test.
If a solar project that starts construction in 2018 or 2019 meets (A) either the Physical Work Test or the Five Percent Safe Harbor Test (as summarized above), and (B) the Continuity Requirement (as summarized above), and (C) the project is placed in service by December 31, 2023, then the project will qualify for the full ITC of 30 percent. The amount of the ITC that can be claimed decreases to 26 percent for projects that otherwise qualify and start construction in 2020 and 22 percent for projects that otherwise qualify and start construction in 2021.
Finally, similar to PTC guidance, the Notice clarifies that the taxpayer may transfer property after construction begins without jeopardizing eligibility for the ITC. Specifically, a solar developer can contribute a Physical Work or Five Percent Safe Harbor Test project to a tax equity partnership, a tax equity investor can acquire a membership interest in that partnership, and the partnership can claim the ITC based on the developer's prior ITC qualification when the project is placed in service. In addition, a purchaser of a partially developed solar project may tack on the developer's costs or work for purposes of the Physical Work or Five Percent Safe Harbor Test.
Despite this good news, unanswered questions remain. Namely, Treasury has yet to issue specific guidance regarding whether solar-plus-storage projects are eligible for the ITC. Although a series of published Private Letter Rulings have strongly suggested that storage projects that are part of a solar facility are eligible for the ITC, Treasury has yet to release any definitive guidance on this topic. It remains to be seen whether Treasury might include such guidance in any future revisions of the ITC Treasury Regulations or whether Congress might address the issue through legislation.


Despite just getting Yakuza 6: The Song of Life a few months back, Sega is bringing us another Yakuza game with Yakuza Kiwami 2. The newest entry in the series completely remakes the original Yakuza 2 with the new Dragon Engine, adding in a new combat system, new minigames, an entirely new story section focusing on Goro Majima, and more. Like always, there's a ton of different content to dig into, but you're probably wondering just how long Yakuza Kiwami 2 will take.
Just like the original game, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is made up of 16 main story chapters, all of varying length. If you want to just run straight through the main story and ignore most of the side content, you're looking at roughly 15-20 hours depending on the difficulty you play on. Of course, adding in side content severely bumps up this playtime and doing all of the substories, minigames, and the completion list can add on tens of hours. For our own playthrough, we completed the majority of substories, played a majority of the minigames, and spent time exploring the city, clocking in at roughly 45 hours. There's also the new Majima Saga story content that adds another 2-4 hours of playtime.
Needless to say you can spend a ton of time with Yakuza Kiwami 2, and there's no shortage of fun things to do. We honestly recommend investing time in the substories, cabaret club, and clan creator especially. Not only do these provide some unique gameplay mechanics and minigame, but they also have some of the best and funniest story content you can find in the game.
That's all you need to know about how long Yakuza Kiwami 2 is. If you're brand new to the series make sure to take a look at our tips & tricks for beginners, and for even more tips and guides on Yakuza Kiwami 2 make sure to search Twinfinite.


Mansa P. | July 16, 2013, 11:32 a.m.
If you are an Interior Designer, Architect, Contractor, Vendor or a User then Spaceio.com is your destination to showcase, your designs, projects, ideas, or products, with our community of design enthusiasts.
Hi I am a user, Can I upload the images of the designs, I want to share with other people?
mahesh talreja | July 29, 2013, 9:26 p.m.
Yes, you can upload the images, after login into the system, go to "My Spaceio" - "View Spaces". For more details check at FAQ http://spaceio.com/faq/.
Mansa P. | Aug. 2, 2013, 9:02 p.m.
How do you become a Spaceio Blogger?
Arthur Morehead | Sept. 29, 2014, 6:42 p.m.
Hello Arthur Morehead, You may write for Spaceio in multiple ways! If you are a professional(Interior Designer/Architect/Contractor/Vendor), you can add your posts, as an Idea, which is published as an article or a blog. If you want to Join Spaceio as a Blogger you may have to write on a regular basis, such as 3 to 4 posts a Month. After carefully looking at your contribution, you can be assigned as blogger role! My suggestion is start with adding ideas!
Interior Designers Architects & Artists Social Network Spaceio Blogger | Sept. 29, 2014, 7 p.m.
Arthur Morehead | Sept. 29, 2014, 7:26 p.m.
Interior Designers Architects & Artists Social Network Spaceio Blogger | Dec. 13, 2015, 9:38 a.m.
hi, i want to join spaceio as a blogger, please review my contributions and assign me a blogger role, thanks.
Asad Shoaib | July 11, 2017, 1:53 p.m.


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CATERPICKLES
Fostering curiosity in kids (and their parents) since 2011
About Caterpickles
The Nine-Year-Old interviews picture book characters: The Oliver and Jumpy edition
By Shala Howell, May 20, 2016
This week, The Nine-Year-Old lands an interview with Oliver from Werner Stejskal's Oliver and Jumpy picture book series. Thanks for giving Oliver access to your email account, Mr. Stejskal!
We've talked about the Oliver and Jumpy picture book series on Caterpickles before, but in case you missed it, I'll just give you a bit of background on the characters before The Nine-Year-Old takes over the post.
Oliver is a rather dashing tomcat, with a tuxedo coat, a white top hat, and fairly robust self-esteem. His best friend is a female kangaroo named Jumpy. Oliver loves to ride in Jumpy's pouch when they head off on their adventures. (He calls her his kangaroo taxi.)
We discovered these stories several months ago. Although paperback versions of these books are now available on Amazon, at the time they were only available as ebooks. I was dubious about reading a picture book on a black and white Kindle, but The Nine-Year-Old says it works just fine.
Oliver (Illustration courtesy of Werner Stejskal)
When Werner Stejskal contacted me recently to ask if we would be willing to review the Oliver and Jumpy books on Caterpickles, The Nine-Year-Old had something slightly different in mind.
The Nine-Year-Old: "Mommyo, did you think I could do an interview with Oliver instead?"
Mr. Stejskal was willing to give it a try, so The Nine-Year-Old borrowed my computer to email Oliver some questions. Oliver wrote back within 24 hours.
Now that you're all caught up, let's go to the interview.
The Nine-Year-Old: "Oliver, how did you and Jumpy meet?"
Oliver: Glad that you asked! It was the best day of my life and I love to talk about it. One lovely day I had a long walk with my friends. We were going to find flowers to make tea. On the way we found Jumpy lying on the floor with a broken leg. She had jumped too high and slipped. We all helped to bring her to the doctor to have her fixed up. From that day on, we became best friends. (You can read more about this in Oliver and Jumpy, Story 29.)
The Nine-Year-Old: Do you mind sending me a map of your neighborhood?
Oliver: In my country, Sillandia, everything is silly, as you can imagine. We don't have maps. I would have to take you around myself to show you my neighborhood. Maybe Jumpy would let us ride in her pouch.
My treehouse is near a large lake and a brook. There is also an old castle nearby, which we explore when we feel like having an adventure. When we want something sweet, we jump down to the pterosaur airport and catch a flight on a pterosaur's back. Flights leave for Santa's chocolate factory in the sky nearly every day. Come to think of it, sitting on a pterosaur's back eating Santa's chocolate would be an even better way to tour my neighborhood.
The Nine-Year-Old: What is your tree house like?
Oliver: Where do I start? My house is very special. It is right up the mighty oak tree. My neighbor is the very wise Olly the owl. Olly is always very helpful with advice when I don't know what to do. He is like a father to me.
I just got some new neighbors — a whole village of bee gnomes. That's pretty cool, because I get free honey as rent. Cats love honey and I always dream of stealing some honey comb from a beehive. (Don't tell the bee gnomes!)
Jumpy (Illustration courtesy of Werner Stejskal)
The Nine-Year-Old: Where is Ghost Castle?
Oliver: Ghost Castle is up a little hill on the other side of the lake. Jumpy and I love to go there in the school holidays when we are bored. Every old door in the castle hides another fun adventure. You never know what you'll find when you open a door. Sometimes you find something dangerous, but often it's just something funny or beautiful. Never knowing what we'll find makes opening those old doors pretty exciting for me.
The Nine-Year-Old: What do letter pigeons look like in Sillandia?
Oliver: Our letter pigeons look just like any of your pigeons living in town, but they all wear a little postman hat. They never stop if somebody in a park wants to feed them, because they know that the mail has to be delivered quickly. But they do like to get some corn as thank you when they deliver a letter. Sometimes they fly a very long time and are exhausted. Then they will gratefully accept a bit of water as well.
The Nine-Year-Old: Have you visited the fairies since Story 5?
Oliver: Oh yes, the fairy queen comes to visit Sillandia once in a while. A while ago she arrived very unhappy. Her country was threatened by a giant and his master, the bad magician. The three of us had to travel with her to save her country. It was quite a fight. It took all of our wits to save the glass castle and the fairies. (You can read about it in Oliver & Jumpy, story 46).
Werner Skejskal (Photo courtesy of Werner Skejskal)
Born in Vienna, Austria, Werner Stejskal now lives in Perth, Australia with his wife, two married children, and three grandchildren. He began writing children's stories after retiring from the United Nations in Vienna.
You can find him at his website, bedtimestory4you.com, or on Twitter at @OliverAndJumpy.
What's The Seven-Year-Old reading this week? (Caterpickles)
What's The Eight-Year-Old reading this week? (Caterpickles)
What's The Nine-Year-Old reading this week? (Caterpickles)
More Book Reviews on Caterpickles
Categories: Reviews: Books
Tagged: What the 9YO is reading
"Can crickets die of fright?"
Wordless Wednesday: Happy Mutant Rabbit Day!


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Rebuilding trust in a data-driven world
By Andy Botrill 30 August 2019
Trust has become a top priority for CFOs
(Image credit: Pixabay)
Andy Botrill is the VP EMEA for BlackLine.
Trust: a firm belief in the reliability, strength, truth, or capability of someone – or something. By this definition, trust in business has perhaps been waning of late, particularly when it comes to the integrity of financial data.
In fact, in the UK, a series of high-profile corporate collapses caused by poor commercial management, followed by a trio of major reviews into the audit industry, means that financial services is now the country's least-trusted sector.
It is therefore no surprise that rebuilding trust has become a top priority for CFOs, and a good place to start is by improving trust internally. How do you achieve this? With finance's number one driving force: data.
Check out the best personal finance software here
Financial data holds the key
Since businesses rely on financial data to inform many important decisions, confidence in the numbers is the first step toward rebuilding trust. A recent BlackLine survey revealed that nearly 70% of global business leaders and finance professionals believe their organisation has made a significant business decision based on inaccurate financial data; while over half are not completely confident they can identify financial errors before reporting results.
Not only can tapping into poor data put you at risk of becoming the next front-page scandal and damage your reputation, it can seriously set your organisation back in its efforts to transform longer-term.
As awareness of the risks associated with inaccurate reporting grows, finance professionals are ready to see more accountability in the industry. So, how can they be confident that the decisions being made based on their data are the right ones?
Check out the best free personal finance software here
Building confidence in the numbers
To build real confidence in data, the crucial first step is to ensure the reliability and accuracy of financial information. Over a quarter (26%) of finance executives report they are concerned about financial errors they know must exist, but over which they have no visibility. With trust hanging in the balance, efforts must be focused on resolving these blind spots and unseen errors that undermine confidence in the numbers.
At the centre of these efforts lies real-time, cloud-based process automation. By automating manual, time-intensive processes, such as transaction matching or journal entries, data not only becomes more reliable, but people can also spend more time on consultative, analytical tasks; in turn adding more value to the business.
Continuous accounting, for example, a model that combines modern finance strategies and cloud technology, can put an end to high margins of error and deliver faster analysis and increased operational efficiency. With real-time updates, consistent reports, and numerous controls to enforce accountability – departments are beginning to reap benefits of better data integrity and a bolstered culture of trust.
Check out the best cloud storage services here
Transparency: the key to accountability
As technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA) contribute more toward the decision making process, transparency becomes fundamental. Not only is full transparency critical for effective decision making, but it will also be a significant factor in achieving 'ethical' and 'explainable' AI.
While finance professionals have always expected to be held accountable for certifying the books, they are increasingly putting their name against decisions made by machine learning algorithms. As a result, it's never been more important to understand why recommendations are made, or how decisions are reached. Otherwise, how can you ever be confident in the validity of the outcome you are held accountable for?
The need for transparency is only going to grow as technology becomes more imbedded in finance decisions. For example, if an algorithm denies a loan request based on factors such as postcode, it may be inadvertently replicating the bias we see in human decision making. Understanding how the decision is reached, however, would allow a person to review or challenge it, helping to determine the correct, but also ethical, course of action.
Check out the best in free cloud apps for business here
Future-proofing finance
While truly intelligent technology like AI is not a reality for finance right now, it will certainly start to penetrate more tasks and roles within the industry as it advances in future. For now, automation in finance ensures that wider business decisions are made based on the most accurate and up to date information available.
Not only does this help to build a culture of trust within the finance department, but the shift towards internal integrity will play a pivotal role in boosting trust in the business more generally – be that with its customers, shareholders or the public.
Ultimately, using automation to enhance the accuracy and reliability of your company's data will pay dividends further down the line. After all, what use will intelligent AI be if it learns from flawed and inaccurate data sets? And more importantly, who would put their name to the decisions or recommendations it makes? The bottom line is that data-driven businesses simply won't succeed without first laying the foundations of integrity and trust.
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Skeleton Duck
By Mark Patraw | Add a comment
I decided to make a "Skeleton Duck" enemy monster from Capcom's classic 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video game DuckTales (it was also ported to the original black-and-white Gameboy in 1990), which was based on the hit Disney cartoon show of the same name. A hi-definition, remastered version of said title was also released for the PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii U in 2013.
In the game, billionaire Uncle Scrooge McDuck travels the world (The Amazon, The Himalayas, Transylvania, African Mines, and even the Moon!) collecting even more riches to line his already super deep pockets (the Japanese adaptation was re-named Naughty Duck's Dream Adventures which is much more descriptive of that greedy old bird's activities if you ask me!) And, naturally, Scrooge's many enemies, including The Beagle Boys, Magica DeSpell, and Flintheart Glomgold, try to thwart Scrooge's efforts to maintain his status as the richest duck in the world.
Only found in the Transylvania stage, Skeleton Ducks mindlessly scamper about the rooms and corridors of Dracula Duck's crumbling castle. None too smart (their brains rotted away a long time ago after all), Skeleton Ducks frequently collide with walls, and other solid structures, and those impacts cause them to fall apart into a pile of bones, but that's only a temporary setback, as they soon magically reassemble themselves and give chase once again. Like most of the enemies in the DuckTales video game, Scrooge can easily dispatch them with a single blow from his versatile pogo cane, so, these bony adversaries aren't much of a threat to the rich old bird, who's surprisingly agile for a geriatric fowl. I'm sure he'd tell us that the pursuit of money always makes him feel and move like a spry duckling again . . .
Newsprint, tissue paper, cardboard from a box of cereal, wire twist ties, white glue, and acrylic paint.
Dimensions*:
5.1 cm (2.0") wide x 6.0 cm (2.4") tall.
(*Please note that the numbers given can vary a bit, depending on how the figure's joints are positioned.)
Articulation:
Neck, ribs, vertebrae column, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hips.
Three days: July 4th, 7th, and 9th, 2017.
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