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Is High-Frequency Trading the Root of our Problems? It is the Economy, Stupid!
Beyond the memories of the recent financial crisis and doubts about the safety and fairness of the equity markets, events such as the Flash Crash of May 2010, the hugely distressing Facebook NASDAQ initial public offering and trading malfunctions at Knight Capital and Nasdaq OMX were wrongly associated with high-frequency trading (HFT) and characterized as shocks to the psyche of average investors. The around $130 billion outflows from domestic equity mutual funds in 2012 led to Joe Saluzzi, co-head of trading at Themis Trading, to say as recently as of December 2012 that "all of those events are confidence-shattering events."
Furthermore, U.S. congressman Ed Markey tried to persuade the SEC that high-frequency trading was driving investors off the electronic trading highway completely because it was eroding confidence in U.S. markets. Congressman Markey wrote that "sophisticated trading firms can make full use of light speed HFT algorithms, while the ordinary investor day-trading his 401k remains at more terrestrial speeds. There is a real risk that algorithmic trading is making investors hesitant to re-enter the equity markets because they fear that the entire game is rigged." Ultimately, he proposed that HFT should be curtailed immediately.
Data from Trim Tabs Investment Research appeared to support Mr. Saluzzi and Congressman Markey's concerns. Their data show outflows from U.S. equity mutual funds in 2008 hit a record $148 billion; in 2009, confidence appeared to be stabilizing as outflows from U.S. equity mutual funds totaled just $28 billion, only to grow again in 2010 to hit $81 billion, $132 billion in 2011 and last year totaled $130 billion. So what would they say now that the Washington-based Investment Company Institute has revealed that equity mutual funds have gathered $29.9 billion in January's first three weeks, more than for any full month since 2006? Moreover, long-term funds, which exclude money-market vehicles, attracted $64.8 billion in the first three weeks of the month. The previous record was $52.6 billion for all of May 2009.
What was the catalyst of the change in trend? Was HFT suddenly disappearing from the equity markets? As we have suspected in the past, it was the health of the economy. The dysfunctional behavior of the leadership in Washington, leading to a crisis of significant proportions in December 2012, was holding market participants from making investment decisions; when Washington still managed to temporarily solve the fiscal cliff issue, allowing the government to remove its borrowing cap and removing the terrifying prospect of sovereign default, investors rushed into stocks (and bonds too), setting the stage for the biggest month on record for deposits into U.S. mutual funds.
We are looking at forces beyond the niche of algorithmic and high-frequency trading in action here. Signs of improvement in the U.S. economy and a rising stock market (that pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 14,000 on February 1 for the first time since 2007) are now prompting Americans to step up their investments. Hiring climbed in January as well, providing further evidence that the U.S. labor market is making progress. As the economy overall makes progress, inflows will increase as more and more households and companies start to invest in the financial markets, creating a net impact in the real economy, and further reinforcing the performance of the markets. Once again, the phrase "it is the economy, stupid!" remains as valid as ever.Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )


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With Thanksgiving just 10 days away it's time to start gearing up for the holiday season, planning the big day's menu and of course figuring out which outfit to wear. Since Thanksgiving is Cheap oakley more about cooking, watching some TV and relaxing on the couch afterwards I like to keep it cozy, casual and comfortable. Here are five of my favorite fall looks that would work just perfectly for Thanksgiving day.
Alicia of Cheetah is the New Black looks chic yet comfortable in layered neutrals, a cozy coat with leather accents, gray sweater, jeans and black knee high boots finishes off the perfect casual fall look.
Kimberly of Penny Pincher Fashion always looks stylish in her affordable fashion finds. Take a lesson from her and break out the plaid, skinny jeans and moto jacket.
Rachel from Pink Peonies looks perfectly pulled together in cable turtle neck sweater, black jeans and leopard print bag.
Jacie of Damsel in Dior rocks an untucked plaid shirt, converse sneakers and cropped jeans in her perfectly casual fall look that would work just as well for eating a plateful of turkey.

subset: commoncrawl


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Enrolling your student is easy with our Online Registration System.
For more information about about online Kindergarten registration, enrollment and eligibility, please read our news release.
If registering your student in-person, you may register students at their neighborhood school Monday through Friday during school hours with a parent/guardian present. Our Complete Enrollment Forms are available online.
The information below is also available through our Online Registration System.
Are you a resident of the Boise School District?
View Boise School District's School Boundary Locator to identify the neighborhood school your student will attend. Note: Some Boise City addresses are not within the boundaries of the Boise School District.
Review Boise School District Boundary maps.
If you have questions regarding a specific address or if your address is close to a boundary, please call Boise School District's Transportation & Boundaries Department at 208-854-4167.
School address and phone list.
Contact our schools to request a tour of the school. Note: During summer, contact high schools after July 15th, junior high schools after July 26th and elementary schools after July 26th.
Boise School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to all individuals. Learn more...


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Study: Music matters when it comes to working out
Certain songs can actually make you less tired, researchers say
ORLANDO, Fla. – Step into any gym and the music you hear is just as important your workout as the weights and machines.
The latest research shows that the type of songs you listen to could make a huge difference in how many calories you burn.
"Doing cardio on a treadmill, going for a run in 97-degree weather, it's not fun," said Laura Allen, the owner of SWEAT Gym in College Park. "So when they put the music in and they play that first song that they love that makes them happy, they can do it. They just know, I can do this."
Allen puts together a soundtrack for each workout. From dance to classical -- the burn you feel is driven by the beat.
"A lot of the house music you listen to are 140 beats per minute, 130 beats per minute, 136 beats per minute," said Allen. "And some of the slower songs, like when you climb up a hill, much, much lower cadence."
Science backs her up. According to researchers in London, songs between 125 and 140 beats per minute are called your "sweet spot". They can actually make you forget how hard you're working.
But it's not only motivating. Researchers say that when you match your movement to the beat, you require less oxygen and can actually increase your stamina.
So, while science can help you improve your results, Allen says it's all about what makes your heart happy.
"What drives you?" said Allen. "What beats or what sounds drive you and make you want to go do that run?"
If your workout is lagging and you need to get your mojo back, Allen says you should go to iTunes.
Search specific genres you like, for example, dance or rock -- sample songs for free, then download the ones that get your attention right away.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Puzzle Levels
Puzzle Categories
Download a FREE Solution for your puzzles!
Product Information
|Set Enterprises
|Card Games
|Cardboard Box
Product Description
Xactika® is an original card game, which challenges the players ability to estimate the outcome of playing 8 cards. You must predict the chances of being able to take the other players cards that are laid down during each round. There is no drawing or discarding. You must predict exactly (hence the name Xactika) the number of rounds in which you will be able to take the cards played. As play evolves, cards that appear too weak to take a trick initially may become strong enough to do so as the hand evolves. Players must recognize the value of their hand, not just from having the highest point cards in one of the four combinations on each card, but also from an understanding of the chances that for some of their other cards that no cards of the same combination may remain in the hands of the other players. Xactika®, while of the same genera as Spades or Euchre, has more opportunity and takes a little more skill.
Xactika® is a fast turn game. Each hand provides a completely new opportunity to come from behind and take the lead. Even if players are behind, they can win if the probabilities and their skills come together.
Age: 12+
Players: 2-10
8 rounds of 8 cards
Takes 30-45 minutes to play
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Gareth McAuley has been included in Northern Ireland's squad for the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in spite of concerns over his fitness.
The West Brom player, 37, will miss this week's friendly game against New Zealand because of a thigh injury but could still feature in Baku on June 10.
With Conor Washington and Jamie Ward missing, Kyle Lafferty is included in spite of his lack of recent game time - although that has not hampered him in the past.
Accrington Stanley forward Shay McCartan is handed a first call-up.
The former Down minor gaelic footballer, has previously played for Northern Ireland Under-21s.
Like McAuley, Watford defender Craig Cathcart will not be risked against New Zealand because of a knock, manager Michael O'Neill naming Southend's Adam Thompson and Burton Albion's Tom Flanagan in his 25-man squad.
Thompson could add to his two caps as he returns to the squad after a six-year absence while Flanagan is uncapped in spite of having been included in a number of squads.
With strikers Washington and Ward unavailable, in-form Ross County forward Liam Boyce and Charlton's Josh Magennis are being tipped to start in Azerbaijan.
QPR striker Washington is missing because he is getting married while Nottingham Forest forward Ward is injured.
Washington and Ward scored Northern Ireland's goals in their last game, which was the 2-0 qualifier win over Norway in March.
Lafferty has not played any competitive football since coming on as a late substitute in the Norway game and has been released by Norwich City.
O'Neill said that Lafferty had "worked very hard" at a squad training camp in Manchester last weekend.
"The big part of last week and this week is to assess which players are most game ready," added the Northern Ireland manager.
Boyce appears in that category after scoring 23 goals in his 34 games for Ross County this season.
"He offers a lot. His range of goals has been impressive," said O'Neill. "He's deceptively quick, and good at link-up play. He's adaptable and a really good player. "
Northern Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: McGovern (Norwich City), Mannus (St Johnstone), Carroll (Linfield)
Defenders: McAuley (West Brom), Evans (West Brom), Hughes (Hearts), Cathcart (Watford), Brunt (West Brom), C McLaughlin (Fleetwood), Hodson (Rangers), R McLaughlin (Oldham), Thompson (Southend), D Lafferty (Sheffield United), Flanagan (Burton Albion)
Midfielders: Davis (Southampton), McGinn (Aberdeen), Norwood (Brighton), Ferguson (Millwall), Dallas (Leeds), Lund (Burton Albion), Paton (St Johnstone)
Strikers: K Lafferty (Norwich), Magennis (Charlton), Boyce (Ross County), McCartan (Accrington Stanley)


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Can I deliver Bouquets to a hospital in Azerbaijan?
We're sorry to hear that someone you love is in the hospital, and we're happy to help deliver Bouquets to their hospital in Azerbaijan. Plus, it's easy! Simply choose your favorite Bouquets and add it to your cart. Then, while you're checking out, make sure to add the phone number to the hospital, as well as your recipient's room number. We'll deliver your Bouquets to the hospital in Azerbaijan in just a few days or less.
Is it a good idea to send Bouquets as a business gift in Azerbaijan?
Sending Bouquets to Azerbaijan is great business etiquette, and can strengthen your personal bond. However there are some small details that you'll want to keep in mind. Make sure you check with your recipient's office in Azerbaijan before sending a Bouquets. They may have different gifting policies like amount limits. They may also not allow certain Bouquets in the office due to allergies. It's best to call ahead and speak with their office HR to make sure your Bouquets to Azerbaijan go off without a hitch!
How soon can I send Bouquets to Azerbaijan?
When you order with us you can expect your Bouquets to arrive to your loved one in Azerbaijan in 3 business days. You can also schedule Bouquets to surprise your loved ones in Azerbaijan up to one year in advance! In some rural, or hard to reach areas, it may take a bit longer for Bouquets to arrive. Additionally if you'd like to customize any of our Bouquets or make one all your own using our builder that will also take a bit more time. Or customer service team will let you know just how much once our manager in Azerbaijan lets us know how long it takes to get all of the custom items.


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Women's Sports Tops
Whether you're looking for a workout top or you want a hybrid solution that will suit your leisure time and everyday outfits, Diadora offers a collection of long-sleeved women's tops that provide all the quality and performance you need. The collection includes women's running tops featuring state-of-the-art technology including differentiated compression, breathable mesh inserts and reflective details which allow you to run safely even when the visibility is poor. But also warm-up tops, ideal for training in bad weather as they help to keep your body warm without restricting your movements or weighing you down too much. All the tops also feature a distinctively ergonomic cut and trendy prints, which enhance your sporty look with femininity and character. And if you like classic styles, you'll find a selection of minimal and versatile basic women's tops, perfect to change into after training. Browse our collection to find the style that's right for you.


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Blue & Peach Oversized Classic Cashmere Scarf
Availability: In stock
Blue & Peach Oversized Classic Cashmere Scarf
Availability: In stock
- Description
Our Classic Cashmere Scarf has been resized for the new season, now with a longer and wider size it can be worn in multiple different ways.
The Cashmere Scarf is renowned for its extreme softness, warmth and lustrous quality, making it the perfect accessory for every occasion.
Showcasing our luxurious ripple hand-finish and one of our signature cashmere yarns, which is spun at our Elgin mill. The unique ripple finish is only achieved through the cumulative effect of years of manufacturing craft and knowledge, using natural, hand-worked teasels.
Choose from a selection of traditional tartans, confident colourways and signature shades… your must have accessory for season after season.
100% Cashmere
Size: 190x35cm / 74.8x13.7"
Woven in Elgin, Scotland
Dry Clean
- Size Guide
Please note measurements are in inches, and can vary slightly from garment to garment due to our hand finishing processes.
If you require any further information, contact firstname.lastname@example.com
- Care Guide
Look after your fabric
Lavish a little love on your favourite things
It only takes a little extra care to make sure your Johnstons of Elgin cashmere keeps its trademark softness for many, many years to come.
Wearing your cashmere for the first time
When you first wear your new garment you may find small balls of fibre or 'pills' forming on the surface. These are not a fault or indication of inferior quality but are simply loose fibres tangling together where the garment has been rubbing. They can easily be removed by hand or with our cashmere de-pilling comb. Once removed, your garment will actually consolidate and become softer. You can browse our full collection of care products here.
Handwashing and dry-cleaning
Cashmere knitwear can be hand washed or dry-cleaned. We recommend hand washing your knitwear following these simple guidelines and dry cleaning woven items such as scarves or blankets.
Hand wash in lukewarm water (35°C) using Johnstons Cashmere Shampoo. Gently squeeze the suds through the fabric, taking care not to rub the garment too much as this may cause shrinkage and increase pilling. Rinse the garment in cool clean water, squeezing gently without twisting or wringing. A short light spin in a spin dryer will help remove most of the water.
Smooth the garment back into shape, gently coaxing any facings or trims back to the correct size, and dry naturally away from direct heat such as radiators and sunlight. Ideally the garment should be dried flat on a clean towel. When dry, press lightly with a cool iron.
Under no circumstances should the garment be tumble-dried.
Following these instructions, your garment will preserve its shape and luxurious touch for many years - the hallmarks of the very best cashmere.
- Delivery & Returns
We offer COMPLIMENTARY WORLDWIDE SHIPPING, and use the best possible delivery couriers to ensure your order arrives as quickly as possible. Find out more about our.
We want you to be absolutely delighted with your purchase. If for any reason you are not, we offer a generous 28 day returns policy & COMPLIMENTARY RETURNS SERVICE within the United States of America. Find out more about our


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Please click on the links on the left-hand side to navigate your way round the Queen's Park.
Online Complete our online enquiry form.
Phone01246 345345
Text only07960 910264*
In personCustomer Service Centre85 New SquareChesterfieldS40 1AH
Mon - 8.30am to 5pmTue - 8.30am to 5pmWed - 10am to 5pmThu - 8.30am to 5pmFri - 8.30am to 4.30pmSat for payments - 9am to midday
By postChesterfield Borough CouncilTown HallRose HillChesterfieldS40 1LP
* Our text number is monitored during opening hours and doesn't accept voice messages.
Out of hours and emergency information


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|PDF (Download Only)
|Pattern Play Designs
"this is a great pattern"
This preschool sized backpack is designed with little bodies in mind, perfect for 3-6 year old who wants to be like the big kids. The backpack inside measures 12" x 10" x 3 ½", easily holding a change of clothing and a few treasures. The front pocket holds 8-12 crayons and two smaller pockets behind hold those last minute must-haves, a notepad or a quick snack. Features adjustable shoulder straps, easy to use Velcro closures for little fingers and a lightweight construction. Perfect for little ones to grow with, and it is very laundry friendly!
Instructional info:
Ten pages of simple and very detailed instructions with almost 50 color illustrations and photos to create a small scale backpack that is just like the big kids! Great pattern for those new to sewing since there are no zippers or other difficult steps and there are lots of hints to get a crisp professional look. Full size patterns included.
Comments/ Kudos from buyers:
Easy Instructions and great for my boys to tote around army men and trains! :) joyewilliams
Perfect for our trip! The instructions are easy to read and the pictures really help! Thank you! A+ KieraC
Pattern is great, great detail and I love picture examples, very professionally put together. Thank you. PartyGirls
*Note: These are downloadable instructions and patterns for making a bag. Since it is a download, a window will open to download and when you are signed into your user account at the time of purchase, it will also be located in the "My Library" section of your user account immediately after purchase.
Pattern by Pattern Play Designs - copyrighted 2010 All rights reserved by Pattern Play Designs. This pattern may not be redistributed or reproduced in any form, including file sharing. There is no copyright on creations for the small home-based business creating for commercial sale in limited quantities.
Note: www.YouCanMakeThis.com provides this copyright & terms of use policy review as a courtesy to our site users and eBook authors. The copyright policy applies to the associated eBook and is specified and owned by the individual eBook author.
Note: www.YouCanMakeThis.com provides this copyright & terms of use policy review as a courtesy to our site users and eBook authors. The copyright policy applies to the associated eBook and is specified and owned by the individual eBook author.
this is a great pattern
Loved making this. Kids loved it. This is really cute!
Good pattern and instructions!!! I started making another pattern and didn't like it. I threw it in the garbage and bought this pattern. I turned out beautiful!!! Highly recommend!
Very cute pattern. Very easy to follow. I gave 4 stars only because the paper pattern pieces are harder to put together since the pages are not meant to overlap.
Easy pattern to follow. I have made so many of these already and I have so many more that I want to make. This pattern is perfect for a beginner as well as an experienced seamstress.
Super cute, super Perfect size for little
Very cute and a nice size for a pre-schooler. It is just a tad small for those "folders" they start sending home though. Mine turned out narrow at the opening and the folders wouldn't fit easily. Could have been my technique though. I used really sturdy interfacing.
This is a fun project and had. no problems in making it
I have made several of these for myself and for fiends. Very easy pattern to follow. I did widen the top a bit, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing
Très joli patron, bien expliqué et facile à réaliser ! merci !
One of my favorite patterns ever! The instructions are very clear and it goes together very quickly.
Cute & easy backpack for my preschooler! It's a little too small for my elementary aged, but perfect for preschoolers. I've also used it as a dance bag.
My grandson loves his backpack. Really easy to follow
Such a cute and fun pattern! I've made several for my daughter and her friends that are pre-school and Kindergarten age and they are the perfect size. I did adjust the pattern slightly to make the opening at the top bigger, but other than that it's a wonderful pattern!
I made one of these backpacks for my daughter last school year and loved it so much I made on this year too! The pattern is very easy to follow. I really like that the backpack is roomy, yet still lightweight so it doesn't bother my 5 year old autistic daughter to wear it. Love this pattern!
I made this for my daughter last year for Christmas and she LOVES it!
Easy Pattern. Turned out very cute.
havent had time to make it ...pattern appears easy
Great pattern. My daughter uses hers for preschool every day she goes. Very easy to follow pattern.
Loved this pattern. It was super easy and my son loves his new backpack!
I have been looking everywhere for a real backpack to make my kids. This is a great pattern! It looks great! I love the front pocket and the front flap. The adjustable straps are easy to add with some d rings - nothing complicated needed. Thanks so much!


text: This photo, taken in July of 2012, is of burial sites within the original James Fort of the Virginia colony. These burials are believed to have occurred circa 1607. Until recently, most historians thought that the site of the original fort was now beneath the James River. But archaeologists recently discovered parts of the 3 outer walls of the fort, as well as graves and other structures that were located within the fort.


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- Gold and Silver Masonic Rings
- Knights Templar rings
- Freemason pendants and necklaces
- Religious rings
- Religious Pendants and Necklaces
- Ancient & Antique rings
- Ancient and Antique pendants
- Egyptian amulets and pendants
- Occult rings
- Occult Jewelry - Pendants and Necklaces
- Custom Cufflinks
- Custom Initial rings
Biker ring Demonic Skull ring - Samurai Skull - Silver and Gold
Can be made of Sterling Silver 925, Gold-plated Sterling Silver or Oxidized Silver in any size. Also can be made of Solid Yellow, Rose or White Gold 10ct, 14ct and 18ct.
In Freemasonry:
- Handmade Biker skull ring - Gold or Silver;
- Memento Mori Skull ring;
- Demonic Samurai Skull;
- Custom made;
- Hand engraved;
- Purity varieties - Gold or Silver;
- Customizing options – write a message;
- Watch Video Review below!;
"Biker ring Demonic Skull ring - Samurai Skull" is made to order. It will be cast and modeled specifically for you as soon as you place an order. The manufacturing process and our special attention ensure that you will own a unique piece of jewelry. When you make an ordering this ring, it will be entirely handmade specifically for you and your requirements.
Can be made of Sterling Silver 925, Gold-plated Sterling Silver or Oxidized Silver in any size. Also can be made of Solid Yellow, Rose or White Gold 10ct, 14ct and 18ct.
Can be engraved inside with text - optional.
About the ring`s shipping, crafting time, dimensions, weight and other features, look at the "DETAILS" tab below ↓.
Here you can find other suggestions for Skull Rings and Biker Skull Rings
In Freemasonry:
The symbol of the Skull often called Memento Mori is a grim reminder of our own mortality. The Latin phrase Memento Mori is generally interpreted as "Remember that you are mortal" or "Remember that you must die". The first Masonic adoption of the Memento Mori appears to have its roots in the York Rite Chivalric Orders, especially the Order of Malta and the Order of the Temple.
In Ancient civilizations:
Ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and the Aztecs used the skull as a symbol of the cycle of death and rebirth. In these cultures, death was not encumbered with the same stigma as in today's Western world, and the cycles of nature were treated with the same reverence as the respective gods that were believed to control them.
In modern times:
In a more modern sense, visages of the skull have been seen with wings (which symbolizes freedom), with crossbones (which symbolizes eternity, danger), with snakes (a depiction of immortality, or knowledge of the next world), and with crosses (denoting mankind's beginnings).
- Inner side of the ring can be engraved;
- Different metals and purity varieties;
- Ring size;
- Hallmarked or not.
*Please write us an email to discuss every detail about your Personalized ring.
You can also add, remove or change**:
- Gemstones – synthetic or natural;
- Weight reducing or increasing for your custom ring – "wear your investment";
- Paint and colors;
- Elements, shape and details on the ring;
- Change the finish – matte, polished premium polished, yellow gold plated, rose gold plated, rhodium plated;
- Can revert the symbols and make it signet ring / seal ring;
- Font of the inner inscription;
- Something we may have forgotten.
**Sometimes the offered customizations are not possible. We will discuss each step of your custom ring crafting with you. During the crafting process, we will send you photos of the model, of the ring before sending it and each crafting step at all.
- The crafting process of your masonic ring;
- Luxury box storage kit - Red, Blue or Black;
- One-year warranty certificate to recover the ring`s paint / enamel.
***The current price is according to DETAIL`s tab information. If you want to add, remove or change weight, gemstones, elements or something else you should contact us to discuss your requirements and it`s exact price.
Note! The color of the actual items may slightly different from the listing images due to the different computer screens. Thanks for your understanding.
|Product Varieties
|Crafting origin
|Entirely Handmade
|Metal varieties
|Sterling Silver 925, Yellow Gold, White Gold, Rose Gold
|Purity varieties
|925, 10ct, 14ct, 18ct, 24ct
|Approximate Weight
|~ 15 grams (weight in silver; x1,2 in Gold 14ct; x1,3 in Gold 18ct)
|Top dimensions
|~ 22mm
|Size varieties
|Any sizes
|Shipping & Handling Time
|Crafting time
|~ 10 business days
|Standard shipping
|2-5 weeks (depends on destination and other factors that not depends on us)
|Express shipping
|DHL (1-4 business days, depends on destination). By default, all Gold Jewelry is shipped with DHL or equal post service WITH INCLUDED INSURANCE and it`s included in the price.


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Our clothing might not look normal, but can be cared for the same!
Spent $100 on yourself and get the next $25 for free! Use code "GIFT25".
Contact us for details!
Add over $75 of our products to your cart and get FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the US!
All of our products come with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. You can order knowing you will love what you receive!


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What seemed unthinkable for some people two years ago is now happening. Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) is leading the way in what could be the starting point for the palm oil industry to phase out deforestation. And instead of hanging banners at its offices, we are collaborating with the company in what is an unprecedented, serious effort towards what GAR describes as a "no deforestation footprint" for palm oil.
Yes, that's right. Golden Agri-Resources is the same palm oil company that Nestle had to drop following our Kit Kat campaign back in 2010. We are collaborating with a leading palm oil company in Indonesia showing serious commitment and willingness to have a zero deforestation footprint.
For over a year now, GAR has been developing a methodology with Greenpeace and The Forest Trust to help differentiate forests from low-carbon degraded forest lands (or 'ex-forests') for conservation. We just presented the results in a report published by GAR at a workshop hosted by the Indonesian government in Jakarta, in Indonesia. This report involved rigorous research, extensive fieldwork, consultation with local communities, experts and Indonesia's government institutions, and countless conference calls, which finally resulted in a tool that will prove extremely useful to conserve Indonesia's forests, and eventually those across the planet.
And this is where even more dots get connected. Since February 2011 the company committed to eliminate deforestation from all of its operations and move to a zero deforestation footprint. This ties in with Indonesian President Yudhoyono's committed to reduce emissions by 26%, or 41% with international help, by 2020. Commitments like those from GAR can significantly help the Indonesian government reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, especially by starting to differentiate between forests areas to be conserved and low-carbon degraded forests that could be developed.
Of course, it will be critical for the government of Indonesia to support GAR's efforts. The government can help develop a framework to facilitate a carbon stock and forest conservation, review and amend necessary regulations, and insist on similar requirements across all industries operating in forest areas.
In the meantime, GAR's sister company, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), which is responsible for widespread deforestation to source paper and packaging products, doesn't seem to realise that GAR's initiative is the way forward. Even with the revolt going on around the world, their commitments and announcements are not worth the paper they are written on.
While we keep adding pressure on APP until they hear us, we'll continue to monitor the implementation of GAR's policy and urge the rest of the industry to follow their lead.
Right now, lets take some time to say 'great work'. It doesn't happen every day that such an unconventional partnership bears fruit. GAR's commitment and their progress so far clearly shows that industry and civil society can work together to implement solutions that safeguard the environment, the livelihoods of communities and continued economic growth.
Join us in pushing industry and the Indonesian government to follow suit and engage in making GAR's initiative the beginning of the end of deforestation in Indonesia. Surely endangered orangutans and Sumatran tigers in Indonesia would agree with us if they had voice.
(Unregistered) stiphoo
guys what about this , nestle oils for transport ...
guys what about this , nestle oils for transport fuels.. can you comment on this please...
7 June, 2012 at 17:24
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Related Links
101st ASA President Evelyn Nakano Glenn
Sociologists Explore Citizenship As Annual Meeting Returns to Atlanta
Evelyn Nakano Glenn Award Statement
The Jessie Bernard Award is given annually to a sociologist in recognition of a body of scholarly work that has enlarged the horizons of sociology to encompass fully the role of women in society. The 2005 Jessie Bernard Award was presented to Evelyn Nakano Glenn.
Glenn's teaching and research interests center on comparative race and gender studies focuses especially on political economy, immigration, labor, and citizenship. She has also worked in the areas of critical race and feminist theory and trans-disciplinary methods.
Glenn's work has been instrumental in the development of the analysis of the intersections of race, class, and gender. She has argued that we must deal with an integrative framework in which multiple categories of difference are defined as mutually constituted systems of relationships—including norms, symbols, and practices—organized around perceived differences. Within this framework, race, class, gender, and sexuality are relational concepts whose construction involves both representational and social structural processes and in which power is a constitutive element.
Her work on Japanese American women's domestic work as immigrants and as war brides is groundbreaking. Her most recent publication on the impact of race and gender on American citizenship and labor fills an important void in the literature of gender and work. Glenn's work is forcing us to re-examine the sexual division of labor through a racial lens.
Glenn, an author of numerous articles and books, is Professor of Women's Studies and Ethnic Studies. She is also a founding director of the Center for Race and Gender, an organized research unit. Evelyn Nakano Glenn is truly a scholar whose career embodies the spirit of Jessie Bernard.


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US warships to get plane-snatching robot arms?
Droidplane catcher grabs barrel of pork
The US military has decided to spend $1.4m developing a robotic arm which will be mounted on the deck of a warship in order to pluck robot aeroplanes out of the sky, so permitting them to land safely on vessels without large flight decks.
The "SeaCatcher" system is under development by Advanced Technology & Research Corp of Maryland. It is intended to "enable safe and reliable launch and recovery of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on small surface combatants", according to the company. Smaller warships such as frigates usually have a helicopter pad, but not a massive aircraft-carrier style flight deck which would let fixed-wing planes take off and land.
There are already ways of launching and recovering small roboplanes from ships at sea, however. The Scan Eagle drone, already in service with the US Navy, has taken off from and been recovered safely aboard vessels even smaller than frigates - for instance a Mark V Special Operations Craft, as operated by the famous yet secretive SEAL frogman-commandoes. This involves tying down a pneumatic catapult on deck for launch, and use of the "Skyhook" system for landing, in which the Scan Eagle snares a line hanging from a 50-foot pole.
An alternative approach would be to use helicopter UAVs rather than fixed-wing: quite large ones are on offer, and indeed the US Marines plan to start using them for battlefield resupply - potentially from ship to shore as well as in land fighting - as soon as next year.
So it's possible to wonder just why the USN really needs a huge robot-arm version of the Skyhook. Well, one advocate of the SeaCatcher says:
Current approaches to fixed-wing UAS recovery, mainly nets and dangling cables, are dangerous to crew, ship and the UAS itself, manpower-intensive, and non-scalable.
The scalability point seems fair: you'd surely need something a bit more substantial than a pneumo catapult and a handheld pole to launch and recover big fixed-wing aircraft. (For instance this wild British idea once proposed for use with Harrier jumpjets at sea.)
Even so, though, overall you'd probably have to say that the SeaCatcher isn't required that urgently if at all. And in fact one does note that the person criticizing the Scan Eagle system is none other than ATR Corporation's local senator, seeking to "earmark" taxpayers' money towards a firm in his constituency.
It would seem that yesterday's $1.4m contract award was made more for porkbarrel reasons than genuinely military ones. ®
Sponsored: Detecting cyber attacks as a small to medium business


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I'm pretty excited to see this amazing Roger Vivier Geometric Shoulder bag just listed–it was released earlier this year and became an instant favorite with the fashion crowd. There's something so chic and so simple about the shape; it looks a little '70s vintage but also has a bit of a futuristic vibe. Bag Snob gave it a rave when it was launched in stores.
I've noticed a lot of geometric motifs in the news recently. How about Beyoncé's Atelier Versace dress at the MTV Europe VMAs last month? That's another winner in my book–I really liked the silver details on the mermaid dress, it took a girly gown and made it fierce.


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Douglas Talbot bio
Douglas Talbot was born August 1, 1964, in St. Louis, Missouri. His father, Joseph, was an executive with Anheuser-Busch. His mother, Kitty, was the consummate 1960s housewife and devoted herself to raising Douglas and his older brother, Joe Jr., volunteering with charitable organizations and keeping an immaculate home.
Doug was a good student, particularly in math and science. Many of his peers and some adults found young Douglas hard to take in large doses because of his penchant for being brutally honest. Doug called it telling the truth. Other people called it rude.
As he got older, he learned how to moderate his remarks and improve his relationships with his classmates. Some speculated his change was motivated by his desire to get more dates. Girls were attracted to the teenage Doug, but once he started talking to them, he often ended up hurting their feelings.
Douglas also played a lot of sports and was the shortstop on his high school varsity baseball team. The team went all the way to the state championships every year Doug was on the team. Their success led to a baseball scholarship offer from Ole Miss, which he eagerly accepted.
While he was playing college baseball, Doug realized he was never going to have a career in the Major League. He was disappointed, but didn't dwell on it. He stayed on he team, but he also started paying more attention to his studies.
During his time at Ole Miss, Doug fell in love twice: first with the city of Oxford and then with beautiful blonde cheerleader named Clarissa Clanton. Doug and Clarissa got married in 1986 and decided to stay in Oxford. They have three children: Douglas, Jr. born in 1988, Claire born in 1990, and Alexander who joined the family as something of a surprise in 1995. In recent years, Doug and Clarissa aren't as close as they once were, but neither of them has ever considered divorce.
Douglas is a highly sought-after financial planner, who has helped his clients weather the recent economic challenges with a minimum of pain. His talent and expertise earn him a very comfortable living, which enables him to support his family and his many interests.
Doug met Courtney Morris at a football game last year, and the two soon began an affair. They continued to see each other until her death, and Doug was one of the last people to see her alive.


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First Look: History and Cocktails at The Parish in Los Angeles
Preview brand-new spots to drink (or fresh new menu items) here.
Open for only a month, The Parish in Downtown Los Angeles has quickly become one of the city's most-talked-about gastropubs (and there are, indeed, many gastropubs in this city). Located on a thin, V-shaped sliver of real estate, the wedge of a building that houses The Parish consists of two levels marked by a stark contrast in decor. Where white tiles and bright lights envelope the bottom floor cafe and open kitchen, there are dark woods, exposed brick and dimly lit sconces that adorn the second level where the long bar and dining room are located.
Despite this contrast in decor, the kitchen downstairs and the bar upstairs are in complete lockstep when it comes to the food and drinks menu. Executive Chef Casey Lane (also of The Tasting Kitchen in Venice) creates contemporary pub food that is specifically designed around the cocktails created upstairs by head bartender John Coltharp.
"Back in the day, gastropubs served really rich and flavorful food to go with the booze. And that's what Casey does with his menu here at The Parish," said Coltharp. "So there's a certain harmony with our boldly flavored food that stands up to our strong cocktails."
Spend any amount of time at The Parish bar with Coltharp, and you'll find that he is just as likely to wax poetic about the history of Los Angeles as he is to speak on the origins of seemingly any and all types of spirits new and old. And though he's only 29, Coltharp has already established his own boozy history as one of L.A.'s most talented (and knowledgeable) bartenders.
"Sam Ross from Milk and Honey [in New York] trained me at Sona and then at Comme Ca [both in Los Angeles]," said Coltharp. "And that was really the first time I started to learn about spirits, and the first times I really had truly great cocktails. Since then, I just wanted to extend that experience to more people." Coltharp has also spent time behind the bar at Copa D' Oro, Seven Grand, and Caña Rum Bar.
"I'm extremely influenced by classic drinks...to the point of excess, " said Coltharp. "But I really do believe that the classics are classics for a reason. There's a certain comfort level in classic drinks, especially when they are made right."
Coltharp's historical viewpoint of both Los Angeles and classic cocktails can be seen in his signature cocktail, The Historic Core—his riff on a classic Manhattan. Named after the "Historic Core" district of Los Angeles, the cocktail features rye whiskey, apple brandy, green Chartreuse, and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth—spirits that Coltharp says Angelenos would have enjoyed at the turn of the century.
Besides having an encyclopedic knowledge of classic cocktails, Coltharp is meticulous when it comes to making drinks. Of course, all juices are freshly squeezed each day at The Parish, and whatever syrups that aren't already made in-house are at least made by a local artisan (such as St. Vincent Orgeat). Specially designed Japanese Yarai bottles are used to dispense just the right amount of bitters for each cocktail. And even the ice is made to Coltharp's exact specifications—for example, a single large ice cube (a bit smaller than a Rubik's Cube perhaps) is used for shaken drinks at The Parish.
"We shake with just one big cube of ice in order to get a beautifully controlled dilution and texture without over-diluting our drink, or equally as bad, under-diluting our drink," explained Coltharp. "Shaking like this also creates thousands and thousands, if not millions, of tiny tiny bubbles that give the drink great froth and mouthfeel," he believes.
"We do make our cocktails strong here," said Coltharp. "We strive for balanced drinks, but we also want to always highlight the base spirit. The items that go in our cocktails are truly great base spirits, so we don't want to water them down. We want people to taste the booze."
To see the booze that Coltharp shakes, stirs, and swizzles, check out the cocktail slideshow above.
The Parish
840 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 (at 9th, map) 213-225-2400; theparishla.com
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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I'm reading reports that Tory MP Ann Winterton has made a complete fool of herself in today's Prime Minister's Questions. She has suggested that the government should cancel "wasteful expenditure" on wind farms as the current weather clearly demonstrates that global warming is nonsense.
Despite being complete nonsense, this is an argument that I hear on a regular basis. It's trotted out by someone every time the weather takes a turn for the worse. Here's another Tory MP, Douglas Carswell[1], making the same claim during December's snows. [Update: And here's the the front page of today's Express: Snow Chaos – And They Still Claim It's Global Warming]
I was about to write a post pointing out the obvious flaws in this argument, but there was a feeling of deja vu niggling away at the back of my head. Then I remembered what I wrote during the snow we had last February.
[1] You might want to take a look around Carswell's site. There's a lot of nonsense there. I'm planning to cover him in more detail in the coming weeks.


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Updated Review
Climate control isn't really possible at an outdoor venue like the Hollywood Bowl, but the skies knew better than to rain on Barbra Streisand's parade Friday evening. They threatened, but Mother Nature wasn't about to launch an all-out assault on this Brooklyn-born, Malibu-enthroned diva.
It may have been too chilly for top-notch singing, but icons of a certain age don't have to prove themselves night after night. Twinkling is enough for their fans, and Streisand did more than hover like a distant planet and glow.
Babs' reputation for strong-arm perfectionism is as integral to her myth as lightning bolts are to Zeus', but time seems to have mellowed her. She kept talking about toe warmers and heaters and was continually fussing with the wrap that was the only thing standing between her glamorous black ensemble and the wind. Yet no cold November breeze was going to thwart her from delivering a full-scale show, no matter the frost on her vocal cords. She came, she croaked, she conquered.
PHOTOS: Barbra Streisand at the Bowl
Friday's performance, the first of two weekend shows (the other was Sunday), wasn't just a concert. It was a chance to spend quality time with a legend and enjoy the sights and sounds of her alternate reality.
The evening's talky rhythm (the show had more asides than a Shakespeare tragedy) put the audience immediately under the spell of her folksy grandiosity. Streisand at 70 isn't just a star — she's a world view, a style of being, an entire cosmology, with the highest possible thread-count sheets. You don't just come for the music; you come for the whole church service. The sermon, broken up into bits, is inseparable from the songs.
This Back to Brooklyn tour touched down last month at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and Streisand was in a sentimental state of mind. ("I left Brooklyn to pursue my dreams, but Brooklyn never quite left me.") Her latest recording, "Release Me," a collection of songs that didn't make it onto her past albums, is part of this nostalgia project. And of course her fellow Brooklynites, songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman, whose grown-up romantic lyrics have helped define Streisand's sensibility, were recollected like favorite Flatbush neighbors.
PHOTOS: Arts and culture by The Times
Images of Streisand's career flashed on giant screens to jog memories and set in motion interior monologues within the mostly 45 and older crowd: "Oh, look, there she is with Judy Garland!" "I don't care what anyone says, she was adorable in 'Funny Girl!'" "Eek, that frizzy phase was a mistake, but everyone had a perm back then."
Elegantly supported by a 60-piece orchestra conducted by Bill Ross, Streisand played den mother to the teenage Italian singing trio Il Volo, which delivered a bouncy "O Sole Mio" and innocently flirted with jazzy instrumentalist Chris Botti, who accompanied her in an emotionally resonant "Lost Inside of You." She paid tribute to Marvin Hamlisch (using the original orchestration for "The Way We Were") and Jule Styne (giving us a taste of what her Rose in "Gypsy" would be like).
A home movie made by Streisand's son, Jason Gould, might be interpreted by a psychoanalyst as an Oedipal complex collage, but it was all the sweeter for being so nakedly tenderhearted. When Gould came onstage for a duet of "How Deep Is the Ocean?," a kvelling Streisand made Jewish mothers of us all: Such a nice a boy, and he sings almost as good as his mother!
Yes, indeed, this was a family affair. Streisand's younger sister, actress and singer Roslyn Kind, joined in the musical fun during the encore after the two listened to a few operatic strains of their mother on tape. There was politics too, naturally enough, but celebratory remarks about the election were saved for the most part until the end, when conservative fans could make a beeline for the exits without making a scene.
But Streisand's traveling variety show, which included a canned segment in which she answered questions submitted in advance by audience members, is predicated on her golden pipes. Time hasn't left her voice unscathed. It's huskier and less supple, but it still retains those signature features (the tuneful nasality and extravagant emotional clarity, chief among them) that have made it one of the most alluring sounds in popular music for the last half-century.
Her upper register was mostly off limits and the breathy coloratura styling that has given her songs their distinctive imprimatur was a vestige of its former self, but she can still belt with the best of them. And long past the need for showing off, her interpretations have a relaxed freedom that is a pleasure all its own.
A bit wobbly in the beginning (her "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" was partly cloudy), her singing grew stronger as the evening wore on. And though she had trouble competing with the memory of her younger self when performing some of her biggest hits, such as "Evergreen" and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," her rendition of "People" was infused with a powerful warmth that took the sting out of a blustery autumn night.
Streisand could hardly believe herself that she last performed at the Bowl in 1967. It's probably not the ideal setting for her at this stage of her career, especially when the winds are howling, but by the end of the night you could almost swear you were in her living room.
CRITIC'S PICKS: Fall Arts Preview
TIMELINE: John Cage's Los Angeles
PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures


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Orioles protect three from Rule 5 Draft
Lefty Berry, catcher Ohlman, knuckler Gamboa added to 40-man roster
BALTIMORE -- The Orioles added three players to their 40-man roster on Wednesday in left-handed pitcher Tim Berry, catcher Michael Ohlman and knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa, protecting the young trio from the Rule 5 Draft process.
Berry pitched to a 1.84 ERA and a 2-0 record in the Arizona Fall League and is coming off a solid season for Class A Frederick. He went 11-7 with a 3.85 ERA in 27 starts, allowing 80 runs (65 earned) on 156 hits and 40 walks over 152 innings. Berry was ranked No. 12 among Orioles prospects to start the 2013 season.
Ohlman won the Carolina League batting title, hitting .313/.410/.524 in 100 games for Frederick, including 13 homers and 53 RBIs. He was ranked as the O's 19th-best prospect to start the year, but his standing in the organization has grown considerably.
The 28-year-old Gamboa is the most surprising name of the three. In nine starts for Triple-A Norfolk, his first season as a knuckler, he went 2-5 with a 6.23 ERA.
The Orioles now have 36 players on the 40-man roster.
Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be taken by other organizations through the Rule 5 Draft. Players signed at 19 or older have to be protected within four seasons. So highly regarded pitchers like Eduardo Rodriguez and Mike Wright, for example, don't need to be protected just yet.
For eligible players left off, clubs pay $50,000 to select someone in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, slated to take place on Thursday, Dec. 12. If that player doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000.
In other words, an international player or high school draftee signed in 2009, assuming he was 18 or younger as of June 5 of that year, must be protected. A college player taken in the 2010 Draft is in the same boat.
The Orioles have taken a player in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft the past two years and were able to keep him on the roster for the entire season. As a result, both infielder Ryan Flaherty and left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland are now in the organization.


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Oklahoma City Map
Oklahoma City is easy to navigate with our interactive map. Whether you're looking to find something to do or a restaurant near you right now or planning ahead, our map can help! Use the categories to help you narrow down what you're looking for and then find out what's near by. The interactive map is perfect for finding attractions and dining options near your hotel or to find the closest hotel to the activities you're planning to attend in Oklahoma City.


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In the mid 20th century, Dr. George Papanicolaou published his initial research about abnormal cells in cervical scrapings and cervical cancer. The test that now bears his name, the "Pap" smear, is perhaps the most successful cancer screening test in modern medical history. Cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in American women in the early 20th century; but since widespread screening began, cervical cancer rates have fallen by 70%. The Pap smear works by finding abnormal cells before symptoms of cervical cancer appear. Cervical cancer is prevented by treating pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix, known as cervical dysplasia. Gynecologists have a number of minor office surgeries to treat cervical dysplasia, such as freezing or removing the abnormal cells.
Despite this success, recommendations for cervical cancer screening and pap smears have changed dramatically in recent years. Many of these changes reflect a better understanding of the cause of cervical cancer. Almost all cervical cancers and cervical dysplasia are caused by a viral infection with human papillomavirus, or HPV. A majority of women have a HPV infection at some point in their adult lives. Most men and women infected with HPV will resolve the infections without any signs or symptoms. A small minority of women with an HPV infection will develop abnormal pap smears, cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. HPV does the most damage when it is persistent. It will take years and maybe decades from initial HPV infection to develop cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer.
The American Cancer Society updated its cervical cancer screening guidelines in 2012. For women over 30 years of age, cervical cancer screening can include both an HPV test and a traditional Pap smear. More than 90 percent of women will have a negative HPV test and negative Pap smear. This is very reassuring news for these women. The combination of these two tests will detect nearly all cases of cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. Furthermore, women who are negative for both tests are highly unlikely to develop cervical cancer in the next five years. The American Cancer Society and other professional organizations have recommended that women between the ages of 30 and 65 have a Pap smear and HPV test every five years to screen for cervical cancer.
HPV testing in women under 30 years old is not recommended. HPV infections are common in this age group, and cervical cancer is relatively rare in women under 30.
The "annual exam" is a time-honored tradition for gynecologists in the United States, based on Dr. Papanicolaou's historic breakthrough in the 20th century. In this century, multiple new tests and screening strategies have been developed, as well as an HPV vaccine recommended for girls age 9 through 26, to protect against the two types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers (click here for more on the HPV vaccine).
These new guidelines reflect a better understanding of the cause of cervical cancer, and promise to further reduce the burden of cervical cancer in women worldwide.
Author: Kevin Ault, MD
Winship Cancer Institute member and Professor, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine
About Dr. Kevin Ault
Dr. Ault is currently Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Emory University School of Medicine and a Winship Cancer Institute member. Dr. Ault's research interests are based in infectious diseases and women's health. He is an investigator in vaccine trials for both herpes simplex virus and human papilloma virus. His multidisciplinary research in the pathogenesis of infections due to chlamydia and gonorrhea has been supported by the National Institutes of Health. Board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1995, Dr. Ault came to Emory in 2005 from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.


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Introducing an improved
Quality CPR saves lives
resuscitation training range
Introducing the NEW
Helping Save Lives
SimBaby and SimNewB
Nursing Anne SimulatorDesigned and built for nursing education
Helping You Succeed
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Laerdal Educational Services offer instructor-led on-site courses to help instructors implement best practices in simulation using hands-on interactive content. Courses range from how to get started, to basic simulation, to advanced use of simulators. We also offer consultative and custom solutions to help with more specific needs.


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No one is talking about hanging up a sign that says, "Wal-Mart State Park."
But with 70 of California's 270 state parks marked for shutdown, Parks Director Ruth Coleman said Wednesday that a completely different approach is needed.
"All of our parks are going to have to become more entrepreneurial," Coleman said today on Sacramento's NPR radio affiliate, KXJZ. "Whether you call that 'commercial' or not, there are lots of services that can be developed to create revenue. We have to figure out new ways to fund these parks, and some will be unconventional."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
That's likely to raise alarm with park supporters who don't want to see development of restaurants and concessions, saying that will harm the educational and recreational nature of the parks.
But Coleman said the alternative is to simply shut down places like the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento and McGrath State Beach in Southern California.
The current budget includes $22 million in state cuts for the park system.
She acknowledged that large state properties can't be simply padlocked, which means visitors can come but won't have services like ranger patrols and bathroom facilities.
Coleman said the parks department is actively seeking proposals from concessionaires and non-profits to help keep some parks open, and said some of these ideas will be unconventional.
"It's now a new paradigm," Coleman said.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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Director Ken Burns discusses The Roosevelts
Preview: Season 1 | 1m 30s
Ken Burns's seven-part documentary weaves the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics. The 14-hour series marks the first time their individual stories have been woven into a single narrative.
Aired: 09/13/14Video has closed captioning.
Problems Playing Video?
Funding is provided by Bank of America; CPB; Mr. Jack C. Taylor; The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The NEH; Rosalind P. Walter; PBS and members of The Better Angels Society, including Jessica & John Fullerton; The Pfeil Foundation David, Mindy, Robert & Daniel Pfeil; Joan Wellhouse Newton; Bonnie & Tom McCloskey; and The Golklin Family.


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Spring Migration Walks in the Arboretum
Thursday, April 09, 2020
Riverview Court Cul-de-sac
Join us on Thursday mornings starting at the end of March and going through May at Nichols Arboretum to observe migrants making their way north. These leaderless walks are a great opportunity to join with other birders of all skill levels. In addition to the birds, the Arb's trees and other plants offer delights of their own. Park and meet at the Riverview Court cul-de-sac off Geddes Road at 8:00 a.m.; the walks will end around 11:00 a.m., but participants can leave whenever they prefer.
Minors traveling on Washtenaw Audubon Society field trips without a parent or guardian must bring with them a completed and signed copy of the consent form available by clicking here: Field Trip Permission, Medical Release, and Waiver of Liability (PDF)


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Path analysis with logit regression v...
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Categorical Data Modeling
posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 6:58 pm
Hi everyone, I am a newbie to MPLUS. I have a question about basic logic behind the path analysis with categoical outcome. Why is the probit regression set to be the default model to estimate the path coefficients? Why not use logit regression since it is preferable in population studies? I check the user's guide, but it does not explain the reason. Does anyone come across any paper that explain why? Thanks in advance!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 8:38 am
The probit model is the default in Mplus because it is a more general model than the logit model for multivariate dependent variables. The logit model is also available in Mplus. There are general statistical references describing multivariate logistic distributions and their restrictions related to correlations.
Achamyeleh Gebremariam
posted on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - 2:32 pm
This is my first time using Mplus as well as doing path analysis.
I have dichotomous outcomes and independent variables that are either dichotomous or nominal (eg. race).
Here is the setup: u1, u2 and u3 are the dichotomous dependent variables and x1 and x2 are independent variables with x2 representing race categories.
VARIABLE: NAMES ARE u1 u2 u3 x1 x2;
CATEGORICAL IS u1 u2 u3;
MODEL: u1 ON u2 u3 x1 x2;
u3 ON x3 ;
u2 ON u3;
A few questions:
a) Is this a correct set up?
b)how do I specify that x2 (race) is a nominal variable?
c) can the coefficients provided be interpreted as path coefficients? or how do I identify the direct and indirect effects?
My goal is to have path coefficients for the relationships and a corresponding significance test. I appreciate your help.
Thank you.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - 4:16 pm
If race is a nominal variable, you need to create a set of dummy variables to use as covariates. With three categories, two dummy variables are needed. You can use DEFINE to create these dummy variables. See a regression textbook if you do not know how to do this.
The tyoe of regression coefficients in a path analysis are determined by the scale of the dependent variable and the estimator that is used. With ML and categorical dependent variables, logistic regression coefficients are estimated. Examples 3.11 through 3.17 show various path analyses. Example 3.16 shows how to use MODEL INDIRECT to obtain indirect effects.
Achamyeleh Gebremariam
posted on Monday, November 01, 2010 - 6:46 am
Thank you Linda for your quick response.I have been able to run the model after creating the dummy variables.
Now I have two questions.
1) One is regarding indirect effects. I did follow example 3.16 and put the indirect effects as follows:
VARIABLE:NAMES ARE u1 u2 u3 x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6;
USEVARIABLES ARE u1 u2 u3 x1 x2 x4 x5 x6;
CATEGORICAL IS u1 u2 u3 ;
MODEL: u1 ON u2 u3 x1 x2 x4 x5 x6;
u2 ON u3;
u3 ON x2;
u1 IND u2 u3 x2;
u1 IND u3 x2;
u1 IND u2 u3;
I get this error message. Anything I need to do differently?
MODEL INDIRECT is not available for analysis with ALGORITHM=INTEGRATION.
2) The data comes from a sample survey and I analyzed it separately without the indirect effects and the # of observations it uses (n=1,261) is different from the number of observations I expect to see (n=1,643). Is there anything that may cause the drop in the number of observations?
Thanks again for the help.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, November 01, 2010 - 9:12 am
MODEL CONSTRAINT can be used to compute indirect effects when MODEL INDIRECT is not available. However, in Mplus with maximum likelihood and categorical mediators, this cannot be done. With categorical mediators, indirect effects should be computed using probit regression and weighted least squares estimation.
If cases are not used, you should have a message to that effect, for example, observations with missing on observed exogenous variables are deleted. If this is not the case, you may be reading the data incorrectly and should send your files and license number to
Achamyeleh Gebremariam
posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2010 - 12:44 pm
Thanks again Linda for your help. I did the analysis with constraint. and it works fine. I created the constraints as products of the path coefficients. I have a couple of questions.
a) Would that be correct even in the case with logit models?
b) Can I exponentiate the indirect effect and interpret it as an odds ratio? If not how would I go about describing the extent of indirect effect?
I still have problems with the sample size in the weighted vs. unweighted analysis and have sent the data and the Mplus code. Thanks for your help.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2010 - 2:31 pm
You cannot have an indirect effect with a categorical mediator with maximum likelihood estimation. If the mediator is continuous that is okay. In this case and the final dependent variable is categorical, you can exponentiate the indirect effect to obtain an odds ratio.
Achamyeleh Gebremariam
posted on Wednesday, November 03, 2010 - 8:12 am
Even though I cannot have indirect effect with a categorical mediator under MLE, in my set up it is acceptable to exponentiate indirect effects obtained by multiplying the path coefficients to obtain an odds ratio. Am I understanding your comment right?
If possible, I would appreciate suggestions to any references that address this issue.
Thank you very much for all your help.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, November 03, 2010 - 12:38 pm
This would not be correct for the model you show above because the mediator is categorical. The reason is that when the mediator is a dependent variable, it is treated as a latent response variable whereas when it is an independent variable, it is treated as a continuous variable. I know of no reference for this. The mediator must treated in the same way both when it is a dependent variable and an independent variable to compute at indirect effect.
Achamyeleh Gebremariam
posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 6:51 am
You mentioned a few posts ago that with categorical mediators one should use probit regression with WLS to get indirect effects.
a) Would that approach work in my case?
b) Can indirect effects be obtained by multiplying the path coefficients?
Thanks again for all your help.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 6:57 am
Cecily Na
posted on Sunday, December 12, 2010 - 2:22 pm
Dear Linda,
I did an SEM model with categorical variables. The output has means/intercepts/threshold for each level of every categorical variable. Where can I find the overall intercept for the probit structural equation? What syntax command should I use?
For example,
STD [z score] = intercept + b1*crime + b2* drug; where crime and drug are all categorical variables.
Thanks a lot!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Sunday, December 12, 2010 - 5:31 pm
The intercept for a probit regression is under the heading Threshold.
Melissa Kimber
posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 - 7:02 am
I am trying to run a path analysis with a binary dependent variable.
I keep getting the following message:
**Categorical variable TREAT contains non-integer values.**
TREAT is my dependent variable.
Any thoughts?
Thank you.
Melissa Kimber
posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 - 7:05 am
Sorry, just to add, all of my values for TREAT are either zero or 1.....so, I am not clear on why I am having a problem.
So I need to change it from 0 & 1 to 1 & 2?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 - 7:31 am
You are reading the data incorrectly. You probably have blanks in the data set which are not allowed with free format data. If you can't see the problem, send the input, data, output and your license number to
Mario Mueller
posted on Monday, April 16, 2012 - 2:34 am
I'm running a path model (N=10.000) with a binary (75/25-split) dependent variable, 8 independent variables and indirect effects.
When I specify the MODEL INDIRECT command I get the message...
* The chi-square value for MLM, MLMV, MLR, ULSMV, WLSM and WLSMV cannot be used
for chi-square difference testing in the regular way. MLM, MLR and WLSM
chi-square difference testing is described on the Mplus website. MLMV, WLSMV,
and ULSMV difference testing is done using the DIFFTEST option.
...and when using MODEL CONSTRAINT the output didn't provide any fit indices. Can I ignore this message or what exactly does it mean?
Thanks, Mario
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Monday, April 16, 2012 - 6:06 am
The message is telling you what to do if you are doing difference testing of two nested models. It does not sound like you are so you can ignore this message.
Samuli Helle
posted on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 - 2:14 am
I'm doing a path analysis with two continuous DVs and one binary DV with MLR estimation. All IVs are continuous. For the logit part, I get "reasonable" parameter estimates and their SEs, but the odds ratio estimates show the following:
What's wrong with the odds ratio estimates? For the binary DV, ca. 60 cases have value of 1 and ca. 170 cases have value of 0.
Thanks a lot!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 - 5:40 am
Please send the output and your license number to
Leslie Roos
posted on Thursday, June 27, 2013 - 7:18 am
I'm running a mediation model with 2 binary mediators and a nominal outcome. I'm interested in determining if there is a significant mediation for each of the mediators on each 2 of the levels of the nominal outcome variable vs. nominal reference group. My understanding is with nominal outcome variables & model constraint, it is not possible to obtain Indirect Odds ratios, however it is possible to obtain if the indirect effect is significant.
What would be the best way to determine the significance of the indirect effect of the mediator at each level of the nominal outcome? Below is the relevant part of the model. I was attempting to constrain the nominal outcome (Jail2L) at the first 2 levels.
aax12Nas ON cdum1; (a1);
asub ON cdum1; (a2);
ON aax12Nas; (b1);
ON asub; (b2);
ON aax12Nas; (b10);
ON asub; (b20);
NEW(eff1 eff2 eff10 eff20);
Thank you!
Leslie Roos
posted on Thursday, June 27, 2013 - 7:36 am
I am now trying to use the '#' as a constraint and it seems to have worked. I wanted to check in that I am not violating specific assumptions in categorical / nominal variable modelling?
Thank you again!
aax12Nas ON cdum1 (a1);
asub ON cdum1 (a2);
Jail2L#1 ON aax12Nas (b1);
Jail2L#2 ON aax12Nas (b10);
Jail2L#1 ON asub (b2);
Jail2L#2 ON asub (b20);
NEW(eff1 eff2 eff10 eff20);
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, June 27, 2013 - 11:21 am
Indirect effects cannot be computed as products in your situation. See the following paper which is available on the website:
Muth�n, B. (2011). Applications of causally defined direct and indirect effects in mediation analysis using SEM in Mplus
Frida Jonsson
posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 - 10:20 am
I�m examining a multiple mediator model through path analysis. I have variables at four time points and the model include three IV�s (at t1), three DV�s at t2 (1 binary and 2 continuous), three DV�s at t3 (1 binary and 2 continuous) and one final continuous DV at t4. I have used WLSMV with THETA and examined indirect effects using MODEL INDIRECT together with the BOOTSTRAP analysis command.
I�ve got a response from a reviewer suggesting that I should use Monte Carlo Integration to attain a logit rather than a probit model, since �in a multivariate case these are superior�. I�m not sure in what ways this would be beneficial or the more correct way to examine my model.
From what I have read on this forum, using WLSMV rather than MLR with INTEGRATION=MONTECARLO and MODEL CONSTRAINT, is the better option is you have categorical mediators. Is this correct? If yes, can you point me to any references supporting this?
Also, if I were to do as the reviewer suggests, then I would not be able to have the residuals of my mediators be correlated (risk of having a misspecificed model). Is this an argument I can use to support the WLSMV approach?
Thank you for your time!
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 - 6:28 pm
When you have a mediation model, ML becomes problematic if you have categorical mediators in that you would have to combine linear and non-linear regressions. WLSMV instead works with a latent response variable mediator.
I don't know what the reviewer means by logit being superior for the multivariate case. I would say the opposite because the probit with WLSMV is more flexible in the multivariate case - like you say correlated residuals. Although missing data can be an issue. See also our FAQ on estimator choices with categorical variables.
Mark Thomas
posted on Thursday, September 08, 2016 - 6:40 am
Hi Dr. Muthen,
I am trying to run a path analysis with logistic regression with subgroup analyses (male vs. female). I have successfully ran separate models for the binary outcome with the whole sample, and continuous outcome for subgroup analyses. However, I encounter the following issue when I try to do logit with dichotomous variables.
" ALGORITHM=INTEGRATION is not available for multiple group analysis.
Try using the KNOWNCLASS option for TYPE=MIXTURE."
My code:
BPhy BVerb BAng BHost CMH BPAQ MAP EPI NOR SLOPE AUC ZMS DIMS;
USEVARIABLES ARE BAng epi nor slope auc map diMS SEX AGE RACE EDU ;
GROUPING IS SEX (0=Male, 1=Female);
Thank you.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, September 08, 2016 - 11:57 am
With ML and categorical outcomes, you must use KNOWNCLASS instead of GROUPING. When classes are known, this is the same as multiple group analysis. See Example 5.33 where this is shown for Bayes. Just use ML instead of Bayes.
Jolien Vleeshouwers
posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 11:35 pm
I am running half-longitudinal mediation models using model constraint. I calculated Odds Ratios for the indirect effect, and am now wondering how to interpret the results. Could you please help me interpret the Odds ratios for indirect effect?
Thank you!
Kind regards,
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, January 26, 2017 - 5:05 pm
Answered elsewhere.
Cathy Bae
posted on Friday, September 29, 2017 - 11:49 pm
Hi everyone,
This is my first time using Mplus to run path analysis with logistic regression.
I have a dichotomous dependent variable and continous dependent & independent variables.
(Y4 is the dichotomous and Y3,Y2,Y1, and X1 are continous).
The model is fully ordered recursive path model.
I wish to obtain unstandardized coefficients, S.E., standardized coefficients, appropriate Model fit results, and R-square.
I have set it up as:
Names are
Categorical is
Analysis: Estimator = ML;
Y4 on X1 Y1 Y2 Y3;
Y3 on X1 Y1 Y2;
Y2 on X1 Y1;
Y1 on X1;
Output: STDYX;
I have a few questions:
a) Is this a correct set up?
b) I have set the estimator as ML. Should I run it with different estimator?
c) When I run it without a defined estimator, Mplus automatically selects probit model and returns Chi-Sqaure Test for Model Fit, RMSEA, CFI/TLI, Chi-sqaure...for Baseline Model and WRMR. Is probit a better tool or Is there a way to obtain these model fits for current set up?
d) How should I interpret AIC, BIC and Adjusted BIC?
I really really appreciate your help.
Thank you very much.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Sunday, October 01, 2017 - 12:44 pm
You have a binary outcome which calls for counterfactually -defined effects. But you also have multiple mediators which makes it complex - see our FAQ:
Mediation: multiple mediators
You can use ML and it will give you indirect effects for Y*, the latent response variable behind the binary outcome. Logit is fine.
You talk about a test but it seems that you have zero degrees of freedom.
BIC etc is for model comparison. You can read about it in our new RMA book.
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text:
Lucas Peterson
Lucas Peterson is the Frugal Traveler columnist for The New York Times. He is a James Beard Award nominee for his work in Lucky Peach magazine and has written for GQ, Eater, LA Weekly and Food Republic. His video series for Eater, "Dining on a Dime," is now in its 11th season. He's spent years working, studying, and volunteering in countries around the world.


text:
I have my own theory on video game sex: it looks like two mailboxes clanging together. BioShock creator Ken Levine has something a little more humanoid in mind.
Here's the crux of it, and it's something I wish more developers enforced: if you can't make something look or feel good/real, then don't do it. Your Hollywood impulses might be telling you a game needs a sex scene, but if all you can make it look like is two puppets banging faces then you're better off having them just hold hands.
This rule also applies to smoking. The Illusive Man in Mass Effect 2 did not look like a man smoking. He looked like a machine that, if I walked along the promenade in 1936, I could put a nickel in and see it raise its mechanical arm to its mouth in a crude simulation of "smoking".


text:
Insiders find every aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) fascinating. But the real world doesn't. An SEO professional may live and die by every algo update and latest social signal split-test, but please know that the non-SEO world couldn't care less.
Take, for example, a carpet cleaner, a dentist, a veterinarian, roofer, plumber, mover, even doctors, lawyers… you get the idea. They are busy running their businesses. Over the years a divergence has developed between the SEM blogs and the realities of small business marketing. A course correction is needed.
Let's first be clear, small business needs online marketing. In fact, many of these businesses need online marketing far more than their larger corporate brothers. The big guys can swing fat SEO budgets around as they "explore" different social media outlets and "experiment" with social engagement as an alternative customer service strategy.
The small business profile is not nearly as pretty, particularly in this economy. Often hampered by small margins, super tight budgets and a general lack of respect from vendors who give them their lesser-trained account managers, many small business owners are living on a frustrating edge.
It Used to be so Simple
A small business owner who has been around for a while is often especially unhappy with the migration to online marketing. The rules used to be simple. You set up shop, bought your yellow pages ad, and then had a modest budget for other media outlets such as radio, newsprint, fliers, coupons and perhaps local television.
While you'd expect great enthusiasm for the new online economy, you often hear frustration and bitterness. Why is small business so mistrustful of online marketing? And what is so special about SEO that has them particularly distrustful?
1. The Rules Keep Changing
Last year's big Panda updates were the obvious big SEO news. It was, as algorithm updates go, a major change that impacted 12 percent of Google's search results. And SEO shop phones across the country rang off the hook from small business owners who were scrambling to figure out what it all meant for their traffic.
Trained empiricists will be fascinated by the scientific reviews of Panda. But this is inaccessible to small business owners who really ask questions such as, "Hey, does Panda mean that Google is finally going to get me for that guy I hired last year to spin articles and post them to 2,000 article sites?"
Was Panda really about "thin content" as everybody claimed? You can find all sorts of human and machine spun content still warm and cozy in Google's database today, leading many to believe Panda was really more about duplicate content (still) than anything else.
But back on point, the small business world isn't interested in debates. They want the yellow pages, conceptually anyway. And SEO is about as far from that as possible because the rules keep changing.
2. The ROI Calculation is Difficult
As much as the small business world resented the yellow pages for its monopolistic stronghold over them, it was a known quantity. In many respects, pay-per-click (PPC) ads bought through Google AdWords are the modern day equivalent of the yellow pages.
Google is where people go today, much like the yellow pages is where they went in 1985. Plain and simple. In similar fashion, small business has a love-hate relationship with Google AdWords, feeling the same resentment toward high prices and lack of options.
When small business turns to SEO out of desperation, they are looking for a cheaper option. Read: An option with a higher return on investment (ROI). And they have heard the wild stories about how great the ROI is on SEO. But is it really?
According to Google's rules, SEO vendors can't promise ranking. Therefore, vendors can't really promise ROI. In what other business is that acceptable?
Furthermore, SEO vendors can't price with precision because nobody other than Google really knows if it will work (more on that in a minute). Even when you try to use Google's own estimates of traffic to build your case, it might turn out that AdWords is giving us bad data anyway.
3. Fear of Ending Up on Google's Blacklist
Step back for a moment and think about another area in business where the proposition is something along the lines of "this could be a great long-term investment that will boost your business or it might take you down entirely."
What? Seriously? It just doesn't happen like that in the real world. Until now.
Last years' JCPenney SEO problem illustrates just how difficult this issue is. Not only did JCPenney's distasteful tactics work, they were not detected by Google. That is, until someone decided to get the New York Times involved.
While the news did expose the need for all companies to assure that they (and their SEO firms) are carrying out quality SEO tactics, the whole concept was a bit confusing to the small business owner who is still trying to successfully implement SEO strategies that will help grow its customer base.
4. SEO Seems Overly Technical
Just talk to a pro about SEO. Enough said. But if you don't believe in how overly jargon-filled SEO is, watch this hilarious video.
Particularly in light of the risks associated with hiring an overly-aggressive SEO firm, the buyer has to be somewhat educated to avoid becoming the next JCPenney. But small business owners don't have time for this. They can't step away from their shop, store or van to take a three-day seminar on the difference between on-site and off-site SEO. They don't want to know the importance of long-tail vs. head-term strategies.
5. "SEO Doesn't Work"
The final, and perhaps most important, reason that small business hates SEO is that it is often perceived to "not work." Sure, sure, the comments section will fill up with statements such as "not if you hire me" and "not if you do it right." But let's get real.
On a competitive keyword phrase you can be looking at years of effort to make it to position 1, if ever. For a Fortune 100 company with billions of Wall Street dollars at its disposal, this may be OK. But not on Main Street.
Given the sharp traffic drop associated with position 2 or 3 (let alone position 7 or 8), SEO can be seen as a big ROI gamble – even when you do make it to Page 1. Misaligned expectations, poor tracking and reporting, and impatience often lead to the conclusion that money was wasted.
Small business needs SEO, but it feels like SEO has not yet figured out that it needs small business.
A good SEO needs to help their small business customer see that the basic tenets of Google's ranking system have been the same for years (read: quality onsite content and inbound links). Even as social signals are integrated, and thin content is removed from Google, it will be in a measured fashion with plenty of time to react.
SEO should sharpen its ability to quantify ROI potential (pre-sales) without breaking Google's rules, especially through bundled offerings that down-play the perceived ambiguity of search engine rankings.
Strong technology support, in the form of tighter analytics, PPC, phone, email, backlink and social media data integration, combined with real business results (i.e., sales / revenues) will allow small business and SEO to communicate quickly, and in understandable terms. In other words, SEO will speak small business language and reduce the current learning curve requirement (which is steep). These efforts will lead small business owners to the conclusion that, like the yellow pages and PPC, SEO does work.
Related reading
Local SEO for enterprises: Optimizing for the Local 3-Pack
Mobile users are most likely using Google to search for local businesses, and those searches are generally limited to what's called the "Local 3-Pack." How can enterprises optimize their local SEO?
How to optimize paid search ads for phone calls
70% of consumers have used a click to call button, and a recent study found that calls convert at ten times the rate of clicks.
Google tests AR for Google Maps: Considerations for businesses across local search, hyperlocal SEO, and UX
Last month, Google tested AR functionality in Google Maps. What are the implications of VPS, street view, and machine learning for local search and SEOs?
Facebook is a local search engine. Are you treating it like one?
Over 600 million users visit FB business pages every day. 52% of consumers have discovered a brand there. Why and how to optimize for Facebook local search.


text:
Precious time is often lost through the handling of Pos And Inventory System . Similarly, the more cash is handled the greater the security risk in stores. Fortunately, Point of Sale (POS) technology is making better control of cash in retail stores possible, resulting in benefit for both staff and customers.
One German furniture company has estimated that the payment process and handling of cash at the checkout takes between 15 to 25 seconds. As this is only one part of processing pos system, 15 to 25 seconds is quite substantial time and, when the seconds are calculated for the cash handling from every sale throughout the day…till operators are spending more time on this process than most business owners would like.
Then, there is also the concern of cash robbery and theft. On any given day in a retail business, one, a few or many more employees will handle cash. Think how many different times and how many different people will handle cash in a supermarket on any one day. It is also probable that many managers are reconciling cash and making deposits, which is why they use point of sale systems.
How Do You Select the Best Point Of Sale Systems in Pos And Inventory System ?
There are a number of channels of distribution available to the producer, which may be employed by him to bring his products to the market and use point of sale software. Consumer goods may be distributed generally through channels, in each of which the manufacturers may use the sales branch or sales office as the additional alternative. One of the channels used is Producer-Consumer, where no middleman is involved. Sales are made from house to house or by direct mail.
A second channel is Producer-Retailer-Consumer, by which goods may be purchased directly from manufacturers. Retail stores may also be opened by manufacturers by this channel.
A stockist or distributor or wholesaler is also a large sized operator but not on par with the marketer or sole selling agent in level, size and territory of operation. Stock holding and sub-distribution, as per the policies laid down by the manufacturers or the marketers, are the main functions of stockists/distributors pos retail equipment.
What Is A Point of Sale System?
The term point-of-sale is used to describe a variety of things. This can include the checkout counter in a store or a place where transactions occur. More frequently, the phrase refers to a computerized cash register. The commonly used abbreviation for point-of-sale is POS. Each letter in the abbreviation is pronounced individually (e.g. P-O-S) versus pronouncing the abbreviation itself (e.g. paws).
When computers were first invented, large retailers were the first to implement point-of-sale systems to help automate many of the tasks involved with operating a retail store. These computers were very large and expensive. This limited the adoption of point-of-sale systems to large retailers such as grocery chains. The introduction of low cost personal computers during the 1980s allowed retail stores of all sizes to improve efficiencies with the help of pos systems.
A common point-of-sale system includes a computer, cash drawer, receipt printer, pole display, bar code scanner, magnetic swipe reader, modem and point-of-sale software. Each piece provides the following functionality:
- Personal Computer - Operates the POS software and provides hardware interfaces for devices such as printers, credit card readers and so on.
- Cash Drawer - A lock box that stores cash and is triggered to open by the pos software.
- Receipt Printer - Prints a paper copy of the sales transaction for the customer.
- Pole Display - LED display that faces the customer and shows each item and price scan.
2. Create inventory records and SKUs via the purchase order
3. Receive goods against the purchase order
4. On hand stock levels are increased based upon receiving
5. Print price tag with bar codes
6. Sell the goods via the point-of-sale cash register
7. On hand stock levels are depleted based upon SKU scans
8. Perpetual Inventory is automatically maintained
9. Generate reports on sales, inventory levels, purchases, and receiving
10. Manage inventory buying and markdown behavior based upon sales trends
As you can see, the simple point-of-sale system grew into a powerful information system for managers and store owners. Today, point-of-sale systems continue to innovate and some even include:
- eCommerce integration
- Integrated accounting
- CRM - Customer Relationship Module
- Electronic payment processing
- Gift card management
- Service order management
- Marketing
- Revolving accounts receivable
- Customer traffic counters
- Integrated video surveillance
- Open To Buy planning
- Linear inventory modeling
- Special order management
- EDI (electronic ordering)
- And much more...
As retail management systems continue to add more robust features, the term point-of-sale will continue to refer to just a module within the overall system.
POS - Point of Sale Explained
Point of sale (POS) systems are used by hundreds of businesses in order to streamline the purchasing process as well as track the various financial and inventory data that relates to the sales made. Although the general concept behind each system is virtually the same, different industries can purchase POS systems that are tailor made for their needs. Think of it is a delivery service: A bike delivery would work fine for a local newspaper, but UPS would have to shut down if it didn't have delivery trucks. The same concept applies to POS sale systems used in retail stores, restaurants, and hotels. Each specific industry can benefit from a system that is designed for their specific needs.
Retail POS systems are specialized at quick and easy one time sales. The items stored in their database are well defined, and although there can be many colors or sizes offered for one item, there isn't very much variation in the product. If one person buys a black jacket, although the jacket comes in blue, all the people who buy the black on are still getting the same item. This is why retail POS systems are the simplest in nature. In regards to the sale process, all they need is to pull up an item's information from inventory and remove it upon purchase. Of course, this is just in reference the the sales aspect of the system; there are still complex inventory control settings and sales efficiency metrics that that can be used, but in terms of making a sale, the retail system is the most simplistic.
Clearly, when starting a business it important to take the industry specific POS into account. Don't just try and find the best deal, but rather what will work best to make your company run efficiently. Understanding why each system is unique will help when trying to make the decision for what POS system to purchase. Although the examples given were for specific industries, the systems can be applied to different industries that have similar purchasing processes: The retail POS can be used in stores ranging from clothing to electronics and the restaurant system can be used in various hospitality related industries.