Tidbits on April 15, 2021
Bob Jensen at Trinity University

Wes Lavin's 2021 Maple Sugaring Pictures from Peacham, Vermont
http://www.cs.trinity.edu/rjensen/Tidbits/Lavin/2021-1/Peacham/2021Peacham.htm

Tidbits on April 15, 2021
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Bob Jensen's Tidbits ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/TidbitsDirectory.htm

For earlier editions of Fraud Updates go to http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudUpdates.htm
For earlier editions of New Bookmarks go to http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookurl.htm 
Bookmarks for the World's Library --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm 

My Latest Web Document
Over 700 Examples of Critical Thinking and Illustrations of How to Mislead With Statistics ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/MisleadWithStatistics.htm

Bob Jensen's search helpers --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm

Bob Jensen's World Library --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob2.htm

Human Population Over Time on Earth ---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUwmA3Q0_OE 

Online Video, Slide Shows, and Audio

Navy captures footage of pyramid-shaped UFOs, orbs  ---
https://www.foxnews.com/science/navy-captures-footage-of-pyramid-shaped-ufos-orbs

Video:  F-A-18 Carrier Break and landing ---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Y82rkxzY0
Looks so simple how could anything go wrong?

The Ingenious Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci Recreated with 3D Animation ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/the-ingenious-inventions-of-leonardo-da-vinci-recreated-with-3d-animation.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

The Rules of 100 Sports Clearly Explained in Short Videos: Baseball, Football, Jai Alai, Sumo Wrestling, Cricket, Pétanque & Much More ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/the-rules-of-100-sports-clearly-explained-in-short-videos.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Aerial View of Sugar Hill, NH --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ATDjsJUi7M

Foliage in Sugar Hill, NH --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOPSUMWbclU

Foliage at the Sunset Hill House Hotel in Sugar Hill, NH --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RowlAA9XIno

History of the Sunset Hill House Resort in Sugar Hill, NH 000 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3uqK8T1ZDc

Lupines in Sugar Hill, NH --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7-1jCk4Ak0

Lupines in New Hampshire --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOR1vTHZjPo

Four Seasons at the  Sunset Hill House Hotel (near our cottage) ---
https://www.thesunsethillhouse.com/
Watch the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5cqUX0LcbU&t=9s

Free music downloads --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/music.htm
In the past I've provided links to various types of music and video available free on the Web. 
I created a page that summarizes those various links --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/music.htm 

A Bach cello piece played atop a mountain is as exhilarating as you’d expect | Aeon Videos ---
Click Here

Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down ---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnS9M03F-fA

Oldies But Goodies --- https://jborden.com/2021/04/05/music-monday-oldies-but-goodies/

The Magic of ELO --- https://jborden.com/2021/04/12/music-monday-the-magic-of-elo/

Bob Jensen's Links to Free Music
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Music.htm

Photographs and Art

In 1930 the Indiana Bell Building was Rotated 90° While Everyone Inside Still Worked ---
https://twistedsifter.com/2021/03/1930-indiana-bell-building-move/

Scottish Castles Are Rare, Huge and Very Expensive ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/scottish-castles-are-rare-huge-and-very-expensive-11617293797?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst
One time, while touring a Scottish castle without a roof, I was told that the owner had the roof removed because the castle's tax was based upon the roof square footage. I never verified this assertion.

Seeking an Aurora: A Wondrous Illustrated Celebration of Earth’s Most Otherworldly Spectacle of Light and Color ---
https://www.brainpickings.org/2021/03/28/seeking-an-aurora/?mc_cid=19a189e78e&mc_eid=4d2bd13843

Bob Jensen's threads on art history ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#ArtHistory

Bob Jensen's threads on history, literature and art ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob2.htm#History

Online Books, Poems, References, and Other Literature
In the past I've provided links to various types electronic literature available free on the Web. 
I created a page that summarizes those various links --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/ElectronicLiterature.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on libraries --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#---Libraries

Spring With Emily Dickenson ---
https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/04/18/emily-dickinson-spring/?mc_cid=852aa69e62&mc_eid=4d2bd13843

SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY PROJECT ---
https://shakespeareandco.princeton.edu/

Free Electronic Literature --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/ElectronicLiterature.htm
Free Online Textbooks, Videos, and Tutorials --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/ElectronicLiterature.htm#Textbooks
Free Tutorials in Various Disciplines --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob2.htm#Tutorials
Edutainment and Learning Games --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/thetools.htm#Edutainment
Open Sharing Courses --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#OKI

Now in Another Tidbits Document
Political Quotations on April 15, 2021
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/tidbits/2020/TidbitsQuotations041521.htm             

Chronicle of Higher Education:  The Trends Report 2021 ---
https://www.chronicle.com/package/the-trends-report-2021?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_2175203_nl_Academe-Today_date_20210402&cid=at&source=ams&sourceId=296279&cid2=gen_login_refresh

Jensen Comment
Probably the biggest happening is the spike in distance education that will trend at higher levels after the pandemic. Both synchronous and asynchronous distance education will continue to rise in higher education ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/255wp.htm

Related to this is the rise in virtual academic meetings and conferences.

Bob Jensen's threads in education technology ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/255wp.htm 

Book Reviews

The Data Detective ---
https://www.jamesrpeterson.com/home/2021/02/book-review-tim-harford-the-data-detective.html

No Filter by Sarah Frier) about the history of Instagram ---
https://jborden.com/2021/04/03/get-ready-for-some-gramming/

The fight against fake-paper factories that churn out sham science ---
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00733-5

Good News Tidbits

Robust Decarbonization of the US Power Sector: Policy Options ---
https://www.nber.org/papers/w28677#fromrss

Microsoft Corp. has agreed to acquire speech-recognition firm Nuance Communications Inc. for $16 billion, pushing further into health technology and adding to a series of deals that have widened the range of software tools it offers customers ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-to-buy-nuance-communications-for-19-7-billion-11618231523?mod=djemCFO 

Africa’s Wikipedia Editors Are Changing How the World Sees Their Continent ---
Click Here

Tree Planting Has So Much Potential ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/1298-tree-planting-potential/

US Navy ship sunk nearly 80 years ago reached in world's deepest shipwreck dive ---
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/04/us-navy-ship-sunk-nearly-80-years-ago-reached-in-worlds-deepest-shipwreck-dive

Tesla is often cited as a disrupter of the auto industry. But Fisker's "asset-light" model is closer to the theory of disruptive innovation ---
https://network-bussiness.com/2021/04/02/the-true-disrupter-in-the-auto-industry-isnt-tesla-its-fisker/

Volunteering & Internships Abroad Guide for Students ---
https://edubirdie.com/blog/volunteering-internships-abroad

Bad News Tidbits

A Fifth! Only A Fifth Of Biden Bill Has Anything To Do With Infrastructure ---
Click Here

The US is worried about its critical minerals supply chains – essential for electric vehicles, wind power and the nation’s defense ---
https://theconversation.com/the-us-is-worried-about-its-critical-minerals-supply-chains-essential-for-electric-vehicles-wind-power-and-the-nations-defense-157465
A list of the 35 most critical minerals at the moment

How to Mislead With Statistics
The Consumer Price Index Is Not Economic Reality ---
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-04-13/consumer-price-index-cpi-history-is-surprisingly-political

In New York it's better to be a low-paid working non-American than a low-paid American, because American's aren't eligible for the planned $300 per month to be given to working illegals ---
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/new-york-offering-15k-payments-illegal-immigrants 

Former state comptroller criticizes Illinois’ budget dishonesty  ---
https://www.data-z.org/news/detail/former-state-comptroller-criticizes-illinois-budget-dishonesty

Start Worrying When Powerful Liberal Economists (think Harvard's Larry Summers) Are Worrying About Inflation ---
Click Here
Those claiming not to be worried probably are extreme-left socialists bent on destroying capitalism once and for all even if it takes hyperinflation to do it.

The American Association of University Professors found that nearly 60 percent of colleges imposed a salary freeze or cut
https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/live-coronavirus-updates/aaup-survey-spells-bad-news-for-faculty-wages-amid-pandemic?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_2211935_nl_Academe-Today_date_20210413&cid=at&source=ams&sourceId=296279&cid2=gen_login_refresh 

Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel warns bitcoin might serve as a Chinese financial weapon against the US - and says it threatens the dollar ---
https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/peter-thiel-bitcoin-chinese-financial-weapon-against-us-threatens-dollar-2021-4-1030284380

Biden Administration Retracts Claim That $2.25 Trillion Infrastructure Plan Would Create 19 Million Jobs ---
https://reason.com/2021/04/06/biden-administration-retracts-claim-that-2-25-trillion-infrastructure-plan-would-create-19-million-jobs/
Says nothing about the hyperinflation that it will cause

Banks See Rise in Fraud Attempts During Pandemic ---
https://www.law360.com/compliance/articles/1371856/covid-19-has-exasperated-bank-compliance-teams

Michigan lawyers charged in alleged fraudulent debt-collecting scheme ---
https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-lawyers-charged-in-fraudulent-debt-collecting-scheme

Copyright bots powered by a 1998 law threaten the public's right to know ---
https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/545562-copyright-bots-powered-by-a-1998-law-threaten-the-publics-right-to-know

Faculty Evaluations Week in Higher Education ---
https://legalinsurrection.com/2021/04/faculty-evaluations-week-in-higher-education/
Covering Abraham Lincoln statue with feces

Facebook Data From More Than 500 Million Users Leaked Online ---
Click Here
Information from 106 countries, including phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, birthdates, and email addresses.

The two girls, ages 13 and 15, accused of killing an Uber Eats driver in DC, reportedly reached a soft plea deal with prosecutors to keep them out of jail after the age of 21 or go to a prison facility --- https://legalinsurrection.com/2021/04/report-d-c-teenage-girls-who-killed-pakistani-immigrant-in-carjacking-to-get-easy-plea-terms/

Student responsible for racist graffiti that was found in Albion College dorm, officials say [Media refuses to name 21-year-old black male who was arrested for anti-black hate crime] ---
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3948999/posts

University of Kentucky Accidentally Admits 500,000 Students (to a program usually admitting less than 40 per year) ---
Click Here

Pacific Lutheran to Cut 36 Faculty Members, Several Majors ---
Click Here

Bar Exams May Soon Be Easier To Pass, As States Eye Changes ---
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/bar-exams-may-soon-be-easier-to-pass-as-states-eye-changes
The USA needs more starving and homeless lawyers.

Course Hero is a site that helps students cheat ---
Search engine targets sharing of course documents on Course Hero (insidehighered.com)
Click Here

The Guardian:  Sharp rise in parents seeking to ban anti-racist books in US schools
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/apr/06/sharp-rise-in-parents-seeking-to-ban-anti-racist-books-in-us-schools

. . .

Angie Thomas’s award-winning novel The Hate U Give, in which a girl sees a police officer murder her friend, also made the most-challenged list for the third time. In 2020, parents challenged it for profanity, and because “it was thought to promote an anti-police message”.

Three classic novels also made the list: Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak, following a teen girl in the aftermath of her rape at a high school party, was restricted for containing “a political viewpoint” and it was claimed to be “biased against male students”, said the ALA.

“Claiming that a book about surviving sexual assault is biased against male students completely ignores that boys/men/males can be victims. To avoid discussion of sexual violence breeds ignorance, fosters perpetrators, and guarantees countless more victims,” said Anderson in response. “Most of the other books in the Top 10 are censored for discussing racism. Seems like book banners want to hold on to systematic racism and rape culture, doesn’t it?”

According to the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), which monitors challenges to books, more than 273 books were challenged or banned in 2020, although the majority of attempts to remove books go unreported.

“Two years ago, eight of 10 books were challenged for LGBTQ concerns,” Deborah Caldwell-Stone, OIF director, told School Library Journal. “While George is still No 1, reflecting the challenges to LGBTQ materials that we see consistently these days, there’s been a definite rise in the rhetoric challenging anti-racist materials and ideas … We’re seeing a shift to challenging books that advance racial justice, that discuss racism and America’s history with racism. I think the list is reflecting the conversations that many people in our country are having right now, and it’s a reflection of our rising awareness of the racial injustice and the history of racial injustice in our country.”

Jensen Comment
I can understand banning some books as assigned reading for younger age groups. But I abhor banning most books (exceptions for bomb and poison making) from libraries. Do we really want to burn the world's last copy of Mein Kamph?
Mein Kampf - Wikipedia

Elon Musk decries Austin's housing shortage and sky-high home prices. Peek inside the bonkers real-estate scene.
What Life Is Like in Austin, Texas, Where Silicon Valley Is Moving (businessinsider.com)  (not a free site)

How to Mislead With Statistics

Evanston bookstore owner suing Amazon over alleged price-fixing scheme that makes it impossible for other retailers to compete ---
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2021/3/29/22357482/evanston-bookstore-owner-suing-amazon-price-fixing-scheme-compete

An Evanston bookstore owner wants to take on Amazon.

Nina Barrett, owner of Bookends and Beginnings, signed on as the named plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed last week that accuses Amazon of orchestrating a price-fixing scheme with the nation’s leading book publishers that makes it impossible for other retailers to beat their prices.

According to the suit, contracts that Amazon has with the nation’s “Big Five” publishers — Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster — block the publishers from giving other retailers better prices.

“I, along with most independent bookstore owners in America, feel incredibly frustrated because we’ve seen that the playing field is not level,” Barrett told the Sun-Times. “We have to talk to our customers all the time about why we can’t match Amazon’s pricing.”

     Continued in article

Jensen Comment
Giving bookstores lower purchase prices than online vendors (think Amazon) forces publishers to share in the cost of bookstore services that most book buyers don't want to pay for in higher prices for books in local bookstores. These include the typical "middle man" services of wholesalers that many product lines have been eliminating in this era of technology. 

My neighbor in San Antonio for years had a wholesaling company that had exclusive rights for distributing some name brands (think Heinz) to all San Antonio area retailers. This gave him and his family a very comfortable living for many years, but one has to think that in modern times Heinz could probably sell their brands directly to San Antonio retailers at lower prices. My point is that this is somewhat analogous to how Amazon can sell books worldwide online with lower profit margins per book in what accountants call cost-profit-volume (CPV) analysis.

There's no doubt that local bookstores provide services that Amazon online cannot provide. For one thing, there's entertainment and serendipity advantages of customer browsing in bookstores. I love physical, especially in my favorite multi-story bookstore in Denver that has comfortable chairs among their book shelves. The problem is that these days not enough customers are willing to pay extra for the browsing services. The typical customer might browse in a bookstore, find books to purchase, and then go home and place an order with Amazon at lower prices.

There's also value when bookstore vendors have wide knowledge of related books. A customer might rave over a recent book she or he read and then ask a bookstore vendor:  "Are their similar books to this marvelous book?"

Some bookstores may provide tea, wine, and treats to browsers.

It's a little like the transition from full service (check the tire pressure, check the oil, and wash the windshield) gasoline stations of my youth to no service (my current  local self service station having zero attendants) gasoline station in Franconia, NH in my retirement. If given a choice, most drivers prefer not to pay extra for fuel accompanied by full services. 

If publishers sold books to Amazon for higher prices than to bookstores it would be a little like refiners selling fuel for less to full service filling stations. Customers would end up paying higher prices for fuel whether they buy from full service or self-service filling stations. The bottom line is that retail customers would be paying for services that most (not all) do not want to pay for when having no choice but to pay the higher prices. 

In other words, Amazon would have to charge more to recover the higher price Amazon pays for books. Bookstores would not charge less than Amazon, because of higher overhead and lower volume. Both Amazon and a bookstore might charge about the same price, a price that's higher than Amazon currently charges for books because of lower overhead.

New Zealand's housing shortage and sky-high home prices

Famous for its handling of the pandemic, its otherworldly scenery and its trailblazing prime minister, New Zealand is now becoming known for something else—one of the least affordable housing markets in the world. Prices are surging for even the most dilapidated homes. So forget your bunker dreams: House hunter Femke Burger has just one word for this landscape—brutal.

Continued in article

Taxes --- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_New_Zealand

New Zealand went through a major program of tax reform in the 1980s. The top marginal rate of income tax was reduced from 66% to 33% (changed to 39% in April 2000, 38% in April 2009 and 33% on 1 October 2010) and corporate income tax rate from 48% to 28% (changed to 30% in 2008 and to 28% on 1 October 2010).

...

There is no capital gains tax, although certain "gains" such as profits on the sale of patent rights are deemed to be income – income tax does apply to property transactions in certain circumstances, particularly speculation. There are currently no land taxes, but local property taxes (rates) are managed and collected by local authorities. Some goods and services carry a specific tax, referred to as an excise or a duty, such as alcohol excise or gaming duty. These are collected by a range of government agencies such as the New Zealand Customs Service. There is no social security (payroll) tax.

Jensen Comment

New Zealand has a chronic problem with "brain drain." Part of the problem is compensation levels that are lower than alternatives in the USA, Europe, and Australia. But there is also a problem of opportunity to specialize (think university faculty specialties) relative to more advanced economy higher education systems and technology business firms.

New Zealand hospitals in crisis after 'biggest January, February on record' ---
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-hospitals-in-crisis-after-biggest-january-february-on-record/7ICBYUJ6KVNKYSP7DXMZNBOTDY/
This is not a pandemic crisis or a problem with too many tourists during the pandemic. The Corona-19 virus was handled quite well in New Zealand, partly because this remote nation is so isolated and easy to shut down. The current  "hospital crisis" is more of a problem of not building capacity to meet unexpected demand in general. New Zealand has had some chronic problems with shortages of some medical specialists and relatively high turnover of nurses ---
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand

How to Mislead With Statistics

Critique of an Article on Machine Learning in the Detection of Accounting Fraud ---
https://econjwatch.org/articles/critique-of-an-article-on-machine-learning-in-the-detection-of-accounting-fraud

This critique examines the results of an article that applies machine learning to the detection of accounting fraud, published in Journal of Accounting Research. Their key finding is that machine learning improved fraud detection by 70 percent above a previously published logistic regression. The authors make their data and Matlab code available at Github. Using their files, I replicate their study. Upon closer inspection, we see that some fraudulent firms were contained in both the training and test samples, which improves the results of their model, but contradicts what was described in the published paper. I asked the authors about this issue and gratefully received a response. The response is quoted in the present critique. Getting a proper assessment of the potential of machine learning is important, as such techniques and models are relied upon by industry practitioners and regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission

Jensen Comment
Their key finding is that "machine learning improved fraud detection by 70 percent above a previously published logistic regression." What is unsaid is how good logistic rejection is in detecting fraud. The answer is that it's not all that great relative to the most important techniques for detecting fraud such as whistle blowing incentives and internal controls.  In fairness, logistic regression has gotten somewhat better ---
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5946108
However, accounting fraud is heavily dependent upon weaknesses in internal controls combined with whistle blowing incentives to report fraud.

Buckminster Fuller, Isaac Asimov & Other Futurists Make Predictions About the 21st Century in 1967: What They Got Right & Wrong ---
Click Here

Video Link on Scam Protection (Forwarded by Tina)

Jim Browning (his alias) is a software expert who spends time in the evenings thwarting scammers. The article is a real eye opener, his work is outstanding and has aided in arrests and/or shutdowns as well as being able to stop a scam in its tracks while aiding the victim-to-be.

He has a Youtube website that you may be interested in checking out:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBNG0osIBAprVcZZ3ic84vw

He lists the following as "Today's Hot Frauds"

1- ZOOM Phishing

2 - Covid-10 Vaccine Card Cons

3 - Fake Online Shopping Sites

4 - Celebrity Impostor Jackpots

5 - Online Romance Ambush

6 - Medicare Card Come-Ons

7 - Cash-Transfer App Swindles

8 - New Social Security Scams

9 - "Account Problem" Text

 

His 4"Takeaways" are:

1 - Let calls from strangers go to voicemail

2 - Simply delete suspicious pop-ups or phone messages (one thing you can try if you get pop-ups that concern you, is to power your computer off, wait a few seconds, then restart)

3 - If on the phone, ask for info in writing, then hang up

4 - Do not allow anyone remote access to your home computer and don't download software unless you are absolutely sure it is from a reputable source

 

NEVER let them get your money in any form!

IRS updates annual Dirty Dozen tax schemes for 2020 ---
https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2020/jul/tax-scams-irs-dirty-dozen-2020.html?utm_source=mnl:cpald&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20Jul2020

Enhancing Data Visualization:  DATA VIZ COLOR PALETTE GENERATOR ---
https://learnui.design/tools/data-color-picker.html#palette

Bob Jensen's threads on data visualization ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/352wpvisual/000datavisualization.htm

Biden Has Promised to Crack Down on Troubled For-Profit Colleges. Some Are Already in Peril ---
Click Here

If You Sell a House, the Buyer Might Be a Pension Fund ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-you-sell-a-house-these-days-the-buyer-might-be-a-pension-fund-11617544801?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst

Yield-chasing investors are snapping up single-family homes, competing with ordinary Americans and driving up prices

“We certainly wouldn’t expect every single-family community we sell to sell at a 50% gross margin,” the builder’s finance chief, Bill Wheat, said at a recent investor conference.

From individuals with smartphones and a few thousand dollars to pensions and private-equity firms with billions, yield-chasing investors are snapping up single-family houses to rent out or flip. They are competing for houses with ordinary Americans, who are armed with the cheapest mortgage financing ever, and driving up home prices.

“You now have permanent capital competing with a young couple trying to buy a house,” said John Burns, whose eponymous real estate consulting firm estimates that in many of the nation’s top markets, roughly one in every five houses sold is bought by someone who never moves in. “That’s going to make U.S. housing permanently more expensive,” he said.

The consulting firm found Houston to be a favorite haunt of investors who have lately accounted for 24% of home purchases there. Investors’ slice of the housing market grows—as it does in other boomtowns, such as Miami, Phoenix and Las Vegas—among properties priced below $300,000 and in decent school districts.

“Limited housing supply, low rates, a global reach for yield, and what we’re calling the institutionalization of real-estate investors has set the stage for another speculative investor-driven home price bubble,” the firm concluded.

Jensen Comment
I suspect flipping will be more common, because renting houses brings out headaches of finding renters, paying property taxes, maintenance expenses, liability insurance, casualty insurance, legal fees, and the cost of having the rental property managed. Also states like Illinois. California, and New York are promising increased rent controls that can turn your rental investments into losses or very controlled (low) profits. Then there are those laws that make it difficult to evict undesirable tenants who don't pay their rents and destruct the property. Certainly investors should look toward other investments. With real estate investments there are great risks because parcels are not fungible --- each parcel has unique risks and returns.

When Erika and I got our shots in a nice covered shopping mall in Laconia, NH the mall was virtually empty with boarded up stores. We got our shots in a room that was larger than half of a football field. It must've been the former anchor store of this mall. How would you like to buy that mall in bankruptcy and try to revive it in this low-population region having long, hard winters?

Millionaire New Yorkers could soon be paying the highest taxes in the country ---
Click Here

Jensen Comment
This means a million or more in taxable income. Many people have over a million dollars in assets (think real estate and pension investments) that are tax-deferred unless a hard hitting wealth tax is legislated. In New York and elsewhere, however, people earning more than a million a year in taxable income will get hit with total federal and state taxation of over 50%. But lawyers and tax accountants will have ways of reducing this hit, including moving from high taxation states. Home builders in New Hampshire are now booked years in advance by people intending to move from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and other high taxation states. A couple from Cape Cod is close to moving into their new house close to where Erika and I retired in New Hampshire. Another couple from Vermont offered my neighbor over $1 million in cash for a house they had never seen on the inside. My neighbor had never even considered selling his house and rejected the unsolicited offer. Another friend sold a condo at full price to a buyer from Israel who had never even seen the property.

Google triumphed over Oracle in a decade-long Supreme Court battle ---
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/05/984442325/supreme-court-hands-google-a-win-over-oracle-in-multibillion-dollar-case

The Spy Who Came in from the Carrel ---
https://www.publicbooks.org/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-carrel/

During the pandemic, there has been severe hostility to firms buying back their own shares, a practice only made legal in the UK in 1981 ---
https://www.economicsobservatory.com/should-companies-be-allowed-to-buy-back-their-own-shares

Here are the states where retirement savers have the biggest nest eggs ---
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/12/here-are-the-states-where-retirement-savers-have-the-biggest-nest-eggs.html

Free Online Tutorials, Videos, Course Materials, and Learning Centers

Education Tutorials

Bob Jensen's threads on education links ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob2.htm#EducationResearch

Engineering, Science, and Medicine Tutorials

Robust Decarbonization of the US Power Sector: Policy Options ---
https://www.nber.org/papers/w28677#fromrss

The Archive of Healing Is Now Online: UCLA’s Digital Database Provides Access to Thousands of Traditional & Alternative Healing Methods ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/the-archive-of-healing-is-now-online.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Microsoft Corp. has agreed to acquire speech-recognition firm Nuance Communications Inc. for $16 billion, pushing further into health technology and adding to a series of deals that have widened the range of software tools it offers customers ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-to-buy-nuance-communications-for-19-7-billion-11618231523?mod=djemCFO 

The Vast Viral World:  What We Know and Don't Know ---
http://alliance.nautil.us/feature/685/the-vast-viral-world-what-we-know-and-dont-know

The fight against fake-paper factories that churn out sham science ---
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00733-5

In the deepest despair, electroconvulsive therapy offers hope ---
Click Here

Bob Jensen's threads on free online science, engineering, and medicine tutorials are at --http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm

Bob Jensen's links to free courses and tutorials --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#OKI

Social Science and Economics Tutorials

Bob Jensen's threads on Economics, Anthropology, Social Sciences, and Philosophy tutorials are at
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm

Bob Jensen's links to free courses and tutorials --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#OKI

Law and Legal Studies

eMath Help
Math Tutorials and Illustrations (Algebra and Calculus) ---
https://www.emathhelp.net/?z=1

Bob Jensen's threads on law and legal studies are at
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2-Part2.htm#Law

Math Tutorials

List of African-American mathematicians ---
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_mathematicians

Bob Jensen's threads on free online mathematics tutorials are at
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm
Scroll down to Mathematics and Statistics

Bob Jensen's links to free courses and tutorials --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#OKI

History Tutorials

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF COMPUTING: VIRTUAL TOUR ---
www.tnmoc.org/3d-virtual-tour
Bob Jensen's threads on computing and networking history ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob2.htm#---ComputerNetworking-IncludingInternet

SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY PROJECT ---
https://shakespeareandco.princeton.edu/

US Navy ship sunk nearly 80 years ago reached in world's deepest shipwreck dive ---
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/04/us-navy-ship-sunk-nearly-80-years-ago-reached-in-worlds-deepest-shipwreck-dive

The Ingenious Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci Recreated with 3D Animation ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/the-ingenious-inventions-of-leonardo-da-vinci-recreated-with-3d-animation.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

A 4,000-Year-Old Student ‘Writing Board’ from Ancient Egypt (with Teacher’s Corrections in Red) ---
Click Here

The Spy Who Came in from the Carrel ---
https://www.publicbooks.org/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-carrel/

Bob Jensen's threads on history tutorials are at http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm
Scroll down to History
Also see http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/ElectronicLiterature.htm  

Bob Jensen's links to free courses and tutorials --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#OKI

Language Tutorials

Bob Jensen's links to language tutorials are at http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2-Part2.htm#Languages

Music Tutorials

Bob Jensen's threads on free music tutorials are at
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm
Scroll down to Music

Bob Jensen's threads on music performances ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/music.htm

Writing Tutorials

Improve Your Writing With The Help Of Useful Resource ---
https://edubirdie.com/blog/writing-resources

Bob Jensen's helpers for writers are at http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob3.htm#Dictionaries

Bob Jensen's threads on medicine ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2-Part2.htm#Medicine

CDC Blogs --- http://blogs.cdc.gov/

Shots: NPR Health News --- http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots

Updates from WebMD --- http://www.webmd.com/

April 4, 2021

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Protects for 6 Months or More

Ethical Questions Surround COVID Vaccine Passports

Millennials Flock to Telehealth, Online Research

Cases in Children Helping the Surge of COVID Variants

CDC: Get Vaccinated and You Can Travel

Biden Criticizes Texas Rangers' Call for 100% Capacity

Sarah Palin Tests Positive, Urges People to Wear Masks

Dog Detector Helps YouTuber Cope With COVID Isolation

Combo Therapy Helps Beat a Common Childhood Leukemia

April 5, 2021

Illinois Bar Opening Leads to COVID-19 Outbreak

Blood Type Doesn't Affect Your COVID Risk

FDA Authorizes Fuller Vials for Moderna’s Vaccine

California to Allow Indoor Concerts, Sporting Events

MLB’s Mets-Nationals Series Postponed After Outbreak

Feds Direct Johnson & Johnson to Run Vaccine Plant

Biden Administration Launches Vaccination Ad Campaign

Faster-Spreading COVID Variant Expanding in U.S.

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Protects for 6 Months or More

April 6, 2021

CDC Investigating Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Wild Songbirds

Illinois Bar Opening Leads to COVID-19 Outbreak

Blood Type Doesn't Affect Your COVID Risk

FDA Authorizes Fuller Vials for Moderna’s Vaccine

California to Allow Indoor Concerts, Sporting Events

MLB’s Mets-Nationals Series Postponed After Outbreak

Feds Direct Johnson & Johnson to Run Vaccine Plant

Biden Administration Launches Vaccination Ad Campaign

Faster-Spreading COVID Variant Expanding in U.S.

April 7, 2021

New Double Mutation Variant from India Found In US

Men and Women Differ on Masks During, After COVID-19: Survey

COVID: Mammogram Rates Rebound, Concerns Remain

Utah Law Requires Fathers to Share Pregnancy Costs

COVID Shot Earlier in Pregnancy Better for Baby

Doctors' Group: Antibiotics Can Be Taken for Shorter Periods

CDC Offers Guidance for Cruise Industry to Sail Again

Treatment May Help Women in Early Menopause Remain Fertile

CDC Investigating Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Wild Songbirds

April 8, 2021

Black Women Dying of COVID at Higher Rates Than White Men

Women More Prone to Concussion's Long-Term Harms

'Heart-in-a-Box' Can Be Lifesaver From Distant Donors

Nearly Half of New COVID-19 Cases Reported in 5 States

Texas Joins States Banning COVID-19 ‘Vaccine Passports’

Study: Skin Reactions to COVID Vaccines Aren’t Dangerous

Biden Moves Vaccine Eligibility Deadline to April 19

Study: Poor Ventilation Could Spread COVID Indoors

Age-Related Cognitive Decline May Not Be Inevitable

April 11, 2021

Pfizer Asks FDA to Extend Use of COVID Vaccine-19 to Ages 12-15

You Have Fungi in Your Lungs, and That's OK

Sunnier Areas Have Lower COVID-19 Death Rates

Why Employee COVID Vaccination Mandates May Not Be Legal

US Finally Hits Stride With COVID Vaccine Rollouts

CDC Director: All Schools Should Fully Open This Fall

NIH Looking Into Rare Allergic Reactions to COVID Vaccines

Famed Animal Expert Jack Hanna Diagnosed with Dementia

Black Women Dying of COVID at Higher Rates Than White Men

April 12, 2021

Maskless Florida Woman Jailed for Coughing on Customer

Pfizer Asks FDA to OK COVID Vaccine for Kids Age 12–15

Several Sites Pause J & J Vaccine After Adverse Reactions

U.S. Gives Record Number of COVID Vaccines on Saturday

Michigan Pauses Classes, Sports Amid New COVID Surge

Japanese COVID Patient Receives 1st Live Lung Transplant

Pfizer Asks FDA to Extend Use of COVID Vaccine-19 to Ages 12-15

You Have Fungi in Your Lungs, and That's OK

Sunnier Areas Have Lower COVID-19 Death Rates

April 13, 2021

J&J Pause Escalates Worries About Vaccine Hesitancy

What to Know About the J&J COVID Vaccine Pause

White House to Lift Restrictions on Abortion Pill Access

Ground Turkey Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Meow Mix Cat Food Recalled Due to Salmonella Fears

Regeneron Antibody Cocktail Offers COVID Protection

12% of Children with COVID Are Hospitalized: Study

B.1.1.7 Variant Won’t Cause More Severe COVID: Study

Americans Are Eating Less Healthily, Except at School

April 15, 2021

CDC Panel: Pause of J&J COVID Vaccine to Remain for Now

FAQ: Herd Immunity and COVID-19

How Some COVID Vaccines Could Cause Rare Blood Clots

White House: J&J Pause Won’t Affect Vaccine Program

Canada's COVID Surge Prompts Alarm, Lockdown Orders

Many Kids Who Develop Severe MIS-C Have Neurologic Symptoms

FDA, CDC Urges Pause of J&J COVID Vaccine

J&J Pause Escalates Worries About Vaccine Hesitancy

What to Know About the J&J COVID Vaccine Pause

In the deepest despair, electroconvulsive therapy offers hope ---
Click Here

The Archive of Healing Is Now Online: UCLA’s Digital Database Provides Access to Thousands of Traditional & Alternative Healing Methods ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/the-archive-of-healing-is-now-online.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Humor for April 2021

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

ENGLISH IS HARD

01. The bandage was wound around the wound.

02. The farm was used to produce produce.

03. The dump was so full it had to refuse refuse.

04. We polish Polish furniture.

05. He could lead if he would get the lead out.

06. The man decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

07. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

08. A bass was painted on the bass drum.

09. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10. I did not object to the object.

11. The insurance for the invalid was invalid.

12. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13. They were too close to the door to close it.

 

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

01. My grandchildren will never know the joy of finding a quarter left behind in a pay phone (although the quarter these days does not buy a hamburger or an ice cream shake like in my youth)

02. The older you get the more you appreciate cancelled trips and parties, early nights, thunderstorms, and liquor that's on sale

03. I just went to another room and remembered why I was there --- of course the sink and commode provided some clues

04. When I finish taking a bite I must show the dog who suspects a slight of hand trick.

05. Some people won't admit their faults; I would always own up to my faults if I had any.

06. I don't have any tatoos for the same reason a driver who owns a Ferrari won't stick on bumper stickers.

07. I might wake up and run outside for exercise; I also might wake up and discover I won the lottery; The odds are about the same.

08. Hugh Heffner became a multimillionaire by staying home in his jammies --- that never worked for me.

09. You can fix ignorance but not stupidity;  Quarantines also don't work for stupidity, but they might help ignorance if you make an effort to study.

10. When the cop said I smelled of alcohol, I replied that he was not properly using social distancing.

11. When I was a kid I wanted to be older; This crap is not what I expected.

12. I thought growing old would take longer.

13. Pubs:  The official sun block of Ireland.

14. My wife says I have two faults; I don't listen and something else.

15. I'm so busy I don't know whether I found a rope or lost a horse.

16. Particles making up the universe:  Protons, Neurons, Electrons; Morons

17. The best thing about the old days was that I wasn't good and I wasn't old.

18. Twinkle twinkle little star, point me to the nearest bar.

Tidbits Archives --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/TidbitsDirectory.htm

More of Bob Jensen's Pictures and Stories
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Pictures.htm

Click here to search Bob Jensen's web site if you have key words to enter --- Search Site.
For example if you want to know what Jensen documents have the term "Enron" enter the phrase Jensen AND Enron. Another search engine that covers Trinity and other universities is at http://www.searchedu.com/

Online Distance Education Training and Education --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Crossborder.htm
For-Profit Universities Operating in the Gray Zone of Fraud  (College, Inc.) --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/HigherEdControversies.htm#ForProfitFraud

Shielding Against Validity Challenges in Plato's Cave ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/TheoryTAR.htm

• With a Rejoinder from the 2010 Senior Editor of The Accounting Review (TAR), Steven J. Kachelmeier
• With Replies in Appendix 4 to Professor Kachemeier by Professors Jagdish Gangolly and Paul Williams
• With Added Conjectures in Appendix 1 as to Why the Profession of Accountancy Ignores TAR
• With Suggestions in Appendix 2 for Incorporating Accounting Research into Undergraduate Accounting Courses

The Cult of Statistical Significance: How Standard Error Costs Us Jobs, Justice, and Lives ---
http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/temp/DeirdreMcCloskey/StatisticalSignificance01.htm

How Accountics Scientists Should Change: 
"Frankly, Scarlett, after I get a hit for my resume in The Accounting Review I just don't give a damn"
http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/temp/AccounticsDamn.htm
One more mission in what's left of my life will be to try to change this
http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/temp/AccounticsDamn.htm 

What went wrong in accounting/accountics research?  ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory01.htm#WhatWentWrong

The Sad State of Accountancy Doctoral Programs That Do Not Appeal to Most Accountants ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory01.htm#DoctoralPrograms

AN ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE ACCOUNTING REVIEW: 1926-2005 ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/395wpTAR/Web/TAR395wp.htm#_msocom_1

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting theory ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory01.htm

Tom Lehrer on Mathematical Models and Statistics ---
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfZWyUXn3So

Systemic problems of accountancy (especially the vegetable nutrition paradox) that probably will never be solved ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudConclusion.htm#BadNews

World Clock --- http://www.peterussell.com/Odds/WorldClock.php
Facts about the earth in real time --- http://www.worldometers.info/
Interesting Online Clock and Calendar --- http://home.tiscali.nl/annejan/swf/timeline.swf
Time by Time Zones --- http://timeticker.com/
Projected Population Growth (it's out of control) --- http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/worldpopulation.htm
         Also see http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Populations.html
         Facts about population growth (video) --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U
Projected U.S. Population Growth --- http://www.carryingcapacity.org/projections75.html
Real time meter of the U.S. cost of the war in Iraq --- http://www.costofwar.com/ 
Enter you zip code to get Census Bureau comparisons --- http://zipskinny.com/
Sure wish there'd be a little good news today.

Free (updated) Basic Accounting Textbook --- search for Hoyle at
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/ElectronicLiterature.htm#Textbooks

CPA Examination --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cpa_examination
Free CPA Examination Review Course Courtesy of Joe Hoyle --- http://cpareviewforfree.com/

Rick Lillie's education, learning, and technology blog is at http://iaed.wordpress.com/

Accounting News, Blogs, Listservs, and Social Networking ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/AccountingNews.htm

Bob Jensen's Threads --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/threads.htm 
Current and past editions of my newsletter called New Bookmarks --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookurl.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called Tidbits --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/TidbitsDirectory.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called Fraud Updates --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudUpdates.htm

Online Books, Poems, References, and Other Literature
In the past I've provided links to various types electronic literature available free on the Web. 
I created a page that summarizes those various links --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/ElectronicLiterature.htm

Many useful accounting sites (scroll down) --- http://www.iasplus.com/links/links.htm

Bob Jensen's Sort-of Blogs --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/JensenBlogs.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called New Bookmarks --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookurl.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called Tidbits --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/TidbitsDirectory.htm
Current and past editions of my newsletter called Fraud Updates --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudUpdates.htm

Some Accounting History Sites

Bob Jensen's Accounting History in a Nutshell and Links --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory01.htm#AccountingHistory
 

Accounting History Libraries at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) --- http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/accountancy/libraries.html
The above libraries include international accounting history.
The above libraries include film and video historical collections.

MAAW Knowledge Portal for Management and Accounting --- http://maaw.info/

Academy of Accounting Historians and the Accounting Historians Journal ---
http://www.accounting.rutgers.edu/raw/aah/

Sage Accounting History --- http://ach.sagepub.com/cgi/pdf_extract/11/3/269

A nice timeline on the development of U.S. standards and the evolution of thinking about the income statement versus the balance sheet is provided at:
"The Evolution of U.S. GAAP: The Political Forces Behind Professional Standards (1930-1973)," by Stephen A. Zeff, CPA Journal, January 2005 --- http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2005/105/infocus/p18.htm
Part II covering years 1974-2003 published in February 2005 --- http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2005/205/index.htm 

A nice timeline of accounting history --- http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2187711/A-HISTORY-OF-ACCOUNTING

From Texas A&M University
Accounting History Outline --- http://acct.tamu.edu/giroux/history.html

Bob Jensen's timeline of derivative financial instruments and hedge accounting ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudRotten.htm#DerivativesFrauds

History of Fraud in America --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/415wp/AmericanHistoryOfFraud.htm
Also see http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Fraud.htm

Bob Jensen's Threads ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/threads.htm

More of Bob Jensen's Pictures and Stories
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Pictures.htm

All my online pictures --- http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/PictureHistory/

Professor Robert E. Jensen (Bob) http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen
190 Sunset Hill Road
Sugar Hill, NH 03586
Phone:  603-823-8482 
Email:  rjensen@trinity.edu