The World Bank's PNG Economic Update released on 7 February is a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde act for the PNG government.
The front macroeconomic part is undoubtedly very kind to the PNG government – it resembles the friendly support of Dr Jekyll in the famous Robert Louis Stevenson novella. There is much praise for the government and any criticism is buried away in the middle of paragraphs or implicit in graphs and specific numbers in tables – one must work hard and read between the lines to find what is really going on. One example of the friendly treatment is the very conciliatory discussion of the K3.4 billion breach ("policy deviation") of the medium-term fiscal deficit targets agreed in the 2018 Budget and made the first condition of the World Bank's budget support loan in only September 2018. Even allowing for expenditure arrears of nearly a billion kina, K2.5 billion (or 72%) of this massive deficit blow-out from 2018 to 2022 is left unexplained. Overall, what is remarkable in the January 2019 Update is the lack of reference, yet alone analysis, of the seven key issues identified by the World Bank in its own December 2017 Update. In the detailed analysis below, the PNG government has failed to implement its fiscal strategy, revenue strategy, wages strategy and measures to disentangle PNG's budget fortunes from the whims of international commodity prices. In just over a year, the World Bank has retreated from its own benchmarks.
The second part of the report has a "special focus" on the private sector, and the tone is very different. This is the Mr Hyde part of the report – the local business sector will like it but the government's efforts over the last seven years are found seriously flawed. Especially under the heading "Removing constraints in the business environment to boost private sector investment", the government gets a hammering for "a largely unfavourable business environment". One section is particularly tough on the government's proposed reserved activity list concluding "the level of business environment risk has been dramatically increased". The detailed analysis of this second part of the report will be covered in a later article.
As an analyst of these World Bank reports on PNG for over 40 years (my first policy paper in the public service in 1978 was analysing the first World Bank report on PNG after Independence, and my career included some 7 years working in AusAID or Treasury on the World Bank/IMF desk and attendance at many, many World Bank/IMF annual and Spring meetings) this is an unusual report. The current Economic Update must be read in a historic context. The World Bank's relationship with the PNG government was essentially broken during the structural adjustment assistance of the early 2000s, especially due to the failed land reform program. The World Bank has been slowly rebuilding this relationship through normal project funding, although at a much lower level than the Asian Development Bank. This is the first PNG economic update since the budget support loan taken out in September 2018. There was a need for a public report (indeed, the initial undertaking when the first update was produced in December 2017 was for six monthly reports). The big picture is that the World Bank is extremely worried about PNG's declining standards of macro-economic management – that is why PNG's economic management has been seriously downgraded in recent years to a "fragile situation" country according to the World Bank's governance indicators. So how does the World Bank try to maintain influence in encouraging better policies especially with a history of essentially being kicked out of the country? Its main stakeholder in PNG is Treasurer Charles Abel. One does not publicly criticise his macro-economic performance at this stage if seeking to maintain influence. However, it is quite possible that Treasurer Abel also has some concerns about the extremely nationalistic and anti-business policies of Minister Maru. I suspect the World Bank knew it had a green light to be discuss more openly the challenges facing PNG when talking about the private sector.
In this historic context and seeking policy influence in a country with declining economic management, the report is possibly less surprising. At this new stage of the PNG Treasurer/World Bank relationship, the politics probably meant that a Dr Jekyll (nice to the government on macro-economics) and Mr Hyde (willing to publicly criticise the government on private sector policies) character was inevitable. Much of the rest of this article highlights the chasm between the macro-economic priorities set out in the first World Bank Update and the scant coverage of those issues in the second, presumably because things are not going well. The longer-term requirement, however, is that the World Bank must not only keep the PNG Treasurer happy, it has to maintain its own professional standards around analytical rigour and honesty for on-going policy credibility. In the modern era of geopolitics, one would hope that a distinguishing feature in the value sets being offered between a one-party state political system and a democratic political system is frank, public assessments of what is going on. That is why democracies have (or should have) Auditor-General offices and Public Accounts Committees with public reports. These internal institutions should be re-enforced by independent international institutions such as the World Bank. Looking forward, the World Bank should be more open and balanced in its assessments to support both its international policy advisor role as well a role in encouraging accountable democracies.
One would have expected the second World Bank PNG Update to reflect on the key priorities set out in its first Update of just over a year ago. So how did things go? The following paragraphs are straight out of the press release for the last World Bank PNG Update in December 2017.
How has the 100 day Economic Stimulus Plan gone?
How has the 2018 Budget intent gone?
How has the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy gone?
How has the Medium-Term Revenue Plan gone?
How have plans to disentangle government spending from volatile resource revenues gone?
How have plans to establish the Sovereign Wealth Fund gone?
How have efforts gone to contain wage bill costs?
What is remarkable in the January 2019 Update is the lack of reference yet alone analysis of these key issues identified in the December 2017 Update. In just over a year, the World Bank has retreated from its own benchmarks. The next section provides some analysis which should have been incorporated into the January Update.
The 100 day plan is mentioned in one footnote reference (footnote 13 on page 9). Of course, even the PNG Government now calls this the "25 point plan" as the 100 day target set by Treasurer Abel was unrealistic. Did the World Bank analyse progress on the 25 points of this plan? Short answer is no. If it had done so, the answer would have been a very mixed bag indeed. Partly this reflects poor fiscal performance (for example, the plan aimed for a 30% debt to GDP ratio in 2017 but that has now been put off until 2021 and the 2.5% deficit was only achieved by not paying some wages and public works bills in 2017), an excessively ambitious timeframe (for example, it was expected that early works would have commenced on Wafi-Golpu, PNG LNG, and even Western LNG), partly that elements of the initial plan were bad policy (such as the rice import quota scheme) and partly this reflects poor governance performance (such as audited accounts from SOEs not being available and lack of wage controls). There were some achievements, such as securing foreign exchange financing, publishing plans (although issues with quality and implementation), temporary reduction in DSIP and PSIP (then over-ruled by the Prime Minister) and solid progress on a number of donor-funded proposals. More analysis would have been appropriate.
The 2018 Budget fiscal target was 1% (using the new measure put forward by Treasurer Abel of the "non-resource primary balance as a share of non-resource GDP") but this blew-out to 2.7% (or 2.9% using IMF GDP numbers). The 2018 Budget displayed the new Treasurer's planning heritage as it included three medium-term planning elements (fiscal strategy, revenue strategy and debt strategy). These looked fine on paper, but the challenge in PNG has always been about actual implementation. Assessing implementation against the plans should have been a feature of the report. As it did not do so, the following analysis covers some relevant issues.
The Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy (MTFS) is discussed in the January Update including a summary of the 8 key targets. As stated in the latest report "As part of the MTFS framework, the fiscal rules were specified….These fiscal rules were built around a new fiscal anchor, the non-resource primary balance (NRPB) which the government targets to bring to a zero-average balance over the medium term." So how has the government gone against this new "fiscal anchor"? Short answer, and an uncomfortable one for the World Bank, is that it has not been going well. This is probably best illustrated in the following "Figure 9" from the report. From 2014 to 2017 expenditure has been cut faster than falling revenues so the fiscal deficit had been reduced from an unsustainable 6.6% of non-resource GDP down to 1.6%. The new strategy – as set out in the 2018 Budget and confirmed in the 2019 Budget Strategy released in September 2019 was that this solid black line was going to fall to 1.0% in 2018 and 0.7% in 2019. The graph shows the 2019 Budget estimates those figures have increased to 2.8% and 2.7%, a massive turnaround of K1 billion in 2018 and K1.3 billion in 2019. Remembering that total estimated expenditure in 2019 is just over K16 billion, these are major expenditure blow-outs relative to fiscal targets. When judging how the government was performing against the actual intent of the 2018 budget and actual progress against the MTFS, there is little doubt there has been a major breach of intent. Showing a dotted trend line going down, and not showing the original targets in Figure 9, is another example of the Dr Jekyll, nice person World Bank in this report.
So what possible reasons did the World Bank give for this major breach of 2018 Budget intent and the MTFS? The World Bank's discussion of this "policy deviation" is possibly most rationally explained by "the renewed focus on fiscal consolidation resulted in a sharp contraction in the fiscal deficit in 2017. However, this drove an increase in arrears, which necessitated a correction in the 2018 Budget". The figure on these estimated arrears is K948.1 million by the end of October 2018 (a figure provided to the World Bank from the PNG government). Is this a credible explanation? Probably for 2018 – the government received nearly an extra K1 billion from the unexpected increase in LNG prices in the first 10 months of 2018. It is reasonable that unpaid contractor, wage, school, Provincial, District and other bills left over from 2017 received priority call on these windfall funds. This is a feasible explanation for the K994 million blow-out in the MTFS deficit target for 2018. But it does not explain at all the K1,301 million blow-out in the deficit target for 2019, or the K1,106 million blow-out in the following three years.
This extraordinary and unconvincing discussion of the fiscal consolidation concludes with the following very trusting statement: "The indicative medium-term budget framework for 2020-23 indicates that the government is committed to its MTFS targets for bringing the NRPB to a zero-average level". Of course, the 2019 Budget Strategy commitments did not last for even two months. And getting the average to the zero level by 2025 (the MTFS target) would just require budget surpluses of K3.6 billion in 2024 and K4.0 billion in 2025 – levels never achieved in PNG's history. "Now that sounds likely to me" says Dr Jekyll. "Get your head out of the sand" says Mr Hyde.
Given the importance of the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS), there is very little analysis of progress. However, Figure 8 from the Update indicates things are not improving as hoped – indeed, the actual non-resource tax effort continues to decline rather than increasing strongly. This is shown by the figures in the yellow parts of the following figure – falling from 15.2% of GDP in 2015 to 13.0% of GDP in 2019. Declining non-resource tax revenues are one of the greatest economic challenges facing PNG. The lack of discussion of this failure, even to acknowledge that the original targets were unrealistic and that these institutional issues take a long time to turnaround, is a major omission. One can only assume this was a deliberate choice.
This objective is strongly linked to items 3. and 6. The reason for moving the main budget deficit target to the "non-resource balance" is exactly this objective of disentangling expenditure from the resource volatility. This new objective excluded resource revenues from the base – they would go into the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) or used to repay debt. However, as covered in item 3, the government has completely abandoned this objective for 2019 and spent all of the expected windfall LNG revenues. With oil prices now well below their level at the time of the 2019 Budget, the government has likely gone and spent money it is now unlikely to receive.
How have plans to establish the Sovereign Wealth Fund gone? Badly. In part this is because the government has spent the LNG revenue windfall of 2018 (and expected for 2019). The only mention of the Sovereign Wealth Fund in the entire report (apart from it being mentioned three times in the reproduction of the MTFS) is in the discussion of "downside risks" where the World Bank simply states "To strengthen fiscal and debt sustainability the government should adhere to the adopted non-resource primary fiscal balance as a fiscal anchor and operationalise the established sovereign wealth fund". Bottom line is that it has not been operationalised.
Public service wage costs are taking an increasing proportion of the government's budget. In 2016, there was a K470.1 million over-expenditure. The 2017 FBO released in March 2018 indicated the over-expenditure had dropped to only K113.2 million relative to the 2017 Supplementary Budget, and an overall K354.8 million (or 8.8%) higher than the 2016 actual. However, the 2018 MYEFO indicated the government had carried forward excess wage costs from 2017 of at least a further K417m (paid on 4 January 2018 and described as "to offset salary overrun" – p93) – so the 2017 wage over-run was in fact worse than 2016, a fact hidden by the 2017 FBO . In addition, the major expenditure increase in the 2018 Supplementary Budget was an extra K0.6 billion in wage costs – lifting 2018 wage costs estimates from K4.1 billion to K4.7 billion. Even then, the PNG opposition claims the K4.7 billion figure is understated by K0.4 billion based on the government's own public service expenditure review committee. This is not a picture of wage costs being brought under control. There are some positive signs that some agencies are finally being amalgamated, but overall, there remains a huge gap between the rhetoric in this area and action.
The friendly Dr Jekyll characteristics of the first half of the report extends to comments on the costs of APEC. It uses the formal budget figures for APEC of K715 million, adds in the APEC Haus tax credit of K120 million, then notes some extra bilateral support, and concludes using the Post Courier as the authoritative source that "the total cost for hosting APEC events is estimated to be about K1 billion". The basic arithmetic suggests the total level of external bilateral support for hosting APEC was K165 million (K1 billion less 715m less 120m). Mmmm, all those Chinese funded roads. Australia says its spent AUS130 (K310 million) on security support alone. Add US, New Zealand and other support. Add the various infrastructure facilities upgraded for APEC such as the international airport. Add in all of the other costs carried by usual departmental budgets. Given sensitive political perceptions around "Maseratigate", the World Bank should not have put its name to such an inaccurately low figure. This is one of the clearest signs of the World Bank being focused on relationship building with the Treasurer, and possibly to help correct some of the political pain caused to the Government with an earlier IMF report simply reporting an initial PNG government estimate that APEC costs would exceed K3 billion.
The PNG Government is in breach of its debt strategy. The World Bank report includes figures showing gross public debt to GDP will exceed the ceiling of 35% of GDP from 2017 to 2021. This is part of the game being played around GDP figures – discussed in greater detail in earlier articles.
The World Bank is predicting a GDP growth rate of 5.1% in 2019. In understanding this figure, one needs to understand three characteristics of GDP growth rates. First, and this is the key issue in understanding what is happening in PNG's dualistic economy, it is vital to separate out how the non-resource sector is going (this is the part of the economy which employs over 95% of the population) from how the resource sector is going (of most relevance to overseas investors apart from tax revenues). The non-resource sector is expected to grow at 2.4% in 2019, essentially the same as in 2018 (2.3%). This is less than the official population growth rate – so incomes will continue falling in real terms per person. Second, growth rates are an annual measurement. So 2018 was a bad year for the resource sector because of the tragic earthquake – and non-resource growth was minus 2.0%. Simply getting back to where things were in 2017 would have meant a positive growth figure of over 2% – but this simply reflects the statistical "bounce" from an annual growth figure. If a two year time horizon is used, the resource sector has grown by 0.3% per annum since 2017 and the non-resource sector has grown by 2.3% per annum. So the underlying growth path is still low – the 5.1% figure is the inevitable statistical bounce. Third, some commentators have suggested the increase is due to higher commodity prices. This is a common mis-perception. Real GDP aims to take out all price effects – so the increase in oil and LNG prices is actually taken out of the real growth in underlying production levels. There can be second round effects (such as higher commodity prices increasing government revenues which increase expenditure which can lift GDP growth rates).
As noted above, the January 2019 World Bank Update is remarkable in its lack of reference yet alone analysis of the seven key macro-economic issues identified in the December 2017 Update. In just over a year, the World Bank has retreated from its own benchmarks. APEC cost figures add to this picture of the World Bank being at worst a spokesperson for the O'Neill government, at best simply being a friendly Dr Jekyll. The historic context suggests this Update is primarily about building a positive relationship with PNG's Treasurer, Charles Abel. It certainly is not a report carrying the policy judgements and analytical rigour one would expect from the World Bank. A short-term focus damages the World Bank's longer-term credibility.
PNG's economic statistics have been corrupted.
Even the most basic economic statistic of "how big is the PNG economy" has been manipulated to tell stories convenient to the O'Neill/Abel government.
An extra-ordinary gap of 18% (so nearly one-fifth) has opened between the PNG Government's measure of the size of the economy (economists call this "Gross Domestic Product" or GDP) and independent outside observers led by the International Monetary Fund. Half of this gap emerged in 2015 when PNG's own National Statistics Office (NSO), with assistance from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), said the economy was actually 9% smaller than claims by the PNG Treasurer.
The gap in this most basic economic measure is 34% (or one-third) by 2023. Specifically, the PNG Government claims the PNG economy will reach K125 billion while the IMF estimates it will more realistically reach 93 billion in 2023. The difference is driven by the IMF using the actual NSO GDP estimates for 2015, and doubts about the O'Neill/Abel governments claimed rate of PNG's economic growth.
The NSO 2015 GDP figure was released on 9 March 2018. This date marks the clearest point from which the government started manipulating statistics – although there have been questionable practices in the past. The initial NSO release only included high level GDP information but indicated more details would be provided shortly. This never happened. Apparently, also with ABS assistance, 2016 GDP data was also prepared. This also has not been released.
The official attempt to explain the 9% difference in 2015 is lamentable and filled with basic errors. The blame is put on a new "price index". However, one does not even use a price index when determining nominal GDP and the 9% gap is in nominal GDP. A price index is used for determining real GDP and differences in price methodology can have an impact. However, the government had been happy to use the new NSO price index for the eight years 2007 to 2014 when it was politically convenient. They just didn't want to use the same price index for the ninth and tenth years of 2015 and 2016 when the results were politically inconvenient (details below).
The government has used the involvement of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to boost its own economic credibility – and it did so again in the 2019 Budget. However, when discussing ABS support for better GDP figures, the IMF notes "however, the ABS recently suspended its program due to increasingly uncertain NSO leadership and management, which threaten its current operations" (IMF 2018 Article IV p10). Given recent practices over the last year, this would seem a sensible approach from the ABS – there was a need to walk away to protect its own integrity. The International Monetary Fund is using the NSO figure for 2015 and presumably for 2016 – a fact that must greatly irritate the O'Neill government.
• A higher GDP growth figure in the out-years counters the PNG Opposition's call for an improvement in PNG economic growth rate.
The growing errors and half-truths in PNG's economic statistics can no longer be explained away simply by technical errors. The pattern is now clearly one of manipulating figures to fit the government's economic narrative. The credibility of PNG's economic statistics – whether the size of the economy, economic growth rates, employment levels or budget outcomes – has plummeted. Let's now call a spade a spade – the corruption of PNG's political system has spread to its economic statistics.
I now predict that official PNG government figures will indicate, no matter what the actual truth, that the 2018 budget outcome exceeded its targets and that growth will become more positive. The government's internal, overly optimistic narrative based on false figures will limit action on underlying economic issues such as a mis-priced exchange rate, poor micro-economic policies such as growing protectionism, dangerous approaches towards increasing foreign commercial debt to over 50% of its public debt, and ignoring business concerns about the 23 January anti-investment business regulation.
Greece went down a similar path of manipulating its economic statistics to hide growing budgetary and other problems from Brussels. It did not end well. Given its current leadership, possibly it is not that surprising that PNG is heading down a similar slippery slope where statistics give way to political convenience. I fear the outcomes will be worse than the Greek experience. PNG's institutions will struggle to turn the economy around when it is so far off course and its economic compass of genuine statistics has been so seriously corrupted.


text:
Conviction of Myanmar journalists a blow to human rights and democracy: Freeland
Published September 3, 2018 Updated September 3, 2018
This article was published more than 2 years ago. Some information in it may no longer be current.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says the conviction of two Reuters journalists for covering the Rohingya crisis undermines the rule of law and freedom of the press in Myanmar.
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced Monday to seven years in prison for illegally possessing government documents in a guilty verdict Freeland says is not supported by the facts in the case.
In a statement issued Monday, Freeland says Canada is joining the international chorus calling for their immediate release.
Freeland says the verdict in the case "seriously jeopardizes" the idea of democracy in Myanmar, which requires the ability to report facts without fear of retaliation, violence or imprisonment.
The two journalists were reporting on a massacre of the Rohingya people by the Myanmar military in 2017 and say they were framed by police.
The United Kingdom and the United States have also condemned the verdicts as have numerous international human rights organizations.
British Prime Minister Theresa May also called for the journalists' release, while the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar issued a statement saying there were "clear flaws" in the case and that the verdict was "deeply troubling."
Freeland, who herself worked for Reuters before her political career, said Canada will use every opportunity to stand up for human rights and freedom of expression.
"This verdict gravely undermines the rule of law and freedom of the press in Myanmar, and betrays the decades-long struggle by the Myanmar people for democracy," Freeland said in a written statement issued by her office.
"Today's ruling does not reflect the facts of the case."
Former Liberal leader Bob Rae, Canada's special envoy to Myanmar to investigate the Rohingya crisis, said the courage of the two journalists is "worthy of the world's praise and attention."
"They were doing their job, and were framed by security forces, on the evidence as heard in court," he said on Twitter.
United Nations Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said Myanmar should "immediately and unconditionally" release the two journalists along with any other journalists being held in Myanmar for exercising their legitimate right to free expression.
"Their conviction sends a message to all journalists in Myanmar that they cannot operate fearlessly," she said.
The Rohingya are a stateless people who lived primarily in Rakhine State on Myanmar's west coast. A majority of them are Muslim and have faced repeated persecution, including military crackdowns that began in 2016. An estimated 900,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape the violence.
In his final report to Parliament earlier this year Rae called on Canada to increase humanitarian aid for the Rohingya and express a willingness to accept Rohingya refugees who wish to move to Canada.
Myanmar draws global condemnation for prison sentence of journalists
Demonstrators call on Myanmar to release Reuters journalists
Verdict postponed in Reuters journalists case as pressure mounts on Myanmar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


NEW ORLEANS – A woman claims that she was filmed naked while having surgery.
Comma Selitha Jones filed a lawsuit May 22 against Dr. Alireza Sadeghi, The Aesthetic and Reconstructive Breast Center LLC and Uptown Plastic Surgery Inc. in Orleans Parish Civil District Court alleging invasion of privacy.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff was a survivor of breast cancer and decided to have surgery for the reconstruction of her breasts. The suit states that the plaintiff was a patient of the defendant March 6, 2015, when the incident occurred. The defendant allegedly took video of the plaintiff, naked, while she was unconscious. The defendant then allegedly sent the footage to his friends, causing extreme invasion of the plaintiff's privacy and exposure of her.
The defendant is accused of invasion of privacy, infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and overall negligence.
The plaintiff seeks all reasonable damages, court costs, attorney fees and all appropriate relief. The plaintiff is represented by attorney Inemesit U. O'Boyle of Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, Murray, Recile, Griffith, Stakelum & Hayes LLP in Metairie.
Orleans Parish Civil District Court case number 2017-4932.


Repurposed candle from discarded Bundaberg Ginger Beer bottle. Scent is Oakmoss + Amber. Absolutely no endorsement or affiliation with original bottle manufacturer, this is an upcycled product created from a discarded bottle.


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text:
NASCAR Woman Mechanic Liz Prestella Creates Clothing Line
By Macy Meyer
Liz Prestella held up two lug nuts to the Zoom screen as she sat in living room in Mooresville, North Carolina. One has the word "Cup race" scribbled on the side, and the other with "Bristol" is labeled in dark, black sharpie, standing out in perfect contrast with the shiny chrome shell.
Liz remembers the nerves of seeing the car pulling up to the pit lane during her first race and how she just wanted to prove to the pit crew she could do it as well.
Make it tight. Make it quick. Don't screw up.
She practiced for this moment for years, but she still worried about falling on her face as she attempted to change a NASCAR tire in under 12 seconds.
In the literal sense, the two lug nuts symbolize the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race she ever worked as a tire changer and the years she hustled to finally work full time in NASCAR Cup Series, the top racing series. They remind her of where she started as a tire changer and where she is now a tire specialist, giving orders to the pit crew.
However, for Liz, they hold more meaning than just fond memories from a NASCAR racetrack — it reminds her that when she first started changing tires in 2012, she was one of the first women to ever work in a NASCAR pit crew.
Even now, as a full-time tire specialist for JTG Daugherty Racing, Liz often finds herself the only woman on the race track.
"I kept those as little mementos for what I did," Liz said. "I'm one of the few girls that's ever actually changed tires in NASCAR."
From passion to obsession
When Liz was little, she always found refuge in the garage of her home in Lake Nevada, California. As the youngest of three girls, Liz, however, spent most of her time in the garage between the men of the family and a vehicle, studying the way they worked.
"Liz always loved to hang out and watch her father, both grandfathers and uncle working on cars in the garage," Jeanne Prestella, Liz's mother, said. "It wasn't long before she was watching races on weekends with dad."
Therefore, when Liz chose auto shop as her elective in high school, Jeanne and Alton, Liz's father, weren't surprised. As a child, Liz was always taking apart toys to find out how they worked, and the parents can remember Liz's shinning eyes when she attended her first NASCAR race at 12 years old.
This passion was quickly turned into an obsession.
Liz, with Alton and a copy of a Summit Racing book, would spend hours tinkering with her 1988 Camaro, studying every auto part from piston to camshaft for her favorite class. It was during Mr. Patterson's auto shop class that 15-year-old Liz realized she wanted a career in racing.
It was a complete leap of faith, however, for Liz, a native of a Northern California town that held no opportunities for auto racing, especially as a woman, to get into this industry.
"Our biggest fear was how we could help her find a way to be successful in her dreams," Alton said. "We knew nothing of the industry."
Liz took her chance, though. She moved 2,500 miles from Northern California to the heart of the auto racing industry in Western North Carolina. She worked her way through the NASCAR Technical Institute and through the NASCAR divisions, starting from an internship with Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing in the Truck Series and pushing forward to the highest level.
"When I started, there wasn't nearly as much diversity as there is now," Liz said. "I worked hard and people started having more and more respect for me. And it was more just me proving myself. I had to prove myself more than the guys would because there's not a lot of girls."
Liz loved her job, and she worked hard. Her only complain was about the workwear.
Liz had it enough after watching her phone tumble out of her pocked for what felt the hundredth time. On one occasion, her pants ripped in the back so she has to spend the rest of her workday with duct tape keeping them together.
Liz knew there was a huge issue: there was no clothing suitable for women in NASCAR.
Liz spent years wearing oversized men's coveralls through high school and her training years. She just assumed NASCAR, with its network and funding, would have more options for women working in the crew. A few pairs of ripped pants later, she decided to fix the problem herself.
Liz didn't even know where to start, but she knew there was a problem and she needed it fixed. For this purpose, she googled clothing factories, started drawing up designs and researched fabrics and cuts until she could design the perfect clothing line for women in the auto industry.
Liz always loved sewing and designing. She even made her own prom dresses just because she could, but she never knew it would help her to start a business in 2017: Torq'd Clothing.
Kaylynn Simmons was astonished when she first saw the posting on Facebook promoting Torq'd.
Finally, she thought.
As a clutch specialist for Top Fuel in The IndyCar Series, she was just thrilled someone felt her pain through years of wardrobe malfunctions.
"A lot of the girls' pants don't hold up to what we put ourselves through, and I was constantly buying guys pants," Simmons said. "I told [Liz] how badass it was that she was finally doing something that was so monumental."
Torq'd has expanded from just the automotive industry, giving women welders, construction workers and other trades the comfort they need in their work. In a larger sense, it's creating resources for women in male-dominated industries.
"I think that the more resources women have and the fact that there's uniforms for them, it's gonna encourage women to be like, 'you know, I can do it too,'" Liz said. "I'm hoping that Torq'd can make women feel like they can be a part of automotive or trades or welding."
Liz remembers the special feeling in her heart when a young girl approached her at a race asking how she can be like Liz.
Her heart warmed. That one moment was worth all the battles, all the trials and tribulations, all the effort she put into proving that she was just as capable as the men next to her. It has always been her dream to break barriers for the next generation of young women. She felt triumphant knowing she was proving women can, and should, be in NASCAR.
"I definitely want to be an inspiration for young girls to see that they can do it," Liz said. "The way I look at it is if I have a tough time, then it makes it that much easier for women down the road, so I have to break this mold or break the stereotype. I've always wanted to be that person that made a difference."
"And if it's me making a difference for women and racing, then I'll happily do whatever it takes."
Edited by Wendy Jin
Posted on April 29, 2021 April 29, 2021 Author Categories Uncategorized
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text:
package tfidf;

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;

public class IndexManager {

	Map<String, IndexEntry> index;
	Set<String> docIDSet;
	Set<String> stopWordSet;

	public IndexManager(Set<String> stopWordSet) {
		this.index = new HashMap<String, IndexEntry>();
		this.docIDSet = new HashSet<String>();
		this.stopWordSet = stopWordSet;
	}

	public void addTokenList(Map<String, Integer> tokenList, String docID) {
		for (String temp : tokenList.keySet()) {
			int doctf = tokenList.get(temp);
			if (index.containsKey(temp)) {
				index.get(temp).addDoc(docID, doctf);
			} else {
				IndexEntry newIndexEntry = new IndexEntry(temp);
				newIndexEntry.addDoc(docID, doctf);
				index.put(temp, newIndexEntry);
			}
		}
		if (!docIDSet.contains(docID))
			docIDSet.add(docID);

	}

	public void calculateIdf() {
		for (String temp : index.keySet()) {
			IndexEntry ie = index.get(temp);
			ie.calculateIdf(docIDSet.size());
		}
	}

	public List<RankItem> searchCommand(int num_docs,
			String[] keyword_list) {
		// calculate the weight
		CalculateWeight myCalculateWeight = new CalculateWeight();
		List<RankItem> rankedList = myCalculateWeight.GetRankedList(index,
				keyword_list, num_docs);
		return rankedList;

	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sara joins an online registry for donor conceived people and meets Jennifer, who was conceived at the same clinic, in the same year. The two women discover a number of similarities (height, seasonal allergies, a penchant for psychics) and decide to take a DNA test to see if they? e half-sisters. When they meet in Hawaii to determine the results, Sara brings her camera and for nearly two years after, documents their shared hunt for information. Jennifer spends hours every day on the computer, toggling between DNA and ancestry databases, while Sara seeks out the edges of her family story--traveling up the coast of California to visit her non-biological, bird-watching father and across the country to her home state of North Carolina? here she makes a personal request of an elderly aunt, visits her mother? graveside, and asks her mother? longtime boyfriend what he knew about the donor. THANK YOU FOR COMING makes unexpected connections between the wild roots of a banyan tree, the lonesome shadow of a kite, and the comedic potential of a turkey baster. It's both a genealogical detective story and a funny, poetic meditation on love, loss, friendship, and family. Great performance from Robert Sheehan, Rory Culkin and Mary Beth Peil. The latter plays Rory Culkin's grandma, with an interesting romantic affair with Robert Sheehan who plays Culkin's best friend. Sheehan shines so well in this coming-of-age film peppered with great soundtrack.
Malcolm McDowell has a good time as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Heyes directed the features Kitten with a Whip (1964) with AnnMargret's star rising, and the remake of Beau Geste (1966) starring Doug McClure and Telly Savalas. The Lonely Profession starred Harry Guardino as a trenchcoat-clad San Francisco detective on a case that takes him into mansions and alleys. Heyes wrote the source novel, The Twelfth of Never, and adapted it for Universal TV, casting the support with Joseph Cotten, Barbara McNair, Jack Carter, Dean Jagger, Ina Balin, Dina Merrill, Troy Donahue, and Fernando Lamas. Certainly Heyes's most personal effort, this was a pilot that never went to series. In Powderkeg, set just after the turn of the twentieth century, two mercenaries are sent into Mexico to hijack a train with hostages back from Mexican hijackers and bring it into the United States as both governments warily sanction the plan. Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole play the rehijackers, and the picture manages to both have its tongue in cheek and its action big-style, reflecting the title. Lamas, John McIntire, Tisha Sterling, Melodie Johnson, and Luciana Paluzzi co-star. Drive Hard, Drive Fast was a racecar drama starring Flipper top-liner Brian Kelly and a then-slumming Joan Collins; Heyes filmed it in 1969, but it wasn't released until 1973, when the need for movie-of-the-week programming was at a high. Captains and the Kings was a big miniseries derived from Taylor Caldwell's novel about the American immigrant experience leading to great wealth and many intrigues. Richard Jordan topped a cast including Blair Brown, Patty Duke, Henry Fonda, Vic Morrow, John Houseman, Perry King, Ray Bolger, John Carradine, Burl Ives, Jane Seymour, Barbara Parkins, Ford Rainey, and dozens more. Heyes was the guiding force behind the teleplay, shared the directing with Allen Reisner, and was the man most responsible for this miniseries' success. The nine-hour show won Emmy Awards for Duke and cinematographer Ric Waite, and received eight nominations, including for outstanding limited series, and for composer Elmer Bernstein, Jordan, Seymour, Charles Durning, and the art direction.
satoday. om Amway Coaches Poll: Michigan State football moves up, Michigan is out rssfeeds. reep. om Top Alabama newspaper: Voters must reject Moore thehill. om. Kia Nurse scored 21 points to lead six UConn players in double figures as the top-ranked Huskies beat No. 15 Maryland 97-72. UConn improved to 3-0, with every win coming by at least 25 points against Top 25 competition. Gabby Williams had an unusual triple-double for Connecticut: The senior had 15 points, 11 rebounds, but committed 10 turnovers. Duke transfer Azura Stevens had 18 points and 12 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 forward made her first start for UConn in place of All-American Katie Lou Samuelson, who sprained her left foot in Friday night's game against Cal. "It's definitely fun feeling back in the groove," said Stevens, who had 24 double-doubles in her two seasons as a Blue Devil. "I definitely feel more comfortable with each game that is played.
We randomly split the sample into two groups to evaluate and validate the psychometric models. We conducted further psychometric assessments using item response theory (IRT), including assessments of item and scale fit to Samejimaa? graded response model (GRM), local dependency and differential item functioning. Results Initial CFA results indicated a poor fit to the model and Mokken analysis revealed 3 items which did not conform to the same dimension as the rest of the items. We removed the 3 items and fit the remaining 17 items to GRM. We found no evidence of differential item functioning (DIF) between age and gender groups. Estimates of the level of CES-D trait score provided by the simulated CAT algorithm and the original CES-D trait score derived from original scale were correlated highly. The second CAT simulation conducted using real participant data demonstrated higher precision at the higher levels of depression spectrum. Conclusions Depression assessments using the CES-D CAT can be more accurate and efficient than those made using the fixed-length assessment. From several powerful validation techniques, all indications so far show that stellar radius estimates from the asteroseismic scaling relations are accurate to within a few percent. Eclipsing binary systems hosting at least one star with detectable solar-like oscillations constitute the ideal test objects for validating asteroseismic radius and mass inferences. We compare the masses and radii of 10 red giants (RGs) obtained by combining radial velocities and eclipse photometry with the estimates from the asteroseismic scaling relations. We find that the asteroseismic scaling relations overestimate RG radii by about 5% on average and masses by about 15% for stars at various stages of RG evolution.
Meanwhile he also appreciated the role of political, social activists and the common population for the great cause. Meanwhile, Dy CM, Dr. Nirmal Singh, Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Minister Priya Sethi, MLA Rajesh Gupta participated in a programme organized at the Town Hall, Jammu in the shape of a "Jagrukta Rally". Ranjeet Kalra Vice- Chairman District sports council Jammu was the Guest of Honour on the occasion. Arvind Gupta, BJP State Treasurer, Nalin Mahajan, Gourav Arora President (PSAJK) and Navneet Mahajan, Son of late Sh. D. K. Mahajan also graced the occasion. Sat Sharma, while addressing the participants and the gathering on the occasion, said that the introduction of new sports event is always a welcome step in the growth of a society as it helps in the setting up a healthy sports cultures in the youth of area, which in turns helps to nurture the feeling of working together, healthy competition, more energy filled population, better working force for the Nation and everything what one can think for a progressed Nation. He applauded the role of the organizers for the event and said that they must always plan new ways to promote sports culture in the society. Sat Sharma also correlated it to the safety of women in society, he said that while we are promoting "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" in society, we must also promote the girls to learn these type of arts for their self defence, as they can go a long way in their security in certain hostile conditions and help in reducing the number of atrocities against them as this is a wonderful art, not just to fight, but to defend oneself. He was also informed by the organizers that the children from the age of 6 years can join the game and one can start to practice it even at the ripe age of near 25 years. Sat Sharma also appealed to all to contribute in the ongoing Swacchta Abhiyaan, and pledge on the birth anniversary of great leaders, Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, that they will do everything for the growth and the progress of the Nation.
Prokhanov went into hiding in the forest for months, but it turned out that no one was actually looking for him. The Day was closed by the authorities, but Prokhanov was allowed almost immediately to open a successor newspaper, Zavtra (Tomorrow). The remarkable turn of events showed how Yeltsin changed strategy: after killing a significant number of the opposition, he now moved to co-opt them, holding elections in which he allowed the Communist Party to participate, following which he allowed the rebel plotters to be amnestied. Yeltsin also pushed through a new constitution, creating in effect a super-presidency that emasculated parliament and gave the post-1993 status quo legal form. Following the October 1993 confrontation, the opposition was never again able (or inclined) to challenge Yeltsin on any matter of substance. The terrible power of the state was reborn once again in the hands of the Kremlin. Now that state had revealed itself only too clearly outside Ostankino and the White House. It was every bit the unblinking methodical killer that the old Soviet Union had been. But the conflict of 1993 changed the ruling equation in Russia. The shelling of parliament both strengthened Yeltsin and crippled him at the same time. His approval rating plummeted from 59 per cent to 3 per cent, and the Communists and Liberal Democrats swept the next parliamentary elections to comprise the bulk of the opposition to Yeltsin. Zhirinovsky's Liberal Democrats were rewarded for their decision to stay neutral in the uprising, enjoying the Kremlin's good offices and favourable TV coverage. Winning a quarter of the votes cast for party lists, the LDPR won so many seats, in comparison to its small membership, that even bodyguards found themselves on the list of deputies; when even that was not enough, they took some Communist Party deputies from Zyuganov's election list.
Navy Weeks show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant Navy presence. (U. . Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Frank E. Venlet and the Sailors are in town to help promote Chicago Navy Week, one of 20 Navy Weeks planned across America in 2008. Krept And Konan's New Album is OUT NOW: (iTunes - ) (Google Play - ) (Signed CD - ). While watching an episode of KUWTK, a fan noticed Kim always has a calm demeanour, no matter what the situation. While Kim agreed, she did reveal the one time she is never calm and composed. The UK will best know Ryan from his time on the thirteenth series of The X Factor, when he was chosen by Nicole Scherzinger to represent the boys category along with Freddy Parker and eventual winner Matt Terry; however, he was eliminated in sixth place. The boys are all super inspirational, and really care about their music and their fanbase. Later at the match, SRK and Atlee sat next to each other, much to the surprise of all who've been speculating about their collaboration. Sources close to Atlee have confirmed that a project with SRK is in the offing; however, it won't be a remake of Mersal. Disney changed the theme of the ride in May 2017 from the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission.
His first feature-length screenplay was Severance, a horror movie starring Laura Harris and Danny Dyer. He loves movies, TV, reading, photography, and documentaries about things that explode. The research turned him vegetarian, making the book a cautionary statement on the growing human appetite for flesh. He still collects comics (mostly DC and definitely Wonder Woman ), he founded the member-rich Bionic Fan Network ( ) and an ambitious online Bionic encyclopedia, The Bionic Wiki ( ), he's the webmaster of The Omen Chronicles, the only fansite devoted to the Omen film series ( ), and he's developing -- a social networking site where people can upload their own audio commentaries for their favorite movies and TV shows. He has performed on local and regional stages and has appeared in or voiced local, independent, and industrial films and commercials. An avid supporter of PEG (Public, Educational, Government) television, he has produced nationally-recognized media and serves on a board of directors. He currently pushes pencils and taps keyboards in the home and business alarm industry. He likened it to their experience twenty years earlier on the public access show, The Chronic Rift. It only seemed natural to record the experience and make it a podcast. This is the first episode from September 2008 and it basically sets up what the gang hoped to accomplish with the podcast. This episode features both a Roundtable and an In Review segment and was originally only supposed to be released once a month. The size proved too much and it was agreed that the two portions would become episodes of their own. From there, the Spotlight episodes were then created.
Brother in law Frank and godmother Monica they want to buy cutout of two dinosaurs jutikozaur. Nainsi has a a holiday variation of a toy jefferson nickels 2050 caps album new. I found Sharp Shopper on Keener Lane Etowah Attalla. For 6 summer boys tomorrow will be production My Cousin Vinny z 1992 or Legion. From the last moment sniper ghost warrior 2 year classifieds Metairie. For 3 years old a recommendation that filming Wildest Arctic as well as Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap. Where inRimouski get lego batman 2 dc super heroes assinatura quimica. Ability to analyze and interpret she made millions legal provisions. Why girls do not play games is Education-marked sale adapted for 16-year-old girls. Eva ullmann humor. When I passed by 20 expensive additions to the jacket in Apia i got a discount on. Godson Cody and cousin Amelie they chose for us dinosaur made of metal Therosaurus mantellir. Watching 8 reputable pubs in Ouagadougou some teenager bought juzhen konungowie volume 3 punishment.


McMorran Place annually hosts hundreds of successful conventions, trade shows, concerts, movies, banquets, wedding receptions, ice shows, professional theatre tours, corporate meetings and seminars.
The three building complex consists of the arena, the pavilion and the theatre. It offers up to 48,000 sq. ft. of unobstructed exhibition space. Amenities include state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and full theatrical draping.


A few weeks ago, we reported that Cheddar Gorge climbing was at risk from thoughtless climbers breaking the agreed access arrangements.
However, there have been further cases of climbers using crags outside of the agreed summer areas. Last weekend (31 May - 1 June) Cheddar Caves & Gorge (CC&G) staff had to approach eight groups who were climbing within the restricted areas.
This is unfortunate and follows a great bank holiday weekend the week before, when all climbers in the Gorge were only using crags that were open within the access agreement.
Hopefully last weekend was a one-off situation. Irritation at CC&G is rising, understandably, due to the amount of staff time being used up dealing with the problem, and the potential risk to the public below.
If there isn't a big improvement to the situation, there is now a serious risk that CC&G could withdraw the permissive access they allow climbers to the South Side crags for everything other than the winter season.
The BMC is working with CC&G to try to do everything we can to make climbers aware of the access restrictions. CC&G do not want signs up marking the restricted areas at this time as they don't like excess signage within the gorge which would impact on the aesthetics of the place. We are exploring other options with them but, ultimately, it's up to all climbers to take responsibility and make sure we're not climbing where we shouldn't be.
If the climbing community isn't seen to improve our collective behaviour, the current good access we enjoy to the South Side could be lost for good.
Are there signs in place indicating that climbing is not allowed? Or is the expectation that people will use the internet prior to climbing there. If the former there is no excuse. If the latter then could I suggest that signs are placed as not everyone uses the internet to search for new information on climbing areas.
Not using the Internet is no excuse if you're not sure or you don't no don't climb! The dates are published in the cheddar gorge climbs guide and crag maps are easy to follow!!
Agreed. Don't want access restricted back to where we were before the present agreements. Then only the hardiest of souls climbed there in the cold winter months. Signs are not the answer just check the guide or ukc before going. There is no excuse for not being a responsible climber. Rtfm!
Could you define the long stay car parks a bit better? I've tended to park on the gravel sections higher in the Gorge, is that acceptable?
In terms of signage, no, there is not any. You should have a guide book which defines clearly all the access restrictions. Ignorance is not an excuse.


Motorstep is a UK family business and have designed & manufactured the Motorstep in England since 2013. Motorstep is a portable lifting platform designed to help the entry and exit of a caravan or motorhome with ease and confidence, giving independence back to the user. We are pleased to be exhibiting the Motorstep at the NEC show for the first time in February. Our family team will be on hand to offer advice to customers and a demonstration area for users to try out the Motorstep and experience how easy it makes entry and exiting a vehicle will also available.


text:
Čaklovac (Čaklovec) je utvrda u Hrvatskoj.

Smještaj
Nalazi se na sjevernim obroncima Psunja, na teško pristupačnoj strmini jednog brježuljka. U blizini se nalazi selo Dragović, a sjeverno od nje se nalazi cestovna prometnica koja vodi od Pakraca preko Kamengrada prema Požezi. Iz istog je razloga Čaklovec bio vrlo bitnim obrambenim objektom.

Povijest
Pretpostavlja se da je podignuta u 13. stoljeću. Vjerojatno je pripadala ivanovcima (hospitalcima) vranskog priorata.

Izvori iz 15. st. spominju ju pod imenom  Csáktornya. Povijesni spisi iz kasnijih vremena spominju ju i pod imenom Čakovec (istovjetno kao i hrvatski grad Čakovec!). Vremenom se došlo do današnjeg naziva. U tom istom razdoblju je sigurnost ove utvrde privukla obrtnike i trgovce, pa se tako pod utvrdom razvilo podgrađe (suburbium) koje je bilo snažno gospodarsko stjecište.
Upravno je pripadala Križevačkoj županiji, čija je bila najistočnija obrambena točka. Čaklovec je bio i mjestom najistočnijeg dosega kajkavštine u ovom dijelu Hrvatske. Nakon prvih dvaju desetljeća 16. stoljeća, mijenja vlasnika. Prvo to postaje ban Petar Keglević, zatim Franjo Tahy, pred polovicu stoljeća pala je pod tursku vlast.

Turskom vlašću Čaklovec gubi svoj gospodarski značaj i ostaje mu jedino vojni. Došao je na zao glas, jer su u njemu boravile age zla glasa zbog svoje nasilnosti i pljačkanja okolnog stanovništva. Najzloglasnijeg među njima ubio je mjesni hrvatski hajduk Franjo Ilinić.
Nakon što su Turci otišli u 17. st., značaj je vremenom opadao tako da je utvrda od onda propadala.

Osobine
Utvrda nije očuvana u cijelosti. Djelimice se sačuvala glavna kula koja je imala pet kutova. Bila je visoka pet katova. Unutra se nalaze ostatci gotičkog interijera. Glavna kula je bila i mjestom gdje se stanovalo.

Osim ovih, sačuvale su se još neke obrambene strukture: jarke, obrambeni zidovi i opkopi. Jugoistočno od utvrde nalazi se jarak velike dubine, poduprt jakim zidom. Razlog za to je taj što je dalje prema jugoistoku je poljana s koje je najmanje teško prići ovoj utvrdi. Iz istog razloga šiljak glavne kule je usmjeren prema ovoj poljani.

Izvori
Časopis Građevinar  Branko Nadilo: Obrambene građevine uz Savu i na zapadnim obroncima Psunja

Utvrde u Hrvatskoj

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Grace gained her degree at Leeds Arts University, and after interning at a few design agencies has been at Brandon for four years.
What made you want to be a designer?
I loved art and drawing from a young age & was always drawn to more graphic artists such as Paul Klee. I also really like the idea of problem solving so a career where I could blend creativity but within the confines of a brief or a problem to overcome was really appealing.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I normally find taking a walk either in the city or in the countryside very inspirational. It's good to take a break from the screen and it is where I get a lot of my ideas from.
What piece of work at Brandon are you most proud of and why?
The Horlicks brand refresh was one of my favourite projects to have been involved in for several reasons. It was a big step on from their previous design so it was really exciting to be able to work on a brand refresh where all the assets were up for grabs. I also love to illustrate when I get the chance so I really enjoyed drawing the scenes for the packaging as they were quite challenging but great fun. I can often be found re-arranging the brand in store and the standout on shelf is amazing.
What category would you love to work on that you have yet to do?
Alcohol – in particular premium spirits. It is a category I've always been interested in and excited about as it offers lots of potential for really creative ideas without some of the boundaries of everyday FMCG categories – the format, the finishes, all the craft, storytelling and detail.
Just for fun questions
Guilty pleasure: Listening to Justin Bieber
Fave movie: Lord of the Rings trilogy
Fave brand in the world : Tricky one. I have lots of favourites!
At the moment I would pick Gymshark – I admire the way the business has grown from operating out of the founder Ben Francis' bedroom through to the huge business it is today! I follow them on insta and like the way that they represent a diverse range of people and body shapes. They use fitness influencers for the majority of their marketing to speak to their core audience which is a modern and effective method.
You can take 3 things (not people) with you to a desert island what would they be:
Gin & tonic
Grace Buckley
Strategist Louise Kennedy's view on agency life from the perspective of a 'newbie'.


Noting that we have a NEW SUB-FORUM now named Kia Talk.
Please try to post all relevant posts in the stickies.
Sometimes it's worth flicking through the sticky (I would encourage this), rather than waiting for 12-24 hrs for a response that has already been stated in the sticky to other people. Saves YOU time, the answer is there, it just needs 5 mins of your time.
"Please post pictures of..." posts should go in Kia Talk unless there is a specific reason/problem you are trying to resolve. Pics do not = tech.


text:
BAE Systems Applied Intelligence 2023 Engineering & Physics Graduate Programme
Guildford, Gloucester, Chelmsford, UK
Computational science & software engineering, Engineering & instrumentation
Industry & business
Apply on website (This will open in a new window from which you will be automatically redirected to an external site after 5 seconds)
2023 Engineering & Physics Graduate Programme
Start Date: June or September 2023
Base location: Guildford, Gloucester or Chelmsford
Here at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, we are committed to helping governments, organisations and society navigate digital threats and opportunities. Whether it's leveraging data to digitally transform operations or securing organisations and nations from cyber threats, we combine our unrivalled security and engineering heritage to help our clients navigate the data-reliant digital landscape. As the cyber and intelligence arm of BAE Systems, we employ over 3,500 people across 15 countries in North America, APAC, Europe and the Middle East. With our distinguished heritage, we relish the opportunity to transform digital and data practices, defence, intelligence, security and society for government agencies, law enforcement, financial services, and critical infrastructure.
Everything we do creates a safer future. In the new age of cyber and digital threats, our people have a shared vision to protect the connected world. We are obsessed about solving problems for our customers; we bring together great minds that make a difference on a daily basis.
Role Profile
We are looking for graduates to work on developing innovative mission critical technology and products for our customers. Applications include high performance networking, space systems, software radios and underwater systems.
As a Graduate Engineer, you will be part of a project team who will coach you on the day to day skills required to work closely with our customers. You might be designing RF/digital electronics or developing software/firmware targeted at a wide range of devices (e.g. FPGAs, ARM processors, GPUs, microcontrollers). You could be involved in designing signal processing algorithms or researching new and exciting areas of science and technology.
You will be part of our Future Talent community, which organises training, networking and social events to get involved with. We will support you with a career mentor who will guide you through your career as it develops, and we will encourage you to work towards professional registration and get involved in engineering outreach activities to inspire future generations of engineer.
We have several engineering focused roles which will suit people who are enthusiasts for technology, enjoy making things and understanding how they work.
We also have science focused roles where we are looking for people with a strong academic science background, especially in electromagnetics, optics, machine learning and applied mathematics.
What you will receive
£30,000 starting salary, rising to £35,000 over 2 years;
£2000 sign-on bonus;
Private medical insurance;
25 days' annual leave;
Flexible benefits including discounts on restaurants, cinemas and shops;
Share incentive plan.
On track to achieve/already achieved 2:1 degree typically with an Engineering or Physics background, but we would also welcome applications from Mathematicians looking to apply their knowledge;
Interest in science and technology;
Highly motivated and able to learn quickly;
You will need to have graduated within the last 3 years;
Only those with the permanent and unrestricted right to live and work in the UK will be considered for a position within BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. Due to the nature of our, work successful candidates for this role will be required to go through Government SC clearance prior to starting with us. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/united-kingdom-security-vetting.
Those progressed following an application will be invited to undertake a virtual assessment involving gamified challenges, technical exercises and video questions on HireVue. If you are successful at this stage, you'll then be invited to a virtual, final interview with one of our Engineers.
Please reach out to your recruitment contact, if you need to discuss any requirements for reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.
Life at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence
We are embracing Hybrid Working. This means you and your colleagues may be working in different locations, such as from home, another BAE Systems office or client site, some or all of the time, and work might be going on at different times of the day. By embracing technology, we can interact, collaborate and create together, even when we're working remotely from one another. Hybrid Working allows for increased flexibility in when and where we work, helping us to balance our work and personal life more effectively, and enhance wellbeing.
Diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. We are proud to have an organisational culture where employees with varying perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds – the best and brightest minds – can work together to achieve excellence and realise individual and organisational potential.
About BAE Systems Applied Intelligence
We use our intelligence-led insights to help defend Governments, Nations and Societies from cyber-attacks and financial crime. Our customers depend on our evolving capabilities to help them safely grow their organisations. Our unprecedented access to threat intelligence, world-leading analysts and market-leading technology means we can help them to adapt, evolve and stay ahead of the criminals.
Division overview: Government
At BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, we pride ourselves in being a leader in the cyber defence industry, and Government contracts are an area we have many decades of experience in. Our Government business unit houses four of our critical client groups: UK National Security, Global National Security, defence and central government. Government and key infrastructure networks are critical targets to defend as the effects of these networks being breached can be devastating.
As a member of the Government business unit, you will defend the connected world and ensure the protection of nations. We all have a role to play in defending our clients, and this is yours.
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence is home to 4800 digital, cyber and intelligence experts. We work collaboratively across 16 countries to collect, connect and understand complex data, so that governments, nation states, armed forces and commercial businesses can unlock digital advantage in the most demanding environments.
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence plays a significant role in keeping our country safe and it is something that we're extremely proud of. We're a team who enjoy making "things" and understanding how technology works. We are a diverse group of experts who are working at the forefront of technology, exploring how we can solve some unique challenges in support of our customers and their critically important National Security work.
We offer a blend of professional and technical training and learning on the job, while being supported by the very best in the industry to make sure you hit the ground running. We empower you to take responsibility, with the ability to work on cutting edge, industry-leading technology projects, where you make a real difference. All of this is designed to complement your career development, fuel your ambition, and give depth to your training and career. While your career is your own, you will be encouraged and supported to attain industry-recognized qualifications.
Graduate schemes
We run three graduate programmes: engineering, project management and consulting. Our engineering programmes require a 2.2 degree (some require 2.1) in a relevant tech/cyber or STEM subject. The project management and consulting programmes require a 2.2 degree from any discipline. The graduate programmes are designed to give you ownership of your career aspirations, supported by training and practical experience to help you succeed. Initially, you will be part of our future talent community and be assigned a career manager, who will support and guide you throughout your career with us. All of this is designed to complement your career development, fuel your ambition, and give depth to your training and career.
We're looking for people who are hungry for a technical challenge, want a noble and rewarding mission, enjoy making things or understanding how technology works, who want to develop their skills and enjoy solving complex problems. In particular, we're looking for:
Graduates typically in the fields of cyber/tech/computer science, electrical and electronic engineering, physics, mathematics (we also offer consultancy graduate programmes, which are open to any discipline)
Software developers/engineers, electronic engineers, DSP engineers, FPGA developers, front-end developers, consultants etc.
Our clients span multiple technologies, platforms and media across the globe. With office locations around the world – there's probably an office near you
BAE Systems Digital Intelligence is home to 4800
Positions recently recruited for
Software engineers/developers, electronic and electrical engineers, roles in digital signal processing FPGA, computer vision scientist. We are looking to significantly expand our wireless and cross-domain capabilities. Roles recently fulfilled are our "wireless product engineer (physics, maths, compsci and EEE)" and "engineering and physics" graduate roles
Desired degree disciplines/class
The majority of our graduate programmes will accept a degree grade of 2.2 in a relevant tech/cyber or STEM subject. Also some roles require 2.1 in physics, mathematics, computer science, electronic and electrical engineers or 2+ years industry experience as one of digital signal processing FPGA developer, software developer, front-end developer or electronic engineer
Eligible to work in the UK
www.baesystems.com/en/cybersecurity/careers
Tel +44 (0)3301585268
E-mail harry.evans@baesystems.com
www.baesystems.com/en/cybersecurity
http://www.baesystems.com/en/cybersecurity/home
Waterside House
170 Priestley Road
GU2 7RQ
IOP Teacher Training Scholarships


Since the early 1960s, high net worth individuals (HNWIs) from the UK and around the world have chosen to place their money and confidence in Guernsey's banks.
In the subsequent 50+ years, Guernsey's banking industry has responded to new cultural and digital trends to ensure the services they provide are those demanded by HNWIs and their family members.
Individuals who are not resident in Guernsey are not taxed by the jurisdiction as the island is tax neutral. This means that whilst non-residents can hold cash deposits without incurring any liability to Guernsey income tax, the reporting obligations rest with the individual at their place of tax residency. Guernsey has legislation to meet the obligations of FATCA and is an early adopter of CRS.


To love someone or something in life is so powerful. The idea that passion can be sparked by the sight of someone or the doing of something is beautiful and what I truly believe life is about.
Life is about happiness, life is about filling your lungs, your heart, your entire body with love. Life is about finding that one thing or person that makes you want to jump out of bed and get on with your day. It's about reading something, doing something, hearing something that gives you goosebumps and gets your heart racing.
That's what makes me feel alive.
For me, my passions lie in all things creative; my love lies with the amazing people in my life.
When I wake up in the morning, with a brain overflowing with words that I just want to type or write down, or I simply have to bob off to London for the day for an exciting shoot, my body fills with love.
I love the sound of my fingers tapping away on my keyboard and reading as my blog posts come to life. I love the sound of a camera shutter or my self timer beeping as I pose against my bedroom wall taking a million and one blog photos. I love planning outfits or scheduling tweets, and I even love replying my emails and watching my inbox fill up with replies.
I love prancing around on the set of shoots and getting to meet new creative people. I love chatting to photographers, make up artists, stylists and hearing all about their passions and the work they've done. I love the side of the industry I'm in - I love the nice side of the industry.
When I see my friends, hug my friends, chat to my friends, that lonely feeling that I often feel, when I've spent 7 days a week working my arse off, starts to dismiss and is replaced with a bubbly, excited feeling. I'm reminded that these people are amazing, they're accepting and they are pure magic to me.
I love their laughter, their sarcasm and their punny jokes. I love their compassion, their individuality and their quirks. I love our nights out, our nights in and the way that we can go weeks without seeing each other, but as soon as we're back together, it's like no time has passed at all.
When I roll over in the morning and I'm lying next to someone who makes me smile, or when I look to my phone and see someone calling me on Face-time, just so they can see my face or just because, I'm reminded what it's like to feel loved back.
I'm reminded what it's like to have someone just do the simple thing of getting you to feeling different emotions and I'm reminded what it's like to look at someone and take in every detail and see little quirks or see their brain ticking over.
I love seeing someone else be passionate, I love seeing someone else get goosebumps over their favourite things and have ideas pouring out of their mind. I love laughing with someone, talking with someone, and feeling like I'm finally being allowed to experience life again.
If we don't feel alive, then we're not living, are we? If we don't feel passionate about the things we're doing or the people we involve ourselves with, are we doing ourselves a disservice?
From the bottom of my heart, I couldn't live a life that lacked passion - a life that lacked love. I have been at that point before. I have been 'floating', 'lost' and 'completely empty', and that was a life I never want to be living again.
My blog, my love for fashion, for writing and modelling, they brought me to life. They woke me up, shook me and screamed 'here's your passion, Holly... RUN WITH IT!' and so I did.
My work made me wake up and see that I was hiding away from my life. I was hiding away from my family, my friendships, and even new relationships I could have made. But, I love that I can love things now. I love that I can love working, love people and feel passionate about my life.
"I love the word 'love'"
Like I said, there's no better feeling than waking up to a job you love, a person you love, a place you love, a song you love... literally anything you love - nothing can beat it.
Passion is what keeps that fire burning, gives me my drive and makes me want to get up everyday and do what I do.
This is just beautiful in every way! Beautiful photos, a beautiful topic and beautifully written!
Your story touched me. That's was amazing. Thank you! God bless you!


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Discussion in 'General Electronics Chat' started by fince, Jan 18, 2005.
has any1 got a model of SG3525 for spice or its equivalent cct.
What exactly you want to do with SG3525? I have designed a circuit of UPS using SG3525 (PWM), May be I can help you.
i need it to produce a ramp output such that i may vary its duty cycle.
Learn about digital-signal-processing concepts that help us to store and manipulate color information.


1/8th scale outdoor track with a Loamy surface 130x70. Practice is open all daylight hours as long as the owner knows you are there. Racing is on Sunday in the summer. Open at 7am. Nitro can fire up at 9am. Racing starts at 10:30am and ends by 7pm.


Here comes a new Event "World Blockchain Summit (WBS)" co-held by Blockchain Research Center (BCRC) and Trescon! BlockchainNews is proud to be one of the strategic partners of this event. It is the same as our founding purpose, and is committed to raising public awareness of the blockchain. We will also give you a special speech in the next three months.
World Blockchain Summit is a global series of elite gatherings that take place in 15+ destinations across the world. It connects global blockchain gurus and technology players in this space including emerging startups – with regional businesses, government authorities, IT leaders, tech entrepreneurs, investors and blockchain developers.
Co-host by BCRC and Trescon, WBS aims to encourage interaction and cooperation between Blockchain startups and industries in Asia Pacific Zone. And the first step is TAIWAN!
Please feel free to contact with us if there is any question.


Located just 1.5 km from the famous Siri Fort Auditorium Sports Complex and 2 km from the fashionable Select City Walk Mall, Hamilton Hotel provides 24-hour front desk for the convenience of the guests. Free WiFi access is available in this lodge.Featuring a balcony, the air-conditioned accommodation will provide you with a flat-screen satellite TV, work desk and seating area. Featuring a shower, private bathroom also comes with free toiletries.At Hamilton Hotel you will find currency exchange facilities. The dry cleaning, ironing service and laundry facilities are available at a surcharge.If you feel like visiting the surroundings, check out the popular Panchsheel Club (50 m) and the famous Hauz Khas Village (3 km). This lodge is 11 km from Indira Gandhi International Airport, 13 km from New Delhi Railway Station and Maharana Pratap ISBT Kashmiri Gate.


May 26, 2005 Lehigh Valley, Pa.
Continuing to expand on its commitment to the China market, Air Products (NYSE:APD) announced today that it has formed a joint venture named Air Products Shanfeng with a leading Chinese chemicals supplier, Changzhou Shangfeng Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. (CZSF), to produce triethylenediamine (TEDA) for the fast growing polyurethane (PU) market in China. The new entity, majority owned and managed by Air Products, is headquartered at its production site in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, Eastern China, which was successfully transferred to the joint venture company from CZSF.
This investment is part of Air Products' continuing strategy to build long-term infrastructure in China and to support the growth of its TEDA business by strengthening its China-based capabilities. Air Products will continue to invest its leading manufacturing and process technology into the Changzhou facility to provide world-class manufacturing and meet all environmental, health and safety standards.
TEDA is an important additive used to catalyze reactions to produce polyurethane foam. Growth in the polyurethane foam market is driven by population and income demographics, with major end use segments for flexible slab urethane foam (for furniture, carpet underlay, automotive seating) and shoe soles. The polyurethane market in China has been growing at greater than 10% annually and is expected to continue to experience high growth rates as it accelerates its development as a global manufacturing center.
"Our customers are producing increasingly sophisticated products and are continually looking for supply of higher quality products and value-added solutions to help them succeed," said Dr. Jeff Kramer, vice president and general manager, Chemicals Group, Air Products Asia. By leveraging CZSF's manufacturing capacity, market knowledge and leading reputation in China with Air Products' technology, global leadership and application development laboratories, the new venture is well positioned to meet our customers' growing requirements. Having manufacturing and application development capabilities in multiple regions means we can meet all our customers' needs in a reliable, efficient manner and bring world class capabilities to solve our customers' challenges."
Air Products has been supplying amine catalysts to the PU market for 40 years and is a leading global supplier of TEDA to the PU market. The company manufactures TEDA in Paulsboro, New Jersey in the United States, and has additional downstream modification capabilities in Europe. TEDA is also an important product in the portfolio of Air Products' Performance Materials Division.
The Performance Materials Division is one of the four growth business platforms for Air Products, along with Electronics, Refinery Hydrogen and Energy Solutions, and Healthcare. Performance Products is a core business within the Performance Materials Division and is comprised of several product lines including Polyurethane Chemicals (PUC) which is made up of several different amine products and others that go into polyurethane foam applications. Air Products manufactures and markets an extensive line of polyurethane additives worldwide, including Dabco® and Polycat® amine catalysts, Dabco TMR® amine catalysts, Dabco® metal-based catalysts, Dabco® silicone surfactants, and LK® non-silicone surfactants. These versatile products are used in all types of polyurethane foam.


Quite nice, I'd say. Can't think of anything particular (except maybe the advertisements) that could be better!
Yes, I'd like to get the ads blocked also, but I think that David has to pay for each "ad-free view", and as the site gets more popular, using up 10,000 views happens pretty quickly, unfortunately. I've gotten pretty used to them, and they are generally pretty benign, so hopefully they aren't detracting too much from anyone's experience.
Are you a huge fan of LoR? Do you come back to see WIPS/MOCs? Are you here just to chat with fellow castle nerds?
Certainly the builds don't keep me coming since the majority I find on flickr . I would say it's LoR which I come back to follow, though I do always check out each new post whatever it is.
Certainly the builds don't keep me coming since the majority I find on flickr .


Завод Спецмашремонт - Do You Need A Windows 10 Speed Up?
Do You Need A Windows 10 Speed Up?
Both programs offer login choices that expand beyond the action of signing upon your desktopcomputer. In case you've got a MacBook Pro with an impression Bar, then you may easily sign to your Mac with your finger. They're close enough to the pc, or maybe you join along with Apple Watch or your iPhone. Together with this said, Windows is not perfect. The personality of the experience of laptop makers and computer of Microsoft means two different machines, usually with all the exact specifications, usb flash drive recovery software, browse around this site, can and do function very differently.
Production quality could fluctuate also in hardware in the same manufacturer. This makes picking a fresh new Windows 10 PC a battle in the event. A Apple service album confirmed what many already suspected: that the function of the redesigned keyboard is to steer clear of debris and dust from interfering. Finally, those two systems have progressed to the point where specs and characteristics matter less, and also your needs and experience thing more: the ideal OS (and also the perfect notebook or background ) for you is determined by what it is that you are already familiar with and exactly what you would love to do with your own computer, in the place of any huge gaps between Windows and mac os.
Adhering to a current launching of the MacBook Pro, there was only just one huge question: Why did Apple eventually fix the computer keyboard that lacked a huge amount of complaints, a mea culpa fix app, and lots of class action suits? One of those updates on the new MacBookPro comprises a third-generation' variant with this much-maligned decoration keyboard. Since Microsoft sells Windows permits to or not any PC manufacturer to load desktops, laptops, tablets, and every thing in between, you can find a Windows system in only about any size, shape, or price range.
Microsoft sells Windows in a unique, therefore customers and companies can manually load it on their hardware. That wide open strategy has let it conquer all opponents . Windows find generic and drivers, a few some generated themselves, in an even regular speed than options and given by Microsoft. The crucial thing is that in case which you may prefer to work with this, then Windows 10. In the spirit like a significantly more than 80% of notebook world and these computer, I'm primarily a Windows user.
I'm, nonetheless, an application reviewer, too as an iPhone devotee, I've got a experience on Macs. I am perhaps not Apple hater or a good Mac with a shot. Microsoft has a very long history with Windows throughout recent years. XP was the years, problems were brought by Vista, 7 fixed said issues and the OS altered for the worse. Now we've got Windows-10, by passing 9 completely, and things are far better than ever. The OS -- if installing an SSD -- is blazing fast, particularly if booting and waking from hibernation.
Additionally, it is super secure. After you've booted the OS Windows gets button to get your most-used programs, preferences, and files and then exactly the menu. There is nothing like mac os, but you are able to pin commonly used apps to your Dock, or put your desktop with programs and your files. You might use launch pad to launch programs which you've installed throughout the Mac App Store.


Generally, we ship to the 48 Continental US states ONLY. We ship via FedEx shipping. USPS Express may be available upon request.
Heat packs and ice packs are used on an as needed basis, please let us know if they are needed.
You must choose the FedEx express delivery option.
You must sign for your package within 30 minutes of it being sent.
You must sign for your package on the FIRST delivery attempt.
You must photograph any fish that are dead on arrival, in the unopened bag, and send photos to msjinkzd@gmail.com within 2 hours of signing for the package.
PLEASE NOTE, I am no longer able to issue shipping refunds for late USPS EXPRESS deliveries. Their rules have changed, and packages can now take an additional 3 days to arrive. More information on my blog.


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Home / History / Modern History / World War 1 / Who Won World War I?
Who Won World War I?
By Staff WriterLast Updated Apr 12, 2020 2:05:55 PM ET
IWM/Getty Images/Imperial War Museums/Getty Images
The Allies won World War I. The primary members of the Allies were the British Empire, France, Italy (after 1915) and the Russian Empire, although Russia pulled out before the end of the war. Japan, Greece, Belgium, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania and several other nations contributed to the Allied cause. The United States fought alongside Allied troops but never formally entered the alliance.
The Allied Powers defeated the Central Powers, whose major members were Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, along with Bulgaria. The war took place between 1914 and 1918 and resulted in the deaths of at least 10 million soldiers.


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About John Kaweske
Telsa Might Be Gearing Up to Take On Uber
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has been posting publicly to Twitter lately about the companies urgent plans to get their self-driving car software to achieve full autonomy. Ramping up the Autopilot software team at Tesla to achieve generalized full autonomy. If interested, contact autopilot@teslamotors.com. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2015 Should mention that I will be interviewing people personally and Autopilot reports directly to me. This is a super high priority. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2015 These Tweets and others alluding to the importance of the program and the push to improve it have many speculating that the company is preparing to join the race to launch a self-driving car service able to rival the one being built by the world's reigning car service: Uber. Tesla just launched its Autopilot feature last month, and currently it enables limited self-driving functions such as allowing the cars to steer themselves on highways. However, the technology has had it's shortcomings, and response from the public has caused some controversy. Drivers immediately began a trend of posting reckless videos to YouTube that demonstrated things such as the cars' inability to detect worn lane markers which can cause near-collisions. It should be noted that Musk and Tesla have always stipulated that drivers should remain attentive and ready to grip the wheel at any time. Tesla and Uber aren't the only companies looking to achieve a vehicle with full driving autonomy. The race has been on in the auto and tech industries for some time. Currently, Google is prototyping vehicles in Mountain View, CA. The University of Michigan has a testing facility open to a number of traditional automakers and tech firms for testing their software. In a previous blog, I discussed...
A New Car Service in France is Making a Huge Difference to Wheelchair Users
For most people, using a car service like Uber or Lyft is simple—request a car using your smartphone app, wait a couple minutes for the driver to arrive, get in, and arrive at your destination. All that changes the second you either are or are with someone who has a physical handicap that confines them to a wheelchair. Unfortunately, most vehicles used by car services aren't modified for wheelchair accessibility. One disabled Paris resident got fed up with the lack of accesable transportation and decided it was time for a change. That's when Charlotte de Vilmorin founded Wheeliz, a new car-sharing service in France that gives people who use wheelchairs easy-access to modified cars at an affordable price. I believe the world of startups and innovation is still disconnected from the needs of disabled people. To me, it is essential to create and build a sustainable sharing community dedicated to the mobility problem," says de Vilmorin. And Wheeliz doesn't only benefit those with disabilities, it also benefits the owners of these specialized vehicles. On average, adapted car owners can earn almost $400 a week listing their vehicle on the site. Currently, big players in the car service industry such as Uber and Lyft are facing several lawsuits in the United States for providing inadequate access for handicapped people. Back in July, Uber attempted to address these concerns by creating UberAssist for seniors and people with disabilities who need trained drivers to help them get in and out of the vehicle. The problem is, because Uber drivers are technically independent contractors, the company cannot require them to own a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. This becomes a huge problem as soon as a driver pulls up to a passenger who uses an electric...
Mercedes-Benz Announces Possibility of Driverless Uber Service
Mercedes-Benz is considering expanding its audience beyond drivers who are looking to buy cars– in fact, their newest venture may not include drivers at all. Dieter Zetsche, owner of Mercedes-Benz' parent company Daimler, told Reuters about possible plans for an on-demand limo service similar to Uber, except for one huge differentiator: the cars would be driverless. Mercedes-Benz already runs a car-sharing service app called "car2go," in which people use their smartphones to find and rent nearby Daimler-owned cars, but this is much more exciting. It's sounds futuristic, but it's all part of the current race for the first autonomous vehicle to hit the market. The race is probably most popularly championed by Google, which promises to have a self-driving car by 2020. That's not the greatest news for Mercedes-Benz because their prototype of a driverless car won't be released in showrooms until 2025 due to liability issues, according to Reuters. In the meantime, though, Daimler is already making moves. The company joined Audi and BMW earlier this summer in buying HERE, a high-definition digital mapping service created by Nokia. And Zetsche says that driverless cars are a "concrete development goal." Other big-name contenders like Audi, Tesla, and Ford are attempting to master the art of self-driving cars as well. But Mercedes-Benz is one of only a few companies that are attempting to combine the concept with a taxi service. Some of their biggest competition? None other than Uber itself. Uber and its many drivers have a love-hate relationship, thanks to ongoing conflict about drivers' pay and their statuses as employees in general. (Independent contractors or employees entitled to benefits like gas...
Uber is Facing Major Difficulty In Asia
Uber is undoubtably the most popular private car service in the United States, with service is every major city, and many small towns across the country. Uber has been expanding international due to the demand and opportunities. The success which began in the States appeared to have similar results across Europe. The United Kingdom and many other countries adapted quite well and are using Uber regularly. The next step for Uber was to expand in Asian countries, unfortunately, this seems to be a bigger challenge then expected. The problem with expanding in India is the taxi service industry is already established and competition is stiff. Uber is going up against Asian startups such as GrabTaxi and EasyTaxi have been around for years and have dominated the app market for taxi service. GrabTaxi had initially received $250 million US dollars in venture capital funding to help grow the company with "An ambitious research and development center and a driver recruitment program." It is important that safety is a top priority in this region due to the number of crimes with taxi drivers, making sure drivers are safe and pass standards is of utmost importance for these services. Another issue Uber is that countries as strict as South Korea are cracking down on private taxi services due to the security reasons. The increasing reports of driver misconduct due to unreliable background checks is leading to bans in certain countries. South Korea is going as far to detain employees of Uber South Korea for just being involved with the organization. In China, all Uber offices and headquarters have been raided by Chinese...
When It Comes to Your Car Service: How Far Can You Go?
For many, time is of the essence, and with time comes the need for convenience. Getting from point A to point B in the past for some used to be a task in its own, but thanks to new car services like Uber these problems are in the past. Uber allows you to jump on your smartphone and request a ride and a driver will pick you up shortly and take you to your destination, seems simple enough, until now. In the recent months, companies such as Uber and their competition Lyft have been questioning on how far is too far from point A to point B. From the get go Lyft implemented a 100 mile limit to how far their drivers are able to drive, but Uber has yet to put their foot down leaving it up to their drivers discretion to chose how far they are willing to drive. After an interview with Forbes, many Uber drivers claimed they actually do prefer longer trips, rather than shorter ones. One driver out of Park City, Utah explained, "Since most of my rides are 35 miles+ to the airport, I have close to 45 minutes to chat with my passengers. I greatly enjoy the time to learn about their career, family, visit, which restaurants they dined at, etc. And as someone that also owns a sales focused business, I feel this is great time to further practice the art of selling." Many Uber drivers drive on their spare time to earn some extra cash or to kill some time. Like this driver mentioned, it is a great way to...
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