Tidbits on April 30, 2021
Bob Jensen at Trinity University

Set 4 of Bob Jensen's Miscellaneous Photographs
http://www.cs.trinity.edu/rjensen/Tidbits/Misc/Set02/MiscSet04.htm  

 

Tidbits on April 30, 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 400 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

Animated  Visualization of the United States’ Exploding Population Growth Over 200 Years (1790 – 2010) ---
A Visualization of the United States’ Exploding Population Growth Over 200 Years (1790 – 2010)

USA Debt Clock --- http://www.usdebtclock.org/ ubl

In September 2017 the USA National Debt exceeded $20 trillion for the first time ---
http://www.statedatalab.org/news/detail/national-debt-surpasses-20-trillion-for-the-first-time-in-us-history

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




Online Video, Slide Shows, and Audio

Warning:  There's a bit of patriotism in virtually all the books of Admiral Mcraven
Admiral McRaven Leaves the Audience SPEECHLESS | One of the Best Motivational Speeches ---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBuIGBCF9jc
I encourage you to read, like I did, all the books written by William McRaven. They are a bit repetitive, but there's something new and worthwhile in every book ---
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=william+mcraven&crid=4SD4PYRPO6ZP&sprefix=McRaven%2Caps%2C180&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_7_ts-doa-p
I never met Admiral McRaven, but I had the honor for a short time to play bridge with his father (Mac) while we both lived in San Antonio. Mac was a well-known spitfire fighter pilot in WW II.

Bison Stampede ---
https://gutsmack.com/2021/04/nature-is-undefeated-video-of-bison-stampede-is-unreal/

The Meaning of Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights Explained ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/the-meaning-of-hieronymus-boschs-the-garden-of-earthly-delights-explained.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29  

Watch Colorized 1940s Footage of London after the Blitz: Scenes from Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace & More ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/watch-colorized-1940s-footage-of-london-after-the-blitz.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Experience Footage of Roaring 1920s Berlin, Restored & Colorized with Artificial Intelligence ---
Click Here

Video:  Cloud Avalanche --- https://guyaneseonline.net/2021/04/22/video-snow-cloud-avalanche-in-the-mountains-of-nepal-spectacular/

VIDEO:  EVER EDUCATING --- www.youtube.com/channel/UCshegTlE7qLK-2uJZeoh8Iw/featured

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 

Video:  Quarantined Dancer Recreates Iconic Movie Dance Scenes: Flashdance, Footloose, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction and, Of Course, Dirty Dancing ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/quarantined-dancer-recreates-iconic-movie-dance-scenes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Listen to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” Played on a 1914 Fairground Organ ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/listen-to-abbas-dancing-queen-played-on-a-1914-fairground-organ.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Hear Joni Mitchell’s Earliest Recording, Rediscovered After More than 50 Years ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/hear-joni-mitchells-earliest-recording.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Is “Rain” the Perfect Beatles Song?: A New Video Explores the Radical Innovations of the 1966 B-Side ---
https://www.openculture.com/?post_type=post&p=1088896
I don't much care for anything the Beatles recorded!

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


Photographs and Art

Plague planet: the Sony world photography awards 2021 – in pictures ---
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2021/apr/15/plague-sony-world-photography-awards-2021-in-pictures

National Geographic:  51 Years of Environmental Victories ---
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/environmental-victories-in-photos

3D Print 18,000 Famous Sculptures, Statues & Artworks: Rodin’s Thinker, Michelangelo’s David & More ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/3d-print-18000-famous-sculptures-statues-artworks-rodins-thinker-michelangelos-david-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

THE DWOSKIN PROJECT (Filmmaking) --- https://research.reading.ac.uk/stephen-dwoskin/

NASA Mars Photos Show Ingenuity Helicopter's Historic First Flight ---
https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-mars-ingenuity-first-flight-helicopter-photos-1584627

Photos of the weirdest and most unique McDonald's restaurants in the world ---
Click Here

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

 

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 30, 2021
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/tidbits/2020/TidbitsQuotations043021.htm             




Harvard undergraduate general (blue book) exam in economics, 1957 ---
http://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-undergraduate-general-examination-in-economics-1957/

Jensen Comment
It's now more interesting to have students discuss what answers may have changed between 1957 and the 21st Century. For example monetary policy (think of how the Fed's tight money policy may have dampened the boom of 1955) versus how the Fed's zero (or negative) interest rate policy is insufficient on its own to spur growth on its own in 2021. Think of how robots/technology in society are now changing labor needs and policies. Think of how unions have become weaker in goods and stronger in services such and education and government services.

Recall that in 1955 Marxism experiments in socialism were looking much more promising in such places as the Soviet Union, China, and Cuba (just slightly after 1955). Since then the socialist regimes have reverted back to more and more capitalism, although socialism is not dead and gone and is experiencing newer movements in the USA (especially in academia).

Before he died, Fidel Castro labeled the Cuban Experiment an economic failure. Many in the USA are now trying to instigate Cuban policies with guaranteed annual income, universal free medical care, free college, enormous government spending/taxation, etc. Socialism is by no means dead, although socialists are still trying to find one successful experiment in the 20th Century. Keep in mind that the Scandinavian nations are proudly capitalist with greatly reduced taxation ---
https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/MarginalTaxRates.html
Note that the highest marginal tax rates in virtually all nations (including Scandinavia) in 1955 were greatly reduced in the 1970s. Now the USA is trying to revive higher and higher marginal tax rates.

My point is that a lot has happened to change economic theory and practice since the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Exam of 1957.


Understanding the World Through Maps ---
Click Here
Thank you Arnold Barkman for the heads up.


RAWGRAPHS (Data Visualization) --- https://rawgraphs.io/  


Book Reviews

Who Owns America's Wilderness? ---
Click Here


Good News Items

ALISON (free vocational skills courses) --- https://alison.com/

Autism can be detected with new smartphone app created by Duke scientists ---
https://www.studyfinds.org/autism-detected-with-smartphone-app-duke-scientists/

About half of California's electricity comes from renewables ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/455-california-energy-mix/

What is Wheat Straw Plastic?
Click Here
I like this article because it discusses some of the drawbacks as well as the advantages. But it does not go far enough in the analysis of cost competitiveness relative to petrochemical alternatives. For example, if we really get serious about recycling advantages of plastics will that make plastic much more competitive where plastics are now used?

USA's teen pregnancies have halved ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/1015-us-teen-pregnancy/

We've decommissioned over 85% of the world's nuclear warheads ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/541-nuclear-warheads/

USA's smoking rates are the lowest ever ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/973-us-smoking-rates/

Extreme poverty in Bangladesh has halved ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/425-bangladesh-poverty/

The "Build for Zero" Campaign is eliminating chronic homelessness in the USA ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/968-built-for-zero/

Fewer Kids are Dying From Malnutrition in the World ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/292-malnutrition-deaths/

African Countries Are Squashing Malaria ---
https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/1172-africa-squashing-malaria/

30,000 People Line Up for the First McDonald’s in Moscow, While Grocery Store Shelves Run Empty (1990) ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/30000-people-line-up-for-the-first-mcdonalds-in-moscow.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29
And I thought the nearly 100 people lined up for McDonald's in Hong Kong was a long line


Bad News Tidbits

NBER: One Reason for Increases in College Completion Rates is the Scandal of Grade Inflation ---
https://www.nber.org/papers/w28710#fromrss
The median college grade is now A- across the USA, up from C+ in the 1960s ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/assess.htm#RateMyProfessor

American Universities Have Lost Their Prestige ---
Click Here

Dumbing Down:  Virginia moving to eliminate all accelerated math courses (think algebra, & geometry) before 11th grade as part of equity-focused plan ---
https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-accelerated-math-courses-equity
Jensen Comment
Punish the gifted so they don't make weak students look so bad
This will push better students into home schooling and private tutoring, which thereby leaves only the weaker students without a chance for high tech studies in public schools. But all is not so bad since universities (think Michigan State)  are removing traditional math requirements from their own curricula and admission requirements. The hope is that if there's no algebra or geometry more high school graduates will learn how to read and do simple arithmetic.
NPR:  Years Of Schooling Leaves Some Students Illiterate ---
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121374125
ACLU:  High School Grad Can't Read His Diploma ---
https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/mass-incarceration/high-school-grad-cant-read-his-diploma

The Problem of the New Right ---
https://scholars-stage.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-problem-of-new-right.html
We're no longer "free to choose" ---
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_to_Choose

Where were the cost accountants?
Elon Musk said Tesla made 'significant mistakes' calculating how much its Solar Roof should cost, leading to massive price hikes ---
Click Here

China has balked at having to keep up with developed countries in lowering emissions at staggering costs ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-115-trillion-price-tag-to-cut-global-emissions-11619375103?mod=djemCFO

Jensen Comment
 Because China still has so much poverty China has a more difficult time of passing costs on to consumers relative to the USA and other developed nations. It always amazes me how the USA media seldom mentions that increased business taxes and costs of meeting tighter regulations are not paid by business firms --- rather they are passed on to us (their customers) at the cash registers. 

So don't believe it when Biden said his trillions in new corporate taxes will be paid by business firms. Business firms don't pay taxes. They pass them on in the form of higher prices. It's the end customers who pay those tax increases and added costs of tighter regulations.

Winners of lottery jackpots of $25,000 or more have been denied payment by the lottery commission until the state balances the budget ---
https://www.today.com/money/illinois-lottery-winners-get-ious-instead-money-t44141
And that might not be until Hell freezes over
If you get a $1 million IOU from Illinois do you have to pay Federal and Illinois income taxes in cash?

Unemployment Fraud Has Soared in the Pandemic. Here's What to Do ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/unemployment-benefits-fraud-has-soared-in-the-pandemic-heres-what-to-do-11619688601?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst
One if the huge problems is that data breaches like the huge Blue Cross data breach put millions of social security numbers in the hands of criminals. Another problem is that people out of work who are not eligible for unemployment benefits think that stealing unemployment insurance is a right rather than a privilege.

The ComEd corruption scandal is a wake-up call for Illinois ---
https://www.data-z.org/news/detail/the-comed-corruption-scandal-is-a-wake-up-call-for-illinois

Two foreign energy companies are set to make millions by deceiving residents of Maine ---
https://www.foxnews.com/media/us-largest-forests-danger-tucker-carlson-originals-exposes-green-energy-scam-maine-corrupt

Moshe Porat, the former business school dean who submitted false data for a higher US News ranking, remains on the Temple faculty and faces federal charges of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud
Click Here
If convicted he faces up to 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

France:  Marijuana is a Free Pass to Murder Jews ---
https://legalinsurrection.com/2021/04/frances-macron-wants-change-in-law-after-top-court-lets-off-jewish-womans-killer-because-he-was-on-weed/

Cuba’s economic woes may fuel America’s next migrant crisis ---
https://theconversation.com/cubas-economic-woes-may-fuel-americas-next-migrant-crisis-158260

Proportion of Black doctors in America has barely changed in 120 years, study reveals ---
https://www.studyfinds.org/black-doctors-120-years/

Why has nuclear power been a flop?
https://rootsofprogress.org/devanney-on-the-nuclear-flop
France is the nation most dedicated to nuclear power and most likely disagrees that it's a flop.

Electricity needed to mine bitcoin is more than used by 'entire countries' ---
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/27/bitcoin-mining-electricity-use-environmental-impact
Bitcoin For Dummies Cheat Sheet ---
https://www.dummies.com/software/bitcoin-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/ 
Jensen Comment
This is one of those phenomena that I know happens, but I just don't understand why it takes so much electricity. I suspect my ignorance lies in favor of taking chemistry, botany, and other science and math courses while avoiding the physics courses as a student. Electricity is still a mystery to me.

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

Ex-White House Adviser Charged With Stealing From Charter Schools ---
Click Here

Political polls pushing narrative no longer strive for reliability and honesty ---
https://redstate.com/bonchie/2021/04/17/a-new-poll-shows-the-pollsters-arent-even-trying-anymore-n363285

Will Cool New Technology Ruin Classic Films? ---
https://jborden.com/2021/04/24/will-cool-new-technology-ruin-classic-films/

Two students at Middle Tennessee State University stole over $114,000 from the school’s Somali Student Association and Muslim Student Association ---
https://www.campusreform.org/article?id=17240

New York City weekend bloodshed leaves 31 people shot, 6 killed: 'Welcome to the city of violence' ---
https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-city-weekend-violence-people-shot-killed-city-of-violence

Bloomberg:  The Rise and Fall of American Malls ---
https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/post/2021/4/17/bloomberg-the-rise-and-fall-of-american-malls
It's popular to correctly blame online shopping for the demise of malls, but I personally know of some malls that suffered from teenage gang violence and other crimes that made shoppers feel unsafe. An undesirable social phenomenon became to drop teenagers off for hours at a time just to get them out of the house.


Good News and Bad News Tidbits

We’re eating more meatless meat more than ever, but it’s still not much ---
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22385612/plant-based-meat-milk-alternative-protein
But there's great promise for the future

We’re buying electric vehicles more than ever, but it’s still not much ---
https://insideevs.com/news/463741/global-plugin-car-sales-november-2020/
Given worldwide sales of vehicles in the 70 million range that translates to an average of about 6.0 million per month the market share of electric vehicles of about 0.4 million per month is still pretty puny ---
https://www.statista.com/statistics/200002/international-car-sales-since-1990/
In my opinion we will never attain millions of EVs sold per month until we get away for their dependence upon lithium and relatively rare commodities.

Syracuse course questions whether academia should stop teaching Shakespeare ---
https://www.campusreform.org/article?id=17365

Senate Passes Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill That Doesn't Prohibit Discrimination in College Admissions ---
https://reason.com/2021/04/23/senate-passes-anti-asian-hate-crimes-bill-that-doesnt-prohibit-discrimination-in-college-admissions/

. . .

Many elite colleges, public universities, and even selective high schools explicitly discriminate against Asian applicants in order to artificially tinker with the racial makeup of the campus population. This means that Asian students whose grades and test scores would have gained them admission had they been white, black, or Hispanic are routinely turned away. Contrary to popular belief, the biggest beneficiaries of these schemes are often white students.

Courts have generally held that race-based admissions do not violate civil rights law if they are very narrowly tailored. But Congress could explicitly require educational institutions that receive federal dollars to cease discriminating against Asian applicants. (They could even call it an antiracist initiative.)

Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) proposed an amendment to the bill along these lines, but it was defeated in a close vote: 48–49. Thus the version that passed the Senate aims to tackle anti-Asian hatred, but is silent on perhaps the most common and systemic form of anti-Asian bigotry in the U.S.

Continued in article

 


How to Mislead With Statistics

Are We Witnessing a Major Shift in the World of Work? ---
https://jborden.com/2021/04/29/are-we-witnessing-a-major-shift-in-the-world-of-work/

Jensen Comment

This article appears to be an example of how to mislead with statistics. The sampling population was entirely made up of people working from home. Among other things they apparently thought they worked "successfully" at home. Others affected by their work may my not be inclined to label that remote work as successful. Prime examples are teachers working at home who naively think they are just as successful with remote students as they are with onsite students. Many students and their parents, on the other hand, may not feel the same way by the successfulness of remote teaching.

For example, one of the great benefits of having minority teachers teaching minority students onsite is that the minority students can see and interact face-to-face with their role models. Remotely, students can't even be sure that their teachers are really from minority groups.

Another example is the set of auditors who think they are doing good work remotely. Their employers and their clients possibly have a much different view of their performance. I'm inclined to think that the physical presence of auditors sometimes instills a fear factor to prevent fraud. If clients never have visits from auditors (think of the Purchasing Department at WorldCom that had not been visited by Andersen's auditors for years) they may have less fear that their frauds will be detected.

I know you, Jim, are inclined to want work to be what makes employees happiest. But worker happiness does not always correlate highly from standpoint of happiness of customers, clients, and employers. Some (most?) workers should be judged by people intended to benefit from that work.

Are takeout dinners in a restaurant really as good as when they are served hot in the restaurant?

Worker happiness is only one of many very important work performance criteria.

I'm inclined to think that most work cannot be done remotely such that it's misleading to confine research on the topic only to work that can possibly be done remotely?


Set 1 from Chronicle of Higher Education:  Pandemic-Driven Innovations Professors Like
Click Here for Set 2

Flexibility with due dates and grading.
Taking time to make connections.
Online tutoring and other student-support services.
Virtual workshops.
Online guest speakers.

Set 2 from Chronicle of Higher Education:  More Pandemic-Driven Innovations Professors Like ---
Click Here for Set 2

Recorded lectures and classes.
Hybrid teaching and teaching with technology.
More focus on accessible course materials.
Teaching outside.

Jensen Comment
In my opinion, the most important thing that I discovered long before the pandemic (and before I retired after 40 years of classroom teaching) is the learning advantage of recorded tutorials for very technical problem-solving material. These  recorded tutorials allow students to repeat part or all of a technical explanation at their own learning paces. In class I then had students demonstrate to the class what they learned using slightly modified problems that I asked them to solve in front of the class . Prerecorded tutorials are not so good when teaching cases or other materials that call for creative solutions to be suggested by students. There are some problems that have best answers, and there are some problems that have no best answers (as is often the focus of Socratic Method teaching).

By the way, my preference for recording tutorials was Camtasia since most of the technical problems I illustrated were based upon software like Excel, tax software, accounting software, etc. There's a risk in relying on something like Camtasia. I had over 100 technical tutorials that can no longer be played after Windows dropped a crucial codec, and TechSmith failed to provide a solution for playing old Camtasia videos.

I never liked holding class outside. There are too many distractions, too many shortages of comfortable seating, poor acoustics, and too many distractions. Also the temperature is not usually ideal with hot spots in the sun or cool spots out of the sun. Having said this, it can be pleasant to meet with one student outside on a campus bench on a nice day.


One of the Problems With Education During the Pandemic is the Spike in Cheating

West Point to End Policy of Leniency for Cadets After Covid-19 Pandemic Cheating Scandal ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/west-point-to-end-policy-of-leniency-for-cadets-after-covid-19-pandemic-cheating-scandal-11618581602?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst

Dozens at academy were punished in worst honor code breach in at least four decades but avoided expulsion

WEST POINT, N.Y.—Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy are constantly reminded about the importance of integrity.

The students must memorize an honor code, warning them to “not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” The words are inscribed in marble at the Honor Plaza, in an area of the campus where hundreds, perhaps thousands, of future U.S. Army officers walk by every day.

Now, Covid-19 has put that code to the test.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point this month concluded investigations into its largest cheating scandal in at least four decades. It punished dozens of cadets found to be dishonest on an exam while studying remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, though those avoiding expulsion won’t have a permanent blemish on their records.

A final summary report of their transgressions, including a decision to end a policy that for years has protected wayward cadets from being kicked out, is being reported for the first time by The Wall Street Journal.

The policy, known as the “willful admission process,” can protect a cadet who admits to wrongdoing from being thrown out. It was put in place in 2015 to increase self-reporting without fear of removal and to encourage cadets to confront peers about honor violations without having them kicked out of school.

The policy, however, didn’t achieve the desired intent, said Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, superintendent of the academy, in an interview. “It’s clear to me, it has to go.”

The policy change, which will go into effect soon, will be hailed by some alumni of the elite institution who believe the willful-admission process was too forgiving.

“Back in my day, there was just a zero tolerance,” said Jon Williams, a 1991 graduate of West Point and no relation to the superintendent. “If you were caught cheating there was no question about it, you were going home. You have to have character. That’s one of the things that distinguishes us from other institutions.”

Yet some cadets and even some current academy administrators liked that it gave a second chance to the remorseful and that one mistake didn’t automatically end a military career.

“West Point is a development institution,” said senior Evan Walker, who holds a cadet leadership position. “Some people providing feedback don’t get it.”

Military academies are among the numerous educational entities around the country that have dealt with cheating scandals during the Covid-19 pandemic after millions of students were moved to remote learning, out of the watchful eyes of instructors.

The U.S. Air Force Academy has said it suspects that 249 cadets cheated during last year’s spring semester, with a majority confessing and placed on six-month probation. The U.S. Naval Academy is in the adjudication phase for cases involving cheating on a sophomore-level physics final exam during the fall, an official said, declining to provide more information.

West Point is the oldest of the U.S. military academies, with a storied history that dates to the Revolutionary War. It sits on high ground and above a narrow “S” curve in the Hudson River, which allowed the Continental Army to command river traffic, keeping the British from taking control. Its distinguished alumni include Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant. Lloyd J. Austin III, the current defense secretary, is also a graduate.

Continued in article

Bob Jensen's Threads on Huge Cheating Scandals at the University of Virginia, Harvard, Dartmouth, Ohio, Duke, Cambridge, and Other Universities---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Plagiarism.htm#UVA

Jensen Comment
A school that loses it's integrity with respect to cheating detection and punishment loses soon loses its reputation and opens the floodgates to more cheating. It's a sad day when professors no longer detect and enforce cheating rules.


President’s proposal calls for a near doubling of the capital-gains tax rate; here are some answers to investors’ questions ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-bidens-tax-plan-would-affect-investors-11619694009?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst

. . .

Not all investments would be subject to the new tax rate.

Most investors hold a variety of assets, ranging from taxable brokerage accounts to IRAs and employer-sponsored savings plans like 401(k)s. Only some of these accounts are taxable.

In fact, in a Tax Policy Center study, analysts estimated just a quarter of U.S. corporate stocks are held in taxable accounts, down from more than four-fifths in 1965. Much of the rest appears to be held in accounts that are exempt from taxes, including retirement accounts, pension funds and, in many cases, assets owned by foreign investors.

The actual number of taxpayers who would be affected by the rate increase will also be relatively limited. The White House estimates just 0.3% of taxpayers fall into the income bracket that would be hit by the boost.

“Despite the dire warnings, we believe the market impact of a higher capital-gains rate would be minimal since only about one-quarter of today’s equity market holders are subject to capital-gains taxes,” Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Cresset Capital Management, said in a note.

. . .

Investors are already thinking about how to minimize their tax burden.

Money managers are warning investors to avoid making any decisions before the tax and spending plan is finalized. But several said Mr. Biden’s proposal has clearly put on the table tax increases on capital gains and estate transfers on wealthy individuals, and that affected investors should come up with a playbook.

In some cases, financial advisers are suggesting investors move money into investment vehicles structured as irrevocable trusts to avoid Mr. Biden’s changes to levies on estate inheritances, said Mr. Scudillo. Other investors have already stepped up their gift giving of stocks and other securities since there is no tax on the transfer of such assets.

“The estate tax is the easiest to get around,” said David Bahnsen, chief investment officer of the $2.8 billion money manager Bahnsen Group. “Investors will be more clever in the way they give money.”

Other investors, especially those with incomes over $1 million, are attempting to shield themselves from higher capital-gains rates by moving money into tax-deferred investment products, such as annuities and private-placement life insurance.

Those with incomes that fluctuate should consider being strategic about when to sell their assets, Mr. Ablin said. For instance, since the proposed tax increase would affect only those making more than $1 million a year, Mr. Ablin suggests that high-income earners whose income sometimes slips just below the threshold think about realizing capital gains in those years to take advantage of a lower tax rate.

High-income earners could further reduce their tax burden by shifting money into tax-exempt municipal bonds or making charitable contributions with assets that have appreciated, Mr. Ablin added.

Finally, investors could take a look at exchange-traded funds, which Todd Rosenbluth, senior director of ETF and mutual fund research at CFRA, notes are generally more tax-efficient than mutual funds.

Unlike mutual funds, ETFs generally don’t sell securities when investors redeem their shares. Most trading takes place in the secondary market, with sell orders being crossed with buy orders through the exchange as they are with stocks. When the selling pressure exceeds the demand, ETF shares are redeemed through an authorized participant using an in-kind mechanism that allows the fund to reduce the likelihood of capital gains.

In addition, index-based equity ETFs typically have lower turnover rates than active mutual funds where the management team has discretion to take profits throughout the year.

The result? With less trading at the fund level, fewer capital gains are incurred with equity ETFs.

Biden’s tax plan could be bad news for the growth trade.

Shares of technology, communication and other fast-growing companies are already being pressured by rising bond yields and the resurgence of inflation. Analysts say Mr. Biden’s tax plan has the potential to make the trade even less attractive.

“Our main takeaway on the corporate tax rate increase is that it provides yet another reason to be wary of the growth trade,” said Lori Calvasina, head of U.S. equity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, in a note. That is partially because large growth stocks saw the biggest effective tax rate decline of all categories of stocks under the Trump administration, Ms. Calvasina said.

The potential for lower earnings due to higher tax bills would force investors to re-evaluate the valuations of many growth stocks, analysts said. Besides that, longtime investors in growth stocks may be motivated to sell some or all of their shares ahead of a capital-gains tax boost.

Growth stocks have produced some of the biggest returns of the stock market over the last decade, exposing holders of those shares to significantly higher tax bills under Mr. Biden’s proposal. Shares of Apple Inc. are up more than 500% over the past five years. Tesla Inc. shares have risen about 1,300% over that same period.

“If you know your capital gain taxes will go up and you have an asset you want to sell, you sell it this year,” said Mr. Bahnsen. “And that could really end up distorting markets this year.”

Jensen Comment
Investors who do not need liquidity (cash) during the Biden presidency can simply not sell their holdings and hope that a new administration will lower capital gains rates. If the total Biden spending/tax legislation crushes the economy future Democratic regimes may lower tax rates. And the GOP has hopes of regaining control, especially with the disaster building at the border as migrants (think unaccompanied minors) from all over the world are entering the USA at ever-increasing numbers.

What the media tells us is that rich people and corporations are going to pay for the tens of trillions of dollars that Biden plans to spend on new green and social initiatives. What Biden and his obedient media do not tell us is that business firms do not pay taxes! They pass those taxes on to their customers in the form of higher prices or they go out of business. Those higher prices will eventually result in crushing inflation in spite of what liberal economists intent on destroying capitalism are not telling us in their omissions about long-term inflation when high taxes are passed along to customers (think you and me). Historical research on the USA's inflation is virtually useless since the USA has never experienced tens of trillions of dollars in annual spending by Biden.


Countries That Control the World's Gold Holdings ---
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2021/04/27/countries-that-control-the-worlds-gold-3/

01 USA (the most gold holdings)
02 Germany
03 Italy
04 France
05 Russia
06 China
07 Switzerland
08 Japan
09 India
10 Netherlands
11 Turkey
12 Tiawan

Continued in article


Elon Musk says Tesla will only sell solar panels together with its Powerwall storage battery ---
Click Here
What is not clear is which states will allow Powerwall users to remain on the power grid since maintaining grid power lines to low users becomes a cost burden for other users. For example, an extreme scenario would be where most homeowners use little or no grid power. The power companies would thereby become unprofitable and no longer viable. Do we really want to eliminate the power grid or make it so expensive that business firms spike prices? This extreme is unlikely since there is not enough lithium (and rare elements in the Powerwall batteries) for such batteries in the homes of over 100 million home owners in the USA. And without a power grid how would all those Tesla owners recharge their batteries at super charging stations at night?

There's also a question of whether Powerwall batteries meet cost-benefit tests for large apartment complexes and business firms.

Also are Powerwall and solar power viable for northern states, Canada, and Alaska where days become short and nights become long in the winter months? Are lithium batteries also the answer in hot and humid climates where air conditioning runs almost 24/7?

And lithium battery production is not environmentally friendly at the mining and manufacturing stages ---
https://www.industryweek.com/technology-and-iiot/article/22026518/lithium-batteries-dirty-secret-manufacturing-them-leaves-massive-carbon-footprint
Sadly, the USA is mostly dependent upon a foreign oligopoly (dominated by China) for mining of lithium.

I just don't think that lithium batteries are a viable answer to climate change. Wind power, hydrogen, and nuclear power currently have more long-run feasibility.


What on Earth is green hydrogen? Hint: This fuel could be the key to a carbon-free future ---
https://ideas.ted.com/what-on-earth-is-green-hydrogen-hint-its-a-fuel-that-could-be-the-key-to-a-carbon-free-future/?utm_source=recommendation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=explore&utm_term=ideas-blog-2


Practical highlights of recent tax research ---
https://www.thetaxadviser.com/issues/2021/apr/highlights-recent-tax-research.html?utm_source=mnl:cpald&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=26Apr2021


Scott Sumner on capital gains taxation ---
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2021/04/scott-sumner-on-capital-gains-taxation.html


Mathematics for Gamblers ---
Click Here


So many people fled New York and California for Texas and Florida that the coasts will lose power in Congress — and the South is about to get a much bigger say ---
Click Here

swath of Sun Belt states welcomed scores of new residents during the pandemic, while coastal heavyweights like New York and California hemorrhaged them.

The US had 331,449,281 people as of April 1, 2021, a 7.4% increase in population from 2010, the US Census Bureau announced on Monday.

The South was the fastest-growing region of the country, with its population increasing by 10.2% over the last decade, followed by the West at 9.1%, the Northeast at 4.1%, and the Midwest at 3.1%.

The new data determines how many congressional seats each state gets based on population — which means that the South and West stand to gain more House of Representatives spots, while the Northwest and Midwest could lose them.

The country's total population grew by only 0.35% from July 2019 to July 2020, or just 1.1 million people. It marked the "lowest annual growth rate since at least 1900," demographer William Frey, a fellow at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, said at the time in an analysis for the Washington, DC-based think tank.

States in the Northeast and Midwest saw slight declines in population, while the South and West saw slight upticks.

The increases, though, are significant because they revealed where Americans moved during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. Americans overwhelmingly flocked to less dense areas in the southern and middle swaths of the country.

Jensen Comment
With thousands streaming uncounted into the USA each day at current rates, the 331, 449,281 estimate badly understates the number of people residing in the USA. The number is most likely well over 360 million and growing by leaps and bounds with new additions from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South America (think Venezuela), Africa, and Asia
. My guess is that Texas and Florida are growing more from undocumented immigrants than from citizens moving from New York and California.  California is probably having a net gain if all the uncounted are counted.


Proposal for a Regulation on a European approach for Artificial Intelligence (including frequentist and Bayesian statistical analysis) ---
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/proposal-regulation-european-approach-artificial-intelligence 


Risky Business Cycles ---
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2021/04/risky-business-cycles.html

That is from a new NBER working paper by Susanto Basu, GiacomoCandian, Ryan Chahrout, and Rosen Valchev, and you will find related ideas in my 1998 book Risk and Business Cycles and also the earlier work of Fischer Black.


QS Quacquarelli Symonds:  The 25 Best Online MBA Programs Worldwide ---
Click Here

01 (Best Online) IE Business School (Spain)
02 Imperial College Business School (UK)
03 Warwick Business School (UK)
04 Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales Business School
05 Alliance Manchester Business School (UK)
06 Politecnico di Milano School of Management (Italy)
07 Indiana University (Kelley Direct Programs) (USA)
08 Marshall Business School at the University of Southern California (USA)
09 Vlerick Business School (Belgium)
10 Florida International University (USA)
11 Durham University Business School (UK)
12 Oxford Brookes Business School (UK)
13 Birmingham Business School (UK)
13 University of Otago Business School (NZ)
15 Warrington College of Business at University of Florida (USA)
16 Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas (USA)
17 CENTRUM PUCP Graduate Business School (PERU)
18 George Washington University (US)
19 Macquarie Business School (Australia)
20 EU Business School (Spain)
21 Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland (USA)
22 Kogod School of Business at American University (USA)
23 Colorado State University's College of Business (USA)
24 Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University (USA)
25 Whitman School of Management at Syracuse (USA)

Jensen Comment
The first thing that struck me in this ranking is that the purportedly top online programs are mostly not (with a few exceptions)  among the top (elite) international MBA programs ranked by QS Quacquarelli Symonds ---
https://www.businessinsider.com/best-mba-programs-in-the-world-2020-9?op=1

Also see the US News ranking of top (elite) MBA programs ---
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/international-business-rankings

One reason may be that the top onsite programs target different applicants than the online programs. The onsite programs target full-time and younger students that are not necessarily fresh out of undergraduate studies but tend to be under 30 years of age.

The online applicants I suspect are older and possibly are studying part-time rather than full time. Sometimes online programs are viewed as cash cows for universities, and as such these online programs have lower admission standards.

Scandinavia is often held out as a top part of the world for education beginning a pre-school (think Finland). It struck me as odd that Scandinavia did not fare very well among the world's top onsite or online MBA programs. Keep in mind that all Scandinavian nations are proudly capitalist such that we would expect them to rank higher among prestigious business schools.

Aside from the UK (that is no longer part of the EU) it struck me as odd that most EU nations did not rank as high among onsite or online MBA programs as I would have expected. Part of the reason here is that traditionally business programs either do not exist or are relatively weak in outstanding and prestigious EU universities. In many cases business courses are buried among economics courses in EU universities.

Another thing to note is how poorly Asian universities are represented among top online and onsite MBA programs. In many instances Asian universities don't have separate business majors. Also Asian programs in general (think China) have poor reputations for academic standards (think cheating). In some instances (think Japan) academic rigor is excellent before college but not so great in college where a lot of partying often takes place.

Another thing to note is that there are some business study programs that are not adapted well to MBA programs. MBA programs target admissions of non-business majors from mathematics, engineering, science, and humanities. Some business study programs require undergraduate as well as graduate studies, notably accountancy where there are many more required courses for licensure (think CPA) than can possibly be covered in a two-year MBA program. CPA firms rarely recruit auditors and tax accountants among students who were not undergraduate accounting majors.


KPMG's US CEO shares how the 'Big 4' firm is thinking about the future of work, returning to the office, and burnout ---
https://www.businessinsider.com/kpmg-us-ceo-paul-knopp-future-work-burnout-2021-4

. . .

The truth is: We're still trying to determine what normal is.

Almost every business leader I spoke with admitted that the future won't look exactly like the past. But they're trying to determine how the future architecture of workspaces, collaboration, and learning and development will constitute a more "normal" state of the future. We're very much still in the design phase.

Part of that means we're listening to our employees and understanding what they want.

KPMG's survey found that CEOs are increasingly investing in ESG programs in response to the pandemic, particularly in social programs such as sustainability and DEI. Can you share how KPMG is doing this internally?

The two most significant elements of that social component are diversity, equity, and inclusion and employee well-being.

We just issued a DEI transparency report, where we published our diversity numbers and our aspirations for where we want to be in the future. We think that transparency will drive accountability and more progress.

Last year also put a spotlight on employee well-being. We had employees who had COVID-19, and we had employees who dealt with the challenges around trying to work from home while caring for children, elders, or whatever the case may be. Some people were also working from small studio apartments and solitary environments in isolation. We need to focus on well-being, mental health, and the right kinds of benefits to enhance the remote work setting.

What is one thing that you heard from CEOs in the survey that really resonated with you as a leader?

The survey found that CEOs are leaning into their purpose, and that really resonates with me because it's going to depict how we deliver our services in the future and how we build trust with our people. We're a values-driven organization, and we use our values to lead us.


Obama's Chief Energy Scientist Disputes the Climate Change Propaganda Peddlers ---
https://www.thestreet.com/mishtalk/economics/obamas-chief-energy-scientist-disputes-the-climate-change-propaganda-peddlers


Derivative Financial Instruments --- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_(finance)

Behind the Mysterious Demise of a $1.7 Billion Mutual Fund ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-the-mysterious-demise-of-a-1-7-billion-mutual-fund-11618911000?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst

Jensen Comments
Derivative investments can be very safe or very risky as financial investments. For example, possible purchased option losses are limited by the price paid for the options. Sellers (writers) of options face unlimited losses unless these options are hedged in some way. Derivatives contracts acquired as hedges are  limited in losses to the extent the hedges are effective. Hedgers do, however, have opportunity losses. For example, if Southwest Airlines hedges the price of jet fuel to be purchased a year from now, the net price paid a year from now becomes locked in. However, Southwest thereby sacrifices speculative opportunities in large price drops. Farmers can similarly lock in future prices to be received by hedging future crop prices with derivatives contracts. However, in doing so they lose the speculative opportunity when sales prices exceed hedged prices.

The serious financial real risk in most (not all) derivative contracts  arises when they are invested in for speculative purposes. There are huge temptations to speculate in derivatives since the leverage can be very high. For example, buying purchase (call) options for 10,000 shares of Tesla is cheap relative to the price of purchasing 10,000 shares of Tesla, and derivatives investors can net settle, without ever owning Tesla shares, when Tesla shares soar in price. Similarly, investors can purchase put options for speculative gains when share prices plunge.

There are of course many ways to speculate without buying derivatives contracts. Short selling is one of the most popular alternatives.

Bob Jensen's derivatives financial instrument and hedging activities glossary ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5341/speakers/133glosf.htm


Moving Trends and Statistics in the USA During the COVID-19 Pandemic ---
https://www.movingcompanyreviews.com/blog/covid-19-us-moving-trends/
Jensen Comment
The comment that "people are leaving the big city in droves" fails to account for the numbers of people moving into those cities.
When there are net outflows (think New York and Illinois) the reasons are often cost of living motivations, especially real estate prices and taxation. Pubic safety is becoming more of a concern in Chicago, New York City, Minneapolis, Loss Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon as prosecutors are purposefully prosecuting fewer and fewer crimes like car theft, home break ins, and shoplifting.


American Economic Journal Best Paper Awards by Year ---
https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/honors-awards/aej-best-papers


Special-Purpose Acquisition Company --- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special-purpose_acquisition_company

SPAC Insiders Can Make Millions Even When the Company They Take Public Struggles ---
https://www.wsj.com/articles/spac-insiders-can-make-millions-even-when-the-company-they-take-public-struggles-11619343000?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst

Many individual investors take losses on SPACs, while insiders benefit from discount stakes

Investors who bought into a special-purpose acquisition company that took a healthcare-services company public last year in an $11 billion deal have suffered steep losses. Promoters of the SPAC still stand to make millions.

The paper gains for insiders, even as shares of MultiPlan Corp. MPLN +0.98% fall, result from the unique incentives given to SPAC creators, also known as sponsors. They are allowed to buy 20% of the company at a deep discount, a stake that is then transferred into the firm the SPAC takes public. Those extremely cheap shares let the creators make, on average, several times their initial investment. They also let the SPAC backers make money even if the company they take public struggles and later investors lose money, a source of criticism for the process.

The MultiPlan deal was one of the largest SPAC mergers ever, helping so-called blank-check firms become the hottest trend on Wall Street in the past year. But the stock is also among the worst performers for companies that recently went public via SPACs.

Shares of several other firms tied to blank-check companies have also been in retreat recently, raising the likelihood of a similar divergence between returns for insiders and later investors in many other SPACs. A growing gap between returns for insiders and later investors would challenge the common view that blank-check companies democratize finance, critics said, threatening the overall popularity of the product going forward.

In the case of MultiPlan, the SPAC was called Churchill Capital Corp. III and the sponsor was former Citigroup Inc. deal maker Michael Klein. He shared the discounted investments with other advisers at his investment bank, M. Klein & Co., and financial partners in a way that goes beyond what was publicly disclosed, according to a statement from the SPAC team’s spokesman.

Even though MultiPlan shares are down about 30% since early October, those shares and other investments are valued at about $140 million at today’s prices, and only cost the sponsor team roughly $20 million, according an analysis of regulatory filings by New York University Law School professor Michael Ohlrogge, who studies SPACs and corporate incentives.

The SPAC spokesman didn’t dispute the figures.

Many other investors have taken losses since the SPAC merger was announced last summer and closed in October. Much of the slide in shares followed a November report by short seller Muddy Waters Capital LLC alleging that the company was in financial decline and overvalued. MultiPlan has called the assertions false. Short sellers wager on stock-price declines by borrowing shares, selling them, then aiming to buy them back at lower prices.

“It’s so asinine that you can get this kind of payday for doing something so value destructive,” said Carson Block, CEO of Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters has closed out its short position in MultiPlan shares but is still betting that the company’s bonds will fall. Mr. Block’s firm is also wagering against other firms that have gone public via SPACs.

The spokesman for the SPAC team declined to comment on the Muddy Waters allegations.

Continued in article

 




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


Education Tutorials

ALISON (free vocational skills courses) --- https://alison.com/

ABILITY MEDIA --- https://abilitymediagroup.com/

Expert Guide For Students With Disabilities To Succeed In College ---
https://testprepinsight.com/resources/students-with-disabilities-college-guide/
Bob Jensen's threads for students with disabilities ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/thetools.htm#Handicapped

SPACE STATION EXPLORERS --- www.issnationallab.org/stem/lesson-plans

VIDEO:  EVER EDUCATING --- www.youtube.com/channel/UCshegTlE7qLK-2uJZeoh8Iw/featured

RAWGRAPHS (Data Visualization) --- https://rawgraphs.io/  

HOW TO CREATE ANIMATED VIDEOS TO COMMUNICATE SCIENCE ---
https://forest-ecology.com/learning/

WORD UP (improve linguistic skills one word at at time) --- www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/wordup

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


Engineering, Science, and Medicine Tutorials

Obama's Chief Energy Scientist Disputes the Climate Change Propaganda Peddlers ---
https://www.thestreet.com/mishtalk/economics/obamas-chief-energy-scientist-disputes-the-climate-change-propaganda-peddlers

HOW TO CREATE ANIMATED VIDEOS TO COMMUNICATE SCIENCE ---
https://forest-ecology.com/learning/

SPACE STATION EXPLORERS --- www.issnationallab.org/stem/lesson-plans

CHEROKEE GARDEN LIBRARY COLLECTION HIGHLIGHT ---
www.atlantahistorycenter.com/exhibitions/cherokee-garden-library-collection-highlight

INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: 2ND EDITION ---
https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/biology-textbooks/4/

ENVIRO RIGHTS MAP --- https://scout.wisc.edu/archives/r94297

SPATIAL DATA MANAGEMENT --- www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAxJ4-o7ZoPdz9LHIJIxHlZe3t-MRCn61

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

ABILITY MEDIA --- https://abilitymediagroup.com/

Senate Passes Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill That Doesn't Prohibit Discrimination in College Admissions ---
https://reason.com/2021/04/23/senate-passes-anti-asian-hate-crimes-bill-that-doesnt-prohibit-discrimination-in-college-admissions/

. . .

Many elite colleges, public universities, and even selective high schools explicitly discriminate against Asian applicants in order to artificially tinker with the racial makeup of the campus population. This means that Asian students whose grades and test scores would have gained them admission had they been white, black, or Hispanic are routinely turned away. Contrary to popular belief, the biggest beneficiaries of these schemes are often white students.

Courts have generally held that race-based admissions do not violate civil rights law if they are very narrowly tailored. But Congress could explicitly require educational institutions that receive federal dollars to cease discriminating against Asian applicants. (They could even call it an antiracist initiative.)

Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) proposed an amendment to the bill along these lines, but it was defeated in a close vote: 48–49. Thus the version that passed the Senate aims to tackle anti-Asian hatred, but is silent on perhaps the most common and systemic form of anti-Asian bigotry in the U.S.

Continued in article

Who Owns America's Wilderness? ---
Click Here

HBO Documents the Tragic Tale of Lucy, the Chimp Raised Like a Human ---
https://reason.com/2021/04/23/hbo-documents-the-tragic-tale-of-lucy-the-chimp-raised-like-a-human/

Journalism Studies

JOURNALIST'S TOOLBOX --- www.journaliststoolbox.org

THE MAGICAL SCIENCE OF STORYTELLING --- www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj-hdQMa3uA

OTRANSCRIBE --- https://otranscribe.com/

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS --- https://nabjonline.org/

Verification Handbook --- Verification Handbook | DataJournalism.com

NATIONAL CENTER ON DISABILITY AND JOURNALISM --- https://ncdj.org/

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

ENVIRO RIGHTS MAP --- https://scout.wisc.edu/archives/r94297

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


Math Tutorials

MATH TEACHER & STUDENT RESOURCES --- www.actuarialfoundation.org/browse-all-teacher-student-resources

Mathematics for Gamblers ---
Click Here

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

Why Ramadan is called Ramadan: 6 questions answered ---
https://theconversation.com/why-ramadan-is-called-ramadan-6-questions-answered-77291

Digging Deeper Into Holocaust History ---
http://earth.nautil.us/article/674/digging-deeper-into-holocaust-history
Bob Jensen's threads on Jewish History, Religion, and Controversies ---
http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob2.htm#---Jewish

Bloomberg:  The Rise and Fall of American Malls ---
https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/post/2021/4/17/bloomberg-the-rise-and-fall-of-american-malls
It's popular to correctly blame online shopping for the demise of malls, but I personally know of some malls that suffered from teenage gang violence and other crimes that made shoppers feel unsafe. An undesirable social phenomenon became to drop teenagers off for hours at a time just to get them out of the house.

Watch Colorized 1940s Footage of London after the Blitz: Scenes from Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace & More ---
https://www.openculture.com/2021/04/watch-colorized-1940s-footage-of-london-after-the-blitz.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OpenCulture+%28Open+Culture%29

Experience Footage of Roaring 1920s Berlin, Restored & Colorized with Artificial Intelligence ---
Click Here

THE DWOSKIN PROJECT (Filmmaking) --- https://research.reading.ac.uk/stephen-dwoskin/

Tudor Networks --- http://tudornetworks.net/

Religion in Context --- https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/religion-context

Religion for Breakfast --- www.youtube.com/channel/UCct9aR7HC79Cv2g-9oDOTLw

University of Calgary:  Religious Study Guide --- https://library.ucalgary.ca/religiousstudieswebguide

Mapping the Scottish Reformation --- https://mappingthescottishreformation.org/

Pandemic Religion:  A Digital Archive --- https://pandemicreligion.org/s/contributions/page/welcome

MORE AMERICANS THAN PEOPLE IN OTHER ADVANCED ECONOMIES SAY COVID-19 HAS STRENGTHENED RELIGIOUS FAITH ---
www.pewforum.org/2021/01/27/more-americans-than-people-in-other-advanced-economies-say-covid-19-has-strengthened-religious-faith

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

WORD UP (improve linguistic skills one word at at time) --- www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/wordup

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

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 17, 2021

Scientists Create Monkey-Human Embryos

Study: Blood Clots More Likely from COVID Than Vaccines

Milk Overtaking Nuts As Top Food Allergy Threat

Pfizer, Moderna Say Booster Shots Probably Needed

Cancer Vaccine Shows Early Promise Across Tumor Types

Why Three Families Entered Kids in a COVID Vaccine Trial

Dogs Get Jealous, Too, Even for Hidden Rivals

CDC: Blocking Center Plane Seat May Reduce COVID Spread

NFL Takes Steps to Get Coaches, Staffs Vaccinated

April 20, 2021

Fauci: J & J Vaccine Decision Expected by Friday

Alabama Spring Football Draws Largest Crowd of Pandemic

More Signs COVID Shots Are Safe for Pregnant Women

10 Signs Airborne Coronavirus Spread is What Matters

Meatpacking Plants Accounted for 334,000 U.S. COVID Cases

Researchers Seek Cause of Rare Clots Tied to Vaccines

More Exercise Lowers Risk of Severe COVID-19: Study

CPSC Warns Against Using Peloton Treadmill After Child's Death

MS Treatment Wears Off More Quickly in Black Patients

April 22, 2021

America's Unhealthiest Cities for Polluted Air

J&J Pause Did Not Upend Vaccine Confidence: Poll

Rocker Ted Nugent, Pandemic Denier, Says He Has COVID

Pandemic Worry Keeping Americans Up at Night

Arizona Governor Rescinds School Mask Mandate

Arizona Governor Rescinds Mask Mandate for Schools

Travelers Warned Against 80% of Countries Due to COVID

Little Progress in Boosting Numbers of Black Doctors

Brain Injuries Raise Long-Term Risk of Stroke

April 24, 2021

Consumer Reports Ranks Top Sunscreens for 2021

Recall: Gummy Vitamins May Contain Metallic Mesh

Highly Anticipated CDC Vote on J&J Vaccine Likely Today

Do You Still Need to Wear a Mask Outdoors?

Study: COVID-19 Can Kill Months After Infection

Can We Reach 'COVID Zero'? Predicting the Next 8 Months

WHO: Worldwide COVID Cases Reached New Weekly Record

FDA Details Problems at Plant Making J & J Vaccine

3 MLB Teams Testing Sections for Fully Vaccinated Fans

April 26, 2021

Feds Lift Pause of J&J COVID Vaccine, Add New Warning

Consumer Reports Ranks Top Sunscreens for 2021

Recall: Gummy Vitamins May Contain Metallic Mesh

Highly Anticipated CDC Vote on J&J Vaccine Likely Today

Do You Still Need to Wear a Mask Outdoors?

Study: COVID-19 Can Kill Months After Infection

Can We Reach 'COVID Zero'? Predicting the Next 8 Months

WHO: Worldwide COVID Cases Reached New Weekly Record

FDA Details Problems at Plant Making J & J Vaccine

April 29, 2021

Doctors Prescribing Opioids to COVID ‘Long Haulers’

Anxiety and Anticipation: Rejoining a Post-COVID World

COVID Numbers Falling in the U.S., Rising in the World

Could It Happen Here? India's COVID Situation Worsening

Polls Find Most U.S. Young People Take COVID Seriously

Better Sleep May Mean Better Sex for Women

CDC: Vaccinated People Can Mostly Drop Masks Outdoors

Peloton, Feds Face Off After ‘Urgent Warning’

Coffee Drinking Tied to Beneficial Brain Changes

 


Autism can be detected with new smartphone app created by Duke scientists ---
https://www.studyfinds.org/autism-detected-with-smartphone-app-duke-scientists/

 




Humor for April 2021

Video:  Dog hilariously enters high school relay event, wins with ease after wild final sprint ---
https://sports.yahoo.com/dog-enters-high-school-track-field-relay-utah-wins-final-sprint-hilarious-200759024.html

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

If you had to choose between being skinny and drinking a bottle of wine every day would you choose red or white?

My doctor gave me three days to give up drinking --- I chose June 4, July 28, November 3

The teacher gave a demonstration by placing a worm in each of the following:  A glass of water, a glass of beer, a glass of wine, and a glass of whisky
The next day all the worms were dead except of the one in a glass of water
The teacher then asked what lesson was to be learned
Little Mike O'hara radised his hand and asserted"  "People who drink beer, wine, and whiskey don't have worms."

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine.

A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments.

Shotgun wedding - A case of wife or death.

A man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.

A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.

Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.

Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.

When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.

A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two tired.

In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.

She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.

A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

If you don't pay your exorcist, You get repossessed

With her marriage, She got a new name and a dress.

The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

Local Area Network in Australia - the LAN down under.

Every calendar's days are numbered.

A lot of money is tainted - Taint yours and taint mine.

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

He had a photographic memory that was never developed.

Once you've seen one shopping centre, You've seen a mall.

Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.

Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

Acupuncture is a jab well done.

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

Question: What is the perfect example of Globalization ?

Answer : Princess Diana's death.

Question: How come?

Answer :

An English Princess with an Egyptian boyfriend

crashes in a French tunnel, riding in a

German car

with a Dutch engine,

driven by a Belgian

who was drunk

on Scottish whisky, (check the bottle before you Challenge the spelling),

followed closely by

Italian Paparazzi,

on Japanese motorcycles,

treated by an American doctor, using Brazilian medicines.

 




Humor April 2021 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book21q2.htm#Humor0421.htm

Humor March 2021 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book21q1.htm#Humor0321.htm 

Humor February 2021 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book21q1.htm#Humor0221.htm

Humor January 2021 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book21q1.htm#Humor0121.htm  

Humor December 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q4.htm#Humor1220.htm

Humor November 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q4.htm#Humor1120.htm

Humor October 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q4.htm#Humor1020.htm  

Humor September 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q3.htm#Humor0920.htm 

Humor August 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q3.htm#Humor0820.htm 

Humor July 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q3.htm#Humor0720.htm 

Humor June 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q2.htm#Humor0620.htm

Humor May 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q2.htm#Humor0520.htm

Humor April 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q2.htm#Humor0420.htm   

Humor March 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q1.htm#Humor0320.htm  

Humor January 2020 --- http://faculty.trinity.edu/rjensen/book20q1.htm#Humor0120.htm




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

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

Some of Bob Jensen's Tutorials

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