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Is Nancy Pelosi Fit To Be Speaker Of The House?
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Nancy Pelosis father, Thomas DAlessandro Jr., was the subject of a special investigation run by the FBI. They were looking into his affairs with organized crime, and they were looking into Nancys brother who was arrested and tried for gang-raping two girls ages 11 and 13. The DEAs biggest heroin bust in the United States was at a California warehouse that Nancy Pelosi was tied to. She is worth over one hundred million dollars, and has a reputation for abusing her use of American taxpayer dollars, including spending over one hundred thousand dollars in just two years for in-flight alcohol expenses. Nancy Pelosi is just one of many in the swamp, but she is second in line in succession to the presidency. It appears our representatives are too weak to properly investigate the past crimes of the Obamas and the Clintons, but Roger Stone explains why now is the time for justice before its too late.
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https://www.infowars.com/is-nancy-pelosi-fit-to-be-speaker-of-the-house/
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Is Alec Ingold the right Saquon Barkley aide for Giants to grab?
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Alec Ingolds meeting with the Giants last week was unusual, to be sure, as it included just a bit of good-natured trash talking, which is not the norm when a player hoping to make an impression during interviews with NFL personnel. But that is what went down when the Wisconsin fullback sat down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., with Craig Johnson, the Giants running backs coach. Johnson spent six years as an assistant coach at Northwestern, and as anyone in the Midwest can attest, Big Ten passion runs deep for those involved. It was awesome, Ingold told The Post. Hes from Northwestern, so we got a little back and forth about the Big Ten. He got us this year. Just to be able to talk ball with him was huge. I love talking to coaches where I can explain my knowledge of the game and really show my passion for being a good fullback. Blocking for Saquon would be a dream come true. Ah, yes, blocking for Saquon. Of course that came up in the discussion after Johnson no doubt reminded Ingold of Northwesterns 31-17 victory over Wisconsin this past season. Blocking for Saquon Barkley is the No. 1 job description for any fullback employed by the Giants. Ingold knows all about blocking for a dynamic running back, as he spent the past two years thrusting his body into the line to move defenders, allowing Jonathan Taylor to become the most prolific runner in NCAA football history. Taylor, from Salem, N.J., gained 1,977 yards as a freshman and 2,194 as a sophomore, working behind the Badgers traditionally rugged offensive line. Taylors 4,171 rushing yards his first two seasons is an NCAA record. He made a lot of guys miss this year, Ingold said. He made me look great, but I hope I did the same for him on some plays, too. Just being able to be accountable for those running backs, keep them off the ground as much as best I can, chasing the ball after them, make sure Im picking them up as much as I can, thats what my job is. They went with Eli Penny, a second-year player from Idaho, at fullback in 2018. Penny ran for 25 yards on seven rushing attempts and caught eight passes for 50 yards. Penny is 6-foot-1 and 234 pounds. If the Giants want to bring in some competition for Penny and go with a bigger body at the position, Ingold, at 6-2 and a well-proportioned 247 pounds, would be an ideal option. He scored 21 touchdowns (17 rushing, four receiving) during his stay in Madison and worked on virtually every special-teams unit. It is the way of life for fullbacks, and Ingold is readily accepting of all of it. The way I play the game, I want to be a good football player, I want to make a team better, he said. Regardless of if they need a fullback or not, I hope my game is good enough that they can think about it. Just being able to play a position that can fly around the field at all spots. Ingold has been a Badger his whole life, growing up in Green Bay. He is a multiple-time member of the academic All-Big Ten team and has a job waiting for him in Boston, working in a sales-development role for Oracle. He can defer employment and intends to do that by pursuing his football dream. The NFL draft is usually unkind to fullbacks, and NFL scouts have told Ingold not to value himself based on where he is taken. He could go in the middle or late rounds or not at all. The two fullbacks on the most recent Giants Super Bowl teams Madison Hedgecock (seventh round) and Henry Hynoski (undrafted) fought their way onto NFL rosters. In the Senior Bowl, Ingold had one rushing attempt for 7 yards and caught one pass for 11 yards, helping the North team win 34-24. He played alongside two teammates, offensive linemen Michael Deiter and Beau Benzschawel, and said he feels comfortable hanging with the big guys, even though he intends to make his living in the running backs room. Just caring about those guys in the room is huge, Ingold said. Everything I hear about Saquon is just amazing. He accepts competition and wants to be the best he can. To be invited into that room would be amazing. Id want to make him better.
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https://nypost.com/2019/01/27/is-alec-ingold-the-right-saquon-barkley-aide-for-giants-to-grab/
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Can commercial satellites be used for espionage?
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For decades, the U.S. has relied on spy satellites to look deep into the territory of American adversaries, and for years, these were the cameras dominating Earth's orbit. Not anymore. As David Martin reports on 60 Minutes this week, there are now commercial companies putting small satellites in space and allowing customers to purchase panoramic images of Earth. As a result, the U.S. government no longer holds a monopoly on the photos taken from orbitand has no power to classify commercial images as top secret. One of those companies, Planet Labs, has put about 300 satellites into orbit, enough to image the entire landmass of Earth every day. The company has done it, in part, by reducing the dimension of its satellites. Government satellites are the size of a pickup truck; Planet Labs' are the size of a loaf of bread. Planet Labs' commercial satellites are no bigger than a loaf of bread. For comparison, government satellites are about the size of a pickup truck. The U.S. government sets limits on commercial satellite use and mandates that American companies obtain a license. It also restricts the optical resolution of satellites; commercial cameras are not allowed to zoom down to the same detail as a spy satellite. Still, the resolution comes relatively close. Martin told 60 Minutes Overtime that U.S. military officers could use commercial satellites for 90 percent of the intelligence they need. These new satellites make close monitoringif not outright espionagean option, particularly for governments that do not have their own advanced satellite technology. The first spy photos that American satellites took of the former Soviet Union were not as high quality as the photos that Planet Labs is now taking. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency even uses Planet Labs images to get a more complete look at the world, particularly in places where U.S. spy satellites are not focused. The humanitarian uses for commercial satellite images are numerous. Planet Labs' photographs monitor change, creating before-and-after pictures of environmental transformations, such as deforestation, receding glaciers, and melting ice caps. Planet Labs Planet Labs Satellite images captured by Planet Labs Planet Labs But there is also plenty of potential for people to use commercial images in nefarious ways. For example, people with access to satellite images could keep a daily record of the number of U.S. Navy ships in port. "If the United States were trying to move an army, as they did in the first Persian Gulf War," Martin said, "move an army without the enemy seeing it, the satellite would see it." Anyone who obtained the images would also see an army on the move. Dictators wanting to cleanse an ethnicity would similarly be able to track movements of refugees, Martin said. Will Marshall, a Planet Labs co-founder, told Martin his company hired an ethics officer to monitor this specific question. "We have a process to review every single new client on a case-by-case basis," Marshall said. "Is it in line with our values?" U.S. sanctions prohibit companies like Planet Labs from selling to countries like North Korea or Russia. But, Martin said, that's what front companies are for. "You can, I think, rely on Planet to operate in good faith," Martin said. "Whether or not they can be fooled is another question." To watch David Martin's 60 Minutes report on small satellites, click here. The video above was produced by Will Croxton and Brit McCandless Farmer. It was edited by Will Croxton. Satellite photos courtesy of Planet Labs Inc.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-commercial-satellites-be-used-for-espionage-60-minutes/
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Can Crowdsourcing Make Horse Sports More Accessible?
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When you look at the numbers on a macro scale, the amount of money in acquisition, care, and training, and compare and contrast that to the prize money we compete for, theres a big hole there, says Terry Finley, CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, which puts together horse racing partnerships. If you dont win, the costs are exorbitant. In recent years, the price of both racehorses and Olympic-level equines has skyrocketed as more and more buyers compete for a small number of elite four-legged performers. While racehorses tend to be the most expensive, the best show horses also command astronomical sums. The Olympic show jumper Greg Broderick lost his Rio horse, MHS Going Global, when the animal was sold to shipping heiress Athina Onassis for a reported 12 million ($14.3 million). Totilas, a dressage horse who broke world records with Dutch rider Edward Gal, was sold in 2010 for a price reported up to 15 million ($17.9 million). These prices are in no way routine, but they threaten the careers of the best professional riders who rarely have the assets to secure such a ride on their own. I was naive about the amount of money they could get for him, Evans says about the revelation that he could lose Cooley Rorkes Drift. Desperate, he approached anyone he could find to put together sponsorship for the horse, but came up short. Evans counted as his friends the chef Andrew Kojima, who, after becoming a finalist in the British cooking competition show Masterchef, crowdsourced funding for his own restaurant. Inspired, Evans decided to set up his own fundraising site, jontyandart.com. I reckoned my potential audience was very niche, he says. It was very unlikely if I walked into a big city and put leaflets through doors that the general public was going to give me anything. This was going to appeal to people who understand horses, the partnerships, the emotion and the connection. All crowdsourced funds in Evanss case were considered a donation, but he hoped that people would still feel a sense of pride and ownership in Cooley Rorkes Drift. It was more of a call to action to secure the horse, without any expectation of supporting the horses career on a monthly or annual basis, explains Joanie Morris, the managing director of eventing in the U.S. Within 24 hours, Evans had raised $64,000and by the end of the week hed surpassed $100,000. When Evans turned to a guy who ran a crowdfunding platform for advice, the entrepreneur was gobsmacked. You dont need my help, he told Evans, I need your help. The response to Evanss call for assistance was indeed astounding. Some of Evanss supporters donated stays in their vacation homes and fellow competitors, like Olympic gold medalist Andrew Nicholson, donated training sessions for an online fundraising auction. The BBC called. Two supporters put in more than 100,000, but many of the 6,800 donations Evans received were much smaller; You, me, and even the bloke next door can help us to own Art, Evans said in a promotional video. Asking for outside financial support isnt new in equestrian sports, but it typically follows the model of a syndication in which shares are sold and owners are expected to bear the burden of costs. Racing, where such syndication originated, has consistently been the most expensive of the horse sports. In the late 1970s, racehorses like Affirmed and Seattle Slew made headlines when they were syndicated for $14.4 million and $12 million, respectively ($34 million and $33 million in todays dollars.) But upkeep has grown more expensive. Fewer and fewer of the old families have stables now. They either have reduced their holdings or theyve gotten out of the business entirely, and in their place are the big syndicates, says Finley. At this weekends Kentucky Derby, Finley estimates that 14 out of 20 starters will be owned in one form or another by such a partnership. Syndicates may make horse sports more accessible to more peoplebut they still exclude the average investor. You cant put a big percentage of your net worth in the horse business, its an insane investment from a financial point of view, says Finley. But, he concedes, when you see the lifestyle, its captivating. That has been enough to draw donors to causes like Evanss and to similar crowdfunding-based ventures, like The Peoples Horse, a clublike entity in which members contribute between $150-$500 to get access to various experiences associated with the birth, training, and first year racing of a thoroughbred. We put the member in the drivers seat of making the decisions without the vet bills and all the things that make it impossible to be a stakeholder, says Geoff Gray, the founder of The Peoples Horse. The Peoples Horse members helped pick out a broodmare for California Chrome, who won the 2014 Kentucky Derby. This spring, the chose mare, Colerful Bride, gave birth to a bright chestnut filly with a long white stocking on her left foreleg. Members can vote on her name and, in June, meet her at a special event. Financial responsibility for that filly falls to True.Ink, a media company that Gray founded, and Taylor Made Farm, which manages the animals care and training. Gray thinks that The Peoples Horse experience is one everyone can participate in. Our goal isnt to create a great return for investors but to offer an extraordinary experience he says. Meanwhile, Jonty Evans tried to register Cooley Rorkes Drift in the name of a group that represented the 6,800 people and entities who helped purchase himbut the sports governing body limited the horses official ownership to the individuals who had made the most significant contributions. A few weeks ago, Evans and Art won the Belton Cup, the first time either of them had won a major international competition at that level. On social media, a contributor to Evans campaign wrote, My horse just won the Belton Cup! Soon after, commenters were chiming in. Mine too! Mine too! It was a response that even Art might have enjoyed. He loves the crowd, Evans says. The louder the crowd, the more shouting, the higher he jumps.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40568501/can-crowdsourcing-make-horse-sports-more-accessible
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Would a Ban on Bitcoin Be as Pointless as the War on Drugs?
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One of the common criticisms thrown Bitcoins way over the years has been that the system cannot work because governments will eventually ban it if it interferes with their ability to do things like control monetary policy or collect taxes. This has been the main criticism offered by JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon when asked to comment on the peer-to-peer digital cash system. In a recent interview with Crypto Insiders Vlad Costea, Riccardo Spagni and Cayle Sharrock, who both work on projects related to the privacy-focused Monero altcoin, made the case that banning cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero would be just as pointless as the War on Drugs. Strong Financial Privacy is Almost Here When Costea asked his two guests what the private cryptocurrency space will look like in five or six years, Spagni explained his hope that the technology will reach a point where it becomes the norm. I personally hope privacy coins are going to be dominant enough that it will force everyone elses hand, said Spagni. Between Bitcoin having enhanced privacy through something like Lightning and TumbleBit, between Monero and the work being done on ZK-STARKs by Starkware, between Grin and Beam and Tari [working on MimbleWimble]. I mean all of these projects that are building various privacy-enhancing aspects Im hoping that its just going to force a reckoning where everyone will have to go: Okay, privacy is here. Its accessible. Strong privacy is here. Of course, user activity on centralized crypto asset exchanges is still under heavy surveillance, as indicated by the recent "crypto needs rules" ad campaign from digital asset exchange Gemini, which was co-founded by the Winklevoss Twins. You Cant Stop People from Using This Technology Once strong privacy in cryptocurrencies has been established, Spagni is of the belief that it cannot be banned or regulated. We cant stop people from going down this road because people are going to use it anyway, said Spagni. According to Spagni, a ban on a private cryptocurrency like Monero would be similar to a ban on marijuana, which may not be worth the associated costs. You have like this whole War on Drugs and youre arresting people for growing weed in their garden and, as a government, you expend billions of dollars on this, said Spagni. And ultimately, the thing ends up getting legalized anyway, and all youve done is waste time. In Spagnis view, there is a chance this same story will play out again with privacy-enhanced cryptocurrencies, as lawmakers are scared of the existence of private online transactions to affect basic government activities such as tax collection. Because if in fact you cant crack that at all, and government cant get in, then everybodys walking around with a Swiss bank account in their pocket. Over time, theyll start to realize that actually you can still do proper law enforcement without needing to see everyones transactions, added Spagni. You can still do proper tax collecting without needing to see into everyones bank account. Privacy Advocates are Not Criminals From Sharrocks view, privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Monero have the power to disable a governments ability to take away the fundamental right to privacy. Privacy is a right, and technology has allowed the governments and other state agencies to encroach more and more into that right, said Sharrock. And [encryption] is a reaction. Its a way to say, No, were taking that right back. Sharrock then added, People who advocate privacy in money and messaging are not criminals. I think theyre just trying to stand up for what is fundamentally a human right.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/ktorpey/2019/01/27/would-a-ban-on-bitcoin-be-as-pointless-as-the-war-on-drugs/
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Who Is the Raven on 'The Masked Singer'?
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We're officially four episodes into Fox's new hit show The Masked Singer, which means that four of the competing celebrities' identities have been revealed (check out this list to see who's been voted off Season 1 of The Masked Singer so far). Well, if you're looking for The Masked Singer spoilers, you've come to the right place: I've read countless theories and listened to many different tracks, and now, I can confidently say that the Raven has to be Ricki Lake. Let's review the clues we have so far: The Raven has listened to many "other people's stories," but she also talks a lot. Recently she "suffered a tragic loss," and this show is a way to honor her "beloved." She was once very lonely, and no one "recognized my beauty." Eventually, though, "a man came to town" and "took me away from my flock." She then "cried tears of love into the Hudson River." That's a lot to unpack, but hear me out: For 11 years, Ricki had her own daytime talk show (appropriately titled Ricki Lake), where she both listened to many other people's stories and spent lots of time talking so that covers the first clue. She also suffered an incredibly tragic loss in February 2017, when her husband, jewelry designer Christian Evans, died by suicide. To add to that evidence, Ricki was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, a small town off the Hudson River, in 1968 (the year pictured on the black-and-white TV in the Episode 4 clue reel). As a young, and perhaps "lonely," actress, Ricki struggled for some time to find the right roles for her. cast her as Tracy Turnblad in his 1988 musical movie Hairspray, and her life was forever changed. (A clue listed on The Masked Singer website before Episode 2 also seemed to hint at Ricki's breakout role: "The higher the hair, the closer to God," it read.) This all sounds like proof enough to me (I'm convinced this popular internet theory is 100% correct, FWIW), but the judges have had some other ideas: So far, they've thrown around names like Sherri Shepherd and Raven-Symon. Only time will tell the true identity of this masked singer, of course, but in the meantime, listen to the below clip of Ricki singing and compare it to the Raven's performance above:
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https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a26041675/who-is-the-raven-on-the-masked-singer/
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Why are car interior colours so boring?
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Re black interior trim. I'm in the market for a Ford Mustang but I refuse to place an order while black is mandatory. Ford dealers don't seem to care. The irony is the 1964 Mustang introduced the joy of optioning the car however you wanted it. Frederick Auld, email Any interior colour as long as it's black is definitely the go with Ford's Mustang. I agree, it's not good enough. Just look at sports cars of old with their beautiful cream, red or tan leather seats. You could go to great expense and have your Mustang aftermarket trimmed to a colour of your liking, or simply shop elsewhere. Cheaper than a V8 Mustang GT, nearly as quick and you get a greater selection of cabin colours. Colour blind A black interior is dark, hot and claustrophobic. Getting the beige interior for my Mercedes Benz SLK was just as important as the Cubanite silver exterior. I'm also perplexed by the popularity of black paint for car bodies, especially in Australia's hot summers. Peter Hoycard, email Agreed. Too many buyers choose conservative colours for resale purposes. It's your car; get the colours you want. 2018 Hyundai i30N is only equipped with a manual transmission. Three pedal hero I'm looking for a manual SUV or sporty hatchback. I've been looking around but nobody seems to sell manual cars anymore. A Duong, email I feel your pain. It's a travesty that so many new cars, including ostensibly sporty jobs, have no manual gearbox option. If you're seeking fun, a hatch will always outdo an SUV. My pick is the Hyundai i30N, available only with a manual gearbox. I've seen some advertised for under $40K drive- away. The Ford Fiesta ST ($27,490) or Suzuki Swift Sport ($25,490) are bargain funsters, while the VW Golf GTI Original is currently $38,990 on the road. All will bring you joy. Joshua Connor, email A few people have been seeking similar advice, having been tempted to buy an MG by the sharp drive-away prices. The MG3 can be had for $15,990 on the road with auto gearbox and seven-year warranty. Incredible on paper. Ask for an extended test drive, sample the build quality for yourself and compare the rivals, such as the Suzuki Swift or Mazda2, which really don't cost much more. The Land Rover Discovery is capable of road but a LandCruiser is far superior. Pic: supplied British expedition In our retirement my wife and I have decided we'd love to travel around Australia. I'd prefer a Land Rover but I'm told the only vehicle to have is a Toyota LandCruiser. We plan a nine-month trip and would like to keep the vehicle as an everyday car afterwards. Bob Conkey, email Totally depends on what sort of touring you want to do, Bob. If you want to go deeper off-road, I'd agree the LandCruiser is the pick. Should something go wrong there are more Toyota dealers in the wilds than Land Rover. If your heart is set on the British option, get a Land Rover Discovery. Entry-level SD4 S for $72,250 will suffice, can tackle serious off-road tracks and be a joyful daily driver on your return. Toyota recently recalled the Corolla for transmission faults. Everything I've read about the Toyota Corolla's continuously variable transmission suggests it has the potential to fail or there are risks with it. Peter Mitchell, email Toyota recalled Corollas with the new Direct Shift CVT late last year, so yes, there are concerns. That shouldn't dissuade you. Toyota's just announced a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for its new cars, rising to seven years for engine and gearbox if serviced at a Toyota dealer. That gives solid peace of mind, plus Toyota's is one of the more satisfying CVTs to drive. VW Golf GTI 40 Years is the pick of the GTI litter. I'm looking at three versions of the 2016 Volkswagen Golf: GTI, GTI Performance and GTI 40 Years. Mark B, email Go the GTI 40 Years for proper driving thrills. More power, a limited-slip differential and exclusivity make it the one to own. If it'll be a traffic-snarled city slicker, pick the auto. If you plan more enjoyable drives, as you should, it can only be a manual. It'll be a collector's item one day in that specification.
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https://www.news-mail.com.au/news/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-a-car-interior-that-isnt-/3631977/
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How did the states players perform in the Pro Bowl?
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The AFC defeated the NFC 26-7 in the Pro Bowl on Sunday in a contest played in the rain and carrying some of the feel of a pickup game. Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans intercepted a pass while playing cornerback for the NFC, and Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey caught a touchdown pass while playing wide receiver for the AFC. AFC starting cornerback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs completed 7-of-14 passes for 156 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and won the Pro Bowl Offensive MVP Award. AFC starting strong safety Jamal Adams of the New York Jets had an interception and a sack to earn the Pro Bowl Defensive MVP Award. Five players from Alabama high schools and colleges played in the annual NFL all-star game on Sunday at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper (Alabama) caught one pass for 8 yards for the NFC. Cooper got behind the AFC defense and had a 50-yard touchdown catch in his sights, but the football glanced off his facemask as it came over his shoulder and fell incomplete in the fourth quarter. Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Dee Ford (St. Clair County, Auburn) started for the AFC. He made three tackles (one off the team lead). Ford shared the tackle when the AFC defense stopped San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for no gain on a fourth-down run after the NFC drove to the AFC 4-yard line on its first possession of the game. Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) started for the AFC. He caught three passes for 23 yards and was the AFCs leading rusher with 24 yards on two carries. Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson (Alabama) did not record any stats in his return after missing the Bears' final three games with an ankle injury. Jackson was supposed to be the NFCs starting free safety, but the gamebook lists the Minnesota Vikings' Harrison Smith as filling that spot when the game opened. Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker C.J. Mosley (Theodore, Alabama) started for the AFC. Mosley made one tackle. Three other players with Alabama football roots were selected for the game but withdrew citing injury concerns -- New York Giants strong safety Landon Collins (Alabama), Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (Foley, Alabama) and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (Athens). Derrick Henry bypassed as Pro Bowl injury replacement FOR MORE OF AL.COMS COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE New York Jets safety Jamal Adams intercepts a pass before Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker C.J. Mosley can make the interception for the AFC defense during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio) Mark LoMoglio Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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https://www.al.com/sports/2019/01/how-did-the-states-players-perform-in-the-pro-bowl.html
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Will Californias Legal Pot Trimmers Join The Middle Class?
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Matilda reclines on a Northeast Los Angeles couch shes paid $25 to sleep on for one night. The young woman, who earlier in the day had returned to the U.S. from Mexico, talks about her job as a cannabis trimmer. Matilda (not her real name) gives a heads-up on her epilepsy, and through the night shell make a number of unusual sounds in her sleep. advertisement advertisement Matilda has worked most in Mendocino on good and bad trimming jobs. At most black-market marijuana grow operations, shes found there are guns. She grew used to the constant, noisy whirr of the high-powered generator that powered the lights growing the plants. The bad gigs are the grows where weapons are numerous and the bosses are antic. She left one trimming gig where the volume of open gunplay made her uncomfortable and moved to another one in the Emerald Triangle Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties in Northern California that featured consistent pay. The farms generator that kept the lights going operated at lower decibels, and the guns were out of sight. Sweet gig. Except for the bathroom, which sat a good 30 yards from the house. Every midnight tinkle run was an adventure. You shouldnt have to worry about bears on the way to the bathroom, Matilda said. My Top Boss Was A Retired Russian Clown About five years ago I trimmed briefly for room and board in Oakland and Marin County. My top boss was a retired Russian clown who tooled about the Bay Area with a briefcase full of many thousands of dollars and, of course, a heater. In a short time it became clear that without weed trimmers, though narrowly skilled, the industry could not function. Yet these thousands of workers are all but invisible and work at the mercy of their employers. Unlike growers, whose value derives from the nuanced skills, necessary to grow pot on a large scale, trimmers are often regarded as disposable. The profile of this work will only become more visible as adult-use marijuana goes mainstream. Trimmers are often called trimmigrants due to the nomadic nature of their seasonal outdoor labor. Word of workers like Matilda coming together to improve their working conditions now unevenly circulated. The movement seems as undeniable as it is necessary. California labor law requires that any cannabis licensees with 20 or more employees will not be able to operate in the state without a labor peace agreement between the business and a union representing cannabis workers. The agreements seek basic workplace protections: freedom from sexual or other harassment, regular pay schedule, incremental wages, just cause termination, and consistent, scheduled breaks. Down the road, peace agreements hope to give the folks who trim Californias cannabis health insurance and other benefits, as has happened with the unionized licensees since 2010. Peace agreements now want to make sure protections in place become industry-wide standards, and that all jobs (including trimming) allow a living wage and mobility. advertisement United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770 consultant Robert Chlala said that by organizing trimmers, my hopeand what we are seeing in our work alreadyis that we can avoid trimmers being treated as contingent workers or falsely labeled as independent contractors, that they can get the same protections as other workers. Along with the Teamsters, the UFCW has greeted Californias adult use cannabis legalization era with a spate of organizing among trimmers. From what I have also seen, its rarely just one-off, Chlala said. Trimmigrants do this work, but many also work in other aspects of the industry, from cultivators to retailers. Great Trimmers Are A Business Asset Trimmers are taken less seriously than growers and testers and even bud tenders and deliverers because, on the surface, their labor is viewed as an easily scalable craft that can be completed while thoroughly baked. Before pot ends up in the hands of a distributor and, in the legal marketplace, a lab tester, it is cultivated. After cannabis colas the flowering site of a female cannabis plantare grown, dried, and cured, its the trimmers responsibility to manicure the plant. Leaves, which contain less tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, are cut away, leaving only the colas bud. Bad trimming can be aesthetically unpleasant and a waste of time and product. Great trimmers are a business asset. Their pay can range from $100 to $300 a day. Some in the off-the-books grows, as mentioned earlier, trim as barter. Work days can run as long as 15 hours. The work is inherently repetitive and often done while high and listening to music and, increasingly, podcasts. Work conditions are as varied as the strains of cannabis cultivated in the state. The Center for Investigative Reportings Reveal reported in 2016 that sexual assaults on female trimmers are frequent and woefully undercounted. Because of the vagabond nature of these workersmany are college students on break and travelers from Europetheres little recourse for being asked to work topless or give fellatio to receive earnings. advertisement However, theres no single way to summarize the trimmer experience, according to Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association. A licensed grow and a trespass grow on wilderness land are two different experiences and the needs are very different, said Allen. Californias a very, very diverse marketplace, with a lot of different practices, from best to worst. And its very important to avoid generalizations. Criminal grows are most likely where openly stored guns are found, Allen told me. Small farms that employ family and friends are more the norm, and firearms are not foregrounded. These farms, particularly in the Emerald Triangle, are grappling with the California industrys volatile changesnew regulations and massive companiesand the demands of finding a path to legal status. Allen compares the concerns of these workers to Detroit just before President Obamas auto company bailout. Simply maintaining jobs is the primary on-site issue. Big marijuana businesses such as the Oakland-headquartered behemoth Harborside Farms and the average pot cultivator are incorporating these changes differently. Harborside Farms came to Salinas, bringing 360,000-square foot grow with it. The average grow is 5,000 square feet. Flower greenhouses have been largely replaced by cannabis farms. Land costs have skyrocketed as other cannabis operations have streamed into Monterey County. The Harborside Farms effect has raised concerns that worker treatment will more resemble big agriculture than the countys previous mom-and-pop pot growing. That workforce is a lot more interchangeable with the traditional ag workforce, Allen said, noting that hes unfamiliar with the specifics of Harborsides business practices. You run into a lot of traditional issues. You run into the same safety and wage issues that you do with criminal grows, oddly enough. Big industrial ag is pretty well known for human rights abuses, the same sort of human rights abuses that cannabis workers are used to seeing on those criminal grows. At the opposite end of the skeletally policed Emerald Triangle, in a small Los Angeles warehouse, two trimmers luxuriate in just how satisfying the craft can be. While classic rock plays from an old-school radio, Francisco, 44, lovingly prepares a nugget to go out into the world. The cola has just come from the curing room. He and his partner that day were waiting for their boss at the door, eager to work. advertisement Every time I trim one Im like ahh, he says, clipping at a bud while explaining. You just make it look the way you like it. Trim it until the little red hairs are showing, until you can see all of the really good crystals. I really enjoy looking at it. The two sampled the cannabis and explained to their bosses how the product was working. Two thumbs up. A much more satisfying job than Franciscos previous work as a landscaper. The closest thing there is to a labor of love that he would do for free. Yet, the trimmers work needs protection and recognition, noted Chlala, whos also president of Latinos for Cannabis. Southern California, with its vertically integrated cannabis companiesgrows owned by the same people who sell and move green productis likely to lead the way in trimmer organizing around the state. Santa Barbara has seen an influx of big pot businesses and is likely to be a big target for unions. The organized shops could not come soon enough for a workforce too often on the lookout for bears and regarded as an industry stereotype. While trimmers are often treated like they do one discrete task, Chlala said, their work is key to the production chain for cannabisno different from any agricultural process like harvesting tomatoes or processing cut flowers or almonds. Capital & Main is an award-winning publication that reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. advertisement This is part three of a series of stories by Donnell Alexander, a Los Angeles-based journalist and the author of Ghetto Celebrity (Crown, 2003) and the animated documentary Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40562678/will-californias-legal-pot-trimmers-join-the-middle-class
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Was bekommen Dauerkartenbesitzer whrend der Gartenschau?
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Schwbisch Gmnd | Sonntag, 27. Januar 2019 Sonntag, 27. Galerie (1 Bild) Grafik: Remstalgartenschau Fr die Landesgartenschau 2014 war der Verkauf von Dauerkarten die lukrativste Einnahmequelle. Die RZ spracht mit Markus Herrmann, Geschftsfhrer der Touristik und Marketinggesellschaft. Die Frage stellt sich allein schon deshalb, weil man ja nur in Schwbisch Gmnd und Schorndorf fr bestimmte Bereiche eine Eintrittskarte bentigt. In allen anderen Orten sind die Schaupunkte frei, doch fr entsprechende extra Veranstaltungen muss man auch dort Eintritt bezahlen. Antworten auf diese und andere Fragen erhalten Sie am Montag in der Rems-Zeitung. Die Rems-Zeitung gibt es auch online im Direktkauf bei iKiosk. Das RZ-Probeabo - digital oder klassisch mit Trgerzustellung. Verffentlicht von Edda Eschelbach. Lesedauer: 24 Sekunden.
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https://remszeitung.de/2019/1/27/was-bekommen-dauerkartenbesitzer-waehrend-der-gartenschau/
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What Has Happened to the Left?
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You wonder sometimes whether there are any sane liberals left. Every day the craziness seems to spin farther out of control. Todays exhibit (one of many, actually) is law professor Larry Tribe, who was once spoken of as a likely Supreme Court nominee for a Democratic president. I knew Tribe when I was a law student and he was a young professor. He was a smart guy then. Check out this tweet from yesterday: This is mind-numbingly stupid. Obviously the Senate Majority Leader has nothing to do with appointments to House committees. Normally you would suspect drunk tweeting, but Tribes tweet was at 4:00 in the afternoon. And anyway, even a high level of intoxication wouldnt explain confusing the House and the Senate. I think the only explanation for the craziness we see from the Left, every day, is that liberals have become literally deranged by their hatred of Donald Trumpwhich, in many cases, is a personification of hatred for the United States, conservative principles, and so on. It is a very sad phenomenon.
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https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/01/what-has-happened-to-the-left.php
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What Advantages Does A Payroll System Have To Offer?
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Pen and paper might work if youre running a small mom n pop shop with 1 part-time employee. However, if youre running a full-fledged small business with dozens of employees, a payroll system is a must. A payroll system should facilitate operations and function as an ally of the personnel department of all companies. Today, many payroll services with all their advantages are competing with each other to find as many clients as possible. While more choices are better, choosing the best is increasingly challenging. To know what kind of solutions a payroll service provider offer, resources like https://www.bestadvisor.com/payroll-services or this one can help you out. Companies accounting departments are always looking for ways to increase their profitability, facilitate their operations and reduce costs and time spent unnecessarily. One of the major concerns revolves around the management of the personnel department. At that time, a payroll system should facilitate operations Read on to understand better the advantages that a payroll system should offer for your business accounting needs. Integration between modules Integration between modules matters big time failing to seamlessly integrating between them means ineffective operations, lost data, or even worse data leaks. Grouped processing You can process the payment of several companies at the same time, and you can also automatically calculate the figures, making it easier to control the tax obligations that your company and customers have to comply with. Reporting system A complete system should allow you to automatically have the earnings and payroll reports of all your employees as well as all of the companies for which you provide accounting services. You can still count on various reporting services, such as overtime, period events, meal ticket cost and transportation voucher, wage ratio, salary readjustments, temporary contracts, medical examinations, etc. Tax application The system needs to provide the ability to record the tax payments and generate the required information automatically, straight from the same application. In addition, it is essential that you have the capability to customize employees taxation needs according to their region, performance and so on. Selection of events for receipt aside Think of the companies that your accounting firm meets. If some of them demand to make payment receipts of profit sharing, allowances and other income that are not tied to the employees salary, it is essential that you can do it seamlessly. An online payroll system a quality one, that is allows this to be done without much bureaucracy and complexity. Proper balancing of the book As you have a control over your employees income information, you need to make reporting impossible to update existing data. Otherwise, balancing the book can become a hell of a job for your accounting team with all the updates. Management of out-of-office events Employees often take their days off not in the same time. This often results in HRM and accounting woes. A payroll system can help your HR department in managing the pay of your employees easily via the system, reducing potential errors. Streamlined salary payments The online system allows employees to pay salaries to key banks in an automated way. This avoids problems of delays or errors in the salaries of your clients employees and, indirectly, you will be assisting your companys HR. Not only that, but you can also process the the salary payments to your employees, which include the 13th salary, admission reports and current routines in an integrated way. Better control over expenses With the monthly closing system, you can have more control over the salary expenses your company, including hew hires salaries.
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https://www.noobpreneur.com/2019/01/27/what-advantages-does-a-payroll-system-have-to-offer/
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Can I collect unemployment as a furloughed federal worker during the shutdown?
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I am a federal employee affected by the shutdown. With any luck, this nightmare and stupid political gamesmanship you are caught up in will end soon. Meanwhile, here are some general tips and guidelines. Each state determines unemployment eligibility and most states allow you to collect if you are furloughed (i.e., temporarily laid off) and available to work. You cant collect unemployment if you are working but unpaid because you are not available to work elsewhere. Finally, if you collect unemployment benefits for periods of eligible unpaid furlough but then are paid retroactively, you will probably have to repay the unemployment benefits you received for that period. Bottom line: If youre not working and not getting paid, visit the state unemployment Web site, file a claim and take it from there. I keep obsessing over my resume because I keep getting different advice. Bold this, highlight that, put this up top, no, put it at the bottom. Its making me insane. Many people obsess over their resumes, and much of that is angst wasted on the wrong thing. Worry about the deficit, or if the new Jets coach is going to flop just like the others you know, important things. As for the resume, obsess over typos and grammar and ensuring that its factually correct. All the rest has marginal impact, and no impact at all if youre talking about what should be in bold or italic. Just make sure the skills, experience and accomplishments that are the most relevant to the job for which you are applying are listed and clear. The rest will be up to the person who receives your resume, and how you present yourself once you get a foot in the door. Gregory Giangrande is a chief human resources and communications officer in the media industry. E-mail your career questions to [email protected]. Follow Greg on Twitter: @greggiangrande. His Go to Greg podcast series is available on iTunes.
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https://nypost.com/2019/01/27/can-i-collect-unemployment-as-a-furloughed-federal-worker-during-the-shutdown/
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Can Californias Legal Marijuana Industry Undo The Damage Of The Drug Wars?
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Capital & Main is an award-winning publication that reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. advertisement advertisement The summer mixers had not done the trick. Last year Oakland, California, which was launching the partnership component of its groundbreaking Cannabis Equity Assistance Program, found that City Hall meet-and-greets between the street-level victims of the war on drugs and those who had gotten rich by growing and supplying marijuana, werent going to instantly result in legal-weed dealmaking whoopie. As part of Californias 2018 adult-use marijuana legalization, Oakland sets aside half of its marijuana business permits to grow, test, manufacture, transport, deliver and dispense pot to equity applicantsnewly up-from-the-underground residents who make up to 80% of the citys median income ($53,000) and either have a cannabis conviction out of Oakland or [have] lived for 10 of the last 20 years in police beats that experienced a disproportionately higher amount of law enforcement with respect to cannabis. The citys cannabis equity program has a tiered qualification system, as do Californias other three existing programs in San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles. Oaklands cannabis equity program may have gotten off to an awkward start, but that hasnt stopped the idea of equity in adult-use marijuana economies from spreading even beyond the state. However, if this bold concept is to cohere into a concrete approach that can work both statewide and nationally, the challenges of addressing wildly mixed signals at the federal level, relations with the still-illegal cannabis marketwhose economy and membership dwarfs legal weed in sizeand embedded bureaucratic forces must be overcome. General applicants (the mostly white entrepreneurs who have conducted business at a remove from Oaklands worst drug war suffering) gain improved marketplace access by partnering with equity applicantswho are mostly black, but not always. Cannabis Equity bureaucracy most shared asset is physical spacewhich the moneyed entrepreneurs can offer the citys disadvantaged pot businesspeople. Cannabis equity can appear to be the nearest thing, conceptually, to reparations in America. Still, last years City Hall mixers had failed to create much chemistry between the cannabis haves and have-nots. Darlene Flynn, the citys director of the office of Race and Equity, realized that between the mixers interactive awkwardness and municipal governments usual bureaucracy, Oaklands cannabis office would have to farm out the matchmaking. We needed some tools for helping people meet, Flynn would later acknowledge in an email. advertisement Rising Tensions Between Underground And Above-Board Sales No state has a relationship dynamic remotely like the one between California and marijuana. We officially consume 2.5 million pounds of the drug each year, more than any state. California produces approximately 15 million pounds annually. This means that, even before dipping its toes into the uncharted waters of restorative justice, the legal weed market must contend with vast market and political forces. While an illegal market nearly six times the size of the legitimate marketplace comports itself in the shadows, fewer than 10 percent of the states adult-use market is legal. Tensions between the cannabis underground and Californias above-board pot sales havent been more tense than in recent memory. Still, governments had begun to follow Oaklands lead in assuring that the newly legal marijuana market will be open to historically discriminated-against populations. Oakland earmarked nearly $3.5 million in interest-free loans for those whose experience with pot had been demonstrably more toxic than those of white residents. Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland all have cannabis equity programs in development, under those states medical marijuana laws. Advocates from all over are studying the approach. I used the work on equity in cities like Oakland, as both a technical starting point and conceptually, says Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Shalene Title, to wrap my head around how to approach the question of equity in the context of the war on drugs. Oakland isnt the only California city playing in the cannabis equity space. In San Francisco, all new permits, with a few nuanced exceptions, are run through that citys Equity Programfor cultivation, manufacturing distribution, testing and retail. Not until 50 percent of each permit category reflects permits from the Equity Program will permits become available for new business, says Nicole Elliott, director of San Franciscos Office of Cannabis. Los Angeles has started its Cannabis Social Equity program, while Sacramento is preparing to launch Cannabis Opportunity, Reinvestment and Equity. These programs are primed to issue permits before 2018 is done. Among the 34 California legal adult-use cities 12 percent of the population is Berkeley, which has a cannabis equity program in development. advertisement But as the newcomers amended Oaklands program, the founding municipality was still contending with the matter of hooking up general and equity applicants. Early in the fall Darlene Flynn asked two volunteers with the innovation nonprofit Open Oakland, Richard Ng and Angela Genninorespectively, a social impact consultant and an information architectto build a digital tool. Last August the pair began developing a back-end software application. Throughout the fall of 2017 there were mock-ups and beta tests. The concept was, really, a dating site, Ng, told me over breakfast at Awaken, a caf just around the corner from City Hall. The code beneath the weed biz interactions was about the same as Craigslist. Functionally, CannaEquity, as the site would be called, was brass-tacks eHarmony. Instead of the users Status, pot entrepreneurs list their Application Stage: Not submitted yet; Submitted; Received an inspection card. On the Partner Search page, rather than the object of considerations profession, their type of business is put out there: Cultivation or delivery, dispensary or distributoryou damn sure wouldnt want to be in bed with someone who doesnt know the difference. The most important qualities in an equity partner are: honest and open communication and an ability to learn and grow as a partner, writes CannaEquity user ecooke, a cannabis manufacturer and distributor. Im The Poster Child For Cannabis Equity Rolling up among the sites Potential Partner Profiles was Linda Grant, 48. Mother of six, grandmother of two. Purveyor of marijuana since eighth grade. Possessor of one felony. She was looking for a partner in her non-storefront dispensary a delivery service. The cost of renting space in the East Bay would be the difference between her working legit or returning to the black market. Im the poster child for cannabis equity, Grant said in a telephone interview. advertisement Though educated largely in the local weed trade, Grant clandestinely moved, by her estimation, millions of dollars of the stuff that now fuels the Green Rush, as Wall Street calls it. She started at the age of 12, dealing out of the girls bathroom at Elmhurst Junior High School. Instead of advancing through high school, Linda Grant sold weed. She worked for her older brother. The cops once busted her for a $5 bag of weed. Of course her brothers were arrested and did time, too. Years ago, she spent time at Alameda Countys Santa Rita Jail for dealing. She was pregnant. Thereafter, she would pull back on her participation in the marijuana marketplace. I didnt want to lose my kids, Grant said. The people trying to connect with Grant on CannaEquity.org shared few such stories. That chasm is an open and ugly secret among Americans whove chosen to look. Last year, Oakland produced a report showing that 77% of cannabis-related arrests in 2015 were black people, who in that year made up around 30 percent of the citys residents. (At the height of the governments drug crackdown, the citys population was about 10 percent blacker than it is today.) People of color whove been anywhere near the $7 billion North American cannabis industry still share Buzzfeeds 2016 reportingbased on 150 interviews with dispensary owners, sales people and cannabis insidersabout the unbearable whiteness of the U.S. game. About three dozen of the 3,200 to 3,600 American storefront marijuana dispensariesamong the more scaleable categories in cannabiswere black in 2016. Three dozen. The prevalence of black celebrity brands and frontmen can make the industry seem racially diverse when its actually profoundly exclusive. Since the jazz age, black people have been foundational in the development of American cannabis culture, and that fact makes the low stat especially egregious. advertisement A Cannabis Industry That Is Overwhelmingly White Although she was looking through CannaEquity for a partner to provide her space for an office and inventory storage, Grant already had a partnership with the Hood Incubator, a local nonprofit with Ivy League credentials that at its outset sought only to improve the presence of brown and black people in a cannabis industry that, according to Marijuana Business Daily, is 81% white. The aspiring entrepreneur had made the connection with Hood Incubator cofounder Lanese Martin before there was a website or even the City Hall mixers. In 2017 Grant posted on Facebook about a scarcity of grass for purchase on Oaklands streets. Instead of a mere comment on how to score quickly, she found herself talked into attending an open house for Hood Incubator. It was here that she began seriously entertaining the idea of wading into legit waters. We want you to own a business, Grant said Martin told her. Grant was unsure whether the neighborhoods shed lived in, going all the way back to Elmhurst, had been city-designated as unfairly policed. Perhaps equity wasnt for her. She thought longer on the matter, figured she was indeed an eligible resident, and then tracked down records to prove it. More paper chasing followed. For six months Grant attended pro bono legal workshops put on by lawyers affiliated with Hood Incubator. (Beyond the development of marijuana enterprises, Hood Incubator was beginning to expand its scope to include criminal-records expungement clinics and business workshops, as well as policy development for local municipalities. The tech company Haze entered into a million-dollar partnership with the incubator earlier this year.) Grant was incubatedgiven commerce-minded nurturingtwice, by Martin and her crew. The office space and legal access took the street dealers concept for a delivery business, Herbin Collective, from sketchy idea to business reality. A journey that began with one Where the weed at shoutout had evolved into a credible business plan, one that looked to be finalized in time for Californias adult-use legalization date, January 1. CannaEquity had been up and running by December, 2017. A crush of participation followed. Gennino and Ng knew they had a hit matchmaking site on their hands when ancillary businessesCPAs, attorneys, security companiesbegan popping up on the site. In the first quarter of the year, 300 equity applicants were currently on cannaequity.org, with about 600 suitors. advertisement Would-be bride Linda Grant linked up with Americann, a B-Corp company that bills itself as a national leader of sustainable cultivation and processing infrastructure for the medical marijuana industry. Its flagship brand is Gummi Cares. The edibles company wanted to hook up with Herbin Collective. It was something like a love connection. Gummi Cares offered Grant 1,000-square feet near the citys airport to help get Herbin Collective off the ground. As business rentals in Oakland go for more than $50 per square foot, she was instantaneously with that plan. I wouldnt mess with anyone else, Grant told me over the phone. She focused on getting her delivery service in compliant, above-ground business for her March 1 launch. Meanwhile, Americann would get to move its cultivation and processing operations ahead of those outfits that lack newly-privileged partners such as theirs. The incentive was very high for the general applicants, Gennino said, because they want to get pushed to the top of the list. Im In A Fish Tank Full Of Shit Speed bumps on this road to utopia began popping up in February. While San Francisco was sparking a national trend by expunging felony convictions, Oaklands earmarked $3.4 million in no-interest loans was failing to materialize. And Linda Grant was scrambling. Yes, she had the physical space provided by Americann and Gummi Cares. Her product would be purchased on consignment, so that wasnt a primary concern. But there were branding and peripheral startup costs to going legit that were making the March 1 dispensary opening date seem less realistic. On CannaEquity.org there had been numerous come-ons from general applicants. Yet Grant felt they sought her partnership for her oppressed face, not to fully embrace all that Herbin Collective might become. Its innocent in a way that only those completely outside the cannabis industry can be innocent, the notion that ones partners have to like you for you. Transitioning street dealers, have the business sense of cannabis, but maybe not of the environment, Hood Collectives Martin told me by phone. You have to understand what the weather patterns will be. advertisement You engage white people you dont like all of the time, she continued. The trick is figuring how to engage those at least complicit in your social marginalization. Ten thousand dollars short and less than two weeks out from Herbin Collectives launch date, Grants outlook had taken a turn for the fatalistic. Im in a fish tank full of shit, she said in a February 18 phone interview. No Money To Give Out At First When I passed on word last month that the program was, in the words of one critic, in a slump, Darlene Flynns assistant administrator, Greg Minor, claimed not to know the meaning of that assessment. This month Flynn acknowledged that the $3.4 million in loans that was to sustain the program had not materialized. Minor explained that the first loans will come from future cannabis tax revenue, so there was no money to give out at first. We wanted a sufficient baseline amount, $3.4 million, which was how much our non-cannabis small business commercial loan program requires to serve 30-35 businesses, for the loans to be meaningful, he explained in an email. Now that the cannabis tax revenue has been collected we are working on selecting a consultant to administer the program and begin implementing the revolving loan program later this year. We are just beginning to put that part of the program together, Flynn wrote in an email. It is phase two because it has to be funded by new cannabis revenue and we are getting close. advertisement Close is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug when ones trying to ride the 2018 cannabis wave from blueprint into an actual business. In the Trump era, close is a risky thing to be. Some have taken this months news that the White House promised to pull back on interference with state marijuana laws as a sign that threat is diminished and improved relations with banking are ahead. Others remain wary. The President has made numerous promises to the the public and then failed to deliver on those promises over and over again, said Elliott of San Franciscos Office of Cannabis, either by walking back his promise or not succeeding in getting Congress to deliver. But there are other considerations, too. One municipal cannabis administrator told me that a strict reading of federal policy could make it difficult for jurisdictions to provide funding through loans to new operators in some circumstances, because at the end of the day, everything associated with cannabis has a tinge of risk based on the federal governments stance. If that funding, the official continued, is focused towards meeting the rigorous regulatory standards established by the state, then it could present less of a conflict with federal policy, but loans spent on other things could potentially prove to be a bit more complicated. So, the feds are a hindrance to the empowerment of cannabis entrepreneurs. But what about that overwhelming California weed wealth: The illegal marijuana market. Multiple seasonedalthough presently unpermitted California marijuana figures told me throughout the reporting of this story that the four cities with equity programs are hamstrung by their lack of relationships with black market marijuana. Old illegal pot people know people who know people who can barter goods and services, and Hood Incubator, for all its unique set of skills and great above-ground network, cannot access this tantalizingly low-hanging, multimillion-dollar fruit. Struggling Amid The Green Rush With too many California legal dispensaries closed or slowed by paperwork, early 2018 was a fine time for unsanctioned pot. That any up-and-comer might be struggling in the midst of the Green Rush would be laughable were it not so sad. Thats the take of 20-year cannabis vendor-space vet Chip Moore, owner of the 4&20 lifestyle brand and delivery service. He applied for a dispensary application last year, but didnt qualify for equity status. Veteran business people like Moore are shouting that Californias storied tradition of pot independence and innovation is being ignored in this process of creating equity. These critics say that a dramatically-improved road to compliance must be established, so that, beyond the loans that entrepreneurs like Linda Grant spent the winter waiting on, pots illegal mainstream can contribute ideas andmost importantlymeaningful amounts of space in which to develop their businesses. advertisement It cant just be a thousand square feet. That does not equal equity within cannabis, Moore told me at his Westside warehouse, his baritone gravelly from years of cannabis enthusiasm. It creates a sharecropper system for young black people, where Im giving you a thousand square feet to compete in one of the most competitive cannabis markets in the world. Beyond the malleability of land value in cannabis industry terms, theres the inherent punishment that comes with rewarding only those who dwelled in demonstrably over-policed Oakland or who managed to elude arrest there. If cannabis equity programs are to ever be more than a fig leaf, this built-in bias will need to be addressed on a statewide basis. This system they created is punishing the cannabis industry, not the police, he said. Im a black man, underfunded, undervalued in the market, but I live in Berkeley [Oaklands northern neighbor]. I dont get the point allotments to become an equity applicant and participate in the program. I have to go up against the big-money guys. Open Oaklands Angela Gennino described the purpose of cannabis equity as being to right a wrong and change the balance. The notion is lofty, the means to achievement simultaneously complicated and mundane. By press time, Linda Grants Herbin Collective was not yet more than a name on the internet.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40562309/highs-and-lows-can-californias-legal-marijuana-industry-repair-the-damage-of-the-drug-wars
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Can Online Retail Solve Its Packaging Problem?
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If you order a T-shirt or hoodie from an online store called Toad & Co , the checkout screen now has an extra button that says reuse. Choose it, and your order will arrive in a reusable package. When you take your clothing out, you flip the label around and put the bag back in the mailbox instead of in the trash, so the company can use it again for the next customer. The company is the first to pilot the new packaging system, made by a startup called LimeLoop. The startup estimates that each lightweight, waterproof pouchmade from durable vinyl recycled from billboardscan be reused as many as 2,000 times, with cleaning and repairs along the way, replacing as many boxes or plastic bags. LimeLoop will work first with apparel companies, but plans to scale up to tackle the larger challenge of packaging from online shopping in general. Its a problem that some in the recycling business have called the Amazon Effect (not to be confused with other Amazon Effects on retail jobs or groceries or urban planning). In San Francisco, as the local recycling business struggled with growing piles of materials from online ordersfrom Amazon to meal kit companiesthe city was forced to raise garbage rates. Amazon shipped more than 5 billion items worldwide last year through Prime alone. LimeLoop used data from USPS, FedEx, and UPS to estimate that around 165 billion packages are shipped in the U.S. each year, and then roughly calculated that the cardboard used would equate to more than 1 billion trees (this calculation didnt account for the fact that some packaging is not made from paper or cardboard, but it gives a sense of scale). As online shopping continues to grow, so will the impact. Few companies have tried to shift to reusable packaging for shipping. In 2010, eBay tested a reusable, trackable cardboard box, but the short pilot soon ended (eBay had no comment on how it evaluated the program or why it was discontinued). Rent the Runwaywith a business model that makes reusable packaging particularly logical, because clothing is returned by designships the majority of its orders in its patented reusable garment bag. We have not seen as much interest in reusable packaging from industry as might be expected, Kelly Cramer, senior manager at GreenBlue, an environmental nonprofit, wrote in an email. For a reusable packaging scheme to work, current infrastructure would have to change. In speaking with some retailers and brands about reusable packaging from an e-commerce perspective, they indicated that doing so would require that fulfillment infrastructure be reconfiguredto what extent is unclear. For example, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers who ship online orders from their stores do not currently have space in back of house today to store reusable packaging. The flow of fulfillment processes would have to change. Right now, speed and efficiency are the primary drivers of e-commercecompanies are just trying to keep up, she says. Packaging solutions that arguably compromise either of these drivers may limit adoption, although other drivers like consumer perception and sustainability could make brands more open to it in the future.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40560641/can-online-retail-solve-its-packaging-problem
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Can NZ keep allowing private equity poaching?
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New Zealand needs to decide whether it's acceptable for so many companies to be snapped up by overseas private equity firms long before those companies are developed enough to list on NZX, says Financial Markets Authority chief executive Rob Everett. "If all the best investment opportunities are taken up by private equity, what's available for listing, more often than not, will have had all the juice squeezed out of it," Everett told BusinessDesk. NZX has tried a number of things to try to encourage smaller and earlier-stage companies to list by establishing a junior board. But three iterations the New Capital Market, Alternative Market and the short-lived NXT Market tried since early 2000 have all failed to fire. Advertisement NZX finally threw in the towel last year when it decided to fold the two remaining junior boards, AX and NXT, into the main board. "That, in many ways, is the crux of the issue," Everett says. "If you look at the New Zealand economy, most of the companies that are being bought by overseas private equity are a long way from being ready for listing," he says. It's this situation, and the consequent dearth of new equity listings on NZX, that have inspired the current formal review sponsored by NZX and the FMA. It is designed to try and revive listings and called Capital Markets 2029. Not only are new equity listings on NZX almost non-existent there were two last year, neither of them initial public offerings, and two in 2017, only one of them an IPO but takeovers and business failures mean the number of equity listings has dropped steadily year after year, most recently to 138 in December from 173 in December 2015 But Everett says the review needs to take a much broader look than at the impediments to listing. "You can't have a conversation about more listings unless you look at the entire ecosystem," he says. Another attempt to generate early stage capital to fund new businesses was including crowd-funding rules in the Financial Markets Conduct Act passed in 2013. Everett says legislators took "quite a brave step" creating the crowd-funding regime but it hasn't taken off in any size. An obvious question is whether merchant bankers and fund managers are less willing to take risks than they once were. TIL Logistics, with a current market capitalisation of $119.2 million, listed in late 2017 via a backdoor listing because its owners were told there was no support for an IPO. TIL's size and operations are reasonably comparable to those of Mainfreight, which raised $57 million by selling shares at 96 cents each in its 1996 float. Mainfreight has since expanded globally and its market capitalisation is now $3.2 billion, or $32.01 per share. TIL had already demonstrated an appetite for growth before its listing. Certainly, the evidence of recent rights issues from Fletcher Building's $750 million issue last year to Gentrack's $90 million and Seeka's $50 million issues appears to show that underwriters will only take "risks" when the outcome is a sure bet that could be achieved without underwriting. Everett says he has sat on the merchant banking and funds management side of the fence and notes the New Zealand firms are small by international standards. "It only takes one or two to go wrong" and potential New Zealand underwriters would be severely damaged, if not wiped out. The resources required to support both early stage capital raising through to an NZX listing are matters the review needs to examine, he says. "My impression is that there's a fairly strong sentiment among New Zealand investors that ideally they would like to be supporting the New Zealand economy people want to support New Zealand businesses," Everett says. "At the moment, the opportunities for them to do so aren't there because New Zealand businesses aren't listing and there aren't mechanisms further down the chain." Now is a good time for such a conversation, he says. He would have preferred to get the review up and running last year, but the FMA and Reserve Bank of New Zealand were distracted by their reviews of the banking and insurance industries. But the delay was also due in part to the time needed to find the right people available to run the review former FNZC head of investment banking Martin Stearne is leading the review with accounting firm EY providing support. "There's been a fair amount of warming up before we got to this." The results are expected to be published in the September quarter. Everett says it is important to get the review launched before the next election in 2020. "I think we've got time to get something meaningful done this year before people start to get distracted with elections." The problem isn't isolated to New Zealand the United States and Britain are having similar conversations about how to keep up a flow of new listings and to keep their stock exchanges growing, he says. "Most stock exchanges are struggling with how do we attract new listings, how do we keep growing." One school of thought is that the rise of exchange-traded passive funds - and NZX manages several such funds - may be a reason smaller companies are starved of capital. Smaller companies typically don't qualify for inclusion in the indices such funds track.
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12197388
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Should Washington Park Get Historic Designation?
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Sign-up for the Urban Milwaukee daily email While strolling through the rolling vistas that wind throughout Washington Park, one might encounter people kayaking on the lagoon, attending a nature class or viewing the abundant wildlife such as warblers nesting in tree groves during an early morning bird walk. A lesser-known aspect of the park is that it was designed in the late 1890s by renowned American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, whose parks have historic designations in cities around the nation, including Milwaukees Lake Park on Lake Michigan. A proposal to secure a permanent historic designation for Washington Park has evolved from what Ken Leinbach, executive director of the Urban Ecology Center (UEC), initially called an awkward situation, into a conversation about how public land should be used. UEC, a nonprofit that serves neighborhood schools and community members with a wide variety of programs and activities, opened its facility within the park in 2007. During the past two years, UEC and District 5 County Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson organized a series of public community meetings with neighborhood residents to discuss UECs plans to invest in the park. Were a community organization and were a transparent organization so we sought community input in terms of what we doin Washington Park, Leinbach said. In July, county supervisors tentatively approved the terms for a 25-year lease that allows UEC to expand its existing building originally a boathouse at 1859 N. 40th St. UEC is leasing the building and the land beneath it. The lease terms include two automatic renewals, as long as both parties are in compliance. UEC intends to raise $12 million to renovate and expand the building, and $2 million for other improvements such as repairing the lagoon footbridge and building a new parking lot, according to a news release from Nicholson. Terry Evans, UEC branch manager at Washington Park, noted that the boathouse building is not just for UEC; its a building for the community. Expanding it would allow UEC to increase the number of schools it works with from 14-16 to close to 40, he said. The proposal to designate Washington Park a historic site was submitted by Dr. Michael Carriere, an urban historian and Washington Heights resident, to the Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) in December. He said he wants the historic designation to honor Olmsteds vision for the park, create guidelines for organizations investing in the park and potentially leverage funds. If the park is granted permanent historic status under the 42-page set of guidelines developed by the Historic Preservation Commission, UEC may have to alter its plans. UEC representatives said at the initial HPC meeting in December that they were concerned the language in the proposal would prohibit them from expanding the boathouse building. The guidelines set limitations on the height and footprint of expanded structures. Carriere said he worries about the parks future if it continues to lack a historic designation because the County Parks System has publicly stated that it does not have enough money to maintain it. Im not suggesting that historic designation is a silver bullet, Carriere said. But it does provide some stability for a park and it also can be used as a fundraising mechanism. An oped written by Carriere for Urban Milwaukee in August questioned what he contended was the countys decision to cede land to UEC for redevelopment without any stated intent to retain existing elements of Olmsteds design. However, Leinbach disputed Carrieres claim that the county was ceding land to UEC, and that UEC was carrying out its plans without public oversight. The [county] park isnt giving us any land, Leinbach said, adding, We dont do anything without approval and public oversight. I love Urban Ecology Center, Carriere said. My intent was never to stop UECs efforts in Washington Park. However, he said the terms of the lease were very open ended, and my concern was that it would become a template for other potential groups to offer partnerships with the park system and do things that may not be as nice. Ald. Russell Stamper, whose district includes the park, said he began receiving calls from residents expressing the desire for a historic designation about four months ago, including from Carriere, the Historic Preservation Commission and others. He added that UEC has been an asset to the community, especially with youth in the summer. They [UEC] want to upgrade and make it better, but we want to make sure that we respect [all] the residents, Stamper said. According to Leinbach, UEC staff walked Carriere through the park and explained the plans to expand the boathouse facility, implement a land restoration plan to restore natural species and fix the footbridge over the lagoon. I wanted to make sure that the history of the park was present during all of these discussions, Carriere said. That doesnt mean that I think UEC disparages that history. Im talking with them now about ways we can do this collectively. Retired social worker Mike Howden has lived with his wife across from Washington Park for 50 years and calls the neglected park paths and bridges break-a-leg walkways. He said he has been involved in neighborhood organizations, including Washington Park Partners. Despite his commitment to the park, he said that he, like some other residents, does not know what a historic designation would mean and to what extent it would limit UECs plans. I know some of the people who are historians and history buffs on the Olmsted Parks and I can certainly agree with them and a lot of what they do, Howden said. But it would be very sad if the UEC would leave because they couldnt come to terms. Dave Boucher, who has lived in Walnut Hill, an adjacent neighborhood, for more than 20 years and has a degree from UWM in urban studies, sent a letter to the preservation commission supporting the designation. He also served on the Steering Committee for the Washington Park Revitalization Plan in 2000. He said many of the goals to improve the park havent changed in the last 19 years. Boucher raised concerns about the potential consequences of UECs land management plan to restore some of the natural species. He said that changing the original low-maintenance landscaping, may invite invasive species such as buckthorn, nightshade or garlic mustard to take over. UEC has naturalized eight acres of land and the new county-approved restoration plan would add 12 acres. According to Evans, We want to keep that Olmsted feel, but we also want to bring back a lot of the natural insects and plants, that are no longer there due to man. Leinbach noted that the 20 acres managed by UEC make up less than one-fifth of the park. Leinbach, Nicholson and County Executive Chris Abele, among others, initially wrote strong letters of opposition to the historic designation. However, Leinbach now says, We would like to be able to support this [historic designation] concept because we are proponents of Frederick Olmsted; because we feel like weve been honoring his work. The preservation commission has postponed making a decision so that all parties can collectively discuss the best way to balance the historic, social and ecological aspects of the urban public space. Its very exciting whats happening now because there is a means by which it is possible to have communications instead of just setting up battle lines, Boucher said. The fact that Washington Park meets the requirements for permanent historic designation is uncontested among all parties. Under our ordinance, if one or more of the criteria for historic designation are met, this commission has essentially no choice but to grant historic designation, said Ald. Robert Bauman, chair of the HPC. The decision would then go to the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee and ultimately to the Common Council, which has a broader set of criteria by which to examine historic designation, Bauman added. Sarah Toomsen, manager of planning and development at Milwaukee County Parks, added that the park system is willing to work cooperatively with UEC and supporters of the historic designation to create guidelines for plans in Washington Park. Evans said that community members want to see UECs work move forward. Maybe we just need to set up those guidelines together as a group and then move forward: Mr. Carriere, the county, the city and UEC. According to Leinbach, UEC is looking for the best way to make Washington Park sing in a way that it accomplishes both social and ecological good and honors the history: the whole history. This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on eighteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee.
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https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2019/01/27/should-washington-park-get-historic-designation/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UrbanMilwaukee+%28Urban+Milwaukee%29
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Does focus on Holocaust tourism dim the memory of vibrant prewar Jewish life?
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BUDAPEST When one first hears the term Holocaust tourism there can be an urge to shudder, or even an unsettling feeling of anxiety. But the rather strange turn of phrase describes a stark reality Holocaust history is a thriving global tourist industry attracting millions of visitors per year. Unsurprisingly, the most popular destination is Auschwitz. Since being liberated by Red Army troops on January 27, 1945, over 44 million people from across the globe have visited the former death camp located in what was Nazi-occupied Poland. An estimated 1.1 to 1.3 million victims 960,000 of them Jewish were systematically killed by the SS there over approximately four years. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Over the last seven decades, tourists seeking to understand this dark epoch of Jewish history have grown exponentially. In 1946 around 100,000 people visited Auschwitz. By 2014 that figure peaked to almost 1.5 million annually. Indeed, Holocaust memorial sites in Poland and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe have largely come to dominate what scholars, educators, travel writers and memorialists now commonly refer to as Jewish heritage tourism. The question is whether there is a cultural cost for tourists viewing certain parts of the map of Central and Eastern Europe almost exclusively through the dark prism of the Holocaust, especially as many of those tourists are Jews seeking to understand their own complex history. Daniel J. Walkowitz believes there is. The American academic claims that by focusing almost exclusively on Holocaust tourism which largely incorporates graveyards, synagogues, and religious iconography into its narrative the Jewish heritage industry is in danger of erasing from collective Jewish memory a vibrant world that existed before the Shoah. I had [a number of] relatives that perished in the Holocaust, but much of my own Jewish culture and roots came from the Jewish experience in Eastern and Central Europe before the Second World War, the 76-year-old historian tells The Times of Israel from his office at New York University, where he currently holds a joint appointment with the Department of History and the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis. My concern, however, is the Holocaust narrative not only devalues all of that, but that it also replicates the work that the Holocaust itself did, Walkowitz says. And so we [as Jews] have to make sure there isnt a double erasure, that the Holocaust obliterates Jews, and that we in our Holocaust narrative obliterate the rest of our history. The historian has recently published The Remembered and Forgotten Jewish World, a book that charts how the Holocaust narrative became particularly important for Jews in Israel in the wake of the 1967 Six Day War. It was then, the historian says, that a renewed concern arose for Jews around the defense of Israel, coupled with feelings that the Holocaust should never happen again. But Walkowitz believes focusing on this narrative exclusively has meant a substantial amount of Jewish history and culture has been sidelined in the process. This is mainly because it views the history of Jews as victims, without affirming the agency that Jews had in the Second World War in the Warsaw Ghetto and elsewhere, he says. Walkowitz also claims a muddled narrative of Holocaust history which he says wrongly accuses all Poles of anti-Semitism has made its way into Israels education system, too. Despite warm ties between Israel and a growing number of right-wing governments, including Polands, Walkowitz says that a skewed view of history is being encouraged by the present Israeli government, which he says possesses a hyper-nationalist [agenda]. Many Israeli historians have already focused on the role that the [Education Ministry] in Israel has played in cementing a policy in which Jews go to concentration camps in Poland with an attitude that says all Poles are anti-Semites, Walkowitz says. But many Poles fought to save Jews [during the Holocaust]. Indeed, today some are quite enamored with Jewish life. [Israeli students] now come to Poland with deep prejudices, he says. Walkowitzs book provides a critical first-person analysis of the flourishing Jewish heritage industry in numerous cities where Jews once had and in some instances still do have a dominant influence on public intellectual, economic, and cultural life. His research took him to cities and towns such as odz, Lviv, Kiev, Krakow, Warsaw, Belgrade, Budapest, Bucharest, London, New York, and Berlin. Its a history that is not without complication, trauma, controversy and collective amnesia on the part of Europeans locals, as well. The historian says the further east one travels behind the old Iron Curtain, narratives connected to the Holocaust tend to get more complex and bound up with unresolved ghosts of history. The case of Hungary Hungary, situated along the old Cold War East-West division, is a good example of a country refusing to face up to the role it played during the Holocaust, says the historian. Walkowitz claims Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbns authoritarian, self-proclaimed illiberal Fidesz government is still distorting Hungarys Holocaust narrative to suit its own nationalistic political agenda. Before delving into this topical issue, though, Walkowitz says its important to remember some hard historical facts, which his book documents in detail. By the time Hungary was liberated by the Soviet army in April 1945, 568,000 Hungarian Jews had been liquidated in the Holocaust. Many of them died in Auschwitz. Nearly 80,000 Jews were killed in Budapest itself, shot on the banks of the Danube and then thrown into the river. Tens of thousands of others were forced on death marches to the Austrian border, while numerous other Jews died in the closed Budapest ghetto of cold, disease, and starvation. Historians unanimously agree that Hungarys culpability in the Holocaust is undeniable. Indeed, anti-Semitic laws were in place in Hungary as early as 1938. Paradoxically, because Hungary sided with the Nazis, for a time the Jews remained relatively safe compared to other European Jews during World War II. That changed, however, in the spring of 1944 when German troops invaded Hungary. Between May 15 and July 9 of that year, 437,000 Hungarian Jews were sent to to death camps in Poland, handed over to the Nazis by Hungarian leader Mikls Horthy. Today, that tragic history still courts controversy in Hungary, raising the difficult question of where exactly the responsibility lies for the massacre of over half a million Hungarian Jews. Walkowitz says Hungarys two state-sponsored Holocaust remembrance projects dont really engage with this question as much as it deserves. Budapest is a serious problem for Jewish heritage, the historian stresses, because its Holocaust tourism is framed by rethinking the Holocaust and [completely] exonerating Hungarians from it. Walkowitz points out, for example, that Budapests two major state museums the Holocaust Memorial Center and the House of Terror display what he calls the full appropriation of the Holocaust as regime propaganda. The academic also notes that the latter museum on Budapests Andrssy street is located in a building that once served as the headquarters of the Hungarian Arrow Cross Party a pro Nazi party led by the ruthless Hungarian fascist Ferenc Szlasi, who introduced a reign of terror for Jews in Budapest during the last six months of WWII. Budapests House of Terror also presents what the historian claims is essentially a diluted and simplified version of late 20th century Hungarian history, depicting Hungary as a helpless underdog smothered by the dark outside forces of totalitarian terror. But Walkowitz says it makes almost no distinctions in its narrative between the Nazi and Soviet eras. Consequently, any details of collaboration by Hungary against Jews are merely swept over or even ignored. This historical omission, he says, is both problematic and insulting to the Jewish community in Budapest, which now stands at around 80,000, making it the third-largest Jewish community in Europe. Hungarys refusal to deal with its checkered historical record during WWII is today exacerbating international tension within the EU, and between Israel and Hungary, in a narrative where anti-Semitism is always the underlying theme. Walkowitz points out two recent public political controversies connected to this narrative. One is the closure of the Central European University in Budapest which was funded by the Jewish Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros. This came after a huge public poster campaign in 2017 depicting Soros as financing a plan to invade Hungary with migrants. Things eventually culminated with what became known last year as the anti-immigrant Stop Soros laws. The Hungarian government suffered severe international criticism for this legislation, which was said to have fed into stereotypical age old narratives about cosmopolitan Jewish financiers plotting to corrupt and undermine a countrys national identity. A second controversy, says Walkowitz, centers on the upcoming House of Fates museum, which is set to open this year in Budapest to mark 75 years since the onset of the extermination of Hungarian Jewry in 1944. Both the Hungarian Jewish Federation and Israels Yad Vashem have expressed open criticism of the museums approach to Hungarys role in the Holocaust. This has even led to recent talks between the Hungarian and Israeli governments to try and smooth over what is quickly becoming a fiery diplomatic sparring match. Both of these events [show that] prospects for Jews in Budapest are dire, says Walkowitz. The Holocaust in the public domain As his working field trip moved back towards Western Europe, Walkowitz says he observed a noticeable shift in how the Holocaust is treated in the public domain especially in Germany. The historian even dedicates an entire chapter to a city that was once the headquarters of the Third Reich. Entitled Berlin, A Holocaust Cityscape, the chapter explores the fact that the former Nazi capital has clearly owned up to and dealt with its shameful genocidal past in an open and transparent manner. With a prominent Jewish museum, and a dozen other public memorials and monuments scattered around the city, Berlin itself is a kind of Holocaust museum, says Walkowitz. Berlins Jewish population before the Nazis came to power in 1933 was around 160,000. By the end of WWII only 8,000 remained, surviving by hiding or marrying non-Jews. Today that number has swelled to somewhere between 10,000 and 30,000, though figures are hard to pin down since many are non-German Jews and do not register with the authorities. Berlin has now become the focal point for a lot of progressive Jews as part of a larger cosmopolitan culture, says Walkowitz. The irony, of course, is that this new population is not people whose family grew up in Berlin or who were German Jews. Its third and fourth generation post-Holocaust Jews coming primarily from Israel and Russia, Walkowitz says. A lot of them are interested in recapturing a vibrant prewar socialist and progressive Jewish culture. While the Holocaust still remains the dominant narrative of 20th century Jewish history, Walkowitzs book also looks at another side of that narrative one that has been almost completely overshadowed by the dark shadow of the Shoah. He calls this a new Jewish history. Its a radical political and cultural tradition that began in the Pale of Settlement in the late 19th century, and which flourished in Central and Eastern Europe before it was obliterated by the Nazis. Walkowitzs exploration of this radical history can be read alongside books such as Revolutionary Yiddishland: A History of Jewish Radicalism and Jewish Materialism: The Intellectual Revolution of the 1870s. Both focus on a working class, radical left wing Jewish tradition that was a prominent force in Central and Eastern Europe until the eve of WWII. Building on the work explored in these books and others, Walkowitz argues that communist and socialist accounts have been almost entirely obliterated from 20th century Jewish history. They have, he says, been lumped together into one vision of Stalinism instead of being given the complex expression they had in progressive and egalitarian Jewish labor organizations such as the Bund. Walkowitz believes the Freudian phrase psychic disavowal is a fitting way to try and come to terms with this complex and often paradoxical approach to 20th century Jewish history, where what is forgotten is always revealed even if it is marginalized in its presentation. Walkowitz then references Irvine Howes 1976 Pulitzer Prize winning book, World of Our Fathers, which he says captured the vibrant past of Yiddishkeit (Judaism) a word he says best describes a world in which Jews in Eastern Europe communicated a secular culture predominantly about social justice through songs, newspapers, political activism, and theater. And, most importantly, where the lingua franca was always Yiddish. That [radical] history of the Jewish street has largely disappeared in Central and Eastern Europe, says Walkowitz. Its a social history where people struggled and debated to make a better life for themselves to create a modern Jewish identity. The historian concludes the conversation by coming back to his own Jewish roots. He says writing this book felt like a voyage of sorts one where he learned just as much about larger Jewish heritage as he did about his own ancestry. The tome includes a number of family stories that includes figures such as the authors grandmother, Ida Lubertofsky Walkowitz, and his grandfather Max Walkowitz two Polish Jews who emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century and kept with them the fiery spirit of Jewish socialism on their westward journey. Writing this book, I came to appreciate that the stories we inherit are often romanticized, says Walkowitz. I learned that my grandmother and grandfathers life were flawed and more complicated then I had previously understood them to be, he says, and that there were lessons from the past on which to build a new future.
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/does-focus-on-holocaust-tourism-dim-the-memory-of-vibrant-prewar-jewish-life/
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Was Pete Davidson Making an Ariana Grande Reference on 'SNL' Last Night?
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It seems like Pete Davidson is trying to rein it in when it comes to making jokes about his ex Ariana Grande. While earlier this month he joked about her setting up unrealistic expectations for his junk and called her a "diabolical genius," he also ended a Saturday Night Live sketch last week by congratulating himself for not mentioning her once. Well, it's been another week, which means there's been another episode of SNL, and some are convinced that Pete snuck an Ariana reference into one of his sketches. In the sketch "I Love My Dog," Pete and his cast mates rap about how much they love their pups...but for some reason, the women in the sketch are dressed in black leather and big ears, which are very much reminiscent of Ari's Dangerous Woman bunny getup: YouTube Then the women in the sketch also go on to rap about how much they just loooove bunnies, hint hint. Watch the full sketch here:
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https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a26052252/pete-davidson-saturday-night-live-i-love-dogs-ariana-grande/
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Who is Drag Performer Valentina (James Andrew Leyva)?
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Tonight, Valentina (who also goes by Andrew Leyva when not taking on her stage persona) will be playing the role of Angel Dumott Schunard in Foxs live version of Rent the musical. Valentina 27 and is perhaps best known as a contestant on season 9 of RuPauls Drag Race. She placed seventh and was awarded the title of Miss Congeniality during her season. After some time, she reunited on the show as part of RuPauls All Stars. According to LA Weekly, Valentina immersed herself in the arts as a child. She tells the outlet, There were so many moments in which I felt, Oh my god, this show is just like being in school My education experience was very creative, we were free to do whatever [we wanted], as long as we covered what was assigned to us and being on the show it felt so much like that. She goes on to say, I think drag is something that comes natural to me. I feel like its what Im meant to do. Levya is openly gay, identifies as non-binary and has been forward about using she/her pronouns when in drag as Valentina. Speaking to Out recently, Valentina said, I get to bring that aspect to my Angel character, and really have an idea of like, Why is she so happy and so confident in her armor, in her drag? She continues, I do take the responsibility of being a gay nonbinary drag queen person taking on a really important iconic role like Angel and I hope [audiences] tune in for it. In December, Valentina released her debut single, A Prueba de Todo. She certainly has plenty of listeners, with 1.1 million followers on Instagram. In her interview with LA Weekly, Valentina was asked how she categorizes herself as a queen. She responded: Its hard to say because Im quite new to all this. I think I would consider myself a glamour girl, but I think it depends on my look and my level of performance. I consider myself a very passionate performer. I feel like Im shedding light to the art form of drag thats very classic in the sense that I can go on stage in a beautiful gown to a very deep song and command attention and emotion through my movement and really be connected to the lyrics. Thats another side of drag that I feel like Im a big part of and its not really common anymore. Whats really common is putting on a Nicki Minaj, a Lady Gaga, or a Beyonc and getting up there and doing a Vogue death-drop and the audience will live. The challenge that I have for myself is how do I get on the stage and emote my vision and command the attention of the audience through my art without doing a death-drop or a split. She goes on to say that her Latin identity ties in with her drag persona because all of her references are powerful Latina women. I try to incorporate the romance of the Spanish language into what I do. What I do is very romantic, very regal, very elegant. Being Latino and being Mexican, its everything that I am and I try to make sure no matter what Im doing, its always through the eye and through the lens of a powerful Latina woman. Be sure to check out Valentina tonight in Rent Live on Fox at 8pm ET/PT.
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https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/valentina-rent-james-andrew-leyva/
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Is The Blockchains Potential For Social Impact Over-Hyped?
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Blockchain has been heralded as a revolutionary technology with potential to shake up everything from elections to smallholder farming . Gartnera research firm that tracks technology on a hype cyclecurrently has blockchain just beyond the peak of inflated expectations stage. It says blockchain is headed for an inevitable trough of disappointment (which occurs when hopes for a new technology are unmet). And, in Gartners opinion, blockchain is years away from being on a plateau of productivitythat is, mainstream and widely accepted. Doug Galen, a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, was also skeptical when he started reviewing blockchain projects with a social purpose. He imagined quite a few would be fluff, or otherwise involve blockchain more for PR reasons than actual need. After looking at 193 initiatives, he was presently surprised. Many deserve the attention they are getting, he says. Two-thirds of 193 are expected to start demonstrating impact in the next six months, according to the analysis. A quarter has transformative potential. A fifth is providing a solution to a problem that could otherwise not have been solved without blockchain. And a further 65% are bringing forward solutions that are material improvements. I thought there was going to be more hype, but there was more reality around how blockchain is being used, Galen tells Fast Company. If your project is solving for transparency, fraud and reducing the costs of moving money or identity, blockchain has a lot of potential to help. Blockchains are records of transactions occurring across distributed computing networks, making them virtually impossible to alter, and thus incredibly secure. They provide a new way to engender trust among participants who dont know each other. They have lots of potential applications where theres a need to create co-operative, transparent ledgers of truth. The first blockchain tracked bitcoin transactions, then people came up with dozens of other uses for the same sort of technology. Today, blockchains are tallying the movement of all kinds of digital assets, from energy electrons to insurance contracts.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40556501/is-blockchains-potential-for-social-impact-over-hyped
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Who Is Paying Their Fair Share?
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The chart shows average tax ratesthe share of total income actually paid in taxesrather than marginal rates. The steady increase in average taxes for the bottom 50% is driven mainly by rising payroll taxes. 1) What people actually paid. A reader sends this chart, from a 2017 paper by the economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez, and Gabriel Zucman, showing where the effective burden of taxation has fallen, over the decades. Its worth looking at closely. Of course, there are a million caveats. In 1986, part of the argument for lowering rates was to reduce the appeal of tax shelters and other loopholes, and broaden the base of income subject to taxes. The fact that the U.S. had sky-high progressive taxes during its decades of post-World War II obviously does not prove that the same rates would make sense now. And so on. But the historical record is worth being aware of. The reminder, in turn, was tied to a discussion at Davos this past week, in which a leading tech entrepreneur, Michael Dell, had scoffed at the idea of imposing a 70 percent top-bracket tax rate, asking a question to name one! country where such rates had coexisted with a strong economy. The name one country was, of course, the mid-20th-century United States. The reason for showing the chart was as a reminder of how significantly tax policy changed about 30 years ago, with the Tax Reform Act of 1986 , which was under Ronald Reagan but had bipartisan support. For more than a half-century before that change, the top-bracket rate had always been at least 50 percent, had been as high as 94 percent, and was mostly above 70 percent. Since that change, its been in the 30snow at 37 percent. In a previous item , I included a table of U.S. top bracket marginal income tax rates over the past century. This is the tax rate youd pay on the next dollar of taxable income, whenever you hit the highest tax bracket. The reader who sent the chart adds: Certainly, we may need higher tax rates to pay for essential services. There is much work to be done. That said, as you likely know, the high marginal tax rates of the past do not align with the relatively static effective tax rate that was actually paid by the wealthy due to exemptions and other changes. It is not that much lower today than it was in the 1950s. Yes, taxes might need to go up, but we shouldn't mislead people into thinking the rich actually paid more in the past. By any reasonable standard, my family would be considered well-off. Not the 0.01 percent with Bill Gates, but likely in the top 5 percent. We are very fortunate. No, I wouldn't really want to pay higher taxes, but I realize everyone in the upper-middle class on up may need to do so to make a shared investment in our country. It seems to me the way to truly MAGA would be to invest in the education of children from all backgrounds, work toward a greener future, welcome immigrants who are eager to join our society, and work with other nations to help alleviate human suffering all over the globe. As a New Yorker, I love that anyone can become one by rooting for the Yankees or the Mets. One day you are from China or Jamaica, the next you are part of the fabric of the city with a shared sense of responsibility and possibility. To me, that's America. I'll climb down off my soapbox now! 2) Taxes as proxy for public investment. Another reader points to an important book on how the U.S. economy worked during its era of post-World War II growth. This is American Amnesia, by Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson. The reader says: I wanted to point out that it would be useful to consider the work of Yale's Jacob Hacker, who shows that the U.S. economy was the most productive when the top tax rates were what now seems like very high levels. His thesis is that the high rates signified that the levels of government expenditure/investment was also high, which he argues drives overall economic growth. He points out that economic growth performed the best when tax rates were high and unions were strong. Nuance doesn't seem to work, especially in this day and age, so from a political perspective, if I were advising the democrats, I'd go for the OC pitch that I would slap a high rate on income over $10 million/year. There would be the usual socialist tag bandied around, but I suspect even many republicans would think that once you were raking in $10 million in one year, taxing any amount over that would seem fair. In their book, Hacker and Pierson write about the change in the Republican partys attitude toward taxes, starting with the Contract with America under which Newt Gingrich won GOP control of the House in the 1994 mid-term elections: From 1994 on, a simple principle seemed to dictate GOP tax stances: the more a particular tax fell on the wealthiest Americans, the more important it was to cut it. Both Reagan and George H.W. Bush had signaled that a progressive tax code remained a priority and, in 1986 and 1990, had supported tax packages based on that principle. But after the Gingrich revolt, Republicans focused increasingly on tax cuts for the highest income groupscuts in the estate, dividends, and capital gains taxes, as well as the top marginal income tax rate. They did so even though public opinion polls have indicated consistently that voters biggest complaint about the federal tax system is that the rich do not pay their fair share. 3) A different view on fair share. On the other hand, from another reader: Michael Dell was right It isn't as simple as that, and it is misleading to point back to the earlier decades to make this claimunless of course if a new 70 percent bracket today would be effectively the same as back then (allowing for all of the loopholes, caps, etc. Of course, if the new 70 percent bracket would not have all of those loopholes, etc. leading to an actual effective tax rate of ~70 percent, then Dell's question would come back - "Show me where that has worked before"... Related to this topic, it is such as shame when politicians (and others) make the statement like "It's time that they pay their fair share" (referring to the "rich"). We all know that the vast majority of taxes are paid by 15-20 percent of the taxpayers. Fifty percent of the citizens pay $0. It's playing off/creating a "victimhood" mentality, which ultimately is bad for our country (but good for political points in the short term). For the record, the 50 percent of the citizens pay $0 claim requires assuming away the largest tax that lower-income households pay, namely the payroll tax. The paper by Piketty, Saez, and Zucman shows that in fact the lower 50% of households pay not $0 but rather about a quarter of their total income in taxes: 4) Very best part of our history. Finally for today, from another reader, in the Midwest:
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https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2019/01/who-is-paying-their-fair-share-more-on-the-history-of-tax-rates/581407/?utm_source=feed
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Who Is Neri Oxman?
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Shes Neri Oxman , an associate professor at the MIT Media Lab and a superstar in her own right. What Pitt is to Hollywood, Oxman is to organic architecture and manufacturing. The two met when Pitt was looking for an architect with whom to collaborate. As Page Sixs source puts it: Their friendship has not turned into romance as both are cautious and this is, again, more of a professional friendship, but Brad is very interested in spending more time with Neri, she is fascinating. I dont claim to know exactly what that means. But you cant blame Pitt for wanting to spend more time with Neri. Oxman is one of the most intriguing researchers working today. A Fast Company Most Creative Person of 2009, shes part architect, part biologist, part fashion designer, and her work is almost impossible to pigeonhole into a single field or aesthetic. At MIT, she has led construction projects like a pavilion woven with thousands of silkworms, a home for bees anticipating an age when the earth cant support them, and even a wearable intestine that generated energy from bacteria and the sun. Shes also done a ton of work around 3D printing; she developed a dangling robot that could build large-scale structures and created a way to print in glass instead of plastic. What Oxman embodies isnt a single thesis on the future, but a blending of nature and technology that challenges the way we think about constructing buildings and objects. The worlds she presents are provocative and murky. Much like the world of tabloid dating journalism itself.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90167216/who-is-neri-oxman
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Can New Forensic Tech Win War On AI-Generated Fake Images?
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For gun lovers, the image was red meat: A Parkland school shooting survivor tearing the U.S. Constitution in two. It fed the NRA-fueled hysteria that, somehow, calling for tighter restrictions on assault weapons used in mass murders is a threat to the Second Amendment. The GIF went viral last week and conservatives went bonkers. advertisement advertisement The problem: The animation, which looked pretty real, was fake. The teen March for Our Lives activist never put her hands on the Constitutionthe animation was a doctored version of her shredding a shooting range target. Welcome to the troubling world of deep fakes. Earlier this year, Reddit took down a number of forums devoted to creating bogus videos, often pornographic, featuring one persons face swapped in for another. Open source artificial intelligence software makes the process radically simpler and more efficient than traditional video editing tools. Its not just manipulation of visual media. Last year, Montreal startup Lyrebird released soundalike recordings of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, drawing attention to its speech synthesis technology. They can make us say anything now, warned the faux Trump. Taking On The Deep Fakes Expert say these deep fakes are only going to get more sophisticated and common as tech tools for remixing photos, audio, and video get quickly perfected, developed, and made available to anyone with a laptop or smartphone. That creates a whole new set of problems for anyone trying to make it through April Fools season and the midterm elections without falling for hoaxes and propaganda. I think it doesnt take a lot of imagination to see how this can go very badly very quickly, says Hany Farid, a computer science professor at Dartmouth College studying the issue. Its also an issue for government and military officials trying to use third-party images to make decisions about events going on across the world. advertisement The central problem is that they dont want to use stuff that theyre not sure of the provenance, says David Doermann, a program manager at the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA). They dont know where it came from, and they dont know if its real or not. DARPA is about a year and a half into a five-year program working with researchers around the country to build tools that can detect and analyze media manipulation. Right now, thats something that typically takes a lot of human analysis and intervention, says Farid, who is participating in the program. Ideally, the tools would be able to flag altered images and explain just how they were alteredafter all, a photo with dog ears spliced in by a smartphone filter but otherwise unchanged could still be useful to spies or reporters trying to understand a scene. The agency and its partners have put together infrastructure for researchers to test their algorithms on big datasets of real and fake media, getting results back within roughly a day, Doermann says. Media manipulation isnt new, of course: Images were famously altered by the Soviet Union for propaganda purposes, and Adobe has been decrying the use of Photoshop as a verb since the early days of the web. Nor is the concept of spotting altered images new: Experts already have ways, many of them partly automated, to spot regions of a doctored photo that appear to be taken under different lighting conditions, with different cameras, or processed by different software. Researchers from Kitware, a Clifton Park, New York, company participating in the DARPA program, recently published papers on computationally detecting videos with dropped frames and spotting images where reflections dont match up with the rest of the scene. If you have a vehicle in that scene, and theres a puddle on the road in front of that vehicle, you should see potentially a reflection of that vehicle in that puddle, says Anthony Hoogs, Kitwares senior director of computer vision. Many of the successful techniques have been published in scientific papers, so truly determined image manipulators can potentially circumvent them, but that requires a pretty sophisticated effort. advertisement Historically speaking, remember when fingerprints started to be used by police, 100 years agothe thieves started to learn to use gloves, says Catalin Grigoras, director of the National Center for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado, Denver. But in time, the forensic scientists came up with new developments, and usually in this kind of investigation, its not about one [piece of] evidence only. The difference now is that artificial intelligence technology, like the deep neural networks that have made speech parsing and facial recognition so commonplace, can now be used to quickly generate realistic-looking fake images. FakeApp, a popular deep fake tool, is based on TensorFlow, the open source AI framework that grew out of Googles research. And some approaches now use what are called generative adversarial networks (GANs), an AI technique where one algorithm generates data while another algorithm attempts to tell real samples from fakes, to churn out increasingly realistic media. Eighteen months ago, nobody was thinking about this kind of machine-learning-generated content, says Farid. It wasnt even on our radar screen 18 months ago when we started the whole [DARPA] program. Image-generating GANs have plenty of applicationsthey can generate useful sample data to train other AI systems, like creating fake microscope images for algorithms to practice finding parts of the cell, for example, says Edward Delp, a Purdue University engineering professor participating in the DARPA program. But theyre also a natural choice for generating media that can fool other algorithms, says Hoogs. The paradigm actually fits very well into defeating forensic detection techniques because you literally have a component in this learning system that is actively trying to fool a discriminator thats trying to decide whether the image is realistic or not, he says. advertisement Fake News And Propaganda And as those systems become more widespread and sophisticated, its not hard to believe theyll find their way into the toolboxes of propaganda producers around the world. After all, Russian hackers are alleged to have widely circulated fake media during the 2016 U.S. election and other elections abroad, and hackers last year planted fake stories on the state-run Qatar News Agencys website with fake quotes from Qatars emir, evidently to stir turmoil in the Middle East. One of the things that it may come down to is, unless you have some direct knowledge or believable information about the provenance of an image or a video, you may not believe, in the future, that anything you see is real, Delp says. Still, participants in the DARPA program are optimistic that, when the program ends in a little more than three years, theyll have tools to detect and analyze fake images automatically at internet scale, Farid says. I doubt we will have solved the problem in its entirety, he says. That is probably going to take a lot longer, at least another decade.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40551971/can-new-forensic-tech-win-war-on-ai-generated-fake-images
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Are Robo-Instructors The Future Of Corporate Training?
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Its the best of times and the worst of times for people whose job it is to teach others how to do their own jobs better, adapt to change, and get the hang of new technologies. Organizations are seeing greater need than ever for learning and development (or L&D for short), with spending on training climbing nearly 33% to $90.6 billion in the U.S. last year. At the same time, L&D professionals are rightly wondering whether theyll soon be automated out of existence. After all, Google and YouTube are the de facto training departments for many employees: theyre ubiquitous, free, and packed with seemingly limitless content. But more sophisticated technology is on the rise, too. For example, AI can determine what someone needs to learn based on their performance data and career stage, then push content to them as they need it. This leaves many corporate trainers to stake their own value on curation, controlling the quality and consistency of training resourcesbut thats already shrinking territory for L&D experts to stake their value on. Companies like Pathgather, Degreed, and Edcast are all developing tech-driven solutions to solve the curation piece of the puzzle. Not necessarily. One area where the L&D professionals still have an advantage is in bridging the learning-doing gap. The science of learning suggests that the art of teaching is still very much a human endeavor. Heres what L&D experts (and the organizations that employ them) will need to do not just to keep the robots at bay but to wind up with better-trained employees now and in the future. Related: How To Teach Your Brain Something It Wont Forget A Week Later Design And Deliver Brain-Friendly Content The form content in which content is communicated is just as, if not more, important, than the information itselfand training experts can focus on determining form. For example, people pay special attention to stories; think of how easy it is to get lost in a movie or book. And stories are unusually powerful ways to create shared understandingthey get the brains of different people to align. Effective L&D professionals, in other words, are great storytellers. Theyre also pros at tailoring instructional demos to different audiences, since we know that people also learn through observation. Simple, clear goals also help the brain organize what its learning, so corporate trainers who can edit and condense instructional content may be more effective at delivering it than a YouTube video. The things people typically say they want in training resourceslike high production value and gamificationdont necessarily aid learning. Related: The Right (And Wrong) Way To Gamify Work
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40552937/are-robo-instructors-the-future-of-corporate-training
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Is Taiwan Semiconductor a Buy?
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While dividend investors love their payouts, they face a conundrum: Rising interest rates in the U.S. have made steady dividend payers less attractive. In addition, companies with steady dividends are often big, mature companies. In this age of exciting technological disruption, many such companies in, say, retail and oil are having difficulties adapting. However, the tech world itself has matured, and offers several promising candidates that pay out secure and rising dividends. One such company is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (NYSE: TSM), which has more than doubled its payout over the past five years, from $0.50 in 2014 to $1.34 today -- good for 167% growth and a current yield of 3.7%. Taiwan Semi is the world's largest outsourced semiconductor manufacturer, with over 50% market share. TSM manufactures chips for other companies, including Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). There are several reasons Taiwan Semiconductor could be a long-term buy for dividend investors, but also some potential red flags in the near term. Here is a closer look at this unique company. a young man in a suit stands in front of a blackboard with question marks written above his head. More Image source: Getty Images. Reasons to buy TSM One of the more interesting tech stories of 2018 was Taiwan Semiconductor beating Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) to become the first foundry to manufacture leading-edge 7nm semiconductor chips. Intel is one of only two semiconductor companies (the other is Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF)) to manufacture its own semiconductors. For years, Intel had been dominant in leading-edge nodes, which pack more transistors into ever smaller and smaller die sizes. So, the lower the number of nanometers, the more advanced the chip. Intel had been the first to produce 14nm chips back in 2013. However, Intel has stumbled in its progression to 10nm chips (which are equivalent to TSM's 7nm node). In its most recent projection, Intel announced its 10nm offerings won't be available until the end of 2019. Meanwhile, TSM began producing 7nm chips at scale in 2018. Despite Intel's larger size, TSM's position as a manufacturer of so many different kinds of chips (mobile, PC, data center, GPUs) for a variety of clients has given it wide-ranging expertise. That cumulative knowledge, along with Intel's stumbles, seems to have allowed TSM to catch up and surpass Intel in the race to 7nm. Furthermore, the other large outsourced chip manufacturer, GlobalFoundries, which is privately held, announced late last year that it was abandoning 7nm in order to focus on specialized trailing-nodes (higher nm, less advanced), due to 7nm's complexity and cost. That left TSM as one of only two manufacturers (it and Samsung) to produce 7nm chips. As the semiconductor market rapidly expands, more and more companies, are going "fabless," (designing their own chips, while outsourcing manufacturing). Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) spun out its manufacturing arm, GlobalFoundries, years ago. Meanwhile, new chip upstarts, as well as giant companies such as Apple that make their own processors, don't want to invest in expensive manufacturing fabs. All of these players, large and small alike, are turning more and more to Taiwan Semiconductor for manufacturing. That's a great long-term competitive position to be in.
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https://news.yahoo.com/taiwan-semiconductor-buy-013400237.html
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Whos Making Sure That Self-Driving Cars Are Safe?
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The self-driving future may be closer than you think. There are already plenty of autonomous cars cruising the streets in California, Michigan, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Massachusetts. And those fleets are poised to grow exponentially, with Waymo, Uber, General Motors, and others promising to have tens of thousands of them on the road by 2020. These phantom rides have been largely greeted with excited curiosity. But in the wake of a high-profile death in Arizona, new questions are being raised about their safety, and both techies and regulators are being pressured to come up with some answers. advertisement advertisement On Sunday, March 21, a woman named Elaine Herzberg was wheeling a bicycle across a two-lane road known as Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona, when she was struck by one of Ubers self-driving cars. She was transported to the hospital, but ultimately died of her injuries. The tragic accident has many people asking what went wrong and whos responsible. NTSB investigators in Tempe, Arizona, examine the Uber vehicle involved in Sundays fatal accident. pic.twitter.com/Zoj4GrnxCT NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) March 20, 2018 Who will be charged in her death, this is why Im against these, remarked a Twitter user named Chas Dad shortly after the incident made headlines. He was one of many outraged people demanding that someone take responsibility for her death. Much is still unknown about the accident and Uber is currently cooperating with police as they continue to investigate. But there are lots of little points of confusion. For instance, it was late at night when the accident happened, but the lack of light should not have stopped the cars sensors from detecting Herzberg. Velodyne, the company that makes the Lidar sensor used in Ubers cars, rushed to tell Bloomberg that its technology was not responsible for stopping the vehicle. Another company, Aptiv, which supplies advanced assisted driving systems for Volvo, also deflected responsibility, saying its technology had been disabled at the time of the accident. boingboingbbeep (@boingboingbbeep) March 19, 2018 The law is murky when it comes to who is ultimately responsible in the event of a self-driving accident. In general, there arent a lot of rules governing how cars that drive themselves should be rolled out onto public streets and what happens when they fail. Furthermore, regulators have not forced companies to provide insight into how their vehicles think and make decisions. Instead, theyve taken an extremely light touch when it comes to creating rules for self-driving startups. Last fall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a vision for safety. The 36-page report is a paean to open markets, encouraging state governments to support industry innovation by becoming more nimble in order to keep up with the speed of technological change. The voluntary guidance stays pretty nonspecific and tells states not to get in the way. advertisement As a result, states are largely left to come up with their own sets of rules for self-driving cars and how they should be validated and introduced to public roads. That can be problematic, because it creates a gulf in standards between states. California, for example, requires companies and individuals operating autonomous vehicles on its streets to obtain a permit and report certain data like collisions and disengagements. By comparison, Arizona is among the most permissive states when it comes to self-driving technology, though the state has now barred Uber from testing self-driving vehicles in the state. In 2015, the states governor, Doug Ducey, issued the states first autonomous car rules. They called for an oversight committee for self-driving activity and required self-driving cars to be insured and have safety drivers with a drivers license; someone who could take the wheel if needed. In the weeks before Ubers accident in Tempe, Ducey updated those rules in an executive order. The state now asks companies with self-driving vehicles without a driver in the front seat to have a system in place wherein if the car fails, it can achieve a minimal risk condition. Secondly, it mandates the state Department of Transportation to develop a protocol for how law enforcement should interact with a self-driving car in the event of an accident, one which the agency says is still in development. Its unclear how the state plans on validating these criteria are met. In addition to the fact that the current administration is anti-regulation, the federal government has in part been lax about rule making because the protocol for building safe cars in general is well-established. Manufacturers are responsible for designing and testing their own vehicles against safety standards set out by government agencies and, of course, individual cars have to pass certain mechanical safety and emissions tests every year. Plus, the driver is a built-in fail-safe. This is true even in the case of a software glitch. There are bugs in software of the most basic things in the car, says Nathan Aschbacher, CTO of Polysync, a self-driving car startup. The way that is mitigated is, at the end of the day, you have a human behind the wheel. Tesla has been able to roll out its autopilot feature, a sort of faux self-driving experience, and update it over time, because theres a human in the car whos able to take the wheel in case of emergency. Even the most recent iteration, which promises to keep the car in pace with traffic and lane change as necessary, comes with this disclaimer, Autopilot should still be considered a drivers assistance feature with the driver responsible for remaining in control of the car at all times. Fully self-driving cars will change that paradigm. What Went Wrong In Tempe There are inherent difficulties to making a human the back-up to a car that drives itself. Once people have had the experience of being a passive driver, they have a hard time stepping back into the role of driver. According to a study conducted last year, people also need time to adapt to different kinds of driving conditions and behavior. advertisement In the case of Ubers accident in Tempe, there was a safety driver monitoring the car as it drove. It appears from a new video of the accident that the driver was looking down rather than at the road, though the footage is inconclusive. It does show that the victim, who was walking across the road, wasnt visible until the car was within striking distance. Investigators are still trying to determine what went wrong here, but the incident serves as an opportunity to examine more closely what sorts of tests self-driving cars should have to pass before being allowed onto public roadways. Car companies working on self-driving are very focused on eradicating the driver, the longstanding safety mechanism. Waymo is currently testing cars with empty drivers seats in Arizona. California recently passed rules allowing self-driving car companies to test their cars to drive around like drones, with no safety driver upfront. General Motors has announced it will produce cars without steering wheels and brake pedals as early as 2019. Roughly 40,000 people in the U.S. die from automotive crashes every year, notes Aschbacher, Once you cede control, what will you accept as safe enough? This is a big question among those tinkering on the future of mobility. Many advocates of self-driving technology say that these cars will reduce vehicle-related death. While it may reduce driver error, it may also introduce a whole new spectrum of problemsnone of which is currently regulated. Fears Of A Flash Crash In The Autonomy Space One of the existing examples of algorithms taking over for humans provides some insight into what happens when algorithms take over for humans. In the case of high-frequency trading algorithms, there is something called a flash crash. You may remember the one that happened in 2010 when the stock market bottomed out before quickly rebounding. In these cases, money can go missing, but banks and bankers are responsible for balancing out inequity. If theres a flash crash in this autonomy space, says Polysync CPO, David Sosnow, describing a software or hardware bug might cause all makes of a certain car model to behave erratically, There is no reset button the following daylikely a lot of people have died or been seriously injured. Some people in the industry are calling for software safety standards. Every 1,000 lines of code in a car contains an average of 50 errors, says Zohar Fox, CEO and cofounder of Aurora Labs. Standard QA testing misses about 15% of those errors, far too high a number given the growing importance of software reliability. The International Organization for Standardizations guidelines for electrical systems in cars, a set of guidelines for electric systems in cars, is currently making way for self-driving technology. Historically, the standard has set rules for how automotive components should be tested individually and as integrated into a vehicle. As cars have become more computerized, the organization has embraced some software, though the most complicated code its dealt with doesnt come near the intricacy of that of a self-driving car. advertisement The difficulty they are facing is in repairing system errors once they are on the road already and in detecting system errors before they result in malfunctions, says Fox. System errors arent the only challenges self-driving cars will have to overcome to be safe. Theyll also have to become proficient in understanding and responding to the kind of cues human drivers signal to each other while on the road. At their most competent theyll have to be able to interact safely with humans in the car and humans outside of the car. Its the latter that presents a bigger challenge. The autonomous vehicle or the self-driving vehicle could be safe, but what if somebody else does something? asks Srikanth Saripalli, an associate professor in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University. There are some who believe that the answer to making self-driving cars more safe is in vetting them within simulated environments. This way, the car can test how it would react to errant pedestrians and dogs and kids on bicycles without having to worry about injuring anyone. Simulated environments will train cars to behave better, but perfecting these systems wont give regulators insight into how to govern them. Saripalli believes that regulation should be minimal to encourage innovation, but he thinks that the cars should have to pass a series of mandated tests, tests that standards organizations and the government will ultimately have to agree on. But he also thinks, there should be more transparency in the process, much the way California already requires self-driving car companies to test on their streets and to share data on disengagements. He believes that as car companies are required to test their technology more vigorously, those results should be posted somewhere that everybody can check, he says. Its through transparency he believes, that self-driving cars will ultimately be made saferor at the very least something all people can better understand. Before autonomous cars are on the road, everyone should know how theyll respond in unexpected situations, writes Saripalli in a new article addressing how self-driving car safety should be quantified. He says self-driving car companies should undergo specific tests and that the data from those tests should be shared with federal regulation boards like NHTSA. As it stands, the federal government has largely relied on states to come up with their own rules regarding self-driving cars.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40548215/whos-making-sure-that-self-driving-cars-are-safe
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When Is The Ranch Part 7 Expected To Hit Netflix?
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Currently streaming its sixth installment and its third season, the Netflix Original Series tells the story of a dysfunctional family on their farm in the fictitious town of Garrison, Colorado. The star-studded cast list includes Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Debra Winger, Elisha Cuthbert, and Sam Elliott. The series offers a sense of nostalgia because has featured a lot of guest appearances from the cast of That 70s Show. Thus far, the series has produced 60 episodes over three seasons. The show was originally released on Netflix back in 2016. According to Whats on Netflix, the series does not have the best reviews despite having a following that continues to grow. The survival of the shows following is something many have found to be especially surprising considering the show recently fired one of its original cast members, Danny Masterson, due to the plethora of sexual assault allegations against the actor. Whats On Netflix has also confirmed The Ranch has been renewed for an additional season (which will include a Part 7 and a Part 8). The Ranch has a bit of a unique release set up as Netflix has released the series in 10-episode increments splitting each season of the series up into two parts. Unfortunately for those hoping to snag a few spoilers for the upcoming season, Netflix, the producers, and the cast have done a good job staying tight-lipped about what fans of the series can expect. We do know that Mastersons character, Rooster, will definitely not be returning as the writers wrote him out of the show in Part 6. We will, however, see the introduction of a new character, Luke Matthews, played by Dax Shepard. Dax Shepard Joins The Ranch Cast in Wake of Danny Masterson's Exit https://t.co/9TeXO5yDwb People (@people) March 16, 2018 Intended to be a replacement for Masterson, many expect Shepard to stick around for several seasons. There are also rumors that Debra Winger may be leaving the show during Part 7, but this isnt a rumor that has been confirmed as of yet. Unfortunately, there isnt a confirmed release date for Part 7 and Part 8 of The Ranch as of yet. Whats On Netflix, however, speculates Part 7 will hit the library during June of 2019 and Part 8 will come in 2020 if the streaming giant sticks to their typical release schedule for this particular series. Were off the deep end because Part 6 is HERE. pic.twitter.com/7T8LFM43MK The Ranch (@theranchnetflix) December 7, 2018 As Netflix subscribers know too well, the streaming giant tends to be fairly consistent with release schedules.
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https://www.inquisitr.com/5269431/the-ranch-part-7-netflix-release/
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Who is Venezuela's Juan Guaido?
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Venezuela's National Assembly head Juan Guaid waves during a mass opposition rally, during which he declared himself the country's acting president on Jan. 23. In less than a month, Juan Guaid has risen from obscure, junior lawmaker to self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela and the most serious threat yet to the authoritarian government of Nicols Maduro. Guaid, who defied Maduro by taking the oath of office on Wednesday, claims to lead a transitional government that will call free elections and return Venezuela to democracy. The 35-year-old was immediately recognized as Venezuela's legitimate leader by the United States, Canada and most Latin American nations and received widespread support from European countries. In a speech Friday to cheering supporters at an outdoor plaza in Caracas, Guaid proclaimed: "We have awakened from the nightmare, brothers and sisters." Maduro, who has led Venezuela into food shortages, hyperinflation and political repression during six years in office, is refusing to budge. His ruling Socialist party controls nearly all government institutions. On Thursday, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lpez declared that the nation's powerful armed forces widely considered to be propping up the government recognize Maduro as Venezuela's true president. But at least for now, Guaid is breathing new life into an opposition movement that had been deeply demoralized by internal power struggles and government repression. "Thirty days ago, the opposition was demobilized and fractured with no leadership," said Michael Penfold, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. "But that's not the case anymore. Guaid represents a sparkle of hope." "I think Guaid is delivering exactly what the opposition wanted at this point, which is a bold, risk-taking response," said Javier Corrales, a Venezuela expert and professor of political science at Amherst College. A youthful-looking industrial engineer, Guaid, got his start in politics by organizing student protests against the late Hugo Chvez, who ushered in Venezuela's socialist revolution two decades ago. In 2013, Chvez died of cancer and was succeeded by Maduro. As a member of the Popular Will party, Guaid in 2015 won a seat to the National Assembly Venezuela's legislature amid an opposition sweep of congressional elections. But that momentum quickly stalled. Anti-government demonstrations were crushed by security forces while an effort to remove Maduro through a recall election was vetoed by the government. The opposition's most charismatic leaders were arrested, forced into exile or stripped of their right to run for public office. Last year, Maduro won another six-year term in a presidential election widely considered a sham by international observers. Still, the opposition was determined to challenge Maduro's grip on power. It hatched an audacious plan to coincide with the start this month of what many view as Maduro's illegitimate second term. Guaid became its leader. Partly because more prominent politicians have been sidelined, the National Assembly in early January named Guaid as its president. Venezuela's constitution states that the head of the National Assembly takes over should the presidency become vacant, as the opposition claims it has under Maduro. After consulting with U.S. and Latin American officials, according to the Associated Press, the opposition organized nationwide street marches on Wednesday and held a make-shift outdoor ceremony where Guaid took the oath of office and launched his parallel government. In what amounted to his inaugural speech, Guaid called on military officers to withdraw their support from Maduro. "It has to be the Venezuelan people, the armed forces, and the international community that allow us to assume power, which we will not let slip away," Guaid told cheering supporters in what amounted to his inaugural address. At least one high-ranking military official, Col. Jos Luis Silva, who serves as military attach at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, has heeded Guaid's call. "As the Venezuelan defense attach in the United States, I do not recognize Mr. Nicols Maduro as president of Venezuela," Silva said in an interview Saturday with el Nuevo Herald. Guaid lacks any control over government ministries but he is more than just a figurehead. Analysts say that swelling international support for him, coupled with Maduro's diplomatic isolation, strengthens Guaid's claim to the presidency. Frank Mora, who heads the Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University, said Guaid's swearing-in ceremony could become a watershed moment, similar to the 2010 episode in Tunisia when an angry fruit vender set himself on fire and helped ignite the Arab Spring. Alternative leadership in Caracas has also opened the door for the Trump administration to squeeze the vital flow of petrodollars to the Maduro government which counts on oil for 95 percent of its export earnings. One option would be to send the proceeds from purchases of Venezuelan oil to foreign accounts that could be set up and controlled by Guaid's governing team, said Francisco Rodrguez, a former economic advisor to Venezuela's National Assembly. He said that diverting oil funds to Guaid would have a "huge impact" on the Venezuelan economy and put more pressure on Maduro to leave office. "The pieces are starting to fit together for a peaceful transition in Venezuela," said Benjamin Scharifker, a leading Venezuelan intellectual and an opposition activist. But Guaid also faces new risks. Earlier this month, he was briefly detained by security forces and fears are growing that he could be arrested. At Friday's rally, Guaid acknowledged that possibility but told supporters that if he were ever kidnapped, they should press ahead with nonviolent protests.
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https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/01/27/venezuela-juan-guaido
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Has Bullying Autistic People Become The New Trend?
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By: Yara Tarek Many comics have been going viral on social media in Egypt lately making jokes about people with autism. The comics claim that autistic people are dumb or have no brains. Which was highly hurtful to parents of children with autism. We also think its inconsiderate and unacceptable so we decided to take a stand and raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex disorder that affects the brains normal development of social and communication skills. Autisms symptoms vary greatly, the condition is said to exist on a spectrum. The common features may include: different social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, problems processing information from the senses, and repetitive patterns of behaviors. People who have autism may seem distant and cant keep eye contact. There is no certainty of what causes autism so far, but researches link it to the factors that influence the expression of genes. Many people dont understand that not all autistic people have the same patterns of behavior, and that theyre just regular people with a special condition. Not All autistic people are geniuses! Many movies and series have been going on and on about how autistic people have special gifts, like the movie El Tourbeny which is taken from the American movie Rain Man where the main character can count in an instant and has incredible memory and calendar calculation. This can put on a lot of pressure on autistic children or parents with autistic children, making them feel like they must be special in a certain field or have some supernatural powers that are just waiting to be discovered. In the movie The Good Doctor, the main character is an amazing surgeon. In reality almost .05 per cent of the autistic population has an extreme talent or genius-level gift (no one knows the precise figure, but this is an estimate by the National Autistic Society). Autistic people can be nice and caring! Yes, they may have special ways of showing emotions, but that doesnt make them completely unable to show them. They dont lack feelings. They want to have friends and value friendship just as any other person. The movies Forrest Gump & My Name Is Khan actually stressed on that point more than once. El Tourbeny doesnt represent autistic people. The movie cant be taken as the only reference for autistic people. Its the only one ever made in Egypt depicting Autism Spectrum Disorder. Parents who discover they have an autistic child usually expect them to be like Ahmed Rizk in El Tourbeny which is not the case. Theres a whole spectrum of symptoms, not just the ones featured in the movie. When are we going to learn that people with special needs are not a material for jokes or a source for pity?They deserve to be respected and treated like all human beings.
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https://identity-mag.com/has-bullying-autistic-people-become-the-new-trend/
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What is tiny-house living really like and how can it be made better?
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Posted Mention "tiny house" in any social gathering and people almost always say, "Oh I love tiny houses". The enthusiasm for tiny houses isn't matched, however, by the take-up of tiny-house living. Very few people actually live in tiny houses. As a follow-up to my research (in 2015 and 2017), I interviewed people around the country (in person and on social media) about their lived experience in tiny houses. I also stayed in a tiny house. Most of the people I interviewed were in southeast Queensland, but some were in Victoria and Tasmania. The majority were situated in rural or semi-rural areas, although a couple lived in suburban locations (Brisbane and Logan). Most were aged in their 20s, or were 55-plus, and were couples or singles, the majority women. A few had children. Nearly all had built their own tiny house, but some had bought their homes from tiny-house builders. Interestingly, few homes were the archetypal tiny house on wheels there were container houses, converted buses, and even tents. This accords with research on the typology of tiny houses, which found they can take a number of forms. Note: "True tiny houses (whether on foundation or wheels) are generally smaller than 400 sq ft (37m2)." People had lived in their tiny houses from weeks to a couple of years. The majority had only positive things to say about tiny-house living. As one respondent enthused: I LOVE it. Love living in it; independent side of things it's much better than [living in] the caravan own shower, kitchen, composting toilet, complete independence. Another said: I actually enjoy to live in a smaller space, because you don't feel overwhelmed, and with kids you can see all the time, you can hear them and see what they're up to. I love tiny house living, and I would love to help other people getting into it, it would be awesome. Other positive experiences included: freedom from debt "the real cost savings and availability to be an actual home owner instead of permanent debt" community "joining the community of like-minded people" having one's own space. People also often mentioned the ease of maintenance. Nearly all commented on how easy it was to keep clean and to heat or cool. One respondent said: "Cleaning the house takes half an hour and I know where everything is. I don't accumulate things I don't need." Another commented: "A tiny house is a breeze to clean." Those who were negative expressed minor concerns with issues such as cleaning composting toilets and small spaces. One commented: "The multipurpose nature of each room means that the bedding smells like fish when I cook salmon." But, more seriously, longer-term concerns included: insecurity of tenure lack of privacy inability to get bank loans difficulties with having young children in a very small space. One young Tasmanian couple with a 15-month-old son moved out of their tiny house (which they had built themselves), partly because it was too difficult to keep their active child content in the small space during the cold and wet winter months. Here to stay but planning laws haven't kept up An ongoing issue is where to put tiny houses. Planning laws are still the major obstacle to tiny-house living. One respondent said: "I don't like the fact that there is no surety that I can stay legally in one place. I don't like knowing that I can't stay long-term. You know what your timeframe is for renting, [you're] not going to be moved for a ridiculous reason. There's no protection if in a tiny house. Silly [council] rules like I [have to] stay in it for two nights, then move into the main house for one night, I get why these things have been put into place waste and water, amenity; but I don't see why [regulations] for that can't be implemented." Major findings of this and other research are that tiny houses are here to stay. They are definitely not just a niche market, but are more suited to certain demographics. Interestingly, those who had moved to more conventional houses seemed almost guilty about having left. Tiny houses should be more realistically viewed as one stage in the lifetime housing journey, which may suit some and not others. Housing in the 21st century needs to be more flexible to suit various lifestyle stages and households, not just singles and nuclear families. Safe shelter is a fundamental human right, but conventional housing has become increasingly unattainable for many. Local governments in particular could be far more proactive by adapting their planning schemes to permit more flexible types of dwellings, obviously in accordance with building, health, safety and environmental regulations. This would enable people to live in security without being afraid that they are going to be moved off because some neighbour might complain. It's very easy to say, if you have a certain size property, then you can have x tiny houses, [at a] certain distance." Finally, as the owner of a property that has a number of tiny houses said: "I have worked in urban development for 20 years and the concept of affordable housing is a furphy unless we change legislation and allow people to live smaller. I am passionate that housing should be accessible by all, that people shouldn't have to resort to social and public housing. Tiny housing offers a major disruptive solution to an ever-growing housing unaffordability and social divide in housing." This article first appeared on The Conversation. Heather Shearer is a research fellow at the Cities Research Institute at Griffith University. Topics: design, architecture, lifestyle-and-leisure, housing-industry, housing, house-and-home, australia
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-28/tiny-house-australia-prefab-backyard-studio-granny-flat/10755294
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Why Isnt Sharon Stone Working More?
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No, youre not reading a story from 1992 despite what those images might imply. Thanks to the aid of plastic surgery, thats how! But just because you havent slipped into a wormhole is no reason to not be interested in the latest developments in the lives of Meg Ryan and Sharon Stone. Meg is in NYC to promote Serious Moonlight, her new movie thats premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. The movie is getting decent reviews as is Megs ever-deflating face. Give her another year and hopefully her mug will have completely reset itself. On the other coast, Sharon did what she does best MC an auction. This time, it was for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Centers An Evening with Women. I was just having a conversation this weekend as to why Sharon is incapable of being a working actress. I think we would all agree that shes immensely talented hello, Casino! and still very attractive. Sharon almost works as a counterpart to Meg on the surgical side of things since shes either had flawless work done or none at all.
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https://pagesix.com/2009/04/27/why-isnt-sharon-stone-working-more/
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Will The Indictment Of Iranian Hackers Prove The Pretext For John Boltons War?
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On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the indictment of nine Iranians for conspiring to hack and defraud American universities and businesses on behalf of the Iranian government. Rosenstein vowed harsh repercussions for the Iranian hackers, including their extradition to the United States and imprisonment if convicted. The strongly worded presser stood in stark contrast to the Trump administrations approach to hacks by Russia, a far more pervasive threat to the United States. Since 2014, Russia has hacked the State Department, the Department of Defense, the Democratic National Committee, the Republican National Committee, the personal emails of millions of Americans, and most notably, critical infrastructure including the power grid. Despite a Senate ruling of 98-2 to impose sanctions on Russia for their aggressive actions, President Trump has instead mollified the Kremlin, refusing to meaningfully target Russias oligarchs and not even discussing the cyberattacks (or, for that matter, Russias recent chemical attack on U.S. ally U.K.) in his call this week with President Putin. While the contrast between the Trump administrations treatment of Iranian and Russian hackers is alarming in its own right, the most troubling aspect of the announcement may be the timing. Less than 24 hours before the indictments were revealed, Trump appointed notorious warmonger John Bolton as his new national security advisor, effective April 9. Bolton has been seeking to invade Iran for at least 15 years. Much as he backed the Iraq War long after its premise was proven to be fraudulent, Bolton has insisted, without evidence and in defiance of the International Atomic Energy Agencys assessment, that Iran is not honoring its commitment to constrain its nuclear program, and that military invasion is necessary. He has repeatedly insisted that the U.S. should abandon the Iran deal completely, appearing on FOX NewsTrumps main repository of policy adviceto argue that Trump should just get out of it. But while Bolton decries the idea of Iran bearing nuclear weapons, he has no such aversion when it comes to the U.S. using theirs. In the fall of 2017, as tensions between the U.S. and North Korea ran sky-high, Bolton repeatedly called for a pre-emptive strike, one that would likely lead to nuclear war. Bolton differs here from Trump only in his experience and bureaucratic prowess: Trump has fantasized about using nuclear weapons for over 30 years If we have them, why not use them? he famously saidand has proposed massive spending on a new nuclear arsenal. Trump is the only person in the White House authorized to order the use of nuclear weapons, but his hawkish cabinet has abetted his desire. In January, the Pentagon announced in its updated nuclear posture review that nuclear strikes were a legitimate response to nonmilitary attacks if they involved extreme circumstances, citing a major cyberattack as an example. Nuclear weapons experts denounced the plan as reckless, but until Friday it seemed unlikely to be put into action: after all, Russia has been aggressively hacking us for all of Trumps tenure and received sycophancy instead of strikes in response. But the Iranian indictments, combined with the implementation of Bolton, may change that. If the Iranian hackswhich, according to Rosenstein, caused $3.4 billion in damageare considered extreme circumstances by the White House, nuclear strikes may be on the table.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40549085/will-the-indictment-of-iranian-hackers-prove-the-pretext-for-john-boltons-war
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When the bloody hell is it going to rain again?
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Storm clouds gathered over Goonellabah near Lismore at the beginning of the storm season. Storm clouds gathered over Goonellabah near Lismore at the beginning of the storm season. With just four days to go in January, it's shaping up to the be driest on record for the region, and the driest in 16 years for most towns. Coastal towns Byron Bay and Ballina will have to receive about 30mm of rain over the next few days to avoid breaking the record. Weather Zone statistics reveal the driest January on record: Lismore received 12mm in 2003 but so far 2019 has only brought 3.2mm. Casino's lowest January rainfall was 20mm in 2003 but only 1mm has fallen so far this month (opened 1994). Byron Bay's driest was 31mm in 2003 but 2019 is on track to take over with just 1.8mm so far (opened 1994). Ballina only received 36.2mm in 2003, but that fares much better than the 2.4mm for 2019. Kyogle got 20.0mm in 2003, and so far there's been 1mm for 2019. The last decent storm which brought rainfall was in mid December, and forecasts don't look promising. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rebecca Farr said the lack of rain was "quite unusual for January. "We've had a high pressure ridge over the Tasman Sea which has been keeping weather patterns extremely stable, Ms Farr said. "It's been the same weather pattern for weeks and weeks which has been bringing north to north-easterly winds to the region. "We haven't been seeing any significant southerly change systems to bring rainfall with them. She said for tomorrow and Wednesday there was a slight chance of a shower but it will only be a drizzle with less than 1mm expected. "At this stage we're not seeing significant change in the weather pattern so unfortunately we are expecting more of the same weather. "Looking into next week we do have a weak southerly change coming through which could bring showers through late in the week but sadly no significant measurements and still a bit of uncertainty. BoM is forecasting a medium chance shower or two on Saturday with up to 5mm.
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https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/when-the-bloody-hell-is-it-going-to-rain-again/3633097/
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Did the PyeongChang Games Prove the Olympics Can Still Broker Peace?
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The 2018 Winter Olympic games have ended, leaving us with immense pride in our athletes, some sore spots best left for time to heal, and undoubtedly with questions about the future. Central to these games was the idea that its location in PyeongChang could potentially help thaw relations between North Korea and South Korea, and by extension, the rest of the world. Opinions have long divided into two camps. One side extols the virtues of the Olympic games, viewing it as a road to peace and unity. The other views international sport through a much darker prismproducing divisiveness and domination and even war itself. Olympism exalt[s] and combin[es] in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind, the Olympic charter proclaims. The Olympic Movements fundamental goal: to allow sport to serve the harmonious development of humankindi.e., to allow sport to contribute to building a peaceful and better world. Peace and love, balance and international harmony, all through competitive sport. If only. I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill between the nations, declared George Orwell, in the Sporting Spirit, and that if only the common peoples of the world could meet one another on [the playing fields] they would have no inclination to meet on the battlefield. Even if one didnt know from concrete examples (the 1936 [Nazi] Olympic Games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce it. For Orwell and other serious detractors, competitive sport serves only to mimic warfare. Theres no denying it. From time immemorial sport has been intimately connected to war. For tens of thousands of years humans struggled to surviveescaping predators or chasing prey. Whether offensively on the attack (for food or territory) or in defense of home and family, the best athletes survived and reproduced. The weaker ones did not. Children witnessed their parents struggle, and, as all young mammals seem to have a play instinct deeply embedded in their DNA, they frolicked in mock combat while preparing to take their place in that never-ending collective struggle for survival. The earliest origins of sport can be traced to this play. But sport does more than prepare us for real life conflict. I am of the camp that says sport can liberate us from it. We can think of sporting competition as domestication of war. As Homer recounts, at the end of the Trojan War great military combatants put aside their hostility to engage in civilized contests of speed, strength and precision. The ancient Greeks somehow suspended warfare during the Olympics, with the ancient Olympic Council declaring and enforcing a sacred truce. For 1,100 years without fail, the Olympics took place in Olympiato and from which location even mortal enemies could travel unharmed. The modern equivalent of the Olympic Council, the I.O.C., could hardly match that record. The Olympics were suspended during both World Wars. Ancient Olympic sports included boxing, wrestling and chariot racing, are obviously derived from war. Even today, many competitive sports still show clearly their warlike or hunting origins. Think archery, javelin, rowing, boxing, wrestling, fencing, judoeven, arguably, shot putt, jumping and sprint. In Nordic lands, skiing as a means of locomotion dates back at least 5,000 years. And a few centuries ago, northern hunters and soldiers combined shooting with skiingobtaining food and territory once again serving as the impetus for advancement. And so in 1767 the biathlon emerged, when Scandinavian soldiers converted primal urges and survival skills into another controlled, rule-bound athletic contest combining upper and lower body strength, stamina and precision. Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play, Orwell insisted. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, he famously concluded, it is war minus the shooting. Obviously Orwell never witnessed biathlon. Of the dozens of fierce contests these Olympics produced, the mens mass start 15-kilometer biathlon, so clearly warlike in its origins, so clearly pacific in its practice, ranks for me as the most exciting of the 2018 Winter games. After 35 grueling minutes, with many twists and turns and reversals, Martin Fourcade from France, one of the greatest biathletes of all time, and Simon Schempp from Germany, found themselves sprinting for the gold, dead even with a hundred meters to go. Approaching the finish it was Fourcade, then Schempp, Fourcade, Schempp. They lunged. Fourcade slammed his ski pole in frustration, believing he had been nipped at the line. But the camera revealed his foot crossing the barest fraction in front of Schempps. Fourcade had won gold; Schempp silver. And we, the spectators, had been treated to a sporting battle, including the shootinga fight to the photo finish. Philosophers of sport have long observed a paradoxical relationship between adversaries: Scott Kretchmar argues compellingly in his seminal essay that all sporting contests are at some deep level also cooperative: Contestants agree to share a test. In an essay published after Kretchmars, Paul Gaffney adds that competition ambiguously includes an attempt not only to outdo the others performance but also at the same time to improve the others performance. Thus contestants are at once facilitators and obstacles. In the end, nominal adversaries, as Robert Simon argues in Fair Play, really engage in a mutual quest for excellence through challenge. A competitor needs a worthy opponent, Gaffney explained. No one else in her circlenot her coach, not her trainer, not her fans, not the people who love hercan provide her with the satisfaction that she craves, precisely because they all want her to win. Only her opponent, who acts like an enemy doing everything in her power to frustrate her, can enable the winner to reach her goal. Thats the basic paradox of competition. These games have shown us intense contests between determined opponents giving their all to beat each otherplayfully. This Olympics, as with all great sporting contests between fierce adversaries, has demonstrated clearly that the opposite of playful is not seriousits real. That fundamentally distinguishes war from sport. And yet we do describe sporting contests of all sortseven those that display no remnants of warlike originsin warlike terms: Relive the thrilling shootout from team U.S.A.s win over Canada, NBC headlined its streaming replay of the Gold medal womens hockey game. And who will forget the womens individual figure skating finals: All eyes on the ladies free skate as the dynamic duo battles for gold the NBC headline declared. What a battle it was, with the worlds two greatest female figure skatersRussians Alina Zegitova and Yevginia Medvedeva, fighting to the finish, giving it their all. When we take the ice its sport and we must fight. Every competition I feel like [is] a little war, Medvedeva declared. And yet, after the contest was over they hugged, because sport as an honest contest between two evenly matched opponents rightly ends in gratitude from each competitor for how they have been tried and tested. Almost 3,000 years ago, Hesiod, the second great historian of record, anticipated Orwell and like-minded critics of sport by distinguishing two types of strife, all over the earth. One type fosters evil war and battle, being cruel. All people rightly detest this, Hesiod insists. But the second, a competitive spirit far kinder to men drives us to greater achievements. Hopefully, but improbably, the 2018 Winter Games will go down as the peace Olympics, which ushered in North and South Koreas rapprochement that made the world safe from its most immediate nuclear threat. But whether this proves nave, we still cling to a hope that good strife in the form of vigorous physical contest will, as it did in ancient times, bring the world togethersubstituting for war at least for a moment, thereby ennobling us all. Robert Blecker is a professor of Criminal Law and Constitutional History at New York Law School.
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https://observer.com/2018/02/will-history-show-the-pyoengchang-olympics-helped-broker-peace/
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What If Museums Cost More For Rich People?
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When the Met Museum in New York City started charging out-of-state visitors a mandatory admission fee of $25 this monthafter decades of a pay-as-you-wish policy for everyoneit was something that the museum argued was necessary to stay afloat. The number of museum visitors has grown quickly, but over the last 13 years, the number of people who were choosing to pay full admission dropped 73%. Even though the museum has free rent, and city tax dollars and donations cover a large portion of expenses, it wasnt bringing in enough money from tickets to cover all operating costs. A new proposal from a group of activists calling themselves Toward Equitable Met Pricing argues that the museum could bring in more revenue by adding some means testing: Everyone, whether they live in New York or elsewhere, would be asked to pay an admission fee based on their income. If youre a corporate lawyer making more than $200 grand, youd pay $35. If youre a social worker making $40,000, youd pay $12. The group suggesting the policy used back-of-the-envelope calculations to project that the Met could make an additional $11 million by using the sliding scale, enough to meet its goals for financial stability. Right now, New Yorkers can still get free admission. But theyll be asked to show ID to prove theyre a state resident, which will likely discourage some people from coming. I think its a gesture to undocumented communities that they are not centered in this space, and the added burden to them is kind of a trade-off that [the Met is] willing to make, says Josephine Devanbu, one of the people behind the proposal. I think theres a longer-term cost of the Met becoming an institution that you need to show papers to enter. Even though the Met said that they will let people in even if they dont have papers on them at the time, I think that still fundamentally changes the kind of space it is. Out-of-state visitors who make a lower income will also be hit by the Mets new policy. While its true that some tourists would be able to afford the ticket price, othersincluding lower-income people from neighboring New Jersey, with the exception of students who are still allowed to avoid the feemight decide not to visit the museum because of the $25 charge. My concern is that what it will mean is that visitors who may be on the fence about coming, who may not know ahead of time that this is an experience that they are going to enjoy, who may not already be museum-goers or see themselves as museum-goers, are going to have a higher barrier to overcome in coming, says Devanbu. So what will happen is that out-of-state visitors are going to become increasingly people who identify as museum-goers, who may disproportionately mirror conventional museum-going demographicsso thats disproportionately affluent and white. Devanbu is a cofounder of another program called Look At Art. Get Paid. that suggests that in order to truly serve the public, museums should pay people from underrepresented groups to visit. The group partnered with Gradient, a startup that is developing a tool that e-commerce sites will be able to use to offer sliding scale payments for their products, to create the proposal for the Met. The sliding scale policy wouldnt require visitors to show proof of income, so theres still a risk that wealthy museum-goers might skimp on paying their fair share. The teams calculations assume that everyone would underpay somewhat. But the policy would be less ambiguous than the previous pay-as-you-wish plan. It is one thing to say as an institution, we think you should pay $25 as compared to, we think you should pay $25 because its within your means,' Lukas Bentel and Kevin Wiesner, from Gradient, write in an email. We think visitors may be less inclined to cheat the system if they understand how they fit into the larger economic picture. This type of sliding scale should force some to consider their economic privilege, and we dont think that is a bad thing.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40545660/what-if-rich-people-paid-more-when-they-went-to-museums
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Can Secret To Staying Forever Young Be As Simple As Flicking A Switch?
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These are siblings-born within seconds of each other, Ned David says of the two mice he shows in a video flashing on the wall. In mouse years, they were both around 70. One was frail and blind with its fur falling out, hunched against the wall; the other limber and scampering about. The difference: Researches had cleared one mouse of senescent cells, which appear only in older mammals and are responsible for many of the hallmarks of aging: blindness, joint pain, and bone deterioration. The existence of these cells, says David, cofounder of UNITY Biotechnology, and the ability of science and medicine to treat them, may be the key to tackling the most difficult aspects of getting old. Weve long labored under the idea that aging is an inevitabilitya process over which we have no control, David tells a crowd gathered at a South By Southwest panel last weekend. That, David says, is not true. Aging has control knobs, David says, and were learning how to turn these knobs in increasingly safe ways. And the science, tech, and businesses communities are waking up to the opportunities inherent in reducing the pain associated with aging. When were young, David says, our cells naturally dividethis constant renewal is what keeps us youthful and what, for instance, maintains wrinkle-free skin and supple joints. As we age, he says, our cells essentially get exhausted and pull the emergency brake to stop dividing. That phenomenon is called senescence. And these senescent cells dont just represent the end of youth for that particular cellthey also secrete toxins into the surrounding cells, which begin to break down. Thats why you see the tissue in between joints erode in older mammals, and bones begin to wear thinthe senescent cells have halted the capability of our bodies to renew themselves. David has a lengthy career in molecular and cellular biology; he founded four other biotechnology companies before UNITY in 2011. His company is working on a drug that essentially removes senescent cells from the body, and clears the way for new, healthy cells to continue to propagate. Hes already tested it on small mammalsthe mice in the video he showed, for instanceand this year, UNITY will debut a drug specifically designed to treat arthritis by clearing senescent cells. Cellular senescence, David adds, is not the only biological mechanism that contributes to agingthere are other factors like neurodegeneration, which drive Alzheimers and Parkinsons and are more difficult to tackle. But it is a mechanism thats uniquely amenable to the creation of medicines. Davids company has the backing of the Longevity Fund, which Laura Deming, a trained physicist and biochemist obsessed with the science of aging, established in 2011 (when she was 17, after dropping out of MIT and pursuing a Thiel Fellowship, which gives $100,000 to young people creating new projects).
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40543752/can-secret-to-staying-forever-young-be-as-simple-as-flicking-a-switch
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Will the rain come for a thirsty Central Queensland?
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CENTRAL Queensland will miss out on the much needed rain it needs despite our far northern neighbours in receiving a deluge off the back of a tropical low in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Mark Trenorden from The Bureau of Meteorology said the falls will not be making it down the coast to Central Queensland. He said the far north-east corner of the Central Highlands could expect isolated showers but was not confident it would be enough to provide relief to the catchment areas needed to replenish the Fairbairn Dam. On the Coast, Mr Trenorden said heavy showers would dissipate before reaching the Central Highlands. "Heavy falls can be expected down to the Whitsunday Islands but further south can only expect isolated showers, he said. "The further south, the finer the weather will become with the coast expected to receive slightly more rain than the inland areas. This news is yet another blow for the Central Highlands as the Fairnbairn Dam continues to plummet towards record lows. Last week, The Morning Bulletin Reported the Fairbairn Dam was two per cent off reaching lowest ever water levels which has resulted in a range of restrictions for irrigators in the Central Highlands.
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https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/will-the-rain-come-for-a-thirsty-central-queenslan/3633099/
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What's at stake for Russia in Venezuela?
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The regime of Nicolas Maduro is struggling for power against his opposition rivals in Venezuela. Maduro is backed by Moscow and his departure from power would also be a loss for Russia, in more ways than one. Rosneft's loan of $6 billion Russia's most immediate worry is the oil giant Rosneft, which is majority-owned by the Russian state. In 2017, it was reported that Rosneft effectively granted a $6 billion (5.26 billion) loan to Venezuela. The Venezuelan side was expected to repay it by giving Rosneft stakes in five major projects with their own energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA. The rest of the debt would be covered by oil deliveries. Read more: Venezuela's Maduro visits Moscow to ask Russia for more money Watch video 00:37 Now live 00:37 mins. Maduro: 'Russia gives its full support' As of late 2018, Rosneft owned between 25 and 40 percent of the five ventures but deliveries had been delayed, prompting Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin to travel to Caracas in November. However, taking into account that the deal is set to expire in 2019, it is safe to assume that Rosneft has already retrieved most of its money. It also appears unlikely that a new government would expropriate funds provided by foreign investors as long as these stakes were obtained legally, without corruption. In other words, any traders rushing to get rid of Rosneft stocks at the Moscow stock market this week may have acted prematurely. Russian money for Russian weapons The situation appears to be more complicated when it comes to loans that Russia approved to Venezuela for buying Russian arms. According to Russian media, Moscow has transferred some $11 billion to Caracas for this purpose in the last two decades. It is not clear how much of that sum has been repaid. However, there are reports that Moscow is restructuring Venezuela's debts under favorable conditions. Read more: Russia flies nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela It is far from certain that a new government would be willing to pay the money back to Russia. For example, Ukraine is still refusing to repay a massive 2013 loan which Russia approved to boost pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych . However, even if Venezuela does not pay back its debt, the project would not be a pure loss to Russia. The funds were used to produce Kalashnikov rifles, military jets, helicopters, tanks and other Russian weaponry, boosting Russia's own arm industry. Watch video 01:00 Now live 01:00 mins. Russia, China, Turkey: Maduro still our man Hitting where it hurts All in all, Russia stands to lose about 11 billion if there is regime change in Venezuela. But this sum pales in comparison to the possible impact of Venezuela's enormous oil reserves on global markets. Experts believe that Venezuela has more oil than any other country in the world, including Saudi Arabia. However, after 20 years of mismanagement under Hugo Chavez and later Maduro, the oil industry has deteriorated dramatically and plays only a minor role on the world stage. A new government could install more capable leaders in the oil sector, who could in turn revive Venezuela's oil industry and exports. Also, western most likely American companies could be allowed back into the country. This development could create a completely new playing field for global oil deliveries and bring down oil prices. This would be a worst-case scenario for Russia, whose economy relies heavily on oil and gas exports, and keeping the price of oil at the higher end of the scale. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.
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https://www.dw.com/en/whats-at-stake-for-russia-in-venezuela/a-47250675
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Is the Priyanka 'vajra' Rahul's final ace?
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default What does the future hold for the man who has taken the risk of creating a parallel power centre with his sister Priyankas formal political debut Priyanka has been active all these years but in a lab-like, controlled political environment. While the Opposition and detractors may think otherwise, the Congress rank and file are hugely upbeat about the party president's younger sibling entering the fray. They have pinned all their hopes on Priyanka's charisma and Rahul's evolved ways of aggressive and mature leadership to revive the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. The talk is about what the future holds for the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and non-Congress parties in view of Priyanka's formal debut. Priyanka has been active all these years but in a lab-like, controlled political environment. She did not hold a party post but she has been running campaigns in Amethi and Rae Bareli, which helped her establish a good connect with Congress loyalist voters in eastern UP. Supervising half the Congress seats in UP means Priyanka will be reaching out to at least seven crore voters. Whether she contests the polls or not is another issue, but the Congress workers want her to be in Parliament because of her great mass appeal, no-nonsense approach and direct manner of attacking rivals. Congress President Rahul Gandhi Gandhi vs Gandhi It is common to draw parallels between the generations of families in politics, cricket and cinema. Priyanka's mannerism is unfailingly compared with that of her grandmother, the late Indira Gandhi. Rahul, too, faced the test but not many comparisons came his way. Previously, it was his 'casual' approach to politics, and later the BJP's 'Pappu' campaign that crashed the party's hopes. Rahul kept interning for a very long time and replaced his mother because only a Gandhi could have held the flock intact when a ferocious enemy attacked it in an attempt to wipe the party off Indian politics. But, within a year things have reversed for Rahul, who is now a very significant figure - a potent threat to Narendra Modi and PM aspirants in non-BJP and non-Congress parties. The Congress is an organisation that sees loyalty split between members of the high command. During Indira's time, Sanjay Gandhi held the remote control and led his own group of loyalists. Later, Rajiv got his own fan following in the party. Before taking up the Congress leadership, Sonia Gandhi continued to have her flock keeping her politically relevant. Rahul became another power centre when the mother ruled. In appointing Priyanka as general secretary, Rahul has taken a risk of creating a parallel power centre within the party. The phenomenon is expected to continue with Priyanka's anointment, unless the siblings have a greater understanding between them and won't get fooled by the chamcha culture. There is no way for us to say whether or not the family has factored in the perception before agreeing to roll Priyanka out in a surprise role. The siblings must have also considered Priyanka's Indira-like looks, which the sister could use to the party's electoral benefit. A view that a large section of party leaders hold about the sister's leadership qualities and better understanding of politics should continue to have the siblings compared on several parameters. Rahul has said that Priyanka would bring a new way of thinking to UP and change the dynamics of the state that holds the key to the making of the Union government. We keep our fingers crossed over Priyanka's challenging assignment, but we supplement Rahul in saying that Priyanka has apparently brought the Congress a thought process that has been missing all these years. Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore Send your feedback to [email protected] Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
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https://www.mid-day.com/articles/is-the-priyanka-vajra-rahuls-final-ace/406217
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Why should she care?
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Mike Smithson of politicalbetting.com says that: The Telegraph is reporting details of at telephone conference call earlier this evening by about a dozen ministers who are pro-European. They include Amber Rudd and Greg Clarke the Business Secretary. Basically they want the PM to commit to securing her Brussels deal within just two weeks. If that doesnt happen then they will resign.The papers Steven Swinford notes: Ms Rudd and other Cabinet ministers have previously warned that as many as 20 ministers could quit so they can support the amendment tabled on Tuesday by Yvette Cooper, a senior Labour MP. It will save her the trouble of trying to keep sweet those foot-stampers who issue such meaningless demands as wanting the PM to commit to securing her Brussels deal within two weeks. If she were capable of securing a deal just by committing to it she would have done so by now. Unfortunately for her, deals involve two sides, and she has even less power over the EU side than she does over the side jokingly referred to as hers. I am sure Mrs May will find ten up-and-coming MPs willing to take up the vacated positions. While on the subject of deals with two sides, another politicalbetting.com article well worth a read is this one from Alastair Meeks: Disastrously successful. The EUs Brexit negotiation. It starts with an apology for going all Godwin on you and then launches into a discussion of the Treaty of Svres after WWI. Youre not alone; it was so harsh to the Turks that Atatrk and the Turkish nationalists rose up in outrage and overthrew those who had signed it. It was never implemented. As Meeks said, The best outcome is one that will actually stick, not the one with nominally the most favourable terms. 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https://www.samizdata.net/2019/01/why-should-she-care/
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What next for Brexit?
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Pro-Brexit supporters arrive to a pro-Brexit meeting by the Bruges Group in London January 23, 2019. Reuters pic LONDON, Jan 28 Despite the humiliating rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, Britain is no closer to knowing the end result of its vote to leave the European Union. A raft of amendments to be voted on by MPs tomorrow threaten to further muddy the waters as the clock ticks down to Britain's scheduled departure from the EU on March 29. Three ultimate scenarios remain leaving without an official deal, leaving with a very similar deal or no Brexit at all. But each path is fraught with uncertainty, political volatility, constitutional logjams and an increasingly embittered electorate. Here are the potential next steps: No deal Britain is legally on track to leave the EU with or without a deal on March 29, unless it delays or stops the process. A no-deal scenario threatens to trigger a recession in Britain and markedly slow the EU's economic growth, as well as causing significant legal disruption. The world's fifth-biggest economy could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports. As D-Day looms, the government has conducted visible displays of its ramped-up no-deal preparations over the past few weeks. But speculation is growing that the government, under pressure from parliament, could seek to delay the process and take no-deal off the table. Delay Some amendments introduced in parliament are seeking to delay Britain's departure date, although all the other 27 EU countries would have to agree. A potential complication is that elections to the European Parliament are due in late May and the new chamber is set to sit on July 2. Some of Britain's 73 seats have already been reallocated. A delay to give May time to pass legislation enshrining her Brexit deal would likely command widespread support, said leading pollster John Curtice. But Brexit supporters would be deeply opposed to a delay motivated by a desire to go away and have a referendum or a general election or softer Brexit, he added. Brussels also may not be so keen if the delay would simply translate into more months of political gridlock. Second referendum Growing numbers of MPs are seeking a new referendum to reverse the 2016 result, when the Leave campaign won by 52 per cent to 48 per cent. But supporters admit they do not currently have the numbers in parliament to make it happen. No law prevents Britain from doing it all over again, but many question whether a revote would be democratic or resolve anything. May has warned that another vote would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics. It also threatens to be just as divisive as the last one, with opinion polls showing the country is still split over the issue. Try to get another deal After MPs overwhelmingly rejected the deal agreed between May and Brussels, May held talks with lawmakers across parliament as well as business figures and trade unions to try to find a way through. The key sticking point is the deal's "backstop" solution to keep the Irish border open, which has the potential to leave Britain indefinitely tied to some form of EU customs union. Influential Brexit supporters say that with changes to the backstop, they could support the agreement. EU leaders have said they are willing to talk further, including on plans for the future trading relationship, but have repeatedly said they do not want to reopen the deal itself. General election Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sought to oust May's government by calling a confidence vote after her Brexit deal was defeated, but she won. There is a risk that her Conservative party and their Northern Irish allies, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), could turn against her if she pursues either a softer or a no-deal Brexit. But if not, the only other way to force an election is for the prime minister herself to gamble and call a snap vote to break the impasse. No Brexit Some lawmakers favour the nuclear option of cancelling Brexit altogether, despite the threat of widespread public rage. Finance minister Philip Hammond even told business leaders last week that Article 50 could be rescinded. AFP
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2019/01/28/what-next-for-brexit/1717159
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Could a US schoolboy finally halt the medieval social media machine?
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By now, the technique should be grimly familiar. Someone sees something they dislike and decides that it is offensive, preferably to a fashionable minority group. An edited version of the incident is put on social media, taken out of context in order to make the "culprit" - safest if it's a member of an unfashionable "privileged" group - look as terrible as possible. A few people ask whether this is a fair reflection of reality, whether the vitriol is deserved. It hardly matters. The intimidation has begun, the individual has been named, his reputation is in tatters, and perhaps even the police have turned up to investigate whether a "non-crime hate incident" has taken place. The image that went viral, but didn't tell the whole truth. Credit:Twitter Loading Most victims of this unjust process give in and apologise: whatever the truth of the matter, better a quiet life than fight the many-headed monster of social justice web warriors, ultra-liberal academics and their allies in the media. The effect is censorship by fear. A bullying Left doesn't need to change any minds, just make it too toxic for anyone to disagree with them. But last week, something changed. A group of boys from a Catholic high school in Covington, in the US, looked as if they would be subjected to a textbook example of the above process. A Native American activist, Nathan Phillips, was apparently harassed by the boys, who were wearing Make America Great Again hats at a rally in Washington. An image went viral on the internet of one boy smiling - or "smirking" - at Mr Phillips, in an "aggressive encounter". Credulous pundits damned the boy as the typical, arrogant racist American male and he was named on social media. He was guilty not because they knew definitively what he had done, but because of what he apparently represented, an almost medieval form of punishment by group association. Usually it all would have ended here, with the boy apologising. But subsequent video footage put a very different complexion on events. Before the incident with Mr Phillips, the schoolboys had been subjected to horrific abuse from a separate group of protesters. Mr Phillips had wandered right into their midst, banging a drum. Yes, it was all highly charged, but the boy's "aggressive" smirk was more likely a bemused smile from a teenager put into a bizarre situation. Those who built him up into the archetypal racist, bullying white American may now even be sued for their wild mischaracterisation of what happened and for nearly ruining his life. I hope they will be, because something must be done to make people think twice about piling into these confected storms. It is incredible that, even now, some of the Twitter bullies are refusing to apologise, even though they know their original accusations against the schoolboy were false. In such circumstances, no individual can reasonably be expected to stand alone against the combined might of the social media outrage machine. Everything is off balance: it's become too hard to defend yourself and too easy to accuse, and easiest of all for the activist Left to spin a fact-free narrative that destroys reputations and feeds their agenda. Telegraph, London
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https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/could-a-us-schoolboy-finally-halt-the-medieval-social-media-machine-20190128-p50u3v.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
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How Should We Design Cities On Mars?
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When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the moon in 1969, they arrived in a craft roughly the size of a two-person tent. The landing module had no recognizable toilet and no privacy, but it didnt matter much, since the men were only making a day trip. Humanity is now, once again, trying to crack out of the shell of its atmosphere, but the goal has changed: We want to go to the moon and to Mars, not just to plant a flag and leave behind a few footprints, but to stay. advertisement advertisement For some, the reason to settle on Mars is evident in the challenges and the opportunities it presents. Crossing vast oceans, climbing the highest mountains, and visiting the most extreme environments can inspire generations and lead to unforeseen scientific and economic discoveries. Traveling to Mars and installing a new foothold for humanity could push the limits of technology, the human psyche, and design, and potentially teach us how to live better on Earth. Inhabiting off-planet space offers the chance to experiment with new social and environmental arrangements that incorporate lessons weve learned from mistakes on Earth. If you want to go to Mars, lets live, and live happily, and live better than here on Earth, says Vera Mulyani, an architect and founder of the Mars City Design competition. Lets design a better place for humanity. Justin Hollander, a Tufts University professor of urban planning and advisor for Mars Onean organization that aims to set up a permanent Mars settlement by 2035likewise suggests that a blank slate provides a chance to privilege elements of good urbanism, such as public space, rather than adding them as an afterthought. The challenges of lethal surroundings and the freedom of lower gravity will no doubt rewrite some of the rules of design. But by redefining how we interact with nature and with ourselves, space colonization offers a broader chance to remake urbanism itself, and by extension, public spaces and the publics who use themthe implications of which could play out both on Mars, and on our own ecologically changing planet. It may come as no surprise that there are some who dont think we should colonize other worlds. Although Elon Musk believes we must establish a colony on Mars in order to ensure the future of humanity in case of an asteroid strike or climate-related cataclysms, theres no guarantee that humans can even survive long-term on Mars. The low gravity will weaken our bones, hearts, and immune systems. The soil is toxic, the air unbreathable. No one knows. And every rocketful of supplies we launch to Mars will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. For context, it took $150 billion to build the International Space Station that orbits Earth, and thats right in our cosmic backyard. Many people think the colonization money would be better spent trying to save the planet we have. These physiological and economic barriers aside, colonization of other planets would entail other trials. [L]iving far away from Earth in confined, artificial environments will challenge psychological health in brand new ways, writes space architect Brent Sherwood in his book Out of This World: The New Field of Space Architecture. Thats why, if we choose to accept the serious challenges and risks that come with off-world living, its important for architects and designers to start thinking about how to make spaceships and habitats not just survivable, but actually livable. Future astronauts will need public places to rest, socialize, and congregate, in order to maintain healthy minds and a healthy societyand public (as well as private) spaces will play a role in working towards a functioning Martian society, and even perhaps, one day, the ideal of a Martian utopia. advertisement But utopia wont happen immediately (if ever). For now, Earths best and brightest are still working out how to fulfill our basic needs in space, like oxygen, water, and food. The first travelers to Mars will likely set sail in groups of four, traveling inside large metal cans linked together, with solar panels extending out like sails. Each ship will be about the size of a small two-bedroom house, which almost seems roomy until you consider all the supplies and science equipment theyll need to haul for the years-long mission. In working toward the ideal of a Martian utopia, We have got to figure out how to build these things to keep people happy, productive members of society for years at a time, says Tristan Bassingthwaighte, an architectural designer at Deep Space Ecology. If your whole crew goes insane, its still just as much a mission failure as if you crash into Mars. We dont know how human culture, technology, and eventually even biology will change once we leave Earth, but we can anticipate some of the design essentials for the initial missions. The first habitats on Mars or the moon will likely be similar to those four-person spaceships: small and cramped, with social life centered around the kitchen table. For long-term stays, these pill- or dome-shaped aluminum cans and inflatable structures would need to be covered with a thick layer of rock and dirt to protect the crew from deep space radiation as well as extreme temperature shifts. During these early years of interplanetary exploration, private space may be just as much a concern as public space. Starting in August 2015, Bassingthwaighte and five others spent 12 months cooped up in a simulated Martian habitat in Hawaii called HI-SEAS. The habitat was designed to be as open as possible to combat the quasi-astronauts sense of confinement, but as a result, nearly every part of the habitat was visible or audible from everywhere else. We actually didnt have nearly enough private space, says Bassingthwaighte. It was one of the bigger stressors after a while. Its very hard to get into a place where you can unwind and let down that last psychological wall. That constant stress will definitely contribute to aggravations or misunderstandings. An architecture student at the time, Bassingthwaighte wrote his doctoral dissertation on how he would improve the design of this mock Mars habitat. He suggests keeping the large open common room, but making it convertible into smaller, more private spaces, so that the area could be used for events like soccer practice and movie night, or provide private areas for people to draw or read (or perhaps write their 305-page dissertations). Since permanent residences on Mars will need to be buried beneath several feet of soil, Bassingthwaighte would use virtual reality to help people escape that closed-in feeling, and a CoeLux artificial skylight that perfectly replicates the look and feel of natural sunlight. It tricks your mind into thinking theres a much larger space just on the other side of the [simulated] glass. advertisement Looking decades or even centuries into the future, the Musk-founded Space Exploration Technologies Corporationpopularly known as SpaceXhopes to send colonists to Mars in droves. The company hasnt unveiled details about the innards of its mega-sized colonial ship concept, other than a sleek white interior with large windows, but the 100-person spaceship Musk envisions would obviously need large gathering spaces. Like soldiers on military aircraft carriers (known as cities at sea), these Martian colonists would probably pass the time socializing in common areas such as a gym or cafeteria. Yet Hollander thinks these sorts of sleek white futuristic spaceship interiors, depicted everywhere from 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Martian, are too sterile for a years-long journey. Everything looks like its made by machines, he says. Theres no details, nothing intricate, even though thats what we really want. Some concepts include natural materials like wood veneer and woven fabrics, to create a greater feeling of home and, since monotony is a potential psychological issue, for visual and tactile stimulation. As the Mars bases grow and humanity establishes a more permanent off-world settlement, public gathering spaces will likely become more important. Jason Crusan, director of NASAs Advanced Exploration Systems division, speculates that these crews may live in independent habitat modules, landed across multiple missions and amassed into one general area, similar to a trailer park. Newer buildings would be constructed from glass or concrete made on Mars. This homegrown masonry and 3D printing would allow for the creation of larger gathering spaces that could bring together the growing Mars population under one roof to maintain a sense of community, and to make decisions that affect the entire group. These areas will no doubt be the gathering spaces where the foundations of Martian civilization are laid. And if these far-flung societies can become stable and self-sufficient, they will surely attract other explorers, entrepreneurs, and free thinkers over time. Such a population explosion on Mars might present its own challenges to the utopian ideal, or at the very least force us to ask exactly what sort of Martian utopia we are seeking. According to the Outer Space Treaty, drafted in 1966 and accepted by the United Nations a year later, all of outer space is a public spaceor rather, something like a public good, not to be subject to appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. Yet in so many proposed space colonization scenarios, spearheaded by both public space programs and private companies such as SpaceX, other worlds are also invariably viewed as potential sites of economic opportunity, largely by way of extraterrestrial resource extraction. Perhaps before reaching Mars, a settlement on Earths moon could more quickly and easily grow into an economic center, thanks to its proximity. Using essentially the same infrastructure as a Mars base, these lunar colonies would likely start out as research outposts that grow into industrial towns mining for helium-3, an isotope that could fuel fusion reactors, and water, which can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, aka rocket propellant. People like the European Space Agencys Johann-Dietrich Woerner and George Nield from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration envision these bases growing into an off-world marketplace, perhaps transforming the moon into a bustling gas depot where Mars-bound spaceships could top off their tanks before the long journey ahead. If the lunar industries really do take off, the people working there, and their families, will need apartments, offices, farms, and assembly halls to form a functional society. Sherwood thinks those amenities could pave the way for lunar tourists, which in turn could lead to more development, including theaters, pools, restaurants, hotels, bars, and arenas for playing low-gravity sports. advertisement Some folks even want to establish parks on the moon to protect historical areas like the Apollo 11 landing site. While the views from these outdoor spaces will no doubt be incredible, they could only be enjoyed from inside a spacesuit, cut off from your companions except by the radio in your helmet. Nevertheless, by the standards established in the Outer Space Treaty, such supranational parks may best represent the lofty ideal of outer space as shared treasure, to be enjoyed by all of humanity. The management of such culturally significant areas might serve as a mirror, or perhaps even a model, for preservation and conservation efforts on Earth particularly as terrestrial public lands are increasingly threatened by privatization. Though there will be plenty of open areas on Mars, the real, every day off-world public spaces will be indoors, and for the foreseeable future they wont be as grand as one might hope. When it comes to large structures and domed cities, I dont believe that will be in my lifetime, says Crusan. Sadly, those majestic glass-domed cities we see in sci-fi drawings of lunar settlements would actually bake people alive, Sherwood notes, since the moons surface can reach nearly 250 degrees Fahrenheit. A domed city might not be quite so hellish on Mars, whose daytime temperatures max out at about 70 degrees, but the glass still wouldnt offer much protection against radiation. And unfortunately for humanity, terraforming would probably require thousands of years to make the Martian air breathable for humans. While Martians will need greenhouses to grow their food, neither recreational indoor parks nor installing greenery in the public spaces would be practical in Mars habitats for a whileit would be too difficult to regulate the moisture and oxygen levels in those areas. But there are other ways to make a space feel natural. Bassingthwaighte recommends locating the greenhouses next to the gathering space, separated by clear glass. That way, the food crops would be visible from the public space, replicating the relaxed stimulation that nature can provide, while maintaining the ideal air quality in each separate space. Hollander suggests designing with fractal patterns, curves, interesting textures, the color green, and maybe even piping in the sounds and smells of Terran nature. Though these indoor public spaces will be largely unlike any domicile our species has built before, Sherwood recommends looking to history for inspiration. Roman outdoor spaces were essentially enclosed rooms for public rituals, proving that interior urbanism can nonetheless be grand and theatrical and promote civic life. Medieval and Gothic architecture, he notes, show that we can use precious but dangerous external views sparingly, yet still be emotionally and spiritually inspiring. Islamic courtyards bring nature into the center of the home, and modern-day shopping malls provide an airy indoor space for entertainment, exercise, and socializing. Such earthly design inspirations offer many practical points of departure, and their variety of forms beg us to speculate on the nature of public life in outer space. The interior urbanisms of ancient Rome or a modern-day shopping mall, after all, reflect very different types of publics. If Mars is a blank slate, it is one upon which space architects and designers are apt to project their own interpretations of (or assumptions about) these issues. The colonists themselves are also likely to hold a variety of attitudes toward these questions, some of which may agree or conflict with one another. The built environment of lunar or Martian colonies, even at the most intimate scale, will comprise spaces for negotiating both survival and society, and its physical design will affect the parameters of that negotiation, opening doors to some possibilities while closing others. Respecting the complexity of this relationship may be a crucial, if often overlooked, component of both public and private visions of space travel or colonization, particularly as the momentum to expand into deep space keeps growing. The European Space Agency dreams of setting up a moon village populated by researchers, miners, entrepreneurs, and tourists. NASA intends to go further, in the mid-2030s, by sending astronauts to Mars on a journey that would take two to three years, round-trip. Private companies may beat NASA to the red planet: Mars One aspires to send an initial crew of four intrepid explorers on a one-way mission to establish a permanent settlement. SpaceX hopes to launch a Mars-bound crew as early as the mid-2020s, paving the way for a colony that could grow to house a million people within a few decadesor so Elon Musk hopes. advertisement Regardless of who gets there first, the need for a place to interact away from home or work seems inevitable. Over time, these public spaces may become the seats of local governments, as well as places for marriages, political discussions, carnivals, cinemas, funerals, and parties. As their society grows and becomes self-sufficient, Martians will need to create their own systems for dealing with problems and governing themselves. Theyll develop their own traditions, jokes, and idioms. These cultural transformations will most likely have their origins in the shared spaces where everyone comes together. Eventually, as its culture evolves, one could expect that a colony may even start to feel like its interests and values have diverged significantly from those on Earth. History suggests that eventually, these colonists could decide to declare independence from forms of Terran rule. One could easily imagine that decision being made in a cafeteria or sports arena that doubles, intentionally or not, as an agora; public spaces could be the gardens where the seeds of Martian revolution are planted. Luckily for Earthlings, off-world innovations, whether cultural or scientific, wont likely be restricted to these future off-world settlements. Learning how to 3D-print a house using local materials, living off renewable energy in zero-waste neighborhoods, and designing cities for inclusivity are ideas that could help humans on any planet, as well as the other lifeforms forced to interact with us. Perhaps colonizing other worlds would, in fact, help us save the planet we already have. The barren surface of Mars represents the extreme end of processes that humans have unwittingly initiated on Earth: climate change, land degradation, and desertification. Scientific efforts to solve the problem of habitation on Mars, whether ultimately successful or not, may provide invaluable clues for helping reverse these processes on Earth, or at the very least mitigating their worst effects on human society. And perhaps the idea of widespread space colonization obliges us to revisit the Outer Space Treaty and its utopian ideals. As this question becomes less abstract, how we choose to answer it will be of significant consequence to publics on all planets, and for all of the spaces they share in common. advertisement
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90160936/how-should-we-design-cities-on-mars
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Are Standing Desks The Biggest Sham Ever?
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A research team from Curtin University, in Perth, Western Australia, observed 20 subjects working for two hours on standing desks. The resultspublished in the journal Ergonomicsshow negative impacts on both their bodies and their minds. The subjects mental reactiveness dropped, which affected their ability to concentrate. On the positive side, the researchers found that the subjects creative problem solving abilities improvedbut only marginally. Their overall conclusion is that body discomfort was positively correlated with a [decreased] mental state. This is the first study to detect these psychological effects. (Its worth noting, though, that the sample size was quite small, so take the results with a grain of salt.) As for the physical consequences: This studys results mirrored those found in a meta-study of 20 previous research papers with 2,174 participants all across Europe and the United States, analyzed by the Cochrane Reviewan international organization that examines scientific research papers focused on health. These studies found out that standing desks increase lower back pain. The Curtin University team also found out that the majority of participants reported increased general discomfort in all body areas. Some research has found that standing desks help people burn more calories than sitting desksbut so can getting up from your desk and taking a walk. Its become increasingly obvious that standing desks are more of a fad than a fix. My theory here is that they are like parents who tell everyone that having a kid is an amazingly wonderful experience. At the end, they are only trying to get you to make the same mistake so you can share their suffering.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90162377/are-standing-desks-the-biggest-sham-ever
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What Causes Those Mysterious Holes In The Fog?
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The mystery started in 2016, when NASAs Earth-observing satellite Terra discovered some of those strange holes in giant, very thick fog cloud blankets over India. The probable cause: cities. Thats something that NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centers research meteorologist Steve Lang and other people suspected since they saw Terras photos. After all, the holes always appeared on top of some urban centers (although not over others). Lang claims that he thought there was a connection to cities but he could only speculate on the origin because he didnt have the information he needed: [I]t could be due to either additional aerosols, urban heat islands, or both, having an effect on the clouds. Now, a new study published earlier this year by Gautam in Geophysical Research Letters, has announced the definitive answer to the mystery. The good news: Its not because of aerosol (aka pollution) particles suspended over cities. The bad news: It is the heat cities produce. More to the point, its the heat island effect, the tendency of cities to be hotter than surrounding areasand an effect that can both alter weather patterns and exacerbate climate change in urban areas. Gautams research demonstrated that [o]n the one hand, you have air pollution likely amplifying fog and on the other, urban heating is helping fog dissipate faster. So aerosol particles help fog form. But then heat from cars, asphalt, and other urban fixtures rise up, push the fog apart, and open a hole in the sky. According to Gautman, who studied satellite images from 2000 to 2016, theres a high correlation between the presence of fog holes and the population density in cities situated on fog-prone areas. The reason why this effect has been observed in Indian cities like Delhi for the first time is that the density of traffic and temperature-controlled buildings has increased dramatically in recent years. The heat island effect has a clear economic impact on cities around the world. As my colleague Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan wrote last year, in an analysis of the 1,692 largest cities in the world . . . the hardest-hit cities could lose almost 11% of their GDP by 2100 under the most extreme scenario, with average losses at about 5.6% as a result of the heat island effect. In that light, fog holes can be seen as a stark visualization of a very hot, expensive problem. But there are solutions: Urban planners, architects, and city authorities can implement measures to diminish or counteract the effect. Using materials like cool roofs and cool asphalt can help. Energy-efficient buildings will have an impact too. Then there are solutions as simple as planting more trees and vegetation. According to NASA, greenery-dense citiesincluding roofs with gardens and buildings covered with plantscan lower their temperature by as much as 3.4 F in the summer and 2.7 F in the winter. The added bonus: Cities will look prettier and trees and vegetation have a demonstrated positive psychological impact on humans.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90161573/what-causes-those-mysterious-holes-in-the-fog
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When Will Americans Be Angry Enough To Demand Honesty About Algorithms?
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In the 1960s, a series of man-made disastersfrom oil spills to rivers literally catching fire enraged Americans and helped to spur politicians to create environmental laws, including the requirement that federal agencies prepare Environmental Impact Reports on the effects of any new proposed construction projects. It seems like common sense now, but it took many decades (and irreparable damage ) to get the government to create these regulations. Perhaps the revelation that predictive policing software is deeply biased against people of color. Or outrage over the use of predictive algorithms to evaluate teachers. Or maybe itll be something way more pedestrian, like Amazon pushing its own products instead of the cheapest. Either way, were nearing a moment of reckoning with how AI is regulated by the government, and its going to be a long road toward reasonable, working legislation on it. This week the AI Now Institute, a leading group studying the topic, published its own proposal. Its called an Algorithmic Impact Assessment, or AIA, and its essentially an environmental impact report for automated software used by governments. A similar process should take place before an agency deploys a new, high-impact automated decision system, the group writes. An AIA would do four basic things, AI Now explains: First, it would require any government agency that wants to use an algorithm to publish a description of the system and its potential impact. Second, agencies would give external researchers access to the system so they can study it. Third, it would require agencies to publish an evaluation of how the algorithm will affect the public and how it plans to address any biases or problems. And lastly, an AIA would require the agency to create a system for regular people to hold agencies accountable when they fail to disclose important pieces of information about an algorithm. In short, the AIA would allow the public to understand how machines are making decisions in their government. It would allow researchers to peer into these black boxes and verify that theyre really fair, too, and encourage tech companies to do due diligence on the products they sell governments. The proposal doesnt come out of the blue. Its a recommendation for the City of New York, which in January created a new task force aimed at regulating the automated decision systems used by the city. In large part, the companies that build this software. As researcher Julia Powles explained in the New Yorker, companies cite proprietary technology as a reason not to explain how their algorithms work (for example, if Google were to reveal the inner-workings of one of its algorithms, Microsoft or Amazon could steal that technology). A private contractor who builds software that New York City uses to predict who will be a repeat criminal offender, for example, could claim its work is protected as a trade secretand thus avoid disclosing anything about it. That gives tech companies a broad veil of protection, in the words of the Center for Democracy and Technologys Taylor R. Moore, against civil rights laws and future laws that attempt to give us transparency about the automated systems in our cities.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90161406/when-will-americans-be-angry-enough-to-demand-honesty-about-algorithms
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Can Making Fake News Train People To Spot It In Real Life?
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To win a new game, you earn badges for trolling, impersonation, and spreading conspiracy theories through a fake news site, Twitter bots, and Photoshop. The goal of the game, called Bad News , is to spread fear, anger, and public mistrust. The bigger goal: to help players get better at recognizing fake news in real life. Researchers at the University of Cambridge created the game, along with designers from the Dutch media collective Drog, after their previous research showed that exposing people to a small amount of misinformation could help inoculate them against more fake news. Just as vaccines involve injecting yourself with the small or weakened dose of a virus that triggers antibodies in the immune system to help confer resistance against future infection, the idea is that you could do the same with information just by exposing people to a weak or a small dose of misinformation, says Sander van der Linden, director of Cambridge Universitys Social Decision-Making Lab. An earlier study, published in 2017, was focused on misinformation about climate change. But after widespread interest in how the same techniques could be for other subjects, the team started considering another approach. Its very costly to sort of tailor the vaccination in that way, and so we wondered, is there a way to sort of educate people on a broader level to confer this type of resistance? says van der Linden. What we came up with is the idea that if you walk a mile in the shoes of someone whos trying to deceive you, youre going to be much faster at spotting those tacticsand potentially more resistant to being influenced by them because you recognize them. Youve rehearsed them, youve interacted with that. In the simple game, players practice impersonation; at one point, you might fake a tweet from Donald J. Trunp about declaring war on North Korea, with the hashtag #KimJongDone. (Nicely done! the game says. War with North Korea is just realistic enough to worry people.) Youll start a fake news sitemine was called Honest Truth Onlineand learn how to exploit anger and fear, while maintaining a basic credibility score so you dont lose followers. In a pilot test, the researchers studied a pen-and-paper version of the game with a small group of high school students. The students were given a fact sheet on asylum seekers, and then played the roles of alarmists, conspiracy theorists, or clickbait mongers, using the games techniques to distort the facts. By the end of the process, they were more likely to question fake news about refugees than their classmates who hadnt gone through the process. The online game asks players if theyre willing to take part in an experimentanswering a few surveys throughout the gameand the researchers will use that data to perform a larger study. Were hoping, after weve got hundreds of thousands of responses, to actually evaluate how effective the game is in conferring resistance, says van der Linden. Theyre also working on variations of the game, including one for children with different subject matter (fake news about Spongebob Squarepants). The current version will be translated into Russian, so it can be used in places like the Ukraine, where fake news is rampant.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40533324/can-making-this-fake-news-game-train-people-to-spot-it-in-real-life
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Can The Worlds Underbanked Leapfrog On To A New Blockchain Financial System?
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While cryptocurrencies are rocking the whole world at the moment, you can make a case that the impact of the underlying technologyblockchainmay be felt more in emerging nations than developed ones. At least in the next year or so. In New York or Singapore, its easy to buy a toaster with a credit card. Its simple for most people to get a loan. Your identity is known to government and relatively secure. Getting around doesnt require a crypto version of Uber. We already have the conventional version of Uber. Thats not the case in the poorest parts of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, where people lack basic services in finance, energy, government, and much else, potentially opening the way for new technologies. The ability of decentralized ledgers to offer better record-keeping and personal identity management (to name two areas) may be true game-changers, according to development experts. Indeed, the promise of blockchain was in full evidence at the Davos World Economic Forum recently, according to multiple reports from that shindig. Moeda is one small but representative example of how blockchains can enable development. It is a microfinance platform that links investors in relatively developed markets (for now, mostly in China) with cooperative businesses in rural Brazil. Taynaah Reis, who leads the startup, has spent her whole life around Brazils large community of cooperative farms and agricultural businesses. Through a governmental program called PRONAF, her father helped find credit for family farms as she was growing up in the late 1990s and 2000s. Now 29 years old, she says cooperatives currently have few options to borrow money. The best bank rates available are in the 120% range but could go higher if cooperatives have poor credit histories and have to resort to credit cards. Government grants are also on offer. But Reis says they tend to be ring-fenced with bureaucratic hassle and protocol. I grew up with the cooperative system and I saw how difficult it was to access finance, Reis tells Fast Company. My country is known for its cooperatives and I see [Moeda] as a way to fight for my country and contribute to something my father helped start. Moeda is able to send money to Brazil through the genius of blockchain tokenization. Investors buy the startups cryptocurrency, known as MDA tokens, which they then allocate to businesses through an app. On the other end, several cooperative banks in Brazil agree to exchange the tokens for local currency. In such a way, Moeda (coin in Portuguese) is able to side-step exchange rate fees, regulation, and other obstacles normally in the way of impact investing over national borders. Moeda raised about $20 million in a recent Initial Coin Offering (ICO). At Davos, it announced that it was investing the first $1.5 million in 18 cooperatives, including the Vale do Itaja Family Farming Cooperative in Dona Emma, in South Brazil (it will get $520,000), and the Lebon Regis Family Farms Cooperative in the same part of the country ($205,000). Reis says the investment will go to buying machinery, like industrial-sized juicers, refrigerators, milking equipment, and cheese-makers, enabling cooperatives to ramp up production, serve more customers, and boost economic development.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40524015/can-the-worlds-underbanked-leapfrog-on-to-a-new-blockchain-financial-system
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Can Thaksin make a political comeback?
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"Elections are finally here - on March 24" was the front page headline on Thursday of The Nation, an English-language newspaper in Thailand. Finally, almost five years after ousting the elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shina-watra with the barrel of a gun, the military junta has called for an election. The March 24 elections will end the military rule that began in 2014. Army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha led a bloodless coup that toppled the government then led by the Pheu Thai party. The coup leader took over as prime minister. What happened to Shinawatra then was history repeating itself. In 2006, the military launched a coup against her brother, then Prime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra, when he was in New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly. I remember that coup. At that time, I was The Star's Thailand correspondent based in Bangkok and also the Asia News Network (ANN) editor. That night, I was home in Bangna near Bangkok when I received a phone call saying there was an ongoing coup. I rushed to the nearby The Nation office where I worked. Thasong Asvasena, a journalist from The Nation, told me not to worry as friendly soldiers had arrived to secure the newspaper's premises. I looked out the window and saw armed soldiers surrounding the building. It was called the Happy Coup as many Bangkokians hated Thaksin. They were delighted to see the end of his reign. But that was not the end of Thaksin's political grip on Thailand. The billionaire is like the Terminator. He'll be back - through political parties linked to him. Although he was in self-imposed exile, his party, the People Power Party (PPP, a reincarnation of his Thai Rak Thai party which had been banned by the military junta) won the election in 2007. A year later PPP lost power in a "judicial coup" in which Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who is married to Thaksin and Yingluck's sister, was forced from office by a Constitutional Court ruling. The court disbanded PPP for electoral fraud and barred its leaders from participating in politics for five years. Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, from the Democrat party, formed a coalition and became Prime Minister. In 2011, an election was called. Pheu Thai (the reincarnation of the banned PPP) won in a landslide victory and Yingluck became Thailand's first female prime minister. In 2014, the military seized power. It was the country's 12th coup d'etat since the first in 1932. Now, in 56 days, Thais will go to the polls. On Friday in Bangkok, I met Sean Boonpracong, a former national security adviser to Prime Minister Yingluck, and Cod Satrusayang, the managing editor of ANN, to get their insights into Thai politics. "Can Thaksin make a comeback?" I asked them in separate interviews. "Absolutely, because essentially the Thai Rak Thai, PPP and Pheu Thai parties - which are the incarnations of Thaksin's political base - know how to capture the political aspirations of the people," said Boonpracong. After more than four years in power, the military junta could not deliver what the people wanted, he said. Boonpracong said early polls - by various credible pollsters - indicate that Pheu Thai and its allies, such as Thai Raksa Chart and Future Forward (led by auto parts billionaire Thanathorn Juangroong-ruangkit), could win 272 to 300 seats for MPs out of 500. "It looks like Pheu Thai will still win. Despite the odds stacked against them, despite the military drafting a Constitution that's supposed to be anti-them, despite the redrawing of the constituencies, they will still win," said Satru-sayang. Read also Thailand must postpone election again, until March: Officials The question now, said the ANN editor, is not whether Pheu Thai will win - "But whether they'll win by a large enough margin so that the other side can't call in the clause that can put in place an unelected prime minister who is not an MP," he said. The electoral odds are stacked in favour of the military junta, though. There will be 750 representatives - 500 MP posts (constituency and party lists) from the lower house of Parliament (like our Dewan Rakyat) up for grabs and 250 from the upper house (like our Dewan Negara) comprising junta appointees and military brass. These 750 people will decide who will be prime minister. In theory, the junta needs parties aligned to it, such as Phalang Pracharat, to have 126 MPs win seats as it has 250 senators (who are not elected, remember). The math is 126 + 250 = 376, which is a simple majority. Whereas Pheu Thai and its allies have to have 376 MPs win to form the government, as the 250 senators are all junta appointees. In a nutshell, the junta leaders can still remain in power even without an elected representative majority.Even if Pheu Thai and its allies win most of the votes, there is no guarantee that it can form the government because the electoral system favours the military junta, said Boonpracong. "Pheu Thai (and its allies) have to win the lower house seats overwhelmingly," he said. When I was working in Bangkok from 2006 to 2010, Thailand was divided into two groups: "I love Thaksin" and "I hate Thaksin". There was no middle ground. And those who loved Thaksin hated those who hated Thaksin. And those who hated Thaksin had no love for those who loved Thaksin. Thaksin has been in voluntary exile since 2006, and I was curious to know whether he is still a divisive figure. Well, after more than four years of junta rule, the divisiveness - based on social media postings - has reduced, Boonpracong said. "As he has not been in power for 12 years, essentially, they (those who hate him) can't blame Thailand's ills on the bogeyman that is Thaksin," he said. Satrusayang said Thaksin is really popular in rural areas, especially in the north-east and north. The former prime minister, he said, is still popular among the poor because of his populist policies, such as cheap health care and loans when he was in power." They also have a feeling that they voted for this guy and the Bangkok elites keep overthrowing him over and over again - as if they know better. There's an us (the poor in the north and north-east) against them (elite Bangkokians) mentality," he said. Boonpracong said: "Thaksin is just a politician who we should not overpraise. But overall he has he has done a lot of good for the people on the periphery who make up 70 per cent of the bottom rung of Thai society. "He has moved the earth to make their life better economically," he said. Bangkokians, Boonpracong feels, are less angry at Thaksin. "They feel that Thailand's economic performance the last five years under the junta has been less dynamic than our neighbours'," he said. Satrusayang, however, feels that Thaksin is still hated by most Bangkok people. But there's not as much intensity between the red shirts (pro-Thaksin) and yellow shirts (anti-Thaksin), he said. "The yellows and reds agree that they hate the military more because it has been in power for too long," he said. "The yellows aren't going to vote for Pheu Thai and reds won't vote for the Democrats (or junta aligned parties) but the military is the central figure of hate now." According to Satrusayang, this is because when the military came into power it promised that it would be gone in a year. "Now it has been more than four years. They kept on postponing the elections, they keep on lying, they keep on infringing on civil liberties." The military junta, except for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, is not popular, said Satrusayang. "Prayut is decently popular because he is seen as a funny uncle. But Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is hated because of his watch scandal," he said. (Wongsuwan is said to own a collection of undeclared luxury watches.) It looks like Thaksin's alliance will win the popular vote but it won't be easy for it to form the government. It needs about 100 senators to switch sides or for the junta (under pressure from a higher power) to blink on polling night.
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https://www.asiaone.com/asia/can-thaksin-make-political-comeback
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What Is Camilla Parker-Bowles Royal Title And What Will It Be When Charles Is King?
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It's a surprise to many that, technically, Camilla is already a princess. Ever since Prince Charles married for the second time, there has been a lot of buzz about what title his second wife would carry. Cheat Sheet says that upon her marriage to Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth gave Camilla the title Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. But this is not her only title, as she carries several which put her close to the top of the royal family. For now, even though she doesnt use the name for the sake of propriety, Camilla is the Princess of Wales and was so when she married Prince Charles. In terms of title, she is Princess Charles of Wales. The title Prince of Wales is a royal peerage which is given to the king or queens eldest son, and first in the line of succession to the throne, and so that is Prince Charles primary title, and his dukedom in England is Duke of Cornwall, so Camilla is known widely as the Duchess of Cornwall by choice. Camilla has been on quite a party tear in 2019 https://t.co/91TGlpiIMZ VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) January 26, 2019 Upon her marriage to Prince Charles, Camilla was also given the coveted HRH, Her Royal Highness, and she was also given the Scottish title of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Rothesay. Since Prince Charles doesnt have a title in Northern Ireland, neither does Camilla. But the biggest question continues to be whether Camilla will ever be queen. The truth is, she will be styled as the queen, meaning that she will be the wife of the king, but Clarence House has announced that she will go by the title of Princess Consort when Charles becomes king, perhaps King Charles III (but thats a whole other story which has people examining the reputations of the first two King Charles and not in a good way). Additionally, Duchess Camilla will never be the Queen Mother, which is generally the queens title if her husband is the king and dies before her. But Camilla is not Prince Williams mother, and so she will simply remain Princess, Consort if she outlives Prince Charles. Some might think that Duchess Camilla has made many a compromise in terms of royal titles, but she has done far better than the last divorced woman who married a king, and that was Wallis Simpson of Baltimore, Maryland, says the Inquisitr. Though Wallis got to be the Duchess of Windsor, she never received the HRH that she and her husband always desired, and Duchess Camilla was given this by the queen on her wedding day to Charles.
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https://www.inquisitr.com/5269439/what-is-camilla-parker-bowles-royal-title-and-what-will-it-be-when-charles-is-king/
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Will Artificial Intelligence Soon Tell Us How To Live?
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What people dont realize is that we are on the verge of a paradigmatic shift in thinking on par with the Copernican Revolution, says Dr. Angel Iscovich. The way we make our most personal decisionsfrom our partners, to our health choices, to yes, even our daily routines is going to transform due to the falling cost of data storage and rising computing power. If you only happened to glance at what Dr. Iscovich said, let me repeat the latter part as it bears further mention. According to him, in the future, AI will advise us how to structure our days for the most fulfilling life. It will literally tell us what to do for optimal living. Iscovichs assertion comes as the result of a new book he is writing with six-time New York Times bestselling author Joe Garner and myself entitled, Time Bubble: The Art and Science of Routine. An experienced CEO in the healthcare industry, Iscovich is chairman of the Board of Directors for Potentia Analytics, named in 2018 as one of the Top 10 Intelligence Solution Providers by Healthcare Tech. He received his post graduate training in Psychiatry from the Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. While serving as Associate Clinical Professor at the USC Keck School of Medicine in the LA County Medical Center, Iscovich became intrigued by the subject of routine from witnessing how humans behave in stressful environments, such as emergencies. Interestingly, the harrowing E.R. frontline experience pales in many ways to the environment we all live in today, says Iscovich. Its hard not to be absorbed and disturbed by the events of our times: mass killings and unpredictable violence; regional wars, which devastate whole countries, displacing millions; intolerance of others race or religious beliefs and personal freedoms. Then theres political strife, which, as we all know, has become increasingly strident and belligerent. On top of these, we are bombarded daily with a barrage of stimuli and distractions, especially through our smartphones. Though Iscovich works in the tech sector, the very eye of the storm when it comes to perpetuating our 24/7/365 go-go culture, his new book bucks 21st century conventional wisdom by suggesting the best way to navigate our noisy new world is to reject constant novelty to reduce the relentless pelting of fresh content minute by minute. Iscovichs disruptive big idea is that we need to carve out mental space for ourselves away from the madding hubbub to bring order to our lives. Case study after case study, cited in the book, bolsters Iscovichs thinking, revealing humans not only require structure, they thrive in it. At every stage of life, people do best when following a routine or what he terms a time-bubble. A time-bubble is a kind of mental barrier between the world and the individual, comprised of the activities we choose to occupy our days. According to Iscovichs findings, when we stick to a plan when we do the same things in a predictable fashion we develop balance and wellbeing, despite the curve balls life throws at us. The reality is, as biological organisms, our bodies and minds perform best when maintaining an equilibrium, explains Iscovich. We feel best when our environment is familiar, and our lives possess consistency. We need look no further than the case study of Angel Martinez to witness Iscovichs theory in action. Prior to serving as Chairman of the Board of Deckers Brands (best known for Uggs and Tevas), Martinez co-founded Reebok. A high performer in the business world, Martinezs achievements are especially impressive in light of his personal history. A native from Cuba, he didnt see his parents for more than thirty-four years. His grandmothers sister and her husband adopted him when he was three-years-old before fleeing to the US. Unfortunately, the Cuban revolution prevented his immediate family from joining him in the South Bronx for decades. Bereft of a traditional support system and wanting to make his parents proud back home, Martinez vowed to succeed. He built a disciplined personal routine based on the physical act of running. The summer of my freshman year, I decided I was going to run five miles every single day, Martinez says. To hold himself accountable, he pledged that if he missed his quota, he would run ten miles to make up for it. I had a job where I remember getting off at 4:30 p.m., says Martinez. From there, I would go home, and by 5:00, I was off and running. I really had to hustle, too, because I had another job that began at 7:00 p.m., and I didnt want to miss putting in the five miles I promised myself. As Iscovich recounts in the book, Martinezs self-imposed time-bubble, centered around running, developed within him a strong work ethic, which later paid off handsomely. After graduating from college, he opened running-shoe stores in Mountain Valley and Alameda, which led to Reebok, a tremendously profitable company. Martinezs example demonstrates Iscovichs larger point: developing and living within a consistent routine can bring the body the balance it craves. Of course, another word for balance is homeostasis. And as biology informs us, all organisms on Earth strive for homeostasis: to find food when hungry, warmth when cold, shelter from the elements. But humans strive for other things, too: meaning and fulfillment. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. Whats different about the era we live in as opposed to Nietzsches 19th century, is that with the emergence of technology, in particular AI, we neednt depend on our own brains to develop the best routine; instead we can outsource such decision-making to thinking machines. As it turns out, computers know a lot more about us than we do. Just consider the Fitbit. Nonjudgmental, available on demand, and endlessly patient, it contains an infallible record of our biometric data. Right now, many users only utilize their devices to monitor their health goals, whether they be getting better REM-sleep or walking a certain number of steps per day. But this only represents a tiny sliver of whats possible when it comes to AIs full range of capabilities. What distinguishes third-wave computing (todays processors) from past computing epochs is their ability not merely to process complex calculations but to offer predictive insights. Put simply: AI can learn from data sets to offer us helpful suggestions. Our computers can do our thinking for us. Certainly, it might seem odd to turn to a computer to tell how us how to better live, but there is precedent behind this notion. Already, the AI-based traffic app Waze tells us which route to take to and from destinations. Similarly, dating sites like Match.com and eHarmony rely on algorithms backed by big data to determine romantic matches rather than something as analog as butterflies in the stomach. Its important to note turning to technology is not the only answer to solve the crisis humanity finds itself in. Iscovichs book emphasizes the importance of creating a stable environment while pointing out AI is an invention created by human intelligence and therefore one of our greatest tools and assets. Still, outsourcing how we make life choices to a computer fits within a pattern of evolving thought processes surrounding decision-making. In the last few thousand years humans have shifted beliefs when it comes to which authorities to follow. Once upon a time, kings ruled us with divine authority from God. Later, we internalized our decision-making as religion lost its sway and modern liberalist ideas swept the world. However, in the future, its conceivable many of our choices will be influenced or made for us through algorithms based on data. Recognizing our growing dependence on predictive technology, Iscovich is developing a software application offering various routines people could employ to bring balance to their lives and even possibly attain something as subjective as purpose and meaning. This idea isnt as far-fetched as one might think, says Iscovich. AI requires data to work. It thrives on information. Our app would function similarly to a smartwatch, learning about a person all day long. It would take in biometric data, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate to learn whats working in a persons life and what might be improved. Though the app is still in the early stages, Iscovich conceives of a time in the not too distant future when the technology works in tandem with users goals. For instance, after analyzing data, the app might suggest new ways to structure your own time-bubble. It could recommend you break up your day by doing twenty-minute naps or meditations to lower your resting heart rate, says Iscovich. It could also get you out of your comfort zone, establishing new neural pathways by suggesting you do unusual activities. It might recommend you take the whole day off to visit a new city. Likewise, it could tell you to explore a museum to get inspired based on what it knows about your interests. Though the promise behind the app is its ability to know us better than ourselves and therefore suggest ways to live more happily, it might feel like relying on AI to plan ones life is akin to cheating. After all, Know thyself is the commandment Socrates, the father of Philosophy, once extolled. Maybe. But not necessarily. Burdened by arduous responsibilities, jobs, and duties, existence in the 21st century is far from a walk in the park, even for the most affluent of us. In my clinical practice, I saw so many patients dissatisfied by the ways their lives were going, says Iscovich. They were lost, confused. Miserable. So many of us feel alone and sad today. Why not turn to outside assistance? Certainly, technology is no panacea for all of the problems we face as a society and as people. Moreover, even if Iscovich succeeds in developing an app for suggesting our ideal routines, there will never be an app that can live our lives for us. Existence itself will continue to be our privilege and our burden as thinking carbon-based creatures. However, with the growing power of AI to improve our quality of life, a time-bubble app just might bring us greater balance, meaning, and happiness.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/01/27/will-artificial-intelligence-soon-tell-us-how-to-live/
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Will Air-Quality Monitoring Be The Next Health Tracking Craze?
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We are living in an era of obsessive tracking: Tools like FitBit and Strava track our workouts; apps like Headspace check in on our mental health. But Romain Lacombe, a French engineer and data specialist with a background in climate research, took a look at the market and saw a gap: There was no way to track our exposure to pollution . To Lacombe, that presented a problem. Air quality has a huge impact on health and well-being: In 2015, ambient pollution, in the form of smog and particulate matter, was the fifth leading cause of mortality worldwide, resulting in 4.2 million premature deaths. What people dont realize about pollution and air quality is how local it is, Lacombe says. Unlike the weather, he adds, air quality isnt consistent across a city; it fluctuates block by block. Busy roads, for example, will have worse air quality than quiet, car-free streets due to emissions from traffic-jammed cars, and the blocks around a coal-burning plant or factory will often contain unhealthy levels of particulate matter in the air. The siting of factories in lower-income neighborhoods of color has become a rallying point for environmental justice advocates, who argue that corporate interests are damaging the health of people who live near the facilities and often have no control over where they are located, but still must cope with the consequences. While the discrepancies in air quality are most tangible and severe when analyzed across socioeconomic lines, they exist in every community. Lacombe founded Plume Labs in 2014 to give everyday citizens access to highly localized air-quality data, both to motivate people to seek out routes through their city where the air is clearest, but also to encourage them to take action to advocate for better clean-air policies. Lacombe is no stranger to using data to advance public goodpreviously, he headed up innovation and development for Frances open data initiative. This year, he was named to the class of 2018 TED Fellows for his work on the startup. Plume Labs launched with a single product: A free app called Air Report that uses a mathematical forecasting model to deliver hyper-localized air-quality reports. Users can check the app to see how particulate matter and ozone levels will fluctuate in their city over the next 24 hours, and plan accordingly. Over 100,000 people worldwide use the app, Lacombe says, and weve heard from people that its helped them to change their daily routines. A pop-up notification warning of excess smog, for instancea reading of around 115 on the Air Quality Indexwill inform a user that it might be best to postpone marathon training until the air clears. The second phase of Plume Labs air-quality tools, Lacombe says, is still in progress. Its called Flow, and its a hand-held, personal air-quality tracker that will pick up data from your surroundings wherever you use it, and feed it back into Plume Labs larger data analytics system. Over time, the personal data will help us make our forecasts and maps even better, Lacombe says. At a pre-sale price of $139, its not exactly cheap, but one could imagine the utility: If a nonprofit fighting on behalf of a community whose air quality has been negatively impacted by a coal-burning corporate facility, they could use this tool, and the rest of Plume Labs data set, to make their case. That kind of larger-scale advocacy is Lacombes ultimate hope for the Plume Labs, which has, to date, raised around $4 million in seed funding, mostly from European tech investors. Most of the work weve been doing has been around helping individuals take action for themselves, Lacombe says. But hes hopeful that the data will eventually empower both advocates and policymakers to take air quality into stronger consideration. Cities like New York are looking to pass a congestion pricing measure to limit the amount of traffic in the city center, could use this kind of data to show the harmful effects of too many cars in not enough space. The long-term vision is that the more information people have about the air and how it affects their health, the more support they will be able to generate for policies that reduce pollution, Lacombe says.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40526325/will-air-quality-monitoring-be-the-next-health-tracking-craze
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What Does Amazon Owe Its Second Headquarters City?
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Amazon recently announced its 20 finalists for the companys huge second North American headquarters. My city, New Orleans, failed to make the cut (thank god: the retailers arrival would have decimated the local culture and led to a mass exodus of poor and working-class residents), but it wasnt for lack of trying. The state of Louisiana offered a $6.56 billion package of tax breaks , spread out over 20 years. Its almost certain the winning proposal will be even more generous. Thats precisely the purpose of this exercise: to leverage the best possible deal, using a very public competition, drawn out for months, creating maximum public relations impact. While undeniably intriguing, there is still something unseemly about the power imbalance. Its a one-sided mating ritual, an arranged marriage, with Amazon playing the role of the rich and overbearing husband, extorting dowry offers from multiple suitors, all of whom hes already richer than. Given the likely size of the incentive package, its worth asking whether this will be a good deal for the winning city. Obviously, the economic development teams for the competing cities have done the math. I wonderit wouldnt be the first time), it will be hiring an estimated 50,000 employees, for a range of positions, both skilled and unskilled. They will in turn pay taxes (little guys always pays taxes), rent apartments, buy houses, go out to eat, enroll their kids in school, use roads, ride public transportation, feed and feed-off the local economy. Danny Westneat at the Seattle Times describes the Amazon impact as a prosperity bomb, with all the good and bad that explosion implies. This expected boom for HQ2 will likely generate additional economic activity as well. All of this is collectively seen, by economists at least, as a huge net plus for whatever city is picked, and perhaps it will be. Fifty thousand is literally a citys worth of jobs. Its ironic or infuriating (take your pick) that Amazons Great Metro Area Bake Off (aka, the Round of 20) is playing out in the wake of the recently passed Trump tax cut, which will substantially slash taxes on large corporations. But as easily as it is to bash the economic cruelties of Donald Trump and Paul Ryan, the tax cut is just a continuation of a long trend. The percentage of tax revenue derived from corporations has been fairly steady in decline since the 1950s. Once upon a time, large corporations willingly (not happily, of course) paid their share of taxes, at rates actually higher than individuals. They werent thrilled with the arrangementtheres a reason FDR was considered a traitor to his classbut they still felt connected enough to the rest of us, and didnt set up shady offshore accounts, as a means of stashing profits and avoiding taxes (like Apple). They took advantage of whatever tax breaks were available then, but there were fewer, and in the end they did what the rest of us today are compelled to do, either by law or civic obligation: They paid their taxes. Our broken code has turned all of us (regardless of political persuasion) into tax cynics, who assume (correctly, I think) that once a corporation or individual amasses enough capital, the opportunities for fast, loose, and legal tax maneuvers increase exponentially. Marty, my accountant once said to me, ruefully, if you made a million dollars a year, then we could get really creative. Indeed, in the context of profit-and-loss accounting tricks that can effectively slash even an alleged billionaires tax liability, the public and preening Amazon competition seems almost refreshingly honest. The company wasnt that specific about what it wanted in a host city, but it was completely upfront about what it absolutely needed: a hefty package of financial incentives, and a large and talented workforce. All 20 finalists, presumably, are offering all of that, and maybe more. Perhaps asking corporations like Apple and Amazon and Google to pay their fair share of taxes is unreasonable, in our current political climate. Thats for another election cycle and a different administration. Twenty-two large U.S. cities are comprised today of a majority of renters. Four of those cities made the Round of 20. If Seattle is any indication, it would explode it, resulting in the mass displacement of poor and working-class residents. These are some questions the winning city might want to askperhaps in lieu of taxes. That will have already been settled.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90159005/what-does-amazon-owe-its-second-headquarters-city
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Could False Alerts and Fake News Start A Nuclear War?
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This story reflects the views of this author, but not necessarily the editorial position of Fast Company. advertisement advertisement On January 13, 2018 at 8:07 a.m., Hawaiians were told the end was near. BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, proclaimed an alert sent through Hawaiis Emergency Management Agency, which notifies residents of Hawaii through the internet, smartphones, radio, and television. By 8:10, the head of the Hawaiian Emergency Management Agency had confirmed with U.S. Pacific Command that the alert was falsebut that didnt stop it from remaining in place for an agonizing 38 minutes. In the interim before a follow-up correction alert was issued, Hawaiis representatives took to social media to inform citizens. Senators Tulsi Gabbard and Brian Schatz tweeted that it was a false alarm, while Hawaiis governor, David Ige, spent 15 minutes struggling to remember his Twitter password before tweeting his own reassurance. At 8:45, Ige announced that someone had pushed the wrong button during an employee shift change, while the White House gave a contradictory explanation that the alert was an emergency management exercise. As tensions between the U.S. and North Korea rise, with each side increasing their nuclear arsenal and threatening to annihilate the other, there is no room for errors in communication. The risk of accidental nuclear war is not hypotheticalaccidents have happened in the past, and humans will err again, tweeted former Secretary of Defense William Perry on the day of the alert. When the lives of millions are at risk, we must do more than just hope that mistakes wont happen. Senator Schatz agreed, tweeting, The whole state was terrified. There needs to be tough and quick accountability and a fixed process. Reiterating that the false alarm was due to human error, Hawaiian officials vowed reforms, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it would investigate. Three weeks later, that investigation has already hit a snag: The unidentified employee who sent the alert initially refused to comply with the probe for unspecified reasons. The employee then told officials that he sent the alert intentionally, believing it was real after hearing only the phrase this is not a drill extracted from a longer message. The FCC says that it is not in a position to fully evaluate the credibility of [the employees] assertion that they believed there was an actual missile threat and intentionally sent the live alert. Everything about the false alert in Hawaii was unusualthe conflicting explanations, state officials reliance on social media, the unexplained time lag, and most of all, the fact that it happened at all. There had not been a false nuclear war alert since February 1971, when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) sent out a televised warning of impending thermonuclear war, which was retracted 40 minutes later. While miscommunications about nukes occurred in the decades aftermost notably in 1983, when a Soviet officer correctly interpreted an incoming warning as false, thus perhaps preventing nuclear warthey were very rare, and ceased after the end of the Cold War. January 13, 2018, was only the second time a false alert about an impending nuclear missile had been sent to the public. advertisement advertisement Trump also relies heavily on social media, where he has shown himself to be malleable, repeatedly posting conspiracy theories, retweeting a fake Fox and Friends account he believed was real. Trumps Twitter account is, in many ways, a national security risk. Over the past week, two accounts that had the ability to send Trump direct messagesthose of former Fox News anchors Greta van Susteren and Eric Bolling, whom he followswere both hacked by a group claiming to be a Turkish cyber army, leaving the Twitter-loving president vulnerable to false information. (No investigation of the hacking has taken place.) Trump says that the main source he consults on foreign policy is his very good brain and that this brain is so powerful it took him only an hour and a half to learn everything he needed to know about nuclear weapons. False nuclear strike alerts are terrifying for the population in their own rightthe Hawaii alert caused one man to have a heart attackbut the greatest danger may be the combined effect of the presidents gullibility, impetuousness, and enthusiasm for war. As if this wasnt troubling enough, last week the Pentagon raised new cause for alarm. After being criticized for not responding to last years spate of cyberattacks, it announced that their response to a massive cyberattack on infrastructure could be employing nuclear weaponsa radical new stance that former Assistant Defense Secretary Andrew C. Weber said would make nuclear war a lot more likely. The Hawaii and Japan false alarms should be considered a wake-up call as to the need for clear official communication, impenetrable alert systems, and sensitivity toward how respective leaders and populations will react should an alarm occur. Japanese citizens, who have to live with actual missile tests from North Korea, did not share the understandably panicked reaction of Hawaiians, for whom the experience was new. The frightened reaction of Americans was rooted not only in the terrifying unfamiliarity of receiving a missile alert, but in knowing that the administration has proposed using nuclear weapons on North Korea should they strike U.S. soil. Nuclear strikes are no longer a tactic of last resort, but perhaps a presidential preference. This marks a dangerous break from the past. With the missile alert system vulnerable to both human error and hacks, it is increasingly likely that fake news could launch a real war. Sarah Kendzior is a journalist and scholar of authoritarian states.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40524460/could-false-alerts-and-fake-news-start-a-nuclear-war
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Should Russian Meddling In The U.S. Election Win A Major Advertising Award?
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For those not familiar with the advertising industry, it has a lot of awards. The Cannes Lions, The One Show, The ANDYs, The Clios, The Pandas, The Effies, The Addysonly one of those is made up, and thats only a fraction of the real list. Point is, advertisers love a good pat on the back and a shiny bauble. Now, an anonymous group of ad creatives is aiming to use the industrys penchant for hardware to raise awareness for media literacy and the manipulation of advertising. Project Meddle calls Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. election the most impactful advertising campaign of the century and has created a case study video to make its point. The video uses ad industry-speak like influencers and media impressions to show Russian meddling in the context of other industry work. The case made to industry award judges is twofold: 1: You will be recognizing what is inarguably (and unfortunately) the most impactful advertising campaign of the century. 2: You will help spark an important conversation in and around the awards ceremony, which (we hope) will lead to new preventative initiatives among the influential tech, media, and creative leaders in attendance. We might not like the campaign, but its tough to argue it wasnt the most high-profile and effective media blast of 2016. Or, as the case study says, In the end, we didnt just impact an election, we impacted an entire nations faith in democracy.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40524468/should-russian-meddling-in-the-u-s-election-win-a-major-advertising-award
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Can Higher Minimum Wages Keep People From Ending Up In Prison?
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People whove been in prison often struggle to stay out of prison. About a third of the 600,000 men and women who exit the corrections system each year re-offend within three years. This is bad for individuals and their families as well as society at large. We now spend at least $80 billion a year locking people up. Reducing the recidivism rate just a few percentage points could mean hundreds of millions in savings for state budgets. So heres one idea: increase the value of work through higher minimum wages and Earned Income Tax Credits (where taxes are refunded to low-income workers). When ex-cons are paid more, they are less likely to renew a life of criminal activity, a new study shows (though the effect may turn negative if minimum wages go too high). Economists Amanda Agan, at Rutgers University, and Mike Makowsky, at Clemson University, studied prison release records for 6 million offenders exiting the prison system between 2000 and 2014. Then they looked at how 200 state and federal minimum wage increases, and 21 state EITC programs, affected re-offending rates. For each 8% increase in minimum wages, they found the rate of re-offending within the first year dropped by 2%a pretty big reduction given the life-impacts and dollars at stake. Its a big number because going to prison and not going to prison are fundamentally different life paths, Makowsky tells Fast Company. You can make the argument that direct labor and wage policies have a substantial effect on a would-be criminals decision-makingwhether they commit a crime. (The study covers only drug and property crime, not violent crime.) The researchers found higher EITCs reduced recidivism only for women. Thats because such policies cover only parents with custodial rights and men rarely get custody of their children when they come out of prison. But extending the EITC to men without childrenas many policymakers, left and right, want to domight extend the re-offending-reducing benefits. I think our paper presents a strong argument for untying the EITC from whether you have children, Makowsky says. Minimum wages are controversial. Economists argue constantly about whether forcing companies to pay higher amounts is a good idea. The latest fight centers on Seattle where dueling studies have found, on the one hand, little effect on employment levels, and, on the other, fairly serious negative effects. The second study, from the University of Washington, revealed that when employers began paying new minimum wages of up to $13 an hour, they tended to cut hours, reducing overall pay.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40522067/can-higher-minimum-wages-keep-people-from-ending-up-in-prison
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Will Apples quarterly earnings be shaken to the core as iPhones popularity declines in China?
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Apple is expected to deliver more bad news to investors when it reports quarterly earnings on Tuesday, as recent research data suggests iPhone sales declined in the December quarter in China, with analysts unsure of a swift recovery in the near term. Following Apples rare warning to investors in early January lowering its first-quarter revenue guidance, Strategy Analytics, a Boston-based research agency, confirmed that iPhone shipments had dropped by 22 per cent in China during the fourth quarter last year the firms worst performance since early 2017. Although overall Chinese smartphone shipments tumbled 11 per cent annually to reach 108 million units in the fourth quarter of 2018, Apples performance in China is in sharp contrast to the 23 per cent rise in Huaweis shipments and 8 per cent increase in Vivo. Oppo and Xiaomi, the other two vendors in the top five brands, reported a 2 per cent and 35 per cent decline in handset shipments for the same period. Share of the Cupertino, California-based company cratered 10 per cent on January 3, a day after the company slashed revenue guidance in a rare acknowledgement of waning sales. While Apple chief executive Tim Cook blamed a weak Chinese economy for a downgrade in revenue guidance for the quarter ending December, analysts also believe he may be glossing over strategy missteps and the effects of fierce competition from fast-improving Chinese smartphone brands. Zaker Li, a Shenzhen-based senior research analyst at IHS Markit, said that though the fourth-quarter shipment remains poor on a year-on-year basis, Apple has already seen some improvements in iPhone sales over the previous third quarter. He did not elaborate as the agency is yet to publish its report. Weve seen iPhones were on top of the sales chart across many online sales platforms during the Singles Day sales in November in China, and the company had also promoted heavily and tried to stimulate sales by offering more incentives to the consumers, said Li, who nevertheless said Apple has lagged behind leading local brands in the worlds largest smartphone market. On Friday, Strategy Analytics became the first research firm to release smartphone shipment figures for China for the past quarter. Others, including IHS Markit, will release their numbers in the coming weeks. Apples iPhone inventory build-up may lead to lower guidance for the current quarter and subsequent downward revisions to analyst estimates, Sanford C Bernstein & Co analyst Toni Sacconaghi wrote in a note to clients, according to a Bloomberg report on Saturday. Sacconaghis note suggests an inventory of up to five million units and a big drawdown in the second quarter could pressure estimates. While Apples high-end flagship iPhone XS failed to take off in China because of its US$1,000 plus price tag, its mid-range iPhone XR models also failed to excite consumers. Less than a month after the iPhone XR hit the shelves in the country, Apple informed two of its suppliers in China that it would reduce orders for their respective components by around 30 per cent from what was originally planned because sales had fallen short of the US companys expectations, the Post had reported earlier. This isnt a one-off thing. I think this is a potentially year-long problem, if not longer, Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies, was quoted in a Financial Times report on Saturday. We dont know where the bottom is yet [for iPhone sales], said Bajarin.
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https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2183851/will-apples-quarterly-earnings-be-shaken-core-iphones-popularity
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How Real Are Companies Promises To Stop Deforestation?
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In 2015, McDonalds pledged to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain, finding better sources of soy to feed chickens, palm oil for making fries, and beef for Big Macs, all of which can involve the clear-cutting of forests to create more room for agriculture and livestock. Unileverwhich owns more than 400 brands, including Ben and Jerrys and Dove, made a similar pledge in 2010. HSBC, one of the largest banks in the world and a major funder of palm oil companies, adopted a zero deforestation policy in 2017 after a Greenpeace report linked it to the destruction of rainforests in Indonesia. Over the last decade, hundreds of companies have made similar promises to reduce or eliminate the deforestation that they help cause. But a new study says that those pledges often dont go far enough to have meaningful impact. In some cases, the pledges are vague, and might not include a deadline for implementing an actual plan. In 2010, the Consumer Goods Forum, a group of 400 companies, committed to zero net deforestation by 2020; as of 2016, only a quarter of the member companies (such as Unilever) had an action plan and were implementing it to achieve that goal. Some goals are less ambitious than others. Zero net deforestation, for example, means that a company can still cause deforestation in one location as long as they replant an equal number of trees somewhere else. Others simply say they wont support illegal deforestationbut if clearcutting a rainforest doesnt break a local law, its okay. In other cases, the companies that could have the most impact may not be the ones making the pledges. Timber companies are more likely to make pledges than beef companies, though beef is responsible for the majority of deforestation. Companies also often pledge to end deforestation for a particular product or region, rather than for all their products. Some of these companies make a kind of general commitment, but only implement it in regions that are kind of iconic or heavily scrutinized by the media or NGOstypically the Brazilian Amazon, says Eric Lambin, a professor of earth, energy, and environmental sciences at Stanford University and lead author of the study. Then that same company, even though they have this broad commitment, still contributes to deforestation elsewherein the case of cattle, in Paraguay or Argentina. Companies that are motivated out of a concern for the long-term future of their supply chain, including candy companies reliant on the cocoa industry, are more likely to make progress, Lambin says. Those that are primarily motivated by wanting to protect their image in the eyes of consumers are more likely to set vague or unambitious goals. But consumers can also pressure companies to do more. What concrete action are you taking? I think thats the only way for these companies to understand that just coming up with these vague statements is not enough to put them off the hook, Lambin says.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40523599/how-real-are-companies-promises-to-stop-deforestation
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Can Mycrofts Privacy-Centric Voice Assistant Take On Alexa And Google?
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Ask Joshua Montgomery whats wrong with smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, and youll likely get a cynical answer. advertisement advertisement Montgomery is the CEO of Mycroft, which for the past few years has been building an open-source alternative to big techs voice assistants. He doesnt trust any of those companiesnot Google, nor Apple, nor Amazonto protect peoples privacy or act in users best interests. When you look the history of big tech, and what theyve done with user data, its full of privacy issues. Its full of user agency issues. Its full of marketing. Its full of self-enrichment at the expense of the user, Montgomery says. I dont have any confidence at all that theyre not going to use those same techniques and tactics in their new technology. Last Thursday, Mycroft announced its first consumer product, the Mark II smart speaker. Like Amazons Echo and the Google Home, the Mark II will have a far-field microphone array for answering voice commands from across the room, along with a touch screen for visual responses, like the one on Amazons Echo Show. (The Mark I, which shipped last year, was more of a rough draft for hackers, built by hand from Raspberry Pi boards.) But unlike big techs smart speakers, Mycroft wont store any voice data on its servers unless you opt into a program that improves speech recognition for open-source voice projects. Users who do share their data can rescind it at any time. Mycroft has already raised more than double the $50,000 it was seeking to fund the device on Kickstarter and plans to ship by the end of this year. While the goal of creating a privacy-first voice assistant is noble, maintaining tight control over your personal data always comes at a cost. In this case, Mycrofts all-or-nothing approach to retaining voice data will make speech recognition more challenging, putting the company at an inherent disadvantage against companies that hoover up as much audio as they can. Controlling The Flow To be clear, Mycroft will treat its speakers always-listening element the same way as its larger rivals. The speaker will listen for a wake word using a processor on the device and wont start uploading audio until its been triggered. advertisement The key distinction is what happens to the audio after it heads to the cloud. Although Amazon and Google both let users review and delete their voice recordings, neither company offers a way to automatically delete data over time. And when users try to wipe data in bulkan option only available through Googles and Amazons websites, not their mobile voice assistant appsboth companies discourage it. A pop-up on Amazons site says deleting the data may degrade your experience, while Google shows a pop-up saying it can make Google services more useful to you if you keep those voice samples on file. Nino Tasca, a senior product manager for Google Assistant, said in an email statement that the company uses individual voice samples to improve wake word recognition, determine which user is talking, and learn how users pronounce words and phrases. Amazon did not answer specific questions, and instead provided an email statement describing in broad terms how the company uses voice data. Alexa uses your voice recording to answer your questions, fulfill your requests, and improve your experience and our services, the company says. This includes training Alexa to interpret speech and language to help improve her ability to understand and respond to your requests. Neither response explains why users dont at least have the option to automatically delete some voice data over time or anonymize their voice samples. Such practices are the norm for Apple, which only retains voice samples for six months and keeps them anonymous while training Siris speech recognition. Not that any of those approaches satisfy Montgomery, who worries that all these companies will become laxer about privacy over time. He also wonders if data could be de-anonymized to satisfy business needs or uphold law enforcement requestsparticularly in countries like China where companies have proven willing to sacrifice privacy in exchange for reaching more customers. Based on the past performance of these companies as theyve deployed services, I think it would be foolish to anticipate them becoming more private over time, he says. The best way to make sure that your data is kept private is to make sure that your data is gone. advertisement Say That Again The downside to MyCrofts hardline stance on privacy is that it limits the companys ability to improve speech recognition. Instead of training its AI from scratch, Mycroft is using open data sets from Mozilla, which come from volunteer voice recordings and other open sources such as transcribed TED talks. That amounts to a fraction of what Google and Amazon are gathering. Absolutely, Montgomery says. Still, he argues that with Mozillas reach and concerted efforts by the open source community, its still possible to build a compelling alternative to mainstream voice assistants. But even as Montgomery downplays the issue, Mozilla acknowledges that there are significant disadvantages to creating a voice assistant without massive amounts of personal voice data. Generally, for services like this, the bigger pool of data you have, the easier it is for you to develop a model that is really effective and really responsive, says Marshall Erwin, Mozillas director of trust and security. And that ultimately is why companies like Google and Amazon have been ahead of the game on this, because they have many different channels that can allow them to create large pools of data for this purpose. Compared to Montgomery, Erwins stance toward tech giants isnt nearly as hostile. He applauds Google and Amazon for at least showing users their voice data and giving them the option to delete it all. In some ways, he says, thats even better than Apples approach of hiding and anonymizing what its collected. I think transparency might be the best option if you really think the data needs to be collected and retained for some amount of time in the first place, he says. advertisement Erwin would still like to see those companies be more up-front about how long they hang on to voice data, provide retention limits for users who want them, and encourage people who care about privacy to use those management tools. But he also puts some of the burden on users, who should know that the data that Amazon and Google collect from their virtual assistants isnt all that different from what they gather through users activity in other formats. If I buy detergent with my Alexa, ultimately, Im creating a similar type of risk compared to when I go on Amazon and buy detergent, Erwin says. Thats just a choice that people need to be informed about, to know that these companies have vast pools of data about them. Open Voices Future Montgomery points out that theres more to Mycroft than just privacy. The company plans to make its speaker more customizable than an Echo or Google Home, for instance by letting users set up custom wake words. And while Apple, Google, and Amazon all use smart speakers to prioritize their own online services, Montgomery envisions Mycroft as a neutral party. ' he says. Still, Montgomery admits that Mycroft wont appeal to everyone, at least not as a consumer product. But selling speakers directly to consumers isnt Mycrofts primary business model anyway. The real money is in offering open-source AI to businesses, who might be even more wary about turning over audio logs and user data to tech giants. To that end, one of Mycrofts backers is Jaguar Land Rover, which invested $110,000 in the company to explore voice control in automobiles. Microphone maker Shure is also an investor. While Mycroft doesnt have any integration deals yet, Montgomery says hes in talks with several companies that want to have their own branded voice assistants. They arent interested in ceding more control over their customers to Amazon or Google. advertisement They are absolutely 100% certain that that will end badly, Montgomery says.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40522226/can-mycrofts-privacy-centric-voice-assistant-take-on-alexa-and-google
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Can Big Tech Companies Find A Way To Reward Users For Their Data?
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If you think online services like Facebook and Google are really free, think again. They come with a price tagin the form of our personal data, which these companies transform into massive ad revenues . We pay with our privacy and our scattered attention. If the product is free, the saying goes, you are the product. Personal data is the new oil, in the words of The Economist. And the mining of online data is just the start. Increasingly, the offline world is also a data gold mine. As everything from cars to power plants are added to the internet of things, were creating additional petabytes of data-rich resources. Companies can use this data to train algorithms that run new types of services, including traffic directions, automated transport networks, and factories that require only a few humans to operate. This raises a lot of questions that weve only begun to discuss. A new paper by economists Imanol Arrieta Ibarra, Leonard Goff, Diego Jimnez Hernndez, Jaron Lanier, and Glen Weyl argues that we need to re-conceive how we think about our role in the data economy. Instead of acting as mere passive data providers, the economists argue that we need to start thinking of ourselves as the creators of the new data wealth. Instead of being internet users, we need think of ourselves as laborthe workers who are helping companies to build the emerging automated economy. In the digital economy, user data is typically treated as capital created by corporations observing willing individuals. This neglects users role in creating data, reducing incentives for users, distributing the gains from the data economy unequally and stoking fears of automation, the articles abstract says. Weyl is a researcher with Microsoft Research, the companys internal think tank, and coauthor of the soon-to-be published book Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society. In an interview with Fast Company, he says we tend to misunderstand the nature of artificial intelligence. It is not machines replacing humans. It is systems that take human input and repurpose it to drive other systems, he says. An automated car would be the stupidest thing in the world without all the human-derived data helping it to recognize lampposts, street signs, and cyclists. In a sense, we, the users, create these systems, yet all the economic value falls to the people who own the systems. (This point is neatly made by an xkcd cartoon about self-driving cars, which has the punchline: So much of AI is just figuring out ways to offload work onto random strangers.) We need a society that recognizes that [exchange] and gives credit to the people who are actually producing those [systems], Weyl says. That way, the economic rewards flow to those people so they do the best job they can. We can have a fair income distribution and not have everything concentrated in a few owners of big companies.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40516659/can-big-tech-companies-find-a-way-to-reward-users-for-their-data
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Who are the top contenders for Season 94 MVP?
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As the grueling NCAA womens volleyball Season 94 is now on the home stretch, we look at the players who have excelled among the rest based on their statistics and performances. Thus, here are the top players of the whole tournament and are possibly the strongest candidates for Most Valuable Player. Honorable Mention: Klarisa Abriam (CSB), Nieza Viray (SBU), Marites Pablo (CSB) 5. Regine Arocha (Arellano Lady Chiefs) When we talk about the Lady Chiefs, we cannot miss Regine Arocha. Now on her fourth playing year, she started her career with Arellano as a service specialist before becoming one of the top guns for Coach Obet Javier. She has breached double figures in scoring except for one game. Likewise, her veteran leadership and composure makes her a good complement to last years Rookie of the Year Necole Ebuen. Last years Finals MVP will definitely want a repeat performance whether they go up against the CSB Lady Blazers or the Perpetual Lady Altas. 4. Cindy Imbo (Perpetual Lady Altas) Where Cindy Imbo goes, so too do the Lady Altas. Performing at a high rate, the graduating spiker from Dumaguete has been superb for the Michael Caro-mentored squad by getting a total of 145 points, 121 on kills and 24 on aces. Her never-say-die attitude fuels the charge for the Lady Altas and thats why she they are still in contention for a spot in the Finals. Playing in the big stage, and possibly winning it all, would be a fitting end to her NCAA womens volleyball career. 3. Rachel Austero (CSB Lady Blazers) While Rachel Austero keeps her game simple, she has been a major factor to the Lady Blazers rise to the top. In her final season with CSB, the middle blocker garnered 125 total points from 82 attacks, 31 blocks, and 12 aces. Her stabilizing presence on the net has been a bright spot all season long for Coach Jerry Yee. She too would want to end her collegiate career on a winning note, giving back the title that the Lady Blazers last won in Season 91. 2. Necole Ebuen (Arellano Lady Chiefs) Last years Rookie of the Year is still not yet done when it comes to getting awards. Ebuen is a strong candidate for Season MVP on her final playing year as her numbers significantly jumped. She has a total of 145 points on 119 attacks and 18 blocks. If she can add to those figures and if Arellano wins its third straight championship, her case for the highest individual award gets stronger. She has been the face of the Lady Red Spikers and her performance all season long is a major factor to their 8-1 finish in the eliminations. Aside from ther 140 total points, her leadership and dependability on floor defense makes her the strongest contender for Most Valuable Player. Though they have been eliminated by the Lady Chiefs this season, Racraquin is deserving of this honor.
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https://volleyverse.com/phi/ncaa-volleyball-w/who-are-the-top-contenders-for-season-94-mvp/
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Has the U.S. ever recorded a 100-degree temperature in January?
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Dear Tom, January is typically the coldest month, however it can get downright hot in a few places. Matt Balitewicz, East Chicago Dear Matt, It has not. The nations highest temperature has risen to at least 100 degrees in 11 of the years 12 months, but January is the lone exception. The nations highest temperature in January is 98 degrees on Jan. 17, both reached at Laredo, Texas, first in 1936 and again in 1954. The highest temperature ever recorded in the month of December stands at 100 degrees, recorded at La Mesa, Calif., on Dec. 8, 1938. In the remaining 10 months (February through November), the nations highest temperature has reached at least 105 degrees. The nations (and worlds) all-time high is 134 at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, Calif., on July 10, 1913.
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https://wgntv.com/2019/01/27/has-the-u-s-ever-recorded-a-100-degree-temperature-in-january/
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Are Young People The Key To Creating Equitable Communities?
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A few months ago, Antionette Carroll , founder of the social justice nonprofit Creative Reaction Lab , conducted something of an experiment in her hometown of St. Louis. She went into an Aldi in a predominantly African-American, low-income community, another branch of the supermarket chain in a middle-class neighborhood, and one in a wealthy, predominantly white enclave. Its the same store, but the layout was completely different, Carroll says. In the latter two Aldis, produce and healthy snacks greeted the people walking through the doors. In the store in the lower-income community, the first thing customers see are chips and cookies. Even something as easily overlooked as grocery store layouts, Carroll says, can perpetuate inequality. Thats a design decision, she says. Carroll is a designer by trade; she previously served as the president of the St. Louis chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The idea of equity pervades all of the work that she does. She founded Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB) after the shooting of Michael Brown and the attendant unrest in Ferguson in 2014 to get local designers and advocates thinking about how to use their line of work to open up channels of communication between people on opposing sides of the conflict, and to create spaces in which everyone felt they could contribute their voice and their perspective. As part of the class of 2018 TED Fellows, Carroll plans to bring her approach, which she termed equity-centered community design, to a more national platform. Through CRXLAB, Carroll and her team already tour around the country, meeting with institutions around the country to give instruction in how they could become more focused on engaging everyone in their communities, and more intentional with equity work. But the real focus of CRXLAB the past couple years, Carroll says, has been on engaging youth with the idea that they could use the design process to bring about the changes and equity initiatives they want to see in their own communities. Which goes back to those Aldi stores. It takes a real mindset shift to even notice these inequities as design problems, Carroll says, and another shift to see that hey, I can do something to change that. In 2018, CRXLAB will launch two new programs aimed at engaging youth in the equity-centered community design process. The first, Design to Better [Our Community] Summer Academy will begin this year, and invite Black and Latinx high school students to participate in a series of workshops lead by designers, businesses leaders, and policymakers on how use creative problem solving to create equitable communities. The students will identify issues in their local communities, and work with residents and program leaders to build approaches to solving them. The Community Design Apprenticeship Program, launching this spring, will engage a group of local Black and Latinx college students in addressing a specific issue in a St. Louis neighborhood. For the first iteration of the program, the challenge posed to the students will be: What would public transit do to improve your life? The apprentices will study the historical issue, conduct a community audit among residents to get a sense of their needs, and propose a new transit system that will address them.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40517352/are-young-people-the-key-to-creating-equitable-communities
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Could Highway Drones Fix Our Driving Woes?
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Youre flying down the freeway at 80 miles per hour when you hear a whir overhead. On your dashboard a text message appears: Slow down, a truck just flipped over a mile ahead. Perhaps you hit on the breaks, or perhaps your autonomous vehicle does so on its own. This is the vision of Flying Poles, a new concept being developed by MIT professor Carlo Rattis firm CRA in conjunction with Italys roadway system. Italy is currently developing a smart highway program that will eventually span over 1,500 miles. The system will gather environmental and traffic data that could be shared with motorists to improve safety and commute times. To accomplish this, Flying Poles reimagines the normal street light as a nest for a drone. Both the pole and drone are filled with sensors, tracking everything from wind speed to the flow of cars on the road. Theyre also loaded with Wi-Fi to communicate with one another and the cars that drive by. Of course, this can also be done with static sensors and traffic cameras already, but drones add mobility to the service. Ratti proposes that individual drones might drop emergency supplies in case of a crash, or even lift off to examine nearby infrastructurelike viaducts or tunnelsfor fires, floods, or the necessity of routine repairs. In essence, Flying Poles could turn a highway into a real-time information network like Waze, but it would contain a lot more information, require no user input, and actually have the capability to fly in and help when needed. Much like other drone infrastructure projects weve seen (check out this drone skyscraper if you havent seen it yetbecause Amazon went ahead and patented the same idea! ), Flying Poles has the feel of inevitability. But that doesnt mean the drone is the perfect tool for fixing traffic or making driving any safer than it is now. Consider that 5G high-speed wireless data networks are being built across the world right now, and autonomous vehiclesloaded with cameras and sensorsare being developed by every major auto manufacturer. In any case, its fascinating to watch as cities and scientists work these ideas out through projects like this one. Your Fiat is safe from buzzing quadcopters offering free Wi-Fi and road alerts . . . for now.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90157960/could-highway-drones-fix-our-driving-woes
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Is Cond Nast Entertainment Finally Ready To Take Hollywood By Storm?
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Books have long been a go-to source for movie producers looking for their next film. While based on the best-selling novel . . . continues to pop up in just about every other trailer, Dawn Ostroff has been tasked with making based on that interesting magazine article you read that one time . . . just as prevalent, using Cond Nasts extensive library of content. advertisement advertisement Even though it may not be directly referenced in promotional campaigns, magazine and newspaper articles have indeed been the source of many notable and award-winning films, including Boogie Nights (The Devil and John Holmes, Rolling Stone), The Fast and the Furious (Racer X, Vibe), and even A Nightmare on Elm Street was inspired by a series of stories from the Los Angeles Times. But perhaps the leader in publishing such adaptable articles is Cond Nast, with write-ups in The New Yorker, Allure, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Wired transforming into Brokeback Mountain, Eat Pray Love, The Bling Ring, Coyote Ugly, and Argo, respectivelyall of which Cond Nast had little to no control over, ironically enough. In the past, articles from Cond Nast publications were optioned by outside producers and developed and distributed like any other source material. Sensing an untapped revenue stream, Cond Nast CEO Bob Sauerberg launched Cond Nast Entertainment in 2011, an in-house production and distribution studio lead by Ostroff, the former TV exec who oversaw major changes at Lifetime and the CW. The mandate to Ostroff was clear: monetize Cond Nasts IP through film, TV, and digital video. Over the years, Cond Nast Entertainment has seen explosive numbers across its digital platforms. The breakaway success of shows like Vogues 73 Questions and Wireds Autocomplete Interviews have contributed to 11.76 billion video views in 2017. However, while short-form content on YouTube or social media has been an essential component to Cond Nast Entertainments growth, theres typically no tie-in to existing articles or profiles, i.e. whats at the heart Ostroffs assignment. Its been over six years since Cond Nast Entertainment launched and it has yet to replicate the success in film or TV that outside producers have had with the publishers content. Cond Nast Entertainment stumbled out of the gate with its first feature film Army of One, the critically panned comedy starring Nicolas Cage as an unemployed handyman who receives a message from God to take out Osama bin Laden. Based on a GQ profile, Army of One received a paltry 27% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was never released theatrically in the U.S. However, 2017s Only the Brave fared far better critically. The firefighter drama starring Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller was adapted from the GQ article No Exit and garnered an 88% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though it wasnt what anyone would consider a blockbusterpulling in reported $23 million worldwide against a budget of $38 millionit was a step in the right direction for Ostroff and her team. advertisement In the past five years, weve seen big turns and weve found a niche for ourselves, Ostroff says. Although we do have comedies and we have a lot of different types of films because the articles that the magazines cover are such a broad range, were looking at movies that are more mature and will appeal to an audience looking for a different experience than someone going to see Star Wars or one of the big tentpole movies. What Cond Nast Entertainment needs is an Argo, Brokeback Mountain, or Boys Dont Crya buzzy, award season magnet that will make the industry take the company seriously. And that film very well could be within the 35 projects theyre working on, including Old Man and the Gun with Robert Redford as a septuagenarian bank robber, and King of the Jungle starring Johnny Depp as eccentric computer antivirus pioneer John McAfee. Cond Nast Entertainments plans for scaling film production are ambitiousand that ambition, some say, is coming at a cost to the journalists behind the articles. The contracts Cond Nast Entertainment has in place have been described as bottom-of-the-barrel pricing. According to contracts obtained by the New York Times in 2013, writers can receive anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 for a 12-month option. And should the project turn into a feature film, the writer will take in no more than 1% of the purchase price. Its been estimated that typical options for articles can range from $5,000 to $75,000, but Ostroff defends Cond Nast Entertainments position as a matter of scale. Because journalists get option money whether or not their film makes it to the big screenand because Ostroff is optioning so many articleswhat Cond Nast Entertainment offers has to be a workable figure. Although exact figures were not given, Cond Nast Entertainment has confirmed to Fast Company that the business has evolved in the past five years and that the rate it offers is now higher, based on the writers experience as well as other factors. The writers wind up making much more money by having these deals in place because we option so many articles. We have 65 projects that are in development as TV or as films. So thats money that the writers are making, Ostroff says. We dont take advantage of anybody. It really is a plus as opposed to a minus. The Humbling (And Necessary) Experience Of Failing At Your Expertise Going into her role at Cond Nast Entertainment, Ostroffs expertise was TV. As the former president of the CW, Ostroff spearheaded a forward-thinking strategy at the time that closed a revenue gap caused by Gossip Girl fans streaming the show illegally. At UPN, she created what she calls one of her proudest projects to date: Platinum, the 2003 drama written by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) that is considered to be a precursor to Foxs hit show Empire. Suffice it to say, Ostroff felt confident going into Cond Nast Entertainment as far as TV was concerned. But the learning curve was much more steep than she anticipated. advertisement I came in as a programmer who had made content my entire career, thinking, I know how to make content for thisIve got this. And I would say the whole group of shows that we made initially didnt resonate, Ostroff says. We came in puffed out, a tad arrogant, and we were deflated and humbled immediately because what we thought would work totally did not work. The trial and error of digital shows like GQs Jogging With James or Teen Vogues My Room Makeover put Ostroff on the right track toward selling six long-form shows, including Last Chance U, the critically acclaimed Netflix series that stems from a 2014 GQ articleas well as the true crime drama series Vanity Fair Confidential on Investigation Discovery that wrapped up its third season in April. For Ostroff, it was a matter of switching her way of thinking. Its a very humbling experience because I went from being a buyer to being a seller, she says. As the expansion of Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu came to fruition, it introduced a new opportunity for us, and we were able to expand not only what cable and broadcast networks needed, but also now what these full-episode digital players needed. It was an opportunity to learn with them and to be able to experience the business through their sense. Being Fearless In The Age of the New Prime Time Cond Nast Entertainment may not have found its culture-defining hit in film or TV just yet, but its certainly not a lost cause. Finding solid footing in two industries navigating a perpetual state of flux for years is bound to come with a certain margin of errorand having that permission to fail has been critical for Ostroff in finding Cond Nast Entertainments footing. That was one of the biggest hurdles when I came here because a lot of the people who work at Cond Nast were so used to succeeding on every single front that the idea that you could fail in order to be successful was a very hard concept, Ostroff says. You cant let fear drive you in anything thats about creativity. Even on the business side, we could not let fear drive usfear of not finding the proper monetization would have put us out of business in a minute. advertisement That mentality applies just as strongly to Cond Nast Entertainments efforts in digital video. Despite its massive presence online, cranking out more than 400 videos per month and even becoming profitable a year ahead of schedule in 2016, Ostroff isnt letting complacency, let alone fear, hold her back from figuring out better monetization strategies. You have to expect everything to change every three months. If you look at it through that lens and understand that evolution is part of the business, it really gives you a totally different mindset, Ostroff says. We have a long way to go to monetize digital video compared to traditional media, but I think things are turning around. The reality is millennials and gen-zers are creating new viewing habits. Google came out with a survey about eight months ago that said millennials and gen-zers are spending more than 3.5 hours a day on their mobile device watching video. Thats the new prime time, when you think about it. And so the question becomes how do we really monetize those eyeballs? The way Ostroff sees it, Cond Nast Entertainment is currently in its third inning. Its not exactly where she wants it to be, but shes optimistic that it will be a major and profitable player in the near future. Our goal every year is to be able to speak to people and viewers on as many platforms as possible, in as many different formats as possible and then make money and monetize it, Ostroff says. You can create and tell stories in all these different ways, and thats the thread that ties us across the entire company. How do we continue to entertain and delight and surprise our viewers so that they keep coming back for more?
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40517392/is-conde-nast-entertainment-finally-ready-to-take-hollywood-by-storm
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Will Seeing Both Sides Of The Issue Help End Police Brutality?
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For people on either side of it, police brutality is an issue that only has one side. Supporters of law enforcement maintain police have a job to do, and tragedies are sometimes collateral. On the side of the victims, most visible in movements like Black Lives Matter, the actions of police amount to a fundamental disregard of their victims humanity. A new four-part documentary, premiering on TV One on January 22, aims to strike a middle ground, and bring the two sides into conversation with each other. Fittingly called Two Sides, the series follows four tragic instances of death as a result of the actions of law enforcementthe killings of Eric Garner, Ezell Ford, John Crawford, and Sandra Bland. Julius Tennon and Lemuel Plummer of JuVee Productions and L. Plummer Media, respectively, produced the series; both of their companies have a special focus on telling stories from the black community. Viola Davis, whom Tennon is married to, also produced and narrated the series. Commentary from activists like Al Sharpton and politicians like Maxine Waters intermingles with the perspectives of various law enforcement officials and attorneys. Each episode takes an hour to dive into the events surrounding each case. In the Garner episode, the first in the series, we see body-cam footage of his interaction with the police on Bay Street in Staten Island; we see an officer put Garner in the chokehold that eventually deprives him of breath. His mother, sister, and partner recount where they were that day and how they learned of Garners death; law enforcement officers describe the context of Mayor Bill de Blasios crackdown on illegal cigarette sales, which they believed Garner to be doing in front of a local beauty shop. For its balanced approach to the different perspectivesthe law enforcement and Black Lives Matter representatives are given equal on-screen timeTwo Sides is provocative, and deliberately so, Plummer tells Fast Company. Most of the time, when you hear these stories or see these cases on TV, its coming from a biased approach, he says. We wanted to give everyone an opportunity to share their sides. The reason for this approach, Plummer says, is that in the years since 2014, when Garner, Ford, and Crawford lost their lives, theres been very little change in the conversation and very little progress in the realm of police-community interactions. In 2017, 987 people were killed by the police24 more than the previous year. We know there are bad cops out there, Tennon says. But by showing all perspectives on the issue, we wanted to have a conversation around: What can we do to change these things? Understanding law enforcements processes, the points at which decisions are made and in response to what governmental or intra-agency pressures, will give community members another lens through which to view the reforms theyre pushing for. Which is not to say the response to Two Sides has been unilaterally positive. At a premiere event the week before the release, there was a lot of emotion, Tennon says. There have been very few officer convictions in these cases, and we know that that rubs our community the wrong way. But confronting that emotion and frustration, he hopes, can galvanize viewers to look at the issue with fresh eyes, and renew calls for police reform, more community-led safety initiatives and especially, voting for elected officials, a topic around which Tennon says there was a lively conversation at the premiere event. What we hope people take away is that we have to keep working in our own communities to push for the reforms and vote for the elected officials we want to represent us. Change comes slow, but we eventually want to see that change.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40519064/will-seeing-both-sides-of-the-issue-help-end-police-brutality
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Is Architecture Ashamed Of Postmodernism?
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Architecture is in a constant state of near-neurotic obsession over its past. So this month, when the American Institute of Architects decided not to name a winner for its annual Twenty-Five Year Award , which recognizes buildings that have stood the test of time for 25-35 years, the profession and its critics took notice. Its possible the jury just didnt receive enough submissions that stacked up this year. Still, the architecture world has long cast a skeptical eye on an era that did not conform to the doctrine of high modernism, and many of postmodernisms most notable buildings are now under threat. In September, Fred Scharmen called this form of collective amnesia Modernismwashing: We dont know exactly why the AIA jury of seven architects (along with a client and a student representative) declined to name a winner this year for the first time since the AIA codified it as a yearly thing in 1971. In a statement , the jury described 2017s submissions as either architect-friendly or public-friendly, but none were both. The AIA declined to say how many submissions it received this year, but since applying is free, it seems likely that a shallow pool wasnt the problem. In the 1970s, the Twenty-Five Year Award went to names like Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Louis Kahn, and Eero Saarinen. In the 1980s, it went to many of the same names, since the most famous architects of the midcentury enjoyed long careers. Into the late 90s, Saarinen and Kahn were still frequent winners of the award. In fact, if you take a step back and look at the full 48 years of the award, youll notice its dominated by a few mainstays across the decades: Saarinen & Associates (or some variant thereof) has received the award seven times, ranging from 1971-1993. Kahn has received it five times, from 1979-2005. SOM, which Gordon Bunshaft turned into a powerhouse of modernism in the 50s and 60s, has received it six times, from 1980-2015. Even in the late 90s, when the award shifted toward the likes of Richard Meier and I.M. Pei, its easy to see the echoes of those big names: Meier, who has received the award twice, was deeply influenced by Le Corbusier, van der Rohe, and Wright; I.M. Pei, a four-time winner, was also shaped by Le Corbusier and Gropius. We can see something in these numbers: That the award, and architectural history, tend to operate on a patrician model. A group of anointed Great Modernists gave birth to a family tree of descendants who worked withinor nearbythe value system established by the originals. Architectural historians, as well as awards programs, the publishing industry, and the educational system, have established this family tree as canon. It doesnt, really. There are plenty of wonderful contemporary architects working outside and even in opposition to that tradition. But it does show us why postmodernism still gets stuck in architectures craw. Postmodernism makes goofy, sometimes biting fodder out of the formal, symmetrical systems of influence that has produced generations of modern architects still defined in relation to the greats. As Aaron Betsky perfectly put it in 2015, that was what was the most important revelation of Postmodernism: the replacement of a notion of progress through styles towards utopia with experimentation. Take Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturis Childrens Museum of Houstonwhich New York Times critic Paul Goldberger gushed about in 1993, calling the building joyful, gracious, and an instant lesson in the idea of civic architecture and urbanism. He asked: Who could fail to smile at this building? Or Charles Moores Piazza dItalia in New Orleans, which as a tribute to the citys Italian Americans mashed centuries of classical Italianate architecture into a joyous, brightly hued spectacle. This is not to say no postmodern buildings have been honored by the Twenty-Five Year award; the most notable is Venturis house for his mother, built in the early 60s. But even that building, with its muted facade and clever nods to Le Corbusiers Villa Savoye, feels more tied to high modernism than many of postmodernisms most eligible buildings. Postmodernism is a wink, rather than a bow. Its loud. Its almost painfully self-referential. In some cases, it hasnt aged well for occupants or for cities, some of which are acting to replace it. It can be hard to understand its value, compared to the much more obedient strains of modernism that came after it.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90157603/is-architecture-ashamed-of-postmodernism
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Can These Robot-Run Warehouses Change The Landscape Of Urban Grocery Delivery?
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Its usually cheaper and faster to order pizza than to get a delivery of fresh ingredients from a grocery store. One startup thinks it can change that equationand potentially also begin to make it a little more likely that people choose to eat healthier dinners. Imagine a world where it is cheaper to shop online than to go to the supermarket, and faster than if you were to go to the supermarket and go home, says Elram Goren, CEO of CommonSense Robotics. In the companys system, small fulfillment centers near grocery stores will be tightly packed with products arranged in a 3-D cube of racks. In the design, various robots climb across the space picking up totes filled with products and bringing them to a human packer. Because it avoids sending someone to hunt down products in the aisles of a store, the system makes it possible to get a 20-item order from a service like Instacart ready in five minutes. Typically, retailers use large, remote warehouses to make it more efficient to fulfill online orders. But because the robotic system can work in smaller spaces, the startup plans to build centers in urban neighborhoods, but not in places where high rents are making it hard to run a retail store. In an underground parking garage of its own office building in downtown Tel Aviv, the company is currently testing a prototype of its technology. Were paying a fraction of the rent compared to [storefront on a main street], were using a lot less labor, and were doing it a lot faster, Goren says. It changes the economics of the situation, and that allows retailers to offer faster, cheaper delivery. Because of the tight profit margins on grocery sales, retailers currently often lose money on on-demand orders, even when customers pay a delivery fee. With the robotic fulfillment centers, delivery is cheaper both because the robots cut the cost of using humans to gather items for an order, and because the system is designed for central locations rather than more distant warehouses that would require more time for delivery drivers. But the system is also designed to compete with the cost of traditional grocery shopping. By maximizing the use of existing retail space and eliminating the need for warehouses, the company says it lowers operational costs in general, and those savings could be passed to consumers. While the system can deliver anything youd buy in a grocery store, the ability to easily get more affordable fresh food might help shift someones last-minute decision about what to eat for the next meal. A lot of people probably cant afford to eat healthier because its more costly, he says. Its not necessarily common sense, but these trends of technologies that can allow for better or cheaper logistics are things that can allow more and more people to enjoy this type of proposition.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40511440/can-these-robot-run-warehouses-change-the-landscape-of-urban-grocery-delivery
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Where Will 2018 Take The #MeToo Movement?
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Just weeks into the New Year, the #MeToo reckoning shows no signs of dying down. Weve already seen prominent women in Hollywoodthe likes of Meryl Streep, Shonda Rhimes, and Reese Witherspoonspearhead the launch of Times Up , which has raised $13 million for a legal defense fund that will help women who face sexual misconduct in blue-collar workplaces. Until now, the most visible #MeToo stories have been from women in Hollywood, media, and tech. But women who work in the service industry are more vulnerable to sexual misconduct, yet have fewer options when faced with it. In 2018, #MeToo likely wont just give voice to Hollywood types with clout. Heres how the movement could shape the lives of women across industries, through changes in policy and culture: More States Ban The Subminimum Wage Saru Jayaraman, an advocate for restaurant workers and cofounder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), is most optimistic about the One Fair Wage campaign, which seeks to eliminate the subminimum wage and finally garnered the support of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in late October. We claimed it as the first big, significant policy victory of the Me Too moment in any sector, Jayaraman told me. This is actually a regulatory change [Cuomo] can make very quicklyin the next few months. Many tipped workers in the restaurant industry are paid well below minimum wage, which makes tips their primary source of income. That puts restaurant workers in a difficult position: Turning down or calling out sexual advances from customers could mean foregoing a tip. It comes as little surprise, then, that restaurant workers face some of the highest rates of sexual harassment; the majority of complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is charged with litigating harassment claims, come from the restaurant industry. As Jayaraman points out, about 50% of American adults have reportedly worked in the restaurant industry. What that means is that for millions of young women, this is their first job, she says. Its how they learn whats acceptable and tolerable in the workplace. Ive had so many women who are now executives or Hollywood actresses tell me, Ive been harassed more recently at a job, but I didnt do anything about it because it was never as bad as when I was a young woman working in restaurants. ' Cuomos decision to eliminate the subminimum wage in New York, Jayaraman believes, could signal a sea change. (To date, only seven states have replaced the subminimum wage with the standard minimum wage.) With this precedent, the measure could pass in both Michigan and D.C., where it will be on the ballot this year. And other states are likely to follow suit soon: This spring, ROC United is hosting a conference at which state legislatures across the country will discuss how to further the One Fair Wage movement in other states.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40516442/where-will-2018-take-the-metoo-movement
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Can We Create A New Kind Of Downtown In Abandoned Suburban Offices?
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In the latter half of the 20th century, around 5,000 researchers and engineers went to work every day in suburban Holmdel, New Jersey, at Bell Labs, the research and design arm of AT&T. The work done in the lab became the foundation of modern electronic communication: Its widely cited as the birthplace of the cell phone. But by the early 2000s, the communication technology that came out of the work in there had, ironically, made the workplace itself obsolete. Bell Labs focus on telecommunications essentially made remote work possible, and more and more employees opted to do so until the sprawling building was mostly empty. In 2007, Alcatel-Lucent, the company that had taken over Bell Labs from AT&T, shuttered operations at the 460-acre site. advertisement advertisement For people in the town of Holmdel, the massive building threatened to become something of an albatross. Bustling with workers and producing cutting-edge innovations, Bell Labs generated around 25% of Holmdels taxes at its heydaya not-insignificant figure, especially when you consider that the McMansion-filled suburb is one of New Jerseys wealthiest enclaves. Now, it just took up space. The town of Holmdel searched for buyers, but tenants in need of 2 million square feet of space were now rare; across New Jersey and the rest of America, sprawling suburban corporate complexes were being abandoned at an alarming rate for remote work or more urban headquarters. Alcatel-Lucent was eyeing a deal with a developer who wanted to buy and demolish Bell Labs to build housing. That option sparked international outcry. Eero Saarinen, the renowned midcentury modernist architect behind icons like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, designed the Bell Labs building, which opened a year after he passed away in 1961. The mirrored panels that line the entire exterior once led the Architectural Forum to christen the complex The Biggest Mirror Ever, and its listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. Demolition wasnt an option, so the first developer bowed out of sale. Unable to be filled or torn down, Bell Labs seemed to taunt Holmdel. Until another developer Ralph Zucker, based in the nearby town of Lakewood, toured the building in 2008 and saw an opportunity; his company, Somerset Development, bought the property for $27 million from Alcatel-Lucent in 2013. Now hes nearing completion of his vision: a walkable community hub smack in the middle of a quiet suburbsomething he has termed a metroburb. Now called Bell Works, the opaque laboratory walls of the old Bell Labs have largely been replaced with glass. Startups and companies like Santander Bank and the HR company iCIMS are set up in the office spaces on the upper floors (to access those, you need a pass to get by security, but the ground floorthe main street is open to the public). A sea of market-style tables line the central corridor the ground floor, which will house a food hall. The roof of the building will be transformed into a hotel; the basement into a conference center and ballroom. Theres a library and a daycare on one end of the vast hall; a fitness studio and a salon on the other. Paola Zamudio, head of the studio NPZ Style + Dcor, has overseen much of the design of the public space, including what will become a small urban park in the right wing of the building, complete with below-lit trees an park benches. When I came in here first, it was cluttered with cubicles and garbage, Zucker tells Fast Company as he stands inside the main hall, now nearly fully renovated to the tune of $200 million, and 70% leased. You couldnt really walk through the atrium, he says, miming about a foots width of space. But I saw pedestrian space. Whats missing from this attempt at downtown-style space, though, is housing. Zuckers development plan allows for around 185 new condominiums and 40 McMansions to be built along the fringes of the property. Though he advocated for more multifamily housing to accompany Bell Works, the towns zoning board shot him down; the suburban mind-set held sway. advertisement As a town, Holmdel is a prime example of the sprawl that began to define the country in the mid-20th century. Theres barely any downtown; the nearest thing you might consider one is probably 10 miles away, in Asbury Park. The Garden State Parkway slices through the middle of Holmdel, and the massive homes that sit beyond shouting distance from each other are barely visible from the road. Everyone drives. The New Urbanist movement, of which Zucker considers himself a devotee, is a reaction against sprawl that began in the 1980s and advocates for livable, walkable, amenity-rich communities. This mentality continues to shape many design proposals today (witness the concept of converting massive parking lots around transit hubs into dense communities filled with affordable homes). But its a hard concept to retrofit into a town made to keep people contained in their own space. Unless, Zucker thought, the space exists to bring it to life. And Bell Labsroughly equivalent to the Empire State Building tipped on its sideis just around the ideal size for a walkable, amenity-rich community. The hallways that line either side of the atrium on the ground floor stretch around 10 feet wide and surround open squares that mirror the dimensions of urban piazzas. They just happen to be inside. When he first brought the plan for the metroburb to a Holmdel town hall, the response Zucker heard was, Hell no. People told him this was antithetical to the reason they moved to Holmdel, a sheltered, quiet place to raise their families. They didnt want anything urban. What changed their minds, Zucker says, was an event he hosted at Bell Labs soon after touring the building in 2009: an open house wherein he projected shops and offices onto the walls of the old laboratory spaces, and hosted a pop-up gelato stand and a bar. The simulation of the spaces potential was so compelling, he says, that one woman smacked her head on a wall, thinking a projected hotel lobby was, in fact, the real thing. Still, though, it took until 2013 for Zucker to receive final approval from Holmdel for the purchase and to have the building rezoned as mixed-use; construction began not long after, and in the intervening years, Holmdel has largely embraced the development. Perhaps thats because, community-building impetus aside, its hard to see how Bell Works is something other than the next generation of the suburban mainstay: the shopping mall. While vastly more architecturally sophisticated than your standard commercial big block, Bell Works is still an enclosed space, and, though certainly walkable inside, its surrounded by 5,000 parking spaces. The nearest New Jersey Transit station, in Aberdeen, is around six miles away. For devotees of the New Urbanism movement, all amenities that make up a neighborhoodfrom transit to housing to shops, should be reachable within no more than a five-minute walk. Sure, you can, walking quickly, make it from one narrow end of Bell Works to the other, and pass a variety of storefronts. But you wont see any apartment units inside, and the separate row of homes going up on the edge of the property dont exactly achieve the feel of a truly integrated, human-scale neighborhood. And unless you have several hours, the train stop could never be described as walkable. For all intents and purposes, Bell Works is a destination, not a downtown. Zucker is aware of this. But he is also relentlessly optimistic that the existence of Bell Works will begin to change some of the dynamics around it. He envisions a network of shuttle buses and autonomous vehicles ferrying people between Bell Works and the train station, the constant flow of circular traffic eventually doing away with the need for acres of parking, which he imagines potentially building up into housing. Perhaps, he says, the increased flow of traffic to Bell Works could incentivize the development of a new train line through Holmdel. advertisement With Bell Works, and the model of development it represents, Zucker is hoping to delineate the middle ground between city and suburb for millennials, many of whom are in the midst of a reverse migration out of urban areas. Even if theyre in the suburbs, theyll want an urban vibe, and a convenient, dense community, Zucker says. Thats the message that we communicated to our tenantsthat their employees can come here and be surrounded by all of these assets and inspiration, that theyll want to be here. This is the Googleplex for everyone. For people who thrive in the urban environment, for whom life is unimaginable without a robust public-transit network and towering, dense apartment buildings cheek-to-cheek with diverse retail, Bell Works will never truly fly as a urban, or metroburban, space. But that, perhaps, is not the best lens through which to look at the development. Out here in the suburbs, you have two options for public spaces, the mall, or the strip mall, Zucker says. You can go down Route 35 and grab coffee, then get in your car and drive 15 minutes just to get across the street, find a parking spot, and go to the gym. A 2016 report found that around 22% of office inventory in five suburban markets is empty and struggling to attract new tenants; thats up to 1 billion square feet of unused space. In a time when the country is struggling with both housing volume and affordability, and when its becoming ever more clear that the type of suburban sprawl that necessitates driving between basic amenities is counterproductive in the face of fighting climate change, we need to be thinking more proactively about how best to use these massive, abandoned lots. Homes are being built around Bell Works, but Zucker hopes to see more: Perhaps, if developers begin to eye abandoned campuses like the Roche facility in Nutley, 10 miles west of midtown Manhattan, for similar projects, a connected network of these metroburbs could start to materialize. Its a long way off and an ambitious vision, but Zucker is undeterred. If Bell Works can act as an agent for pulling sprawling suburban New Jersey together, itll be something other parts of the U.S. should start watching closely. The principles of building a new community mandate that it be a place where people can, and want to go; it should feel a part of something, not a secluded enclave in the midst of a disjointed landscape.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40513730/can-we-create-a-new-kind-of-downtown-in-abandoned-suburban-offices
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Could Paying Top Dollar For Staff Be Worse For The Labor Market?
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The tech company Basecamp has a mostly remote staff of less than 60 people. But even its headquarters arent in Silicon Valley; Basecamp is in Chicago. Which is why it was a bold move earlier this month when cofounder and CTO David Heinemeier Hansson announced in a blog post that the company is paying its workers according to San Franciscos labor market. advertisement advertisement Since their employees are scattered all over the globe, it wasnt clear what the cost of living benchmark should be. According to Heinemeier Hansson, It started to increasingly seem like an arbitrary choice, and if we were going to make one such, why not go for the best and the top? So as of January 1, Basecamp employees will receive a salary reflective of the top 10% of what software companies are paying in San Francisco (compared to base pay plus bonus, but not options). They also offer some amazing benefits. (Put your resumes away, though, because Basecamp isnt looking to hire more people.) Cofounder Jason Fried tells Fast Company, We think this method of paying people regardless of location is just the right thing to do, so hopefully we can encourage other companies to do the right thing too by sharing what we do. For some, that meant a single-digit percentage increase, while others saw as much as a 20% boost to their paychecks. The cost, Fried says, is hundreds of thousands this year. Fried insists that this isnt a onetime deal. Salaries will continue to go up every year at the San Francisco rate if SF salaries go up, he asserts. Heinemeier Hansson says Basecamps rationale was informed by Adam Smiths classic book Wealth of Nations. In particular: The workmen desire to get as much, the masters to give as little as possible. The former are disposed to combine in order to raise, the latter in order to lower the wages of labor. This, writes Heinemeier Hansson, is an antagonistic struggle, and one they deliberately are upending. Payscales chief economist Katie Bardaro says one of the reasons companies have remote workers or set up offices that are not in San Francisco or Seattle is because the cost of labor is cheaper. If we start to see more companies doing what Basecamp is doing, that benefit will wash away, she explains. Well be facing a national labor market; regardless of where people are working and living, they will be arguing for the same compensation. If every company had to pay employees San Francisco rates, the increase would be significant. According to Payscale data, the average salary in the area is just north of $85,000, but the cost of living is 80% higher than the national average. Glassdoors most recent pay report revealed similar findings. Among the 10 metros tracked, San Francisco had the fastest pay growth in December, where median base pay was $68,078 per year as compared to the national average of $51,210. advertisement Bardaro says that traditional compensation models were set based on a local labor market and driven by competing businesses, the cost of living, and other factors specific to that area. Now, with a more global economy and workers who tend to pull up stakes rather than stay put, businesses have had to be savvy in order to create a compensation strategy that attracts and retains the best workers. She doesnt think a lot of other companies are going to adjust their pay calculator up, but does see how transformative businesses that really, truly value their workforce, which are potentially having trouble attracting and retaining talent, will be pulling out all the stops. These would be other software or data science companies that are really hot right now, says Bardaro. They have the liquidity to do something like this. Bardaro calls Basecamps pay structure gold on top of gold because it is not only the top tier of compensation in the country, but in the top 10% for that top market. This isnt a strategy to attract attention, she observes, it is to make sure they keep the people they have who are key to the companys success. Fried asserts that Basecamp has very low turnover, but doesnt have specific stats. Nearly half the company has been with us for five or more years, which is exceptionally rare in an industry where the average tenure is around 18 months, I believe. He says every employees tenure is publicly available. Im not aware of another company that shares that information, but Id like to see more do that as well. A recent Glassdoor survey conducted among 750 hiring decision makers (those in recruitment, HR, and responsible for hiring) in the U.S. and UK also finds that nearly half (45%) report that salary is the top reason for employees changing jobs, followed by career advancement opportunities, benefits, and location. Some studies have shown that more workplace transparency and giving workers information about relative pay can boost work effort and lead to long-lasting increases in productivity, says Glassdoors chief economist Andrew Chamberlain, PhD. advertisement Fried says that while not every employee knows what everyone else in the company makes like some others, they know that others who have the same title are earning the same salary. Chamberlain says that what Basecamp and other companies are doing regarding transparency is part of a larger movement that also shines a light on hard-to-explain pay gaps at work, including gender pay gaps. While companies may be slow to adopt a similar pay structure, I anticipate we will see an uptick in pay transparency and increased discussion around salary openness in coming months, says Chamberlain. With transparency comes the ammunition to negotiate for more money. Fried says Basecamp has eliminated negotiation from the salary process (Just be good at your job! he says), but Bardaro sees this as a potential pitfall to broader implementation of paying top market rates. If more companies do what Basecamp is doing, she says, they might also freeze or reduce hiring and just focus on the workforce they have. This she observes, could cause further disparity between the haves and have-nots. A very select group of people with in-demand skills and the necessary connections will be able to get this wage range, says Bardaro. Additionally, there are only so many funds to go around. She speculates that companies who pay top dollar may find themselves limiting future hires to one or two people, where they may previously have employed 10 or more. More people who dont have the hottest skills will no longer be seen as necessary talent. That means underrepresented minorities could face more challenges getting those jobs. They are already underrepresented in those firms, says Bardaro. The opportunity for that to change or move in the right direction is quite limited if more companies decide to push for higher wages for existing staff. The repercussions on a macroeconomic scale could mean fewer people with jobs that pay a competitive rate, and therefore fewer people have less discretionary income to spend on anything other than what they need to survive. Eventually, Bardaro speculates, even those who are earning top dollar would be affected. advertisement That said, Bardaro contends Basecamps initiative is not likely to take off at that level. I think some companies are going to use it as a power play in a tight labor market, and theyll find success for themselves. The real tidal wave, says Bardaro, is the push for transparency. What matters more is how pay policy is communicated versus what you are actually paid.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40516723/could-paying-top-dollar-for-staff-be-worse-for-the-labor-market
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Who Is The Greatest Prog Band or Artist Of All Time?
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Now is the chance for Prog readers to have their say as we compile the ultimate list of the 100 Greatest Prog Bands and Artists of all time. Its easy to get involved. Just e-mail us your list of your top five favourite prog bands and/or artists of all time. Make sure you tell us why youve made each each choice you never know, you might find yourself in print when we publish the results. And simply e-mail your list to us here. Well be publishing the list in a future issue of Prog. Closing date for entries is Friday 3 July. We look forward to seeing all your choices.
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https://www.loudersound.com/news/who-is-the-greatest-prog-band-or-artist-of-all-time
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Are We In A Renaissance Of Great Public Architecture?
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The annual AIA Honor Awardsthe highest honor bestowed by the American Institute of Architects to a completed built projectserve as a sort of industry-wide pulse check, and a reflection of the values upheld by the professional organization. Officially announced this morning, the range of projects across the programs three categoriesarchitecture, interior architecture, and urban designmay signal a renaissance for great new public works. Selected from over 500 submissions by a jury of nine architects, the 16 honored projects include an array of the usual private residences, museums, and company offices. But were chuffed to see more than a handful of civic projects in the main architecture category alone, as well. Designed by Ross Barney Architects and Sasaki, the new Chicago Riverwalka downtown pedestrian waterfront that has revitalized the neighborhoodis praised by the award jury as a gift to the city and an example of design that touches everyone. The Spring Street Salt Shed in Manhattan, a former salt warehouse repurposed by Dattner Architects in association with WXY architecture + urban design into a facility for the citys Department of Sanitation, is a cast-concrete beauty with faceted forms, embodying a pursuit of a visual oxymoron to sanitation that raises the bar for its building type. Additional projects include a fire station in Seattle, a Los Angeles courthouse, and a light rail station at the University of Washington. The selection is a slight but notable shift from other recent AIA Honor Awards, which have typically included a higher proportion of private-interest structures. The public works projects took us by surprise, given the difficulties associated with projects that require a bureaucratic oversight process, said Lee Becker, who chaired this years jury.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90156838/are-we-in-a-renaissance-of-great-public-architecture
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Can The Wave Of Boomer Entrepreneur Retirements Create A Surge Of Worker-Owned Businesses?
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If you work at a textile or furniture factory in Western North Carolina, you probably dont belong to a union; the region usually ranks as the least unionized part of the United States. But a growing number of companies in the area, which includes the city of Asheville and smaller Appalachian towns, are considering a different worker-friendly change: a shift to worker ownership. advertisement advertisement In part, the interest in a new model is driven by a practical reality: Nearly half of the privately held businesses in the area are owned by baby boomers who are getting ready to retire. In many cases, an owners children may not want to take over, and with a glut of businesses on the market, a buyer might not be found. Moving to worker ownership is a way to keep a business from shutting down. If we dont find these mechanisms to transition the businesses, the businesses will go out, says Eric Henry, owner of TS Designs, a 20-person screen printing business, who is currently planning to shift the company to worker ownership as he approaches retirement. The companys cofounder also recently retired. Were not a publicly traded company, were a small business. Those businesses that are tough to sell, you shut the power button off. Henry also believes in the model as a better way to run a business. I think its just a better way to engage people, he says. I think ultimately when theyre more engaged, theyre more informed, theyll make better decisions, which in turn makes the company more successful. I think its just a good foundation to move a business forward. The company is working with Project Equity, a Bay Area-based nonprofit that aims to increase worker ownership throughout the country. While the organization has considered various ways to achieve this goalincluding helping new worker-owned businesses launchthe founders realized that the so-called silver tsunami, the surge of baby boomer business owners set to retire across the United States, was a key way to engage. Part of their strategy is simply to let owners know that the model is an option. I went to business school and never learned about this business model, says Project Equity cofounder Alison Lingane. Its just not in peoples consciousness. The concept isnt new; George Washington and Alexander Hamilton both championed worker ownership, and the model was more common in the past. But its little understood now. There are a lot of misconceptions, says cofounder Hilary Abell. People assume if this is going to become employee-owned or a cooperative that probably means that its what we would call a collective, where the management is done through a very flat structure or maybe by committee. In reality, most employee-owned companies have a traditional org chart, though management is more participatory. advertisement The exact structure varies. Were not zealots in that theres one exactly right way to do it, says Molly Hemstreet, who founded a worker-owned cut-and-sew factory called Opportunity Threads in North Carolina in 2008, and more recently helped start an organization called the Industrial Commons to help other factories make the switch. Workers at Opportunity Threads have the opportunity to become a worker-owner, through membership in an LLC, after a vetting process of 12-18 months by other members. Were not a collective [where] everybodys making every decision, Hemstreet says. Theres still a clear hierarchy. Its just to say that the profits of the business and the risks are shared among a group of people. At Opportunity Threads, workers make up the board and management teams; the management teams run the business, rather than a traditional CEO. The company is saving some profits to invest in a new manufacturing facility, and has also invested in full benefits for all workers, whether or not they are worker-owners. The rest of the profits, about 30% of the total, go to the workers and worker-owners. Its a model that she says appeals to millennial workers that factories in North Carolina are now struggling to attract. Demand for locally produced or American-made clothing is growingalso driven partly by millennial consumersbut younger workers often havent wanted to go into manufacturing. Hemstreet believes the industry needs to work differently to succeed. I grew up at this interesting timeit was the heyday of manufacturing and then it all left, says Hemstreet, who grew up in Morganton, North Carolina, and saw textile industry jobs disappear after NAFTA passed in the 1990s. It was an ah-ha moment for me: If its going to come back, it needs to come back differently, and that needs to include a different labor model. As TS Designs prepares to make the switch, Project Equity is helping with a feasibility assessment to look at the financial and management implications of the conversion, including assessing the fair market value of the company. At most businesses, employees cant afford to buy a company outright, so its a debt-financed transaction. Given future projections, we look at how much could this future employee-owned entity afford to buy itself for from the current owners, says Abell. advertisement The amount of buy-in for a worker to become a worker-owner varies between businesses, but often ranges from $250 to $10,000. Workers often pay gradually with paycheck deductions. For a co-op, the structure that TS Designs will likely take, the cooperative buys the business, and the loan for the sale is paid for with future revenue from the business. Henry is working with employees to help them prepare. When youve got 20 people here, you got some people that can understand a balance sheet, income statement, all that kind of stuff, youve got other people that dont have that understanding, he says. So were going to be spending a lot of time the first quarter, first half of this year just making sure that everybody understands the finances of the business. If all goes as planned, he and the employees will reach an agreement by the end of the year on terms, and begin the conversion process in 2019. Within three years, the buyout should be complete. He plans to then become a member of the new coop and stay on with the company for a few more years before fully retiring. He hopes to make the whole process transparent, so other businesses can learn from it. Theres likely to be a lot of interest; Project Equity has calculated that baby boomers across the U.S. own 2.34 million businesses, employing nearly 25 million people. The group focuses on the Bay Area, and through partnerships supports this work in other regions across the U.S. In North Carolina, Hemstreet says that worker ownership makes sense to a wide range of business owners, regardless of their political persuasion. I think when you can get back into a narrative of good work is good for everyone, it doesnt matter what side of the aisle youre on, she says. This is about livelihoods, about peoples dignity at what we do all day, which is work . . . I think everybody thinks that if you work hard you should be the beneficiary of that. Thats ultimately what worker ownership is. You should have a say in the decisions that affect you. Correction: This article has been updated to note that Project Equity does not work in Detroit specifically, but partners with other organizations there and around the country.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40513553/can-the-wave-of-boomer-entrepreneur-retirements-create-a-surge-of-worker-owned-businesses
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Why Is Tech Obsessed With Smart Kitchens?
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I want to tell you about a landmark new device. It features two cameras and a voice- and motion-controlled touch screen. It allows you to teleconference, control your smart home, and even share Instagrams. And its screen is a full 27 inches. Its the size of an iMac! But its not an iMac. Its a new microwave from GE. At this weeks Consumer Electronics Show (CES), kitchen appliance manufacturers are in rare form. While the smart refrigerator has been around as a concept since 1991 (and a product since 1998), this year were seeing every single function youd expect in a modern smartphone or PCfrom giant touch screens and AI assistantsstuck inside a box that chills or cooks food. Philips introduced a 24-inch kitchen screen with Google Assistant that specializes in recipes. GE has its iMicrowave (okay, its called a Kitchen Hub). Samsung, confusingly, also offers a Family Hub, but its actually a fridge with Bixby voice-controlled AI and a decent speaker system. Perhaps the biggest smart kitchen armament was announced by LG, which debuted a bunker buster smart fridge that sports a 29-inch screen running webOS with full Amazon Alexa support. AI is often advertised as the defining feature of these gargantuan machines, but they dwarf Google Home or Echo Show as absurdist spectacles. One thousand Google Home Minis must fit inside the footprint of a single LG super-fridge! So, why is the appliance industrys go-to game plan to throw the kitchen sink . . . It may have something to do with our current attention economy or the fact that some of the industrys main players also make smartphones and PCsor the way our home appliances tend to reflect the concerns of Americans in any given era. My first thought was that LG and Samsungmakers of smartphones, TVs, and tabletsmust have something to do with this rise of LCD-infused kitchenware. Surely, these tech powerhouses must be adding touch screens to their appliances as a strategy for besting their U.S. counterparts, Whirlpool and GE. Yet Samsung has been making fridges since 1972. LG has been making kitchen appliances even longer, since the 1950s. Its just taken the better part of five decades for both Korean companies to usurp Whirlpool and GE as the number one and two brands in total dollar sales in this space, respectively. So we cant simply attribute all these new products to the fact that tech companies are making appliances. Its hard to know how much these bells and whistles have helped either company. Its possible that this tablet-happy kitchen technology really has helped LG and Samsung get an edge; analysts claim that various design novelties have helped each company differentiate itself from the old guard appliance manufacturers, but brands dont disclose the success of individual products in their lineups. (Whirlpool points to patent violations and subsidies from the Korean government as both having a factor in its own loss of market share.) Its hard to believe that the butt of a Silicon Valley joke is really wooing middle America to spend $3,500-plus on a refrigerator just because its iPhone-y.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90156358/why-is-tech-obsessed-with-smart-kitchens
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Is Genetic Testing Part Of The Solution To The Opioid Crisis?
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A familiar narrative of the opioid crisis thats been raging in the U.S. for nearly a decade goes something like this: A patient comes to the hospital seeking treatment and relief from the pain of a recent injury (in many well-known stories, this patient is a student athlete). Their issue is addressed, and theyre prescribed something to manage the painoften OxyContin or Vicodin. The drugs dull the pain, but once the pain is gone, a subset of patients keep popping the pills, not out of necessity, but because theyve become dependent on them. These commonly prescribed painkillers are opioids, and produce a euphoric high that mirrors the sensation of their illegal counterparts, heroin and fentanyl, which patients often turn to after their prescriptions run out. Opioid overdoses are now the most common cause of death in Americans under the age of 50; 64,000 people died from the drugs last year alone. Why some of the patients become addicted to opioid painkillers has remained somewhat of a mystery; prescribing them, consequently, is a gamble. A new test from Prescient Medicine, a predictive health and analytics company, aims to de-risk the prescription of opioid painkillers by using genetic testing to determine the likelihood that a patient will become addicted before they are given the medication. Called LifeKit Predict, the test, according to Prescient, can determine with 97% sensitivity whether an individual will become dependent on opioids, and will enable doctors to opt for a non-opioid treatment course instead. Prescient, so far, claims that around 10% to 20% of the population demonstrates a gene composition that indicates a greater capacity for addiction. Currently, the company is working with several health practitioner partners to figure out how best to integrate the test into the diagnosis and treatment workflow; theyre running five pilot projects with LifeKit across the country. Work on LifeKit Predict, says Prescient CEO and medical director Keri Donaldson, began around six years ago. Our preliminary research set out to ask the pretty basic question: Why do some patients develop drug dependencies and substance-abuse disorders, and others do not? he says. There are hundreds of articles about how genes may affect different portions of the addiction cyclewhether that be positive reinforcement, like you take a pill and it feels good, or negative reinforcement, as in you feel sick and take a pill to feel better, Donaldson says. Prescient started by researching the potential addictive properties of 10,000 genesaround one-third of the human genome. Over the years, they whittled the list down to 16 genes and their variants (alleles) particularly involved with drug metabolism and brain reward pathways. (This is what physicians are referring to when they describe how certain parts of the brain light up in response to stimulation.) In a recent paper published in the Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science, Prescient described analyzing how these particular 16 genes appeared in 37 patients with a history of opioid addiction; they matched those samples with 16 random control samples to get a sense of the variance in the composition and prevalence of the genes. From that initial sample, Prescient developed the LifeKit algorithm, which scores a patient out of 100, with anything over 52 representing an elevated risk of addiction. Prescient tested the model on another 138 samples before finalizing the algorithm to ensure that the results from the first small study applied to a larger population.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40513391/is-genetic-testing-part-of-the-solution-to-the-opioid-crisis
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Can The Private Sector Help Cities Stop Traffic Deaths?
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The city of Atlanta has a problem on North Avenue, a major road that runs east-west through the Georgia Tech campus north of downtown. The crash rate on the major artery is more than 200% worse than the statewide average for similar corridorswhich is especially concerning given that North Avenue is served by numerous key transit lines, and intersects with several bicycle routes. We had been actively seeking new technologies and opportunities that could help us enhance and improve the safety of North Avenue, says Faye DiMassimo, the general manager for Renew Atlanta, a $252 million infrastructure bond program introduced in 2015 to begin to address the citys $900 million backlog in infrastructure improvement needs. That search, DiMassimo says, lead Renew Atlanta to apply to a new road safety accelerator program that helped the agency, along with Georgia Tech, build out a North Avenue Smart Corridora project that, since launching in September, has seen the addition of over 100 data-collecting sensors, a new traffic signal system that responds to current conditions on the corridor, and a pilot of an autonomous bus network that will connect to the sensor system. The accelerator program that collaborated with Renew Atlanta on the Smart Corridor is called the Safer Roads Challenge, and hosted by Together for Safer Roads (TSR)a coalition of private companies committed to pooling their resources to work toward ending traffic crashes, the eighth leading cause of death worldwide. TSR launched in late 2015 with leadership from companies like AIG, Anheuser-Busch InBev, IBM, and AT&T, which are contributing data analysis, analytics systems, and business expertise toward traffic safety initiatives worldwide. Admittedly, this seems like a strange coalition of companies to get involved in road safety, but when you consider the stakes these companies have in the issue, a clearer picture starts to form. For insurance companies like AIG, reducing traffic crashes means reducing the number of claims they have to pay out; AB InBev and AT&T both oversee large fleets of vehicles that traverse the country making shipments or responding to customer needs. And theres a pretty obvious image-correcting effort at work here: AB InBev is an alcohol company, and AT&T is a cell phone company; together, in the popular imagination, they represent two of the most common causes of driving-related deaths. Its no wonder the companies would jump at an opportunity to associate themselves with road safety. Self-serving as TSR may be, though, reducing traffic crashes is the kind of effort that will require creative input from every aspect of society and industry. In 2010, the U.N. announced A Decade of Action for Road Safety, a mandate to save 5 million lives over the course of 10 years (around a 50% reduction from current rates) by creating safer vehicles and improving road safety and management, among other initiatives. But halfway through the decade, says TSR President David Braunstein, things were not going the way the UN had hoped. Annual traffic deaths still number around 1.25 million; injuries around 50 million. That stagnation in progress, Braunstein adds, served as the inspiration for TSR. A number of cities across the world have joined Vision Zero, an initiative to end traffic deaths through a combination of urban design, policy, and enforcement. Like the results of the U.N.s push, however, most cities with Vision Zero initiatives have followed through with only slow or half-hearted implementation of the policies. TSR, Braunstein says, is aiming to act as the private-sector response to both of these efforts, and one that will hopefully accelerate progress by injecting some more data and innovative technology into the landscape.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40509427/can-the-private-sector-help-cities-stop-traffic-deaths
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Did a Russian-Made Missile Strike an F-35?
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According to the available information, the Syrian Defense Forces used a S-200 missile against the Israeli warplane, Southfront claimed. Pro-Russian media are claiming that an Israeli F-35I was hit and damaged by a Russian-made S-200 surface-to-air missile during an Israeli air strike in Syria earlier this month. Israel says one of its F-35s was damagedafter colliding with a bird. (This first appeared in October of 2017.) The story begins on October 16, when Israel announced that its aircraft had struck a Syrian SAM battery near Damascus that had fired two hours earlier on Israeli reconnaissance planes flying over Lebanon. The attack damaged the missile battery, and no Israeli aircraft were hit, according to Israel. Coincidentally or not, the incident happened the same day that Russias defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. However, Southfront.org, a website that covers the Russian military and its intervention in the Syrian Civil War, suggested a different story. According to the available information, the Syrian Defense Forces used a S-200 missile against the Israeli warplane, Southfront claimed. Recommended: 5 Worst Generals in U.S. History Southfront could not resist pointing out that a much-vaunted F-35 stealth fighter had been hit by a missile that dates back to the 1960s. This Soviet-made missile is the most advanced long range anti-aircraft system operated by the Syrian military. Even in this case, its old-fashioned in terms of modern warfare. However, the evidence cited by Southfront seems rather tenuous. Hours after the Israeli military announced the strike on the Syrian missile battery, Israeli media reported that an Israeli F-35 had been damaged by a bird strike two weeks before (Google translation here). The plane reportedly landed safely, but the Israeli Air Force did admit that it wasnt sure whether the plane will fly again. Israel has taken delivery of only seven F-35Is so far, with a total of fifty on order. Recommended: 5 Reasons No Nation Wants to Go to War with Israel The incident allegedly took place two weeks ago but was publicly reported only on October 16, Southfront noted. However, Israeli sources were not able to show a photo of the F-35 warplane after the bird collision. Southfront didnt explain why the Israeli Air Force would feel a need to release a photo of a damaged stealth aircraft. As U.S. defense website The Drive points out, the F-35 is just entering Israeli service now, and wouldnt likely be flying missions over Syria just yet unless there was some kind of emergency (and Israel has plenty of F-15s and F-16s to handle those right now). Nor is it optimized for the kind of photographic reconnaissance missions that Israel flies over Lebanon. As The Drive summed up rather neatly, Although we cannot rule the possibility out entirely, as Freud would saysometimes a bird strike is just a bird strike. In any event, whats most interesting about this story isnt whether an F-35 was hit by a Russian missile. Like the existence of UFOs, the story may or not be true, but we need more than circumstantial evidence to give it any credence. No, the interesting part is that the F-35 has become such a symbol of U.S. technological prowessor incompetencethat any rumor that an F-35 has been damaged or shot down in combat will draw attention. Russia and its boosters will pounce on any suggestion that an F-35 has been hit, and no doubt the pro- F-35 crowd will counter those suggestions accordingly. Already there are reportsagain, just reportsthat Israeli F-35s have flown combat missions. Given that the U.S. and Israeli air forces are among the most active in the world, sooner or later the F-35 will really, truly see combat. But the rumors are out there now. This is just the beginning. Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook. Image: Creative Commons. Read full article
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https://news.yahoo.com/did-russian-made-missile-strike-100100414.html
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Can The Years Activist Spirit Continue To Grow In 2018?
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Almost overnight, after Donald Trump was elected President of the United States on November 8, 2016, the internet transformed into a hub of action. On the left, desperation abounded, but questions of How can we push back? and How can I get involved? soon drowned out the despair. advertisement advertisement In the short months between the election and Trumps inauguration, organizers set up the Womens March, which, when it unfolded on January 22 with approximately 4 million Americans taking to the streets in cities across the country, would prove to be one of the largest demonstrations in U.S history. The actions didnt stop there. The March for Science in April saw a global turnout of over 1 million and broke down the historic barrier between science and politics as researchers and scientists united against the administrations insistence that climate change is not real. Thousands of Americans turned out to protest Trumps travel ban against people from Muslim-majority countries; they turned out to oppose the administrations efforts to repeal Obamas Affordable Care Act; theyre in the midst of turning out to protest the Republican Partys tax plan, which will gut the middle class to afford a tax cut to corporations and the wealthiest slice of the population. The organizers behind all of these actionsand many morewill tell you: It cant, and it wont. Fast Company spoke to a handful of them about what they have planned for the year to come, and how the country can keep its activist spirit alive in 2018. Resisting With Diversity Opposition to the Trump administration has been vast and varied, but what has sustained it, and continues to sustain it, is that there is a way into it for every person who feels that their rights or existence has been threatenedand even for people, like well-off white men, who do not, but who object to the administration out of a greater sense of moral-ethical obligation. This has forced a reckoning of people figuring out new ways to work together, says Rashad Robinson, executive director of the nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization Color of Change. From Robinsons perspective, the act of resisting the current political climateand the fact of being on the receiving end of an administrations harshest policiesis not new. Part of this is recognizing that black people have always resisted, Robinson says. And the progressive movement for the past 60 years has really benefited from our participation, particularly that of black women. They have really been the cornerstone of progressive changewhen they participate in large numbers, the country has moved in the right direction, Robinson says. (Witness, for instance, the driving force of black women voters in the election of Doug Jones over Roy Moore for the Alabama Senate.) With whats been happening in the country over the past year, though, we like to think of this not as resisting, but as opposing, Robinson adds. How can we not only stop the destructive efforts of the administration but build something better? advertisement Building A Coalition While the term The Resistance might have gone from rallying cry to online punchline over the course of the year, the people on the ground leading these activist movements have continued their work building coalitions and strengthening the networks that connect them and allow them to work together. The Womens March, for instance, was focused on building a coalition of women of all different backgrounds, says Vanessa Wruble, the cofounder of March On, a nonprofit advocacy organization that spun off from the original Womens March group. Wruble, who also helped organize the March itself, tells Fast Company that she was very cognizant of the tensions that would be exacerbated by a bunch of white women going and marching on Washington without thinking of inclusivity. After all, 53% of white, female voters in the U.S. voted for Trump. Minority womenparticularly lower-income women and immigrantsface the greatest risk under his administration, which has done its level best to roll back affordable healthcare access and threaten immigrants seeking help with deportation. March On, Wruble says, has been determined to advance the goals of that diverse coalition while remaining responsive to its various needs. The way both the Womens March and March On have managed this, Wruble says, has been through its structure, which is more decentralized than it seems. None of the 600 Womens Marches that took place nationally were organized by the same group of women, Wruble says, and March On is powered by a handful of more localized subgroupsa format that March for Science, another nonprofit organization that grew out of a day of advocacy, has also adopted. Online platforms like The Action Network have allowed subgroups under March On and March for Science to keep in touch at a national level, and to open-source resources like petitions and strategies. But the digital network has also allowed the organizations to grow and mobilize from the ground up. To that end, March On, in the next year, will begin formulating its official agenda, but turning to crowdsourcing to make it happen. Were hoping that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people will take the poll that we create and let us know what their values are, what they stand for, and what future they want to create for our children, so we can really re-engage the millions who marched and reaffirm the fact that we want their voices to be heard, Wruble says. Activating The Base Finding ways to amplify peoples voices has been key to the work of the Resistance; perhaps no other year has been so filled with reminders from every corner of the internet to call elected officials in the leadup to a significant vote, from the myriad failed attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, to the Republican tax plan that looks disturbingly close to becoming law. The Indivisible Guide, which grew from a Google doc compiled by a few former Congressional staffers after the 2016 election to a fully fledged nonprofit organization in the span of a year, has provided constituents with structured dialogue formats that they can follow when on the phone with their elected officials. As former Congressional staffers, we saw it as our responsibility to show people how they could make a difference, says Sarah Dohl, chief communications officer for Indivisible. While Indivisible doesnt track the total number of calls made to members of Congress, more than 5 million people viewed the guide in the past year, and the organizations 6,000 sub-groups have collectively held over 500,000 actions, from sit-ins to district office visits. During the Alabama election, it saw people use Indivisibles peer-to-peer texting tool to send over 242,000 text messages. Republican senators like Mississippis Thad Cochran reported being overwhelmed by the number of calls asking them to oppose Obamacare repeal efforts. advertisement But organizations like Indivisible are not working alone; Dohl emphasizes that theyre just one branch in a network of grassroots organizations working to boost on-the-ground engagement. The Town Hall Projectan organization that, similar to Indivisible, grew out of a post-election Google Doccatalogs all elected official town hall meetings happening across the country in an effort to get more constituents out and engaging directly with the democratic process. And beyond direct political actions like calling representatives and showing up to meetings, people really want to apply their skills to good use, says Jessica Alter, one of the cofounders of Tech for Campaignsa nonprofit organization set up (yes, initially as a Google Doc) to connect progressive campaignsmostly down-ballot state legislature raceswith pro-bono assistance from tech professionals. In just the 11 months its been around, Tech for Campaigns has amassed a volunteer network of around 4,000 designers, coders, engineers, and social strategists, all of whom work in tech and want to dedicate their out-of-office time to helping with everything from website design to texting campaigns. TFCs impact was most palpable in Virginias statewide election in November, where volunteers assisted on 12 state legislature campaignsnine of which won their seats, and two of which went to recountsand helped fuel the first significant win for the Democrats since 2008. TFCs work, among other grassroots organizing efforts, also saw 15 Democratic Socialists of America members elected, proving that the enthusiasm for socialism spreading through the countrys younger population is finding a voice in the political landscape. Even though these were small races, Alter says, theyre significant. Especially at the state legislature level, races are won or lost by a couple hundred votes, Alter says. If you, as a volunteer, can help put your skills to work to create a texting or social campaign that will reach thousands of people, youll really make an impact. Looking Toward Next Year Next years midterms are at the center of many of these groups efforts for the new year. Tech for Campaigns, Alter says, will continue to funnel the skills of its volunteer base toward smaller campaigns in an effort to build a progressive movement from the ground up. Theyre smaller races, but these politicians decide on major things, Alter says. It feels sexier to work on a Senate race or a presidential campaign, but these smaller races are so consequential and often ignored, she adds. By the end of 2018, TFC wants to undertake 500 campaign projects. On top of that, Color of Change, Robinson says, is focusing its energy on holding responsible the people and organizations that enable the current administration, whether that be politicians, the media, or even the organizations allies. Over the past year, that effort coalesced into Color of Changes successful campaigns to lobby business leaders to quit Trumps councils, and to push credit card companies that have been processing the funds of white supremacist groups like Stormfront to cut off their services to hate groups. We need to focus on all these people around Trump, who if they defect or desert him, will diminish his power, Robinson says. As the 2018 midterms approach, Color of Change will continue to push businesses and companies to divest from racist candidates and organizations, and also, Robinson says, work to change the narrative at the cultural level around race in America. A recent Color of Change report found that, for example, just one popular crime show currently on TV had more than one black writer. Those shows that depict crime in urban areas, or the stories of black people, often dont have people of color shaping the stories. Weve got to change not just the written rules, but the unwritten rules and norms of culture, Robinson says. But we also, Robinson says, have to bring more people into the fight for justice. And thats where the work of organizations like March On will also come in in 2018. Launching early next year, March Ons comprehensive strategy, March on the Polls, will mobilize its members to get ready to, quite literally, get out and march people to the polls on Election Day. Its the idea that in every town, every city, every precinct, we can get people to march together, en masse, to their polls, Wruble says. Shes envisioning a hyperlocal, but also national effort that will, in many ways, make visible the work and the coalition-building the Resistance has done. But of course, Wruble says, getting to the point where that kind of organized effort will be possible will require much more work. We need to be focused on registering people to vote, fighting voter suppression, convincing people that their vote matters, and educating people about who and what theyre voting for, Wruble says. For that, well need all the tools the Resistance has been building since it began.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40507369/can-the-activist-spirit-of-2017-carry-the-u-s-through-2018
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When Is Shameless Season 9 Expected To Hit Netflix?
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'Shameless' fans without cable are dying to know when the next season will be added to Netflix. Considering Season 9 of Shameless just returned from the mid-season finale last week, it is a little early for it to have a concrete Netflix release date. This, however, hasnt stopped subscribers who rely on Netflix for access to newer shows and shows currently in production from wondering when Season 9 can be expected to hit the content library. Fortunately, as Whats On Netflix likes to remind us, the streaming giant is notorious for sticking to pretty consistent and predictable schedules when it comes to the release of a new season. For that reason, the Netflix news site has been able to make an educated guess regarding when fans of the Showtime series may get to tune in to the new season of the Gallagher family. According to Whats on Netflix, the streaming giant has dropped new seasons of Shameless into the content library between the months of June and August each year. So, fans of the series can expect the new season to drop sometime during that time window. As we get closer to the month of June, a more concrete release date for Season 9 on Netflix should become available. As Refinery 29 previously reported, the Netflix release date for each season of Shameless is such a huge deal and a hot topic because the series snagged a glow from the streaming giant that resulted in a growth in fan base and an increase in popularity. https://t.co/3lmLaygrtY pic.twitter.com/cKOtd3Mh6Y Daily Express (@Daily_Express) January 22, 2019 Being a Showtime series, it wasnt a show that a person with a basic cable package would have necessarily had access to and been able to watch. Even those who opt for TV streaming services such as Hulu TV or YouTube TV have to pay for a Showtime extension in order to access Showtime content such as Shameless. So, when the series was introduced to the Netflix library, it was also introduced to a whole new pool of viewers that quickly binged through the series and joined the fan base of the show. While Showtime president and CEO David Nevins openly admits there is no doubt Netflix has played a role in the popularity, the producers and writers are cautiously excited as it is important to make sure the show is still recognized as a piece of Showtime content and not a piece of Netflix content. The downside is I dont want people thinking its a Netflix show, he explained. 4Quay. (@Poppinnpolly) January 27, 2019 Shameless Season 9 is currently airing each Sunday night on Showtime, and is available roughly 24 hours prior via the Showtime streaming app.
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https://www.inquisitr.com/5269732/shameless-season-9-netflix/
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Is Google Street View The Next Big Census Tool?
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Drive through an unfamiliar neighborhood, and you can probably tell at a glance whether it votes Democrat or Republican just based on the numbers of sedans versus trucks parked along the street. That sounds like an assumption based purely on stereotypes about wealthy Democrats and rural, truck-owning Republicans. But its also backed by research. According to a new paper by out of the Stanford AI lab by researchers who were not affiliated with Google (except for coauthor Li Fei-Fei, who currently works for the company), there is an 88% chance that a neighborhood voted Democratic if its Google Street View images show more sedans than trucks. Similarly, if Street View shows more trucks than sedans, theres an 82% chance the area voted Republican. The research, published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveals a new methodology for measuring demographic data. Typically, the federal government completes country-wide surveys to create a large, public data set. The most famous of these surveys is the census, which occurs every 10 years, but there are others as well, like the American Community Survey, or ACS. This survey costs about $250 million per year for the Census Bureau to complete and provides information like income, race, education levels, and employment, and can often lag behind reality because it takes so long to complete each survey. But this new method uses 50 million Google Street View images to train algorithms on how to recognize different demographic factors based purely on neighborhood street scenes. The researchers write that this is a much less expensive means of gathering demographic data that could be updated more frequently. Because the U.S. spends more than $1 billion every year on programs like the ACS, this new method would certainly be less expensivebut theres a limit to using algorithms to discern attributes like race and income based purely on pictures. While the papers most striking example uses types of cars as a proxy for an areas political tendencies, the researchers say that by using an algorithm to determine the make, model, and year of 22 million vehicles found in the Street View images and then training it using demographic and voting data from the ACS, U.S. Census and 2008 presidential elections, they could also accurately predict income, race, and education in 200 cities across the U.S. For instance, the researchers found that people of Asian descent were more likely to drive Asian-made cars, while black people tended to drive cars made by Chrysler, Buick, and Oldsmobile. Pickup trucks, Volkswagens, and Aston Martins indicate a largely white neighborhood. Finding these trends helped the researchers algorithms predict race and education. To illustrate their findings, the researchers took a more granular look at a few cities: They predicted the percentages of black, white, and Asian people in different Seattle neighborhoods as well as the percentages of people with less than a high school degree, and those with high school diplomas, bachelors degrees, and graduate degrees in Milwaukee. A visualization that maps actual demographic information from the ACS side by side with the predicted demographic information reveals how accurate it is at a glance. The researchers chose cars as a proxy to determine demographic data for a few reasons, according to the papers lead author, Timnit Gebru. She says that differentiating between the models, makes, and years of cars is a difficult computer vision problem because the objects look so similar, making it an exciting research question. But cars also intuitively make sense as a proxy for things like incometheyre an obvious symbol of peoples consumption patterns. Not to mention that 90% of Americans own one. In addition, I think cars are the most dynamic objects that tell us about demographics, Gebru tells Co.Design in an email. The houses in a neighborhood can look the same from year to year but the cars can change.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90154867/is-google-street-view-the-next-big-census-tool
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What Can We Do About Bitcoins Enormous Energy Consumption?
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Bitcoin has recently been in the news for two big reasons. One, its becoming a lot more valuableone coin is worth $17,000 at the time of writingand some investors are becoming rich as a result. And two, because it seems that bitcoin is a huge energy hog. One widely cited estimate says mining the cryptocurrency consumes more power than the whole of Ireland. Another predicts that it could use as much electricity as the whole of the U.S. by the summer of 2019. advertisement advertisement Thats right: the whole of the United States. And just to run a currency that arguably isnt very useful and certainly is not tangible. You cant pocket and spend bitcoin in the same way as dollars and cents, even if it is currently a great investment. Most bitcoin is currently transacted as a tradable asset, not spent in stores or on websites in exchange for goods or services. Bitcoin isnt issued by governments or banks. Its created by a decentralized network of miners who mint about 3,500 new units a day. The miners play a crucial role validating transactions between participants in the network. They allow the network to operate without a coordinating authority like a central bank. This decentralization is inefficient, however. The miners compete for the right to validate transactions to the bitcoins universal ledgera blockchainby racing to solve complex mathematical puzzles. That takes a lot of computer processing and is akin to a vast lottery. Mining systems go through millions of combinations of letters and numbers to find the winning ticket and claim their reward. As the price of bitcoin has risen, so have the incentives to mine bitcoin. The networks hash ratea measure of computation activityhas grown in line with the market-rate price of bitcoin. Moreover, miners have an incentive to use the cheapest electricity possible. It is their highest cost of business: Every extra cent they spend to power their machines eats into potential profits. Half of the worlds mining poolshuge banks of specialized computers in warehousesare said to be in China, according to one study. And China uses a lot of coal to make electricity, raising bitcoins overall carbon footprint. Because of the bitcoin networks inbuilt secrecy, however, we dont really know how many people are mining and the efficiency of the equipment they are using. The Ireland-sized estimate comes from a site called Digiconomist that assumes miners spend 60% of the profits from mining on electricity. But another, from the crypto-entrepreneur Marc Bevand, reckons the bitcoin networks actual energy usage is roughly five times less than that. Thats because he thinks miners use equipment that is more efficient than Digiconomist supposes. Bevand estimates the actual power use is equivalent to one holiday season worth of decorative lighting. Which is surely a lotbut not as much as a mid-sized European country. One solution is to use cleaner forms of power, especially power that is otherwise wasted. advertisement In the Austrian alps, HydroMiner is renting or buying hydropower stations and filling them with mining machines. Michael Marcovici, an investor in the startup, says just 320 square feet of bitcoin mining equipment can easily burn through 500 kilowatts of constant power, the equivalent of 142 central air conditioners going continuously. But the startups energy and emissions impact is negligible, he argues. The power from the hydro plant doesnt normally go to the grid and on to homes and businesses, so its a question of using up something that would otherwise go unused. Burning trash to generate the electricity for mining is another idea. Standard American Mining, another miner, has teamed up with tire-to-electricity specialists PRTI and created the worlds first waste-to-energy crypto mine. This means its taking power generated from burning up old tires and using it to mine bitcoin. The defensible advantage is in vertically integrating mines with nontraditional, near-zero cost energy sources, says managing partner Anthony Pompliano, the fund behind Standard American Mining, in a blog post. It will become the Standard Oil of the computing industry. (We dont know how much energy is needed to burn the tires or what the emissions from the plant might look like.) Solar-powered mining may also make environmental sense, particularly in the middle of the afternoon when utilities often generate more power than can be accommodated on the grid. Nasty Mining, a club for crypto-mining enthusiasts, recently teamed up with SunPower, a solar manufacturer, which donated 29 panels for mining purposes. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies could even encourage homeowners to get solar panels if they want to mine their own currency. SolarCoin is a cryptocurrency designed to encourage people to buy solar panels, paying out one coin for every 1 megawatt hour of electricity homeowners generate from their rooftops. One coin is currently worth about 50 cents in conventional money. With the right marketing, cryptocurrencies could encourage ordinary people to invest in solar energy in order to quickly recoup their costs and generate future profits with mining, says the pseudonymous OgNasty, CEO of Nasty Mining, over email. You could even argue it has the potential to reduce household gas usage, as heating would be something done using mining equipment. If this cryptocurrency mining rush turns out to be a fad, many homes having a surplus of green energy would be a nice side effect. Crypto alternatives The bitcoin network is far from the only crypto game in town. And other platforms are much less energy intensive. The ethereum platform, an alternative to bitcoin, has roughly double the transaction rate, yet it uses only about a third of the energy, according to Digiconomist. Moreover, the Ethereum Foundation, which provides the technical underpinning to the network, is developing a new way of validating transactions that promises to be yet more efficient still. advertisement Called Proof of Stake (PoS), the new protocol would replace the current protocol used on both bitcoin and ethereum, known as Proof of Work. PoS doesnt reward miners in coins for solving cryptographic puzzles. Instead, owners of currency are selected from a pool of validators (or forgers) and rewarded with transaction fees for helping to maintain the integrity of the network. More experimentally, Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent, is developing the Chia Network, an ecological alternative to bitcoin based on another protocol called Proof of Space. This allows miners to participate as validators using only their everyday computers. They make available spare storage on their PCs, receiving rewards in line with the volume of space they provide. The aim is to return crypto-mining to its more egalitarian beginnings, when anyone with a computer could participate whatever their budget and computing power. The waste of electricity with bitcoin is really gross, says Cohen, in an interview (he estimates that bitcoin uses at least $10 million worth of electricity a day). And the centralization of mining is a problem for bitcoins day-to-day politics. Cohen says the new network will be less energy intensive than bitcoin because it wont offer an advantage to miners with additional processing power. Chia hopes to launch toward the back-end of 2018, if Cohens (ambitious ) to-do-list gets crossed off. He is currently hiring programmers to get to work. Whether or not bitcoin is replaced by other cryptocurrency networks or protocols, it has a built-in structure to reduce its energy use over time. Under rules set by Satoshi Nakamoto, its anonymous inventor, the rewards for mining bitcoins will decrease in the future, acting as a disincentive for miners to invest in bigger and more energy-hungry equipment. In 2020, verifying one block of transactions to the blockchain will be worth only 6.25 coins (plus fees) compared to 12.5 coins (plus fees) now. However, the bigger question might be whether bitcoin is worth the energy usage at all. It depends on your perspective. If bitcoin is merely an asset bubblea game played by traders and bored computer programmersit would seem like a colossal waste of resources. advertisement After all, there are few reasons for bitcoin to exist. Arguably, paying for stuff using a credit card, or cash, or mobile phone is already fairly easy. Bitcoin has a slow processing rate compared to conventional payment networks like Visa. We dont need a new currency if the goal is ease-of-use. Bitcoin only begins to make sense for more political reasonsbecause you dislike central banks, banks in general, or you want to operate in secrecy beyond the view of governments and other snoopers. The more positive argument for expending energy on bitcoin is that its the first step in a journey. Bitcoin is a grand experiment in a new, decentralized form of computing that could have implications for all kinds of business processes, from finance to music. It is also a fount of new startups and jobs. Labeling bitcoin mining as a waste is a failure to look at the big picture. It is ignoring that these jobs alone that are a direct, measurable, and positive impact that bitcoin already made on the economy, Bevand, the entrepreneur, writes. It comes down to whether you think bitcoin is more than a currencythat is, the first stage in a revolution that will ultimately decentralize most commercial activity, handing power back to individuals instead of expensive intermediaries like banks and lawyers. People who think cryptocurrencies are extremely important for society tend to have less of a problem with the energy usage, says Marcovici, at Hydrominer, in Austria. People who are not so much fans of them are the ones who are driving the discussion about energy. Its a philosophical question.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40503695/what-can-we-do-about-bitcoins-enormous-energy-consumption
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Is The Cannabis Industry Repeating Silicon Valleys Worst Mistakes?
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One oft-cited statistic about the cannabis space claims that women hold 36% of leadership positions in the industry, higher than the 22% average across all U.S. businesses. That figure was first published in 2015, but its hard to know where it stands at the dawn of 2018; sales of legal marijuana hit $6.7 billion last year and are projected to exceed $20 billion by 2021. advertisement advertisement Like digital technology two decades ago, legal cannabis is a new industry thats being built rapidly from the ground up, meaning its norms and culture arent yet fixed. Yet Ebony Costain, the founder and CEO of BDTNDR, a job-training platform for cannabis workers, believes that if cannabis is any friendlier to women than Silicon Valley, then its definitely a white-women space. As she and other cannabis entrepreneurs of color see it, the reason is simple: By largely replicating the tech sectors funding model, the nascent cannabis industry is importing many of the exclusionary practices that tech companies are still struggling to shake. Big Money And Scant Access Eaze is a California-based cannabis delivery service with more than $50 million in funding, which reportedly lost $1 million each month this year. Venture capital finds its way into every high-growth industry, so the fact that many cannabis startups are venture-backed and operating in the red is no surprise. But its one cause for concern among those who are looking to build an inclusive industry from the ground up. For Sunshine Lencho, cofounder of Supernova Women, an Oakland, Californiabased advocacy group for people of color in cannabis, the prevalence of big VC money in the space is a sign that were basically replicating a model from techand theres no secret there as to who operates tech businesses. Shes referring to the black women who see just 0.2% of VC funding overall despite being the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., a problem rooted in the demographics of venture capital itself: Less than 3% of VC firms investment teams consist of people who identify as black or Latinx, and that small cohort reports greater difficulty getting investors to back the minority-led startups theyre excited about. All 10 of the people I spoke to for this article, the majority of them black womenfrom entrepreneurs to investors and lawyers working in the spacestressed the rare combination of factors, including educational and startup-world pedigrees, that gave them footholds in cannabis.I havent witnessed as many barriers as I thought I would, says Costain, adding that she knows a Canopy stamp on our forehead makes us better and more acceptable. I would say we are in a very lucky position, and I dont think everyone will experience this, unfortunately. Canopy is a highly regarded Colorado accelerator that invests in ancillary cannabis startups, meaning those that dont actually touch the plant, like medical cannabis delivery service Meadow or EstroHaze, a cannabis business and lifestyle brand for women of color. Costains company BDTNDR was chosen for Canopys fall 2017 cohort, but the vast majority of founders in Canopys portfolio are white, as are most of the accelerators leadership and mentors. advertisement advertisement But even state-level approval doesnt put entrepreneurs in the clear. Research suggests that the VC world is rife with biasessome unconscious, others simply unexpressedthat have disproportionately channeled tech funding in the hands of white and Asian men. Theres no guarantee that an investor will smile on founders with cannabis-related criminal records, even if state or local regulators do. And so far, there are few signs that the cannabis sector is on the verge of solving these issues. Small Money And Big Obstacles A noteworthy exception is Oakland, Californias equity program for cannabis businesses, arguably the most innovative effort to date to reduce both the criminal-justice barriers that uniquely impact access to the cannabis market and the barriers to funding long familiar in Silicon Valley. Introduced last year, it reserves half the citys cannabis business licenses for neighborhoods most affected by the aggressive policing of drug crimes over recent decades. (In 2015, 77% of people arrested for marijuana possession in Oakland were black, 15% were Latinx, and only 4% were white; each group makes up about 30% of the citys population.) Equity applicants must have lived in their respective neighborhoods for at least 10 years over a 20-year period and must earn no more than 80% of the citys average median income. The program is also open to anyone who meets the income requirement and was convicted of a marijuana-related crime since 1996, when California legalized cannabis for medicinal use. Related: This Feminist Weed Camp Isnt Just For White Women But critics say the Oakland program doesnt reduce obstacles entrepreneurs face even before applying. Some of them lie beyond the citys jurisdiction. Since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, startups in the space are subject to section 280E of the federal tax code, which bars them from claiming certain deductions and in many cases securing bank loans. Banks often reflexively turn away even ancillary founders for fear of unwanted scrutiny from federal regulators. (Similar frustrations are familiar to owners of adult and sex-tech businessesmany of whom are also women and minoritieswhich, despite being legal, are often rejected by banks and VCs due to stigma, risk aversion, or just plain bias.) Other issues are unique to Oakland. While California doesnt bar formerly incarcerated people from working in cannabis, and the equity program actively encourages them to apply, a founder who meets the other criteria but falls short of the citys 10-year residency requirement, for instance, is out of luck. Oaklands scarce, expensive real estate is another problem, which the program addresses by allowing equity applicants to partner with an entrepreneur who has already locked down space. The latter offers the former a rent-free workspace for three years, and the pair can apply jointly to accelerate their businessess licensing. advertisement One entrepreneur Bourelly works with has done just that, but she points out thats where the partnership often ends. Unless theyre very passionate about bringing in people of color, she points out, non-equity applicants arent required to share access to their connections or sales, she explains. Without robust networks like those that Unsworth and Costain spent years building before getting into cannabis, many founders of color find themselves struggling. Oaklands program reserves $3 million, plus technical assistance, for two years to help equity founders get started. By Bourellys estimate, that might end up helping some 50 companies in the coming year, assuming each receives about $30,000, which is what Gateway itself offers the startups it accepts. (Bourelly says its not yet clear how the money will be distributed.) And while equity applicants tell Bourelly that even $20,000 could prove decisive, for comparison, Y Combinators standard investment in the startups (cannabis or otherwise) it backs is about $120,000. (One of the few firms making larger investments is Casa Verde Capital, which lists Snoop Dogg among its partners and initially offers $500,000 to early-stage companies, but only to ancillary cannabis startups.) For many cannabis entrepreneurs, access to funding well beneath the million-dollar mark matters. A big reason, according to most of the founders and venture partners I spoke to, is because the margins for cannabis businesses are typically razor-thin. Lencho cautions against gaping at the $6.7 billion in revenue cannabis reportedly raked in last year: No one is talking about the money that people who are operating are making, because theyre not [making much]. And as competition increases, so does the the amount of initial capital needed to get a company off the ground. Under $100,000 is about what I started with three years ago, but I dont know that I could do that again, says Unsworth. I dont think I would be able to scale [StashTwist] fast enough. For the companys next fundraising round, she is seeking about $800,000. Black VCs Dont, Either Ways Forward If theres any upside to the fact that cannabiss diversity problems share similar sources as techs, its that some of the necessary solutions are obvious. By comparison, untangling the regulatory and criminal-justice issues, as Oakland is trying to do, will likely mean experimenting with different approaches over time. advertisement One of Gateways alums, Khari Stallworth, points to an issue founders of color beyond cannabis know all too well: Where are the people that look like me . . . [who] can invest in my idea? he asks. You have no idea how hard its been for me to take a look on LinkedIn and find just 10 people, [when] I filter down with the word cannabis and investor, that are black. Stallworth tells me hes spent months scraping together just one or two meetings, despite the fact that his edibles company, Kamala, has been in business for eight years. People know us up and down the California border, but Im going to have to constantly prove that I deserve to have that recognition because Im producing a good product, he says. I have a company that has 28 SKUs. I have traction. I have three distributors. Stallworth hopes more people like Snoop Doggwealthy black musicians or athletes who want to invest in cannabiswill enter the space, leapfrogging over hesitant VC firms dominated by white men. But until that happens, the clearest fix is simply to diversify the investor ranks. While Stallworth says his experience with Gateway was invaluable, he contends that more diverse advisors would have helped, especially when youre dealing with a company thats coming from the underground to be above ground, he adds. By way of example, Stallworth points out that selling cannabis edibles to a heavily Latinx community could be very different than selling to a market that skews black. Somebody in the Latino community [may] want something thats extremely spicy, he explains, but that extremely spicy product will not carry over, quite possibly, into an African-American community. Crucially, Stallworth believes, investors of color are more likely not just to grasp these challenges, but to see them as potentially lucrative opportunities. Thats going to take an understanding of what the community wants, he says, not just a broad-based, Hey, Im a white guy and Ive been making products forever. Listen to what Im saying.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40495250/is-the-cannabis-industry-repeating-silicon-valleys-worst-mistakes
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Can Business Schools Make Companies Ethical?
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Capital & Main is an award-winning publication that reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. advertisement advertisement advertisement Its become a foundational expectation for what schools do, says Dan LeClair, an executive vice president with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the main accrediting organization for business schools. Business schools are starting to realize that their purpose in education is not just to solve problems for business, but to solve problems for business in the context of society. In its accreditation standards, LeClairs organization notes business schools must demonstrate a commitment to address, engage and respond to current and emerging corporate social responsibility issues. Those include diversity, sustainable development, environmental sustainability and globalization of economic activity across cultures. Paul Adler, however, rejects the idea that this generation is more socially conscious than previous ones. A professor of management and organization at the University of Southern Californias Marshall School of Business, Adler sees several forces at work, including a challenging labor market that makes it more difficult for college graduates to find a path in this world. Theyre bringing some degree of frustration and some eagerness to find a way to do good through the vehicle of business, he says. Also, the MBA has become the de facto training ground for those who want to manage anything, he says, and thats brought people into business schools who in the past might have pursued something like a public administration degree. In many ways, this reflects the rise of the market as an ideology in our society today, Adler says. The legitimacy of the nonprofit sector or public sector as a vehicle for social change is much less today than it was 40 years ago, so people are desperately looking for ways for the business sector to become a vehicle for positive change. advertisement Adler is extremely skeptical of that possibility. There are very, very few of these for-profit corporations that really have made of their [corporate responsibility] functions anything more than window dressing, he says. Teaching What It Means To Be A Responsible Leader And yet top schools have moved heavily into this space. The University of Pennsylvanias famed Wharton School (graduates include Elon Musk and J.D. Power III, and it boasts a long list of accomplished business leaders) is typical. There, all MBA students must take either Responsibility in Business or Responsibility in Global Management courses that explore, among other things, students personal conceptions of what it means to be a responsible leader through negotiation simulations, group projects and discussions designed to help them reflect on their own values and behavior. Undergrad business majors must take one of two courses on legal studies and business ethics, and the schools social impact initiative offers courses, fellowships and research on impact investing (the idea of doing well by doing good). For their part, Columbia Universitys MBA students have three class sessions on ethics as part of their orientations. They focus on value-based leadership, corporate social responsibility and corporate governance, says Bruce Kogut, director of the schools Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center For Leadership and Ethics. And at Harvard University, all MBA students must take the Leadership and Corporate Accountability course in their second semester, to learn about the systems that leaders use to promote responsible conduct by companies and their employees. They use case studies to explore ethical issues at actual companies. Rather than presenting the students with clear-cut, black and white issues, the course focuses on the sort of gray issues that come across the transom of decision-making executives on a regular basis,' says a Harvard spokesman. Perhaps not surprisingly, given its liberal Bay Area location and Silicon Valley connection, Stanford University has been ahead of the curve on corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability (practices and decisions designed to protect, rather than harm the natural world). Weve basically been doing it since the 1960s, says Neil Malhotra, director of Stanfords Center for Social Innovation. advertisement The center began as the Public Management Program, launched by Dean Arjay Miller, to develop business leaders who could address social challenges. There are now over 30 classes related to social innovation, Malhotra says, and a required class on business ethics. There Wasnt Any Discussion Of These Issues At All Its all a big shift from the 1980s, when Harry Van Buren was getting his undergraduate degree. Today he holds the Rust Professorship in Business Ethics in the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. There wasnt any discussion of these issues at all, Van Buren says. I took the very first business ethics course Syracuse University ever offered in 1989. An ethics course has been required for UNM undergraduates and graduates for more than 20 years, he adds, incorporating issues around social responsibility, sustainability, ethics and diversity. Students must write analyses of business decisions that address the processes and outcomes from those decisions in ethical terms. The Anderson School also houses the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, which serves as a resource on business ethics education for higher education institutions across New Mexico. I think students gain an appreciation of how the decisions they make have implications, positive and negative, for stakeholders, Van Buren says, referring to customers, employees, government and society at large, as opposed to only focusing on shareholders with a financial stake in a company. At the University of Colorado, Boulder, the Leeds School of Business has an entire Center for Education on Social Responsibility. Much of the growth toward a social responsibility focus was driven by the Leeds family, says Mark Meaney, the centers executive director. advertisement They wrote into the agreement that all business students undergraduates and graduates enjoy an immersive experience in ethics, social responsibility, diversity and sustainability, he says. Each freshman must take a course called the World of Business that incorporates those four pillars, and as sophomores they must take courses in ethics and social responsibility. About 10 percent of the students pursue a certificate in socially responsible enterprise; MBA students can graduate with an emphasis in sustainable operations. Meaney is also the North American chair of the Principles of Responsible Management Education an initiative involving the United Nations and about 650 business schools worldwide designed to create more responsible managers. All signatories must submit a report every two years outlining their progress on those principles; the organization has delisted schools from PRME membership for not following that requirement. A survey of students at schools that are signatories to the PRME principles found many students want more emphasis on issues like ethics and corporate responsibility. About 45 percent felt their schools were not doing enough in this area and 28 percent wanted more coursework on topics such as ethics and environmental sustainability. The studys author, Debbie Haski-Leventhal of Australias Maquarie University, found that 19 percent of responding students were willing to sacrifice future salary to work for an employer who cares about employees, the community, the environment and ethics. Students are saying clearly and loudly that their business schools should be doing more in this space, she says. The skeptical Paul Adler recalls how a former student went to work in supply chain management for a large corporation. After the 2012 Tazreen Fashions factory fire in Bangladesh, her company first denied any of its products were manufactured there, but eventually it came out they were. advertisement So there was a big discussion in the organization We have to do something about this,' Adler says. She assumed there would be some kind of action. There wasnt, and when the Rana Plaza building collapsed a year later, killing more than 1,000 workers, it became clear the companys suppliers were still involved in unsafe factories in the country. So, disgusted and demoralized, she left. She was with a whole group whose mission was to ensure suppliers were behaving according to the companys code of conduct, and [was] constantly overruled by the finance guys. I dont think thats an unusual experience. Adler adds that unless you have funders like the Leeds family who want it, or companies demanding it when they come recruiting graduates, or lawmakers pushing for it at public schools, then fundamental change wont happen. Henry Mintzberg, Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University in Montreal, has argued that the very idea of the MBA is flawed. He contends getting a degree from a prestigious school actually fosters a certain hubris thats unjustified and often causes managers to be disconnected from what theyre managing, and that can be destructive. He also doubts that debating ethics in a classroom prepares students to face real ethical quandaries in the work world. If Not Ethical Behavior, At Least Awareness The University of New Mexicos Van Buren says business schools cant make someone ethical, but they can expose them to important ideas. They can help students be aware there are social expectations facing businesses, and indeed all organizations, he says. And this sort of teaching challenges the shareholder-centric paradigm that typifies a lot of business school coursework. advertisement One recent graduate from UNMs business school, Ronak Bhatt, is working as a controller for a health company and says his education served him well. What Im carrying forward into my profession and every interaction Im having is the ability to think [things] through: How is my decision going to impact all stakeholders and what are the negative external consequences we didnt see? Some graduates find the sweet spot of social responsibility by simply doing their own thing. When she was at the Harvard Business School, Sarah Endline was involved with Net Impact, which brings together students interested in how to make positive impacts on society. She graduated in 2001 and went to work for Yahoo, but eventually launched her own company, Sweetriot, which promises to fix the world through chocolate with a commitment to fair trade and supporting nonprofits. The ideals of Net Impact apply to any industry being a great team player, impacting the community, caring about the world around you, she says. I dont consider that just one industry. Debbie Haski-Leventhal remains optimistic about change in business schools and in business. I dont know of any perfect company, she says. But I see more and more companies taking some of these issues very seriously. advertisement Change, she adds, tends to happen slowly.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40508606/can-business-schools-make-companies-ethical
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Do Corporations Want To Save America?
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Capital & Main is an award-winning publication that reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. advertisement advertisement In August the New York Times celebrated CEO leadership after white supremacist violence erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, in a story headlined The Moral Voice of Corporate America. One of those CEOs, General Motors chairman Mary T. Barra, called on the country to come together and reinforce values and ideals that unite ustolerance, inclusion, and diversity. Breitbart News, the radical-right voice of aggrieved whites, meanwhile, was lamenting a corporate antifa, evoking the unlikely pairing of power ties and black bandannas. This past year, hundreds of corporate leaders have tweeted, signed letters, gone to court, sent out internal employee memos, and quit presidential advisory councils in reaction to President Trumps racially charged statements and his actions on climate change, refugees, immigration, and the right of transgender people to serve in the military. Its a very big sea change in the world of CEOs that [they] would publicly speak out and take stands on issues that are not necessarily tied to their bottom line, says Leslie Gaines-Ross, a reputation consultant for Weber-Shandwick, a New York public relations firm. If Trump has been the most visible cause of CEO outspokenness over the past year, he is certainly not the only cause for C-suite consternation. Nationalist and anti-free-trade leadersnotably Marine Le Pen in France and Geert Wilders in the Netherlandshave been gaining ground in Europe as well. Britains Brexit vote last year was propelled by anti-immigrant and anti-free-trade sentiment that is anathema to corporate leaders who generally favor free flows of capital and labor. When governments are not effective or not reliable, that means that businesses often have to step in and play a role, says Aron Cramer, whose group BSR (formerly Businesses for Social Responsibility) advocates for progressive business practices. He adds, however, that its critical that they not overstep that role. advertisement The pressure to pay attention to social issues is not just coming from the nativist movements that have propelled the rise of right-wing leaders. It is also coming from political and social progressives. Tech companies, for instance, once media darlings, are being reviled as gentrifiers that are pricing working-class families out of some West Coast cities. Congressional leaders recently berated Google, Facebook, and Twitter for failing to protect the public from Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election. And Bernie Sanderss insurgent 2016 presidential campaign made unchecked corporate power its prime target. Grounded in a longer tradition of engagement on social and environmental issues, CEO activism has no doubt been invigorated by Trumps erratic and divisive leadership, observers say. But skeptics note that executives response to Trump will only go so far to advance the public interest in an era when companies are increasingly focused on short-term returns. CEOs began agitating soon after Trump was elected. More than 100 U.S. technology companies went to court in February to oppose the presidents ban on immigration from seven majority Muslim countries. Hundreds of businessesincluding tech companies, energy firms, and automakersadvocated staying in the Paris climate accords after Trump announced in June that the U.S. was pulling out. More than 1,700 companies and investors have signed a pledge to support climate action to meet the Paris targets. Widespread CEO condemnation of Trumps response to the deadly violence in Charlottesville led to an exodus of executives from his business advisory councils in August and the councils being dissolved in what many observers thought would be a pivotal moment for the presidency. Less than a month later, more than 400 CEOs and business leaders signed a letter urging Trump to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an Obama administration program giving thousands of immigrants brought to this country as children protection against deportation. Brad Smith, Microsofts president and chief legal officer, told NPR last August that in order for federal officials to deport any DACA recipients in the companys employ, it would have to go through us. In early November, Google, Microsoft and Facebook joined 100-plus other tech companies to mount a legal challenge to President Trumps effort to end DACA. The outspokenness of CEOs on race, immigration, climate, and diversity this year may have been aided by the groundwork laid by the corporate social responsibility movement, says Allen White of the Tellus Institute, a Cambridge, Massachusetts non-profit research and policy organization. advertisement How The Movement Gained Momentum Corporate social responsibility can be traced to the late 1800s, but it is largely a 20th century phenomenon that has gained momentum since the 1950s. The current movement was once the dominion of a few mission-driven companies like Ben & Jerrys and the Body Shop, but it is now incorporated into the operating practices of most multinational firms, which regularly set environmental goals, produce sustainability reports on meeting current needs without compromising the ability to meet future ones, and establish codes of conduct governing their practices in far-flung factories. The genesis of the contemporary movement was reactive, says White, and came in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska and the Bhopal toxic gas leak at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in India that led to thousands of deaths. But other more recent developments have propelled the movement. Recent research shows that consumersespecially millennialsare more purpose-driven. They want to work for companies that share their values. Consumers also want to buy from brands that offer sustainable products, although research suggests that there is a limit to their willingness to pay more for that privilege. An increasing share of U.S. assets are under management that incorporates sustainability investment strategies. And CEOs spend time and resources trying to foster work cultures that value diversity and inclusion. Google invested $265 million in diversity programs in 2014 and 2015. The speed at which bad publicity can travel the internet is also a motivating force. The cost and the penalty for being a bad company has gone up radically, Mats Lederhausen told an October BSR conference in Huntington Beach. He is a self-described concerned and confused capitalist and founder of BE-CAUSE, a purpose-driven investment fund. We live in a Clark Kent economy where everybody has X-ray vision, he says. BSR is one of the organizations that has helped establish the corporate responsibility movement. When it started organizing in the early 1990s, it was made up of social entrepreneurs and known to some as a collection of candle makers and sandal makers. Twenty-five years later, BSRa membership organization with offices on three continentscan bring together 21st century capitalisms major playersMcDonalds, Microsoft, Walmart, the big boys and girls of tech, pharma, energy, food, and retail. advertisement A lot of CEOs have spoken up loud and clear at a time when that has been so badly needed, said BSRs Cramer. He was warming up a dinner-time crowd for former Vice President Al Gore and a power point featuring climate refugees, the devastating super-storms of 2017, and an urgent call to action. Hundreds of people filled the Hyatt Regency banquet room, many of them sustainability and compliance officers responsible for carrying out the day-to-day work of meeting environmental and social goals. Two days later, Planned Parenthoods Cecile Richards capped off the conference with a plea to make womens issues more central to the corporate agenda. From Profit To Purpose Meanwhile, Milton Friedman, conservative economist and corporate responsibility skeptic, was likely turning over in his grave. The only social responsibility of business is to increase its profits, Friedman famously wrote in 1962. But eight years later, Paul Samuelson, a Nobel laureate in economics, said, A large corporation these days not only may engage in social responsibility, it had damn well better try to do so. Critics on the left, like former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, though, argue that too many corporate responsibility initiatives merely constitute savvy marketing or, at worst, an attempt to avoid public scrutiny and needed regulations. Joanne Bauer, a human rights advocate who teaches corporate social responsibility at Columbia University, questions whether energized consumers can serve as a check on corporations, given that their own desires for well-made, low-priced goods can often stand in conflict with ethical concerns for how those products are made. This notion that consumers can be at once citizen-regulators, as well as consumers, is kind of impossible, says Bauer, who would sooner see the human rights agenda centered on the concerns of communities impacted by companies. Another weakness of the corporate responsibility movement, critics say, is its inability to address the rising inequality that may be fueling right-wing movements sweeping the U.S. and Europe. advertisement Tackling wealth inequality is a no-go zone for most executives, says the Tellus Institutes White. Their success and their tenure are rooted in share prices, he says. White leads an initiative that seeks to remake the 21st century corporation in a way that would make a social purpose integral to its mission. The BSRs Cramer is not giving up on the idea that companies, as they are currently configured, can help to address an economy where Intuit research projects nearly half of the jobs will be contingent part-time or with independent contractors by 2020. Companiesworking with partnerswill increasingly need to figure out how to create new models of employment and new ways of establishing lifelong learning in order to adapt to the changing nature of work, Cramer told his Huntington Beach audience. The next day, at a session on the fraying social contract, participants floated such ideas as portable benefits and a universal basic income. Corporations will never be the vanguard of the resistance to Trump, argues White, who points out that many administration proposals from reduced corporate tax rates to the easing of environmental and financial regulations are central to business leaders agendas. Many executives have tried to avoid making their disagreements with Trump personal. Fewer than 35 percent of CEOs mention Trump by name when discussing the Muslim travel ban and Charlottesville, according to an analysis of CEO responses conducted by Weber Shandwicks Gaines-Ross. Microsofts Smith performed that delicate dance as he spoke at the BSR conference. He credited the Trump administration for continuing an Obama-era initiative to fund computer science education and pointedly included a slide that pictured Smith in a Virginia classroom alongside Ivanka Trump. Smith said Microsoft will partner whenever we can and stand apart when we should. advertisement Microsoft, currently working to bring broadband to rural parts of the country, is performing well, beating Wall Street revenue expectations in all but one of the last nine quarters. But CEOs who invest in corporate responsibility initiatives do not last as long if their companies are faring poorly, according to a recent study by Tim Hubbard of Notre Dames business school. This may also be true for those CEOs who speak out on controversial issues at a time when the country is so divided. As Congress moved to repeal Obamacarea central pledge of the Trump campaign J. Mario Molina, of Long Beach-based Molina Healthcare, was the only insurance company executive who protested loudly. The company serves a mostly low-income clientele, including more than a million people through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. Molina spoke critically of the Republican healthcare legislation to the media and, in late April, wrote a letter to Congressional leaders projecting repeal would cause as many as 700,000 people to lose coverage in 2017. In May, Molina and his brother, also an executive at the company, were abruptly fired from the firm their father founded. However, Molinas criticism of the proposed Republican health insurance overhaul may not have been the only reason for his ouster. The company also had short-term problems, according to Chris Jennings, a Washington D.C.-based healthcare policy consultant. But if the company, which was profitable in the first quarter of 2017, was doing extremely well across the board in all markets, his board would likely have kept him in place, Jennings said. The day Molina was fired, the companys shares rose 20%.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40507327/do-corporations-want-to-save-america
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Will The Sharing Economy Give Everyone Their Fair Share?
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Call it the ultimate life hackgetting rid of middlemen in everyday transactions. You text direct-to-source to order an Uber or reserve an Airbnb, for example, rather than call a dispatcher or a hotel reservation line. Its a new kind of economya so-called sharing economy or platform economythat is by all accounts booming. The Brookings Institute estimates it will have grown from $14 billion in 2014 to a whopping $335 billion by 2025, suggesting that its replacing traditional forms of commerce, especially among tech-savvy and cash-strapped millennials. Heres the appeal of the sharing economy. By doing away with brokers and intermediaries, you do away with the fees they impose in traditional-economic exchanges. For example, rather than going through a bank to borrow money, you can go directly to Lending Club, which offers a lower interest rate on what you borrow. The lender wins, too; she enjoys a higher rate of return without having to shell out a dime in administrative fees. Understand that Lending Club and similar companies like thredUP and Grubhub do not supply products in the traditional sense; theyre using technology to streamline the buyer-seller relationship and make it more lucrative on both ends. Sharing economy fans believe this approach is the most efficient, effective use of time, money and resources around. It enables consumers to sock away money for future spending. But the model has its critics, too. According to a U.S. National League of Cities survey, 33 percent of cities ranked their relationships with sharing companies as very poor. Theres little surprise why that would be: the difficulties of the sharing economy have received as much news coverage as its growth. Citing labor rights and public safety concerns, cities have faced down car companies such as Uber and Lyft with regulatory barriers. Participants on both sides of the sharing economy can also get fed up. As Vanity Fair recently reported, a driver for the on-demand delivery service Postmates is suing the company for taking chunks of her earnings. Consumers have also related horror stories, such as the Uber customer who said she was charged more than $2,000 on her credit card, none of which she authorized.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40504669/will-the-sharing-economy-help-you-gain-market-share
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Is Californias Weed Market Ready For Legalization After A Year Of Wildfires?
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Peter Pietrangeli received the dire news in the early morning of October 9. One of the dozen-plus wildfires that were just then spreading across Northern California was closing in on his Marin County cannabis farm. Pietrangeli, CEO of Acme Elixirs, a cannabis oil and edibles company that operates several marijuana growing facilities in Northern California, didnt hesitate. Rounding up a group of volunteers and working as ash fell like rain around them, he began harvesting each of his towering plants and moving them by truck to an empty storage container on a nearby cannabis farm, where he hoped they would be safe from fire and smoke damage. After a week of 18-hour days, Pietrangeli was ready to celebrate with a margarita and a long nights sleep. Thats when he got the other call: Flames were heading for another one of his grows in the Santa Cruz mountains. After evacuating the dozen workers staying there in the dead of night and waiting out the blaze with them at a nearby hotel, Pietrangeli returned to his property to assess the damage. While none of his farms burned down, smoke from the fires damaged a substantial part of his fall crop. Hes far from the only one in the cannabis business reeling from Californias devastating wildfires, which swept through the states famed Emerald Triangle, the prime marijuana-producing region in Northern California comprised of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties. At least 44 cannabis farms were consumed in the blazes, but in an industry that still largely exists in the shadows, many suspect the total number could be much greater. Plus, that number doesnt include the crops that survived the fires but were contaminated by smoke or fire retardant chemicals, which could degrade the product or make it unusable. Crops also might have suffered when growers were forced to evacuate for extended periods of time, leaving them susceptible to desiccation and theft. If you were in this situation and the fire didnt take out your crop and smoke didnt ruin it, you still werent able to get to your crop to water your plants or deal with the potential element of theft, says Pietrangeli. Its why he figures the fires could have a significant impact on Californias plan to launch a recreational cannabis industry at the beginning of 2018. We are already seeing the price of cannabis going up right now, he says. And I think we are definitely going to see a dip in supply. The wildfires couldnt have come at a worse time for Californias cannabis market: in the middle of harvest season and just a few months shy of the launch of the 2018 launch of a sprawling recreational cannabis program voters approved last year, which will mean legal pot is available across the state to anyone over 21. Some experts believe it might be. Greg Shoenfeld, director of retail relations for the marijuana data insights company BDS Analytics, says that when recreational cannabis markets in other states experienced similar supply-chain disruptions, like when unusually stringent new testing requirements plus a shortage of cannabis testing labs slowed down Oregons cannabis production in 2016, consumers saw marijuana prices increase by 10% to 20%. And while such upsurges didnt last long, California might be the exception, since it will take a year before another outdoor cannabis crop is ready for harvest. (While indoor grow facilities can speed up the marijuana cultivation process and produce three or four harvests a year, outdoor cannabis farms only yield a single harvest annually.) Rather than 90 or 120 days for the situation to rebound, the impact could be much more prolonged in California, says Shoenfeld. And while a 10% to 20% price spike might not seem like much, that premium would be on top of all of the pricey new taxes and fees that could leave recreational cannabis in the state costing up to 70% more than what Californians have been paying for medical marijuana. (According to MarijuanaRates.com, California cannabis currently goes for about $10 a gram.) Then theres the fact that new legal cannabis markets tend to launch with built-in price surges. What we have seen in other states when a recreational regime rolls out is theres always a supply-and-demand issue, says Shoenfeld. We have naturally seen prices spike initially and decline over time.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40505429/is-californias-weed-market-ready-for-legalization-after-a-year-of-wildfires
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What is a policy hack?
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Cross-posted from The Mandarin. I Since I used the term policy hack in my presentation What economic reform thinking might look like if wed bothered to do it, Ive had a number of exchanges with Martin Wolf, my discussant that evening, about what I mean. Heres how I defined the term when I first used it in the essay I ran up to support the presentation: I use the term hack here to mean a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing something (Dictionary.com). Though the term is sometimes taken to imply inelegant effectiveness, the policy hacks covered here are often simple, but, because they typically work by some clear distinction being made (for instance between funding and provision or property rights and externalities) they are often also elegant. The point is best made by example. Speaking of the wave of economic reform from the 1970s on I suggested that, while its political impetus was declining economic performance in the wake of the 1970s oil shocks, its intellectual underpinnings went back to a cluster of ideas originating from the 1950s on. Moreover, I distinguished between ideas and hacks. Friedmans idea was unbundling delivery from funding leading to the hacks of vouchers and income-contingent loans, for instance. Coases idea was to think about externalities as an artefact of the definition and assignment of property rights, the corresponding hacks being such things as pollution permits and spectrum auctions. By contrast, I pointed to George Stiglers research into utility regulation in the 1950s which documented the results of regulatory capture. This provides us with an idea (price regulation isnt all its cracked up to be.) It also leads us to ask if we could change things to improve this change regulatory governance or whatever. But where, in the cases above, the hacks arise as aha moments from the analysis (even if such aha moments turn out to be a dead end or require lots more development), Stiglers critique, his idea tells us somethings wrong but doesnt lead directly to any aha moment as to how to fix it.1 II My point in all this was to put the ideas leading to policy hacks high in the hierarchy of contributions economists can make to their species. The things Ive done in economics that have been most useful, conform to my definition of hack. In each of these cases, some new way of looking at things produces an array of policy tricks or hacks. And theres preferably some elegance to the way the hack flows from some idea.2 Robert Shillers ideas for new markets in risk are all hacks, all stemming from the idea that the way the financial products that do exist are defined is some relatively arbitrary product of history. That means numerous potentially very useful markets dont exist. Or, since all the suggestions are why dont we create a market in that, perhaps one could say theyre a single hack in a litany of guises. Peter Martins recent list of a Magnificent Seven new policy ideas forces me to further distinctions. Well if I make them all hacks, then my new term hack doesnt say anything distinctive. It seems to me that most of the proposals could be described as hacks, though not surprisingly, some of the best proposals are not original. Another, proposing that we tax super to fund aged care is a hack in the sense that its coupled with a reasonable idea (taxes on super earnings are both progressive and fall more heavily on those closer to needing aged care because older super beneficiaries have larger portfolios), but I dont think the match between the idea and the hack is particularly elegant or pleasing. I think one of the best policy ideas which is better targeting of welfare isnt really a hack. Its the solution of an optimisation problem that the researchers gave themselves with some fancy new modelling theyve managed to do. Good on them. Still, I could find ways to disagree with this conclusion. One could argue that the idea from which the hack arises is that of optimising welfare payments to minimise poverty. Well yes. But no. Im happy for hacks to be regarded as a subset of piecemeal reform. But Poppers injunction to limit oneself to piecemeal reform doesnt seem to rule out much. His wider mission was seeking to develop criteria of demarcation by which one could identify the One True Path towards good science, good social science and so, good policy. In each case he saw himself as advocating modest, open, empirically informed, humble and corrigible approaches against hubristic, closed, rationalistic, self-justifying and incorrigible folly and megalomania (of both the intellectual and political kind). As part of a swingeing attack on what he called historicism which represented the totalitarian urge (most particularly Marxism) Popper juxtaposed piecemeal and utopian social engineering. The latter involves a comprehensive reordering of life in pursuit of utopian ends. But ruling this out as a policy objective doesnt tell us much. If it rules out any actual policymaking in history, it rules out the chaos of some revolutions particularly the French one with its resetting of the calendar, (but probably not the American one) and the wilder more homicidal or suicidal cults of history. But nothing much else.3 His point seems to be the pretty unarguable one that were terribly ignorant and the social world massively complex, so its important that the change we make is corrigible and corrected for apparent mistakes as we go.4 Still, he also concedes that theres an inevitable piecemeal haphazardness to utopian reform to address endless unintended consequences (p. 68). Poppers enemy really seems to be a kind of spirit of what he calls activism not unlike Adam Smiths objection to the Man of System and Burkes concern about the utopianism of the French Revolution.5 IV Nevertheless it seems to me that Poppers idea of utopianism does provide a way into something important that my idea of a hack seeks to get at. A hack is a specific policy arising from a specific insight and its in pursuit of clear and easily identifiable benefits. A lot of economic reform was not pursued in this way. It was utopian in this sense outlined by Popper (note however that Popper still admits it as acceptable piecemeal reform): The politician who adopts this [piecemeal] method may or may not have a blueprint of society before his mind, he may or may not hope that mankind will one day realize an ideal state, and achieve happiness and perfection on earth. But he will be aware that perfection, if at all attainable, is far distant and that every generation of men, and therefore also the living, have a claim.6 A lot of the policymaking of the reform period was precisely this kind of reform. Reformers might not have described themselves as in pursuit of perfection on earth, but they had a comprehensive vision of transformation in which liberalisation was somehow to be pursued if not quite for its own sake (it was for the sake of higher GDP) then as an article of faith that such action would achieve that objective.7 Hacks will generally be much more specific in their practical motivation. Generalising from the ones I can think of, they will mostly also involve impacts which are localised to the systems in which they arise with impacts outside their immediate sphere being second order. Some, like public-private digital partnerships, would radiate impacts more widely, but this is primarily because they are more connected. And other hacks might sound attractive but involve daunting complexities which could count against them. Thus, my proposals for competitive neutrality would have straightforward impacts in most areas in which they were tried, including superannuation, but in central banking they change the nature of the institution to which theyre applied with consequences which are potentially much more wide-ranging and difficult to comprehend in advance. Footnotes I wonder whether things might be improved if a regulatory body were governed by some board chosen by random selection from a cadre with domain expertise but without conflicts of interest. But not only do I have no great confidence that this would make things much better, theres no direct sense in which it follows from Stiglers analysis. In that sense, theres no hack there. Central Banking for All and Commonwealth Super for All are policy hacks with the conceptual innovation behind both being competitive neutrality as a competitive sword in addition to competitive neutrality as a shield for business. Public-private digital partnerships. This is a policy hack arising from the characterisation of Google and Facebook as public goods by choice. The entrepreneurs building them realised that the value of the services theyd deliver as free public goods would dwarf their value as private goods delivered for a fee behind a paywall. Because the cost of delivering the service was so low compared with the value it created they could become as rich as Croesus by giving it away and monetising through ads. This suggests the existence of other potential digital public goods that cost more to deliver than can be recovered without charging a fee. Public-private digital partnerships can accordingly unlock such possibilities and many exciting ones can be envisaged with additional benefits from the state ensuring that the public interest predominates in system design and pricing. Convening the emergence of standards: Market leaders of various kinds have an interest in releasing their own data demonstrating their relative prowess. But theres little incentive to do so because, there being no standard against which to report, they would gain nothing from it. Therefore convening groups to define such standards could unleash a torrent of useful data which could improve information flows in important markets. Windows on Workplaces is one hack to which these ideas led though there would be many more. Digital access regimes: Given its market power in the sector and its being the result of network externalities, not product superiority, we should impose an access regime on Microsoft Office products whereby its file formats should be fully documented publicly to permit anyone to write to them without the bugs that occur now and other producers of word processing software should be able to copy the look and feel of the Microsofts products. This neatly interdicts the source of Microsofts market power network externalities. Similar targeted access regimes could be imposed on dominant platforms cleaving off the benefits of network externalities from the services the platforms provide, though I cant see it solving all problems for instance the advertising monopoly on Google search. Rights to alternative regulatory compliance. Those who are regulated would have the right to demand some statement of objectives from regulators and if they could meet those objectives in some other auditable way, they would have a right to do so.For instance: Indeed Popper pretty much concedes this and the difficulty in actually drawing the distinction he has made between piecemeal and utopian engineering, retreating back into the motivations of the engineers. In fact, as one proceeds through Poppers quite scrupulous consideration of exceptions, things become quite murky:It may be questioned, perhaps, whether the piecemeal and the holistic approaches here described are fundamentally different, considering that we have put no limits to the scope of a piecemeal approach. [C]onstitutional reform, for example, falls well within its scope; nor shall I exclude the possibility that a series of piecemeal reforms might be inspired by one general tendency, for example, a tendency towards a greater equalization of incomes.In this way, piecemeal methods may lead to changes in what is usually called the class structure of society. And this question may become even more pertinent if we consider that, when trying to assess the likely consequences of some proposed reform, the piecemeal technologist must do his best to estimate the effects of any measure upon the whole of society. (Popper, K. R. 1957. The Poverty of Historicism, The Beacon Press, p. 68) Thus the difference between Utopian and piecemeal engineering turns out, in practice, to be a difference not so much in scale and scope as in caution and in preparedness for unavoidable surprises. (Popper, Historicism, p. 69). Popper, The Open Society and its Enemies, p. 158. Id say the same about the framing of the PC report into competition policy in human services (implicit in the terms of reference it received from the Government) in which the aim was always to contract services out and increase competition, rather than to achieve specific goals in human services or efficiency.
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http://clubtroppo.com.au/2019/01/27/what-is-a-policy-hack/
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What Would An HR Department That Works For Employees Look Like?
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advertisement advertisement As these stories unfolded, many are taking a closer look at the role (and shortcomings) of human resources, criticizing HR for not doing enough. But as Fast Companys Elizabeth Segran wrote earlier this year, The very nature of human resources within a company is tenuous: The department is meant to advocate on behalf of employees, but it is still subordinate to the companys leadership. Fowlers experience in reporting her harassment to HR, only to be met with indifference, exemplifies this tension. I spoke to five HR experts and leaders to find out. Human Resources Need To Be (And Be Seen) As An Integral Part of The Business Human resources started as a transaction-based department focused on compliance, record keeping, and wage management, Jared Lindzon wrote in a 2015 Fast Company article. Laurie Ruettimann, a former HR professional turned consultant, told Fast Company that HR was a way to outsource work that managers and supervisors were too lazy to do . . . themselves. Nithya Das, chief people & legal officer of ad-tech firm AppNexus, told Fast Company that when a startup starts to make investments in its people, HR tends to be one of the last roles to be filled. But for HR to be effective as a function, they need to have a seat at the table. Das, for example, attends every board meeting. She argued, An HR function that acts for the benefit of the employees should actually be aligned with the companys long-term interest. But HR professionals might not take this long-term view if they are seen and treated by the company as a back-office function with very little power. This kind of structure, Das believes, is possibly what drives HR professionals to protect perpetrators, because they might feel that they lack the power to punish them. advertisement Related: How AI Is Changing Human Resources Companies Need To Identify HR Shortcomings And Enlist Outside Help When Appropriate Toby Hervey, cofounder and CEO of Bravelyan ombudsman-like platform that serves as a hotline for employees to air off-the-record anonymous complaintsbelieves that one of the best ways for companies to tackle the conflict of interest is enlist outside parties that can support employees independent of the company. By design, its very challenging for an HR business partner to [support the company and the employee]. There are amazing HR professionals out there who do a great job of supporting employees, but at the end of the day, they are ultimately tied to the company. That can be difficult sometimes to make a decision based on the employee alone, Hervey told Fast Company. He went on to say, What we like to see companies do is invest in more channels and resources in employees. We often talk about Bravely not as a replacement to HR. We work better when theres a robust HR function to help the company run really well. His cofounder and Bravelys chief customer officer Sarah Sheehan added that part of what makes tools like Bravely helpful to employees is that it demystifies the process of what it would take to bring a harassment complaint. Any HR Solutions Should Be Uniquely Tailored To The Workforce Of The Company Neil Vogel, CEO of Dotdash (formerly About.com) stressed that ideally, before an organization even starts to hire an HR team, they need to think long and hard about the kind of workplace they want to create. He asserted, If youre an insurance company in Philadelphia, youll need a different HR team than at Dotdash, where the median age is 30. Das agrees, saying that such forward planning also helps shape and determine what kinds of conversations are acceptable in the office. AppNexus, like Dotdash, also has a largely young and millennial workforce, who, according to Das, sees their work community as their primary community. As a result, there are a lot of things we talk about in our workplace that a traditional, mature industry might not consider appropriate. (For example, AppNexus hosted an open forum after the Charlottesville rally and the 2016 election.) This kind of approach, however, only works if employees thrive in this kind of environmentintroducing it in a workplace that doesnt value these kinds of discussions could result in backlash and resentment. advertisement It All Starts From The Top To an extent, Das, Vogel, Ruettimann, Hervey, and Sheehan all believe that the future of HR looks brighter than it did. Sometimes, the best way to solve something is to shine a light on the issue, Das asserted. Hervey observed, All of these allegations coming out of corporate America are making companies pay more attention because theyre seeing more reputational damage come out of these poorly built-out functions. Ruettimann noted that while she is positive about HRs future, shes not optimistic about the pace of changeshe believes it will be a long time before we have an HR function that can truly benefit employees. Im trying not to let my own cynicism get in the way of what could potentially be a good movement toward change, she tells Fast Company. I think thats going to be a long conversation that HR people will need to have with themselves. Ruettimann believes that at the minimum, companies should publish reports on the numbers and types of harassment complaints that they get each year, similar to diversity reports. That way, companies can start to identify whether certain personnel presents risks to the organizations, and they can work with the data to address any problems before its too late. Ruettimann also stressed that in order to ensure that these discussions dont merely fizzle out, male leaders need to be unafraid about challenging their peers to keep the conversations going. I think one of the weird things about America is that it only makes waves when powerful white men speak about it, she says. When a CEO of a publicly traded company is outed, when a beloved institution ousts its leader without something going public and/or without an investigative report of wrongdoing in the New York Times or the Washington Post, Ruettimann says, thats when we know that HR has finally made real progress, and we can expect positive change to take place.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40504560/what-would-an-hr-department-that-works-for-employees-look-like
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Who Benefits When Schools Push Coding?
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Over the past five years, the idea that computer programmingor codingis the key to the future for both children and adults alike has become received wisdom in the United States. The aim of making computer science a new basic skill for all Americans has driven the formation of dozens of nonprofit organizations , coding schools, and policy programs . As the third annual Computer Science Education Week begins, it is worth taking a closer look at this recent coding craze. The Obama administrations Computer Science For All initiative and the Trump administrations new effort are both based on the idea that computer programming is not only a fun and exciting activity, but a necessary skill for the jobs of the future. However, the American history of these education initiatives shows that their primary beneficiaries arent necessarily students or workers, but rather the influential tech companies that promote the programs in the first place. The current campaign to teach American kids to code may be the latest example of tech companies using concerns about education to achieve their own goals. This raises some important questions about who stands to gain the most from the recent computer science push. Old Rhetoric About A New Economy One of the earliest corporate efforts to get computers into schools was Apples Kids Cant Wait program in 1982. Apple cofounder Steve Jobs personally lobbied Congress to pass the Computer Equipment Contribution Act, which would have allowed companies that donated computers to schools, libraries, and museums to deduct the equipments value from their corporate income tax bills. While his efforts in Washington failed, he succeeded in his home state of California, where companies could claim a tax credit for 25% of the value of computer donations. The bill was clearly a corporate tax break, but it was framed in terms of educational gaps: According to a California legislative analysis, the bills supporters felt that computer literacy for children is becoming a necessity in todays world and that the bill would help in placing needed hardware in schools unable to afford computers in any other way. Kids Cant Wait took advantage of Reagan-era concerns that Americans were falling behind global competitors in the new economy. In 1983, a U.S. Department of Education report titled A Nation at Risk warned that the countrys once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world. The reports authors blamed the American education system for turning out graduates who were underprepared for a fast-changing, technology-infused workplace. Over the past 30 years, the same rhetoric has appeared again and again. In 1998, Bill Clinton proclaimed that access to new technology means access to the new economy. In 2016, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith described the Obama administrations coding initiative as an ambitious, all-hands-on-deck effort to get every student in America an early start with the skills theyll need to be part of the new economy.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40503615/who-benefits-when-schools-push-coding
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Could Embarks Driverless Trucks Actually Create Jobs For Truckers?
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It is too easy to think that merely making something futuristic will usher in the future. Case in point: Even tech analysts are guilty of assuming that driverless trucking will decimate the industry in just a few years. But innovation trickles down slowly when youre talking about massively expensive items such as trucks, which cost around $150,000 and last 30 years. For proof, just look at how many electric cars grace our highways: around 500,000 total. Ford sells a million F-series trucks every year. The first fully autonomous trucks will be here earlier than anyone expects, and the last will be here much later, says Alex Rodrigues, the 22-year-old founder of Embark, a driverless trucking startup with the novel idea of partnering with the trucking industry rather than rolling over it. Embark has created a unique model for truckingone that Rodrigues says will actually create more trucking jobs (at least in the short run). The companys theory that a robot-human partnership can work started being put to the test last month, when an Embark truck began to deliver shipments on behalf of Frigidaire. Embarks retrofitted 18-wheelers can already drive themselves while on interstate highways. Where it gets tricky is near cities, which are still too complex for driverless trucks to navigate. To compensate, Embark operates hand-off depots, where a skilled human takes over for the last few miles of driving. Currently, the highway portion of the trip, where the truck drives itself, is overseen by a team of two drivers who switch off regularly so they can stay alert while monitoring the system, and an engineer; the expectation is that eventually those drivers wont be needed at all. I think theyre on to something, says Steve Viscelli, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream. Viscelli points out that such a model could increase fuel efficiency, because long-haul and short-haul trucks require different technologies to run clean. Yet another impact of Embarks model might be to provide new work to drivers who have already quit long-haul trucking because of the demanding lifestyle. The simple reason is that there is a labor shortfall already constraining the long-haul trucking industry. In a previous era, long-haul trucking was a reliable, high-paying job in many regions hit by declining manufacturing jobs. But increasing numbers of people have moved to cities, and attitudes toward work-travel have changed. Theres a job shortage in long-haul because younger generations just dont want to be away, says Embarks Rodrigues. The pay is low and the romance of the open road quickly gives way to loneliness. Thats shown in the industrys astounding levels of yearly turnover, which often reach 300%. Some analysts have estimated that theres already a 50,000-person annual shortfall in the long-distance trucking industry, which comprises about 800,000 jobs. By 2027, that number has been projected to grow as high as 175,000. This shift is already reshaping the industry: Work is under way to deepen seaports on the east coast because of a bottle-neck in long-haul trucking capacity. The idea is get a shipment within 100 miles of its destination, whereupon a regional driver can take it the rest of the way. Regional truckers are far more easy to hire than long-haul truckers, because they dont have to spend weeks away from home and can work regular hours.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40500365/could-embarks-driverless-trucks-actually-create-jobs-for-truckers
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Who is Joining Italy's Mille Miglia Classic Car Rally This Year?
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Alfa Romeo classic car in Brescia for the start of the Mille Miglia race (Shutterstock) The worlds most beautiful classic car rally the Mille Miglia is a 1,000-mile extravaganza of polished paintwork and gleaming chrome that revs into gear along some of Italys prettiest roads. This years event is from May 15 to 18, starting in Brescias renaissance square, some 60 miles east of Milan. So far, Sir Stirling Moss is the only British winner. Classic Grand Touring has been organising road trips to watch the rally at key viewing points for the past 18 years, chaperoning small groups on an epic 2,300-mile trip that embraces the spirit of the race. Its something not to be missed. Todays Mille Miglia rally is more an exclusive beauty parade, compared to the original endurance race, first run in March 1927, which was scrapped 30 years later for being too dangerous. To be eligible requires a car of the type that took part in the original race. Officials are strict on which motors are suitable for the 450 places oh, and theres the small matter of the entry fee of around 6,000, which does, at least, include hotels. There are no such criteria for joining the Classic Grand Touring group. Im with my navigator friend Ian Smith, who has a detailed set of route instructions to hand and refuses to use the in-car navigation. Ive hired a modern Lamborghini Huracan for the adventure. We meet our fellow enthusiasts the night before the start at I Due Roccoli hotel, about an hour from Brescia. Set on a hilltop above Lake Iseo at the foot of the Alps, a group of tired drivers are unwinding in the hot tub. The next morning, a stream of Italian cyclists have stopped to applaud our Lamborghini. Apart from a couple of ugly factories, sleepy Lake Iseo is on a par with neighbouring lakes Garda and Como. Brescia is Italys industrial capital, but everything stops for the Mille Miglia. Italian flags are draped from every balcony and there are cheers whenever a car backfires. Even the police appear for the occasion, in ceremonial hats of braid and feathers. From Brescia, the rally cars drive into the night towards Verona and Vicenza, then on to Rome. Were not far off the pace, but theres still plenty of time to inhale the scent of olive groves. Its a brilliant way to experience the atmosphere of the Mille Miglia without competing, says tour guide Peter Everingham. Hes right. Petrolheads and admirers of beautiful Italian scenery will love it equally. This article has been adapted from its original source.
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https://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/who-joining-italys-mille-miglia-classic-car-rally-year-1244170
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Does SoulCycle Have A Soul Without The Cycle?
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SoulAnnex, the two-month-old New York City workout space founded by the creators of SoulCycle, does not feature a single bike. But thats not what you first notice as you approach the dimly lit Flatiron studio purely devoted to the cycle-less artscardio, yoga, and HIIT, among them. advertisement advertisement The first thing you notice are the atmospheric lights: a trio of oversized ceiling lamps that hover over the minimalist studios white lacquered floors. The futuristic fixtures, in an almost menacing manner, intensely glow with colorlilac, melon pinkas if theyre going to beam you up to an 80s nightclub or meet Barbarella. A connected entrance hallway boasts soft, repetitive rectangular lights that look like a spaceships corridor. The decor is certainly attention grabbing, which isnt unusual for the brand, whose legion of die-hard spin-class fans expect their fitness experience to come with a dash of style and candlelit surroundings. Apart from its existing, popular athleisure line, the company just announced a new scent collaboration with upscale French fragrance brand Le Labo. Starting this month, locker rooms will feature pricey, grapefruit-inspired products. SoulCycle, it can be said, is meticulous about experience. We always say that SoulCycle is an amalgamation of thousands of details that go into every experience our riders have with us in the studio, explains CEO Melanie Whelan. We treat SoulAnnex the same way. Related Video: How SoulCycle Creates A Meaningful Experience Based On Customer Feedback and Input The goal of SoulAnnexs look and feel is to take attendees off the noisy, dirty, and crowded New York Streets and transfer them to a wholly atmospheric, ambient chamber meant to transfer your energy before you even start your class, says Whelan. We consider the space, the amenities, the light, how to train the staff on how to talk about the classes . . . everything. advertisement For those who assumed the latest fitness studio expansion would replicate SoulCyclebut just replace the bikes with yoga matstheyre in for a sweaty treat. Yes, theres the affinity for simple geometric logo graphics, cold lavender-scented towels, and plenty of merch by the cashier, but SoulAnnex has its own unique flavor. The skeleton of SoulCycle is visible, but the brand is trying something different with its latest invention. SoulCycle cornered much of the cycling market with its community-focused and music-driven devotion to pedaling, but SoulAnnex offers, well, a little bit of everything. The $34 classes range across three modalities, labeled Move, Define, and Align, a mishmash of strength training, dance, stretching, cardio, and yogaall meant to complement ones existing SoulCycle workout routine. During a recent class titled The Finery, I participated in what I would describe as a challenging Vinyasa yoga class that included handheld weights, lunges, and squats. Basically, imagine your yoga instructor teamed up with a ThighMaster. Our [SoulCycle] riders had been telling us for years and years that they were looking for ways to spend more time with us, and that they were also cross-training and doing modalities other than cycling, says Whelan. Currently, SoulCycle boasts 80 studios across the U.S. and Canada. The 11-year-old chain opened an average of 15 studios a year for past five years. It has since become one of the most well-known names in the boutique fitness industry, a significantly growing sector within the $30 billion U.S. health and fitness industry. With the brands foray into other popular categories, SoulCycle may be better positioned to compete in a now-crowded market full of barre, pilates, and yoga studiosmany of which have themselves aggressively expanded into more markets. We say internally that its never been about a bike, says Whelan. Its always been about our rider and creating an experience for them. The bike was just the vessel. advertisement SoulAnnex is the companys first push into off-the-bike exercise, and as such, is still being treated like an in-house testing center. All the instructors hail from SoulCycle, but have been taught (or themselves previously taught elsewhere) the new modalities. Theres still some tweaking going on when it comes to the exercise routines and musicand the latter doesnt yet seem on par with SoulCycles reputation for perfectly aligning movement to beats. As Whelan explains, the company isnt putting any money or advertising behind the new in-pilot mode studio. The most youll see in terms of marketing is a shout-out in a branded newsletter every so often. SoulAnnex instead relies on word-of-mouth, primarily via its instructors, who enjoy nearly celebrity status within the SoulCycle community. (During the companys 2015 IPO filing, it stated that its core identity is fueled by the personalities of our instructors, who propel the brand during after-class chats or on social media.) It is a very intentional strategy, explains Whelan. We believe if you invest money in your experience, in your community, and in the connections with the ridersthats the best marketing for any brand. Its really part of our overarching strategy of how we build awareness. Whelan says her team is continuously evolving SoulAnnex and absorbing member feedback to deliver a consistent, high-end experience. We really viewed this as sort of an incubator from the beginning, she says. But online reviews of SoulAnnex are mixed, with some customers attesting to an awkward mix of exercise moves, or pointing to the lack of showers (which many SoulCycle studios do have) in SoulAnnex locker rooms. Negative reviews have not stopped SoulCycle enthusiasts from trying out the medley of classes still in beta mode. Since it opened in October, a majority of SoulAnnex classes are full, with several classes each week selling out within a days posting. SoulCycle has long attracted affluent women in top urban cities such as Los Angeles and New York. But with SoulAnnex, the real opportunity lies in gathering more general fitness enthusiasts across the countryones who dont necessarily share the same single-minded obsession for gripping handlebars. Whelan notes that customers in other cities, including Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., repeatedly asked for what SoulAnnex eventually became. advertisement What were hearing people say is, I was intimidated to come to SoulCycle because it is this very tightly knit community or tribe,' says Whelan. Fitness, notes Whelan, is intimidatingperiod. Part of the challenge for SoulCycle has always been to tear down that intimidation barrier to get people in the door. The classes do, in some ways, make for a welcoming experiencethe dark lights, for example, help some feel anonymous within a group setting. But the idea of working with equipment scares off some prospective clients, while SoulCycles intense fandom and cool factor shoos off others. If we are able to use SoulAnnex as a different entry point for people and take down any of those barriers, thats a win, says Whelan. In a sense, SoulCycles obsessive following is a double-edged sword: Fans flock to its community-minded tribe (which undoubtedly helped the company grow), but others are put off by it. Now, new members see an opportunity to join a studio that doesnt yet have an established group, or see something they believe is less, well, cult-like. If Whelan is concerned that SoulAnnex could potentially dilute the brand, shes not copping to it, instead focusing on how the new endeavor could attract more fitness enthusiasts to the die-hard community. At the same time, the CEO seems in no rush to expand SoulAnnex just yet, as the formula still needs fine tuning. It is about experience, after all. It is too early to say, but its something that we are evaluating, she says, before adding, we believe there is is more opportunity . . . Were starting to think about whats next.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40503119/does-soulcycle-have-a-soul-without-the-cycle
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What is proper procedure when the crosswalk countdown starts?
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Open this photo in gallery A crosswalk at the corner of Richards and Nelson Streets in Vancouver. I always wait, and my friends say Im being ridiculous. They say that if it says five seconds, youve got five seconds to get across. Gabriela, Toronto That countdown isnt a challenge if you havent started crossing before it starts, youre supposed to stay put. Except plenty of us dont know that. I got in an argument with a pedestrian whod started crossing and said I have 10 seconds left, said Toronto Police Sgt. Clint Stibbe. The countdown is how much time you have left when youre in the roadway already. Story continues below advertisement When the countdown starts, its accompanied by a flashing hand. That hand means dont walk. Section 144 (27) of Ontarios Highway Traffic Act (HTA) says no pedestrian approaching pedestrian-control signals and facing a solid or flashing dont walk indication shall enter the roadway. Legally, you can only start crossing when the walk signal is on. If you step off the curb to cross when that flashing hand is there whether its flashing or solid you could face a $35 fine. Before intersections had timers, there was just the flashing hand, and crossers wouldnt know how long they had to get across, Stibbe said. The countdown was supposed to help solve that. But plenty of pedestrians think it means you can keep crossing until the last second. A 2013 study published in the journal Injury Prevention showed that after countdown timers were introduced in Toronto, the number of pedestrians hit by cars while crossing increased by 26 per cent, and serious injuries and fatalities increased by 51 per cent. Story continues below advertisement Story continues below advertisement When the countdown starts, dont cross The exact rules vary by province, but theyre all similar youre not supposed to cross when that hand is flashing, period. If you see anything other than the white walk signal, youre supposed to remain on the curb until the light resets, said Const. Jason Doucette, Vancouver Police spokesman. Even if it says 27 seconds and you think you can make it, youre supposed to stay. If you try to beat the clock in British Columbia, its a $109 fine. If you do race across, you could get in the way of cars trying to turn left before the light changes. And they might not see you. Police couldnt immediately give numbers on how many tickets they give out for crossing against the countdown. We dont get brownie points for giving out tickets, so we focus more on education, Doucette said. Story continues below advertisement When police do educate crossers on the rules, the lesson doesnt always sink in. This university student said, I get it, am I free to go? and then she looks and sees she has ten seconds and races across, Doucette said. In Toronto, the walk sign flashes for a minimum of seven seconds. Its not long enough to get across, so pedestrians also get the time shown on the timer to clear the intersection. Even with the timer, it might not be enough time for everyone, especially seniors. In Toronto, the city is retiming intersections to account for a slower average walking speed, lowered from 1.2 metres a second (4.3 km/h) to one metre a second (3.6 km/h). Still, you should try to get to the other side as quickly as you safely can; the crosswalk probably isnt the best place to text or fool around. Drivers should expect people to be in a crosswalk, but that doesnt guarantee safety, police say. The safest place is on the sidewalk, Doucette said. Get across the intersection and get your head out of you phone. Send it to [email protected]. Canadas a big place, so let us know where you are so we can find the answer for your city and province. Stay on top of all our Drive stories. We have a Drive newsletter covering car reviews, innovative new cars and the ups and downs of everyday driving. Sign up for the weekly Drive newsletter, delivered to your inbox for free. Follow us on Instagram, @globedrive.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/culture/article-what-is-proper-procedure-when-the-crosswalk-countdown-starts/
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Should Public Transit Be Free?
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If you were to design the ultimate system, you would have mass transit be free and charge an enormous amount for cars. So said Michael Bloomberg a decade ago, when he was mayor of New York City and proposing the idea of a congestion chargea fee that drivers would pay to enter the heart of Manhattan in order to reduce gridlock and pollution. advertisement advertisement The congestion charge didnt happen after opposition from people living in Queens and Brooklynthough only 5% of residents commuted by car. Instead, the cost of bus and subway tickets has risen. But a report at the time, commissioned by mass transit advocate Theodore Kheel, suggested that a fee on drivers would not only reduce traffic and save the city billions by regaining the productivity of people previously stuck in gridlock, but would be able to pay for free public transportation for everyone else. Today, New York City is closer to a congestion charge than it ever has been in the past, despite opposition from current mayor Bill De Blasio. Governor Andrew Cuomo, who doubted the viability of the idea when Bloomberg first pushed for it, now says that it is an idea whose time has come. The fees could help repair and upgrade the citys struggling subway system. But the idea of free public transit is less likely to ever happen. Charles Komanoff, the researcher and lead author behind Kheels original report that made a case for a balanced system of congestion pricing and free transit, has spent the subsequent years continuing to build an obsessively detailed spreadsheet that attempts to include every possible cost and benefit of a congestion charge. He no longer thinks free transit funded by congestion pricing necessarily makes sense, after learning more about the politics of transit funding in the city and further crunching the numbers. In New York City, a large chunk of funding comes from taxes and fees that are often paid by people living in surrounding suburbs. Around 40% of funding for the citys Metropolitan Transportation Authority comes from fares; another 35% comes from taxes, some of which is paid for by New York state residents who dont live in the city or use the subway. Aside from people who commute [into the city] . . . and then hop on the subway, they dont derive direct benefit from the subways, he says. So it would seem to be politically unsupportable to eliminate the subway fares but maintain this level of taxes that hits suburbia as well as the city, all for the purpose of transit that is largely used by residents of New York City. If a congestion charge on cars was high enough to replace the cost of faresor high enough to go a step further and also replace funding coming from taxesthat fee might be too large to ever get support. advertisement Im not convinced that charging a really high congestion charge, like $20 or $30, to drive into the heart of Manhattan, which is sort of the range that wed need to be chargingplus the commensurate surcharge on yellow cabs and Ubers, and then being able to make the subways freeIm skeptical that thats the optimal arrangement for society, Komanoff says. His spreadsheet, which lets you plug in a particular policy, such as a high congestion charge, and then calculate everything from the economic benefits of reduced pollution (leading to reduced healthcare costs and a reduction in climate damage) to the value of time saved that was spent in traffic, also includes a calculation of the travelers amenity that drivers would lose when the congestion charge is so high they decide not to make a trip by car. Those missed trips have lost value, which is calculated in a simple way. If the congestion charge is $10 and someone decides thats too much to make the trip, the value of the trip was less than $10, but more than a penny if they would have made the trip without the fee. Komanoff averages the value, so, in this case, a $5 value would be lost. Over hundreds and thousands of trips, that lost value adds up, and becomes higher the steeper the fee. Its one thing if the toll is $5 or $6 or $8, so the trips that get priced off the road werent a huge value, but if the toll is $20, or $30 . . . then there are more trips that get priced off the road, he says. (Because the value of driving in a car comes from the drivers perception, however, that lost value could begin to change as transit service improves and drivers realize that taking transit can actually be easier than struggling with traffic and parking.) New York is already struggling to fund its aging, slow public transit system, so any funds that come from a congestion charge will likely be needed just to keep it going, not to go a step further and pay for fares. The fundamental challenge of most public goods, and particularly the subway, is that we have traditionally had a hard time allocating enough money to support those public goods, says Nick Sifuentes, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. Absolutely. But I just think that the way that we structure our public goods makes that incredibly difficult. Not just for the MTA, but generally, in America. Fare-free public transit does exist in a handful of places, both in and outside of America. One is Tallinn, Estonia, which eliminated fares in 2013; a year later, usage of the system had increased 14%, and miles traveled had increased 24%. The new policy especially improved mobility and accessibility among low-income and unemployed residents by allowing them to [take] more trips, says Oded Cats, an assistant professor in public transport at TU Delft, who has studied the system. advertisement Tallinn was different from many cities in the U.S. It already had a high level of public transit service, high usage, and low fees. Ticket sales only accounted for around a third of the systems funding, less than New Yorks 40%. An influx of new residents in the city also meant that there was the tax base to support the free tickets. Though the policy is popular with Tallinn residents, it also didnt necessarily have much of an impact on reducing car tripsmany new riders previously walked or biked. If the main objective is to cause a modal shift from car to public transport, then there is ample evidence that people are more sensitive to changes in the level of service of public transport and change in the price of using their car than to changes in the cost of traveling by public transport, says Cats. In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which began offering free fares on its public bus system (funded in part by the university) in 2001, the portion of funding for the bus system that came from ticket prices had been even lower, at around 20%. The city also improved its services at the same time, and it says that any growth in ridership should also partially be attributed to that. Its not just the fare-free component, but also the investment in service that makes it work, says Brian Litchfield, director of Chapel Hill Transit. Still, he says, free fares have benefited both residents and the city. Drivers no longer have to wait for someone to pay, which speeds up routes. Theres no conversation with somebody about whether they have enough fare or adequate fare to get from point A to point B. Operators pull up to a bus stop, open the door, and whether you have two cents in your pocket or quite a bit more than that, you can hop on the bus and ride. In Stockholm, a group called Planka.nu (roughly meaning, dodge the fare now) charges members monthly dues that then cover the cost of a fine if any of them get caught riding without a ticket. The group advocates for free mass transit both as a way allow everyone in a cityincluding the poorestto freely move, and to encourage fewer people to drive. advertisement Major public investments must move from [driving] to public transport and other effective means of travel, says Christian Tengblad, part of Planka.nu. Fare-free public transportation makes that case clearyou are doing the planet a favor when you skip the car ride, and should be rewarded. In New York, while free fares may not be on the table, lower fares for low-income residents are under consideration. The mayor has proposed using a millionaires tax to pay for cheap transit passes for those who cant afford regular tickets. A congestion charge, if it succeeds, could also help fund lower fares for those who need it most, while also making improvements to the subway and bus systems needed to encourage those with higher incomes to ride. It could also help poor people avoid the current draconian penalties for jumping the turnstile. As ride-hailing vehicles become more common, and if their cost dramatically declines when self-driving technology is ready, public transportation will likely need to improve, and become cheaper, to compete. One report suggests that taking an electric, self-driving Uber or Lyft will soon be cheaper than owning a car, and self-driving shuttlesperhaps run by companies like Starbucks, or funded by adscould even be free. Ride-hailing vehicles are already taking share from the subway in New York. Many cities, like Los Angeles, are beginning to work with ride-hailing providers to help cover gaps in their systems, and its easy to imagine those services expanding. Even if cars are shared, electric, and self-driving, subways and buses still have advantages, including keeping roads less congested. Cities will need to find ways to make those traditional services competitive, and that might eventually mean loweror even freefares. If mass transit is still required due to congestion and volume, then pricing will likely need to encourage users to use it, says James Arbib, a London-based venture investor and one of the coauthors of the report on self-driving cars. If were at a point right now where [ride-hailing cars] arent directly at all competitive from a cost perspectiveits still far more expensive to take an Uber or a Lyft than hop on the trainand yet people are choosing to do that proactively, says Sifuentes, that kind of tells you that public transit doesnt have the funding that it needs to operate efficiently and effectively for folks.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40500403/should-public-transit-be-free
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Who wants a Razr revival?
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The new Razr may come as early as February Published 1:49 PM, January 28, 2019 MANILA, Philippines Nostalgia has its place in the tech world. In recent years, Nokias revival of its beloved 3310 and 8110 have made it to the top of headlines, surpassing the hype of newer phones at times. Old videogames getting a current-gen coat of paint make noise too, with Resident Evil 2 being the most recent example. Now, Motorola parent company Lenovo is trying to cash in as well. The Razr, Motorolas beloved flip-phone, is reportedly making a comeback as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Here are the key details: It will cost US $1,500 Its born from a partnership between Lenovo and US carrier Verizon Only 200,000 units will be made It may arrive as early as February It will come with a flexible screen, allowing it to bend and close like the old phone Soon after the Journal report, tech blog 91 Mobile found a Motorola patent filing from December 2018, showing images that definitely look like the old Razr except the hinge in the middle separating the screen from the keypad is gone, replaced by what looks like a standard smartphone screen. The hinge is visible on the sides, hinting at its bending nature. Business Insider compared the patents with the old phone, pointing out similar design cues including a mini-screen on the front when closed, and similar profiles from several angles. The mouthpiece portion juts out too like the one in the original. Here are the patent images: For someone who has owned and loved a Razr in the past, its certain to be quite the interesting phone that will merit serious consideration. But right now, given the price, the limited run, and the likely regional exclusivity, its looking like a sort of collectors edition. What we know of how the alleged Razr revival will is based merely on patents that may not represent the final device. But just based on those, its looking as stylish as the original one. If it does come out, its certainly going to add more flavor to the upcoming foldable phone wars. Rappler.com
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https://www.rappler.com/technology/features/222086-motorola-razr-revival-rumor?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rappler+%28Rappler%29
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Do Self-Driving Cars Dream Of Safe Streets?
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Earlier this year at the SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, Bill Ford said out loud what a lot of people in the auto industry were thinkingor, more precisely, worrying about more than they care to admit. The Ford CEO was talking about the advent of driverless vehicles, a topic thats getting a lot of ink these days as every automaker and some of the biggest players in Silicon Valley pour billions of dollars into the development of naked robotic cars (so-called Tier 5 autonomous vehicles, or AVs, without steering wheels or pedals). advertisement advertisement Engineering the autos will be the easy part, Ford said, because the technology is ramping up quickly. More daunting, though, will be deciding how to program autonomous cars to make life-and-death decisions. Those are all decisions that you and I as drivers dont have time to make, we just react. But these vehicles will have the processing capability to actually choose the outcome. And if the outcome is that it chooses to crash you, the occupant, are you going to get into that vehicle? Although Ford tweaked the auto industry by posing this problem publicly, it echoed a line of thinking already common among American car buyers. In a survey conducted earlier this year, AAA found that three-quarters of motorists said they fear riding in a self-driving auto and 54% of respondents said that they would feel less safe sharing the road with an AV. And once Ford let the issue out of the bag, a few others in the AV world began to stretch it to its logical conclusion: If we have to teach a car whether to kill a nun or a Boy Scout, theres not going to be a self-driving car industry, says Amnon Shashua, senior vice president of Intel and cofounder of Mobileye, the autonomous car technology company that Intel purchased for $15.3 billion in March. But to address this issue, Shashua believes, it needs to be framed more practically, distinct from impossibly complex philosophical or ethical conundrums. At this point, the answer is probably none. Every accident of an autonomous vehicle, whether the fatal crash in Florida last year in which a truck plowed into a self-driving Tesla or the new self-driving shuttle in Las Vegas that was hit by a delivery van two hours after its debut, makes national headlines and is talked about for months. By contrast, 20-car pileups routinely occur just about every day and in some weeks more than 1,000 people are killed in crashes of traditional vehicles, meriting little more than a shrug even in the local press. This misplaced attention and alarm directed at the safety of autonomous vehicles is further punctuated by the fact that regulators around the world are itching to put these cars on the road in order to minimize the relentless scourge of traffic fatalities. Last year, the U.S. National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) endorsed self-driving cars as a way to dramatically decrease the number of crashes tied to human choices and behavior. Given this set of circumstances, Shashua and a team of programmers at Mobileye have come up with a creative solution to overcome the fear of AVs. Based in part on NHTSA data covering 6 million incidents, Mobileye produced a set of nearly 40 scenarios that cover the situational permutations of all vehicle accidents. From this, the company designed algorithmic formulae that codify perfect human driver judgment vis vis traffic laws and road conditions. By using these rules as the basis for programming AV decision-making in every possible circumstance, Shashua claims, automobile makers can guarantee car buyers that a self-driving vehicle will never be at fault in an accident. advertisement At the heart of Mobileyes safety system is a concept known as Cautious Command, which describes the options available to an AV to continually maintain its safe zone. For example, the illustration below shows a common situation in which the blue car is trying to exit a parking lot but is blocked by a building from seeing whether another vehicle is coming down the street. A conscientious human driver would edge out into the road, slowly expanding the field of view until he feels comfortable pulling out. In actuality, he will never have full vision and ultimately make a decision based on gut instinct at the last moment. Although the driver may do his best, an accident that he would be blamed for is still possible. And if the driver were not diligentdistracted, say, by setting the GPS or calling ahead to his next stopa crash becomes more likely. By contrast, an AV in Cautious Command would calculate the highest reasonable velocity of the red car (based on the speed limit), and determine how much it can tiptoe out into the road, giving the red car the opportunity to brake while gradually gaining total visibility. If the red car were to go faster than the speed limit, it would be at fault if an accident occurs. Moreover, if the red car were the AV, it would drive more guardedly, perhaps leaning toward the center lane, anticipating that a car out of its range of sight may be exiting the parking lot. The promise of Cautious Command would seem to make moot Bill Fords concerns about the intractable choices a self-driving car must make, primarily because ethical dilemmas about who lives and who dies in an impending accident are replaced by an unyielding, if dispassionate, rule: If a crash is imminent (one that, by definition, will be the non-AVs fault), the self-driving car will try to avoid that accident but not mitigate it by causing another. In other words, absent other safe options, it will take the hit even if its passenger may be killed in the process. Coming at this issue any other way, takes us down a slippery slope, says Shashua. Perhaps what looks like a car with no one in the back seatso it could take a rear hit from an AV about to be hit itselfhas babies in the back. There were hidden parameters and in hindsight the AV did something worse. Based on thousands of accident simulations, Mobileye believes that if every automaker adopted its formulae, which it is open sourcing to give the industry free rein to use it, the number of vehicle deaths per year in the U.S. could be improved by three orders of magnitudethat is, from one traffic fatality for every 1 million hours of driving currently to 1 for every 1 billion hours, or 40 deaths a year. (This assumes, of course, that all cars are AVs; the fatalities would be from equipment malfunctions and poor driving conditions). Some robotics experts have taken issue with Mobileyes safety claims. For instance, Missy Cummings, director of Duke Universitys Humans and Autonomy Lab, told EETimes that Mobileye may have underplayed the number of potential software bugs likely to plague an AV. She pointed to the 2016 Stout Risius Ross Automotive Warranty and Recall Report, which found that since 2012, software issues are increasingly responsible for recall activity. The study found that between 2005 and 2012, 32 unique software-related recalls affected about 3.6 million vehicles; from the end of 2012 through June 2015, those numbers nearly doubled. However, all of the academic and engineers interviewed by EETimes praised Mobileye for its effort in pushing the AV industry toward a legitimate safety solution. Thus far, the response in the auto industry to Mobileyes algorithms has been muted, largely because there is so much jockeying for position in the AV landscape right now, with everyone from Google, Uber, and Lyft to dozens of startups and every major automaker promising fully autonomous cars by early in the next decade. At this point, no one wants to risk losing potential market leadership by signing on too early to standards that turn out to be also-rans. Probably not). Mobileye is right that there should be some standards for safety but with so much riding on autonomous vehicles for automakers there isnt too much appetite for anything but a Wild West approach to technology development, says Doug Newcomb, president and cofounder of automotive technology analysts C3 Group. advertisement Which is precisely the attitude that Shashua has categorized as a suicide pact for the industry. Without agreed upon safety criteria, automakers are each coming up with their own features, potentially over-engineering AVs based on tens of thousands of redundant simulations and piling on more sensors and computing power than are necessaryall to claim that they have safety-proofed their vehicles even if they wont be able to categorically say that their vehicle cannot cause an accident. The outcome could be tremendously high legal exposure for automakers after deadly accidents and exorbitant production costs for cars bedecked with expensive parts, which would leave AVs out of reach for many vehicle buyers. At the same time, some automakers may choose to sacrifice safety concerns for a lower price point, confusing consumers about how to choose a safe self-driving car and exacerbating the perception that AVs are dangerous. Under pressure from autonomous vehicle developers to give them room to work, the federal government seems to have agreed to take a laissez-faire stance. A bill passed by the House of Representatives and now before the Senate would replace the patchwork of state rules that generally permit limited testing of AVs on certain roads (although some states have still not approved the use of these vehicles) with omnibus legislation that gives NHTSA the power to regulate AV vehicle design, construction, and performance while states only handle vehicle registration and licensing. And perhaps most importantly, the bill would allow NHTSA to grant AV makers exemptions to put on U.S. roads as many as 100,000 vehicles annually (phased in over three years) that fail to meet current federal motor vehicle safety standards. With such freewheeling language in the pending law, Mobileye may have an uphill climb to convince the AV industry to tackle safety and accident blame in any concerted way. Which means that we may find out sooner than we want to whether developers playing God by programming self-driving vehicle decision-making are as infallible as they believe they can make their machines.
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40500719/do-self-driving-cars-dream-of-safe-streets
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Should students have a say on policy?
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When Maya Mathews was in fifth grade, her favorite subject was math. But when she entered sixth grade and asked to be placed in a more-advanced math track, her request was denied because a teacher said she lacked the confidence necessary to handle a more rigorous curriculum, Mathews recounted. I was shocked. It had never really occurred to me that I had to show confidence as well as right answers in order to handle a more rigorous curriculum, she said. Mathews is currently a senior at Newton North High School and serves as the student member of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. She is also the chairperson of the State Student Advisory Council and a fourth-term class president. Mathews described her elementary-school experience to a room filled with educators, policymakers and researchers in Boston, underscoring the importance of listening to students when it comes to individual interests. A little moment from a teacher can accompany a learner well beyond the classroom, she said. Theres already plenty of doubt roaming our hallways we need teachers to encourage us to use our voices and reject doubts in our abilities. The story, albeit specific to Mathews, is indicative of a bigger discussion happening within some policy circles about the need to give students a more meaningful voice in the educational policy-making process in Massachusetts. If were going to do this right, (students) need to be an active voice in the vision were creating, said Chad dEntremon, executive director of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy. We need to recognize that students have an active voice in demonstrating to adults what learning should look like and what they need. The Rennie Center, a Boston-based nonprofit, released its annual Condition of Education in the Commonwealth report on Jan. 24, focusing this year on how young people can help shape the future of education. The report highlights young people becoming more engaged in civics, politics and demonstrations, citing specifically the 2018 deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead and sparked a student-led demonstration against gun violence called March for Our Lives. Young people exercising their voice in national policy debates vividly illustrate that students hold impassioned opinions about issues that affect their lives, according to the report. And states, including Massachusetts, are increasingly recognizing the need for schools to prepare students to be engaged and active citizens. Massachusetts lawmakers last year passed a law requiring all eighth-grade students to complete a student-led, nonpartisan civics project aimed at helping to develop critical-thinking, analysis and policymaking skills at an early age. The Rennie Center isnt the first organization to advocate for more student voices, but its report cites long-standing barriers that have discouraged student engagement in the past, including views among educators and reformers that students are clients rather than participants in decision-making. The challenges are exacerbated across socioeconomic and racial and ethnic groups, as achievement gaps persist in Massachusetts schools, creating a separation among students. We have a race and class divide, said Adria Goodson, chief program officer at The Pahara Institute, a national education nonprofit. Indeed, while the Bay State education system leads the nation in most indicators of achievement - including graduation rates, reading levels and standardized testing - black, Hispanic and Latino students, along with students from low-income families, trail their Asian, white and middle- to high-income peers. And the opposite is true when examining chronic absenteeism, a measure of students absent from school 10 percent or more of days enrolled. There have been some improvements, but were still not closing those gaps, said Education Secretary Jim Peyser, referencing a years-long gap in reading levels between white, black and Hispanic fourth-graders. Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, in January proposed increasing K-12 spending by $1.1 billion as part of his fiscal 2020 budget, which Peyser said could help. We are seeing persistent and troubling gaps in opportunities across communities and student subgroups, Peyser said. Money is part of the answer. The Rennie Center argues integrating more student voices in policy making will also help close achievement gaps, and some Massachusetts school districts have already started. In Waltham, the district launched a program called the Changemaker Academy, giving rising freshmen a mix of 57 English Language Learners and English-proficient peers an opportunity to work together on student-led projects. The program started this school year, making it impossible to determine long-term results. But the district has described it as a program to fundamentally transform the high school experience, and deeply engage all students and prepare them for college and future careers, according to Wicked Local Waltham. In Worcester, a citywide contest to write about what makes you smile generated more than 1,500 entries from children aged 3 to 13, according to the Rennie Center. The effort is encouraging children of all ages to participate in community events. In Fall River, among other districts, students are learning through Generation Citizen, a national program that brings experiential learning to underserved public schools. Carla Duran Capellan, a student at Middlesex Community College in Bedford and Lowell, graduated from the Generation Citizen program, saying she helped lead research into xenophobia while in high school. The experience, she said, helped her build confidence she felt was lacking since she immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. When I first arrived, I didnt think I could have a voice in my school or community because I was an immigrant, she said. That all changed. The disparate efforts in districts across the state are still a far cry from any kind of widespread student influence in policy decision-making. But Duran is hopeful that could change over time, especially if adults are willing to listen to their students and let them engage. If I had any advice for all the teachers out there it would be to believe in your students, she said. Ask them to share their ideas on how to make change in your schools and communities, and then trust them. Trust that they have the ability to actual make that change and then let them lead. Eli Sherman is an investigative and in-depth reporter at Wicked Local and GateHouse Media. Email him at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @Eli_Sherman.
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https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/20190128/should-students-have-say-on-policy/1
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What Will It Take To Close The Gender Gap In Urban Cycling?
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Michelle Cook bought her first bike on something of a dare. Around six years ago, she was living in Needham, a hilly town on the outskirts of Boston, and a friend of her challenged her to take on the steep streets on a bike. She was around 40 at the time, and hadnt been on a bike since she was a child growing up on Cape Cod, but she found an old bicycle at a garage sale for $25, cleaned it up, and took it out on the road. advertisement advertisement She didnt expect to get hooked, but she did, and began biking every day. As I started biking, I realized that as a womanparticularly as a black womanthere werent many of us that bike, she says. Biking is one of the things that I do that people consider something that we dont do. The more she rode, the less she understood why that is. Its a great form of exercise, its fun, its way faster to get somewhere than waiting for a bus or a train, she says. And biking, Cook adds, just made her feel good. Shes dealt with depression for much of her adult life, but on a bike, she says, she feels strong. A couple years ago, she founded the organization Roxbury Rides to encourage women of color to bike more, and to advocate for better infrastructure and education around active transit and public space. Im a woman cyclist myselfI bike every day in New York Cityand for this article, I spoke to women in cities across the country. All have different experiences, different commutes, different bikes, different stories about how they first got into it, but what I heard described over and over again, and have sensed every day myself since I started riding, was the feeling of empowerment that cycling produces. Its something about being able to independently transport yourself around your city on the strength of your own body. Something about learning the streets and routes and neighborhoods with an intimacy inaccessible to those passing by in a car. And something about being a part of a small minority of people who are doing a thing weve all been told we shouldnt, or couldnt, do. Across the U.S., cycling as a valid form of sustainable transit is experiencing something of a renaissance. As cities face down issues of growing traffic congestion and systemic public transit failures, advocates and environmentalists are pointing to the bicyclea mode of transit that originated in the late 19th centuryas a zero-carbon, efficient way of making trips around a city, particularly trips under three miles long, of which around 72% are currently made by car. As cities across the world scramble for ways to limit their carbon footprint in the face of rampant climate change, interventions like the shift to electric vehicles and improvements to public-transit infrastructure will be crucial. But with another 2.5 billion people slated to move into urban environments by 2050, we cant overlook the issue of street congestionand the fact that approximately six bikes can fit into the space taken up by a single car. In order for cycling to become a truly competitive mode of urban transit, we also need to address its issue of gender inequity. Fewer than one in four trips on a bike are currently made by women. In recent years, data from ever-more-popular bike share programs has backed this up: Motivate, the company that oversees bike-share programs in New York, Boston, Chicago, and the Bay Area has found that just 34% of annual bike-share members are women, and together, they take only 24% of trips made on the systems. And even though the bike share boom has undoubtedly helped increase the sheer number of cyclists on city streetsTransportation Alternatives, New York Citys main bike and pedestrian advocacy nonprofit, has found that the number of daily cyclists in New York has risen from 15,000 in 2000 to 45,000 in 2015 the gender gap has held steady. In recent years, advocacy organizations like the New York City-based Womens Empowerment Through Bicycles (WE Bike NYC), Women Bike Chicago, and Cooks Roxbury Rides have sprung up to address this gap by encouraging more women to bike. Motivate has been working with cities in which it operates bike-share programs to provide data around ridership. One of the big benefits bike-share programs offer cities and policymakers and to the cycling community is insights into who is biking, where theyre biking, and when, which has traditionally been hard information to come by, says Julie Wood, VP of communications at Motivate. Now that the data is accessible and incontrovertible, cities, advocates, the bike community, and individuals alike have some work to do to figure out why the gender gap existsand how to close it. The Cycling Gender Gap: A History There are very real reasons that all peoplenot just womenmay be reluctant to bike in a city, and the main one is the built environment of the city itself. In the majority of U.S cities, the street design prioritizes cars over cyclists and pedestrians. Places like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, considered the gold standard for safe and user-friendly bike infrastructure, can point to a centuries-long history of public-space usage before the advent of the car. While both places, and many other European cities, briefly swung toward car culture in the post-World War II years, building parking lots and consigning their streets to automobiles, they have, since the 1970s, worked to correct that brief deviation by spearheading car-free weekend days and other cyclist and pedestrian-friendly measures. Today, theyre home to a robust cycling infrastructure that places the bike on equalor sometimes higherfooting than the car. advertisement The boom of U.S. cities like New York, however, co-originated with the invention of the car. American cities came to be built almost exclusively for the automobile, says James Longhurst, associate professor at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, and author of Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road. When cars started becoming popular in the early 1900s, the layout and design of U.S. cities was still in flux. Around that time, Fifth Avenue in New York was but a glimmer of the commercial corridor it is today, and it was relatively easy for the city, in 1908, to gut pedestrian space and widen the street for cars. By the time the environmentalists of the 1960s and 70s began to warn about the automobile and the pollution it produces, Longhurst says, there was virtually no space on urban roads for bicycles, which, he adds, had been relegated in the American consciousness to something of a toy, rather than a mode of transit. Those same environmentalists, Longhurst says, originated in the late 60s what became known as the bike boom, where they began to push for cycling as a practical way of getting around cities. But that boom, he adds, really didnt do much to transform American streets. While a handful of advocates rallied for new infrastructuremainly bike lanesto support the growing number of cyclists, the bike boom tactic that won out in the end was something called vehicular cyclingthe idea that cyclists should integrate themselves into urban traffic by essentially acting like cars. What they were proposing didnt cost cities anything, Longhurst says. Almost all that changed was the addition of those little rectangular signs that say bike route, but do not correspond to any relevant infrastructure. So from the 1970s on, in most American cities, to ride your bicycle means to be confident enough and self-possessed enough and privileged enough to ride out into the road and demand your space, Longhurst says. If You Build It, They Will Bike Around a decade ago, cities across the U.S. began to resuscitate the logic of the bike-lane advocates who were drowned out by the vehicular cyclists of the 1970s. New York City, for instance, has added around 54 miles of bike lanes to its 6,000 miles of roads every year since 2007; Chicago has added 27 miles to its 4,000 miles of road each year since 2011. Theres clearly room to do more, and the benefits of the new lanes are already apparent. In both citiesand in many other cities that have advanced similar infrastructuredeath and injury rates have dropped by around half. While these improvements are a step in the right direction, TransAlt has found that the growth in cycling has leapfrogged the infrastructure. In essence, bike infrastructure networks are still neither robust enough nor connected enough to ensure that commuters can feel safe along the length of their ride. In order for cycling to feel safe in this city, and in all cities, there need to be serious changes in how we build and develop bike infrastructure, says Rosemary Bolich, a New York-based cyclist. And when theres a notable lack of quality infrastructure, its reflected most clearly in the number of female cyclists traversing the area. In Midtown Manhattan, for instance, there is a noticeable lack of crosstown bike lanes on the streets north of 23rd all the way up to Central Park at 59th, and the handful of bike lanes on the north-south avenues are often clogged with cars or other obstructions. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) worked with Motivate to map data on Citi Bike usage in Midtown, and found that the vast majority of Citi Bike stations in that swath of the city draw less than the average 24% of female usage. Stations south of 23rd, where bike lanes are more plentiful, see rates of female usage at equal to or over 24%and are generally less congested with car and truck traffic. If you see high numbers of women cycling, you are doing something right, says Mikael Colville-Andersen, urban design expert and CEO of Copenhagenize Design Co., a Danish consultancy specializing in bike infrastructure. So significant is the percent of women ridership, he adds, that the gender split is something his firm measures in the Copenhagenize Index, which tracks the progress of cities on developing bike infrastructure. advertisement Polly Trottenberg, NYC DOT commissioner, has watched the cycling boom take off and spread rapidly across New York, and across cities in the U.S. Were looking for ways to make the city more accessible and more sustainable, and that means switching to sustainable modes of transit: bikes, buses, pedestrians, Trottenberg tells Fast Company, though she acknowledges that New York and other American cities have a long way to go before they reach full Copenhagen status in terms of both bike safety and gender equityin the Danish city, over 50% of people commute by bike, and 55% of regular cyclists are women. The key to Copenhagens success in both raising the number of overall bike commuting and closing the gender gap, Colville-Andersen says, is infrastructure. There is no chicken or egg. A robust network of interconnected bike lanes all across a city will lay the necessary groundwork to get more people cyclingand by adding bike lanes to lower-income neighborhoods, often underserved by public transportation, cities have a real opportunity to advance socioeconomic equity by increasing mobility and access. From there, there are a number of smaller interventions cities can adopt to make cycling safer, and the most efficient way to get around, he adds. Design tweaks like the green wavewhich ensures that on most major arteries into the city center, cyclists never hit a red light and can bike continuously without putting a foot downincrease both speed and safety. Small additions like trash cans tilted toward cyclists along bike lanes, and railings or footrests for cyclists, send the signal that cities are concerned with designing for bikers, Colville-Andersen adds. The Stigma of Biking Copenhagenize Design Co. is working closely with cities around the world to develop these infrastructural adjustments to support cycling. But we have yet to truly shake the hypermasculine association with biking that coalesced around the advent of vehicular cycling in the 1970s. Vehicular cycling, as Longhurst says, essentially necessitates being unafraid to take up space; to cut people (in this case, drivers) off; to get vocal and at times get angry. These are all things that women are taught not to do, and the consequences of deviating from these expectations ramifyas the backlash against women speaking out about harassment, for instance, reminds usacross a multitude of public and cultural spaces. Theres an ambient sense that cycling, even safely contained in a network of bike lanes, is antithetical to femininity. Im serious. It keeps coming up in the context of things women can do to feel that way on a bike, + Im confused. For one, as cyclist Melody Hoffman commented in a CityLab article in response to Blues question: Women are expected to show up to places already presentable. In the summer, as a cyclist, you often arrive places dripping in sweat. In the winter, you have to peel off what feels like more layers than an onion. The aesthetics of cycling alone pose a formidable barrier to womens participation. Angela Azzolino, a lifelong New York City cyclist and founder of the nonprofit Get Women Cycling, whose mission is evident in the name, runs an annual campaign, #ShowMeHelmetHair, in which women cyclists and hairstylists shared tips for how to prep your hair to survive a long ride under a helmetor just to rock the slightly feral mess that emerges once you take the helmet off. Its a way to start dialogues and get people engaged in this conversation, Azzolino says. advertisement Because, she adds, theres a lot to address in this space. Breaking down the stigma around being a woman cyclist goes hand-in-hand with the much larger societal project of breaking down the idea of what it means to be an ideal woman. And perhaps, when talking about biking, nowhere is the need to do so more evident than in the different ways our societywhether consciously or nottalks to men and women cyclists. At least once a week, I will pull up to a red light on my bike and someoneusually an older manwill say to me: I hope youre being careful, accompanied by some shake of the head. If not that, its someone asking me: Arent you scared? I have yet to meet a male cyclist whos subject to the same constant questioning; most of the women I spoke with share my experience. Last year in the New York Times, Caroline Paul, a retired firefighter, wrote a piece called Why Do We Teach Girls That Its Cute To Be Scared? in which she describes facing the exact same questions and notes of caution about her choice of profession (just around 5% of firefighters are women). Conditioning girls to be scared, to avoid activities deemed challenging or intimidating, Paul says, is something that begins in childhood, and carries through to adulthood. Watching a woman do something that she is not supposed to doto echo Cooks sentiment or something that is unusual, that is daring or risky, sets off our collective alarm bells: Someone has slipped through the safety net, has stepped out of line. If safety in this sense means encouraging women to stick with the status quoto refuse an activity because it has been categorized as one that requires a certain amount of gutsthen that is absolutely not our job. As Paul writes: By cautioning girls away from these experiences, we are not protecting them. We are failing to prepare them for life. But that is not to say that we should just toss a helmet or a pair of cycling shorts at women and say, Time to get on a bike! There needs to be a concerted reckoning with why we caution women cyclists and encourage men. Moreover, there needs to be a concerted effort to build citywide bike systems that are less a cause for caution than the ones we currently have. Creating a Culture Shift As cities and designers tackle the infrastructure, advocates within the bike community are working to close the gender gap in urban cycling from the inside out. advertisement In addition to launching campaigns like #ShowMeHelmetHair, Azzolinos organization, Get Women Cycling, is working close the gender gap in the bike retail and repair sectors, which are historically male-dominated. Azzolino, who has spent some time as a service floor mechanic at a Brooklyn bike shop, has witnessed both surprise at her presence, and the larger discrepancies between the way men and women are treated in shops. Women tend to go into shops with a preconception of how things are going to be, and the preconception is that they are not going to be heard, or Im not going to be able to find what I need, Azzolino says. And bike shops arent savvy enough to turn that around. Get Women Cycling, Azzolino says, is growing a network of partnerships with New York-based bike shops to act as the interpreter between female clients and predominantly male mechanics and salespeople by educating the latter on how to better target their services to women, and to create an overall more welcoming environment. A recent uptick in the number of female and gender-nonconforming-focused bike repair classes also feeds into Azzolinos work. But really, the thing that makes biking better for women is more women biking, Wood says. Bolich agrees: There is safety and strength in numbers, she says. Bolich is a volunteer with WE Bike NYC, an organization that hosts rides and events for women and gender nonconforming people. What we hear from a lot of people who participate in our rides is it makes them feel better, Bolich says. In some ways, for people who are new to riding in a city, it helps to sort of practice in a group, before setting out alone. The cycling world, like the rest of the world, she adds, is very male-dominated, and theres a part of it thats dismissive toward peopleespecially new cyclistswho may be nervous about riding in traffic, or on unprotected bike lanes. That attitudelayered on top of incomplete infrastructural systemssets the barrier for entry into the urban cycling world way too high. Bike-share programs, Wood says, have been an effective way to lower that bar by enabling people to take shorter trips and not have to worry about maintaining and caring for their own bike. Its sort of a stepping stone that makes biking more accessible, she says. But still, Motivate recognizes that just planting bike-share stations around the city is not enough to close the gender gap. Every September, the bike-share company hosts Womens Bike Month, in which it highlights female bike commuters in various cities, offers free bike share passes, and hosts group rides. Its all about putting a spotlight on the need to break down these barriers to entry and encourage more women to bike, Wood says. Its not a thing that can be forced, and its not for everybody. If someone truly does not want to ride and doesnt feel comfortable doing so, Bolich says, they shouldnt be pressured to do so. But for many people, like Cook, who just decide to try it, it might click. I cant even describe the feelingwhen you bike, its like you go into it thinking you cant do something, but then you can, she says. In October, Cook rode in a 25-mile fundraiser for her organization. It was the longest ride she had ever tackled, and it was hilly. I hate hills and inclines, and by mile 11, I was ready to quit, she says. Instead, she pedaled through. The fact that I know I found somethingbikingthats good for my mind, and gives me this indescribable feeling of happiness and euphoria, that did it for me, she says. Instead of asking women cyclists, Arent you scared? what if what we asked them was: How does biking make you feel?
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https://www.fastcompany.com/40488970/what-will-it-take-to-close-the-gender-gap-in-urban-cycling
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