This week-old video is zipping across the Internet and picking up speed, forcing us to think why some young people stand out more than others? Where does curiosity come from? Why are some people curious and others are content not to know possibilities?
And as long as we’re on the subject of big questions and Internet videos, we might as toss this one into the mix, too. Does the universe have a purpose. I’ll hang up and listen.
Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts. He was senior editor of news in the ’90s, ran MPR’s political unit, created the MPR News regional website, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started the two most popular blogs in the history of MPR and every day laments that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.
NewsCut is a blog featuring observations about the news. It provides a forum for an online discussion and debate about events that might not typically make the front page. NewsCut posts are not news stories but reflections , observations, and debate.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Look up OEM in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.|
OEM is an original equipment manufacturer, the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.
OEM may also refer to:
- Object Exchange Model, a model for exchanging data between object-oriented databases
- OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981
- Oracle Enterprise Manager, a computer application that aims to manage software produced by Oracle Corporation
- OEM International, a former construction company in Gibraltar
- Office for Emergency Management, a World War II function within the Executive Office of the United States Government
- Office of Emergency Management, a general term for emergency management functions
- Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
- Organización Editorial Mexicana, a Mexican print media company
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a medical journal
|This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title OEM.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.


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A cabbie convicted for violence and driving offences has been refused a licence by a Tyneside council - but is still driving for a neighbouring authority.
Philip May, 27, has lost his appeal for a hackney carriage driver's licence after Newcastle City Council's regulatory committee turned down his application.
Magistrates sitting at Gosforth on heard how May has a string of convictions, including assaults against three police officers, dangerous and careless driving, driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and affray.
But he is working as a taxi driver after North Tyneside Council granted him private hire and hackney carriage licences in December 2002, despite his convictions.
May, of Thorntree Drive, Whitley Bay, drives for Blue Line Taxis and his licence does not run out until New Year's Eve.
Asa Anderson, barrister for Newcastle City Council said: "To give Mr May a licence in light of the previous convictions recorded against him would be to drive a hackney carriage through the legislation designed to protect the public."
Mr Anderson told the court May's previous convictions did not make him a "fit and proper person" to drive a cab, as required in the 1976 Local Government Act.
He added that it was up to individual authorities to decide what this means.
May assaulted three police officers in December 1998 after they were called to a domestic dispute at his home. He spat at one officer, kicked another in the shins and punched another in the face.
Gosforth magistrates heard how May's first conviction, for using threatening words or behaviour, dated back to October 1996, when he was 18.
Also in that month, he was convicted of dangerous driving after doing 65mph in a 30mph zone.
In February 1997 he was convicted of careless driving after he drove 40mph in a 30mph zone with two backlights out. He was also charged with missing a bail appointment.
On another occasion he was cautioned for possession of #10 of cannabis, and convicted of breach of the peace in November 1998. Convictions for driving or attempting to drive over the limit, driving while disqualified and no insurance were recorded in July 1999. A conviction for being drunk and disorderly and a #40 fine followed in February 2002 and one for affray in the November following an argument with his girlfriend.


Mr May, who represented himself before the magistrates, asked: "If I am a fit and proper person to work in North Tyneside and have had no complaints about my behaviour. Why should I not be allowed to work in Newcastle?"
He said some of his convictions were a long time ago and considered spent, with drink-driving the only one still recorded on his driving licence. Mr May also said: "I am always helpful to the customers, always polite."
But magistrates told Mr May they did not think they saw him having "self-restraint" at this time and said it was in the public interest to refuse his appeal. He will have to contribute #50 towards the cost of the hearing.
A spokesman for North Tyneside Council said: "Following information from the Chronicle the appropriate council officers will undertake an investigation into this matter."
Coun Jim Allan, on the study group for granting hackney carriage licences for North Tyneside Council, said: "Normally you wouldn't be granted a licence with a conviction like this and it certainly needs investigating.
"In a case where someone has a driving conviction officials would refuse the licence in the first instance and it would usually have to go to appeal before a committee. Even then it seems very odd that this man was granted a licence."
Page 2: Protection of public using taxis a concern
Protection of public using taxis a concern
Passengers are jumping into Tyneside cabs unaware of drivers' criminal convictions.
At least 10 cabbies have won their licences at appeal since April 2003 despite Newcastle City Council's objections due to their history of offending.
The council has granted 60 new and private hire licences in the last 18 months.
But it refused 34 on the grounds the applicants were "not fit and proper" persons because of their criminal convictions.
The committee also granted a further 61 licences on renewal but turned down another 17 because of past offending.
Of those licences refused by the council, six were granted on appeal at magistrates court and four at crown court.
The Chronicle revealed in July how Paul Nichol, who has more than 50 convictions and was jailed for drug dealing and dangerous driving, kept his taxi licence on appeal.
Nichol, 30, from Houston Court, Rye Hill, Newcastle, started his long criminal career at the age of 13 and he was described by Chief Insp Dave Jackson in court, as a "hardened and calculating career criminal".


Dave O'Brien, licensing officer for Newcastle City Council said: "Our concern is the protection of the public who use taxis and that's why we have got the guidelines. Passenger safety is of the utmost importance.
"If a licence is granted on appeal and the driver commits further offences we can remove the right to have a licence."
Former gangland crime figure John Henry Sayers lost his appeal at Gosforth magistrates court last month for a taxi driver and operator's licence refused him by the city council. The convicted armed robber was also refused a licence to work as a doorman in the city.
Police said he may use the cabs to ferry drugs, guns and prostitutes around the region.
His appeal was rejected after the bench heard police objections and said Sayers, 41, cleared of murdering Freddie Knights two years ago, was not a fit and proper person to work as a cabbie.
And on Tuesday another taxi driver lost a battle to have his licence renewed after forgeting to declare two assault convictions dating back to 1991.
Aftshar Hussain, 35, has held a hackney carriage licence with Newcastle City Council since April 2002.
Magistrates heard at the time the married father-of-three, of Fenham Hall Drive, Fenham, disclosed three convictions for speeding dating back to 1994 and one for failing to comply with traffic signals in May 1996.
Under rules at the time, he did not have to declare two convictions for assault, dating back to January 1991, when he applied for his original taxi licence.


Once a preserve of the government and military operations, drones have since evolved to become a staple in many homes and educational institutions. You can even get drones for less than $100! The fact that they are affordable now, coupled with the global awareness of a need to develop STEM skills in children, has further increased the popularity of drones. Additionally, learning institutions such as RethinkSchool are incorporating STEM training in their curriculum, and the unmanned aerial vehicles are the go-to tools. All these factors, in addition to the fact that flying a drone is pretty exciting, are the reason all kids want their own drones!
It is commonplace to find the young ones interested in technology and keeping up with the trends. Drones are a drastic improvement of the previously popular remote-controlled aeroplanes. The technology used to make these UAVs keep advancing daily, with smaller and more efficient drones being launched before one can blink. These efficiencies also bring with them a great advantage to the consumer; affordability.
The fact that drones are not as expensive as they used to be, and a parent can find a good quality UAV at a good price, has fueled recreational flying especially in Community-Based Organizations. Today, you will find a good number of social media users featuring pretty good aerial shots, which the young generation drool over. This only helps in fuelling the desire among young people to learn more about drones.
While it is commonplace to see teenagers working a drone, it is understandable if parents are a little hesitant in introducing drones to younger children. Besides several concerns such as safety and flying knowledge, there is a general lack of trust in a child’s ability to stick to the set laws pertaining to drone flying.
Is it safe for kids to operate drones? Well, that is a question that goes through the mind of every guardian or parent when the issue of buying a drone for a child is raised. The answer to this question depends on a few factors, top on that list being the age of the child. Other factors such as the type of drone and availability of parental supervision also influence the decision to buy a drone.
Very young children should not use drones. This is because they may not understand the mechanisms involved, and might end up causing injury to themselves or other people. Additionally, they are also prone to putting small items into their mouths, which can also result in injury if close supervision is not maintained.
The recommended age to introduce drones to children is 8 years.


Majority of the kids' drones are made for children who are 8 years and above. You will find most of them with a “toy drone” tag to indicate that they are safe to use for children who are at least 8 years.
Let’s get one thing straight; drones are serious equipment. Toy drones, regardless of the tag, are serious equipment like all other drones and should be treated as such. The reason why they are labelled toy drones is that their design is appropriate for a young user. These drones have incorporated all the safety features that are necessary for a child of that age to work a drone without issues. However, you as a parent or guardian should be able to assess your child and determine whether they are ready and responsible enough to handle a drone.
Drones that are made for children who are 12 years and below are smaller, lighter, and handy and can even be used indoors. There are some options when it comes to these drones; indoor only or those that can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Most toy drone models do not have attached cameras. Additionally, most of them come with limited flying range and flying time. They are also pretty easy to operate, which makes them perfect for young children. These simple drones come with limiting features to make it easy to comply with the laws of the land. It is important to avoid legal issues even as you ensure the safety of the young drone pilot, the people and property around.
DJI phantoms are the most popular drones when it comes to younger users. While it is sophisticated equipment that should be handled by older responsible children or adults, the DJI Phantom can be quite educational with proper supervision. Drone education is essential before you allow your child to handle the equipment.
Before you allow your child to fly a drone especially in front of the neighbours, make sure you are complying with the set laws and regulations. It is commonplace to have children who are 13 years and above approved to own drones. However, it is essential to check with your local aviation authority for more information on what is legal when it comes to flying drones in your local spaces.
Flying any unmanned aerial vehicle is an exciting experience that builds the pilot’s skills and confidence. When you finally bow to the pressure of buying a drone for your child, it is essential that you educate them on the set aviation authority rules.


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You need to emphasize the laws that protect people, their privacy and their property and the consequences of flaunting those rules. The truth is that it is pretty easy to stay within the legal limits of drone flying.
What are these legal limits that we keep talking about? Well, here are some of the general legal requirements of operating a drone. You can always get more in-depth information on particular situations on the CAA website.
• Register your drone with the CAA, especially the fancy, outdoor UAVs
• Make sure you have the appropriate insurance cover for your drone
• Always make sure you see the drone when your child is flying it, and teach them the importance of maintaining a line of vision
• Avoid practising flying in areas with a lot of people, especially when the child hasn’t mastered the drone’s safety controls
• Avoid flying the drone over neighbours’ properties or near their house windows as they have a right to privacy
• Keep the drone within its set flying ranges interns of height and distance from the controller
• Always adhere to all the safety and legal requirements as may be required by CAA or the local authorities
There are a number of safety rules that you need to observe while flying drones with children. This is especially important if you allow the children to handle the drone, and are only present to supervise. As fun as it could be, drones need to be handled with a lot of care and responsibility. Here are some of the general safety rules that you need to observe.
1. Always stay within legal limits
According to the aforementioned rules, it is essential to stay within the legalities stipulated by CAA. Additionally, be sure to check the rules governing the areas where you wish to practice drone flying. You may find yourself inclined to visit parks, for example, to practice. In such cases, be sure to clear with local authorities and ensure that drone flying in the area is authorized before you kick-off.
2. Personal privacy is essential
If you decide to practice in a public place such as a park, do not take photos or videos of people, especially if you haven’t talked to them first. If you decide to practice at home, stay clear of your neighbours’ property. The law protects personal privacy.
3. It is not a buy-and-fly affair
The excitement of finally having a drone makes children want to go out and fly it immediately. While this is understandable, it may not be safe.


Instead, before you take out the drone for a test spin, there are a few things you should do.
• Ensure that it is perfectly assembled – some drones need you to assemble the parts first
• Check the batteries and charge appropriately if need be
• Read the instructions on how to operate that particular drone
• Ensure that you have all the accessories hooked up as they should be
• Ensure that there is a safe, secure area to practice flying, whether indoors or outdoors
• Ensure that you are available and sober enough to supervise the children’s activities
Do not give novice children a drone to fly by themselves for the first time! Always fly with them the first few times, and with keen supervision, let them practice on their own. If you are not sure of any safety rule, always refer to the CAA website for clarity.
4. Beware of animals
There are rules governing people’s safety and privacy. Similarly, there are laws that protect animals, and especially so, wildlife. If you choose to practice flying in an area that has wildlife, you are required to keep the drone about 300m away from them. Violation of some of these safety rules come with hefty fines so it is best to obey them.
5. People safety must always be a priority
One of the things that you need to emphasize a lot is that in a situation where you have to choose between the safety of a person or a drone, choose the person. The truth is that UAVs, despite being sophisticated equipment, are still machines. One thing about machines is that they are prone to malfunction at one point or another. It is important to make your child understand that their safety and that of other people should always come first in case of an incident.
Remind your child that if they fly a drone to a potentially risky area, and it gets stuck, they should not try to get it on their own. They should always ask an adult or relevant authority to help out. Even as an adult, you should never put yourself at risk while trying to save a drone.
Additionally, teach your child to stay away from a drone in flight. As fascinating as it can be to want to watch closely how the propellers work, it is imperative that all children are sensitized on the need to avoid contact with drones in flight. It is very vital that they understand that they should never try to catch the drone by hand as the propeller motion can cause serious injuries.


With the legal and safety information at hand, it is time to think about some practical applications of flying drones in regards to children. Here are a few guiding questions.
• How hard is it for kids to fly drones?
This may catch you by surprise, but it is the truth; it is so much easier for children to learn how to fly drones than it is for adults! Here is the thing; children who are always playing video games are familiar with flying skills. Since most drones are small and their controller looks like a gamepad, they can easily take up the challenge. However, it is essential that you supervise then all the time, and allow them to keep practising.
• What if the neighbours raise a complaint?
One of the reasons why parents hesitate to buy drones for their kids is the concern for their neighbours’ reaction. If there haven’t been any drones flying in the neighbourhood, it is advisable to alert the neighbours before the child starts practising. Additionally, always teach your children to be respectful of the privacy and property of the neighbours. You may even encourage the neighbours to come over and see the drone in action!
As much as possible, have the children practise flying in open areas where obstacles and people are fewer. In addition to the CAA rules, you can set some rules for your kids. Some of these rules may include hours they are permitted to fly especially during the day. This ensures that they are safe at all times.
• What is the value of having the drone?
There is a lot of value that a child can get from playing with drones. However, in order to guarantee value, it is essential to get age-appropriate drones. It is also important to think of the objectives of buying the drone for your kids before you make the purchase. This should not be just another toy; there have to be objectives that you wish to achieve by having them learn about unmanned aerial vehicles. It’s essential that children learn how to build drones, STEM skills are vital in today’s job market.
Older kids who may have an interest in aviation are bound to get a lot of practical information on how aerial vehicles work. Younger kids, on the other hand, may not be too keen on robotics, engineering and all those other lessons that come with drones. However, drones will still be a great STEM learning tool.


With some practice, they will understand basic physics, as well as improve on eye-hand coordination and take their flying skills a notch higher. The best thing about introducing drones to younger kids is that their interest in STEM is sparked early on.
Consider your budget against the value that your kids will get out of the experience. Quality drones tend to be a tad expensive, though you can get some that are as cheap as $100. High-end drones come with a variety of high tech features, benefits and accessories such as cameras. If your kids are just starting out, it is advisable to start with basic drones then build their skills in handling more advanced UAVs with time.
Remember to conduct maintenance of the drones as instructed by the manufacturer. Drones come with instructions on how to do maintenance. For the most part, some of these maintenance activities can be done at home. However, if there are some parts that are damaged or malfunctioned, it is advisable to enlist the services of a professional to help out.
• Should I Choose Manual or Auto Flying Mode?
Did you know that most drones come with both manual and auto flying modes? The reason why the drone has an auto flying mode is to aid in an incident-free training session. The auto mode prevents simple accidents from happening when accidental actions such as button flips are done. Once the child gets a hang of how flying should be done, they can now try the manual mode. Most kids’ drones come with buttons that allow for incredible aerial acrobatics.
In addition to the auto flying mode, most kids’ drones also come with the emergency shut off switch. This is a switch that you can use to prevent accidents. For those drones that do not have obstacle and collision avoidance features, they may have this shut off button. It comes in handy when a drone is about to hit something, and you switch it off to minimize the damage of the collision.
• Is the drone meant for indoor or outdoor use?
A lot of kids drones, especially those that are suitable for children under 8 years, are meant for indoor use only. This is because they are lightweight and can be easily blown away by the wind. Additionally, it helps the child to learn where to fly and how to handle a flying object before they are exposed to more complex aerodynamic issues and devices.
Outdoor drones tend to be heavier and bigger, and in most cases, not suitable for indoor use.


Some kids’ drones, however, can be used for both indoor and outdoor use. When practising with an outdoor drone, help your child to keep it closer to the ground as they learn how to control it in breezy conditions. With time, the young pilot will know how to handle even the bigger drones at windy conditions.
• Front, back or headless mode?
Drones have a front and back. Most drones have coloured props that may be lighter at the front. Alternatively, some drones have LED lights at the front which makes it easy for the kids to differentiate between front and back when flying. Alternatively, you can buy a drone with a headless function. This means that the drone can fly in any direction towards the set destination without the pilot first positioning it headfirst. No need to worry; the headless function follows the controller command and will move accordingly.
• How easy is it to repair?
The truth is that you will need to replace some parts every now and then. This is because learners are prone to small mistakes that can lead to mishaps and collisions. It is important that you know how the drone can be repaired and where to get the spare parts at good prices.
Generally, kids’ drones are quite sturdy. It does take a lot to break it apart. However, it is true that they are more prone to accidents than drones that are manned by adults. Some kids drone kits come with extra units for ease of repair. Other sellers will advise you, at the buying point, to pick up additional kits and even advice you on how to do minor repairs to the UAVs. This is especially essential in keeping up the lessons so that the drone is not grounded for lack of a professional. If the drone sustains serious damage, it is advisable to contact a professional to help with the repairs.
Now that you know the safety, practical and legal requirements of flying a drone, it is time to go shopping! There are endless options when it comes to buying drones for kids. Here are some of the most common options in the market today. This simple guide is in no way exhaustive; you can browse around the internet and shop around eCommerce platforms to get ideas of kids’ drones available today.
This is one of the most popular options under $100. It comes with a 5MP camera that can take photos as well as record 720p videos.


This UAV is easy to use, lightweight and can perform a few impressive tricks. It can fly up to 10 M upwards and 100 M away from the controller. When fully charged, it is functional for about 13 minutes before recharge is required. A full recharge takes about one hour. It is equipped with features such as DJI flight tech that helps stabilize it while it is airborne. It is compatible with a VR set and it gives a first-person view. While it doesn’t come with spare batteries, you can buy an additional battery for about $16. You can get this UAV on major eCommerce platforms. This drone can be used by children who are at least 14 years of age.
This is one of the best mini drones for kids. It is unbelievably affordable, lightweight and suitable for children who are at least 8 years of age. It is pretty easy to use; just toss it in the air and it will automatically hover. You can get some versions of this mini drone that are suitable for children who are 4 years old!
The VK330 foldable quadcopter has only one tap for takeoff or land, and it has a return to home feature which is activated by just one tap. It has such features as headless mode, altitude hold and 3-speed functions. This mini drone can do incredible flips and a few other stunts. It is small in size and can be folded to fit into small bags.
This foldable mini drone comes with two modular batteries that are easy to install. When fully charged, the drone can be airborne for 14 minutes. The drone also has propeller guards that are designed to keep the children at a safe distance from the running propeller blades. It is pretty hardy, and is built for safe, steady landing and will not come apart even if it crash-lands.
This is one of those drones that are cheap yet absolutely awe-inspiring. It is suitable for children who are at least 8 years and above. Its design is a basic-looking a stainless steel flying orb. It is equipped with advanced features such as collision avoidance, flight stabilizers, intelligent onboard system, and motion-sensitive lights. This drone doesn’t use a remote; just toss it in the air and use hand gestures to move it around!
The Airhogs are excellent stunt drones; they can spin, disco dance and even orbit around you!


With more than 9 cool tricks and 30 moves to practice, you are sure to keep it fun whether playing solo or tossing it between buddies. With some practice, your child will quickly master this equipment and be well on their way to being an expert, especially in stunts.
The Supernova Airhogs are ready to fly, and the kit is fully equipped with all the necessary accessories namely; the instruction manual, USB charger cable, rotor removal tool and rotors. Its innovative design has won several awards, and it is currently considered one of the trendiest kids drones today. Keep the drone away from children who are below 3 years as it has small parts that can cause choking if mishandled.
Syma has been in the market for some time and has become a staple in recreational drone flying. Syma has more than 20 helicopters and quadcopters in the market today, all of which are of good quality. The Syma X5C is a high-quality kids’ drone, with stable dynamics and a sleek design despite being relatively affordable. This is perfect for beginners as it is easy to fly. It is also hardy enough to withstand some rough landing, which is common in learning.
The 6 axis gyroscope ensures that the drone stays stable when it is airborne, even in windy conditions. It also comes with a 360-degree eversion control that allows the drone to safely rollover. This is important when the child wants to learn how to do stunts with the X5C. This UAV also comes with a stable controller, which is as effective in larger distances as it is in shorter ones. The flight controller is rarely affected by interferences.
If you stay in places that tend to be a little windy, you can opt for this X5C. If you want to have manoeuvrability, you can remove the prop guards and the camera. The drone has LED lights that guide the learner on drone orientation. However, during the day, these lights may appear a little dim. However, it is still pretty easy to tell the orientation of the drone.
Syma X5C has a720p HD, 2MP camera that takes pretty good shots. With a 2GB data storage capacity (MicroSD), you are sure that the photos and videos you take are safely stored. Additionally, you can simply insert the MicroSD into a PC for photo and video viewing.


The camera is fixed in one direction and it comes with focus and zooming settings. While the shots are not incredibly stunning, they are pretty decent.
The drone can go for about 10 minutes after which recharge is necessary. If you are fond of taking photos and videos, the battery will last a little shorter than 10 minutes. You can always carry spare batteries with you to ensure that you do not miss out of great opportunities to practice flying, especially if you have to go away from home to get good spots. The Syma X5c quadcopter is versatile, and a great drone for beginners and the experienced pilots alike.
Personal safety is paramount. Regardless of the child’s age and the type of drone you choose, you can never overemphasize the importance of their safety and that of other people. As such, always ensure that the child plays with the UAV of choice under supervision. This is important to avoid injuries.
It is important to stay within the legal confines governing UAVs. In addition to the set CAA laws, it is essential that you pay attention to the local laws as well. Stay clear of prohibited areas and always respect people’s privacy.
Always strive to learn as much as you can about how a drone operates before you introduce it to your child. Familiarize yourself with all the features that come with the drone. It is important that you are aware of what everything on the control panel does so that you can correct any mishaps if need be and to get the most valuable experience from drone. Additionally, as the supervising adult, it improves the learning process if you are able to answer the learner’s questions as asked. It is also essential to understand your drone of choice so as to ensure that all safety precautions are honored. You can always enrol your child into a STEM class or a drone training program if you are not very conversant in the field.
Regardless of the age recommendations, you should be in a position to tell whether your child is ready and responsible enough to handle a drone. Additionally, you can easily tell their interests, and therefore can opt for a drone that boosts their skills in their preferred interests. Be sure to expose the child to as many learning points as possible when it comes to these STEM toys.
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ABC 7 San Francisco's Beyond the Headlines: Health Insurance - Featuring Dr. Bruce Chernof
Posted: August 22, 2012
ABC7's Emmy award-winning public affairs show, "Beyond the Headlines," provides in-depth coverage of the topics and issues facing the people of the Bay Area. On August 20, 2012, Dr. Bruce Chernof joined the discussion to talk about health insurance and the Affordable Care Act.


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November 5, 2007
Really big fish in a very little pond
UGASports has been on the road all fall tracking down Georgia commitments and watching them play wherever they may be on Friday nights. One of the recent commitments we watched was Blountsville (Ala.) - Susan Moore offensive lineman Jonathan Owens and we made the trip out of state for this one.
So I accidentally drove past Crossville, Alabama, the site of Susan Moore's game featuring Owens at tackle. It could have happened to anyone, since it was a one street town and you usually notice the commotion. Upon finding Owens, it was like seeing Gulliver and the Lilliputians surrounding him. I had seen him at the Athens Summer Camp, but it was weird seeing how small everyone else looked around him.
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Sona BLW CEO Sunjay Kapur proudly says his father, the founding chairman, had gears in his blood.
And for a company whose offerings include the sale of 60 million gears and more across the globe, that statement might be the perfect way to describe the force behind the company’s worldwide success.
“Today, we make 147 types of gears,” Kapur said. “We build our own dies and tooling fixtures. And we’re very technology oriented.”
Products Sona offers include high-strength, ready-to-assemble bevel gears for automobile applications, differential assemblies for automobile axles with precision forged bevel gears and pinions, a wide range of driveline components for transmission and axle assembly applications, driveline components for non-automobile applications, rotavator gears, and more.
“We have the capability to design gears,” Kapur said. “And this is something that we’ve developed over the years.”
Sona has eight manufacturing plants: four in India, three in Germany and one in Hungary. The company employs more than 2,700 people worldwide, and it has 100 engineers in R&D who have created 12 active patents.
Sona’s main product focus includes its differential bevel gears, differential assemblies and synchronizer rings, as well as speed gears with finish-forged and back-tapered dog toothing, reverse gears, and reverse-idler gears.
This extensive product range is supplemented by Hatebur-forgings, cold-extruded parts, steering knuckles, and sophisticated precision-forged parts for the truck industry.
The company’s precision forged components provide the optimum combination of the functional requirements that modern high-performance drivelines place on component design and safety, while maximizing quality and minimizing cost, according to Kapur.
“Our main goals consist of more than just the serial production of transmission components,” he said. “Component design and optimization with regard to function and costs are also essential for fulfilling our customers’ needs.”
Warm forged bevel gears
“Our mainstay product was warm forged bevel gears and we control 12 percent of the global market,” he said. “We supply to car manufacturers – from passenger cars, to commercial vehicles as well as off highway vehicles.”
With Sona’s technology, the company offers a combination of hot- and cold-forging processes that permit the manufacturing of high-strength components with complex functional elements that are ready-for-assembly. Sona develops these components while working closely with its customers, according to Kapur.


“We get involved right from the beginning. The customer gives us a requirement in terms of what kind of quote they need and what they want the gear to be, and we’re able to design it right from scratch.”
Sona develops a partnership in terms of investment and development, and integrates the functional elements into the forging design, according to Kapur.
“We continuously work closely with our customers,” he said. “Whether it be light weighting or whether it be changing gear ratios, we continue to invest our energy in testing in those kinds of facilities so that we are ahead of the pack, while providing our customers solutions that they need.”
Advanced design, engineering
Advanced design and engineering proficiency have always been at the core of Sona BLW’s forging division, according to Kapur. The company’s engineering team is constantly tackling demands while developing and implementing solutions for its customers. And it does this while searching for new techniques implemented in the design and manufacture of complex, high-strength forgings.
Sona’s products have excellent strength properties, which are necessary in modern-day drivetrains, especially highly-stressed transmissions and axles.
As the company has diversified, Sona has been able to branch out in many directions beyond gears, according to Kapur.
“We’ve been able to forge a lot of products that are traditionally being cut,” he said. “Therefore, we’ve been able to move from being a pure bevel gear maker to a differential assembly company. We’ve also been able to develop a lighter differential by welding the differential as opposed to using bolts. So, we’ve done a lot of R&D in terms of end value.”
A family business
With all the multi-faceted design, manufacturing, and development going on at Sona, it might be hard to believe that the whole enterprise is still very much a family business.
Before Kapur’s father, Dr. Surinder Kapur, passed away in 2015, the two of them ran the entire business together, but Sona’s journey actually began about 30 years ago.
“We started with a joint venture in the steering business,” Kapur said. “When Suzuki came to India, it created an opportunity to set up component businesses, which made way for the creation of joint ventures from a technology perspective. My father set up the business in 1987 and we started production in 1989.”
Dr. Surinder Kapur started this first joint venture with a steering company from Japan.


It began life as Koyo Steering and is now called JTEKT.
“That’s how we started our automotive journey,” he said. “In the ’90s, we were part of several other joint ventures, one of them being Sona, what today is Sona BLW. BLW invented warm-forging technology for bevel gears in Germany and licensed a few companies. One of the companies they licensed in the 1960s was Mitsubishi, and we partnered with them in this technology.”
In 1995, the Sona Group and Mitsubishi Materials signed a joint venture agreement to set up a manufacturing unit in India to produce warm forged bevel gears and synchronizer rings. The Sona Group owned 75 percent of the company while Mitsubishi Materials owned 25 percent, according to Kapur.
In the early 2000s, Dr. Surinder Kapur decided he wanted to be the largest producer (by volume) of automotive bevel gears in India. In 2008, the Sona Group acquired the forging division of ThyssenKrupp (who had earlier acquired BLW) and became the largest manufacturer of forged gears by acquisition. In 2017, the Sona Group acquired the 25 percent share of Mitsubishi Materials.
The future of Sona
The production of electric vehicles is where Kapur sees the future of gearing and Sona.
“There will be a big push toward electrification, and we’re ready for that,” he said. “Just the fact that we already have a healthy supply to electric vehicles makes us future ready. And we’re going to continue to see newer products. Our acquisitions in the future will also be technology oriented, whether it be in the connected space or in the electric space.”
Kapur is proud that Sona products exist in electric vehicles, and he expects that trend to continue.
“As long as we continuously work on designs, we can continuously grow the business,” he said.
MORE INFO www.sonablw.com


SEFAR MEDIFAB products are designed to fit the high quality requirements of the healthcare industry. SEFAR MEDIFAB open mesh fabrics are woven structures composed of monofilament yarns, typically polyester (PET) and polyamide (PA). The materials are FDA- compliant and are utilized for medical filtrations and diagnostics applications.
SEFAR MEDIFAB fabrics pass all relevant biocompatibility test of USP Class VI and ISO 10993. In addition, certified tests prove that SEFAR MEDIFAB fabrics are non-cytotoxic, non-hemolytic, non-pyrogenic and show no sensitization.
These highly precise and biocompatible filter fabrics are known for their high throughput rates and excellent particle retention efficiencies. Sefar offers the widest available selection of materials in many different weave types and fabrications.
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ISO 9001, ISO 13485 quality system and ISO 14001 environment management system
Passes USP plastics class VI tests
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Non-hemolytic, non-cytotoxic, low extractable
Biocompatible according to ISO 10993-ff
Precision monofilament fabrics having defined surface characteristics
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The model was trained with patients from the Spanish National Cancer Registry for GEP-NENs, R-GETNE (data cut-off date for analyses: December 2018), a hospital registry managed by the GETNE group (Grupo Español de Tumores Neuroendocrinos for its Spanish acronym), in which 60 centres representing all regions of the country are currently participating, and data from 3971 patients have been reported.
For this analysis, patients with initially non-curable metastatic disease were selected. However, as time goes by, it is possible that some patients have received locoregional therapies, which may have modified PFS. In addition, patients may have unusual risk factors not adequately captured by the model. For this reason, predictions should be considered as orientative, and interpreted with caution.
The nomogram was built with a lognormal accelerated failure time model. Non-linear and dynamic effects of the variables were taken into account. Predictors were selected according to criteria of frequency, prior theoretical knowledge, and accessibility in clinical practice. Finally, the model was validated by a series of 97 patients from Christie Hospital (Manchester, UK).
Carmona-Bayonas A, Jiménez-Fonseca P, et al. (2019). Prediction of progression-free survival in patients with advanced, well-differentiated, neuroendocrine tumors being treated with a somatostatin analog: the GETNE-TRASGU study. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2019.


DB2 Connector Setup
DB2 Connector Setup
The DB2 connector allows you to integrate DB2 into your data flow by pushing or pulling data from DB2. Follow the steps below to connect CData Arc to DB2.
Establish a Connection
To allow Arc to use data from DB2, you must first establish a connection to DB2. There are two ways to establish this connection:
- Add a DB2 connector to your flow. Then, in the settings pane, click Create next to the Connection drop-down list.
- Open the Arc Settings page, then open the Connections tab. Click Add, select DB2, and click Next.
- The login process is only required the first time the connection is created.
- Connections to DB2 can be re-used across multiple DB2 connectors.
Enter Connection Settings
After opening a new connection dialogue, follow these steps:
Provide the requested information:
- Name — The static name of the connection. Set this as desired.
- Type — This is always set to DB2.
- Server — The address of the DB2 server you want to connect to.
- Port — The port to use when connecting to the server.
- Database — The name of the database you want to target.
- User — The username to use for logging in.
- Password — The password for the user entered above.
- Other — Other authentication information if needed.
If needed, click Advanced to open the drop-down menu of advanced connection settings. These should not be needed in most cases.
Click Test Connection to ensure that Arc can connect to DB2 with the provided information. If an error occurs, check all fields and try again.
Click Add Connection to finalize the connection.
In the Connection drop-down list of the connector configuration pane, select the newly-created connection.
Click Save Changes.
Select an Action
After establishing a connection to DB2, you must choose the action that the DB2 connector will perform. The table below outlines each action and where it belongs in an Arc flow.
|Action||Description||Position in Flow|
|Upsert||Inserts or updates DB2 data. By default, if a record already exists in DB2, an update is performed on the existing data in DB2 using the values provided from the input.||End|
|Lookup||Retrieves a value from DB2 and inserts that value into an already-existing Arc message in the flow.
The Lookup Query determines what value the connector will retrieve from DB2.


It should be formatted as a SQL query against the DB2 tables.
|Select||Retrieves data from DB2 and brings it into Arc.
You can use the Filter panel to add filters to the Select. These filters function similarly to WHERE clauses in SQL.
|Execute Stored Procedures||Treats data coming into the connector as input for a stored procedure, and then passes the result down the flow.
You can click the Show Sample Data button to provide sample inputs to the selected Stored Procedure and preview the results.


All three significant bond rating companies-- Requirement & & Poor's, Fitch, and Moody's-- have given the City of San Antonio their highest rating, AAA, as they have for the previous 8 years.San Antonio is the only U.S. city with more than 1 million citizens to attain a "AAA"score from any of those agencies. The greater the bond ranking, the lower the interest entities need to pay when borrowing funds-- essentially making infrastructure projects cheaper.In declarations sent out by the City, the companies pointed out San Antonio's"earnings versatility,""financial resilience, "and "strong monetary policies and practices" among the factors for their rating. Fitch and Requirement & Poor's added that if voters approve changes to the City's charter in the November election, it could threaten San Antonio's bond rating.Related: Fire Union Petitions Qualified for November Tally
Those modifications, given the ballot by petitions created by the local firefighters union, would restrict the wage of future city supervisors, restrict the City's capability to work out with the union, and make it easier-- some would state too simple-- to obtain future petitions onto ballots.The fire union is taking legal action against the City for a supposed offense of First Amendment rights during the signature collection procedure for its petitions and chooses not to work out a new contract.Meanwhile, the State
Legislature has made several attempts to cap city earnings."I'm exceptionally happy of this accomplishment
, especially in the face of a lot of external challenges,"City Supervisor Sheryl Sculley mentioned in a press release." To have actually done this again and once again is a testament to our City group's commitment to the neighborhood and San Antonio's monetary security." City board is expected to officially put the fire union's initiatives on the ballot
this month.Related: Fact-Checking Claims That Fire Union Petition Will Tank Bond Rankings, Drive Up Costs"[ Those products] have the potential to greatly restrict the city's earnings and expenditure versatility and hinder management's ability to operate the city,"Fitch mentioned. "Effective passage of these petitions, particularly those that make any regulation topic to referendum and allow the firemens to need binding arbitration, would lead to unfavorable score pressure need to the city be unable to effectuate effective responses."City officials have also said the so-called San Antonio First efforts could impact the bond rankings of CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water Supply, the City-owned utilities."


[ Sculley] and her finance personnel have actually worked diligently with City board to continue our tradition of fiscal stewardship, "Nirenberg specified. "Completion result saves millions of tax dollars and allows us to offer more direct services in a cost-efficient way. Sadly, the fire union's proposed charter modifications might put our bond score in jeopardy. "Disclosure: CPS Energy is a Rivard Report organisation member. For a complete list of supporters, click < a href=https://therivardreport.com/business-members/ target=_ blank rel=noopener > here.


Cerebral stroke is the fourth cause of death and leading cause of adult disability. However, current treatments are limited both in terms of utility and effectiveness. Efficacy of stroke interventions are tested using rodent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models of focal brain ischemia but these have a substantial impact upon animal suffering/welfare. This PhD will determine if interventions can improve welfare for those rodents undergoing MCAO focusing on three areas:
(I) Use of telemetry to identify intervention and/or humane end points - induction of MCAO results in a hyperthermic response and it is likely that decreased thermoregultion contributes to reduced motility, reduced food/water intake, increased weight loss and increased mortality. This PhD will use telemetry to monitor thermoregulation in rodents following MCAO surgery which will allow the recognition of appropriate time points for intervention and/or humane end points in an attempt to reduce suffering and distress;
(II) Environmental enrichment - post-stroke enrichment has a positive effect on outcome but little consideration has been given to enriching the environment of rodents pre-stroke. This PhD will validate the extent to which enriched housing improves the well-being of rodents generally and following stroke surgery;
(III) Intervention surgery – others have shown the benefit of hypertensive rats undergoing a brief surgical procedure to induce craniotomy prior to MCAO surgery. This led to a significant reduction in oedema formation and significantly improved survival without impacting upon the stroke-specific damage. This PhD project will investigate the benefit of such pre-intervention surgery on 'normal' rodents which are the majority of animals undergoing experimental stroke. Importantly, these studies will be conducted in rats and mice, of both genders, to ensure any improvements in welfare have a significant benefit for the majority of animals undergoing experimental stroke.
- Further Funding: NC3Rs Skills and Knowledge Transfer Grant, Dissemination of refinements in mouse experimental stroke models to the scientific community, August 2017, £65,220
- Further Funding: NC3Rs Pilot Study Grant, Determining the source of variability within experimental stroke models, November 2014, £74,586


I have further updated my series of essays on ‘Science Fiction in South Africa’ with a fascinating précis of a Ph.D. thesis completed by Dr. Elzette Steenkamp on ‘Identity, belonging and ecological crisis in South African speculative fiction’. For those of you may want access to the full Doctoral thesis, completed at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, it can be viewed/downloaded here:
Elzette also has a chapter in a worthy book, edited by Gerry Canavan and Kim Stanley Robinson, entitled: ‘Green Planets: Ecology and Science Fiction.’ Below – Permission obtained to upload cover picture: http://www.amazon.com/Green-Planets-Ecology-Science-Fiction/dp/0819574279/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1388771670tag%3Dgerrcana0b-20&sr=8-1
Sunday Times in South Africa have a free viewing of 40 fantastic short visions of South Africa in the year 2034 by top local authors, which is well worth visiting: http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2014/05/12/read-sunday-times-future-fiction-edition-featuring-short-stories-set-in-2034-from-40-top-sa-authors/
Newly out is much exciting reading for speculative fiction in Africa – Nnedi Orkorafor’s ‘Lagoon’ Sarah Lotz’s ‘The Three‘, Louis Greenberg’s ‘Dark Windows’, Nerine Dorman’s ‘The Guardian’s Wyrd’, Dave-Brendon De Burgh’s ‘Betrayal’s Shadow’, Cat Hellisen’s ‘House of Sand and Secrets’ (paperback issue) – and with Lauren Beukes’ ‘Broken Monsters’ out at the end of next month (July), the local genre scene is steaming hot.
For those of you wanting to write, upcoming is an exciting anthology call from Short Story South Africa, due at the end of this month (June 2014), called ‘Terra Incognito’: http://shortstorydayafrica.org/write-2014-2/terra-incognita/ Also noteworthy is the annual Science Fiction and Fantasy South Africa’s Nova short story competition, entries due the end of September: http://www.sfsa.org.za/Nova.html
No excuses now – go read – and write! Nick Wood May/June 2014


Abound Fungicide is the right solution when a strobilurin with broad-spectrum disease control and application flexibility is needed. By providing reliable disease control, Abound Fungicide extends retention of healthy green leaves until late in the season.Active Ingredient: Azoxystrobin 22.9%Signal Word- CAUTION / PRECAUCION
Acelepryn Turf Insecticide provides effective control of a wide range of turf damaging insects while also minimizing the impact on the environment.Active Ingredients: Chlorantraniliprole 18.4%Insecticide Mode of Action: 28Insecticide Class: DiamidesEPA Signal Word: CAUTION / PRECAUCIONApplication Rate Range: (see label) Container Size(s): 0.5 Gal.
Amber Herbicide is a reliable, economic choice for long-lasting control of more than 50 tough broadleaf weeds to minimize late flushes and provide clean fields through harvest.Active Ingredients: Triasulfuron 75.0%Herbicide Mode of Action: 2EPA Signal Word: CAUTION / PRECAUCIONApplication Rate Range: (see label) Container Size(s): 18 Oz.
Appear Fungicide features two components that work together to improve summer stress tolerance, turf quality and control of both Pythium and anthracnose.Active Ingredient: Potassium Phosphite - 53.3% EPA Signal Word - CAUTION / PRECAUCION
Arbotect 20-S Fungicide is the industry standard fungicide for the prevention of Dutch elm disease and suppression of sycamore anthracnose. One application of Arbotect by macro-infusion protects the entire canopy for multiple growing seasons.Active Ingredient: Thiabendazole 26.6%Signal Word - CAUTION / PRECAUCION
Archer Insect Growth Regulator, IGR, controls populations of mosquitoes, cockroaches, fleas, flies, ticks and other pests to prevent them from becoming egg-laying adults both indoors and out.Active Ingredient: Pyriproxyfen 1.3%Signal Word - CAUTION / PRECAUCION
Award II fire ant bait contains abamectin, a naturally derived substance fermented from the soil microorganism, Streptomyces avermitilis.


Abametin is a slow-acting insecticide that is effective in controlling fire ants.This product has been discontinued by the manufacturer.Active Ingredients: Abamectin 0.011%Insecticide Mode of Action: 6Insecticide Class: AvermectinsEPA Signal Word: CAUTION / PRECAUCIONApplication Rate Range: (see label) Container Size(s): Discontinued by manufacturer
Barricade Pre-Emergent Herbicide offers the longest residual and most consistent full-season, pre-emergence weed and grass control without staining.Active Ingredients: Prodiamine 40.7% Herbicide Mode of Action: 3EPA Signal Word: CAUTION / PRECAUCIONApplication Rate Range: (see label) Container Size(s): 1 Gal., 10 Gal., 30 Gal.
Bonzi Ornamental Growth Regulator ensures plants stay compact and beautiful to keep them at their peak longer for increased profitability. Active Ingredient: Paclobutrazol 0.4% Signal Word - CAUTION / PRECAUCION
Concert II Fungicide provides golf course superintendents with preventive disease control on greens, fairways and roughs. Using a proprietary blend of the active ingredients from Banner MAXX II and Daconil it is an important component of spray programs for cool-season grasses.Active Ingredient: Propiconazole 2.9%Signal Word - DANGER / PELIGRO
Endeavor Insecticide for control of aphids and whiteflies on landscape ornamentals, field-grown ornamentals, container-grown ornamentals, nonbearing fruit and nut trees in nurseries, Christmas trees, ground covers, and ornamental plants in greenhouses, lath and shadehouses, and interiorscapes.Active Ingredients: Pymetrozine 50.0%Insecticide Mode of Action: 9BInsecticide Class: Pyridine Azomethine Derivatives EPA Signal Word: CAUTION / PRECAUCIONApplication Rate Range: (see label) Container Size(s): 6 x 2.5 Oz.


Fulfill Insecticide, For Control of Listed Aphids in Cotton, Hops, Pecans, Potatoes (and other root and crom vegetables), tobacco, and vegetables.Active Ingredients: Pymetrozine 50.0%Insecticide Mode of Action:Insecticide Class:EPA Signal Word: CAUTION / PRECAUCIONApplication Rate Range: (see label) Container Size(s): 27.5 Oz.
Fusilade II Herbicide is a selective post emergent turf and ornamental herbicide that controls a long list of both perennial and annual grass weeds in a variety of turf and landscape areas. Extremely fast and effective, Fusilade II can be applied over-the-top or as a directed spray without damaging valuable ornamental plants/shrubs.Active Ingredient: Fluazifop-P-butyl 24.5%Signal Word - CAUTION / PRECAUCION
Instrata Fungicide for control of turf diseases on golf courses, lawns around commercial and industrial buildings, professional and collegiate athletic fields and sod farms.Active Ingredient: Chlorothalonil 29.9% + Fludioxonil 1.2% + Propiconazole 4.7%Signal Word - CAUTION / PRECAUCION
GrazonNext HL Specialty Herbicide for the control of broadleaf and certain woody plants and broadleaf weeds on rangeland, permanent grass pastures, conservation reserve program (CRP) acres and wildlife management areas in these sites.Truck Ship Only. Please call to arrange shipping


Sportcruiser G-CFNV United Kingdom
Sportcruiser (CRUZ) £55,000
Cherished since new - steadily and regularly flown, as it should be, far and wide within the UK and Europe. 975 hours engine and airframe. Meticulously maintained and kept in a warm, dry hangar at Finmere aerodrome. Shared by the original owner and one other who has been co-owner since 2011.
Built to a very high standard by Graham Smith (Sportcruiser UK agent at the time) in late 2009 with a high quality paint finish and what he describes as the best propeller solution for the airframe - an in-flight adjustable Woodcomp Varia 170 (180 hours since factory overhaul) – all the benefits of variable pitch without the cost and reliability issues of electronic/constant speed devices. Cruises at 105 knots, returning 16-18 litres per hour on average.
Next engine service due in 50 hours and the permit is due in November 2020. Latest Rotax soft-start ignition modules fitted in August 2019.
Clear, neat and traditional six pack flying instruments but with newly installed Kanardia Horis 80 multi-function unit replacing the original Trutrak ADI. Trig TY97 8.33 radio, Garmin 328 transponder, properly installed Pilot Aware unit with external antennae, giving comprehensive traffic information to eg. Skydemon display or your phone. A Flarm mouse is currently fitted; this will be removed before sale but could possibly be included by negotiation.
Ameriking ELT, Leather interior, adjustable sunshade, adjustable pedals, touring covers, bespoke wing locker waterproof cases. Other usual Sportcruiser features (wing lockers, electric flaps/rudder/aileron trim, dual toe brakes); LAA ‘gold standard’ noseleg fitted in 2018.
Spare Woodcomp Varia prop, zero hours - unused since return from factory with full overhaul and new blades fitted – this would be open for negotiation, could be part of the sale.
Reason for sale – hoping to buy an RV. Reduced to £55,000
Neil McAllister 07921861463 or Martin Owen 07803002886


A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
I have heard that this movie caught a lot of flak about not being "realistic" about mental illness, and not providing a diagnosis for Joon, etc. I think that it is more realistic for the "average" person with a mental illness than any other movie I have seen on the topic. There was no theme of "being institutionalised forever" and there was no unrealistic expectation of a "cure".
The character of Sam put it best when he said "Aside from being a little mentally ill, she's pretty normal." I think that's the best quote I've heard in a movie, on that particular topic.
I also think there is a reason for there being no stated diagnosis of Joon. She personifies those of us who can't get on with the things we want to do in life because of a mental illness and treatment getting in the way. She does it very well, down to the mannerisms. If she were to be labeled, say, obsessive-compulsive, or post-traumatic stress disorder, or schizophrenic, or bipolar, then the universality would be taken out of it and it would suddenly only apply to people with one certain label.
This movie did wonders for my family. Upon watching it, we all said "That's us!" and learned to laugh at ourselves and the situations we got into. It offered me a lot of hope -- what more could I want than to find an understanding and eccentric friend to love and move into my own apartment, away from the mess of hospitals and doctors? It still makes me laugh every time I see it, and "Joon" has become a household word... I recommend this to anyone, particularly anyone with a mental illness, and their families -- it might lighten things up, but it certainly doesn't skip over the bad parts.
- Dec 28, 1998


“We’d love to innovate, but we just don’t have the resources – everyone’s just too busy on more important projects”…. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve recently heard this from both clients and prospects that I’ve been put in front of in the last few months. There’s a general impression that Innovation in itself is a separate project that you do in addition to your other workload – “PHOOEY!” I say (not sure on the spelling of that word btw – but am sure you get the point).
What I don’t understand is how clients get to thinking like this. Innovation is not a goal in its own right – it’s a methodology, a discipline, and a strategic tool to achieve your corporate goals – not a goal in its own right. You’re most successful when you’re using it as a way to help the company to find new, novel, and better ways to achieve what it’s already motivated to do – not when you’re floundering along trying to swim against the flow that the company is trying to go in.
Ah – but what about companies like Nokia, for example I hear you say. Companies that have changed and morphed through time (in Nokia’s case from forestry, to rubber, to mobile communications so far) by being constantly innovative? What people fail to acknowledge is that Nokia was actively trying to change – it was part of its strategy to be open to and drive new business models away from their core business – business models that eventually proved more profitable than the previous ones and quite rightly became the main focus for Nokia. Innovation you see, can change the entire company in many weird and wonderful ways – IF your company WANTS to change in those directions. It’s no use trying to force change that the organization isn’t open to – you’ll just waste a lot of time and effort that will ultimately fail and will not be positively recognized by your leadership.
Instead – take the company strategy and identify the direction the company wants to go in and the goals that it has set for itself. Identify the people working on projects aimed at progressing the company towards that goal and offer them a different and better way in which to achieve the work that they’re already trying to get done. They’ll already have the desire, enthusiasm, commitment, and more crucially – resources – to get the innovative ideas and approaches your team is bringing to the table implemented.


And at the end of the day innovation is about getting things implemented and to do so in a way that adds value to your company – this approach does both.
Boris Pluskowski is the Founder of The Complete Innovator where he regularly shares new ideas and best practices on how big companies can harness Innovation, Collaboration and Social Media to drive new sources of value throughout the enterprise.
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A month ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Mauro Porcini, SVP & Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo,…Read More
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Affordable kids' holiday crafts
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Browse New Arrivals
Wilmer And The Dukes - Give Me One More Chance / Get It
Format:Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Record VG+ VG++
label has name written on..
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Rhythm & Blues, Funk
A Give Me One More Chance 2:15
B Get It (Instrumental) 2:40
Wilmer & The Dukes - Give Me One More Chance - [original AM radio version
The best, most famous band no one ever heard of.
The essence of soul and a great show. Saw them at Syracuse U a bunch of times. Never failed to drive the place nuts.
Wilmer Alexander, Jr. & The Dukes


My cousin works in this department. He's not the arresting officer but he might know him.MAY 19--A Tennessee man was arrested Friday night after he walked into a bar, dropped his pants and underwear, and attempted to have sex with an ATM machine, police report.
Lonnie Hutton, 49, was collared at The Boro Bar and Grill, the Murfreesboro watering hole where he allegedly sought to make a 9 PM deposit.
According to a Murfreesboro Police Department report, an officer was dispatched to the bar, where a witness said that Hutton walked to the ATM and “pulled down his pants and underwear exposing his genitals.” Officer M. Rickard added, “Mr. Hutton then attempted to have sexual intercourse with the ATM.”


This case study applies Monte Carlo-based real options to analyse the
expansion of a port. A stochastic model is defined for the Santarém port, in
Brazil, and the optimal moment for expanding the terminal is determined. The application
resorts to a common spreadsheet and a simulation add-in, allowing the
quantification of both the value of expanding the terminal and the flexibility
to determine when to expand. The results
allow us to conclude that deterministic cash flow models, based on the expected
value, may lead to important biases in projects with capacity constraints. We
also conclude that the expansion option may have a high value, which is
strongly determined by the initial conditions, and that the expansion
thresholds (the values of demand that trigger the expansion) change
significantly along the project.
Does corporate debt overhang affect investment over the medium term? To uncover this association, I measure debt overhang with a concept of debt accumulation or debt boom, and combine leverage with liquid assets to capture financial constraints. Using a large US firm-levelpanel over 1985Q1-2019Q1, I find that debt overhang leads financially vulnerable firms to cutpermanently back on investment: a 10 p.p. increase in the three-year change in the leverageratio is associated with lower investment growth of 5 p.p. after five years compared to the mostresilient firms. I also find that vulnerable firms experience weaker intangible capital growth inthe aftermath of debt booms. Finally, I find that general equilibrium effects dominate, stressingthe risk that firm-specific debt booms in a subset of firms may spill over to the rest of theeconomy.
Corporate debt booms; Firm investment; Financial constraints; Local projections
In this paper, we devise a forward-looking methodology to determine efficient credit portfolios under the IFRS 9 framework. We define and implement a credit loss model based on prospective point-in-time probabilities of default. We determine these probabilities of default and the credits’ stage allocation through a credit stochastic simulation. This simulation is based on the estimation of transition matrices. Using data from 1981 to 2019, in a non-homogeneous Markov chain setting, we estimate transition matrices conditional on the global real gross domestic product growth. This allows considering the effects of the economic cycle, which are of great importance in bank management.


Finally, we develop a robust optimization model that allows the bank manager to analyze the tradeoff between the annual average portfolio income and the corresponding portfolio volatility. According to the proposed bi-objective model, we compute the efficient credit portfolios constructed based on 10-year maturity credits. We compare their structure to those generated by the IAS 39 and CECL accounting frameworks. The results indicate that the IFRS 9 and CECL frameworks generate efficient credit portfolios whose structure penalizes riskier-rated credits. In turn, the riskier efficient credit portfolios under the IAS 39 framework concentrate entirely on speculative-grade credits. This pattern is also encountered in efficient credit portfolios constructed based on credits with different maturities, namely 5 and 15 years. Moreover, the longer the maturity of the credits that enter into the composition of the efficient portfolios, the more the speculative-grade credits tend to be penalized.
A number of
recent scientific articles have studied the relationship between
entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and firm’s performance, though not all came in
the scope of international entrepreneurship (IE). Researchers often test
mediating or moderating variables that help explain this relationship. The extensive
academic findings lead us to a wide range of mediating/moderating variables and
to a lack of consensus in this domain. This study is in scope of IE literature,
and it aims to provide new and robust insights supported by consistent
empirical findings and to adopt
this structural-model approach as a reference in the absence of academic consensus.
Specifically, the paper examines the contribution of intrapreneurship to both the
firm’s international orientation (IO) and performance in light of the IE
guidelines. To this end, we examine how the EO of Portuguese exporters
influences corporate performance taking into account the meditating effect of
their IO on the EO – performance association through structural equation modelling.
Results confirm that IO positively and significantly mediates the relationship
between EO and corporate performance. EO and IO were also found to have a direct
and positive effect on corporate performance. These findings confirm the
relevance of intrapreneurship and international commitment to a better organisational
performance and gives us empirical support to conclude that effort taken in these
domains could enhance the exporters’ performance. Moreover, this study makes an
empirical and theoretical contribution to the IE topic and therefore aims to be
a reference to the literature in this domain.


Empirical
evidence also indicates that differentiating characteristics of women, such as
greater ethical concern and risk aversion, help mitigate the negative effects
of political connections on banking performance, safeguarding the institutions’
interests from the adverse effects of personal agendas. In addition, our
results also suggest that a minimum of 14% gender diversity can actually contribute
to a greater social justice and beneficial structural change. Overall, these general
conclusions seem fairly robust, being drawn from several versions of the
regression model adopted in the study, using different sets of control variates
and different gender diversity measures.
Political connections, Gender diversity, Bank performance, ECB, GMM.
We examine the long-
and short-run relationships between USD/EUR official rates and implicit
exchange rates, through Bitcoin as a currency vehicle, over the period from
March 07, 2016 to November 22, 2019. The results show that the two exchange
rates are cointegrated and that the cointegrating vector is not statistically
different from the theoretical one that results from the law of one price. In
the short-run, the implied rate Granger-causes the official reference rate. Our
main conclusion is that Bitcoin USD and EUR prices incorporate fundamental
information from the USD/EUR official exchange rate
The aim of this paper is to analyze the performance of
several models for forecasting exports. We collected data on Portugal’s real
exports of goods and on the variables suggested by models based on the
assumption of perfect competition and of monopolistic competition. We estimated
Vector Autoregressive (VAR) models with those variables and compared the
performance of the forecasts produced by those models with the forecasts
obtained from simpler, univariate models, namely ARIMA models and Holt’s linear
trend model. We consider four alternative frameworks in which the forecasts
might be produced. These scenarios correspond to “static forecasts”, “recursive
forecasts”, “dynamic forecasts” and “dynamic forecasts with known exogenous
variables”. We also consider the computation of recursive forecasts including
dummies related to the international financial crisis. The best model
(according to the root mean squared error of the forecasts in the period since
the start of the international financial crisis) depends on the scenario
considered for the computation of the forecasts.


The theory-based models do not
produce forecasts that are clearly better than the forecasts produced by the
simpler univariate models. In addition, the impact of the international
financial crisis appears to be better represented by a temporary shock than by
a permanent shock (with a constant effect). The results cast doubts on the
relevance of traditional measures of competitiveness for the evolution of
exports. As a consequence of the above, it is not clear that discussions of
competitiveness that put the emphasis on costs, namely on wages, or on the
exchange rate provide useful guides to policy.
At the time of joining the European Economic Community (precursor to the European Union) and the Eurozone, Portuguese agents were very optimistic about the level of development that the country would be able to achieve as a result of being a member of those economic areas. In this paper we describe the changes occurred in the Portuguese economy since joining the European Union and later the Eurozone. In addition, we provide estimates of the evolution of the expectations of Portuguese agents with respect to long-term real per capita GDP, based on a simple intertemporal macroeconomic model. Over the period under analysis, there was an impressive progress in standards of living. Before joining the euro, Portuguese agents were optimistic about long-term income. Expectations remained high until the onset of the debt crisis, at which time expectations collapsed. A slow recovery is visible in our estimates for the most recent years.
Development, Euro, European Union, Macroeconomic expectations, Portugal.
In this paper we
investigate the impact of corruption on economic growth in Portugal over the
period 1980-2018. The empirical approach makes use of a VAR model inspired by
the standard Cobb-Douglas aggregate production function. The VAR model includes
the capital stock, hours worked, total factor productivity and the corruption
perceptions index (CPI) of Transparency International. The CPI combines several
sources of information on the level of corruption in each country. The scale of
this index goes from 0, the highest level of corruption, to 10, the lowest
level. The magnitude of the estimated effect of corruption on economic growth in
the unrestricted VAR model is large (and positive), but statistically not significantly
different from zero. However, the results from the estimation of a structural VAR
model with economically plausible long-run restrictions indicate modest gains
from reducing corruption.


Corruption; Economic Growth; Portugal; VAR model; SVAR
Zeuthen-Hicks bargaining model connects strategic and axiomatic bargaining
models by providing a description of the behavior of each party, and showing
that the entire process leads to the axiomatically founded Nash bargaining
solution. In its original formulation, the model treats parties asymmetrically
by considering different decision alternatives of the focal party (who can
either accept the opponent's offer or make a counteroffer, but not quit the
negotiation) and the opponent (who can accept the focal party's offer or quit
the negotiation, but not make a counteroffer). We extend the model to consider
the full set of possible actions from both sides, which requires explicit modeling
of the expectations of the parties concerning outcomes and outside options that
become available during the process. We show analytically that under the assumption
of concave utilities of both parties, the bargaining process converges to the
nonsymmetric Nash bargaining solution. This result provides a new interpretation
of the parameters of the nonsymmetric Nash bargaining solution, linking them to
behavior in the bargaining process. Furthermore, we perform a simulation study
to analyze the outcomes for non-concave utilities.
In this paper we introduce NIESIM (Network Information Economics
SIMulation), a software for simulating a mobile communications scenario
and studying the value of information in the context of mobile network
management. The modelling principles and the simulation strategy used to
design and develop NIESIM software are introduced, along with
simulation results. We consider an application of NIESIM to support the
definition of the grade of service in a network that is exposed to
failures. An exploratory discussion of the findings and their
implications to future work is also presented.
Telecommunications, Mobile Networks Management, Value of Information, Simulation
A new approach is considered to estimate risk-neutral densities (RND) within a kernel regression framework, through local cubic polynomial estimation using intraday data. There is a new strategy for the definition of a criterion function used in nonparametric regression that includes calls, puts, and weights in the optimization problem associated with parameters estimation. No-arbitrage restrictions are incorporated in the problem through equality and bound constraints. This yields directly density functions of interest with minimum requirements needed. Within a simulation framework, it is demonstrated the robustness of proposed procedures.


Additionally, RNDs are estimated through option prices associated with two indices, S&P500 and VIX.
kernel functions, Local polynomials, No-arbitrage constraints, Option prices, Risk-neutral density
This paper consists of a literature review of the impact of High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) on employee outcomes such as job satisfaction and organizational affective commitment, based on employees’ perceptions. After reviewing the strategic importance of Human Resources Management, we draw on theories like AMO and Social Exchange to understand the impact of HPWS on employee outcomes, suggesting possible relations that can shed some light into the “blackbox” of HPWS-performance linkage.
High Performance Work Systems; Employee Outcomes; AMO Theory; Social Exchange.
The present text is focused on the evaluation of the influence that determinants of loan contracts’ design may have on loan renegotiation. This general purpose is faced with the possible simultaneity of determination of some such factors (namely the use of collaterals and loan interest rate) and the likelihood of contract renegotiation. Naturally, this simultaneity corresponds to an issue of endogeneity of these factors within econometric models of the conditional probability of renegotiation. If neglected, covariates’ endogeneity causes model misspecification, translating into unreliable empirical assessments of the marginal effects of all renegotiation determinants on the probability of loan redesign. Building on the theory of incomplete contracts, suggesting that the possibility of contract renegotiation is already anticipated at the contracting date, the empirical findings of the paper, based on a dataset provided by a Brazilian bank, provide strong indication that this can indeed be the case. Accordingly, the empirical assessment of the marginal contributions of important variables to the likelihood of renegotiation is revisited, thereby enabling a deeper understanding of renegotiation processes.
This paper investigates the commonalities and differences between benign credit booms and those that end up in banking crises by employing a Multinomial and a Sequential Logit model over a panel of industrial and developing countries. Some economic, political and institutional factors are found to play an important role in understanding the credit booms dynamics. In particular, this study shows that the quantity and price of credit, liquidity in the economy, economic growth, openness of the economy, government orientation, political stability and Central Bank independence are relevant to explain not only the occurrence of credit booms but also – and most importantly – whether they end up in a systemic banking crisis or not.


While a better economic environment and Central Bank independence are essential for both industrial and developing countries to avoid credit booms from going badly, political factors seem to exert a stronger influence in developing countries.
Credit booms; Multinomial Logit; Sequential Logit; Government Ideology; Central Bank Independence.
This paper addresses measurement error (ME) of double bounded variables, of which fractional variables, defined on the interval [0,1], constitute a prominent example. The text discusses consequences of ME and suggests a specification test sensitive to ME of such variables. Given the latter’s bounded support, ME is not independent of the original error-free variate, a fact that invalidates classical ME assumptions as a framework for the test. This is circumvented with a score test of independence between the error-free variate and ME, under which the latter becomes degenerate at zero and their joint distribution, specified as a copula function, reduces to the original variable’s distribution. This procedure yields a specification test of the distribution of the error-free variable, valid under mild assumptions on the marginal distribution of ME and under departures from the specified copula. The test’s finite-sample behaviour is also evaluated through a set of simulation experiments.
Copula; Fractional variable; Maximum likelihood; Measurement error; Probability integral transform; Score test.
The present article studies the determinants of banking spreads, allowing for the possibility that the impact of some of these determinants on spreads may differ according to the particular loan type. This concern is fostered by both theoretical and empirical evidence supporting the general idea that the hetero-geneity of banks’ loan portfolios should be taken into account when studying the drivers of spread. This approach is distinct from previous work in the liter-ature, usually utilizing a single interest margin per bank, in order to measure the impact of its determinants. Using a dataset of observations on various per-sonal loan categories and the Difference GMM approach, the present study es-timates that marginal effects of, respectively, banks’ risk aversion, credit risk, and market share on spreads differ significantly according to whether the loan is a consumer loan, a paycheck-linked credit line or a revolving credit line for individuals. These findings suggest, accordingly, that central banks and regula-tory agencies should observe the composition of banks’ loans portfolios when writing their policies aiming at spread reduction.
The present study examines the impact of family involvement on the debt structure of family businesses.


Family corporate involvement is considered in three related but distinct dimensions: capital ownership, firm’s management and corporate control. The marginal effect of each of these three dimensions is specified as a unique regression parameter in a conditional mean model for the proportion of medium- plus long-term debt to total debt. This general strategy calls for an appropriate modelling and estimation approach, taking due account of the response variable’s inherent fractional definition and consequential nonlinear functional form of its conditional expectation, given covariates. Such an approach, combining a probit model for the equation of interest with a control function estimation method, is applied to a panel data set on Portuguese family businesses. Estimation results confirm the uniqueness of the impact of each of the three considered dimensions of families’ corporate involvement on the debt structure of firms.
Family firms; Management and control considerations; Debt maturity structure; Panel fractional data.
This paper examines stock returns and dividend growth predictability using dividend yields in seven large developed markets: US, UK, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Altogether, these countries account for around 85% of the MSCI World Index. We use annual data, and for the US, UK, Japan, and France the time series are long enough to conduct a separate analysis of the pre- and post-IIWW periods. We also study the relationship between the predictability in dividend growth and the degree of dividend smoothness. For the post-IIWW period, returns are predictable in the US and the UK but dividends are unpredictable, while the opposite pattern is observed in Spain and Italy. In Germany, there is some evidence of short-term predictability for both returns and dividends, while in France only returns are predictable. In Japan, neither variable can be forecasted. Generally, there is no clear connection between dividend smoothness and predictability.
The literature that investigates credit booms has essentially focused on their economic determinants. The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of political conditionings and central bank independence. In doing so, a fixed effects logit model is estimated over a panel of 67 countries for the period 1975q1-2016q4. The results show that not only the economic but also the political environment influences significantly the likelihood of credit booms. Even though lending booms have not proven to depend on the electoral cycle, they are less likely when right-wing parties are in office, especially in developing countries, and when the political environment is more unstable.


In addition, more independent Central Banks are found to reduce the probability of credit booms. However, when a country’s monetary policy in the hands of a single regional monetary union they are more likely to occur and spread. Some significant differences are also unveiled when comparing industrial with developing countries.
Credit booms; Logit model; Political cycles; Government ideology; Central Bank independence.
The purpose of this paper is to study the relation between Portuguese exports of goods and a set of variables that theoretical models suggest as the main determinants of export behavior. Given that the exchange rate is one of the key variables identified by the theoretical models, we begin by reviewing the evolution of Portugal’s exchange rate policy between the 1977 and 1999, when Portugal joined the European Monetary Union. In addition, we discuss how the exchange rate policy has been related to the issue of competitiveness of Portuguese firms. We then present the theoretical models and proceed to an empirical analysis of their adequacy. The results of our empirical analysis indicate that the perfect competition model does not provide an acceptable representation of the behavior of Portugal's exports of goods. The results improve when the monopolistic competition model is estimated. The estimation of a modified version of the monopolistic competition model suggests that Portugal's exports of goods are very elastic with respect to demand and productivity, but very inelastic with respect to wages. Nevertheless, certain variables are not significant, which indicates that there are problems to be solved either in the theoretical framework or in the empirical approach. The estimates reported support the conclusion that to foster exports a focus on wage costs and on exchange rate fluctuations is probably inefficient or even misguided. Productivity and demand seem to be more important determinants of exports. If one believes in this conclusion, then views
The aim of this study is to analyse the circular linkages between recycling and economic development, where renewable energy plays an additional role in this process. We use a two-equation model, which describes a cumulative causation process with feedback effects, where recycling (among other growth inducing factors) is assumed to be important for sustainable economic development (given by the Human Development Index) and vice-versa. The system of simultaneous equations is estimated by 3sls, both in a static form and introducing dynamics into the model, for a panel of 28 OECD countries over the period 2004-2015.


The empirical evidence suggests a strong relationship between the economic development level and the recycling rate with feedback effects, supporting the idea of a circular cumulative causation process driven mostly by higher human capital skills and, to a lesser extent, by innovation. Atmospheric pollution also stimulates the recycling process.
This paper investigates the information transmission between the most important cryptocurrencies - Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ripple, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash. We use a VAR modelling approach, upon which the Geweke’s feedback measures and generalized impulse response functions are computed. This methodology allows us to fully characterize the direction, intensity and persistence of information flows between cryptocurrencies. At this data granularity, most of information transmission is contemporaneous. However it seems that there are some lagged feedback effects, mainly from other cryptocurrencies to Bitcoin. The generalized impulse-response functions confirm that there is a strong contemporaneous correlation and that there is not much evidence of lagged effects. The exception appears to be related to the overreaction of Bitcoin returns to contemporaneous shocks.
This paper offers novel insights regarding the role of complexity in both the transitional and the long-run dynamics of the economy. We devise an endogenous growth model using the concept of entropy as a state-dependent complexity effect. This allows us to gradually diminish scale effects as the economy develops along the transitional dynamics, which conciliates evidence on the existence of scale effects in history with evidence of no or reduced scale effects in today’s economies. We show that empirical evidence supports entropy as a “first principle” operator of the complexity effect. The model features endogenous growth, with null or small (positive or negative) scale effects, or stagnation, in the long run. These different long-run possibilities have also policy implications. Then, we show that the model can replicate well the take-off after the industrial revolution and the productivity slowdown in the second half of the XXth century. Future scenarios based on in-sample calibration are discussed, and may help to explain (part of) the growth crises affecting the current generation.
As a multidisciplinary concept, entrepreneurship can be explained by numerous factors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to test empirically the determinants of entrepreneurship (overall and sectoral) in the Portuguese economy. Despite the methodological limitations inherent in such studies, which are mainly due to the incompatibility of some series and the temporal limitations of some data, the novelty involving a cross-sectoral view of the entrepreneurial phenomenon fuels this challenge.


For this purpose, we employ an estimation approach based on time series models to confirm (or reject) a diversity of hypotheses. The main results indicate that the determinants of entrepreneurship in industry are significantly different from the determinants of entrepreneurship in the service sector in Portugal. On the other hand, the determinants of entrepreneurship in the service sector are very similar to those explaining the overall entrepreneurial activity, due to the high share of services in total economic activity. The main conclusions of the study can guide institutional decision-makers to adopt adequate policies for promoting entrepreneurship in Portugal. Additionally, strategic routes for the sustainable development of entrepreneurial activity are suggested.
entrepreneurship; sectoral entrepreneurship; determinants of entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial activity; business services; time series models.
Worldwide, demand for blood and blood products has increased. It is important to work on donor recruitment strategies. Because in developed countries the young have been more reluctant to donate, it is particularly pertinent to assess their motivations. In addition, there is sparse evidence regarding this research topic in Portugal. Using a self-administered questionnaire by a sample of university students and adopting multiple logistic regression analysis, the aims of this study are to assess attitudes, knowledge and motivations regarding blood donation and to identify factors associated with donation among young donors.
This paper studies the relationship between the electricity spot and futures prices in the Iberian electricity market, with a special focus on the ex-post risk premium of monthly futures contracts. The study covers the period from 1 July 2006 to 31 March 2017, during which 128 monthly futures contracts were traded. We show that the risk premium is dynamic and presents on average a negative value. Within contracts, the risk premium presents a non-linear dependence on the remaining trading days until maturity. There is no statistical evidence for rejecting the unbiased forward hypothesis of the futures prices. However, the sequence of futures prices near maturity has some predictive power on the risk premium.
This paper analyses the relationship between health human capital and economic growth for a maximum sample of 92 countries over the period 1980-2010 applying the methodology proposed by Canay (2011) for regression by quantiles (Koenker 1978; 2004; 2012a,b) in a panel framework. This approach allows for the identification of different impacts of the explanatory variables across the growth rate distribution.