The QWizardPage class is the base class for wizard pages.
QWizard represents a wizard. Each page is a QWizardPage. When you create your own wizards, you can use QWizardPage directly, or you can subclass it for more control.
A page has the following attributes, which are rendered by QWizard: a title, a subTitle, and a set of pixmaps. See Elements of a Wizard Page for details. Once a page is added to the wizard (using QWizard::addPage() or QWizard::setPage()), wizard() returns a pointer to the associated QWizard object.
initializePage() is called to initialize the page's contents when the user clicks the wizard's Next button. If you want to derive the page's default from what the user entered on previous pages, this is the function to reimplement.
cleanupPage() is called to reset the page's contents when the user clicks the wizard's Back button.
validatePage() validates the page when the user clicks Next or Finish. It is often used to show an error message if the user has entered incomplete or invalid information.
nextId() returns the ID of the next page. It is useful when creating non-linear wizards, which allow different traversal paths based on the information provided by the user.
isComplete() is called to determine whether the Next and/or Finish button should be enabled or disabled. If you reimplement isComplete(), also make sure that completeChanged() is emitted whenever the complete state changes.
Normally, the Next button and the Finish button of a wizard are mutually exclusive. If isFinalPage() returns true, Finish is available; otherwise, Next is available. By default, isFinalPage() is true only when nextId() returns -1. If you want to show Next and Final simultaneously for a page (letting the user perform an "early finish"), call setFinalPage(true) on that page. For wizards that support early finishes, you might also want to set the HaveNextButtonOnLastPage and HaveFinishButtonOnEarlyPages options on the wizard.
In many wizards, the contents of a page may affect the default values of the fields of a later page. To make it easy to communicate between pages, QWizard supports a "field" mechanism that allows you to register a field (e.g., a QLineEdit) on a page and to access its value from any page. Fields are global to the entire wizard and make it easy for any single page to access information stored by another page, without having to put all the logic in QWizard or having the pages know explicitly about each other. Fields are registered using registerField() and can be accessed at any time using field() and setField().
This property holds the subtitle of the page.
The subtitle is shown by the QWizard, between the title and the actual page. Subtitles are optional. In ClassicStyle and ModernStyle, using subtitles is necessary to make the header appear. In MacStyle, the subtitle is shown as a text label just above the actual page.
The subtitle may be plain text or HTML, depending on the value of the QWizard::subTitleFormat property.
See also title, QWizard::IgnoreSubTitles, and Elements of a Wizard Page.
This property holds the title of the page.
The title is shown by the QWizard, above the actual page. All pages should have a title.
The title may be plain text or HTML, depending on the value of the QWizard::titleFormat property.
See also subTitle and Elements of a Wizard Page.
Constructs a wizard page with the given parent.
When the page is inserted into a wizard using QWizard::addPage() or QWizard::setPage(), the parent is automatically set to be the wizard.
Returns the text on button which on this page.
If a text has ben set using setButtonText(), this text is returned. Otherwise, if a text has been set using QWizard::setButtonText(), this text is returned.
By default, the text on buttons depends on the QWizard::wizardStyle. For example, on Mac OS X, the Next button is called Continue.
See also setButtonText(), QWizard::buttonText(), and QWizard::setButtonText().
This virtual function is called by QWizard::cleanupPage() when the user clicks Back (unless the QWizard::IndependentPages option is set).
The default implementation resets the page's fields to their original values (the values they had before initializePage() was called).
See also QWizard::cleanupPage(), initializePage(), and QWizard::IndependentPages.
This signal is emitted whenever the complete state of the page (i.e., the value of isComplete()) changes.
If you reimplement isComplete(), make sure to emit completeChanged() whenever the value of isComplete() changes, to ensure that QWizard updates the enabled or disabled state of its buttons.
This function can be used to access fields on any page of the wizard. It is equivalent to calling wizard()->field(name).
See also QWizard::field(), setField(), and registerField().
See also QWizard::initializePage(), cleanupPage(), and QWizard::IndependentPages.
Returns true if this page is a commit page; otherwise returns false.
This virtual function is called by QWizard to determine whether the Next or Finish button should be enabled or disabled.
The default implementation returns true if all mandatory fields are filled; otherwise, it returns false.
If you reimplement this function, make sure to emit completeChanged() whenever the value of isComplete() changes, to ensure that QWizard updates the enabled or disabled state of its buttons.
See also completeChanged() and isFinalPage().
This function is called by QWizard to determine whether the Finish button should be shown for this page or not.
By default, it returns true if there is no next page (i.e., nextId() returns -1); otherwise, it returns false.
By explicitly calling setFinalPage(true), you can let the user perform an "early finish".
See also isComplete() and QWizard::HaveFinishButtonOnEarlyPages.
This virtual function is called by QWizard::nextId() to find out which page to show when the user clicks the Next button.
By default, this function returns the page with the following ID in the QWizard, or -1 if there is no such page.
Pixmaps can also be set for the entire wizard using QWizard::setPixmap(), in which case they apply for all pages that don't specify a pixmap.
See also setPixmap(), QWizard::pixmap(), and Elements of a Wizard Page.
Creates a field called name associated with the given property of the given widget. From then on, that property becomes accessible using field() and setField().
Fields are global to the entire wizard and make it easy for any single page to access information stored by another page, without having to put all the logic in QWizard or having the pages know explicitly about each other.
If name ends with an asterisk (*), the field is a mandatory field. When a page has mandatory fields, the Next and/or Finish buttons are enabled only when all mandatory fields are filled. This requires a changedSignal to be specified, to tell QWizard to recheck the value stored by the mandatory field.
You can use QWizard::setDefaultProperty() to add entries to this table or to override existing entries.
To consider a field "filled", QWizard simply checks that their current value doesn't equal their original value (the value they had before initializePage() was called). For QLineEdit, it also checks that hasAcceptableInput() returns true, to honor any validator or mask.
QWizard's mandatory field mechanism is provided for convenience. It can be bypassed by reimplementing QWizardPage::isComplete().
See also field(), setField(), and QWizard::setDefaultProperty().
Sets the text on button which to be text on this page.
By default, the text on buttons depends on the QWizard::wizardStyle, but may be redefined for the wizard as a whole using QWizard::setButtonText().
See also buttonText(), QWizard::setButtonText(), and QWizard::buttonText().
Sets this page to be a commit page if commitPage is true; otherwise, sets it to be a normal page.
A commit page is a page that represents an action which cannot be undone by clicking Back or Cancel.
A Commit button replaces the Next button on a commit page. Clicking this button simply calls QWizard::next() just like clicking Next does.
A page entered directly from a commit page has its Back button disabled.
This function can be used to set fields on any page of the wizard. It is equivalent to calling wizard()->setField(name, value).
See also QWizard::setField(), field(), and registerField().
Explicitly sets this page to be final if finalPage is true.
After calling setFinalPage(true), isFinalPage() returns true and the Finish button is visible (and enabled if isComplete() returns true).
After calling setFinalPage(false), isFinalPage() returns true if nextId() returns -1; otherwise, it returns false.
See also isFinalPage(), isComplete(), and QWizard::HaveFinishButtonOnEarlyPages.
See also pixmap(), QWizard::setPixmap(), and Elements of a Wizard Page.
This virtual function is called by QWizard::validateCurrentPage() when the user clicks Next or Finish to perform some last-minute validation. If it returns true, the next page is shown (or the wizard finishes); otherwise, the current page stays up.
When possible, it is usually better style to disable the Next or Finish button (by specifying mandatory fields or reimplementing isComplete()) than to reimplement validatePage().
See also QWizard::validateCurrentPage() and isComplete().
Returns the wizard associated with this page, or 0 if this page hasn't been inserted into a QWizard yet.
See also QWizard::addPage() and QWizard::setPage().


This case describes how Lufax, a corporate spin-off from its parent company---Ping An Group China, started its peer-to-peer lending business model in China and grew into a comprehensive asset management platform and hence a rather independent corporation on its own. The case documents the story behind the founding of Lufax and its milestone events. In particular, this case focuses on the internal tension between two competing business logics: "Internet logic" that values fast user growth and formalizes procedures later vs. "Finance logic" which emphasizes risk control and manageable growth. Such tension is exemplar among many Fintech companies in China, a developing country that experiences explosive growth in novel financial services and poor regulatory environment simultaneously. The instructor can use this case to illustrate key topics in strategy and corporate entrepreneurship such as how incumbent firms encourage innovation from within via spin-offs. The instructor can also adopt this case to examine the unique competition landscape in China Fintech and compare it to other Fintech cases such as P2P lending in US (e.g. Lending Club) or in UK (e.g. Zoppa).


text:
The Light Ranger: Mark Sanders is spreading Christmas joy in his Ford pick-up decorated with 6,000 twinkling lights
By Chris Carter
chris.carter@bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk
There's a joy in seeing Christmas lights – and when Mark Sanders drives by, people have 6,000 to choose from.
Mark's Ford Ranger pick-up is festooned with the coloured lights and he loves to cruise around the streets of the town and see the response to his 'Lightmobile'.
"It's great fun," said Mark, of Coronation Road, Bishop's Stortford. "You get a lovely feeling seeing people's reactions – it just brightens up their day and people turn around with a big grin on their faces."
The 62-year-old mechanical design engineer's festive festoonery has won him a certain celebrity in these parts as last Friday (Dec 3) he was invited to attend the Christmas lights switch-ons in Stansted and Birchanger.
It took him at least a couple of days to affix the three sets of 2,000 lights to the Ranger, using strong tape.
He fuels the £200 light show – which is in fact only 5,999 bulbs, as one was faulty – through the car's battery, backed up by a spare on the passenger seat and another in the back when the car is stationary.
'The Light Ranger' Mark Sanders' Ford pick-up outshining the Christmas tree in Market Square
You could say Mark is used to reaching for the stars as his day job sees him working on space vehicles at Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage. Among the projects he has worked on is the Mars Rover.
He is also used to the attention when he drives into town as when he isn't dazzling folk with his festive Ford he is pootling around in a rusty 1952 vintage Massey Ferguson tractor.
He often swaps four wheels for two when he rides his Honda motorbike and competes in the Enduro over-60s championships, this year finishing second.
Fans of Mark's mobile light show have been commenting on Facebook, calling him a "legend spreading smiles" and "a gem of a person".
Some have even threatened to follow his example. Laura Lorraine McGrath said: "The kids want [to] turn their dad's truck into a sleigh without him knowing."
Mark and his festive Lightmobile will be parked up by the splash pool on Thursday (Dec 23) from 4.30pm to 5pm.
Bishops Stortford Human Interest Quirky Chris Carter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Trentemøller Chronicles is a compilation album by Danish Electronic Musician Trentemøller released on October 1, 2007. The first disc acts as a mix session, mixed by Trentemøller and the second disc contains selected Trentemøller remixes in their full length. The double album is also available on vinyl and as digital downloads.
The unique double album is Trentemøller's very own personal selection of his finest songs and remixes from 2003 - 2007. Featuring new and rare material, much of which has only been available on vinyl or compilations until now, as well as special re-edits, CD1 itself is an exclusive Trentemøller mix session.
Anders Trentemøller (born October 16, 1974 in Vordingborg, Denmark) is a Danish Electronic Music producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Danish musician Anders Trentemøller has got the magic musical touch. His debut LP, 2006′s the Last Resort included a variety of electronic instrumental (mostly) scorchers, including "Evil Dub," "Always Something Better," "Nightwalker," "Chameleon" and "Into the Trees." Last year Trentemøller changed a key tactic by adding vocalists to several tracks on his follow up, Into the Great Wide Yonder. "Sycamore Feeling" features Marie Fisker, Solveig Sandnes and Josephine Philip sing on "Tide" and ". . . Even Though You're With Another Girl," respectively, and a male voice gets emphasized by Guillemots' Fyfe Dangerfield on "Neverglade." The results are beautiful. I talked with Trentemøller about his albums, remixing, the video for "Moan," and his work as a kindergarten teacher.
Your video for 'Moan' is very moving. How did you develop that?
AT: Yeah, I've just done a remix for Unkle– you can download ("The Answer") that mix for free – and then Unkle remixed one of my tracks from the new album, ….. that will be out very soon. I don't know if you know this Danish band called Efterkland, but they also just remixed me and I remixed them. So I've literally been doing these remix swaps. That is really fun to have someone really admire remixing one of your tracks.
At a time when no one seems to be making any money in the music business, Anders Trentemøller has learned that diversification is the name of the game. The Danish artist is prolific, releasing more than a dozen 12" singles and two full-lengths in only four years. His list of remixes, including work for the Knife, Röyksopp, and Moby, is even more extensive. Performing both solo and with an expanded live-plus-DJ setup, he tours tirelessly: His current schedule has him hitting 16 cities, including Toronto, Rejkavik, Bologna, Copenhagen, Athens, and Sydney, in under two months. Just as importantly, he's learned to adapt his music to suit different markets-- or, if that sounds crass, to different modes of listening. Where his singles, remixes, and live act aim squarely at the dance floor, his debut LP, last year's The Last Resort, was designed to appeal to CD buyers looking for cozy home-listening.
Trentemøller has also learned the art of re-packaging: The Last Resort was initially released in a special 2xCD edition featuring a selection of previously vinyl-only singles. The Trentemøller Chronicles attempts something similar. On disc one, Trentemøller has chosen a selection of personal favorites from his own back catalogue, including one commissioned remix (of Klovn's "McKlaren"), one "live" version, and two unreleased cuts. (The disc is allegedly mixed by Trentemøller, but as review copies featured only truncated versions of the songs, nominally blended together, I can't attest to the sophistication of the mix itself.) Disc two, dedicated to Trentemøller's commissioned work, features 11 of his remixes, including reworks of the aforementioned artists plus Sharon Phillips, Tomboy and others.
That's a lot of Trentemøller. Fortunately, there's a lot to like here, beginning with disc one's "The Forest". Originally released in 2004, on his only single for the Out of Orbit label, it's a brooding, midtempo wash of carefully manipulated keys, strings, and drums, with an irresistible vocal hook bubbling up periodically. Another highlight is Trentemøller's own remix of his "Moan", featuring the vocalist Ane Trolle and infinitely better than the versions released on The Last Resort. Where those cuts sagged under layer upon soggy layer of keys and reverb, this one is spring-loaded and nimble; Trolle's smoky voice only manages to sound sexier when it steps out from behind the previous versions' impenetrable scrim. And the entire second half of the first disc showcases Trentemøller at his moody, minimal best, running through the singles "Kink", "Gush", "Physical Fraction", "Killer Kat", and "Rykketid"-- each a study in muted electro-house economy.
But there's also plenty to-- well, if not actively dislike, simply forget. Just as The Last Resort felt overstuffed as it began wandering into tone-poem territory, so does this disc. The weightless "Klodsmajor" is pretty but thin, evaporating on impact. The echo-soaked "McKlaren" is just as light-bodied, despite its bassy footprint. "Snowflake" drifts from an inconsequential ambient swirl into an incongruous drum'n'bass cadence. And the dirgey "Blood in the Streets" sounds like a pastiche of the Cure's Seventeen Seconds without the actual angst. All the tics that made early gothic music compelling-- the yelps, the wrong notes, the sense of an emotion that couldn't be contained by the music-- are either absent or smoothed into a form that ultimately rings hollow. Skip back to opening cut "The Forest", and one wishes that Trentemøller could rediscover the simplicity that made his early productions so compelling.
The disc of remixes is a similarly mixed bag. When he's on, Trentemøller is on: His reworks of Röyksopp (fronted by the Knife's Karin Dreijer), the Knife, Mathias Schaffhäuser, and Moby all show the Danish producer at his muscular best, doling out generous hooks and carving beats so chunky they're all but unparalleled in electro-house for sheer body-moving functionalism. Where there are vocals, his fidelity to the original is striking; one wonders, in fact, if this respect for the original artist's vision is in part what puts him in the front of so many A&R folks' Rolodexes. Unfortunately, the same fidelity works against him when the source material is lacking. He makes the Blacksmoke Organisation's cut-rate New Order sound like cut-rate New Order with an electro-house beat. On Filur's "You and I", he parts the curtains on a lovely Basic Channel-styled dub underpinning only to put the vocalist's poor Kylie imitation at center stage.
Trentemøller's ear for detail is impressive. There's a moment, two minutes and 16 seconds into "The Forest", in which the music-- a liquid swell of dubby chords and that playful-yet-melancholic vocal arpeggio-- suddenly stops. For a split second there's just silence, but for a lone vibration that hangs ringing in the void. When the music comes rushing back in, everything feels different, fundamentally altered by its brush with nothingness. Faced with the glut that is The Trentemøller Chronicles, one can't help but think that the story would be far more interesting if Trentemøller could find more of those pockets of stillness in his work. With his attempts to fit his music for so many different venues, Trentemøller begins to look like he's spreading himself a little thin. There's no need, then, to lay it on so thick at the same time.


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Our Lady of Guadalupe Adoration Chapel offers perpetual adoration 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Public hours: 8am-4pm. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is an extension of the Mass and is an homage of the spirit to the King of Glory, in respectful silence.
The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholic laypeople who work as instruments of the Holy Spirit and serve the Church through a program of prayer and service. We meet once a week for prayer, planning and discussion. We also do two hours of work each week, in pairs, under the guidance of our spiritual director.
Contemplative prayer is a method of prayer beyond words, derived from ancient prayer practices of the Christian contemplative heritage, that involves opening of the mind, heart, and whole being to God. Guests are welcome.
Open to all men, we meet weekly to pray the Rosary for the Pope and his intentions, and for all men in formation for the priesthood and the diaconate.
Meets the fourth Sunday of each month at 12:30 p.m.
SFO is a religious order for lay men and women established by Saint Francis of Assisi. Secular Franciscans are called to four Apostolic areas: Ecology, Family, Peace and Justice, and Work..
As Lay Apostles of Jesus Christ the Returning King, we agree to perform our basic obligations as practicing Catholics. Additionally, we engage in prayer, weekly adoration, confession, and follow Christ's example.


text:
Les Pleosporomycetidae sont une sous-classe de champignons (Fungi) de la classe des Dothideomycetes.

Systématique

Le nom scientifique complet (avec auteurs) de ce taxon est Pleosporomycetidae C.L. Schoch, Spatafora, Crous & Shoemaker, 2007, construit à partir du genre type Pleospora. Il est choisi dans une étude phylogénétique de 2007 pour désigner l'une des deux lignées principales de la classe des Dothideomycetes, l'autre étant la sous-classe des Dothideomycetidae.

Liste des ordres
Selon  :
 Gloniales Jayasiri & K.D. Hyde, 2018
 Hysteriales Lindau, 1897
 Lophiostomatales L.N. Vassiljeva, 1998
 Mytilinidiales E.W.A. Boehm, C.L. Schoch & Spatafora, 2009
 Pleosporales Luttr. ex M.E. Barr, 1987
 Venturiales Y. Zhang ter, C.L. Schoch & K.D. Hyde, 2011

Notes et références

Liens externes

Sous-classe de champignons (nom scientifique)
Dothideomycetes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Estimating the influence of life satisfaction and positive affect on later income using sibling fixed effects
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and Andrew J. Oswald
PNAS December 4, 2012 109 (49) 19953-19958; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1211437109
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
aSchool of Public Policy, University College London, London WC1H 9QU, United Kingdom;bCentre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom;
For correspondence: jdeneve@post.harvard.edu
Andrew J. Oswald
cDepartment of Economics and Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom; anddInstitute for the Study of Labor, D-53113 Bonn, Germany
Edited by Jose A. Scheinkman, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved October 15, 2012 (received for review July 10, 2012)
The question of whether there is a connection between income and psychological well-being is a long-studied issue across the social, psychological, and behavioral sciences. Much research has found that richer people tend to be happier. However, relatively little attention has been paid to whether happier individuals perform better financially in the first place. This possibility of reverse causality is arguably understudied. Using data from a large US representative panel, we show that adolescents and young adults who report higher life satisfaction or positive affect grow up to earn significantly higher levels of income later in life. We focus on earnings approximately one decade after the person's well-being is measured; we exploit the availability of sibling clusters to introduce family fixed effects; we account for the human capacity to imagine later socioeconomic outcomes and to anticipate the resulting feelings in current well-being. The study's results are robust to the inclusion of controls such as education, intelligence quotient, physical health, height, self-esteem, and later happiness. We consider how psychological well-being may influence income. Sobel–Goodman mediation tests reveal direct and indirect effects that carry the influence from happiness to income. Significant mediating pathways include a higher probability of obtaining a college degree, getting hired and promoted, having higher degrees of optimism and extraversion, and less neuroticism.
personal earnings
The relationship between money and human happiness has generated a burgeoning cross-disciplinary literature. Virtually all published research on this matter has considered the effects of income upon subjective well-being (e.g., refs. 1⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓–9). This study examines—and provides evidence of—the reverse. By using longitudinal information within families (exploiting so-called sibling fixed effects), it finds that happier people go on, many years later, to earn greater incomes. The results are suggestive of some form of causal relationship between well-being and income.
That the scholarly debate has mostly developed unidirectionally should probably not come as a surprise, given that it mirrors both our societal preoccupation with economic development and the conventional wisdom that human well-being follows from high income. The question of whether "money buys happiness" has not only dominated the investigation into the relationship between money and happiness, it has also taken on increasingly causal language because research showed positive (but marginally diminishing) effects of rising income on well-being, with some differences observed between life satisfaction and emotional well-being (1). However, relatively little attention has been paid to whether happier individuals perform better financially in the first place. This possibility of reverse causality is arguably understudied.
In this study, we therefore address the question of whether "happiness pays." We do so in a US representative panel of >10,000 individuals and explore the potential mediating pathways running from happiness to later income. This work does not intend to undermine the aforementioned literature on the effect of income on well-being. Rather, the goal is to make the case that the relationship between income and happiness is dynamic and that effects may run in both directions, thus complementing existing scholarship.
An effect running from subjective well-being to income could exist for a number of reasons. Happiness has various correlates such as health (10), social networks (11), and self-esteem (12) that, in turn, are known to positively influence labor market outcomes and that may thus play a mediating role. More recent neuroscientific research provides clues that greater subjective well-being is associated with particular neurological variation, which, in turn, is associated with improved cognitive skills and economic outcomes. Such neurological mediation pathways center on the role of positive emotions (reward) in stimulating the dopaminergic system and increasing cognitive capacity for memory tasks and attention span (13⇓⇓–16). These neuroscientific insights and aforementioned correlates provide some reason to believe that there could be an effect running from subjective well-being to economic outcomes.
A handful of studies have tried to estimate the influence of subjective well-being on later income. Diener et al. (17) found a positive correlation between "cheerfulness" measured in a sample of elite college students and their income levels some 19 y later. This association is particularly significant for those with below average levels of cheerfulness. Diener and colleagues later expanded on this finding to show that individuals who experience the highest levels of happiness do not necessarily perform best in terms of later income and that the "optimal" level of happiness for later income appears to be a moderately high level of happiness (18). Three other studies considered the broader effects of happiness on life events, including income, marriage, employment, and health (19, 20), as well as consumption and savings behavior (21). The panels used in these studies are the British Household Panel Study, Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, German Socio-Economic Panel, and the De Nederlandsche Bank Household Survey in the Netherlands. In a laboratory setting, Oswald et al. (22) induced variation in positive mood and found that it is predictive of productivity in a laboratory task. The promising results from inquiries into the socioeconomic and productivity effects of happiness have led some to speak of a "happiness advantage" (23) in shaping career success (24) and provide further ground for why a deeper investigation is warranted.
Although the aforementioned studies are important because they point toward a potential role for happiness in shaping socioeconomic outcomes, they face a number of methodological difficulties. First, these studies continue to leave room for alternative explanations: Cross-sectional results may be the result of genetic confounding and other omitted variables; longitudinal designs have so far not accounted for the human capacity to imagine later socioeconomic outcomes and anticipate the resulting feelings in current well-being (25, 26); and experimental designs are not in a position to evaluate longer-term effects outside the laboratory.
Second, previous work has separately considered measures of mood, happiness, life satisfaction, and mental health. The more recent literature, however, has argued that emotional well-being and satisfaction with life are two important yet different components of well-being (1). Emotional well-being refers to the frequency and intensity of everyday emotional experiences (both positive and negative). The positive emotions and the experience of feeling happy are commonly referred to as "positive affect." Life satisfaction, conversely, refers to a longer-term evaluation of one's life. Although measures of positive affect and life satisfaction correlate—and load onto a common genetic factor (27)—they show varying salience in different circumstances of people's lives, including in their relationship to income and age (1, 28, 29). None of the previous studies considered the dual effect of emotional well-being and life satisfaction on later income, even though Kahneman and Deaton (1) conclude that the effect of income on positive affect is less pronounced (and ceases beyond an annual income of ∼$75,000) compared with the effect of income on life satisfaction. It is therefore necessary to investigate whether a similar distinction can be made in the opposite direction, i.e., the effect running from well-being on income.
Finally, if income is indeed endogenous to happiness, it becomes important to study how happiness may influence income. To address these questions, this work studies whether life satisfaction and positive affect are predictive of later income—while tackling the endogeneity concerns that were hitherto unaddressed—and investigates potential mediating pathways.
Fig. 1 illustrates the study's key result. It plots the (uncorrected) relationship between subjective well-being and later earnings in a large US representative panel study (Add Health). Reports of positive affect or life satisfaction in adolescence and young adulthood correlate significantly with income around age 29 (all between r = 0.078 and 0.090, with P < 0.001; Table S1). Income here is defined in the following way: "Now think about your personal earnings. In {2006/2007/2008}, how much income did you receive from personal earnings before taxes, that is, wages or salaries, including tips, bonuses, and overtime pay, and income from self-employment?" Similar to the findings on "cheerfulness" by Diener et al. (17), we observed that the relationship is particularly pronounced for those individuals with lower levels of happiness. In fact, reporting a profoundly unhappy adolescence is associated with an income around age 29 that is ∼30% less than average, whereas a very happy adolescence is associated with a later income that is ∼10% above average.
The longitudinal relationship between subjective well-being (at ages 16, 18, and 22) and later earnings (at age 29). Response categories for positive affect (at ages 16 and 18) and life satisfaction (at age 22) are presented in relationship with their respective mean income levels at about age 29. Mean income across the sample is $34,632 at age 29. N = 14,867 for positive affect at age 16, N = 11,253 for positive affect at age 18, and N = 12,415 for life satisfaction at age 22. The original positive affect variable categories are reshaped to a 5-point scale for ease of comparison. Error bars (2 SEs) are shown.
Regression analyses reported in Table 1 confirm this pattern. The predictive power of happiness on later earnings depends on the lag time between both variables; e.g., a 1 SD increase in life satisfaction at the age of 22 is associated with a 5% increase in earnings at the age of 29 (SD = 0.81 on a scale of 5). In absolute terms, a 1-point increase in life satisfaction at the age of 22 is associated with almost $2,000 higher earnings at the age of 29 (this dollar value is obtained in an empirical model identical to the one reported in Table 1 except for using income values instead of their natural logarithm).
Earnings equations: Linear regression models of log income at age 29 (2008) on lagged subjective well-being and covariates
The analyses reported here include the following covariants: age, sex, ethnicity, education, intelligence quotient (IQ), physical health, height, and self-esteem (for a detailed specification of these variables, see Table S2). Most of these covariates are standard. However, unlike previous longitudinal studies of the effect of subjective well-being on later socioeconomic outcomes and life events (17⇓⇓⇓–21), the richness of the dataset used here allows us to incorporate a measure of self-esteem that is surveyed at the same time as positive affect and life satisfaction. Self-esteem is a psychological construct distinct from happiness (12) and is an important driver of labor market outcomes (30). As such, it is an important variable to control for in a study of the effect of happiness on later outcomes because not doing so may otherwise bias the coefficients obtained on happiness (results in Table 2 indicate that self-esteem and subjective well-being have similarly significant effects on later earnings). Furthermore, introducing a measure of self-esteem may allow us to control for feelings that anticipate happiness related to individual expectations of socioeconomic outcomes. The human capacity to imagine later outcomes and anticipate the resulting feelings in current well-being is well-known (25, 26). Self-esteem may capture the confidence one has in later earnings potential and thus also account for the positive or negative feelings associated with the anticipated outcomes. Although longitudinal studies allow for measuring subjective well-being before the outcome of interest, they cannot prevent expectations about those later outcomes from being correlated with an earlier state of mind and thus introduce bias into the earlier measures of happiness. Introducing a concurrent measure of self-esteem alongside subjective well-being in adolescence and young adulthood may therefore also help account for anticipated feelings surrounding earnings potential.
Earnings equations: Sibling fixed-effects models of log income at age 29 (2008) on lagged subjective well-being and covariates
Subjective well-being has an important latent or stable component that is considered to be contingent on genetic variation and certain personality traits (27, 31⇓⇓–34). To help distinguish variation in positive affect and life satisfaction—in adolescence and young adulthood—from variation in innate predispositions we also include in our analyses a measure of positive affect that is reported at the same time as income (around age 29). Doing so is important because it allows us to capture the influence of variation in subjective well-being beyond the latent dimensions specific to the individual.
Looking at models 1–3 in Table 1, we find that positive affect in 1994 (age 16) and 1996 (age 18), as well as life satisfaction in 2001 (age 22), each significantly predict later earnings (age 29). Model 4 jointly considers all these measures of subjective well-being over time and shows that the predictive power of variation in happiness on later income at those time points gradually rises as the time lag shrinks.
The analyses reported in Table 2 go one step further. They exploit the availability of sibling clusters in the data to introduce family fixed effects (for those individuals identified as twin pairs, full-siblings, half-siblings, or unrelated siblings raised together). The siblings' sample is similar in demographic composition to the full Add Health sample (35). The structure of these data allows us to compare siblings to each other while holding the family environment constant (as well as a substantial portion of the genetic variation in most cases), which, in turn, aids our interpretation of the relationship between well-being and income.
Table 2 shows that a 1 SD difference in life satisfaction compared with the family mean at age 22 is associated with a 6% difference in earnings compared with the family mean at age 29. In absolute terms, a 1-point difference in life satisfaction (on a scale of 5) compared with the family mean at age 22 is associated with an almost $4,000 difference in earnings compared with the family mean at age 29 (this dollar value is obtained in an empirical model identical to the one reported in Table 2, except for using income values instead of their natural logarithm). Looking at models 1–3 in Table 2, we find that measures of positive affect and life satisfaction in adolescence and early adulthood are positively associated with later earnings. Sibling fixed-effects model predicted values are plotted in Figs. S1–S2. Model 4 jointly considers all these measures of subjective well-being over time and obtains a significant coefficient for life satisfaction on later income. The effect sizes of the well-being measures remain relatively stable between Table 1 (full panel) and Table 2 (sibling panel). The lower significance levels in Table 2 are presumably due to the reduced number of observations in the sibling panel as well as having accounted for family fixed effects.
Tables S7 and S8 present results for an individual fixed-effects model and a Granger causality analysis that use the available information on earnings in 2001 (age 22). Both model specifications obtain highly significant results for the effect of lagged subjective well-being on earnings. However, we do not lend these results full credence, given that earnings at age 22 may not yet accurately represent individual income and also because these panel data allow for only one time interval, and the exogeneity assumption necessary for panel data models is unlikely to be satisfied.
If income is indeed endogenous to happiness, it becomes important to study how happiness comes to influence a person's income. Table 3 presents results for our investigation into potential mediating pathways. These univariate Sobel–Goodman mediation tests consider potentially mediating variables that may carry some of the effect from happiness onto income (36). We chose a number of standard socioeconomic variables, as well as psychological constructs such as personality traits, optimism, and self-esteem. Only measures in 2008 are used—to reduce confounding with the earlier measures of subjective well-being. Table 3 shows that most of the chosen variables are correlated with earlier measures of positive affect and life satisfaction and also carry some part of their influence onto income. The most significant mediating pathways include obtaining a college degree, getting hired and promoted, higher degrees of optimism and extraversion, and less neuroticism. These variables each partially mediate the observed association with income and may represent an indirect effect as large as ∼38% in the case of positive affect (around age 18) and obtaining a college degree. These results provide support for causal mechanisms running from subjective well-being to later income. Table S9 presents the results for a multivariate mediation analysis that considers these mediating variables jointly. The total mediated effect for these variables is estimated to be between 68% and 78%, thus revealing an important combined indirect effect, in addition to a direct effect, that carries the influence from happiness to income. These results suggest a relationship that is pleiotropic in nature, with psychological well-being having an independent effect on both income and the mediating variables.
Univariate Sobel–Goodman mediation tests on log income at age 29 (2008)
This study reverses one of the famous questions of social science. It is an attempt to explore the influence not of income upon well-being but instead of well-being upon income. As Fig. 1 illustrates, the linkages are estimated to be long and the empirical consequences large.
The paper's contribution is partly substantive and partly methodological. By the nature of its data, the study is able to introduce sibling fixed effects to account for much potential omitted-variable bias (family-related covariates, including a significant part of genetic endowment). Compared with individual fixed effects, sibling fixed effects allows for making inferences about the lagged effects of well-being at particular time points (such as adolescence and young adulthood) instead of having to consider variation between time intervals. This work also applies mediation analysis and may thus help to uncover the mechanisms running from well-being to later income. The most significant mediating pathways include obtaining a college degree, getting hired and promoted, and having higher degrees of optimism and extraversion and less neuroticism. Including current happiness in this longitudinal study allows us to better control for variation in latent well-being predisposition. This enables an examination of the consequences of variation in life satisfaction and positive affect at adolescence and young adulthood above and beyond any variation in the stable component of well-being. The use of a large US representative panel on this question also distinguishes this research from prior work that looked at the economic benefits of psychological well-being, as does offering a joint analysis of life satisfaction and positive affect. Finally, the study also attempts to account for a person's "anticipated happiness" in this kind of longitudinal analysis (through its use of proxy measures of current self-esteem). This should help to prevent a person's conscious or subconscious expectations about their future earnings from introducing bias into the estimate of the consequences of current psychological well-being.
For researchers who study human well-being, the message of the paper is that well-being regression equations cannot be expected to be estimated in a reliable way unless allowance is made for the endogeneity of income. This study also points to long time lags between psychological well-being in year T and people's incomes in year T + 10 and beyond. Greater knowledge of the underlying causes of these remarkable lags, and their reach in social and economic processes, will be needed. Research that considers the potential benefits of variation in life satisfaction or positive affect is part of a fairly new avenue in the study of human well-being. Although most research in this literature has studied the determinants of happiness, recently there has been growing interest in the broader benefits that happiness may induce (10, 29, 37). For policymakers, the existence of these mechanisms raises the possibility that a happier society may be one that intrinsically generates higher incomes for its citizens. Traditional thinking has focused upon the opposite.
Although, in this paper, human well-being is considered instrumental or as a means—rather than an end in itself—it needs to be emphasized that this is not with a view to putting money center-stage at the expense of happiness. To the contrary, the results indicate that happiness and income are connected by a two-way relationship, and that human well-being can itself be a source of economic dynamism.
Data are from the restricted-use National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) sample available by contractual agreement (38). Add Health was started in 1994 to explore the health-related behavior of adolescents in grades 7–12. By now, four waves of data collection have taken place and participating subjects were around 30 y old in Wave IV (2008). The first wave of the Add Health study (1994–1995) selected 80 high schools from a sampling frame of 26,666 schools. The schools were selected based on their size, school type, census region, level of urbanization, and percent of the population that was white. Participating high schools were asked to identify junior high or middle schools that served as feeder schools to their school. This resulted in the participation of 145 middle, junior high, and high schools. From those schools, 90,118 students completed a 45-min questionnaire, and each school was asked to complete at least one School Administrator questionnaire. This process generated descriptive information about each student, the educational setting, and the environment of the school. From these respondents, a core random sample of adolescents in grades 7–12 were drawn plus several oversamples, bringing the total for Wave I to 20,745 adolescents. These students and their parents were administered in-home surveys. Wave II (1996) was comprised of another set of in-home interviews of 14,738 students from the Wave I sample. Wave III (2001–2002) consisted of an in-home interview of 15,197 Wave I participants. Finally, Wave IV (2008) consisted of an in-home interview of 15,701 Wave I participants. The result of this sampling design is that Add Health is a nationally representative study. Women make up 49% of the study's participants, Hispanics 12%, Blacks 16%, Asians 3%, and Native Americans 2%. Participants in Add Health also represent all regions of the US.
In Wave I of the Add Health study, researchers screened for sibling pairs including all adolescents that were identified as twin pairs, full siblings, half siblings, or unrelated siblings raised together. The sibling-pairs sample is similar in demographic composition to the full Add Health sample (35). Consequently, in all regression models we cluster the SEs of our estimates to better account for the fact that a subset of our observations is not independent. The structure of this data also allows us to compare siblings to each other while holding the family environment constant, which aids our interpretation of the relationship between well-being, childhood context, and income as an adult.
In all four interview waves of Add Health the subjects were asked about their subjective well-being. In particular, in waves I and II, the positive affect subscale of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D) index (39) was administered. The CES-D index asks how often certain statements were true during the last week. The positive affect subscale is additively composed of the responses to the following four particular statements: "You enjoyed life," "You were happy," "You felt hopeful about the future," and "You felt that you were just as good as other people." The detailed question and answer structure for the four questions that make up this positive affect scale are given in Table S2. The life satisfaction question was surveyed in wave III only and asked: "How satisfied are you with your life as a whole?" Distribution tables for the positive affect and life satisfaction variables used in this research are presented in Tables S3–S6. Income in wave IV was reported as personal earnings before taxes and the mean income in the Add Health sample was approximately $35,000. The measure for self-esteem was derived from the answer to "Compared with other people your age, how intelligent are you?" which was surveyed in all interview waves. Precise variable descriptions and descriptive statistics, as well as distribution scales for the well-being measures, are given in Table S2 for all variables used in this paper. A correlation matrix for the well-being measures across all interview waves and income in wave IV is also given in Table S1.
The analyses are run using linear regression models with clustering on SEs to better account for the fact that a subset of the Add Health observations are not independent. We also leverage the sibling clusters in the Add Health data by introducing family fixed effects (Table 2). The empirical framework here follows a standard specification where income (in 2008) is regressed on earlier subjective well-being measures and a set of other characteristics. With family fixed effects the empirical model takes the following form:
where i and j index individual and family, respectively, and Yij is earnings. Zk is a matrix comprised of variables that may differ between siblings (sex, age, height, self-esteem, etc.). To control for common family attributes, family fixed effects are introduced (μj), and εij represents an individual-specific error. Such family fixed-effect analyses are equivalent to differencing all equation variables within sibling pairs to account for family-related unobservables. For a discussion of assumptions involved see Griliches (40) and more recent surveys. Compared with individual fixed effect panel studies, the advantage of a family fixed effects model is that it allows for the study of longer-term effects of subjective well-being at a particular time period, here in adolescence and young adulthood.
To test for mediation, we used the Sobel–Goodman method available in the STATA package that follows the logic described in Baron and Kenny (35). A variable is considered a mediator (M) if it carries some part of the effect from an independent variable (X), here positive affect and life satisfaction, onto a dependent variable (Y), in our case later earnings. Mediation occurs if (i) X significantly predicts M; (ii) X significantly predicts Y in the absence of M; (iii) M significantly predicts Y controlling for X; and (iv) the effect of X on Y shrinks upon addition of M. Description and references for the multivariate mediation test are provided in Table S9.
Information on how to obtain the Add Health data is available on the Add Health website (www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth).
We thank Royal Economic Society Annual Conference participants (Cambridge University, 26–28 March 2012) and Richard Layard, Michael Norton, Steve Pischke, Alois Stutzer, Bert Van Landeghem, and Justin Wolfers for their helpful comments. All remaining errors are our own. Financial support from the UK Department for Work and Pensions and US National Institute on Aging (Grant R01AG040640) is gratefully acknowledged. This research uses data from Add Health, a program project directed by Kathleen Mullan Harris and designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman, and Kathleen Mullan Harris at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and funded by Grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations.
↵1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jdeneve{at}post.harvard.edu.
Author contributions: J.-E.D.N. and A.J.O. designed research; J.-E.D.N. performed research; J.-E.D.N. analyzed data; and J.-E.D.N. and A.J.O. wrote the paper.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1211437109/-/DCSupplemental.
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You are going to email the following Estimating the influence of life satisfaction and positive affect on later income using sibling fixed effects
Psychological well-being and later earnings
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Andrew J. Oswald
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Dec 2012, 109 (49) 19953-19958; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211437109


text:
Scott Walker appoints two women as Milwaukee County circuit judges
Two career prosecutors are named to replace retiring judges in Milwaukee.
Scott Walker appoints two women as Milwaukee County circuit judges Two career prosecutors are named to replace retiring judges in Milwaukee. Check out this story on jsonline.com: https://jsonl.in/2Iot6EP
Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 12:03 p.m. CT March 13, 2018 | Updated 5:43 p.m. CT March 13, 2018
Laura Crivello (left) and Audrey Skwierawski (right)(Photo: Journal Sentinel files; submitted)
Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday named two women to replace retiring judges on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court bench.
Audrey Skwierawski, 50, a former sex crimes prosecutor in Milwaukee County and currently an assistant attorney general, will take the Branch 41 seat of John DiMotto, who retired last month.
Assistant District Attorney Laura Crivello, 49, was named to replace Judge Jeffrey Kremers, who will retire from Branch 36 in July.
Both women were among three finalists for DiMotto's post released by Walker's office last week. Though Kremers had announced his intention to retire, he had not formally declared that intention to Walker's office until recently, which could have started a new application process if Walker did not want to pick from the recent group.
The finalists — including Thomas Agnello, a lawyer at the Michael Best & Friedrich law firm — were selected from among applicants for the seat vacated by DiMotto, who had notified the governor months earlier.
Skwierawski serves on the Attorney General's Statewide Sexual Assault Response Team and the State of Wisconsin Violence Against Women Act Advisory Committee. She was nearly speechless in describing the news of her appointment Tuesday.
"It's such an honor and a privilege," she said. "It's still kind of sinking in. I can't express how grateful I feel to Governor Walker for giving me this opportunity to continue to serve."
She ran to succeed her father, former Chief Judge Michael Skwierawski, in 2003 but was defeated by David Borowski, who said the timing of her father's resignation and her announced candidacy smacked of insider politics.
Crivello, a prosecutor for more than 20 years, leads Milwaukee County's prosecution for the High Intensity of Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), focused on violent drug and gun trafficking organizations.
Recently she won the conviction of a member of the Big Money Addicts, a mobile drug gang she told jurors spread drugs, violence and chaos around the Milwaukee area. She could not be reached for an interview Tuesday.
The appointments will bring to 20 the number of women among the 47 judges in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Skwierawski said when she started in the DA's office in 1993, there were about five women judges.
Loudest Wisconsin GOP voice against 'send her back' is from Trump country
A drug's worst side effects often aren't discovered until it's on the market
UWM professor charged with sexual assault has fled the country
Read or Share this story: https://jsonl.in/2Iot6EP
Thousands in Madison without power after explosion, fires at substations
Pedestrian struck and killed in Brookfield
Ex-UWM professor charged with sexual assault has fled the country
Flight from Appleton diverted to Mitchell Airport for mechanical issue
Senator calls for veto override over streetcar concern


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Tims, M., Bakker, A.B., & Derks, D. (2011). The impact of job crafting on job demands, job resources, and well-being.
The present study examined whether employees can impact their own well-being by crafting their work characteristics. Based on job design theory, we hypothesized that employee job crafting would have an impact on work engagement, job satisfaction, and burnout through changes in job demands and job resources. Data was collected in a chemical plant at three time points with one month in-between the measurement waves (N = 288). The results of structural equation modeling showed that employees who crafted their job resources in the first month of the study showed an increase in their structural and social resources over the full course of the study (two months). This increase in job resources was positively related to employee well-being (increased engagement and job satisfaction, and decreased burnout). Crafting job demands did not result in a change in job demands, but results revealed direct effects of crafting challenging demands on well-being. We conclude that employee job crafting has a positive impact on well-being and that employees therefore should be offered opportunities to craft their own jobs.


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Penn State Agrees To Pay $59.7M To 26 Sandusky Sex Abuse Victims
Written By: Tropikana
Sixth Officer Involved In Confrontation That Led To Tyre Nichols' Death Relieved Of Duty
LeBron James' 2013 Championship Jersey Becomes One Of The Most Expensive Game-Worn Jerseys Of All Time
A settlement has finally been made in the Penn State sex abuse scandal. It has been determined that Penn State will pay $59.7 million to 26 sexual abuse victims of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, reports USA Today.
The abuse scandal shocked the university and the state. The 69-year-old Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 of 45 criminal counts involving abuse that spanned over a 15-year period. Several young men testified that Sandusky showered with them, groped them, and in some cases had oral and butt sex with them.
Sandusky went on to admit to showering with the boys but denied wrongdoing. While serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence he has been seeking appeals.
In a press release, the school said the terms of the just-announced settlements include confidentiality agreements. "Of the 26 settlements, 23 are signed and three are agreements in principle, with final documentation expected within the next few weeks," reports USA Today.
"The Board of Trustees has had as one of its primary objectives to reach settlements in a way that is fair and respects the privacy of the individuals involved," Keith Masser, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in a statement. "This is another important milestone in accomplishing that goal."
And university President Rodney Erickson called the agreements "another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by Mr. Sandusky, and another step forward for Penn State."
"Obviously no amount of money can compensate for what these young men have gone through," lawyer Ben Andreozzi, who represents nine of the victims, said. "But Penn State has given them the resources — financially and counseling — they need to help them recover."
None of the settlements will be funded by student tuition, taxpayer funds or donations, according to the university. Expenses that are not covered by insurance are expected to be funded from interest revenues related to loans made by the school, reports the newspaper.
There is still more to come. "Penn State has received claims from 32 individuals who were or allege that they were victims of Sandusky," reports Penn State News. Penn State has rejected some of the six remaining claims as being without merit and has while it has engaged others in possible settlement talks. In all, Penn State has spent more than $50 million on other costs related to the Sandusky scandal. This includes lawyers' fees, public relations expenses, and adoption of new policies and procedures related to children and sexual abuse complaints.
Since this incident the school has made several changes.
"Over the past year, Penn State has instituted more than 115 changes related to safety, human resources, security, compliance and governance," reports the Penn State News. There have also been sweeping reforms made by the Board of Trustees, administration and staff.
"We have made great strides, but a great deal of work remains," Erickson said.
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← Portugal and Europe's Democracy Crisis
Portugal: The Left Takes Charge →
Saudi Arabia: A Kingdom Stumbles
A Kingdom Stumbles: Saudi Arabia
For the past eight decades Saudi Arabia has been careful.
Using its vast oil wealth, it has quietly spread its ultra-conservative brand of Islam throughout the Muslim world, secretly undermined secular regimes in its region and prudently kept to the shadows, while others did the fighting and dying. It was Saudi money that fueled the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, underwrote Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, and bankrolled Islamic movements and terrorist groups from the Caucuses to Hindu Kush.
Today that circumspect diplomacy is in ruins, and the House of Saud looks more vulnerable than it has since the country was founded in 1926. Unraveling the reasons for the current train wreck is a study in how easily hubris, illusion, and old-fashioned ineptness can trump even bottomless wealth.
The Kingdom's first stumble was a strategic decision last fall to undermine competitors by upping oil production and, thus, lowering the price. Their reasoning was that, if the price of a barrel of oil dropped from over $100 to around $80, it would strangle competition from more expensive sources and new technologies, including the U.S. fracking industry, the arctic, and emergent producers like Brazil. That, in turn, would allow Riyadh to reclaim its shrinking share of the energy market.
There was also the added benefit that lower oil prices would damage countries that the Saudis didn't like: Russia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Iran.
In one sense it worked. The American fracking industry is scaling back, the exploitation of Canada's oil sands has slowed, and many arctic drillers closed up shop. And, indeed, countries like Venezuela, Ecuador, and Russia took a serious economic hit. But despite obvious signs, the Saudis failed to anticipate China's economic slowdown and how that would dampen economic growth in the leading industrial nations. The price of oil went from $115 a barrel in June 2014 to $44 today. Because it is so pure, it costs less than $10 to produce a barrel of Saudi oil.
The Kingdom planned to use its almost $800 billion in financial reserves to ride out the drop in prices, but it figured that oil would not fall below $80 a barrel, and then only for a few months.
According to the Financial Times, in order to balance its budget, Saudi Arabia needs a price of between $95 and $105 a barrel. And while oil prices will likely rise over the next five years, projections are that price per barrel will only reach $65. Saudi debt is on schedule to rise from 6.7 percent of GDP this year to 17.3 percent next year, and its 2015 budget deficit is $130 billion.
Saudi Arabia is spending $10 billion a month in foreign exchange reserves to pay the bills and has been forced to borrow money on the international financial market. Two weeks ago the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) regional director, Masood Ahmed, warned Riyadh that the country would deplete its financial reserves in five years unless it drastically cut its budget.
But the Kingdom can't do that.
When the Arab Spring broke out in 2011, the Saudi Arabia headed it off by pumping $130 billion into the economy, raising wages, improving services and providing jobs for its growing population. Saudi Arabia has one of the youngest populations in the Middle East, a lot of it unemployed and much of it poorly educated. Some 25 percent of the population lives in poverty. Money keeps the lid on, but for how long, even with the heavy-handed repression that characterizes Saudi political life?
In March, the Kingdom intervened in Yemen, launching an air war, a naval blockade, and partial ground campaign on the pretense that Iran was behind the civil war, a conclusion not even the Americans agree with.
Again, the Saudis miscalculated, even though one of its major allies, Pakistan, warned Riyadh that it was headed for trouble. In part, the Kingdom's hubris was fed by the illusion that U.S. support would make it a short war—the Americans are arming the Saudis, supplying them with bombing targets, backing up the naval blockade, and refueling their warplanes in mid-air.
But six months down the line the conflict has turned into a stalemate. The war has killed 5,000 people, including 500 children, flattened cities, and alienated much of the local population. It has also generated a food and medical crisis, as well as creating opportunities for the IS and Al-Qaeda to seize territory in Southern Yemen. Efforts by the UN to investigate the possibility of war crimes were blocked by Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
As the Saudis are finding out, war is a very expensive business, a burden the Saudis could meet under normal circumstances, but not when the price the Kingdom's only commodity, oil, is plummeting.
Nor is Yemen the only war that the Saudis are involved with. Riyadh, along with other Gulf monarchies, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, are underwriting many of the groups trying to overthrow Syria's Bashar al-Assad. When anti-government demonstrations broke out in 2011, the Saudis—along with the Americans and the Turks—calculated that Assad could be toppled in a few months.
But that was magical thinking. As bad as Assad is, a lot of Syrians, particularly minorities like Shiites, Christians, and Druze, were far more afraid of the Islamists from al-Qaeda and the IS then they were of their own government. So the war has dragged on for four years and has now killed close to 250,000 people.
Once again, the Saudis miscalculated, though in this case they were hardly alone. The Syrian government turned out to be more resilient that it appeared. And Riyadh's bottom line that Assad had to go just ended up bringing Iran and Russia into the picture, checkmating any direct intervention by the anti-Assad coalition. Any attempt to establish a no-fly zone will have to confront the Russian air force, not something that anyone other than U.S. presidential aspirants are eager to do.
The war has also generated a flood of refugees, deeply alarming the European Union, which finally seems to be listening to Moscow's point about the consequences of overthrowing governments without a plan as to who takes over. There is nothing like millions of refugees headed in your direction to cause some serious re-thinking of strategic goals.
The Saudis goal of isolating Iran is rapidly collapsing. The P5+1—The U.S., China, Russia, Great Britain, France, and Germany—successfully completed a nuclear agreement with Teheran, despite every effort by the Saudis and Israel to torpedo it. And at Moscow's insistence, Washington has reversed its opposition to Iran being included in peace talks around Syria.
Stymied in Syria, mired down in Yemen, its finances increasingly fragile, the Kingdom also faces internal unrest from its long marginalized Shiia minority in the country's east and south. To top it off, the IS has called for the "liberation" of Mecca from the House of Saud and launched a bombing campaign aimed at the Kingdom's Shiites.
Last month's Hajj disaster that killed more than 2100 pilgrims—and anger at the Saudi authorities foot dragging on investigating the tragedy—have added to the royal family's woes. The Saudi's claim 769 people were killed, a figure that no other country in the world accepts. And there are persistent rumors that the deadly stampede was caused when police blocked off an area in order to allow high-ranking Saudis special access to the holy sites.
Some of these missteps can be laid at the feet of the new king, Salman bin Abud-Aziz Al Saud, and of a younger generation of aggressive Saudis he has appointed to key positions. But Saudi Arabia's troubles are also a reflection of a Middle East in transition. Exactly where that it is headed is by no means clear, but change is in the wind.
Iran is breaking out of its isolation and, with its large, well-educated population, strong industrial base, and plentiful energy resources, is poised to play a major regional, if not international, role. Turkey is in the midst of a political upheaval, and there is growing opposition among Turks to Ankara's meddling in the Syrian civil war
Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, is impaled on its own policies, both foreign and domestic. "The expensive social contract between the Royal family and Saudi citizens will get more difficult, and eventually impossible to sustain if oil prices don't recover," Meghan L. O'Sullivan, director of the Geopolitics of Energy project at Harvard told the New York Times.
However, the House of Saud has little choice but to keep pumping oil to pay for its wars and keep the internal peace. But more production drives down prices even further, and, once the sanctions come off of Iran, the oil glut will become worse.
While it is still immensely wealthy, there are lots of bills coming due. It is not clear the Kingdom has the capital or the ability to meet them.
Filed under Lebanon, Yemen, Etc, Middle East, Pakistan, Syria
Tagged as Arab Spring, Assad, Islamic State, King Salman, oil prices, Saudi Arabia, Shia, Syria civil war, Yemen war
2 responses to "Saudi Arabia: A Kingdom Stumbles"
GravitySailor
What a wonderfully informative article! Very insightful. Perhaps the House of Saud can eventually be persuaded to collaborate to solve the Syrian nightmare, but I fear they prefer to win it–a recipe for continued violence and destruction.
http://gravitysailor.com/government-politics/syria-realities/
jim (jaime) soliz
Oral Conn. Once again, thank you for a terrific insightful article.
Jim (jaime)soliz


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Carnivale Creepshow
This is a three film project written and directed by Joshua Miller. His production company Zenawood Entertainment has made numerous films and is continuing to broaden its horizons while making independent films. I was part of the first two films and will be part of the third. I play a guy named Drunky. He's a God fearing man who has an insatiable need to eat human flesh. He says that cannibalism is in the Bible so it is authorized by God. He's a little vague about which passage he's quoting but it has to do with "Eat the body and Drink the Blood". It's a whole lot of fun shooting these films.
Playing mandolin by the campfire
Audry Elmore and Taylor Langston zombied up and ready to film
She gon' die.
Thinkin' about some liver
Clown just has no boundaries
Step right up the Carnivale Creepshow.
You say this, then I say that, then I punch you in the face.
Gearing up for the camera


Alison Sikes is a member of the firm's Corporate Practice Group and represents clients in a broad range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and securities.
Conduct research regarding the constitutionality of state restrictions on reproductive rights.
Advise and assist a women's health foundation with corporate matters.


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Michael Oliver (ur. 20 lutego 1985 roku w Ashington) – angielski sędzia piłkarski. Od 2012 roku sędzia międzynarodowy.

Oliver znalazł się na liście 19 sędziów Mistrzostw Europy 2020.

Sędziowane mecze Mistrzostw Europy 2020

Sędziowane mecze Mistrzostw Świata 2022

Przypisy

Angielscy sędziowie piłkarscy
Urodzeni w 1985


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Q: Order of magnitudes comparisons I need your help with the following.
I need to determine how to order (functions) the following :
\begin{align}
&f(x)=(x/2)^{(x/2)} \\
&g(x)=x!
\end{align}
Note:
I got both of them are equal ( $f(x)= \theta(x \log x)$ and $g(x)= \theta(x \log x)$ )
But I do not know how it really true.
Thanks in advance!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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IT ES FR DE UK NL US
Sports Source: Sbnation.com
NBA mock draft 2021: Next year's class finally has a legit No. 1 prospect
Here's your first look at the 2021 NBA draft class. The 2020 NBA Draft is now behind us, which means one thing: it's time to look ahead at next year's class. The next generation of young basketball talent is right around the corner, with top international prospects already in play, and college hoops starting only one... go to Article >
Tyrese Haliburton was the perfect draft pick for the Kings
17 Days ago Sports Source: Sbnation.com
The No. 12 pick found an ideal fit for his skill set in Sacramento playing next to De'Aaron Fox. Tyrese Haliburton knows how it feels to be undervalued. Coming out of Wisconsin's Oshkosh North High School, Haliburton suffered from... read more
JPMorgan unveils its 50 'most compelling' stock picks to buy for 2021 — and details why each one will be a top performer
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Summary List PlacementJPMorgan is decidedly bullish on stocks in 2021, to the point that it's telling investors they can haul in big returns with two diametrically opposed approaches. Chief US Equity Strategist Dubravko Lakos-Bujas says the... read more
NBA mock draft 2020: Final projection with two picks for each team
The Timberwolves and Warriors hold the keys to the draft The 2020 NBA Draft will be remembered for its lack of consensus at the top of the board. While last year's draft had an obvious No. 1 overall pick in Zion Williamson, the projected top... read more
Instant grades for every 2020 NBA Draft first round pick
Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images We're grading every pick in the 2020 NBA Draft live as it happens. After 17 months of speculation, the 2020 NBA Draft has finally arrived. The buzz around this draft class from the... read more
LaVar Ball's NBA prophecy finally (sort of) came true
Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images LaVar Ball says a lot of things. He said he could beat Michael Jordan in his prime one-on-one, he said his oldest son Lonzo would be better than Stephen Curry, and he said his three sons... read more
7 WNBA draft prospects to watch in college basketball
A look ahead to the 2021 WNBA draft The WNBA finished their 2020 season in the wubble with the Seattle Storm winning their second championship in three years. A new season of women's college basketball season is now underway. That... read more
NBA mock draft 2020: Instant picks after lottery order set
148 Days ago Sports Source: Sbnation.com
LaMelo Ball, Deni Avdija, Anthony Edwards, and James Wiseman are four of the top prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves are officially on the clock. The Minnesota Timberwolves are officially on the clock with the No. 1... read more
The Bucks' loss in the 2020 NBA Playoffs is a total organizational failure
The Bucks were outclassed by the Heat in every way. The Milwaukee Bucks' five-game series loss to the Miami Heat was like watching a car crash in slow motion. The Bucks' obituary was being written in real time as Miami exposed glaring... read more
Impact investing finances companies that aim to do good in the world — here's how it works and how to get involved
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President Obama and the Gulf oil leak: Will it be statesmanship or political expediency?
After weeks of media stories, myriad photos of oil-coated birds and fish, the president throwing tantrums like a bewildered teenager nearing adulthood, and the Congress disguising its failures by venting its hypocritical spleen at British Petroleum (BP) executives, Mr. Obama will give Americans his views on the Gulf oil leak on Tuesday evening. Before the president speaks it might be helpful to fix blame for the Gulf mess where it belongs. Three questions and answers ought to turn the trick:
Question: When was the first Saudi-supported oil embargo aimed at crippling the U.S. economy?
Answer: 1973.
Question: What problem were Americans alerted to by the embargo?
Answer: The health and stability of their economy was in the hands of America-hating Arab tyrants and other Third World dictators.
Question: What did the U.S. Congress do about this national security threat in the ensuing 37 years?
Answer: The U.S. Congress moved Daylight Savings Time (DST) up three weeks.
There you have it. Both political parties have utterly failed to protect U.S. national security in the energy realm. Private industry has developed new fossil-fuel and alternative energy sources; car makers have improved gas efficiency and reduced emissions; and many millions of Americans are purchasing cars that use less fuel and are better for air quality. And the Congress? DST is three weeks earlier; no new nuclear energy plants have been built in 30-plus years; and, with two presidents, Congress has pandered for oil to a Libyan leader who killed U.S. citizens on Pan Am 103. As usual, all hands are contributing something to improvements on the energy front except the elected officials whose main job it is to defend America. Instead, they and their appointees have kept America vulnerable to foreign decisions about oil.
Regarding the current Gulf oil leak, BP should be held responsible for any regulation breaking that is proven. If there is criminality involved, those culpable should be prosecuted. But before scapegoating BP and driving it to bankruptcy, it is worth asking why BP was drilling by remote control in over 5,000 feet of water? Yes, part of the reason is that it is a profitable endeavor. And, yes, another part of the reason probably is that BP used campaign contributions to make federal offshore drilling regulations less stringent than they should be.
But the real reason BP and other companies are drilling in the Gulf is because U.S. national security absolutely requires them to do so. The Congress has left Americans and their economy in front of a gun pointed at them by OPEC leaders, some of whom are U.S.-hating tyrants. As discussed here before, the Congress for nearly four decades has kept the United States dependent on oil sources we do not control, and for which we will fight to secure if production is seriously disrupted or stopped. Among such vital-to-the-U.S. producers are Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Nigeria. In 2012, in fact, we will get 20-percent of our crude oil from the Niger Delta.
Given this reality it is hard to make heads or tails of President Obama. The correct response to the BP disaster, I think, would have been "accidents happen," especially when you are drilling in 5,000 feet of water with robotic equipment. Obama should have reassured Gulf Coast citizens about clean-up and stressed that criminal activity contributing to the leak would be prosecuted.
But he should also have explained to Americans that offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Pacific coast, and elsewhere is mandatory because his political predecessors failed to wean America from energy sources we do not control and for which we will have to fight if they are shut by war or political decisions. Most of all, Obama should have made a powerful appeal for public support for alternative and nuclear energy to prevent wars for oil, gain more control over our energy supply, and eventually negate the need for offshore drilling. This is an accurate, credible position and it would have been politically advantageous for Obama. It also is about the full extent of Obama's — or any president's — capabilities.
But instead the president came out snarling like a clone of Rahm Emmanuel; that is, he acted as an attack-dog/punk. He savaged BP and its executives, apparently encouraged his party members to do the same in Congress (where they were joined by the me-too Republicans), called for "kicking ass" like a teen-age bully, rallied anti-BP sentiment in the Gulf states, and strolled the Gulf Coast beaches looking for oil balls, dead fish, oil-fouled birds, and photo opportunities. This adds up to nothing in terms of stopping the leak or putting America on the road to energy security.
Then, tragically, Mr. Obama decided the United States was not hurt enough by the BP leak and so suspended drilling in the Gulf. Again, drilling in the Gulf and elsewhere offshore is absolutely necessary and will remain so for decades as we work for greater energy self-sufficiency. By halting Gulf drilling Mr. Obama simply put off the day when drilling can be ended for good. He also gave the extremist environmental lobby a powerful tool for preventing the resumption of drilling. If we know anything about Congress, we know that Obama's drilling ban will hold because the legislators can now have it both ways: They can blame him for the ban while cynically sympathizing with both environmentalists and oil companies. Overall, Mr. Obama took a disaster and with support from his party, the Republicans, and the environment-crazed media made it worse.
Whatever Mr. Obama tells the American people about the BP leak on Tuesday night ought to include the hard truth that we are in this fix because of the near total failure of both parties to remove the threat foreign oil producers pose to our economy and national security. He must not simply draw and quarter BP — that firm is responsible for profit not U.S. national security — and he must not take the cheap and media-pleasing politician's way out by trying to parlay the leak into some kind of U.S.-led, U.S. taxpayer-funded global environmental campaign. Indeed, Obama would be well advised to tell Americans he will launch an FBI investigation into any U.S. scientist or professor who is accused of deliberately falsifying or manipulating data used to justify the actions proposed at the 2009 Climate Summit.
Mr. Obama has a chance to do what no president or federal legislator has had the courage to do in nearly 40 years. He has an opportunity to use the bully pulpit to force America onto the road toward energy self-sufficiency and away from potential wars for oil. Mr. Obama also has a historic opportunity to perform, as did Theodore Roosevelt per Douglas Brinkley's brilliant book, The Wilderness Warrior, as an able defender of the environment and as a common-sense user and steward of America's natural resources. We will all see tomorrow night whether Mr. Obama's "vision" for America amounts to anything more than getting elected and reelected.
Author Michael F. ScheuerPosted on June 14, 2010
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Or, The Syndicate: We're Working On It.
Recently some people have asked me how I work. Well. Here's how I do it these days.
I am working on a play. The play is called Tiny Errors at the End of the Millennium, and it is about a dancer obsessively working to correct the mistakes she makes while participating in a competitive dance show in 1999. It is also about the million small and human mistakes Western societies have made in the first 17 years of the 21st century that have landed us where we are today.
Although I am writing the script for Tiny Errors, mine is not the only vision for the play. The initial stages of development were collective, with the company participating in the generation of ideas and materials over the course of many months. With that stage completed, it's now my role to take our collective work and wrestle it into a written script.
To do so, I have at my disposal all the ideas that The Syndicate generated for Tiny Errors via Skype and two separate week-long developmental periods, plus the feedback we received when we shared those ideas in workshop showings. I have YouTube. I have the Moby station on Pandora. I have (praise be) Celine Dion. And I have the utter freedom to use or discard whatever materials I want to write a play that my company will be excited to perform. I truly have everything I need to write Tiny Errors. Everything, that is, except most of my company mates.
The Syndicate is a de-centralized company, meaning that half of us live and work quite far away from the other half, and much of our work together is, by necessity, conducted online. Writing a play can be shockingly lonely work, difficult to do in the best of circumstances, but especially tricky when working in isolation from the collaborators who created the bones of a piece that I am now responsible for.
Being a playwright is a lot like what I imagine being a fisher-person must be like; long stretches of staring at a great blue expanse of nothingness mixed in with periods of intensely bloody and exhausting work. Or, as The Syndicate often says during devising sessions, "Like that but not like that." When struggling with writing Tiny Errors, I found myself longing for the physical presence of my collaborators in a way that almost felt like a form of writer's block; how could I possibly write a play for my company when I can't be in the same room with them? I want the bodies and brains of my company mates to illuminate my ideas with me and for me, challenging the notion that writing for the theatre must be a solitary art.
When Lee Breuer of Mabou Mines wrote HOW WE WORK, he started with that famous sentence; "RECENTLY SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING US HOW WE WORK." HOW WE WORK goes on to describe how, despite the lack of heat, and boredom, and company bickering, and high rent, and creative differences of opinion, Mabou Mines created theatre that changed the landscape of the 70s because they just kept showing up and dealing with each other and their ideas until, eventually, they made a play. HOW WE WORK cheekily articulates, in caps lock, what every artist knows; while the inspiration behind one's art might be rooted in Big Magic, the work of making that art is often tedious. And it helps to have some people around you who are doing exactly the same thing you are doing.
There has always been a web.
Because, you see, once there were no bodies.
Once, everything occupied the same immense space, and inside of it was everything, all of the experiences of the universe all jumbled there, together, wriggling around on top of each other.
You must remember that it took billions of years to make bodies.
Each element had to be built, and that took a lot of trial and error.
Success in the form of humans, these fragile little bodies covered in a very thin layer of skin; an organ, can you believe it? Skin is an organ. There so that you might perceive the rest of the world while remaining separate from all the other bodies.
Skin was created to distinguish you from the everything.
No amount of trial and error ever changed that.
Of course this was there, too, or the possibility of it.
This world wide web, I mean.
But the possibility of bodies was a greater one than the possibility of this web, so all of the everything went flying out into space, and the web went with it, too.
And it took many more millions of years for ligaments and liquids to grow into generations. The web was imagined constantly, briefly, by the collective feelings of a hundred million billion human souls, swarming through the sub-consciousness of history, until it was born.
Which is to say: People made the world wide web, out of the same stuff that they were made of.
I do not know the solution for being so far apart from most of my creative soul mates, but maybe The Syndicate, a company that would literally not exist without Skype, or Google hang outs, or text messaging, or email, is finding our way to a creative model surprisingly like the utopic 21st century the World Wide Web first envisioned. Maybe, just by continuing to work together despite the vast distances between us, we will find a new way of working, creating our own HOW WE WORK document for a new age; one that details the joy, the frustrations, and the weird fun of working together while in isolation from each other. It will be a difficult art form to master. But we are working on it.